# MND disbursing AHPETC S&CC operating grants for FY14/15 and FY15/16 to AHTC and PRPTC

- **Source:** Ministry of National Development
- **Published:** 2016-04-14T11:08:00.000Z
- **Author:** Ministry of National Development
- **Original:** https://www.mnd.gov.sg/newsroom/press-releases/view/mnd-disbursing-ahpetc-s-cc-operating-grants-for-fy14-15-and-fy15-16-to-ahtc-and-prptc
- **Topics:** Market Updates

## Featured rationale

The conditional release may restore funding for estate operations while strengthening payment oversight, potentially reducing service disruption risks for affected HDB residents.

## AI summary

MND will disburse withheld FY2014/15 and FY2015/16 operating grants to AHTC under financial safeguards, while Punggol East’s share will go to PRPTC.

## Original article

MND will be disbursing the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) operating grants for FY 2014/15 and FY 2015/161 to Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) and Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PRPTC). 

In its Judgment dated 27 November 2015, the Court of Appeal (CA) made various orders against AHPETC to compel its compliance with the Town Councils Act (TCA) and Town Councils Financial Rules (TCFR). This included an order that AHPETC must appoint independent accountant(s) to assist in identifying its outstanding non-compliances with Section 35(c) of the TCA, advise it on appropriate remedial steps to be taken, and establish whether any past payments made by AHPETC were improper and ought therefore to be recovered. 

The CA orders would see that the Town Council takes steps to rectify its outstanding non-compliances of the TCA and TCFR with the assistance of its appointed accountant(s). The Minister for National Development has hence decided, pursuant to Section 42 of the TCA, to disburse the grants to AHTC, subject to conditions. These include AHTC appointing accountant(s) as required under the CA Judgment, setting up segregated bank accounts to receive the grants and getting the accountant(s) to co-authorise and co-sign large payments out of these accounts. 

AHTC has since appointed KPMG LLP as its accountant and confirmed that it fully accepts all conditions set by MND in relation to the grants. With these safeguards in place, MND will be disbursing the grants to AHTC. 

Following the 2015 General Election, all assets, rights and liabilities pertaining to Punggol East SMC have been transferred from AHTC to PRPTC with effect from 1 Dec 2015. This legal position is set out in the Town Councils (Declaration of Towns) Order 2015. Accordingly, the operating grants attributable to Punggol East SMC will be disbursed to PRPTC.

1 MND had earlier withheld the grants from AHPETC in view of the many weaknesses and lapses in AHPETC identified by its own auditors and the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) report dated 6 February 2015.

## Chinese translation

> Translation model: grok_cli

### 国家发展部向阿裕尼-后港市镇理事会及巴西立-榜鹅市镇理事会拨付阿裕尼-后港-榜鹅东市镇理事会2014/15及2015/16财年服务与保养费运营津贴

国家发展部将向阿裕尼-后港市镇理事会（AHTC）及巴西立-榜鹅市镇理事会（PRPTC）拨付阿裕尼-后港-榜鹅东市镇理事会（AHPETC）2014/15财年及2015/16财年¹的服务与保养费（S&CC）运营津贴。

上诉庭（CA）在2015年11月27日的判决中，对阿裕尼-后港-榜鹅东市镇理事会作出多项命令，以强制其遵守《市镇理事会法令》（TCA）及《市镇理事会财务规则》（TCFR）。其中包括命令阿裕尼-后港-榜鹅东市镇理事会必须委任独立会计师，协助识别其在《市镇理事会法令》第35(c)条下尚未遵守的事项，就应采取的适当补救措施提供建议，并确定该市镇理事会过去所作的任何付款是否不当，从而应予追回。

上诉庭的命令将促使市镇理事会在其委任的会计师协助下，采取措施纠正其尚未遵守《市镇理事会法令》及《市镇理事会财务规则》的事项。国家发展部部长因此根据《市镇理事会法令》第42条决定，在附带条件的情况下向阿裕尼-后港市镇理事会拨付津贴。这些条件包括：阿裕尼-后港市镇理事会按上诉庭判决要求委任会计师、设立隔离银行账户以接收津贴，以及由会计师共同授权并会签从这些账户作出的大额付款。

阿裕尼-后港市镇理事会此后已委任KPMG LLP为其会计师，并确认完全接受国家发展部就津贴所设定的所有条件。在这些保障措施到位后，国家发展部将向阿裕尼-后港市镇理事会拨付津贴。

在2015年大选后，所有与榜鹅东单选区相关的资产、权利及负债已自2015年12月1日起从阿裕尼-后港市镇理事会转移至巴西立-榜鹅市镇理事会。这一法律地位载于《2015年市镇理事会（市镇宣布）令》。因此，归属于榜鹅东单选区的运营津贴将拨付予巴西立-榜鹅市镇理事会。

¹ 鉴于阿裕尼-后港-榜鹅东市镇理事会自身审计师及审计总长公署（AGO）2015年2月6日报告所指出的该市镇理事会存在的多项弱点与疏失，国家发展部早前曾扣留向该市镇理事会拨付的津贴。