Heng Chee How
Singapore
“And in the case of overseas training, then there will be specific link-ups into the systems of our overseas partners, for example, if there is a need to further send the injured NSman to the local hospitals for more specialised treatment, that, too, was all planned in as well in terms of the protocols.”
“In addition to conducting regular exchanges with their professional counterparts, SAF personnel in our overseas training detachments participate actively in local community life and contribute back to the local communities, thus contributing to the strengthening of bilateral ties.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank Mr Giam for his question. The NS allowance, the nature of it, it is in a form of honorarium and for that, CPF is not payable. However, I just wanted to emphasise two points. One, within the NS journey, they are actually eligible for NS HOME Awards, which are paid out in the course of the NSmen's journey.”
“Mr Chairman, as we look forward, MINDEF/SAF’s commitment to NS and to our NSmen remains steadfast. We will continue to enhance the NS experience, maximise the contributions of our NSmen, and strengthen recognition for their service.”
“Mr Speaker, we have shown care for our older workers as a Government, as tripartite partners, not only in words but in deeds. As a result, we have made very substantial progress for our older workers, often bucking global trends. The environment we must deal with will be increasingly challenging.”
“Ultimately, fighting age discrimination is not only a legal matter nor is it just a moral imperative. It is also an economic necessity that will help sustain long-term prosperity for all.”
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“So the initiatives just announced by my Minister pertaining to enrolment at birth, as well as at point of marriage, trying to cover the housewives, are a move in this direction. In this way, the population would have more protection against big medical bills before the onset of illnesses and disabilities. Ms Denise Phua did make a point about educating the insurers, the way in which they would want to exclude coverage for certain illnesses or disabilities and how they relate to the disabilities themselves. In other words, are they being overly conservative in comparison with international benchmarks and practices? It is something that the Ministry will bear in mind in our ongoing discussions, dialogues and feedback to the industry and, certainly, through the process of dialogue as well as through opening up the insurance markets to more competition as time goes on. We do hope that the best benchmarks in the world would also apply in Singapore to the benefit of all, including the disabled. As for Medifund - I am just completing the 3M description - that helps Singaporeans who, owing to financial difficulties, are assessed to be unable to afford their already subsidised treatment. This help extends to both disabled and non-disabled Singaporeans and the help is calibrated to the circumstances of each case. Having described the 3M system that we have, my Ministry fully understands the additional difficulties faced by the disabled and we want to do more for them. We currently have a scheme called the Primary Care Partnership Scheme (PCPS). This scheme currently enables the elderly poor to seek treatment at participating private GPs for acute conditions like cough and colds and then pay polyclinic rates, which are clearly highly subsidised.”
“Patients may now use their Medisave to pay part of the cost of the treatment. The children may also use their Medisave to help pay for that treatment. So, this significantly reduces their out-of-pocket treatment cost. Ms Denise Phua asked about support for the disabled. Currently, the same rules apply to all under the 3M system. In respect of Medisave, the disabled and non-disabled are treated alike and are subjected to the same withdrawal limits. My Ministry has just announced increases to some of these withdrawal limits, and the relief will extend equally to the disabled. While Medishield does not cover pre-existing illnesses or disabilities, disabled persons have been able to secure Medishield coverage for health risks unrelated to the disabilities themselves. The reason why insurers do not insure against pre-existing illnesses or pre-existing disabilities is that it undermines the viability of the insurance product and causes it to fail. Insurance is to pool risks. In other words, it is to hedge against something which may or may not happen. If something has already happened, then there is no question of hedging. If an insurance cover includes things that have already happened, then there would be every incentive for people to wait until the condition develops before joining and there would be no incentive for the healthy to join or to stay on, and this is known in the industry as "adverse selection". It is for this reason that my Ministry's approach is to persuade Singaporeans that it is critical for them to get themselves on to basic Medishield insurance as early as possible and to help them do so.”
“In 1999, the RAF's use was extended beyond assessing the physical needs of residents to also assessing patients with dementia and psychiatric needs. The InterRAI, which Prof. Mehta referred to, is an international scientific consortium of researchers, clinicians and policy-makers and they have developed a series of uniform assessment tools to assess and plan the long-term care needs of the elderly and disabled persons. Some countries have adapted the RAI for their use, eg, the US and Japan. Compared to the RAF, the RAI is more complicated. But, having said that, we are continually studying ways of strengthening our assessment system and we are presently in discussion with the InterRAI to assess the feasibility of adapting that instrument for use in Singapore. I certainly share her views on the importance of maintaining and upgrading service standards within nursing homes and of collecting and making known comparative data, so that users and their families are in a better position to make those comparisons and choices. Prof. Mehta referred to a particular sad case of a death and that the police is investigating. I do not have details of that particular case to provide at this juncture. Mr Ang Mong Seng asked about the community health screening programme. The "Check Your Health" community health screening programme screens for high blood pressure, diabetes and high blood cholesterol. Early detection and treatment is definitely better and cheaper than late detection. Hence, residents detected with such problems are advised to see their family doctors and be treated as soon as possible. Recently, the conditions screened for under the "Check Your Health" initiative have been included in the Chronic Disease Management Programme.”
“Pioneered by the IMH, the EPIP has successfully shortened the time taken to detect, manage and treat patients with psychosis, and this has helped many more such patients to continue working. Our work in this area has been validated when IMH's EPIP received the inaugural "State of Kuwait Prize" for research in health promotion which was awarded by the World Health Organisation in May 2006. MOH also provides proportionately more Medifund to IMH compared to other public hospitals because the IMH patients are on the whole more long-staying patients and many more do not have financial support from their families. Mr Low asked about the night clinic service at IMH. IMH had piloted such a clinic but experience had shown that it had low volume and demand and, hence, the night clinic ceased to operate, so that the resources could be better focused elsewhere to help the patients. We will continue to monitor the patients' feedback when determining the feasibility of these services. But, at the same time, there is also a national network of GP clinics, fully-trained and equipped to help these patients. So, in terms of the hours in which they can do so, there are different avenues to do so. 6.30 pm Assoc. Prof. Kalyani Mehta spoke on ways of assessing healthcare needs and of improving nursing home service standards. The MOH and MCYS presently use the Residence Assessment Form (RAF) to assess the nursing care needs of persons who require residential care in nursing homes or sheltered homes. The RAF is a concise 9-item assessment tool which can be applied easily and quickly by Eldercare professionals to determine care needs. It was introduced in 1993 and it was adapted from the Australian System of Resident Classification.”
“To minimise this likelihood, restructured hospitals have set up geriatric units to teach elderly patients and their caregivers how to take proper care in the light of those disabilities. Hospitals also work closely with community-based services and family physicians so that after an elderly patient's discharge from an acute hospital, active rehabilitation continues in a step-down care facility, if needed. Dr Fatimah Lateef spoke on dementia in Singapore. Today, its prevalence in Singapore is 6.2 per 1,000 population. This is low compared to other developed countries in the Asia Pacific region, such as Japan and Hong Kong, with prevalence rates of 14.6 and 8.6 respectively. The prevalence of dementia in Singapore is expected to reach 12.3 per 1,000 population by 2020 as a result of the ageing of our population. We do not currently track detailed cost data associated with dementia but we can look into facilitating such studies. We recognise that well-formulated policies that tapped collaboration with private and community organisations can reduce the cost impact of the projected prevalence growth through effective interventions for people with dementia. We will consider ways of doing so. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked about the support for IMH. Since the restructuring of IMH in October 2000, the Budget given to IMH to pay for subsidised services has doubled from $41 million in FY 2000 to $80 million in FY 2005. MOH has also supported new mental health initiatives introduced by IMH over the years. Examples included the Early Psychosis Intervention Programme (EPIP) which Mr Low referred to, in-patient psychiatric rehabilitation service, mobile crisis team and hotline service.”
“MOH is also examining the possibility of assembling multi-disciplinary community teams to better serve the varied needs of different segments of society. These teams can comprise psychiatrists, nurses, social workers and other mental healthcare professionals and they will work alongside schools, community organisations and social services to help children, adults and the elderly achieve improved mental health outcomes. MOH and HPB will continue to promote greater public awareness about mental health through partnership with VWOs. HPB's own "Mind your Mind" education programme will also be expanded to give special attention to vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those facing crisis events. To foster positive mental health in our young, HPB will engage teachers and counsellors, parents as well as work through youth-centric media like the Internet. Ms Irene Ng asked about depression amongst the elderly. Depression and the past history of attempted suicide are risk factors for suicide among the elderly. When such indications are picked up, health professionals refer the patients to the psychological medicine services and hospital medical social workers for assessment, treatment, counselling and support. We will explore additional ways to equip medical teams with the ability to help such patients with early identification of the symptoms so that proper and prompt intervention can take place. Sometimes, medical problems cause a certain degree of disability in elderly patients which then becomes a source of stress and depression. In severe cases, that may also lead to suicidal tendencies.”
“Under this initiative, the HPB and NTUC will spearhead regular health chronic disease screening for workers. For the workers who suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, they will be helped with follow-up treatment. NTUC has already secured the commitment of 30 companies to pilot the programme. Once this pilot is proven effective, it will be ramped up. And as the health of workers improve, their employability and prospects for employment or re-employment will correspondingly strengthen. Madam Halimah and Mrs Josephine Teo asked about mental health initiatives. I agree with them that good mental health is important for the well-being of individuals and their families and for society at large, especially in an increasingly fast-paced environment. To meet the challenges in this area, the Government has set up a National Inter-Ministry Workgroup, headed by the Permanent Secretary of Health, with representation from employers and unions, to look comprehensively into intersectoral issues related to mental health. The National Mental Health Blueprint recently drawn up by the MOH describes the national strategy for the prevention and treatment of mental diseases, including dementia. Under the Blueprint, MOH will train more mental health specialist doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals to meet expected demand. This will be done through increasing specialist training places, offering training scholarships and including a mandatory posting in psychiatry for family medicine trainees. Mental healthcare training will also become a regular part of GP partnership programmes to help strengthen such services at the primary care level.”
“As for the workplace, the HPB facilitates the setting up of workplace health programmes by employers. To this end, the HPB has provided grants of up to $5,000 to companies that implement and sustain workplace health programmes. HPB also works closely with the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and the NTUC to organise regular talks and dialogue sessions with business and union leaders, HR personnel and workplace health facilitators. Surveys show that the number of private sector companies with a comprehensive workplace health programme increased from 32.6% in 998 to 45.1% in 2003. Benefits from such programmes include improvements in the health profile of workers - more workers are now exercising, fewer are overweight, leading to a reduction in medical costs per employee and reduction in medical leave taken in these companies. So HPB will continue to pursue these initiatives. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang reminded us not to forget about older workers. I fully agree with him. If employers think that older workers would inevitably incur more healthcare costs and, thus, are more costly to employ, then they will be less willing to employ older workers. In the light of an ageing workforce, we must do more to help older workers maintain and improve their health, so as to enhance their employability. One key area is the management of chronic diseases. As persons in middle age stand a higher risk of getting these conditions, early detection, treatment and management will directly reduce the damage, suffering and lifetime medical costs to both employee and employer. Going forward, HPB will be stepping up its collaboration with the NTUC through the new U-HEALTH (Union-Helping Employees Achieve Lifetime Health) initiative.”
“Madam, I thank Members for their valuable comments and suggestions. Dr Fatimah Lateef asked for the outcomes of our health promotion efforts. Since its establishment six years ago, the Health Promotion Board has focused on motivating Singaporeans to lead healthier lifestyles so that they may live long and well, and with peace of mind. Its key initiatives include: the annual National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign; collaboration with hawkers to offer healthier choices at hawker centres, restaurants and school canteens; working with food manufacturers to make healthier food products (such as fortifying food with nutrients like calcium); as well as working with corporate and community partners to encourage chronic disease prevention and management, exercise, smoking reduction, stress management and mental and emotional health. Surveys show Singaporeans have become more healthy. The public's awareness of the importance of healthy living has risen and more are adopting healthier lifestyles compared to a few years ago. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and smoking has decreased while the proportion of Singaporeans who exercise regularly and who eat more vegetables and fruits has increased. Smoking prevalence decreased from 15.2% in 1998 to 12.6% in 2004. Students benefit from the efforts of the School Health Services. Immunisation coverage is high at 95%. The DMFT (Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth) index of 0.72 is among the best achieved by developed countries. The "CHERISH" Award, introduced in 2000, encourages schools to establish comprehensive school health promotion programmes. Since the inception of the "CHERISH" Award, the number of schools that achieved the award has increased from 84 in 2000 to 276 in 2006.”
“I, therefore, congratulate the Second Finance Minister for a Budget most well crafted. Sir, I support the Budget. 12.28 pm”
“This is because I believe that the objective is not only to shore up income at the low end, but also to help such workers and their families attain an agreeable quality of life with improving prospects. Here, again, a more focused customised approach would be more effective. As a city state, Singapore does not have the luxury of offering its lower income citizens a cheaper countryside to live in. At the same time, as residents of a bustling metropolis and global business hub, all Singaporeans are exposed to constant advertising and inducements to spend and keep up with the Joneses. Clearly, we need to do more to help lower-income families budget and spend wisely within their means, to encourage more companies and organisations, in both the public and private sectors, to offer generic or basic and yet good value options of goods and services, and to promote the benefits of simple living and financial freedom. As their incomes improve, these families will have the means to afford different things as they go along. This upward mobility is sustainable in that situation and is to be welcomed. I believe that this is an area where the 3P partnership - public, private and people sector partnership - will prove most appropriate. Conclusion Sir, this Budget is one that incorporates big changes to the social safety net, company tax, CPF and GST. In many countries, making these changes would upset different vested interests, and trigger immediate uncertainty, if not unrest. In our case, we have turned this volatile concoction into a growth tonic, a healing balm and a social glue. This achievement testifies to the Government’s competence and confidence, and the trust that the people have in it to do what is right and necessary, and to be fair.”
“5% increase in employer’s CPF contribution, workers eligible for Workfare experience careful re-arrangements with their CPF so that they get more take-home pay and also more CPF savings through Government top-ups. Their employers benefit from lower contribution for this group of workers which is aimed at motivating them to offer more job opportunities. This flexible and practical attitude to policy-design is yet another competitive strength that Singapore must continuously hone and deploy to our advantage. With Workfare moderating the cost of low wage older workers to employers, we can reasonably predict that the bigger employment challenges facing these workers in the coming years would be work design and work process related. Here, a customised approach would, again, enable real and substantive progress. Appropriate job redesign and work redeployment, lifelong learning and continuous retraining will increase job versatility and productivity of such workers in the various industries. This will make employment and re-employment of older workers more feasible. Such efforts must be undertaken in earnest or else the Workfare safety blanket would, to quote the words of MP Irene Ng, shrink to the size of a handkerchief as more older workers reach retirement age. The challenge will be more pronounced in sectors where significant relaxation on the employment of foreigners is allowed to address the upsurge in the demand for manpower. The Tripartite Partners must work closely together to tackle this growing need effectively and promptly, and forestall social tensions and disillusionment further down the road. Beyond making wage supplements, helping lower-income families stretch the dollar is equally important.”
“It is, therefore, important that Workfare must not stop with wage supplements. We must step up rather than relax on the retraining and upgrading of workers so that they will be able to take on higher value jobs. As we will know who these low wage workers are - because they will apply - then let us take a worker-centric approach and see how best to focus on skills upgrading for these workers, at the company and individual levels. We should use fully the resources of the SDF, the Lifelong Learning Fund and all other training grant schemes. On NTUC’s part, we will also be stepping up the use of the NTUC-Education and Training Fund resources to help as many low wage union members as possible pursue regular upgrading. We must also be proactive in the re-deployment of manpower to sectors that provide sustainable and decent terms, and the recreating of jobs to increase their worth. At the same time, let us monitor closely the “graduation” rate from Workfare and better understand the factors that affect it, so that Workfare will serve its intended purpose but would never degenerate into a welfare trap. In doing so, we will upgrade Workfare from being a passive safety net into an active springboard that propels low wage workers into a distinctly better future. That would exceed expectations even more. Customisation This Budget demonstrates the willingness and ability of the Government to fine-tune and customise its policies to address the special needs of different segments. Look at the CPF changes for low wage workers as an example. While the general workforce sees a 1.”
“This is a fundamental move. Workfare reinforces the principles that a job is the best welfare for a person, and that it is the responsibility of each person to work to the extent that he is capable of. At the same time, Workfare gives each eligible lower wage worker a ticket to benefit from the strong economic growth that the investments will bring. While all lower wage workers would welcome this benefit, “red ocean” workers (to quote the words of Minister Lim Swee Say) - workers who work in the "red ocean", namely, in cut-throat industries, and here I would think of workers such as cleaners and waste disposal workers, who in recent years saw not only stagnant wages but declines in earnings with each succeeding change of contract and contractor - will be particularly grateful for this relief. Of particular value is the focus of Workfare on enhancing the CPF of low wage workers, including those who do not have any CPF protection thus far. Without CPF, their longer-term medical, housing and retirement needs will not be met. That would place them and their families in misery. In fully supporting Workfare, I would like to join my parliamentary colleagues in calling attention to the dangers of a low wage trap, and of contractors and buying organisations free-riding on Workfare to intensify cheap sourcing pressures on "red ocean" workers. I would also highlight the importance of using all available channels to reach out to the eligible workers so that all such workers would get the long-term CPF protection that they need. At the same time, I wish to point out that for the long term, only productivity, value-creation and value-add can sustain higher wages and bring about higher standards of living.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join in this debate. This Budget helps Singapore become a close knit and future ready society powered by a strong economy. I would describe it as a Budget that is pre-emptive, that exceeds expectations in some fundamental ways and that is finely customised. Pre-emption In the face of global competition, an ageing population and a less than certain regional and international environment, the need to maximise the strength of our economy is evident. For if we do not do so, then even what we have will be taken away from us. Conversely, when we can get it right, we will be able to fully tap the opportunities of globalisation and Asia’s growth. That will then generate the wealth and resources we need to build our nation. This is why the corporate tax reduction and the other company-related measures are so relevant. They sharpen Singapore’s attractiveness as a business, investment and trade location, and make the most of our strengths as a trustworthy hub. And the GST increase, cushioned by the offset package, provides the means to undertake these efforts to lift our game and seize the initiative. This will yield multifold returns down the road. Pre-emption is an important strategy and advantage, and this is why I disagree with those who argue that we should wait until we are under serious pressure, and forced to react. Because if you wait till then, it would be too little, too late, if at all do-able. So I would say: let us make hay while the sun shines. Exceeding expectations Every Budget time, citizens and companies alike look for goodies. This year, the Government exceeded expectations by giving more than one-time goodies. It erected a fourth pillar, Workfare, to more firmly anchor our social safety net.”
“There is scope to allow such account holders to make larger withdrawals from their Medisave when they use the unsubsidised wards. I will announce the details soon.”
“Sir, just to clarify, I said "right siting" and not "right sizing", meaning as close to the community as possible. With regard to right timing, the Ministry assures the Member and this House that first, nobody who requires medical care will be denied it on account of a lack of means and that each person will be attended to according to the urgency of his need as assessed by medical practitioners. MEDISAVE ACCOUNT BALANCES OF DECEASED CPF MEMBERS 9. Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Health (a) if he can provide statistics on the balances remaining in the Medisave accounts of CPF members when they pass away; and (b) if further liberalisation of the Medisave scheme can be made if the statistics show that the average balance is large, such as using Medisave for payments for peripherals related to hospitalisation or serious illness. The Minister for Health (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Sir, among the Singaporeans who passed away after the age of 65, their average Medisave balance was about $3,500. In fact, about 60% of all Singaporeans, and this is regardless of age, both young and old, had less than $2,500 in their Medisave Accounts at the time they passed away. Looking at this data, my view is that generally we are not over-saving in Medisave. If anything, my concern is that most Singaporeans are under-saving for Medisave. We should therefore be careful not to allow Medisave to stray too far away from its original purpose, which is to ensure that Singaporeans have enough savings for their hospitalisation at the Class B2 or C level. However, among the higher-income group, some have very healthy Medisave balances and are still working and contributing towards their Medisave.”
“Sir, I would agree with the Member that, as a society, much more can and should be done in the area of preparing all of us to take better care of the elderly in a home setting and in a community setting. On the question of specific examples of what could be done, I recently visited the Jurong Medical Centre. There, I saw a particular section that has been constructed, specialising not only in showing people how they could configure the home setting in order to better provide for the safety, comfort and care of the elderly, but they also emphasise on the training of caregivers to use in the correct way such equipment and to provide such care. That is for family members. I believe that the Jurong Medical Centre is one good example, but there are other programmes in the other institutions as well. Beyond that, I would also like to say it is the on-going participation of the community in better understanding the risks involved in the care of our elderly and how we can exchange this information and, as a result, pick up more knowledge as a society, moving forward, and improve this programme as we go along.”
“It means that we try to address the needs as close to the community and as close to the person as possible, rather than to wait for a deterioration and for this person to be bumped around in a complex organisation and finally ending up in acute care which is actually very expensive and perhaps too late. So it is precisely in this connection that we have and will continue to emphasise the role of family physicians and how we can better equip them. These GPs are the best gatekeepers in helping to refer our elderly patients in a familiar setting for the help that they need. Certainly, in this regard, our polyclinics is also part of this community network and we will look at our facilities there and to adjust to the needs. In the area of training up more manpower of the right kind to address this need, I have already earlier given some figures.”
“Sir, on the different ailments of the elderly, you can divide them into diseases that become more prevalent as one ages, as well as the risk associated with one's physical condition as one ages. On both fronts, we will have to put in efforts. We know that recently, the Ministry has introduced a chronic disease management programme. This one actually takes the society from the point of middle-age onwards and we have included four diseases in that programme - diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and stroke. The idea is to say that, as we prepare an ageing society to better take care of itself, we also organise the resources, both in the community as well as in the medical community, to gear up for this increasing need. These are not the only four diseases, but certainly, these would be diseases that we would want to care for. Obviously, as one ages, there will be other diseases, such as Alzheimers, for example, that would also become more prevalent. So there is a wide range. I do not have the exact rank order to provide to the Member. But, certainly, we will have to address that. In terms of the risk to the physical condition of the elderly, we all know that falls and hip fractures, for example, would be one category. It is something that we can do a lot about, both in terms of how do you help an elderly person who has suffered a fall to recover, and also at the same time, what can be done within the home setting, for example, to prevent these occurrences. I want to address the concern of the Member by saying that it is not only the medical facilities that we have got to look at, but it is an entire societal effort. Certainly, within the medical side of things, the emphasis is on what we call "right siting". What do we mean by "right siting"?”
“Sir, the Ministry is looking into this area of how to enable positive labelling. As I mentioned just now, we will continue to closely monitor the situation. We do not rule out any option but we will take those options and weigh the pros and cons and do the right thing at the right time. 3.00 pm”
“Over time, this is the way that accords with our market situation, our realities and still get us closer to the objectives of a healthy population. Mr Speaker: Mdm Halimah, you have one minute left.”
“So since 2004, this education on trans fat and working with the manufacturers to increase the stock and range of goods that is low in or contains no trans fat has been ongoing. So we will press on with this. If we are interested in a population that does not really go into all the details in everything that they buy, which I think it is the reality for most people, then we make life easy by having a symbol that they know that if I go this way, it will be safer than any other way. So this Healthier Choice Symbol is a layman's way to better health. I think we can do it this way and let people understand that this is the common man's way of achieving the same outcome - better health. Then we come to labelling. Are we stopping here? Are we saying that there is no scope to consider labelling? The answer is we are considering it, besides the monitoring. As I explained, we will work over the next few months to see how we can do positive labelling. Why do we do this? In Singapore, just about everything we eat is imported, so we have to balance between wanting something that is safe, making sure that it is correct for our population's consumption, without unnecessarily either adding on to the cost of those things or limiting our own choices. So we have to think of ways in which we could tilt the playing field so that market forces work in our favour for our objectives. This is where if we can push in the direction of positive labelling, letting manufacturers know that we would allow them, subject to their fulfilling certain criteria, to advertise their products which contain lower or no trans fat, then that together with our efforts in the Healthier Choice Symbol programme would help to nudge our population towards consumption of the right choices of food.”
“Sir, I believe the Member would agree with me that the outcome that we all look for is a population of healthy Singaporeans. In other words, whatever we do, the end result must be that, given the advice that we offer through public education, given the regulation that we do, given the products that we allow to be sold, as well as the practice of good healthy lifestyles, the combination of all these things, that is the job of the regulators as well as the responsibility of the individuals and the households that we produce health in our population. So if we agree on this and we apply this model to this subject of trans fat, and we do so holistically and in a calibrated manner, then we say, "First, let us look at it. Should we be monitoring something like trans fat?" The answer is yes, because it has certain adverse effects on health. Are we doing it? Yes, we are monitoring it. What is the international standard for trans fat consumption? Then we look at the World Health Organisation, and they say, no more than 1%. Then we look at our own situation, and we say, "Where are we?" And we are below that. We look at countries that have compulsory labelling. Canada and the United States, they are more than 2%. So we therefore have a certain sense of where we stand vis-a-vis the technical safety standards and also in comparison with countries that have gone on to compulsory labelling because they are in a different situation. Does it mean that because we are less than 1%, therefore we could be complacent? The answer is no. So what must we do? We must do a combination of education and of pointing people in the right direction as to what they should be buying and consuming. Are we doing that? The answer is yes.”
“We will continue to update and expand the list to include products by brand names. In addition, the Health Promotion Board's Healthier Choice Symbol (HCS) scheme, and that is the pyramid symbol that you can see on certain products, is a form of positive labelling that helps consumers identify healthier food products that are lower in fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and sugar. To date, about 150 products, including bread, biscuits, cookies, cakes and margarine, carry the Healthier Choice Symbol labels and contain zero or lower amounts of trans fat compared to the regular versions. Over the next few months, the Health Promotion Board will work on nutrition claims that can be allowed on food products with low or negligible trans fat. So this would allow the manufacturers to make these claims, provided they satisfy certain criteria which are being worked out. And this would encourage the food industry to voluntarily reduce or remove trans fat in their products and would also result in voluntary nutrition labelling on products with low or no trans fat.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Mdm Halimah asked if we should require compulsory labelling of trans fat on food products. The Ministry as well as the Health Promotion Board are monitoring the situation of trans fat in our food supply and consumption pattern, and we will evaluate if we should impose more stringent measures against trans fats usage. Presently, if you look at other countries in the world, only Denmark has used legislation to limit the trans fat content of oil used in food and they limit it to 2%. Canada and the United States have imposed compulsory labelling. All other countries have taken a voluntary non-legislative approach as far as labelling of trans fat is concerned. In Canada and the US, the consumption of trans fat exceeds 2% of their total calorie intake. In comparison for Singapore, we consume much lower, less than 1% of the total calorie intake; and this works out to less than 2 grams of trans fat a day. When we look at this in comparison with the World Health Organisation's recommendation of no more than 1%, then Singapore's consumption is within that, as opposed to the US and Canadian consumption which is twice that. Nevertheless, we will continue to educate the public on the harmful effects of trans fat and to advise the public to cut down on fat intake. Since the year 2004, the Health Promotion Board has actively engaged our local food manufacturers to reduce trans fat in the manufacture of their goods and also to promote the use of voluntary labelling. Increasingly, food manufacturers have voluntarily listed the trans fat content of products such as in instant noodles, convenience meals, snack items and 3-in-1 beverages. The Health Promotion Board's website publishes the trans fat content of more than 300 common food items.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I mentioned earlier, the attrition rate for the local nurses is about 7%-8% a year, and that for foreign nurses would be in the region of 20%-25% a year. So it is more than the local nurses. But the Member would also agree with me that the vast majority of them do stay on. FOOD PRODUCERS (Labelling of trans fat in products) 12. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Health in view of the rising concerns over the harmful effect of trans fat on health, whether the Health Promotion Board will make it compulsory for all food producers to label the use of trans fat in their products so that consumers can make informed decisions when consuming such products.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, all foreigners working in Singapore will be subjected to our permit rules or employment pass rules. I think this is also done with respect to the manpower needs of different sectors and industries. So, certainly, there is a recognition that, within the healthcare sector for nurses, we would need the complement of both local as well as foreign nurses. You would have to look at how the local supply of nurses, as it gears up, balances with our dependence on the foreign supply. So, ultimately, it is for us to ensure that there is adequate total supply to meet the needs of Singaporeans as well as to meet the needs of the foreign patients who arrive on our shores.”
“00 pm Complementing existing measures, these additional measures will further reduce the risk of bird flu incursion and contain the spread of the virus should there be an outbreak. Sir, experts have warned of the possibility of the virus mutating into a form that could cause a human flu pandemic. This could cause intermittent disruptions to our fresh food supply. AVA will continue to diversify our food supply sources and keep our food trade going for as long as possible. But this is an effort that requires more than Government action. We will also need the cooperation of the private and people sectors. Businesses in the food industry must have their continuity plans in place. AVA will regularly review the situation with industry, including exploring with importers the feasibility of stepping up inventories of frozen food. Members of the public also have a vital part to play. Households must adjust their food preferences and buying patterns and this will give AVA and the industry the time needed to bring in imports from alternative sources. Sir, let me reiterate that AVA will spare no efforts to safeguard Singapore against bird flu. It has put in the necessary resources and will continue to be vigilant. Building Maintenance”
“AVA is also helping to train officers from Indonesia in laboratory diagnosis and surveillance skills. At our borders, we maintain a high state of alert. AVA conducts 100% inspections on poultry imports, and works with ICA and Police to guard against the smuggling of birds. All ornamental bird imports are tested before release from the checkpoints. AVA requires our local poultry farms to maintain high levels of bio-security and regularly inspects our poultry farms and slaughterhouses. We have banned poultry rearing on Pulau Ubin to remove the risk posed by backyard farming. Households on the mainland are also not allowed to keep more than 10 caged chickens. AVA also conducts surveillance on wild birds at Sungei Buloh and Pulau Ubin, as well as on urban pest birds like swallows and crows. As further protection, we have also vaccinated the birds at our Bird Park and the Zoo. Sir, to further protect against bird flu outbreaks in Singapore, AVA will be implementing two additional safeguards. First, AVA will implement bio-segregation to minimise inter-farm contact to prevent any potential spread of the virus should there be an outbreak. Bio-segregation measures include requiring the farms not to share equipment, and separating their egg collection from the production areas. Our local poultry farms can be grouped into five clusters and with effective bio-segregation, should there be an isolated outbreak within the cluster, poultry in other clusters need not be culled, thus enhancing the resilience of our local egg supply. AVA will also implement emergency vaccination of poultry in local farms when there is an imminent risk of HPAI incursion into Singapore. Emergency vaccination will only be activated under severe circumstances if there are rampant outbreaks in nearby areas. 1.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I thank Members, Mr Zainudin Nordin and Mr Ong Ah Heng for their comments and questions on the bird flu. I would like to assure all Singaporeans that chicken and eggs in Singapore are safe to be eaten by cooking them well. The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) or bird flu is currently the most threatening disease to our food supply. Its worldwide spread and recent detection in Selangor have also raised concerns in Singapore. In accordance with the protocols established between the veterinary authorities of Singapore and Malaysia, ie, our AVA and their DVS, we suspended poultry and egg imports from Selangor. Over the last two years, AVA has been working with its Malaysian counterpart, the DVS, to establish what we call Disease Free Zones. Poultry can be imported from these zones even if isolated cases of bird flu are detected in other areas. Because of this, we did not need to suspend all poultry imports from Malaysia when there is a case in Selangor, unlike the situation when there was an outbreak in Kelantan back in 2004, before we had that protocol established when we had to ban imports from all of Malaysia. Because we are now able to narrow down and have these Disease Free Zones, the impact on our egg and our poultry supply, both in terms of quantity and in price, has been negligible. We must continue to remain vigilant against bird flu and to prevent incursion, we have adopted a comprehensive strategy. Allow me to elaborate. AVA actively engages our ASEAN partners in efforts to combat the disease. The ASEAN HPAI Taskforce was set up to facilitate a coordinated regional approach for bird flu control. To garner international support and maintain urgency, we will continue to keep HPAI, or bird flu, on the agenda of international fora.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I can assure the Member that there is coordination amongst Government ministries and amongst statutory bodies and all the agencies that work under the Government umbrella. Depending on the subject matter, different agencies will be involved and they will work together as a team to review and to take coordinated action. It is not possible to set up one agency that can conceivably attend to every possible combination of circumstances, but a coordinated approach is needed, a coordinated approach there is. Bird Flu”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, with regard to studies on global warming and the effects of global warming on tide levels, sea levels and so on, the correct Ministry to address such a topic to would be the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. However, given that Dr Geh Min has spoken on the East Coast Park, citing the newspaper report, she would like to note that the stretch that was highlighted, indeed, relates to a stretch of reclaimed land and it is something that resources have gone into creating, and NParks and other related agencies are monitoring. It is also cited in the newspaper report the actions that they are taking, by way of monitoring and also to discuss and evaluate how best to reinforce and further protect those investments.”
“Sir, our challenge, going forward, is to transform Singapore into a City in a Garden, not only known for its parks and greenery, but also for its beautiful streets, inter-connected parks, waterfront gardens, beautiful rivers and canals, and integrated land-water developments. This will make Singapore a truly exciting place to live, work and play in.”
“These are actual steps taken and they reflect this Government's commitment to conserving biodiversity. And we will continue to keep as many areas in their natural state for as long as possible. But as a small country with limited land and waters, we also have to take a pragmatic approach. So nature conservation will have to be balanced with other competing needs - not to be sacrificed, but to be balanced. NParks, URA, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and PUB will undertake other efforts to conserve our natural heritage and biodiversity: (1) NParks collaborates with NGOs and academic institutions to monitor the biodiversity and health of our ecosystems; (2) NParks maintains a repository of information on Singapore's natural habitats, both marine and terrestrial, and, as Dr Geh Min will know, has also recently commissioned a survey in order to update the knowledge and information in that repository; (3) URA works with NParks to assess the environmental impact of development projects near our islands and, where necessary, will mandate that protective measures be put in place to minimise adverse impact. 12.45 pm Sir, currently, we already have various regulations protecting our biodiversity. The Parks and Trees Act empowers NParks to take action against biodiversity-related offences in parks and nature reserves. Offences against biodiversity of State lands, including poaching from the seabed within Singapore waters, are also regulated and, in this case, under the State Lands Encroachments Act. The Endangered Species Act enforces against poaching of endangered species from our nature areas for export. We have laws and regulations that we can apply in order to safeguard our biodiversity and our natural heritage.”
“I think this would be encouragement to both Mr Yatiman Yusof as well as to Dr Geh Min. Sir, for example, NParks and PUB are working on a preliminary masterplan to revitalise the Kallang riverscape. There are exciting ideas to transform the entire length of the Kallang River and its canals into beautiful recreational and lifestyle venues that will enhance the quality of life for Singaporeans. The vision is to create a river system with clean and fresh waters, integrated with landscaped banks, where there can be swimming, fishing, boating and other sporting activities in the waters, and recreational activities along the banks and connected gardens. Sir, I will now move on to speak on the conservation of biodiversity. We are, as the Government, indeed mindful of the need to conserve our natural heritage and biodiversity. As the Minister has pointed out earlier, we are not just talking about building a city, but about an entire experience of what it means to create a national outcome that takes into account the richness not only of the buildings and infrastructures but of the natural gifts as well. We recognise the importance of doing so, including the potential value that a rich biodiversity can contribute to bioscience research, education, tourism and leisure. Mr Yatiman Yusof's illustration just now of the "Tongkat Ali" tree is one example where the right kinds of vegetation with medicinal and other properties could be exploited. The need to conserve our natural heritage is, therefore, taken into consideration as we plan for the use of our land, coast and sea in an integrated manner. As part of this process, key coastal and inter-tidal ecosystems at Labrador and Sungei Buloh have been gazetted as Nature Reserves. Sisters' Islands were identified as a marine nature area.”
“Minister Mr Mah Bow Tan has elaborated on the three inter connected waterfront gardens totalling 94 hectares around Marina Bay, and has actually provided us with the artist's impression of those three gardens. The Garden at Marina South, which will be adjacent to the Integrated Resort, we believe, would be a wonderful location to showcase tropical blooms and foliage colours at their best. We are also studying the feasibility of a conservatory that can house flowering plants from cooler climates. The Garden at Marina East will comprise water-theme gardens and have a staging area for water sports in the Bay, while the one at Marina Centre will be a waterfront promenade linking the cultural core at the Esplanade Theatres to Kallang Basin. These waterfront Gardens will complement the developments around Marina Bay and offer a new, exciting experience for Singaporeans and visitors. In designing our regional and neighbourhood parks, NParks also gives due consideration to the development of the interface between land and water. In deciding the appropriate treatment, NParks will consider the site conditions, intended uses, and surrounding features. For example, the Ecolake at the Botanic Gardens incorporates a natural grass embankment, while mangrove areas line Sungei Tampines. The Boardwalk at Pulau Ubin allows us to get close to nature without spoiling the ambience or damaging the surrounding ecosystems. Other efforts to beautify our waterbodies are underway. PUB has initiated an Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters Programme to develop our waterbodies into clean and vibrant attractions. NParks will work with PUB and other relevant agencies to realise the full potential of our waterbodies as quality recreational destinations, and to strengthen our greenery infrastructure.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to thank Dr Geh Min and Mr Yatiman Yusof for their views on the greening of Singapore and the conservation and protection of biodiversity. First, let me speak on Singapore as a Garden City. Indeed, we are well-known as a Garden City, and this is the result of 40 years of deliberate national planning and effort, not by chance. The result has provided a pleasant and high quality living environment for our people. But we cannot become complacent about these achievements. We must continue to innovate and remake our city. Our vision is to evolve Singapore into "A City in a Garden" that is characterised by a matrix of parks, gardens and green spaces interconnected to form a green mantle throughout the island. To achieve this goal, we would do so through a four-pronged strategy. First, we will build on and expand our greenery capital through developing our parks, building a park connector network, extending it, intensifying streetscape greenery and, as Mr Yatiman Yusof suggested, better integrating greenery with our water bodies. Second, we will strengthen the public, people and private sector partnerships in greening efforts, so that it would not just be a Government effort but it would be a national, community and total effort. Third, we will showcase our horticultural excellence through developing signature parks, including waterfront gardens and staging a world-class garden festival. Fourth, we will work with industry to upgrade the skills and competencies to sustain our City in a Garden. Sir, allow me to elaborate on some of the key areas. On signature gardens, we are developing a distinctive collection of "Gardens by the Bay" in the heart of Marina Bay.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I think MND and HDB are looking at various ways to help HDB shops do better - whether it is to help them band together and to be able to do joint promotional activities, either on their own or through seeking the help of consultants, or whether it is through some master-tenant arrangements, and also to help those who are not able to cope with the changes and the business is poor to have a way to exit. Mdm Cynthia Phua's suggestion of having the Town Councils to also get into promotional activities for HDB shops is something that has to be studied very carefully, principally because it is clearly not the primary purpose for which Town Councils are set up. That is not to take away from the importance of having HDB shops improve their operations. It is a matter that would have to be studied carefully. 6.00 pm”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, the planning for the cluster, as I mentioned just now, is in progress. The concept behind doing so is actually to say that for a new cluster of shops that is coming up, where there are no tenants yet, you actually have a master tenant, and this person can better manage the tenant mix so that the entire cluster has a better chance of success. This is the intent behind the move. The Member's point is that she is afraid that REITs will then come and dominate the landscape. I think we will take Mdm Cynthia Phua's feedback on this aspect so that HDB can take that into consideration as it works out the parameters for that particular project. Car Parks 5.45 pm”
“In fact, one of the ideas that was mentioned at various points was whether or not there could be managing agents who could take over a particular area and centrally manage it and, therefore, help to promote the business. Under the RPS, we had studied such a variation and obtained feedback. The feedback from industry players suggested that this kind of arrangement for RPS can only take off provided they have great flexibility over a critical mass of shops as well as decision-making power over retail mix. But when you put the two together, what it then means is that some of the existing shop tenants will not be able to continue operating under those rules. So it is actually very difficult to do so under the RPS. However, such a suggestion of a private sector agent operating in an overall shop precinct may be workable for new HDB shop clusters. Recently, I visited Punggol Plaza, which is a neighbourhood commercial centre built by HDB but leased out to a master tenant. The shops there are thriving and the residents' needs are well-served. Hence, HDB intends to try out the concept for new precinct shops and it intends to let out a cluster of new shops in Queenstown to a master tenant later this year. So this master tenant will manage the retail mix and carry out marketing and promotions for the shops in that cluster. This would give the shops a greater chance of success. Residents will also benefit from having a more comprehensive range of shopping and marketing options in their HDB shops. HDB will release more details when the cluster is ready for tender.”
“However, beyond that, HDB shopkeepers must remember that they are running a business and they need to make their own business calculations. It would be difficult for the Government to share on-going business risks with them and there is a whole variety of businesses that are being conducted in HDB rental shops. Ultimately, how well a business performs depends on whether it can attract and retain its customers. Nonetheless, on the ideas that Mr Wee Siew Kim has mentioned, we will take them into account in our on-going review of our policies. Dr Tan Boon Wan asked for assistance to be given to HDB shopowners to make their businesses more viable, eg, how to better improve their operations, the marketing, and so on. Like shop tenants, HDB shopowners can tap on various schemes offered and administered by Spring Singapore to upgrade their retail skills and business operations. In fact, many have done so. One of the ways in which some have done so was to band together to form management companies to collectively look into the challenges that they face and, where possible, to come up with common strategies to tackle those challenges. They can also make use of funding, eg, under the Spring Singapore's Domestic Sector Productivity Fund that I mentioned earlier, and other assistance programmes and engage professional consultants to help them map out those strategies. In fact, a number of merchant associations have already done so, like those in Marine Parade Central, Bras Basah Complex as well as the one in Tampines-Changkat. Mr Arthur Fong also suggested that it might be possible to involve the private sector more in the rejuvenation of HDB shop business.”
“To benefit as many shop tenants as possible in the shortest time, we will ask those shop tenants, who are interested, to indicate their interest in the RPS to HDB through their Advisers. HDB will consider only those blocks where more than 50% of the tenants have indicated that they wish to be considered for the programme. It will also take into account whether there are other shops nearby to serve the residents, so that residents will not be unduly inconvenienced if the shops in that particular block are cleared. In this way, we balance between the business conditions in given areas, the needs of the shop tenants, and also the needs of the residents of that area. MND will be writing to all Advisers shortly to provide them with more details. If the response from shop tenants is overwhelming, then HDB will have to phase out the implementation at a pace that it can manage. Mr Loh Meng See has asked for assistance to be given to help long-standing shop tenants exit from their business. Based on the announcement that I have just made, I hope that tenants, who are keen on this, can indicate their interest through Mr Loh. May I now move on to other points raised by Members? Mr Wee Siew Kim asked HDB to find ways to share business risk with the shop tenants. Currently, HDB shop rentals are adjusted based on prevailing market conditions upon the renewal of their tenancy. Tenants who prefer to have their rents adjusted more regularly can already opt for shorter tenancies, ie, yearly renewal. So, as the market moves up and down, they can be looking at adjusting their rentals flexibly in accordance with the movements in the market. During the recent economic downturn, HDB had also offered rental rebates to tenants to help them tide through their difficulties.”
“In those cases, all the shops in those eight blocks were cleared because more than half of the tenants, according to the polling rules, voted to quit. Those who opted to quit, where eligible, obtained an ex-gratia payment of $60,000. Those who opted to continue their business were relocated to replacement shops and were also given a $10,000 removal allowance. The cleared shop space will be converted into void deck space for social and communal uses. In one of the sites, ie, the one at Sunset Way, the tenants opted to remain in business. In their case, they have embarked on a revitalisation plan to inject more life and bring in more customers and business into the area. The tenants have engaged a consultant to help them map out strategies to revitalise business in that area and how to better to market and conduct promotional activities. Spring Singapore has provided funding support from its Domestic Sector Productivity Fund (DSPF) for that revitalisation project. We started the RPS on a pilot basis to help us ascertain the response from shop tenants and also whether the scheme needs to be further fine-tuned, as we plan for possible subsequent batches. On the whole, we are happy with the outcome of the pilot project. Nearly half the shops, ie, 48% that were offered the programme opted to move. It shows that the RPS is a workable programme. Together with other on-going clearance of HDB shops, eg, the Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS), the over-supply of HDB shops will be addressed over time. With the conclusion of the pilot batch, we are now ready to extend the RPS to HDB rental shops in general.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, the Government recognises the important social role that HDB shops play. They not only meet a local need, but they also provide a focal point for residents to mingle and enhance the vibrancy of HDB communities. Today, HDB shopkeepers face intense competition from shopping malls and mega-marts. The shopping and marketing habits of Singaporeans, especially the young, have also changed. Although HDB has progressively relaxed its policies on the change of trade, subletting and assignment in order to provide HDB shopkeepers with more flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions, some shopkeepers still find it difficult to sustain their business. One reason for that is an over-supply of HDB shops. Some shopkeepers are also getting on in age and their children are not keen to take over the business. During last year's Committee of Supply, the Minister for National Development announced that HDB would launch a new Restructuring Programme for Shops (RPS) to assist HDB shop tenants located in areas where there is an over-supply of shops and where the business is poor, to retire from business. The aim is to reduce the over-supply, so that the remaining shops will become more viable. Where it is possible, the RPS will also help HDB shop tenants to restructure and upgrade their shops and business operations. As requested by Mr Arthur Fong, allow me to give an update on that programme. In June last year, we selected seven sites, which comprised 193 shops in 21 blocks for a pilot programme. The shop tenants were polled on whether they wished to quit their business on a block-by-block basis. Based on the polling results, eight blocks comprising 93 shops, or 48% of the 193 shops, had more than 50% of their tenants voting to quit.”
“On public education, once again, we are all together on this and I absolutely agree that there is a lot more that we can do, first of all, to raise the awareness of the importance of protecting our wildlife in general and of the importance of making sure that we do not become a centre of illegal wildlife trade and all the dangers that it can bring to our economy as well as to public health, as Dr Geh Min has elaborated. Sir, I believe I have addressed all the points. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Heng Chee How]. [Mr Speaker in the Chair]”
“But, at the same time, it recognises that to tackle something like this, it really goes beyond AVA as well, because a lot of times, we know where to go because of intelligence. We are then talking about a network approach - working with Customs, working with the Police, working with the relevant NGOs, working with international partners. All this is actually very important for us to target properly at these kinds of illegal activities. Dr Amy Khor asked whether or not the AVA conducts checks on the pet shops, and whether they do so regularly enough in order to ferret out such activities. I would say that checks can be done, but these things can happen anywhere. The more critical and more productive way is to strengthen our intelligence collection abilities and to strengthen our network of partners. In that way, we are better able to sharp shoot and go in for effectiveness. So we will continue with our checks on related establishments but we will put even more emphasis on strengthening our coordination and networking with our partners. Dr Geh Min alluded to a case where private transport apparently had been used to conduct a raid on some premises. I do not know the details of that case. But sometimes it is actually better to conduct a raid without a QX plate car, because it helps you get closer to the target. I really do not know the details of that case, but it might just have been that. Nonetheless, the important thing really is that we should work in partnership, enhance our intelligence collaboration and then be able to pinpoint and sharp shoot.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank Dr Amy Khor and Dr Geh Min for rising in support of the Bill. I would like to address the points that they made. First of all, on the need to safeguard Singapore's reputation as an international centre for trade and as an international transshipment hub, I cannot agree more with the two Members. We want to remain a global centre for trade, commerce and transshipment, and we will do everything possible to promote this status. But, at the same time, we will not want this role of ours to be abused by those engaged in illegal activities, whether it is narcotics or illegal wildlife trade, because that damages us in a serious way. This Bill will go some way towards addressing this particular danger that we may face. Dr Amy Khor asked whether or not it would be on a per animal basis. It is actually on a per animal basis because, according to the interpretation, the word "species" would also relate to per animal. On her question on penalties, she is right. We have increased the minimum fine ten-fold. In fact, the maximum fine of $500,000 is a hundred-fold of the old arrangement. She asked whether or not there are other jurisdictions that have similar arrangements. I know that in the case of Hong Kong, they have similar arrangements. They have a maximum fine of HK$5 million and two years' imprisonment. Both Dr Amy Khor and Dr Geh Min alluded to the importance of trained manpower to implement the measures in this Bill. AVA is aware of this. AVA has a pool of trained officers and would ensure that the manpower is properly trained. AVA would also review its structures and processes, including the headcount, and it would make the applications for supplementation if that becomes necessary.”
“Sir, in summary, the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Bill will strengthen deterrence and enforcement against illegal wildlife trade, and align the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act to recent changes made to CITES. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“According to Interpol, smuggling of wildlife is second only to narcotics in terms of the profits they generate and is estimated at some US$5 billion annually. The House may recall that in 2002, AVA has seized six tons of elephant ivory tusks in a single consignment, and that was worth about US$10 million then. As the value of smuggled endangered wildlife can be very high, the current fine of $5,000 is not an effective deterrent. So the Bill will increase the maximum penalty for illegal trafficking of endangered species from $5,000 and/or a year's jail, to $50,000 and/or two years' imprisonment. The fine is applicable to each CITES-protected animal or plant, or part thereof, involved in the offence, up to an aggregate maximum of $500,000. For abetment and attempted offences, the Bill will also impose the same penalty as the main offence. This is in line with the Criminal Procedure Code, where abetment and attempt to commit an offence carries the same penalty as the offence itself. Lastly, to maintain consistency with other Acts administered by AVA, the Bill will amend relevant provisions to be in line with similar clauses in those Acts. These include specifying the jurisdiction of District Courts to impose full penalties under the ESA; empowering AVA to seal and collect samples of specimens; and requiring owners, importers or exporters of CITES species to bear the cost of damage to specimens in the course of lawful exercise of powers by AVA. The Bill will also put in place provisions to specify the manner in which documents, such as notices, summonses, are delivered to persons connected with the offences; allow recorded statements to be submitted as evidence in court; and make it an offence to post advertisements for sale of illegal CITES specimens.”