Yu-Foo Yee Shoon
Singapore
“I thank the Member for her suggestions. PRICING GUIDELINES ON CANTEEN FOOD FOR STUDENTS 19. Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Education (a) what are the Ministry's pricing guidelines on the sale of food to students in school canteens; (b) how does the Ministry balance the needs of the students and those of the canteen operators to mee…”
“[For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Sir, I would like to say that Mr Calvin Cheng must have thought deeply about what I have said. I have mentioned that 80% of singles actually wanted to get married. The responsibility of providing a social network used to be borne by the Government.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Centre-based Financial Assistance Scheme for Child Care (CFAC) and Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme (KiFAS) provide fee subsidies to help low-income families send their preschool children to childcare centres and kindergartens respectively.”
“The childcare philosophy is to encourage the women to work. We have already relaxed the criteria because for those housewives who send their children for half-day care, we would still help them, so that they can get half subsidy.”
“I think we can consider that. INCOME CEILING FOR CHILDCARE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEMES 16. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports whether the Ministry will consider increasing the family income ceiling for eligibility to the Centre-based Financial Assistance Scheme for Child Care (CFAC) and Kinde…”
“Very soon. IMPROVING ROAD SAFETY FOR ELDERLY PEDESTRIANS 17. Mr Laurence Wee Yoke Thong asked the Minister for Transport (a) what are the measures in place to (i) promote the safety of elderly pedestrians, especially at traffic crossings; (ii) encourage the able-bodied public to assist the vulnerable frail elderly crossing alone; and (b)…”
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“Apart from this, the parents need to pay only $10 per month for the childcare centre services and $5 per month for the kindergarten services. On many occasions and during some gatherings, I ask the people: how much do you think that you have to pay if you take into account the Government’s subsidy? Most of them will say, maybe a few hundred dollars. But I can tell you that for the very poor families, when the children go to the childcare centre, they pay $10 per month and for kindergarten they pay only $5. For those earning $1,500 to $1,800, they pay only $20 per month for the childcare centre and $10 for kindergarten. In fact, not a single student has to drop out because they could not afford to pay the fees. As I said earlier, for the elderly who are not supported by their family, we give them Public Assistance of $360 per month, excluding housing subsidy and the medical subsidy. They do not have to pay for medical treatment. I have visited one resident and he told me that his doctor is a specialist in the eye centre. Apart from that, temples and religious parties also give them ang pows. And on top of that, the Government also gives other subsidies like utilities, service and conservancy charges. So they enjoy subsidies in cash and in kind for as much as $480 per month. On top of that, they receive subsidies from other social welfare organisations. All in all, they get about $500. Honestly speaking, we do not give $500 to our parents every month. For the singles and destitute, they enjoy subsidised rental housing and so they pay about $20 to $30 a month. If they do not have a flat, they can go to the old folks' home run by our VWOs.”
“On top of this, various Government Ministries also provide various assistance and subsidies for the lower income – for example, the Ministry of Health has Medifund to help needy patients, the Ministry of Education has its Financial Assistance Scheme to help needy students, and HDB provides subsidised public rental housing to needy families. This is further complemented by the "many helping hands" in our community, such as the voluntary welfare organisations, the self-help groups and the grassroots organisations. All these various forms of support, taken together, make up a robust and comprehensive social safety net that has served us well over the years. We will continue to improve on this safety net and make it better going forward. And we will make sure that no one will be left behind as Singapore progresses. Let me say a few words in Mandarin. (In Mandarin ): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *.] Just now the Nominated Member has mentioned about the needy, elderly people in Singapore. I felt that he was too pessimistic. Mdm Deputy Speaker, let me give a short brief on the social safety net of our people. Most importantly, we must train those who are strong and healthy so that they are able to work and look after themselves. As for the young ones, we must be able to educate them and bring them up. I would say that no other country can give the assurance to the people that so long as the children can get a place in the school, they will not be deprived of education just because their parents cannot afford it. In fact, we have given various subsidies and bursaries to our children – we have our childcare centre subsidies, kindergarten subsidies etc. For the childcare centre, the Government subsidises more than $600 for the needy families.”
“So, no young children are deprived of kindergarten and childcare in Singapore unless their parents are irresponsible or they do not know where to get help. More flexible Work Support Programme: The Work Support Programme provides the unemployed with financial, medical and educational assistance while they upgrade their skills and find a job. From mid-February 2009, we have extended assistance to families on the margin during this downturn. The length of assistance has been increased from six months to one year. During this period, we also offer other help. The benefits are very close to Public Assistance. We call it ComCare Transitions. For those with kidney problems or other diseases, we help them from month to month. The third feature is about empowering the community. The CCC ComCare Fund has been raised by $0.75 million to $7 million per year, for financial year 2009 to financial year 2010. Grassroots leaders can tap on this Fund to provide immediate help to residents. This means that anyone can go to the Meet-the-People session or the CCC to get help immediately while the CDCs process their applications to get them onto national ComCare help schemes. We have a very comprehensive social safety net to help needy and vulnerable families in Singapore. As Minister Vivian mentioned during the Committee of Supply debate early this year, we estimate that the social service sector will receive some $460 million in financial year 2009, and this will come from MCYS funding, the ComCare Endowment Fund and public donations. It is not a small amount.”
“On top of this, he enjoys free medical care – outpatient and hospitalisation care, and a range of community support like meal vouchers, cash grants, ang pow s, weekly visits by befrienders' programmes, etc. So, on the whole, some of them get about $500 a month. The PA rates are not generous, but they are calibrated to provide for the basic living needs of PA recipients. Nobody needs to go hungry in Singapore. We dare to make this statement. With the recent revisions in the PA Allowance, the rates for larger families are already very close to what a low wage worker earns. However, there must be a difference in the amount of money received by a PA recipient and a working adult receiving Workfare. We may be able to afford to be more generous like the Nominated MP suggested since the number of PA recipients is only 3,000. However, the greatest danger in doing so would be taking away the incentive for the much larger number of Singaporeans who are working hard. From July 2009, the Government raised subsidies under the ComCare Centre-based Financial Assistance Scheme for Childcare (CFAC). Including the Government subsidy for working mothers, it is over $600 per child per month. When we ask this question at quite a number of gatherings, nobody guessed it right. There is also the Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme (KiFAS). Family with a monthly income of $1,500 or less receives at least 95% fee subsidy and pays only $10 a month for childcare – they get 12 hours care – and $5 for kindergarten. Those earning between $1,500 and $1,800 per month, they pay $20 for childcare and $10 for kindergarten a month.”
“The Public Assistance (PA) scheme is only but one of the many schemes under ComCare which cater to a range of different target groups. First, ComCare Self-Reliance is targeted at those who can work. The Work Support Programme and the ComCare Transitions are part of this pillar to help them to get jobs, to go through training. Second, ComCare Grow which is targeted at the children. The CDCs administer childcare, kindergarten and student care subsidies. They also link needy school children with help under the Ministry of Education's Financial Assistance Scheme and give them free textbooks, free meals and school materials. Third, under the ComCare Enable pillar, the CDC administers Public Assistance and also work with hospitals and HDB to apply for Medifund and rental flats respectively for the old and needy. In view of the economic downturn, we have made several enhancements to the ComCare scheme to help needy families this year. The PA scheme was revised upwards from April 2009. An individual person on the PA scheme now gets $360 a month in cash, up from the previous $330. MCYS also provides children from PA families with additional assistance of up to $130 per child per month. This is to ensure that children from PA families continue to receive care and education so that they may break out of the poverty circle. A family of four – two adults and two children – could get up to $1,210 a month. Besides the PA Allowance, PA recipients have also received extensive cash handout and utilities, rental and S&CC rebates, etc., from the Government this year. For example, an elderly living alone in a 1-room flat would have received almost $120 a month in cash and rebates from the Government. Together with his PA Allowance of $360, this comes up to almost $480 a month.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I would like to touch on the points mentioned by the Nominated Member of Parliament Mr Viswa Sadasivan on the poor and the elderly. I feel that he sounds a little too pessimistic. Our safety net is designed based on several principles, in particular, we are work-focused and low in entitlements. We stress family as a first line of support. We help the needy to stand on their own two feet and we focus a lot of our help on the children so that they can break out of the poverty circle. The ComCare Fund was set up in June 2005 to help the neediest which are the bottom 20% of our society. Through ComCare, we ensure that no needy Singaporean is left behind. The Fund now stands at $800 million and would eventually be topped up to $1 billion. We expect to spend $77 million on ComCare programmes in FY 2009, 37% more than what we spent in FY 2008. As at end June 2009, the ComCare nation-wide schemes were helping about 27,000 cases, an increase of 15% compared to the number of cases receiving assistance as at end December 2008. Since the inception of ComCare in 2005, we had helped over 85,600 cases. ComCare is a working model of flexibility and decentralisation highlighting particularly the role of the "many helping hands" – grassroots organisations, the voluntary welfare organisations, the self-help groups, the Community Development Councils (CDCs), etc, – coming together to provide a robust and sustainable safety net for the needy. We recognise that it is important to be flexible in applying help to the needy. The CDCs, which administer our schemes, have the flexibility to extend help to needy families that somehow do not fully meet the ComCare criteria due to special circumstances.”
“Families can seek help from Family Service Centres located near their homes. I would like to call on the community, grassroots leaders and all of us to pay more attention to help these families. For dysfunctional families, as the Minister has mentioned just now, we will also pay more attention on prevention and early help for these families. National Council on Problem Gambling”
“They would work out the most appropriate care arrangement for the child, through conducting home visits, interviews with family members and psychiatric assessments. Children who need protection but do not have a conducive home environment will be placed with their relatives as far as possible. If not, they can be placed in foster care or in a Children’s Home. A Care and Protection Order is also usually issued by the Court to ensure that family members receive help. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the case may be brought to Court. The law takes a tough stance against perpetrators of child abuse. Under the Children and Young Persons Act, any parent or guardian convicted of the ill-treatment of a child or young person may be fined up to $4,000 and jailed for up to four years. Where death of the child or young person is caused, the parent or guardian may be fined up to $20,000 and jailed for up to seven years. In an extreme case, where it becomes a case of murder, such a person could be sentenced to death under the Penal Code. The Court may also order the perpetrators to undergo mandatory counselling, psychotherapy and other rehabilitation programmes. While MCYS takes child abuse very seriously and has put in place a robust framework to tackle the issue, child abuse can only be stopped by the effort from the whole community. We all have a role to play in protecting the most vulnerable within our midst. If members of the public suspect a case of child abuse, they should call the Child Protection Hotline or even ComCare Call. During these difficult times, more than ever, I would like to urge families who need help managing their lives or their problems to seek help early. Do not let the situation get out of control and end up hurting your children.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I thank Ms Indranee Rajah and Ms Ellen Lee for their concerns. As my Minister has stressed, we pay a lot of attention to our children. Every single child deserves the right to fulfil his or her potential. Child abuse is totally unacceptable. I would like to assure Members that MCYS pays close attention to the safety of our children, and works with multiple agencies to tackle the problem, including the Police, hospitals, schools, social service agencies and the Courts. MCYS’ key strategies are: (1) prevention; (2) early intervention; and (3) effective treatment of children who have been abused. We have two key thrusts in prevention. First, we conduct public education on child abuse issues; and second, we promote training for social workers, healthcare professionals, police officers, educators and others who have regular contact with children. This is to enable them to detect signs of abuse early and refer these cases for investigation. When abuse does occur, we have a framework to manage each case effectively. When a case is referred to MCYS, first, we assess if the child’s safety is at risk, and if the alleged perpetrator is a family member. Our first priority is the well-being of the child, and to send the child to the hospital if required. The Police and MCYS would next investigate if there is evidence of abuse within the family. If not, the case is closed, but we may refer the family to a Family Service Centre to sort out any remaining difficulties. If there is evidence of abuse within the family, a specialised plan for the child is worked out by a multi-disciplinary Child Abuse Protection Team, comprising child protection officers, paediatricians, psychologists and educators.”
“I think, as children we should give even $50, even $30, to our parents. We need each individual, his family and the community to do their part to improve the quality of life. Hon. member Mr Sam Tan had mentioned about quality of life. I think quality of life cannot just depend on handouts. Quality of life depends on love, care, like member of Parliament, Cynthia Phua has said, "We must deliver all these with love!" So, I think, the first line of love should come from family members, from friends, relatives, neighbours, friendship, RC and so on. So, if we are together and we work hard, we will be able to overcome these tough times. Thank you! Resilient Families”
“You have the long-term help, medium-term help and short-term help. Actually, if you ask me, the CCF is like the petty cash under ComCare. This enables the grassroots to provide flexible, interim and immediate help to needy residents. In many cases, this is done while the CDCs process applications from the needy families to get onto the national ComCare schemes. So, I hope this clarifies again to my members, the public and even my good friends, the journalists, that CCF is just for interim, one-off and short-term help. But you'd have the medium-term and you would have the long-term schemes. So, CCF is only given to the applicants when the CDC is processing which long-term scheme is suitable for them. So, the CCF system has worked well because grassroots leaders have exercised flexibility, prudence and accountability in disbursing public funds. With the downturn, we expect utilization of the CCF to rise. We will therefore be topping up the CCF by another $0.75 million, to $7 million per year for the next two years. This will ensure that money will not be the limiting factor in helping the needy. Together with the many helping hands, the government will continue to help the needy ride out these tough times. With the ComCare enhancements I have announced, our FY09 ComCare budget will total $77 million. Even as we talk about help from the Government and community, let us also remember the basics. We believe that the values of self-reliance, responsibility, hard work, honesty and family support are important. Do not forget that today 60% of the retirees, the old people still depend on the children to also help them. I think this is a good value. We should not give it up, we should not follow the West to be completely dependent on the Government and PA.”
“For those in childcare, the subsidy is on top of the $300 universal childcare subsidy. A family earning $1,500 monthly, with one child in childcare and another child in kindergarten, is currently co-paying about $40 for childcare and $18 for kindergarten after all eligible subsidies. With the enhancements, this family's co-payment could fall to just $10 for childcare and $5 for kindergarten per month. Dr Lily Neo was concerned about whether a mother can put her children in a childcare and kindergarten and go to work. For those earning between $1,500 to $1,800, they will receive up to 90% subsidies and co-payment would be as little as $20 for childcare and $10 for kindergarten per month. Dr Lily Neo had called for a long-term and hands-on solution to help some 100,000 low income households in Singapore. I agree with her, and we have done so. This would make up about the bottom 10% of the households in Singapore. According to the Department of Statistics, retirees make up almost half of this group. The low income and needy are covered under the ComCare schemes as well as assistance schemes from other ministries. For example, there is the Workfare Income Supplement scheme (or WIS) for the low wage workers. There is also help through various other channels including Medifund, subsidised rental flat housing, MOE's Financial Assistance Scheme, and even the training - lately, we have SPUR from MOM. We agree that at times, intensive case management will be necessary to help families which are dysfunctional or have complex issues. My Minister and I will elaborate on measures to help these families later. Dr Fatimah Lateef asked about the CCC ComCare Fund (CCF). The CCF is only one small part of the entire ComCare assistance framework.”
“He was the sole breadwinner for his family of five till he lost his job last year. He sought help from the CDC, and was assisted under the Work Support scheme from September last year, for three months. He received $510 a month in cash and utilities vouchers, altogether $1,530. After three months, he found work again as a cleaner. This entitles him to a Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) payout of $2,200. If he had not been able to get a job, he would have received assistance for training. His youngest child is now getting child-care subsidies of $200 a month, on top of the universal childcare subsidy of $300. So that means $500. This year, his family will receive household benefits worth $2,100. The total benefits from the Government amount to $8,230. During these extraordinary times, we will enhance the flexibility of Work Support, to specially help families on the margins whose breadwinners have been retrenched. Families who currently fall just outside the eligibility criteria will be helped if they have genuine problems coping with basic living expenses. We will also extend the length of assistance, from the present 6 months to up to 12 months. The quantum of assistance will be calibrated according to the needs of the family. Now, let me touch on the children. I mentioned that we pay special attention to the education of young children from low income families. We are helping almost 16,500 children from low income families with their pre-school, childcare and student-care fees, besides the MOE budget. We will further improve the ComCare financial assistance schemes for kindergarten and childcare (KiFAS and CFAC). From July 2009, families with monthly income of up to $1,500 will receive at least 95% in subsidies for childcare and kindergarten fees.”
“Their PA allowance, including the additional assistance for their children, plus government cash handouts and rebates amount to about $1,800 a month. On top of this, they enjoy subsidised rental housing, everyone in the family gets free medical treatment and the children also receive free education. The family also gets community support - hongbaos, cash grants, bursaries, and so on - $1,800. So all in, while PA rates are not generous, but PA recipients receive enough help to cover their basic needs. So, the PA allowance is not to give a comfortable life but to help you get over your difficulty and live a manageable life. Next, for the group who temporarily cannot work. I think, hon. member Ms Sylvia Lim was also concerned about this. We do not just give long-term help but medium-term help, through ComCare Transitions (CCT). There are close to 1,700 households under CCT. The assistance is close to that given to PA recipients. They have cash and they have other subsidies. We implemented this last July, and we already have 1,700 cases. We also have the Work Support programme to help the work-capable but unemployed, and to help low-skilled workers upgrade. There are currently about 2,400 households on the programme. Dr Lily Neo has rightly pointed out that mere hand-outs will not bring about self-reliance. This is why Work Support first and foremost, seeks to help workers upgrade their skills and find a job. In the interim, clients may receive financial assistance, vouchers for rental, utilities and S&CC help, as well as medical and educational assistance. For an example of what a rank and file worker like Mr Tay would get. Minister Tharman had talked about this case during the Budget debate.”
“However, to be more flexible in these extraordinary times, during these difficult times, Mr Baey Yam Keng and Mr Sam Tan will be glad to know that we are increasing PA rates from April 2009. The increase will be between $30 to $120 a month, depending on the household size. A PA recipient living alone will get $30 more, from $330 a month to $360 a month. A family with four adults will get $120 more, from $830 to $950 a month. We will also do more for children of PA families by providing them with additional assistance - this is a new scheme - up to a maximum of $130 per child per month. This can be used for the children's incidental school expenses, hygiene and nutritional needs. The PA allowance is only one component of help that PA beneficiaries receive. Other components are the GST Offset package, Senior Citizens' Bonus, rebates on rental, utilities and service & conservancy charges, which PA recipients get a bigger proportion of. They also enjoy subsidised rental housing, free medical treatment and free education for children. I am sure a lot of us are very concerned about outpatient and hospitalisation expenditure. Consider what Mr Lim, aged 67, who lives alone in a 1-room flat, gets. In 2009, he will receive almost $120 a month in cash and rebates from the Government. Together with his PA allowance of $360, this comes up to almost $480 a month. So, that is why we put the total benefit at $480++. He also receives government subsidies for his rental flat and gets free medical care. On top of all these, he enjoys a range of community support like meal vouchers, cash grants, hongbaos, weekly visits from befrienders, etc. 1.45 pm Let me also illustrate what a PA family gets. Mr Ali, 53, is bedridden and stays with his wife and four children.”
“As we go about our plans, my Ministry's stand is to respect each individual, let them have the ability to earn their own livelihoods and to lead the lives that they want. Public assistance is just a temporary measure. The ultimate aim is to enable them to be self-reliant. (In English): Mr Chairman, the concerns that Members have raised on social assistance can be framed under two key questions: (1) Is our help comprehensive and adequate? (2) Is help being delivered effectively? I will address the first question now and cover the issue on delivery of help in a subsequent speech. Is our help comprehensive and adequate? Members can be assured that ComCare remains well- placed to help the needy during this difficult period. The ComCare nationwide schemes were helping about 24,000 cases last year. Some Members have said that our assistance schemes tend to be short-term and ad-hoc in nature. This is not the case. Our ComCare schemes cater to a range of different target groups. Long-term assistance, which is public assistance. First, the Public Assistance (PA) scheme provides long-term assistance to the destitute. There are close to 2,900 households on PA. Last year, we raised PA rates from $290 to $330 for a single person. We also relaxed the criteria to allow elderly persons whose families are unable to support them to go onto the PA scheme. If you ask me, we have shifted philosophically, such that even those old people who have children whom earn below $1,000, can also apply to the PA scheme. This is a big shift. I thank the hon. Member Mr Baey Yam Keng for his concern that we have increased public assistance in the last few years. But I want to assure him that there has not been a fundamental shift in our policy. So we are not following Hong Kong.”
“Sir, I would first speak in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] As mentioned by my Minister, we do not lack the resources to help Singaporeans who fall through the cracks. The various public assistance plans that MCYS has, with the different schemes that the various ministries have and combined with the help of the voluntary welfare organisations ("VWOs") and religious bodies, all these have helped build a very resilient social safety network. My Ministry has already listed out the 3 main target groups of people who will require our assistance. First, those who have lost the ability to work permanently and have no one to depend on and the elderly who are unable to be provided for as their children are in lowly paid jobs. Second, those who are on the fringe and will be impacted once the economy is on a downturn. These are the people whom we will use flexible measures to help them. The last group is those with very complex family problems. So in this case, we will help in all ways towards the old as well as the young. For the elderly, besides depending on themselves, the children and the extended family should also play an important part. In this difficult time, we will extend help to the poor and nobody will be forgotten. We will continue to put the family as the basis. Apart from increasing ComCare and PA, we will also step up on training to increase the employability for Singaporeans, just as suggested by Dr Lily Neo, to teach them to fish and stand on their own. This is more important, so that their children can continue to finish their education, change the future, and jump out from the poverty circle.”
“The Building Construction Authority's $40 million Accessibility Fund which aims to upgrade existing buildings has already attracted applications from hotels to Government buildings. So, what I am trying to say is that by 2011 and 2014, the HDB blocks will have their lifts upgraded and also have all the roads accessible to disabled people. Finally, I want to assure Members that we also pay attention to sports for the disabled. I am sure that we are very proud of Laurentia Tan, Theresa Goh and so on, for their wonderful performance at the Beijing Paralympics. So, everyone in our society, disabled or not, we should give them the opportunity to develop to their fullest. 3.00 pm”
“This programme is supported by the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and the Society for the Physically Disabled. This successful public-private-people partnership aims to train some 400 persons with disabilities over the next three years. In total, $12.7 million will be committed to this project by IDA, MCYS, Tote Board, Microsoft Singapore and NEC. Persons with disabilities seeking medical treatment today can access Government healthcare subsidies, Medisave and Medifund. Although MediShield does not cover congenital or pre-existing illnesses, persons with disabilities can apply for coverage for medical treatment of other medical conditions. To further help defray medical costs, several VWOs provide free health screening or medical consultation by medical professional volunteers. They have also initiated medical coverage such as personal accident insurance or medical insurance for hospitalisation for clients who work in sheltered and production workshops. NCSS also administers a Medical Fee Exemption Card for needy residents of disability homes to obtain free medical and hospitalisation treatment at Government or restructured hospitals and polyclinics. On residential care, our current assessment has shown that there is no immediate need to build new homes as there are around 720 residents living in homes for disabled adults and children, while the combined capacity is 950. Having said that, MCYS and NCSS are assessing the capacity that will be required post-2011. Other than the five areas raised by Ms Denise Phua, I also wish to highlight our continued effort in improving accessibility, and in promoting sports.”
“First, we have reduced the average waiting times for the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC)from nine months to four months. We have increased the capacity from 1,000 to 1,400 places, and increased the number of centres from nine to 11 EIPIC centres. The Standing Committee is collaborating with MOH and NCSS to develop an assessment framework to enhance quality in therapy standards. MCYS and NCSS have jointly launched the EIPIC Support Grant worth $3.6 million to assist needy families. This grant will help to ensure that every child will have access to appropriate early intervention programmes even if his family is less well-off. To date, about $343,000 has been utilised. We will continue to ensure that EIPIC services are both affordable and accessible. Second, I would like to touch on life-long learning and employment for the disabled. The Enabling Masterplan had envisioned the "Value Chain" Employment Framework where a person with disability can access job assessment, training and placement several times during his working life to ensure lifelong employability. My Ministry has started collaborating with the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), the Singapore National Employers Federation, NCSS and various VWOs on initiatives such as the Open Door Fund (ODF), which allows companies to claim up to $100,000 per project for any job redesign and workplace modifications done to cater to the needs of persons with disabilities. To date, 115 persons have been employed under the ODF. Recognising that skills-training is an important component of employment and lifelong learning, we launched the Infocomm Technology Apprenticeship Training Programme in July 2008.”
“Over the last few years, we have improved a lot on the Government subsidy and grant and, also, the training criteria for this sector. I should say that we still need some time to improve the image. But in the private sector, some operators have obtained really highly qualified teachers who are Degree holders or even Master Degree holders. I urge all the operators to bear in mind how to run effectively and improve their own image. Based on our experience, about 70% are run by private operators, and only 30% are run by VWOs. And for the 60% run by private sector, a majority of them do attract Degree holders. So, therefore, the Ministry is also going to target the different groups and help them improve their image. ENABLING MASTERPLAN 2007-2011 (Timeframes and key performance indicators) 9. Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports whether he will provide the timeframes and key performance indicators for the implementation of the Enabling Masterplan 2007-2011 and, specifically, the status and plans for services for people living with disabilities in early intervention programmes, employment, lifelong learning, healthcare and residential living. Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon (for the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Standing Committee on Disability is an inter-Governmental committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary of MCYS to coordinate and monitor the key performance indicators of the Enabling Masterplan from 2007 to 2011. Ms Denise Phua has asked for an update on the early intervention programmes, employment, learning, healthcare and residential living for people with disabilities.”
“So I agree with Mdm Halimah that improving the working conditions and attracting good people, especially the 'O' level graduates, to join this service is something that we need to work harder on.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, on how to help the early childhood personnel improve their working conditions, as I have mentioned earlier, the Government is looking into a recurrent grant to help to make sure that operators, which are non-profit, pay their staff a reasonable pay. The subsidy for an individual child has also increased tremendously from $150 to $300, and $400 to $600 for infant care. The Government would look into the working conditions of this group of people. We will find anchor operators like NTUC – I am sure Members know – which is one of the very successful cooperatives in early childhood education. So we hope that, with the support of NTUC, we can also improve the working conditions of these people. For infant care, we do agree that it is very expensive. Therefore, it has been increased from $400 to $600 per child per month. I also mentioned that for the low-income group, from this year onwards, we will increase the income level from $1,500 to $1,800. I think Mdm Halimah had requested for it at the Budget debate. We have raised this low-income level cap to $1,800, after consideration, so that we can cover quite a number of families. The highest subsidy, on top of the $300 for the bigger children, the $600 for the infant care and the additional help from CFAC, can go up to approximately $340 a month. So, some of the families only pay as low as 10% or even 5%. We will try our best and look at how to improve the fees or how to help the early childhood personnel, especially the infant care segment. With regard to the timing of the five-year plan, I think, with the help of the anchor operators, starting with 50 centres a year, it should be achievable. The more difficult part is not the hardware but the training of the teacher.”
“Sir, I beg to move, In page 23, lines 3 and 4, to leave out "for 3 months or more". Sir, clause 32 of the Bill specifies the eligibility criteria for certain officers of the society. The amendment is necessary to rectify the technical error created by the words "for 3 months or more". Clause 32, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clauses 33 to 59 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill. The Schedule ordered to stand part of the Bill. Bill considered in Committee; reported with an amendment; read a Third time and passed. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed. – [Mr Mah Bow Tan]. Adjourned accordingly at Twenty-six Minutes to Six o'clock pm to a date to be fixed. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER NOT ANSWERED BY 3.00 PM AGEING MRT TRACKS AND TRAINS (Noise pollution) 21. Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Minister for Transport what measures does the Ministry have in place to monitor and minimise noise pollution from ageing MRT tracks and trains, especially those that are in close proximity to residential housing.”
“This Amendment Bill also strengthens the power of the Registrar and it also gives more powers to the Minister. If the Registrar or the Minister is unhappy about certain things, he can dissolve the co-operative or he can suspend the accounts of the co-operative. The Registrar may also refer questions of law to the High Court. So it is not completely withdrawn from the judicial system. On the management and day-to-day execution of duties, we empower the Registrar and the Minister, but other than that, we still can go through the process of our legal system. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon]. Bill considered in Committee. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] Clauses 1 to 31 inclusive agreed to stand part of the Bill. Clause 32 –”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, under the Co-operative Societies Act and also the by-laws of various co-operatives, the general meeting is the supreme authority and it is based on the one-share-one-vote system. They need to have quorum for a meeting, and they must fulfil the required number of attendees before a meeting can be called. So, there are some safeguards. The other point is whether credit co-ops should come under the supervision of MAS. Like I mentioned just now, the credit co-ops were started by a group of people who know each other, and they only confined it to deposits and simple loans. Now, they have grown bigger and, therefore, we want to amend the law to make sure that if they want to provide more comprehensive financial services, they will automatically come under the regime of the Banking Act or under MAS supervision. If they confine themselves to their membership and limit themselves to providing certain approved financial services undertaken by co-operatives, then they do not need to come under the Banking Act or Finance Act. This is quite clear. I mentioned just now that the $1 billion is from the 41 credit co-operatives in Singapore. It is quite a big amount and, therefore, we want to have this restriction. The Member mentioned about the members. For instance, for NTUC Thrift and Loan, the umbrella is definitely broader. At this moment, they have 60,000 members. But if you take the Telecoms Union, the teachers union or AUPE, the number of members is smaller. Only 11 out of 41 credit co-operatives today have a by-law clause to say that they can extend their membership to the public. But we want them to amend their by-laws to confine it to only their members or family members.”
“We will continue to review co-op regulation to ensure that it is relevant to the needs of all stakeholders. So, I assure the Members that we will review from time to time. 5.30 pm”
“The Central Co-op Fund Committee has recently implemented measures to encourage the formation of new co-ops, particularly those that benefit disadvantaged groups. SNCF has employed new staff to actively seek out those interested in forming new co-ops, assist them in setting up the co-ops and provide funding support where necessary. This approach has shown encouraging results. In this year alone, two new co-ops have been registered and three applications are currently being processed. One of the new co-ops is WeWorkz for which more than $400,000 of Central Co-op funding was approved for it to help women, especially those who are unable to find full-time employment, to engage in home-based economic opportunities. There has also been a marked increase in the number of enquiries on co-op registration. Mr Speaker, Sir, I had begun my speech by citing the role played by credit co-ops during the 1920s in meeting the financial needs of public sector employees. I had also highlighted to the House the role played by co-ops in present day Singapore. With this Bill, co-ops will be better able to meet the challenges of its operating environment while serving their members and the community. The Bill balances the need for greater oversight of higher risk co-ops while liberalising those aspects of co-op operations which can be more effectively decided by the co-ops themselves. We have taken a measured approach in arriving at this Bill which was based on the recommendations of the co-op review team. We consulted SNCF, NTUC, MAS and other key stakeholders at various points along the way. This risk-based regulatory approach will further strengthen the position of the co-op movement in Singapore and increase the confidence of members and the public in the co-op movement.”
“Co-ops may apply for a "Special Project Grant", to implement projects like IT improvements and consultancy services. Since 2006, 18 projects with grants of more than $340,000 were approved. In addition, SNCF has introduced shared corporate services. Smaller co-ops with limited resources are encouraged to outsource certain functions like accounting and membership management. Since 2007, SNCF has assisted five co-ops to outsource their accounting management to an external vendor. We note the concern that some co-ops may have initial difficulties in coping with the regulatory changes. Mr Seah has suggested a light and human touch in the regulation of co-ops. We agree, and will do so. We are extremely conscious of the role of co-ops in our community. We assure the House that MCYS will work with SNCF to provide the necessary assistance and training to all co-ops. There will be seminars and information packages to explain the changes and provide answers to questions from co-ops. We will also formulate and provide model by-laws to credit and non-credit co- ops so that they can use them for reference when considering the necessary amendments to their own by-laws. Mdm Halimah and Mr Sin Boon Ann had enquired on the number of co-ops formed. In the past five years, eight co-ops were registered. This represents a 10% increase in the number of co-ops. We recognise that more can be done to promote and facilitate the formation of co-ops. Co-ops legislation sets the framework for the formation and development of co-ops. The promotional and development agency for co-ops is SNCF. As mentioned earlier, SNCF is funded by the Central Co-op Fund. The Central Co-op Fund Committee is led by a representative of the co-op sector.”
“This will not be changed through the Bill. Mr Seah suggested that a minimum debarment period should be set for persons convicted of any offence involving fraud or dishonesty. The debarment period for non credit co-ops has been set at five years. This is in line with the Companies Act. Credit co-ops have higher risk. They take in deposits from members and give out loans. There is a greater possibility of fraud or dishonesty taking place in credit co-ops as compared to non credit co-ops. Hence, we have not set a minimum debarment period for credit co-ops. However, the Bill allows the Registrar's approval to be sought to allow persons disqualified of relevant offences to be appointed to the Committee of Management. Mr Seah had asked if SNCF will be designated as a reporting body for non-affiliates. Under subsidiary legislation, SNCF may be delegated to be the reporting body for submission of documents from its affiliates. SNCF can be designated as the reporting body for non-affiliates, but this will be determined after discussions with SNCF. Mdm Halimah asked whether there were measures in place to help smaller co-ops grow and develop. In line with the co-operative principle, the SNCF helps develop all co-ops, especially the smaller co-ops. Under existing co-op legislation, co-ops are required to contribute to the Central Co-operative Fund (CCF). The CCF is used to promote the development of the co-op movement. The SNCF taps on the CCF to carry out promotional and developmental programmes for the co-op movement. For financial year 2008 to 2009, CCF allocated a budget of $5.2 million for SNCF to implement these programmes. SNCF assists co-ops to build up their operational and manpower capabilities in various ways.”
“In the usual course of co-op business, the provisions of the Banking and Finance Companies Acts will not be applicable to co-ops. However, should co-ops extend financial services to the public and engage in "financing business", as defined in the Finance Companies legislation or banking business, the relevant provisions of these two Acts will apply. So, this is in line with the level playing field principle as mentioned by Mr Sin. Mr Seah had asked for the impact of sections 73 and 52 of the Banking Act on co-ops as a result of the consequential amendments. The former section relates to the Public Prosecutor's consent for prosecution, the latter about certain responsibilities when a bank is taken over by MAS or a statutory manager. As long as co-ops do not conduct banking business and do not breach the provisions of the Banking Act, these provisions will not apply to co-ops. The House may be wondering whether we should only subject co-ops to the specific applicable provisions of the Banking Act then. The consequential amendments proposed by the Bill is the approach used for other such amendments. Mr Seah had proposed that as part of the registration process, the applicant should attach their business plans. This is a good practice and we can work with SNCF to implement this. Mr Seah would like to know the definition of "residents of Singapore" under the Bill. Generally, "residents in Singapore" refers to permanent residents in the context of the relevant provision of the Bill. Mr Seah asked if co-ops can appoint non-members to their Committees of Management. Existing co-op legislation does not require only members to be on the Committee of Management. There is no limit to the number of non-members that can be elected to the Committee of Management.”
“It will not be necessary to obtain licences to operate branches under the Banking Act. The Bill allows advertising restrictions to be prescribed. As I had mentioned above, credit co-ops serve their members and not the general public. There is little reason for the credit co-op to advertise its products and services widely to the general public. However, co-ops are free to advertise directly to their members. We will consult the apex co-operative body, the Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF) and other key stakeholders to ensure that these provisions of subsidiary legislation are workable. Both Mdm Halimah and Mr Seah had sought clarifications on the interpretation of "financial service" under the Bill. "Financial service" includes "receiving deposits" and "granting loans". Mdm Halimah further enquired on the application of section 16B(1) of the Act which will prohibit a credit society from providing financial services other than the financial services which it is registered to provide without the approval of the Registrar. Mdm Halimah had asked whether credit co-ops that are registered under the new regulatory regime will subsequently need to seek the Registrar's approval to introduce new financial services. Under the new Act, credit societies will be registered to provide financial services which, as explained earlier, includes "receiving deposits" and "granting loans". If a credit society is already registered to provide deposits, it will not need to seek further regulatory approval to provide new deposit products. Similarly, if a credit society is registered to provide loans, further approval is not required for it to introduce housing loans or new types of loan products. Mr Seah had sought clarifications on the consequential amendments to other Acts.”
“I would like to assure Members of the House that this will not be the case. Under the Bill, credit co-ops are also allowed to 'grandfather' or retain existing members, even if they are outside the co-ops' defined membership affiliations. So, credit co-ops will not need to lose existing members as a result of the new section 39(3A) requirements. Mr Speaker, Sir, there are 41 credit co-ops and only 11 currently have clauses in their by-laws that allow any member of the public to be their members. So, credit co-ops with clearly defined memberships have been able to sustain their operations. Through our consultations with the credit co-ops, we know of two credit co-ops that may have difficulties redefining their membership. For these credit co-ops, we can apply total membership limits that will provide flexibility for these co-ops to grow at a measured pace. The Bill includes an exemption provision that allows co-ops to apply for exemption from any of the requirements of the Act. For exemptions from section 39(3A), credit co-ops will need to provide justifications why they are unable to meet the requirements. The credit co-op should also be able to show how it will still contain its membership such that it will not be able to take in all members of the general public. Under the Bill, credit co-ops will be given a one-year transitional period to meet with new requirements applicable to them. Mr Seah had asked whether credit co-ops will be allowed to operate branches and ATMs. The Registry may issue written directions to require credit co-ops to inform the regulator of new ATMs and branches. The Registrar may prohibit the credit co-op from further expansion of its branch and/or ATM network, taking into account specific circumstances surrounding the co-op.”
“As credit co-ops should not be reaching out to the general public, there should be no need for them to engage in public advertising. They are free to advertise directly to their members. Similarly, as credit co-ops do not serve the general public, there should not be an unregulated growth of branches and ATMs. Without these restrictions, it is possible that credit co-ops will continue to reach out and recruit new members from the public who are unaffiliated to the co-op. While they are not subject to the same licensing and regulatory standards as banks and finance companies, each credit co-op will nevertheless need to be subject to stringent governance and prudential requirements to protect the interests of their depositors. Credit co-op members are generally from the working class, many of which can ill-afford to lose their savings through improper stewardship of their deposits. The average size of each deposit account in credit co-ops is about $5,000. However, the total amount of deposits in all the credit co-ops is about $1 billion. This is not a small sum. The Bill will authorise the Minister to set prudential and financial requirements for credit co-ops. This will better protect the interests of credit co-op members and increase the confidence of these members in the credit co-op movement. It will help protect the sanctity of the depositor funds in credit co-ops and ensure good governance. The level of prudential regulation of credit co-ops will take into account the much smaller size of the entities and the role that they play in society. Mr Seah Kian Peng and Mdm Halimah had expressed concerns that the restrictions on credit co-op membership will put a cap on the ability of credit co-ops to grow and adversely impact the credit co-op movement.”
“In contrast, Mr Seah Kian Peng had questioned whether it was fair to subject credit co-ops to a level of regulation on par or even higher than that applicable to financial institutions. Mdm Halimah requested us to have a more balanced approach. I agree with her. Mdm Halimah also asked whether it is possible to exempt existing credit co-ops from the requirement under section 39(3A) that individual membership be limited to those with a pre-existing common bond or affiliation. Financial institutions play an integral role in Singapore's financial system and offers financial services to the public. MAS licenses financial institutions and subjects them to a rigorous regulatory framework. This framework includes complex and comprehensive rules to maintain a minimum level of capital in proportion to the risks taken, rules on maintaining minimum liquid assets, various prudential limits that limit their exposures and concentration risks, rules on classifying loans and maintaining adequate loan loss provisions. Financial institutions are also subject to a supervisory regime, both onsite and offsite, that continually assesses their governance, risk management practices and controls and processes. My Ministry appreciates the concern raised by Mr Seah Kian Peng and Mdm Halimah Yacob on the impact the Amendment Bill will have on credit co-ops. Credit co-ops are not subject to MAS's direct licensing and regulatory oversight. As they are not subject to the same licensing and regulatory standards as banks and finance companies, credit co-ops are not allowed to serve all members of the public. Hence, we have proposed to require credit co-ops to have clearly defined membership bases.”
“Mr Sin had asked how the Bill will strengthen co-op governance. Co-ops are member-based entities with the general meeting of members as the supreme decision making authority for the co-op. The authority of the general meeting will continue to be enshrined in co-op legislation. This is in line with the co-operative principle on democratic member control. Through the general meeting, members have a direct say in the constitution and resolutions of the co-op. Like shareholders in private limited companies, co-op members should be very involved in the management of co-ops. The co-op Committee of Management is similar to the Board of Directors of companies. The Bill will strengthen the Committee of Management by tightening the disqualification criteria for the members of the committee. The duties of these members will also be brought in line with those applicable to company directors. Due to their higher stewardship responsibilities, credit co-op committee of management will be subject to independence requirements and credit co-ops will need to form Audit Committees. However, the Bill will not require non-credit co-ops to be subject to similar independence and Audit Committee requirements. These are best practice measures which are already included in the Code of Co-op Governance which has been implemented by the co-op apex body, the Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF). Best practice governance requirements are best handled outside legislation and should be led by the co-op movement itself, in line with the principle of self-regulation. Mr Speaker, Sir, Mr Sin Boon Ann had suggested that co-op governance be levelled up to that of public-listed companies.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would to thank the hon. Members, Mdm Halimah Yacob, Mr Sin Boon Ann and Mr Seah Kian Peng for their support and comments. Let me address the points they have raised. Mr Sin Boon Ann had cited the genesis of the co-op movement of Rochdale and asked whether these principles will be required of co-cops through the Bill. The co-op movement worldwide subscribes to the co-op principles that have been developed by the International Co- operative Alliance. The existing Act already requires co-op principles to be incorporated into the objects of co-ops. Mr Sin had suggested that co-ops are not much different from other business entities. Co-operatives are businesses with a social mission. As there are limits to the return on co-op capital, the primary motivation for co-ops is not the maximisation of investor capital, unlike companies which maximise returns to shareholders. For example, the subsidiary co-op legislation limits the amount of dividends that can be paid to members to 10% of the net surplus of the co-op. Co-ops also need to serve their social purpose, be it providing employment to vulnerable groups or products and services to members at cheaper prices. As an illustration of the social role of co-ops, I would like to draw the attention of the House to some examples of their contributions to the community. The NTUC co-ops play a key role in moderating the prices of food, insurance, dental and medical care, childcare and eldercare. The social charter of the NTUC co-ops benefits not only their members but the larger community as well. For example, NTUC FairPrice has extended a 5% discount on 500 of its house brand items to its customers since December last year. This discount is estimated to save consumers up to $1.5 million over three months.”
“Hence, I am introducing the Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill to update the co-op legislation and make it more relevant to today’s environment. The changes in legislation will create a more robust co-op movement and increase the confidence of members and the public in co-ops. Guiding principles”
“This piece of legislation has been largely unchanged since the last major amendment in 1980. The co-op legislation needs to be updated in view of the larger membership, and the more sophisticated and competitive business environment that they operate in. In the past, most co-ops were small, and depended on the mutual trust and peer pressure among members who usually knew each other. Today, many co-ops have enlarged their memberships significantly. Some of the largest co-ops have more than 400,000 members. The ability for members to watch out for one another can no longer be assumed. Of particular concern are the credit co-ops. These co-ops take in deposits from members and give out loans, functioning like finance companies. We need to ensure that such co-ops have higher levels of prudence, and put in place the necessary systems for institutional self-regulation. Many of the early co-ops were not run by full-time professionals. To ensure proper governance of the co-ops, the Act previously required certain business decisions to be referred to the Registrar of Co-operatives. For example, co-ops are required to seek the Registrar’s permission to purchase property. The law even prescribes for the Registrar to set limits on the amount of honoraria that can be paid to members of the committee of management. Today, these provisions sound outdated. Many of these decisions should be made by the co-op committee of management, which is the equivalent of the board of directors of companies. Some co-ops have complained that the law is too restrictive, especially when they compete with companies as the Companies Act does not have these restrictions. As a result, co-ops are not able to respond fast enough in today’s rapidly changing business environment.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The co-operatives, or co-ops, of the early days were mostly formed by members with close affiliations to one another. For example, the earliest co-ops in Singapore were established in the 1920s as thrift and loan societies where groups of public sector employees came together to help their members save and take out loans when in need. These co-ops were one of the earliest community self-help organisations in Singapore. The co-op sector has since grown and now serves many aspects of our economy and society. Today, there are 87 registered co-ops. Forty-one co-ops provide thrift and loan services and they are known as "credit co-ops". The largest co-ops, such as NTUC FairPrice and NTUC Income, are household names. Total co-op individual membership is now about 1.7 million. Co-op role and relevance A co-op is more than just a business entity. It is a business with a social cause. A co-op pursues financial viability not as an end in itself but to serve its members and social cause. The House will be familiar with the social role that the NTUC co-operatives play in moderating the prices of food, insurance, dental and medical care, childcare and eldercare. Less familiar perhaps but still relevant are the many ways in which various other co-ops serve their members and contribute to our community. For instance, the Industrial Services Co-operative Society (ISCOS) helps ex-offenders re-integrate into the community. Many school co-ops contribute to their schools’ welfare funds. Clearly, co-ops play an important role in our society. Need for legislative change Co-ops are regulated through the Co-operative Societies Act and the Co-operative Societies Rules.”
“In addition, households earning a monthly income of less than $4,000 can also apply for the Additional CPF Housing Grant of up to $30,000. In recent months, more First-Timers are turning to the resale market to meet their housing needs. In the second quarter of 2008, there were 1,470 cases of First-Timer flat buyers buying resale flats using the CPF Housing Grant. This is a 75% increase compared to the average of about 840 cases per quarter from the third quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2008.”
“They have four chances if they are buying a flat to live near/with their parents under the Married Child Priority Scheme. Therefore, First-Timer applicants enjoy a very high chance of success in most BTO exercises. In six out of the eight completed BTO exercises between August 2007 and March 2008, 80% to 100% of First-Timer applicants were invited to select a flat. In other words, all First-Timers, in some instances, were invited to select a flat. In the remaining two projects, both located in Yishun, 54% to 65% of the First-Timers were invited to select the flats. In other words, one in two was invited to select the flat. In May 2008, HDB further refined its application process. To deter repeated non-selection of flats, First-Timer priority will be removed for those who turn down two chances to select a flat. At the same time, applicants who had been unsuccessful at least twice for BTO exercises in non-mature estates will be given additional chances from their third try onwards. Since the refinements, flat buyers have generally become more considered in their applications and the acceptance rates have improved. This suggests that the measures are effective in helping the more serious applicants to book a flat. Flat buyers looking for new flats already built or under construction can apply under the Balloting Exercise. However, BE launches are not frequent and consist of balance flats from the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS). Due to the limited supply and high demand, the chances of selecting a flat under BE are not high. First-Timers who need a flat urgently can buy a resale flat with the CPF Housing Grant of $30,000, or a higher grant of $40,000 if they stay with or near their parents.”
“Like I said, the voucher scheme is a local scheme. It is $10 per voucher, and the South West and North West CDCs give each CCC up to 100 vouchers. So if you ask me, the CCC ComCare Fund available per CCC is about $50,000 to $60,000 a year, which is much larger than the value of these utility vouchers. So we leave it to the Mayor to decide which one is more effective. But we feel that a token of help is still better than none. APPLICATION FOR HDB FLATS (Waiting list by couples) 11. Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many couples applying for HDB flats for the first time are on the waiting list currently; (b) what are their chances of success at the first and subsequent balloting for HDB flats; and (c) what measures, if any, are there to encourage them to consider buying resale flats instead. The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, there are three ways for young couples to purchase a HDB flat, namely, Build-To-Order (BTO) for new flats to be constructed, Balloting Exercise (BE) for new flats already built or under construction and resale flats. The bulk of new flats for sale is through the BTO system. The average waiting time under the BTO system is about three years from the selection of flat to the collection of keys. This is the time taken to construct the flats. To shorten the waiting time for a new flat upon marriage, couples can apply under the Fiance-Fiancee Scheme. HDB has implemented various measures to improve the chances of First-Timers. At least 90% of BTO flats for public applicants are set aside for First-Timers. First-Timers are also given double the chances under the ballot over Second-Timers.”
“For example, some CDCs fund meal delivery programmes or food ration distribution efforts for needy residents. In addition to this, we have in place ComCare Local Networks (CLNs) that encourage greater collaboration between the various social service agencies, such as the CDCs, Grassroots Organisations (GROs) and Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs). CLNs allow these agencies to share best practices and ideas on how to assist the needy in their districts more effectively. CLNs also provide a platform for successful local schemes to be surfaced to the relevant Ministries for consideration of possible replication on a larger scale. There are adequate resources and many helping hands to ensure that no one falls through the cracks. Those who need help to make ends meet can approach their Community Development Council, Family Service Centre or grassroots leaders for help. They can also call the ComCare Call service at 1800-222 0000. Assoc. Prof. Kalyani K Mehta (Nominated Member): I would like to thank the Minister of State for her response. I want to find out roughly how many families have benefited from the voucher scheme in these two CDCs.”
“In the interim, it provides such families with financial assistance, help for their utilities, rental, and service and conservancy bills, childcare and student care subsidies, and medical and educational assistance. Currently, about 4,000 households benefit from the Work Support Programme. As part of the Many Helping Hands approach which encourages active partnership between the Government and organisations from other sectors of society, Singapore Power Services has offered the "Pay-As-You-Use" (PAYU) scheme to help families with significant arrears to have their power supply reconnected while allowing them to settle their arrears over time. PAYU also enables households to better manage their electricity consumption. Mr Speaker, Sir, Community Development Councils (CDCs) are free to formulate their own schemes and programmes which are tailored to best meet the specific needs of their local communities. North West and South West CDCs' provision of utility vouchers to vulnerable families within their districts are commendable examples of such ground-up efforts. Besides utility vouchers, there are also other avenues available for families who need assistance with utility bills. For example, grassroots leaders can tap on the Citizens' Consultative Committee (CCC) ComCare Fund to provide needy families with temporary cash assistance to settle the bills. As announced in March 2008, the Government will be topping up the CCC ComCare Fund by $5 million over the next four years. With this boost, there will be $6.25 million per year available in the CCC ComCare Fund. Besides paying for utility bills, CDCs also have in place programmes to meet their communities' unique and more pressing needs.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government provides extensive help for needy families. Under the $3 billion package which will be given to Singaporeans this year, low-income households will receive Utility-Save (U-Save), Service and Conservancy Charges and rental rebates on top of the GST Credits, Senior Citizens Bonus and Growth Dividends. These families will also receive top-ups to their Medisave accounts and their children's post secondary education accounts. Prime Minister Lee had also announced an additional support package amounting to $256 million during the National Day Rally. This comprises a 50% increase in the total amount of Utility-Save rebates and a 50% increase in the remaining instalment of Growth Dividends (GD) to be given out in fiscal year (FY) 2008. With this 50% increase in Utility-Save rebates, HDB households could receive between $120 and $330 in total Utility-Save rebates in 2008, depending on their flat type. Taking all this help together, a low-income family of three living in a 3-room HDB flat could receive benefits of about $5,400 this year. This sum includes Utility-Save rebates of $310 and would help to offset the recent increase in their cost of living. HDB households will also continue receiving Utility-Save rebates over the next three years as part of the GST offset package which was announced in 2007. Those living in smaller HDB flats will get more rebates. This will help low and middle-income households to offset utility bills directly. Nonetheless, there will be those families who need more help. The ComCare Work Support Programme is a nationwide workfare-based programme which seeks to help workers upgrade their skills and find a job.”
“Kalyani K Mehta asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports whether he will consider expanding the provision of utility vouchers to vulnerable families to all Community Development Councils (CDCs) so that such families living outside the North West and South West CDCs' boundaries may not run the risk of having their power supply cut off.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, let me go through the Baby Bonus history a little bit. When we started on 1st April 2004, the first child received no cash gift, no CDA; second child received $3,000 cash and $6,000 CDA; third child, $4,000 cash, $12,000 CDA; fourth child, no cash, no CDA; and fifth child, no cash, no CDA. From 1st August 2004 to 16th August 2008, we gave the first child cash but no CDA; second child, $3,000 cash, $6,000 CDA; and third child, $6,000 cash, $12,000 CDA; fourth child, $6,000 cash, $12,000 CDA; fifth child and above, no cash, no CDA. This year, the Government has made changes from 17th August by giving a cash gift of $4,000 to the first child, CDA, $6,000; second child, cash $4,000, CDA, $6,000; third child, cash $6,000, CDA, $12,000; fourth child, cash $6,000, CDA, $12,000; and the fifth child, for the first time, we give CDA, $18,000, but no cash. You can see that it is the policy to help those who can afford to have more than five children and above. In terms of CDA, that means the co-payment from Government and other benefits, they did not lose out. But for those low-income group, I do agree that they face financial difficulty, but it is the policy that we do not encourage them or incentivise them to have more children, especially because of this big cash bonus. We hope that they should raise their existing children properly and educate them well, and hope that they can get out from poverty. For these children, like I said, we do give them KiFAS bursaries, and so on. But for those who can afford, then we encourage them. UTILITY VOUCHERS TO VULNERABLE FAMILIES (Expansion of provision to all Community Development Councils) 10. Assoc. Prof.”
“We will have to disappoint the hon. Member because we do not believe that the PA allowance should automatically be tied to the CPI. We will monitor the cost of living and every item. In the last one year, we have already increased about 14% to 20%, based on the number of people in the household. In 2007, it was about $260. Then, we increased it to $290. This year, we have increased it to $330. For families with children, they get about $1,000-plus in public assistance. We should also bear in mind that we should not overdo it, otherwise we will undermine work ethics in Singapore. Just now, hon. Members talked about the low-income group. For the low-income group, we peg it at $1,500. Now the PA for a family with two or three children is about $1,000-plus. And that is only cash. Including other subsidies, eg, rental, medical fees, free education, and the budget handouts, they will easily get about $2,000 to $3,000. We do sympathise with such cases. We will monitor the cases carefully. I should say that Public Assistance is only manageable. I do agree that it is not very comfortable, but it is manageable. What is most important is that, together with MOE and others, we try to help the children to make sure that they go to school, have pocket money, proper meals and break out of the poverty cycle. HAND, FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE (Update) 9. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Health (a) if he will give an update on the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) situation in view of the recent death of a three-year-old suspected of dying from the disease; and (b) whether there are sufficient measures in place to protect children from contracting HFMD, especially the more deadly EV71 strain of the disease.”
“On top of this original $3 billion package, the Government will be distributing an additional support package amounting to $256 million, as announced recently at the National Day Rally by PM. The enhancements comprise a 50% increase in the remaining instruments of Growth Dividends and a 50% increase in the total amount of U-Save rebates to be given out in Fiscal Year 2008. Taking all these together, a single elderly PA recipient living in a one-room rental flat will receive about $1,250 in additional cash handouts by the end of this year. When we include Medisave top-ups and U-Save, S&CC and rental rebates, the total amount of benefits a single elderly PA recipient living in a one-room rental flat could receive by the end of this year is almost $2,000. A PA family with two adults and two children living in a two-room rental flat could receive about $1,600 in cash benefits, an additional $2,000 in Medisave and Post-Secondary Education Account top-ups, U-Save, S&CC and rental rebates. In total, such a family could receive benefits amounting to more than $3,600 this year. So we will continue to help PA recipients cope with the increase in the cost of living.”