The Straits Times
Aug 22, 2009
TC report every 6 months
All 16 councils will be gauged in not more than five key areas
By Kor Kian Beng
TOWN councils are set to come under the spotlight every six months from next year, when a report card is put out on how well they are running their HDB housing estates. The likely frequency was disclosed by Senior Minister of State (National Development) Grace Fu on Friday.
She also said that the 16 town councils (TCs) are likely to be assessed in five areas, which will be kept simple and easy to measure.
She was speaking to reporters after holding a discussion with a panel of experts on what should be on the list of criteria, grouped under three categories: cleanliness, maintenance of facilities and financial management.
Her ministry, which oversees public housing, is planning to introduce a Town Council Management Report (TCMR) regularly, to provide a framework for TCs and residents to discuss how they can improve their estates further, if necessary.
Explaining the form of the report, Ms Fu said HDB officials will go round the estate and give the TC grades under each criterion.
The TCs will not be ranked but will be banded, which could be in the form of A, B or C. But no decision on the banding has been made yet.
Ms Fu gave some possible measures. For cleanliness, it could be the number of litter spotted; for maintenance, it could be the number of defects or lift breakdowns; for financial management, it could be how the TCs manage the arrears of residents in service and conservancy charges.
She also said she wants the report to foster closer communication between the town councils and residents so that they can work together to improve the estates.
Mr Zainudin Nordin, chairman of the Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council, said the half-yearly assessment might take some getting used to at the start but it is still a reasonable timeframe.
'We're required to do a good job anyway. We just have to maintain it and be ready all the time,' he said.
Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times
Please email to kianbeng@sph.com.sg to express concerns that some town councils more often than not adopt quick fixes rather than proper evaluation of the situations at hand and engagement with all stakeholders/parties. It could be due to their wrong understanding that community animals are unhygienic/unhealthy or could be that irresponsible feeders are making them feel more urgent to act.
