The review on the sale of software by People’s Action Party (PAP) town councils to PAP-owned company Action Information Management (AIM) has once again been extended.
The Ministry of National Development (MND), which is conducting the review, had said at the beginning of last month that it was extending the review by a month.
It reiterated that the review team “has been actively engaging the town councils and AIM on their transactions and are examining the statements and inputs given to its queries”.
The ministry had been tasked by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to conduct the review “in the interest of transparency” in January, following accusatory exchanges between the Workers’ Party (WP) and PAP town councils and AIM.
Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council Chairman Sylvia Lim had claimed that the town council’s poor performance in managing its services and conservancy charges arrears was caused by the termination of IT services with AIM.
In the midst of the exchanges, it was revealed that the software in 14 PAP town councils was sold to AIM — the sole bidder — in a tender conducted in 2010.
When contacted, Ms Lim said that she and her team have had no contact with the MND since early last month.
Asked about the extension, she said it would be more appropriate to comment after the review findings are announced.
Mountbatten Member of Parliament Lim Biow Chuan, who sits on the Government Parliamentary Committee for National Development and the Environment, said that it would not be fair to pre-judge the reasons for the extension. He added: “Investigations do take time, I’m sure the Government is considering this very seriously.”
The MND said the review was still proceeding and that “the team expects to complete the review soon”, but did not specify when.
“The review was originally meant to be completed within two months but was extended as both the MPs and the Review Team were tied up with the March 2013 Committee of Supply debates,” the ministry said.