Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Failed BCRS Refund Transactions

Question:

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment since the Beverage Container Return Scheme's launch (a) how many complaints have been received regarding refund failures; (b) what is the average resolution time for such complaints; and (c) whether automated refund crediting can be considered.

Answer:

In the first five months of the Return Right Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS), 95% of the 3.5 million transactions at the Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) were refunded on the spot.

For the remaining transactions, the scheme operator, BCRS Ltd., has committed to refunding the deposits within 30 days upon receiving the information required to process the claim. The time is needed to establish the validity of the claim and reconcile transaction records while guarding against fraudulent refund requests. As the scheme was launched only a few months ago, more time had been taken on a handful of cases, even as BCRS Ltd. actively improves their workflow.

BCRS Ltd. is required to ensure that refunds are made for all valid transactions. The National Environment Agency (NEA) is closely monitoring the rates of failed transactions at the RVMs and the refunds made by BCRS Ltd.. We will track BCRS Ltd.’s detailed performance metrics as the scheme’s operations stabilise.