PM Lee: CDCs must rise to growing challenges
As the "key agents" in delivering help to the needy, Community Development Councils (CDCs) must rise to the challenge of their growing responsibilities, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday.
The responsibility of CDCs will grow as the government continues to improve the social safety net and increase support to groups in need, said PM Lee.
CDCs must rise to the challenge by reaching out more, exploring new programmes and gathering more volunteers, he said.
They must also evolve to meet changing needs and try new ways to engage a changing population, while staying true to their core goals of assisting the needy and bonding the community, he added.
PM Lee was speaking at the five district mayors' swearing-in ceremony. The mayors were sworn in for a three-year term ending in May 2014.
North East District mayor Teo Ser Luck, North West District mayor Teo Ho Pin and South West District mayor Amy Khor were re-appointed, while Central District mayor Sam Tan takes over from Zainudin Nordin and South East District mayor Mohamad Maliki Osman takes over from Matthias Yao.
PM Lee urged the mayors to "use the next few years well".
The mayors later told reporters how they felt the social safety net should be enhanced.
Dr Khor and Tan called for the income ceiling criteria for CDC programmes to be increased, given the higher costs of living, reported The Straits Times.
At South West CDC, run by Dr Khor, the household income ceiling for local programmes is planned to be raised to $3,000 next year from the current $2,500. Tan also said the household income ceiling for his Central CDC programmes is under review.
Dr Teo Ho Pin and Teo Ser Luck noted that CDCs must be flexible in providing assistance.
For instance, Dr Teo's CDC staff are encouraged to use the national household income ceiling of $1,500 for the ComCare fund as a guidelines instead of a hard-and-fast rule.
Groups such as seniors and the sandwiched middle class could do with more help too, the mayors added.
Added Dr Maliki, "Helping the needy goes beyond giving financial assistance. One of the greatest resources we have not tapped on is within the community... people are prepared to help their neighbours."
