What is Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA)?
Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) was formed in 1991, with the aim to raise the academic level of Indian students in Singapore. In addition to that primary objective, SINDA also offers a range of programmers and services to assist families who approach them for various forms of assistance. Being as a self-help group that works to uplift the Singapore Indian Community, its key thrusts are in Education, Family Services and Active Collaboration. Therefore, “Maximising educational Opportunities for ALL” became their core thrust.
With their Vision to build a strong and vibrant Singaporean Indian community together, SINDA aims to build a well-educated, resilient and confident community of Indians that stands together with the other communities in contributing to the progress of multi-racial Singapore.
Some recommendations and strategies proposed by SINDA are as follow:
Encouraging parents to send their children to preschool centres- Focusing more on Mathematics through innovative teaching methods
- Expanding STEP tuition and Project Teach programmes to more pupils and schools
- Strengthening youth development by guiding them to stay focused and aim higher in their aspirations
- Building family resilience amongst Indian families by engaging with parents
- Strengthening community partnerships by collaborating with various organisations
Therefore, in order to help the Indian in Singapore to uplift the quality of living, all working Indians in Singapore either you are Singaporeans, Permanent Residents, Employment Pass holders and from the following groups with ethnic origins in the Indain sub-continents, such as Bangladeshis, Bengalis, Gujaratis, Parsees, Sikhs, Sinhalese, Telugus, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Goans, Malayalees, Punjabis, Sindhis and Tamils will contribute a monthly sum to the SINDA fund.
As to follow the SINDA 2020 review and the need to increase the reach and enhance programmes and services, there is an increase in expenditure. In addition with the budget deficits over the last three years, hence there is a need to increase in SINDA Fund contributions. As SINDA moving towards their reach and providing services to the right target group, their cost is expected to increase accordingly as well. Thus, there is indeed a need for the community to contribute more.
The rates from 1 January 2015 are as follows:
| Total amount of an employee’s wages for the calendar month | Contributions payable by an employee for the calendar month |
| ≤ $1,000 | $1.00 |
| > $1,000 to $1,500 | $3.00 |
| > $1,500 to $2,500 | $5.00 |
| > $2,500 to $4,500 | $7.00 |
| > $4,500 to $7,500 | $9.00 |
| > $7,500 to $10,000 | $12.00 |
| > $10,000 to $15,000 | $18.00 |
| > $15,000 | $30.00 |
The prescribed amounts will be automatically deducted from the wages of employees. If any employees wishes to contribute different amounts or opt out of the scheme, he/she has to obtain the relevant forms from SINDA and submit to his employers. Foreign workers on the Foreign Worker Levy Scheme do not have to contribute to the Fund.
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