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[h=2]Dear WP, please help to speak up for hawkers affected by cleaning fee hike[/h]
October 1st, 2012 |
Author: Contributions
Dear WP,
On the next Parliamentary Siting on 15 Oct 2012, I would like to request the WP MP to ask the National Environment Agency (NEA) on the recent increase in cleaning fees for 9 hawker centers.
1) What are the criteria and the tender process that resulted in all 9 hawker centers awarded to a single contractor Clean Solutions. How many companies bid for the tender if there is any?
2) If there is no tender, why no?
3) What is the internal budget/price expectation before NEA accept as a reasonable and fair price for the cleaning service?
4) Dr Vivian Balakhrisnan has mention that it is his minister task to help to reduce rental and expenses for the hawkers so that food remain reasonable for Singaporean but the increase in price is way out of expectation and does not make economic senses. What is his take on this matter.
5) What does NEA need to help as middle men in this case? Can’t the hawker center association appoint cleaning contractor on their own to reduce expenses?
6) Can NEA/Contractor provides a breakdown on the charges? Does the increase in fees resulted in better income for the cleaners or go directly into profit of contractor?
Thank you.
Regards,
.
Yee Meng Kum
.
Editor’s note: In the recent article (‘Hawkers upset at cleaning fee hikes by NEA‘), TRE has reported the followings:
On the next Parliamentary Siting on 15 Oct 2012, I would like to request the WP MP to ask the National Environment Agency (NEA) on the recent increase in cleaning fees for 9 hawker centers.
1) What are the criteria and the tender process that resulted in all 9 hawker centers awarded to a single contractor Clean Solutions. How many companies bid for the tender if there is any?
2) If there is no tender, why no?
3) What is the internal budget/price expectation before NEA accept as a reasonable and fair price for the cleaning service?
4) Dr Vivian Balakhrisnan has mention that it is his minister task to help to reduce rental and expenses for the hawkers so that food remain reasonable for Singaporean but the increase in price is way out of expectation and does not make economic senses. What is his take on this matter.
5) What does NEA need to help as middle men in this case? Can’t the hawker center association appoint cleaning contractor on their own to reduce expenses?
6) Can NEA/Contractor provides a breakdown on the charges? Does the increase in fees resulted in better income for the cleaners or go directly into profit of contractor?
Thank you.
Regards,
.
Yee Meng Kum
.
Editor’s note: In the recent article (‘Hawkers upset at cleaning fee hikes by NEA‘), TRE has reported the followings:
“The 9 affected hawker centres all come under a single contract with cleaning contractor Clean Solutions.
Hawkers at other centres with different cleaning contracts are said to be paying only between $200 and $300 a month.
A quick check on the Internet reveals that the executive director of Clean Solutions is a person by the name of Tan Hang Kian [Link]. Subsequent checks reveal that there is a person called Tan Hang Kian who is a grassroots leader and Vice-Chairman of the Siglap Citizens’ Consultative Committee [Link]. It is unclear if they are the same person.
Meanwhile, an NEA spokesman has replied to media enquiry, saying that the new rates are mainly due to higher wages for cleaners and training costs by cleaning contractors. She said the increased costs were “fair and representative of market rates for such services”.
However, NEA acknowledged that the hawkers were not consulted over the new contracts.”
Hawkers at other centres with different cleaning contracts are said to be paying only between $200 and $300 a month.
A quick check on the Internet reveals that the executive director of Clean Solutions is a person by the name of Tan Hang Kian [Link]. Subsequent checks reveal that there is a person called Tan Hang Kian who is a grassroots leader and Vice-Chairman of the Siglap Citizens’ Consultative Committee [Link]. It is unclear if they are the same person.
Meanwhile, an NEA spokesman has replied to media enquiry, saying that the new rates are mainly due to higher wages for cleaners and training costs by cleaning contractors. She said the increased costs were “fair and representative of market rates for such services”.
However, NEA acknowledged that the hawkers were not consulted over the new contracts.”
