ROAD TAX ON MOTOR VEHICLES (Payment at post-offices)

Mr Yeo Toon Chia asked the Minister for Communications if he will consider the feasibility of providing for the payment of road tax on motor vehicles at post-offices where there already are facilities for the renewal of motor driving licences.

Mr Phua Bah Lee (for the Minister for Communications): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have been asked by my Minister to answer.

It is the aim of the Ministry to make it possible for owners of motor vehicles to pay their road taxes at post-offices in the same manner as they now renew their driving licences.

As things are at present, many details have to be manually checked with the records, only available at the Registry of Vehicles, Middle Road, so that payment of road taxes has to be directed to this office.

Only after the Data Processing Unit of the Ministry of Finance have successfully completed the establishment of a proper record system for the R.O.V, through data processing, which is expected to be completed by next year (see para 12.4 of the White Paper on Reorganisation of the Motor Transport Service of Singapore - Command Paper No. 21 of 1970), can a decentralised system of payment of road taxes through post-offices be introduced.