TOURIST PROMOTION BOARD (Measures to eliminate fleecing of tourists)

Mr Yeoh Ghim Seng asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware of any measures now being taken or proposed to be taken by the Tourist Promotion Board to eliminate any possible fleecing of tourists by unscrupulous taxi-drivers, shop-keepers, etc.; and whether he will inform the House of such measures.

Mr Tang See Chim (for the Minister for Finance): Mr Speaker, Sir, through the combined efforts of the Tourist Promotion Board, the relevant Government departments, the taxi-drivers' associations, the bus operators and the Singapore Tourist Association, many of the evils which beset the tourist industry in the past have been corrected to some extent.

I shall first deal with taxi transport. The Airport taxi service racket, whereby taxis did not use meters, has been stopped. Since late last year the Airport Police and a representative of the Taxi Association at the Airport have undertaken supervision to ensure that meters are used. Those taxi drivers who did not comply have had their permits to operate at the Airport withdrawn. At the Port of Singapore Authority, the transport service is also satisfactory. Adequate numbers of taxis are allowed into the harbour area when a passenger vessel is in port and the police ensure that meters are used.

Tourists are also given alternative transport facilities such as a bus service direct to Raffles Place. But once outside the Airport or harbour area, there is little control on unscrupulous taxi drivers. However, the Registrar of Vehicles has powers to revoke or suspend licences issued to taxi drivers who are found guilty of malpractices or improper conduct. Educating the taxi drivers is important. The Tourist Promotion Board will in future he working closely with representatives of the various taxi associations to minimise cheating and discourtesy to tourists.

Apart from the taxi drivers, there are the shop-keepers who can be equally unscrupulous, if not more so. The Tourist Promotion Board, through its counterpart in the private sector, the Singapore Tourist Association, has taken steps to ensure that some 130 of its members in the retail trade follow a code of ethics. These shops display conspicuous price tags and issue receipts for purchases made, so that complaints of cheating could be investigated and redressed, if possible. My Ministry intends to ask the Tourist Promotion Board to take steps to ensure wider acceptance of the code of ethics by a larger number of retailers who are not members of the Singapore Tourist Association and to consider instituting sanctions against those found guilty of unscrupulous fleecing of tourists.

Besides transport and shopping, the Tourist Promotion Board is now looking into all aspects of service facilities provided by the private sector to the tourists. These services will have to be up-graded in terms of quality and honesty.

The Tourist Promotion Board will soon be setting up a complaints bureau to attend to complaints from tourists as well as those involved in the tourist trade. This will ensure that we will be able to focus a proper image as a first-class tourist centre.