Tag: PAP

AGO Report Flags Several Ministries For Lapses

When two universities failed to recover tuition-fee and study loans given to their students within a specified period,the Ministry of Education (MOE) did not take the necessary follow-up actions promptly.

Called out for its lack of oversight in administering schemes and programmes such as scholarship bonds and study loans, the MOE was one of 12 government bodies whose lapses were flagged by the Auditor-General’s Office’s (AGO) annual audit of the public sector.

Others cited for lapses in the AGO’s 61-page report, made public on Tuesday (July 26), included the Defence Ministry (Mindef) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB).

The AGO report highlighted four areas that public sector entities should improve on: Inadequate financial controls; weak governance of public funds; lack of oversight of external entities; and lapses in management of contracts.

As of June 30 last year, the two universities — National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) — saw an outstanding balance of loans totalling S$228.04 million. For 23.3 per cent — 27 out of 116 — of the outstanding loans audited by the AGO, recovery action was delayed by one to 3.5 years.

The report found that the MOE was not prompt in following up on long outstanding loans to ensure that the banks had taken adequate recovery actions. It also noted discrepancies among records of loans in default kept by the MOE, the universities and the banks. The MOE was also rapped for lapses in monitoring and enforcing bonds related to scholarships disbursed by the two universities.

The universities lagged in sending out letters of demand to half of the scholars — 16 out of 30 test-checked — who were not serving the required bonds, with delays of up to 26 months.

The MOE over-contributed S$4.14 million over nine years to NTU’s sinking fund for replacement of MOE-funded buildings and facilities, a sum that the ministry said on Tuesday had been recovered.

In a statement, issued following the release of the AGO’s report, the MOE said it is working with the universities and banks to ensure prompt follow-up of loans in arrears. It may allow borrowers facing financial hardship to defer repayment of monthly instalments or temporarily reduce the amount payable in some cases. It added that measures are also in place to reduce default on scholarship bonds — such as working with government agencies to track bond service records — noting that many of the lapses flagged were from “earlier graduation batches”.

Default rates have come down significantly over the last three years, said the MOE, adding that 1 per cent of international scholarship recipients had intentionally defaulted.

As for the HDB, the AGO noted that final payments to contractors totalling S$37.62 million were delayed for up to 3.3 years — a move it described as an “unfair business practice” since it could have hurt the contractors’ cashflow. The HDB said it will implement new processes, such as a tracking system, to ensure that delayed accounts are brought to the management’s attention so that final payments can be made promptly.

The AGO also found inadequate monitoring of car parks at industrial and residential estates, which allowed motorists to use the facilities without being charged. Of five industrial car parks audited, the AGO found 243 instances where the motorists, on multiple occasions, had manipulated the electronic parking systems to allow another vehicle to exit the car parks for free, such as through tailgating.

Mindef was cited for investing S$50.26 million in a United States real estate investment trust exchange-traded fund without approval from its board of trustees. It also failed to provide Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions on bonuses paid to members on the Savings and Employee Retirement Plan.

According to the AGO report, Mindef said that it had since obtained approval from the board of trustees for the investment, and will make the required CPF contributions — amounting to about S$324,000 for 215 members — by next month.

Other government bodies chided for lapses included the Land Transport Authority, whose weak controls over toll collection at checkpoints resulted in under-collection of S$13.9 million; and the Law Ministry for lapses in its handling of deceased persons’ assets received from nursing homes. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was taken to task for continuing to subscribe to phone lines that were no longer needed, resulting in wastage amounting to S$80,744.

Source: TODAY Online

July 27, 2016
New Report On Iraq Invasion Raises Questions Around Singapore’s Involvement

In 2003, Singapore deployed servicemen, ships and aircraft to the Persian Gulf in support of the Iraq war, as part of a mission to “maintain security” and to see Iraq achieve self-government through a political transition.

Singapore was officially part of the Multinational Force — Iraq (MNF-I) from then until 2008, with the Defence Ministry describing it as supporting “reconstruction efforts” in Iraq.

The Government publicly showed its support for the US-led invasion of Iraq, in what is perceived as it acting without the mandate of the United Nations Security Council. On March 14, 2003, in response to questions raised by Members of Parliament, then Foreign Minister, Professor S Jayakumar, asserted that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction.

Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and President Tony Tan (then Defence Minister) issued similar statements asserting the legitimacy of the invasion of Iraq.

Earlier this month, on July 6, the Report of the Iraq Inquiry was published by the United Kingdom and it seriously questioned any purported justifications for the invasion. The report unanimously concluded that peaceful options for disarmament had not been exhausted and therefore, military action was not a last resort.

Significantly, the report also concluded that “(t)here was no imminent threat from Saddam Hussein”.

The effects of the illegal invasion of Iraq were devastating, and continue to be so. Between March and April 2003 alone, 6,882 civilian deaths were caused by US-led forces. Even today, Iraq may be viewed as entering a phase that could prove every bit as destabilising — perhaps even more so — than the war against the Islamic State.

But the report also raises important questions for Singapore: Was the Government independently satisfied of the factual and legal basis for invading Iraq, or did it take the US’ word for it, as the UK did?

Did the Government feel compelled, as Tony Blair did, to stand together with an important ally? How does our involvement square with our oft-stated principle of acting according to the rule of international law?

The answer is important not only because it goes to the heart of our foreign and defence policy, but also because Singaporean lives were put on the line. Singaporean assets deployed to support the illegal invasion of Iraq were withdrawn only in March 2005.

With respect to the democratic values of accountability and transparency in government, and for the rule of law, I appeal to the Singapore Government to address these issues in Parliament.

As our elected representatives, the decisions made by our Government reflect our entire nation. As a member of the global community, the devastation of the Iraq invasion is a responsibility borne by us all.

Source: TODAYOnline

July 24, 2016
Singapore’s Retirement Age Has To Go At Some Point: DPM Tharman

Singapore’s retirement age has to go “at some point”, said Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam at a dialogue at the World Cities Summit yesterday.

It is critical that older workers be seen as assets to be continually invested in, rather than just as add- ons needed because employers cannot find younger workers in a tight labour market, he said.

Mr Tharman, who is also Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies, was speaking at the opening session of the World Cities Summit at Marina Bay Sands.

He outlined key challenges faced by growing cities, such as ageing societies, at the discussion, Towards A Liveable, Sustainable And Resilient Future.

“Older folks are an asset. They have wisdom, experience and they also learn on the job. We have to make this (integrating older workers) part and parcel of the workplace… We have not done it very well in Singapore so far and we have to do much better in this realm,” he said.

His comments were in response to a question by Ambassador-at- large Tommy Koh, who moderated the dialogue between Mr Tharman and the audience of academics, policymakers and industry leaders from across the globe.

Professor Koh asked Mr Tharman if the Singapore Government could abolish compulsory retirement.

“I am 78 years old, I am working full-time and I think many older Singaporeans are like me. They don’t dream of playing golf or lying on a beach. We want to continue to work and contribute to society,” said Prof Koh.

Mr Tharman said Singapore does not have compulsory retirement but has a retirement age, like many other societies. “At some point, this (retirement age) has to go,” he said, adding that older people are assets and they can keep learning even in their 50s or 60s as their brains continue to adapt.

The retirement age in Singapore is 62, though the re-employment age will rise from 65 to 67 next year. Workers turning 62 can opt to retire or continue working until the re-employment age ceiling.

In Parliament this year, Ms Jessica Tan, an MP for East Coast GRC, asked why the Manpower Ministry did not remove the retirement age.

Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say said doing so could actually be worse for workers as it means that companies can terminate their employees’ services earlier.

The other challenge that comes with an ageing population, said Mr Tharman, is healthcare, which has to be humane, affordable and convenient for people.

For instance, studies abroad have shown that less than 20 per cent of the time a person spends visiting a clinic or hospital is spent seeing the doctor, said Mr Tharman. The rest of the time is spent on travelling, queueing and waiting, and this is especially inconvenient for an older person with disability.

Telemedicine then, said Mr Tharman, is a huge opportunity for cities to tap so that seniors at home have peace of mind, knowing they have a nurse or doctor to get advice from.

In closing, Mr Tharman said innovation is going to be a source of inclusivity. “It is not a contradiction to say that we want a highly innovative society and open society as well as an inclusive society.”

Source: The Sraits Times

July 13, 2016
Govt To Keep Ability To Amend Constitution Without Vote: Shanmugam

With social spending set to increase to support a rapidly ageing population, the Government needs to preserve its ability to make the “necessary adjustments” to the Constitution to strengthen the revenue base and pay for the extra spending, said Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam.

This is why the Government does not intend to bring into force Article 5(2A) of the Constitution, he said in response to a question raised by Nominated Member of Parliament Eugene Tan yesterday.

The Article states that if Parliament wants to amend certain elements of the Constitution, including any provisions relating to the President’s powers, it must seek a national referendum and get the support of at least two-thirds of voters.

With healthcare spending alone likely to triple from S$4 billion in 2011 to about S$12 billion by 2020, Mr Shanmugan told Parliament that further refinements to both the tax system, as well as the basis on which the Government can draw on net investment returns for current spending, cannot be ruled out over the next five to 10 years.

“To bring Article 5(2A) into force before that would otherwise potentially trigger a national referendum each time we needed to make a further refinement or adjustment,” he said. “Our view is that we should give ourselves more time before entrenching the provisions.”

Source: TODAY Online

July 11, 2016
Dedication To Causes Earns Halimah Yacob NUS Honorary Doctorate

She grew up poor, with her mother struggling to put food on the table after her father died when she was eight, and went on to build a storied career in the labour movement, politics, women’s issues and more.

But Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, 61, said it would be harder for someone from a similarly poor background today to do the same. While most people started off “at a very low base” in the past, some families can now afford to give better access to opportunities and resources for their children, she said.

Singapore has to “keep an eye on things like making sure our inequality does not continue to widen” through important measures in education, healthcare and housing. “So our job is to make sure that all children are able to access these kinds of resources so they are not disadvantaged,” she said, adding that she was happy that the Government was now investing “upstream” in early childhood development.

The veteran politician was speaking during an interview with the media last week, ahead of her being conferred the Honorary Doctor of Laws by the National University of Singapore (NUS) in recognition of her distinguished career and service, particularly in the public sectors, where she has championed workers’ welfare, women’s issues, and family issues.

At the NUS Commencement main ceremony on Thursday (July 7), Mdm Halimah became the 26th person to be conferred the honour, which is NUS’ highest form of recognition for outstanding individuals who have had a significant impact on the community and NUS.

Other luminaries who have been similarly honoured include former Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, and Mdm Halimah, who holds a Bachelor and Master of Laws from NUS, said she was “deeply honoured and also very humbled” by the conferment.

NUS president, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, said: “An NUS Law alumna, Mdm Halimah has made her mark through her commitment and dedication to the labour movement, and her strong advocacy of women’s rights and the Malay community.”

Mdm Halimah worked for three decades in the labour movement, and became the first Malay woman elected into Parliament in 2001, and later the first female Speaker of Parliament in 2013.

As a woman from a minority background, she has been lauded for breaking glass ceilings in Singapore, but Mdm Halimah said this was not something she deliberately set out to do; her focus was on doing her work well.

“Sometimes we worry too much about disadvantages, hurdles, whether you’re a woman or come from a certain family background. Frankly speaking, my life has not been easy … but I never believed that hurdles and obstacles are problems or disadvantages that should be viewed negatively … they help to spur and motivate me,” said Mdm Halimah, who added that adversities help “develop capabilities, resilience and abilities”.

Nonetheless, she acknowledged the “deep-seated prejudices against women” that still prevail in many places, during her speech at the ceremony yesterday. Noting that women politicians in other countries have been criticised on the basis of their gender, such as a woman who was deemed “emotional” because she was unmarried, Mdm Halimah said: “By all means disagree with her policies if you wish to, but don’t try to diminish her by trivialising her role because she is a woman.” The lesson she had learnt, she added, is “never to let anyone or anything define you as that means ceding your choices to others and limiting yourself”.

She also urged graduates to remember to give back to society.

“Remember that we are where we are today because we have the support of so many people along the way,” she said. “Let’s have the humility to accept that not everything that happened to us was because of how smart or how good we are, but because we had a lot of help.”

This year, 10,395 students graduate from NUS, among them 6,491 who will receive bachelor’s degrees. A total of 23 commencement ceremonies will be held at the NUS University Cultural Centre over eight days, from Thursday till July 14.

Source: www.todayonline.com

July 8, 2016