Desmond Lee - ALL TCs run on deficits. Tg Pagar gets $87 per elector; HATC $43

Re: Useless Minister of State Desmond Lee should be sacked for his incompetence

desmond is just trying to give aljunied residents a dose of bag goverance when he take over.

you all better repent, when he is onboard, you have no chance to repent.

Funding for town councils based on flat types, number of units: MND

[h=2]The Ministry for National Development has clarified why the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council received smaller government grants of S$7.3 million for FY2011 and FY2012 compared to S$26.7 million in FY2010.[/h]

• PHOTOS

The Aljunied-Hougang Punggol East Town Council office. (Photo: Marcus Mark Ramos)







SINGAPORE: The funding for town councils is based on the number of HDB flat units and flat types in an area, said the Ministry of National Development (MND) on Thursday (Nov 20). MND said this, in response to media queries on government grants for town councils.

Questions have been raised in various forums on the grants given to the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) run by the opposition Workers' Party in comparison to other town councils run by the ruling People's Action Party (PAP). Some alleged that government grants helped PAP-run town councils run an operating surplus instead of a deficit.

This comes after Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee highlighted AHPETC's finances recently, saying its sharp increase in service and conservancy charges (S&CC) arrears has serious implications for residents.

MND had said AHPETC's poor performance in the annual Town Council Management Report released earlier this month (Nov 4) was of "grave public concern". The report banded AHPETC “red” in corporate governance and S&CC arrears management, as its arrears rate rose to 29.4 per cent as at end-April 2013.

MND's replies are reproduced below.

Question: How is the S&CC Operating Grant computed?

MND Answer: The S&CC operating grant is allocated to all Town Councils (TCs) based on the number of HDB flat units and the flat types. Smaller flat types get higher grants.

The grant enables TCs to subsidise the S&CC for residents living in 4-room and smaller flats, with more being allocated for 1-room (S$33.70 per month), 2-room (S$26.20 per month) and 3-room (S$17.00 per month) households. The grant for each 4-room household is S$9.00 per month.

This grant formula has been in place since 1999, and is applied consistently to all TCs. S&CC grants are not based on the number of voters, nor does it apply to private property residents. TCs will receive more grants if they have more and smaller HDB flat types.

Ang Mo Kio TC and Tanjong Pagar TC receive more grants than AHPETC because they have more and smaller HDB flats. Ang Mo Kio has 89,127 HDB flats, of which 39 per cent are 3-room or smaller. Tanjong Pagar has 75,050 HDB flats, of which 59 per cent are 3-room or smaller. In comparison, AHPETC has 71,760 flats, of which only 29 per cent are 3-room or smaller. Likewise, even though Chua Chu Kang has about the same number of HDB flats (71,348) as AHPETC, Chua Chu Kang receives less S&CC grant (S$4.9 million compared to AHPETC’s S$7.2 million), because only 12 per cent of its flats are 3-room or smaller.

Question: What is the difference between Operating Surplus and Accumulated Surplus?

MND Answer: The operating surplus = income – expenditure for any one year. The TC’s operating surplus for that year is not affected by the transfer to the Sinking Fund under Section 34 of the TCs Act.

The accumulated surplus is the amount of operating surplus cumulated over the years. Under Section 34 of the TCs Act, all TCs have to transfer the stipulated amount of their accumulated surplus to their Sinking Fund after an election. This is the TC’s own Sinking Fund. The TC can use this to pay for future major repair and repainting works. After GE 11, Aljunied transferred S$3.7 million Accumulated Surplus (80 per cent of total Accumulated Surplus) to its Sinking Fund, as required by law.

Question: If Aljunied had transferred its accumulated surplus to its own Sinking Fund, can MND clarify MOS Desmond Lee’s remarks about the operating surplus under Aljunied vis-à-vis the operating deficit under AHPETC? Why is it that the Aljunied TC got S$26.7 million in government grants in FY2010/2011, then a much lower $7.3 million in both FY 2011/2012 and FY2012/2013?

MND Answer: MOS Desmond Lee stated in his statement of 7 Nov 2014: “What Mr Low (Thia Khiang) also did not disclose is that Hougang managed to avoid a cash flow problem only after he merged Hougang with Aljunied after GE 2011. The two TCs’ finances were then co-mingled. Before merger, Aljunied had an operating surplus of S$3.3 million. Within two years, the merged AHPETC’s financial position has deteriorated rapidly. The operating surplus of S$3.3 million Aljunied had in FY10 had turned into an operating deficit of S$734,000 in FY12.”

MND has observed that AHPETC’s financial position has deteriorated rapidly, based on AHPETC’s own financial statements. Despite an increase in income (AHPETC’s income in FY12 was S$29.8 million, compared to $26.8 million in FY10, a 11 per cent increase), its expenditure increased more significantly (its expenditure in FY12 was S$35.4 million, compared to $27.3 million in FY10, a 30 per cent increase). Its operating deficit before grants was $5.6 million in FY12 compared to $500,000 in FY10 (1,120 per cent increase). After grants and less transfers, it ran an operating deficit of S$734,000 in FY12 compared to a surplus of S$3.3 million in FY10.

Of the S$26.7 million in government grants received by Aljunied in FY10, S$19.2 million was a one-off grant to help TCs offset the cost of the Lift Upgrading Programme. So the perceived drop in government grants after FY10 is due to the one-off grant (Hougang TC, under the Workers’ Party, also received S$5 million in FY10).

Question: Can MND share the table which AHPETC used to report its S&CC arrears for the month and the TC’s Apr 2013 report (the last instance in which MND said AHPETC reported its monthly arrears)?

All TCs submit their S&CC arrears report monthly, using the same table. The table is simple (sample below), and has been in use by all TCs including Hougang Town Council since Apr 2008. In fact, AHPETC used the form for some months till Apr 2013 when it reported an arrears rate of 29.4 per cent. Since then, the TC did not submit the monthly returns. Based on the TC’s last reported S&CC arrears rate of 29.4 per cent, 39,000 households in AHPETC were effectively subsidising 16,000 households who did not pay their S&CC.

MND notes from AHPETC’s submission that 10,000 (63 per cent) out of the 16,000 households only started owing arrears in the last two years. AHPETC’s report also showed that the arrears rate for hawkers was 8.2 per cent while that for commercial tenants was 50.2 per cent. The TC stopped submitting the required monthly S&CC arrears report to MND after Apr 2013. We do not know AHPETC’s current arrears rate.



Question: What can MND do if a TC refuses to submit the required information?

MND Answer: Under the TCs Act today, MND has no power to compel TCs to submit information to MND, and there is no penalty under the TCs Act if the TC does not do so. There are currently only three offences that attract fines – these relate to the misuse of TCs’ funds, contravention of TC-Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) rules and the wilful withholding of information required by an auditor without reasonable cause. This is because the TCs are supposed to be directly accountable to their residents. MND is reviewing the TCs Act with a view to strengthen regulatory oversight over the TCs, to better safeguard residents’ interests.



- CNA/ly

Re: Useless Minister of State Desmond Lee should be sacked for his incompetence

.... Shifted to another thread ...

Re: Useless Minister of State Desmond Lee should be sacked for his incompetence

At least he has a portfolio. Unlike a certain 'Good Catholic'.



[video=youtube;f-xQa44CQDI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-xQa44CQDI[/video]

Re: Useless Minister of State Desmond Lee should be sacked for his incompetence

Now boh portfio Liao. Now is .minister who shit in pm office.

Re: Useless Minister of State Desmond Lee should be sacked for his incompetence

Can a "good Catholic" encourage Casinos in spite of his bishop's stand against gambling?

I believe "good Catholics" in the PAP govt are prepared to sell out the Virgin Mary just to keep the party line and their obscene salaries.....

Re: Useless Minister of State Desmond Lee should be sacked for his incompetence

This incident highlights just how incompetent our so-called ministers are.
Big fancy titles with a small useless brain.

Re: Funding for town councils based on flat types, number of units: MND

streetcry said:

[h=2]The Ministry for National Development has clarified why the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council received smaller government grants of S$7.3 million for FY2011 and FY2012 compared to S$26.7 million in FY2010.[/h]

• PHOTOS

The Aljunied-Hougang Punggol East Town Council office. (Photo: Marcus Mark Ramos)







SINGAPORE: The funding for town councils is based on the number of HDB flat units and flat types in an area, said the Ministry of National Development (MND) on Thursday (Nov 20). MND said this, in response to media queries on government grants for town councils.

Questions have been raised in various forums on the grants given to the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) run by the opposition Workers' Party in comparison to other town councils run by the ruling People's Action Party (PAP). Some alleged that government grants helped PAP-run town councils run an operating surplus instead of a deficit.

This comes after Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee highlighted AHPETC's finances recently, saying its sharp increase in service and conservancy charges (S&CC) arrears has serious implications for residents.

MND had said AHPETC's poor performance in the annual Town Council Management Report released earlier this month (Nov 4) was of "grave public concern". The report banded AHPETC “red” in corporate governance and S&CC arrears management, as its arrears rate rose to 29.4 per cent as at end-April 2013.

MND's replies are reproduced below.

Question: How is the S&CC Operating Grant computed?

MND Answer: The S&CC operating grant is allocated to all Town Councils (TCs) based on the number of HDB flat units and the flat types. Smaller flat types get higher grants.

The grant enables TCs to subsidise the S&CC for residents living in 4-room and smaller flats, with more being allocated for 1-room (S$33.70 per month), 2-room (S$26.20 per month) and 3-room (S$17.00 per month) households. The grant for each 4-room household is S$9.00 per month.

This grant formula has been in place since 1999, and is applied consistently to all TCs. S&CC grants are not based on the number of voters, nor does it apply to private property residents. TCs will receive more grants if they have more and smaller HDB flat types.

Ang Mo Kio TC and Tanjong Pagar TC receive more grants than AHPETC because they have more and smaller HDB flats. Ang Mo Kio has 89,127 HDB flats, of which 39 per cent are 3-room or smaller. Tanjong Pagar has 75,050 HDB flats, of which 59 per cent are 3-room or smaller. In comparison, AHPETC has 71,760 flats, of which only 29 per cent are 3-room or smaller. Likewise, even though Chua Chu Kang has about the same number of HDB flats (71,348) as AHPETC, Chua Chu Kang receives less S&CC grant (S$4.9 million compared to AHPETC’s S$7.2 million), because only 12 per cent of its flats are 3-room or smaller.

Question: What is the difference between Operating Surplus and Accumulated Surplus?

MND Answer: The operating surplus = income – expenditure for any one year. The TC’s operating surplus for that year is not affected by the transfer to the Sinking Fund under Section 34 of the TCs Act.

The accumulated surplus is the amount of operating surplus cumulated over the years. Under Section 34 of the TCs Act, all TCs have to transfer the stipulated amount of their accumulated surplus to their Sinking Fund after an election. This is the TC’s own Sinking Fund. The TC can use this to pay for future major repair and repainting works. After GE 11, Aljunied transferred S$3.7 million Accumulated Surplus (80 per cent of total Accumulated Surplus) to its Sinking Fund, as required by law.

Question: If Aljunied had transferred its accumulated surplus to its own Sinking Fund, can MND clarify MOS Desmond Lee’s remarks about the operating surplus under Aljunied vis-à-vis the operating deficit under AHPETC? Why is it that the Aljunied TC got S$26.7 million in government grants in FY2010/2011, then a much lower $7.3 million in both FY 2011/2012 and FY2012/2013?

MND Answer: MOS Desmond Lee stated in his statement of 7 Nov 2014: “What Mr Low (Thia Khiang) also did not disclose is that Hougang managed to avoid a cash flow problem only after he merged Hougang with Aljunied after GE 2011. The two TCs’ finances were then co-mingled. Before merger, Aljunied had an operating surplus of S$3.3 million. Within two years, the merged AHPETC’s financial position has deteriorated rapidly. The operating surplus of S$3.3 million Aljunied had in FY10 had turned into an operating deficit of S$734,000 in FY12.”

MND has observed that AHPETC’s financial position has deteriorated rapidly, based on AHPETC’s own financial statements. Despite an increase in income (AHPETC’s income in FY12 was S$29.8 million, compared to $26.8 million in FY10, a 11 per cent increase), its expenditure increased more significantly (its expenditure in FY12 was S$35.4 million, compared to $27.3 million in FY10, a 30 per cent increase). Its operating deficit before grants was $5.6 million in FY12 compared to $500,000 in FY10 (1,120 per cent increase). After grants and less transfers, it ran an operating deficit of S$734,000 in FY12 compared to a surplus of S$3.3 million in FY10.

Of the S$26.7 million in government grants received by Aljunied in FY10, S$19.2 million was a one-off grant to help TCs offset the cost of the Lift Upgrading Programme. So the perceived drop in government grants after FY10 is due to the one-off grant (Hougang TC, under the Workers’ Party, also received S$5 million in FY10).

Question: Can MND share the table which AHPETC used to report its S&CC arrears for the month and the TC’s Apr 2013 report (the last instance in which MND said AHPETC reported its monthly arrears)?

All TCs submit their S&CC arrears report monthly, using the same table. The table is simple (sample below), and has been in use by all TCs including Hougang Town Council since Apr 2008. In fact, AHPETC used the form for some months till Apr 2013 when it reported an arrears rate of 29.4 per cent. Since then, the TC did not submit the monthly returns. Based on the TC’s last reported S&CC arrears rate of 29.4 per cent, 39,000 households in AHPETC were effectively subsidising 16,000 households who did not pay their S&CC.

MND notes from AHPETC’s submission that 10,000 (63 per cent) out of the 16,000 households only started owing arrears in the last two years. AHPETC’s report also showed that the arrears rate for hawkers was 8.2 per cent while that for commercial tenants was 50.2 per cent. The TC stopped submitting the required monthly S&CC arrears report to MND after Apr 2013. We do not know AHPETC’s current arrears rate.

Question: What can MND do if a TC refuses to submit the required information?

MND Answer: Under the TCs Act today, MND has no power to compel TCs to submit information to MND, and there is no penalty under the TCs Act if the TC does not do so. There are currently only three offences that attract fines – these relate to the misuse of TCs’ funds, contravention of TC-Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) rules and the wilful withholding of information required by an auditor without reasonable cause. This is because the TCs are supposed to be directly accountable to their residents. MND is reviewing the TCs Act with a view to strengthen regulatory oversight over the TCs, to better safeguard residents’ interests.



- CNA/ly

Click to expand...

Look at the last response; yet another piece of badly done legislation - because they did not anticipate that some day, an opposition party could take over a TC.
Now, they need a "law" to be created.

Re: Funding for town councils based on flat types, number of units: MND

Confuseous said:

Look at the last response; yet another piece of badly done legislation - because they did not anticipate that some day, an opposition party could take over a TC.
Now, they need a "law" to be created.

Click to expand...

Their version of ideal politics is China's system: one party bao gar liao, everyday bombard citizens with propaganda about the greatness of the nation.

Re: Funding for town councils based on flat types, number of units: MND

The official reply is no good at all. So many doubtful info. For example

"All TCs have to transfer the stipulated amount of their accumulated surplus to their Sinking Fund after an election. After GE 11, Aljunied transferred S$3.7 million Accumulated Surplus (80 per cent of total Accumulated Surplus) to its Sinking Fund. Before merger, Aljunied had an operating surplus of S$3.3 million (in year 2010)."

Discrepancy : The interval between 2 elections is about 4 yrs. if 80% of the accumulated surplus is 3.7 m, then the total accumulated surplus will be 4.625 m (i.e. 100%) of which 3.3 m comes from the year 2010 ALONE. it means that the amount from the other 3 years is only 4.625 - 3.3 = 1.325 m or 0.44 m per year. Why is surplus in 2010 exceptionally high?


"The operating surplus of S$3.3 million Aljunied had in FY10 had turned into an operating deficit of S$734,000 in FY12.”

Discrepancy : If 80% of the total accumulated surplus (which should include the 3.3 m from 2010) was already being transferred to sinking fund, then the actual amount handed over to wp should be 20% of the total accumulated amount which is ONLY 0.925m and not 3.3 m. So why compare the deficit in 2012 to 3.3 m? Shouldn't it make more sense to compare to 0.925 m (the actual amount that was handed over to wp after 2011 ), to show how much past saving wp has spent.

Re: Funding for town councils based on flat types, number of units: MND

How many man-hours were used to churn out this to support a stupid Desmond Lee?

Seems logical right now until more detail emerges.

Why is the MND so dumb? Of course WP TC has higher spending as no contractors who want business from the PAP wards will dare to service the opposition wards. So, WP TC has to rely on smaller business to service them. Without economies of scale, of course, these smaller companies will have to charge more. If MND thinks the WP TC can do better, then MND should show WP TC which firms are willing to service opposition wards at lower rates.

Re: Funding for town councils based on flat types, number of units: MND

Of the S$26.7 million in government grants received by Aljunied in FY10, S$19.2 million was a one-off grant to help TCs offset the cost of the Lift Upgrading Programme. So the perceived drop in government grants after FY10 is due to the one-off grant (Hougang TC, under the Workers’ Party, also received S$5 million in FY10).

Click to expand...

Why doesn't MND provide data on the grants prior to FY10 then?

Re: Useless Minister of State Desmond Lee should be sacked for his incompetence

This is what you get paying him only $700k annually. If he earns $1 million, he might be smart enough to just keep quiet.

Re: Funding for town councils based on flat types, number of units: MND

winnipegjets said:

How many man-hours were used to churn out this to support a stupid Desmond Lee?

Seems logical right now until more detail emerges.

Why is the MND so dumb? Of course WP TC has higher spending as no contractors who want business from the PAP wards will dare to service the opposition wards. So, WP TC has to rely on smaller business to service them. Without economies of scale, of course, these smaller companies will have to charge more. If MND thinks the WP TC can do better, then MND should show WP TC which firms are willing to service opposition wards at lower rates.

Click to expand...

MND has observed that AHPETC’s financial position has deteriorated rapidly, based on AHPETC’s own financial statements. Despite an increase in income (AHPETC’s income in FY12 was S$29.8 million, compared to $26.8 million in FY10, a 11 per cent increase), its expenditure increased more significantly (its expenditure in FY12 was S$35.4 million, compared to $27.3 million in FY10, a 30 per cent increase).

When I read that ahpetc income increases, I was wondering how can? Then I realized that prior to 2011, hougang has not yet merged with aljunied which explained how ahpetc's income can increase in 2011. If my interpretation is correct, then we are not comparing apple to apple because the size of the estates under the TC's management are different in 2010 and 2011. That also probably explains the increase in expenditure. As such, it is not very fair to use such kind of comparison to create the illusion that ahpetc is grossly overspending.

Re: Funding for town councils based on flat types, number of units: MND

Seee3 said:

MND has observed that AHPETC’s financial position has deteriorated rapidly, based on AHPETC’s own financial statements. Despite an increase in income (AHPETC’s income in FY12 was S$29.8 million, compared to $26.8 million in FY10, a 11 per cent increase), its expenditure increased more significantly (its expenditure in FY12 was S$35.4 million, compared to $27.3 million in FY10, a 30 per cent increase).

When I read that ahpetc income increases, I was wondering how can? Then I realized that prior to 2011, hougang has not yet merged with aljunied which explained how ahpetc's income can increase in 2011. If my interpretation is correct, then we are not comparing apple to apple because the size of the estates under the TC's management are different in 2010 and 2011. That also probably explains the increase in expenditure. As such, it is not very fair to use such kind of comparison to create the illusion that ahpetc is grossly overspending.

Click to expand...

Good catch ...is MND going to respond? Someone in MND should follow this thread and see how our intelligent group poke holes in the MND bs.

Re: Useless Minister of State Desmond Lee should be sacked for his incompetence



Pinky was tempted back then to create a Minister Under The Prime Minister's Desk portfolio for Lim Boon Heng.. After much consideration he decided to call it simply as Minister Without Portfolio..

Re: Funding for town councils based on flat types, number of units: MND

How does any of this explain a 70% reduction in grants after they lost their shirts and ran?

Re: Funding for town councils based on flat types, number of units: MND

rushifa666 said:

How does any of this explain a 70% reduction in grants after they lost their shirts and ran?

Click to expand...

SGD$18 million of those grant spent on Sigma lifts, remember?

Re: Useless Minister of State Desmond Lee should be sacked for his incompetence

This Desperate..oops Desmond Lee will soonbe promoted to fool ministar for fixing the oppo so vigorously!!

Re: Useless Minister of State Desmond Lee should be sacked for his incompetence

There is something about the name DESmond - Desmond Lee, Desmond Kuek - that mark them up as losers.

That this Desmond Lee is paid about a million to talk the kind of shit that he does, makes me sick.