PSD reviewing paper that alleges civil servants disproportionately bought homes near unannounced MRT stations
The department will refer any issue to CPIB if there is material basis to do so.
The Public Service Division (PSD) is examining a research paper that claims Singapore civil servants disproportionately purchased homes near MRT stations that had not yet announced. The paper, published by a US-based non-profit organization, explores whether social norms could replace formal enforcement in deterring misconduct by public officials.
The article examines housing transactions around planned expansions of the MRT system, focusing on purchases near planned but not yet announced MRT stations. The authors found that civil servants purchased properties at a higher rate near these stations compared to non-civilian counterparts with similar demographic attributes and housing consumption behaviors.
The effect was observed one to two years before public announcements and primarily among mid-level officials and agencies associated with rail planning. The paper notes that the findings were consistent with information leakage, as the pattern extended to relatives of the civil servants involved.
Written by urgent.news from The Business Times - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
