Hansard, 1981-03-06

Under the provisions of clause 2(d) of Article 46 of the Constitution of Singapore, the following Members have been granted permission to be or to remain absent from sittings of Parliament for the periods stated:- Mr Liew Kok Pun (Boon Teck) - from 23rd to 27th February, 1981. Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam (Sembawang), Minister of Education - from 25th February to 1st March, 1981. Dr Wong Kwei Cheong, P.B.M. (Cairnhill) - from 2nd to 5th March, 1981. Mr Bernard Chen (Clementi), Minister of State, Ministry of Defence - from 9th to 16th March, 1981. Dr Augustine H.H. Tan (Whampoa) - from 16th to 21st March, 1981. Mr E.W. Barker (Tanglin), Minister for Law and Science and Technology and Leader of the House - from 16th to 22nd March, 1981. YEOH GHIM SENG Speaker, Parliament of Singapore

Mr Speaker, Sir, I propose that Mr Hwang Soo Jin, the hon. Member for Jalan Kayu, be elected Deputy Speaker of this House.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I second the proposal.

There being only one proposal, I declare Mr Hwang Soo Jin to have been duly elected as Deputy Speaker of this Parliament. [Applause]

Mr Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the House, I extend my congratulations to the hon. Member on his election. He was first elected to this House in 1968 and has since taken an active part from the Backbench. Now that he has been elevated to this high position, I hope he will continue to be as active, never mind what hat he is wearing! Sir, I would like to place on record also our appreciation of the services rendered by Mr Tang See Chim, the previous Deputy Speaker, who served us so well during the last nine years. He has performed your functions and duties whilst you were away from this House or absent from your seat, perhaps because you were tired of our deliberations.

I have to inform hon. Members that I communicated to the President the Address agreed to by resolution of this Parliament on the 20th February, 1981. I have received a reply from the President acknowledging receipt of the kind message Parliament transmitted to him.

I also have to inform hon. Members that, under the provisions of paragraphs (2) and (3) respectively of Standing Order No. 95, I have appointed Mr Hwang Soo Jin to be Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and Dr Lau Teik Soon to be Chairman of the Estimates Committee.

asked the Minister for the Environment (a) how many licensed hawkers there were in Singapore as at 31st December, 1980; (b) how many more hawker-licences will be issued in 1981 ; (c) what are the present criteria for approving applications for such a licence; and (d) what types of stall are available to newly licensed hawkers.

( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, there are 25,889 licensed hawkers as at 31st December, 1980. 7,124 are housed in the Ministry of the Environment's food centres and markets, 15,501 are in food centres or markets managed by statutory boards, and 3,264 are operating in backlanes and streets. We do not set any quota for new licences. As there are enough hawkers, new licences are only issued on grounds of hardship and for cleared market stalls. In 1980, 325 persons were issued licences. The criteria for the issue of hawker licences under hardship cases are that the applicant must be a Singapore citizen, aged between 40 and 60 years and not gainfully employed. In addition, he must have dependants to support and a family income of less than $500 per month. There must also be no licensed hawker among his immediate family members. Market produce stalls and stalls for the sale of piece and sundry goods are freely available to newly licensed hawkers. As we are short of cooked food stalls for the resiting of street hawkers, there will only be a limited number of these for new licensees.

asked the Minister for the Environment when the Corporation Drive Food Centre will be rebuilt.

( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Corporation Drive Food Centre was built in 1974. It is, therefore, not as modern as some of our new food centres. It is, however, still serviceable, and therefore it need not be rebuilt. When I replied to the Member for Jurong on a similar question last year, I said that we were aware that the roof for the cooked food centre was too low and that ventilation was poor. Further improvements were being studied. We are now finalizing our design proposals to raise the roof of the cooked food centre to improve ventilation. The proposals will be submitted shortly for approval of funds.

asked the Minister for Home Affairs, in the case of the 10-year old girl who was alleged to have been abducted from Clementi Avenue to a flat in Toa Payoh and who was later set free by her abductors, why the police officer investigating the case, when he found no one in the said flat, did not pursue the matter further; and whether there was negligence on the part of the police officer concerned, in view of the recent murder of two children in Toa Payoh.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the case mentioned by the hon. Member for Khe Bong has been under investigation by the Police before it was publicized in the press. These investigations, as to whether there was neglect of duty on the part of the police officer concerned in not pursuing the matter further than he did, have now reached the stage where the papers have been referred to the Attorney-General's Chambers. The Attorney-General has advised that facts relating to the alleged abduction of the 10-year old girl and the investigations following therefrom should not be disclosed publicly at this stage because the girl concerned will, in all probability, be a material witness at the trial of the three persons who have been charged with murdering two children in Toa Payoh. As the House will appreciate, the three accused face capital charges and the matter is sub judice and disclosures which may prejudice the outcome of their cases should be avoided. I am, nonetheless, aware that this case has generated considerable public interest. I wish to assure the House that a serious view has been taken of the matter and I will not hesitate to discipline any police officer who has been found guilty of dereliction of duty.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I am quite satisfied with the answer given by the Minister for Home Affairs. But, nevertheless, I still wish to ask the Minister whether he can assure the House that such an incident will not be repeated in the future.

The answer is yes. I will not only assure him but I will also take a very serious view of any dereliction of duty.

asked the Minister for Home Affairs, for the year 1980, (a) how many persons were convicted on charges of (i) bribery, and (ii) criminal breach of trust; and (b) how many of such persons were professionals from (i) the public sector, and (ii) the private sector.

Mr Speaker, Sir, from the figures supplied by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, 44 persons were convicted in court on charges of bribery in 1980. There was no professional from the public sector among them. However, there were three professionals from the private sector - two architects and an engineer. In the same year, 72 persons were convicted on charges of criminal breach of trust. Again, no professional from the public sector was involved but there were two from the private sector. One was an accountant and the other a lawyer.

asked the Minister for Communications and Minister for Labour whether it was necessary to conduct another study to assess the Hansen Review Team's proposal of an all-bus system; what is the purpose of Phase B of the Study, how long the Study will take and how much it will cost; and whether a firm decision on the MRT will be taken by Government after the Study.

Mr Speaker, Sir, hon. Members will recall that the Hansen Team confidently concluded in its review last year that MRT is not inevitable. They claimed that a restructured all-bus system deploying a large number of high speed point-to-point express services would be able to cope with our transport needs well into the 1990s, if not forever. At the same time, such a bus system would provide a level of service comparable to the MRT, and at much lower costs. My Ministry's view is that the Hansen Team did not produce hard and convincing figures to back up their claims. Nor did they examine the operational implications of their all-bus system, such as how it would manage with the large volumes of passenger boardings in the Central Area during the peak hours. For this reason, we have decided to undertake further quantitative work to establish, once and for all, whether an all-bus system will be able to cope. And if not, at which point in time an MRT would be needed. The Study will be conducted in two phases, Phase A and Phase B. In Phase A, which will take six months, the Hansen's allbus system will be developed and studied in detail to see if it can be implemented and, if so, with what consequences. Various claims made in support of the all-bus system will also be studied and tested. Phase A Study will cost some $2 1/2 million. Phase B Study, which will commence at the same time as Phase A Study, will take another two years after the completion of Phase A. It will do a refined analysis. It will also examine the basic MRT system established in Phase Ill Study of the Mass Transit Study to see how it compares with the all-bus system financially, economically and operationally. The cost of this Phase will only be known following the completion of Phase A, at which time a proposal detailing the scope of work to be carried out in Phase B will be submitted by the consultants. Being a gigantic and complex project with wide all-round implications, the decision to build the MRT can only be taken after all factors have been carefully considered. I am optimistic that the outcome of these studies will be conclusive enough to enable us to arrive at that decision.

Mr Speaker, Sir, if the Review Team's Study is to be conclusive enough, as the Hon. Minister has just pointed out, then could the Hon. Minister assure the House that this will be the final Study before a firm decision on the MRT can be arrived at?

Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have mentioned earlier and on some other occasions, transport considerations although important are not the only factors that will have to be considered in making a decision. As I have mentioned earlier, Phase A Study will show us how an all-bus system will cope with the projected transport demand in the 1980s and in the 1990s. It will not look into the financial implications of the all-bus system nor will it look into the financial implications of the other alternative, which is the bus-rail system. This will be done in Phase B Study. Should the findings of Phase A show that the all-bus system cannot cope satisfactorily by the late 1980s or within this decade, obviously we will have to do some quick thinking and make a decision one way or the other. But if the Study concludes that an all-bus system will be able to manage up to the early 1990s, although it may not be beyond the century but the early 1990s or mid 1990s, then we can afford to defer the decision a little bit longer. But as I have mentioned earlier, if the conclusion that an all-bus system will not be able to handle the transport demand by the late 1980s, obviously we will have to make a decision quickly.

Mr Speaker, Sir, it seems to me that the Government is uncertain about when to build the MRT. If that is the case, why did the Government conduct a feasibility study in 1979?

Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government is just as anxious as hon. Members in wanting to come to an early decision on this project. But we must not allow our decision-making process to be constrained by our own limitations in knowledge and experience in this field and by the narrowness of our own vision, especially in the context of Singapore with the small pool of talent that we have and the small physical size of the Republic, because if it is a mistake we will have to live with it. I have mentioned again and again in this House that it is very prudent to make sure that the maximum economic advantage is achieved and this could only be done with careful study and proper timing.

Sir, perhaps the answer to it is that the feasibility of the MRT is still under study.

Sir, the answer is yes:

asked the Minister for National Development if he will elaborate on the development of Hou Gang New Town; amongst the shopping and other amenities, how many flats will be built; what is the expected population; when the New Town will be completed: and how many constituencies will be involved.

Mr Speaker, Sir, Hou Gang New Town falls within the constituencies of Paya Lebar and Punggol. When completely developed in 1986-87, it will have a population of 130,000 people housed in 26,000 units of flats. These include 3,000 existing flats in Punggol Estate which will form part of the New Town. Hou Gang New Town will be divided into four neighbourhoods, each with its own neighbourhood centre. In addition, a sports complex, schools and other amenities will be provided. Approximately 4,700 dwelling units, 140 shops and eating houses and a market-cum-cooked food centre are presently under construction.

Mr Speaker, Sir, is the Minister aware that for Singaporeans who do not understand Hanyu Pinyin, the name of the new town which reads "Hou Gang New Town" could mislead some Singaporeans into believing that it is a new town of gangsters headed by our Hon. Minister of Defence who is also called "Howe".

asked the Minister for National Development, now that the land on which Kangkar Fish Market stands has been compulsorily acquired, when and where the new fish market in Punggol will be built and what is the cost of construction.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the new Punggol Fishing Port and Market will be built on a 3-hectare site located at the North-eastern coast, opposite Coney Island. The project, which is scheduled to be completed in 1982/83, is estimated to cost more than $5 million.

asked the Minister for National Development, in view of the fact that the income of Singapore workers has considerably increased in the last decade, whether he will now consider revising upward the combined family income ceiling of $500 to a more realistic figure so that those who earn more than $500 a month will be able to rent two-room flats or to transfer from one-room to two-room flats.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the income ceiling for rental flats is under constant review. The present ceiling of $500 per month has already been relaxed for two groups of applicants. First, existing tenants who have occupied their present flats for at least two years may be allowed a transfer to a 2-room flat, even if the family income exceeds $500 per month. Secondly, resettlement cases in urgent need of accommodation are allowed to rent a flat, even if their income exceeds the income ceiling. However, because of a shortage of 2-room flats, the HDB is unable to allow other public applicants with a family income exceeding $500 per month to be allocated such flats.

Sir, the Minister seems to favour the higher income bracket applicants. The income ceiling for the HUDC applicants has been revised upwards. If he allows this revision, why can the Minister not do the same for the lower income wage earners?

Sir, that is not so because the income limit for rental flats has been fixed at $800 per month. We have not revised this ceiling for the simple reason that we want to encourage,people to own their own homes. If we allow the ceiling for rental flats to be adjusted upwards, then some people may prefer to rent rather than buy their flats. The ceiling of $800 per month has not been revised for a long time because it is our policy to encourage people to own their own homes. As hon. Members are aware, the income ceiling for ownership of HDB flats has been constantly adjusted upwards, that is, from $800 to $1,200; from $1,200 to $1,500, and recently from $1,500 to $2,500. Most probably we may have to further adjust upwards to catch up with inflation and the increase in the price of HDB flats.

asked the Minister for National Development what specific surveys were done and what evidence was obtained to indicate that ownership of Housing and Urban Development Company (HUDC) apartments by single persons should be curbed in view of its "disturbing and undesirable trend".

Mr Speaker, Sir, the Housing and Urban Development Company regularly analyses the data it collects on applicants at the time of registration. As at 31st January, 1981, HUDC had a waiting list of 6,256 applications. About 46% of the applications were from single persons. An analysis of the characteristics of single-person applicants revealed that 72% earned less than $2,500 per month at the time of registration. The majority are young. About 29% are below 25 years old. Another 51% are between 26 and 30 years old. Most single-person applicants indicated their intention to live alone. 1,981 applicants or 69% of single applicants listed only one occupant. There is a rising trend of single persons applying to the HUDC for housing. In 1977, the number of applications from single persons was only 209. This figure rose to 1,451 in 1980, an increase of almost seven times in three years. The Government believes in preserving the family unit to promote social cohesion. Many HDB policies have been revised to encourage families to live together so that the children can take care of their parents. The rising number of young single persons wanting to live on their own is, therefore, an undesirable trend. We do not wish to encourage this trend by making it easy for single persons to obtain HUDC flats.

asked the Minister for National Development, in view of the longstanding problem of water seepage at gable-end walls in Housing and Development Board flats, how soon the affected flats in Eunos Housing Estate will be repaired.

Mr Speaker, Sir, tenders for remedial work to prevent rain-water seepage into the flats at Eunos Crescent have been called. Repair work is expected to be completed by the third quarter of this year.

asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are the current waiting periods for the purchase of the different types of Housing and Development Board residential accommodation and what steps have been taken to shorten them; and (b) whether he will consider working out a scheme whereby applicants on the waiting list may opt to commence paying prior to allocation so that they will not be affected by any price increase.

Mr Speaker, Sir: (a) the current average waiting period for the purchase of HDB flats is three years, against the normal waiting period of 21/2 years. The longer waiting period has been caused by the recent slowdown in the HDB construction programme. The slowdown has been primarily due to the smaller number of HDB contractors tendering for jobs because of losses incurred in past projects as a result of high inflation. They are also refraining from tendering because of the uncertainties of rising costs. The HDB on its part is taking steps to ensure the availability of basic building materials, such as sand, granite and bricks. The HDB is also studying possible modifications of its contracting system, such as cost-plus tendering, to encourage more contractors to tender for projects. (b) There are no advantages in having a scheme to allow applicants to pay for their flats prior to allocation. The selling prices of HDB flats have to be revised periodically to meet rising construction costs. Otherwise, the subsidy for public housing will reach unacceptably high proportions. Costs invariably rise during construction because of escalation clauses in building contracts. If applicants pay for their flats before allocation, the HDB will have to provide for builtin allowances for price escalation during the construction period. Applicants will, therefore, not necessarily pay less by paying earlier.

asked the Minister for National Development, in view of the revocation of the Rules for the Occupation of Land in the Malay Settlement, Jalan Eunos, whether there are plans for development of the land, and, if so, when the development will be carried out and how it will affect the residents.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the HDB will redevelop the Jalan Eunos area. Development is expected to start in mid-1983. The affected residents will be re- settled in accordance with the existing policies of the Resettlement Department.

asked the Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister f6r Health whether he will review the policy of the Public Utilities Board in imposing a 50-cent fine on consumers for the late payment of water and electricity bills as such payment can be a further burden on those who are already unable to pay their bills on time because of financial hardship.

Mr Speaker, Sir, imposing a charge of 50c serves as a deterrent against late payment. Since the introduction of the service charge in 1975, the number of reminders has been declining. The proportion of consumers receiving reminders has dropped from 27% to 14%. If the PUB sends reminders without any service charge, consumers will not take the reminders seriously. The charge of 50c barely covers cost. The direct cost (stamp, paper, printing, computer time) of each reminder is 20c. This excludes indirect and overhead costs, and interest lost on late payment. If the proportion of consumers receiving reminders goes up from the present 14%, we may even have to consider imposing a heavier deterrent for late payment. If the consumer pays his bill promptly, he will save 50c, and the PUB inconvenience and expenditure.

Mr Speaker, Sir, that is a very ridiculous answer. I would like to ask the Minister concerned whether he can do business without having capital or without incurring expenditure.

Sir, I do not quite comprehend the Member for Khe Bong's question.

Sir, when someone does business, he needs to have capital. The PUB expects to do business without even wanting to pay for the printing cost of the reminders. So how could that be possible?

Mr Speaker, Sir, it costs the PUB about $200,000 per year just to send out reminders, and this cost has to be recovered from those consumers who need such reminders.

Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether he has taken into consideration the consumer's deposit of 1 1/2 months' charges for water and electricity. The consumer does not owe the PUB anything because he has got 1 1/2 months' deposit with the PUB.

Sir, I think the Member for Khe Bong has misunderstood the purpose of the deposit. The consumer has, in fact, consumed water and electricity and has not paid the bill for about six weeks. The deposit, therefore, is to ensure that the consumption by the consumer, which is billed six weeks later, will be paid. It is not a pre-payment. The Member appears to have understood that the deposit is a pre-payment for consumption. It is not so.

asked the Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Health what is the exact quantum of subsidy paid by Government for a unit block of electricity and water consumed by industries and the household and how does this element of subsidy in Singapore compare with subsidies in other countries.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the Singapore Government does not subsidize electricity and water charges. Let me explain why we adopt such a policy. We import all our oil to generate electricity. The oil producers do not subsidize us. We have to pay the full cost of oil we import. If we subsidize consumers of electricity, we may also have to subsidize bus fares and other services which depend on oil. Where do we find money to pay for these subsidies? The Singapore Government does not print money. If we need more money, we have to raise it through taxes, which means that ultimately it is the people themselves who have to pay for subsidies, not the Government. Another reason: if consumers do not pay the full price of utilities, they will inevitably over-consume. In other words, it is possible for them to live beyond their incomes in actual terms, since part of their consumption is subsidized. If we all live beyond our actual capacity to earn incomes, we shall soon find ourselves unable to pay for the full market price of oil. If utilities are not subsidized, we do not have to fear that we are unable to pay for the cost of importing oil because for every barrel of oil we import, the full cost is recovered from the consumers. The same arguments against subsidy apply to water. I am unable to obtain information on countries which provide subsidies on electricity and water. Such information is irrelevant anyway, as it is our policy not to subsidize our electricity and water charges either to industries or to domestic consumers. I can, however, compare our tariffs with those in Hong Kong and Malaysia to show that our charges in Singapore are comparable with theirs. In Hong Kong, electricity is supplied by two private companies. Water supply is under the charge of the Water Authority of the Public Works Department. Singapore's average domestic price of water of S33c per cubic metre is slightly lower than Hong Kong's average domestic water tariff of S35c per cubic metre. For electricity, Singapore's domestic tariff of S20.15c per unit is lower than Hong Kong's rate of S24.22c for the first 20 units, S21.86c for the next 480 units and S21.18c per unit above 500. Malaysia charges S18.3c per unit of electricity for the first 100 units, S21.0c per unit for the next 900 units and S23.7c per unit above 1000. Singapore's rate, as I mentioned earlier, is S20.15c per unit. Let me remind hon. Members that Malaysia is an oil exporter.

asked the Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Health whether he will direct the Public Utilities Board to ensure that (a) meter-reading is carried out at least once in two months; and (b) if estimated figures are used for billing, such figures are realistic as violent fluctuation in the amount payable from month to month can pose serious financial difficulties to those in the lower-income bracket.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I can assure the hon. Member for Jalan Kayu that currently, as a standard procedure, PUB meters are read once every two months. However, every month about 22,500 meters (or 3.4% of the total number of meters to be read) cannot be read because there is no one at home. In such cases, the meter reader will leave a card for the consumer to make his own reading and post the card back to the PUB. Only about one-third of these consumers return the cards. Therefore, the remaining meters (or about 2.3% of meters to be read) have to be billed on estimates for two months. When the meters are not read, consumers are billed on estimates based on the average of the most recent two months of consumption according to actual meter-readings. These are, therefore, realistic estimates. And this is so for the majority whose consumption level is fairly stable. Any fluctuation in their monthly bills is, therefore, marginal. There are, however, some consumers whose consumption levels fluctuate erratically. In these cases, estimates can turn out to be quite different from subsequent meter-readings. Their monthly bills will, therefore, fluctuate. There is no way in which realistic estimates can be made for those whose consumption levels fluctuate violently and unpredictably.

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Culture (a) how many recording projects the Oral History Programme Section has completed and what future projects it will be undertaking: and (b) whether the recordings that have been made are available in the four official languages.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the Oral History Unit is a part of the Department of Archives and Oral History. The aim of the Oral History Programme is to record the experiences of key persons involved in events of historical, political and social significance, particularly during the post-war years. These recordings will contain first-hand information on important events. The Unit is conducting and recording interviews on its first two projects: (i) Pioneers of Singapore; and (ii) Political Developments in Singapore, 1945-1965. The interviewees for the Pioneers of Singapore project are successful businessmen who have contributed to the economic and social development of Singapore. Eighteen persons have been interviewed for the Pioneers of Singapore project and 17 for Political Developments in Singapore 1945-1965. The Oral History Committee considers that satisfactory progress has been made on these projects, although several Ministers consider the pace lackadaisical. I propose to push the pace before the minds of the principal participants lose clarity of recall. The Unit intends to start work on another project. The Japanese Occupation, when more professional staff have been recruited. The Department of Archives and Oral History will catalogue and index all tapes and transcripts. These materials will be part of the national archival collections and may be referred to by researchers, civil servants, teachers, students, broadcasters and members of the public, subject to conditions, if any, laid down by the interviewees. The materials can, of course, be used in educational programmes and publications. When the first two projects have been completed, the Department will produce a comprehensive catalogue with synopses of the transcripts to facilitate usage of the materials. Selected transcripts of historical importance can be considered for publication, subject to the approval of the interviewees. Interviews are conducted in the language chosen by the interviewees. Tapes of these interviews will be left in the original language for authenticity. For working purposes, transcripts of the tapes will be in English.

asked the Minister of Education when the next promotion exercise for the teaching profession will take place.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the last promotion exercise for teachers was held in 1977. A massive effort was launched to review the record of the 18,870 teachers who were then employed in the teaching service. 7,642 teachers were shortlisted and interviewed by 19 Interview Boards set up by the Ministry of Education. Out of the 7,642 teachers interviewed by the Ministry, 1,415 teachers were selected for further interview by the Public Service Commission and eventually 474 teachers, i.e. less than 3% of the teaching force, were promoted. Not surprisingly, the result of all this work was a loss of morale in the teaching force. The formation of a Senior Education Service has been announced in the Presidential Addendum on Education. The next exercise will be held after the details of the Senior Education Service have been settled.

asked the Minister of Education when Boon Lay School will be provided with modern sanitation.

Sir, Boon Lay School will be provided with modern sanitation by the end of this year.

asked the Acting Minister for Social Affairs if he has received any reports of religious activities that smack of fanaticism or any complaints that some religious groups have over-zealously and even aggressively tried to promote their faith to the extent of causing annoyance to members of the public.

Mr Speaker, Sir, my answer to the question is "No." My Ministry has not received any complaint against over-zealous evangelists in recent years, although several Ministers have received letters alleging religious bigotry on the part of a religious sect. If we do receive any complaint about any evangelist acting in any way which is likely to cause fear or alarm to the public or acting against public order and tranquility, or in any other way prohibited by our criminal law, the matter will be brought to the attention of the Police. Sir, the Constitution of Singapore guarantees freedom of worship for our citizens. Our laws also allow the propagation of religion by peaceful means. In the past, there were a few instances of missionaries over-stepping the bounds of propriety in their zeal to spread the faith. However, missionaries by and large appreciate that aggressive campaigns are not the best way to win converts. They also know that it is not in their interest to commit any transgression of the law.

Sir, I am glad of the Minister's assurance and the restatement of the basic stand of our Government on matters religious, in view of the fact that there is a kind of occult-explosion going on in the world today and the proliferation of bizarre cults which may spill over into Singapore. The first victims of these cults, of course, are weak-brained and gullible Singaporeans, and some of the approaches and attitudes taken by these cults and sects are deeply offensive to established and traditional religions in our Republic. I am sure the Minister will be willing to give an assurance that the Government of Singapore will not tolerate intolerance in matters religious.

Sir, on behalf of the Government I give the hon. Member for Anson and also Members of the House the assurance.

asked the Acting Minister for Social Affairs if his Ministry has any plan to take over, or provide services hitherto rendered by, private marriage bureaus, and, if not, whether he will introduce legislation to control those bureaus to ensure that members of the public are not exploited.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I am sorry to have to disappoint the hon. Member for Delta with another "No" in my reply to his question. My Ministry has no intention of taking over private marriage bureaus. Nor do we intend providing a service in competition with them. I am aware that recently there were allegations of malpractice on the part of some of these bureaus. However, no complaints were received either by my Ministry or by the Police. The Government does not intend introducing legislation to regulate the operation of marriage bureaus. Complaints of cheating or other similar offences can be dealt with under existing laws.

3.25 p.m.

"to amend the Judges' Remuneration Act (Chapter 7 of the Revised Edition)", recommendation of President signified; presented by the Minister for Finance (Mr Hon Sui Sen); read the First time: to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.

"to amend the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act (Chapter 112 of the Revised Edition)". presented by the Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Chua Sian Chin); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.

"to provide for the issue from the Consolidated Fund of the sums necessary to meet the estimated expenditure for the public services of Singapore for the financial year 1st April, 1981, to 31st March, 1982", recommendation of President signified; presented by the Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Health (Mr Goh Chok Tong); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.

"for making Supplementary Provision for the public services for the financial year 1st April, 1980, to 31st March, 1981", recommendation of President signified; presented by Mr Goh Chok Tong; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.

"to amend the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act, 1974 (No. 12 of 1974)". presented by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Culture (Mr S. Dhanabalan); read the First time: to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.

Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [Allotted Day].

3.28 p.m.

Second Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st April, 1980 to 31st March, 1981, contained in Paper Cmd 8 of 1981. Notice of an amendment has been received in respect of Head P, and I shall therefore take this head of expenditure first. Head P -

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head P be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead PC-03 Object Group 1410. Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg your indulgence as to why $78,500 in additional allowance is required when Accident and Emergency charges are already so high at $10 which is higher than what most general practitioners charge. Sir, at the last Parliamentary sitting the Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Health hinted at the possibility of raising the A & E charges. The reason given was to discourage attendances at A & E by so-called 'non-emergency' cases. Like all good, systematic, hard-headed analysts, our Health Ministry officials took attendances at A & E units, divided them up into emergency and non-emergency cases, put one figure upon the other and came out with an attendance of 46% non-emergencies. And what better way to cut attendance and maintain income than by raising charges - the perfect solution. If the Health Ministry has valid reasons for increasing the A & E charges - like the increased petrol prices, wages, building costs, etc - let them come out and say so. But if their purpose is to stem abuse, they will fail again. Let us examine this so-called 'non-emergency' cases closely. Are the criteria for non-emergency cases based on the doctor's opinion after examination? Or are they based on the layman's perception of what is emergency? Obviously they have based it on the doctor's, but this is inadequate because the layman has not got the benefit of medical training and his perception will not coincide with the doctor's. How is he to determine what is emergency? To him a chest pain may indicate a heart attack, but it may be just bad indigestion. Diarrhoea, high fever, vomiting, stomach cramps and many other symptoms are regarded as emergencies by the layman. Many such symptoms can be treated as non-emergencies but only after the doctor has ruled out heart attack, appendicitis, meningitis or severe food poisoning. Mr Speaker, Sir, do we penalise a man for his ignorance? Would any person, thinking of saving his own life or easing his pain, be deterred by $10 or $20, or even $50? Should we make more money out of him just because he does not know better and has no one else to turn to in the dark of night? Which Singaporean would want to give up watching those compelling Chinese shows on TV, and go and wait for hours in the Emergency unit to see a harassed doctor for a dose of medicine if he did not think his life was being threatened? Besides the $10 charge, please add another $10 for return taxi fare. Mr Speaker, Sir, has the Ministry examined deeper into its figures to see if attendances rise after 5.00 p.m. when OPDs are closed, and after 9.00 p.m. when all private clinics are closed? If the bulk of attendances comes after 5.00 p.m. (and still more after 9.00 p.m.), it reflects a need for such A & E services. Raising charges will in no way deter them. If the Ministry wants to unclog the A & E departments, then it must look for other ways. As a long term solution, I suggest education of the public on how to use the A & E unit. This could be effectively done by the Training and Health Education Department of the Ministry of Health which in the past has produced excellent brochures on various health aspects. Apart from the press and TV, our RCs and CCCs can help to disseminate this message to the lay public. Extension of OPD' hours will impose too great a burden on the Ministry in terms of operational cost and personnel. I would suggest to the Minister to request the cooperation of the private hospitals to have an A & E unit in their hospitals, if they do not have one at the moment. The reasons for requesting private hospitals to have their own A & E unit are as follows. First, they will take some of the load off the A & E units in public general hospitals. Secondly, it will make medical attention more readily available at night, as these private hospitals are quite conveniently located. Mr Speaker, Sir, however, I do know of cases of abuse. Examples have been quoted to me by a doctor working in the A & E unit. For instance, many of those who are entitled to free treatment at Government clinics prefer to go to the A & E unit at night for treatment when they should have gone to the OPD during the day time. One reason given is that the waiting time at the A & E unit is much shorter than the waiting time at the OPD. I would regard such attendances as abuse but to raise the A & E charges will not stop them because they do not have to pay for it anyway. Raising charges will penalise the genuine patient and indirectly help these abusers. How many of the so-called non-emergency cases are contributed by this group of abusers? I would request that the Ministry look into this matter. Let us not penalise the majority for the wrongs of the minority.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Ayer Rajah seems to labour under the impression that revenue collected by the A & E Departments can be ploughed back into running costs. Government accounting does not permit this to be done, as all revenue must be credited to the Revenue Account controlled by the Ministry of Finance. The supplementary sum of $78,500 for Subhead PC-03, Object Group 1410, is needed because of the increase in fixed specialist allowances and the implementation of the Consultation Fees Scheme on 1st September, 1980. I observed in Parliament on 20th February, 1981, that the increase in A & E fees on 1st April, 1978, has not controlled the rapid rise in A & E attendances, especially non-emergency cases. I suggested that my Ministry might have to consider whether to increase the A & E fees further if attendances continue its upward trend. The rationale for doing so, as I put it the last time, is to cut down on the number of attendances at A & E units. In other words, we want to try and deter the non-emergency cases from coming to the A & E Departments. The Member for Ayer Rajah raised the point of who is to determine whether the case is an emergency case or not. In my view, it must be the doctor who has to determine whether a case is an emergency case or not after examination. The Member is right, of course, that a patient pays great attention to his own health and he is unable to determine whether the pain which he is suffering is in emergency case or not. Whenever there is pain, the patient rightly believes it is an emergency case. The number of attendances at the A & E units would appear to suggest that patients do take advantage of the A & E units. 47.7% of the total number of A & E attendances occur between 8.00 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. In other words, 47.7% of A & E attendances took place during the day. Between the hours of 4.30 p.m. and 8.00 a.m., the percentage of attendances is 52.3%. Therefore, there is a fairly even spread between attendances in the day and in the evening. I have also been given to understand that most of these attendances take place before midnight. There is a sharp decline after midnight. This would appear to suggest that patients generally are aware that their cases need not necessarily be one that must be attended to urgently by the doctors at the A & E units. I agree with the Member for Ayer Rajah that raising the fee for attending A & E units would not solve the problem. I also agree with him that we should educate the public, and his suggestion that we should do so will be taken up. The Member has also come up with what I would regard as an excellent idea if it can be implemented and, that is, to request the private hospitals to have their own A & E units. Perhaps the Member for Ayer Rajah can suggest to his colleagues that they volunteer their services to help these private hospitals to man their A & E units, especially after working hours or after 9.00 p.m., say, from 9.00 p.m. to about 2.00 a m

Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $7,603,840 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Second Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st April, 1980 to 31st March, 1981. Question, "The sum of $14,222.890 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure for the public services shown in the Second Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st April, 1980 to 31st March, 1981 contained in Paper Cmd. 8 of 1981 ". put and agreed to. Resolution to be reported. Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply have come to a certain resolution. Resolution reported - "That the sum of $14,222,890 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure for the public services shown in the Second Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st April, 1980 to 31st March, 1981 contained in Paper Cmd. 8 of 1981."

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolution. Question put and agreed to. Resolution accordingly agreed to.

Order for Second Reading read. 3.43 p.m.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." This is a simple Bill which is designed to make certain necessary and consequential amendments to the various Acts specified in the Schedule to the Bill as a result of the establishment and incorporation of the National University of Singapore. There are references in these Acts to the former University of Singapore and the Nanyang University which require updating. These references will be substituted in appropriate cases by reference to the National University of Singapore. The Bill will also provide for the recognition of degrees in architecture, law, medicine, dentistry and pharmacy of the National University of Singapore as professional qualifications in the various Acts dealing with these professions. Sir, I beg to move. Question put. and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr E.W. Barker]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.

Order for Second Reading read. 3.45 p.m.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." This Bill seeks to amend the Merchant Shipping Act (Chapter 172) in the sections on: (a) The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea; (b) Limitation of Shipowners' Liability; (c) Protection of the Submarine Cable; and (d) Registration of Ships. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea The amendment on the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea is to enable Singapore to accede to the Convention signed in London on 1st November, 1974, which had replaced a similar Convention signed in 1960. The Convention specifies minimum standards on the construction, equipment and operation of ships for which all Singapore ships must adhere to. Limitation of Shipowners Liability The amendment to the section on Limitation of Liability is to make shipowners wholly liable for the cost of wreck-removal and of repairs to facilities at the Port of Singapore Authority whenever there is an accident in its waters. Without the amendment, shipowners can limit their liability to such damages if they can prove that the accident occurred without their fault or privity, as provided for in the International Convention Relating to the Limitation of Liability of Owners of Sea-Going Ships, 1957. When we acceded to the Convention, we made the reservation that a shipowner should not be entitled to limit his liability in this way. But this reservation is not reflected in the existing legislation and the amendment is, therefore, necessary. Protection of Submarine Cable The new addition to Section 342 on the Protection of the Submarine Cable is to impose stricter penalties on ships anchoring in the Submarine Cable Corridor which is a prohibited anchorage area. The amendment empowers the Portmaster to refuse port clearance to any ship inadvertently anchored in the prohibited area unless the owner, agent or master of the ship deposits a sum of money, specified by the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore, to meet the cost of repairing any damaged cable. This amendment is necessary because the number of ships anchoring in the Corridor has increased and the cable damaged on several occasions. Registration of Ships Sections 396, 399 and 410 on the Registration of Ships are being amended to introduce stricter requirements on ships registered in Singapore and to give the Minister power to refuse registration. Detailed requirements on ownership, type, size and age of ships will be made under subsidiary legislation. These new requirements will mean the end of the open registry of ships in Singapore introduced in 1969. At that time, one of the aims was to create employment opportunities for local seamen. This has been achieved and by the end of 1980, 78% of local seamen were employed on Singapore ships compared to only 13% in 1967. Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Ong Teng Cheong]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.

Order for Second Reading reed. 4.52 p.m.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, the Bill seeks to amend the Central Provident Fund Act to empower the Central Provident Fund Board to operate a Home Protection Insurance Scheme so that the outstanding loans on flats purchased by members under the various approved housing schemes of HDB, JTC, HUDC and Mindef will be paid in the event that the members die or are permanently incapacitated from ever working again. The Central Provident Fund was set up in 1955 to provide employees with compulsory savings which would be available to them when they reach the retirement age of 55 years or when they are unable to continue working. For the past 25 years, the Fund has played a significant role in providing for employees after their retirement and their dependants in the event of their premature death or total permanent incapacity. In 1968, members were allowed to use their CPF moneys to buy HDB and JTC flats. Subsequently, in 1975, members were allowed to use it to buy HUDC flats, and in 1977 SAF officers could use it to buy flats under the Mindef Housing Scheme. As at the end of 1980, about 305,000 members had withdrawn about $2.5 billion from the Fund to buy flats under the various approved housing schemes. Of these, about 119,000 are using their CPF contributions to repay the loan instalment on their flats. A study by the CPF Board in 1979 of HDB housing loan borrowers indicated that 56,200 borrowers did not have sufficient CPF savings to pay off their outstanding loans if required to do so. Should such members die or become permanently incapacitated from working again, they or their families may lose their homes if the repayment of the loan cannot be met. The risk is especially real if members die or are incapacitated early in their working life when their CPF savings are small. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry has found that a large majority of CPF members who are using their CPF moneys to repay the mortgages on their flats are not covered by any mortgage reducing insurance policy which could give them the monetary protection they need. For instance, although 28,000 loans were granted in 1978 by the HDB and the JTC, there were only about 150 mortgage reducing policies written by insurance companies for such borrowers. Therefore, the establishment of the Scheme by the CPF Board would meet a need which insurance companies have failed to meet. In this regard I need hardly add that the establishment of the Scheme would have minimal adverse effect on the insurance industry. Sir, the salient features of the Scheme are already summarised in the Explanatory Statement to this Bill. Let me elaborate on some of the important features of the Scheme. The Scheme will cover all CPF members who have withdrawn their CPF savings to buy flats under the approved housing schemes and who have outstanding loans on their flats. Members will only be given coverage up to the age of 55 years. This is because at this age members are entitled to withdraw their CPF savings which could be used to pay off the outstanding loans. Besides, the need for a cover beyond this age is less crucial as such members are unlikely to have young dependent children. Members who have adequate mortgage reducing insurance cover on their flats can apply to the CPF Board to be exempted from the Scheme. Exemption will also be granted to members whose outstanding housing loans do not exceed $3,000 or such other amount as may be fixed from time to time by the Minister and the repayment period does not exceed two years. Members will be charged premiums for the cover given under the Scheme. The premiums, generally, will be in one lump sum to be paid through a one-time deduction from their CPF savings. If a member has insufficient CPF savings, he will be given a cover up to an amount that can be purchased with his available CPF savings. Subsequently, when more CPF contributions are paid into his account, his cover will be topped up until his outstanding loan is fully covered. Members with insufficient CPF savings may, however, also pay their premiums in cash to obtain a full cover. The premiums to be charged under the Scheme will be based on the sex, age at the time cover is given, the amount of the outstanding loan, the period of repayment and the interest on the loan. A member who is the sole owner of a flat will be covered for the whole outstanding loan. A co-owner of a flat will be covered for his share of the outstanding loan repayment. The premiums to be charged under the Scheme will be generally much cheaper than that normally charged by the insurance companies and they will be prescribed by regulations. The Scheme is able to offer low premiums largely because there is no element of profit, no sales expenses such as commissions to agents, no collection expenses as premiums are deducted from CPF savings and the risk is spread over a large base. Further, the cover under the Scheme includes payment if members suffer permanent total incapacity and are unable to continue working. This protection is seldom given by insurance companies. The Scheme will be administered by the CPF Board and it will not be subject to the provisions of the Insurance Act. A Home Protection Fund, which will be administered and controlled by the CPF Board, will be set up for the purposes of receiving premiums of members. Moneys in the Fund will be used to meet all payments under the Scheme. Upon death or incapacity of a member who is covered under the Scheme, the Board will redeem his outstanding housing loan if he has paid his premium in full. However, if he has not paid his premium in full, the Board will only repay part of the loan up to the amount covered by the premium actually paid by him. Members covered under the Scheme will not be issued with policy documents. They will, however, be informed of the premiums deducted from their CPF accounts and the amounts they are covered for. If a cover is prematurely terminated as, for example, when a member gives up ownership of his property or redeems his housing loan early, the CPF Board will pay into his CPF account the premium of the unrequired remaining cover. Finally, the Bill also seeks to empower the Minister to make such regulations as are necessary or expedient for the purposes of implementing the Scheme. It is the intention of the Government to refer this Bill to a Select Committee. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.

Mr Speaker, Sir, just a point of clarification. The proposed scheme may give cause for alarm to the insurance companies that this may be the beginning of the nationalization of the life assurance business. Can the Minister assure the House that the CPF will not expand its activities into other areas of life assurance currently transacted by ,the private sector?

Sir, as I have mentioned in my speech just now, the scheme will have minimal adverse effect on the insurance industry. As the Member has pointed out, this may give cause for concern to the insurance industry and it is for that reason that Government has decided to refer the Bill to a Select Committee so that their views can be considered.

Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time. Resolved, That the Central Provident Fund (Amendment) Bill be committed to a Select Committee consisting of Mr Speaker as Chairman and the following Members: Mr Eric Cheong Yuen Chee Mr Ong Teng Cheong Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon Mr Sia Kah Hui Mr Lee Yock Suan Dr Yeo Ning Hong Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi Mr Ong Teng Cheong.

4.08 p.m.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the motion* standing in my name under item 5 in the Order Paper. * The motion reads as follows: That this Parliament, pursuant to section 7 of the Civil List and Pension Act (Chapter 52), resolves that the Schedule to the said Act be varied by deleting the figures "$301,400", "$1,084,200", "$260,000" and "$42,600" in the second column and substituting the figures "$338,360", "$1,213,500", "$316,840" and "$113,000" respectivly. Sir, it is proposed to increase the provisions for the Privy Purse and Salaries of Personal Staff by $36,960 and $129,300 respectively to meet the 1981 NWC wage supplement and higher contributions to the Central Provident Fund as well as the Skills Development Fund. An increase of $56,840 for Expenses of the Istana Household is required mainly to meet rising costs of public utilities. A sum of $113,000 has been provided under Special Services mainly for the replacement of motor vehicles and gardening as well as office equipment. It is, therefore, necessary to vary the provisions in the Schedule to the Civil List as follows:- for the "Privy Purse" from $301,400 to $338,360; for "Salaries of Personal Staff" from $1,084,200 to $1,213,500; for "Expenses of Household" from $260,000 to $316,840; and for "Special Services" from $42,600 to $113,000. Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, That this Parliament, pursuant to section 7 of the Civil List and Pension Act (Chapter 52). resolves that the Schedule to the said Act be varied by deleting the figures "$301,400", "$1.084,200", "$260,000" and "$42.600" in the second column and substituting the figures "$338,360", "$1,213,500", "$316,840" and "$113.000" respectively,

4.10 p.m.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament approves the financial policy of the Government for the financial year 1st April, 1981 to 31st March, 1982." Sir, I am once again honoured to have been delegated the authority by the Minister for Finance to prepare and deliver the Budget Statement under Articles 144 and 145 of the ConStitution of Singapore. Sir, hon. Members of the House have earlier been given a copy each of the Economic Survey of Singapore 1980 (Cols. 381 - 624). I shall, therefore, not go into detail in reviewing the performance of our economy in 1980. Singapore's Economy in 1980 Singapore's economy grew robustly in 1980, achieving a double-digit rate of growth of over 10% since the first oil crisis of 1973-74. Singaporeans have from all walks of life once again shown their remarkable capacity to overcome great odds. We are restructuring our economy in an inhospitable international economic climate. We did better than 1979 despite slow growth and high inflation in a world economy beset by the sudden contraction in oil supplies following the Iranian Revolution and the Iranian-iraqi War. Business enterprises trimmed and streamlined their organizations, shedding off excess baggage. They mechanized and automated. The Civil Service and statutory boards also rationalized. The Government pushed with higher wages, and pulled with fiscal incentives. Labour productivity surged forward, doubling to 5%. Had there been no productivity gains, the economy would have grown by only 5%, instead of over 10%. Our workers and their unions were fully involved in the economic restructuring. The NTUC was particularly helpful. It cooperated with management to economize on the use of labour, even when it meant the retrenchment of its members. Had our unions been myopic and difficult, they would have protected jobs and resisted change, and we would have all been stuck in the mud. Growth in our economy was evenly spread. Manufacturing grew by 12%, financial and business services by 17%, and transport and communications by 12%. Our external trade expanded by 34%, in dollar terms. In volume terms it increased by 15%, much higher than the growth in world trade of 3%. After recovering in 1979 with a growth rate of 7%. the construction sector grew even more vigorously by 10% in 1980. The rapid pace of construction, however, caused acute labour shortages and escalation in prices of building materials. The key to the long term success of our economic restructuring strategy is not higher wages, nor fiscal incentives. It is manpower development. Reflecting this, the Engineering Faculty in the National University of Singapore took in 40% more students in 1980 than 1979. The Polytechnic and Ngee Ann Technical College also increased their enrolment by 11%. The EDB's Joint Industrial Training Centres expanded their classes by 32%. The Skills Development Fund gave employers grants to train over 10,000, workers. Economic Development Plan for the Eighties In my Budget Statement last year, I outlined the economic objectives and strategies for the Eighties. The Ministry of Trade and Industry has prepared an indicative 10-Year Economic Development Plan for the Eighties. It contains our vision of the future and the path we should take. As an indicative plan, it has to be fleshed and implemented by the executive operating ministries and statutory boards, and more critically by the private sector. All ministries are now preparing their own detailed operational plans based on the strategies and guidelines outlined in the 10-Year Plan. I have given copies of the high-lights of the Plan to the Clerk of Parliament for later distribution to Members of the House (Appendix I (Cols. 357 - 376)). I welcome their comments and suggestions and assure hon. Members that their comments will be studied closely and, where useful or valuable, taken into account in implementation. Appendix I - HIGHLIGHTS OF "SINGAPORE'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE EIGHTIES" (Cols. 357 - 376) We are holding consultations on economic policies with the private sector. These consultations will enable our businessmen to better understand the Plan so that they can identify for themselves the growth opportunities. They will also give us valuable feedback and ideas. The Ministry of Trade and Industry will publish the Plan in a form that is readily understood by the general public. The general public too can give us their suggestions. The prime objective of the Plan is to develop Singapore into a modern industrial economy based on science, technology, skills and knowledge. If we can succeed, we shall be manufacturing high-value products like integrated circuits, computers, industrial electronic equipment, aircraft components, numerical-control machine tools, medical instruments like X-ray machines and blood counters and specialty pharmaceutical products. These new generation factories will employ more managerial staff, engineers, technicians and skilled operators than existing simple assembly plants. They will also pay better. If we succeed, we shall be less vulnerable to protectionism. Textiles, shoes, furniture - these are subject to high tariffs and import quotas beyond our control. Aircraft and automotive components and precision equipment are less exposed. To realize our objective, we require more engineers, accountants, lawyers, doctors, technicians, computer personnel, skilled workers and other managerial and professional personnel. We shall train them. We will also induct talent from abroad. I shall now elaborate on the specific growth sectors of our economy. Industrial Development Singapore continues to attract good quality industries. New investment commitments in 1980 reached a record high of $1.4 billion, excluding petro-chemicals. Average expected fixed investment and value-added per worker of these new industries are 71% and 28% higher respectively, in real terms, than those committed in 1979. More gratifying, many existing international companies are upgrading their manufacturing operations. They are investing in new capital equipment and technology to increase output and labour productivity. To help local industries to upgrade, the EDB encourages them to have joint ventures or licensing arrangements with foreign companies with the necessary technical know-how and access to export markets. In 1980, new commitments by Singapore investors reached a new high of $203 million, of which about one-third were in joint ventures. The local industry unit of the EDB is now guided by a Small Industry Advisory Committee comprising representatives of local manufacturers. The unit serves local small to medium-sized industries. Young Singaporean professionals and technicians are now venturing out to set up their own manufacturing companies. They can seek financial assistance from EDB's Small Industries Finance Scheme which granted a total of $52 million in small industry loans to 191 companies in 1980. Local industries are also assisted in research and product development under the Product Development Assistance Scheme. Investment allowances are also given liberally to existing local and foreign owned industries to help them to mechanize and automate. Although new investment commitments in 1980 were the highest ever recorded, future prospects are less reassuring. EDB's potential investment pipeline has become smaller since the middle of last year. Recession in the major industrialized countries has led many companies to shelve or defer new investments overseas. High unemployment in these countries has resulted in greater union pressures against companies setting up plants overseas. Excessively high interest rates have also raised the cost of financing new capital investments. Although Japan continues to be a strong foreign investor, they seem now to be putting more of their overseas investments within the markets of the developed countries - in USA and Europe. With increased protectionism, this trend will unfortunately continue. The EDB will therefore redouble its efforts in the face of these more difficult circumstances. Together with the Jurong Town Corporation, it will continue to improve our industrial infrastructure and expand our manpower development to enhance our attractiveness to new and more sophisticated investments. The EDB will seek out specific desirable industries and extend long term financing at fixed interest rates to them. In times of high interest rates, such long term financing will be an effective incentive, especially for the more capital intensive projects. Such fixed interest loans will be extended through leading international and local banks. The Small Industries Finance Scheme has also been very effective in helping local small industries to upgrade and expand. The Scheme has helped young local professionals to be their own entrepreneurs in setting up new manufacturing industries. The Scheme will be extended to include medium - sized local industries with fixed assets of $2-$5 million, from the current ceiling of $2 million. Research and Development (R & D) In my Budget Statement last year, I announced five tax incentives for the benefit of manufacturers conducting R & D. The Income Tax Act and the Economic Expansion Incentives Act have been amended to put these incentives into effect. The EDB has announced the criteria to guide companies and organizations when they apply for these incentives. The criteria emphasize the technical originality, innovative content and commercialization prospects of the R & D work. In addition to these incentives, the EDB will consider extending the tax exemption period to pioneer companies which invest or expand significantly in areas involving R & D activities. Funds for the Product Development Assistance Scheme to encourage local companies to undertake innovative product development have been increased from $1 million to $2 million. Critical to the success of our R & D plan is the training of R & D engineers and technicians. The National University of Singapore (NUS) together with the Nanyang Technological Institute will double their enrolment of engineering students by 1985. The NUS will concentrate on producing engineers with aptitude for R & D work. To enhance undergraduate training and provide engineering students and teachers with a conducive environment for R & D work, the NUS will undertake more engineering research programmes in such fields as semiconductor electronics, micro-processor applications, optical fibre communication, and low-cost construction materials. To stimulate interest in practical research work, the Government will increase its funding for research to public institutions undertaking R & D work. For the next financial year, a sum of $10 million has been included in the Budget to finance research and development. Other measures to promote R & D activities include the development of a Science and Technology Park and the expansion of the material science laboratories at the Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research. Land has been set aside for the development of the Science and Technology Park, adjacent to the NUS campus at Kent Ridge. The Jurong Town Corporation will develop the Park. Trade Development Protectionism will continue to plague our exporters. The long term solution is for our manufacturers to restructure and produce higher value-added products, less vulnerable to protectionism. In the meantime, the Department of Trade will monitor policy changes in our export markets, and make representations to foreign governments on behalf of our manufacturers, when our exports are affected by protectionism. On the brighter side, the international agreements concluded in the Multilateral Trade Negotiations hold some promise that protectionism, at least its blatant forms, will be checked. Under the new Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, our exporters can now gain easier access to foreign national and regional certification systems. For the first time, the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) mark is open to Singapore manufacturers. This will help promote exports to Japan. As a result of our wage-correction policy, our local manufacturers of labour-intensive products are taking steps to reduce manpower, mechanize their production, and upgrade the value of their products. The textile and garment industry is one of them. Thirty-three textile and garment manufacturers have invested $17.4 million in new and improved machinery. To encourage industries to upgrade the quality of their products, the Department of Trade will only select companies which are prepared to help themselves for overseas promotional activities. The Department will also give them preference in textile quota allocation. Local companies are now becoming more active in promoting their products overseas. In 1980, 165 companies, compared with 102 in 1979, participated in overseas trade fairs, missions and overseas promotional trips. Several local manufacturers have established or are in the process of establishing sales and promotional offices in overseas markets. Various suggestions have been made by the private sector through the Trade Development Advisory Committee to enhance the present package of trade incentives. The Ministry of Trade and Industry will study these suggestions and effect improvements to the trade fiscal incentives if they are necessary to encourage our exporters to intensify their export efforts. Along with the need to improve and upgrade the quality of Singapore-made products, management in industry will have to increase their international marketing skills substantially. The Department of Trade will assist by engaging consultants and experts to conduct marketing seminars and workshops. In 1981, the Department of Trade plans to organize such seminars for the printing and publishing, the furniture and the engineering service industries. Services Development Industrial development concentrates mainly on hardware. We are also emphasizing the software side of development - the brain services. In my Budget Statement last year, I announced that in the Eighties we shall develop Singapore into a financial supermarket offering a wide and sophisticated range of financial services. As part of its operational plan to advance this objective, the Monetary Authority of Singapore is reviewing the structure and operations of the financial sector. It is reviewing in particular, the Insurance Act, the Banking Act and the Finance Companies Act. It will continue to promote new foreign financial institutions to open up branches and offices in Singapore. It will encourage existing local and foreign banks to expand the scope and depth of their business. Banks are responding to the call to expand and improve their services by introducing new schemes such as the gold and silver passbook accounts and by installing more automated teller machines (ATMs). The Singapore Clearing House Association was formed to enable automated cheque clearing. This is in line with the Government's emphasis on increased productivity and computerization and is expected to result in even better services for bank customers. Fixed rate Singapore dollar bonds were issued for the first time last year, giving banks another avenue for tapping long-term funds. The promotion of the computer services industry will form an integral part of our economic restructuring programme in the Eighties. We shall focus on computer education and training, and overcome our main obstacle of not having enough trained computer personnel. The plan to establish the Japan-Singapore Institute of Software Technology has been finalized and the Institute will be operational by the end of the year. Plans are also at hand to set up an Institute of Systems Science at the NUS. Statutory boards, Government companies and other major computer users are urged to train more people than they need. The Skills Development Fund will be used to encourage firms to upgrade their existing staff, and to engage top calibre teachers from abroad to assist them in their in-house training. The public sector will take the lead in computerization. A National Computer Board will be established. It will be responsible for the provision of computer manpower and promotion of computer services in the Civil Service. In addition, the Board will regulate the standard of trained computer personnel in Singapore. Computer hardware in the Civil Service will be decentralized. Ministries which have the critical size for computerization will have their own computer departments. For the time being, the EDB will concentrate on the promotion of computer firms that will bring in foreign experts to train Singaporeans. It will also encourage existing firms to go into software development. Once we have sufficient technical manpower, EDB's promotional efforts will be intensified. Tourism will continue to be an important growth sector for Singapore in the Eighties. Tourist arrivals increased annually at an average rate of 19% in the Sixties and 17% in the Seventies. For the Eighties, we target a more modest but still significant growth rate in tourist arrivals of 12%. We are confident, however, that with more promotion efforts, the 12% target is achievable, provided there are enough hotel rooms. An estimated 14,600 hotel rooms will be available by the end of this year and interest in hotel development is strong. The Ministry of National Development has assured my Ministry that the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) will make available sufficient land for hotel development to enable us to achieve the 12% target in tourist arrivals annually. According to STPB's estimates, spending per tourist in real terms has been falling. We aim to increase spending per tourist over the Eighties. Towards this end, the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB) will consider developing more tourist infrastructure as additional attractions, and to encourage tourists to stay longer. We shall also attract more of the high yield tourists, especially conventioneers. In 1980, we hosted 230 conventions and 45 trade exhibitions, an increase of 46% and 50% respectively, over the previous year. We will host more. Energy Policy Energy will become an increasingly more critical resource for Singapore's economic development. Since my Budget Statement last year, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has been given the responsibility of formulating and coordinating Singapore's energy policy. The Ministry has therefore set up an Energy Unit to monitor prices, supplies and consumption of oil, and to formulate and coordinate the implementation of our policies on energy conservation and security of oil supply. Recently, it took over the portfolio of overseeing the operation of the Public Utilities Board. The PUB has a major role in ensuring the success of our energy policy. Moreover, PUB's role in ensuring efficient and adequate supplies of electricity, water and gas has important bearing on our economic development. There are, however, other public agencies whose work relate to energy. The Energy Unit is, therefore, guided by an Inter-Ministry Energy Coordinating Committee which includes representatives of the Ministries of Trade and Industry, Communications, Finance, Foreign Affairs and National Development. The twin objectives of our energy policy are, first, to ensure that our economic growth in the Eighties is not disrupted by energy shortages, and second, as oil is scarce and expensive, to maximize efficiency in the usage of energy. We have to pay the market price of oil. Our domestic energy prices will, therefore, have to reflect world prices. Regrettably, this must mean higher PUB rates, petrol and diesel prices and bus and taxi fares each time oil prices are revised upwards by the producers. We shall improve the security of our oil supply by making government-to-government purchases of oil from producing countries. Currently, we depend entirely on the oil companies. The Government has set up a fully-owned company, the Singapore National Oil Company, as its operational arm to secure direct oil purchases from producing countries. We are exploring the feasibility of coal to supplement oil to generate electricity. The PUB has engaged an international consultant to advise on the pollution aspects of a coal-fired power station, and the economics and technology to minimize such pollution. Energy conservation will be pursued through campaigns and a system of incentives to encourage energy saving. The Ministry of Trade and Industry will launch an Energy Saving Campaign in May-June this year. It will involve private and public organizations as well as grassroots organizations such as the Citizens Consultative Committees and the Residents Committees. It will be conducted annually to sustain interest in energy conservation. The PUB will set up an Energy Conservation Centre which will provide technical advice to industry, commerce and households on how to cut energy wastage, and use electricity more efficiently. A proper understanding of the energy consumption efficiency of various household electrical appliances will help householders to save on their electricity bills. Cutting out energy wastage is the only effective means of slowing down the increasing cost of energy. So far, accelerated depreciation is allowed only for plant and machinery in industrial enterprises. We shall, in principle, extend the provision on accelerated depreciation to cover approved energy-saving capital expenditure incurred by non-industrial enterprises. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Trade and Industry will study the criteria; guidelines and mechanics of implementing this incentive scheme. We will also extend the investment allowance scheme, administered by the EDB, to include capital expenditure incurred by manufacturing companies to save energy. The EDB will work out specific guidelines on this. Manpower Development In my Budget Statement last year, I dwelt at length on the critical need to train enough manpower for the higher skilled industries and the brain services that we want to promote in the Eighties. Since then, plans are being translated into reality. When fully implemented, these plans will result in an expansion of first-year enrolment at the University by 20%, Polytechnic and Ngee Ann by 40%, and VITB's and EDB's training centres by 125%. The Nanyang Technological Institute will be set up this year to train 1,000 practice-oriented engineers a year for industries. Action is being taken to set up a separate polytechnic to train 2,500 supervisors and skilled workers for the commerce and services sectors. Service is an important sector in our economy and we should upgrade the quality of its manpower through proper training at polytechnic level. Our manpower development programmes will also cover the training needs of existing workers. The VITB is working out an operational plan to step up continuing education and training to retrain existing workers to meet the higher skills needed by industries and services as they upgrade and restructure. The Skills Development Fund can be used to subsidize employers who release their workers for such continuing education and training courses. We are seeking the assistance of the Japanese Government to set up an Institute for Continuing Occupational Development. For our training programmes to produce effectively trained manpower, we need the support of employers to take in students and trainees in our tertiary institutions and VITB training centres for short-term practical attachments. To help defray the cost to employers of taking in such trainees, the Skills Development Council will be asked to consider the provision of grants to participating employers. Our efforts to prepare workers, employers and managers for the difficult task of economic restructuring will have to include the inculcation of proper work and management attitudes. So far, we have concentrated on workers' attitudes. We must now extend our focus to include managers and employers. As there is much that we can learn from the Japanese experience, we have approached the Japanese Government for assistance in getting Japanese management experts to give courses and seminars to our managers here, and to receive missions of local managers to visit Japanese enterprises to see and learn for themselves how Japanese managers interact and work with their workers as a team. The Ministry of Labour is coordinating the programme. I would estimate that the interests of the workers and management overlap in 80-90% of the areas. The 10-20% areas where their interests may diverge should not be allowed to pull them apart. Teamwork is the key to success of an enterprise. It is the only basis for building a nation. Concluding Remarks on Economic Policy Last year, when I presented the Budget Statement, the prospects for the world economy in 1980 did not appear then to be bright. The world economy, indeed, suffer,ed great strains from the second oil shock, from inflation, exceptionally high interest rates, slow growth, and massive unemployment. The OECD countries grew by a paltry 1%. The United States went into a recession, Likewise, for Britain. The German economy also weakened. Singapore, however, grew stronger, by 10.2%, because we were realistic in our expectations and assessment of the difficulties ahead. We had prepared ourselves and we tackled our problems boldly and totally. We began to restructure - in types of industries, in production methods, in management and work attitudes. 1981 will be a difficult year for us, and 1982 even more so. The current world economic ills do not appear responsive to treatment. World economic growth will continue to slow down in the first half of this year. At best, the industrialized economies will begin to recover in the latter part of the year, barring major upheavals caused by wars and sudden disruptions in oil supplies. Inflation is a chronic malady. The Iranian-Iraqi war and the volatile political situation in Poland hold grave perils for the world. An unsettled world will hurt our exports and discourage investment flows generally throughout the world. We expect our real growth rate for 1981 to be lower than last year's. If we end up 1981 with a creditable growth rate, it will be because of our current growth momentum and the realization of the investments we have attracted in the past few years. The crunch will come in 1982-83 if the world economic and political outlook does not improve. Already, investment commitments from Japan are beginning to decline. Japanese companies are increasingly switching their investments to the major industrialized countries to protect their markets. We will still be able to attract some foreign investments, because of the very strong assets we have built up over the years, namely, political and economic stability, sound infrastructure, competitive skills and a capacity for hard-headed and practical adjustments to changing circumstances. But we must expect keener competition for investments and markets. We cannot wish the depressing outlook away. We must, as before, assess the problems realistically and respond accordingly. Singaporeans have never allowed difficult problems to daunt them. We shall survive, work together and press on intelligently with economic restructuring, plus a change in work attitudes. If we develop new cooperative habits on the factory floor, complete with Quality Circles and a close worker-management relationship, we shall make it. THE FY 1981 BUDGET Mr Speaker, Sir, I shall now move on to the FY 1981 Budget. The Budget has been prepared in accordance with the priorities identified in the Government's 10-Year Economic Development Plan for the Eighties. In particular, emphasis is given to manpower training, infrastructural, industrial and commercial development, and defence capability upgrading. A total of $4,578.9 million will be required in FY 1981 to meet the recurrent expenditure of Government programmes. This will be fully met by the expected revenue of $6,334.7 million. The recurrent expenditure is 14% higher than that for FY 1980 largely because of the modernization of the Armed Forces, restructuring of the education system, expansion of the National University of Singapore and other training institutions to cope with the demand for skilled, technical and professional manpower, as well as higher maintenance costs. But staff increases are held down to the absolute minimum so that more manpower can be made available to industries and other key economic areas. A total of 84 posts was created in the course of FY 1980 for new areas of work such as the Information Services Division in the Ministry of Culture, Professionals Information and Placement Unit of the Public Service Commission, and Jurong Junior College. However, this was offset by the deletion of 465 posts which have been found to be redundant or in excess of requirements. This includes 27 posts which are no longer required following the transfer of the functions of the Ministry of Science and Technology to the Ministries of Trade and Industry, Health and Education. In all, there is a net total reduction of 381 posts. Less manpower will be required because of mechanization and computerization of routine operations and increased staff productivity. Proposals for mechanization, automation and computerization have therefore been generously supported. The total number of posts on the FY 1981 establishment will be 68,845 as against 69,226 on the FY 1980 establishment. Despite the decrease in the establishment, many Ministries are likely to experience difficulties in filling their vacancies because of the tight labour market. As at 30th November 1980, a total of 8,353 posts or 12% of the permanent establishment was vacant. The bulk of the vacancies is in the Ministries of Education, Health and Home Affairs. Other Operating Expenditure (excluding the Armed Forces expenditure) will rise by $121 million or 38% in FY 1981. About half the increase is due to rising costs of public utilities, fuel and lubricants. The balance is accounted for by higher maintenance costs and a bigger provision for payment of agency fees to URA for sale of land on behalf of Government. Grants, Subsidies and Other Transfers will expand by $101 million or 21% compared to FY 1980. This is attributed mainly to:-

The Question is, "That Parliament approves the financial policy of the Government for the financial year 1st April, 1981 to 31st March, 1982." In accordance with paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 84, the debate now stands adjourned. Debate to be resumed on what day, Mr Goh?

On 16th March, 1981.

So be it.

Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to Monday, 16th March, 1981." - [Mr E.W. Barker]. Adjourned accordingly at Twenty-six minutes to Six o'clock p.m. to Monday, 16th March, 1981. Appendix I - HIGHLIGHTS OF "SINGAPORE'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE EIGHTIES" (Cols. 357 - 376) Appendix II - Individual Income Tax Reduction under Revised Rates Schedule from Year of Assessment 1982, Distribution of Tax Burden in 1980 (Cols. 377 - 380) Please refer to Hansard document. Please refer to Hansard document. Please refer to Hansard document. Please refer to Hansard document. Please refer to Hansard document. Please refer to Hansard document. Please refer to Hansard document. Please refer to Hansard document. Please refer to Hansard document. Please refer to Hansard document. Please refer to Hansard document. Please refer to Hansard document. Please refer to Hansard document. Please refer to Hansard document. Please refer to Hansard document. Please refer to Hansard document. 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