CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND CONTRIBUTIONS (Payment of rents and rates)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Ang Nam Piau asked the Minister for Labour, in order to help alleviate the present cost of living problem, if he will consider amending legislation to allow Singaporeans to use their Central Provident Fund contributions to settle their income tax, property tax, rents for Housing and Development Board flats and Public Utilities Board bills.

The Minister of State for Labour (Mr Sia Kah Hui) (for the Minister for Labour): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Central Provident Fund was set up to provide workers with savings for their old age or in the event of their being permanently disabled. The Government has already allowed members in the lower-income and middle-income group to utilise their CPF savings to purchase publicly-built flats. This is in accordance with the aim of providing for the workers' future and old age. To extend the use of CPF savings for the settling of income tax, property tax, rents for HDB and PUB bills, however, would not be consistent with the purpose for which the Fund was established.

I therefore regret to inform the Member for Thomson that it is not proposed to amend the CPF legislation to allow the use of CPF contributions for the purposes indicated by him.