SINGAPORE – Ageing condominiums and other private buildings will not get to use public funds for renovation and redecoration (R&R) works, or for lift maintenance, said the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) in a Facebook post published on March 20.
It reiterated that any government co-funding will be targeted at safety upgrades for older lifts, to add safety features that were not available when they were installed.
These include systems to prevent lifts from moving unless the doors are fully closed and secured, or to automatically stop them if they move upwards too quickly.
“We do not intend for (co-funding) to be used to support R&R and maintenance works, or to pay for the costs of general lift repairs or lift replacements,” BCA said. “Such costs should be funded from the private development’s sinking and maintenance funds.”
It put up the Facebook post a day after The Straits Times’ podcast The Usual Place aired an episode on the topic.
The episode discussed whether the Government should partially fund safety upgrades in ageing condominiums, especially if management corporation strata titles (MCSTs) have not been prudent in saving for them.
The topic came under the spotlight on March 4, when Second Minister for National Development Indranee Rajah announced these potential changes in Parliament during the debate on her ministry’s budget.
