Number and Costs of Household Surveys

Mr Png Eng Huat asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) from 2011 to 2015, what has been the number of household surveys commissioned by the People's Association; (b) what is the purpose of the surveys; and (c) what is the total cost of the surveys, cash incentives and NTUC Fairprice vouchers given to participating households in the surveys.

Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth): The People's Association (PA) promotes social cohesion and racial harmony amongst residents from all races, age groups and socio-economic backgrounds through many community programmes, courses and activities. To better serve the residents, PA conducts regular surveys to enable us to understand their needs, interests and satisfaction-level with our programmes and services.

Between 2011 and 2015, PA conducted eight nation-wide surveys. The total cost of these surveys was about $4 million. These services were procured in accordance with Government procurement procedures. The appointed vendors follow industry practice in how they conduct their surveys and may issue tokens of appreciation to their respondents for participation. The vendors do not give cash incentives.