What's new?
Monday 13 March 2017
Sunday 12 March 2017
A compact broken again and again by Workers' Party
Why more power for MND to intervene today?
Because the unspoken COMPACT when the town councils were formed 28 years ago has been broken.
That unspoken compact is premised upon elected Town Councillors, recognizing electoral accountability, the visibility to the residents, would do what is right and fix the problem and would pro-actively do it, as many town councils have done.
Saturday 11 March 2017
Town Council framework allows residents to see their MPs in action, if they walk their talk
A neutral training ground for MPs and political parties where their governing style and philosophy are seen in actions.
The WP is all talk about transparency and accountability, but do they demonstrate the same in the running of their town council? This is clear to all.
Why is Workers' Party afraid of MND having more power to regulate town councils?
In Parliament Sylvia Lim questioned MND's independence and appropriateness as regulator of town councils because a minister from a political party is in charge and would favour his own party.
She also alleged that civil servants were afraid to criticize their 'political masters' and those who did so would have to throw in their letters of resignation.
She suggested that AGO be the independent regulator of town councils.
In his reply SMS Desmond Lee demolished all of Sylvia Lim's argument and questioned WP's real position.
1. Political office holders elected to government will helm the executive arm and be in charge of all ministries and agencies including those with regulatory powers. This is just the system and it is not a system unique to us. Indeed, the elected governmemt has the responsibility to make laws that are in the interests of people.
2. Even PAP TCs have been fined when they don't do well ( = no favouritism).
3. History has shown that this is a government that WILL ACT on wrongdoing. Nothing would be swept under the carpet. That persons from none other than the prime minister's own town council are being investigated is testament.
4. Were civil servants from CPIB afraid to investigate PM's town council? Are they timorous souls?
5. Sylvia Lim wanted an independent regulator who is not MND, AND YET fought the application for independent auditors who would report - NOT TO MND - but to the court.
So what exactly is WP's position? Do they sincerely want fair oversight from an independent body ? Or do they have a preference for no oversight because there are real problems in their town council that they don't want investigated?
A blatant lie from Gerald Giam, ex-NCMP from Workers' Party
What a blatant lie from Gerald Giam of Workers' Party.
Now that he is no longer an NCMP, perhaps he feels the freedom to put his spin on what Minister Gan Kim Yong said in parliament in reply to the cost of medications.
There is no profit margin. There is only a margin to offset overheads and operation.
It is also very clear that this is a margin that hardly offsets any cost because the government spent $4.3 BILLION in just one year to fund operations and to keep the cost of healthcare low. Not a paltry sum.
More importantly - and this is the part Gerald Giam does not tell you - ALL Singaporeans receive subsidy in medication in the public sector.
Specifically, Singaporeans holding Chas card receive 75% subsidy, pioneer generation gets another 50% off this subsidised bill. All other Singaporeans receive 50% subsidy in medication.
Then there is the Medication Assistance Fund (MAF) to help eligible patients pay for expensive drugs that are not in the Standard Drug List but have been assessed to be clinically necessary, and covers conditions such as cancer and heart failure.
Does Gerald Giam not know of the subsidy for medication as well as the Medication Assistance Fund?
Specifically, Singaporeans holding Chas card receive 75% subsidy, pioneer generation gets another 50% off this subsidised bill. All other Singaporeans receive 50% subsidy in medication.
Then there is the Medication Assistance Fund (MAF) to help eligible patients pay for expensive drugs that are not in the Standard Drug List but have been assessed to be clinically necessary, and covers conditions such as cancer and heart failure.
Does Gerald Giam not know of the subsidy for medication as well as the Medication Assistance Fund?
Friday 10 March 2017
AHTC pays $4 million in discrepancies in Punggol East's financial statements
No wonder Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council PRPTC) had insisted on having access to financial documents pertaining to Punggol East SMC.
PRPTC had to go to court to ask for the documents to be released to them. Each time, AHTC's excuse is that it is a duplication of work. Just think. Had there been no legal avenue to chase for the documents, Punggol East would stand to lose that $4 million due to them.
In all, AHTC submitted THREE sets of financial statements to PRPTC. The first 2 sets were withdrawn after discrepancies were found.
PRPTC had to go to court to ask for the documents to be released to them. Each time, AHTC's excuse is that it is a duplication of work. Just think. Had there been no legal avenue to chase for the documents, Punggol East would stand to lose that $4 million due to them.
In all, AHTC submitted THREE sets of financial statements to PRPTC. The first 2 sets were withdrawn after discrepancies were found.
Under the latest set of financial statements, the amount due from AHTC to Punggol East SMC was slightly more than S$24 million. It had earlier paid S$20 million.
PRPTC sent a demand to AHTC to ask for the balance on Tuesday and received it two days later, it said.
Under the latest set of financial statements, the amount due from AHTC to Punggol East SMC was slightly more than S$24 million. It had earlier paid S$20 million.
PRPTC sent a demand to AHTC to ask for the balance on Tuesday and received it two days later, it said
PRPTC sent a demand to AHTC to ask for the balance on Tuesday and received it two days later, it said.
Under the latest set of financial statements, the amount due from AHTC to Punggol East SMC was slightly more than S$24 million. It had earlier paid S$20 million.
PRPTC sent a demand to AHTC to ask for the balance on Tuesday and received it two days later, it said
Thursday 9 March 2017
WP submit their financial statements for FY15 - 6 months late
This is the fifth year that AHTC’s financial statements have been qualified by the town council’s external auditor.
MND is reviewing the latest submissions and is in the process of seeking clarifications from AHTC before the finalised financial statements are presented to Parliament, it said.
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The Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) submitted its financial statements for FY2015 on Feb 24, six months after the deadline, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said in a statement on Thursday (Mar 9).
MND said the Workers’ Party-run town council had written to it on Aug 12, 2016 to request for more time to submit the statements “as it still had outstanding issues to resolve with its auditor”.
The ministry said it was in touch with AHTC over the next few months to get a timeframe for the completion of its FY2015 audit. “However, the town council was not able to give a firm reply on the timeline for its submission, nor the exact reasons for the delays,” MND said.
The ministry noted that this is the fifth year that AHTC’s financial statements have been qualified by the town council’s external auditor. It is reviewing the latest submissions and is in the process of seeking clarifications from AHTC before the finalised financial statements are presented to Parliament, it said.
In response to the MND statement, AHTC said it had communicated the reasons for the late submission of its FY2015 financial statements.
“AHTC recently called a public tender for internal auditor services to the town council with a view to ensure compliance with the Town Councils Act and Town Councils Financial Rules on an ongoing basis. This tender did not receive any submissions from any accounting firm in Singapore. AHTC will call a second tender in due course,” said town council chairman Pritam Singh.
MND is reviewing the latest submissions and is in the process of seeking clarifications from AHTC before the finalised financial statements are presented to Parliament, it said.
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The Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) submitted its financial statements for FY2015 on Feb 24, six months after the deadline, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said in a statement on Thursday (Mar 9).
MND said the Workers’ Party-run town council had written to it on Aug 12, 2016 to request for more time to submit the statements “as it still had outstanding issues to resolve with its auditor”.
The ministry said it was in touch with AHTC over the next few months to get a timeframe for the completion of its FY2015 audit. “However, the town council was not able to give a firm reply on the timeline for its submission, nor the exact reasons for the delays,” MND said.
The ministry noted that this is the fifth year that AHTC’s financial statements have been qualified by the town council’s external auditor. It is reviewing the latest submissions and is in the process of seeking clarifications from AHTC before the finalised financial statements are presented to Parliament, it said.
In response to the MND statement, AHTC said it had communicated the reasons for the late submission of its FY2015 financial statements.
“AHTC recently called a public tender for internal auditor services to the town council with a view to ensure compliance with the Town Councils Act and Town Councils Financial Rules on an ongoing basis. This tender did not receive any submissions from any accounting firm in Singapore. AHTC will call a second tender in due course,” said town council chairman Pritam Singh.
- CNA/ly
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/ahtc-submits-fy2015-financial-statements-6-months-after-deadline/3582572.html
Wednesday 1 March 2017
Independent Panel appointed to follow up on overpayments highlighted by KPMG
ACTING ON HDB'S INSTRUCTION, WP-run town council AHTC has appointed an independent panel to look into overpayments highlighted by KPMG in their extensive audit of the town council.
The panel, which will comprise senior counsel Philip Jeyaretnam, senior counsel N. Sreenivasan, and KPMG managing partner Ong Pang Thye, will consider if the payments can be recovered and take other follow-up actions.
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HDB had asked AHTC to appoint a third party to recover the improper payments made from town council funds. These include overpayments and payments without proper certification of work being done, among other things.
KPMG had traced some of the improper payments made to AHTC's then managing agent FM Solutions and Services.
The panel will have the power to make demands and come to settlements on behalf of AHTC, among other things. It can also request the cooperation of AHTC members to provide necessary documents, and update AHTC and HDB on the progress of its work.
HDB said yesterday that the KPMG report on improper payments had flagged regulatory breaches by AHTC and also pointed out that the town council's "failed control environment exposed public funds to the potential for misappropriation and civil or criminal breach of trust".
It added that KPMG had said AHTC may potentially recover some of the losses from the town councillors if they were found to have breached their fiduciary duties. "The independent panel will consider what recovery actions should be taken, in respect of the findings in the report," HDB said.
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HDB had asked AHTC to appoint a third party to recover the improper payments made from town council funds. These include overpayments and payments without proper certification of work being done, among other things.
KPMG had traced some of the improper payments made to AHTC's then managing agent FM Solutions and Services.
The panel will have the power to make demands and come to settlements on behalf of AHTC, among other things. It can also request the cooperation of AHTC members to provide necessary documents, and update AHTC and HDB on the progress of its work.
HDB said yesterday that the KPMG report on improper payments had flagged regulatory breaches by AHTC and also pointed out that the town council's "failed control environment exposed public funds to the potential for misappropriation and civil or criminal breach of trust".
It added that KPMG had said AHTC may potentially recover some of the losses from the town councillors if they were found to have breached their fiduciary duties. "The independent panel will consider what recovery actions should be taken, in respect of the findings in the report," HDB said.
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