Enhancing Transparency in People's Association's Commercial Space Tender Awards and Streamlining Transparency Standards Across State Landlords

75 Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) why the People's Association does not publish information on tender bids and awards for commercial space in the same manner as the Singapore Land Authority; (b) how many such tenders were awarded in the past three years; and (c) whether a common disclosure standard will apply to all state landlords.

Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: I am answering in my capacity as the Minister charged with the responsibility for the People's Association (PA).

PA puts out tenders on a regular basis in respect of its various contracting requirements. In the main, these are for a broad range of requirements, such as the procurement of goods and services to support PA's operations and programs, as well as for items, such as building works and estate maintenance services, or for revenue contracting purposes, such as tenancy of commercial premises or rights ownership.

PA publishes the notices of bids and awards of all these tenders online via the Government Electronic Business system and where applicable, its established website, in line with the practice of all Government agencies. The number of tenders for commercial spaces conducted in this manner average approximately 23 per year.

In addition to the above, there are also tenders that are administered by PA's grassroots organisations (GROs). For these tenders, the invitation for bids, are published on the PA grassroots e-mart system or PA corporate website. They are conducted by the local GROs in accordance with streamlined financial rules that uphold principles of open competition. PA regularly review our processes to strengthen governance.

The total number of tenders for commercial spaces undertaken by GROs as described above approximate 70 per year on average.