Addressing Issue of Sigma Lifts Installed in Public Housing Estates Breaking Down Despite Maintenance
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the performance and maintenance of Sigma brand lifts in public housing estates, raised by Ms Tin Pei Ling who inquired about frequent breakdowns and early replacement budgets. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee noted there are 3,218 Sigma lifts and their performance has become comparable with others since the 2020 tender restriction lifting. He explained that Town Councils manage lift maintenance and receive a 50% government matching grant for their Lift Replacement Funds to support these costs. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee advised that Town Councils should work with contractors to identify root causes of breakdowns rather than replacing lifts prematurely. He further invited specific constituency feedback to be surfaced to the Housing and Development Board for more detailed assessment.
Transcript
84 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the total number of Sigma brand lifts installed in our public housing estates; (b) how has Sigma performed in lift maintenance and service follow-ups since the tender restriction imposed on Sigma was lifted in 2020; and (c) for Sigma lifts that were installed in public housing estates and which keep breaking down despite obligatory maintenance, how will the Ministry take the company to task and will the Ministry consider increasing the budget to replace these lifts earlier.
Mr Desmond Lee: There are currently 3,218 Sigma brand lifts installed in public housing estates.
As lift owners, Town Councils are responsible for the maintenance and replacement of lifts in HDB estates. Today, the Government already provides a 50% matching grant for every dollar contributed by Town Councils to their Lift Replacement Fund (LRF), which is ring-fenced for lift replacement expenditures. The tender restriction on Sigma was lifted in October 2020 as the performance of Sigma lifts has improved and is comparable with lifts in other public housing estates. Hence, there may not be a need for such lifts to be replaced earlier.
Town Councils can work closely with their respective lift maintenance contractors to identify the root causes of lift breakdowns and address them proactively. Nevertheless, if the Member has any specific feedback to raise regarding the performance of Sigma lifts in her constituency, please surface them to HDB and we can take a closer look.