NEA’s rodent control plan 'could raise overall cost'

LYNETTE TAN Today Online 16 Jul 15;

SINGAPORE — How the National Environment Agency (NEA) structures and manages its rodent surveillance and control programme has been criticised by the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) for potentially increasing the overall cost of licking the rat problems.

The NEA required its contractor to destroy rodent burrows only in areas under its purview, even though the contract it tendered out — at a value of S$4.19 million over two years — did not state this, said the AGO in its latest audit report released today (July 15).

The NEA told the AGO the contract was not accurately worded to state its intent, which was that, for burrows found in other areas, it would inform the relevant public agencies in charge of those spaces for them to take care of the problem themselves. The NEA added that it had made the requirements clear at a briefing it held for interested tenderers for the contract.

The AGO said this led to 115 burrows being found but not destroyed from September 2013 to January last year. As a result, 17 burrows in seven locations had increased to 32 burrows in a span of two to six months after the burrows were first detected. In addition, 16 burrows in nine locations had remained active for two to four months after they were found.

“In this regard, AGO observed that NEA had not actively followed up with the public agencies on actions taken to treat the active burrows detected,” the audit report said.

In response to media queries, the NEA said it has taken steps to address the observations made by the AGO. In its latest tender to procure services for the programme, contract specifications on the scope of work have been more clearly spelt out. The agency will also review procedures to improve coordination with owners of premises and public agencies to ensure that rat control efforts by all stakeholders are conducted effectively.

In December last year, a forested hill next to Bukit Batok MRT station made headlines for a rat infestation problem that saw more than 300 rats being killed by pest controllers after nearly three weeks of extermination operations. The following month, there were reports of rodent activity detected in the false ceilings of 14 food and beverage establishments at Marina Square and at one of its bin centres after a customer found a rat in a tray of vegetables at Hotpot Culture, a restaurant at the shopping centre.

Speaking in Parliament in January, Second Minister for Environment and Water Resources, Ms Grace Fu, told Parliament that 35,000 rat burrows were detected and treated by the NEA in the first 11 months of last year.

NEA addresses report on pest control
Janice Heng and Yeo Sam Jo Straits Times AsiaOne 17 Jul 15;

Pest control contractors engaged by the National Environment Agency (NEA) will continue to tackle only rat burrows that fall under the agency's purview. But to address observations in the Auditor-General's Office (AGO) report on Wednesday, the NEA will spell out the "contract specifications on the scope of work" more clearly, the agency said in response to queries from The Straits Times.

In its report, the AGO said it found "gaps" in the programme.

The statutory board paid its contractor $4.19 million over two years to perform routine surveillance on rodents in public areas. The contractor was required to treat rat burrows in areas under the agency's purview.

This meant some burrows were detected but left untreated, which could lead to higher costs, said AGO. Between September 2013 and January 2014, some 115 active rat burrows were not treated as they were in areas outside NEA's purview. This led to a rise in the number of burrows, from 17 burrows in seven locations to 32 burrows, in the two to six months after being detected.

Under the surveillance programme, which began in 2011, the NEA gives other public agencies information about rat burrows in areas under their charge.

"The respective stakeholders will then follow up to inspect and control the rat population in their areas," said the NEA yesterday.

The AGO observed that NEA "had not actively followed up with the public agencies on actions taken to treat the active burrows detected".

Said an NEA spokesman: "NEA will also review our procedures to improve coordination with other premises owners and public agencies to ensure that rat-control efforts from all stakeholders are conducted effectively."

But the chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Environment, Ms Lee Bee Wah, said she was "disappointed" that public agencies draw such boundaries.

"I think the system should change," said Ms Lee.

"Diseases know no boundaries."

Ms Lee also pointed to the Municipal Services Office, which was set up to improve government coordination and delivery of municipal services, including pest control.

"I believe they should look into how the NEA interprets its responsibilities," she added.

Separately, Singapore Polytechnic (SP) issued a statement saying it acknowledged and accepted the AGO's findings and was taking immediate steps to address them.

The AGO took issue with related-party transactions that were not carried out "at arm's length".

To the Singapore Polytechnic Graduates' Guild (SPGG), SP had sub-leased land at nominal rent and waived a substantial amount that was due, without proper evaluation.

SP also failed to recover significant costs for seconding staff to fully owned subsidiary Singapore Polytechnic International (SPI). SP said it was reviewing the land lease to SPGG and will work with the guild to review the loan repayment arrangement.

SP and SPI are also taking action to formalise the secondment.