Amy Khor Lean Suan
Singapore
“Sir, NEA does conduct inspections of these premises from time to time. For this particular premises, they actually did six inspections since 2021.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) conducts enforcement actions against drivers who are found to have provided illegal car-pooling services. An individual who provides an illegal car-pooling service may face a fine of up to $3,000, up to six months' imprisonment, or both.”
“We will also provide the first 500 private heavy vehicle chargers co-funding of up to 50% of the charger installation cost, capped at $30,000 per charger. These measures will narrow the lifecycle cost gap between an electric and internal combustion engine heavy vehicle and spur adoption of electric heavy vehicles.”
“With regard to the extension of the lower speed limit to school zones for full day, we will work with the relevant agencies on the enhanced enforcements.”
“They will provide a certain amount of protection to the pedestrians because, as I have said, the bollards will absorb the impact of the collision from the vehicles. So, there is a protection. But ultimately, of course, road safety really depends on a multitude of factors, including road user behaviour.”
“The bollards installed at pedestrian crossings by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) are not of the K4, K8 or K12 standards stated by the Member. Bollards of these standards are typically security bollards. They are installed to protect critical infrastructure or at high security areas, such as Changi Airport, to be unyielding.”
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“However, this is subject to the new section 19(5A), under which the Board's decision to cancel the registration of the TCMP takes immediate effect if the Board certifies that there are grounds to believe that either there is a serious and imminent risk to the public if the cancellation does not take immediate effect, or it is appropriate or requisite that the cancellation takes immediate effect to avoid any actual incident that endangers the public. Clause 12 of the Bill repeals and re-enacts sections 28 to 30 of the Act to enhance the enforcement powers of investigators investigating into disciplinary matters concerning registered TCMPs, as well as offences under the Act, such as unlawful practice of TCM by unregistered persons. Currently, for the purpose of investigating into offences under the Act, authorised officers may enter and inspect any premises which are used or suspected to be used to carry out any prescribed practice of TCM and inquire into the conditions under which the practice is carried out. However, the officers are unable to search the premises or seize evidence without a warrant, which hinders the timely and effective conduct of investigations. Under the new section 29, investigators appointed to investigate into offences under the Act or its subsidiary legislation may, without first obtaining a Court warrant, enter and search a place which is used or suspected to be used to carry out any prescribed practice of TCM, or to keep any document, record or thing used in connection with carrying out of the TCM practice, and to seize evidence for the purpose of investigating an offence under the Act.”
“The increase will bring about better alignment with the other healthcare professional Acts and provide greater assurance and confidence to the public that errant TCMPs will be dealt with appropriately as against other healthcare practitioners. Clause 7(d) introduces further disciplinary penalties that the Board may impose on the TCMP. These include the Board ordering the errant TCMP to give an undertaking, on such terms as the Board thinks fit, to abstain from the conduct that was the subject of the disciplinary inquiry. The Board may also refer the matter for mediation between the TCMP and the complainant. Examples of cases that may be suited for mediation include cases arising from poor service provided to patients and miscommunication. Taking clauses 7(h) and 9 of the Bill together, sections 19(5) and 21 provide that the Board's decisions on disciplinary matters does not take effect until the thirty-first day after the date of the decision. This is to allow the TCMP sufficient time to consider whether to file an appeal to the High Court against the Board's decision. Similar provisions are found in the Medical Registration Act and the Pharmacists Registration Act. Where there is an appeal to the High Court, the decision of the Board takes effect only when the High Court confirms the decision or dismisses the appeal, or the appeal is withdrawn.”
“[Deputy Speaker (Mr Lim Biow Chuan) in the Chair] If the Board is satisfied that it continues to be necessary to prevent the TCMP from practising, the Board may confirm the interim order, with or without modifications. Before the interim order is confirmed, the Board must refer the interim order to an Inquiry Committee. The TCMP may make representations or objections against the proposed confirmation to the Inquiry Committee. The Inquiry Committee will then consider the facts of the case before making a recommendation to the Board whether or not to confirm the interim order. The next group of amendments concerns the disciplinary penalties that may be imposed on a registered TCMP who has been found guilty following a disciplinary inquiry under the new Part IVA. Currently, the Board may cancel the registration of an errant TCMP if he has been found guilty of professional misconduct or negligence, or any of the other grounds of misconduct under section 19 of the Act. Alternatively, the Board may caution or censure the TCMP, impose a financial penalty of up to $10,000, add, delete or replace conditions on his registration for a period not exceeding three years, or suspend his registration for up to three years. To provide sufficient deterrence and punishment for misconduct so as to protect the safety and interests of the public, clause 7 of the Bill amends section 19 of the Act to increase the maximum financial penalty that can be imposed from $10,000 to $50,000, where the TCMP is found guilty on any ground in section 19(1)(e) to (k) of the Act.”
“The Inquiry Committee will have six months to carry out its inquiry from the date of the referral of a complaint to the Committee, unless the Chairman of the Board grants an extension of time. The Inquiry Committee must direct one or more investigators to investigate the facts and circumstances of the complaint. The investigator must give the TCMP concerned written notice of the complaint against him, and the TCMP can provide a written explanation to the investigator. The TCMP will also have the opportunity to appear before the Inquiry Committee, whether in person or represented by counsel, to be heard on the complaint. Upon completion of its inquiry, the Inquiry Committee will submit a report of its findings to the Board, together with its recommendations on the disciplinary action to be taken under section 19 of the Act against the TCMP. After considering the Inquiry Committee's report, the Board may take such action under section 19 as it thinks fit or dismiss the case. In appropriate cases, the Board may also refer the complaint back to the Inquiry Committee once more for the Inquiry Committee’s reconsideration or a further report on such matters as the Board may specify. Third, the new section 26H enables the Board to make an interim order that requires a TCMP to immediately stop his practice for a period not exceeding 18 months. No prior inquiry or investigation is needed before making such an interim order. But the Board may do so only if there are reasonable grounds to believe that, either there is a serious and imminent risk to the public if there is no such stoppage, or if it is to avoid any actual incident that endangers the public.”
“The Board, with the agreement of the registered TCMP, may cancel the practitioner’s registration, suspend the registration for up to three years or impose appropriate conditions on the registration. A disciplinary inquiry does not need to be conducted in order for the Board to accede to the practitioner’s request. However, this avenue will not be available in cases where there is evidence of professional misconduct or there is a pending disciplinary inquiry against the practitioner. The process in the new section 26A is initiated by the TCMP himself or herself, which encourages practitioners to come forward if they are of the view that they are unable to continue practising at the standard expected of a registered TCMP. This improves the timeliness of the process and allows the Board to resolve appropriate cases expeditiously. Second, the new Part IVA sets out in the body of the amended Act a revised framework for inquiries into disciplinary matters concerning a registered TCMP. The processes have been streamlined to speed things up and to fit the introduction of a health inquiry. A person may make a complaint against, or provide information about, any registered TCMP to the Board touching on any of the grounds set out in section 19(1). The complaint or information will be reviewed by the Board upon receipt, and for purposes of its review, the Board may require the complainant or TCMP concerned to answer any inquiry or provide any record that the Board considers relevant. The Board may dismiss any complaint or information that is frivolous, vexatious, misconceived or lacking in substance. However, if the case is not dismissed on any of those grounds, the Board must refer the complaint to an Inquiry Committee.”
“We developed this CPE points assessment framework after engaging with the TCM community extensively on CPE since 2013, taking note of their concerns on the availability and the range of CPE courses offered and the reasonableness of the costs of these courses. We appreciate the constructive feedback and have taken them into consideration, such as expanding the accredited course offerings to include new modes of learning to suit the different needs of TCMPs. Currently, all complaints against registered TCMPs are investigated by Investigation Committees appointed by the Board. While these cover a wide range of matters, the disciplinary framework does not adequately deal with allegations that a registered TCMP is unfit to practise due to his physical or mental condition. These cases do require a different approach since a health inquiry into the TCMP's fitness to practise is required, as opposed to an investigation into an incident or transaction. The current framework also does not enable stoppage orders to be made in extreme situations where a TCMP must be made to immediately stop practising because of serious and imminent risk to the public if there is no stoppage, or if stoppage is required to avoid any actual incident that endangers the public. Clause 11 of the Bill introduces the new Part IVA of the Act, which sets out the revised disciplinary framework for TCMPs, which I will elaborate next in detail. First, the new section 26A allows a registered TCMP to voluntarily curtail his practice if he believes that (a) his fitness to practise is impaired by his physical or mental condition; or (b) the quality of the professional services he provides does not meet the standard which it is reasonable to expect of a registered TCMP to carry out.”
“Accredited TCM training providers may also seek funding support to conduct local TCM conferences and seminars. As we strengthen professionalism within the TCM sector, MOH has reviewed the Act to ensure that the Act remains relevant and responsive towards the changing practice environment. The TCMP (Amendment) Bill before us today proposes amendments to the Act to better protect patients' interests and safety, improve the timeliness and fairness of the disciplinary framework for registered TCMPs, and help raise professional standards. Speaker, allow me now to highlight the major provisions of the Bill. Continuing professional learning is important to ensure that TCMPs keep themselves current in their professional practice. Continuing professional education (CPE) has already been implemented for other healthcare professions, such as doctors, nurses and pharmacists. MOH and the Board introduced voluntary CPE in 2013 to enhance the standards and safety of TCM practice. Under the voluntary CPE programme, all registered TCMPs are encouraged to accumulate at least 25 CPE points per year. Clause 5 of the Bill amends section 17 of the Act to provide that the Board may refuse to grant or renew a Practising Certificate (PC) if the TCMP fails to comply with the prescribed CPE requirements. The target is for all registered TCMPs to accumulate at least 50 CPE points within a two-year period in order to renew their PCs. The requirement, as defined, would allow some flexibility for individuals to plan their learning without unduly affecting their professional practice.”
“Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Minister for Health, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Act, referred to as "the Act" in this speech, was enacted in 2000 to safeguard patients' interests and safety, raise professional standards and regulate the professional ethics and conduct of registered traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners (TCMPs). Under the Act, the TCMP Board, or referred to as "the Board", was established to register practitioners engaging in prescribed practices of TCM in Singapore, accredit TCM courses for the purpose of registration as well as the Singapore institutions of higher learning (IHLs) offering such courses, regulate the professional conduct and ethics of registered practitioners, and make recommendations on the continuing training and education of registered practitioners. Since then, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Board have progressively put in place programmes and frameworks to raise the professional standards of TCMPs in Singapore. In 2013, MOH set up a $3 million TCM Research Grant to encourage collaborative research between researchers in public healthcare institutions, the TCM sector and IHLs, with the objective of better informing effective TCM practices. A total of $2.6 million has since been awarded to 11 proposals shortlisted from three grant calls. In view of the encouraging response, a further $5 million has been added to the Grant in 2017. Last year, a $5 million TCM Development Grant was also established to support skills development and capability-building of the sector. Individual TCMPs are eligible to apply for the Development Grant, capped at $200 per year, to defray the cost of attending TCM classes.”
“I thank the Member for her questions. Indeed, with regard to training, all food handlers have to undertake and complete the basic food hygiene course, and then to be registered before they can be allowed to handle food at these licensed premises. So, we take a very serious view of unregistered food handlers under the demerit point system. Under the system, such an offence would be considered a very serious lapse. We are looking at reviewing the training curriculum for food handlers under the basic food hygiene course. But in addition to that, we require, for instance, establishments which are also allowed to cater food, that means, they have a licence to, in addition, cater food. We require them to have a food hygiene officer, as well as implement a food safety management system. That is the reason why from 21 December 2018, we require any licensed premises that are suspended to get their FHOs to train again and be recertified under the WSQ course. That really is to ensure that there is also good supervision. When they are suspended, they have to review and resubmit their food safety management system to us for approval again to be recertified.”
“When there are very serious lapses, for instance, food poisoning leading to death, we are going to Court to press for a deterrent sentence, in addition to fines.”
“We do unannounced checks and, just to let Members know, we actually adopt a risk-based approach to inspections. As I have said for last year, for food caterers, we have actually done 2,400 inspections, in addition to 900 inspections since last month, and this is actually not all. For the whole of 2018, they have actually done 77,000 inspections, not just for licence renewal, but unannounced inspections. And it is risk-based, as in those operators who have a higher risk. For instance, food caterers who cater to a large number of people and a big volume of food as well as variety, there will be more frequent checks for such operators.”
“We are also looking at other ways of strengthening this regime.”
“The licence will be issued to the food caterer to ensure that they prepare food in a safe way for consumption and, of course, until delivery, because even at delivery, when the food is put out for consumption, there is also a time stamp and they are to ensure that the food is safe for consumption and it must be consumed by a certain period. So, for the logistics, whether they outsource or they use their own transportation, they need to ensure that it is done in a safe manner and that the food will not be contaminated along the way. I take note of the Member's question that, increasingly, more deliveries might be outsourced and this is something that we continue to look at to see how we can strengthen our overall regulatory framework for the food caterers. As I have noted earlier, in the lead-up to the formation of the Singapore Food Agency, we are already looking at how we can strengthen the overall regulatory framework for food operators. This includes various things, not just reviewing the composition fines, that is, raising the composition fines, which means that, subsequently, the Court fines will also be increased. We are also adopting a stricter stance in the administration of enforcement actions, too, so sending more of the food operators who infringe and have serious lapses to Court and pressing for deterrent sentences. But as the Member has also rightly pointed out, how can we ensure greater visibility of food operators who had been suspended, as well as accessibility to this information? So, one of the things we are looking at is having a quick link on our website so that you can easily access the information on the caterers who have been suspended, and even having a "push" notification, through the myENV App, of caterers who would have been suspended.”
“I urge all food operators to train their staff on proper hygiene practices and put in place adequate food safety measures, including ways to better monitor kitchen operations, such as using closed-circuit television or conducting more regular checks to ensure good hygiene practices. NEA will continue to monitor the food operators closely and we are prepared to tighten the enforcement further if necessary. NEA has leveraged technology to equip officers with tablets and mobile workforce solutions, allowing them to access the licensees’ information on the go, plan inspections efficiently and be alerted to food-related incidents quickly for swift response. We will also enhance NEA's website and the myENV app to make it easier for consumers to check the food hygiene records of the operators. We are also looking into measures to better notify the public about a food operator's licence suspension. Consumers are urged to engage only licensed caterers and consume catered food within the stipulated "consume by" time period. Consumers who come across poor hygiene practices in food establishments should provide feedback to the authorities for further investigation.”
“NEA also conducted face-to-face engagement with key representatives from the Association of Catering Professionals Singapore as well as the Restaurant Association of Singapore to further reinforce the importance of food hygiene and safety. In addition, from 21 December 2018 onwards, staff appointed as Food Hygiene Officers (FHOs) at premises suspended by NEA are required to go for training to be recertified for the Workforce Skills Qualifications' (WSQ's) Conduct Food and Beverage Hygiene Audit qualification. The FHOs of the suspended food establishments must be properly trained and recertified before they can recommence operations. An average of about 110 food establishments has been suspended annually in the past five years due to hygiene lapses. NEA and AVA have also been working to strengthen the overall regulatory framework for food operators in the lead up to the formation of the Singapore Food Agency. For instance, the penalty regime for food operators involved in significant food poisoning incidents will be tightened. The total composition amounts will be increased and those who commit serious hygiene offences will be prosecuted in Court. In appropriate cases, NEA will also press for deterrent sentences to be imposed by the Court. Even as we operate a stringent regulatory regime, food operators must bear the ultimate responsibility to serve safe and clean food to their customers. They must ensure that their premises are kept clean, food handlers practise good hygiene, and the food is prepared in a safe way for consumption.”
“For the case at Mandarin Orchard Hotel, the outbreak was caused by environmental contamination of the Grand Ballroom with norovirus, a common virus that causes gastroenteritis, which was propagated by poor environmental and personal hygiene practices, such as improper cleaning of vomitus and banquet servers continuing to work while ill. NEA has taken tough actions against the food operators who have violated the law. The operating licence of Spize Restaurant at River Valley Road was terminated and NEA will also press charges against the operator in Court. The operating licences of Tung Lok, as well as the ballroom and affected kitchen in Mandarin Hotel, will remain suspended until the operators have complied with the requirements imposed by NEA, which include sanitising the affected areas, reviewing the processes and rectifying the lapses. For the lapses found at FoodTalks, NEA will be issuing summonses to the operator. For selling food that is found unfit for human consumption, operators may face a penalty of up to $10,000 for the first offence and, in the case of repeat offenders, a fine of $20,000, or imprisonment of three months, or both. NEA and AVA have stepped up surveillance and engagement of all food operators. Advisories were issued to remind all food operators to adhere to good food hygiene and safety practices. NEA conducts regular inspections on food caterers, and, in 2018, NEA conducted more than 2,400 checks. On top of these routine checks, over 900 additional inspections have been conducted since last month on food operators that provide catering services or that have substantial catering operations.”
“Thank you. In October, November and December 2018, there were five reported food poisoning incidents involving Team Catering Pte Ltd, Tung Lok Catering, FoodTalks Caterer & Manufacturer, Spize Restaurant at River Valley and Mandarin Orchard Hotel. The joint investigations by the Ministry of Health, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) confirmed that there were no links among the incidents. In the case of Spize Restaurant, it was a Salmonellosis outbreak of unusual severity which suggests that the food was heavily contaminated. There was strong evidence of poor personal hygiene and food handling practices by food handlers leading to contamination of ready-to-eat food and the environment. The operator was also found to have seven unregistered food handlers and preparing food outside of the licensed premises. In the case of Team Catering Pte Ltd, a number of possible commonly found pathogens were identified from the human stool samples, including Clostridium Perfringens and enteropathogenic E coli, and several hygiene lapses as well as poor kitchen habits were identified, including improper storage of knives and poor housekeeping. In the case of FoodTalks Caterer & Manufacturer and Tung Lok Millennium Pte Ltd, while the causative pathogen could not be identified for both outbreaks, several food hygiene lapses were found at their premises, for example, no proper segregation between raw and ready-to-eat food in the same chiller compartment, no provision of handwashing facilities, and cockroach infestation.”
“We will then share the learning points across the healthcare system to improve patient safety. While we note that the risk of infection to affected patients is extremely low in this incident, it is nonetheless a serious breach of the institution’s infection control system. Our healthcare institutions need to be more vigilant to enable the detection and mitigation of incidents expeditiously. In this regard, the Ministry would be working with the healthcare institutions to further enhance the culture of vigilance amongst healthcare professionals so as to promote safe and good quality patient care. The Ministry is also conducting its own investigation and will consider if further regulatory actions are necessary.”
“These include warnings as well as financial penalties. Immediately after the incident, the Ministry has also instructed all public and private healthcare institutions to further strengthen their systems and ensure staff awareness and strict adherence to all processes for patient safety and care. These include reminding healthcare institutions to: (a) heighten vigilance throughout the sterilisation process and check that instruments used are properly sterilised before being used; (b) step up on competency trainings for all staff; and (c) ensure periodic internal quality audits are conducted on the sterilisation process, as well as the delivery of sterilised instruments to the users. We have also asked all healthcare institutions to conduct immediate safety reviews of all their sterilisation processes and to ensure that staff are compliant with the processes. The Ministry also conducts random ad hoc audits at selected institutions to check on their state of compliance. This is in addition to the routine inspections of all public and private healthcare institutions which we conduct every two to five years as part of the process of licence renewal. Healthcare institutions with non-compliances have to rectify them and further inspections are made to verify that such non-compliances have been duly addressed. The Ministry will review the findings of the NHG review report, consult relevant domain and technical experts, and consider further actions to be taken to reduce the risks of a re-occurrence across the healthcare sector. A review of local practices will be undertaken to ensure that they are up-to-date and aligned with the best available evidence for safe sterilisation and disinfection of used instruments.”
“Firstly, strengthening the Dental Clinic's onsite sterilisation process and ensuring strict adherence by dedicated staff tasked to carry out sterilisation of the instruments. Specifically, the steps of loading the autoclave machine and starting of the sterilisation cycle must be linked. The unloading of packs after the sterilisation cycle must only occur after verification of sterilisation. Secondly, ensuring strict adherence to the pre-procedure protocol to check for the sterility of instruments before use. Thirdly, optimising the workflow to improve the reliability of the sterilisation process to reduce the probability of human error. Fourth, strengthening incident reporting frameworks and ensuring escalation protocols are well understood and adhered to by staff. And fifth, refining training, competency assessments and regular audits to reinforce staff compliance and understanding of the importance of safety checks that are built into the system, and with full adherence to all processes. The NHG Review Committee has also recommended new standards for critical steps in the sterilisation process, improved organisation and supervisory management of sterilisation processes, and clarity in incident escalation process. Some examples include (a) designating a single operator to perform the entire sterilisation process, and (b) ensuring identification of operators of critical steps to enable tracking and traceability in the event of sterilisation failures. The Ministry will closely monitor the implementation of remedial actions and standards of care at TTSH through follow-up compliance audits, focusing on the area of reprocessing and the sterilisation of instruments. Counselling and disciplinary actions were recommended for 18 management and staff involved in the incident.”
“The public healthcare institutions also conduct routine internal audits on various critical functions, such as the sterilisation process and workflow. Depending on the institution’s internal work processes, such internal audits may take place as often as once every six months, involving various departments, such as Infection Control and/or Quality Assurance. The audit findings are typically shared at learning platforms, where improvements and recommendations will be made system-wide. The National Healthcare Group (NHG) has conducted an investigation and the Ministry has received its review report on 8 January 2019. NHG’s investigations showed that the incident was a result of human error, with a lapse in adherence to the established sterilisation process and verification protocol. On 28 November 2018, a staff from TTSH Dental Clinic loaded instruments, which have undergone manual cleaning and disinfection in an ultrasonic washer, into the autoclave machine for the final stage of steam sterilisation. However, the staff did not initiate the steam sterilisation cycle. Subsequently, the packs were unloaded and stored without realising that the packs had not undergone the final step of sterilisation. These packs were not verified for sterility before use. After the instruments were recalled, eight packs were unaccounted for and could have been used on patients. NHG's investigations also revealed supervisory lapses in the sterilisation workflows and escalation of the incident. Following the incident, TTSH has reinforced safety controls across the hospital to improve vigilance and adherence to processes, so as to prevent any recurrence. Specifically, safety controls for the TTSH Dental Clinic have been fortified in the following key areas.”
“Thank you. Patient safety is of utmost importance to our healthcare institutions. We are disappointed with the lapse at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital's (TTSH's) Dental Clinic, which had led to the use of eight packs of dental instruments that had not undergone the final step of sterilisation, and we apologise for the incident. Within our public healthcare institutions where reprocessing and sterilisation of instruments are conducted, there are standard operating procedures in place to ensure that these processes are completed properly. There are at least three layers of checks. First, the mechanical parameters of the sterilisation machinery, such as temperature, pressure and time, are recorded. Staff operating the machines would check the parameters after each cycle of sterilisation to ensure that the parameters are correct to achieve effective sterilisation. Second, a chemical indicator affixed outside the pack of instruments to be sterilised would reflect a colour change to verify that sterilisation was complete and effective. Only then should the staff in charge of sterilisation release the instruments for storage and use. Third, end-users should ensure that the instrument has been sterilised before use by verifying the change in colour of the chemical indicator as well as checking the integrity of the packaging. Staff who perform sterilisation processes would have to undergo proper training. In our public healthcare institutions, such training is a basic requirement of a new staff’s orientation programme. Competency assessments are also being conducted before staff are deemed competent for the function. In addition, staff are regularly sent for further training and re-assessments in order to maintain their competencies.”
“Speaker, Sir, with your permission, may I take Question Nos 15 and 16 together?”
“Actually, to Member Melvin's question about rental cap which I have forgotten to comment on, our existing hawker centres, the non-subsidised stalls, are actually let out by tender. So, there is already a range of rental indications, and, in fact, we have removed the reserve rent. Therefore, even for our new hawker centres, when we evaluate the tenders, there are two things that we do. First, we get the professional valuers to assess what a reasonable market rent will be, and they actually make reference to the tendered rents of the existing hawker centres, and we also use that as a guide. So, we will continue to monitor rentals to ensure that they are fair and reasonable to our hawkers so that they can make a decent livelihood. With regard to the 50% surplus, at least 50% must go back to social benefits, the other 50%, of course, they can keep. But so far, for our new hawker centres, those that have already submitted their audited accounts, none of them had accumulated any operating surplus. It has only been one to three years. It just goes to show that just as new hawker centres need time to build up, to establish themselves, so do the operators.”
“Let me correct the Member. I did not say that the top-end rental at our hawker centres is $13,000. The range of $4,000 to $13,000 is, based on our survey, the rentals for coffee shops and food courts, not hawker centres. That is very important. What I said was that the rental of our hawker centres, new hawker centres, is nowhere near to where the rentals are for food courts and coffee shops which range, based on our survey, from $4,000 to $13,000, net of operating cost. The rentals for our new hawker centres, median rental, is about $2,000, net of operating cost. As I have said earlier, what we are asking is that, to achieve our social objectives of offering affordable food prices as well as moderating food prices in the vicinity, at least one food option which is affordable, and most of these new centres have put that at about $3.00 or $2.80. Just one food option. We are not asking them to sell everything at budget prices. Therefore, they have a range of options. In fact, if you go to the hawker centres, there is a soup stall that I saw in Kampung Admiralty, the prices range from $2.80 to $14.00 because it is premium; maybe there are scallops and all that.”
“First, let me explain that for both our existing hawker centres and our new centres, the construction costs of the hawker centres, as well as the cost of upgrading and maintaining the hawker centres are not recovered through the rentals. So, there is already an implicit Government subsidy for both. The cost structure for both existing centres' non-subsidised stalls and new centres, really, is quite similar. Earlier on in my reply, I already gave a comparison in terms of rentals, that, basically, they are quite comparable and in line, taking into account the differences in age, stall size and so on of the hawker centres. In terms of operating costs, it is also quite similar, and I have also given Members a comparison. There will be costs in terms of service and conservancy charges, table cleaning. These are the key ones. For dishwashing, what you see, for instance, when you compare, some people will say, "How come it is much lower in the existing hawker centres?" That is because of the cost element of dishwashing is often not taken into account in the existing hawker centres since most of the existing centres do not have CDWs. But if you were to take that in, you have to employ somebody for say, $1,500, just to wash dishes, or if the existing hawker centre has a CDW system, then the essential costs are actually quite similar.”
“First of all, let me say that we have actually worked with our operators. So, now, one of the key changes we have made to the contracts is that they need not open more than five days. They are required to open only five days, eight hours a day. The hawkers are small businesses, entrepreneurs. They enter into an agreement with the operators to operate a hawker stall subject to, of course, various conditions that they are agreeable to, and these are some of the conditions. The reason why you have to implement some minimum operating hours as well as minimum number of days, really, is because we want to make sure that the hawker centres are able to provide three meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner, throughout the day, and throughout the week – in order to ensure the vibrancy of the hawker centres. The hawker centres are built to serve the community, and one of the needs of the community, as I have said, especially in newer housing estates, is to have access to these food options for the three key meals. If you do not agree to such operating hours, then it would come back to the same thing that in some existing hawker centres, when you go there, they are closed or they are open for only half a day and it does not serve the needs of the community. So, we are not compelling them. They actually enter into the agreement voluntarily and knowingly.”
“I think we are open to any model as long as it is able to achieve the social objectives that we have set up for our new hawker centres, which is about providing affordable food options, moderating food prices, ensuring that the hawkers make a decent living and building communities. So, clearly, we are open. But we also need to note that whatever model that we may adopt, there will always be challenges even as there may be benefits and, therefore, we need to give it time to settle down. Our SEHC model is a good example. We implemented it only about three years ago. In fact, the last one, Pasir Ris Hawker Centre, was just opened this year. So, it is really in its infancy; it is still evolving. We had set it up with the intention that we will continue to monitor, evaluate, refine and improve the model. But having said that, the SEHCs, at the present moment, have actually resulted in many positive outcomes for both patrons as well as hawkers and we do not want to undo those achievements. Therefore, we will see how we can better calibrate and make adjustments to the model. But as I have said, we are open to any model because the idea really is to benefit patrons, Singaporeans and hawkers.”
“They can rent these pre-fitted stalls for six months at 50% of the assessed market rent, and that is to allow them to try out. It is pre-fitted, so we reduce the initial capital cost. So far, we have received some 40 applications. We have increased the number of incubation stalls to 15. Ten stalls have been taken up and we have a list of applicants now which we are processing to lease out the remaining incubation stalls. This actually complements the Entrepreneurship Programme and the Place and Train Programmes offered by the SEHC operators because many of the operators also offer training and entrepreneurship programmes for new hawkers. In fact, they have actually been relatively successful. Ci Yuan, for instance, trained 16 aspiring hawkers and 10 are still in Ci Yuan Hawker Centre, and they have converted to permanent hawkers and are doing well. One of them just got married.”
“These are some of the challenges and, therefore, we looked at how we can try out and pilot new management models in order to overcome these challenges and to meet our social objectives. Indeed, SEHCs have resulted in positive outcomes. There are, of course, teething issues, and we are committed to looking at how we can recalibrate, make adjustments and improve the model, even as we look to implementing it for our new hawker centres. Economical meals – how come they are not available? It depends on which point in time of the day you go to the stalls. Basically, the majority of the SEHC stalls do offer at least one affordable option. But let me say that we only ask that they offer at least one affordable option and we are not asking them to artificially suppress the prices of all their food options. In fact, they can sell all the other food options at different price points, and that is really the concept of a community dining room, where people from all walks of life can come together, share a table and enjoy a meal at different price points. And that will ensure that they will be able to make a decent livelihood. Whichever hawker centre does not have enough of those economical meals, we can talk about it and we can talk to the operators. I have been to many of them and they do offer affordable options, and these are good options. Regarding the question on incubation stalls, we have launched an Incubation Stall Programme last year, just about over a year ago. When we started, we identified 13 stalls that we pre-fitted and we offered these to aspiring new hawkers who are not sure if they are interested to join the trade; they are passionate but they are not sure if they can make it. So, we offered these stalls to them, subject to certain conditions, of course.”
“In selecting SEHCs, we also look out for how we can harness their expertise, which is actually the recommendation from the Hawker Centre Public Consultation Panel that we try and leverage the experience of these operators in F&B and in business management, in order to be able to put in place various initiatives and ideas to ensure and enhance the vibrancy of the hawker centres. In relation to that, the Member had a question about why not let NEA continue to run hawker centres. The Minister had elaborated in detail some of the reasons why we need to look at new management model for our new hawker centres. The reasons are because there are inherent challenges in the hawker trade: ageing profile of our hawkers, where our existing hawkers' age profile is 60 years, which means that within 10 years' time, one third would retire if we do not attract new hawkers into the trade. So, it is renewal, manpower constraints, as well as the evolving needs and tastes of patrons; how do you ensure that what you offer meets the needs and demands of patrons? Also, in existing hawker centres, as the Minister had elaborated, our existing hawker centres have been around for years; they are already established. Many of them have anchor hawkers who are able to pull in the crowds. But on the other hand, you would also note that many existing hawker centres, when you go, you are sometimes not sure whether the stall is open. Only 35% of our hawkers in existing hawker centres open for three meals. Most of them for one or two meals; some only work three to four days. So, does this then meet the needs of our community, especially the newer communities where there are many dual-income families and they need to access food through the day and through the week for three meals?”
“The Member has raised five questions in total, I think. Firstly, about the motivation of SEHCs. First of all, this SEHC that the media has been using is a bit of a misnomer. We actually started by saying "socially-conscious operators". So, what we are saying is, operators who tender for these hawker centres and run them, there must be a social mission. So, a social enterprise could be one of the operators or interested party to tender for the hawker centres, but not necessarily must be a social enterprise. What we have done is that within the tender conditions, we have ensured that there is a social mission. As I have said earlier, the Minister had also said, there are various safeguards that we have put in place in the tender conditions to ensure that we need the social objectives of the hawker centres that we started building again in the first place. And that is to ensure that we have affordable food options of a good variety in a clean environment, ensure that our hawkers can make a decent living and, of course, preserve our hawker culture and ensure the vibrancy of our hawker centres. We have said a number of times what these are. For instance, we favour operators who offer lower rentals and total operating costs. They cannot raise these rentals and operating costs through the term of the tenancy agreement. As I have said, there is also the requirement to plough back any operating surplus for social benefits to the hawker centres, the hawkers and the community. A good example of a socially-conscious operator would be NTUC First Campus (NFC), which is part of NTUC and is a cooperative.”
“I would like to answer even the last question on behalf of the Minister as the Minister is actually very sick, with a bad flu. Let me answer the various questions that the Members have raised.”
“For the PHC Grant of 50% and 30% for first and second year respectively, these would directly benefit the hawkers, because 50% of the cost of the CDW will be deducted from the payment they have to make for the CDW. So, it would be a direct benefit to the hawkers. Regarding the sharing of any operating surplus, it is in the terms of the tender agreement with the operator that, firstly, if they are not a social enterprise, they would have to set up a separate entity to tender for the hawker centre because we require them to submit an annual set of audited accounts to us. And if there are any operating surplus, the condition is that they have to plough at least 50% of this operating surplus back to benefit the hawker centre, the hawkers or the community. Some of the proposals that have been made by the successful tenderers are, for instance, providing meal vouchers for needy residents or the elderly within the community, or sharing some of this operating surplus with the hawkers in terms of providing discounted meal vouchers or one-for-one meal vouchers, for instance, like Yishun Timbre+ does, to give to the residents so that they can purchase and part of the meal would be funded from the operating surplus. So, there are various programmes. Or it could be the training of hawkers or helping the low-income, for instance, to set up a hawker stall there. But if there is an operating surplus, they will have to propose how they want to plough this benefit back into the community or the hawker centre, and it would be subject to NEA's approval.”
“Our hawker centres should not be treated as nice-to-have dining options, but an important part of our living and evolving culture as, after all, we started building new hawker centres again because of the many appeals from the community for the hawker centres. I am confident that our hawker centres will continue to thrive as community dining rooms, bringing together Singaporeans from all walks of life and strengthening our bonds as a country.”
“We will seek and listen to feedback from hawkers and patrons and continue with our stocktake to further improve the model. Next year, we are nominating hawker culture for inscription on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is a community-based effort involving many stakeholders, including our hawkers, to sustain the hawker trade. The UNESCO nomination will be an important recognition of our hawkers, as we let the world know about our local food and multicultural heritage. As of 18 November, we have received 133,000 pledges online. I urge Members and all Singaporeans who have yet to pledge to do so on the Our SG Heritage website. I am heartened by the passionate discussions and support for hawker food and our hawkers. To sustain the hawker trade and preserve our hawker culture, I urge everyone to patronise our hawker stalls and support them. I wonder if all Members in this House have visited our new hawker centres. If you have not, I urge you to show your support by visiting and patronising them with your families and friends. Let me share that there are many interesting and tasty hawker fare at these centres. So, a few more secrets, including some of my favourites, such as delicious min jiang kueh by “Munchi” at Yishun Park Hawker Centre, chendol from the dessert stall at Ci Yuan Hawker Centre run by a young hawkerpreneur, and zi char from “Jian Fa BBQ Seafood” at OTH Hawker Centre, just to name a few. Parents should bring their children to our hawker centres to appreciate our hawker culture and heritage food.”
“The participants contributed many ideas and we have agreed to set up a ground-up workgroup, comprising hawkers and other experts, to look at how to support new entrants to the hawker trade and sustain our hawker culture. We shall share details when ready. Many of the new centres are doing well. When I visited Kampung Admiralty Hawker Centre recently, the place was crowded and many patrons shared with me that they were happy with the wide selection of hawker food at affordable prices. One patron even told me about the $2.60 mee siam sold by "The House 22". Similarly, I met a group of ladies who frequent the OTH Hawker Centre. They excitedly told me how happy they were with the many tasty hawker fare offered there, such as laksa by "Social Bite", and "Chicken Rice @ OTH". In fact, the father of Mr Kiang, who runs "Chicken Rice @ OTH", was among the pioneer batch of chefs who developed the famous Chatterbox chicken rice at Mandarin Hotel. So, I share with you this little secret, which means that the next time I go, it will be a longer queue. But for those centres which are not doing so well, we are working with the operators and stallholders to increase footfall, improve business and serve their patrons better. What they need now is our support, not speculation and negative publicity that will keep patrons away and cause stallholders more hardship. The latest efforts to discuss and resolve issues through regular dialogue is the right way to go. In summary, we will continue to make adjustments and recalibrate the SEHC model to ensure that it continues to achieve the key social outcomes of our hawker centres, which are: to provide affordable food in a clean environment, allow our hawkers to make a decent living and build communities.”
“This, plus our tender process which favours operators who charge lower total rental and operating costs and our prohibition on SEHC operators to increase any rental or operating costs over the tenancy period, limits the extent of any operating surplus. These safeguards are part of our efforts to manage and reduce the risks of profiteering. We stand ready to act decisively should there be any mismanagement by the SEHC operators. Potential measures include imposing liquidated damages, or even termination of their contracts. As part of our ongoing stocktake, NEA will look at the selection criteria for operators, what to leave to market forces and whether any other safeguards should be prescribed. Third, all SEHC operators have set up structured feedback channels for their hawkers and have had at least one meeting. They will continue to engage their hawkers regularly and address concerns together and quickly. NEA officers will be present at these meetings. I am hopeful that such structured and regular meetings will help encourage communication, resolve day-to-day issues and also reduce misunderstandings. I attended one of these meetings at Ci Yuan Hawker Centre. The atmosphere was constructive and stallholders had positive experiences to share. For example, Zhang Li Jun, a 29-year-old hawker who has been operating the "Teochew Satay Bee Hoon" stall since 2015, said that with the Hawkers' Feedback Group, operators could proactively seek hawkers’ views on various matters relating to the hawker centre and stalls, and also work together on ideas to help the centre do better. I had a fruitful dialogue recently with HC3.0 committee members, hawkers and food advocates passionate about preserving our hawker culture.”
“But as the demand from patrons has not materialised, both hawkers and the operator will recalibrate the arrangement. With the changes made to operating hours, hawkers who do not wish to continue with the 24-hour operations which they had previously signed up for, can do so now. NEA will also ask operators to communicate stall tenancy agreement terms in simple language to ensure that potential stallholders can understand them clearly before they commit to run the hawker stalls. In our contractual review, we found that the operators, indeed, have shown flexibility. For example, we have not observed any operators charging stallholders rentals for the remaining of their tenancy terms, in the case of premature termination. The operators have also agreed to make changes to the terms I have just described, and to waive any legal fees for new tenancy contracts and renewals. Whilst there is a need to rebalance our soft touch regulatory approach towards our SEHC operators, we recognise, as I have said, that they have shown flexibility through the contract review process, and are making changes to some of their terms and practices. They have also shown innovation and creativity in implementing measures to drive footfall to the centres. These include family carnivals and loyalty programmes, which offer discounts and other promotions to build up a pool of repeat patrons. In fact, many of these operators have been bearing the cost of various initiatives to improve footfall at the centres, such as free shuttle bus services and free parking not long after the centres began operations. They are required under the terms of our tender to plough back at least 50% of any operating surplus for the social benefits of the hawker centres.”
“NEA has reviewed some of the key contractual terms between the SEHC operators and stallholders. Some of the terms were replicated from contracts the operators use in the other food establishments that they run. In practice, operators have actually exercised flexibility with these terms. NEA has taken in the feedback of hawkers and worked with the operators to make four key changes as an immediate priority. Operators will be more flexible on stallholders' operating hours. Stallholders will not be required to work more than five days a week or eight hours a day, although they could if they wish to. Operators will also engage stallholders who intend to open more than eight hours a day on how they intend to do so and whether they would have sufficient manpower, for example, through engaging stall assistants or joint operators. As asked by a Member, operators can also decide if it is feasible to install food vending machines to meet meal requirements beyond operating hours, especially for small meals or snacks. Operators will not require a notice period of more than two months for stallholders to terminate their tenancies or require security deposits exceeding two months’ rental. This would address concerns of some stallholders being locked into their tenancies. Operators who impose liquidated damages on stallholders for regulatory or other breaches will limit these payments to no more than $50 per day for minor ones and $100 per day for major breaches. They will also bear all legal fees related to the tenancy. NEA will continue to engage both hawkers and operators to address concerns in other areas. For instance, at OTH, the community had initially asked for a 24-hour hawker centre.”
“Toh Swee Han, a 39-year-old hawker operating the "Mang Cheng Xiang Curry Rice" stall at OTH Hawker Centre, said that he was satisfied with CDW as it helped him reduce his cleaning costs significantly. He highlighted that CDW fees at OTH added up to only $700, before the productivity subsidy, while it would cost him about $3,000 to hire two assistants to cover the same workload. CDW also saves stallholders from paying additional water charges or managing an inventory of crockery and cutlery that has to be replaced due to wear and tear or loss. Hygiene is better as they do not have to carry out dishwashing within the stall area. We hope that this will alleviate the workload of our hawkers, especially the older hawkers, and make the trade more attractive to our younger hawkers by reducing menial work. Following a Call-for-Collaboration (CFC) led by Enterprise Singapore (ESG), on behalf of NEA, HDB and JTC, NEA is partnering Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS) to provide interoperable e-payment solutions to our hawkers. Stallholders in SEHCs can take up the CFC e-payment solution for three years without paying transaction costs or terminal rental. This will provide an additional option to SEHC operators to encourage stallholders to opt for e-payment. The above subsidies will help to reduce the operating costs of our hawkers at the new centres in their initial years. These will support them as they build up their customer base. There may be some other fees from value-added services that the SEHC operators provide, such as coin changing services, but these are optional. Second, NEA will rebalance the soft touch regulatory approach towards SEHC operators and exercise greater oversight to safeguard hawkers' well-being.”
“Currently, these grants are only available to hawkers at our existing centres under the PHC format. However, after a few years of operations with the new centres, we recognise that hawkers at the new centres may also need some support in transition as they need time to build up their clientele. These productivity solutions, such as CDW and automated tray return systems (ATRS), are necessary to alleviate our tight manpower situation and help hawkers solve problems like staff shortage. The average tray return rates of our SEHCs are far higher, at about 58%, than those at our existing hawker centres which are at about 25%. But we can do better. First and foremost, patrons should form the habit of returning their trays with the crockery after eating. A high tray return rate will directly benefit both patrons as well as hawkers as it will lead to a faster turnover of tables, keep the birds away and lead to a cleaner environment that helps attract patrons. It will also ease the workload of our cleaners so that the cleaning companies do not have to keep increasing the number of cleaners, which will eventually lead to higher cleaning costs for the hawkers. Even if they want to increase the number of cleaners, they consistently face manpower shortage and issues with hiring. Greater public education and close partnership between operators, hawkers and patrons are key. Everyone must play their part towards ensuring a clean environment in our hawker centres to benefit both patrons and hawkers. In fact, most hawkers have welcomed the productivity initiatives implemented at our new hawker centres.”
“Our hawker centre rentals, specifically those at SEHCs, are not linked to the rentals of surrounding coffee shops and food courts. In fact, they are nowhere near the rentals at these private F&B outlets, which can range from $4,000 to $13,000 a month, before other operating costs. We will continue to monitor and ensure that stall rentals in our new centres are reasonable to enable hawkers to make a decent living. As for existing hawker centres, no stallholders are paying astronomical rentals. The recent $10,000 bid was an outlier, and the bidder did not even commence operations. Besides rentals, the operating costs at the SEHCs and existing centres are comparable, too. For example, S&CC at the new centres are between $110 and $350 a month, within the range of $130 to $450 a month at our existing centres. Similarly, table-cleaning fees at the SEHCs are between $300 and $550 a month, again, within the range of $200 to $830 a month at our existing centres. Operating costs payable by hawkers at existing centres also frequently do not take into account the costs for dishwashing. At the majority of our existing centres, without centralised dishwashing (CDW), stallholders may have to hire dishwashers which could cost up to $1,500 a month, which is much higher than the average CDW charges. Moreover, these hawkers often have difficulties hiring and retaining such hawker assistants, as my Minister has said earlier, too. Nonetheless, to further help SEHC stallholders manage costs, we announced last week that we will extend the PHC grants to these hawkers for two years, effective from 1 January next year. With the grant extension, stallholders at our new centres will enjoy 50% reduction in their CDW costs for the first year and 30% for the second year.”
“It is also shown through studies by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) that hawkers generally price food according to what the market can bear. This is influenced by competition in the vicinity and the demographic profile of customers. Hence, rentals do not directly affect food prices. Nonetheless, for both our existing hawker centres and our new SEHCs or new centres, we have put in place measures to ensure that rentals are fair and not speculative. For existing centres, we have removed the reserve rent and disallowed subletting and assignment. For new centres, we have, in our tender evaluation, favoured tenderers who offer lower total rental and operating costs, and prohibit any increases in rentals or operating costs for the duration of the tenancy, as one of our priorities is to safeguard the interests of our hawkers. The median rental of stalls in SEHCs is about $2,000 per month, not $4,000 per month as some media reports have claimed. The median rental of stalls in comparable existing hawker centres is $1,700 per month, which is comparable to those of the new centres after accounting for the larger stall size, better-designed stalls and amenities at the new centres and, in some cases, the co-location of the new centres with residential properties as well as other amenities. Stall sizes at our new centres of between 10 square metres (sqm) and 21 sqm are much larger than existing centres, which are between five sqm and 13 sqm. Additionally, the actual stall rentals at our new centres range from $750 to $3,700 a month. This is in line with rentals of non-subsidised stalls at our comparable existing centres, which range from $640 to $3,900 a month.”
“Thank you. Let me first thank Members for their questions and concerns for our hawker centres. In fact, I would like to take this opportunity to thank members of the public for the many views, discussions and suggestions that they have put forward. We appreciate such views and feedback to help us to improve to better serve our hawkers and Singaporeans. I will speak on our efforts to better support our hawkers and look after their well-being. As a regulator, NEA must strike a balance between serving the public well, and ensuring the well-being of hawkers, while working to achieve the social objectives of our hawker centres. Residents should have access to affordable food in a clean setting for all three meals. At the same time, hawkers must be able to make a decent living, under fair tenancy terms and conditions. As with any trial, it is difficult to get the SEHC model right from the start, especially since we have not built new hawker centres for almost 30 years. So, we set some key parameters. Let the market work; and when we get feedback, or issues are raised, we will move to address them swiftly and decisively, as we have done in the past month or so. We are not done with the stock-take of the model and will continue to refine it to better serve Singaporeans. I will outline three areas of improvements which we have made and will continue to focus on. First, we will better support stallholders to manage costs. My Ministry, together with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), conducted a study on the drivers of hawker centre food prices in 2014. We found that the costs of raw materials and manpower made up the bulk of the hawkers' costs at 76%, not stall rentals, which only comprised 12%.”
“I thank Members for their support of the Bill. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)] [(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan.] (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“Regarding Dr Intan’s suggestion to deploy more surveillance cameras to tackle high-rise littering, NEA has deployed such cameras through our service providers more than 5,500 times over the past five years resulting in more than 5,000 enforcement actions. We will continue to be vigilant in tackling this issue, while also working with the community to foster collective responsibility and ownership of our shared spaces. Dr Intan Mokhtar asked whether make-shift rubbish bins placed by good Samaritans to collect rubbish during community events or private functions would contravene section 17 of the Act. The answer is no. Section 17 is not intended to discourage such activities. Finally, let me come back again to the reason for introducing provisions on the PWM Bonus. We want to recognise our cleaners who have played such a big part in keeping Singapore clean and green. As Mr Zainal Sapari said, there are many ways each of us can show our appreciation to the cleaners around us – by being considerate in the way we use public spaces, by picking up after ourselves, and by saying "thank you" to them. More importantly, as Dr Intan Mokhtar has emphasised, the onus is on each and every one of us to keep our housing estates clean. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah has shown the way with the Nee Soon "No Cleaners Day". We must build a city that is truly clean because Singaporeans are gracious and mindful of their community and the environment. Sir, to conclude, the EPH (Amendment) Bill is a milestone in our journey to transform our ES industry through innovation and technology. At the same time, we will upskill our ES workers and improve their livelihood and working conditions. All Singaporeans will benefit as we ensure a cleaner and greener environment in the years to come.”
“While PWM does not apply to the foreign workers, again, we encourage employers to adopt the key principles of progressive wages when paying their foreign cleaners. Regarding Mr Louis Ng's suggestions to adopt the R1 scheme for foreign workers in the cleaning sector, there is already such a scheme for the services sector which covers cleaning businesses. Under this scheme, employers enjoy lower levies and longer employment periods when they train and retain their foreign cleaners. Mr Louis Ng also proposed mandating a minimum proportion of R1 foreign cleaners; we will study this suggestion with MOM. As for Dr Intan Mokhtar's suggestion of extending PWM to the F&B industry, I will convey it to my MOM colleagues to consider. With regard to Mr Chen Show Mao's comments, I would like to clarify that PWM is not a national minimum wage, but a framework to raise wages in tandem with productivity improvements. It is applied to selected sectors prone to cheap sourcing, wage stagnation and market failure, such as the cleaning sector, the lift sector that Mr Chen Show Mao talked about, and the security and landscaping sectors where wages are lower. Dr Intan Mokhtar also asked for stronger enforcement action against motorists who litter and cause roadside fires. The Penal Code Review Committee has proposed to introduce a new clause linking those who litter materials containing embers to a fire that subsequently occurs at that place. The Committee also recommends that higher penalties be imposed for causing fires by littering of materials that contain embers, such as cigarette butts. The Government will review the Committee's recommendations.”
“In fact, I recently met 67-year-old Mr Lee Thian Kok from Lifeline, who has learnt to operate automated cleaning devices that make his job easier and more productive. Mr Lee exemplifies the spirit of lifelong learning and is proof that older cleaners are not disadvantaged. We will support workers of all ages to upskill and reskill and encourage more businesses to adopt these best practices. Cleaning work must not only become more efficient; it must also become safer. Dr Chia Shi-Lu highlighted the need for tighter safety measures to protect cleaners at work. NEA and Workforce Singapore have jointly developed a list of enhanced tools, chemicals and machines that businesses can adopt to make cleaning more effective and safe for cleaners. Cleaning supervisors can also receive training under the Environmental Cleaning Workplace Skills Qualification (WSQ) framework to implement risk controls and educate workers on workplace safety. Mr Louis Ng suggested extending PWM beyond the current pool of cleaners, to cleaners who are directly employed as well as foreign workers. PWM was designed to help cleaners employed by cleaning businesses earn higher incomes through upskilling. Previously, these workers saw their wages depressed as cheap-sourcing was prevalent across the industry. PWM sought to level the playing field, amidst a more comprehensive effort to raise wages of lower-income citizens across the board. While PWM does not apply to cleaners who are directly employed, we urge employers who are doing well to share their gains and reward their workers fairly, adopting the key principles of PWM. Foreign workers are hired on different terms, and employers already bear other related expenses, such as additional levies and accommodation arrangements, for engaging them.”
“We urge cleaning businesses and service buyers to recognise the skills and experience of workers and pay them fairly. By investing in productivity enhancements and technology, businesses can afford to sustain higher wages for their workers. The Government will continue to support cleaning businesses in pursuing productivity projects through various schemes, such as the ES Productivity Solutions Grant (ES PSG). Under the ES PSG, cleaning businesses can receive support for up to half the cost of eligible productivity enhancement solutions, up to a maximum of $250,000. Service buyers should also reject cheap-sourcing in favour of performance-based contracting. This will encourage cleaning companies to invest in productivity measures without compromising the interest of cleaners, a concern highlighted by Mr Desmond Choo. Besides ensuring fair wages, we need to help our cleaners upskill and keep up with industry demands. Ms Joan Pereira asked whether training is tailored to the needs of all cleaners. All cleaners attend a basic cleaning course before starting out. The courses are offered in various languages, including English, Mandarin and Malay. To facilitate learning, courses are designed to emphasise hands-on learning, which is best suited for the profile of the workers. Cleaners continue to receive support after they start work. For example, Horsburgh Integrated Services groups new and experienced cleaners together to facilitate on-the-job training. Another example is Lifeline Cleaning Pte Ltd, where older workers comprise 80% of the staff. The company tapped the WorkPro Job Redesign Grant and successfully trained its cleaners to use machines to clean floors more efficiently.”