MND has disclosed how it computes government grants to town councils. Since the annual Town Council Management report released on Nov 4 showed Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council’s (AHPETC) poor ratings for S&CC arrears, online news sites and forums have questioned how the quantum of government grants are decided, with some suggesting that the smaller grant given to AHPETC being reason for its poor financial health. Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee had also said that the arrears racked up by AHPETC has “serious implications” for residents. In response to media queries on government grants for town councils, the MND said the S&CC operating grant is allocated to all town councils based on the number of HDB flat units and the flat types, with smaller flat types get higher grants. This grant formula has been in place since 1999, and is applied consistently to all TCs. S&CC grants are not based on the number of voters, nor does it apply to private property residents.... Continue Reading