Cost-cutting proposals

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Cost-cutting proposals

There are three broad areas where cost can be cut – Electricity consumption, staffs headcount and unauthorized use of MCST resources and facilities.

1. Electricity consumption

Electricity consumption is the single largest expenditure, more than $20,000 per month on average. Most of it is consumed for the operation of the water features, i.e., swimming pool, fish ponds and waterfalls. Reducing the operating hours of these water features will result in big savings on our electricity.

Right now, the main waterfall is not completely shut-off throughout the night. Not only is this wasting electricity, it is disturbing the peace of the night, especially for those residents at the lower floors.

Water circulation at the swimming pool and fish pond are also not completely shut-off throughout the night.

The cost-saving from the reduction of the electricity consumption can be used to finance the upgrading of the lightings to LED-type. This will result in further reduction in the electricity consumption and further cost-saving.

2. Headcount of service providers staff.
Labor cost has gone up and will continue to do so into the future. One way to reduce the labor cost is to reduce the headcount. It is time to analyze the headcount required from each service provider and determine the right number needed for the management and maintenance of our estate. The three services with big headcount are security, cleaning and management agency.
a. Security
More and more procedures have been automated. Residents drive-in with transponders. Residents walk-in with access cards. Visitors are recorded on computers. The number of day guards may be reduced to two.

b. Cleaning
Right now this has the highest headcount among the service providers. Do we require the present number of cleaners?

c. Management Office
Right now there are three staffs, consisting of the Condo Manager, technician and administrative assistant. The last two can be replaced with one staff. A lot of the work of the AA is collecting and processing information. The computers in the office have reduced the workload. One of the AA jobs is to collect payments and issue receipts, mainly for the booking of some facilities. This workload can be reduced if we allow free use of all facilities.
Consider the BBQ pit and MPH. We are now charging residents for using them. This is ridiculous. The gym, with so many expensive equipment, can be used free-of-charge. The tennis court which cost a lot to maintain, can be used free-of-charge. The BBQ pit, which is open- aired and cannot be used when it is raining, requires a fee. The MPH, which is an empty hall with tables and chairs, also comes with a fee.

To further reduce the workload of the Management Office staff, a website can be set up for online booking of facilities allowing bookings to be done 24hrs round the clock. It will require very little cost to set up a website. We can open up the design of the website as a competition to our residents. The winning design will receive a letter of commendation and a token sum from the MCST.

We can go even further by doing without Managing Agent. There are condominiums where the MCST itself directly employs the Management Office staffs. This will save the MCST on Managing Agent fee.

3. a) Unauthorized use of MCST resources
Unauthorized use of water has caused the MCST's water bill to go up. They are draining the MCST money away. It is also unfair to those who are not using it because they are subsidizing those who are. We should put a stop to the followings:

Use of water from taps at the car park for washing cars
Use of water from taps around the landscape.
Use of the showers at the changing room for regular washing and bathing.


b) Unauthorized use of MCST facilities
Our facilities have been used by other parties for business gain.
The swimming pool has been used to provide swimming lessons at a charge.
The gym has been used to conduct physical fitness lessons for a charge.
Instead of being costs to the MCST, they can be turned into sources of revenues if the MCST charges the lesson givers a fee.


Mr. Ng Kien Aun
Blk 88 #10-05

This is one councilor who has his thinking cap on. I don't know about the rest of them.

Bravo. With these bullets, we can shoot down the Resolution to increase our maintenance fee.

These must be discussed in the AGM before the vote on the Resolution can proceed. It seems like only one councilor is thinking. The rest? Dreaming?

One more thing. It seems the rest of the councilors are rather ignorant about how things work in the estate. That is why they readily go for increment of maintenance fee instead of looking for ways to cut cost.

It should be "cost-cutting" rather than "cost-cuting". Cost-cutting is definitely cuter and more likable than fee increment.

I like that proposal to allow the free use of the BBQ pit and the MPH. It is so logical. Detractors will counter that it will cause a loss of revenues. This is nothing compared to the cost saved by cutting down the M.O. staff by one.

I think v r saved. Those who propose to increase the maintenance fee would have to rebut these cost-cutting proposals convincingly, if they are worthy councilors.

That proposal to set up a website using our own in-house talent is marvellous. It would give our youngsters something worthwhile to do during their school break.

Doing without a Managing Agent, with MCST directly employing the management office staff. That is very true. I know of condos where this is done. Can save $1K to $2K.

Now, who says we have no choice but to increase the maintenance fee?

Guards are often caught sleeping. The estate is not well cleaned while the cleaners are not seen around during working hours. Signs of excess staffs?

I definitely will support these cost-cutting proposals. They are practical cost-savings ideas. Electricity is the killer. We should find ways and means to reduce its consumption.

Good thinking! If these proposals can be implemented and enforced, they wll turn around the account from a deficit to a surplus.

hbrooksp12 wrote:It should be "cost-cutting" rather than "cost-cuting". Cost-cutting is definitely cuter and more likable than fee increment.

Its been corrected.

Thanks.

I have updated the cost-cutting proposals with addition to change to LED lightings.

It is crystal clear that they are good proposals.

好注意！ 我支持。
Good ideas! I support them.

What about operating only one out of the two lifts in each lobby during the night, say, from 11.00pm to 6.00am?

The cost-cutting proposals by Mr. Ng are good. Let's hope the next council will work on them. I believe I speak for many other SPs when I say I prefer cost-cutting to revenue increment through raising the maintenance contribution.

I am a low-floor resident. Yes, the waterfall should be completely off at night. It is very disturbing at night.