CDAC, SInda & Eurasian Community Fund To Raise Contribution Rates From Jan 2015

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

In view of these changes, I am going to terminate my monthly contribution to CDAC.


Source: Channel News Asia

Three self-help groups raise workers' contribution rates
By Olivia Siong
POSTED: 30 Aug 2014 20:56
UPDATED: 30 Aug 2014 22:41

CDAC, SINDA and the Eurasian Association have announced they will raise the monthly contribution rates of working Singaporeans, in order to better help the needy in the community. But not all workers will be affected.

SINGAPORE: Three ethnic self-help groups have announced they will raise the monthly contribution rates of working Singaporeans, in order to better help the needy in the community. The changes will take effect from Jan 1, 2015.

But not all workers will be affected, as increases will be tiered according to income, with higher income earners giving more. Also, only Malay self-help group Mendaki will maintain its contribution rates next year.

The higher contributions from Singaporean workers will allow ethnic self-help groups to do more for the less well-off in Singapore. Groups said the adjustment will counter the rising costs of existing programmes and allow new initiatives to be introduced.

For Singaporean Chinese workers who earn up to S$3,500 a month, they will continue to contribute 50 cents to S$1 to the Community Development Assistance Council (CDAC) fund monthly.

Only those earning above S$3,500 will see increases. They will contribute between S$1.50 and S$3, instead of the current S$1 each month.

With the adjustment, CDAC will raise about S$6 million each year from monthly contributions and this will form part of its operating funds.

CDAC chairman Gan Kim Yong said: “In the last few years, we actually have been running an operating deficit. We have some additional surpluses, whether from government grants, from endowment fund, returns from endowment fund and so on. So we try to use up our reserves first before we adjust.

“The cumulative surplus will not be enough for next year's deficit and at the same time, we are ramping up our programme - especially our school-based programme and our school-based sector, as well as our seniors programme and our workers' programme. As we step up our programmes, at the same time our surplus has been used up, so we see that we would need to start to adjust."

For Singaporean Indian workers contributing to the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA), contribution rates for those earning up to S$4,500 monthly will continue to be between S$1 and S$7 each month.

For those who earn more than that, monthly contribution rates will go up by between S$2 and S$23 next year. This means they will contribute between S$9 and S$30 each month. Workers who make more than S$15,000 monthly face the largest increase of S$23.

SINDA chairman Tharman Shanmugaratnam said: “The community has seen improved performance in many different areas, but there's still a journey ahead.

“It will need more scale but also quality volunteers, teaching resources, quality programmes. We haven't adjusted our contribution rates for CPF members for the last 18 years, although incomes have gone up, we haven't adjusted it at all and now it's timely to make some adjustment.”

As for Singaporean Eurasian employees contributing to the Eurasian Community Fund, those earning S$2,500 and below each month will not see any changes to their monthly contribution rates. They will remain between S$2 and S$6.

Those earning above S$2,500 will see a raise of between S$1 and S$10. That means they will contribute between S$9 and S$20 each month.

Minister in Prime Minister's Office S Iswaran, who also represents the interest of the Eurasian community in the Cabinet, said: "Their rates in terms of contribution of the individuals in terms of the different communities has not been changed for quite some time whereas their cost have grown and their programmes have also grown significantly.

"I think it is a good move on their part and I hope all the community members including the Eurasian community will support it. They have also requested government support and that is something that the government is looking into as well."

On Mendaki's decision not to raise contribution rates, the Malay self-help group's chairman, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, said rates had been increased recently in 2009.

Dr Yaacob, who is also Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, noted the last increase to the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF) went towards mosque upgrading and Madrasah education.

"We need to allow this to basically take root first, and settle down before we decide. I think we have taxed the community enough, and I think we thank the community for their contribution, so we see no need for us in the immediate future to raise the contribution rates for MBMF," said Dr Yaacob.

Contributions are automatically deducted from the wages of working Singaporeans each month. There is an opt-out option for those who do not wish to contribute.

- CNA/xq

End Of Article

Source: Temasek Review



Why is our "self-help" groups infested with PAP members and cronies?

CDAC Board of Directors:

Mr Gan Kim Yong
Mr Baey Yam Keng
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien
Mr Hee Theng Fong
Mr Hong Poh Hin
Mr Lau Tai San
Dr Lee Peng Shu
Ms Lim Sau Hoong
Ms Low Yen Ling
Mr Ng Siew Quan
Mr Ong Ye Kung
Mr Adrian Peh Nam Chuan
Mr Tan Bock Huat
Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong
Mr Gilbert Tan Chye Hee
Mr Wan Shung Ming
Mr Alex Yam Ziming

Mendaki Board of Directors:

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim
Mdm Tuminah Sapawi
Mr Abdul Jalil Muhammad Tahir
Mr Alwi Abdul Hafiz
Mr Arzami Salim
Mr Farihullah S/O Abdul Wahab Safiullah
Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar
Mr Ismail Pantek
Mr Jeffrey Salleh
Mr Mohamed Abdul Akbar Mohamed Abdul Kader
Mr Mohamad Hosni Abdul Malik
Mr Mohamed Ismail Abdul Hakim
Mr Mohammad Yusri Yubhi Md Yusoff
Mr Abdul Razak Hassan Maricar
Mr Muhammad Effendy Ibrahim
Dr Muhammad Fadzli Hassan
Mr Sallim Abdul Kadir
Mdm Sapiah Molla
Mr Zainal Sapari

SINDA Board of Trustees:
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Prof S Jayakumar
Mr S Dhanabalan
Mr S Chandra Das
Mr J Y Pillay
Mr Sat Pal Khattar
Mr K Shanmugam
Dr N Varaprasad
Mr Ravi Menon
Mr Inderjit Singh
Mr V Shankar
Mr Gautam Banerjee
Mr Girija Pande
Mr R Jayachandran
Mr Hri Kumar Nair
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan
Mr S. Iswaran
Mr Vikram Nair

End Of Article

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