Singapore
Elected MPs pay S$365 for an annual permit that allows them to park at HDB carparks and Parliament House
MPs pay S$365 a year for a permit to park at HDB car parks for constituency duties and at Parliament House on official business, a rate MND says is pegged to about one-third of prevailing HDB season parking. NCMPs and NMPs do not get the permit. The debate resurfaced after MOE’s move to charge teachers for school parking.
Elected Members of Parliament (MPs) pay S$365 for an annual permit that allows them to park at Housing & Development Board (HDB) car parks when doing constituency work and at Parliament House when on official business.
The Ministry of National Development (MND) said on Monday (25 June) that the rate is a proportion of the prevailing HDB season parking rate since MPs do not park overnight or full day at their constituencies, adding that the permit fee was increased from S$260 in 2016.
The ministry noted that this rate is about a third of prevailing HDB season parking rates, saying, “We will continue to review and update the parking rate regularly to keep pace with prevailing HDB parking rates.”
It also added that Non-constituency MPs and Nominated MPs are not given this permit.
Responding to the Straits Times and Channel NewsAsia queries, MND spokesperson said that the amount is “a proportion of” the current HDB season parking rate. For HDB residents’ first parking lot, the monthly parking charge is S$80 for surface car parks and S$110 for sheltered car parks.
Earlier this month, Ms Grace Fu, Minister of and Leader of the House, wrote to ST in a letter, stating that MPs do pay for their parking at Parliament House after an ST article implied that they don’t.
In a separate response to media queries, the People’s Association (PA) said that to facilitate grassroots volunteers in their community work, those who drive may apply for a monthly HDB special parking label which allows them to park, up to 11 pm, in designated car parks within the constituency or GRC where they serve.
PA stated that to qualify, they have to be appointed to serve in the citizens consultative committees, community centre/club management committees and their sub-committees, adding that those who live in an HDB estate must first buy a residential season parking label while non-HDB dwellers must pay S$22 a month for the special parking label.
It said, “Our grassroots volunteers regularly help out in house visits, especially to the old and vulnerable who need assistance, as well as in organising community activities and dialogues to strengthen neighbourly ties.”
All these attention on whether MPs pay for parking is a result of Ministry of Education (MOE)’s announcement in March that teachers at all national schools and junior colleges will have to pay when they park their vehicles on the school premises starting from 1 August following a carpark policy review for schools.
The move was made after the Auditor-General’s Office found that three tertiary education institutions did not impose charges or imposed below market rate charges for use of their car pars, which was published in the 2015 annual report of financial lapses in public-sector bodies. AGO noted that such practices are tantamount to providing hidden subsidises for vehicle parking and not in line with the requirement laid down in the Government Instruction Manuals. The three institutions are; Institute of Technical Education, Singapore Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic.
To park in uncovered lots, teachers will have to pay for $75 a month during the school term and $15 a month during the school holidays in June, November and December. While, those who wish to park in sheltered lots, have to pay for $100 a month during the school term and $20 a month during school holidays. For motorcyclists, they will have to pay $13 a month at uncovered carparks during school term and $2 during school holidays. While they have to $14 during school term and $3 during school holidays to be able to park their vehicle in sheltered carpark. Canteen stall operators, and coaches and instructors who go to schools regularly are said to have to pay for season parking. However, parking fees will not apply to ad hoc visitors such as parents or volunteers.
The implementation of the parking fees for the teachers at schools, sparked an outcry from the members of the public, asking whether is there a need to charge parking to teachers for carpark lots which would not be used by the public, unlike the carparks in tertiary institutes which are utilised by working adults.
Following the outcry, Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) also announced that it had imposed market rate season parking charges on six more of its camps and bases from 1 April 2018. Saying that this is in addition to the 10 camps/bases and related premises that currently impose season parking charges. Due to their proximity to public amenities, the car parks in these camps are deemed to have market value.
