MAH SING, BDB LAUD GOODIES
50pc tax exemption for rental income up to RM2,000 a month can encourage property investment
THE various initiatives under the 2018 Budget will boost the property industry, said Mah Sing Group managing director Tan Sri Leong Hoy Kum.
He cited the government’s initiatives that focused on lowerand middle-income segments, addressed the cost of living, affordable housing issues and new technology as beneficial to economic growth.
Leong said the government’s incentives for first-time home buyers, such as PR1MA’s Skim Pembiayaan and MyDeposit programme, would assist them with their deposits and instalment when buying a home.
A 50 per cent tax exemption for rental income amounting to up to RM2,000 a month would also be encouraging to property investment, he said.
Meanwhile, Bina Darulaman Bhd (BDB) said the RM2.2 billion allocation for the housing sector under the 2018 Budget was a timely boost.
“We welcome the government’s efforts to extend the conditional step-up financing scheme introduced by PR1MA to developers in the private sector,” said group managing director Datuk Izham Yusoff in a statement.
“This scheme aids selected buyers, particularly those struggling to draw loans for their first home to obtain financing,” he added.
BDB also commended the MyHomes programme, which is an incentive for developers to construct more affordable homes for Malaysians.
This was in addition to the RM200 million set aside for maintenance funds, stamp duty exemptions for house buyers and tax exemptions on house rentals below RM2,000.