HOUSING BOARD MAINTENANCE SERVICE (Improvement of)

Mr Ng Yeow Chong asked the Minister for National Development and Communications if he will ascertain from the Housing and Development Board whether it will seek ways and means to improve its maintenance service so that complaints of defects and normal wear and tear of its flats can be attended to more expeditiously.

Mr Lim Kim San: Mr Speaker, Sir, over the years, the Housing and Development Board has continuously introduced new measures to improve its maintenance service and to ensure that repairs are carried out promptly. Previously only one term contractor was appointed to undertake specific categories of repairs for all properties in HDB estates. Now the HDB estates are grouped into three main zones, each zone with one term contractor to perform specific repairs. Each term contractor will therefore work on a smaller area and is thus able to render faster repairs. When one term contractor is unable to fulfill his assignment fast enough, arrangement is made for a contractor from another zone to provide the necessary backup service to complete the works expeditiously.

Recently, the Board has set up a Special Action Unit to detect and monitor any shortcomings of its services to the residents so that instant corrective measures can be taken. There is also an Essential Maintenance Service Unit which provides round-the-clock services for breakdowns in essential services like lift break-down, sanitary chokes and electrical faults.

There are certain types of repairs which necessarily take a longer time to complete, e.g., defective doors and windows in the older buildings have to be individually measured and hand-made as the standard-sized mass-produced windows and doors cannot be used. In a number of instances repairs were delayed because no one was in the flat when the workmen called.