Andrew Loh:
"MA rates for Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council from 1 Feb 2011 to 31 Jan 2014 contradicts what Law Minister K Shanmugam presented in Parliament.
We can assume the rates apply to at least 8 other PAP town councils, since EM Services (which services Pasir Ris-Pungggol TC) also serves 8 other PAP TCs.
The question is: did Shanmugam's chart include only the rates from 1 Feb 2014 to 2015?
If so, how come the MA rates have decreased so much the last one year at a time when the PAP town councils also increased their S&C charges (also in Feb 2014), including Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council? This was a time when costs were rising (see news report below on costs of lift maintenance and electricity tariffs).
Incidentally, it was also in Feb 2014 that the audit on AHPETC was ordered by the Finance Minister.
28 Feb 2014: "In a joint press release yesterday, the eight [PAP] town councils cited a spike in electricity tariffs and higher spending on lift maintenance after upgrading as reasons for the [S&CC] hike."
So, your managing agent charged you less but you collected more from residents through increased S&CC?
And in Parliament, Shanmugam had said the figures in his chart were "weighted average" figures, but on the second day sitting, he said these are "flat rates".
There is a difference between the two, right? So confusing.
If not, why are commercial units charged the same as residential units?"
Document shows different rates from MA rate chart produced by Law Minister
Read here:
http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/…/document-shows-different…/
Feb 2014:
"With the increase in the number of new and upgraded lifts, the total lift maintenance cost will go up by S$7.2 million a year for the eight town councils. Other maintenance and operation costs, such as for covered walkways, children’s playgrounds and fitness equipment, have also risen in the past decade due to an increase in the tender rates for various maintenance work."
http://www.todayonline.com/si…/8-pap-town-councils-raise-scc
Someone else also observed this:
MA rates are down so why have our S&CC gone up?
http://www.tremeritus.com/…/ma-rates-reduced-but-why-our-s…/
In case you do not know what a managing agent does, here are the kinds of services provided by EM Services, which is the MA for 9 PAP town councils.
http://www.emservices.com.sg/em/town-management.aspx