Real time challenge at times: ICA

Today

29 Dec 2009

WE REFER to "Staying up to speed" (Dec 23) from Mr Ken Lotery.

Mr Lotery experienced a longer wait for clearance when he arrived at Changi Airport on the morning of Dec 19 as it was an unusual peak period.

There was bunching of several flights, each landing successively within short intervals of each other from 5am.

This resulted in a swell of travellers queueing especially at the Immigration Arrival Hall of Terminal 3 for clearance during the same time period when Mr Lotery's flight arrived at Changi Airport.

While the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) practises flexible manpower deployment on the ground, it can become operationally difficult when there is a lopsided concentration of flights at certain periods of the day causing a peak demand situation at a particular terminal. This poses real time challenge at times for the ICA.

All available manpower was deployed and a total of seven manual counters were opened in addition to the automated lanes for Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and eligible frequent travellers.

We, therefore, would like to seek the understanding of Mr Lotery that while we are constantly looking into ways to improve our clearance efficiency, there is a limit if we are faced with an unexpected situation of an unusual surge in arriving travellers who need to use the manual counters.

On the suggestion by Mr Lotery to print the Disembarkation/Embarkation (D/E) cards in both English and Chinese, he may be happy to know that as part of the ICA's efforts to create a visitor-friendly environment, the bilingual D/E cards, printed in English and one other language (Chinese/ Malay/Japanese), have been available since May 1, 2006.

These bilingual D/E cards are provided at all our checkpoints and on board all flights coming into Singapore. To minimise any inconvenience to others, travellers have been constantly reminded to complete the D/E cards properly and ensure they have their own passports before presenting themselves for immigration clearance. The cooperation and diligence of all travellers would contribute to the clearance efficiency.

The ICA is committed to service excellence and as Singapore's front-line ambassadors, our officers are mindful of the importance in projecting a professional image while carrying out their duties.

We agree that our officer could have handled the situation better by explaining to Mr Lotery the unusual circumstances that morning. We have advised the officer and thank Mr Lotery for his feedback.

Brenda Tham
Senior Public and Internal Communications Executive
Public and Internal Communications Branch
Corporate Communications Division, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority


Staying up to speed

Today

23 Dec 2009

I HAVE been a regular visitor to Singapore since the late 1970s, mostly on business trips. Last Saturday, I arrived at Terminal 3 at around 6am on an overnight flight from Shanghai.

I was dismayed to see long queues in the immigration hall. Four out of 12 desks were manned. My wife, a Singaporean, breezed through the electronic gate.

In addition, two desks for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents were manned. Needless to say, these two officers were seriously underemployed. Yet, no one seemed to have the gumption to reassign at least one of them to help their overwhelmed colleagues at the other desks.

After about 30 minutes, and having hardly moved, the lines stretched almost to the rear wall of the immigration hall. Another 30 minutes and I finally made it to the desk.

On enquiring if the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) had staffing problems, I was told in no uncertain terms, "yes". On telling the officer I was going to write to the newspapers, the reply was, "Yes, please do, say something".

Singapore used to pride itself on quick, efficient processing of arriving passengers. It's a shame if a first-time businessman to Singapore should be whisked from his aircraft through the high-tech arrival terminals only to run up against "Third World" lines at immigration.

May I offer a suggestion until the ICA gets more staff?

With the increasing number of mainland Chinese visitors, surely it is not beyond the wit of the ICA to print the arrival card in English and Chinese. This would speed things up as many people in front of me that day apparently had problems with the language.

I am also amazed that the ICA is sticking with this paper relic which appears not to have changed since I first visited Singapore in 1977. ICA is letting itself, and Singapore, down.

Ken Lotery