COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO CONSTRUCTIONAL CAPACITY OF SINGAPORE (Interim and Final Reports)

Mr David Marshall asked the Minister for Finance, with regard to the Commission of Inquiry into the Constructional Capacity of Singapore, whether he would (a) explain why the Interim Report submitted by the Commission on 4th October, 1960, was only presented to the Assembly on 12th September, 1961; (b) state when is it anticipated that the final report would be received and presented; and (c) make a statement on the Interim Report indicating, inter alia, Government's policy as regards the reported acute shortages of staff.

Dr Goh Keng Swee: May I similarly ask permission to have the answer published in the Official Report?

Mr Speaker: Yes.

Copy of answer handed in.

Following is the answer:

(a) The Commission, in their earls deliberations, realised the importance of the immediate problems relating to the capacity of the Government departments concerned with the Government's construction problem and to those departments whose functions and work affect construction activity and the utilization construction capacity, and decided to submit an Interim Report on the first 2 items of the Terms of Reference. Briefly these are to enquire into the capacity of the building industry in Singapore and how it can be expanded.

I agree that an early publication should have been given to the Interim Report but it was not possible to get this done owing to the other commitments, which are of a more urgent nature in some cases, of the Printing Department. But I may state that the recommendations have not, been delayed in implementation in any way through delay in printing. Before the publication of the Report, six of the major recommendations, including the one relating to the creation of the post of Administrative Officer in the P.W.D., were implemented; due publicity had been given to some of them.

(b) The Final Report of the Commission of inquiry was submitted to His Excellency the Yang di-Pertuan Negara on the 16th June. Although the printing of the Report is in an advanced stage, I would not like to say when it will be presented to the Assembly. But it would not be long.

(c) The existing shortage of technical officers is due largely to the retirement of experienced officers under the Malayanisation Scheme and partly to lack of fore-sight to fill this vacuum. This deficiency is accentuated in a way by the development of these technical services. Since the Government took office, it has realised the importance of an interim measure of overseas recruitment of these technical officers on a temporary basis to tide over this shortage and had carried out negotiations with a number of governments who are in a position to assist. The results have so far been meagre as technical personnel are in demand all over the world. In addition, the number of under-graduate and postgraduate scholarships in all branches of engineering, medicine, architecture, etc, have been greatly increased. It will be many years, however, before we reap the benefit.