Tag: Singaporeans

Toa Payoh, Woodlands And Pasir Ris To Get Upgrades Under HDB’s Remaking Our Heartlands Programme

Three more towns — Toa Payoh, Woodlands and Pasir Ris — will be given facelifts under the Housing and Development Board’s (HDB) Remaking Our Heartland (ROH) programme, said Senior Minister of State for National Development Lee Yi Shyan on Tuesday (Mar 10).

Plans for Toa Payoh include a revamped town centre and town park, as well as improved pedestrian access to the town centre. There are also plans to develop more public housing and parks around Caldecott MRT station, when it is upgraded to an interchange station along the upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line.

More recreational spaces will be created along the Woodlands waterfront and the entire waterfront stretch will be opened to the public.

Residents in Pasir Ris can look forward to redeveloped neighbourhood centres and parks that will feature family-centred facilities.

HDB will be gathering feedback from residents and community stakeholders to refine these plans, Mr Lee told Parliament during the National Development Ministry’s Committee of Supply debate.

He added that following a successful pilot of the HDB Greenprint in Yuhua, another precinct will be selected for the programme, which aims to promote sustainable and eco-friendly living in existing HDB estates.

The ROH programme is aimed at breathing new life into young and mature estates. Six towns have been lined up for revitalisation since its launch in 2007 — Punggol, Yishun, Dawson, East Coast, Hougang and Jurong Lake.

Addressing Jurong GRC Member of Parliament Ang Wei Neng’s concern that only a handful of neighbourhood centres have been able to tap the Revitalisation of Shops scheme — introduced in 2007 to enhance the competitiveness of HDB shops — Mr Lee announced that a new committee will be set up to fine-tune the scheme.

So far, about S$8.4 million has been disbursed under the scheme, and one in two HDB shops have benefited from it, Mr Lee said.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

March 11, 2015
Training Contracts Unable To Meet Demand From Increased Supply Of Law Graduates

A 47 per cent increase in students studying law, in the UK and Australia over the past three years, has led to increased competition for training contracts with law firms in Singapore.

Numbers were revealed by Senior Minister of State for Law Indranee Rajah in Parliament on Tuesday (Mar 10), following recent news that eight UK law schools would be dropped from the list recognised for admission to the Singapore Bar.

The number at UK universities has doubled over four years, hitting 1,140 students in 2013. For Australian universities, that number has gone up by more than 25 per cent, hitting around 390 students in 2013.

Speaking in Parliament, MP Hri Kumar Nair, who is the Government Parliamentary Committee Chair for Home Affairs and Law, said that the glut of law graduates had given way to a shortage of training contracts.

“From a dearth of lawyers a few years ago, we are now faced with law graduates not being able to secure training contracts. Last year there were about 650 law graduates, but only about 490 training contracts.”

“Figures from the Ministry show that only about 70 per cent of foreign-trained graduates managed to secure training contracts with firms here, compared to around 94 per cent of local graduates.”

TRAINING CONTRACT FRAMEWORK UNDER REVIEW

Ms Indranee said that work was already underway by the Singapore Institute of Legal Education (SILE) to fix the problem.

“SILE has put in place measures to facilitate more training contracts. Senior lawyers can now supervise up to four practice trainees, instead of two, at any time. The SILE has also set up a Working Party to review the practice training framework,” she said.

“However, it ultimately depends on the number of trainees that senior solicitors can effectively supervise, and which the firms can eventually retain.”

She added that the Law Ministry’s objective is to ensure a sufficient pipeline of quality legal talent to support Singapore’s legal needs.

“We uphold high standards to maintain quality. We do not try to beat the market mechanism by controlling numbers, but have the responsibility to inform aspiring lawyers of the situation to enable them to make informed choices on whether, and where, to pursue a law degree.”

Ms Indranee also pointed out that while there is no overall shortage of lawyers, many are keen to practise commercial and business law. This means a shortage in some areas of practice, like criminal and family law.

LOCAL LAW GRADUATE NUMBERS FAIRLY CONSTANT

While overseas law graduate numbers climb, the number of local law graduates has remained fairly constant. Fewer than 400 students graduate with a local law degree each year.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

March 11, 2015
Pay Increments For Low-Wage Civil Servants And Single Track For Poly And Uni Graduates

About 2,200 lower wage civil servants will receive a salary increase of between S$60 to S$80 in April, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced in Parliament on Tuesday (Mar 10).

This follows the total salary adjustments of about S$300 to S$330 they received from 2012 to 2014 – an increase of about 25 per cent in their monthly salaries, over and above their annual increments.

This year’s increment followed a Public Service Division study in partnership with the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE) and the Ministry of Education on the challenges faced by these officers.

“This move will keep salaries market competitive as part of our regular review of salaries. From next month, their salary scales will also be lengthened so that officers who have reached the previous maximum of their scales can receive further increments as they uplift their skills,” said Mr Teo, speaking at the Committee of Supply 2015 debate in Parliament.

“The Public Service will continue to work closely with the unions, and make salary adjustments where necessary, while providing our lower-wage officers with relevant opportunities to upgrade their skills.”

EXTENDED MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE SCHEME

The Management Executive Scheme, currently spanning Management Executive Officers (MXO) and Management Support Officers (MSO), will be merged into a single scheme with effect from August, said the Deputy Prime Minister.

Both degree holders and non-degree holders will be recruited on, and progress along, the extended Management Executive Scheme, he said.

“All officers in the same grade will be assessed for performance and potential in the same way. Officers assessed to have the same performance and potential will have the same opportunities for advancement and career development, whether they are degree holders or not,” he added.

“The extension of the scheme will be accompanied by a re-design of jobs and responsibilities so that the Civil Service can make full use of the abilities and potential of our officers.”

The AUPE said it welcomed the new adjustments, and the move to implement the enhanced Management Executive Scheme.

The union said it was “heartened” to note that civil servants who have hit the maximum of their salary scales can continue receive increments for their hard work and good performance.

“This would help the lower-wage civil servants cope with the rising costs of living,” AUPE said in a statement.

AUPE also said the enhanced Management Executive Scheme would bring “greater transparency and fairness” for the career advancement of degree holders and non-degree holders.

“We will continue to work with PSD to provide the same opportunities for public servants, regardless of their academic qualifications, on career development and advancement, and promote based on skill competency and performance,” the union said.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

March 11, 2015
No Pay Increments For Politicians Over Past Three Years

The sizes of politicians’ pay cheques have not changed in the past three years, although the salary benchmark for an entry-level minister last year was about 9 per cent higher than 2011 levels.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister-in-charge of the Civil Service Teo Chee Hean told the House yesterday the 2011 annual salary norm of S$1.1 million was kept because changes in the benchmark have been “moderate” — it moved up in two years and down in one, resulting in an overall annual increase of 3 per cent.

While a ministerial salaries committee recommended the salary framework be reviewed every five years, Mr Teo said “we can continue to adjust salaries within this framework should there be a change in overall salary levels in the coming years”, given that things have been stable and the framework remains valid.

He was responding to a question from Mr Edwin Tong (Moulmein-Kallang) at the Committee of Supply debate for the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday about how the framework proposed by the committee had been applied and how the benchmark had moved.

The benchmark for politicians’ pay is based on the median income of the top 1,000 earners who are Singapore citizens, with a 40 per cent discount to reflect the ethos of political service, as recommended by a ministerial salaries committee appointed in May 2011 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

This benchmark for an entry-level minister, also called the MR4 benchmark, includes all salary components including individual performance bonuses.

The MR4 benchmark for last year was S$1.2 million, but the MR4 annual salary norm was kept at S$1.1 million, said Mr Teo.

In January 2012, the ministerial salaries committee led by charity-sector veteran Gerard Ee had proposed linking the salary framework and National Bonus to the socio-economic progress of average and lower-income Singaporeans.

Its recommendations, which were backdated to May 2011, included the removal of the pension scheme for politicians.

Yesterday, Mr Teo said Singapore must continue to keep wages in the Public Service realistic and strike a balance between recognising the ethos of political service and providing a fair salary.

This would ensure a flow of able and committed leaders into the Government, he added.

Source: www.todayonline.com

March 11, 2015
Khaw Boon Wan: HDB Flats Have Become More Affordable

Public flats have become more affordable in recent years, with many Singaporeans able to buy a home within their budget, said Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan.

To ensure that this remains the case for future generations, Mr Khaw said that the Government remains committed to quality housing that is within the reach of most Singaporeans.

“Every generation will be able to afford their own HDB homes. This is our promise,” he said in the parliamentary debate on his ministry’s budget yesterday.

Stressing the importance of home ownership, Mr Khaw said his ministry has achieved results in taming the red hot housing market. This was a hot topic in the 2011 General Election.

Resale housing prices have risen by about 37 per cent since their low in 2009, while new flat prices rose by just 15 per cent without grants. With grants, new flat prices rose by just 6 per cent.

— SOURCE: MND

“Measured against the (median) household income increase of 38 per cent, we can see that public housing affordability has substantially improved since 2011,” he said.

As for whether cooling measures will be lifted, Mr Khaw said that the property market is in transition and that the Government “should not overkill”.

Mr Khaw also cited a recent Housing Board survey which showed that people were willing to pay up to $300,000 for a new three-room flat, and between $300,000 and $500,000 for a four- or five-roomer.

In comparison, 90 per cent of new three-roomers last year were sold at below $250,000.

For new four-roomers, 81 per cent were sold below $350,000, and 89 per cent of new five-roomers were sold below $450,000.

“These are actual transactions. They paint a comforting picture of young Singaporeans being able to get their first BTO (Build- To-Order) flat, well within their expected budget,” said Mr Khaw.

Home ownership has also been possible for the lower-income group, added Mr Khaw.

From March 2012 to July last year, 1,491 families with household incomes below $1,000 had booked two-room or larger BTO flats.

Yesterday, 24 MPs rose to ask about issues such as the affordability of housing. Ms Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC) was one of three MPs calling for the $10,000 income cap to be raised, while Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC) and Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) wanted flats with shorter leases for the needy.

Mr Khaw outlined plans to help different segments, from singles to public rental tenants.

Starting from May, half of all new two-room flats in non-mature estates will be set aside for singles, up from 30 per cent now.

The Government will look for ways to help non-first-timers who want resale flats near their parents, as well as public rental tenants who aim to own a home.

It is also prepared to raise the $10,000 income ceiling for public flats, as incomes rise, he said.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

March 11, 2015