Lina Chiam

By S Y Lee and Leong Sze Hian
We refer to the article “Increase in postage rates due to rising labour and operations costs: Sim Ann” (Channel NewsAsia, Nov 5).
Minister’s reply on why SingPost increased postage rates? 
It was stated that Minister of State for Communications and Information Sim Ann replied to the question by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP), Lina Chiam in parliament that the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) approved the recent increase in local and international postage rates because Singapore Post (SingPost) has been facing increasing labour and operation costs in the past few years.
The article wrote that Ms Sim was responding to a question by Mrs Chiam on SingPost after postage rates increased by about four Singapore cents in October.
“Ms Sim said the rates SingPost pays to overseas postal operators has increased by about 40 per cent since 2010. The rates, which are determined by an international body, are set to increase by another 30 per cent by 2017.
She added SingPost has not increased postage rates in eight years or cut costs, but had increased salaries while hiring older workers. It has also committed some S$100 million in service improvement measures such as mail sorting infrastructure.”
Reply never answered the question?
However NCMP Mrs Lina Chiam’s question was – “To ask the Minister for Communications and Information
(a) what is the reason for IDA’s recent approval for SingPost to increase local and international postage rates;
(b) why does SingPost need to increase postage rates by 15% from 26 cents to 30 cents even though its underlying net profit increased by 2.9% and domestic and international mail revenue grew by 4% and 27% respectively last year”

Do you think the Minister answered Mrs Lina Chiam’s question at all?
Do you think the media report was fair in omitting the crux of the question altogether?

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