Last week, an article was circulating online regarding a 75 year old Singaporean woman who was arrested and summoned to court for outstanding Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC).
(75 year old Singaporean woman arrested for failing to pay S&CC in Tanjong Pagar)
She is said to be a resident of Lengkok Bahru and allegedly owed Tanjong Pagar Town Council $411 in conservancy fees.
She was offered bail at $1000 but couldn't pay it immediately hence spent 2 days in lock-up before paying the $1000 and being released pending the court hearing.
If she is found guilty, she could face a fine of up to $1000.
Early this year, an event against the increase of S&CC was organised due to the elderly aunties and uncles who were shouting angrily that S&CC has increased to $42 per month.
Don’t talk about 2016 since none of the residents in Tanjong Pagar GRC had a chance to vote for the MPs since I was born, perhaps it’s not Singaporeans don’t wanna stand up for themselves but because they are so happy with the PAP?
Lee Kuan Yew said: “What’s wrong with collecting more money?”
Where there is an election in any or every whole constituency within a Town without any prior alteration to the boundaries of such constituency, the Town Council for the Town shall, subject to Town Councils Act (CHAPTER 329A) Section 34 subsection (7), transfer its surpluses if the Member or Members elected and the previous Member or Members for the constituency stood in elections for the same political party — 80% of its surpluses relating to such area of the Town comprised in that constituency shall be transferred to the prescribed sinking funds of the Town Council relating to that area; or if the Member or Members elected and the previous Member or Members for the constituency stood in elections for different political parties — all its surpluses relating to such area of the Town comprised in that constituency shall be transferred to the prescribed sinking funds of the Town Council relating to that area.
So smart of them right?
Do Singaporeans know this when more than 80% of them are living in HDB?
Do Singaporeans care to educate on another about it or do they prefer to wait for election once every 5 years while residents in a way, suffering at least 80% losses when the same political party wins or up to 100% by way of a transfer of the accumulated surpluses to the sinking fund, the moment there is an election?
What exactly are the politicians doing in parliament?
Why it is that such an undemocratic and unfair amendment to the Town Council Act was passed by Parliamentarians without much debate, scrutiny and dissent?
Is there really need to increase S&CC?
As a resident of TP GRC, in 2012, there was a SGD$46,911 surplus for the financial year.
Accumulated surplus as at 1 April 2011 is SGD$6,527,239 but accumulated surplus as at 31 March 2012 decreased to SGD$3,453,823.
Was this due primarily to a SGD$4,470,001 transfer of accumulated surplus to sinking fund on 18 April 2011? GE2011?
Do you know the total S&CC past due in just TP GRC has increased by about 13% from $1,759,172 in 2011 to $1,984,504?
From SGD$443,390 to SGD$730,747 for past due less than 3 months
From SGD$295,127 to SGD$312,800 for past due 3 to 6 months
From SGD$1,020,654 to SGD$940,957 for past due more than 6 months
“Provision for impairment” increased 38% from SGD$513,767 in 2011 to SGD$711,452 in 2012.
Does this increase in S&CC owing and provision for impairment means that maybe more residents were under greater financial stress during GE2011 and why?
Why is it that the General and Administrative Expenditure’s “Bad debts written off” increased by about 9 times from SGD$56,881 in 2011 to SGD$451,172 in 2012?
Why is it that the “Interest receivable on late payments” of $902,958, is almost as high as the “Conservancy and service receivables” of SGD$1,113,988 in 2012?
Why is it that the total “Funds with fund managers” have decreased by about 39% from SGD$34,723,282 in 2011 to SGD$20,588,849 in 2012?
Apparently, this may be due primarily to the increase in the “HELD-TO-MATURITY INVESTMENTS” (Bonds) from SGD$24,860,191 in 2011 to SGD$51,898,090 in 2012.
Under “Cash flows from investing activities”, “Proceeds from termination of funds with fund managers” was SGD$13,941,431 in 2012.
“Fair value loss” was a negative SGD$202,014 in 2012.
So, what does this indicate to us?
What was the performance of the fund managers last year?
As of 31 March 2012, there is SGD$191,930,738 in the Sinking Fund. When will this amount of money be used to better the lives of Singaporeans living in Tanjong Pagar GRC?
If we have $191 million of sinking funds in just one town council, how much in total are there for all the town councils?
Should we practice active citizenry or should we wait for election once every 5 years to win a GRC after 5 decades?
Han Hui Hui
*The writer blogs at http://huihui247.blogspot.sg/