Lim Hng Kiang
Singapore
“The company has made commitments to recycle the ash, and as for renewable energy, the gasification project is not an energy project, it is not a generation company (genco). It is to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide or, essentially, carbon. Because as feedstock to the petrochemical sector, you need more C and more H2.”
“The Government will continue to recover the IIA awarded if the company fails any conditions or breaches the legislative amendments. I would like to highlight that there are no errant cases in the last five years for IIA and the current amendments are, therefore, not reactionary in nature, but are being made for legislative clarity.”
“In addition, the IIA scheme will be extended till 31 December 2022. Clauses 10 to 13 give legislative effect to this change. The remaining legislative changes arising from our periodic review of the income tax system are either administrative or technical in nature.”
“Data on household and individual savings rates by income groups are not available. However, data on the aggregate level of household financial assets can be obtained from the Household Sector balance sheet compiled by the Department of Statistics.”
“The aggregate level of financial assets owned by Singapore’s household sector6 in each of the past five years is provided in Table 1 below. Data on the amount of financial assets owned by households and individuals in the different income percentiles is not available.”
“The Second Review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (Second CECA Review) is ongoing. The review is taking some time as both countries have our respective interests to work through, such as in the area of labour mobility. Our agencies regularly engage Indian counterparts to work through issues collaboratively.”
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“Clause 3 repeals section 66 of the Act and replaces it with a more comprehensive formulation based on section 153 of the Securities and Futures Act. This new section 66 will be aligned with our common law and other legislation, such as the Media Development Authority of Singapore Act and the Gas Act. Under the present section 66, persons are not permitted to disclose self-incriminating information or documents to CCS. This will hamper CCS investigation work as undertakings will not be able to cooperate with CCS by disclosing self-incriminating information or admit to an infringement, even if they are willing and able to do so. For example, a person may wish to disclose his own involvement in an anti-competitive activity when he is seeking leniency from CCS. However, he will not be able to do so under the present section 66 of the Act. The new section 66 will facilitate CCS investigation work, by providing that a person cannot refuse to disclose information on the grounds of self-incrimination. The amendment rationalises the position under the Act with the common law and other legislation in Singapore. There is no privilege against self-incrimination in civil proceedings. The new section 66 also clarifies that the self-incriminating information can still be used as evidence against the person disclosing the information, in both civil proceedings and criminal prosecutions for ancillary offences under the Act, for example, obstructing investigations or giving false information to the CCS. However, such self-incriminating information cannot be used as evidence to prove any other criminal offences, thereby protecting the rights of such persons.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Objective Sir, the Competition Act ('the Act') was passed by this House on 19th October 2004. We are now implementing the Act in phases. Under Phase One, the Competition Commission of Singapore(CCS) was set up on 1st January this year. During the course of this year, CCS has been preparing for the implementation of sections 34 and 47 of the Act which will come into effect on 1st January 2006. These two sections respectively prohibit anti-competitive agreements and the abuse of a dominant position. The provisions on investigation, enforcement and appeal will also come into effect on 1st January next year. The CCS has issued10 guidelines for public consultation, which will be finalised by December this year. During the course of preparation for implementation of the Act, it was found that the Act had to be amended to enable CCS to carry out its enforcement duties effectively. Let me now explain the proposed amendments. Section 64- Preservation of documents Clause 2 of the Bill amends section 64 of the Act to allow CCS officers to take any necessary steps to preserve evidence when entering premises without a warrant. This means that CCS officers conducting a search of premises will be allowed to secure the premises or a part of it, to prevent any persons from tampering with or destroying the evidence. This will happen only when a search cannot be finished within a day. The CCS will, of course, be mindful of the need to minimise disruption to business operations. Section 66- Self-incrimination and legal professional privilege Clause 3 of the Bill will rationalise the law relating to the privilege against self-incrimination and legal professional privilege.”
“Column No : 1805 DENGUE DEATH CASE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE DATA 15. Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Minister for Health (a) why the death of a 49-year-old due to dengue on September 17, 2005 in the hospital was reported to his Ministry as a dengue-death-case only after one month in mid-October; and (b) is the Ministry's monitoring of infectious disease data accurate and up-to-date.”
“Since its inception, the Cancer Syndicate has established research programmes, grouped around consortia that work together towards a common goal, for example, gastric cancer, paediatric oncology, liver cancer orclinical trials consortia. Among the achievements for the Cancer Syndicate is the early engagement of the pharmaceutical industry to partner with syndicate consortia to bring in new and novel cancer therapies that can benefit our cancer patients. The Syndicate's goal is to improve cancer outcomes for Singaporeans through the use of these research platforms. Singapore Stem Cell Consortium Let me turn to the third consortium which is theSingapore Stem Cell Consortium. The establishment of this Consortium was endorsed by the Singapore Biomedical Sciences International Advisory Committee on 31st October this year. It is currently putting together a strategic plan to support translational research activities that can lead to therapeutic or commercial applications of stem cells. Some ideas under consideration are the setting up of a national stem cell bank and acurrent Good Manufacturing Practice facility to produce clinically compliant stem cells for clinical applications. Outside of this biomedical field, A*STAR’s Scienceand Engineering Research Council (SERC) also supports this multi-disciplinary research approach through joint projects and consortia. An example is the Equipment Consortium which was set up in 2004 to address critical issues and to harness emerging technologies in precision equipment design, simulation and manufacturing. The SERC research institutes and 11 local enterprises from the equipment manufacturing sector aremembers ofthis consortium, which is supported by the Economic Development Board and the Singapore Industrial Automation Association.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, A*STAR is increasingly using the consortium platform to build critical mass in specific strategic areas by forging research network among scientists at the A*STAR research institutes, the extramural community and the industry. The aim is to create and develop synergy and complementary expertise through collaborative projects. Singapore BioImaging Consortium (SBIC) The Singapore BioImaging Consortium was officially launched in May 2005. The Consortium aims to facilitate and promote cross-disciplinary research with a focus on Cancer, Metabolic Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, using thefour core technology platforms of Optical Imaging, Image Processing, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and Development of Chemical/Biological Probes. The Consortium core facility is currently being outfitted with a Magnetic Resonance Imaging equipment and employment of key staff is underway. The core facility is anticipated to be opened by the first half of 2006. The Consortium has also conducted its first grant call to promote and support cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional research as well as to encourage novel, exploratory and developmental research. Singapore Cancer Syndicate Let me turn to the second Consortium. The Cancer Syndicate was established to develop a comprehensive cancer research pipeline that starts from basic science discovery to eventual therapeutic applications in the clinic for cancer patients. The Syndicate has brought about harmonisation of research objectives across the universities, hospitals and the research institutions. This has led to the adoption of common protocols that is contributing towards building a national cancer research programme.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government sector, higher education institutes and the public research institutes carry out research in the various areas, which can range from biomedical and related sciences, to engineering and technology. The distribution of the R&D expenditure across more than 20 Scienceand Technology fields for the different sectors, can be found in the 2004 National R&D Survey, copies of which have been distributed to the Members and also available on A*STAR’s website. Column No : 1803 BIOMEDICAL CONSORTIUMS (Milestones and achievements) 14. Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what are the milestones and achievements of the Singapore BioImaging Consortium and Singapore Cancer Syndicate since they were set up in 2004 and 2002 respectively, (b) what are the specific milestones that have been set for the newly formed Stem Cell Consortium to achieve; and (c) if A*STAR plans to set up similar consortiums in areas other than the biomedical field.”
“Since the launch of the NSS and the AGS programmes in 2001 and 2003 respectively, A*STAR has awarded close to 600 scholarships and fellowships. A*STAR expects to award another 900 scholarships and fellowships in the next five years, ie, from 2006-2010. Of these, about 200 will have completed their PhD training by 2010. Column No : 1802 NATIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SURVEY 2004 (Expenditure on research areas) 13. Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim asked the Minister for Trade and Industry, with regard to the National Research & Development (R&D) Survey 2004, what are the specific research areas in terms of biomedical, engineering, electronics, water research, etc, that have accounted for the 30%, 29% and 41% of R&D expenditure by the Government, higher institutes and research institutes respectively.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, based on the findings of the 2004 National Research & Development (R&D) Survey, Singaporeans and naturalised Singaporeans made up 55% of the 2,073 researchers with Master degrees and 33% of the 3,282 researchers with PhDs in the public sector. In the private sector, Singaporeans made up 39% of the 2,831 researchers with Master degrees and 24% of the 781 researchers with PhDs. Singaporeans made up 24% of the 1,215 full-time postgraduate research students pursuing Master degrees; and 11% of the 2,490 full-time postgraduate research students pursuing PhDs, at the local universities. Mr Speaker, Sir, as the Member is aware, the public sector R&D takes place in three areas. First, in our universities; second, in MTI's research institutes; and third, in the other agencies in the other Ministries, for example, in the Ministry of Health, MINDEF and the Environment and Water Resources Ministry. As far as MTI is concerned, A*STAR's focus is to train PhD level research manpower for its research institutes (RIs) and to spin out these researchers at its RIs to the industry. We feel that there are too few Singaporean PhD researchers today. So one of A*STAR's goals is to develop a more balanced mix of nationalities at its RIs. It targets to increase the number of Singaporean PhD researchers at the RIs from about 175 today to about 500, or about 50% of the PhDs at the RIs, at a steady state. To this end, A*STAR established the National Science Scholarship (NSS) and A*STAR Graduate Scholarship (AGS) programmes. These scholarships and fellowships build the pipeline to grow the base of Singaporean PhDs. They are open to both Singaporeans and foreign citizens who intend to become Singaporeans.”
“The first six projects, comprising 936 SA units in standalone blocks, were fully sold. HDB is currently building another 303 SA units, which are integrated with other flat types within the same block, at three SERS replacement sites in Geylang, Bukit Merah and Queenstown. The SA units in Geylang that were not required by SERS lessees were offered in the October 2004 Balloting Exercise and had been fully taken up. Under the August 2005 Balloting Exercise, HDB offered 187 SAs in Bukit Merah and Queenstown for sale. As this followed the recent relaxation of the purchase conditions for SAs, the response has been very good, with a total of 825 applications received at the end of the application exercise on 19th September 2005. Going forward, to meet the needs of our ageing population, HDB will provide SAs as part of its regular building plan for new flats and offer them under the Build-To-Order system, so that they are built to demand. We will announce more details later.”
“We have built a core of key industries, such as those in the electronics, chemicals, biomedical sciences and in transport engineering. There is still much scope for us to expand these clusters. At the same time, we will also develop new industries that play to our strengths, such as alternative energy, environmental technology, nanotechnology and digital media. Fourth, we will expand our reach for manufacturing investments. We are looking beyond our traditional catchment areas for manufacturing investments to include emerging geographies, such as China, India and the Middle East. These are emerging economies that will also provide the big companies of the future. Mr Speaker, Sir, by adopting all these strategies and continuing to stay cost competitive, EDB believes that it can achieve the target of doubling manufacturing output by 2018 and, in the process, create about 15,000 jobs a year from new manufacturing projects. This growth in manufacturing is estimated to create another 6,500 jobs a year due to spin-offs to the services sector. At least 70% of these jobs will be skilled and professional, and will provide ample job opportunities for Singaporeans. STUDIO APARTMENTS (Demand) 16. Dr Lily Neo asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the take-up rate for studio apartments to date; (b) has there been an increased demand lately; and (c) when will more studio apartments be made available and how many more will be made available to cater to the expected demand. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development (Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman) (for the Minister for National Development): Sir, HDB introduced the Studio Apartment (SA) scheme in 1998 to provide a customised housing option for the elderly. There are nine SA projects to-date.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, to achieve the target of doubling our manufacturing output to $300 billion and value-add to $80 billion by 2018, we will adopt the following strategies. First, we will strengthen our manufacturing capabilities, both in terms of manpower and technology. We will equip our workforce with the knowledge and skills to undertake more sophisticated production, through education and workers training. We will invest more in research and development to support product and process innovation. Under our Science & Technology Plan 2010 (S&T2010), the target is to increase our national research spending to 3% of GDP within the next five years. Second, we will build up on our connectivity, in terms of physical connections, access to resources and markets, as well as linkages with suppliers and partners. With our efficient logistics and supply chain management, Singapore is well-positioned for high value manufacturing that requires flexibility and fast turn-around time. We are also in the midst of a resource-rich region, and have strong connectivity to world markets. We will continue to expand our network of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), Investment Guarantee Agreements (IGAs), Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs) and Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) so that our manufacturers located here have better, facilitated access to many markets. With manufacturing trends moving towards outsourcing, having strong supporting industries will be a key competitive advantage. We will strengthen our enterprise ecosystem to provide manufacturers with good linkages within and across clusters to support their activities. Third, we will leverage on our capabilities and connectivity, and grow our existing clusters, as well as nurture new clusters.”
“Notwithstanding the complaints received, we have found that most employers in Singapore are enlightened and adopt fair criteria in selecting and hiring candidates. The Ministry works closely with SNEF and NTUC to educate employers to adopt enlightened and responsible employment practices. At seminars and dialogue sessions with employers, we share progressive as well as unacceptable hiring practices by companies as part of this education process. GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND (Policy) 8. Mr Sin Boon Ann asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports whether the Government will now consider an official policy on the use of guide dogs for the blind in public places.”
“There was also an increase in the number of complaints on maternity leave benefits last year following publicity on the new marriage and parenthood package to enhance paid maternity benefit from 8 weeks to 12 weeks in October 2004. In addition, the law was amended to also cover executives for paid maternity leave. With more employees being covered by the law, the increase in complaints relating to maternity benefits is not unexpected. All complaints of employment discrimination are investigated by the Ministry. We counsel, warn or take other administrative action against employers who are found to have adopted discriminatory practices. For example in the case of the 'No Indian Guards' incident where the managing agent of a condominium sent a fax to a number of security firms asking them to tender for a contract with a 'No Indian guards' condition, the Ministry had intervened and issued a stern warning to the agent against the discriminatory practice, and the condition was withdrawn by the agent thereafter. Employers who are counselled are receptive to our advice and made the necessary changes to their hiring practices. MOM does not condone any form of employment discrimination. The Ministry together with the Singapore National Employers' Federation (SNEF) and the National Trades Union Council (NTUC) jointly formulated the Tripartite Guidelines on Non-Discriminatory Job Advertisements in 1999 to guide employers in the selection of candidates. These guidelines advise employers to select candidates on the basis of their merits such as qualifications, skills, experience and other attributes which are relevant to the requirements of the job. Employers should not hire job seekers based on subjective or discriminatory criteria.”
“Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan asked the Minister for Manpower since the issuance of the Code of Responsible Employment Practices by the Singapore Business Federation, Singapore National Employers' Federation and National Trades Union Congress in 2002, (a) whether his Ministry has received complaints regarding discriminatory and/or unfair hiring practices and, if so, how many complaints were received; (b) if he can provide a breakdown of the types of complaints received by age, gender, marital status, disability and race; (c) if any action had been taken against any of the employers and, if so, what actions were taken; and (d) how is his Ministry working with employers and relevant organisations to discourage unfair hiring practices. Dr Ng Eng Hen: Since the Code of Responsible Employment Practices was adopted in 2002, the Ministry has received between 27 and 67 complaints each year of discrimination in their job search based on various grounds, including age, gender, marital status and language requirements. The details of such complaints are shown in Table 1 below. Table 1 COMPLAINTS OF DISCRIMINATION BY JOB SEEKERS 2002 - JUNE 2005 Discrimination Complaints 2002 2003 2004 2005 (Jan- Jun) Age 15 5 15 7 Language/Race Requirement 4 25 29 21 Marital Status 2 1 3 0 Religion 5 5 1 1 Gender (mainly related to maternity leave and pregnancy) 1 1 15 9 Others 0 0 4 1 Total 27 37 67 39 Allegations of discrimination in the selection of candidates for employment tend to increase when fewer jobs are available. Conversely, there were fewer complaints in earlier years when there was full employment.”
“The Ministerial Committee on Research and Development has concluded its study, after consulting people from the public and private sectors, overseas and local institutions, as well as other Governments and policy-makers. The Committee's recommendations were announced by then Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan last month. The Ministerial Committee's recommendations set the broad strategic directions for Singapore's R&D landscape for the future. MTI will take the cue from the recommendations in drawing up the Science and Technology ("S&T") Plan for 2006-2010. An inter-agency committee was set up last year to oversee the development of the S&T 2010 Plan. As part of the planning process, A*STAR has involved many experts and leaders from the research community and industry in Singapore and abroad, as well as the key agencies and ministries. For instance, some 450 researchers from the universities, research institutes and hospitals participated in twelve technology scan panels set up to identify new and emerging technology areas that could enhance Singapore's longer term competitiveness. The universities and clinical research community were also involved in the strategic planning exercise to identify key focus areas and new initiatives in the field of Biomedical Sciences. The recommendations arising from the consultation process will serve as critical input to the S&T 2010 Plan. The plan will be finalised and made public in due course. CODE OF RESPONSIBLE EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES (Complaints) 7.”
“Besides diversifying the nationality profile of students in our universities, these foreign scholars will be ambassadors for Singapore on their return to their country, bringing back personal and educational experiences from their time in Singapore. A*STAR provides a grant to NUS and NTU to support the course fees and living allowances for these scholars. Each IGS scholarship is worth S$26,500 per year. 24 IGS scholars have commenced their studies at NUS and NTU in July 2005, while four more will start in January 2006. As both YRAP and IGS are new schemes, the first batch of scholars would not have completed their studies yet. KILLER LITTER 27. Mr Ong Ah Heng asked the Minister for National Development what is the progress of the stepped up actions undertaken by HDB and the Town Councils to deal with killer litter in housing estates and how does the Ministry deal with such offences committed by the young and elderly.”
“Singapore has been offering bond-free awards to young talented non-Singaporeans to study in our schools. These youngsters enrich our Singapore schools and universities, and add to our talent base. A*STAR supports our educational institutions in these efforts by bringing outstanding students from ASEAN and Asia to our secondary and tertiary institutions. A*STAR has two non-bonded scholarships for such students, namely the Young Researcher's Attachment Programme (YRAP), and the International Graduate Scholarships (IGS). Young Researcher's Attachment Programme (YRAP) The Young Researcher's Attachment Programme (YRAP) selects foreign students who have a strong desire to pursue Science studies in secondary schools and junior colleges in Singapore. On attaining outstanding 'A' level results, these students are eligible to compete for various A*STAR bonded scholarships to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate studies. The YRAP was launched in July and has 30 participants. The YRAP programme covers school-related fees, school hostel accommodation and living allowances. It costs A*STAR S$11,500 to support one YRAP scholar per year. International Graduate Scholarships (IGS) The International Graduate Scholarships (IGS) provides support and facilitates the enrolment of top science and engineering talents to undertake two-year graduate programmes at NUS and NTU, leading to a research Masters' degree. The IGS strengthens Singapore's international ties in scientific and education collaborations. Top international graduate students gain access to the excellent academic and research facilities here.”
“Under the current Science and Technology (S&T) Plan for FY2001 to 2005, $1.4 billion has been allocated for public research in biomedical sciences. The split in funding for public research in biomedical sciences, versus engineering and physical sciences, is about 40:60. A*STAR provides research grants to universities, hospitals, disease centres and research institutes. Over the 3-year period from FY2002 to 2004, the total amount of grants awarded to biomedical research was $726 million. For the same period of FY2002 to 2004, A*STAR awarded $797 million in grants to research in engineering and physical sciences. Of the total grants awarded during this period, 48% went towards supporting biomedical research, and 52% towards engineering and physical sciences. BOND-FREE SCHOLARSHIPS 25. Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how many bond-free scholarships are awarded by A*Star and his Ministry's statutory boards annually to overseas students of all levels to pursue their education in Singapore; (b) what is the total value of these bond-free scholarships; (c) what are the objectives of providing these bond-free scholarships; and (d) with regard to past recipients of these bond-free scholarships, what is the average number of years they work in Singapore after completing their studies and how many have become Singapore citizens.”
“Efforts to engage SMRT staff to look out for bicycle theft have also been helpful, with the arrest of a bicycle thief by Pasir Ris MRT staff on 1st April this year. This initiative is currently being monitored and evaluated for possible expansion to other neighbourhoods in Singapore. In addition, Police will continue to educate the public through crime prevention exhibitions and house visits, which will be conducted throughout the year. As to whether we should re-introduce mandatory registration of bicycles, Sir, the Ministry of Transport is of the view that such a move would not only be regressive but unnecessarily subject bicycle owners to onerous requirements. Bicycles have been exempted from registration requirements since 1982 as they are increasingly used for recreational purposes rather than as a mode of transport. Developed countries like the UK, Japan, USA, EU countries, Australia and New Zealand also do not require bicycles to be registered. LIFE-SCIENCE EDUCATION 17. Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim asked the Minister for Education (a) if there is too much emphasis on life-science education as the primary and secondary schools, Institutes of Technical Education, polytechnics, funding agencies and universities are all investing in life-science studies and research; (b) if students have been influenced into thinking that life-sciences hold the key to the future and in taking up life-science as their future choice of study; and (c) whether this will reduce the crop, in particular good students, in taking up studies in engineering and physical sciences.”
“Instead, the vast majority of those stolen were secured to lamp posts, railings and pipes. Police has been working closely with grassroots organisations and the local community network to formulate Community Safety and Security Programmes (CSSP) to deter and detect bicycle theft. One recent example was the "Lock-your-ride, Mark-your-bike - Bicycle Theft CSSP Project" by the Citizens' Consultative Committees (CCCs), Residents' Committees (RCs) and Neighbourhood Committees (NCs) in Pasir Ris East and West Divisions, and the Pasir Ris Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC). The CSSP project team developed an education programme to educate bicycle owners on how to protect their bicycles from theft. This encompassed encouraging residents to use locks and chains to secure their bicycles and introducing a database of bicycle owners and their bicycles in the Pasir Ris area, under which bicycles would be prominently marked with serial numbers to deter theft, and the respective owners' particulars and contact details would be recorded in the database. When a stolen or lost bicycle is recovered, this database will help identify the owner. Another initiative is a project by Ang Mo Kio Police Division and Temasek Polytechnic to design a bicycle bay lock that locks all the important components of the bicycle. Thus far, this new bicycle bay lock has been implemented in 31 blocks in Sengkang with a total of 180 stands. Sir, besides engaging the grassroots organisations, Police will continue to work with relevant agencies such as SMRT to install CCTVs at strategic locations at various MRT stations, like Pasir Ris, Tampines, Kembangan MRT stations, to deter bicycle thieves and detect suspicious activity.”
“If indeed all these cars are so competitive and are much cheaper, then I think consumers will react correspondingly and the demand will go up, and the dealers will import these cars. BICYCLE THEFTS (Statistics) 16. Dr Ong Seh Hong asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) if he could provide the statistics of bicycle thefts for the past five years; (b) whether there is an increasing trend of such thefts; (c) what are the "hot spots" of such thefts; (d) what is the plan of his Ministry to overcome such a problem; and (e) will his Ministry consider the re-introduction of mandatory registration of all bicycles. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Encik Mohamad Maidin B P M) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Sir, the number of cases of bicycle theft averaged around 400 cases a year from 2000 to 2004. In the first half of this year, 435 cases were reported. Sir, in the past, Police had sometimes grouped bicycle thefts under theft and other offences. The trend came to Police's attention late last year and has since been closely monitored. This may account for the higher number of cases reported for the first half of this year. Police has noted the recent increase in bicycle theft cases, and is working with various groups to deal with the problem in a comprehensive manner. There are, however, no particular geographical locations or 'hot spots' that are more prone to bicycle theft. Bicycle theft cases take place island-wide at areas ranging from common areas of public housing estates to streets, commercial premises, landed residential premises, outside MRT stations and at private apartments or condominiums. In 2004, nine out of 10 bicycles stolen in public places were not secured at designated bicycle bays.”
“The Government does not control oil and petrol prices in Singapore. If you look at the actual increases in crude oil prices and the increases in refined products, I do not think the prices today fully reflect this increase. So I think the petrol companies have gone some way to try and ameliorate the increases that they face, especially in refined products.”
“As a general policy, we encourage the use of alternative fuel and energy. This is to give us a greater diversity and also reduce our dependence on oil and petrol. As for the use of hybrid vehicles, we have to leave it to technological developments. As and when technology allows hybrid vehicles to be competitive, we will see a greater use of hybrid vehicles. For the time being, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources has in place some schemes to encourage and weigh in favour of such conservation of energy, including the use of hybrid vehicles.”
“As I mentioned in my reply, prices serve as a very useful signal. And for us in Singapore, where we import all the oil that we consume, I think all of us, as consumers, will have to adjust our behaviour in recognition of these price changes. As for the changes in the pump prices at the petrol kiosks, this is set by the petrol companies and it goes up and down based on demand and supply, and based on the prices that they import the refined products, not just the crude products.”
“Sir, the Government does not collect more revenue when the sale price of petrol goes up. Since February 2003, petrol duty has been levied as a fixed rate per litre. In other words, petrol duty revenue depends on the volume rather than the price of petrol. The petrol duty is a tool to discourage the excessive use of cars and to promote greater use of public transport. This objective remains valid despite the change in petrol prices. There is thus no need to review the petrol tax. We must not fall into the trap of adjusting tax rates every time there is a price change. We import all the oil that we consume. Rather than insulate ourselves from global price changes, we must learn to adjust our consumption in accordance with these price changes. This is the same with all goods and services - to let prices act as a signal of market demand and supply and to adjust our behaviour in response to these price changes. The fact that there is a tax on petrol should not make our response to price changes in petrol any different to that for other goods and services.”
“9. Dr Tan Sze Wee asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the hospital average length of stay for TTSH, NUH, AH, SGH and CGH for 2000 to 2004, excluding 2003 for SARS; (b) what is the hospital average length of stay in 2005 for (i) all disciplines (ii) the discipline of geriatrics (iii) the discipline of rehabilitation medicine; (c) what is the number of patient admissions for each hospital from 2000 to 2005; and (d) why do some hospitals have a longer average length of stay than others, even for geriatrics and rehabilitation medicine when patients' demographical differences are probably not significant between hospitals. 10. Dr Tan Sze Wee asked the Minister for Health (a) if the standard procedure of warding chickenpox patients in the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC) instead of Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) has been changed; (b) if so, what is the number of chickenpox patients admitted to CDC and TTSH for this year compared to last year; (c) whether the recent rise in dengue fever infections has consumed additional beds in CDC and TTSH; and (d) if so, what are the numbers for CDC and TTSH compared to the rest of the four general hospitals.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as of end July 2005, 7,340 utility accounts are in arrears, or 0.68% of the total number of accounts. The average utilities bill size varies based on the consumption for different household sizes. For June 2005, the average utilities bill varies from $48 for a HDB 1-room flat to $142 for a HDB 5-room flat. The Pay-As-You-Use scheme, or PAYU, was launched by SP Services in May this year to help HDB households whose electricity supply has been disconnected due to arrears. It enables such households to have their supply reconnected, while allowing them to settle their arrears over time. As of end July, 1,054 households in arrears have joined the PAYU metering scheme. With pre-paid meters, PAYU customers can check their credit balance and better manage their electricity consumption. There is an emergency credit of $3 that they can tap into when the credit falls below $1. This allows the customer time to top up his credit and avoid disruption in electricity supply. On the number of PAYU customers who get their electricity supply cut off despite having PAYU, I am afraid this information is not readily available, as it depends on whether and when PAYU customers top up the necessary credit in their cards. CLOSURE OF TAN TOCK SENG HOSPITAL'S A&E DEPARTMENT AND BED SITUATION IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS 8. Dr Tan Sze Wee asked the Minister for Health with regard to the temporary closure of TTSH Accident and Emergency (A&E) services to ambulance cases, (a) how many times has TTSH A&E been closed in the period of January to July 2005; (b) what is the average period of such closures; and (c) what is the impact of these closures on the workload of A&E departments and waiting times for A&E physician consultation (excluding triage time) and beds of NUH, AH, SGH and CGH.”
“As for households, the increase in the consumer price index (CPI) has been limited, despite the surge in international crude oil prices. Between December 2003 and July this year, the CPI had risen by 1.6%. While the cost of fuel and utilities had risen 10.6% over the period, prices of other consumer items had shown much smaller increases or had declined. Food and public transport costs, for example, rose by 2.7% and 1.6% respectively. But prices of household durables, clothing and footwear were among items showing declines. On utility rebates, the Prime Minister had included in his Budget speech in February this year the topping up of the utility accounts of households under the Utilities Save (U-Save) Scheme. The first instalment of the rebate was recently given out in July 2005. The second instalment will be given out in January 2006. Singaporeans should be extra careful in their use of fuel and electricity in this period of high oil prices. Separately, needy Singaporeans who require extra help can also turn to the various existing help schemes like the ComCare Fund programmes and Re-employment Assistance Programme. ARREARS IN UTILITIES BILLS AND PAY-AS-YOU-USE METERING SCHEME 7. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how many households in Singapore are in arrears of their utilities bill; (b) what is the average bill size; (c) how many Singaporeans had the pay-as-you-use electricity metering scheme installed in their homes after this scheme was introduced; and (d) how many continue to have their utilities cut off despite the installation of this meter.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, despite oil prices more than doubling since end-2003, the economic impact on Singapore has so far been relatively muted. The Singapore economy grew by 8.4% in 2004, and 4.0% in the first half of this year. This is because the higher oil prices were due to exceptionally strong global economic growth, especially in the US and China. The strong growth has also lifted demand for Singapore's exports. This has more than offset the drag on domestic activities arising from higher energy costs. The latest oil price spike, however, reflects a substantial supply disruption in the US caused by the hurricane Katrina. Higher oil prices and the interruption to economic activities caused by the hurricane are forecast to lower US GDP growth by as much as one percentage point in the second half of 2005. However, this negative impact of Katrina is expected to be transient. The US economic growth momentum should recover in early 2006. Higher oil prices and the slowdown in the US will also affect the Singapore economy negatively. The drag on economic growth comes mainly from slower growth of Singapore's exports, accentuated by the direct impact of higher oil prices on domestic demand. However, economic growth for the rest of this year should remain positive. At this point, we continue to expect GDP growth in 2005 to be within the forecast range of 3.5% to 4.5%. With continuing economic growth, employment should register further gains in the near term. Some businesses may adopt a wait-and-see attitude and hold back on expansion until the current uncertainties ease. But, overall, with rising demand, most employers will continue to add head count.”
“Ong Soh Khim asked the Minister for Manpower, in view of the latest figures on income and expenditure that showed the bottom 20% of the population suffering income drops compared to the rest, (a) what are the profiles of Singaporeans in the bottom 20% with respect to education level, age, gender, marital status, family size, and those suffering from physical and/or mental disability; (b) what is the percentage of Singaporeans in the next quintile that have incomes about 1-2% higher than this bottom 20% quintile; and (c) what are the causes of this drop in income in the bottom 20%.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I agree with Mr Ong that displaying pump prices prominently together with the percentage discount will be more consumer-friendly. Consumers will be able to know upfront the base prices and calculate how much they will be paying after the discounts. This is a good practice and we will encourage all petrol stations to do so. Traders and suppliers should always strive to present accurate and adequate product information and prices to consumers. This will improve market transparency and enable consumers to make informed choices. MTI will be happy to work with CASE to acknowledge petrol stations that adopt good practice in displaying their pump prices. This will hopefully spur industry players to improve their information display to consumers, and raise our overall business standards. HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE SURVEY (Drop in income of bottom 20% of Singaporeans) 5. Dr Lily Neo asked the Minister for Manpower in view of the latest figures on income and expenditure that showed the bottom 20% of the population suffering income drops compared to the rest, is there (a) any plan to address this issue and help this group raise their standards of living; and (b) a need to review the various assistance schemes available. 6. Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Minister for Manpower, in view of the latest Household Expenditure Survey which showed that the real income of the bottom 20% of Singaporeans has fallen, what progress has been made to (a) raise the income of low-wage workers through job re-creation and redesign; and (b) ensure that Singaporeans can continue working for as long as possible, including raising the retirement age. 7. Assoc. Prof.”
“Sir, as I mentioned just now, our electricity capacity is already double what we need. Therefore, to get companies to invest significantly in new renewable energy sources would not be an easy task. For the time being, we are converting most of our fuel to gas, and that in itself is more efficient and more eco-friendly. I think this is already a good move and helps us to bring the electricity prices down. What I think we can do as a country is to make use of energy saving appliances. I think this will help to conserve energy. PETROL STATIONS (Posting of actual pump prices) 4. Mr Ong Kian Min asked the Minister for Trade and Industry if his Ministry will consider making it a requirement that all petrol stations post their actual pump prices prominently on billboards in their forecourts, and not just the percentage discount as is the case now.”
“Sir, what the electricity tariff will be in future will depend on the behaviour of oil and gas prices which are linked to the high sulphur fuel oil prices. As I indicated, there is a review mechanism, and we look at it quarter by quarter. If the oil prices come down, then for subsequent quarters, we can see the electricity tariffs coming down too. There is another factor coming into play, ie, the competitive nature of the business. If you read the Business Times report today, the article indicated that there is a huge supply capacity right now in our power generation sector, more than double the demand. Therefore, there is a great deal of competition among the generating companies, and this has led to very competitive prices. So the electricity tariff prices, for example, if we look back, say, in February 2001, it was the same price as today, whereas the oil prices in February 2001 were much lower than today. So there are two factors at play here: one, the oil price and, secondly, the competitive forces. Over the last few years, the competitive forces have helped to push the price down but, unfortunately, we have this very strong headwind of higher oil prices.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the regime for setting electricity tariff prices has been in place for many years, and has served us well. It allows prices to move up in a smooth way as oil prices go up. At the same time, it allows electricity prices to come down should oil prices come down. As I indicated in my reply, even though oil prices have moved up by more than 30%, the electricity prices are adjusted upwards by 14%. So this is a result of the smoothening process. In answer to the second question, the tariff is set for three months. And every time we do a revision, we look at what actually happens compared to what is forecasted and then make the adjustment. So there is also an adjustment process with each review period. In answer to his third question, a downward adjustment will definitely take place if oil prices come down sharply. This is the automatic balancing that goes on with the review process.”
“More information on energy conservation practices at home is available from the National Energy Efficiency Committee website. Mr Ong Kian Min: Sir, I would like to ask the Minister three supplementary questions. First, instead of introducing a 14% increase in tariff in one go, whether such a large double digit increase could or should be smoothened out and spread out over a period of time to mitigate the financial impact, not just on lower income households but on all families. Secondly, whether the present formula to determine the electricity tariffs for domestic households is too rigid as it is based on the average price of HSFO over a period of one month, say, the month of April, to lock in the rates for the period July to September. Thirdly, nothwithstanding that the new electricity tariff has been determined for the next three months, would there be any flexibility for a downward adjustment if oil prices were to retreat and come down during this period?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, fuel cost makes up about half the cost of electricity. Our fuel sources for electricity generation are oil and gas. Gas prices in Singapore are indexed to oil prices. An increase in oil prices will therefore lead to higher electricity prices. The electricity tariff for the period 1st July to 30th September 2005 increased by 14% mainly due to a 31% increase in fuel oil price over the previous quarter from US$30.09 to US$39.32 per barrel. The Government will be giving utility rebates ranging between $60 and $200 - depending on HDB flat type - this month (July 2005) and in January next year (2006). Unused rebates can be rolled over to the following months. These rebates, which were announced by the Prime Minister in his Budget Speech in February this year, will mitigate the financial impact of electricity price increases on households. In all, the rebates will cost the Government about $62 million. Singapore Power Services (SP Services) has also introduced the Pay-As-You-Use (PAYU) Metering Scheme on 16th May 2005 to help needy HDB households better manage their electricity consumption. This scheme enables HDB households whose electricity supply has been disconnected to be reconnected and have their arrears paid over time. This will help customers on the scheme consume electricity at levels they can afford. In this period of high oil prices, it becomes all the more important that we adopt good energy conservation practices. Consumers should be more conscious about using energy-efficient electrical appliances. This includes opting for energy-labelled air conditioners and refrigerators, energy-saving lights, choosing the correct capacity of air-conditioner and refrigerator, and enabling "energy-saver" modes in their computers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we expect the employment creation to be similar to what we have, ie, commensurate with a growth rate of around 2.5% to 4.5%. It will not have the kind of job creation that we saw last year. But at the same time, we expect to see good job creation this year. INCREASE IN ELECTRICITY TARIFFS 3. Mr Ong Kian Min asked the Minister for Trade and Industry what are the main reasons for the sharp increase in electricity tariffs for the period 1st July to 30th September 2005 and whether the financial impact of such increases can be mitigated for ordinary households.”
“As for the impact of the integrated resorts, the physical construction will not take place till one or two years down the road. So it will not have an impact on this year's figures.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have explained, we have already achieved 3.4% growth for the first half. So that is squarely in the middle of the band in our forecast range of 2.5% to 4.5%. Going forward, we will get the data of the second quarter over the next few weeks and therefore we should be able to confirm the second quarter growth figures by mid-August. I think if that figure confirms our flash forecast, which is what we put out recently - the 3.9% growth for the second quarter is just a flash estimate - then I think we have a very solid first half growth. We do not expect to see a significant downturn in the second half. We need a very big downturn to bring us below the 2.5-4.5% range. If any of the Members were to do their arithmetic, with 3.4% growth in the first half, we are obviously in a very good position to achieve at least 2.5% growth for the year. As for achieving the higher end of the range, it will depend on a few sectors that may pick up. The manufacturing sector looks very strong. As Members know, our marine engineering companies still continue to get good orders and good growth. Among the manufacturing sector, the electronics sector, some analysts think that the second half will be better than the first half. By and large, we do not see a significant slowdown. In fact, the assessment is that the second half ought to be better than the first half. So we can be cautiously optimistic about the growth prospects for the whole year. As for specifics, like the construction sector, I think this will really have to depend on growth in the private sector. The Government projects are already in the Budget book and so people in the industry know what are the projects in the pipeline.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we have explained the volatility faced by our biomedical cluster several times. First of all, the biomedical cluster contributes about 5% of our GDP. It is not a small sector. But, unfortunately, the plants that we have are producing active pharmaceutical ingredients and this tends to be done on a batch basis. It is not a continuous sustained production, ie, they produce batch by batch. So every time there is a major run, we see very good growth. As they retool the manufacturing plants to cater for the next batch, there is a period in which the output slows down. Last year, for example, a few plants came into operation and that gave us a very high growth. This year, if we can continue to sustain that same output, I think we would have done very well. But that means the rate of growth is not there and, again, because of this batch production, we do see some quarters showing a negative output. But this is the nature of the biomedical cluster in Singapore. The volatility will reduce as we grow the base of the biomedical sector to include contributions from the biotech sector and the medical devices which tend to be more steady. But if we are producing the active ingredients, then we have to ride this volatility.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I believe our economy is as diversified as you can make it to be and, therefore, as we go forward, we expect some sectors to suffer from low growth but other sectors to be buoyant. In this way, we continue to achieve our medium term growth prospects. Going forward, the services sector looks promising, particularly the tourism sector is experiencing very good growth. Business and financial services are also doing well. There is no reason for us to think that the services sector should slow down significantly going to the second quarter. We continue to look forward to the contribution of the services sector towards our economy. I think, overall, the Singapore economy is performing reasonably well. We must not expect a repeat of last year's very high growth. This year, we expect growth to consolidate and therefore 2.5% to 4.5% growth is a very decent performance. Mr Inderjit Singh: Sir, could the Minister elaborate a bit on the biomedical sector? I could not get a feel of whether this was a short-term downturn or it was a volatility that we did not expect. Or is it expected to decline further? If the Minister could give us an insight of how this sector is going to perform, it will be useful.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, manufacturing output for the first half of this year remains soft compared to last year. This is because last year we had a very high base of growth. This year, for the first half, we are growing at below 4%. But we expect the second half to be better and we therefore expect manufacturing to contribute significantly to our growth forecast of 2.5% and 4.5%. Looking forward, we expect manufacturing to continue to play an important role in Singapore by contributing between 25% and 27% of our GDP. There will be some relocations of the low-end value-added sectors but we have a very strong investment pipeline and investments continue to be very vigorous in the manufacturing sector generating good jobs for Singaporeans. So the outlook for manufacturing remains positive.”
“In contrast, the high oil prices we face today are due to strong economic growth in two of our major export markets - the US and China. The demand for oil to fuel their economic growth has strained existing oil producing and refining capacities globally, leading to upward pressures on prices. But this same growth also boosts the external demand for goods and services produced here, helping to support Singapore's economic growth. Oil prices are likely to remain high into the foreseeable future, due to the lead time needed for capacity expansion in the oil industry. But as long as high oil prices are the result of strong demand, economic growth should continue in Singapore. At this point, MTI also does not foresee the impact on the labour market here to be severe. A clearer picture of the economic outlook will emerge over the next few weeks as more data concerning second quarter growth comes in. MTI will release the details of second quarter economic performance after National Day. It will also announce the latest forecast for full year growth for 2005.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in May, the MTI revised its forecast for economic growth this year to 2.5% to 4.5%. This was a downward revision from the earlier forecast of between 3% and 5%. Two main reasons accounted for this revision. First, output of the biomedical manufacturing cluster was expected to weaken this year, following a 26% gain in 2004. This reflected planned changes in the production mix of pharmaceutical output this year. Second, a number of developments - especially high oil prices - had pointed to less buoyant economic growth for some of our major trading partners this year. Data available since the revision showed that lower output in the biomedical manufacturing cluster continued to persist. Oil prices have also risen past the US$60 per barrel mark since early July. Higher oil prices led a few major economies to downgrade their GDP growth forecasts or issue warnings of likely economic weakness recently. Nevertheless, based on our early estimates, we expect the second-quarter GDP growth to be better than the first quarter's, at about 3.9% compared to 2.8%. This reflected stronger support from the services sectors, particularly the wholesale and retail trade sector. With economic growth for the first half of 2005 at an estimated 3.4%, MTI continues to expect full year growth to fall within the forecast range even if oil prices are maintained at current levels or even slightly higher to the end of the year. As an oil importing economy, Singapore cannot escape the negative impact of high oil prices. However, unlike previous oil shocks, we expect the impact of the current high oil prices to be tempered. During the oil shocks of the 1970s and the 1980s, high oil prices were the results of abrupt supply disruptions, and they led to widespread economic recessions.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I have your permission to take Question Nos. 1 and 2 together?”
“The Permanent Residence for Investors Scheme is intended to attract entrepreneurs to set up and conduct businesses in Singapore. Hence, the requirement is to invest at least S$1 million in a new business start-up to promote enterprise creation. Other permissible investments include the expansion of an existing business operation, or investing in a venture capital fund, or a foundation or trust that focuses on economic development. As the Scheme aims to attract individuals who have a strong track record as an entrepreneur or businessman, and who are investing to directly generate more economic activities here, we do not consider investing in residential properties as an appropriate investment. EXCHANGE VISITOR SKILLS LIST 6. Prof. Ivan Png Paak Liang asked the Minister for Manpower if he will review the US State Department Exchange Visitor Skills List for Singapore, requiring particular Singapore Exchange "J" Visa visitors to return to Singapore, according to our current national skill needs as the Skills List for Singapore has not been reviewed for some years and is over-encompassing.”
“By remaining open to new technologies and investors with new electricity generation methods, we can ensure a competitive market that will adopt the most cost-effective fuel solution. This will translate to lower electricity tariffs. In this period of high oil prices, it becomes all the more important that we adopt good energy conservation practices. Industries should consider conducting energy audits and implementing energy conservation measures. The National Environment Agency recently launched an Energy Efficiency Improvement Assistance Scheme (EASE), which companies can tap on to engage expert consultants to audit their energy consumption and recommend measures to save energy. Consumers should also be more conscious about using energy-efficient electrical appliances. This include opting for energy-labelled air- conditioners and refrigerators, energy-saving lights, choosing the correct capacity of air-conditioner and refrigerator, and enabling "energy-saver" modes in their computers. More information on energy conservation practices at home is available from the National Energy Efficiency Committee website. UNWED MOTHERS 27. Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether a more open and caring Singapore society includes single unwed mothers and their children and, if so, what fiscal policy measures are in store to help such mothers cope with the difficulties of single parenting.”
“The rising price of crude oil will have an impact on our economy, especially for the transport sector and power generation. An increase in crude oil prices will put upward pressure on petrol pump prices. So far, increases in petrol pump prices have been moderated by domestic competition between petrol pump operators. Premium petrol prices increased by 2.9% in April 2005 compared to a year ago. For commercial vehicles and buses that run on diesel, the cost increase has been more significant, as diesel prices have risen by 31% over the past year (from $0.67 per litre in April 2004 to $0.88 per litre in April 2005). For the power sector, 35% of electricity is generated from steam plants that use fuel oil, and 65% from plants that use natural gas. Natural gas price is also indexed to fuel oil price. From April 2004 to April 2005, power generation companies faced an increase of about 15% in the cost of fuel. Fuel costs account for about 50% of electricity tariffs. Through competition, electricity tariffs have only increased by 1.7% over the same period. However, with rising fuel oil price, it would be unrealistic to expect tariffs to remain at the current level. With today's technology, using gas turbines for power generation is still the most cost effective solution in Singapore. Some research is being done on the viability of solar energy, in the form of photovoltaic cells; but at current technology levels, this will cost about five times as much in electricity tariffs. If there are cheaper technology solutions, the electricity market is designed to allow power generation companies to adopt them. These companies will have an incentive to do so, as it will help them to better compete for market share.”
“Let me explain that we are only at the stage of request for concepts. The next stage is request for proposals, by which time the prospective investors would put up their plans and they would have to commit to those plans, and it would be a contractual commitment. Right now it is a concept. They have given us some projections of what they see - the different gaming and non-gaming components, etc. Because there are 19 proposals, there is a wide range. As I have also explained previously, for some projects, if you are closer to the Atlantis model, then the gaming component could be 25% and the non-gaming component could be 75%. If you are not at that far end, then it could be 30:70 or 40:60. So we will not know for sure because this is only at the request for concept stage. But the proposers all know where we come from. We are looking at that end of the spectrum. If they come with a proposal later on, a commitment, a contract proposal which, from our analysis, would show that the gaming component is very high, then we are not likely to award. I think the prospective investors know that we are looking for an integrated resort, one which draws in the tourists, and we are looking for one that has a good balance between gaming and non-gaming. So, at the next stage, when they put in their bids at the request for proposals, this would be what we will be looking for.”
“So my wife has decided that at her next birthday, she will tell the two boys that as a present for mummy, why don't they send in the forms for her.”