S$110m in grants disbursed to town councils each year

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s National Development Ministry disbursed some S$110 million in grants yearly to town councils over the last three years.

The grants went towards offsetting operating costs and to mitigate the impact of past goods and services tax (GST) increases.

This is according to a written parliamentary reply by National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan. Member of Parliament for Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency Dr Lim Wee Kiak had asked about the annual amount of government grants given to town councils and the implications of the 4th Town Council Management Report in 2012.

Town councils fund their operations mainly through the collection of service and conservancy charges.

To provide residents with objective information about key areas of estate management, the Town Council Management Report is produced.

The National Development Ministry said the report helps to facilitate discussions between residents and their town councils on how to improve the upkeep of estates.

The fourth report showed that most town councils fared well in areas like estate cleanliness, lift performance and corporate governance.

However, seven out of 15 town councils were rated "Amber", a lower rating.

The National Development Ministry said estate maintenance is an area of improvement town councils should focus on.

The report found that obstruction of common areas accounted for 36 per cent of total observations made.

— CNA/xq