We refer to the article “National database that will speed up aid delivery to needy to be ready next year” (Straits Times, May 31).

National database of the needy?

It states that “Needy people who require help will get it more speedily when social service agencies start sharing a national database of information on aid recipients from the third quarter of next year.

Database cost $26.5m?

The tender to develop the system, called Social Service Net, was awarded to consultancy firm Accenture for $26.5 million, announced the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) on Friday.”

Costs of delivering social assistance?

– Reading the above gave us a sense of “discomfort”. Does it not perhaps indicate that we may have lost our sense of proportion in balancing the efficiency of the delivery of social assistance vis-a-vis the amount of financial assistance.

ComCare only spent $102.4 million in financial assistance to needy families a year. And we are spending $26.5 million on the database system?

What about the additional millions that are spent running the new social service offices and the existing family service centres, Community Development Councils (CDCs), etc?

Lead by example please?

As to the remarks “Close the income gap within each company by tweaking the wage shares of employees – “taking some from top management and giving them to those at the botttom” (“ESM Goh: Tweak employee wage shares in companies”, Sunday Times, Jun 1)

– Why don’t the Government take the lead by setting the example – Ministers and MPs take a pay cut, as well as spending some of the $36.1 billion Budget surplus in FY2012 according to the Department of Statistics using IMF fiscal reporting guidelines – on ComCare to give more help to more needy families?

SY Lee and Leong Sze Hian