House prices increasing due to high costs, say developers

Property developers say increasing house prices are due to high compliance and construction costs.

They also attribute the rising cost to government agencies, especially local authorities and utility companies, said Real Estate and Housing Developers' Association Malaysia (Rehda) deputy secretary-general (Melaka branch) Datuk Anthony Adam Cho.

According to Cho, the total development cost of a project can be reduced by around 20 per cent if the compliance cost is lowered.

The development cost of a project is based on five factors, namely construction cost, land cost, compliance cost, interest for borrowings and developers' profits.

In most cases, the development cost is about 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the project's total gross development value, Cho said.

The biggest cost is construction, ranging between 50 per cent and70 per cent of the total project. Compliance cost takes up about 15 per cent to 25 per cent, he said.

Compliance cost includes levies and contribution to authorities, and building infrastructure for utility companies within the project, Cho said.

Developers are also required by Telekom Malaysia Bhd to incur between RM4,000 and RM6,000 per unit to install high-speed broadband infrastructure in their projects, or risk their development application being rejected by the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission.

"Our margins are squeezed also because of the Bumiputera cross subsidies on discounts and low-cost houses. The more expensive the unit, the more discount is given. The poor is basically subsidising the rich.

"We hope the government will review the housing quotas and discounts allocated to Bumiputeras, and also look into other matters relating to property development, which can help to lower the overall cost of doing business," Cho said at a media briefing yesterday. - By Sharen Kaur (Business Times)