Benefits and Allowances for Grassroots Leaders and Advisers
Ministry of Culture, Community and YouthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the HDB scheme for grassroots leaders (GRLs), specifically the eligibility criteria, the number of beneficiaries between 2006 and 2015, and the benefits provided. Minister, Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing explained that GRLs qualify after three years of continuous service to apply for flats within their Town Council boundary. He stated that an average of 28 GRLs used the scheme annually, representing less than 0.1% of all GRLs over the past decade. The Minister clarified that priority balloting is conducted via a computerised system consistent with other existing priority schemes. He also confirmed that GRLs must adhere to the same property purchase and loan regulations that apply to all Singaporeans.
Transcript
9 Mr Png Eng Huat asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the qualifying criteria for grassroots leaders (GRLs) to apply for BTO flats and ECs under the special HDB scheme; (b) how many GRLs benefited from this scheme from 2006 to 2015; and (c) what does the HDB scheme entail.
The Minister, Prime Minister's Office (Mr Chan Chun Sing) (for the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth): Mdm Speaker, information on the Ministry of National Development (MND) Grassroots Organisation (GRO) scheme is available online and has been provided during previous Parliamentary Sittings. Under this scheme, eligible grassroots leaders (GRLs) can apply for Housing and Development Board (HDB) Build-To-Order (BTO) flats and Executive Condominiums (ECs) in constituencies within the Town Council boundary which they serve. GRLs are eligible after performing three years of continuous and active service at their GROs.
In the last 10 years, an average of 28 GRLs, or less than 0.1% of all GRLs, have utilised this scheme each year.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Png Eng Huat.
Mr Png Eng Huat (Hougang): Madam, just a couple of supplementary questions. Are GRLs given priority in balloting for a flat, that is, are they given a higher queue number to select a flat of their choice? Two, are they allowed to buy direct from HDB more than twice? And the last question is: are they also allowed to take a loan from HDB more than twice?
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Mdm Speaker, the answers to all the questions that Mr Png asked are as follows: one, the priority balloting goes with all other priority schemes and they all go into the computer and the computer will churn out the results; two, whether they can buy more than one, take up more than one loan, they adhere to all existing schemes available to all Singaporeans.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Png Eng Huat.
Mr Png Eng Huat: The reason why I filed this question is because the Minister mentioned earlier that this a special scheme. So, if everything is the same, what is so special about the scheme then?
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Mdm Speaker, there are various priority schemes under the MND schemes. It is just like school volunteers. They all have various reasons for the various GRLs to be recognised. But once they have applied for it, the whole process is computerised. What they are eligible for is also similar to all the other schemes.