SINGAPORE — Cuts to the foreign worker quota, and a resulting move to attract more Singaporeans to jobs once left to them, have resulted in some town councils shouldering a heftier cleaning bill, while at least one has had to ask for residents’ understanding for less-than-sparkling surroundings.

A check of seven town councils which have posted figures online showed that five have had to stump out more for cleaning contracts, and the annual increases vary between 4.5 per cent and 17.3 per cent.

Just last month, Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council Chairman Hri Kumar Nair apologised to residents “for any decline in standards” they may have experienced in the short-term, following the renewal of conservancy contracts.

A check by TODAY with other town councils found that several have also felt the crunch from time to time.

Said Moulmein-Kallang Town Council Chairperson Denise Phua: “It is inevitable that an adjustment period is required when there is a cut over to a new cleaning contract; the situation is even more challenging with the restrictions in foreign worker quotas.”

In his monthly message to residents, Mr Nair said many in Bishan East and Bishan North “have noted a shortage of cleaners” in September — the same month when the new term contract for conservancy services started. To address the shortage, there will no longer be a fixed cleaning schedule, so that more people can “join the cleaning workforce at hours that appeal to them”, Mr Nair said.

The town council had recently renewed its conservancy contracts.

Mr Nair explained that the conservancy contractors had been “under-staffed” in September, as they sought approval from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for their foreign workers.

“They could only get their full complement of foreign workers approved by the MOM in October. This time lag was on account of the fact that MOM now requires contractors to first demonstrate that they have hired a sufficient number of local workers before it will approve the foreign workers,” Mr Nair wrote.

He also pointed out that after the cleaners have been fully deployed, they would have to familiarise themselves with the estate and cleaning standards that are expected of them.

When contacted, Mr Nair said there was a shortage of cleaners for “a short period of half a month”. The issue has been “worked through”, he added.

“(We) conducted more inspections to ensure that standards will be kept up. But nonetheless, there were some difficulties, as there were just not enough bodies on the ground,” he said.

Among 10 residents at Bishan North and Bishan East TODAY spoke to, eight said they did not notice any uncleanliness in recent months.

One of the two who did, student CY Tan, 21, said: “Normally the cleaners will sweep our corridors, but I noticed recently that they don’t. But I don’t feel that the surroundings are any more dirtier than usual.”

Shortage to ease

Dr Teo Ho Pin, Co-ordinating Chairman for the 14 PAP town councils, said that all the while, it has been “challenging to get cleaners, especially good cleaners”.

In all, there are about 2,600 part-time and full-time Singaporean cleaners working for the PAP town councils.

Dr Teo said the town councils have always had a quota where 70 per cent of the cleaners are Singaporeans.

“What we have done over the last three years is to look into the job redesign so that we can encourage more locals to join the industry,” said Dr Teo.

And with more Singaporean cleaners on board, the temporary shortage will ease, Ms Phua said. The flip side, however, is a rising expenditure for town councils.

Of the seven town councils which have made their latest annual reports available online, five - Bishan-Toa Payoh, Chua Chu Kang, Jurong, Pasir Ris, Tanjong Pagar - have reported a rise in the cost of cleaning contracts.

West Coast Town Council and Marine Parade Town Council reported a fall in cleaning expenditure.

With events lined up across the island to encourage residents to do their part in keeping their estates clean, Marine Parade Town Council Chairman Lim Biow Chuan reiterated: “ Keeping the estate clean is part and parcel of gracious living... it doesn’t mean that if there are cleaners, residents are free to litter.”

Chua Chu Kang Town Council chairman Zaqy Mohamad added: “What we are trying to do in our town council is to adjust the expectations of the residents as well ... Because there is a certain expected level of customer service levels.” ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AMANDA LEE