Hansard, 1967-09-07

PERMISSION TO MEMBERS TO BE ABSENT Under the provisions of clause 2 (d) of Article 30 of the Constitution of Singapore, I have granted permission to the following Members to be or to remain absent from sittings of Parliament (or any committee of Parliament to which they have been appointed) for the period stated:- Mr S. Rajaratnam (Kampong Glam), Minister for Foreign Affairs -

ASSENTS TO BILLS PASSED I have been informed by the President that, on the days stated, he assented to the following Bills:- 30th June, 1967 (i) Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill; and (ii) Criminal Justice (Temporary Provisions) (Amendment) Bill. 3rd July, 1967 (i) National Theatre Trust (Amendment) Bill; (ii) Science Council of Singapore Bill; (iii) Judicial Committee (Amendment) Bill; and (iv) Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill. 4th July, 1967 Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill. 5th July, 1967 Trustees Bill. (P. COOMARASWAMY) Speaker, Parliament of Singapore

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER - (Motion) Mr Speaker, Sir, I seek your consent and the general assent of Members to move a motion to suspend Standing Orders to enable Questions for Oral Answer to be taken beyond 3.30 p.m. until 4.30 p.m. today, in view of the large number of questions standing on the Order Paper.

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER - (Motion) Mr Rodrigues, in view of an indication given to me, may I suggest that your motion be one that will enable Questions for Oral Answer to be taken beyond 3.30 p.m, until all Questions on the Order Paper for today are disposed of?

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER - (Motion) I accept the suggestion.

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER - (Motion) I give my consent. May I have the general assent of Members for the motion to be moved as proposed? Hon. Members indicated assent. Resolved, "That notwithstanding the Standing Orders of this day, the Questions for Oral Answer set down on the Order Paper be continued beyond 3.30 p.m. until all Questions on the Order Paper be answered." - [Mr Rodrigues].

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - ELECTRICITY SUPPLY TO - KAMPONG DWELLERS - (Obstruction by landowner) asked the Deputy Prime Minister if he is aware that the efforts of the Public Utilities Board to provide domestic electricity supply to kampong dwellers at their request are being hampered by a landowner who has refused his consent to the erection on his property of wooden poles to carry overhead cables, and what action he proposes to take in the matter.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - ELECTRICITY SUPPLY TO - KAMPONG DWELLERS - (Obstruction by landowner) (In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have been asked by the Deputy Prime Minister to reply. When the major part of the work connected with the provision of electricity supply to the kampong dwellers in the Siak Kuan Road area in Changi was completed on 15th October, 1965, the owner of the land of a certain portion of the kampong objected to the poles which had been erected on his land. The matter was subsequently resolved through the good offices of the District Officer in Katong and electricity supply has been made available to all the kampong dwellers since 18th April, 1967.

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY TO - BOH SUA TIAN ROAD asked the Deputy Prime Minister when electricity will be supplied to the residents of the Boh Sua Tian Road.

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY TO - BOH SUA TIAN ROAD (In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have been asked by the Deputy Prime Minister to reply. Electricity supplies have been made available to 141 houses in Boh Sua Tian Road since May 1964. There is a scheme to extend the supplies to another 153 houses in that area and work on the scheme has started.

MACRITCHIE RESERVOIR - (Measures to prevent water pollution) asked the Deputy Prime Minister whether he is aware of any measures being taken by the Public Utilities Board to prevent water pollution now that a bridge and a band-stand have been built over the water in MacRitchie Reservoir and whether he will inform the House of such measures.

MACRITCHIE RESERVOIR - (Measures to prevent water pollution) Mr Speaker, Sir, the question is a very timely one and I am quite sure there are many people who share the anxiety expressed by the Member for Choa Chu Kang on the necessity to keep the waters in MacRitchie Reservoir and elsewhere clean and unpolluted. I would like to say that members of the public who visit the reservoir should be fully conscious of the dangers of polluting the water in the reservoir and urge them to cooperate to prevent such contamination from occurring. I would like to point out to Members of the House that there have been many cases in recent history when there were outbreaks of infectious hepatitis, a disease which affects the liver, in several countries - Hongkong, Germany, Sweden, India - and on investigation it has been found that the source of this epidemic has been traced to water being contaminated by sewage either at the point of intake of the water from the reservoir or river or in the distribution system. The worst outbreak of this disease, hepatitis, was in New Delhi in 1955/56 when there were 30,000 to 50,000 cases. The virus causing hepatitis is resistant to standard methods of purification used by municipalities. Treatment with large doses of chlorine is necessary to destroy the virus but this raises enormously the cost of purified water. The possibility of contaminating the reservoirs in Singapore comes from picnickers who wash or swim in the reservoirs. As it is not possible to make a complete patrol of the reservoirs, we can only appeal to the civic consciousness of the picnickers and hikers in the reservoirs not to bathe in the reservoirs or to allow dogs to enter the water. As a note of warning to all adventurous people, I would like to add that the reservoir is very deep and in many parts the bed is muddy. Bathing and swimming in the reservoir can, there fore, be very dangerous to the swimmer who may get stuck in the mud and drown. The Public Utilities Board is in the process of drawing up regulations to prevent water pollution in the MacRitchie Reservoir and misuse of the MacRitchie Reservoir Park. These regulations will, among other things, prohibit fishing and bathing in the reservoir or streams, spitting in the park, eating or smoking on the bridge in MacRitchie Reservoir Park, and litter, rubbish or other refuse must be thrown into receptacles which are specially provided for them. The Board has formed a MacRitchie Reservoir Park Committee to look after the maintenance of the park and to ensure that visitors comply with the regulations. A number of patrolmen have been employed to patrol the whole area of the park grounds and more will be recruited to ensure that the regulations, when promulgated, are not violated by visitors. It is not the intention of the Public Utilities Board unnecessarily to impose rules and regulations on all those who visit MacRitchie Reservoir Park, but I think all of us will agree that the park will look more attractive not only to our citizens but also to all tourists and visitors if we ourselves, the public, make a particular effort to keep the place clean.

PROHIBITION ON SOUNDING - OF MOTOR VEHICLE HORNS - THROUGHOUT CITY LIMITS asked the Deputy Prime Minister if lie will consider an amendment to rules under the Road Traffic Ordinance to extend the prohibition on the sounding of horns by drivers of private motor vehicles, taxis and buses throughout the City limits except for the purpose of preventing an accident.

PROHIBITION ON SOUNDING - OF MOTOR VEHICLE HORNS - THROUGHOUT CITY LIMITS (In Malay): Mr Speaker. Sir, at present, the sounding of horns on any motor vehicles (other than an ambulance or fire brigade or police vehicle) is prohibited during the day or night in the area specified in the Schedule to Rule 6 of the Motor Vehicles (Sounding of Horns) Rules, 1950, except for the express purpose of preventing an accident. This area is bounded by Jalan Sultan in the north, Clemenceau Avenue and River Valley Road in the west, and South Bridge Road and McCallum Street in the south. In view of the increased urbanisation and growth in vehicular traffic, consideration is being given to revising and enlarging this area as far as practicable.

PROHIBITION ON SOUNDING - OF MOTOR VEHICLE HORNS - THROUGHOUT CITY LIMITS 2.40 p.m.

FLOW OF FOREIGN INVESTMENTS INTO SINGAPORE asked the Minister for Finance whether there has been a flow of foreign investments into Singapore recently, especially from Hongkong, and if he can give details of such investments.

FLOW OF FOREIGN INVESTMENTS INTO SINGAPORE Sir, it is not possible to give a straightforward answer to the hon. Member's question. Whenever disturbances occur anywhere, some flight of capital usually takes place. Refugee capital coming into any country does so by means which avoid official records. The number of approaches made by Hongkong industrialists to the Economic Development Board has considerably increased since these disturbances began. More than 300 Hongkong industrialists have discussed investments proposals with the Singapore Economic Development Board, and I believe that a substantial number of these proposals will materialise into factories on the ground. This, of course, will take time.

RISE IN COST OF LIVING The following Question stood in the name of Inche Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi - 6. To ask the Minister for Finance whether he is aware that the cost of living in the Republic has gone up rapidly and if he is taking any steps in the matter.

RISE IN COST OF LIVING Inche Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi.

RISE IN COST OF LIVING (In Malay): Question No. 6.

RISE IN COST OF LIVING Sir, for some months there has been public concern over increases in the prices of certain commodities, especially foodstuffs and household articles. The reasons for these price increases are often confused in the public mind. As a result, there have been adverse comments on Government's industrialisation pro gramme which has been blamed for the increase in the cost of living. I wish to go into these matters in some detail as it is important that the blame should be attributed to the right quarters. The real reason for the widespread concern over the increase in the cost of living, especially among the poorer people, lies in the substantial increase in the cost of rice. Over the last 18 months the price of rice has gone up by 14 cents a katty. To people with large incomes this increase in price will cause no hardship. But if we consider the effect on a typical working family of, say, a man with a wife and three children, we can see that it bears very harshly on them. A family of five may consume about 100 katties of rice a month, and the price increase means that a wage-earner has to bear the additional expenditure of $14 a month. To a family earning $200 a month - this is a typical working class family income - this represents a very substantial increase. It is nearly equivalent to a pay cut of $14 a month, and the extensive grumbling that goes on now is the consequence of this. What can Government do about the price of rice? First, we must find out why the price has gone up. Is it due to profiteering by our rice merchants, or is it because the world price of rice has increased? If price increases are the result of profiteering, then Government action to lower prices can be taken by taking measures against profiteering. But there is rio evidence that our rice merchants are profiteering. The real reason is that there has been an increase in the world price of rice because of the general shortage of supply. Rice exports from Burma have gone down in recent years. Thailand is suffering from a drought. The war in Vietnam has not helped to increase rice production in that country. And indonesia continues to be a large buyer in the world market. So the increase in the cost of living due to the increase in the price of rice is due to external factors beyond our control and has nothing to do with the Government's industrialisaton programme.

RISE IN COST OF LIVING 2.46 p.m. So long as people want to eat rice, they must pay for the extra cost. But they can economise by eating less rice and more wheat products, such as bread and noodles, as our Deputy Prime Minister has been advocating. Wheat flour, of course, is half the price of rice. There has also been a substantial increase in the price of canned meat imported from China. Chinese exporters have increased their prices, and there is statistical evidence that this has happened. Here again the reasons lie outside our country and beyond our control. As regards day-to-day food supplies, certain items have gone up in price, such as cabbages and potatoes, while others have gone down in price, such as red chillies, onions, spinach, chai sim and 1ong beans. These are normal fluctuations in the market and are not of great significance. Some months ago there was an attempt made to speculate in matches and sugar. When these commodities were produced in Singapore, import duties were imposed on foreign products so that the local manufacturer could capture the domestic market. Some people, thinking that they could make money, tried to raise the prices of sugar and matches. But it was soon found that local suppliers were adequate to meet the market demand and prices reverted to normal. So while imported matches are more expensive, the price of the local product remains the same. If people want to buy imported matches at twice the price of the local product, there is nothing one can do about it. This brings me to the subject of Government's policy on industrialisation and its effect on the prices of goods. We must assure the local manufacturer a substantial portion of the domestic market for the products he is manufacturing. To do this, import duties are imposed on foreign products. Naturally thit means that the prices of imported articles go up. The Trade Division of the Ministry of Finance keeps a continuing survey on prices of locally-manufactured goods. When local manufacturers commence production, they are directed not to increase their prices unless there is good reason to do so, as, for example, an increase in the price of raw materials. In nearly all cases, the local manufacturers have accepted their obligation in good faith and have maintained good quality and reasonable prices. Here again some local consumers are attached to the brands of goods which they are used to buying, and these imported goods definitely cost more than the local products. If you want to pay more for imported condensed milk, mosquito coils, chocolates, toilet soap, singlets and matches, you cannot complain about the increase in the cost of living, because you can buy local products at the same price as before and of comparable quality. For instance, Cadbury chocolates used to cost 35 cents a bar. As a result of import duties, they now cost 50 cents a bar. Van Houten chocolates, which are produced in Singapore, continue to be priced at 35 cents a bar. If you are very fond of Cadbury chocolates, you may continue to buy them. You will then be contributing to the revenue of the Customs Department. If you buy the local product, you do not make this contribution but you will be contributing to the income and employment of your fellow citizens. You can take your choice in this matter. In two or three instances there are grounds for suspecting local manufacturers of either having inefficient high cost management or making excessive profits. The cure here, in the first instance, is to improve management efficiency. In the second case, it is to ask the manufacturer to reduce his prices. The sanction that can be applied in both instances is the reduction or abolition of import duties on these commodities. I will not hesitate to apply this sanction should the circumstances of the situation justify such action.

RISE IN COST OF LIVING As the Hon. Minister for Finance has accepted the fact that people earning below $200 will incur an additional expenditure of $14, will the Minister consider increasing the salaries of people drawing low pay?

RISE IN COST OF LIVING The answer is "No".

RISE IN COST OF LIVING (In Mandarin): Will the Minister consider requesting all shops selling foodstuffs to exhibit price tags on their goods (especially rice) for public information?

RISE IN COST OF LIVING Mr Teong, the subject matter of your supplementary is actually a substantive question. It is down today for written answer. So your supplementary, in fact, anticipates a matter that is before the House.

RISE IN COST OF LIVING (In Mandarin): I would like to ask the Minister whether he would consider instructing all rice sellers to exhibit price tags to help the buyers. Some of the shops have already done so.

RISE IN COST OF LIVING I do not believe that exhibiting price tags could reduce the price of rice. But if the hon. Member believes that it will, and has confidence in its efficacy, then we can give it a try.

RISE IN COST OF LIVING (In Mandarin): Sir, what I mean is that if there are price tags, the purchasers will know the actual condition of the market, because now and then, whenever there is any incident, the seller -

RISE IN COST OF LIVING Mr Teong, supplementaries are not explanations.

RISE IN COST OF LIVING Mr Speaker, Sir, would the Minister for Finance consider setting up a committee whose sanction is necessary if any local manufacturer wishes to increase the price of his products?

RISE IN COST OF LIVING There are committees in existence to consider applications from manufacturers who wish to increase the prices of their goods.

RISE IN COST OF LIVING Does it mean that the present position is that no local manufacturers can increase the prices of their products unless the increase is sanctioned by the committee that is in existence?

RISE IN COST OF LIVING They are under no legal compulsion to keep their prices at any given level. But there is a gentleman's agreement between the Ministry and the manufacturers that price increases should be discussed with and agreed to between themselves. For this purpose, the reasons for any price changes are put forward to an interdepartmental committee of officials who will make recommendations to the Minister.

RISE IN COST OF LIVING What sanction would there be then should a local manufacturer breach this gentleman's agreement?

RISE IN COST OF LIVING The sanction I have mentioned, Mr Speaker, Sir, is the abolition of tariff protection.

JOINT VENTURES WITH - AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIALISTS asked the Minister for Finance whether the Government will consider joint ventures with Australian industrialists to establish factories in Singapore to manufacture goods with raw materials imported from Australia on the terms that 50 per cent of the finished products be allowed by the Australian Government to be imported into Australia free of tariff, the remaining 50 per cent being for the local and other overseas markets.

JOINT VENTURES WITH - AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIALISTS The Singapore Government has been considering joint ventures with Australian industrialists along the lines indicated by the Member. It is our view that the establishment of joint ventures whereby raw materials and semi- finished products imported from Australia will be processed and finished in Singapore, partly for export to Australia with tariff concessions, and partly for sale in Singapore and export to other countries, will be of substantial benefit to both parties. However, nothing has materialised from discussions held at official and technical levels on this subject.

DISPLAY OF SINGAPORE-MADE GOODS IN STORES AND SHOPS asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider introducing legislation to provide that all departmental stores and retail shops display Singapore-made goods.

DISPLAY OF SINGAPORE-MADE GOODS IN STORES AND SHOPS The spirit in which the hon. Member has asked the question is good. However, I do not think this is a very good idea. First, there are countless shops and departmental stores in Singapore. Implementation of this proposal would, therefore, cost a lot of money. The large variety of locally-manufactured goods, together with the large numbers and sizes of shops selling them, would make it almost impossible to have orderly legislation and effective implementation. We cannot, for instance, legislate that all shops display all types of locally-made goods. The variety is too large. There may be inadequate space in some shops. On the other hand, if it is provided that not all the locally-made goods need be displayed, a shop could display only one product and claim to have complied with the law. This would defeat the purpose of such legislation. To specify a minimum variety would also be difficult, as shops vary so much in size. What is adequate for one shop is probably not adequate for another. These are only a few of the problems that we will encounter. The second point is that compulsory display of locally-made goods will not necessarily increase sales. The Singapore consumer is a discriminating buyer and purchases on the basis of price and quality. As competition is extremely keen, departmental stores and retail shops cannot afford to be without lines which sell. In other words, the availability of consumer goods is not a pro blem. The manufacturer will have to compete on the basis of price and quality rather than depend on compulsory display to push sales. I have no doubt that this is what they are doing. The Singapore Manufacturers' Association has now taken over from the Economic Development Board the Products and Design Centre at Raffles Place. I understand that they intend to make the Centre even bigger and better. Finally, let us not forget that freedom of choice is important in our free society. Freedom in merchandising is not only a good thing but serves as a practical stimulant to competition. So while I think the hon. Member has got the right sentiments in putting forward this question, I suggest that there are other ways of achieving the objective he has in mind.

LICENSED IMPORTERS OF - FRESH FRUITS AS AT 1-8-67 - (Number) asked the Minister for Finance the number of licensed importers of fresh fruits in Singapore as at 1st August, 1967.

LICENSED IMPORTERS OF - FRESH FRUITS AS AT 1-8-67 - (Number) With effect from 2nd August, 1966, specific licensing was imposed on the importation of apples, pears, grapes, mandarin oranges, peaches and plums. For some time, the importation of some of these fresh fruits from certain countries came under the control of importers' committees. These committees or panels of importers restricted imports to keep prices at a high level. Previous importers and wholesalers were not only excluded from importing direct by the committees, but even their members' proportionate share of imports and their sales to wholesalers were frozen over the years. This cartelization of our imports is contrary to Singapore's tradition of free trade and free competition. Soon after such specific licensing was implemented, the various importers' committees in Singapore were dissolved and import licences for fresh fruits have been issued freely to all applicants, although some restrictions are imposed to prevent the formation of the panel system and the reintroduction of restricted practices. The Trade Division does not restrict the number of fresh fruit importers or the issue of licences. It is estimated that there are about 70 wholesale importers of fresh fruits in Singapore.

LICENSED IMPORTERS OF - FRESH FRUITS AS AT 1-8-67 - (Number) Can the Minister say how many licences have been issued for the import of apples?

LICENSED IMPORTERS OF - FRESH FRUITS AS AT 1-8-67 - (Number) I do not know. I do not have the figures.

LICENSED IMPORTERS OF - FRESH FRUITS AS AT 1-8-67 - (Number) I am told that there is only one apple importer in Singapore. Is there any objection to anybody applying for a licence to import apples, and will his application be accepted by the Government?

LICENSED IMPORTERS OF - FRESH FRUITS AS AT 1-8-67 - (Number) I have already explained that whoever wants to import apples, plums or peaches can apply for a licence and he will get it. I do not believe that there is only one importer of apples.

LEGISLATION TO LICENSE AND - REGULATE FINANCE COMPANIES asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the number of finance companies operating in Singapore and if he will consider introducing legislation for the licensing and regulation of the business of finance companies with specific provision to safeguard the interests of persons who deposit money with such companies.

LEGISLATION TO LICENSE AND - REGULATE FINANCE COMPANIES The term "finance companies" generally applies to companies soliciting and accepting deposits from the public and making loans to the public to buy articles like motor cars, motor scooters, television sets, radios and refrigerators. There is a wide range of finance companies. They range from the larger ones operating usually as subsidiaries of banks to smaller ones which include pawnshops that accept money from the public. The operations of these finance companies are, in some ways, similar to banks but, unlike banks which are required to be licensed and subject to the provisions of the Banking Ordinance, there is no specific law governing the operations of finance companies. Therefore, it is not possible to determine the exact number of such companies operating here today, as these companies are not compelled by law to report or register or to inform the Government that they are operating as finance companies other than registration under the Companies Ordinance. My predecessor, who is now the Minister of Defence, has already expressed his concern over the activities of these finance companies in his Budget speech last year. He announced that Government would be introducing legislation to regulate and control such companies. This legislation is being prepared in consultation with International Monetary Fund advisers and we will introduce the Bill in Parliament in the near future - probably at the next sitting.

LEGISLATION TO LICENSE AND - REGULATE FINANCE COMPANIES The Minister for Finance will note the statement, "with specific provision to safeguard the interests of persons who deposit money with such companies". Can the Minister say whether the Government will, by legislation, take responsibility to safeguard the money deposited with such companies?

LEGISLATION TO LICENSE AND - REGULATE FINANCE COMPANIES I think it is best to leave the exact details of safeguards in the legislation when the legislation itself is introduced. But, first, let me say that Government is in no position to guarantee deposits by members of the public either in finance companies or banks or anywhere else. If you give your money to other people and they run away with it, then that is your own bad luck. You cannot go to Government and say, "Pay up." But what we can do is to ensure that finance companies do not fiddle around with other people's monies, that they have a sound investment policy, and that they refrain from certain acts which may endanger the security of their customers' deposits.

OLD CURRENCY NOTES - (Total amount redeemed and rate of exchange with new ones) asked the Minister for Finance the total amount of old currency notes redeemed in the Republic from 12th June to 31st August, 1967, and if he is satisfied with the rate of exchange of the old currency notes for the new ones in Singapore.

OLD CURRENCY NOTES - (Total amount redeemed and rate of exchange with new ones) As at 31st August this year, Singapore has redeemed $271 million of the old currency. This amounts to 34.65 per cent of the total currency of the old notes redeemed so far. Prior to 12th June, the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya and British Borneo, was the issuing authority in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. The old notes therefore circulated in these territories and it was not possible to determine the exact amount of these notes circulating in each territory. This problem was especially acute in Singapore and Malaysia because the territories are so close to each other. There are no figures of the exact circulation of currency notes in these two territories, and the usual method of estimation has been to take the formula given in the Currency Agreement of 1960 and this formula is used in the distribution of profits. The formula estimates that Singapore's currency circulation will be between 15 and 18 per cent, the actual percentage varying from year to year depending on population and other factors. For 1966, the percentage was taken at 15.4 per cent. Our present rate of redemption of 34.65 per cent of the total note issue so far redeemed can therefore be regarded as quite satisfactory. This experience in redemption also proves what Singapore has always maintained - the amount of currency circulating here is higher than what was provided for in the Currency Agreement.

IMPORTED RICE AND LOCALLY-MILLED - WHEAT FLOUR - (Comparative prices and rates of consumption) The following Question stood in the name of Mr Ho See Beng - 12.To ask the Minister for Finance if he will make a statement on the comparative prices per ton of imported rice and locally-milled wheat flour; what are the respective tonnages of these two staple foodstuffs consumed or estimated to be consumed per month by the people of Singapore; and what will be the estimated annual saving in foreign exchange by the increase of, say, four thousand tons in the consumption of wheat per month.

IMPORTED RICE AND LOCALLY-MILLED - WHEAT FLOUR - (Comparative prices and rates of consumption) Mr Ho See Beng.

IMPORTED RICE AND LOCALLY-MILLED - WHEAT FLOUR - (Comparative prices and rates of consumption) Question No. 12.

IMPORTED RICE AND LOCALLY-MILLED - WHEAT FLOUR - (Comparative prices and rates of consumption) The price of Siamese white rice 100 per cent is 49 cents per katty retail, whereas locally-milled wheat flour of excellent quality sells for only 25 cents per katty. Wheat flour, therefore, costs only half as much as rice. Singapore consumes in an average month about 12,000 tons of rice and 4,000 tons of wheat flour. If we can persuade our population to eat more wheat than rice, as the Deputy Prime Minister has been doing for some time, there will be a substantial saving of foreign exchange. Assuming that the people of Singapore can increase their consumption of wheat by another 4,000 tons, we will save $1.8 million a month or $22 million a year at present prices of wheat and rice. Further, since wheat is milled into flour in Singapore, we will also be giving more income and employment to our citizens.

IMPORTED RICE AND LOCALLY-MILLED - WHEAT FLOUR - (Comparative prices and rates of consumption) (In Mandarin): The Minister for Finance has made a comparison of the prices of rice and wheat. I would like to ask whether the Government has taken any steps to prevent the rise in the prices of wheat and wheat products.

IMPORTED RICE AND LOCALLY-MILLED - WHEAT FLOUR - (Comparative prices and rates of consumption) I have already explained that where we reduce imports of goods either by import duties, or in in the case of flour, I think, by quota restrictions, the manufacturers of the local products - in this case, the millers of wheat flour - will have to discuss with Government any changes in the price of their products before they put that into effect. In other words, the opportunities of millers of wheat to increase their prices are very limited unless they have a reasonable case, such as an increase in the international price of wheat.

CONSUMPTION INCREASE IN - WHEAT FLOUR - (Request for information) The following Question stood in the name of Mr Ho See Beng - 13.To ask the Minister for Finance if he has any information of an appreciable increase in the consumption of wheat flour since the Deputy Prime Minister's statement urging the people of Singapore to eat more wheat than rice, and if the increase is not significant what effective measures the Government will take to achieve the objective.

CONSUMPTION INCREASE IN - WHEAT FLOUR - (Request for information) Mr Ho See Beng.

CONSUMPTION INCREASE IN - WHEAT FLOUR - (Request for information) Question No. 13.