SINGAPORE : CISCO officers will no longer share the same
insignia as Singapore Police Force officers, and will also don a
different uniform, says Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng.
On Monday, Mr Wong gave Parliament an update on CISCO's
corporatisation; he said the demand for armed security services has
increased in recent years.
CISCO uniforms will become a thing of the past.
It is one change that will happen as the industry is corporatised;
the plan was first announced in June last year.
The standards and performance of CISCO officers has been in the
news after an officer successfully thwarted a bank robbery in Bukit
Timah last year.
Mr Wong said with regulated and open competition, standards will be
raised further.
A new company, wholly owned by the government, will be set
up.
Mr Wong said, "With its corporatisation, CISCO will be freed from
the various obligations and restrictions placed upon it as a
statutory board under MHA. It need not follow the various
directives that are meant for government departments and statutory
boards, which might have hampered its ability to provide
competitive forces.
"The new company will operate as a wholly government-owned company
and will take over and continue to operate in all the business
areas that the CISCO Statutory Board is engaging in today. Going
forward, the new company can choose to enter new areas or exit
existing areas of businesses based on market forces."
The corporatisation of CISCO will create a level playing field for
the armed security industry.
It is hoped that this will not only enhance the protection of
Singapore's critical infrastructure but also help free up the
Singapore Police Force to focus on its core duties.
When corporatised, all of CISCO's assets, liabilities, staff and
contracts will be transferred to the new company.
The date of transfer and the dissolution of CISCO will be announced
later. - CNA