WALL CLADDING MATERIAL FOR MASS RAPID TRANSIT BISHAN DEPOT

Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Communications and Information if he will explain (a) why the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation found it necessary and desirable to order wall cladding material for Bishan Depot from abroad when the same could have been obtained locally and much cheaper; and (b) whether the Corporation has been asked to encourage local manufacture even if the materials may not be of the same aesthetic standard as foreign materials.

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: The wall cladding material for Bishan Depot was supplied as part of the overall contract for the construction of Bishan Depot. For design purposes a particular wall cladding material was specified in the contract but there was a standard statement that equivalent materials could be used. The Mass Rapid Transit Corporation encourages contractors and their sub-contractors to use local products where they meet technical specifications.

Contractors are aware that Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) contracts are awarded on the basis of competitive bids. Therefore, it is in the contractors' interest for them to choose any product or material that is competitive in price and meets the tender specifications. In the case of the Bishan Depot, the lowest tenderer did not offer local wall cladding.