Mah Bow Tan
Singapore
“The previous generation of Singaporeans overcame huge odds together to create this improbable nation which we call home. Let this generation work as one to define our country for the next lap of our journey. Sir, on this note, I fully support the amended Motion. Page: 143”
“Like all upgrading programmes, there is a certain budget, and a certain pace at which we will build. We have completed the LUP and now we are going on towards the HIP. The Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) is ongoing.”
“For those who cannot afford home ownership, we will provide rental flats. For the rest where there is hardship involved, that is where the safety net comes in. I do not think we should make the safety net so wide as to bring in everybody.”
“Building a studio apartment is no different from building any other HDB flat. If a person applies now and the building works start now, he can get it in two-and-a-half years to three years. We have stepped up the building of studio apartments over the last couple of years.”
“Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Health (a) how many people have signed an Advance Medical Directive (AMD) and how many have revoked them since; and (b) whether there is a need to review the current rules on AMDs which do not require a person who has revoked the AMD to inform the Registrar, thus causing uncertainty for hospitals t…”
“Parents who wish to exert more control over the maximum mobile service charges incurred by their children may consider service options such as mobile pre-paid cards. IDA is aware of the public's concerns on mobile subscriptions, and will continually review policies and look into measures to further protect the interest of consumers.”
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Every one of 3,030 lines we hold for Mah Bow Tan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 50 of 61.
“As I have said, if it makes economic sense to do so, we will consider building lines ahead of demand. Mr Goh Choon Kang has raised the question about optimising the use of limited land and he has in this case supported the idea of building the North-East line underground. This is what the consultants have said. In their study, they have mentioned the possibility that if we eventually build the North-East line underground, there are certain benefits accruing from so doing, even though the cost of construction will be higher. This is why in the feasibility study we have asked the consultants to consider this possibility and to give us costings if we want to build it 100% underground, 80% underground or whatever. Mr Goh Choon Kang has also pressed for the building of the North-East line. In an earlier Oral Answer to Members of this House I have explained the position of the Government on this. But let me just repeat that the Government has agreed in principle to pay for the capital cost of the North-East line if it satisfi es this criterion of being able to at least recover its operating cost. The latest feasibility study that the Ministry released last month shows that this criterion can be met but based on the existing pace of development, this can only be met by the year 2006. So it is not a question of whether we build the line but when we build the line. Do we build it now or do we build it at the outset in four years' time? It is going to cost a lot of money. $5 billion is a lot of money. It is a heavy investment and it is incumbent on the Government to make sure that this expenditure is carefully considered because the full capital cost of this investment is not going to be recovered. That is an important point for us to note.”
“Since the LTA is a new statutory board, it is better to start off on the current basis cautiously, allowing it to gain more experience, to take on this new role of advising Government on how best to improve the total transportation structure, how best to invest, where to invest, in a way that will give us best-value-for-money. With time, as LTA gains more experience, we can explore the ideas that have been raised, including the idea of earmarking more land transport revenue for funding infrastructure projects. At that time, we can have another discussion in this House to determine if this is the best approach to take. Dr Wang Kai Yuen has asked why we do not consider the possibility of cross subsidising non-viable MRT lines with the viable ones, in the same way that we are currently cross subsidising non-viable bus lines with the viable ones. The main problem is that MRT lines are not like bus lines. Buses operate on the roads and it is easy for us to change or to remove a bus route if it is deemed to be not worth having for whatever reason. It can be adjusted. It can be part of an overall integration programme. It can be duplication of a service which is now going to be provided by another mode of transport or whatever. But we cannot do the same for an MRT line. Once we build an MRT line, that is it. We cannot change its route and we have to live with it. So before we build an MRT line, it is important for us to study the proposal carefully and consider the long-term viability of the line before we can make a decision whether to proceed or not. This, of course, does not mean that we will always wait for the line to be assessed to be viable before we start construction.”
“We are fortunate that we have been able to accumulate revenue and also to spend it wisely, rather than to squander them away on projects which are not justifiable. So long as we continue with this prudent fiscal policy, we should be able to set aside sufficient funds for our land transport programme without affecting our priorities in other important areas like defence, health and education. The issue therefore is not whether land transport revenues from COEs, ARF and road taxes should be earmarked and channelled directly to land transport expenditure, or whether sufficient resources have been devoted in this area. We are not suffering from a budget deficit. That is not the problem. The basic issue is how we should make use of our revenues in a manner that benefits our nation most. Sir, the revenues from COEs, ARF and road taxes which are channelled into the Consolidated Fund are ultimately used by Government to fund the various programmes that benefit the nation, including transportation. As long as there is a need and as long as the expenditure is worthwhile, the Government will not shy away from investing in our land transport infrastructure. Whether the money comes from Government via the Ministry of Finance out of the consolidated revenue or whether the money comes directly from the LTA is not the important issue. And if we look at the issue from this perspective, then part of the revenue from COEs, ARF, road taxes, etc, is already being used to fund our public transport infrastructure. I am not saying that it is not possible to have this direct nexus between land transport revenues and expenditures. This is another way of looking at the problem. But we have opted not to do so for now.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, first of all, may I thank all Members who have spoken for their support of the Bill, including Mr Chiam. I would like to take some of the points that have been raised by Members, particularly those that have been raised by several Members. First of all, the question of funding for LTA. Mr Heng mentioned this in his speech just now. He has made the point that we should not be stingy with funds for public transport. On that score, I would agree with him. But when he also says that we should give LTA adequate resources to do its job right from the beginning, this is where I have to explain our position. Although this point has been raised in the House several times, let me reiterate Government's position on this. As far as improvements in land transport are concerned, there is no question about Government's commitment to improving our land transport system. And even with the formation of LTA, as the funding is currently constituted, where the LTA is only going to keep the administrative fees, registration fees and some of the road taxes for purposes of carrying out some development works but not the entire sum from COEs and ARF and the other major public transport revenues, even under this kind of scenario, there is no doubt that the Government is committed to land transport. And with the formation of LTA, we will continue to fund and invest in transport infrastructure, both public and private, to meet the needs of our people. The Government has so far invested a total of more than $6 billion - $5 billion for the present MRT system and another $1-$1 1/2 billion for the Woodlands Extension. In addition to that, each year we spend about $250 million building and upgrading our comprehensive network of roads and expressways.”
“It is not feasible for the LTA to establish its own auxiliary police force, and we will continue with the present practice of seconding police officers to LTA for as long as possible. However, provisions have been included for the Authority to establish its own enforcement unit should the need arise in future. The Bill also contains provisions for consequential amendments to be made to the Road Traffic Act, Parking Places Act and section 30(2)(e) of the Planning Act to bring them under the ambit of the LTA Act. With the Parking Places Act brought under its ambit, the LTA will be the authority to license and/or to regulate the provisions of car parks as part of its overall land transport programme. The LTA, in consultation with the Minister, will set the charges for car parks used for public parking, including HDB season car park rates. URA and HDB will continue to provide and manage public car parks under their charge. Sir, the formation of the LTA is a significant milestone in the Government's efforts to keep Singapore and Singaporeans on the move in a way that recognises the rising expectations of our people. With better mobility, we enhance our economic efficiency and we sustain growth. At the same time, we improve our quality of life. This, in a nutshell, is LTA's mission. The Bill before the House sets out the legislative framework for the LTA to carry out its mission. With the support and understanding of all Singaporeans, I am confident that we will be able to rise to the challenge and give ourselves the best transport system that we deserve. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“This will allow LTA to meet any unexpected contingency or fund very minor development projects such as improvements to walkways and commuter facilities. In addition, LTA will only be allowed to invest its funds in accordance with the provisions of the Trustees Act, but may seek the Minister's approval for investment in other instruments. Currently, the MRTC Act provides for a Compensation Board to assess claims by members of the public for damages to their property arising from construction work carried out by the MRTC. The Compensation Board will now be provided for in the LTA Act and its role expanded to include claims arising from tunnelling works for the construction of road tunnels, eg, the Underground Road System which will be carried out under the Street Works Act. Procedures for the assessment and award of compensation and the proceedings of the Board are basically the same as those which are currently laid down under the MRTC Act. Provisions have been made in the Bill for assets, interests, rights, privileges, liabilities and obligations of ROV, RTD and the Land Transport Division of MINCOM to be transferred to LTA. Government will continue to retain ownership of infrastructure assets like roads and bridges, while the LTA will keep and manage the operating assets such as traffic lights. Staff working in the various agencies will be transferred at terms no less favourable than those they are currently enjoying. The pension rights of existing pensionable officers will be preserved. LTA will need to have an enforcement unit of sufficient size and given sufficient powers to enforce its rules and regulations. Currently, ROV relies on seconded police officers to carry out its enforcement functions.”
“LTA will take over all existing functions and powers of ROV, RTD and MRTC, including their licensing and regulatory roles. These functions and powers will continue to be governed by the Road Traffic Act, Street Works Act, Planning Act, Parking Places Act and Rapid Transit Systems Act, but under the ambit of LTA. LTA will also have powers, inter alia, to form and participate in any joint ventures and set up subsidiaries. It will be empowered to collect fees and charges for services rendered to external parties, and it will have powers to make legislation governing its operations, with the approval of the Minister. With regard to how the LTA will be financed, Government will continue to fund the construction of all public and private land transport infrastructure projects. LTA may, with the approval of the Ministry of Finance, also raise money through borrowings to finance these projects. However, the repayment of instalments and interest will be met by Government. To fund its own operations and programmes, LTA will be allowed to retain certain revenue streams which are listed in the Second Schedule of the Bill. These comprise mainly the vehicle registration fees, administrative fees and composition fines. LTA will continue to collect fees like ARF, COE premium, ALS and RPS fees, and VEP fees on behalf of Government. In return for these services, LTA will be given a management fee by the Ministry of Finance. The revenue streams and management fee will be just enough for LTA to finance all aspects linked to the planning, maintenance and management of the land transport system. LTA's annual surplus is expected to be modest, in the region of $5-$10 million.”
“The Road Transportation Division of PWD administers the Local Government Integration Act, the rules in the Planning Act dealing with provision of car parks as well as the Parking Places Act. ROV administers part of the Road Traffic Act while MRTC administers the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Act. As the Local Government Integration Act is outdated, it has been reviewed and is now being replaced by a new Street Works Act to be administered by LTA. MRTC will be merged with LTA by repealing the MRTC Act and replacing it with a new Rapid Transit Systems Act. Rather than subsume the legislation administered by the different entities into a large and complicated legislation, we have decided to enact the LTA Act as the umbrella Act empowering the statutory board to administer the various legislation. Sir, I now move on to the key aspects of the Bill. LTA's Board of Directors will have not more than 15 members, including the Chairman. The Minister may appoint a Deputy Chairman, and the Chairman can also appoint any member of the Board as Acting Chairman to cover his duties when he is away. The Board will seek the Minister's approval for the appointment of the Chief Executive of LTA. The Minister will consult the Public Service Commission before granting his approval. The key functions of LTA are to plan, construct, manage and maintain the various components of the land transport system, including roads, MRT, LRT and other transit systems and commuter facilities. LTA will also implement, operate and maintain traffic management and control systems to optimise use of our roads. It will advise the Government on the land transport system including the fees and taxes to be levied for the efficient functioning of the system.”
“There is a need for greater coordination between planning for private and public transport infrastructure, formulation of vehicle restraint policies, as well as evaluation of trade-offs between alternative infrastructure and policy options. A single integrated agency, given the mission and the responsibility of meeting the nation's needs, will be better able to undertake these functions. LTA will be able to ensure that transport projects and measures undertaken complement each other in the most effective and cost efficient manner. This in turn will help us achieve an optimal national transport system, holistically designed, as one total system, providing better service to commuters and value-for-money for the nation. The LTA will be formed by merging the present Roads and Transportation Division of PWD, the Registry of Vehicles, the Land Transport Division of the Ministry of Communications and the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation. Earlier, I had announced that the MRTC would be merged with the LTA within two years. I have decided to merge MRTC with the LTA when it is formed rather than later. This is to allow the new organisation to settle down to work as quickly as possible without being distracted by further changes down the road. We are targeting to establish the LTA on 1st September 1995. To constitute the LTA, we need to enact three Bills - the Land Transport Authority of Singapore Bill, the Rapid Transit Systems Bill and the Street Works Bill. All three Bills are now before the House. Currently, the entities forming LTA administer their respective Acts and subsidiary legislation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, in March this year, during the Budget debate, I explained to this House that, in order to support economic growth, we need an efficient transport system that can allow both people and goods to move freely. Strong growth over the years has enabled many Singaporeans to own cars and many more to desire to own one. Most people accept that this desire must be tempered by the reality that ours is a small country, with limited land which has many competing uses. The challenge facing us is how we can meet the rising expectations of Singaporeans for better mobility, given these constraints and in a way which can be sustained in the long run. In my statement, I spelt out a series of measures that the Government would take to meet this challenge, including extending the range of public transport services, upgrading their quality of service, and managing private vehicle usage to sustain a higher vehicle population. To coordinate all these efforts, I announced that the Government would set up a new statutory board. The Bill before the House today is to establish the legislative framework for this new board which will be called the Land Transport Authority. The Land Transport Authority, or LTA for short, will integrate the functions of planning, development, implementation and management of all public and private transport infrastructure and policies. Hitherto, these functions have been carried out by different agencies such as the Ministry of Communications, Ministry of National Development, ROV, MRTC, URA and PWD.”
“PSA has already begun to develop a new container terminal at Pasir Panjang which will commence operations by 1998, and eventually double PSA's total handling capacity from 16 million TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) to about 34 million TEUs by the year 2007. PSA is also striving to keep our international port productivity ranking at number one through skills upgrading programmes and by increasing port automation. For example, state-of-the-art equipment like Overhead Bridge Cranes and Automated Guided Vehicles are being tested for the new terminal to enhance PSA's technological edge and operational efficiency. By adopting a farsighted and proactive approach, PSA is poised and ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Malaysia's proposal for a Penang-Songkhla land bridge was raised within the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) economic cooperation framework. We do not know at this stage the details of the project proposal. However, it is clear that the envisoned project is a massive one, and will involve substantial investments in roads, pipelines and port infrastructure. The financial viability of the project will also depend on how competitive the costs of unloading, transportation and re-loading of cargo are, in relation to the existing alternatives. As the preliminary feasibility study into the project has not yet been completed, it is too early for me to comment on the project's impact on Singapore. The land bridge project is part of a wider trend in the Asia-Pacific. With rapid economic growth, the region will continue to experience an increase in container traffic. The volume of containers handled by PSA alone has been rising at an average rate of 21% per annum between 1984 and 1994. Emerging ports in China, Indochina and as far away as the Middle East are understandably eager to compete and tap a share of the region's dynamic growth. PSA is well-positioned to grow with the region. Singapore's strength is our ability to provide the shipping community a total service capability at competitive prices. This is due to our excellent infrastructure and active investment in anticipation of future infrastructure needs, as well as our ongoing efforts to maintain high productivity growth rates. The completion of Brani Terminal, and the upgrading of Tanjong Pagar and Keppel Terminals, will meet PSA's capacity requirements fully by 1997.”
“It is quite strong! LAND BRIDGE LINK BETWEEN PENANG AND SONGKHLA (Effect on Singapore) 9. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Communications if he will give an assessment on whether the proposed land bridge link between Penang in Malaysia and Songkhla in Thailand will affect Singapore.”
“Sir, as I said, at this stage, it will be premature for me to give too much details about the proposed alignment of the North-East line, for reasons which I think the Member himself is aware. In other words, there are certain confidential information pertaining to the alignment and the location which must necessarily be kept under wraps at this stage. But he asked a specific question and I attempted to answer that question to his satisfaction.”
“Sir, I am familiar with the two pieces of land that the Member is talking about. But I think he would also realise that building a station does not depend on whether there are empty pieces of land. It also depends on many other factors, including, as I said, the catchment area around that proposed station. In any case, if he looks at the area around his constituency, he will notice that there are many other empty pieces of land which are not within the Potong Pasir constituency.”
“Sir, as the MINCOM's press release pointed out, the cost of $5 billion for the North-East line is equivalent to the total cost of building the North-South-East-West line. The North-South-East-West line today carries something like 700,000-800,000 passengers per day. As a comparison, the North-East line is expected to carry something like 200,000-250,000 passengers. The cost is the same. The ridership is roughly one-third.”
“Sir, at this stage, it is difficult for me to answer that question. But based on the current plans for redevelopment of that whole corridor - and this is what the study is currently based on - the ridership around that station is still not sufficient or not strong enough to warrant it being built, that is, if the consultants' recommendation is to be accepted.”
“Sir, at each proposed station, the consultants have taken into account the ridership; in other words, they have taken into account the catchment area around that particular station, compared with the actual cost of running and operating that station. In that sense, I believe the consultants have come to the conclusion that of all the proposed stations that they have studied, the Potong Pasir station, taking the ridership from that particular station and taking the cost of operating that station, is the weakest station on that line. Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, how long does the Minister expect to wait before the station can become a "strong" station so that it can be built?”
“Sir, I have not actually thought about that particular alignment. But since the Member has raised the possibility, I think it will be an interesting exercise to see whether we can still serve the residents in that area and save the Government some money as well.”
“Sir, the feasibility study is a technical study and it contains confidential information, eg, information concerning possible alignment of the routes, locations and so on. Under the circumstances, such information at this stage would still be considered confidential and I am not prepared to release the report at this stage.”
“Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): Sir, I thank the Minister for telling the House that the North-East line shall be passing through Potong Pasir. Can the Members view the report of the feasibility study?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, MINCOM announced on 14th July 1995 that the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC) had completed its feasibility study on the North-East line. The MRTC study is based on a 20-km line running from World Trade Centre in the south to Punggol in the north. The exact route alignment, the number and location of the stations have not been finalised. These will be settled after further discussion with the land-use planning and other relevant agencies. Mr Chiam asked whether the line would pass through Potong Pasir constituency. The answer is "yes". But the location of the station has yet to be finalised. MRTC's consultants who carried out the North-East line feasibility study had analysed various possibilities for station locations. On the possibility of having a station at Potong Pasir, this is what they had to say: `Potong Pasir is the weakest station on the North-East line. Although there are plans to develop the area near the proposed station, it will improve the viability of North-East line, if Potong Pasir station were deferred (to save) about $1 million per year.' Straits Times reported Mr Chiam on 27th July 1995 as saying apropos the North-East line that "Any decision has to be made rationally." He is right. It is a $5 billion decision which must be carefully weighed. In deciding when to proceed with the construction of the North-East line and the exact alignment and station locations, the Government will take a broad view and consider other benefits that can be derived from this investment, such as reduced travel time, and an expanded and improved public transport system. The House can expect a firm decision by the end of this year.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my Ministry encourages all taxi companies to fully equip their fleet with radio despatch systems. This will enable the companies to utilise and deploy their taxi fleet more efficiently to meet commuter demand. It will also cut down the need for taxi drivers to drive around looking for passengers, thereby reducing unnecessary mileage and congestion on the road. All taxi companies, including Comfort, are actively looking into upgrading or replacing their present system to a new Automated Taxi Despatch System using Global Positioning Satellites. I am told that Comfort's present despatch system is only able to serve about 3,000 taxis. Increasing the number of taxis on its present network will adversely affect the system's efficiency. When Comfort commissions its new Automated Despatch System, it will be able to equip its new taxis with the despatch system. It can also expand its despatch network to its entire fleet of 10,000 taxis. KEPPEL SHIPYARD (Investigation into bribe to Exxon employee) 7. Mr Ling How Doong asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that a Government-linked-company, Keppel Shipyard, offered a bribe of $144,000 to an employee of Exxon and whether he will consider ordering an investigation with a view to prosecuting the wrongdoers.”
“The number of Malaysians who bought newly-registered Singapore motorcycles are : 1992 - 639, 1993 - 422 and 1994 - 556. The fluctuation in the price of motorcycle Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) reflects prevailing market demand and supply. There is no indication of any correlation between the number of Malaysians buying Singapore motorcycles and COE prices. For example, in 1992, the number of new motorcycles bought by Malaysians accounted for almost 10% of total motorcycle registrations -- but price of motorcycle COEs remained at $1 for the whole year. On the other hand, in 1994, Malaysians bought about 5% of newly-registered motorcycles in Singapore, but motorcycle COE prices averaged more than $700. COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS COMMITTEE FUNDS 6. Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Minister for National Development for the period from January 1992 to April 1995, how many Citizens Consultative Committees (CCCs), in both the Group Representation Constituencies and the Single Member Constituencies, had received funds from the Community Improvement Projects Committee; which were the CCCs which had received such funds; on what projects were the funds given and what was the sum for each project.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system will allow the Government greater flexibility to deal with congestion at different times and different places, and to price road usage more equitably to maintain acceptable traffic conditions. If the ERP system succeeds in changing the travelling habits of motorists and influencing them to use their vehicles sparingly, the Government will have greater scope to release more COEs, while at the same time keeping our roads relatively free-flowing. With ERP in place, we will shift our vehicle taxes more towards a usage-based tax. The vehicle tax structure will be rationalised to strike a judicious balance among the various costs, including one-time ownership costs like COE and ARF, annual operating costs like road tax, and usage costs like ERP charges. MORTGAGE INTEREST RATE (Impact of increases on households) 15. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether his Ministry has assessed the impact of the current increases in mortgage interest rate on households, especially those who have taken 25 years' loan and who still have substantial loan repayable to the Housing and Development Board; and (b) what is the maximum additional amount mortgagors will have to pay each month, based on the new basis of instalment computation after the interest rate increases.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, a ferry service between Clifford Pier and the east coast is conceptually possible. The question is: is there a sufficient demand and is the service financially viable? Currently, there are no landing points available along the east coast for passengers to board and alight domestic ferries. However, if private operators are keen to provide such a service, and there is sustainable demand for a viable service, the Port of Singapore Authority will consider providing a landing point for the ferry service. We should not confuse the Road Pricing Scheme (RPS) on the ECP with the viability of a ferry service along the east coast. As I had explained to the House earlier, we implemented the Road Pricing Scheme on the ECP for two reasons. First, RPS is a new road pricing concept and we need to give motorists time to familiarise themselves with it. That is why we implemented RPS on only one congested expressway, and we kept the licence fee low and the operation hours short. Second, we chose the ECP because there are many alternatives available to motorists using the ECP. If they choose to continue to drive, they can use other routes, or they can change their time of travel. Better still, they may wish to switch to a wide range of good public transport services in this area. ROAD TAX (Reduction) 14. Mr Imram bin Mohamed asked the Minister for Communications whether road tax will be reduced with the introduction of the electronic road pricing system.”
“Sir, the scheme was implemented on 1st June 1995. So it is roughly five weeks since we started. Under the circumstances, it is a little bit too early for us to answer the questions that the Member raised just now. At the same time, in the interim period, there have been some changes in the travelling pattern of motorists as a result of the reopening of schools. In any survey, we need to factor that in. But we are certainly monitoring the situation and as and when the situation stabilises, we will be able to form a clearer picture of what is the real impact of the various plans that we have made, and that is the appropriate time for us to come back to the Member and answer those questions. MANUAL FOREIGN WORKERS FROM NON-TRADITIONAL SOURCES (Employment) 5. Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for Labour whether his Ministry will introduce a policy to allow the entry of manual foreign workers from the non-traditional sources like Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, etc into our service-oriented and labour-intensive industries which are currently facing a decreasing supply of local manual workers and workers from Malaysia.”
“Sir, there are two issues that the Member has raised. First, is the question of fairness, whether motorists are being unfairly penalised because of this additional RPS fee. To that, Sir, I would say that it is a fairer system. Because in the case of the road pricing scheme, it is the user of that particular road at that particular time and the cost which that particular usage imposes on the rest of the motorists and on society as a whole, that is being charged for. If the motorist does not use that particular stretch of road, if he switches to public transport, if he uses another stretch of road or if he changes his time of travel, he does not need to pay. So the question of fairness actually does not come into the picture here. The second point that the Member has raised, and which I have answered in my answer just now is, where does the money go to? In this case, as I have pointed out, the money goes to improving public transport infrastructure, building of MRT lines, construction of roads, highways, bridges, expansion of expressways, etc. I think the money is put to good use, provided we are able to justify it. At the same time, I must also add that it goes into public coffers so that that money is also used for other purposes for the public good. Mr Heng Chiang Meng: Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether there has been any monitoring done so far on the success of this scheme. In particular, (1) by how much has the traffic along that particular route been reduced; (2) by how much has the traffic along the alternative routes been increased because of the RPS on the ECP; and (3) whether there has been any net change for the better if we combine the two?”
“Sir, it is too early to estimate the annual revenue from the Road Pricing Scheme (RPS) at the East Coast Parkway, as the scheme has only started and the overall traffic situation has yet to stabilise. The objective of the RPS is not to generate revenue, but to manage the use of our expressways and arterial roads so that they are kept free of congestion. These roads are our major commercial arteries. If they are choked, time will be wasted, costs will go up, and pollution will increase. As expressway pricing is a new concept to Singaporeans, we have started with the lowest possible fee we think is necessary to achieve our objective. We have also kept the operating hours short and started with only one expressway. My Ministry will monitor the scheme closely, and make adjustments if necessary. When the scheme has settled down and is clearly able to meet its objective, we can consider extending it to other expressways. Road usage charges such as Area Licensing and RPS fees reflect the costs which motorists impose on society as a whole - loss of productivity, time wasted, air and noise pollution. Therefore, it is only fair that the revenue collected go into public coffers to be used for the benefit of the whole society, including improving transport infrastructure such as roads, overhead bridges, walkways, bus interchanges, MRT systems and so on.”
“The Member is not being fair to me. I do not think it is proper for me to commit other Ministries on this. It is for the other Ministries to look at their various systems and I am sure they will do what is fair to the consumer of their service. ROAD PRICING FOR EAST COAST PARKWAY (Revenue generated) 4. Mr Imram bin Mohamed asked the Minister for Communications how much revenue is expected to be generated annually from the road pricing for the East Coast Parkway and whether revenue from this and other manual road pricing yet to be introduced will be channelled back to road users.”
“Sir, I do not think they need any persuasion. If it is a fairer system, and particularly with the advent of computerisation, and where things used to be done by hand before and it was not administratively convenient to do so, and where it is now more convenient to do so, it is appropriate that we make the necessary changes.”
“Sir, we are doing a review of the fees that are being paid in relation to motor vehicles. If it is possible for us to make the change because of computerisation, we will certainly consider to do so.”
“This will moderate the peak crowds and help to shorten queuing times for vehicle owners. However, existing vehicle owners will retain their current road tax expiry dates in order to avoid confusion,unless the status of their vehicles is changed, eg, they are converted from normal cars to Off-Peak Cars or vice versa. ROV will release details of the changes closer to the date of implementation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member is referring to the current practice of computing the age of a vehicle from the first day of the month that the vehicle is registered. For example, a vehicle registered on 31st July 1995 is deemed to have been registered on 1st July 1995. Its COE would lapse on 30th June 2005. The owner does not enjoy the full ten-year life-span of his COE. To give vehicle owners a fairer deal, with effect from 1st August 1995, all newly-registered vehicles will have their age computed from the day of registration. For illustration, the COE of a vehicle registered on 31st July 1995 will expire on its tenth anniversary date, ie, 30th July 2005, and not 30th June 2005 as at present. Vehicle buyers will not have to rush to register vehicles in the beginning of the month, which is the current practice. The Registry of Vehicles will consequently adjust the legal life-span of existing vehicles according to their actual registration dates. As a result, COE and PARF expiry dates for many existing vehicles will be extended slightly. ROV will also pro-rate COE rebates for existing vehicles on a daily basis, and adjust the statutory life-span of all existing vehicles according to their actual dates of registration. Currently, due to the present method of calculating a vehicle's age, road taxes of all vehicles expire at the end of the month, either six or 12 months after the vehicles are registered. As owners tend to renew their road taxes just before they expire, the queues at ROV and its road tax collection centres are usually longer at the end of the month. From 1st August 1995, the road tax expiry dates of newly-registered vehicles will expire exactly six or 12 months from the date of registration instead of at the end of the month.”
“The Registry of Vehicles is planning to build a bus interchange at Bukit Panjang to be ready by 1997. Meanwhile, the town is served by a temporary roadside bus terminal to cater to two feeder and five trunk services. The town is also served by six other trunk services. The Mass Rapid Transit Corporation is currently doing a feasibility study for an LRT system to serve the residents of Bukit Panjang. If the study shows that the system can be viable, the bus interchange will be designed to integrate with the LRT station. PATHWAY LIGHTING AND SHELTER 6. Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Minister for National Development whether public tenders will be called to develop the piece of land between Yishun MRT station and Block 744 within the next two years and, if not, whether the PWD will provide lightings and shelters for the existing pathways.”
“Improvement works to provide covered linkway, awnings and gutter around Yishun Bus Interchange are in progress. The project, when completed in the third quarter of 1995, will solve the flooding problem at the passenger concourse and provide better shelter for bus passengers during inclement weather. REPLACEMENT FOR PETIR ROAD BUS TERMINAL 5. Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Minister for Communications whether and when a proper bus terminal will be constructed in Bukit Panjang Town to replace the present one at Petir Road.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the latest review of the Whole-Day Area Licensing Scheme (ALS) was completed in February 1995 following a comprehensive traffic survey done in January 1995. Based on the results of this survey, I announced in this House on 14th March 1995 that, with effect from 6th May 1995, the ALS hours on Saturdays will end one hour earlier, ie 2.00 pm instead of 3.00 pm. My Ministry will continue to monitor the traffic situation in the CBD and we will make adjustments to the ALS where necessary to ensure an even and free flow of traffic in the area. CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND (Financing of part-time degree courses) 9. Mr John De Payva asked the Minister for Labour if he will allow Central Provident Fund (CPF) account holders to use their CPF to finance part-time degree courses.”
“Singapore has implemented measures such as registering tanker cleaning operators and not allowing them to operate outside Singapore without permission. These are preventive measures which seek to deny access to services for illegal tanker cleaning. As a result of these measures, pollution from illegal tanker cleaning is not rampant. Nevertheless, Singapore and Malaysia must not let up in their effort to prevent illegal tanker cleaning. Sir, I would like to emphasise that Singapore does not condone illegal tanker cleaning and the dumping of oil sludge into the sea. Such activities affect us as well as our neighbours. We will continue, therefore, to pursue greater coordination between Singapore and Malaysia and also among the Singapore, Malaysian and Indonesian authorities to jointly prevent such activities.”
“Sir, my Ministry was first made aware of the allegations that Encik Ibrahim Othman mentioned from newspaper reports that 12 vessels were involved, of which seven were Singapore-registered. However, Singapore received requests from the Malaysian authorities for information on three vessels, and these three vessels were those which were found with oil sludge on board. Information regarding these three vessels was provided expeditiously to the Malaysian authorities. We understand that the three vessels were detained by the Malaysian authorities, two of which subsequently fled detention. A subsequent meeting of the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment (MSJCE) was convened promptly in Singapore on 17th February 1995, a few days later, to discuss and coordinate action against these three vessels. Singapore reported at the meeting that they had urged the owners of the two vessels which had fled detention to quickly resolve the matter. The ensuing discussions between the Malaysian authorities and the owners enabled the matter to be settled speedily. The owners of all three vessels pleaded guilty and paid up their fines. Sir, contrary to the impression created by some press reports, relations between the environment authorities of both countries have been good and remained good. The fact that the meeting of the MSJCE was convened so quickly testifies to that. Also, the MSJCE readily agreed to set up a special working group to study whether coordination should be further strengthened. The primary concern of both countries is to prevent pollution caused by illegal tanker cleaning. Vigilance through surveillance and enforcement by both countries must continue. In addition, measures are needed to make it difficult for the tankers to be cleaned illegally.”
“Sir, the increase for most of the hawker stalls, in fact, 99% of hawker stalls, is already considered minimal. Where the increase is above the minimum, and this refers to the two hawker centres that I have mentioned earlier, the reason for increasing it much more is a very clear one, because business is good, location is good and, in fact, the market values of the hawker stalls in those two centres are much, much higher than anywhere else. That is the reason why there was not very much protest from the hawkers themselves when we raised it twice. 1.30 pm But the point is that we do make a differentiation between locations. What the Member is asking perhaps is that we make even a finer distinction between hawker stalls in one location, in one constituency, or one district compared to another. I think we would have to look into the mechanics of doing that. For example, how do we do that without the hawkers maintaining that their business is slow even though they are in a location or in a hawker centre which is considered to be popular. So there will always be disputes. I think, in such cases, it would be very difficult for the Ministry to arbitrate or to decide whether this is so or not. Under those circumstances, I would rather that we keep the rental increases for most of the hawker stalls uniform but make adjustments to some of the hawker stalls which are obviously more popular.”
“But I just would like to inform him that under the scheme, the change of trade is controlled in such a way that Muslim food must always be made available even after the centre has been sold off. Sir, I would like to ask my Senior Parliamentary Secretary to respond to the other questions.”
“A chicken rice stall in a coffeeshop paying a rental of $2,000 per month sells a plate of chicken rice for around $2. The same plate of chicken rice in a hawker stall paying $120 a month is also around the same price. So the price appears to be the market price which customers of hawker stalls are prepared to pay. If hawker stall rentals were a factor, then one would expect that prices in the heavily subsidised Government hawker centres would be much less. It is not so. Sir, the Government will continue to subsidise the rental of hawker stalls but the gap between the subsidised rent and the market rate cannot be too wide. Mr Kenneth Chen is of the opinion that rental prices should vary according to locations. I agree with him. In fact, that is the reason why the Newton Hawker Centre and the Satay Club, which are the two very popular hawker centres, are now paying much higher rents than stallholders in other centres. The monthly rents for Newton Hawker Centre and Satay Club were revised twice since January 1994, and are now $920 for Newton Hawker Centre and $390 for Satay Club. Stallholders in other hawker centres are paying a much lower rental, even after the rent revision from 1st April 1995. The rents will still be $160 a month compared to $920 for Newton Hawker Centre. This, of course, is still way below the rentals paid by stallholders in private eating establishments. There is one point that Mr Ibrahim Othman raised about the number of Muslim stalls that have changed trade since the sale of the hawker stalls scheme. I do not have any numbers on this. I will revert to him when I do.”
“We will evaluate each phase of the scheme carefully to ensure that the benefits, both to stallowners as well as to consumers, do come about before we proceed further. He also asked about the selling prices. The selling prices of hawker stalls in the later phases of the programme will, of course, have to depend on the prevailing market conditions then. But let me say that incumbent stallholders will continue to enjoy the discount that the Government has promised them. In other words, first generation stallholders who were resettled from the streets or who were given stalls under the hardship scheme will be given a 30% discount off the Chief Valuer's assessment of what is the market rate at that time. The majority of stallholders fall under this category. Then the second generation stallholders who took over their stalls from their kins will be given a 15% discount. 1.15 pm The Member for Changi expressed concern about the increase in stall rents that was announced recently and will take effect from 1st April 1995. His fear is that this will give hawkers reason to increase their food prices. The new rents, which have not been increased for the last 10 years, are still way below market rates and are still heavily subsidised. As he has correctly pointed out, there is an increase of $40 per month for cooked food stalls and $20 per month for market produce stalls. These increases are minimal. There is no excuse for hawkers to raise their prices based on this kind of increase in rental. In fact, my Ministry has received feedback that hawkers in general feel that the new rents are fair and reasonable. But let me just add that rentals alone do not determine food prices.”
“They resold their stalls to younger stallholders. They decided that they are probably too old and that this business is too difficult for them. Fine. They sell to younger stallholders who are in a position to upgrade and to improve the service further, which will benefit consumers. So I think consumers are beginning to see the benefits of the improved service. It has been less than a year. I think we should allow time for these benefits to flow through. There is concern expressed as to whether the sale of hawker stalls has caused food prices to increase when the stalls are sold. The Member for Thomson has asked whether the prices are being monitored and whether Government controls them. My Ministry has made a survey, as I said, of the four centres that were sold in the first phase of the ownership programme. We surveyed, among other things, the food prices. And we found that most of the stallowners have not increased their food prices. Those who have, they have raised their prices marginally, but these new prices are still comparable to those in other centres. However, as I said earlier, it is a little bit too early to tell and we will continue to monitor the situation closely. There are many hawker food stalls in coffeeshops, in Government food centres and also in private hawker centres. The large number of stalls has, I believe, helped to keep prices reasonable and affordable. Ultimately, the best protection really lies in the hands of the customer. If the customer feels that prices are unreasonable, then he should not patronise the stall. And I think stallholders will get that message very quickly. Dr John Chen asked whether Government will speed up the sale of hawker stalls. The Government has no fixed timetable for the sale of stalls scheme.”
“I do not need to emphasise that water is very precious in Singapore. We cannot afford to use water to dispose of food waste when it can be disposed of as solid waste. In any case, let me also add that even if food waste grinders were used, we would still have to treat the food waste when it reaches the sewage treatment plants. The cost of treating food waste in this manner is much, much higher than by incineration. So for all these reasons, my Ministry does not intend to allow the use of food waste grinders in Singapore. Sir, I turn to the questions raised by Members on hawker stalls. Dr John Chen, Mr Teo Chong Tee and Mr Ibrahim Othman have all asked various questions about Government's sale of hawker stalls programme. Let me first start off by reiterating the main objective of this programme. The main objective is to sell the stalls to the incumbent stallholders to allow them to own their stalls, so that once they own their stalls, we can free up all the restrictions on sub-letting and so on. This way, stallholders will find it easier to improve their businesses, to improve the level of service, to improve the quality of food, general ambience of the centre and also to extend the hours of operation. If all these improvements come about, it should translate into benefits both for the stallholders as well as for their customers. That is the objective. We started off with the first phase last year. It involved four centres. There was, I should say, overwhelming response. 95% of the stallholders bought over their stalls. We have done a survey recently. Many stallowners are now operating their stalls over longer hours by sub-letting or by getting friends and relatives to run a second shift. Others have added food items. Some have resold.”
“We are now looking into working closely with other town councils to see whether similar schemes or new schemes using innovative methods can be implemented. We must encourage residents, for example, to separate newspapers and other waste paper for recycling, to make the effort to bring them down to a central collection point. It is this kind of additional effort on the part of residents that calls for a lot of cooperation between the Ministry of the Environment, town councils, grassroots organisations like Residents' Committees and so on. That is for domestic waste. To provide for commercial recycling, the Government has set aside a piece of land within the old Lim Chu Kang dumping ground to provide land for a commercial recycling plant. The first such plant will deal with wood waste recycling. The tenders have already closed and the company has accepted and will start soon. The other projects in the pipeline include used tyre recycling and wood-chipping plants. I come to the question of food waste grinders which was raised by the Member for Hong Kah GRC in the context of recycling, and also by the Member for Eunos GRC who asked why we cannot use food waste grinders in Singapore. Let me just inform the House that food waste grinders use water to flush food waste into the sewer system. It is used in the United States and in other countries like Australia, France, Germany and Japan. Based on the experiences in these countries, they tell us that the use of food waste grinders increases water consumption by something like 2% per household. So if we extrapolate to the Singapore situation, if all households in Singapore were to install such grinders, this works out to an extra 12 million litres of water a day.”
“There are simply no suitable landfill sites left on Singapore. That is why we have to go offshore to Pulau Semakau. My Ministry therefore has been actively promoting waste recycling and waste minimisation. At the moment, one-third of total waste generated is recycled. The two-thirds that are not recycled are the 2.4 million tonnes that we generated last year. This one-third of waste that can be recycled is mainly industrial waste, metal scrap, demolition rubble which is generated from demolition of buildings which can be recycled into hardcore and hardstandings. Other waste that can be recycled includes wood waste, bottles and waste paper. The other two-thirds must be disposed of by incineration and landfill. We have to promote recycling and we have done so, but I think the effort has to be stepped up. To-date, there are almost a thousand waste recycling schemes which are in hotels, hospitals, schools, offices, factories, clubhouses, residential buildings. And, of course, there are also public recycling centres throughout the island. We need to expand this number and to encourage more to join this scheme. As far as commercial buildings and warehouses are concerned, waste audits are now being carried out and conducted. The majority of office buildings, I am glad to say, have implemented waste paper recycling schemes. And warehouses which generate a different kind of rubbish are also looking into recycling of plastics, glass, metal waste and wood waste. As Encik Ibrahim Othman explained to the House just now, Serangoon-Bishan Town Council is very active in the area of recycling, especially recycling of waste paper. They have done an excellent job and my Ministry would like to commend them for this.”
“Sir, first of all, let me respond to the points made by the Member for Hong Kah GRC and also by the Member for Thomson GRC about waste recycling in Singapore. They are correct in pointing out that waste recycling is one way to reduce the increasing amount of waste which is generated each year. Just to give Members an idea of the urgency of the problem, in 1984, we generated 1.5 million tonnes of waste. In 1994, this figure shot up to 2.4 million tonnes, as Dr John Chen mentioned just now, more than one and a half times in 10 years. At this rate, we will be generating almost 4 million tonnes of waste by the year 2004, in other words, in the next 10 years. And just to give an idea of what 4 million tonnes of waste represent, this amount of rubbish, we estimate, would fill, say, 20 National Stadiums up to a height of 12 metres. It is a serious problem. In any society, waste must be generated, but the trend in any near affluent society is that the waste that is generated keeps going up at a rate which is faster than growth of GDP. We have to dispose of this waste. In Singapore, we do it in two ways. One is by incineration and the other is by landfill. The majority of waste in Singapore is incinerated, but there is still a sizable amount of waste that has to be dumped and filled. Both of these methods of waste disposal are very expensive. Incineration plants cost between $500 million and $1,000 million each. Our latest incineration plant at Senoko costs about $600 million. We have three such plants. We will need another plant very soon. As for landfill, it is a huge capital investment. The Pulau Semakau offshore landfill is going to cost us $1.2 billion. Apart from the question of cost, there is the question of availability of land.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, 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. Mr Deputy Speaker: So be it. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." - [Mr Mah Bow Tan]. Adjourned accordingly at Half-past Five o'clock pm.”
“That is the intention eventually. But I think that in the immediate aftermath of the corporatisation, we will allow the corporatised entity to settle down and, thereafter, we will certainly allow competition in this particular area.”