The AGO report has revealed lots of lapses, including an eye-popping $410,000 consultancy fee for a $470,000 bin centre.
Whoever authorised the payment at the National Arts Centre has to be held accountable and the MCCY owes the public an explanation.
Instead, MCCY Minister Grace Fu defended her subordinate and claimed that it was a “complex” project requiring “significantly more design expertise”. Fu is wrong to assume the public could be taken for a ride easily.
Should Fu decide to conduct an internal investigation and if it uncovers “more than meets the eye”, the CPIB may need to put in some OT. I am not alleging any wrongdoing but this should not be ruled out as the amount of tax dollars involved is more than 7 times the amount paid by NParks for 26 Brompton bicycles.
In 2012, former MND Minister Khaw had defended NParks’ purchase without any inside information. Khaw’s knee-jerk defence made him look foolish when CPIB investigations subsequently revealed a NParks’ director had purchased $57,200 worth of bicycles from a friend.
Fu has got to be kidding by refusing to even conduct an internal investigation. Worse, she insisted on behaving like her SMOS and has started to chut pattern (warning: do not watch video if you feel like puking).
The $410,000 consultancy fee could have bought 186 Brompton bikes for NParks or 100,000 plates of mee siam without cockles for her boss.
The following information should be disclosed to public:
1 The name of NAC director.
2 The name of the consultant.
3 The relationship between the consultant and the director
4 The amount overcharged by the consultant
5 Action to be taken against director’s overspending of tax dollars.
So how complex is the construction of NAC’s bin centre? Does it require 56 man-years?
P.S. Some readers have mistaken the breakdown and figures in the image above are factual. They are just for laughs. 🙂
likedatosocanmeh 
I think the bin centre is specially made so that it could hold arts exhibitions whenever both Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall are fill up. Due to the complexity of the design (must be artistic enough) and the extra security features needed to secure the art pieces, that is why it is $470,000.
🙂
No lah – the chute at the bin centre is specially designed and made to exact specifications so the Minister in charge can enjoy her walkabouts in the bin centre and perhaps take a
quickie nap.
🙂
Philip, did you arrow a wrong person? She is no Grace FU.
How can a 470k bin centre even qualified complex? Maybe she can provide detailed drawings to convince us failing which I think it’s an insult to our intelligence and hers as well. As a rule of thumb, maybe it should not even exceed 150k at all. For a big scale project, 10% of total consultancy fee is considered a very good fee and I believe many local consultants would have grabbed and run with 30% for a 470k project.
I do not have the proof, but i would expect The AGO must have queried MCCY on the lapses before disclosing it publicly like any other auditor would have done when they are in doubt before making their judgment. The fact that it was finally listed as a lapse by AGO clearly confirmed it.
It’s strange that no one is being held accountable to this.
Previous year was worse with an incredible number of lapses by PA. PA is chaired by PM Lee. PA conducted an internal investigation and sacked Tonic Oh, CCC chairman. He had paid himself more than 100000 in tax dollars but investigations revealed no acts of dishonesty.
What about NLB, Gardens by the Bay, NParks, etc. no sound, no shadow after that. Don’t expect anything different this year. 😦
This is bullshit. You know that money can help so many homeless people and the elderly.
It’s not her money. It’s the taxpayers money. What she getting every month is also our money.
Unfortunately the PAP has little empathy. They will continue to milk us dry. The AGO report is just a distraction from what’s really happening. At the end of the day, all the ministries and stat boards will only receive a slap on the wrist. Or maybe none. 😦