CLEARING OF RUBBISH IN KAMPONGS IN CHANGI AND OTHER CONSTITUENCIES

Mr Sim Boon Woo asked the Minister for Health if he will take steps so that more dust-bins are provided, and more labourers are employed to clear all the rubbish, in all the kampongs in the Changi Constituency and other Constituencies.

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the answer to the question posed by the Member for Changi would best be answered in two parts.

Firstly, to his question as to what steps the Ministry of Health will take to provide more dust-bins in all the kampongs in Changi Constituency and other constituencies, the answer is none. We intend to bring home to all Singapore householders, whether living in kampongs or urban areas, that every householder is required to have his own dust-bin (not a dust-bin provided by Government) with a proper lid (not one without a lid) to contain his household refuse. It is then the duty of the Public Cleansing Department to clear it daily. This service is now being performed free of charge, but we intend to charge a nominal monthly fee of $1 per month from the 1st of January next year and this charge will be included in the householder's monthly Public Utilities bill. Should a householder fail to provide a dust-bin after due notice has already been served on him by the Public Cleansing Department, he will be provided with one by the department but he will be charged for it in his monthly Public Utilities bill too.

Secondly, to the Member's suggestion that more labourers should be employed to clear off all refuse, the answer is that after reorganisation of the Public Cleansing Department in February this year (more than six months ago), it has been found that even with the reduced work force of 3,500 - made up of 2,000 from the Public Daily-Rated work force and 1,500 from the Emergency Cleansing Corps as compared with the work force existing prior to the strike - there are, generally speaking, more staff than the work that is required of them. There is, therefore, no question of employing more workers for public cleansing. What is needed is more reorganisation within the department and closer supervision and reallocation of duties, so that the work can be more equitably distributed amongst workers. This is being undertaken, but it will take some time as it involves work schedules for thousands.