Andrew Loh –
The penny has finally dropped.
The Senior Minister of State for National Development says if residents wanted “more frequent washings” to keep their estates cleaner, “residents may have to consider the trade-off of paying more in fees.” (Channelnewsasia)
Speaking at a community event on Sunday, Ms Grace Fu gave her views about the recent Town Council Management Report (TCMR) which was conducted by the Housing and Development Board. The 16 town councils in Singapore were assessed in six areas of competence.
The report ranked opposition-run town councils in Potong Pasir and Hougang at the bottom, while those in Tanjong Pagar GRC and Ang Mo Kio GRC were the best-managed. Town councils run by the People’s Action Party all fared better than the two in the opposition wards.
Ms Fu, however, reiterated the point she had made last year – that the report is not a ranking exercise. She explained that it instead “should act as talking points between residents and the management.”
She gave as an example the cleanliness report. If residents were satisfied with the ranking in this area, then nothing further needed to be done by the town councils. However, if residents were not satisfied, and wanted more washings to be done, they would have to consider paying more for this.
Referring to questions raised about the objectivity of the report, she said the “six-month assessment was carried out objectively and data collected for half of the indicators (lift performance and S&CC arrears management) came from the town councils themselves.” (Channelnewsasia)
To Mr Gerald Giam, however, the TCMR report failed on several counts. “Does the TCMR reflect residents’ concerns about the way their TCs are managed?” he asked on his blog. “Were they even consulted on the report? Apparently not. Why not judge the TCs on how low their S&CC charges are and their value for money? Why were TC investments dropped from the evaluation criteria at the eleventh hour?”
As a member of the Workers’ Party who has participated in his party’s walkabouts the last several months, Mr Giam related the concerns which residents, including those in PAP wards, he met have voiced to him. These include “concerns over rising S&CC, broken promises and delays in lift upgrading, poorly designed covered walkways and footpaths, and the squandering of sinking funds due to ill-advised investments.”
He also questioned the necessity and motivation of the report. “If they [residents] feel that their MPs are not performing,’ he said, “they would have voted them out long ago. But the two opposition MPs have been returned to office again and again for the last 18 to 25 years–longer than any other PAP MPs save one.”
On 28 February 2008, the PAP town councils announced that they would not be raising Service and Conservancy charges (S&CC). Three months later, on 5 May, PAP-run Aljunied GRC Town Council said it “will consider raising the conservancy charges for the dirtiest precincts to cover the extra work that goes into maintaining them.” But five days after this was reported by the media, it changed its mind and said it would not be raising charges after criticisms were raised on the Internet.
Ms Cynthia Phua, an MP for the area, had proposed introducing an index which would tie the S&CC to the cleanliness of the estate. “I mentioned that the litter index and conservancy charges can be linked in terms of dollar amount because there will be an increased cost to cleaning dirtier estates,” she told the Straits Times. “However, that does not mean that the Aljunied Town Council intends to link them.”
She added that her town council had never had the intention of “punishing the residents with higher conservancy charges”.
However, her “town council would tie conservancy charges to the index only if it found an objective measure of cleanliness.”
This would be in line with what Ms Fu said with regards to the TCMR report – that if residents were dissatisfied with the level of cleanliness, they would have to consider paying higher maintenance fees, namely S&C charges.
As I asked in an earlier article, is one of the objectives of the TCMR to help PAP-run town councils justify charging residents higher S&CC, which Aljunied GRC tried to do in 2008 but failed to?
After all, Ms Phua had wanted to introduce an index which would link S&C fees to cleanliness of the estate, and Ms Fu reiterating the same on Sunday.
And now we have exactly that – a TCMR report which would be used to justify any increase in fees.
The last time PAP town councils raised S&C charges was in 2004, according to this Channelnewsasia report.**
[The 14 PAP town councils have collectively $2 billion in sinking funds, as reported by The Online Citizen in March 2010. See link below.]
** Jurong and Aljunied town councils raised S&C charges in April 2010. See here.
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Read TOC’s earlier articles about S&CC charges:
$2 billion in PAP town councils’ sinking funds but need to increase fees?
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
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… “concerns over rising S&CC, broken promises and delays in lift upgrading, poorly designed covered walkways and footpaths, and the squandering of sinking funds due to ill-advised investments.”
The functionality of some new things implemented in my area makes me wonder who is the dumb person who approved them. And most of the money spent here goes towards repaving footpaths that are in a state I’d call NEW. Thrice in 10 years for this miserable leg of path, I think my TC got too much money. Could have passed it on towards the needy instead methinks.
Poor investments…? Lol let’s not even go there.
Yup, like we didn’t see this one coming. I swear, they sit all day in their rooms just coming up with ways to leech off the people. Let’s hope the people learn to use salt.
$2 billion?
Wow, if each 10 kg budget sack of rice cost say $20, technically, it will be enough to feed 100,000,000 families for at least a month, or 8.3 million families for the entire year, or 4.1 million families for 2 years, or the entire Singapore population of say 2 million families for 4 years !!!
And yet, we have the starving and need to increase fees???
Pure corrupted Animal Farm PIGS! :P
May I add that such a report could also be used to either increase or decrease the value of HBD flats depending on the estates they are in and their rankings.
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It is not only about paying more for cleaner estates but also about paying more for better-ranked estates as well.
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So, in the near future, if you want cheap flats you can go buy them in Opposition-held wards.
so what if have to pay more? got choice meh? I suspect majority will accept even if hike fees.
why i say so? I look at historical records and what i see is Cooperative citizenry.
role model citizenry for western democracies. Best citizenry award!
Unbelievable rubbish. When some numbers are assigned to things/items and these things/items are placed side by side for the public, then common sense and practise is that it is ranking. It doesn’t matter whether intentional or without malice – as a SM, Ms Fu should be well aware of such political implications.
What happens to ‘Cheaper, Better, Faster’ as expounded by her colleague LSS. Are they even talking to each other?? It only shows that they have no real grasp of what is productivity & the actual ground situation. (Recall the Manpower Minister takes 10+ years to realise we are using 5 FWs to dig one hole in the ground).
In annual appraisal, some workers are ranked lower that others. So, the boss will pay more to such lower ranked workers in order that their ranking will improve?! Maybe that happens in the public sector; definitely it must be happening on the minister level. Otherwise how come their pay ballooned so fast these years? Pay peanuts, get monkeys. Looks like we pay millions and still get monkeys (or frogs). What a difference in national leadership when compared to the older ministers as the recent passing of Dr. GKS has reminded us of.
I like to add that all NSF/Reservists should hereby do only a half-f*** job so that their respective units’ performance will be “…talking points between (soldiers)and the management.” As PM LHL mentioned, you want the ‘Best Man’ on the job to be properly motivated, so MOD should immediately increase the NSF/reservist allowance to nearer that of ministers’ pay – if $1,000,000 is the value placed on a highly motivated citizen soldier, then he should be paid 38K for a 2-week high-key stink.
See See this is UNMISTAKABLE PAP’s Threat – MM threatened Singaporeans vote Mah BT out prices of HDB flats will Drop.
When Mah was Transport Minister, I remembered he ALSO Threatened if tranposrt fares were not Raised, commuters can expect dirty broken down buses, frequent long-time wait for buses.
Of course the mother of all threats was PAP all-time favourite – vote opposition, foreign investors frightened, no jobs, Singapore women become Maids of other countries etc etc.
THIS IS ALL TOO Frequent.
VOTE PAP OUT!!!
Hoarding the people’s money and playing monopoly with it.
This wayang is getting better and better . Looks at all their justifications that the report is fair…….HAHAHAHAHA…..
Just make have the assessors non-Singaporean with cant sue me clause, then the report will be believable……otherwise it is always viewed with suspicion. As the saying goes……..it must not only to be fair,,,,,but must also be seen to be fair…..
This report is definitely biased,,,,,,,,, PAP propaganda……
Everyday goes to office …….think about how to screw the Singaporeans……..then paint a nice picture ………and squeeze money……. and then wait for paycheck………secretly smile at how easy to make a million dollar.
Microsoft has the most millionaires in their organisation.
Slowly there is an alternative called Linux.
Singapore has the most millionaires in their government.
Slowly and hopefully there is an alternative.
what if after paying more and the next report does not show improvement??? infact all these TCs should look at do more with less…..and not asking for more money every now and then….
I think everyone is intelligent enough to know this is just a pre-hike wayang show to increase S&CC charges and also punch the 2 opposition wards below their belts.
Such 3rd world tactics are really distasteful and getting dull.
I hope PAP loose more votes this time. :)
I was wondering when is she going to deliver the punchline…
I would have taken the view that the report was less biased if it had included investments issues of town councils. Why ask for more money, when we have not demonstrated successful wealth management ? Also noticed that no high level policy maker was dismissed as a result of investment losses. No offence to those in the public sector and those in eldercare centres, but I can tell you that private sector is far from being an old folks’ home.
Nothing unusual about the comment. Everything in this country is about money, the dollars and cents. You want cleaner estates, you pay more. But they are willing to spend 10 million dollars just for integration of foreigners into the local population. What a shame.
…and also increase their pay/bonus/benefits at the expense and permanent detriment to the people of singapore and the long term viability/vitality of singapore.
Now who are the beggars here…who is living of who…the people off the PAP..or the PAP and its cronies off the people.
Sick.
And the PAPAYAs still think they are world class and best of the best…yeah the best at being cheap skate at the expense of others as well as live-of-others-low class hoodlums which they are weekly showing themselves truely.
And with no help from us…they already shown their true character traits and conscience to the whole wide world.
Really silly…and no pity from me empathy for these greedy self serving distructive to others no honest living fools.
So much talk about Cheaper,Better,Faster and then pay more?
This whole TCMR is a total waste of Tax Payer’s Money, an exercise void of reason, results. Scrap it altogether.
Dis Grace-Fu.
It is all about money in this land rule by lky team.
We can be Cheaper, Better, & Faster for THEM.. but not the other way around.
I think heartland folks should CONSIDER upkeeping & cleaning the estate they live in, by themselves. No need to pay AT ALL.
“If residents were satisfied with the ranking in this area, then nothing further needed to be done by the town councils. However, if residents were not satisfied, and wanted more washings to be done, they would have to consider paying more for this.”
Waz objectionable abt this TOC?
is that why we hav so many MPs/mayors/ministers? so if we want good governors/nannies..we pay more as well?
mrt breached/mas salas escape/wall collapsed… how come no refunds of salaries from mayors/mps/ministers?
Folks, is there anything new ? Don’t get so worked up. Increases, increases & increases, but your pay increased or not?
But do not be resigned, just vote correctly. Seriously, since there is no avenue to “feedback” or being listened to, just change the MP lah. I have been to PP & HG, they are ok. Not much different from other wards. This is not very important issue .. a little rubbish here & there is ok… if you want it to be spotless, then maybe we should stay in a condo [and then squabble in the MC :) ] Most are well taken care off with less S & CC… Focus on the important issues.
Pay more…whatever happened to CHEAPER, better, faster?????
Dis-Grace-Fu!
Whether we reduce or increase the SCC fees how more can the estate be cleaner. Cleaning can only go so far. It is the bloody attitude of the resident or visitors who take responsibility to keep the estate clean. Even if we have more cleaners, they just “pick up” after those who litter. If we took responsibilty then we don’t need so many cleaners or hours per day to clean. In Japan everyone plays their part. Why can’t we do the same. Because we lost it at school. The civics lessons that we had could have help. The government to too concern with money and ecomomics, something has to give, this is one of them, the bad trait of our living together. It will not get better.
“This would be in line with what Ms Fu said with regards to the TCMR report – that if residents were dissatisfied with the level of cleanliness, they would have to consider paying higher maintenance fees, namely S&C charges.”
Let me finish the sentence “… Otherwise, you can always vote in the opposition.”
2 billion in the sinking funds and PAP TCs are asking more money from the residents because they did not do their job in cleaning up their estate?
Constituents of Aljunied and Jurong GRC town councils are already paying more for their S&C charges. Yet these 2 town councils still score below Tanjong Pagar and AMK GRC town councils. Are Aljunied and Jurong GRC town council inefficient.
Would minister of state, Grace Fu like to comment?
Just 4 questions for all Singaporeans:
1. Does anyone seriously believe that whoever in charge of the town council management report (TCMR) would even DARE to rank any other town council higher than MM Lee and PM Lee’s town councils? Is it any coincidence that both of them got the same highest scores?
2. Is the TCMR actually a PLOY to persuade and make all Singaporeans pay more in town council conservancy charges in the name of improving their estates, just so that whichever town councils that lost millions of dollars in their ill-advised investments can now top up those losses from the increased conservancy charges, i.e. from us poor citizens?
3. Why doesn’t the TCMR include 1 very critical and meaningful criterion – amount of monthly conservancy charges per household, so as to encourage town councils to compete against one another to LOWER their town council conservancy charges for all its residents while maintaining their estates as best as possible with the amounts collected?
4. Why doesn’t the TCMR also include another very critical and meaningful criterion – management of town council funds, amount of town council funds lost in investments and amounts wasted on frivilous expense items to reward their cronies, so as to increase TRANSPARENCY?
Amazing!
Residents need to pay more SC&CC charges for more cleanliness, while the town council can amass super high surpluses such that they can risk away the money in high risk investments and toxic financial products? Instead of using this money for what it is supposed to be used for?
“Objective…sounds like MBT’s “Affordable”
Aljunied TC is talking cock.Increase S&C, the estate is still badly maintained.
Be more transparent with our sinking fund.
I suggest she talks to Lim Swee Say on how to make it cheaper and faster..
Just before the GE they will sent out the CLOWNS to talk cock and remove them during elections to pacify the people to show their empathy.”ART of WAR”
Whenever they said something, it is about trying to profit from the people regardelss of their financial situation. With mounting cost of livings being ranked among the world highest and yet wage depression is in line with 3rd world country. Can’t the MPs spare the people further trauma or they think they are confident enough to win another mandate again in the coming election?
” you want a cleaner estate you have to pay more”
OMG, after all these years the residents have been taken for many rides!!
Every month, the residents have been paying ‘without fail’ the monthly S&CC fees, and we did not get to see ‘clean’ estates!! Why?? The answer is that the “extra” money which was supposed to keep the estates ‘cleaner’ went to a kitty for them to gamble and lost big time!!
Now this Grace Ful have the cheeks to tell the residents that ‘if you want a cleaner estates’ you have to prepare to pay more!!
Th monthly S&CC fees the residents have been paying all these years, were all over-paid!! That’s why the TCs have ‘extra’ money to gamble and to lose
big time!! If not for the mini-bond fasco, the residents are still in the dark that TCs have $billions in the reserves!!
And here we have a Clown coming out from
nowhere, telling the residents to pay more!!
Please come clean on the lost of $millions in the mini-bonds and stop the wayang in this rankings issue!!
It’s always the same lah, they just know how to increase & increase. Why not just deduct some of these fat cats’ salary? Ministers are drawing something 3millions a year for doing nothing & MPs are getting at least S$160000 a year, also for doing nothing!! hat’s really too much & honestly, why not reduce the numbers of MPs & majors & use the savings to employ more people to clean the estate?
I knew there was more to the whole ‘exercise’.
CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG N IT’S FROM MOS MND GRACE FU [MINISTER IN CHARGE OF INCHARGE OF HDB]
Town council will not increase fees for now as election is coming soon. Papies would not dare risk losing votes. The pain will come after election. Citizens vote wisely.
What they want is $$,cleaner have to pay more?? What a nonsense.You engage a few cheap Bangala to sweep the flr and you want to charge us so high, no way man.Vote the pappy out!!
It is always the same old PAP story; squeeze the last dollar out of its citizens to spend among themselves.
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We have to find out who is getting these cleaning contracts. Are they awarded to their own relatives and friends, or to PAP cadres who may not get the chance to go for the coffee break they are seeking after?
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Last heard, even the chairman of some town council had helped himself to some temple dippings before killing himself ala Teh Chean Wan.
i see no reason to pay more, more doesn’t mean we will get cleaner estates.
Take for example a point block 25 storeys with 4-5 units on each level. That equates to 125 households who pays at least S$49/mth/household. To sum it up it is S$6,125 per month x 3 point blocks etc….my best guess, one estate coughs out easily S$100K – S$200K per month just to Town Council. It will be interesting if there’s more transparency from each town council reporting out the Revenue vs Expense on a monthly basis to residents in the estate.
Why do they dare to make real or implicit threats?It’s because we’re in their eyes “daft”.They’ve squandered our monies in the form of bad investments and their losses will be for us to bear.All their mean and devious ploys in securing their positions should not be allowed to go on unchallenge.Let’s together make an effort in democratising our political scene and never allow the MIW to treat us as morons.
gemami
We have to find out who is getting these cleaning contracts. Are they awarded to their own relatives and friends, or to PAP cadres who may not get the chance to go for the coffee break they are seeking after?
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let me show you an xmaple of how a pap towncouncil team managed…in the newly renovated upgraded hawker centres in any pap districts will COMMAND/demand from each hawker the minimum rates of $168/months upwards just to clear tables..(washin of used untensils is an OPTIONAL charges)..
in 1 hawker centre..how many stalls?
10/20/30?
now the best part is…
hawker centre..you will find that they mployed a 2 persons team(3 or more you are considered lucky) this cleaners will be paid on an average of $800..defiteniteLEE…
so imagined if it hav 20( normally more than that) X $168=????you pay 2 X $800..where do the balance goes? ole yeah..the towncouncil will tell you the balance goes to buy brooms/rags and soap powder….
how come Manpower Minister never say consider paying locals more if want to up productivity?
people have been paying too much $$$ to TCs, that is why they need excuses as to how best do with them- gamble (or is it invest?) loh… i dun see why TCs should hoard people’s money when there is no urgent need for it.
anyway, wads new from Pay-and-Pay. lunch in S’pore getting more expensive each day!
lol, lol…
Paying more does not necessarily means better and more effective service. What is needed is effective competiton in all areas.
Pinnacle @ Duxton:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q-n3SK-WHU
Safety and ease of accessibility are imporant too.