NEA to take over public cleaning job

Its new department will assume other agencies' functions starting April 1

By Grace Chua & Teo Wan Gek, The Straits Times, 7 Mar 2012

THE job of cleaning public areas is currently split among different agencies: one takes care of footpaths, another vacant land, and yet another, drains.

But that means some areas fall through the cracks.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) intends to take charge of cleaning all public areas, except public housing estates which remain under town councils.

Senior Minister of State (Environment and Water Resources) Grace Fu announced the setting up of a new Department of Public Cleanliness (DPC) within NEA 'to better manage cleaning contracts, improve service standards and to improve our responsiveness to public feedback'.

She was responding to Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (Nee Soon GRC), who highlighted the need to streamline and integrate cleaning functions.

NEA now oversees the cleaning of public areas such as roads. Water agency PUB cleans drains, the National Parks Board keeps parks clean and the Land Transport Authority sweeps footpaths.

The new department will begin to take over other agencies' cleaning functions from April 1, and by the end of 2016, it will look after all public cleaning work.

A call centre for public feedback will also be set up within the DPC. From April 1, the public can call 1800-600-3333 or e-mail cleanliness@nea.gov.sg

'Among other things, the DPC will improve on the supervision of cleaning contractors' performance by using Web- based remote camera systems to monitor litter-prone places,' Ms Fu said.

It will also cut the number of public cleaning contracts, now at 29.

Purechem Veolia Environmental Services, which has a mid-sized cleaning arm, welcomes the change. Its Singapore country manager Jerome Baco said: 'It will allow the private sector to mitigate rising costs through economies of scale.'

But a smaller counterpart, CPK Contractor, could face increased competition, said Mr Johnny Chai, the firm's owner.

Graduate student Ibrahim Iqbal, 27, said that while the move might make cleaning more efficient, it does not tackle 'the source of the problem' - the reason why people choose to litter.

Ms Fu added that her ministry is also considering a Bill to license cleaning firms in the next two years, which would set minimum standards that companies must meet before they can operate. This would complement NEA's voluntary accreditation scheme. The Government has said it will take the lead in giving cleaning jobs to accredited companies to improve cleaners' pay and working conditions.

Penguin Cleaning Solutions managing director Choo Meng Lien said he will not accredit his company. His 30 workers clean the offices of commercial firms, which use the lowest-priced services.

Evergreen Refuse Disposal and Cleaning Services managing director Ng Gek Kow has more than a hundred workers. About 80 per cent of them have gone for training to improve their productivity.

Each worker's wage has risen by $200, he said. 'The profits are definitely lower now, but we can still manage. Now, we provide better service than before.'