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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“The unit in Block 718 was offered for sale together with other flats in the same block when it was completed in 1985. Although it was made available for selection, none of the applicants chose this unit. HDB has since offered the unit for rental. To-date it has not been taken up. Perhaps, people do not like to stay in that part of Yishun.”
“I believe the MP is referring to parking lots in HDB housing estates. HDB provides multi-storey car parks for cars and motorcycles in all its new housing estates. The motorcycle parking lots inside the multi-storey car parks are therefore sheltered. There is no plan to build shelters for the motorcycle lots in the existing surface car parks. However, should multi-storey car parks be constructed to replace the surface car parks, then motorcycle lots can be provided under shelter. VACANT HDB FLAT IN BLOCK 718, YISHUN STREET 71 11. Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Minister for National Development whether the Housing and Development Board flat at Block 718, Yishun St 71, #03-223 has been left vacant since 1986 and, if so, why.”
“The open space near Block 609, Yishun Street 61 is a reserved site designated for future residential development and a school. MOTORCYCLE SHELTERED PARKING LOTS 10. Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Minister for National Development whether sheltered parking lots for motorcycles will be constructed in future and whether existing parking lots will be upgraded and covered with shelters.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, feedback from CCCs is useful because CCCs are familiar with local conditions such as the needs of the residents and shopkeepers in the constituencies. As such, they will be able to make good recommendations and also explain to the people why certain shops were selected for sale. HDB does not specify the criteria that must be used by Advisors to CCC for the selection of shops. It is likely that the Adv isors will look for groups of shops which give good service to the residents and where the shopkeepers are prepared to restructure their operations to increase their productivity in line with the objectives of the sale of tenanted shops. RETIREMENT AGE ACT (Exemption for SIA men cabin crew and women passenger relations staff) 15. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Labour if he will explain (i) the need to exempt men cabin crew and women passenger relations staff of the Singapore Airlines Limited from the Retirement Age Act; (ii) whether applications for exemption from other relevant businesses based on youthful looks for maintaining competitiveness will be considered as an adequate ground; and (iii) whether such ad hoc exemptions will undermine the spirit and intent of the law.”
“The answer is no. SALE OF HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD SHOPS (Rationale for prior feedback from Citizens' Consultative Committee) 14. Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Minister for National Development, under the new sales procedure for Housing and Development Board shops, what is the rationale for having prior feedback from the Citizens' Consultative Committee (CCC) and what are the criteria used by CCC advisers for the selection of shops for sale.”
“The Member is absolutely right. In private homes, you have a one-year defect liability period during which the developer will make good any defects discovered during that period. Beyond that one year, you have to make good any defects that occur in your homes. In HDB's case, after 20 years, if you have a spalling concrete problem, you report to the branch office, HDB's technical officers will still come to your house, take a look, and advise you what to do.”
“Spalling concrete as a result of carbonisation affects all concrete buildings, both public as well as private homes. In HDB's case, because we take greater care in the maintenance of the buildings and the residents have recourse to report such cases to the HDB's branch office, we capture the statistics more regularly. The private homes do not have to make this report. If they see spalling concrete, they just go and hire a contractor and repair it. Therefore, the Ministry has got no data on spalling concrete in private homes. There is no requirement that they report to us. If they report to us, we are not going to pay for them. But in HDB's case, we over-indulge in looking after HDB flats. They call on us and we help them find term contractors or we pay. That is why we collect these statistics. It is a common occurrence. It happens in my own house and we have to paint and repair it. I do not go and call the HDB's branch office.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the way we have structured the spalling concrete co-payment system takes care of this. If it is a case of poor workmanship, we will expect the spalling concrete to occur over a very wide area. In this scheme to co-pay for the repairs to the defects, HDB has put a cap of $300 to be paid by the residents. This means that if it is a widespread area and probably due to workmanship problem, then the residents only pay up to $300 and the rest will be covered by HDB.”
“I think specifications on the spacing of reinforcement bars and concrete coverage are generally available in the design code and in the tender specifications of HDB contracts. These are standard requirements in all HDB contracts.”
“But in very rare cases where the spaces are not followed, then it could cause spalling, in which case, the defect will be very widespread. Again, this is very, very infrequent. Mr Low Thia Khiang: Would the HDB make public its detailed specifications on concrete for construction, the required space in between the steel bars and things like that?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I said, whenever there is a case of spalling concrete, HDB's technical officers will go to the site to inspect. Generally, if the spalling concrete occurs in small patches, then it is not likely to be a workmanship problem because such a problem is either due to poor spacing or lack of coverage by concrete has to be over an extended area for that poor workmanship to take effect. Generally, spalling concrete occurs in the wet areas, for example, kitchens or toilets, because the higher rate of moisture and carbon dioxide results in the deterioration of the concrete much faster than in other areas, for example, the sitting rooms or bedrooms. That is why all home owners must maintain the kitchen and toilet areas more regularly than the other areas. A typical mistake of most Singaporeans is that they will paint their house once every three or four years and they treat the bedroom area in the same manner as the kitchen area. I think this ought to be changed. It is more prudent to paint the ceilings of your kitchen and toilet more regularly rather than wait till you are painting the whole house. The Member mentioned that if the spacing between the reinforced bars is insufficient, then spalling concrete will occur. That is possible, ie, the thinner the concrete cover, the greater the chances that carbonisation will take place and the quicker the moisture will reach the steel bars, therefore causing corrosion and spalling concrete. So if it is a widespread spalling concrete, HDB's technical officers will take a look and check whether the concrete cover is according to the design criteria. If it is according to design, then obviously there is no workmanship problem.”
“I do not have the specific warranty period. But if any residents face defects in the area that has been repaired by HDB's term contractors, I think they should just refer the case to the branch office and it will take steps to remedy the situation. But, again, I assure Members that this is not a big situation, and that is why I do not have the numbers.”
“If a section of the ceiling affected by spalling concrete has been repaired by HDB's term contractors, it comes with a warranty. And if there is a failure in the repair method, the contractor will have to go back and make good the repair. This is very rare because the method of repair is a standardised method. The material they used has got chemical bonding as well. So the chance of recurrence of defects after the repair is very, very slim. If Members have specific cases, they can write to HDB's branch office and the contractor will be required to re-do the job. But I can assure Members of this House that any repair method by HDB's term contactors generally does not fail a second time.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, HDB ensures a high quality of repair works to spalling concrete by adopting repair methods and approved materials which adhere to stringent international standards. HDB uses a pool of competent local contractors who employ trained workmen to carry out the repair works. HDB also conducts systematic on-site supervision and carries out random testing of materials used to ensure that these high standards are met. Spalling concrete defects are usually caused by natural deterioration of building materials, misuse or under-maintenance. All building materials deteriorate over time. Spalling concrete is due to a natural deterioration process called carbonation. HDB's trained technical staff is able to determine the cause of defects by carrying out both on-site as well as laboratory tests.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Public Works Department (PWD) has no plans to upgrade the bus shelters in areas where new linkways have been built by the Citizens' Consultative Committees (CCCs) or Town Councils using Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC) funds. The CCCs can apply for CIPC funding for the upgrading of such bus shelters if they meet three conditions: (1) the bus shelters must be older than 10 years. This is to ensure that public funds are not wasted through the replacement of existing shelters which are still in good condition; (2) the existing bus shelter does not blend well with the covered linkway; and (3) they have obtained approval from the PWD and other technical departments for the design of the shelters. CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND SCHEME FOR FOREIGN WORKERS (Withdrawal of savings before age 55) 3. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Labour, after 1998, or when the tax exempt Central Provident Fund (CPF) contribution scheme for foreign workers ceases (whichever is the later), whether he will allow the foreign workers to withdraw their savings from their CPF account at that time without waiting till the age of 55.”
“Sir, at 15 precincts per year the budget for the Main Upgrading Programme is almost $1 billion. As Members of the House will know, the Government has several very large projects in the pipeline and we have to ensure that the budget is fairly and rationally apportioned among the various projects. As Members know, the North-East sector MRT line will cost us $5 billion. The Public Works Department is also looking at the underground road system which may eventually cost us $4.8 billion. Last year, we set aside $1 billion for the Edusave fund. As Members also know, we have three big hospitals under construction: the Kandang Kerbau Hospital has a budget of $300 million; the Eastern General Hospital also has a budget of $300 million; and the Tan Tock Seng Hospital has a budget of $400 million, totalling another $1 billion. So there are several big projects and the HDB's upgrading programme, with a budget of $1 billion, is already a very large programme. BUS SHELTERS NEAR NEW LINKWAYS (Upgrading) 2. Mr S. Chandra Das asked the Minister for National Development whether there are any plans to upgrade the bus shelters in areas where new linkways have been built.”
“a) For the period from January 1992 to April 1995, 77 Citizens' Consultative Committees (CCCs) from 15 GRCs and 17 SMCs had received funds from the Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC). b) The CCCs which had received the funds are listed at Appendix C (Cols. 1413 - 1414). c) The types of projects that were given the funds are listed at Appendix D (Cols. 1415 - 1418). d) As there have been already more than 3,000 projects, it will not be a productive exercise to list out each and every project with the expenditure. The sum for each project varies from $86 to $446,687. Appendix C - CCCs which had received CIPC funds (Cols. 1413 - 1414) Appendix D - TYPES OF PROJECTS FUNDED BY CIPC (Cols. 1415 - 1418) PAP COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 7. Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Acting Minister for Community Development whether his Ministry had subsidised the PAP Community Foundation in 1993 and 1994; if so, what was the subsidy and what was the amount allocated for kindergarten education programmes for each of the two years.”
“The design of the proposed neighbourhood park at Serangoon Avenue 4 is being reviewed. Construction is scheduled to start in early 1996 and is expected to complete by end 1997. Facilities that have been planned for the park include a mini football field, facilities for senior citizens, children's play equipment and shelters for the public. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FRENCH NUCLEAR TESTS IN THE PACIFIC 1. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what is the response of the Singapore government to the French government's announcement of its intention to conduct nuclear tests in the Pacific.”
“I am very sorry. In the Member's case, it is a slightly peculiar configuration, because the HUDC flats in Bedok Reservoir Road are in two groups with few blocks of Executive flats in between. HDB has, in fact, submitted a development control plan to URA to allow for the conversion of the HUDC blocks into two separate estates. So it will not interfere with the future conversion into strata titles. The Executive flats will be excised out. There will be a footpath for the Executive flats to Bedok Reservoir Road. The Executive flats will not be affected. The HUDC estates in the Member's constituency will be treated as two separate groupings. As regards timing, let us take this step by step. There are many individual issues pertaining to each individual estate. Let us get through the pilot project over the next four months in Pine Grove and Gillman estates. Once we are au fait with all the complexities and they are settled, then we will bring in the future batches one at a time. We will announce the next batch in the early part of next year. 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 Lim Hng Kiang]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed." - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. Adjourned accordingly at Sixteen Minutes to Five o'clock pm to a date to be fixed. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER NOT ANSWERED BY 1.30 PM SPECIAL SCHOOLS 17. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Education how many disabled children are waiting to enter the special schools and whether there is any plan to build more such schools.”
“There were two options: one, we could put HUDC Phases III and IV on the same basis and impose a levy, in which case, we will have to set a new levy and a new premium. Alternatively, we could treat them like HUDC Phases I and II where they are not allowed to apply for another HDB flat until 30 months after they have disposed of their flat. In looking at the two options, we decided to go for the second option, ie, for purposes of applying for a second flat, we treat them in the same way as we treat HUDC Phases I and II. This means that they can only apply for a flat 30 months after they have disposed of their first flat. As regards the valuation of car park lots, this is done by the valuers. They look at many factors. One approach is to look at market comparables. The second approach is to take the stream of car park revenue and bring it to net present value. If we take the second approach because car park charges are the same for Pine Grove, Gillman or Bedok Reservoir Road, then the market value of the car park remains the same. The third approach is, of course, to look at replacement cost to determine the market value. The valuers have looked at these three values of the car parks. They estimate that around $20,000 is a fair market value of a car park lot. Sir, I believe I have answered all his questions.”
“Sir, let me first thank Mr Chew Heng Ching for his support of the Bill and for raising the queries to give me the opportunity to clarify. As I said earlier, the amendment to the Bill does not mean an automatic conversion of all the estates. We will take them batch by batch and this requires the residents to get together and sign on a form to say that they are in support of the conversion. When we get 75% yes to that form, HDB will assist them in lodging that form with the Registrar of Titles. Upon that, there will be the issue of subsidiary strata titles. With the issue of subsidiary strata titles, that will define the legal conversion from HDB flats to strata title flats. So we will take that as the legal date of conversion. Anything before that date will be treated as sold under Housing and Development Act, Part IV. Anything after that date, they will be under the Land Titles (Strata) Act. So that legal conversion date is quite clear in the Act. Under the Housing and Development Act, the residents are not allowed to sell their flats to foreigners. That is quite clear. Under the Housing and Development Act, they are also not allowed to apply for HDB flats until 30 months have lapsed after they have sold their first flat. This is a little bit anomalous. Let me try and explain. Under the Housing and Development Act, all HDB flat owners can apply for another HDB flat provided they pay a levy or a premium on the second flat. In the HUDC Phases III and IV, we have not imposed this levy or premium for them to apply for a second flat. This was unsatisfactory. So when we looked at the conversion exercise, we felt that we should try and streamline the position.”
“The last question is that there are about 12 blocks of HUDC flats in Bedok Reservoir Road and many of the residents have asked me when will HDB privatise this estate. They want to know in advance so that they can plan whether to retain, upgrade or to sell their flats. Sir, would the Minister provide answers to these clarifications?”
“Many of the residents are not sure whether in the interim, pending the announcement of privatisation, they are still subject to the Housing and Development Act. Perhaps the Minister will want to clarify this point. Also many residents have raised the following questions which I am not in a position to answer unless the Minister clarifies. They have asked me, in the interim, pending privatisation of the estate, will they be allowed to sell their flats to foreigners? And if they are under HDB rules, certainly they are not allowed to. If they are under HDB rules, will they be allowed to apply for another HDB flat and not be bound by the 30-month debarment period, which HUDC lessees are subjected to under Phases I and II? Perhaps the Minister would like to clarify this point. The second clarification pertains to the valuation of the car park lots. The residents are of the view that Pine Grove HUDC flats are comparable to flats in districts 9, 10 and 11. And $20,000 per car park lot is probably well justified. For an HUDC estate in a remote area like Bedok Reservoir Road, they think that the cost of a car park lot should not be equivalent to the cost of a car park lot in Pine Grove HUDC estate. Perhaps the Minister would want to clarify and explain the basis for computing the $20,000 car park lot. The third clarification. Presently, HUDC flats in Bedok eservoir Road are actually immersed in an HDB estate. As a result, common facilities like car parks and children playgrounds are shared. If we were to privatise the HUDC estate, how do we demarcate and split the common facilities? I think the residents want to know about this. This feedback came from the RCs.”
“If successful, the Government will extend the conversion scheme to other HUDC estates batch by batch. The Bill also seeks to include two other consequential amendments. One is a house-keeping amendment to the Land Titles (Strata) Act to enable the surrender and re-issue of State leases which would be consistent with the leases HDB has given to the lessees. The other amendment is to provide for the creation of a charge on the converted flats for which CPF funds had been used. Without this amendment, the lessees will have to go through the process of discharging their CPF debts and re-applying for new CPF mortgage for their strata-titled properties. It would also allow the owners to use CPF funds to pay for the costs, fees and other incidental expenses in the lodgement of the charge. In summary, the passage of this Bill will allow for the conversion of HUDC flats to strata titles. It will allow the residents the freedom to upgrade their estates if they desire to enhance their assets further. It will be one step further towards meeting the aspirations of Singaporeans to own private property. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. Mr Chew Heng Ching: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Bill. Sir, I have HUDC flats in my constituency along Bedok Reservoir Road and they fall under Phases III and IV of the scheme. Based on feedback I have received directly from many of the residents, they are all in favour of privatisation, but many residents have asked me to seek the following clarifications from the Minister on the Bill. The first clarification is this. Following the announcement of the Bill, I think a certain sense of ambiguity has prevailed and this pertains to the interpretation of the Private Residential Property Act and the Housing and Development Act.”
“It would thus be fair that a significant majority agree to bear these costs before the conversion can proceed. The process of legal transfer of title from HDB to HUDC lessees will take up to one and a half years as time is needed for the preparation of strata title survey plans and also the physical conversion works needed to bring the blocks up to the latest standard for the award of strata titles. Let me now turn to conversion costs. The lessees of HUDC Phase III or IV HUDC estates will have to pay for the conversion costs of around $25,000 each. This sum includes $20,000 for a carpark lot. The lessees should note that this upfront purchase of their car park lots, for which they can now use their CPF funds, will save them from having to pay parking charges over the rest of their lease. Other conversion costs include legal and survey fees, and also construction costs to meet prevailing barrier-free requirements of strata-titled properties. Lessees of HUDC Phases I and II flats will not need to incur the car park cost as they already have a share of the car parks and common areas. After the conversion, the residents can form management corporations to manage and maintain their estates. The management corporations can carry out improvements without having to seek HDB's consent. They can also build additional facilities, if they desire to do so. The town councils will work out the portion of their sinking funds which are attributable to the HUDC estates and transfer the amount to the management corporations of the HUDC estates to be converted. Sir, a pilot project is needed to test the full complexity of the scheme and iron out any problems which may arise. We have thus chosen two Phase III HUDC estates - Pine Grove and Gillman Heights - for the pilot project.”
“Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The primary objective of the Bill is to amend the Land titles (Strata) Act to provide the legal framework to enable the conversion of the leases of flats in designated HUDC estates to strata titles. This conversion will allow HUDC residents to enjoy the status and advantages of private property owners. It is part of the Government's asset enhancement programme. It will also serve to meet the rising aspirations of Singaporeans for private housing. Upon privatisation, the HUDC owners will have ownership of their respective strata units and own, as tenants-in-common, the common property such as car parks, open landscaped areas and common parts within the buildings. This will enable them collectively to upgrade their estates to a standard comparable to private residential estates. The residents will be able to enjoy the status and privileges of private residential owners without having to uproot themselves and move elsewhere. At the same time, the privatised estates will no longer come under HDB rules and regulations. They will be like any other private property, subject only to the Residential Property Act. Thus, for example, if the building is at least six storeys high, the flats can be sold to foreigners. The passage of this Bill does not imply automatic privatisation. This Bill is only an enabling legislation. HDB, as the landlord, will progressively identify which estates are ready for conversion. But it would then be up to the HUDC lessees themselves to obtain at least 75% support for the conversion. The Government has decided to set this 75% support requirement because the conversion process will entail costs to the lessees.”
“The footpath in question is a temporary footpath constructed a few years ago to facilitate pedestrians' movement across the reserve site meant for future development. Although HDB has no plan, as of now, to develop the site within the next two years, it will be a waste of public funds to install lighting and shelters over it, only to have them demolished in a few years' time to make way for development. WET MARKET AND FOOD STALLS TAKE-UP RATES 7. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Acting Minister for the Environment if he will elaborate on the reasons why nearly 3,000 stalls at wet markets and food centres have not been taken up by any prospective operators and what is done to encourage the take-up rate. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: The majority of the vacant stalls are market produce stalls. Many in this trade give up their stalls because the returns are marginal. This is not a popular trade and few want to take up this trade. At present, there are about 2,800 vacant stalls. About 2,200 are market produce stalls and 600 are cooked-food stalls. These stalls have become vacant when the operators passed away, or left the trade on account of ill health, poor business or took up other jobs. Of the 2,800 vacant stalls, 600 market produce stalls and 450 cooked-food stalls are reserved for resettlement cases. Another 600 market produce stalls are being reserved for operators of adjoining stalls, to expand their business. The balance 1,000 market produce stalls and 150 cooked-food stalls will be tendered out to the public progressively.”
“The liabilities base of the banks is expected to expand further due to continued strong economic growth and large capital inflows. This would increase banks' demand for Treasury Bills as liquid assets. The present limit of $6,000 million is likely to be insufficient to meet the additional demand. The authority of Parliament is therefore requested to enable the Government to issue Treasury Bills up to an amount not exceeding $10,000 million. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, That this Parliament, in accordance with section 3 of the Local Treasury Bills Act (Chapter 167), resolves that the Minister for Finance be authorised to borrow by the issue of Treasury Bills in Singapore a sum not exceeding Singapore ten thousand million dollars. TIME LIMIT FOR SPEECHES (Motion)”
“It should also be an offence for the owners of such buildings to permit these buildings to be occupied. However, this is currently not stipulated in the Act. This Bill seeks to make it an offence for the owners of such buildings to permit them to be occupied if they do not have the requisite permits. Other refinements in the Bill include the deletion of those provisions which have been superseded by the Fire Safety Act, and new provisions relating to the use of computer generated documents. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Building Control (Amendment) Bill is necessary to fine-tune the provisions of the Act to achieve better control of building works. Sir, I beg to move. 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 Lim Hng Kiang]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. TREASURY BILLS The Acting Minister for the Environment (RAdm Teo Chee Hean): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That this Parliament, in accordance with section 3 of the Local Treasury Bills Act (Chapter 167), resolves that the Minister for Finance be authorised to borrow by the issue of Treasury Bills in Singapore a sum not exceeding Singapore ten thousand million dollars. Sir, on 26th March 1987, Parliament resolved, in accordance with section 2 of the Local Treasury Bills Act (Chapter 72) [current reference would now be section 3 of the Act (Chapter 167)], that the Minister be authorised to borrow by the issue of Treasury Bills in Singapore a sum not exceeding $6,000 million. Since 1987 the demand for Treasury Bills has grown rapidly.”
“This is unnecessarily restrictive. The Bill seeks to allow a professional engineer who was previously involved only in minor alterations to a building to be appointed as an Accredited Checker for subsequent alterations to the same building. Similarly, such an engineer will be allowed to be appointed as the structural engineer for any subsequent periodical inspection of the building. The Bill also seeks to empower the Minister to permit certain statutory boards to use their in-house Accredited Checkers to check the structural plans, and to use their structural engineers to carry out periodical inspections of the boards' buildings. Third, the Bill seeks to empower the Building Authority to disapprove badly prepared plans, without having to issue written instructions and directions to the qualified persons. This will encourage qualified persons to prepare their plans properly in the first instance. The plans will also be disapproved if qualified persons fail to comply with the written directions and resubmit the plans within the specified period. The Building Authority will be empowered to revoke its approval if any information given in the application is later found to be false. Fourth, in non-subdivided buildings, the Building Authority has encountered difficulties in getting the flat owners to jointly appoint a structural engineer to inspect the building. This Bill seeks to empower the Building Authority to require flat owners to jointly appoint a structural engineer to inspect the building, and to carry out the works recommended by the appointed engineer. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is an offence to occupy a building without a Temporary Occupation Permit or a Certificate of Statutory Completion.”
“Sir, the Amendment Bill proposes to bring the building projects of the three boards under the ambit of the Building Control Act, and to regulate the developments of these boards by setting up a formalised mechanism within the three boards to control their own building works. Building Control Units (BCUs) will be set up within these statutory boards, as independent units, to check and approve their in-house building plans. To ensure effective control and consistency, the BCD will oversee the operations of the BCUs. It will conduct audit checks to ensure compliance with the Act. The Bill seeks to empower the Building Authority to delegate sufficient powers to qualified persons in the BCUs of these three statutory boards. When the new system is in place, the existing Exemption Orders will be revoked. Second, to improve the Accredited Checker system. The Accredited Checker system was introduced to provide an independent check of structural plans and design calculations. The Building Authority's role in the system is to carry out audit checks. The Bill seeks to make it clear that the Building Authority may approve structural plans which had been checked and certified by an Accredited Checker without having to check them again. Currently, while an Accredited Checker is required to be appointed, the Act is silent on who should appoint the Accredited Checker. The Bill seeks to make it clear that the person for whom the building works are carried out shall appoint the Accredited Checker, and prescribes the duties of the Accredited Checker and the penalty for failure to carry out the duties. Under current provisions, an Accredited Checker is not allowed to check structural plans for building works for which he has been responsible for the design or construction in any capacity.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The current Building Control Act was promulgated in 1989 to strengthen the law in respect of building control. The Act, first of all, enhanced the powers of the Building Authority in regulating building works and safety of buildings. It provided for the checking of structural plans by Accredited Checkers, the supervision of construction works by qualified persons and the periodic inspections of buildings by structural engineers. The Act also increased the penalties for offences. After implementing the Act for the past six years, experience shows that certain provisions of the Act need fine-tuning in order to achieve better control of building works. I shall now highlight the key refinements of the Act proposed in this Amendment Bill. First, to expand the coverage of the Act. There are three statutory boards, namely, HDB, MRTC and PSA, which have been granted exemption from submitting plans for their building projects to the Building Authority for approval. The exemption was given to the HDB to enable it to speed up its public housing programme. The MRTC was similarly exempted from submitting plans to the Building Authority for the implementation of the MRT system. The PSA was exempted under the PSA Act from submitting plans to the Building Authority for port related structures within the port area. There were valid reasons for granting exemption to the three statutory boards which specialise in their own area of work. Over time, these three boards have accumulated track record and specialist expertise in implementing the types of developments under their charge.”
“The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Lim Hng Kiang]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. SALE OF GOODS (UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION) BILL Order for Second Reading read.”
“Sir, there are two levels of charges which shopowners are expected to pay. The first level would be their contributions to the precinct-level and the block-level upgrading. This is the vote that is taken when we take the entire precinct of both flat owners and shopowners and ask them whether they want the Standard Upgrading Package. In this case, the shopowners are expected to pay around $6,000 if they vote for the Standard Upgrading Package. They will pay their contribution for the precinct-level works and they will also pay for the block-level works up to the level of the shop. All block-level works above the shops for the rest of the flats would be shared among the flat lessees and will not be charged to the shopowners. So for the first level of works for the block and the precinct, we expect the shopkeepers to pay about $6,000 per shop value. The second level of works is the space adding item. In the space adding item, we will only ask the shopkeepers to vote for the space adding item in those blocks where the flat owners have voted for it. That means in a block where we get more than 75% who have voted yes to a space adding item, then we will ask the shopkeepers in that block whether they also want the space adding item. If the shopkeepers also say yes, then we will charge them the market value of the space adding item less 30% discount. So they pay for the space which they are getting at market value and in line with the sale of shops under the tenanted scheme, we will give them a 30% discount. With that formula, of course, the price they pay would depend on the market value of the shop, which varies from precinct to precinct. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.”
“Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Main and Development Estimates for the financial year 1995/1996, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Sir, Dr Ong wants to know how soon all the parks can be connected up. The park connector network is a long-term plan to link up all the parks and it makes use of existing drainage reserves and other veneer green corridors to link up all the major parks and nature sites. In this way, you can walk, jog or cycle from one park to another. The master plan to develop 71 park connectors totalling some 360 kilometres has been drawn up. This is a long-term plan which will connect all the major parks in Singapore. Before the year 2000, it would be possible to cycle all the way from the nature reserves down to Bishan Park, past Potong Pasir, down to Kallang, all the way to East Coast, Bedok and Tampines into Pasir Ris. So this is a major plan and the Parks and Recreation (P&R) Department will step up its programmes to try and develop this connection as quickly as possible. P&R plans to develop 41 kilometres of these park connectors in the next five years. Priority is given to those park connectors passing through existing densely populated housing estates. In another 10 years, another 192 kilometres of these park connectors will be built. We appreciate Dr Ong's point about the value of these park connectors and we would try to expedite the construction.”
“Mr Chew Heng Ching asked what would the PWD do about the traffic congestion along Bedok Reservoir Road. Bedok Reservoir Road was designed to serve the residents and the industrial estates in the area. Unfortunately, as Mr Chew explained, it is also used by other vehicles in bypassing the Pan-Island Expressway, from Tampines to Paya Lebar and Eunos. PWD will look into this problem. They will try to expand and improve the junctions along these roads so as to increase the capacity. PWD will also invite tenders in June this year to bring all the traffic lights and all the pedestrian signals under computer control so that the traffic flow would be smoother. If drawing yellow boxes will help, we would also do so. I think the big question is whether we should expand Bedok Reservoir Road to increase the capacity. Here is where we always face a problem. In local estate roads like this, the more you expand the more you attract extraneous traffic. So this is something which we will have to work with his grassroots leaders and see whether in fact they are in favour of expanding the road. It would mean the road will come closer to the flats and attract extraneous traffic.”
“Sir, first let me answer Mr Chin Harn Tong's question. Time has not stood still. The problem is just parked in the Car Parks Division. That is all. The size of the car park lots is set out in the parking regulations. In fact, in 1990, the PWD carried out a review of these regulations and studied the sizes of cars which were registered in Singapore. They did some field tests and found that most cars could comfortably be parked within the standard parking lot which is 4.8 metres long and 2.4 metres wide. HDB car parks follow the standard set out in the regulations, especially in HDB multi-storey car parks. However, I agree with Mr Chin Harn Tong that the position of the concrete columns in HDB multi-storey car parks may restrict the opening of the car park doors. HDB's new design will shift the concrete columns away from the parking lot. Anyway, since it is five years since the last review, we will ask PWD to carry out another review. On Dr John Chen's query, it is the normal practice to require the factory owner to apply for the parking place licence. The factory owner then rents or allocates these lots to his tenants and issues them with a vehicle parking certificate. This is because the factory owner manages the common property in his factory. In some factories, however, there may be insufficient heavy vehicle parking spaces for all the tenants. Such factory owners, therefore, may decide not to apply as they may feel they may encounter difficulties allocating the limited parking lots to their various tenants. In such a situation, if it is brought to PWD's attention that the factory has ample heavy vehicle parking spaces but that the owner does not wish to licence them, then PWD would persuade the factory owner to apply for a parking licence.”
“Sir, time seems to stand still in the Ministry of National Development where its Car Park Division is concerned. The dimensions of a parking lot in a public car park have apparently been frozen some decades ago, when most Singaporeans owned cars the size of the "Hillman Minx" or the "Austin 7". Now, cars on Singapore roads are not only more powerful but also longer and wider. Just look at cars in the 1,000-1,600 cc range and in the 1,600-2,000 cc range. Parallel parking poses a problem because the parking lot is frequently less than one and one-quarter the length of a car. Room for manoeuvring becomes considerably less when the cars on the adjoining lots in front and behind are parked by drivers as if their grandfathers own the road. Parking lots for reverse parking pose a different problem. The car lots seem to be only slightly wider than the cars. After successfully manoeuvring their cars into the narrow spaces, the drivers have to spend some time trying to wriggle out of their cars. The problem is aggravated if the cars in the adjoining lots on the left and right are improperly parked or if there are thick pillars in-between car lots. I bring up this problem in the hope that the Ministry will revise the dimensions of car park lots to be more in keeping with the dimensions of most cars on the road in Singapore. Cars cost a package, with or without COE. Car owners do not like their cars to be unnecessarily scratched or dented because of unrealistically small parking lots. Moreover, car owners are paying a hefty fee for parking in a tight squeeze.”
“Sir, let me clarify the answer I gave about eggs. I think there is very little that PPD can do to enforce branding. It is just like if you are selling Gucci and you bring in counterfeits. "Egg" is a very generic item. What is an egg? An egg is an egg. According to the PPD, they have not had any complaints from our local farmers about imported eggs being disguised as local eggs. We have not had this problem so far. But PPD is prepared to work with the Farmers' Association and see how we could encourage branding and encourage Singaporeans to buy locally produced eggs and convince them that locally produced eggs are fresher, better and more hygienic and therefore command a premium. So we will work with the Farmers' Association. 4.30 pm My apologies for not replying to the question by Dr Ong Chit Chung on the second crossing. Basically, the progress has been very good. We have reclaimed the land at the checkpoint. We are upgrading Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim to a full expressway. We have worked with the Malaysians on the design parameters and all technical aspects of the bridge. In fact, we have confirmed the design. PWD has invited tenders for the construction of the Singapore part of the bridge. The tenders are currently being evaluated and we expect construction work to commence in May this year. All seems to be going well. Piling work for the checkpoint has also commenced and we are on schedule. So the first car to cross the second link would be in early 1998. Assoc. Prof. Low Seow Chay( In Mandarin): I thank the Minister for his complete answer and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Mr Chin Harn Tong: Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head U of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code UC 1500.”
“The Member also requested the upgrading for the old blocks in Sin Ming Estate. HDB will consider his request and schedule it accordingly in the Main Upgrading Programme. As to HDB's policy on sale of shops, for shops which are engaged in industrial trades, if that row of shops is due for sale, and a particular shop is engaged in industrial trade, we will allow the shop tenant to convert to an approved trade, and thereupon we will sell the shop to him. The reasoning is very straightforward. When we are selling a row of shops in a neighbourhood centre, if you are operating a tyre repair shop and you mess up the whole walkway and you take up all the space in the car park, then you are depressing the value of your surrounding shops. And that trade is not an approved trade in that row of shops. So we will sell to the shopkeeper if he is prepared to convert his trade to an approved trade. As to the request for the sale of those shops in Sin Ming Road, we will schedule them according to the request from the various MPs and when they are due for sale, they will be sold if they convert to a non-industrial trade. Assoc. Prof. Low Seow Chay( In Mandarin): Sir, if importers of eggs stamp the imported eggs with the words "Produced in Singapore", what will be the effect on the local producers? How are we going to control such practices? The other thing is that the Minister has not answered Dr Ong Chit Chung's point on the second Causeway.”
“Sir, let me first clarify that I did not say that Government is looking into upgrading private housing estates. Let me again clarify what I said about the landed housing estates. There are 190-odd landed housing estates. Mr Matthias Yao is heading a committee that will coordinate all the improvement works that are currently being done by departments, whether it is roads, P&R, sewerage, environment, etc., and do it in a systematic way for the private housing estates. Of course, in looking at these plans, they may suggest improvements beyond what the departments are doing today. But it is by no means the equivalent of the upgrading programme that we are doing now for HDB flats. Similarly, for the condominiums and the private apartments, what I said was that we are studying the extent of the problem, the extent of the requirement, and that the problem is divided into two parts. The condominiums are newer and there is less urgency for upgrading. There are some older apartments but many of these are stand alone apartments, and there are limited things that we can do to the surroundings. Again, we will study the problem and see what can be done. In any case, the priority of such programmes must come after the programme for the main upgrading of HDB flats, particularly those catering to the 3-roomers in the older estates. Similarly, within this framework, I will put the request of the HUDC flats in context. HUDC flats are, by and large, private property, and I will put them under the same category as private property, notwithstanding what the Member has said about the transfer, management corporation and all the funds. HUDC properties are run by management corporations and in all respects, they are treated like private properties.”
“Low also asked about agrotech industries and whether or not we could encourage the branding of eggs. Land and labour in Singapore are expensive and therefore farms in Singapore must go for the higher value products. With regard to eggs, we produce about 330 million eggs per year or about 32% of our local consumption. All this is done by just seven farms. So it is very productive, very high quality. The example given by Assoc. Prof. Low on salmonella, I just want to explain that the standards that PPD imposes on all the food products in Singapore are the same, whether it is locally produced or from overseas. So it is not true that PPD is stricter on the local farmers and more relaxed with foreign farmers. PPD imposes the same standards. But our farms being high-tech, more modern and more hygienic far exceed these standards. Therefore, I think there is a premium for local farmers to charge higher for their products, eg, eggs. PPD encourages our local farmers to brand their eggs and to educate local consumers that there is indeed a difference between local eggs and imported eggs, and that they should be prepared to pay for this difference. The local farmers could get together and add the words "Produced in Singapore" on their eggs and they can differentiate the locally produced eggs from the imported eggs.”
“Every time we build a new town, we have to make sure that all the facilities and services are provided, and that they are provided on time. To do so, HDB chairs two committees: one on services and the other on facilities. The committee on services, I think, has very little problems. Provision of services, such as water, electricity, sewerage, telephone lines, among the various implementation agencies, I think, is done in a very coordinated way and I have not heard of any complaints about this. I think the problem seems to be one of other facilities such as schools, sports facilities, etc. Here, I think it is an understanding of how the various agencies provide such facilities. Although HDB coordinates this with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Community Development, Singapore Sports Council, etc, we have different standards on when such facilities will be provided. For example, the provision of schools, polyclinics or libraries will only be considered cost effective after a certain critical mass of the population has been reached. Of course, the residents feel that this is too late, but it is very difficult for the Ministry of Education to build a primary school and run it only when it is 10% full. So the Ministry of Education, given the data of the rate of inflow of residents, will have to estimate when there will be enough catchment for primary school children and then activate the building of a primary school in that area. The Ministry of National Development will review this situation with the other Ministries such as Education, MITA and MOH to see whether coordination can be improved, or even whether interim facilities can be provided in those cases where early provision of the full facilities cannot be justified. Assoc. Prof.”
“This programme has tremendous potential, because I have visited the programme in Telok Blangah run by Dr Vasoo. He has managed to get the voluntary organisation also to provide meals in the void deck, not only for the senior citizens in that block but also senior citizens in the surrounding blocks. So there is tremendous potential in allowing this nucleus to be built up to service other senior citizens in the area. 4.15 pm Some MPs who have joined this programme have also suggested involving the youth organisations working with nearby provision shops that will provide home delivery of heavy foodstuffs like rice, flour and sugar. Once a month, the youth organisation would take orders from the various senior citizens and, working with the provision shops, provide home delivery service. The ideas have been flourishing and HDB is very encouraged. We have done the pilot project in three areas and we have expanded this to another six areas. And I would like to encourage other MPs and grassroots leaders to do so. If they are able to find partners in this programme, HDB will be very happy to extend the programme to their areas. Let me clarify that this is intended for single aged. This programme is not intended as an old folks' home for Singaporeans to put in their parents when they find that they cannot take care of their parents. We have about 6,000 aged singles in Singapore living in HDB flats. These are primarily the old immigrants who did not come with families or who did not marry and have no direct family members. So this programme is intended for this particular group of people. Assoc. Prof. Low also asked about inter-Ministry coordination in providing facilities in new towns. This is a very massive responsibility.”
“Mr Chiam also suggested that HDB flats be reconfigured to collect and store rain water during the upgrading. I am not sure whether Mr Chiam understands. The problem with Singapore is not a space for storing water. The problem is catchment and clean catchment areas to collect water. So if you provide a big tub on the roof of HDB flats to collect water, you will not collect very much water. You need to collect water from a much bigger catchment area. Maybe Mr Chiam was inspired by the New Paper cartoon in response to the debate on conservation of water. There was a cartoon which shows HDB flats with umbrellas to collect rain water. But I can tell you that this is not feasible and therefore it is not part of our upgrading programme. Dr Ong Chit Chung asked about our programme for the elderly. I would like to report that this has been very successful, primarily because of the efforts of MCD and the voluntary organisations that MCD has been able to identify for this programme. Some MPs tell me that I should explain about the project. The project is a joint project between HDB and MCD. HDB does the physical renovation of the flats to make it more comfortable for senior citizens to live in. For example, HDB will provide pedestal toilets, bars, holding bars in the toilets, alarms so that when the senior citizens encounter any difficulty, they can pull the alarm. They will improve the cooking area and generally improve the flat, so that it is more conducive to living by senior citizens. And this is complemented by the voluntary organisations identified by MCD which provide the human touch. They will provide voluntary organisations in the void deck whose members will visit the senior citizens almost every day to find out their difficulties and to provide assistance.”
“HDB has no immediate plans to redevelop the existing prototype factories at Woodlands Industrial Park E. As such, the question of providing alternative sites for the sitting tenants of Woodlands Industrial Park E does not arise. If the Member is referring to the 62 plots of open storage land along Woodlands Avenue 9, these are occupied under monthly TOLs except for 2 plots where the 10-year leases will be expiring on 31st March 1995. These open storage sites were intended for temporary use. Notices to Quit (NTQ) were served to the Licensees of the open storage uses in March 1994, giving them one year notice to return the land to HDB by 31st March 1995. Table 1 - TAX AND NON-TAX REVENUE OF SELECTED COUNTRIES (Cols. 115 - 116) Appendix A - CHANGES IN CIGARETTE AND TOBACCO DUTIES (Cols. 117 - 120)”
“The problems faced by an ageing population were touched on by the President in his Address to the House in January 1994. One of the measures the Government has taken to address this issue is to raise the Minimum Sum under CPF over time, to provide for a longer lifespan and to enable members to withdraw higher amounts each month after they retire at 60. Singaporeans are also encouraged to purchase annuity policies when they are younger, so that they can be assured of a steady stream of income in their old age. Furthermore, elderly owners of HDB flats who find less need for larger flats can always sell their flats, move to smaller flats, and live off the profits. At present, the financial needs of our elderly are largely well taken care of by themselves, and their families. Very few need to resort to reverse mortgages of their HDB flats as a means of financial assistance. Most elderly home-owners want to leave their homes as an inheritance for their children. HDB will continue to monitor the situation and assess the demand for reverse mortgages. GUIDELINES FOR BEFORE-AND-AFTER SCHOOL CARE CENTRES 24. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Acting Minister for Community Development whether there are any guidelines for centres running before-and-after school care and, if not, whether his Ministry will consider formulating the necessary guidelines.”
“The following categories of lessees are allowed to sublet their entire HDB flat, subject to HDB's approval: (a) lessees who are residing in quarters provided by their employers; (b) lessees who have to go abroad for work or study, and whose family members/permitted occupiers accompany them; (c) lessees who have to go abroad for work or study, leaving behind household members, such as children or aged parents, who cannot take care of themselves; (d) lessees who are the sole occupiers of their flats, and who require hospitalisation for more than 6 months; (e) lessees who are sub-tenants, tenants or owners of - HDB shops with dwellings, or - private commercial properties with dwellings,who have to stay in the shop to look after their businesses; (f) grandparents/guardians/Public Trustees who are holding the flats in trust for minor children of deceased lessees; (g) sick or physically unfit single lessees who move in with their children or relatives; and (h) lessees who have other reasons acceptable to HDB. All other lessees must occupy their flats, although they can sublet all except 1 room in the flats. This is because subsidised public housing should be used for owner-occupation, and not as an investment for rental income. REVERSE MORTGAGES FOR ELDERLY WITH HDB FLATS 23. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Acting Minister for National Development if the Housing and Development Board is considering making feasible the idea of reverse mortgages for the elderly with HDB homes.”
“The HDB Home Ownership Scheme is one of the Government's programmes to help Singaporeans own homes and to give them a stake in the country. It is not a right. They have to meet prevailing criteria. The Government has used the HDB Home Ownership Scheme to effectively deter anti-social behaviour. For example, the Government has taken a strong stand against those who throw killer litter from their HDB flats. Upon their second offence, they would no longer be allowed to stay in their flats. Similarly, if a recalcitrant parking offender blatantly ignores the law and does not settle his warrant of arrest issued due to his refusal to pay up his parking fines despite repeated reminders, then HDB imposes a range of disincentives to ensure that he settles his warrants of arrest and pays up his fines. These disincentives include withholding the keys from those who have just purchased flats, not renewing their contractor licences if they happen to be HDB contractors, etc. These measures are only temporary until the warrants of arrests are settled. As for the failure to pay levies and CPF, neither issue directly affects the registration for HDB flats or the renewal of HDB contractor licences. SUBLETTING OF ENTIRE HDB FLAT 22. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Acting Minister for National Development if he will state the criteria for subletting the entire Housing and Development Board flat.”