Tang Guan Seng
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is true that there is stringent control on visitors from PRC. However, recently, there has been a relaxation on the requirements. For example, the Banker's Guarantee for group visits I mentioned earlier has been reduced from $150,000 to $100,000.”
“STB has been encouraging a group of tour agencies who are members of the National Association of Travel Agents in Singapore to work closely with the authorised tour agents in China so that collectively they can improve on the quality of the package tours in Singapore, thereby increasing the number of tourists from PRC and also improving o…”
“If the Member has information of this nature, can he please give us the particulars and we will refer to the relevant agencies for action? CIVIL SERVICE (Discharged and undischarged bankrupts) 10.”
“Power and electricity tariffs are reviewed quarterly based on fuel oil prices at the time of review. Changes in fuel oil prices are passed on to the consumers, which is fair. Fuel oil makes up, as my Senior Minister of State said, about half of the cost of producing electricity.”
“As I said just now, it is the policy of JTC to require the owner of the property to reinstate to its original condition, if there is a breach of the lease terms. In this particular case mentioned by the hon. Member, if he can give me the details, we will follow up on this.”
“Furthermore, such contamination problem would not have arisen if the sanitary pipes were kept in good condition and the water tanks covered. The new rule in 1989 was an added precautionary measure. In view of the incident, PUB and ENV will require old buildings to take adequate measures to prevent a recurrence of the incident.”
The complete record
Every one of 116 lines we hold for Tang Guan Seng, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 1 of 3.
“As I said just now, the procedure for visa application has been streamlined for certain groups of visitors from the PRC. As of now, there is no plan for visa-free travel between the two countries. BILLS INTRODUCED UNITED NATIONS BILL "to enable Singapore to fulfil its obligations respecting Article 41 of the Charter of the United Nations", presented by the Minister for Law and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Prof. S. Jayakumar); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. SUPPLEMENTARY SUPPLY (NO. 2) BILL "to provide for making supplementary provision to meet additional expenditure for the financial year 1st April 2001 to 31st March 2002", recommendation of President signified; presented by the Minister for Finance (Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS (TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF OVERSEAS VOTING) BILL "to provide for the temporary suspension of provisions in the Parliamentary Elections Act (Chapter 218 of the 2001 Revised Edition) relating to registration of overseas electors and overseas voting", presented by the Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Wong Kan Seng); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. SECURITIES AND FUTURES BILL Order for Second Reading read. 12.45 pm”
“STB has been encouraging a group of tour agencies who are members of the National Association of Travel Agents in Singapore to work closely with the authorised tour agents in China so that collectively they can improve on the quality of the package tours in Singapore, thereby increasing the number of tourists from PRC and also improving on the quality of service provided to them.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is true that there is stringent control on visitors from PRC. However, recently, there has been a relaxation on the requirements. For example, the Banker's Guarantee for group visits I mentioned earlier has been reduced from $150,000 to $100,000. This is what we have been doing and we have been discussing with the Ministry of Home Affairs to work towards a streamlined visa procedure.”
“If the Member has information of this nature, can he please give us the particulars and we will refer to the relevant agencies for action? CIVIL SERVICE (Discharged and undischarged bankrupts) 10. Mr Thomas Thomas asked the Deputy Prime Minister how many discharged and undischarged bankrupts were employed by the Civil Service over the last three years from 1998 - 2000 and whether any civil servant lost his or her job on becoming a judgement debtor or an undischarged bankrupt over the same period.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, they are not allowed to sell directly to consumers, like you and me. But they are allowed to sell their goods to wholesalers and retailers.”
“The aggrieved parties may report to CAD or, alternatively, I would suggest that the aggrieved parties also report to CASE because CASE can help CAD in its investigation, if necessary.”
“I would like to clarify a point made by the Member. Our thinking is to require companies with paid-up capital of more than half a million dollars, not a million dollars, to join as members of SBF. For ethnic chambers, their catchment is quite big. Under the proposed legislation, we do not require sole proprietary or partnership companies to join as members of SBF. So they are not affected. They can still continue to be members of the ethnic chambers. For companies with over and above half a million dollars paid-up capital, they can decide on their own. They can still remain as members of the ethnic chambers and, at the same time, become members of SBF under the new arrangement. Our thinking is that, as I have said just now, if the chambers of commerce can provide relevant services to their members, they would like to continue because they have different needs. I hope that arrangements can be worked out so that the various ethnic chambers can deal with this dual membership problem, whether by giving discounts or through some other measures. As I have said just now, ethnic chambers can play a very important role and they provide the matrix of the apex organisation, which is SBF. FATAL ACCIDENTS INVOLVING MOTORISTS (Preventive measures) 13. Mr Kenneth Chen Koon Lap asked the Minister for Home Affairs, in view of the increase in the number of fatal accidents involving motorcyclists, whether the Ministry has taken any measures to prevent this unnecessary loss of lives, especially as most of the victims killed are below the age of 30.”
“As I have said just now, there are roles to be played by ethnic chambers. Each chamber will have to provide services to their members. His question is whether we would legislate for the members to join SBF through the ethnic chambers. I think this is not necessary because, at the moment, our thinking is that SBF will provide general services to represent Singapore in international forums and also to be a partner to work out national policies on economic matters. So it will provide general services to its members. But ethnic chambers will play a slightly different role. For example, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry can organise missions to various parts of China, whereas SBF may not be interested in doing so. So I would think that if various ethnic chambers can set up their activities and improve their services, they would be able to retain and recruit more members to join them. His next question is whether consideration can be given for a discount in membership fees to members who want to join SBF through the chambers. We would leave it to the various chambers to decide how they would like to work it out because we would not disallow dual membership. They can join as a member of the ethnic chamber and, at the same time, join SBF. Whether the respective ethnic chambers would like to give a discount, we will leave it to them to decide.”
“Membership in these organisations will therefore continue to be strong as long as they continue to run programmes and provide services to benefit their members. Our chambers and associations form a rich matrix of industry networks that will help support and strengthen the SBF. To be an effective and representative apex chamber, SBF needs to engage not just the individual companies but also the ethnic chambers, other local business and trade organisations and foreign business chambers. The ethnic chambers are especially important in this matrix as our local small businesses tend to be aligned according to the different ethnic groups. The ethnic chambers will fulfil a valuable and unique role in the SBF by representing these ethnic business communities. It is for this reason that the Chinese, Malay and Indian chambers will have a permanent place in the SBF Council and therefore have an influence in the direction and activities of the SBF. Ultimately the success of the SBF depends on the support of the individual business chambers, associations and companies. The SBF Council will be structured such that it includes the key stakeholders - both business associations and companies - in its decision-making. This will ensure that the SBF caters to the needs and reflects the voice of the wider business community.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the formation of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) as the apex business chamber in Singapore was a proposal from the Singapore Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (SFCCI). SFCCI's five constituent members, which include the Chinese, Malay and Indian Chambers, agreed that a strong apex organisation like the SBF would help co-ordinate and promote Singapore's private sector interests both locally and abroad. SBF will strengthen representation by our business sector in key domestic, bilateral and multilateral forums such as the National Wages Council, ASEAN, APEC, ASEM and our bilateral business councils. MTI supports the formation of such an SBF. It will benefit our business community. My Minister has stated publicly and in this House that MTI will introduce legislation to require larger companies to be members of the SBF. This is necessary to ensure that the SBF garners sufficient support and adequate funds to carry out its objectives. Only companies with paid-up capital of more than half a million dollars will be required to be members of the SBF and contribute to it. The great majority of our companies including most SMEs will be exempted from the SBF contribution. It is hence unlikely that the membership of our existing local and foreign chambers and business associations will be threatened. Moreover, many of our chambers and business associations serve the specific needs of their members. Many of them organise trade missions to help their members expand their business overseas. Others offer sector-specific activities for their members to network and collaborate with one another.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, developing the VC industry is a long-term commitment. The current downturn of the technology stocks is in fact an opportunity for Singapore to take advantage of industry consolidation and forge ahead of our competitors. Singapore's response to this downturn will be watched by the investors and VCs. We want to send out signals that Singapore is serious to develop as an entrepreneurial hub. It is a long-term undertaking. We will push on with our efforts to build an enterprise eco-system, which includes developing Singapore into a major centre for the global VC industry. We have stimulated the local VC industry by establishing TIF in 1999, as I have said just now. But the industry is still at a fledgling stage. To sustain this development, we may need to build upon this momentum generated by TIF1 and also signal to the VCs, investors and companies that we are serious players, despite the current downturn. Hence, we are actively reviewing the need for a second tranche of TIF which is still in discussion. SINGAPORE BUSINESS FEDERATION (Membership drive) 12. Mr Tay Beng Chuan asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (1) whether it is his Ministry's ultimate intention to compel, by legislation, all or only the more successful companies to join the proposed Singapore Business Federation (SBF), to the extent of hindering the membership drive and growth of several hundreds of our local and foreign business chambers and trade associations; and (2) what meaningful role does his Ministry expect the three ethnic Chambers of Commerce and Industry to play in the SBF bearing in mind that the SBF will be out to compete with them in membership recruitment and service delivery.”
“Power and electricity tariffs are reviewed quarterly based on fuel oil prices at the time of review. Changes in fuel oil prices are passed on to the consumers, which is fair. Fuel oil makes up, as my Senior Minister of State said, about half of the cost of producing electricity. If oil prices increase after the review, Power Supply would have under collected its revenue. But, on the other hand, if oil prices decrease, Power Supply would then have over collected. Power Supply is allowed to recover its under-collected revenue or, alternatively, is required to return over-collected revenue to consumers in subsequent quarters. Because this is done quarterly, it allows us to respond to the changes in oil prices quickly. We think that this is a very efficient way of responding to the changes in oil prices. But, where appropriate, we also try to moderate the price increases by staggering the increase over a longer period of, say, more than three months.”
“As I said just now, it is the policy of JTC to require the owner of the property to reinstate to its original condition, if there is a breach of the lease terms. In this particular case mentioned by the hon. Member, if he can give me the details, we will follow up on this.”
“As the Minister replied in January to a parliamentary question that the players may also guess wrong, then consumers would also face problems.”
“Sir, Mr Chng Hee Kok raised the issue of reinstatement of industrial property to the original condition upon its sale. Reinstatement of industrial property to the original condition is not a requirement for the transfer of JTC's industrial properties. However, where there are breaches to these terms, for example, when unauthorised structures are erected in the premises, the buyer or seller must regularise the breach prior to the completion of transfer. Otherwise, JTC will withhold consent. JTC only requires companies to reinstate their premises upon returning them to JTC. This applies to both tenancies and leases. Mr Chng also mentioned that HDB's policy is more liberalised. From what I understand, HDB's policy on reinstatement of industrial property is similar to JTC's. It means that if there is a breach of lease terms, they have to reinstate the property in its original condition. 3.00 pm Mr Sin Boon Ann commented about the utilities charges. Due to rising fuel oil prices, we had to raise our electricity tariffs three times last year. Fortunately, fuel oil price has since eased. Last month, tariffs for non-domestic consumers were lowered. However, we still had to raise the tariffs for residential and small non-domestic consumers because Power Supply has not fully recovered its under-collected revenue from this group of customers. If fuel oil price does not increase beyond its current level, we can expect electricity tariff for residential and small non-domestic consumers to come down slightly within the next few months. Fuel oil futures predict a decline in prices in the coming months. Mr Sin also raised the issue whether it is possible to hedge against price fluctuation.”
“From the report I have, PUB immediately took action when they were alerted to this problem. MAERSK'S SHIFT TO TANJUNG PELEPAS (Impact on Port of Singapore) 16. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang asked the Minister for Communications and Information Technology what is the impact of Maersk's shift to Tg Pelepas on the Port of Singapore and what plans the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has to improve our port competitiveness.”
“From what I know, PUB and ENV were alerted to this problem on 22nd August but apparently, the doctor discovered this problem on 18th August. So from 18th to 22nd August, it was a matter between the doctor and the management corporation or may be the managing agent and the authorities, PUB and ENV, were not alerted to the problem. On 22nd August, PUB and ENV took immediate action after they were alerted to this problem. So there is no lapse on the part of ENV and PUB.”
“Applications for installations of water tanks and water pipes have to be submitted by professional engineers for approval. In this case, we have to see whether there is any alteration to the original plan. For the 49 cases, I was informed that 15 out of these 49 cases, in fact, have plans to either relocate their water tanks or make changes to their water pipes. I think their water supply is normal and safe. On compensation, it is the responsibility of the registered customer of PUB to ensure that the water piping system is in order. This means that if anything is not in order, the registered customer has to take responsibility. The compensation between the tenants and the management corporation is a matter for the tenants of the building and the management corporation to resolve.”
“Furthermore, such contamination problem would not have arisen if the sanitary pipes were kept in good condition and the water tanks covered. The new rule in 1989 was an added precautionary measure. In view of the incident, PUB and ENV will require old buildings to take adequate measures to prevent a recurrence of the incident. PUB and ENV have inspected 972 buildings of 10 years or older. The water reticulation systems of these buildings were found to be safe. The sanitary pipes and the water tanks were in good condition and posed no risk. 49 of the buildings checked have sanitary pipes located above the water tanks. The management corporations of these buildings have been requested to divert the sanitary pipes or relocate the water tanks. In addition, PUB has also instructed management corporations of high-rise buildings to check their entire water piping systems and water tanks to confirm that they are in satisfactory condition and that unauthorised access to the tanks is prevented. They are to submit a report by end October 2000 to PUB.”
“The contamination of water supply in Sherwood Tower Condominium on 22nd August is an isolated incident. It affected Bukit Timah Plaza, which comprises Sherwood Tower Condominium, a shopping complex and eating outlets. Waste water from a corroded sanitary pipe seeped into an uncovered water tank located below the sanitary pipe. The problem was confined to this 20-year-old building. The integrity of our public water supply system was not in doubt. When PUB and ENV were alerted to the problem, they worked immediately with the managing agent of the building to clean and disinfect the contaminated water reticulation system. ENV also closed all food stalls in the Plaza and advised all residents to boil their water. The contamination was contained and residents were provided with alternative water supply through water tankers and nearby fire hydrants. Water supply to the residents and businesses was fully restored in the morning of 24th August. Continued monitoring by PUB and ENV showed that the water supply within the building is now normal. The Attorney-General's Chambers is reviewing the case to determine if the managing agent should be taken to task for the failure to keep the water supply and sewerage systems in proper working order. We have specific regulatory requirements in our water services, sewerage and sanitary works to ensure safe supply of water to all buildings. Our regulatory code stipulates that water tanks should not be located below sewer lines. This was disallowed since 1989 for new buildings. The requirement was not applied retrospectively to old buildings since they might not be adequately designed to comply with this requirement.”
“Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will take Question Nos. 14 and 15 together.”
“As I said just now, PSB will have to work with DOS and EDB on this because the number is very big, more than 100,000. These SMEs have a problem with resources and we have to wait until the end of the year for them to submit their report and from there, DOS will take over and compile the data. When it is ready, we will make an announcement. WATER SUPPLY (Contamination by sewage pipe leakage) 14. Dr Wang Kai Yuen asked the Minister for Trade and Industry what measures his Ministry is taking to ensure that the Public Utilities Board's water supply will not be contaminated by leakage of sewage pipes anywhere in Singapore as had happened at the Sherwood Tower Condominium. 15. Dr Wang Kai Yuen asked the Minister for Trade and Industry what is his Ministry's view on the response of the Public Utilities Board to the contamination of fresh water supply at the Sherwood Tower Condominium.”
“I feel that there should be flexibility in the formula, so that even in changed circumstances, it can be adjusted and be accepted by most people. Of course, this is not the best time to raise the issue of pay increases for Ministers and civil servants. This is because the cut in employers' CPF contributions has not been fully restored yet and there have been increases in utility charges, taxi fares, etc of late. So a lot of effort has to be made to convince the people to accept this. Sir, in this connection, I hope that the Government will pay special attention to the following matters. Firstly is wage cost. Will the pay increases result in a chain reaction that triggers off an escalation in the private sector's salaries? If wage cost is increased, will our competitiveness be eroded? Secondly, will this result in a chain of price increases and push up inflation? Thirdly, I hope that the Government will continue with the asset enhancement programmes so that all Singaporeans will be able to enjoy the fruits of our economic success.”
“Secondly, I would like to talk about the relationship between the political leadership and the private sector. Yesterday, some MPs opined that the risks in the private sector are higher. Of course, there are risks in the private sector. Ministers also face high risks, though different types of risks. As for the responsibility that they hold, I think no one will have any doubt that theirs are very much heavier. They have to care for 3 million Singaporeans, their employment, their education and their future. In times of peace and prosperity, we will not appreciate the important roles played by the Ministers. Only in a crisis will we realise the importance of having a good Government. The political leadership, the civil service and the private sector should maintain a balanced relationship so that there can be mobility among talents in these three sectors. We have a very limited pool of talents. If we can work out a salary formula, which can facilitate the flow of talents among these three sectors, it will be to the advantage of our country. The existing formula will be replaced by a new formula. The new formula is to take the 48 top earners in the six selected professions and to use the median point of the income as a benchmark. The ministers' salaries will be pegged at two-thirds of the benchmark. Compared to the existing formula, this is an improvement. This shows that the Government is prepared to review the agreed formula to suit new circumstances. There is one common characteristic in these two formulae - the discounting factor. Now, we are using two-thirds. Should it be lower or higher? A decision has to be made. Deputy Prime Minister has surfaced this new formula for us to discuss.”
“Sir, we should not look at the revision of Ministers' salaries in an isolated manner. We have to take into consideration the various factors in the public and the private sectors. We are now in the midst of transforming into a new economy. There are many attractions for talented young people to go into the private sector. This bodes ill for the public sector in the long term. On the other hand, if the salaries in the public sector are much more attractive than in the private sector, it is also not an ideal situation because the private sector might be weakened as a result. Between these two sectors, we have to maintain a balance so that there will be a free flow of talents. They should be able to move from the public sector to the private sector and vice versa. We want to have first-class talents in the public sector so as to help formulate and implement policies as these policies will affect the private sector and all the people of Singapore. As for the relationship between the political leaders and the civil servants, let me share this story with members. Recently, I attended an international conference where I met a delegate from an economy whose government was just newly elected. I asked him about his government's new economic policies. He told me that the new government had only two priorities - one was environmental protection and the other was to please the workers. As for how to promote economic development, the new government had no ideas at all. He said that civil servants were facing big problems. This shows that if the political leaders are weak, the government will not be able to function satisfactorily even if you have good civil servants. The ideal situation is where the political leaders are more far-sighted and more capable than the civil servants.”
“I think this would make our discussions more objective and rational. Ministers and top civil servants are charged with the very heavy responsibility of improving the standard of living for Singaporeans. We have to establish a system so that the Government and the civil service can attract the best talents. The achievements of our Government are for all to see. There is no need for us to blow our own trumpet. Recently, I had a conversation with an Ambassador of a foreign country. She told me that in the past three years, there were two things in Singapore that left a very deep impression on her. First, during the financial crisis, the Government had time and again devised strategies to tackle the recession, and eventually led Singapore out of the recession - the first country in this region to do so. Secondly, while we were dealing with the recession, we also made preparations to face the challenges of the new economy, that is, to plan for the future. Recently, I spoke to a couple of Hong Kong entrepreneurs and they told me the property market in Hong Kong had fallen drastically. This had caused a lot of unhappiness among the people and many of them had taken to the streets to demonstrate against the government. These Hong Kong entrepreneurs asked me how Singapore managed to prevent such a predicament. I told them that in Singapore, the political leadership had anticipated the problem of `over-heating' of the property market and introduced some timely measures to cool down the situation in the property market. This is the difference between Singapore and Hong Kong. As a matter of fact, PERC, an independent think tank based in Hong Kong, in its report in May, rated the Singapore Government as number one in terms of political leadership and economic policies.”
“It is often said that touching on the subject of money would hurt inter-personal relationship. Even in a company, some people would be unhappy if one of their colleagues gets a pay raise of only $50 or $100. We are now talking about the pay increases of our Ministers. Thus, we have to take more pains in explaining this matter to the people. Many governments do not publicly discuss pay increases for ministers, especially in countries where the ruling party is weak. The ruling party is worried that it might be voted out. Other governments do not discuss this because the country cannot afford higher pay for its ministers. The result is a less than clean government. Singapore is unique. Firstly, we discuss the issue of ministers' pay openly. The Government takes a long-term approach to this issue because we want to maintain a first class government with first class efficiency. Secondly, our system is highly transparent. Some people ask why we are so transparent about the high salaries of our Ministers. There are many other easier ways to compensate them and to supplement their salaries, for example, giving them housing allowances, providing them with a chauffeur or a maid. The Government can also increase their salaries quietly through promotion. If we do that, things would have been much easier. However, it is not the style of the Government to do that. We want to lay everything on the table and allow even the formula for calculating Ministers' salaries to be brought up for public scrutiny. This is a very honest way of dealing with the matter. When we discuss this issue, my view is that the emphasis should be on how to establish a system to determine ministers' salaries rather than focusing on the individual minister's salary.”
“Our plan is to find a third party to take over the park, to redevelop it, to enhance its attractiveness and manage it. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read.”
“Third, the consumer should be given a choice. Sir, I do believe all these are fair and correct but one of the things in the Fair Trading Act that CASE would want to promote is a legislation that would concentrate on these points. Firstly, there are a lot of areas of deception which are not covered by current law. Secondly, competition can be deviated from by very, very careful tricks which I mentioned yesterday. Thirdly, the power of choice really depends on informed choice and there are no laws that prevent, for example, as in one situation, a house being sold in Australia with a picture of it right next to the Sydney Opera House. That is a deception but there was nothing mentioned which current law could have taken action on.”
“However, we must remember that price stability by itself is not proof of collusion. It is well-known in economics that oligopolistic pricing tends to oscillate between high stability and price wars. This is commonly observed in industries like air travel, commodity chemicals and petrol retailing. For a long time there will be no price changes, then one player will break ranks to increase market share and the result is price war which sometimes takes the form of gifts or discounts. The best way for us to stop monopolistic behaviour is to let in the fresh air of competition. One way to prevent such monopolies is to allow parallel imports of items like motorcars. Another way is to let in more suppliers like allowing fleet operators to supply petrol and diesel to their own fleet. We will continue to explore other ways to promote competition. Mr Thomas suggested that the Government enact a Fair Trading Act. As Prof. Toh mentioned yesterday, CASE will be putting up a proposal for such an Act for Singapore. My Ministry will study CASE's proposal when it is ready. However, we must bear in mind the principle of minimal intervention in the market and caveat emptor. If we are not careful, the so-called fair trading regulations can strengthen the market power of some players in the market. In many professional fields, regulations which claim to protect consumers may end up protecting existing players against new competition. Assoc. Prof. Toh See Kiat: Sir, I would like to applaud the Senior Parliamentary Secretary on the Ministry's stand on the three points that Mr Tang has mentioned. First, to concentrate consumer protection on deception and fraud. Second, to promote competition and competition will lower prices and benefit the consumers.”
“The question then is whether it is indeed possible for the Government to prevent or stamp out every such act of mischief, or even criminalise them. We must be careful not to over-regulate. Every single regulation comes with a cost to business. The additional business cost is eventually borne by consumers. We must therefore weigh the pros and cons carefully. For example, we do not require the same degree of labelling for clothing in Singapore as in the United States. It is easy for us to impose the same requirements, but the result will deprive Singaporeans of cheap clothing from China and elsewhere. The key to better consumer protection is to promote competition in the marketplace, and this is very important. The power of choice is the best check against unfair trade practices. We must maintain a free and open economy so that there are no barriers to the flow of goods and services in and out of Singapore. This allows consumers, retailers and manufacturers to source for products and raw materials at the most competitive prices, locally and from abroad. Consumers must also be alert themselves. In response to Mr Sin Boon Ann's concern, I would say that the Government cannot watch over every foreign property sale. Consumers have to be careful and not go into a contract blindly. But on the Government's part, what we can do is to work with CASE to improve our efforts in educating consumers and disclosing more information, so that consumers can make more discerning choices. Some Members also commented on the cartel-like behaviour in certain sectors. I think one common complaint was the uniformity of petrol prices in Singapore. We will not hesitate to take action should we find evidence of collusion to fix price.”
“Sir, let me now go on to talk about the issue of consumer protection which was raised by Prof. Toh See Kiat, Mr Thomas Thomas, Dr Neo and Mr Sin Boon Ann. Consumer protection issues have been raised in this House many times before. Some cases are so bad, they lead rightly to public indignation and calls for legislation to prevent them from happening again. However, I must point out that consumer protection issues cover a wide range and the responses to each of them cannot be the same. For issues that concern public health and safety, or fraud, the Government will tackle them robustly. We believe that the existing legislation is largely adequate for this purpose. But where necessary, the Government will amend our existing legislation to take such fraudulent acts to task. In this regard, MTI is finalising the amendments to the Commodity Futures Act to tackle the problem of bucket shops. This is the problem raised by Members in the past. As suggested by Prof. Toh, my Ministry is also working with the Ministry of Finance on amending the Multi-Level Marketing Act to prevent recurrence of cases similar to S888 in future. We will take CASE's point into account in our work. In this connection, let me take this opportunity to commend CASE for its vigilance in alerting the Government to the S888 problem before it grew out of control. CASE steadfastly stood its ground that such activities were against the welfare of consumers and, as a result, pricked the balloon early. But not all consumer protection cases involve fraud. The majority of cases involve acts of mischief by traders, like the "switch-and-bait" or "third line enforcing" as mentioned by Dr Neo. In these cases, consumers may walk out of the shop feeling cheated.”
“Sir, Mr Ang Mong Seng has suggested that the admission charges to Sentosa should be reduced. I would like to inform the House that we will be cutting admission charges significantly to make them as affordable as possible, especially for repeat visitors. There will be special discount schemes for NTUC union members, reservists, school children and retirees. Sentosa will announce the details in due course. The objective is to have as many Singaporeans visit Sentosa as frequently as they wish, whether in the day or at night. Sir, with regard to attractions on Sentosa, visitors will soon be able to enjoy the upgraded musical fountain and the dolphin shows. Sentosa is also considering introducing a hawker stall bazaar and an artist village to add life and vibrancy to the island. The new upgraded musical fountain and cabaret shows at the Fantasy Island will anchor our efforts to promote Sentosa as a popular night destination for food, drinks, entertainment and parties. With more visitors to the island, the existing attractions will also have greater commercial incentives to be upgraded. 2.00 pm We will launch the land sale for Sentosa Cove later this year. When fully developed, this integrated waterfront leisure and residential development will bring a unique lifestyle to Sentosa. In short, we are moving Sentosa into its next phase of development. We will be building on its sound foundation. Singaporeans and tourists can look forward to exciting changes ahead. The Sentosa Development Corporation will actively solicit feedback and suggestions from locals and foreigners and from experts in this field to help it refine its strategy. To this end, SDC will set up an International Advisory Council to tap on fresh ideas to make Sentosa even more attractive.”
“Sir, let me reply to the two remaining subjects raised by MPs. They are the development of Sentosa and consumer protection. First, on Sentosa. Mr Leong Horn Kee and Mr Ang Mong Seng have made a number of suggestions to improve the attractiveness of Sentosa. The Government has been a great supporter of Sentosa. Since 1972, the Government has invested about $300 million on Sentosa for infrastructure and attraction development, and vested the entire island to the Sentosa Development Corporation. I would like to inform Mr Leong that they are getting as good a deal as SMRT. It is now up to Sentosa to further exploit its assets to improve the quality of life for Singaporeans, besides being a tourist paradise. Sentosa can be our special resort island for Singaporean families to enjoy both in the day and at night. It can also be an exciting place for our tourists. In fact, Sentosa is already the most popular tourist destination in Singapore. To make it even more attractive, we will be introducing a number of major changes. Let me elaborate. Sir, we will build a $140 million people mover system to link Sentosa to the North-East MRT line at the World Trade Centre. This bi-directional system, which is like an LRT, will replace the existing monorail. It has double the capacity. With faster and more trains, waiting time would be much shorter. The system will be partly funded by the Government. Tenders for the system has been called, construction will begin by early 2001. And we expect the system to be running by end 2002 to tie in with the completion of the MRT North-East line. The new system will offer visitors a seamless journey via MRT, from their home to Sentosa. So it is very convenient and this will enhance access to Sentosa in a significant way.”
“For example, wafer fabrication plants recycle their water up to 50% per day, which is equivalent to the size of 11 swimming pools. As for sea water, I can inform the Member that those industries located near the seafront such as power stations and refineries are using sea water. In fact, the volume of sea water they use everyday can fill five MacRitchie reservoirs. So we have achieved a lot in this area and we are trying to encourage industries to use more sea water. Mr Simon Tay and Mr Chuang Shaw Peng touched on the subject of energy efficiency. I must inform the House that the Government has implemented various incentive schemes to encourage our companies and industries to use energy more efficiently. On the part of PUB, it conducts regular energy audits and it also organises seminars and workshops so that the latest information can be disseminated to the industries and companies. Singapore Power, in fact, is also very keen to promote energy efficiency. For example, it receives students from schools to their power plants so that they know how important it is to use energy efficiently.”
“We are also studying the experiences of other countries in this respect. Dr Lily Neo is concerned over the presence of toxic chemicals in toys. There were also reports in the newspapers expressing similar concerns. In view of this, the Ministry of the Environment recently has made analysis on some samples of Teletubby toys and infant feeding devices and found the results to be satisfactory. There were no phthalates detected. The Ministry of the Environment said that they would continue to make checks whenever they receive reports of toxic substances in toys. I would like to assure Members that we are monitoring this closely. Should there be an assessment that there are substances in toys or other products that render them unsafe for the public, the Government would take necessary actions. It is not necessary to set up another regulatory body just for this purpose. Mr Ong Kian Min has commented on our efforts to attract world class exhibitions and conferences to Singapore. We have managed to achieve quite a lot in this area. For example, mega exhibitions like Asian Aerospace, Food and Hotel Asia and Communic Asia have come to Singapore. In terms of infrastructure and exhibition space, we have enough to cater to our needs. With the completion of the Singapore Expo which provides 60,000 sq metres of space, we are able to accommodate world-class events. If there is a need, we can add another 40,000 sq metres to a site nearer to the Singapore Expo. Dr Wang Kai Yuen has urged the Government to use more recycled water and sea water. We are doing this. For example, we work closely with industries and encourage them to use recycled water. Industries like electronics and electroplating use recycled water.”
“My Ministry is considering whether extending the CFA to cover futures trading in other commodities will help to deal with the "bucket-shop" problem. We are also examining the regulatory regimes of other countries such as the US and UK to see if they work and are appropriate for us. We will be discussing with the relevant Ministries and agencies on possible approaches to deal with this problem. I must say this is a very complicated subject. An important principle is that we should not over-regulate. When we regulate, the regulations must be effective. No regulatory system can protect investors from fraud if they make foolish decisions or enter into one-sided contracts without due diligence. They should be discerning when responding to advertising claims and stay away from dubious investment schemes that promise unrealistically high returns. They must be more vigilant when contemplating unfamiliar and risky new investments. Sir, Dr Toh See Kiat also raised the issue of retail price maintenance. My Ministry replied to a similar question some time ago and the position remains unchanged. The best way to prevent price fixing behaviour is to promote competition in the market place, and to maintain a free and open economy so that there are no barriers to the flow of goods in and out of Singapore. This allows retailers, producers and consumers to buy from all sources at the most competitive prices, even from abroad. Retailers who face pressure from their usual suppliers to sell their goods at set prices can, and should, source for alternative suppliers. My Ministry administers the Price Control Act. If necessary, we can use this Act to deal with the problem. Meanwhile, we are monitoring the situation closely.”
“Mr Inderjit Singh also commented on the performance of our tourism sector. Last year, there was a decline in tourist arrivals by 12%. Because of this, STB has stepped up their promotion efforts. There is a $30 million marketing campaign called "Once in a Millennium Offer". This will run from June this year to August next year and there will be a series of activities and events to attract visitors to Singapore. As far as visa procedures are concerned, STB is working closely with the Ministry of Home Affairs. In fact, leisure groups from China can now apply for double-entry visas. As for group tourists from China, it is easier now for them to apply for visas. For tourists from India, Myanmar and Blangadesh, they can now apply for a 2-year or 5-year multiple journey visas if they are businessmen or staff of the tourism-related companies. STB is also considering the possibility of developing sports tourism. STB is trying to anchor strategic world-class sporting events in Singapore. It will explore financial and fiscal incentives to achieve this. I agree with Mr Rai that we should capitalise on our multi-cultural richness. One example is the Chinatown project. We will do more in this area so that we can attract tourists to stay in Singapore a little longer. For companies in the tourism industry which want to upgrade and improve their services, they can, in fact, apply for incentives under the Tourism Development Assistance Scheme. This year STB has projected that tourist arrivals to Singapore will increase by 1% to 3%. We have to put in more efforts in order to achieve this. Mr Chng Hee Kok and Dr Toh See Kiat brought up cases involving trading of soft commodities. Sir, currently only rubber and coffee futures are gazetted under the Commodity Futures Act (CFA).”
“Sir, I will reply to some of the points raised by MPs yesterday. Mr Inderjit Singh and Dr Toh See Kiat made some comments on our attractions on Sentosa. Dr Toh said that the Merlion Tower is fiction. But I think there is nothing wrong in it. The Merlion symbol was created more than 30 years ago by the Tourism Promotion Board. It has become a globally recognised tourist icon for Singapore. When tourists come to Singapore, they like to take photographs with the Merlion. Because of this, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) built the Merlion Tower. Since its completion in 1996, about half a million tourists visited this Merlion every year. We must thank the Merlion which has contributed to the tourism industry. Sentosa is our top attraction. Despite the economic downturn and the drop in tourist arrivals, last year it attracted 3.3 million tourists. So credit must go to SDC. There are many attractions on Sentosa. Some are privately owned and some are owned by SDC. SDC is constantly reviewing and renewing its attractions on Sentosa. For example, Siloso Beach has become a major attraction now. The Musical Foundation, which changes its shows regularly to attract visitors, and the Images of Singapore are also popular with tourists. As for the private attractions on Sentosa, they have their own product life cycle. SDC is encouraging them to renew the attractions and put in new investments by offering incentives. If they apply, SDC will consider them favourably. Apart from providing incentives, SDC is also implementing various measures to attract visitors to Sentosa. For example, the Mega Savers Scheme is quite successful. As stated by the Minister yesterday, we are going to do a strategic review of Sentosa to reposition it as a world class tourist attraction.”
“As PUB is operating in Johor, employment should also be given to the locals. ELECTRONIC ROAD PRICING (Lowering of fines for motorcyclists) 8. Encik Harun A Ghani asked the Minister for Communications if he will consider lowering the Electronic Road Pricing fines for motorcyclists. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications (Dr Yaacob Ibrahim) (for the Minister for Communications): Mr Speaker, Sir, the ERP system requires a motorist who uses an ERP expressway or road to install an IU in his vehicle and insert a CashCard of sufficient value. Therefore, motorists as well as motorcyclists who drive through an Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantry during the operating hours without an In-Vehicle Unit (IU) and a CashCard of sufficient value in the IU are committing an offence. We should not impose different penalties for the same offence as it is only fair that all offenders are treated equally, whether they drive a car, a lorry or ride a motorcycle. Nevertheless, LTA will continue to consider all appeals against ERP offences on the merits of each case.”
“As I mentioned just now, SLI will continue to review the existing measures and look into further measures to encourage more public usage of the Gardens. ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE OF SINGAPORE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 1998 TO 31ST MARCH, 1999 Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [3rd Allotted Day]. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] Head O (cont.) - Resumption of Debate on Question [12th March, 1998], "That the sum to be allocated for Head O of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100." - [Dr Ong Chit Chung]. Question again proposed. 12.38 pm”
“I do not have the specific information with me now. But as I said, it has been running at a loss for the last few years.”
“Sir, at the moment, the profits f from other areas of SLI's commercial operations, such as land use, land lease and landscape services, help to fund the Gardens' deficit. So there is no need to seek a grant from the National Parks Board. As to another question raised by the Member, I would like to inform him that as the site has redevelopment potential, it is not advisable to turn it into a public park.”
“Sir, the training and retraining of our workers is a challenge because of our workforce with about 40 percent below primary education. So we have to try hard. But under this tight labour market, sometimes it is not easy for them to go for training. But, anyway, I think there are a number of things that we can do. We should increase their awareness so that they would come forward to train. Even though they cannot work overtime, if they go for training, the result is that this will increase their skills and also their income at the end of the day. I think we have made progress in this area and the Government is serious in putting in more resources in getting more workers to be trained. As I said just now, under SDF, we have widened and relaxed the guidelines for more workers to come in, including housewives and retirees. As for the lower-educated workers, I think through ITE, through BEST and WISE programmes, together with NTUC, we can do more in this aspect.”
“Dr Ho Tat Kin has touched on the issue of millennium timebomb. He has asked if there are measures to help computerised organisations to tackle this problem. I would like to inform the House that NCB launched a Year 2000 Conversion Campaign in November 1996. The aim is to raise awareness of the problem and to drive conversion of the Government's systems. With the assistance of NCB, all Government bodies have completed a comprehensive inventory, and impact analysis of the problem. The actual conversion process has already started. Many Government bodies are also taking the opportunity to review their systems. They may decide to replace or update their existing systems as it may be more economical to do so in the long run. The target is for all Government bodies to complete their conversion by the end of 1998. As for the private sector, NCB has implemented a number of initiatives to increase their awareness of the Year 2000 problem. NCB held seminars for the benefit of the private sector. Other Government agencies have also helped prepare the private sector to tackle the Year 2000 problem. For example ---”
“Second is the Patent Application Fund. This scheme provides financial assistance to help defray the cost of patent application. This encourages Singapore organisations and individuals to register their innovations and inventions in order to protect their intellectual property rights. The scheme has supported more than 50 applications since the beginning of 1995. Sir, venture funds are also available through the $100 million Technology Commercialisation Fund. This scheme helps start-up companies develop and market innovative technologies by taking an equity stake in them. Sir, the universities, the research institutes and centres and the polytechnics are also active in setting up high-tech start-up companies with assistance from the Commercialisation Grant Scheme. These start-up companies often attract co-investment from the private sector. The scheme has to-date helped spin out 24 start-up companies and joint venture companies with industrial participation. As for the technical and resource support, NSTB's Technopreneurs Assistance Centre provides individuals and technology-based start-up companies with support in accounting, technical, legal and management consultancy services and networking services. The Centre helps translate their ideas into commercialisable products and subsequently into business ventures. The PSB also plays a part by administering the R&D Incubators Programme that offers laboratories space and access to technological expertise, equipment and services to budding local enterprises.”
“This allows MNCs the additional convenience of being able to integrate various operations and ancillary activities such as marketing, training, technical and administration under one roof. To-date, there has been no indicative demand for a regional training park from companies. It seems that the present arrangements are adequate. However, should such a demand arise in the future, we shall consider the proposal. Sir, Mr Inderjit Singh has also said that it is important to create an environment for the technopreneurs and entrepreneurs to mushroom. I agree with his view and, in fact, the Government has adopted a multi-pronged approach to help develop a favourable environment for technopreneurship and entrepreneurship in technology. This approach brings together the efforts of agencies like NSTB, EDB and PSB. Working in close coordination, these agencies are able to draw on each other's resources to assist the entrepreneurs. I think this is better than to have a special unit to help them. Under the National Science and Technology Plan 2000, the encouragement of entrepreneurship or technopreneurship has been identified as a critical thrust to further Singapore's development. The NSTB, together with PSB and EDB, has set up an innovation support system that provides support to individuals and companies. This is in the form of provision of funding technical and resources support, information resources and networking opportunities. For funding, several funding schemes are available to assist technopreneurs and innovators. These include: first, the Innovators' Assistance Scheme. This scheme provides grant to assist inventors and innovators to translate their innovations into commercialisable products and processes. The scheme has supported 26 projects over the past three years.”
“PSB is currently doing a national manpower plan to project the economic manpower skills requirements in the next three years. The exercise will help estimate the skills that are needed in the economy and specific groups of workers that require training in such skills. PSB's target is to identify the critical skills requirements by early next year. Mr Lim Swee Say has suggested the setting up of a Skills Redevelopment Fund. My Ministry welcomes any proposal to maximise our human resource. So we will look into his proposal, maybe together with the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Finance. The Government will continue to promote and support workers' training. Our workers themselves must also see the need to train and retrain. Jobs are easily available in today's tight labour market. Many workers do not see the urgency and need for training. This is a wrong attitude to take as the situation in the job market can change rapidly. 5.45 pm Mr Sinnakaruppan has proposed the setting up of a regional corporate training park to support training activities in Singapore. Sir, the Government encourages MNCs to conduct training in Singapore. As Mr Sinnakaruppan has pointed out, overseas training activities provided by the operational headquarters in Singapore are included as part of OHQ Incentive Scheme's qualifying activities. As MNCs' training is usually company specific, they typically conduct their training within their own company's premises or in hotel function rooms. This is one of the effective ways to conduct training. In addition, industrial training can be conducted in areas zoned for Business Park use.”
“About 13% of the workers above 40 years old received SDF support in 1996, up from 6% in 1992. On the training of the lower educated workers with below secondary qualifications, please refer to Table 2 (Cols. 813 - 814). It shows that while the share of such workers trained through SDF has remained constant in the last two years, the number of training places supported by SDF has gone up by 10% to 162,000. Table 1 & 2 - WORKERS' TRAINING (Cols. 811 - 814) Industrial restructuring is an inevitable process for the economy to progress. There is a risk of structural unemployment but this can be minimised in two ways. First, the Government will assist retrenched workers to get new jobs and to provide them with new skills. The Back-to-Work programme that I mentioned just now is one of such schemes. Second, and more importantly, we will sustain continuing education and training programmes for our workers in order to make them more adaptable to changing skills requirements. Besides the NTUC's Skills Redevelopment Programme, PSB has also been providing the Core Skills for Effectiveness and Changes Training Programme (COSEC) since 1986 to equip workers with knowledge in core areas such as communication, problem solving and IT. SDF also supports a wide range of skills training programmes for workers, including programmes such as BEST, WISE, MOST and FAST FORWARD to upgrade the educational level of our workers. I strongly urge our workers to take full advantage of these educational training programmes to upgrade themselves. Sir, Mr Ahmad Magad asked if the pace of restructuring is in tandem with our workers' ability to cope. I believe it is. The fact that retrenched workers do not take long to find alternative employment proves this.”
“This was in fact implemented last year with the amendment of the Skills Development Levy Act. It widened SDF beneficiaries to include the self-employed and re-entrants to the workforce such as housewives and retirees. This allows an additional one million Singaporeans, equivalent to more than half of our workforce, to apply for training support. They may apply through self-help groups such as CDAC, MENDAKI and other organisations such as the NTUC. Several new training and upgrading programmes were also launched in 1996. These included the Back-to-Work Programme. This is jointly organised by the Ministry of Labour, PSB, NTUC and Singapore National Employers' Federation in September 1996. The aim is to prepare economically inactive persons to return to the workforce. 2,500 persons responded to the programme so far. Among them, 43% were married females in the 30-54 age group and 16% were retrenched workers. So far, about 550 jobs were matched. The second programme is the Skills Redevelopment Programme. This was launched in December 1996 by NTUC to equip the lower educated workers with relevant skills to enhance their employability. EDB and PSB supported this $9 million training programme. To-date, 10 electronics companies have submitted plans to train 1,500 workers. The third scheme is the Total Company Training Plan. This was initiated in October 1996 to encourage companies to adopt a total and systematic approach to train their staff. PSB has so far approved 54 training plans. Mr Ahmad Magad and Mr Lim Swee Say have enquired about the training of older and less educated workers to avoid structural unemployment. SDF has made progress and is reaching out to older workers. Let me refer the House to Table 1 (Cols. 811 - 812) which was distributed just now.”