2024年4月3日，新加坡贸工部兼文化、社区及青年部政务部长陈圣辉回答议员提问，探讨如何能让合作社吸引和留住人才。
陈圣辉
新加坡贸工部兼文化、社区及青年部政务部长
丹戎巴葛集选区议员
以下内容为新加坡眼根据国会英文资料翻译整理：
李议员和叶议员强调了合作社在吸引和留住人才方面的困难。叶议员询问政府是如何在人力资源方面提供帮助。李议员提议建立一个在合作社、公共机构和私营实体之间的临时调任计划。我们将与国家合作社联合会进一步探讨李议员的建议。
李议员还提到了正在进行的意在提高合作社管理委员会和员工能力的新方案，其中包括了一些为该行业特别定制的课程。例如，国家文化、社区及青年部正在与国家合作社联合会合作，于2024年5月推出新的定制审计委员会课程，专门为信用合作社设计。该课程旨在提高审计委员会成员对其角色和责任的理解，并扩充风险管理、内部控制、审计和财务报告等相关主题的知识。
国家合作社联合会还在2022年建立了新兴领导者计划，目标是在五年内培养100名领导者。同时，通过组织会议、交流活动和分享会，让合作社管理人员了解同行最佳实践经验和实际解决方案。
关于议员托马斯·拉杰·约书亚提出应该引导合作社成员明确自己在《合作社法》（ACT）下的权利的问题，我想说拥有成员的合作社受其自身章程以及《合作社法》要求的约束。但我们致力于通过确保合作社向成员充分披露信息来营造一个既有问责制又透明的环境。
我们提议的修正案之一就是一个例子。虽然合作社必须获得成员的批准才能支付管理委员会的津贴、酬金和其他福利，但我们建议修订《合作社法》，明确将此作为年度股东大会的一个职能。只有成员的批准才能实现这些收益。2019年，注册官曾通知合作社，关于年度报告中需要披露的最低限度的信息，以便成员了解该合作社的活动，在知情后做出决策。举例来说，这些信息包括充分披露合作社的经营活动和财务表现。合作社也被鼓励根据需要披露更多信息。
朱议员还询问了可持续发展补助。我请求得到他的谅解，因为我们刚刚在2024年1月1日设立了这项补助。随着申请率的稳定，我们将提供更多统计数据。
接下来，我会继续讨论叶议员提出的问题，即政府是否容许信用合作社宣传其贷款服务，以增加公众的了解。信用合作社的设立通常是为了服务于有共同纽带的成员，例如同一行业、组织或同一社区。因为许多信用合作社与其成员的雇主有薪水扣款协定，以此偿还合作社的贷款，因此信用风险得到了缓解。作为一个会员制组织，信用合作社的监管程度不同于与其他金融机构，因此，它们不向公众开放，也不应在大众媒体上做广告。
尽管如此，信用合作社并没有被禁止直接向其内部成员做广告。在注册处与合作社的日常工作交流中，在本次法案的公开咨询过程中，我们收到了审查关于信用合作社广告限制的反馈。因此，我们正进一步研究这一问题。
议长先生，我想以回答梁议员关于合作社的有关议会问题作为结尾。梁议员询问新加坡是否需要新的合作社来应对不断变化的社会经济环境，以及在“向前新加坡”倡议下，合作社的角色和社会使命是否会得到加强。
基于目前这个全新的社会契约和社会团结的时代，合作社确实提供了一个新加坡人可以共同努力应对不断变化的社会需求的额外平台。为了保持相关性并增加合作社的影响力，它们必须继续提高其能力和竞争力——这也是议员们在本次辩论中提出的重点。这将进一步增强公众对合作社的信心，并促进该行业的人才招募。合作社管理层本身也应确保他们能够在快速变化的环境中引领管理好合作社。他们应该以成长心态，参加专业发展和持续学习课程，并制定继任计划，以确保合作社的长期发展和服务功能。
国家文化、社区、青年部将继续与我们的合作伙伴——合作社基金委员会和国家合作社联合会合作，以支持合作社及其成员未来的发展。
以下是英文质询内容：
Mr Lee and Mr Yip highlighted co-ops’ struggle to attract and retain talent. Mr Yip asked how Government could help in this area and Mr Lee suggested a secondment programme between co-ops and public and private sector organisations. We will explore Mr Lee’s idea further with SNCF and the co-ops.
Mr Lee also mentioned ongoing initiatives to build the capabilities of co-ops’ COM and staff. These include customised courses unique for the sector. MCCY for example is working with SNCF to introduce a new customised Audit Committee course for credit co-ops in May 2024. This course aims to enhance Audit Committee members’ understanding of their roles and responsibilities, and to sharpen their knowledge of relevant topics like risk management, internal controls, audit and financial reporting.
SNCF has also established the Emerging Leaders Programme in 2022, which aims to groom 100 leaders in five years. SNCF also organises conferences, networking events and sharing sessions to expose co-op officers to best practices and practical solutions adopted by their peers.
On members’ rights, which Mr Raj Joshua Thomas raised relating to efforts to educate co-op members on their rights under the Act, I would like to respond that as member-owned organisations, co-ops are governed by their own by-laws as well as requirements under the Act. But we aim to foster an environment of both accountability and transparency, by ensuring co-ops make sufficient disclosures to members.
One of our proposed amendments is a case in point. While co-ops must already obtain members’ approval for payment of allowance, honoraria and other benefits to the COM, we proposed amending the Act to make this an explicit function of the AGM. This will help ensure that members’ approval is obtained for such benefits. In 2019, the Registrar also notified co-ops about the minimum information they need to disclose in an annual report to inform members about activities of the co-op and make informed decisions. These include, for example, adequate disclosure of its activities and financial performance. Co-ops are also encouraged to disclose more information as they deem fit.
Mr Desmond Choo also asked about the sustainability grant. I seek his indulgence because we just set up the grant on 1 January 2024. We will provide more statistics as the take-up rate becomes steady.
Next, I will move on to Mr Yip’s questions about whether the Government would allow credit co-ops to advertise their loans to create greater awareness of their services. Credit co-ops are generally set up to serve their members who share a pre-existing common bond, such as the same industry, organisation or the same community. Credit risks are mitigated as many credit co-ops have arrangements with their members’ employers for salary deductions for loan repayments to co-ops. As a membership-based organisation, credit co-ops are not regulated to the same degree as other financial institutions. Hence, they are not open to the general public and should not advertise in mass media.
Nonetheless, credit co-ops are not precluded from advertising directly to their members. In the course of the Registry’s engagement with the co-ops and public consultation for the current Bill, we received feedback to review the advertising restriction for credit co-ops. So, we are studying this matter further.
Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to conclude by addressing Mr Liang’s related Parliamentary Question on co-ops. Mr Liang asked if Singapore needs new co-ops to meet the evolving socio-economic landscape and if the roles and social missions of co-ops can be strengthened under Forward Singapore.
In view of our refreshed social compact and renewed sense of social solidarity, co-ops indeed offer an additional platform for Singaporeans to come together and address societal evolving needs. To remain relevant and increase co-ops’ impact, they must continue to build their capabilities and competencies – the point that Members have been raising in this debate. This would strengthen confidence in and enhance recruitment into the sector. Co-op leaders themselves should also ensure they can lead their co-ops in a rapidly evolving environment. They should adopt a growth mindset, participate in professional development and continuous learning courses, and put in place succession planning to ensure their co-ops’ longevity and continued relevance. MCCY will continue to work with our partners, the CCF Committee and SNCF, to support co-ops and co-operators along their journey. Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.
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新加坡国会丨来源