Town councils: Finding a balance
The Opposition-run AHPETC is spending more than it collects, and a third of residents have not paid their conservancy charges. Insight's Charissa Yong and Tham Yuen-C look at why this mattersThe Straits Times, 22 Nov 2014
AHPETC manages the Housing Board estates in the area, which includes Aljunied - comprising of the Bedok Reservoir-Punggol, Eunos, Kaki Bukit, Paya Lebar, Serangoon divisions - Hougang and Punggol East.
The Workers' Party (WP) town council has been in the spotlight over the state of its finances, involving mounting arrears for service and conservancy (S&C) charges, and an operating deficit, highlighted in the annual town council report card a fortnight ago.
WP chief Low Thia Khiang responded that residents were not affected because poor financial management did not impact the council's operations and services, and so did not affect the safety and living environment of the residents.
WP chief Low Thia Khiang responded that residents were not affected because poor financial management did not impact the council's operations and services, and so did not affect the safety and living environment of the residents.
Not so, countered Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee. He argued that if the town council continued to manage its finances poorly, it would eventually be unable to pay for essential services like water, to the detriment of residents.
Tell that to the residents - seven out of 10 of those interviewed by Insight did not know their council was spending more than it was collecting.
Aljunied resident Muhamad Ariffin Khan, 68, a retiree, is among those who say they are not unduly worried. "It doesn't bother me, because my place is clean," he says.
He echoes the general sentiment in an informal "void-deck check" conducted by Insight of 100 people living in the Opposition-run constituencies.
Still, some, like business owner Nigel Wan, 34, did see the big picture. "Of course, I'm worried," says the Serangoon resident.
Recognising the importance of paying for services rendered, he tells Insight: "If you expect the town council to do works for you, you have to pay for it."
Following the money trail
JUST what do the numbers say? From the latest figures available, the town council still has funds to fall back on. But that is from a financial statement a year ago. It could not submit this year's audited statement, required of all town councils, by the Ministry of National Development's (MND) August deadline. A town council's financial year ends in March.
Going by the 2013 statement, it closed its accounts with an accumulated surplus of $1.84 million. These are reserves built up over the years that it can dip into to make up for shortfalls. A year before, it had $2.7 million.
Going by the 2013 statement, it closed its accounts with an accumulated surplus of $1.84 million. These are reserves built up over the years that it can dip into to make up for shortfalls. A year before, it had $2.7 million.
In its previous incarnation, the town council had been under the watch of the People's Action Party. Then came the General Election in 2011, when the area swung to the Opposition. The newly formed Workers' Party town council took over the functions previously carried out by Hougang Town Council and Aljunied Town Council. It then merged with Punggol East after the by-election there in January 2013.
Before the election, the Aljunied Town Council had amassed $5.47 million in accumulated surplus. Part of this amount - $3.7 million - was transferred to the town council's sinking fund after the General Election, as required by law. Monies in the fund cannot be used to pay for daily operating expenses, but can be used for long-term projects.
When the town councils were merged, their finances were co-mingled. This allowed the former Hougang Town Council, under WP's Mr Low, to avoid running into cashflow problems, the MND's Mr Lee said.
The Hougang Town Council had a "similar approach to S&CC arrears management" as AHPETC, added Mr Lee, and had chalked up the highest arrears rate among all town councils in the 2010 financial year.
It had led to the town council's independent auditor raising concerns whether the town council could afford to pay for its daily operations.
Like AHPETC now, Hougang town council's finances were also in deficit then.
AHPETC chairman and Aljunied GRC MP Sylvia Lim disputed in an earlier interview the suggestion that the town councils were merged so that Aljunied's funds could be used to fill the hole in Hougang. The town councils had merged to take advantage of economies of scale, she said.
The MND points out that after the handover, during the period end-March 2011 to end-March 2013, the merged town council's expenditure rose by 30 per cent, from $27.3 million to $35.4 million, outstripping its income, which rose 11 per cent over the same time period.
What is ringing alarm bells in getting a clearer picture of the day-to-day business operations, though, is that it was running an operating deficit of $734,000 by March last year - in short, spending more than it collected in revenue.
AHPETC is the only town council with an operating deficit for the year.
While it is not unheard of for town councils to run deficits - PAP town councils have done so, too, in the past - the numbers paint a picture of poor financial management, say industry experts.
And over time, the town council's ability to deliver services needed by residents may be affected, as it may not be able to pay for utilities, such as lights in common areas, and for cleaning contractors, for example.
While the situation could be put off, as the town council still has reserves, it may not be sustainable.
Says Mr Teo Poh Siang, head of estate-management firm Wisely 98, which runs 30 condominiums: "If they have the cash, then they are fine in the immediate future. But they are drawing on their reserves. They have to be, if they have a deficit in the current year."
In last year's financial statement, Ms Lim explained that operating costs had escalated. Lift maintenance costs rose from $3.6 million the year before to $4 million, for example.
This posed a major challenge in managing the town, and had resulted in the operating deficit and the reduced accumulated surplus, she said.
This posed a major challenge in managing the town, and had resulted in the operating deficit and the reduced accumulated surplus, she said.
On the income side, the town council also failed to collect S&C charges - which make up the bulk of its income - from one third of its residents.
A typical town council's arrears rate hovers around 3 per cent.
The MND notes that 10,000 of the 16,000 households had stopped paying S&C charges only in the past two years.
Some have raised questions about whether the defaulters were in financial hardship or were just recalcitrant.
Those who run town councils say the only way to find out is to meet these residents.
MPs and town council officers would typically help by finding them jobs or referring them to community development councils and welfare organisations for assistance, said Mountbatten MP and Marine Parade Town Council chairman Lim Biow Chuan.
Town councils typically arrange instalment plans to help residents settle arrears, he added, and only the habitual defaulters will be taken to court.
However, Mr Low Thia Khiang said that arrears were not uncommon, and residents would eventually pay up.
But Associate Professor Yu Shi Ming, who heads the real estate department at the National University of Singapore, points out: "High arrears is a direct reflection of the poor financial management of the town council."
All town councils know their resident households and can monitor arrears closely, he says, so to let it worsen reflects poor monitoring and management.
Indeed, the MND says that the current situation could well be worse, as the town council stopped submitting its arrears reports after April last year.
When Insight approached Mr Low and Ms Lim at their Meet the People sessions thrice in the last fortnight, both said the party will respond in due course.
Should residents worry?
WHAT all this means is that while the town council still had money to pay for its daily expenses at end-March last year, spending was outpacing collections.
Marine Parade Town Council's Mr Lim tells Insight that any extras not used for daily running costs can used for town improvement projects like building playgrounds, covered linkways and exercise stations. If a town council does not have enough funds, it could be hard pressed to pay for these extras that could spruce up an estate.
But the fact that town councils must be sustainable to provide these services seems lost on some residents Insight spoke to.
Serangoon resident Quek Kim Hiong, 47, says that as long as her corridor and the void decks are clean, and lifts work, the council's financial health does not matter.
It could explain why, despite his town council not being of the best financial health, former opposition MP Chiam See Tong managed to retain Potong Pasir constituency, election after election.
Some residents of Aljunied point out that AHPETC has been there only three years, and should be cut some slack.
"So far, if you compare to before the election, it is not as clean. But they have taken over for only three years, I cannot just judge like that," said Mrs May Tan, 50, who is in the import-export business.
On arrears, residents are mostly sympathetic towards defaulters. Some approve of what they perceive as the WP's "soft approach". Says Punggol East resident Lim Kok Khiam, 42, who is in business development: "The town council should try to give people some time to pay. You must balance between enforcing rules and individual cases."
Others are less sanguine. A fifth feel it is not right that so many residents are free-loading.
Says undergraduate Darren Teo, 24, a resident of Eunos: "It's not really fair to those who pay if others don't pay. And it's irresponsible (of the town council) not to collect the money."
Aljunied resident Azhar Mohammad, 30, an aircraft techician, agrees. "If they don't pay, they shouldn't get the services," he says, adding that the town council may not have enough to go around it it continues to let arrears grow.
In fact, PAP town councils often face challenges collecting S&C charges, too.
Says Mr Lim: "Whenever we chase people, they do get unhappy. Anytime we need to issue a demand letter, there is a political cost, but you can't run away from it. "
Critics say the populist move of not chasing residents for payment will come back to bite the town council, and residents, too.
"If people don't pay (their SC charges), in the end, it's going to harm us, the community," says Punggol East resident Madhura Agashe, 33.
Pasir Ris-Punggol MP and town council chairman Zainal Sapari says: "It is town council's responsibility to manage residents with outstanding arrears. It is an unpleasant task but must be done to be fair to other residents, to ensure no disruption of services. If no follow-up is taken on residents with arrears, then it may encourage others to follow suit or anger residents that pay their dues timely."
Who cleans up?
Who cleans up?
PART of the reason why some residents like Serangoon's Madam Quek are unconcerned about AHPETC's deficit is their belief that the authorities will step in if needed.
"If things get wrong, it will be referred back to the Government. What can ordinary citizens like me do about it?" says the housewife in Mandarin.
Others such as Mr Benson Yap, 39, think the PAP would only be too happy to play white knight.
"Wouldn't the other party be very happy to step in and help? They will want to show residents they can do a much better job," says the Aljunied resident, who is self-employed.
Today, there is little recourse, other than the ballot box, for residents unhappy with a town council.
The Minister for National Development has the legal power to intervene in a failing town council, but only when a certain threshold has been crossed.
Under the Town Councils Act, he may appoint any person to exercise the duties of a town council when it has failed to keep any part of its common property "in a state of good and serviceable repair or in a proper and clean condition".
This power also kicks in if any town council duty needs to be carried out urgently "to remove any imminent danger to the health or safety of residents".
But the MND has no teeth when it comes to making sure a town council submits information, such as arrears reports, and there is no penalty if it does not do so.
"This is because the TCs are supposed to be directly accountable to their residents," the ministry said on Thursday.
As Prof Yu notes, "we must remember the political nature of town councils, so it is not so simple as to make the opposition town council toe the line".
The ministry, though, is looking at strengthening its regulatory oversight over town councils, to "better safeguard residents' interest", it said.
This is being carried out as part of a strategic review of town councils that started last year.
But the notion that some residents have that the Government would be obliged to step in and bail out a failing town council might prove illusory. Apart from the financial cost of doing so, it would also have to explain to taxpayers why it was doing so and how it would make up for the shortfall.
A danger of a moral hazard situation arising, where town councils realise that they do not have to exercise fiscal care, since the Government would not allow them to fail, would warn against any such intervention.
As former PAP chairman Lim Boon Heng - the man behind town councils - commented last Saturday, they were set up in 1986 to test the management skills of elected Members of Parliament, "because Singaporeans rightfully would like to have choices. And if they pick people other than the tested PAP, then they should be sure that such people can manage the country".
The WP, however, has tried to emphasise that its role is also about being a check and balance on the ruling party as the opposition at the national level, says Institute of Policy Studies senior researcher Gillian Koh.
As for S&C arrears, it can seem popular to not chase up residents.
But people with an eye for fair play "will feel that it is unfair that some might get away from fulfilling their collective responsibility to bear their share of S&C charges", she adds.
"How WP will be judged in the the current controversy will be a balance between its role at the national level, and the 'fairness' principle," she says.
Voices from the ground, WP and Government
WHY SHE HELD BACK PAYMENTS FOR 6 MONTHS
I'm not happy with the town council, so I didn't pay my service and conservancy charges for six months. It's not up to par, the amenities here not great, the rubbish chute is filthy. But I paid up in the end because, if not, I will have to end up paying the legal fees. The council sent me a lawyer's letter after three months and followed up with more legal letters.
WHY SHE HELD BACK PAYMENTS FOR 6 MONTHS
I'm not happy with the town council, so I didn't pay my service and conservancy charges for six months. It's not up to par, the amenities here not great, the rubbish chute is filthy. But I paid up in the end because, if not, I will have to end up paying the legal fees. The council sent me a lawyer's letter after three months and followed up with more legal letters.
- Serangoon resident Rachel Singaram, 46, a teacher
GOVT'S JOB TO FOLLOW UP ON MATTER
Someone from the Government should follow up on this kind of (town council) matter. Not me. If things get wrong, it will be referred back to the Government. What can ordinary citizens like me do about it, even if we worry?
- Serangoon resident Quek Kim Hiong, 47, a housewife
JUDGING COUNCIL BY ESTATE'S CLEANLINESS
I don't worry about the town council's financial situation, or about people not paying their service and conservancy charges, because I'm not one of them. As long as the estate is clean, then we trust that the town council is taking care of things.
- Punggol East resident A. Y. Sek, 44, a housewife
TOWN COUNCIL'S DUTY TO COLLECT MONEY
It's a public-good, free-rider problem. It's not really fair to those who pay if others don't pay. And it's irresponsible (of the town council) not to collect the money.
- Eunos resident Darren Teo, 24, an undergraduate
UNFAIR, BUT THERE'S NOTHING SHE CAN DO
Of course, I feel it is unfair, but what can I do? I can't just stop paying because other people are not paying.
- Bedok Reservoir resident May Tan, 50, who is in the import-export business
LOW THIA KHIANG ON FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Poor financial management does not impact the town council's operations and services, and therefore residents' safety and the living environment. Service and conservancy charges arrears were a common problem, and residents will eventually pay up.
- Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang, MP in charge of the Bedok-Punggol Reservoir division in Aljunied GRC, as quoted in Lianhe Zaobao on Nov 6
SYLVIA LIM ON ESTATE MAINTENANCE
As far as the estate matters are concerned, such as estate cleanliness, lift breakdowns and estate maintenance, the town council has actually performed well comparably. And we take pride in that because we had to upscale our operations within a relatively short time.
The town council has been actually transparent and open to scrutiny, even by the Auditor-General's Office. So I think it will probably be more productive to discuss some of these matters once those very intensive audits are made known. Because right now, there can be a lot of speculation, it's not productive.
- AHPETC chairman Sylvia Lim, MP in charge of the Serangoon division in Aljunied GRC, in a Nov 10 interview
MOS DESMOND LEE ON ARREARS
If this trend (of arrears) continues, the town council's finances must surely decline and the town council will not be able to sustain its operations. The delivery of essential services must then be affected, to the detriment of residents. We should bear in mind that all town councils have to replace, at their own cost, critical infrastructure like lifts and water tanks, and carry out all sorts of other building, mechanical and electrical repairs... And yet Mr Low says AHPETC 'has no cash flow problems'. I hope he is correct.
- Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee
LIM BOON HENG ON THE IMPLICATIONS
Singaporeans rightfully would like to have choices. And if they pick people other than the tested PAP, then they should be sure that such people can manage the country. And if they can't even manage a simple thing like a town council, then it begs the big question, if you put them in charge of the country, what will be the outcome?
- Former People's Action Party chairman Lim Boon Heng, in comments to reporters on Nov 15
- AHPETC chairman Sylvia Lim, MP in charge of the Serangoon division in Aljunied GRC, in a Nov 10 interview
MOS DESMOND LEE ON ARREARS
If this trend (of arrears) continues, the town council's finances must surely decline and the town council will not be able to sustain its operations. The delivery of essential services must then be affected, to the detriment of residents. We should bear in mind that all town councils have to replace, at their own cost, critical infrastructure like lifts and water tanks, and carry out all sorts of other building, mechanical and electrical repairs... And yet Mr Low says AHPETC 'has no cash flow problems'. I hope he is correct.
- Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee
LIM BOON HENG ON THE IMPLICATIONS
Singaporeans rightfully would like to have choices. And if they pick people other than the tested PAP, then they should be sure that such people can manage the country. And if they can't even manage a simple thing like a town council, then it begs the big question, if you put them in charge of the country, what will be the outcome?
- Former People's Action Party chairman Lim Boon Heng, in comments to reporters on Nov 15
WP yet to respond on town council's finances: Desmond Lee
By Tham Yuen-C, The Straits Times, 22 Nov 2014
By Tham Yuen-C, The Straits Times, 22 Nov 2014
THE Workers' Party (WP) has yet to respond on the financial state of its Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC), Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee said last night.
It instead launched a "coordinated online campaign to distract the public, using falsehoods, half-truths and speculations, by friends, sympathisers and proxies".
"This is what the WP often does when caught under the spotlight - raise a flurry of red herrings in the hope that people forget that they have not come clean," he said in a second statement in as many weeks on the issue of AHPETC's finances.
Mr Lee noted the Ministry of National Development (MND) had addressed these "untruths".
In a statement on Thursday, the MND outlined how grants are disbursed to all town councils, how surpluses are used, and detailed aspects of AHPETC's income and expenditure.
The town council was red flagged over a sharp increase in its service and conservancy charges (S&CC) arrears and for corporate governance, in the latest annual report on town councils.
Contacted last week, AHPETC chairman and Aljunied GRC MP Sylvia Lim said the town council was studying S&CC data and would respond after the Auditor-General's Office (AGO) ends its audit into AHPETC's financial statements.
Mr Lee said yesterday accountability and transparency were key issues. About one-third of residents defaulted on S&CC payments based on an arrears report by AHPETC in April last year. This was "a sudden spike beyond the already high arrears rates" that it consistently reported, he said. "How did this happen? And what is the current arrears rate? Only the town council knows the answer, but it refuses to answer. Why?" he said.
He added that it now "refuses to tell the public the truth".
He was also critical of Ms Lim's explanation for AHPETC failing to submit arrears reports since May last year. She said its finance team was busy with the audit by the AGO and its own commercial audit, and did not have time to prepare the reports.
Describing this as an "excuse", he said AHPETC stopped sending arrears reports 10 months before the AGO audit started. Also, it ought to know the state of arrears whether or not an audit was going on.
He also asked if S&CC grants to AHPETC were used to cover a deficit in Hougang Town Council. He said Aljunied Town Council had an operating surplus of $3.3 million in financial year 2010 - when it was under the People's Action Party. But by financial year 2012 - under the WP - it had an operating deficit of $734,000.
After the 2011 General Election, the WP merged Aljunied and Hougang town councils. It later added Punggol East after winning a by-election there in January last year.
On Nov 7, Mr Lee said Hougang - under WP chief Low Thia Khiang until 2011 - managed to avoid a cash flow problem only after merging with Aljunied.
He said yesterday that Aljunied residents had a right to know what happened.
Last night, AHPETC vice-chairmen Pritam Singh and Png Eng Huat said the town council "has not obfuscated or intentionally delayed" responding on matters Mr Lee raised.
"(The town council has) made it known to the public that we are looking into the S&CC arrears data, and will respond to the query on the financial and arrears situation in due course."
They were also surprised Mr Lee saw it as an issue of transparency and accountability as AHPETC's accounts were made available to the AGO - and they expect it to be made public when the audit ends.
Related
AHPETC does badly in S&CC arrears, corporate governance in Town Council report
AHPETC yet to explain serious financial mismanagement: Desmond Lee
'Red' for WP town council's FY2012 report card
AHPETC auditors' disclaimer of opinion on financial statements
Auditor-General to study WP town council's accounts
Audit of Workers' Party-run town council flags major lapses
AHPETC does badly in S&CC arrears, corporate governance in Town Council report
AHPETC yet to explain serious financial mismanagement: Desmond Lee
'Red' for WP town council's FY2012 report card
AHPETC auditors' disclaimer of opinion on financial statements
Auditor-General to study WP town council's accounts
Audit of Workers' Party-run town council flags major lapses
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