The Legislative Assembly (AL) yesterday passed the outline of a government-initiated bill amending the law on its subsidised home-ownership scheme (HOS). The amendment bill proposes that an applicant must be a permanent resident aged at least 25, as opposed to the current minimum age requirement of just 18.
The bill also proposes that a points-based system be adopted for the allocation of HOS flats, replacing the current system in which applicants for HOS flats are divided into different groups and chosen by raffle. However, the points-based system’s criteria would only be set by the chief executive later, according to the amendment bill.
The bill also proposes the cancellation of the current rule that allows HOS unit owners to sell their flat in the private market, usually after owning it for 16 years.
Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosario (left) gestures during yesterday’s plenum as Housing Bureau (IH) Director Arnaldo Ernesto dos Santos looks on, in the legislature’s hemicycle. Courtesy TDM
