Sengkang Town Council fixes IT glitch affecting cash payments for S&CC

The new Sengkang Town Council (SKTC) has fixed an IT problem that prevented it from receiving cash payments for service and conservancy charges (S&CC) at its offices on Wednesday.

The glitch had occurred because configurations for the front-end collection systems were not in place, but had been resolved as of yesterday, said the Workers' Party-run town council in a statement.

It added that residents have been able to pay their S&CC at the town council's offices since 8am.

On Wednesday, SKTC had issued a statement about the problem after taking over the full management of estates in Sengkang GRC that were previously under two People's Action Party (PAP)-run town councils.

In that statement, it said that staff at SKTC discovered in the morning that the configurations were not done.

"During our engagements with the existing IT vendor for the Town Council Management System (TCMS), we were assured of the functionality of the system.

"However, the staff of SKTC noted at 8am this morning that configurations for the front-end collection systems were not in place," the Wednesday statement said.

It added that SKTC was "working closely with the IT vendor to restore operational functionality of the TCMS as soon as possible".

When asked, Sengkang GRC MP Louis Chua, who is the town council's vice-chairman, declined to comment on whether it had hired the IT vendor or if it was a previous vendor hired by the PAP-run town councils.

Sengkang GRC, with more than 120,000 voters, is made up of Buangkok, Compassvale and Rivervale wards, formerly under the Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PRPTC), and the Anchorvale ward, formerly under Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC).

WP won Sengkang GRC with 52.12 per cent of the votes at the July 10 General Election.

SKTC formally took over the management and maintenance of these areas on Wednesday, and said it would continue to work with EM Services and CPG Facilities Management, the two managing agent firms that had been working with PRPTC and AMKTC.

SKTC added: "Both managing agents have affirmed their commitment to SKTC, and that they will work in close collaboration to deliver the highest standards of estate management service to Sengkang residents.

"With both managing agents continuing township management operations, residents of Sengkang GRC can look forward to a smooth handover and continuity in the provision of township services at Sengkang Town."

The PAP town councils had said on Tuesday that arrangements have been made for residents who pay their S&CC through Giro or other recurring payment schemes to continue doing so without disruption.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 30, 2020, with the headline Sengkang Town Council fixes IT glitch affecting cash payments for S&CC. Subscribe