Last 2 BTO projects delayed by Covid-19 completed
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SINGAPORE – All 92 Build-To-Order (BTO) projects that were delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic have been completed, after construction for the last two developments wrapped up in January.
In all, more than 75,800 of these pandemic-delayed flats
The last two projects, phase two of the Punggol Point Cove development and Kempas Residences, were completed in January 2025.
Another 22 housing projects – comprising more than 18,000 flats – were completed in 2024. Of these, 17 had been delayed by the pandemic and one was held up for other reasons, HDB said. The remaining four projects, including two that came with shorter waiting times, did not face delays.
In November 2024, owners of homes in phase two of Punggol Point Cove began collecting the keys to their flats.
Five out of the six blocks at the 1,179-unit project in New Punggol Road were completed in November and December. The last block was completed in January, after a delay of 12 months.
The Housing Board said the progress of the project was disrupted amid the pandemic, as construction work came to a halt during the circuit breaker in 2020.
The services of its original contractor, CKR Contract Services, were terminated in July 2023 owing to unsatisfactory progress and a repeated failure to meet necessary construction targets.
A new contractor, Qingjian International (South Pacific) Group Development, took over works in August 2023.
The phase two flats at Punggol Point Cove were launched for sale in September 2019. Phase one was launched in August 2018 and had a different main contractor. The 1,178 units there were completed in April 2024.
National Development Minister Desmond Lee taking photos from a rooftop garden during his visit to Punggol Point Cove on Jan 20.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
As at Jan 15, the keys to about 59 per cent – or 657 households – of 1,109 booked units in phase two have been collected, and some residents have moved in.
With the completion of Punggol Point Cove, all three BTO projects in the Punggol Point District have been completed, including Punggol Point Woods and Punggol Point Crown.
As for Kempas Residences in Kallang/Whampoa, the last block was completed in January, following a delay of six months.
The last block of Kempas Residences in Kallang/Whampoa was completed in January, following a delay of six months.
PHOTO: HDB
Thirty-seven households out of the 555 booked units have collected the keys to their homes as at Jan 15.
HDB said there are now 110 housing projects under construction, up from 95 a year ago.
It said it is on track to complete about 17,000 flats across 27 projects in 2025.
Asked if there are measures in place to prevent delays to BTO projects due to the termination of contractors’ services, Mr Lee said the authorities had rolled out various measures to minimise such occurrences.
These include the financial assistance given to construction companies to cope with the impact of Covid-19.
“But unfortunately, they do occur from time to time, and considering the extensive impact that Covid-19 had on the construction sector, these are events that we hope would not have happened. But they have happened, and we want to make sure that we continue to learn the lessons from them,” Mr Lee said during a media doorstop at Punggol Point Cove on Jan 20.
New measures include tighter coordination between agencies, contractors and consultants, closer monitoring of construction, and more digitalisation to track construction progress and pre-empt difficulties.
The authorities have also been pushing for greater productivity through standardisation – such as through integrated construction and prefabrication hubs – as well as robotics and automation, Mr Lee said.
He added that in the event of contractors running into difficulties, HDB will “make sure that the delays are minimised to the best extent possible”.
The completion date of Harmony Village @ Bukit Batok, the first assisted-living public housing project, was also pushed back in 2024 owing to the termination of its original contractor’s services as a result of unsatisfactory progress.
Ms Joycelyn Chua, a resident of phase two of Punggol Point Cove, said the delays to the project posed an inconvenience as she had to live with her mother for several years after her divorce.
“Even with the delays, some of the common areas are still not ready,” said the 47-year-old analyst, who just moved into her two-room flat.
Mr Lee was also asked about complaints concerning defects found by home owners.
“The BSC (Building Service Centre) for Punggol Point Cove is still open and the contractors, the supervisors and HDB teams are working hard to address all the concerns that residents raised – not just here, but across the island,” he said.
Mr Brandon Ng, 31, who moved into his four-room flat in phase one of Punggol Point Cove in June 2023, said he had reported five defects – such as uneven walls and tiles – to the BSC, and they were resolved.
“The workmanship could be better, but I’m just happy to move in after a year of delays,” the payment manager said.
Correction note: An earlier version of the story mistakenly referred to Punggol Point District as Punggol Digital District. We are sorry for the error.
