PARLIAMENT HOUSE

1 PARLIAMENT PLACE

SINGAPORE 178880

FRIDAY, 25 AUGUST, 2000

7 32

Dr Lily Neo: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Government will consider giving (i) more varieties of scholarships in terms of varying years of bonding and amount of pecuniary involvement; (ii) prestige or acknowledgement scholarships with no monetary involvement; and (iii) scholarships with flexible terms like deferment of bond service for further postgraduate courses and/or training.

Government scholarships today already vary in terms of the years of bond, as well as in the pecuniary amount involved. The number of years of bond associated with a scholarship depends on the type of award and country of study. For PSC, for example, the bond is 6 years for US and UK, 5 years for France, Germany, Japan and the PRC, and 4 years for the Local scholarships. The amount of sponsorship also varies across countries, depending on the cost of the university education as well as the cost of living. Hence, the liquidated damages vary.

All government scholarships are given for the purpose of identifying, inducting and grooming talent for the public sector. Thus, the government is not in favour of awarding prestige nor acknowledgement scholarships without the scholar making a commitment to serve in the public service.

There is already much flexibility in the treatment of government scholars. First, scholarship bonds have been shortened from 6-8 to 4-6 years to keep up with the times. Scholars are now encouraged to pursue a much wider range of disciplines. Many scholarships also allow scholars who meet the criteria to go for postgraduate studies. For example, those on the SAF, SPF or PSC’s Overseas Merit Scholarships or OMS, have a Master’s programme worked in as part of their scholarship terms, as long as they complete their studies in 4 years. There are also about 10 PSC scholars who are pursuing doctoral programmes. On getting their PhDs, their bonds may be transferred to the local Universities or to one of our public sector research institutions. Government scholars also go for industrial and research attachments locally and overseas with our blessings.

Mr Ong Chin Guan, Noris: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (a) whether there is a rising trend, over the last five years, of government scholars who broke their scholarship bonds; (b) whether the scholar's parents and guardians should be required to sign a performance bond for a specific sum, on the basis that they can exert their moral influence on the scholars; and (c) whether fiscal deterrent measures can be imposed by requiring the bond-breakers' prospective employers to recompense the bond on a non-tax deductible basis and requiring the bond-breakers to be taxed in full for any reimbursement made by their employers towards the bond payment.

As the PSC is the largest scholarship provider, I asked them for their statistics. The figures show that over the last five years, the number of PSC scholars who have broken bond each year, as a proportion of the total number of scholars currently in service under bond, has fallen from 5% in 1995 to 2% in 1999. In PSC’s experience, the bond-breaking rate rises when the economy is doing well, and our salaries get out of line with the private sector. Conversely, the rate falls when the economy is not doing so well. This is only natural.

The point is that the proportion of bond-breakers is low. The newspaper debate that followed the Sunday Times front-page article had created an exaggerated impression of the severity of the problem. We should see this issue in perspective, otherwise we would be unfair to the vast majority of scholars who did not break their bonds and who do not intend to break their bonds.

A government scholarship deed requires two sureties. The scholar accepts the scholarship with the full knowledge, consent and approval of the two sureties. The sureties are usually the parents, immediate relatives and close family friends. Thus, when a scholar is thinking of breaking his bond, he not only has to consider his moral obligation to serve, but also the trust and expectations his parents and sureties have of him.

Our tax system is set up for a larger purpose. It should not be used per se to deter bond breakers.

Mr Ong Chin Guan, Noris: To ask the Prime Minister whether his Government intends (i) to review the success of the policies adopted to improve procreation in Singapore; and (ii) to consider, in line with most private sector practices, a five-day working week to allow civil servants to spend more time with their families.

Mr Lim Boon Heng:

The Prime Minister has announced in his National Day Rally Speech on 20 August 2000 two measures to address the problem of falling total fertility rate in Singapore. These are the Baby Bonus Scheme and paid third child maternity leave. The Prime Minister has also said that more supporting measures will be announced soon as it is important that we have a total environment conducive to raising a family. He has appointed Mr Lim Boon Heng to chair a committee to oversee this critical matter.

As regards the Member’s query on 5-day working week for civil servants, PSD’s approach is to give government ministries some flexibility to decide on their working hours. If ministries choose to adjust the working hours for their officers within the overall framework of the 42-hour workweek, PSD has no objection so long as this improves their levels of service to the public, and does not affect productivity. However, there will be no general rule for the whole Civil Service to switch to a 5-day working week. Doing so would send the wrong signal that since the Government itself is now working fewer days, we have now arrived and it is alright for workers throughout the economy to shift to a less intense pace.

Mr Thomas Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether pensions of retired civil servants will be adjusted in the light of the recent public sector salary revision.

Pensions are calculated based on the pensionable component in an officer’s last-drawn salary and the length of his pensionable service. As pensions are given on account of past service, they are not adjusted whenever the salaries of serving officers are revised.

However, the Government does recognise that some of the older pensioners are receiving low pensions relative to the cost of living, and therefore assists them by paying a top-up allowance, called the Singapore Allowance, to supplement the pensions that they receive.

The Singapore Allowance was last revised in Aug 97, when it was raised from $130 to $140 per month. Concurrently, the gross pension eligibility ceiling was raised from $900 to $950 per month. Since 1997, the Consumer Price Index has increased by only 2.1%. This year, MTI projects inflation to be only 1 – 2%. Nonetheless, the Government will review the present quantum and eligibility ceiling for the Singapore Allowance, to determine if another revision is justified.

Mr Tay Beng Chuan: To ask the Minister for National Development whether the Government will bring forward the implementation of more infrastructure and public building projects to restore the growth of the construction industry which has contracted by 9.8% for the eighth consecutive quarter.

In terms of contract value, construction demand in Singapore has dropped from its peak of $23.5 billion in 1997 to $15.3 billion in 1998 and $11.7 billion in 1999. For 2000, however, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has forecasted that construction demand would rise to $17.3 billion, an increase of $5.6 billion from 1999. This increase is mainly due to two Government reclamation projects. However, the volume of building works is expected to remain stagnant.

As there is a time lag between the award of contract and the progress payments made, the construction industry could move into positive value-added growth towards the end of the 2001. This is provided that the good performance of the economy is maintained over the next two years.

To boost the construction demand and to take advantage of the competitive tender prices, the Government has been looking at ways to advance some of the infrastructure and institutional projects. The number of projects awarded by the public sector rose by 25% in 1999, although the total value of projects still fell. This is mainly due to lower tender prices. The Government will continue to look at ways to advance the public sector projects, particularly those that are nearing the tender calling stage. However, as construction projects would need a few years to complete, any action taken now will not lead to immediate results.

Local contractors would inevitably be affected by the fall in construction demand. According to BCA’s records, local contractors have been concentrating their activities mainly in building projects. To soften the impact and to avoid being adversely affected by the slow down in the building workload, local contractors should consolidate, merge or diversify their operation to participate in large scale infrastructure works. They should also use this time to improve their productivity, skills and competitiveness to prepare for the recovery of the industry.  

Dr Ker Sin Tze: To ask the Minister for the Environment whether he will consider installing sound barriers to reduce traffic noise pollution along expressways.

Mr Goh Chong Chia: To ask the Minister for the Environment, as vehicles and MRT trains are additional sources of noise when they pass near residential areas and schools, whether he will consider introducing acoustic barriers to reduce the impact of the noise to the residential areas and schools.

My Ministry has been working closely with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Ministry of National Development to reduce the noise problem from vehicles and MRT trains on nearby residential areas and schools. Some of the measures taken include the imposition of set-back distance on roads and train tracks from residential buildings, noise standards for new and in-use vehicles, road design, and the use of low-noise MRT trains. Studies have shown that the noise levels at residential buildings and schools near roads and MRT tracks are generally within the guidelines adopted by ENV.

The Land Transport Authority previously studied the use of noise barriers along expressways. It found that such barriers may not be effective in shielding noise in Singapore’s high-rise setting, because they cannot effectively block the noise on the higher floors, unless they completely envelop the entire expressway. Nevertheless, LTA will study each case on its own merits, and if feasible and effective, will consider erecting noise barriers.

We must recognise however that in land-scarce and highly-urbanised Singapore, some degree of noise pollution is inevitable. While we can impose certain building set-back and other requirements at the planning stage for new developments, there is much less room to reduce noise problem in built-up areas with an intensive road network and heavy traffic flows.

 TRAFFIC CONGESTION ALONG THE CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY

Dr Ker Sin Tze: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information Technology how he proposes to solve the traffic congestion problem at the Braddell Road exit along Central Expressway towards Ang Mo Kio.

Many motorists travelling along the Central Expressway (CTE) towards Ang Mo Kio exit at Braddell Road during the evening peak hours. The Braddell Road exit leads into the junction of Braddell Road/CTE under the CTE flyover. This junction experiences very heavy traffic flow both along Braddell Road as well as along the CTE Braddell Road exit.

The traffic flow along Braddell Road and the Braddell Road exit of the CTE will improve when the interchange at Braddell Road/CTE junction is expanded. The Land Transport Authority is currently constructing a 3-level interchange at this junction. A vehicular underpass is being built to take the main Braddell Road traffic under this junction, thus avoiding the traffic signals. Work, which is in progress, will be completed by end of 2002. Once this main traffic is taken away from this signalised junction, more green time can be given to the CTE Braddell Road exit. The traffic flow along the Braddell Road exit will then be smoother. 

Mr Tay Beng Chuan: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information Technology whether his Ministry will consider building underground pedestrian walkways to link up City Hall MRT station to the major commercial buildings in North Bridge Road/High Street area to improve the road safety and ease the traffic congestion there.

Where it is cost effective to do so, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will provide underground linkages from MRT stations to nearby major developments. When City Hall MRT station was built, it was linked to Raffles City. An underground pedestrian walkway was also constructed under Stamford Road to connect the station to the St.Andrew's Cathedral side of North Bridge Road. More recently, a private developer has constructed an underground shopping mall, City Link, that connects Suntec City to the City Hall MRT station. These walkways take care of the major pedestrian movements to and from the MRT station.

LTA has no plans to provide an underground walkway from City Hall MRT station to the North Bridge Road/High Street area. The commercial developments in this area are less intensive and hence attract a lower pedestrian traffic. There are already adequate pedestrian crossings at the signalised junctions and good walkways along North Bridge Road for pedestrians' use.

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Office of the Clerk of Parliament

Singapore, 25 August 2000