Reply in Straits Times Forum
WE THANK Mr Tan Kin Lian for his feedback ('Renovation certification: It does not make sense to impose such a heavy fee for small premises'; Dec 2).
Major G. Gobi
Senior Staff Officer (Media Analysis) Public Affairs Department
Singapore Civil Defence Force
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST
My reply
It is nice of Major Gobi to give a detailed reply. This is quite rare nowadays. In most cases, the relevant department ignore the issue, pretending that it is somebody else business.
Here are the points that I will be sending directly to Major Gobi:
1. Market forces does not work.
2. Consumers are being fleeced to pay high fees for minor work.
3. I have asked 4 renovation contractors to quote for the work - all of them added the cost of around $3,500 for the fire safety works, even though it is mainly minor addition/ alternation to the premises.
4. It is easy for SCDF to regulate the fee for small scale work - rather than leave the public to be fleeced
5. The SCDF can make enquiry with the public on how much they are paying to meet the fire safety requirements, rather than say "leave it to the market".
I will send the letter to Straits Times again, but they may not publish my letter.
Someone told me a case where he paid the fee to the contractor for the FSB submission. He asked the contractor to give him the submitted plan and approval, but the contractor gave some excuses. He did not get the submitted fee after more than a year. He suspected that the contractor pocketed the money.
ReplyDeleteThis is what is happening in Singapore. Rampant cheating is so common.
Thank you, Singapore government, for creating this environment for business to prosper!
Please give more hassle to the public with your egulations and leave it to the market forces to sort out. The poor consumers (and small businesses) are being fleeced by the professionals!
The problem is those with the brains are either too far up in the ivory towers to notice or they are at the sidelines. Those with the responsibilities and the accountabilities always thought the responsibilities lies with those in the ivory towers and that they are there to watch the clock to pack their bags for that much needed holiday with their families.
ReplyDeleteThose who were dedicated and had the brains to speak out were often ousted from the organisations by those having great PR skills but lacking in everything else. So as years go by we have empty organisations who cannot do anything unless directed by the Generals in the ivory towers.
So sad... we may soon need FTs to run our organisations to give it a semblance of an intelligent organisation.