Ringo33
01-11-13, 06:10
http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sites/businesstimes.com.sg/files/imagecache/image_300x200/BT_20131101_FCURA1_819617.jpg
[SINGAPORE] A key policymaker of the Singapore property market who helped shape the many cooling measures in the last few years is leaving the civil service to join the private sector.
Marc Boey, group director of land sales and administration at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), will leave the land use planning and conservation authority at the end of this year.
Mr Boey, 46, will be replaced by Sin Lye Chong, currently director of property research and controller of housing in the land sales and administration group of URA. BT understands that Mr Sin will retain his present posts even after he takes over from Mr Boey.
The group director of land sales and administration at URA plays an important policymaking role for the Singapore property sector and reports directly to URA's chief executive officer.
The job involves heading the team that makes recommendations to the government on the number and type of sites to be released under the government land sales (GLS) programme, and advises on new measures that may be needed to maintain the health of the market. The role also includes overseeing the property research and controller of housing functions at URA.
Mr Boey has vast experience in planning and policy work, having spent 19 years at URA and the Ministry of National Development (MND). He has headed the land sales and administration group since early 2009.
Prior to that, he was controller of housing for over two years until Dec 31, 2008. He has also been actively involved in real estate work as a council member of the Council for Estate Agencies.
Chia Boon Kuah, president of the Real Estate Developers Association (Redas) and chief operating officer of property sales at Far East Organization, said of Mr Boey: "I have worked closely with Marc Boey and know him as a very hardworking, versatile and talented man."
Mr Boey, he said, is known to visit showflats over the weekends to keep in touch with the market.
"He always tries his best to explain the reasons behind key government policies that impact the property market," Mr Chia said. "At the same time, he's also very sensitive to feedback, and is always open to listening to the developers' side of the story, addressing our concerns and considering our input.
"He engages everyone who has a role to play in the property market - from property agents and developers to analysts and bankers," said Mr Chia. He added that Redas is looking forward to working closely with Mr Sin.
Knight Frank executive chairman Tan Tiong Cheng said Mr Boey is a "capable guy" whose views on the property market are "quite balanced".
"He is approachable, quite balanced and very sensible," said Mr Tan. "Marc has also been quite open, and has conducted many general and detailed discussions with people in the real estate scene in Singapore, from consultants to analysts and developers.
"As such, he has a good reading of what is at play in the market."
The 40-year-old Mr Sin has been director of research and controller of housing since 2011. The controller of housing department in URA grants licences to housing developers in Singapore.
He started working at URA in 1998, and was a property market analyst in his first four years.
He then spent a year at the Ministry of Finance, before moving on to a short stint as a planner looking at land use issues in the northeast region of Singapore. He has also worked at the Ministry of National Development, where he was deputy director of strategic planning.
[SINGAPORE] A key policymaker of the Singapore property market who helped shape the many cooling measures in the last few years is leaving the civil service to join the private sector.
Marc Boey, group director of land sales and administration at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), will leave the land use planning and conservation authority at the end of this year.
Mr Boey, 46, will be replaced by Sin Lye Chong, currently director of property research and controller of housing in the land sales and administration group of URA. BT understands that Mr Sin will retain his present posts even after he takes over from Mr Boey.
The group director of land sales and administration at URA plays an important policymaking role for the Singapore property sector and reports directly to URA's chief executive officer.
The job involves heading the team that makes recommendations to the government on the number and type of sites to be released under the government land sales (GLS) programme, and advises on new measures that may be needed to maintain the health of the market. The role also includes overseeing the property research and controller of housing functions at URA.
Mr Boey has vast experience in planning and policy work, having spent 19 years at URA and the Ministry of National Development (MND). He has headed the land sales and administration group since early 2009.
Prior to that, he was controller of housing for over two years until Dec 31, 2008. He has also been actively involved in real estate work as a council member of the Council for Estate Agencies.
Chia Boon Kuah, president of the Real Estate Developers Association (Redas) and chief operating officer of property sales at Far East Organization, said of Mr Boey: "I have worked closely with Marc Boey and know him as a very hardworking, versatile and talented man."
Mr Boey, he said, is known to visit showflats over the weekends to keep in touch with the market.
"He always tries his best to explain the reasons behind key government policies that impact the property market," Mr Chia said. "At the same time, he's also very sensitive to feedback, and is always open to listening to the developers' side of the story, addressing our concerns and considering our input.
"He engages everyone who has a role to play in the property market - from property agents and developers to analysts and bankers," said Mr Chia. He added that Redas is looking forward to working closely with Mr Sin.
Knight Frank executive chairman Tan Tiong Cheng said Mr Boey is a "capable guy" whose views on the property market are "quite balanced".
"He is approachable, quite balanced and very sensible," said Mr Tan. "Marc has also been quite open, and has conducted many general and detailed discussions with people in the real estate scene in Singapore, from consultants to analysts and developers.
"As such, he has a good reading of what is at play in the market."
The 40-year-old Mr Sin has been director of research and controller of housing since 2011. The controller of housing department in URA grants licences to housing developers in Singapore.
He started working at URA in 1998, and was a property market analyst in his first four years.
He then spent a year at the Ministry of Finance, before moving on to a short stint as a planner looking at land use issues in the northeast region of Singapore. He has also worked at the Ministry of National Development, where he was deputy director of strategic planning.