SEPARATE WATER METERS FOR STALLHOLDERS (Installation)

Inche Abdul Aziz Karim asked the Prime Minister if he will instruct the Public Utilities Board to install separate water meters for each stall in the Housing and Development Board Bendemeer Road Market at the Kallang Basin Estate Neighbourhood I, Phase 2, and in all markets and hawkers' centres where water supply is required by stallholders.

The Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office (Tuan Haji Ya'acob Bin Mohamed) (for the Prime Minister): (In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, it is not feasible for operational and economic reasons to install separate water meters for each stall either in the Housing and Development Board Bendemeer Road Market or in all markets and hawkers' centres. The total cost of the meter installation, distribution, maintenance and billing is high, and it is not justified by the small consumption of water of each stallholder or hawker.

At hawkers' pitches and markets under the control of the Hawkers' Branch, Ministry of Health, a single meter has been supplied for the use of all the hawkers. All the stalls at each of the new hawkers' pitches at Dunearn Road, Orchard Road Car Park, Newton Circus, etc., have formed committees under the guidance of the Hawkers' Branch to look after their own interests and to work out their own administrative procedures. This arrangement has to-date been found to work satisfactorily. Perhaps the stallholders in the Housing and Development Board Bendemeer Road Market at the Kallang Basin Estate Neighbourhood I, Phase 2, should be advised to form a similar body to adopt such an arrangement.

Inche Abdul Aziz Karim (Kallang): Sir, can the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office say whether the Public Utilities Board will be prepared to provide public service if its profit goes above one cent from each stall-holder?

Tuan Haji Ya'acob: (In Malay): As I have said earlier on, it is uneconomical to put this project into operation.

Inche Abdul Aziz Karim: Will the Minister of State inform the House if it is the opinion of the Housing and Development Board that each stall-holder should have his own water meter?

The Minister for Education (Mr Lim Kim San): Mr Speaker, Sir, if I may reply to that supplementary question. This is not so much a question of economy as a question of convenience for all hawkers and stallholders concerned, as in the example given, in which they formed themselves into a committee and were served by one meter. This has been done in many housing estates by many hawkers' stalls, and I see no reason why this could not also be done in the case of the estate mentioned by the Member.

Inche Abdul Aziz Karim: Mr Speaker, Sir, is this an introduction to a socialist way of life for one small sector?

Mr Lim Kim San: It is not an introduction to a socialist way of life, but an introduction to a common-sense approach to problems.