ADULT EDUCATION TV PRODUCTION AND TRAINING CENTRE PROJECT (CEPTA TV) (Functions and financial commitments)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr J. F. Conceicao asked the Minister for Culture what percentage of the total expenses of the Adult Education TV Production and Training Centre Project does his Ministry's share represent; what kind of programmes will be produced, for what audience and where; and what kind of personnel will be trained.

The Minister for Culture (Mr Jek Yeun Thong): Mr Speaker, Sir, it is not possible at this initial stage to say precisely what percentage of the total expenses of the Adult Education TV Production and Training Centre Project (known as CEPTA TV) my Ministry's share represents. This is because the project will take three to four years before it becomes fully operational.

However, an idea can be gauged from its financial commitment which is as follows :

(i) Government will provide suitable building accommodation for CEPTA TV to house offices, equipment, service and other technical areas. The building is estimated to cost in the region of $1 million;

(ii) Government will also provide 50 per cent of the annually recurrent operating costs of CEPTA TV, subject to a maximum of $900,000 per year;

(iii) The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung of the Federal Republic of Germany will supply equipment and supporting facilities estimated at $6.5 million for CEPTA TV's operation;

(iv) The Stiftung will also pay 50 per cent of the annually recurrent operating costs of CEPTA TV up to $900,000, plus anything in excess of the joint limit of $1.8 million. The amount of $500,000 provided under Head 51, subhead 103, of the 1972-73 Development Estimates is intended to meet the capital expenditure on the first stage of the building construction.

CEPTA TV's activities will be carried out on a regional basis and the Centre will produce adult education programmes which will provide useful audio-visual support for national institutions in Asia engaged in the promotion of adult education through television and other audio-visual means. The programmes will be produced in Singapore, for use not only in Singapore, but also in other countries in Asia which participate in the project. The audiences, therefore, will be in Singapore and in the Asian countries that participate.

The personnel who will be trained include television programmers, engineers, and other personnel in the adult education field. The training of personnel in specific areas of television production will be carried Out in conjunction with the Centre's programme production activities. Much of the training will be given on an on-the-job basis.