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Only green builders to get big govt jobs from 2017

They will need to be certified as such before they can bid for the projects

Published on Oct 29, 2013

By Rachel Au-Yong


CONSTRUCTION firms must be certified "green and gracious" by the Government if they want to bid for public housing, school and hospital projects from 2017.

And that means adopting a variety of environment-friendly and more considerate measures which, for instance, save energy or reduce noise pollution.

The measure will affect over 300 medium-sized and large building firms, which have between January 2015 and December 2016 to earn the certification under the Green and Gracious Builder Scheme (GGBS). The certification is a requirement for being on the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA's) registry.

Firms must be on the registry before they can bid for government projects. Failure to get certified by the end of 2016 could see a firm's tender limit downgraded, said the BCA, which added that "we may reinstate their grade upon certification".

There is no timeframe yet for smaller firms, which can bid for projects worth up to $4 million, although The Straits Times understands that eventually all companies will have to go green.

"As Singapore becomes more built up, some of us may be less tolerant of disamenities like noise and dust," said Minister of State for National Development and Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan, as he announced the move at yesterday's Singapore Contractors Association conference on environmental sustainability.

He told the more than 200 industry participants there of the need to reduce the consumption of non-renewable natural resources, such as fuel and water, and minimise noise, dust, waste and pollution during construction.

The GGBS started out in 2009 as a voluntary scheme. But Mr Lee said the industry has been in a "critical situation" of late, in the light of the manpower crunch and the need to raise productivity.

Currently only 70 firms are certified "green and gracious" by the BCA. There are no detailed rules on how to qualify for the certificate, although revised guidelines, which place more emphasis on noise reduction and more efficient human resource practices, will be issued by the authority soon.

For instance, companies could use more energy-efficient air-con systems or install buffers that reduce vibrations. Firms are also assessed on whether they remind workers to save energy.

Going green, at least in the beginning, will come at a price, said Singapore Contractors Association president Ho Nyok Yong. "But because these moves save energy and use cleaner or fewer materials, firms are expected to recoup more savings in the long run," he said.

Quek & Quek Civil Engineering aims to become more environment-friendly, even though it will have to fork out around $100,000 to replace or upgrade half its equipment.

At some of its worksites, it has constructed temporary footpaths for the use of area residents. Said its general manager Wong Bee Chin: "It costs money, but we've gotten a lot of letters of praise from residents."

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