PM Lee asks MND to review the sale of PAP Town Councils' management software to AIM

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has asked the Ministry of National Development (MND) to fully review the transaction of PAP Town Councils' management software to Action Information Management (AIM) in 2010.

In a media statement, Mr Lee said in the interest of transparency and maintaining trust in the system, he's calling for the review and for MND to satisfy itself that public funds were safeguarded and residents' interests were not compromised.

He said MND will take a broad-based approach, including re-examining the fundamental nature of town councils, with a view to ensuring high overall standards of their corporate governance. 

Mr Lee said Mayor Teo Ho Pin had explained last week the circumstances of the sale of PAP Town Councils' management software in an open tender to AIM. 

Mr Lee noted that the transaction was not raised as an issue by any of the external auditors who audited the FY2010 accounts of these town councils. 

He also said MND has begun the review, which is expected to take a month or two.

The ministry said its Town Council Review Team is led by its Deputy Secretary Tay Kim Poh. 

And the team looks forward to the cooperation of all town councils. 

Town Councils are autonomous bodies managed by elected Members of Parliament and governed by the Town Councils Act which MND administers. 

Meanwhile, The Workers' Party Chairman Sylvia Lim has filed an adjournment motion this afternoon, titled "Safeguarding the Public Interest in Town Council Management", for the next Parliamentary sitting on Monday. 

This according to a post on the party's Facebook page.

An adjournment motion is usually moved for the purpose of debating a definite matter of urgent public importance.