<TABLE id=msgUN cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top>Coffee Shop Talk - WP: CIVIL SERVICE PENSIONERS </TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
Subscribe </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF noWrap align=right width="1%">From: </TD><TD class=msgFname noWrap width="68%">GoldenFL0WER <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">Jan-28 3:33 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT noWrap align=right width="1%" height=20>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname noWrap width="68%">ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 8) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>20300.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>CIVIL SERVICE PENSIONERS
Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Defence (a) how many former civil servants are currently receiving pensions in their retirement, segmented by the size of the monthly pensions in $300 intervals; (b) of these, how many are entitled to dependants' benefits, and the nature of those benefits; and (c) of those with dependants' benefits, whether such benefits survive the death of the pensioners.
Mr Teo Chee Hean: As at 10th January 2008, there were 18,181 civil service pensioners receiving monthly pensions.
We do not usually capture pension data by interval segments, and have extracted the data by intervals of $1,000. If data is required in finer interval segments for a specific purpose, we will consider putting in the resources to extract and provide the data. The distribution of pensioners by monthly pension, in $1,000 intervals, is as follows:
A dependant refers to the wife of a male pensioner and to children below 18 years of age for a male pensioner. Children below 18 years of age of female pensioners who are sole breadwinners, such as widows and divorcees, are also deemed as dependants. Dependants of pensioners are eligible for medical benefits only, based on the medical benefits scheme of the pensioner. Dependants do not receive separate pension payments or other benefits from the Government. Of the 18,181 pensioners, 9,092 currently have dependants who are receiving medical benefits.
The medical benefits for dependants cease when the pensioner passes away. It does not survive the death of the pensioner.
PUBLIC HOSPITALS
(Settlement of bills)
Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Health (a) how many persons are currently in arrears of bills from public hospitals, segmented by the size of the bills in arrears, in $3,000 intervals; and (b) for those paying bills by instalments, what is the maximum period for the instalment plans allowed to date.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Most patients settle their bills promptly, with the vast majority within two months of discharge.
Less than 4% of patient cases were in arrears after two months of discharge. The arrears averaged $409 per bill. Arrears exceeding $3,000 were uncommon.
Generally, hospitals would allow such patients an instalment plan of up to 24 months.
On selected cases, the instalment plan can be further extended, to even a few years.
EDUCATING FOREIGN STUDENTS USING PUBLIC MONIES
(Tertiary level)
Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Education for the last three years, how much public monies were spent annually on educating foreign students at the tertiary level in our public sector education institutions, with a breakdown of the key items of expenditure.
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: The Government's annual recurrent spending on foreign students over the last three years is estimated at about $154 million in the three publicly-funded universities and about $69 million in the five polytechnics. This is about one fifth and one tenth of the total annual recurrent grants disbursed by MOE to the universities and the polytechnics respectively, and is based on the proportion of foreign students in the total student population. This spending goes towards meeting the operating expenditures incurred by these institutions in teaching its students. These primarily comprise manpower, equipment and other operating expenditures.
Foreign students have to meet at least the same admission standards to enter the tertiary institutions as local students. They pay higher fees than local students. As announced earlier, from AY2008 onwards, fees for foreign students will be increased from 1.1 times local fees to 1.5 times.
In return for the subsidies they receive, FS are bound by MOE's Tuition Grant obligation, where they have to work for Singapore-based companies for three years upon graduation. Those who do not wish to meet this obligation pay full fees with no public subsidy.
</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%"> </TD><TD class=msgopt noWrap width="24%">
Options</TD><TD class=msgrde noWrap align=middle width="50%">
Reply</TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right width="25%"><TABLE border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
</TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>Rate</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgbfrbot> </TD><TD colSpan=3> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!--PostMsgHTML--><SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--if (adPosition == 1){ showGoogle(); }//--></SCRIPT><!--/PostMsgHTML--><!--PreMsgHTML--><!--/PreMsgHTML--><TABLE class=msgtablealt cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF noWrap align=right width="1%">From: </TD><TD class=msgFname noWrap width="68%">UncleFond <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">Jan-28 6:23 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT noWrap align=right width="1%" height=20>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname noWrap width="68%">GoldenFL0WER <NOBR></NOBR>unread</TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (2 of 8) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>20300.2 in reply to 20300.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>WOW! Not only fs are publicly subsidised in tis promised land,they r also promised jobs,for tis i think our local s deserve a congratulation.No wonder sinkies miss tis episode in palimen.No wonder papshit cut down air-time to 30mins.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Defence (a) how many former civil servants are currently receiving pensions in their retirement, segmented by the size of the monthly pensions in $300 intervals; (b) of these, how many are entitled to dependants' benefits, and the nature of those benefits; and (c) of those with dependants' benefits, whether such benefits survive the death of the pensioners.
Mr Teo Chee Hean: As at 10th January 2008, there were 18,181 civil service pensioners receiving monthly pensions.
We do not usually capture pension data by interval segments, and have extracted the data by intervals of $1,000. If data is required in finer interval segments for a specific purpose, we will consider putting in the resources to extract and provide the data. The distribution of pensioners by monthly pension, in $1,000 intervals, is as follows:
A dependant refers to the wife of a male pensioner and to children below 18 years of age for a male pensioner. Children below 18 years of age of female pensioners who are sole breadwinners, such as widows and divorcees, are also deemed as dependants. Dependants of pensioners are eligible for medical benefits only, based on the medical benefits scheme of the pensioner. Dependants do not receive separate pension payments or other benefits from the Government. Of the 18,181 pensioners, 9,092 currently have dependants who are receiving medical benefits.
The medical benefits for dependants cease when the pensioner passes away. It does not survive the death of the pensioner.
PUBLIC HOSPITALS
(Settlement of bills)
Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Health (a) how many persons are currently in arrears of bills from public hospitals, segmented by the size of the bills in arrears, in $3,000 intervals; and (b) for those paying bills by instalments, what is the maximum period for the instalment plans allowed to date.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Most patients settle their bills promptly, with the vast majority within two months of discharge.
Less than 4% of patient cases were in arrears after two months of discharge. The arrears averaged $409 per bill. Arrears exceeding $3,000 were uncommon.
Generally, hospitals would allow such patients an instalment plan of up to 24 months.
On selected cases, the instalment plan can be further extended, to even a few years.
EDUCATING FOREIGN STUDENTS USING PUBLIC MONIES
(Tertiary level)
Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Education for the last three years, how much public monies were spent annually on educating foreign students at the tertiary level in our public sector education institutions, with a breakdown of the key items of expenditure.
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: The Government's annual recurrent spending on foreign students over the last three years is estimated at about $154 million in the three publicly-funded universities and about $69 million in the five polytechnics. This is about one fifth and one tenth of the total annual recurrent grants disbursed by MOE to the universities and the polytechnics respectively, and is based on the proportion of foreign students in the total student population. This spending goes towards meeting the operating expenditures incurred by these institutions in teaching its students. These primarily comprise manpower, equipment and other operating expenditures.
Foreign students have to meet at least the same admission standards to enter the tertiary institutions as local students. They pay higher fees than local students. As announced earlier, from AY2008 onwards, fees for foreign students will be increased from 1.1 times local fees to 1.5 times.
In return for the subsidies they receive, FS are bound by MOE's Tuition Grant obligation, where they have to work for Singapore-based companies for three years upon graduation. Those who do not wish to meet this obligation pay full fees with no public subsidy.
</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%"> </TD><TD class=msgopt noWrap width="24%">
<!--PostMsgHTML--><SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--if (adPosition == 1){ showGoogle(); }//--></SCRIPT><!--/PostMsgHTML--><!--PreMsgHTML--><!--/PreMsgHTML--><TABLE class=msgtablealt cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF noWrap align=right width="1%">From: </TD><TD class=msgFname noWrap width="68%">UncleFond <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">Jan-28 6:23 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT noWrap align=right width="1%" height=20>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname noWrap width="68%">GoldenFL0WER <NOBR></NOBR>unread</TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (2 of 8) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>20300.2 in reply to 20300.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>WOW! Not only fs are publicly subsidised in tis promised land,they r also promised jobs,for tis i think our local s deserve a congratulation.No wonder sinkies miss tis episode in palimen.No wonder papshit cut down air-time to 30mins.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
