# Proposed Amendments to the Town Councils Act - **Source:** Ministry of National Development - **Published:** 2016-10-18T05:00:00.000Z - **Author:** Ministry of National Development - **Original:** https://www.mnd.gov.sg/newsroom/press-releases/view/proposed-amendments-to-the-town-councils-act - **Topics:** Government & Policy ## Featured rationale Stronger governance and financial controls could improve consistency in estate services, potentially supporting resident confidence and more sustainable maintenance of public housing environments. ## AI summary MND proposed Town Councils Act amendments covering council functions, governance, financial management and regulatory oversight, with public feedback accepted until 17 November 2016. ## Original article The Ministry of National Development (MND) invites the public to provide feedback on the proposed amendments to the Town Councils Act (TCA). The public can send their feedback to MND between 18 October 2016 and 17 November 2016. Review of the Town Councils Act Town Councils (TCs) were introduced in 1989 by an Act of Parliament to serve two objectives. First, TCs were set up to give elected Members of Parliament (MPs) the authority and responsibility to take charge of their constituents’ estate and allow each Town to develop its own distinctive character under the MPs’ leadership. Second, MPs were made directly accountable to their voters for the running of their estates, as the voters could then take into account the MPs’ performance in running the TC when they go to the polls. The TCA and subsidiary legislation gave the elected MPs latitude to run the TCs within broad rules laid down to ensure proper governance and safeguard public interest. TCs otherwise had significant autonomy to manage their affairs. For example, each TC had the power to make its own by-laws, set its service and conservancy charges (S&CC) and determine its enforcement policy. In the administration of the Act, latitude has always been given to MPs, across political parties, to exercise autonomy and judgement on how best to perform their core functions and serve their residents’ needs and interests. The review of the TCA was first mooted in May 2013 by then-Minister for National Development Mr Khaw Boon Wan. In a Ministerial Statement on TCs, Minister Khaw said that although TCs had largely fulfilled the original objectives for which they were set up, it was timely after more than 20 years of TC operations to review and update the administrative and regulatory framework for TCs. Proposed Amendments to the TCA MND is proposing to amend the TCA to: (a) Clarify the roles and functions of TCs; (b) Improve TC governance; (c) Strengthen financial management in TCs; and (d) Enhance MND’s regulatory oversight. The proposed amendments seek to ensure that TCs deliver essential public services in a consistent, fair, and sustainable way that serves the interest of residents, while retaining the autonomous nature of TCs. The review also recognises that the public expects transparency and accountability from TCs as they manage public funds and take responsibility for maintaining a good living environment for residents. Public Feedback Details of the proposed amendments are available on the REACH portal at https://www.reach.gov.sg. Members of the public can submit their comments and suggestions by 17 November 2016, via the following channels: Email to: feedback@mnd.gov.sg Fax to: 6325 7254 Post to: Ministry of National Development 5 Maxwell Road #21-00 Tower Block MND Complex Singapore 069110 Subject: Proposed Amendments to the Town Councils Act ## Chinese translation > Translation model: grok_cli ### 《市镇会法令》拟议修订 国家发展部（MND）邀请公众就《市镇会法令》（TCA）的拟议修订提供反馈。公众可于2016年10月18日至2016年11月17日期间向MND提交反馈。 《市镇会法令》检讨 市镇会（TC）于1989年通过国会法令设立，有两个目标。第一，设立市镇会是为了让民选国会议员（MP）有权并负责管理选民所属组屋区，并使各市镇在议员领导下发展自身特色。第二，议员须直接向选民负责管理组屋区事务，因选民在投票时可把议员管理市镇会的表现纳入考量。 《市镇会法令》及其附属法例在确保妥善治理、维护公共利益的宽泛规则下，给予民选议员管理市镇会的空间。除此之外，市镇会在处理自身事务方面享有相当大的自主权。例如，每个市镇会有权制定自身附则、设定服务与杂费（S&CC），并决定其执行政策。在施行该法令时，历来都给予跨政党议员空间，让其自主判断如何最好地履行核心职能、服务居民的需求与利益。 检讨《市镇会法令》的倡议，最初由时任国家发展部长许文远先生于2013年5月提出。在有关市镇会的部长声明中，许部长表示，虽然市镇会大体上实现了设立时的原定目标，但在市镇会运作逾20年后，适时检讨并更新市镇会的行政与监管框架是恰当的。 对《市镇会法令》的拟议修订 MND拟修订《市镇会法令》，以： (a) 厘清市镇会的角色与职能； (b) 改善市镇会治理； (c) 加强市镇会的财务管理；以及 (d) 强化MND的监管监督。 拟议修订旨在确保市镇会以一致、公平且可持续的方式提供基本公共服务，服务居民利益，同时保留市镇会的自主性质。检讨亦认识到，公众期望市镇会在管理公共资金、负责为居民维护良好居住环境方面保持透明与问责。 公众反馈 拟议修订详情可于REACH门户网站https://www.reach.gov.sg查阅。公众可在2016年11月17日或之前，通过以下渠道提交意见与建议： 电邮至：feedback@mnd.gov.sg 传真至：6325 7254 邮寄至：Ministry of National Development 5 Maxwell Road #21-00 Tower Block MND Complex Singapore 069110 主题：Proposed Amendments to the Town Councils Act