Overview of Government's Strategy to Emerge Stronger from the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Overview of Government's Strategy to Emerge Stronger from the COVID-19 Pandemic›Ministerial Statements7 turns · 8,651w
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ministerial-statement-1488recorded 2020-10-05
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (Mr Heng Swee Keat)8559 words
[+11 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, after a most difficult past several months, the COVID-19 situation in Singapore has stabilised and large parts of the economy have resumed operations. It has been a test of a generation, which we have tackled as one nation. The Government has rolled out a decisive set of crisis management measures to minimise and cushion economic impact, preserve jobs and capabilities, and support households. This includes the support measures which I announced in August, before the Opening of Parliament. I made the announcement then, as some of the support schemes were ending in August and we needed to give our firms and workers certainty during this difficult period. We are now tabling a Supplementary Supply Bill, which provides for the resources to implement the measures announced in August, for debate in Parliament. My Ministerial Statement today will provide context for the Supplementary Supply Bill. Mr Speaker, Sir, our four earlier Budgets committed close to $100 billion of support measures to deal with COVID-19. This is on top of other measures such as special relief measures for debtors and tenants. These measures have substantially cushioned the economic impact. MAS estimates that the combined Budgets will prevent the economy from contracting by a further 5.6% of GDP in 2020 and 4.8% in 2021. Our economic support measures will also offset some of the rise in resident unemployment rate by about 1.7 percentage points this year. This could mean about 155,000 jobs saved over these two years, although we will still see job losses overall. More than half of the jobs saved are due to the Jobs Support Scheme or JSS alone.[+53 sentences] This outcome has only been possible with the collective determination, adaptability and sacrifice of our people and businesses. Today, I want to look forward, and share how we will approach the next six months as our economy reopens, as well as our plans for our longer term economic recovery to emerge stronger. The trajectory of our economic recovery depends critically on how well the world deals with this still dangerous virus. Every passing day brings new surprises and new hope. Even as we learn more about it, there are profound uncertainties ahead. One major uncertainty is how effective other countries are in containing the pandemic and the success of policies they adopt in opening their economies. Another key uncertainty is whether, and when, an effective and safe vaccine can be developed. Even if such a vaccine becomes available, the pandemic may not end quickly. Supply of the vaccine will be limited initially, and global rollout is likely to be uneven. We do not know how long the protective effect may last, or if mutation of the virus may render it ineffective. But there is also hope that we can overcome this crisis. In our fight against COVID-19, we are currently in a stable position, but we must remain vigilant. Amid the uncertainties, we are adapting to living with the virus. We have worked out the steps to further re-open safely in the months ahead. We are putting ourselves in the best position to fight COVID-19 by focusing on four key prongs. First, vaccination. We are working very actively to secure early access to safe and effective vaccines, if and when they become available. Singapore is an early supporter of the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access or COVAX Facility, which accelerates the development and production of, and equitable access to potential COVID-19 vaccines. Together with Switzerland, Singapore co-chairs the Friends of the COVAX Facility to promote vaccine multi-lateralisation. Singapore is also pursuing the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines with a number of pharmaceutical companies. At the same time, we are supporting local efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine as well as building up vaccine manufacturing capacity. Second, testing. In the meantime, we have increased our Polymerase Chain Reaction or PCR testing capacity manifold, and are close to our target of being able to conduct 40,000 laboratory tests a day. We are also evaluating new testing technologies that are less invasive and can produce test results more quickly. This enhanced testing capability will help us safely resume more activities sooner. Third, tracing. Swift contact tracing and isolation of infected individuals are key to limiting the spread of the virus. Our contact tracing teams are doing a sterling job and using digital tools well. The TraceTogether app, together with tokens that are being distributed nationwide, and the SafeEntry programme, enable contact tracing to reach the speed and coverage needed to rapidly contain viral transmission. Fourth, safe management. We must continue to adhere to safe management measures and do our part to facilitate contact tracing. Keeping community infections low is the key to re-opening our economy safely. The Multi-Ministry Task force co-chaired by Ministers Gan Kim Yong and Lawrence Wong will be releasing more details on the roadmap to Phase Three in the coming weeks. This will include the expected timeline for moving to Phase Three, changes to current regulations on the size of group gatherings, and participation at mass events. While managing the healthcare front of the COVID-19 battle, we must also deal with economic and social fronts. Many of our businesses, workers, and households have been hit hard by the disruptions and uncertainties due to COVID-19. Our path to recovery will not be easy. Our support over the four Budgets has been to provide immediate relief and also to minimise the scarring effects of COVID-19 on our economy, by preparing our businesses and workers to emerge stronger. In short, we are working together to alleviate near-term pains to build for a better tomorrow. We will remain focused on these over the next six months and beyond. With the situation stabilising in Singapore and some parts of the world, we will progressively open up more activities, at a pace that enables new practices to be internalised, to keep everyone safe. The performance and outlook for different economic sectors is highly uneven. Some sectors are doing better than before COVID-19. Firms in the IT, biomedical, e-commerce and finance sectors have benefited from the rise in demand for these services during this period. Some restaurants and hawkers are on their way to recovery. Construction activities will gradually resume as we complete the testing of workers and as they adjust to new safe management measures. But sectors that involve the movement of people across borders, such as aviation and tourism, will recover only when people around the world feel safe enough to resume travel and this will take some time. And businesses that involve large gatherings, such as in MICE, sports and concerts, will recover slowly, unless rapid test kits are effective in screening participants for safe entry. Not only are the outlooks different for different sectors, but within sectors, firms that have been nimble are doing better. For instance, some wet market stalls started online selling, and are enjoying robust business. Given these differences in outlook between and within sectors, we have adjusted broad-based wage support under JSS. For the hardest-hit sectors such as aviation and tourism, which face an uncertain road to recovery, our aim is to help companies preserve core capabilities and enable workers to retain specialised skills. As earlier announced in August, this will be through the Enhanced Aviation Support Package, a temporary redeployment programme, and the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers. In addition, we will extend the Enhanced Training Support Package, or ETSP, which I enhanced in the Resilience Budget. I will extend the ETSP for another six months, until 30 June 2021, to provide enhanced course fee subsidies for firms in our hardest-hit sectors. I will extend the ETSP to the Marine and Offshore sector from today, on top of the existing sectors, such as Air Transport, Retail, and Tourism. In recognition of the gradually recovering economic situation, we will also be lowering the absentee payroll rates to 80% from January 2021, capped at $7.50 per hour.[+6 sentences] In tandem, we will continue to provide strong support to firms that are growing. In this way, our workers can move into growth areas, stay employed, and build new skills. We have enhanced support for start-ups, via the Startup SG Founder programme. Since I announced the enhancements in August, more than 500 aspiring entrepreneurs have signed up for the three-month Venture Building programmes. We will provide wage support of between 25% and 50% for each new local hire in firms which increase their total local headcount, through the Jobs Growth Incentive, or JGI. The support will be for the first $5,000 of gross monthly wages for up to 12 months. As persons with disabilities may face greater challenges in finding jobs, I will provide the higher tier of wage support of 50% under the JGI to all Persons with Disabilities.[+23 sentences] This will apply to new hires of Persons with Disabilities from September 2020 to February 2021. To give a boost to businesses seeking to internationalise, transform and digitalise, I will extend or enhance our capability-building grants, namely the Market Readiness Assistance Grant, the Productivity Solutions Grant, the Enterprise Development Grant, and the PACT programme. These will enable firms to tap on new sources of growth. MTI will announce details in the coming weeks. Even as we shift our approach in supporting businesses and workers as the economy recovers, we will make sure that the support does not taper off too sharply. We had earlier enhanced support through loan schemes to provide working capital support for viable businesses. We will extend the Temporary Bridging Loan Programme for six months, until September 2021, at reduced levels. MAS will also extend the MAS Singapore Dollar Facility for Enterprise Singapore Loans, until September 2021. We will adjust the support available under the Enterprise Financing Scheme to help Singapore enterprises access financing in areas such as trade and project needs. MTI and MAS will announce more details later. Later today, MAS will be announcing details on the extension of payment moratoriums, at a tapered level of support. Taken together, the staging of these measures avoids sharp drops in support, while facilitating restructuring where needed. All this support for our firms will ultimately benefit our workers. The best way to protect the welfare of our workers is a good job. By helping viable firms stay afloat during this difficult period, they can retain their workers. By helping firms to restructure and retrain their workers, they can emerge stronger. More competitive and productive firms can provide better jobs and better prospects for workers. And more skilled and committed workers make firms more competitive. This synergy between competitive firms and capable workers is critical for both to do well. As part of our long-standing practice of tripartism, we must not fear, but instead ride on change together to achieve synergies and to emerge stronger. But even with the best efforts, some firms, especially in hardest hit sectors, may not survive, or may have to release some of their workers. So, other than supporting workers through our firms, we will continue to provide our fullest support to workers who have lost their jobs, to help them reskill and move into firms that are hiring. The National Jobs Council is implementing the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package that I announced at the Fortitude Budget in May. The Council has curated 117,500 opportunities under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package as of end-August.[+3 sentences] This is good progress, but we must press on. The Council is working closely with companies to hire mid-career jobseekers looking to make a switch in their careers and to redeploy workers in affected sectors where activities are low, such as aviation and tourism, to areas of need and where their skills are valued, such as healthcare and childcare. It is also engaging companies to offer traineeships, company attachments and training opportunities, which can later lead to good jobs. The key task is now to make sure that workers know of and are successfully matched to these opportunities.[+1 sentence] We are doing this across multiple channels. We have set up SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres in every HDB town and have Career Ambassadors to reach out to residents.[+5 sentences] The Singapore Business Federation, or SBF, is working closely with other TACs and NTUC’s e2i to do business-to-business job matching across sectors, through the SBF SGUnited Jobs Initiative. MOM and WSG will also be appointing employment agencies as Placement Partners, to assist in placements. I encourage everyone to step out of your comfort zones and keep an open mind to learn new skills and take on new jobs. One good example is Ms Tan Bee Lian, who is preparing to be a Healthcare Assistant after being in the oil and gas industry for over 30 years. This is very commendable. To help those who have lost their jobs, MSF has recently extended the COVID-19 Support Grant, and applications are open until the end of the year.[+11 sentences] Beyond this year, we are studying the support for self-employed persons and workers who are most vulnerable. The continuation and form of support will depend on the labour market situation and economic outlook. One key consideration is to make a stronger link to helping individuals find a new job or to acquire new skills. In this way, we can better prepare our displaced workers for new opportunities as firms restructure. We will provide an update before the end of the year. Other than supporting our businesses and workers, we will also continue to support our households. The household support announced earlier continues to flow in the coming months. Please refer to this slide on schedule of support measures, which will also be digitally distributed to Members after the session. In it, you will notice that in October alone, eligible households will receive the GST Voucher – U-Save, the first tranche of Grocery Vouchers, and Service and Conservancy Charges, or S&CC, rebates. Eligible lower income workers will also receive the October tranche of Workfare Special Payment. We have received feedback that COVID-19 has caused some aspiring parents to postpone their parenthood plans. This is fully understandable, especially when they face uncertainty with their income. Hence, to help with expenses during this period, we will introduce a one-off additional support for newborns.[+32 sentences] This will be on top of the Baby Bonus Cash Gift, which provides eligible parents up to $10,000 in benefits. Minister Indranee will share more details on the additional support soon. I have laid out our approach to support our firms, workers and households in dealing with COVID-19 in the next six months and to have more babies. We will adjust our support if necessary, in response to changes on the medical front and global economic developments. I hope that businesses, workers and households will make good use of these resources in the months ahead. Beyond the immediate crisis, we want to emerge from COVID-19 stronger as a society and more united as a people. We are determined to have better jobs for our workers and stronger support to enable them to bounce back if they fall. We want to build an endearing home for future generations, and a fair and caring society based on what we stand for as a people. To deliver on these priorities, we need a dynamic and growing economy, with good jobs for all Singaporeans. Economic growth is an enabler for individuals and families to realise their aspirations and ensures that the public sector is adequately resourced to invest in our national priorities. Given the importance of economic growth as an enabler, I will now spend some time to sketch out the broad strokes of our strategy. The post-COVID-19 global economy will be different. Our future economy must be responsive to structural shifts, many of which have been accelerated by COVID-19. Support for globalisation is weakening and some countries are turning inwards. The adoption of digital technology has been given renewed impetus, unlocking new sources of return. Digital technology and its many applications are the new capital of the innovation-driven future economy. Asia continues to rise in global economic weight, as its recovery accelerates. Ensuring sustainability and care for the environment are gaining momentum. At home, we face slowing resident labour force growth. Future economic growth will come from raising productivity across the economy. So, we must make the best use of the skills and talents of our people and use new technology as a key complement. We are at a critical juncture in our economic development and the stakes are high. In the next few years, economies will undergo rapid transitions. Depending on their response, COVID-19 will benefit some and disadvantage others, whether at the firm-level, sector-level, or across the entire economy. We must take the actions now that will allow us to not just get through COVID-19, but more crucially, gain ground that will pave the way for our next lap of economic growth in the next five to 10 years. I will speak on what we are preparing for in this next lap of growth. Before I get into the details, I wish to stress that everything this Government does to protect, re-open, and grow our economy – we do, not for the economy’s sake, but for our people. We strive to secure a way for Singapore to continue to make a good living, so that Singaporeans can have a good life. This is our guiding principle. Thankfully, we are in a good position. Since 2017, the Future Economy Council has been driving the implementation of our Industry Transformation Maps, or ITMs, to restructure our economy sector by sector, firm by firm. We have made good progress. Before COVID-19, our resident unemployment rate was low at 3.2% as at end-2019. Between 2016 and 2019, overall productivity, measured by real value added per actual hour worked, rose by a creditable 2.4% per year.[+1 sentence] This is also an improvement over the 2.2% per year growth in the preceding three-year period. Overall, real median income for Singaporeans grew by 3.7% per year in the last three years, up from 3.2% in the preceding three years.[+25 sentences] Incomes at the 20th percentile grew by 4.4% per year in the past three years, up from 4% in the preceding three years. In 2015, we launched the SkillsFuture movement as well as our Research, Innovation and Enterprise, or RIE 2020 plan. These support our ITM work by strengthening our foundations of skills and innovation. We are building on our good position and keeping up the pace. In the midst of this pandemic, we set up the Emerging Stronger Taskforce in May to update our economic roadmap to respond to the new realities and to emerge with a new competitive edge. There are many new business and growth opportunities for Singapore to seize, and the Taskforce has already made significant progress in this through the Alliances for Action. As rapid-action taskforces, the seven Alliances have rallied key players around common challenges faced by industry. They are developing prototypes to validate new business ideas, new business models, and new business solutions, in areas such as sustainability, robotics, and safe visitor experiences. Government agencies are partnering businesses to review regulations and promote innovation. Beyond the first wave of Alliances, the Taskforce is looking to launch new Alliances to build momentum for change and explore opportunities in new areas of growth, such as MedTech. The Taskforce will share more details. All these moves build on our ITM framework to deliver a refreshed economic strategy for a post-COVID-19 world, with emphasis on three priority areas. First, remaking Singapore as a Global-Asia node of technology, innovation, and enterprise. We will secure our external economic linkages as a vital global node in Asia and transform ourselves into a vibrant centre of technology and innovation. Second, redoubling our efforts to foster inclusive growth. With COVID-19 revealing vulnerabilities in our labour market, we need to better understand its structure, and upgrade jobs and skills across all segments of society. Third, investing in economic resilience and sustainability as a source of competitive advantage. Our resilience can be a source of growth, at many levels – for our individuals, industries, nation, and the world. Let me start with the first key move, which is to remake ourselves as a Global-Asia node of technology, innovation and enterprise. COVID-19 has changed travel patterns, sharpened the fragmentation of supply chains and accelerated digitalisation in different markets. It has heightened emphasis on resilience as companies and countries review their operations. Asia, in particular Southeast Asia, will continue to grow as one of the key global engines. We must deepen and broaden links to build up Singapore’s role at the heart of Asia’s growth, while forging connectivity with other key markets. A role that we have played in our long history as a trading port and which we will renew in two ways: one, rebuild and grow our physical connectivity – in travel and trade; and, two, enhance and expand our digital connectivity. Our air hub has been badly affected by COVID-19 and we are sparing no effort to rebuild it. Compared with last year, passenger traffic has fallen by more than 98% in August, with daily passenger volume of about 3,000, down sharply from 190,000 previously.[+8 sentences] When global passenger traffic resumes, as it surely will, the Changi Air Hub will resume its role at the Global-Asia node, together with all the related sectors such as tourism, manufacturing and logistics. Accordingly, we must re-establish our position by reopening our borders gradually, positioning Singapore as a safe destination, levelling up capabilities and refreshing our infrastructure. We are committed to revive our air hub and restore our air connectivity. The Multi-Ministry Taskforce is studying this carefully as part of our broader re-opening plans and the Minister for Transport will share more in his Ministerial Statement tomorrow. Our maritime trade has to date remained resilient to COVID-19, and we will accelerate moves to strengthen our position. Notwithstanding the 13.5% drop in global trade on a year-on-year basis in the first half of 2020, container throughput at Singapore's ports fell by a milder 1.1% over the same period. At the same time, firms are more prepared to diversify their operating bases to increase resilience. So, we must press on with improving transhipment capabilities, inking trade facilitation agreements and anchoring key shipping routes through Singapore. The first few berths of Tuas Port are on track to be operational by 2021. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is slated to be signed this year, connecting a trade region of 15 countries accounting for about 30% of the global population and GDP.[+8 sentences] Moving ahead, we will further strengthen our value proposition through greater regional cooperation, and by building up a leading trade and logistics eco-system. Southeast Asia can benefit from the greater premium on supply chain resilience through regional cooperation. For example, the Iskandar Malaysia and Batam, Bintan, Karimun region presents good opportunities for companies to cluster the full value chain of complementary activities from research and development, to regional headquarters and manufacturing. To support our ambitions, we will significantly strengthen our entire trade and logistics ecosystem, deepening capabilities in our port, airport and beyond. We will enhance our infrastructure for Singapore to handle larger flows of food, pharmaceuticals, electronics and e-commerce. We will accelerate the build-up of digital capabilities, which will be a game-changer for Singapore’s connectivity with Asia and the world. Digital payments and data facilitate physical trade. It makes the exchange of varied goods and services more efficient, opens up new possibilities, and strengthens our value proposition as a trading node. Within Singapore, the Alliance on Supply Chain Digitalisation is exploring options and bringing together key players across the supply chain in this venture. We have also concluded Digital Economy Agreements with Australia, Chile and New Zealand, and have ongoing talks with South Korea.[+4 sentences] These agreements establish common frameworks and rules for digital trade, enabling our businesses, especially SMEs, to access international markets more easily. These moves to enhance Singapore’s digital connectivity will open up new markets and opportunities for our businesses. As part of our ITM work, we are helping firms to make full use of digital technology. COVID-19 has accelerated the digitalisation and transformation of many businesses, big and small. Since January this year, enterprises have embarked on over 27,000 projects to improve their productivity and build new capabilities through the Productivity Solutions Grant and the Enterprise Development Grant schemes.[+36 sentences] During my dialogue with businesses on Friday, I met the founder of Seonggong, a restaurant group with brands such as Seorae Korean BBQ. Seonggong used digital technology to revamp its operations, from accounting to ordering to procurement. So much so that increased sales from online deliveries have more than offset losses from their dine-in business, by 10%. The experience of businesses shows that digitalisation is a strategic capability to unlock growth, evolve their models to harness digital possibilities and to integrate processes such as logistics, payment and marketing. We will press on with our ITM work, which helps businesses big and small, to transform holistically, bringing together the different aspects needed to upgrade. A key priority for us now is to build on this momentum and bring digitalisation to our heartlands. Senior Minister of State Sim Ann and Minister of State Low Yen Ling will be announcing further plans for heartland enterprises in the coming days. I have spoken on seizing new opportunities through physical and digital connectivity. Beyond being an effective and trusted broker for trade and digital flows, we must be a key node where new ideas are born and nurtured into globally-competitive enterprises. Today, we have a business-friendly environment, strong rule of law, a skilled and diverse workforce, advanced infrastructure and a globally-competitive eco-system of financial and professional services. We must continue to build on these complementary strengths built up over the years. We will be unveiling a new five-year Research, Innovation and Enterprise, or RIE plan in December. The plan will build on earlier investments and enhance research to support areas of national priority, such as early childhood development, lifelong learning and keeping our seniors healthy. We will expand our transformation of the manufacturing, aviation and maritime industries, and deepen our capabilities as a Smart Nation and sustainable society. We will also position Singapore as a global intellectual property, or IP, centre in Asia. Ministers Indranee Rajah and Edwin Tong are leading our efforts on our Singapore IP Strategy 2030, and will share details at World IP Day. A major effort will be to integrate the work of the Future Economy Council and our RIE plan, so as to accelerate our transformation into an innovation-led economy, powered by technology. In this way, our businesses can be more competitive and our workers can have better job prospects. An example of how we will scale up the translation of ideas and technology into business improvements is through the use of innovation platforms that bring industry and researchers to work together on specific challenges. We are also promoting the Open Innovation Network, an online platform which brings problem owners and problem solvers together to create industry-led solutions. Since 2017, a total of close to $13 million in grant and prize monies has been awarded to firms with viable solutions to deploy and scale their ideas under Enterprise Singapore’s Gov-PACT and IMDA’s Open Innovation Platform. This year, we have taken this further, with two rounds of National Innovation Challenges. We hope to see the outcome of these in the coming months. To summarise, we are making good progress in our move to position Singapore as a Global-Asia node of technology, innovation and enterprise. By enhancing our connectivity and making innovation pervasive, we can better meet the challenges of a post-COVID world, and create good jobs and a brighter future for all Singaporeans. Our aim is not just to grow a vibrant, innovative economy, but an inclusive economy, where growth uplifts all Singaporeans. To achieve inclusive growth, our workers need to have the skills to stay relevant and we need to provide holistic support to uplift our vulnerable workers. First, skills. To take on good jobs and enjoy the fruits of growth, our workers need the right skills for the job. We have a strong base of human capital developed through our education system. But there are big changes upon us. There is stiffer global competition. With deep technological changes, skills are going obsolete faster. We will therefore need extensive upskilling and continual reskilling of our workforce, to equip our workers to continue to get good jobs. We want to do so for every worker at every age. We are investing significantly. This year, we have set aside about $3 billion for the SGUnited Jobs and Skills package to provide immediate employment and training support for our workers. This is on top of the close to $5 billion set aside over three years for our longer term structural measures, to support workers of all ages to upskill and access new job opportunities.[+8 sentences] Firms and training providers have a major part to play. I urge all firms to make full use of the schemes for developing our people. We have a suite of leadership development programmes for Singaporeans at various stages of their careers, such as the Global Ready Talent Programme and the SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative. Companies on the Human Capital Partnership, or HCP Programme, which recognises fair and progressive employers, have also benefited, as the HCP mark endorses them as employers of choice. We will work closely with industry and training providers, to make sure that the skills workers learn are useful. Skills upgrading is most effective when the training is relevant to the company’s needs and jobseekers have certainty in the value of the training. For example, through NTUC’s Company Training Committees, our Professional Conversion Programmes, or PCPs, and TechSkills Accelerator Company-Led Training programme for ICT jobs. These have had good outcomes. For example, about nine in 10 of PCP employees remained in employment 24 months after being placed, and about seven in 10 saw a wage increase after starting their new jobs.[+11 sentences] As part of this whole-of-society movement to build skills, companies too, need better skills! Skills to develop their workers, and redesign skills-based jobs to move beyond paper-based qualifications. We will continue our work through our ITMs, together with our unions, to drive these changes in each firm and in each sector. And finally, individuals have a key part to play in taking charge of their own learning. Our schools provide a good foundation. We are increasing the digital skills content in our schools and Institutes of Higher Learning to prepare our young for a digital future. But learning does not stop after leaving school. We spend more years outside of school than in school. We all need to learn through life. In the process, we can enrich our lives, and our society at large. Even as we level up the skills of every worker at every age, we still need to bring in global talent to complement our Singapore talent. By building on complementary strengths, we can build cutting-edge capabilities in our workforce and our firms and plug into global networks.[+1 sentence] This will ultimately benefit all Singaporean workers. We will continue to update our foreign workforce policies carefully, such as our Employment Pass and S Pass rules, to achieve this synergy.[+19 sentences] Let us all play our part in building a strong, skilled workforce together. Singaporeans, growing up in a multi-cultural society, have an edge in building relationships with people around the world, especially in a more fragmented post-COVID landscape. Let us build on this. I have covered how we will grow skills across the workforce to keep our workers competitive. The second way to ensure inclusive growth is to help vulnerable and lower wage workers raise their skills and secure good jobs. I had a good discussion recently with career coaches and union leaders, to better understand the challenges experienced by different groups of jobseekers. Each worker also faced different challenges. For some, it was a skills gap issue. For others, it was an issue of expectations – trying to find a job which matched their earlier salary. For yet others, especially mid-career and mature executives, employers were concerned about whether they could adapt. These are all important issues that we need to tackle together, urgently. For example, our lower income workers have been particularly hard hit by COVID-19. Many of these workers face a twin challenge, as they are also in sectors that will be affected by longer-term structural changes in the economy, such as retail or F&B. Some are also in the gig economy. Our middle income and middle-aged workers also have heavy family responsibilities and commitments, but face the challenges of a rapidly evolving labour market. For all these workers, there is even more urgency to upskill and transition into jobs with good long-term prospects. In the design of our support schemes, we have been deliberate in channelling additional support to vulnerable groups, to help them access opportunities and stay in good jobs. For example, mature and older workers are eligible for higher wage support in our career conversion programmes, as well as higher course fee subsidies. I announced some of these earlier this year as part of our SkillsFuture Mid-Career Support Package. Our lower income workers also get additional support for skills upgrading via the Workfare Skills Support scheme. This has been implemented in July 2020 to better support acquisition of skills and qualifications that are more likely to lead to higher wages.[+6 sentences] The Progressive Wage Model, or PWM, is an important labour policy innovation. PWM is more than a sector-based minimum wage. It is a four-in-one framework comprising a Job Ladder, Skills Ladder, Productivity Ladder and Wage Ladder. These four upgrading ladders are mutually reinforcing. By offering a proper career ladder, skills upgrading ladder, productivity improvement ladder and wage enhancement ladder, our four-in-one PWM transforms jobs that are traditionally less attractive to our locals. We will expand PWM to more sectors over time, while making sure that businesses in those sectors can absorb this change. Companies that voluntarily pay progressive wages and provide advancement pathways for lower income workers will also be recognised with a PWM Mark.[+1 sentence] In doing so, we will raise skill levels and create more and better jobs. And in time, we will slow down the future growth of the foreign workforce in these sectors. We may still be battling the downturn, but will be actively looking to identify the next few sectors where we can use the four-in-one PWM framework to redesign jobs and raise skills levels, and expand PWM to benefit more groups of lower wage workers as soon as conditions allow.[+8 sentences] This will also mean that business costs will go up, which will add to the difficulty of businesses during this time. But COVID-19 has highlighted why it is critical, for long-term survival, for firms to be more manpower-lean, productive and have jobs that are attractive to our locals. We will have to explore solutions and the Government will provide support for the transition. It is a continuing journey to improve the job market for our more vulnerable workers. Beyond incentives, we need to shift culture and employer mindsets. But if we focus on the strengths of our workers and adopt flexibility in job design and redesign, we can customise creative solutions for different groups of workers. For example, we know that some workers find it hard to travel far for work. At the same time, some of the shops in our heartlands may find it difficult to find workers. By putting these job openings together, and placing them at potential touchpoints like Social Services Offices, Community Centres, MyCareersFuture portal, and SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres, we can facilitate job matches for these workers. I have asked Minister of State Low Yen Ling, who is also Chairperson of the Mayors' Committee, to look into how we can better help our displaced mature professionals, and how we can make better use of micro-jobs to bring job opportunities closer to the heartlands.[+59 sentences] More details will be announced later. Given the scale of structural changes in the global economy, we need to redesign jobs and reskill workers, across all our ITMs, in significant ways. We need to be innovative in pursuing this and work in close partnerships between employers, workers and our unions. It will take time and effort, but if done well, will usher in a more dynamic and inclusive economy. I have covered the first and second moves in this next phase of our industry transformation journey. Our third move is to invest in our economic resilience and sustainability as a source of growth and competitive advantage. Economic resilience is not a new idea for Singapore. We have achieved resilience through a diversified economic structure, with multiple engines of growth. No one industry accounts for much more than 20% of our GDP, so we do not put all our eggs in one basket. We thus entered the COVID-19 pandemic on a relatively strong footing. We were able to ensure sufficient medical supplies and essential goods for our public and healthcare workers because we had a strategic national stockpile in place, supported by a combination of local production of essential supplies, and a diverse network of trading partners. Nonetheless, COVID-19 exposed vulnerabilities around the world. Beyond essential goods, critical inputs for industrial production and access to workers were cut off due to global work stoppages and travel bans. Demand also ground to a halt in many industries. We must therefore act now to improve our economic resilience. In doing this, we may have to creatively combine the efficiency of having things ready "just in time" with the resilience of building buffers "just in case". Will this drive for resilience come at the expense of growth and efficiency? Not necessarily so. For example, firms that embrace technology raise not only productivity, but also resilience. Lingjack, a manufacturer of fire extinguishers, automated its labour-intensive production lines in 2017. With over 90% of its production lines automated, Lingjack achieved efficiency gains of up to 40%. At the same time, this also made the company less vulnerable to worker shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. One key way to enhance our resilience and to grow is to produce essential supplies locally, which can be used both for local consumption and export. One example is medical supplies, such as masks and test kits. Another example is food. We set ourselves the ambitious "30 by 30" goal of producing 30% of our nutritional needs locally by 2030, up from less than 10% today. Our agri-food sector will enhance our resilience to food supply disruptions. The technology developed in support of this strategy, such as in seeds and alternative proteins, can be exported. We can grow these capabilities, building on our strengths in R&D and our standing as a trusted hub. Singapore is already the global R&D centre for AgriProtein, one of the world's leading insect protein companies. The R&D team develops technologies to upcycle food waste into sustainable animal feed solutions. As we grapple with climate change, environmental sustainability is an important aspect of our economic resilience for a low-carbon and resource-constrained future. Here again is an opportunity for the green sector to be a growth industry in its own right and to power our economy. First, we are transforming our industries to build a sustainable economy. We will continue to invest in research into energy and resource efficiency technologies and encourage adoption of these technologies through various incentives under EDB, EMA, BCA and NEA. Going forward, we will further promote the decarbonisation of the economy and pursue initiatives for a more sustainable economy. Under our Zero Waste Masterplan, we will promote the circular economy and support businesses to turn "trash to treasure", namely, to recycle or transform waste into useful inputs for production. Harnessing the circular economy model, JTC is working with companies on Jurong Island to build a more sustainable Jurong Island. We are increasing our deployment of renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, at both the national and industry level. And we will invest in new capabilities and solutions, such as hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and storage to complement our existing R&D efforts. In time, we hope that these promising technologies can become commercially viable decarbonisation pathways in future. Even as we transform our existing industries, we are seeking new business opportunities in the green economy, given our region's growing needs for sustainable development. We will establish ourselves as a carbon services hub in Asia. Efforts to limit the growth of carbon emissions will increase the demand for engineering, legal and consultancy services related to carbon. The Alliance for Action for Sustainability is market-testing some concepts and business opportunities. Finance is also an important enabler of green growth. We are developing financing solutions and markets in Singapore to help firms finance their adoption of more sustainable practices under MAS' Green Finance Action Plan. Taken together, our moves to strengthen our economic resilience and sustainability serve a dual purpose. They strengthen our economy so that we can bounce back quickly and better from shocks, while adding to our value proposition as a vital global node in Asia. In turn, all these initiatives will create many new opportunities and valuable jobs for our people. Mr Speaker, Sir, I have set out a set of interlocking strategies that will enable us to build back better and emerge stronger from this crisis. These strategies strengthen both our economy and our social compact. The key to achieving our objectives is working together. In our system, tripartism – between the Government, businesses and the Labour Movement – has been a tremendous source of strength. Our Emerging Stronger Taskforce's Alliances for Action are a new form of collaborative partnership – nimble, action-focused partnerships that involve people from a wide spectrum of society, while putting ideas into action quickly. This will further strengthen our capacity for economic transformation and change. By working together, our businesses will be better positioned to capture new opportunities in Asia, digitalisation, innovation and to build a more resilient and sustainable economy. Our people will be better placed to take on these new opportunities and bounce back from setbacks. We can then emerge from this pandemic stronger as an economy, as a society and as one people. As I announced in my August's Ministerial Statement, the continued support for our fight against COVID-19 will cost a further $8 billion this financial year. The additional measures I have spoken on today remain within this and earlier voted sums. I will fund the additional expenditure by reallocating monies from other areas with reduced spending, such as development projects that have been delayed due to COVID-19.[+4 sentences] The proposed reallocations are indicated in the Supplementary Estimates presented to Parliament today. When I announced the Fortitude Budget just after the start of the financial year, the economic situation and overall revenue picture were highly uncertain. We are now in the middle of the financial year and are in a better position to revise the overall revenue estimates. Hence, I am presenting the revised revenue estimates to Parliament, which will also take into account the revenue forgone arising from measures in the Fortitude Budget. The revised estimates will reflect a $1.5 billion draw on Past Reserves resulting from these measures, such as the Foreign Worker Levy waiver, for which the President had given in-principle approval.[+2 sentences] There is no additional draw for this latest support package itself. When I briefed the President and the Council of Presidential Advisers in August, I thanked them for their earlier support and approval for the use of Past Reserves to fund our response to COVID-19. In total, we are dedicating close to $100 billion to support our people and businesses.[+2 sentences] We are starting this new term of Government from a most challenging fiscal position. For this financial year, we already expect operating revenues to be 16% lower than initial estimates presented at the Unity Budget in February 2020. Revenue collections are expected to fall across all categories of revenue. For example, compared to the estimates at the start of the year, we expect GST collections to be down by 14%.[+4 sentences] We expect our revenue position to be weak for a number of years, as the effects of COVID-19 on the global economy linger and our economy slows. At the same time, our expenditure will rise as we continue to provide support for our people and businesses. In short, the Government is bearing a substantial part of the economy-wide adjustment during this crisis, through reduced revenues and substantial transfers to households and businesses. This challenging fiscal position is a result of a global pandemic that no one could have predicted. What is within our control is how we use our fiscal resources well to respond to this crisis and to prepare for the future. We have dedicated close to $100 billion to support our people and businesses through this difficult period.[+21 sentences] As we do so, we must be careful not to spend in a way that squanders what generations before us have painstakingly built up. Our guiding principle is prudence, not austerity. We will continue to invest decisively in our national priorities, with a deep commitment to leave behind a better future for our children. There is much work to be done to transform our economy, and to build a fair and inclusive society, a sustainable and liveable city, and a safe and secure Singapore. We will have to find ways to fund these sustainably – higher taxes, and more effective spending. These are difficult choices, but we must meet them head-on. We will pay for our recurrent needs, like healthcare spending, with recurrent revenues, such as taxes. We will also maintain a disciplined and judicious use of borrowing, reserving its use for long-term infrastructure whose benefits are spread across many generations. Our Past Reserves have been critical in our fight against COVID-19. Governments around the world have committed trillions of dollars in response to COVID-19, and their debt levels have risen to record highs. Such debt will take generations to pay off. We have avoided this outcome because successive generations have built up strong reserves ahead of this crisis. We must have the discipline to start earning, saving, and investing for the future again. COVID-19 is not our first crisis and certainly will not be the last. Mr Speaker, Sir, before I conclude, allow me to say a few words in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): The COVID-19 situation in Singapore has stabilised. The key to controlling the pandemic is Singaporeans working together. We must remain vigilant and continue to cooperate in disease prevention and comply with the safe distancing measures. Testing, tracing, development and production of vaccines as well as the progress of controlling the pandemic in other countries will determine when we can safely reopen all our economic activities. At present, the pace of recovery varies across sectors. Hence, we will continue to provide assistance to Singaporeans and businesses from now till the next financial year or beyond. I understand that many businesses are still facing liquidity problems. I will extend the Temporary Bridging Loan Programme until September 2021, at reduced levels.[+19 sentences] The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) will also extend the MAS Singapore Dollar Facility for Enterprise Singapore Loans to help businesses continue to access credit. In addition, we will extend the Enhanced Training Support Package to June 2021 to provide course fee subsidies to hardest-hit sectors such as aviation and tourism. We understand that the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic has caused many young families to postpone their parenthood plans. Hence, we will provide eligible couples with a one-off additional support to help them reduce their child-rearing burden. The Government has started to draw up the Budget for 2021. We will continue to work closely with businesses, workers and community organisations to chart the way forward for Singapore. In order to create more quality jobs for our people, we need a flourishing economy. Fortunately, the Government has already started on industry transformation with the setting up of the Future Economy Council and introduced the Industry Transformation Maps for the various sectors. We have also established the Emerging Stronger Taskforce to refresh our economic strategy to prepare for the post-COVID era. We have also established the Alliances for Action to try out new ideas. We also need to further consolidate Singapore's position as a Global-Asia node of technology, innovation, and enterprise . We must invest in economic resilience and sustainability as a source of competitive advantage to prepare for a sustainable low-carbon future. Singapore must also foster inclusive growth. Our workers need to have skills to stay relevant. We will expand the Progressive Wage Model to more sectors over time, introduce job redesign and raise the skills of our workers to benefit more groups of lower-wage workers. And in time, we will slow down the growth of foreign workers in these sectors. In the Ministerial Statement I made in August, I have provided an additional $8 billion to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Together with the four Budgets announced earlier, we have promised as much as $100 billion to help our people and businesses to tide over this difficult time. Besides having to meet huge expenditures, our tax revenue is also facing substantial pressure due to economic slowdown globally. Despite this, our guiding principle is prudence, not austerity, when planning our finances. We will continue to invest resources in families, healthcare and infrastructure to enhance the quality of life of our people.[+7 sentences] A thriving economy not only enables Singaporeans to realise their aspirations but also ensures that the Government has sufficient resources to meet their needs. The post-COVID era will be a very different world. We will constantly refine our economic strategies to keep up with the times, innovate and maintain our competitive advantage. No matter how challenging the situations will be, we will put the interests and welfare of Singaporeans first. I believe that as long as we stay united, we will be able to overcome our immediate difficulties and usher in a better future. (In English): Mr Speaker, our people and businesses are in the thick of battling COVID-19. We have adapted together, and I am glad that many continue to give their utmost in this difficult situation, and do their best for their families and communities. I have shared with this House and our people a stocktake of where we are, and where we are headed. I give you our commitment that we will continue to support our workers and businesses in this difficult time. We have worked out the steps to further re-open safely in the coming months. We have refreshed our economic strategy for a post-COVID-19 world, to remake Singapore as a Global-Asia node of technology, innovation, and enterprise, achieve inclusive growth and build resilience and sustainability, so as to achieve better lives and opportunities for our people.[+4 sentences] Given the great uncertainty ahead, we have to remain vigilant, work in close partnership, and continue to adapt as we plan and move ahead. Work on Budget 2021 is underway. I encourage each of you to share with us your perspectives and ideas, and to do your part to build our future as part of our Singapore Together movement. Together, we will overcome this crisis and emerge stronger.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Deputy Prime Minister.
Mr Heng Swee Keat29 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order No 44, I beg to move, "That the Ministerial Statement made by me be considered by Parliament."
Mr Heng Swee Keat39 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, to give Members some time to consider my Statement, I would like to adjourn the debate. Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That the debate be now adjourned."
Mr Speaker5 words
[+1 sentence]Resumption of debate, what day?
Mr Heng Swee Keat5 words
[+1 sentence]Wednesday, 14 October 2020, Sir.
Mr Speaker11 words
[+4 sentences]So be it. Order. Introduction of Government Bills. Minister for Law.
Third Supplementary Supply and Budget Adjustments (FY 2020) Bill›Bills Introduced1 turns · 87w
· 0 highlighted
bill-intro-419
Speaker not recorded87 words
[+2 sentences][(proc text) "to make supplementary provision out of the Consolidated Fund to meet additional expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 and to reduce certain appropriations for that financial year due to exigencies", (proc text)] [(proc text) recommendation of President signified; presented by the Second Minister for Finance (Ms Indranee Rajah); read the First time; to be read a Second time immediately after the conclusion of proceedings on the Third Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for FY2020/21, and to be printed. (proc text)]
Towards Full Participation of Persons with Disabilities in Singapore Society›Matter Raised On Adjournment Motion6 turns · 4,329w
· 24 highlighted
matter-adj-1502
The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah)18 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn."
Mr Deputy Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Denise Phua.
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar)2878 words
[+8 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the advancement and full participation of persons with disabilities or PwDs is a matter close to my heart. I am the parent of an adult with moderate autism. I actively volunteer at and head a couple of disability organisations. I am also a Member of Parliament and Mayor involved in disability support initiatives as one of my duties. I therefore view past, current and future developments in this sector from many perspectives. My feelings are mixed – a mix of joy, a mix of concern and a mix of cautious optimism. Today, I want to propose five changes that need to happen before persons with disabilities can fully participate in the life of Singapore society. But first, let me touch on the positive developments, thanks to the Singapore Government, in the last 15 years. The National Council of Social Service or NCSS estimated in 2018 about 11,000 PwDs aged seven to 18 years, another 61,000 PwDs aged 19 to 49 years, and almost 200,000 PwDs aged 50 years and above. This is about a quarter million people with disabilities in Singapore in 2018. Add an average of three immediate family members to each PWD, and there are more than a million persons and families directly impacted by disability in Singapore.[+10 sentences] The calls for the inclusion of PwDs in Singapore society are as old as time, especially in 2004, after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's inauguration, that the disability sector became a lot more visible at the national level. In the last 15 years, much has been achieved. There is much to celebrate. Singapore became a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which it ratified in 2013. These are big steps toward ensuring the rights for PwDs. What were most significant to me personally were the following milestones: the commissioning of three five-year Enabling Masterplans for the disabled – a blueprint to chart the sector's vision and plans; substantial increase in Government funding of Early Intervention Centres and special schools; the setting up of SG Enable, an agency for the disability community and an Enabling Village, a physical hub to assemble services; the introduction of universal coverage for MediShield Life, a basic health insurance plan which now includes persons with pre-existing conditions; and schemes to incentivise employers to hire PwDs; and, to me, very importantly, the waiver for headcount quota to encourage the hiring of PwDs in the public service. I am optimistic that positive changes will continue and 4G advocates like Rahayu Mahzam, Cheryl Chan, Ang Wei Neng, Sun Xueling, Darryl David and many others will rise to the occasion and continue to seek the inclusion of PwDs in our society. Even as we have good reasons to pat ourselves on our backs, we know something is still amiss. One has only to listen to the feedback of one focus group after another of PwDs and their family care-givers and also observe the outcomes in living, learning and working of the PwDs to know that we are not quite there yet. In community awareness and support, both the Lien Foundation and the NCSS have reported the state of social inclusion and stigma. Sixty-four percent of the public polled were willing to share but not interact with PwDs in public spaces.[+22 sentences] Many social service offices, family service centres or FSCs, grassroots organisations and community centres are not yet part of the support network of PwDs. This seems to be a general disconnect. Many people still not heard about the Enabling Village or the many awareness programmes and campaigns, that are being conducted over these years. On care-giver worries, families continue to fret over what will happen to their children upon the demise of the parents – a classic concern. The feelings of helplessness are even more prevalent in families where children have multiple or more severe disabilities. The needs of family care-givers change over the life cycle, same as for those with disabilities. There appears to be lacking a robust care-giver support model that is more empowering, more family-based and more community-based. In living, there are challenges in daily living matters. I will name just a few. Many PwDs are not prepared for independent living as adults. Not many are trained from young to adopt a healthy lifestyle, leading quite a bit to premature chronic illnesses that add to their disabilities. In health insurance coverage, accounting graduate Wesley Loh recently highlighted the challenges of getting himself covered for life insurance. Wesley was either turned down or offered coverage with a whole load of exclusions because he had declared his diagnosis of autism. He is not alone in being turned down by insurers for insurance applications. In residential living, adults with disabilities have very few options. The choices that other Singaporeans enjoy are not theirs to have and supported living options are not always available. In learning, for many special school or SPED students, graduation is not an occasion for joy. Most SPED students stop learning, whether in daily living or at work. The cliff effect phenomenon for SPED students is well known and describes the fall to little or no services for these students after they complete their formal years of school at usually age 18. This could be a syndrome that is due to the way services and budgets are planned and resourced in silos, based on Government Ministries. Lifelong learning, the holy grail of Singapore's SkillsFuture movement, is a pipe dream for many adults with disabilities, primarily because most SkillsFuture offerings are inaccessible without the needed disability support. In the world of work, unemployment and under-employment are two big concerns. The employment rate of PwDs is not only substantially lower than their typical peers, they face a limited range of work options.[+31 sentences] Under-employment continues to be an issue for those who are cognitively able on the spectrum. Many PwDs are still not ready for work when they leave school and there are still not enough employers who are confident enough to employ and to develop them. Five recommended changes. Now, the gaps and challenges I highlighted just now are not limited to Singapore and arise basically due to a combination of factors which include perspectives, structures and provisions. I would like to propose five changes to ensure that our PwDs can more fully participate in our society and not be left at its fringe. One, society's view of persons with disabilities needs to change. One of the young people I serve with in my volunteer work is 31-year-old Dr Sim Zi Lin, a millennial. Zi Lin completed her PhD in a renowned American university before returning to Singapore to work in a special school. Zi Lin used to share how in her overseas study stint, she was often struck by the expectation that it is the duty of the university to provide for the removal of any barriers to participation to learning for undergrads who are disabled. No questions asked. Just do it – expected; even if things were not always perfect. Zi Lin also shared with me in our work in enabling PwDs how she notices PwDs, her peers, have far fewer choices and pathways in life compared to their typical peers. I reflected on why this is so. And I believe a lot of it has to do with how society views PwDs. For many years, the most common views of society towards PwDs are based on two traditional models – the medical model and the charity model. The medical model sees disabled persons primarily as persons who need to be "cured", who need to be made "normal". And the charity model sees disabled people as victims of life, deserving of pity and need charity so that they can survive. But there is another thinking model that many progressive countries adopt in viewing PwDs – that disability is the consequence of attitudinal, environmental and social barriers and hence, the removal of these barriers would enable PwDs to participate fully in the life of the community. Sir, how we view PwDs will determine the place and future of PwDs in Singapore society. The good news is that something is already happening for yet another population – the elderly people of Singapore. We see fantastic work by MOH and partners in many policies and programmes related to the seniors – active ageing and eldercare. For instance, a growing school of thought that seniors with dementia should be treated respectfully as equal members of society and supported by a surrounding dementia-friendly community. I watched with marvel the way a home nursing staff apologised and explained to my mother – she is no more around. I marvelled at the steps that this nurse would take, even when my mother, who had full-blown Alzheimer's, could not respond to her at all. Mom was treated with such respect and gentleness. So, the perspective that even if one were old and ailing, one should still be treated respectfully and not lose the opportunity to make choices, to be developed or to contribute. This new attitude towards ageing Singaporeans is progressive, it is liberating and reflected in corresponding responses in Singapore's community, policy, services and Budget planning – a very good learning example for the younger disabled community. Sir, when we recognise that PwDs too are equal members in Singapore, then removing barriers so that they can fully participate in society becomes second nature, and not an act of charity or magnanimity. It becomes natural that we adopt universal design or design for all, in policies and practices at the start, whether in designing physical facilities or services. Meaning, independence and dignity for all, abled or disabled. Two, gaps in provisions for PwDs need to be addressed. Stemming from a perspective that PwDs are part and parcel of our Singapore society, then we need to get down to work and scan through carefully areas where the basics fall short – in healthcare, accessibility, education and especially lifelong learning, public communications, security and safety, housing, transport, jobs and economic security.[+7 sentences] The gap analysis ought to be undertaken, hopefully before the next Enabling Masterplan. I will list just a few newer suggestions for consideration to improve living, learning and working outcomes for the PwDs. In living, let us strengthen public communications through a total strategic plan to ensure that PwDs will receive the same level of information on matters that impact them. We should ensure that there are provisions to make sure that they have security, safety and access to criminal justice. Develop a plan to bring a continuum of sustainable, integrated residential living options with all levels of needed support. Empower them and their care-givers with a more comprehensive support plan. Someone taught me, what we call, "life after death" – planning, developing a "playbook" of planning for life after death of the care-givers to ensure that the PwDs have continuity in life. In learning, co-develop a bolder lifelong learning solution with PwDs, disability organisations, key industry captains, complete with vision, strategies, outcomes, tracking and reporting mechanism.[+3 sentences] Set up partnerships so that there is a fully array of accessible SkillsFuture offerings. Resource SG Enable and their service providers, or partners better, to include a newer definition of work in the new economy, continuum of employment models and upskilling PwDs, employers, training providers and job coaches. Number three, performance and progress need to be reported and readily available. Many people are not aware of the progress of the Enabling Masterplan even if good work is being driven, being done. There ought to be a commitment to public reporting of key agreed deliverables, progress, outcomes, challenges and even calls for participation and for help.[+16 sentences] There ought to be a study of the most effective ways to ensure that this information reaches out, on an on-going basis, to the people who are affected by this news, progress or updates. People must know what is going on before they know where to get help. Volunteers and help agencies too, they need to know what is going on before they start their pet projects which if they do not know, will lead to an overlaps in services, so that gaps which are critical will not be overlooked. Four, structure for policy-making and services, the need to drive collaboration and the spirit of SG Together which Deputy Prime Minister Heng spoke so much about. Structure drives behaviours; structure drives outcomes. The "Many-Helping-Hands" approach has long been adopted for disability services in Singapore. It, of course, has its proponents and detractors. There are some who believe that Government does everything best, must take over everything. Others feel that the users of services, the PwDs themselves or the disability service providers, know what is best. They are on the ground and they believe they should be the ones who lead and implement changes. I believe the answer is neither here nor there. The answer lies in a blend. Government alone cannot drive and deliver all the changes we need to reach the vision of full participation of PwDs in our society. Mind you, I have worked with very amazing, very visionary civil servants before. But the role and natural DNA of Government tends to be to "govern" and dare I say, "control", depending on who is in charge at the moment, at that time. And that is how sometimes terms like "bureaucrats" are used, either by civil servants themselves or by their detractors. In a vision that needs the support of the whole of society, Government's engagement and collaboration with PwDs, their families, disability organisations must be central. So, I propose a more formal and on-going alliance of sorts where co-visioning, key decisions, future planning are made; so that decisions are not made in silos, depending on which Government agency or Ministry gets the most budget, so that we can avoid the damaging "cliff effects" when one Ministry's work passes on to the next, so that resources can be allocated from a "life-cycle" perspective, knowing that each move made will impact the rest of the whole eco-system.[+3 sentences] The truth of the matter is that such visioning amongst such different partners, this kind of alliance, will not be an easy alliance at the start. PwDs, families, political leaders, Government leaders, civil servants, social service agencies, they are all at different levels of awareness, maturity, motivation and competence. But alliance it has to be for this sector especially, for positive change and long-term impact. Clarification of roles and responsibilities of the "Many-Helping-Hands" has to be made, updated, based on a common desired end in mind and the strengths and attributes of each helping hand.[+14 sentences] Each one has to take our place, doing our part with both courage and consideration. A structure has to be put right. And finally, the voice of people disabilities need to be included. People with disabilities are not all the same. They come in a spectrum. They fall on a continuum. Some will have higher support needs, more severe and their family care-givers sometimes become their proxies. Others like the vice-chairmen and members of this year's Purple Parade Committee – it is an inclusive movement: Yip Pin Xiu , Alistair Ong and Eric Chen – they have their own views and they do not need another to represent them. Eric Chen, in a recent letter to the Forum, urged Singapore to empower PwDs to stand as equals. He cited, "Many of us understand inclusion as a dependent relationship where abled people are responsible for supporting people who are disabled and to integrate them into mainstream." Eric then said that, "PwDs are seen as being unable to contribute meaningfully to determine their own future; and plans are undertaken by abled people on their behalf". He asked for Government to form – and these are his words – to form an "alliance with service providers, including employers, care-givers and disabled people" so that disabled people too can form part of the inclusion blueprint. Not every PwD will make a good leader. But that goes for the rest of us. We should therefore develop as many leaders as we can identify in the disability community. And we must listen and include the voice of PwDs and their proxies in policy-making and implementation.[+8 sentences] In conclusion, Sir, I urge this House to treat PwDs as equal members of our society and to help work towards their full participation in the life of Singapore society. To do this, I summarise five changes need to happen. One, society's view of PwDs has to change. Two, gaps in provisions need to be addressed. Three, performance and progress must be no secret – they need to be reported and readily available. Four, the structure for policy-making and services need to drive collaboration and spirit of SG Together. And five, the voice of PwDs need to be included. Sir, Singapore has embarked on an amazing journey in the last 15 years to uplift the disability community. Some of us are born with disabilities and some of us will become disabled with age. I urge this House and the rest of Singapore to support this call to ensure that all PwDs can fully participate in our society and they can all lead dignified and meaningful lives in our society.
Mr Deputy Speaker21 words
[+2 sentences]That was a very structured and inspirational speech. And may I call on Minister of State Sun Xueling to respond, please.
The Minister of State for Social and Family Development (Ms Sun Xueling)1354 words
[+7 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Member Ms Denise Phua for her impassioned speech and for sharing her thoughts on how to further improve the lives of persons with disabilities, PwDs. I agree with Ms Phua that we should take a life-cycle approach. Since the first five-year Enabling Masterplans, in 2007, we have progressively put in place more support for PwDs at every stage of life and have strived to smoothen the transition between life stages. I will share some progress made over the years in areas raised by Ms Phua. I know that more needs to be done and we hope to continue our journey with our partners to make further improvements. First, in the area of education and transitioning to post-school life. As mentioned by Ms Phua, there has been progress in the area of early intervention, with more development and learning support in pre-schools and intervening earlier through EIPIC. Another milestone was the amendment of the Compulsory Education Act to include students with moderate to severe special educational needs, which sends a strong signal that our education system is for all students.[+13 sentences] To prepare Special Education or SPED school students for life, MOE works closely with the Social Service Agencies or SSAs that run the schools. MOE has strengthened vocational education for SPED, and is also working with SPED schools to further customise curriculums in seven learning domains, including social emotional skills and digital literacy. We agree that the transition from the structured school environment to post-school options can be challenging. To help students and families navigate post-school pathways, there are now Transition Planning Coordinators in all SPED schools serving Secondary-aged students. MOE will be releasing an Individual Planning Guide to help develop person-centred plans for each student's schooling journey, and their transition to adult life. All SPED schools serving students up to 18 years old also offer the School-to-Work transition programme, which offers customised training pathways and work options to eligible students. Second, strengthening support for PwDs in the post schooling years. In the area of lifelong learning, SkillsFuture Singapore, or SSG, has been working with training providers to offer courses, like customised Digital Workplaces courses, for PwDs. SSG and SG Enable are also expanding the range of industry-relevant SkillsFuture credit-eligible courses for PwDs, and have also introduced SkillsFuture Study Awards for PwDs and disability employment professionals. In the area of healthcare, MINDS received Government funding to open a clinic offering primary care and preventative health services to persons with intellectual disabilities. Over 60 dental clinics across Singapore have general dental practitioners trained in special needs dentistry. Active living is also an important part of health promotion. We have made sports facilities and programming more accessible under the Disability Sports Masterplan. Surveys show that sports participation rates among PwDs have almost doubled from 28% in 2015 to 51% in 2018.[+9 sentences] In the area of insurance coverage, MediShield Life covers all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents for life, including congenital conditions. As Ms Phua mentioned, MSF and MAS are looking to issue guidelines for insurers to treat PwDs the same as those without disabilities, unless such differences can be justified. Through MAS' ongoing engagement, the insurance industry is conscious of its role to treat customers with disabilities fairly. Insurers have provided coverage without additional premiums or exclusions where autism is assessed not to pose health risks and other health conditions are not present. For those who require care services in the community, we have places available in our 31 Day Activity Centres, eight Sheltered Workshops, four Drop-in Disability Centres, and home-based intervention services. For those who require residential services, we have 10 Adult Disability Homes and three Adult Disability Hostels. To improve access to justice, the Appropriate Adult Scheme provides trained volunteers to facilitate communication and provide emotional support during interviews between investigation officers and persons with autism, intellectual disability and/or mental health conditions. Third, facilitating PwD employment. We have rolled out measures that support PwDs seeking employment, and employers who hire PwDs. The new Enabling Employment Credit will replace existing wage offsets that expire in December 2020, for employers of Singaporeans with disabilities.[+6 sentences] The EEC will provide such employers with a wage offset of up to 20% of the employee's monthly income. Additional wage offsets of up to 10% for six months will apply for long-term unemployed PwDs. The Open Door Programme or ODP, helps PwDs enter suitable jobs and integrate into the workplaces by providing support for job placement, training and cost of job redesign. The ODP Training Grant was enhanced in July to encourage more employers to send their employees with disabilities for training. Employers can also receive funding to send co-workers of PwDs for training to build up their confidence in working with colleagues with disabilities. Job losses due to COVID-19 have impacted all Singaporeans, and we are concerned about its impact on PwDs. Deputy Prime Minister Heng announced last week that the Government will provide the higher tier of wage support of 50% under the Jobs Growth Incentive to all new local PwDs hired by firms that increase their local headcount.[+4 sentences] We are finalising plans through the National Jobs Council to further support the employability and employment of PwDs during this downturn, and we will announce more details shortly. Fourth, strengthening support for care-givers. SG Enable is growing ground-up support networks that connect care-givers to exchange best practices with one another and with professionals from SSAs and hospitals. To make it easier for PwDs and care-givers to find support and resources, SG Enable launched the Enabling Guide in 2019, a first stop portal with information on disability schemes, services and resources. To better support families caring for persons with moderate to severe disability, we recently introduced CareShield Life for those with severe disability. The Home Care-giving Grant also provides monthly cash pay-outs to offset care-giving costs for eligible individuals with permanent moderate disability.[+3 sentences] We also plan to improve case management support for persons with moderate to severe disabilities and their families, to help them navigate the eco-system of support. Ms Phua has also touched on a very poignant point, about the concerns families have in ensuring care for PwDs when they are no longer around. The Special Needs Trust Company or SNTC, was set up to help families with care planning and to provide affordable trust services. The number of SNTC trust accounts has grown by almost 10 times over the last decade, to over 795 accounts.[+7 sentences] Much has been done to improve support for PwDs and care-givers, but definitely more can be done. As Ms Phua has noted, PwDs in the post schooling years need more learning opportunities, customised services, and supportive work environments, closer to their homes. We will work with partners to co-create and pilot solutions. In conclusion, we agree that building an inclusive culture is a whole-of-society effort. I agree with Ms Phua that every citizen in Singapore, regardless his/her abilities should be treated respecfully and not lose the opportunity to make choices, develop and contribute. We aim to nurture mindsets from a young age, by improving support to children with developmental needs within preschools and promoting interaction with their peers. We will continue to involve PwDs and their families in this journey. Last year, over 200 PwDs, care-givers and sector partners contributed ideas to three thematic cross-sectoral workgroups launched under the Third Enabling Masterplan, on the topics of inclusion within preschools, employment and independent living respectively.[+6 sentences] Over the next two months, as part of Singapore's Emerging Stronger Conversations, we will hold more engagement sessions with PwDs and care-givers to seek views on challenges and opportunities arising from COVID-19. We invite the community to co-create solutions with us. We are grateful for the numerous ground-up efforts to raise awareness for inclusion of PwDs, such as the Purple Parade. We are glad to see 141 employers pledging to build a more inclusive workforce in response to the President's Challenge this year. We will put in place support for employers to employ PwDs meaningfully. Indeed, only with the continued partnership of the people, private and public sectors, we can build a more inclusive Singapore, together.
Mr Deputy Speaker55 words
[+4 sentences]Order. The time allowed for the proceedings has expired. I adjourn the House pursuant to the Standing Order. Adjourned accordingly at 6.37 pm.
Overview of Government's Strategy to Emerge Stronger from the COVID-19 Pandemic›Ministerial Statements53 turns · 34,076w
· 240 highlighted
ministerial-statement-1499
Speaker not recorded65 words
[+1 sentence], (proc text)] [(proc text) “That the Ministerial Statement made by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance on the Overview of Government’s Strategy to Emerge Stronger from the COVID-19 Pandemic be considered by Parliament.” – (proc text)].
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Liang Eng Hwa.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang)1956 words
[+10 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Deputy Prime Minister and the Finance Minister for the Ministerial Statement that sets out the context for the Third Supplementary Estimates of Expenditures for FY 2020/2021. Given the very extensive set of fiscal measures that were introduced in quick succession over the last eight months, it is most timely that Deputy Prime Minister Heng updated the House again on the Government’s continued response to the on-going pandemic and outlined the next bound of support. While COVID-19 continues to be a threat to our lives and livelihoods, we are today in much different position than we were in, in March. We now know a lot more about this virus and better able to mitigate the risk than six months ago. We have weathered the sharp spike in cases with our concerted response and has help kept the fatality rate at a very low level. There is now much higher public awareness on the virus and Singaporeans have largely adapted to the new normal of wearing masks, distancing, safe-entries and many other precautionary measures. It is therefore timely that the Government signal that we are entering into a new phase of our battle with the pandemic. And importantly, to also set our sights on how we will eventually emerge from the crisis and press on with our longer term strategic priorities. Sir, I will touch on three areas: firstly, fiscal management; secondly, jobs; and thirdly, economic growth. First, fiscal management. Since February this year, the Government has committed a massive $100 billion to help businesses and Singaporeans cope with the pandemic fallout. To fund this gigantic support package, we have used up all of the accumulated surpluses from the last term of Government and also drawn on reserves for an unprecedented amount of $52 billion.[+2 sentences] As we have just entered into the new term of Government and in its first year, the Finance Ministry would not have any accumulated surpluses at their disposal to pay for the further spending. We know that the COVID-19 support measures continued to be necessary; although we can now be more targeted in the next phase. The continuation of these support measures would cost the Government a further $8 billion.[+7 sentences] In his reply to my Parliamentary Question and also in the Ministerial Statement, Deputy Prime Minister Heng has shared that the additional expenditures will be funded by reallocating monies from other areas where projected spendings have either been delayed or reduced due to the pandemic. I noted from the Third Supplementary Estimates that the main reallocations are from the development items such as: MOT $3.6 billion, which is the highest of the reallocated amount; MTI $745 million; MND $615 million; MSE and MOH, I supposed it is related to hospitals and polyclinics, each about $500 million; and the other Ministries like MINDEF, MCCY, MinLaw for their projects, each a couple hundred million dollars. These are developmental expenditures set aside but unutilised at the moment; and this amounted to $6.8 billion. Also, in the Supplementary Main Estimates, we saw that despite having downward adjustments by some Ministries, there is a net increase of $1.7 billion due to increase in spending estimates by the other Ministries. Taken together, it provided MOF with a net freed-up funding of $5.1 billion to pay for the continuation of the COVID-19 support measures (which costs $8 billion). If there are no new revenue sources to offset, there would be a potential deficit contribution of about $2.9 billion; just a few months into this new term of Government. On the revenue front, the pictures look daunting as well; with latest estimates projecting a drop in operating revenue of $12.3 billion or a 16.1% projected decrease. Even with the NIRC added, the Government is likely to run an overall deficit of $ 74.2 billion; a record number in our history.[+5 sentences] Sir, I have few questions for the Deputy Prime Minister: Firstly, given the revenue outlook and the likelihood of further COVID-19 support needed, how does he envisage that we could balance the Budget in the next two to three years; and constitutionally we need to balance the Budget for the term of Government? Secondly, while the reallocated unutilised funds can temporarily be used to pay for the continued support measures, this outlay would need to happen as soon as the projects meet its progress payment milestones or are completed. Where would the Government find the funding for this outlay if the revenue situation continues to be weak? Thirdly, some of these projects are actually capability investments for the future, which will enable us to emerge stronger. So, these are necessary spending. Would the Government consider a further draw on the reserves again; considering the magnitude and severity of this crisis and these are essentially also investment items?[+19 sentences] Sir, I move on to jobs. In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic crisis, the economic knock-on effects impacted all sectors of the economy. The Government’s swift and broad base support to businesses, helped in averting the situation of massive job losses. With gradual opening up, we have seen some of the demand and businesses recovered. Companies have adjusted to the different operating environment and many pivoted into different business models and products. However, there are sectors and businesses where the pandemic has significantly altered the business propositions or changed the operating landscape permanently. Demand that businesses used to enjoy before COVID-19 may never return. Businesses live and thrive on demand for their goods and services; where they generated revenue to stay profitable, to stay as a going concern. We know that no amount of Government stimulus or support can possibly make up for the lost demand and revenue in a sustained way; or bring back the business viability of the past. As the Government taper down the support and assistances, we can expect the companies to start releasing more workers. Some companies may not survive even with the best of efforts. This is the phase of the crisis where we may see deeper structural adjustments, changes happening to the business eco-system and also inevitably, we will see harsh adjustments to the labour market. Hence, in our next bound of response to the crises, we need to now intensify our efforts to help Singaporeans who are retrenched and unemployed. In particular, greater effort must be channelled to help mid-career PMET jobseekers; as they face the greatest difficulties to find new employment. Making mid-career switches is an uphill task; especially under current circumstances. Job seekers are also often under tremendous pressure to find a new job quickly so that they can continue to support their families. There are also many inherent frictions to content with; such as skills and expectation mismatches, employers’ biasness, individuals’ psychological barriers and many others. We must avoid the situation of structural unemployment from creeping up and taking roots. There are high expectations for our National Jobs Council chaired by Senior Minister Tharman; not only to implement the Jobs and Skills Package but also bringing to bear the resources of the various stakeholders to produce tangible results. One notable commitment by the Government is the setting up of the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centre at the heartlands.[+1 sentence] I am very thankful to MOM and WSG for setting up a SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centre at Bukit Panjang Club. Since the opening in August, hundreds of residents have sought jobs and training opportunities at the centre and I have received emails of gratitude from residents who have found employment through the centre.[+3 sentences] We are, at the grassroots level, stepping up publicity and awareness; including exploring roving centres at different parts of the town or neighbourhood locations just to help as many of our residents as possible. In other words, it makes a great deal of difference to the job seeker, if there is someone to talk to and to hand hold the job seeker through the journey. I remember when I was studying in Australia, I used to visit neighbourhood job centres to look for vacation jobs. The friendly job counsellor were always there to reassure you, to help point out to the opportunities out there and these are all important psychological support as well. So, the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centre is a commendable initiative by MOM and I appeal to the Manpower Minister to continue supporting and resourcing the centres well beyond the crisis.[+10 sentences] Sir, thirdly, on economic growth. Earlier, I spoke on the huge deficit expected for this FY and possibly next; due to higher spending and reduced revenue projections. Cutting cost to balance the Budget would be a painful option. We do not want austerity budgets as it will actually aggravate the situation; both economically and socially. We cannot keep tapping on our reserves in an unlimited way; as that will undermine our long-term viability; including possibly weakening our international credit ratings and weakening our Singapore dollar. Hence, the sound and sustainable path ahead is really to grow the economy. We grow our economy; so that we could, firstly, generate the revenue to pay for the expenditures and, secondly, to create good jobs for Singaporeans. Without new economic growth, not only are our well-being at risk, our survival as a Nation is at stake. I am heartened that our economic Ministries and agencies are going all out to drive new growth and attract new investments; even as we battle the pandemic crisis. We are pressing on with economic transformation, developing capabilities in our companies to digitalise, innovate, internationalise and raise productivity; sector by sector, thanks to the stewardship by the Deputy Prime Minister. MTI and EDB continued to draw in quality investments in recent months like the new Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre, Siemens Advance Manufacturing Competence Centre, Tata Consultancy’s Digital Acceleration Centre and others.[+4 sentences] This crisis actually presents an opportunity for us to seize new growth opportunities if we can quickly respond to the new realities and develop new competitive edges. The Deputy Prime Minister mentioned in his speech about the works by the Emerging Stronger Task Force, the various progress made through the Alliances for Action and remaking Singapore as a global-Asia node by enhancing both physical and digital connectivity. I am glad that he has also raised the bar by highlighting that we are not going for growth just for growth's sake but actually focusing on inclusive and resilient growth. What it means is that the economic growth that we pursue must bring about opportunities for fellow Singaporeans, including continued wage progression and supporting the vulnerable. The Deputy Prime Minister also mentioned how we achieved resilience through a diversified economic structure, where no one industry accounts for more than 20% of our GDP.[+10 sentences] Here, I would like to suggest that another area of resilience that we should look into is the sources of our foreign labour, especially in the low-wage sector. How we can we reduce this dependence and reliance over the medium to long term? Sir, the underpinning fundamentals and values that made us a vibrant, strong and sustainable economy have not change. The Government still has to do what is right and what is in the long-term good for the country and for Singaporeans. As a small and open island state, we have to remain open and competitive. Fostering social harmony continues to be an important nation-building imperative and a necessary condition for sustained growth. We continue to need a capable political leadership and stability to steer us through the storm that will come time and again, and to chart an exciting future ahead. Sir, this crisis has hurt us as a country. But we should also capitalise on this crisis to write another exceptional chapter of the Singapore story. Sir, I support the Third Supplementary Estimates.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh)1772 words
[+19 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, I record my appreciation for the Deputy Prime Minister's responsiveness and adaptability to the needs of the population. Looking ahead, we must focus on our medium to long-term strategy to boost our economy, help Singaporeans find jobs and signal a positive vision for our post-COVID-19 economy. I will address the following topics in my speech: first, on unemployment; second, on debt repayments; and third, on boosting infrastructure for economic resilience. We have been and must continue to address these issues, enhancing or changing our strategies, if necessary. Times are changing, so our policies and infrastructure must move with the times. We must heed the changing landscape of employment and the demand for new infrastructure to support growth sectors and changing work habits. Mr Speaker, on my first topic – helping the retrenched and unemployed. It is heartening that amidst depressing news of mass retrenchments and job losses, there are still many job openings to be filled. I note that MOM and WSG are roping in employment agencies as placement partners to assist with job placements. This is a good initiative and idea to tap on the expertise of the recruiters with a good understanding of the sectoral human capital trends and expertise. Perhaps MOM can share more about the top hiring sectors and the specific job roles in these sectors that are being created. What are the targets set for successful job matches and how will the various agencies measure effectiveness of outreach efforts? It would be good if the Ministry can share how it determines the number of job opportunities. Is it based on the number of job listings submitted to SGUnited platforms or are there other factors? A young resident shared that she had spoken to a career consultant who said some employers are still cautious about hiring but posted their job listings to test waters. In case business picks up, they would have a ready pool of applicants to pick from. So, they are not advertising for jobs that are currently available but plausibly in the near future. In my view, such practices would distort the statistics on current job vacancies. The current measures made available by the Government are timely and excellent but clearly focused on keeping Singaporeans gainfully employed. Each employee is supported by up to around $50,000 worth of subsidies over a 17-month period if their companies are eligible for the highest tier of the Jobs Support Scheme or JSS.[+11 sentences] Yet, if someone loses their job and their company does not offer retrenchment benefits, they would receive a smaller amount over a period under the COVID-19 support grant as well as potentially, financial assistance from various organisations. A direct comparison may not be very appropriate as not every employee who benefits under the JSS draws a salary of $4,600 and above but the disparity is apparent. Indeed, having a job is the best insurance to preserve livelihoods. But despite best efforts, some are struggling to find stable employment. The gap between someone who is gainfully employed with income for months and someone who is unemployed will simply keep widening if the economy continues to see scarring in some sectors. And I am not just referring to the atypical scarred sectors such as aviation, travel and retail but even sectors in manufacturing and services with local SMEs. I recently met a 60-plus year old resident who was laid off with no retrenchment benefits after working for the company for more than three decades as the company closed. And his was a narrow expertise in the production line. Mr Speaker, If I may refer to what Monetary Authority of Singapore Managing Director Ravi Menon said on Monday at a forum hosted by the Institute of International Finance, namely that we have not seen the full extent of the crisis and as much as 20% of the economy will face "deep scarring" from which they may not recover. He said that non-performing loans and bankruptcies probably would rise through the start of 2021. This is certainly a cause for concern over the next 12 months. On that basis, if overall average household financial conditions do worsen, I urge the Government to consider allowing CPF members to temporarily tap on a small amount of their CPF to resolve their emergencies if needed, subject to eligibility criteria. In Australia, for example, in July this year, as part of the jobseeker policy measures, those affected by COVID-19 are allowed early release access up to AUD10,000 of their superannuation in fiscal year 2019/20 and a further AUD10,000 in fiscal year 2020/21.[+12 sentences] The intent of the measure is to support people or sole proprietors who are adversely financially affected by COVID-19 and need help to meet expenses. They do have stringent eligibility criteria but accessibility to these funds was created nonetheless. In Singapore, currently at age 55, the CPF account holder can withdraw up to $5,000 from his or her Special and Ordinary Accounts or your CPF savings after having set aside the Full Retirement Sum in your Retirement Account, whichever is higher. I would like to suggest that the Government consider allowing citizens to tap on an early release of $5,000 from their CPF balances, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria similar to that in Australia. Those who are younger than 55 may utilise this sum from their CPF early but there can be an option, if they so wish later, where the funds used can be put back eventually if they withdraw before age 55. These are difficult times and we should exercise creativity and flexibility to ensure everyone gets help in a timely manner. Mr Speaker, I am cognisant that accessing the CPF funds early will affect citizens' future retirement income but this $5,000 amount would have been able to be used in any case upon attaining age 55 as long as they have sufficient funds. At this juncture, it could help meet the needs of some Singaporeans. This brings me to my next focus area on financial solvency of households and individuals. For the unemployed individuals and struggling businesses, mortgages and debt are crippling. I am grateful that the Government will extend loan repayment relief measures into 2021. Can we have more perspectives on the segment of the population who require these deferments? The Government had previously shared some data on loan deferments. We are looking at 38,900 applications for property loan repayment deferments. Out of these, 90% or $20 billion worth of mortgage deferments were approved. It would be good to know what proportion is owed to banks versus those to HDB loans.[+1 sentence] The volume of personal credit deferments has also increased. Which SME sectors are affected most by the moratorium? I worry about a potential "household and corporate debt" cliff effect when the extension of payment moratorium ends.[+1 sentence] I hope there will be further enhancements by the MAS and the Government to monitor the situation to ensure that businesses and individuals have a feasible strategy to make these loan repayments when it comes in 2021. One way is to form an inter-agency post-COVID-19 financial conditions task force to ensure as much help is provided as we wean away from some of the payment moratoriums when it happens.[+15 sentences] But we need to anticipate and take steps to get ready for mitigation now. Mr Speaker, my third topic on post-COVID-19 infrastructure to boost economic resilience. COVID-19 has changed society in many ways and it is unlikely that we will ever return to pre-COVID-19 normalcy. We must plan our infrastructure to align it with our post-COVID-19 vision, especially in shaping Singapore into a global-Asia node of technology and innovation as mentioned by the Deputy Prime Minister in his Statement. In the past months, global tech giants have moved or expanded their operations in Singapore. This is thanks to the excellent foundation the Government has laid in terms of political stability, ease and cost of doing businesses, openness to global talent and a diligent and reliable workforce. Our infrastructure must be capable of supporting these companies' operations. I would like to thank the Deputy Prime Minister for sharing the Government's refreshed economic strategy for a post-COVID-19 world last week and this includes securing our external economic linkages as a vital global node in Asia and rebuilding and growing our physical connectivity as well as enhancing and expanding our digital connectivity. Can the Deputy Prime Minister share plans on building up our data infrastructure, such as how can our fibre and satellite networks be enhanced to be future-proof, go faster and be more reliable? In the past, there have been a number of major Internet outages in Singapore domestically, with one of them even lasting more than a day. Geographic diversification is critical to our economic resilience. Work-from-home arrangements will become a possible norm so we have to consider decentralising the CBD and creating more business hubs in satellite towns around the country with the necessary amenities and data connectivity to support large-scale remote work. Over the course of the circuit breaker, we have also heard from workers and students across different demographics and different sectors facing challenges working at home due to distractions from their family members and neighbours, not having the necessary equipment and so on. So, among some of these amenities could include more shared and private work and meeting spaces for rent or access at the heartlands. Mr Speaker, Sir, I have one final point that I want to raise and this was raised by some of my residents. My last point is on the $3,000 Baby Support Grant.[+1 sentence] Many residents asked me why the grant only applies to babies born from 1 October. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and even before the circuit breaker, many people were laid off or had their work hours and salaries cut. I hope the Government will consider extending eligibility to include babies born in 2020.[+5 sentences] Many would consider 2020 a year of misery but every baby born is a bundle of miracle and this one-off support records our appreciation, encouragement and shared happiness with the family in this difficult year. Sir, to recap, it is heartening to see all the help the Government has raised over the last four Budgets in a space of six to seven months, including help from Singaporeans broadly. We could do with more tailored help for the retrenched, unemployed and viable companies that are struggling. Moving ahead, policies – particularly those concerning employment and infrastructure – must be enhanced to help us move with the post-COVID-19 times to put us in better stead for the future. Mr Speaker, I support the Statement.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Louis Chua.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang)1590 words
[+7 sentences]Mr Speaker, I would like to start off by acknowledging the close to $100 billion of support measures to deal with COVID-19 as laid out in the four earlier Budgets. While the COVID-19 situation in Singapore appears to have stabilised, the same cannot be said for many other countries and our trading partners around the world. We must remain vigilant and reopen safely to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Singapore. Similarly, on the economic front, we too must take proactive steps to support our businesses and fellow Singaporeans to ensure a sustained economic recovery. On this note, I would like to present four points that I would like to cover with regard to the on-going efforts and plans for Singapore going forward. The first is the continued need for an accommodative fiscal policy. Singapore, like many other countries, has responded to the negative economic impacts via expansionary fiscal and monetary policies. The MAS estimates that the combined Budgets will prevent the economy from contracting by a further 5.6% of GDP in 2020 and 4.8% in 2021.[+19 sentences] I also note Minister Ong Ye Kung’s Statement last week that this is not the time to talk about an environmental tax. I believe this same logic can and should be applied to the lives of all Singaporeans, in the sense that any increase in taxation, especially regressive taxes, such as an eventual GST hike after 2021, could worsen the already precarious financial position that many Singaporeans are in right now. With the depth and duration of the current global economic crisis still to be ascertained, we must caution against being overzealous in strengthening our revenue position through a GST hike. Here, I would like to be clear that I am not for the squandering of resources built up by the blood, sweat and tears of the generations that came before us. In fact, just as Deputy Prime Minister Heng has mentioned, I believe in the need to exercise prudence when planning for the future. However, we need to acknowledge that the current weak economic environment requires sufficiently accommodative fiscal policy. Instead of contractionary fiscal policies, such as raising taxes on consumption, which might, in turn, lower consumer spending, we should be focusing on policies that aim to stimulate and boost domestic demand and keep our economy going. In a similar vein, I agree with Deputy Prime Minister Heng’s position to maintain a disciplined and judicious use of borrowing. There is perhaps scope to rethink our position on debt, however. In May this year, the UK sold negative yielding Government bonds, similar to Germany in 2019, meaning the UK government is being paid by investors to borrow from them. Singapore’s long bond yields are currently at less than 1%. Temasek, a private company, albeit owned by MOF, has issued 50-year bonds at 2.5% – 50 years. In this lower for longer interest rate environment, we should, as a Government, be open to exploring such possibilities, instead of funding our expenditures with higher cost equity funding or funding from our reserves. This is especially if the funds are being used for quality investment projects that will benefit current and future generations of Singaporeans. Mr Speaker, I would like to reiterate the importance of an accommodative fiscal policy environment, more so now than ever. If we, as a country, have the ability to help Singaporeans get back up on their feet in their time of need, then we must do so. The second point I would like to cover is on the Jobs Support Scheme or JSS. The JSS has, indeed, been an important policy measure to support our businesses and save jobs, amidst these trying times. The conversation in my view, however, should move towards considering how we can help SMEs more and how we can more directly support Singaporeans who have lost their jobs. As Deputy Prime Minister Heng has clarified, SMEs currently get $10.5 billion out of the $16 billion that has been given out to firms thus far. That accounts for about 65% of the total amount of JSS being given out. However, SME workers consist of 73% of the local workers supported by JSS.[+5 sentences] At the heart of the policy, JSS aims to save as many jobs as possible during this period. It would, therefore, be more effective to direct a higher proportion of JSS payouts from the scheme towards SMEs, who make up a bigger proportion of jobs saved in comparison to larger MNCs, which tend to have more resources on hand to tide them through the crisis. I would like to take this time to ask about the review of the JSS that has been mentioned by Deputy Prime Minister Heng in his answer to my Parliamentary Question on 4 September and whether the Government will consider redirecting more resources away from companies that have been resilient or even thriving in this period of time, towards companies that are struggling to survive. Administratively, I note that we already provide differentiated rental support for SMEs where, under the rental relief framework, eligible SMEs which have experienced a 35% or more drop in revenue qualify for additional rental relief. As a further example, the Australian Jobkeeper Payment scheme separates the eligibility of the scheme based on business size. For their scheme, businesses with AUD1 billion or less in aggregated turnover require a fall in expected or realised income by 30%, whereas businesses with an aggregated turnover of more than AUD1 billion will require an expected or realised fall in income by 50% or more to qualify for the same scheme.[+7 sentences] This actually helps the Australian government to direct more help to smaller businesses that require more assistance, rather than larger ones with more resources to stay afloat. A refinement, such as this, should not be expected to have significantly higher administrative burden and would definitely be a more efficient allocation of resources to those who need it more. Ultimately, we may need to think of implementing automatic stabilisers instead of discretionary ad-hoc schemes, as I have mentioned in my maiden speech. Direct assistance to companies, such as the Jobs Support Scheme, could arguably provide indirect support to employment. Yet, many have still lost their jobs, even as the companies they work for receive JSS subsidies. I am sure many Members in this House can attest to the frustrations that unemployed residents face, particularly for those who are victims of disguised retrenchments and are unable to receive financial support from the COVID-19 support grant as a result. Rather than providing blanket wage subsidies across companies, it is perhaps the workers themselves that are most in need of direct support and financial buffers in the event of unemployment. Thirdly, I would like to seek clarification regarding the expected NIRC contribution in the revised revenue estimates and FY2020 fiscal position under the Third Supplementary Estimates. In it, I note that the NIRC estimates as at 18 February and the revised FY2020 estimates today are the same at $18.63 billion.[+1 sentence] I would like to seek clarification on how this was determined. In MOF's Addendum to the President's Address in August this year, I note that we have drawn on our reserves equivalent to over 20 years of past Budget surpluses.[+5 sentences] We have used a generation’s worth of savings to combat a crisis of a generation. I understand that the NIRC estimates are based on expected long-term real rates of return and not based on short-term returns which tend to be volatile. However, I would like to ask: if the draw on reserves is that sizable, that is, a generation's worth of savings, would it not cause a rather large decrease in our reserves and, therefore, reduce the NIRC, based on the simple mathematical formulation of returns multiplied by assets? In the spirit of prudence, is it still relevant and an accurate representation to keep the forecasts unchanged? Finally, I would like to seek clarification on the Budget adjustments to Development Estimates. Development expenditures across Ministries are lowered by a substantial $6.8 billion. Among the notable reductions are MOT at $3.59 billion, MTI at $744 million and MND at $614 million.[+9 sentences] As the paper notes, a majority of the lower revised estimates are due to COVID-19-induced construction delays. I would, therefore, like to seek clarification on what the nature of these big-ticket project items are, how much of a delay is estimated in these projects and how much of these can be deferred indefinitely or even cancelled. For example, Changi Airport Terminal 5 has already been delayed for at least two years. I would also like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister if we can consider re-assessing the need for some of this projected spending, in the hope that we might be able to direct more of these resources towards investing in Singaporeans, particularly in the more vulnerable groups in society instead. Mr Speaker, I would like to conclude my speech by summarising what I have said. Firstly, I believe in the continued need for an accommodative fiscal policy environment. Secondly, I enquired about the status of the JSS review, in the hope that we may focus on channelling more funding to vulnerable SMEs and affected workers. Thirdly, I would like to seek clarification on the expected NIRC forecasts in the spirit of prudence. And, finally, I would also like to seek clarification on the development expenditure adjustments, in the hope that we might be able to reassess the necessity of these deferred projects and direct investments into the more vulnerable in society instead.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas)1873 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, I stand in support of the Ministerial Statement made by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, which provides a clear path forward for our nation to reopen our economy safely and emerge stronger from this crisis. Since the Deputy Prime Minister first presented the latest set of relief measures on 17 August, Singapore’s employment landscape has experienced another sharp contraction. According to the latest labour market report published by MOM, more than 11,000 jobs were made redundant in the first half of 2020. This figure does not include the large-scale layoffs recently announced by Resorts World Sentosa and Singapore Airlines, and we can expect that retrenchment and unemployment numbers will continue to rise in the second half of the year.[+12 sentences] While the figures from MOM’s labour market report are concerning, the reality is that retrenchments could have been a lot worse, if not for the swift and decisive measures put in place by the Government. Many companies have told me that initiatives, such JSS, have been instrumental in helping them to retain their workers while they work on adjusting to the new normal. I am, therefore, heartened that the Government will continue to provide tiered wage support to sectors that are hardest hit by this pandemic. Mr Speaker, beyond job preservation, we also need to provide better mental health support for our workers. In his recent address to the World Health Organisation, Prime Minister Lee acknowledged the impact that COVID-19 has had on the mental health of our population and that protecting mental health takes a collective effort. I fully agree. The Multi-Ministry Taskforce recently announced that more employees will be allowed to return to the workplace and that the Government is working on a roadmap towards Phase 3 of the safe reopening of our economy. Working from home will, however, continue to remain as the default. In recent Parliamentary sittings, I have repeatedly highlighted the challenges faced by our workers who telecommute. They must juggle multiple responsibilities, such as looking after children, taking care of elderly parents and trying to remain productive at work. To make matters worse, because they work from home, their bosses think that it is easier for them to answer work-related calls and emails at any time of the day, even after office hours. Workplace burnout has become an issue, as many employees are not well-rested. To help workers cope with workplace burnout, I recently asked in this House whether it was timely for us to consider a “Right to Disconnect” legislation.[+19 sentences] Since then, Singaporeans have written to me to share their thoughts and personal experiences, support as well as criticism. Let me first address the criticisms that I have received and explain how I think the Right to Disconnect can be applied to our local context. The three most common criticisms against having a Right to Disconnect in Singapore are: One, it would be too rigid to legislate work hours, as every sector is different, and doing so would not be feasible for those working in essential services. Two, productivity would drop if workers are not allowed to work outside of their specified hours and it would erode Singapore’s competitiveness as a global hub. Three, colleagues who work longer hours would obtain better appraisals from their supervisors because this is, after all, a “dog-eat-dog” world. Mr Speaker, these criticisms, while seemingly valid, show that many people do not quite understand the exact scope of a Right to Disconnect legislation. Let me reassure critics that I am not calling for rigid laws that specify working hours, nor am I calling for Singaporeans to be less productive and, certainly, not for Singapore to be any less competitive! It is simply about ensuring that our workers have protected time to rest. But I can see why some have this misconception about rigid working hours. In France, where this was pioneered, their labour laws were modified in the year 2000 to specify that the length of their work week was 35 hours, exceeding which, overtime had to be paid. When the country implemented its Right to Disconnect legislation in 2017, that is, 17 years later, people got confused between the scope of these two separate pieces of legislation and mistakenly thought that it was forbidden to send work emails outside of 6.00 pm. But the reality is that many French workers still choose to work beyond their official work hours and get paid overtime. The difference is that they now have to respect their colleagues’ personal time and cannot expect them to work past official hours for non-urgent, non-critical tasks that can be completed the next working day. For those worrying about the delivery of our essential services, our frontline officers have actually been practising protected time for years. When I was with the Police Force, my officers and I would be on call 24/7. We would receive phone alerts on incidents happening throughout the day. But between the “silent hours” of midnight to around 7 am, these alerts were restricted only to a specific list of critical, sensitive cases. This was to ensure that we were sufficiently well rested, even while we are always on standby. On the criticism that a Right to Disconnect would erode our competitiveness and productivity, research provides evidence to the contrary. According to a 2014 study by Prof John Pencavel from the Stanford University, overworking beyond 55 hours per week causes a sharp decline in productivity per hour.[+4 sentences] He also observed that overwork led to increased workplace accidents and injuries. The professor's findings are not unique, and other researchers have also found that well-rested employees are more productive, more careful and are better able to contribute creatively at the workplace. There were also some who were concerned that a Right to Disconnect would disadvantage them as they felt that bosses tended to favour those who worked longer hours. This is fundamentally an issue of presenteeism at the workplace, which a growing body of research has found to be detrimental to a company’s performance. According to a study by the Global Corporate Challenge, presenteeism reduces productivity and many employers have been moving away from using time spent at the office as a proxy for good performance.[+2 sentences] Staff’s performance should be measured by the outcomes achieved against clear goals set, not by the extended hours spent. Mr Speaker, in simple terms, what I am calling for is that we help our employees carve out protected time for them to rest and recharge. In France, the Right to Disconnect legislation makes it mandatory for employers and employees to negotiate on the protocol for non-emergency calls and non-critical emails outside of working hours.[+7 sentences] Disconnecting is all about creating protected time to rest and recharge – not unlike what MOE does for its teachers during the school holidays. Even the Germans – who according to a survey, work on average five hours more than their contractual hours each week – they too understand the need for clearly defined periods of rest so that they can be more productive the next day. The Germans have a concept called “Feierabend”, which describes the time after their work day ends and when their rest time begins. Our German friends understand that they need to have dedicated time outside of work to rest properly in order to have the energy to work hard and be productive again the next day. For those who remain unconvinced, let me share the experience of Rebecca Wong, a Singaporean currently working in France, who wrote to me last month. She shared that when emails are sent outside of office hours in France, it is usually accompanied with a disclaimer to state that no immediate response is expected. Alternatively, they can use technology to schedule their non-critical emails to be sent out only at 8 am the next working day. These are certainly not radical practices, but baby steps which we can easily adopt here in Singapore. But I do agree with Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamed that we should study in greater detail how a Right to Disconnect legislation could be implemented in Singapore. But in the meantime, I hope that the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Health – which the Senior Minister of State had assured last week would be published soon – will include aspects of the Right to Disconnect. With clearer guidelines, our unions can start a conversation with employers on the protocol to answer non-critical work calls and emails outside of working hours, as well as the provision of appropriate help for those facing workplace burnout, while keeping their identities confidential. I also urge MOM to conduct a yearly survey on workplace mental health.[+14 sentences] This will allow us to track how well our workers are faring mentally, what are the best practices among our companies and guide our collective efforts to provide better workplace mental health support. I hope that tackling workplace burnout will be a key priority in the newly announced COVID-19 Mental Wellness Taskforce. After all, a mentally resilient workforce leads to a safer work environment for all. Mr Speaker, as we gradually move towards Phase 3 of our safe recovery, we need to pay special attention to workplace safety. The latest Workplace Safety and Health or WSH report published by MOM found that workplace accidents and injuries fell for the first half of this year. This is not unexpected in view of the suspension of most work activities due to the circuit breaker measures. The number of workplace fatalities had, however, remained similar to the first half of 2019. As more workers return to their workplaces, there is a need to ease them back gradually into their jobs, as many have not returned to their worksites for months. It is imperative that companies implement a structured re-orientation programme for workers returning to work, especially in high-risk worksites. Companies should also conduct refresher WSH courses for all returning workers so that safety remains at the top of everyone's minds. Experiences from other countries have shown that workplaces have the potential to become super-spreader events. A factory in Sri Lanka where over 1,000 workers caught COVID-19, a five-star hotel in Hong Kong and even the White House are just some of the recent high profile cases of the coronavirus spreading unabated at the workplace. We need to ensure that Safe Management Measures are adhered to strictly. We need to avoid complacency and prevent virus clusters re-emerging from the workplace. To do so, I hope that MOM will finally heed my repeated calls for a mandatory WSH officer at every workplace.[+5 sentences] To conclude, I would like to commend every Singaporean and resident who have been involved in this tireless fight against COVID-19. From our healthcare workers fighting hard at the frontline, to every individual who practises Safe Management Measures every single day – wearing a mask, using SafeEntry, carrying the TraceTogether token and simply keeping a safe distance where possible. It is not easy and we still have a long way to overcome COVID-19, both as a public health crisis and as an economic crisis. Let us continue to stay united, keeping each other safe and sane as we transit together to a new normal. Mr Speaker, I support the Ministerial Statement.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Yeo Wan Ling.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol)986 words
[+12 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to speak on a topic that is professionally very important to me as the Director of the NTUC’s Women and Family unit, as well as a career woman in the making for the past 20 years of my life. Just two weeks ago, in my Secondary school alumni chat group, one of my alumni mates posed a question to the ladies in the chat group. She asked for our opinions as females progressing in our careers and workplaces. Mr Speaker, Sir, I may like to declare at this time, that I studied in an all-girls environment for 10 years of my life and it was not by design that we excluded men in our straw poll. Now, in that chat group, we have women born in the1970s, 1980s and even 1990s. Many are executives in MNCs, SMEs, some are business owners, recruiters, community leaders and we even have Members of Parliament in there – not just me, but also the hon Ms Carrie Tan. As the answers came in, I saw the most fulfilled and happiest of us, are women who are able to adapt well because they have the opportunity of choice. Due to these choices, they are able to move freely in and out of different work arrangements. Indeed, we all know of sisters, mothers, daughters in our lives who have made changes to their work and lives due to changing family responsibilities. These are women who have heeded the call of motherhood, taken on the role of being sole care-givers, stepped up to take on extra work in the face of job and wage cuts. I recently met with Ms L, who used to work 9 am to 6p m in the office as a manager, but now works full time as an interior designer at home to take care of her home-bound adult special needs brother. She intends to continue to make adjustments to her work and her life as her brother and her grow old together. She is both the sole breadwinner as well as the sole care-giver in her household. I was excited to hear from Deputy Prime Minister Heng that he will be setting up an initiative to look at creating micro-jobs in the community through the good and safe networks of our Community Development Councils or CDCs.[+4 sentences] Women need choices in their work arrangements and I believe that micro-jobbing would be something very welcomed in our communities. In my constituency work, I have come to recognise that more women are coming back to the workforce as part of their efforts to supplement their household incomes. However, in reconnecting with work, the issues that took women away from the workplace still remain. Their children and elderly loved ones still need caring for and women need to be able to be in full control of when they work, where they work and how they work. Thus, the prospects of in-community micro work will be an attractive option for many women. However, in enabling women with this option, we must be certain to be able to provide protection and safety nets. As micro-jobs pick up in popularity and leave the safe protective hands of the CDC and into the invisible hands of the free market, the House may need to consider some protective areas.[+7 sentences] Take Mdm H for example. She was contracted to look after an elderly for three hours while his family members went out for the afternoon. After four hours, the family had not returned, and Mdm H had to leave to pick up her granddaughter from school. The elderly she was caring for told her to come back another day for payment, as his family member had left him with no money to pay Mdm H. Till today, Mdm H has yet to be paid for her services, but she has kindly deemed it to be an act of community service, even though she needed the money for her own family. Mr Speaker, in considering safety nets, we may need to look at the following. One, awareness and education. As micro-jobs and other non-traditional employment types come into play, we will need to educate both micro-jobbers and their service buyers of their obligations.[+5 sentences] Perhaps all micro-jobs below a certain amount needs to be cash upfront payments as an informal industry standard. Such informal practices are set by strong first movers and I look forward to the leadership by the CDCs. Two, contractual safety nets. Micro-jobs run into the danger of work agreements that are contracted with no overriding legal agreements set into place. This is especially so should the work be contracted with individuals as service buyers. Without dampening the spirit of the flexible nature of micro-jobs, it is necessary to look into some standards for issues such as payment terms and service waivers.[+11 sentences] We perhaps can take a page from the Public Transport Council that penalises and fines fare evaders through the Public Transport Council Act. Three, dispute management and mediation. Hassle-free escalation pathways need to be created to protect both micro-jobbers and their service buyers. In Mdm H’s case, she had no recourse other than herself to recover her service fees. She is not covered by the employment act, and TADM would be too large a blade to weld in her representation. Could we perhaps have a mediation hotline set up for a small fee for such cases? Micro-jobs and other non-traditional career pathways can be viable livelihood choices for women seeking to balance work with home. These choices should not be seen to be second-best options. Through implementing strong protective safety nets, we can remodel these choices into strong first choices that merely look different. We need to ensure that no one falls through the cracks, so that we can build for our women to reach for the stars. Mr Speaker Sir, I support the Budget adjustment.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Leong Mun Wai.
Mr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member)1944 words
[+5 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance for his Ministerial Statement, which sets the tone for our eventual emergence from the COVID-19 crisis. I fully support the efforts. However, there are some concerns and clarifications that need to be voiced and addressed. At this unusual time, it is crucial that our population has unshakable faith in the Government to lead them. However, the Government does not inspire confidence by hastily increasing taxes and fees while at the same time pledging COVID-19 support measures. Our population could view this act as "giving with one hand and taking with the other." Let me give you some examples that give rise to such a sentiment.[+1 sentence] Firstly, the MediShield Life premium increase of between 11.5% and 35.4% to be effective in early 2021 was announced on 29 September. That means an insured person who used to be paying $1,000 in annual premium will now have to pay $1,350 per year. While this change is under public consultation until end of October, the MediShield Life Fund already has $8.3 billion of total assets and continues to accumulate large surpluses of about $0.9 billion a year.[+8 sentences] Also, the new actuarial assumptions behind the projected future liabilities have not been disclosed. Such information is fundamental in determining the fiscal health of the scheme and justifying any increase in premiums. The increase in coverage which accompanies this premium hike is scant comfort to Singaporeans who are still struggling with the financial woes of COVID-19. In any case, there is also no information on how much this increased coverage would have cost the MediShield Life scheme if it had been implemented in earlier years. Secondly, the 9.3% electricity tariff hike for the October to December quarter of 2020 was announced by Singapore Power, the SP Group, on 30 September. This is already approved by the Energy Market Authority. Here is a power-grid monopolist which does not generate electricity but makes billions of dollars since the liberalisation of the electricity market in 2012, sparing no time in raising prices at the first available opportunity even as Singaporeans struggle under the COVID-19 crisis. While the increase is for paying a higher price for the power generating companies, the gencos, the SP Group could have easily absorbed the increase from the past profits it has earned instead of passing the increased cost on to consumers. Thirdly, on 9 October, LTA announced that the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) at six gantries along the CTE would be increased from 12 October to ease congestion during peak periods.[+19 sentences] While ERP charges at some gantries along the CTE have been reintroduced in July and August following the end of the circuit breaker, it is hard to imagine that congestion has already built up to the pre-COVID-19 level. These untimely announcements were made consecutively in a short period of two weeks, adding hundreds of dollars more to household expenditures during these austere times when every cent counts to the average Singaporean. These policies only act as a catalyst to heighten the already increasing public apprehension of more tax and fee hikes coming their way, giving rise to concerns, such as whether the GST will be increased soon, after 2021, for example, given that $6 billion is still parked under the GST Voucher Fund although the Government needs to draw down from the Reserves – when, in fact, announcing the shelving of the GST increase indefinitely could be a much-needed boost to the ailing consumer sector and remove another potential uncertainty on Singaporeans. We could also then make better use of the $6 billion parked under the GST Voucher Fund. This begs the question of the timing of these tax and fee hikes when the support measures are being phased out slowly. Can these hikes not be shelved till later? Can the SP Group not absorb the tariff increases with their past profits? Can ERP increases not wait? Can premium increases not be deferred for a period of one to two years as the current insurance claims are still way below the collected premiums after all? The man on the street must be baffled by the seemingly contradictory actions of the Government. On the one hand, it is purported that the Government is putting up $100 billion to help with COVID-19 support measures. Yet, on the other hand, the implementation of the tax and fee hikes. Is the country so overstretched financially that we have to replenish our coffers with those hikes in such haste? This leads to the three key questions often asked by Singaporeans regarding the $100 billion of COVID-19 support measures: how is the $100 billion spent? How is the $100 billion paid for? How much reserves are left after paying the $100 billion? Although the Government has given most of the relevant information in answers to Parliamentary Questions, Ministerial Statements and published financial statements, these questions need to be answered in a more precise and simplified manner so that the layperson can comprehend. I have attempted to do this below and I would welcome the Deputy Prime Minister to correct me if I am inaccurate in my humble attempt to address those queries. Firstly, the $100 billion spending is approximately broken down into the following categories: $37 billion of financial transfers to Singaporeans, PRs and local companies; $12 billion of tax and public fee rebates; $29 billion of increased expenditure to fight COVID-19; and $22 billion of loan guarantees. Of the $37 billion of financial transfers, $23 billion is paid to local companies through the Jobs Support Scheme to preserve jobs for Singaporeans and PRs.[+3 sentences] Seven billion dollars are paid directly to Singaporeans in the Care and Support Package, Solidarity Payment, Self-Employed Income Relief, SingaporeRediscovers Vouchers and so on. Of the $12 billion of tax and public fee rebates, $2.5 billion is in the form of rental relief for SMEs and $0.9 billion for worker levy waivers. The drop in GST and betting taxes accounted for about $4 billion. The $29 billion spent on fighting COVID-19 includes spending on the upgrading of testing facilities, providing new housing facilities for the foreign workers, funding projects like the $2 billion allocated to the SG Together initiative, $2 billion to the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package and $1 billion to the Jobs Growth Incentive. The $22 billion of loan guarantees are for the Government to provide guarantees of up to 90% of the loan principal for various forms of credit given by commercial banks to SMEs.[+1 sentence] Hence, this is not an immediate expenditure as the loans are provided for by the banks. The $100 billion support measures are paid for by $18 billion of accumulated fiscal surpluses of the previous term of Government; $52 billion of drawdown from the Reserves; $8 billion of reduced current expenditure for FY2020; and $22 billion in loan capital. According to the Deputy Prime Minister's reply to hon Member Mr Leon Perera in June this year, the $22 billion in loan capital is expected to be repaid in the future and is, hence, fiscally neutral.[+1 sentence] Thirdly, while the Government does not want to disclose the National Reserves for security reasons, it has nonetheless published detailed annual financial information on our national assets and liabilities. In its latest Government financial statements as at end March 2020, it was reported that we own a total of $1.35 trillion in financial assets – and $1.35 trillion is $1,350 billion.[+6 sentences] At the same time, according to the latest revised fiscal position for FY2020, the Net Investment Return Contribution (NIRC) remains at $18.6 billion. Given that the NIRC is 50% of the Net Investment Return (NIR), the NIR for 2020 is $37.2 billion. Accordingly, the net decrease of the total financial assets for FY2020 will be the $52 billion drawdown minus the $37.2 billion NIR, which gives us $14.8 billion. This is still a very sizable sum. But it is not $52 billion or $100 billion. This $14.8 billion represents only a 1.1% decrease in our total financial assets. The conclusion from all these is that we have used up only 1.1% of our total financial assets to fight COVID-19 in 2020.[+25 sentences] We commend the Government for its shrewd financial management skills and, at the same time, Singaporeans can rest assured that our national finances remain intact and we are far from squandering away our past savings. So, it appears that there is no need for the tax and fee hikes to take place so soon. We should let Singaporean households recover from the aftershocks of the pandemic and find their footing before we take further action. The finances of many Singaporeans have been severely affected by COVID-19 and the Government must support Singaporeans as they work to recoup their financial losses. It is the most opportune time to focus on grooming the resilient Singaporean and not just economic resilience. Economic resilience belongs to the Government-led economic development model, which has become ineffective in these technologically disruptive and pandemic-prone times. Now, we want each resilient Singaporean to become an independent decision-making unit which, collectively, will make Singapore a stronger economy and society. The first step to grooming the resilient Singaporean is to re-examine our overall safety net policies, like the CPF, MediShield Life, CareShield, HDB lease and so on which will go a long way to increase the confidence of Singaporeans and re-boost their energy to rise to the challenge to build our economy and society. The crucial economic inputs in this new era are creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, and not land, capital and cheap labour anymore. We also have to understand that civil servants are not the best persons to decide which entrepreneur to help or which industry to promote. We need the resilient Singaporeans to make those crucial decisions on their own. The Government's role should be restricted to being a facilitator and custodian of our funds but the actual work of building our future economy should be left to entrepreneurs and experts in different fields from the private sector. Intrinsic motivation with a buy-in by our citizens will go much further and last longer than extrinsic instruction from the Government. Recently, both the Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition have commented on inter-generational equity. My humble opinion is that before we talk about equity, we must not forget that the next generation can do well only if this generation continues to do well. If we do badly, the next generation will not be able to hold on to whatever financial assets we leave behind for them. And now, there is a grave danger that this generation may not do as well as the previous one, if we leave things the way they are. We have to move away from the "one-size-fits-all" attitude and adopt a more dynamic mindset that moves with the times. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that going forward, no strategy will be effective if Singaporeans are not convinced by the facts and figures. It is my belief that they will not be ready to participate in any governmental endeavours wholeheartedly. We have to strengthen our social safety net before we can convince and attract Singaporeans to take up the entrepreneurial challenge. This is an opportune time to rethink and to re-calibrate as we move forward post-COVID-19. I hope the information and ideas I have shared can help Singaporeans understand our current situation better and in turn help the Government to achieve a better outcome from the strategies announced by the Deputy Prime Minister. The Progress Singapore Party intends to continually bring up ideas for discussion in this Parliament. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Ministerial Statement.
Mr Ang Wei Neng (West Coast)1337 words
[+6 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, when COVID-19 hit, the first priority was to ensure that those who needed help received it swiftly and generously. We have unprecedented four Budgets. The Government has tapped into our precious reserves, to give out billions of dollars to help businesses, workers and individuals. We are nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Singaporeans are appreciative of the various COVID-19 support measures. However, it may be timely for us to calibrate the manner in which funding is given out. Before I proceed further, Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to declare my interest as part of the management team in ComfortDelGro and my interest as an Advisor to the Singapore Port Workers Union or SPWU.[+2 sentences] I would like to focus in particular on the Jobs Support Scheme or JSS, where the Government is helping businesses to co-fund up to 75% of the first $4,600 of monthly wages for Singaporean employees. It has kept many businesses afloat. It is reported that 75,000 jobs were saved due to the JSS.[+2 sentences] The benefits are good. The cost is also high. The total amount disbursed under JSS will likely exceed $15 billion.[+4 sentences] It is apparent that COVID-19 has a very different impact on different industries. Some, like aviation, tourism and the events industries, are badly hit. Some, like supermarket chains, IT companies, logistics companies and medical companies are doing better than previous years. However, all companies receive JSS, including companies that thrive due to COVID-19. In the written reply to my Parliamentary Question last week, we understand from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance that as at 24 September 2020, more than 700 firms have declined and/or returned JSS payouts.[+1 sentence] It is very noble of these companies. In June 2020, more than 130 companies have already returned $97 million of JSS payouts.[+17 sentences] I suppose the accumulated returned JSS payouts by now would be worth a few hundred million dollars. I hope Deputy Prime Minister Heng can provide us an update and give recognition to these companies. MOF has stated they "do not intend to instruct firms that report profits to return their JSS payouts, whether in whole or in part". Rather, firms are encouraged to use the JSS payouts to hire more Singaporean workers or to accelerate their transformation efforts. To this note, one good example of a business that has utilised its JSS funds in a meaningful way is Shell. Taking its own initiative, it is providing $10 million it received from JSS, to run courses for its staff in demand areas like data analytics and data mining. PSA International has also informed the union that it will use the JSS payouts to not only accelerate the digital transformation in PSA, but the entire marine logistics industry as well as financing some of Singapore's COVID-19 activities. We hope more firms will follow the lead of these companies. Meanwhile, I would like to offer another avenue for firms that are profitable to put JSS payouts for good use. From my interactions with many Social Service Agencies or SSAs, I understand that most SSAs are struggling to raise fund especially this year when the economic recession is very bad. For example, Singapore Hospice Council has only been able to meet 10% of its fundraising goals. It does not help that some may have even more beneficiaries to care for during these difficult times. Thus, I would like to urge profitable companies that receive JSS payouts to donate part of the payouts to charities. When these charitable organisations receive the donations, the Government will also match dollar-for-dollar and the companies that donate will enjoy 2.5 times tax deductions. This is a win-win situation. The donation would greatly benefit the vulnerable, the disadvantaged and the disabled. In contrast, almost 2,200 employers were under review for suspected abuse of JSS. Of these, 444 were denied payouts either partially or in full to the tune of almost $10 million.[+25 sentences] I would like to urge MOF to name these companies, to make it public the culprits behind this such fraud so as to serve as a strong deterrent to other companies. In addition, we understand some of these cases came to light due to whistleblowers. I would like to ask MOF how we can facilitate the public to furnish information of such abuses. At the same time, would MOF consider charging some of the more blatant culprits in Court? JSS funds are our money, our reserve and our lifeline. We want JSS to save jobs. We do not want JSS to be abused or enriched greedy individual shareholders. I would like to urge every Singaporean to be vigilant on the use of JSS, to report abuses and to encourage profitable companies to donate part of the JSS payouts to charities. Mr Speaker, Sir, we want to make sure that Singaporeans and businesses who need help would not need to jump through hoops or wade through red tape to qualify for funding. For example, many staying in property with an annual value of more than $21,000 but do not own a property and yet need some help, could not qualify for many of the COVID-19 support grants. Could MOF consider relaxing the criteria? Meanwhile, some of the support schemes pertaining to individuals will expire soon. For instance, the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme or SIRS, will disburse its last payout in October, this month. What will happen after that? Going forward, I would like to ask if the Government would consider continuing the SIRS schemes as many Singaporeans still need help, but calibrating it so that it is more targeted. For instance, SIRS could be fine-tuned if MOF were to extend for another six months. Rather than a binary approval of yes or no to a fixed payout of $3,000 for three months, the SIRS amount disbursed could differ according to the criteria like past income or type of housing. This might allow those who are currently not eligible for SIRS, like those who stay in private property with an annual value of more than $21,000, to receive a smaller SIRS payout. In addition, part of the payout could be in the form of vouchers so that the recipients will have to spend them rather than save for some of them. And this will help to further pump prime the economy. To reiterate, I would like to appeal to Deputy Prime Minister Heng to extend the SIRS and widen the criteria to benefit more Singaporeans. But the quantum could taper off gradually, to allow the self-employed persons who may have grown dependent on the payouts to wean themselves off. Mr Speaker, Sir, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, I urge the Government to give out another round of Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers to low-income families to buy food and necessities from neighbourhood shops and hawker stalls. Many residents and neighbourhood shops in Nanyang and West Coast feel that the vouchers are timely and useful. CDC vouchers are unlike the $150 vouchers recently given out by the Government to families living in 1-room and 2-room flats. The latter can only be used in large supermarket chains and CDC vouchers can only be used in neighbourhood shops. During the outbreak, the business of big supermarket chains was booming while that of neighbourhood shops was very poor.[+1 sentence] Hence, I hope the Government will take more care of the neighbourhood shops. (In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, it is clear that COVID-19 will be a part of our lives for some time. It is thus not practical or feasible for the funding schemes that have helped Singaporeans and businesses to continue in the same form. But it is imperative that help still needs to be given because people and businesses are still suffering.[+2 sentences] I hope these schemes will be fine-tuned and tweaked to better suit Singapore's needs, especially now as we have a clearer picture of the impact of COVID-19 on different segments of the society. I support the Ministerial Statement.
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling (East Coast)2327 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, over the past months, the concerted effort put in by the Multi-Ministry Task force, the various agencies and fellow Singaporeans have contributed to flattening the curve and bringing down the number of COVID-19 cases. The importance of the $100 billion financial support cannot be underestimated as it has helped cushion the economic impact of COVID-19 for many individuals and families.[+6 sentences] Of late, in my weekly house visits, I hear more residents who have been displaced from jobs, unable to restart their work as freelancers in different industries and more company are undergoing restructuring. This impact fallout is hard and real. It will lead to social and economic problems if not addressed for the short to the mid term. This is only the beginning for us as a country and people in gingerly threading the path as we look towards emerging from COVID-19. We must now put extra focus in our efforts on re-opening our borders safely, rebuilding our economy and prepare for the future unpredictability. There are three areas I would like to touch on, with respect to soldiering on for our future, specifically the future of our industries and our workforce. The key areas are: one, creating key verticals eco-system under Singapore Inc.; two, nurturing the green economy; and three, creating an inclusive growth workforce On the first area, during the initial stage of COVID-19 when cases were exploding in some countries and borders begin to shut, the fault-lines in the supply chains globally were apparent.[+4 sentences] This was not simply a sign of how securing necessities like masks, food products, and so on was critical. It strongly reiterates the pressing importance for Singapore to invest in economic resilience and sustainability as a source of competitive advantage. There is a need to relook at the overall business continuity planning of supply chains, both in the public and private sectors. As Deputy Prime Minister Heng mentioned about the need to transform our economy and be ready for a post-COVID-19 world, it is thus timely that we look at strengthening our local start-ups, our SMEs and even the large enterprises to boost our foundation and economic resilience as the world becomes increasingly volatile and uncertain. During the height of the pandemic where A*Star was able to produce the Fortitude test kit and many countries were keen on having the “made in Singapore” label for items, it demonstrated that Singapore, despite being a small nation, we do have the talent pool and resources to build our line of defence and increase our resilience to the best extent possible that can weather this current health crisis and other challenges ahead.[+5 sentences] So, contrary to what Member Mr Leong Mun Wai has said that he thinks our economic strategy has been a failure, I would like to put it this way. While Singapore’s economy has been diversified with a strong focus towards the tertiary industry of services, take for example financial, intellectual property or healthcare and biotechnology hubs, I think we need to move beyond this as we cope with all the global changes. How can we foster greater resilience in our economy by looking further and developing some things around our primary and secondary industries. for example, our energy or agri-food supply chains? To spur our economic growth, we need more than just innovative business ideas and funding. We must create business niche as well as aggregate our capabilities in some core parts of the market segments, in order to have an eco-system that well supports the design, production and associated services of different verticals. Some exist today, but others are areas we have to begin building in our future economy.[+1 sentence] Let me take an example about agri-food. There is a goal of 30 by 30 local produce to supplement Singapore’s nutritional needs.[+5 sentences] Some initiatives have been earmarked to support this goal like the NParks Community in Bloom gardens where planting edibles and urban farming are being allowed at rooftops of HDB multi-storey car parks. Additionally, with the mix of efficient use of technology, agriculture in Singapore has also evolved to agri-tech with areas such as aquaculture and stacked farming. I would like to ask what are the other milestones set out for us to assess and track how the industry has successfully transformed in order to make sure that we do really meet this goal? As the UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development noted, gaps in the scalability and feasibility could impact the sustainability of agri-tech. How does the Ministry have oversight on greater integration of technology throughout the entire value chain, from production to consumption; and sufficiency of players within the value chain itself? For such industries of strategic importance, it is worthy that we can further develop existing companies to grow to the point where substantial economies of scale can be enjoyed and thereby having the financial muscles to weather the volatile changes – similar to what has been done previously in the financial sector with our domestic banks like DBS, OCBC and their peers, and thus becoming a very key pillar in the local economy.[+37 sentences] So, I would like to say I disagree with what Member Mr Leong Mun Wai has said. He thinks the Government should not be picking the players or the winners, and leave it purely to the private sector. Well, I think the Government has really not quite been doing this and did not pick any of the players. But I would like to say if we want to move forward and have an active participation, I would think the Government needs to play the role of being an active business catalyst, a facilitator and a binder. And why is it important as we move forward to do this? Because without this sort of role in the Government being that player, I think it is probably very difficult for us to create a more comprehensive eco-system, an eco-system where you have a multitude of different players, not only from the private sector, the smaller businesses. It is difficult for them among themselves to decide how exactly to participate within the value chain. So, I would like to say, in contrary, I hope the Government can take a more active role on this aspect. On the next thing about nurturing the green economy, I think the topic of green economy is no longer one about carrying buzzwords or even a feel-good factor to be a part of. It is one of existential needs and one which has both social and political implications. Over the past few years, there has been growing focus on building a sustainable economy for Singapore. The capitalisation on the creation of a green economy for our next generation was also identified. While the vision has been explained on the National Roadmap and some high level plans have been outlined on how to achieve this vision, there remains a need for greater clarity and communication between the Ministry and its citizens to better understand what this green blueprint means, in terms of implication on the economy and the country. By so doing, it would better allow citizens to identify the opportunities, the role each can play and how we can move towards the same goals that is set for the green economy. One of the immediate questions we have would be how do we equip our citizens with the relevant skills in order to capitalise on and that are required for this future green economy? I believe this begins in building the knowledge and pipeline for the future. Looking at the education front, Institutes of Higher Learning have identified that the future economy would be one that requires inter-disciplinary thinking. One example is that of National University of Singapore making a step in that direction with its preliminary consultation on the proposed College of Humanities and Sciences. This is a step in the right direction as we review issues of the likes of climate change. Tackling climate change cannot be addressed by just having a narrow understanding of environmental sciences, but rather an appreciation of economics, anthropology and public policy. As individual and society, we have to better understand the balance and trade-offs involved on how the economics work for public and private sectors, how do societies evolve across time and space and the impact of different aspects of public policies. This would ultimately bring about a different rhythm in our conversations of where and how to spend public funds, understanding the complexity of issues that require addressing at phases or using multi-prong resolutions and recognising interdependencies across many areas of society. This will facilitate more participation and result in more active and balanced discussions that are helpful to tackling increasing multi-faceted issues. Meanwhile, for those currently in the workforce, how can we better prepare them for this green economy? Take for example in the construction industry, there are some bright spots such as green specialists, green building architects and designers, green energy project management, and others that individuals can be trained and certified in. Similarly in agriculture, urban farming would be an avenue for those whose interests lies in food and research. New jobs will be created and even new work scopes that do not exist today can be ready and be available in future markets. Thus, to capture this future growth and ensure we have local talents to meet the job requirements, we have to begin now to adjust and adapt mindsets to changing times. Jobs should not be judged by today’s lenses and how glamorous it may be. With a heavy reliance on technology and science, even mundane roles in traditional farming will excite those that are keen to move beyond laborious work. Moving towards a green economy may take many dimensions. While we may find that we could see a lack of gumption and probably open attitude to try new things, not so much the lack of opportunities nor the imposition of relevance of tomorrow. And, lastly, Sir, I would like to highlight fostering of inclusive growth in our workforce. In my past speeches, I have spoken on the need to extend holistic aid and uplift the low-wage workers, seniors and special needs community. This pandemic has once again showed us that they are indeed the most vulnerable groups as many of them hold jobs as essential and front-line workers in our economy. Much has been mentioned on seizing opportunities in this challenging time through upskilling to upkeep one’s competitiveness in the workforce. However, the fundamental question is how successful has the upskilling profile been in ensuring Singapore’s workforce remains competitive? Will the Government be tracking statistics of people skills upgrading in relation to job enhancement opportunities or its corresponding ability to remain in the workforce?[+1 sentence] While “what skills” has been an often-talked subject, “who gets access to training” is another pertinent question. The $500 to $1,000 top-up in SkillsFuture credit is useful to better enable Singaporeans to take up new courses and for them to pick up new skills. However, there always remains groups of individuals like the low-wage workers and special needs community who even before COVID-19, have been unable to take up courses for personal upgrades. Their reasons for not doing so are varied, some because they have to balance multiple jobs, others care-giving duties, lack of funds or lack of suitable courses that is catered to them in language or academic qualifications. They are left out from being able to upgrade not due to lack of will, but more a lack of time and the need to first survive. For these groups, the stipend may not be adequate as the opportunity cost of forgoing a job to attend these programs are indeed high.[+1 sentence] So, I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister what can we do to bring different skills and development to them with very specific curriculum that is embedded through funding their employers for in-house upskilling? With that said, I must mention that wages for the worker in some sectors at the 20th percentile in the last five years have, indeed, grown faster than the median worker as it was supported by the Progressive Wage Model or PWM. The Workfare schemes including the Special Employment Credit will also be further enhanced in January 2021 to improve their retirement adequacy through cash as well as CPF top-ups. Further, through incorporating the skills upgrading element into justification of increasing their wages for those in the cleaning, security and landscaping industries, I think beyond this support, I look forward to the expansion of the PWM to other service sectors for more inclusion and coverage on a wider group of individuals.[+1 sentence] At the same time, I would ask that we rethink about the need and the impact of these workers in service industries when the economy at any point of time has to shut for a period, for example, like our recent circuit breaker. Low-wage workers and even those in the special needs community struggle to find alternative jobs and may end up being displaced from the marketplace for even a longer period after the economy restarts.[+1 sentence] The larger impact they face goes beyond income, as a daily routine has already become disrupted and this sort of abrupt disruption has a huge impact on their mental state, especially for those with special needs – they can be inevitably scarred. With the new and future economy, can we find avenues for more micro jobs to create for not only the seniors but also the special needs adults?[+4 sentences] With wider acceptance of remote working, this model seems to be the work for the future that we are shifting to. Can we better adapt to support the special needs community? Sir, in conclusion, I stand in support of the Third Supplementary Estimates. There is no better time than now for us to work together and create the future workspace and economy that will put Singapore on a better footing as we charge forward.
Ms Raeesah Khan (Sengkang)973 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the stress fractures of many societies in the world today that are traditionally not discussed as much. The area that I am keen to speak on today is mental health. I would first like to disclose my involvement as a founder of an organisation that works on social issues including mental health. Mental health is increasingly an issue that Singaporeans face. The Singapore Mental Health study in 2016 noted that millennials between ages 18 and 34 were more likely to report experiencing a mental health issue compared to other age groups.[+1 sentence] However, mental health issues continue to be stigmatised, as respondents in this survey cited. The study found that 11 years is a median time between when they first experience symptoms and when they sought help for obsessive compulsive disorder; four years for bipolar disorder and alcohol abuse; two years for generalised anxiety disorder and one year for major depressive disorder.[+18 sentences] Many residents have approached me to seek advice for how they can receive help to improve their mental health. They have also shared their experiences accessing mental health services. One resident shared on the long waiting times to access psychotherapy at IMH. The earliest appointment she could get was in February of next year. As Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong noted, stigma and the lack of mental health literacy may be contributory factors to the delay. Even as we are more aware, there are some misconceptions of mental health. This stigmatisation might only have hurt us as we deal with the mental damage that the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought. I remember reading the concerns of mental health practitioners during the initial circuit breaker measures which categorise them as non-essential. An IPSO online survey done during the circuit breaker indicated that one in four respondents were not in good mental health. The vulnerability to stress exists across a population regardless of their work situation. To be clear, this is not unique to Singapore. A recent WHO survey has noted that COVID-19 is disrupting mental health services in most countries. As this pandemic continues, we must guard against the long tail effect on mental health, as experts are predicting. An editorial on the Lancet Infectious Diseases publication noted that "to minimise the impact of the pandemic, we must also address the substantial unmet mental health needs of whole societies with a focus on the most vulnerable". A High Court judge in a recent sentencing also drew attention to mental health access. She said, and I quote, "As a society, it is critical to continue with efforts to improve and enhance access to mental health services". I could no agree more with the sentiments expressed. But there has been innovation in this time of crisis. Singapore saw the establishment of a National Care Hotline in April, now manned by 900 odd volunteers, which also has served over 28,000 calls by this August. On World Mental Health Day, Prime Minister Lee has announced the establishment of an inter-agency taskforce to look at the psycho-social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population.[+13 sentences] I welcome these developments but I believe we can go further to make a huge step in destigmatising mental health issues, and improving and expanding on current services. In fact, this period may be a good launching pad for Singapore to make a society-wide effort to destigmatise mental health issues. Mr Speaker, I would now like to make some suggestions. Firstly, I propose forming a Mental Health Committee with various stakeholders involved, stakeholders such as Government reps, mental health practitioners, VWOs and social workers, and also people who have experienced issues pertaining to mental health. It is important that we bank on the expertise and experiences of our fellow citizens who can help shape and lead the change that we need. Secondly, improve the quantity and quality of information on mental health resources. Finding suitable treatment requires time and effort from an individual. Therefore, improving the quantity and quality of information about mental health resources may encourage more people to seek help. Cognitively, many may be unable to find the appropriate mental health service as it can seem like an overwhelming experience. Having helpful guides for people to navigate the many options may be more helpful to those who wish to take that first step. Thirdly, ensuring that mental health remains affordable especially for youths, especially as mental health prevalence has been largely on young people. However, they may hesitate to resolve their issues as mental health treatments are long term in nature and the cost of treatments can stack up quickly, especially for those who need weekly treatments. Can there be reviews on treatments and coverage? For instance, MediSave withdrawal limits for inpatient psychiatric treatment is subject to a withdrawal limit of $150 per day but physical treatment is subject to the to the withdrawal limit of $450 per day.[+7 sentences] If we truly want to take mental health in this country seriously, we should not draw distinctions between psychiatric and physical treatment. Lastly, consider adding social, emotional learning to our education curriculum and mental health campaigns. Preventive work needs to be done alongside destigmatisation efforts. And that includes learning the appropriate language to use when speaking to a family member or a friend who has a mental health condition and what actions to take when they are in severe distress. An effort to improve mental health is not only good for the self but good for our country. Psychological defence is an underlying key pillar of our Total Defence and it will serve Singapore well when any Singaporean, even at their most mentally vulnerable, can trust that society at large will also have their back. I hope the authorities will take this opportunity to reset the conversations on mental health for the betterment of society.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Hazel Poa.
Ms Hazel Poa (Non-Constituency Member)1287 words
[+28 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, first of all, I would like to declare that I own an education company as I will be talking about education in the rest of my speech. The Deputy Prime Minister spoke extensively about the economic plans to address the post-COVID-19 situation in Singapore, but not enough on how to prepare our people for the future. Upskilling and re-skilling our workforce is part of the solution but it is a reactive approach. If upskilling and re-skilling were our only recourse, Singaporeans will always find ourselves one step behind. Instead of focusing only on giving working adults new skills to survive the new economy, we should also look into preparing our youths to thrive in the future. Instead of preparing for jobs that we cannot foresee, we need to focus on building resilient growth mindsets in our young people today. Why are Singaporeans losing out in the job market in our own country? Employers repeatedly cite the lack of creativity and risk-taking, not to mention poor communication skills as reasons for this. Our grade-centric education system was also cited as a contributory factor. In addition to facing competition for jobs from foreigners, we are increasingly facing competition from machines as well. Currently, standardised written examinations often reward behaviours like memorising and regurgitating facts and standard answers but encouraging such behaviours make our people most vulnerable to being replaced by machines. What is not easily replaced by a machine, however, is the ability to think creatively, take risk and communicating and social skills. These are the same skills that employers find Singaporeans lack. Now, with digitalisation accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is even greater urgency to hasten the pace of education reform as old methods of teaching and learning become obsolete. We had been facing growing uncertainty even before the pandemic struck. The key to thriving in uncertain environments is adaptability. To help build the ability to adapt to different or changing circumstances, we need to provide a learning environment that is non-standardised and non-prescriptive, one that constantly contains elements of unfamiliarity. In other words, diversity. Diversity is also an important factor in the fostering of creativity and innovation. The modern innovations of today have always required inter-disciplinary approaches to reach fruition, a point also brought up by the hon Member Cheryl Chan earlier. So, similarly, I believe that our educational system not only needs to be diverse in terms of curriculum, but in student mix as well. First, diversity in curriculum. We need to offer a wider range of subjects to students and greater flexibility in choices and combinations. In other words, an a la carte approach rather than set menus. Here, I would like to quote the American psychologist Abraham Harold Maslow, who said, "It is no more necessary to study animals before one can study men than it is to study mathematics before one can study geology or psychology or biology." Take the range of Primary school subjects, for example. In UK, their primary schools have 11 core subjects including design and technology, history, geography and computing, plus three optionals. In Finland, they have 13 core subjects including environmental studies, religion, history, social studies and guidance counselling, plus optionals in art and skill subjects. In Singapore, although we have nine core subjects, only four of them are assessed in the PSLE.[+4 sentences] This unequal treatment skews time and effort towards the four subjects, effectively further narrowing the range. Secondly, diversity in student mix. The practice of streaming students with similar abilities and aptitudes into groups reduces opportunities for our students to interact with others who are different. This has already been highlighted in a CNA documentary "Regardless of Race". While MOE is moving away from streaming towards subject-based banding which removes the labelling, it does not change the fact that students are still grouped based on similar results in each subject.[+6 sentences] Students with different skill sets and interest will have few opportunities to share and discuss diverse thoughts and ideas. It also stymies broader social interaction and the development of people management skills. Thirdly, diversity in pathways. Over the years, additional pathways have been created for older students. At the Primary school level, children are still on a single track with all Primary students taking the PSLE route. But as any parent knows, the PSLE is a stressful exam for students and parents alike because the outcome has very important implications on a child's future education and development. While some feel the PSLE is necessary for Secondary school posting, there are others, like myself, who believe it is premature to assess students at the age of 12 to determine their educational paths. I therefore urge MOE to consider a pilot project of through-train schools from Primary to Secondary levels without going through the PSLE, to give parents the option to choose an education path that may be better suited for their children's future.[+1 sentence] With so much depending on the results of examinations like the PSLE, it is not surprising that Singapore students have a high fear of failure compared to students in other countries. In an OECD survey, it was found that three in four Singapore students fear failure as compared to a global average of 55%.[+2 sentences] I believe high-stakes examinations contribute to the building of such fears by making the price of failing too high to pay. Such fears can inhibit risk-taking entrepreneurship and the willingness to venture into the unfamiliar. Assessments should take into account the learning value of failing by giving them multiple opportunities to try again.[+6 sentences] A single failure should not mark you for life. For example, in the UK, national examinations like GCSE are conducted twice in May and November. I hope MOE can give our students similar chances. To introduce greater diversity and differentiated learning into our education system, we need smaller class sizes. With Singapore's total fertility rate dropping, the number of school-going children is decreasing. This would have been a good opportunity to decrease class sizes, but MOE has instead closed schools and reduced teacher recruitment. The number of education officers dropped from 36,400 in 2016 to 33,700 in 2018. The NIE intake dropped from 1,256 in 2016 to 556 in 2018.[+5 sentences] Not only is this a missed opportunity to reduce class sizes, it also reduces meaningful job opportunities for Singaporeans. I urged MOE to reconsider its approach. In our local Universities, the tuition grants given to foreign students are already a recurring bugbear for many Singaporeans, and is a popular theme in media reports. Many Singaporeans are perplexed at why foreigners are given Government subsidies and question this use of taxpayers' money. In Australia and UK, full fee-paying foreign students are an important source of revenue. In UK, these students contributed 11.9 billion pounds to the UK economy in 2016. In Australia, they contributed $37.6 billion to the Australian economy in 2019. With good global rankings, our Universities should similarly be able to attract full fee-paying foreign students. We can adopt a similar model, develop this industry and use the revenues to further subsidise the education of local students.[+6 sentences] Foreign student enrolment, however, should not be at the expense of the enrolment of local students. In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that we are not embracing customised learning to the detriment of our children. When we personalise education, we will be able to look at everything we do in life as an education in itself. No longer bound to a classroom, children will be free to learn from life, learning to think creatively, take risk and adapt quickly in youth. Children will become more resilient in adulthood and better able to handle any crisis that comes their way. Sir, I support the Ministerial Statement.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Minister Tan.
The Minister, Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Manpower and Trade and Industry (Dr Tan See Leng)627 words
[+6 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to issue a clarification to Mr Leong Mun Wai's earlier suggestion that SP Services was being opportunistic when it raised the electricity tariffs in Q4 of 2020. I would like to clarify that SP buys electricity at the full cost of producing it and delivering it to all consumers. These are generating companies or gencos – whatever that is procured is passed on to the gencos. And then, the gencos charge consumers at the same price. That is known as the entire regulated tariff. SP does not benefit from the increase in tariffs directly. The increase in Q4 2020 tariffs are primarily due to fuel cost increases. Perhaps to share a little bit more, between July and September, in this same quarter, the crude oil price, Brent crude oil price, went up by a whooping 47%.[+4 sentences] This fuel cost increases are incurred by many of these power gencos. The additional amount of electricity tariffs that SP can collect or collected from the consumers in Q4 of 2020 will then be passed on to these power gencos to offset their fuel cost increases. I have also alluded to earlier on that we have provided Singaporean households very targeted support – very, very targeted support – for their utilities bills. I would like to reiterate, each household with at least one Singapore citizen, has received a one-off $100 Solidarity Utilities Credit in their July or August SP Group utilities bill. On top of that, the GST Voucher - U-Save has also been doubled this year through a one-off a one-off GST Voucher - U-Save special payment. Eligible HDB households with five or more members also received a first tranche of further GST Voucher - U-Save rebates of between $60 and $100 per household in October.[+3 sentences] A second tranche will be sent out and dispersed in January 2021. If I break it down, the 1 to 2-room HDB flats get up to six to eight months of support. The 3- to 4-room HDB flats get four to six months of support for their utility bills. On top of that, in my reply to the question that hon Member Liang Eng Hwa had asked, I have also said that close to 50% – about 48%, to be exact – of all of our households have already switched over to the Open Electricity market retailer.[+10 sentences] So, quite a vast majority of this 48% is on fixed price plans. So, they are not affected by the change in electricity tariffs. So, we are talking about the balance and of this balance, the Government has stepped out in a huge way to support them. Now, I guess I am a bit disappointed in a sense that I am past my 50-year mark and in all my 50-odd years, this is the first time I have seen the Government spending so much to support all of us here in this country. We understand the concerns that many of our fellow Singaporeans have in terms of tariff pricing increase. Perhaps for the hon Member Leong's consumption, fuel costs actually do constitute a huge part of the tariff. In fact, in terms of the entire continuum of the gencos, the fuel costs actually come up to anything from a third to up to 50%. We have had a period of time when we have benefited from low costs of importing of this fuel from overseas but we are seeing some upswing in terms of pricing coming back up. The Government is also doing everything it can to move into some other forward thinking measures to ensure that we can manage the volatility and also the price fluctuations. I hope that I am able to clear this point of clarification with everyone.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Leong.
Mr Leong Mun Wai246 words
[+13 sentences]Mr Speaker, thank you. I thank the Minister for his clarification of some of the points. In fact, just now, the Minister had already touched on the electricity tariffs, so, there is some understanding on that. My point in the speech is that we are generally advocating that we should be paying more attention to grooming Singaporeans to be more resilient. As a result, the pricing of all these public services is a part of it. I am just expressing an opinion that perhaps the SP Group could have waited a little bit longer. The whole pricing mechanism of the electricity market and all that – that is another topic we can deal with. For example, we know that SP has made a lot of profit when the electricity wholesale market collapsed from 2012 to 2018. They did not actually pass on the benefits to the consumer at that time because the retail market was still in the process of being liberalised. So, they had made some profits – in fact, a lot of profits – during those years. Why can they not just wait a little bit longer? This is just a general policy attitude and things that we are trying to express here – that we hope, going forward, if we want to develop a different model, we need the Singaporean to be more resilient. Of course, there are many facets to that and we can discuss more and more of that going forward.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Minister Tan.
Dr Tan See Leng249 words
[+9 sentences]I think that how we have worked together as a nation, Mr Speaker, Sir, in terms of making sure that our support is very surgical, very precise, very targeted to the group of people who needs it most, perhaps not because of the fact that they lack resilience – I think, in fact, many of them are very resilient. In fact, from many of my Meet-the-People Sessions – people from the 1-room, 2-room flats, the 3-room, 4-room flats. I hope Mr Leong is not saying that they are not resilient because we want to support them. In fact, I think that many of them are in circumstances are beyond their control. Where we think that support is needed and where it is targeted, we will not hesitate to make sure that we are able to not just care for them but to also carry for them. I think that has already spoken volumes. To the point about fluctuations and volatility in energy markets – we are a very small country and 95% of our power supply comes from fossil fuels, which we are also trying to see how we can move out to reduce our carbon footprint, so that we can go on to more renewable energies. If you talk about this 95%, we are subject to fluctuations. I have said it many a time that the gencos do need to have some form of returns because they have also invested significantly in the infrastructure here in our country.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Leong.
Mr Leong Mun Wai63 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, I understand that the prices of electricity need to fluctuate with crude oil prices or natural gas prices. However, in terms of pricing the electricity tariff, one question I want to ask is: did SP make a lot of profit from 2012 to 2018 when the electricity prices market collapsed but they have not passed on the benefits to the consumer?
Mr Speaker10 words
[+2 sentences]Would anyone want to respond? Senior Minister of State Chee.
The Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Transport (Mr Chee Hong Tat)313 words
[+7 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join this debate. I cannot help but notice that Mr Leong Mun Wai has made a wrong attribution to the SP Group – their commercial model and their business model. He mentioned the wholesale price has gone down and why is it that the SP Group did not pass on the savings? Let me clarify. SP Group is the grid operator. They provide the infrastructure to transmit and distribute the electrons that are being produced by the generation companies – as Minister Tan See Leng mentioned, the gencos. After the electricity is produced, the SP Group's transmission and distribution system, the grid, then transmits the electrons from the power generation companies to the users. SP Group's returns, how that is determined – the Energy Market Authority or EMA, as the regulator, will then look at the assets that the SP Group has put in place and calculate what is the fair rate of return for those assets. It is actually separate from the price of electricity in the wholesale market. That is not what the SP Group earns.[+1 sentence] As Minister Tan was saying earlier, that is what the gencos are charging for producing the electricity. SP Group is the entity that transmits the electrons. They earn a return for the infrastructure that they have put in place, the grid infrastructure that they have put in place.[+3 sentences] I think it is important for us to be clear on what is the business model of the various entities before we make comments like: why are they making so much money and they are not passing it on? Why are they making so much profit and they are not passing through some of these to consumers? Mr Leong needs to understand what the facts are so that we can have a meaningful discussion based on accurate facts.
Mr Speaker54 words
[+6 sentences]Thank you. My electrons need to be somewhere else. Order. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 4.05 pm. Sitting accordingly suspended at 3.42 pm until 4.05 pm. Sitting resumed at 4.05 pm.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast)1940 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Ministerial Statement by Deputy Prime Minister on the Government's strategy to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic. Sir, while the Government must continue to support households, workers and businesses to manage during this difficult period as many had been impacted, it is imperative that we now look forward and prepare for the post-COVID-19 new normal. While we must protect lives, we must also continue to grow in order to secure livelihoods. I will speak on three areas. First, re-making Singapore as a global-Asia node of technology, innovation and enterprise with digital as a game-changer, while building up our domestic eco-system as a home base for innovation. Second, preparing Singaporeans for the digital world and doing this at scale.[+10 sentences] This is critical if we want inclusive growth and Singaporeans to be ready and able to seize the opportunities. Third, the important role of the Government needs to continue to play in building and strengthening Singapore as a Smart Nation through the right investments in infrastructure and, more importantly, policies. Let me now touch on the first point. The strategy to be a magnet to attract leading companies, including technology companies and building strong local companies, is an important one. Singapore's success in attracting top technology companies and start-ups to locate their operations in Singapore and providing an eco-system to nurture local companies and start-ups is strategic for growth. In this new normal, we have seen that digital is, indeed, a game-changer. COVID-19 has disrupted many aspects of life and forced people to think about new ways of doing business. Digital technology has accelerated the disruptions and has played a crucial role in enabling connectivity and operations to continue when physical borders and interactions are restricted. But ultimately, technology is about addressing needs and solving problems. Digital technologies enable agility and new business models to respond to these needs and to capture new opportunities. Deputy Prime Minister Heng, in his speech, spoke about the progress made with the implementation of our industry transformation maps (ITMs) to restructure our economy, sector by sector, firm by firm. This transformation is important as it affects 23 sectors and our businesses within these sectors.[+5 sentences] The shifts driven by the digital transformation and, now COVID, have taught us, however, that the disruptions businesses are facing are not coming from traditional players but non-traditional competitors. For example, a non-banking player like WeChat handles an array of payment transactions for more than a billion users in China without the need for a bank account. So, the new opportunities that are being created from the adjacencies between industries and partnerships across sectors are also equally important. As we drive the ITMs, how are such disruptions being addressed with the work that we doing with the ITMs and the opportunities that present themselves? How are they also being leveraged? Having global technology giants, like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, LinkedIn, Facebook and, more recently, the best Chinese tech companies, Alibaba, BtyeDance and Tencent, making Singapore their Asian headquarters and base for their operations in the region, coupled with Singapore becoming a regional and global hub for technology and start-ups not only creates quality jobs – and this is very important because we need quality jobs for Singaporeans – but it brings with it talent and, more importantly, know-how that creates a vibrancy and a buzz to drive innovations and investments.[+15 sentences] But to that point, as these opportunities present themselves, I would like to touch on the second point that Singaporeans must also be ready for them. And today, as we have discussed quite a bit in this House, many Singaporeans have had their jobs impacted or at risk of having their jobs impacted. At the same time, companies are hiring. But we are saying is, many times, that match is not quite there. So, I want to touch on this point that we must also look at how we ready Singaporeans. And this is not something that we can leave to chance. We must be deliberate in preparing Singaporeans for these new opportunities and we must be able to do it at scale. If there are too few people with the appropriate skills for the jobs created, this not only has a gap but increases the cost of talent and will drive business cost up and, therefore, again, create other disamenities. So, more importantly, while there are good jobs available, Singaporeans must be ready for them. Training at scale – I spent a lot of time thinking about this point about training at scale because it is not easy. How do we do it? This is done in schools today. It is done in tertiary institutions. However, with technological disruptions, many in the workforce are finding that they need new skills to stay relevant and to take on new opportunities. So, the training actually needs to happen for those who are in the workforce and not just for those who are entering the workforce. And COVID-19 has just accelerated this even more. So, what we need to do is to have platforms for training large groups of experienced people in the workforce to build new skills, especially digital skills, and this process needs to be iterative because technology and changes in the workforce will continue to keep moving and it is not static.[+7 sentences] So, training must be demand-led and, therefore, a very key competent of this must be the companies. They must be key participants in the development process and the programmes to provide context. Understanding what industry and employers need will allow us to appreciate the skills and competencies needed to do these new jobs and the appropriate training and development programmes. Precisely because we are preparing people for the digital world which is fast moving and dynamic, agility is an important criterion embedded in these programmes. In today's context, to achieve relevant training at scale and to do it in a timely manner are difficult. Why? Because while training and development are available and we have lots of it, it is disparate. Many different institutions provide development programmes but they are in silos.[+1 sentence] What do I mean by that? We must get educational institutions to come together for training programmes and endorsements of each other's training programmes to support a mutual recognition of prior learning so that we can accelerate the learning because what we need is speed but not speed in just getting it done, but quality.[+30 sentences] So, we have got to recognise the adjacencies. What does not happen enough today is the understanding of competencies that individuals already have in the workforce, because what individuals have is knowledge of businesses and that is a very, very precious knowledge. What we need to then equip them is today's skills to accentuate that knowledge. And that part, I think, we also have not done very much in profiling what we have in the workforce today. And being able to then say to individuals, "What is the experiences, competencies that we must preserve, and then accentuate?" We talk about data analytics, for example. Data analytics only make sense if you understand the business. Otherwise, you do not see no pattern. You do not see the pattern at all, unless you know the business. And then, suddenly, illumination happens, but how do you marry the two? You have got to preserve what is in the workforce; where is the experience? And many of our mid-career people have these. But they are at a loss because they lack that little piece to join the puzzle. And we need to do this and scale that – I repeat that. This will then allow us to leverage all the adjacencies – the adjacencies of what educational institutions themselves are doing, but also the competencies we have in the workforce and the experiences as well as what the companies need; and bringing that knowledge together. So, how do we create these right platforms to get people in the workforce and those whose jobs have been impacted to participate? That is the other thing. Because until your job is impacted, you tend to just keep working. You forget about upgrading yourself and picking up the skills when you do not need them. Because it is too late sometimes when you need it. And that is the point. How do get people to go for the appropriate training. It is a very bad analogy but I just could not find another example. I asked myself, "What have we done in Singapore that we brought people altogether really fast and really quickly?" And actually, the mask distribution was amazing, because there was a need! And because there was a need, we pulled people together, we brought the resources together, and people came together. But this is not a one off. You got to keep doing it. So, same thing – we then use the same mechanism to do the next round and the next round. And so I think we need to think about training in that aspect; not training for a skill but really to equip people with the pieces that they need to then function effectively and be able to take the opportunities. To make this happen at scale will require the policy framework – most importantly to bring stakeholders together, meaning companies, training institutions and people in the workforce to address demand, accelerate training and encourage experienced people to want to learn – what I call a culture of continuous curiousity in learning.[+6 sentences] The last point I want to talk about is the Government's role in Smart Nation. To foster a culture of innovation to support growth and quality of life for Singaporeans, I firmly believe that as much as we want society and businesses to participate, the Government now has a very important role to play in making the Smart Nation's efforts really scale and be really forward-thinking. And no one else will be able to do that. Not businesses because businesses have a PNL to run. They are never going to be that much ahead, unless they are doing R&D. Otherwise, you need the Government to play that role. In today's context where digital is critical for resilience and agility, it is even more important that the Government continues to drive and strengthen Singapore's Smart Nation efforts.[+1 sentence] I must say the Government has been doing a good job in this, and I am glad that we started this early because otherwise, we would not have been able to respond the way we did so far. Investing in state-of-the-art open and connected infrastructure, business friendly environment, policies, intellectual property, data and cybersecurity laws will provide the eco-system for people and businesses to thencome together to create value.[+3 sentences] It is not about digitalising the economy as much as I have talked about digital, let me be very clear. It is not about digitalising the economy, but it is about connecting Singapore to the world and in understanding the opportunities such that Singapore can be relevant, so that our people and our businesses continue to have opportunities and better lives. In conclusion, Mr Speaker, Sir, as we adapt to the COVID situation and keep our people safe, we must move forward and grow our economy and most importantly, the eco-system to provide quality jobs for Singaporeans. To do so, Singapore must continue to invest in the eco-system to develop the digital capability of our workforce to be ready for the opportunities that do exist in the post-COVID-19 world.[+1 sentence] While the journey will not be easy, I am confident that if we do it together, truly together, we will emerge stronger.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied)598 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented in scale and depth. This crisis also marked the second and third times in history that the Government drew on its past reserves to fund a recovery package. At $52 billion, these were the largest ever draws on past reserves – 13 times what was drawn in 2009 during the Global Financial Crisis. During the debate on his Ministerial Statement in June, the Deputy Prime Minister clarified that there is no legal or constitutional obligation for the Government to restore the draw from past reserves. Nevertheless, he said that the Government is committed to rebuilding the reserves, although he said that the Government cannot be definitive about how long that would take.[+10 sentences] Can the Deputy Prime Minister now clarify if the Government intends to return all of the $52 billion drawn and if it will include interest? I am concerned that a commitment to restore $52 billion within a short time frame may subject our people to unnecessarily high levels of austerity and constrain the Government's fiscal space. Austerity can have a contractionary effect on the economy. It could slow economic growth and cause some painful cuts to public services, which might impact the poor. Can the Deputy Prime Minister assure Singaporeans that they will not have to go through a period of austerity after the economic crisis is over, in order to restore the reserves? If the Government's commitment remains to restore the full amount of the reserves, then will the Deputy Prime Minister share the broad timelines for this restoration? I am aware that he responded to similar questions from Members back in June, but he did not give any indication as to how long it will take. He only said that it would depend on Singapore's economy emerging stronger so that we would be in a better position to build our resources. Sir, a timeline of two years, 20 years or 30 years will make a huge difference in the provision required in the Budgets of current and future governments. This will translate to vastly different levels of tax hikes and spending cuts required to meet these provisions. For example, a restoration timeline of two years will require the provision of $26 billion a year. This is clearly impossible even in the best of times, as the Government's highest ever Budget surplus was $10.9 billion in FY2017, which was an exceptional year. Even a timeline of 30 years will still require a provision of $1.7 billion a year on average.[+8 sentences] This is more than the combined FY2020 Budget for the Prime Minister's Office and MFA. During this 30-year period, we could also face multiple economic crises where more deficit funding may be necessary. There might be even a need for a further drawn past reserves in order to battle another crisis, which would set the timeline back even further. Given the Budget impact of potential provisions to restore this extraordinarily large amount to the reserves, I feel it is important for the Government to provide more clarity about its broad timelines to do so. The $52 billion draw on past reserves during this crisis was necessary to prevent excessive job losses, make up for a decline in investments, boost consumer spending and stabilise aggregate demand. The reserves have served their purpose in this crisis. As we plan beyond this current crisis, let us consider carefully how much we want to burden the next generation of Singaporeans with the committed repayment of this draw on past reserves. Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Sharael Tahar.
Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Punggol)2416 words
[+7 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir. I rise in support of the Ministerial Statement made by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat. I would like to declare my interest as an employee in the aerospace industry, one of the 22,000 workers in the industry, many of whom whose employment or income have been affected by the pandemic. I would like to touch on three key areas. Firstly, as we rebuild and grow our physical connectivity, we – people, Government and businesses are responsible to do so while protecting our lives and livelihood. Secondly, we need to incorporate the lessons learnt from this pandemic and build on the Industry Transformation Map to create an inclusive and resilient society with a dynamic and growing economy. Thirdly, though the pandemic has brought challenges for us to overcome, we must also leverage on the opportunities it brings while preparing for the upcoming challenges facing our workforce to remain competitive in the global market. As Deputy Prime Minister Heng has shared in his Ministerial Statement, compared with last year, passenger traffic has fallen by more than 98% in August. This has had a huge impact on the livelihoods of many Singaporeans.[+6 sentences] I am in support to rebuild and grow our physical and digital connectivity. Our position as an airhub is not only important to those working in airlines such as SIA. Our position as an airhub is a strategic economic asset as it serves as a conduit for other industries and it is the source of livelihoods for many of our fellow Singaporeans in dependent industries. Take for example, the following residents in Pasir Ris. Mr Faizal Sains, father of seven, a licensed aircraft engineer who works in the maintenance, repair and overhaul industry. Mr Ahmad Khalili, father of two, who works for a major airframer and ensures aircrafts for airlines from across the world, not just SIA, are dispatched safely and reliably. The Tan family – Mr Tan drives a taxi and Mrs Tan is a tour agent whose family has to deal with more than 50% drop in their income.[+12 sentences] Mr Foo, who sells prepaid telephone card supporting his 80-year-old mother and his income has since significantly dropped because there is no demand for prepaid cards by local Singaporeans. And many similar Singaporeans families whose livelihoods are dependent on Singapore's status as an airhub. While Minister Ong, shared the plans for us to safely, and in a controlled way, open up our borders to protect our livelihoods, it is also important that as a community, we come to the realisation that it is our collective social responsibility to ensure that the safe management measures are adhered to, in order to protect each other. As we look beyond our shores, we see countries such as Australia, South Korea and Japan hit by the second wave of infections. As we open up, we must work together in order to minimise the risk of that happening in Singapore. We must not let our guard down and slip into complacency. We must be psychologically prepared to overcome the challenges that still loom ahead. Businesses such as restaurants, cafés, shops and workplaces must ensure that safe management measures such as sufficiently-distanced tables and chairs, are adhered to. We must continuously remind each other, to keep a social distance, wear a mask, practice SafeEntry and Tracetogether, because together, we can minimise the risk of infection and we can swiftly contain the episode in the event a transmission occurs. As we work towards rebuilding our physical connectivity, we need to remain vigilant and protect both our lives and livelihood. As we aspire towards an inclusive and resilient society with a dynamic and growing economy, we need to incorporate the lessons learnt from this pandemic and integrate these lessons into the Industry Transformation Map. We must take actions now that will allow us to not just get through COVID-19, but more crucially, transform and prepare us for our next lap of inclusive economic growth. With six of 10 of us Singaporeans working as PMETs, the past six months have been the biggest exercise in redesigning jobs and reassessing the way we define work.[+9 sentences] Many of us have not been back to office, yet we remain productive. To cite an example, one of the Pasir Ris residents, Mr Ismail, is in his late 30s, smart and gets around in a wheelchair as he lost his foot to diabetes. Working from home, behind a computer, he is equally, if not more capable of performing an office-based job just like everyone else. The past six months have taught us that for some jobs, it also did not matter that you start working remotely at 8 am at home or work every single minute including extended hours. We found a way to remain equally productive in this new flexible environment. Can this provide an opportunity for care-givers, who need to have more flexible work schedule to take care of their young and the seniors? Could this also be the solution for mothers or fathers, who gave up their career and now want to rejoin the workforce while still taking care of their loved ones? We must incorporate these lessons learnt, to provide more equal employment opportunities for the seniors, less-abled as well as care-givers seeking employment such that Singaporeans will benefit from the inclusiveness of employment opportunities and there is a place for these each and every Singaporeans in our industry transformation. This is an opportunity to relook at how we work closer with help-groups such as SGEnable and Agency of Integrated Care or AIC to ensure that there is a place for all Singaporeans in our inclusive growth. COVID-19, new technology and digitalisation will also bring about structural changes that will give rise to unemployment and place greater pressure on the vulnerable lower wage workers. Hence, it is important that the Tripartite Working Group, comprising of MOM, NTUC and SNEF, work together to expedite the implementation of the Progressive Wage Model across other sectors.[+5 sentences] Through the Industry Transformation Map, the Tripartite Working Group can chart out opportunities and create stepping stones for the vulnerable groups to upskill and go up the ladder so that they have a lower risk of being redundant in the future. One example could be for the pump attendants who tend to comprise our senior workers. I had a very interesting conversation with my 12-year-old daughter earlier this week. My daughter asked, “Dad, what will happen to the Uncle at the pump station when all cars are electric?” That got me thinking. As we move from hybrid to electric cars with our goal of phasing out vehicles with internal combustion engines, what will happen to these pump attendants, petrol station clerks and similar lower wage workers in industries that are undergoing transformation even as I speak? This is where the Progressive Wage Model complemented by the Workfare Skills Support Scheme and other needs-based social safety nets such as ComCare and KiFAS will be able to help lower wage workers with needs-based support.[+3 sentences] More importantly, these initiatives help to provide the stepping stones to train and increase the skillset of these lower wage workers to prepare for the changes to their respective industries that lay just beyond the horizon. When the majority of us are working from home, we took a while, but we managed to reach the a new norm. Many found that the savings from commuting time can be productively used as exercising time or time for the family. A study by EngageRocket, in partnership with Singapore Human Resource Institute and Human Resource Professionals showed that nine of 10 employees shared that they would like to continue with some form of remote working as a new way of working.[+10 sentences] This new norm on the way of working could improve our worklife balance and quality of life as we are able to use the time more productively. Remote working has brought many opportunities. However, it brings additional challenges. In the past six months, while we have enjoyed working from our our homes in Pasir Ris, Punggol or Jurong, it also means that our jobs can be done anywhere else in the world. Whether it is in Pasir Ris or a cafe in India, for example, PMET job competition is no longer confined within Singapore. The challenges our PMETs face is no longer a question of quota to protect our jobs but rather how do we ensure the Singaporean workforce is competitive in the global market. Global companies will be looking at how the Singaporean workforce create additional value. This is no longer a question of lowest cost but one of creating best value to maintain the competitive edge and remain relevant in the global workforce market. The pandemic has shown that digital capabilities represent the game changer to open markets and opportunities for businesses which then creates jobs and ensures that jobs are preserved. Companies that leverage on these digital capabilities and evolve their business model have been able to survive and unlock growth during this downturn. Take for example, the company cited by Deputy Prime Minister Heng, Decks Pte Ltd which increased its sales tenfold after it revamped its e-commerce platform.[+8 sentences] As much as it is about increasing the workers digital skillset, it is also important for us to look at the mindset, and the ability to leverage on these opportunities that are available. We need to equip our workforce with the softer skills of change management in driving changes to the workplace. To quote Charles Darwin, “It is not the strongest or most intelligent who will survive, but those who can best manage change.” This is especially true in at this juncture, as we, in Singapore, will have to transform to not only just get through COVID-19, but more crucially, gain strategic advantages that prepare us for the next stage of economic growth. With the right skillset and mindset, we need to leverage on these opportunities to drive the change. We have invested heavily in SkillsFuture courses. As we look at assessing the training providers and courses, the effectiveness of SkillsFuture courses should not only be based on attendance or the number of courses taught but rather it should also be assessed on its ability to drive real changes. We must structure and integrate training with business solutioning to support business performance and industry transformation. One example is a course I attended on Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt. It is an operational excellence course and in order to receive the course subsidy and certification, the attendee will have to prove that he has brought improvements to drive a $1 million cost saving for the organisation.[+10 sentences] This same concept can be applied for digital courses. An example would be for a company to receive full subsidy if the attendee to the course can show proof that they have led the change and contributed in some form to the digital transformation for the company These are just some examples of how we can integrate training with business solutioning so that our investment in resource, both time and money, is able to generate change. I would like to thank our fellow Parliamentarian Mr Yip Hon Weng for the question he asked earlier, how can Singapore workforce remain competitive with remote working. With the right skillset, the right mindset and working together to leverage on the opportunity the Singapore eco-system brings, we need to drive this change, this game changing transformation to develop the competitive edge for economy and our workforce. Mr Speaker, Sir, in Malay, please. (In Malay): As we rebuild and re-establish our physical connectivity, we need to be cognisant of the importance of doing so in a safe and controlled manner. Businesses and the general public must continue to maintain our psychological resilience and not be complacent about the safe management measures that should be implemented. Among others, businesses such as restaurants, cafes and shops, as well as workplaces must ensure safe management measures are adhered to. In our efforts to rebuild physical connectivity, we need to protect both our lives and our livelihoods. We need to use the lessons learnt from this pandemic and apply it to the Industry Transformation Maps. For example, working from home has changed the employment structure We have to learn from this experience and re-design jobs to provide inclusive growth opportunities for older and less able workers.[+2 sentences] We need to provide equal job opportunities for the elderly, the disabled as well as caregivers who are seeking employment. This is to ensure that there is a place for these Singaporeans in our Industry planning and they can also reap the benefits of this inclusive job opportunity. Structural changes will cause workers to lose their jobs and exert greater pressure on workers who are more vulnerable to these changes We should support the Tripartite Working Group. We need to accelerate the implementation of the Progressive Wage Model for certain industries and provide opportunities for more vulnerable groups of workers to upgrade their skills.[+1 sentence] While working from home has created many opportunities, it is also accompanied by several additional challenges. Competition for PMET jobs is no longer limited to Singapore alone. This means that the question of foreign worker quotas becomes less relevant when compared to the need to ensure that Singaporeans remain competitive in the global job market. To ensure that we remain competitive in the global market, we need to have the right skills, the right way of thinking and the ability to seize the opportunities available We need to equip our workforce with soft skills, such as change management, to implement changes at work.[+7 sentences] To quote Charles Darwin: "The one who survives is not the strongest or the most intelligent, but it is the one who can best manage change". (In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, in summary, as we rebuild and grow our physical connectivity, it is our collective social responsibility to ensure that we protect our lives and our livelihood. As we aspire towards an inclusive and resilient society with a dynamic and growing economy, we need to incorporate the lessons learnt from this pandemic towards creating inclusive growth. This pandemic is often called the crisis-of-a-generation. However, many have also called this, an opportunity-of-a-generation. With the right skillset, right mindset and leveraging on opportunities that are available, we can transform, our future, and together, we will emerge from this stronger. On that note, Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Motion by Deputy Prime Minister Heng.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang)1348 words
[+5 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, in my Unity Budget debate speech in March this year, I spoke on the theme of environmental resiliency and the need to set a bold green agenda to guide Singapore's trajectory development. Deputy Prime Minister Heng said in his Unity Budget speech in February this year that we must address climate change. He said that we will be updating our commitment to the Paris Agreement and take a further step to chart our vision for low carbon sustainable future Singapore. Even as the Government tackle the effects of COVID on our economy and attempt to mitigate its effect and work on the recovery of our economy, we must concurrently work on our efforts to address the climate emergency. We cannot afford to do less. This is not merely because we have timelines and obligations under the Paris Agreement, we also have to keep playing our part to address the climate emergency in the meantime. We cannot afford to let COVID crisis distract, delay or derail us from our pledge to the 36% cut on emissions intensity by 2030.[+8 sentences] Our COVID recovery efforts and policies must also be sustainable and be planned with sustainability in mind. The importance of sustainability at the forefront of economic recovery should not be underestimated. The World Economic Forum has, in fact, called on all countries to pursue and I quote, "a great reset, a commitment to build a fairer, more sustainable and more resilient future following the COVID crisis". I cannot agree more. May I take the opportunity to ask the Government for an update on our efforts in the past seven to eight months since the Unity Budget and for an assurance that Singapore is on track to meet our goals and timelines for the Paris Agreement. I next move on to certain issues relating to helping those affected by COVID. Last month, I had asked in a Parliamentary Question whether there will be further assistance for the self-employed beyond the Self-employed Relief Scheme or SIRS. Minister Josephine Teo said that MOM would study the possibility of extending SIRS. Last Monday Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said in his Ministerial Statement that the Government is studying the support for the self-employed workers who are most vulnerable and will provide an update before the end of the year.[+3 sentences] Mr Speaker, Sir, I welcome these announcements and I am sure self-employed Singaporeans who still require assistance will be eyeing the outcome of the Government's deliberations. Meanwhile, I would like to urge the Government to some more of the self-employed Singaporeans who still need help and who have hitherto not receive any assistance at all. Firstly, I like the Government to consider granting limited assistance to at least some of the self-employed Singaporeans who have hitherto been ineligible for SIRS. In some of the SIRS cases I did for my residents, I noticed that cases have, for example, been rejected if in the previous year the applicants have been earning salary of more than $2,300 dollars a month or who have not been earning trade income.[+6 sentences] Applicants may not have declared trade income in 2019 primarily because they have just started business in that year and have sunk start-up costs into their venture. Income may not become immediately upon starting up a business. It may take time. In some of these cases, they were hoping for business to take off and trade income to come this year. Unfortunately, the COVID crisis took place this year instead and had serious effects on their business. That is why they need help from the Government. Others were turned away because their spouse recorded income of more than $70,000 last year or the annual value of their condo has exceeded the annual value limit.[+20 sentences] For many of these people, they have endured much of this year and face the year-end closing with dwindled savings, and worst, and mounting business and household debts or expenses and worse still, little prospect of their bleak business outlook coming to an end soon. I urge the Government to provide some support to some of these Singaporeans who may have narrowly fallen short the current criteria under SIRS but who may still need help. This is especially if they can show that despite their best efforts in sustaining or restoring the fortunes of their businesses, they are still not out of the woods, or if they can show that they are also actively looking for a job or are undergoing courses to retrain or upgrade themselves. The Government can consider giving them a lower level of grant as compared to the full payout under the scheme to give allowance to the fact that they had originally not complied with the original criteria of the scheme. Unless the Government explicitly expects some of these affected to sell their properties to raise funds, the challenges that many such Singaporeans face cannot be underestimated nor disregarded. How long can they last? Moreover, many in this category have shared that in better times, they have been contributing by paying a higher level of taxes. In their hour of need, surely, some consideration must be given to that. Separately, a resident of mine who owns a discotheque expresses deep concerns about the continuing closure or restrictions on businesses like his. Businesses like his, including clubs and bars, see no end in sight in the restrictions imposed on them. At the same time, they have to continue to pay rent and salaries. I would like to ask whether the Government has any update for these businesses and whether they will be getting any additional assistance. This crisis has also exposed some shortfalls of how our current eco-system may not assist some who have got into trouble because of COVID-19. For example, a constituent of mine is trying to come back from abroad with her two children due to the COVID-19 situation. Job prospects here for her are not good, to say the least, and she does not expect to find a job immediately. She cannot afford to rent commercially. She did not have a relatively high income in the past years but her earnings rendered her ineligible for subsidised HDB rental. She was told to buy a BTO but we all know from present BTO waiting times that she is not likely to get a new BTO at once. Buying a resale flat may pose a difficult financial hurdle. What should a person in her position do? Next, the Government has announced last week that parents with Singaporean children born from 1 October this year to 30 September 2022 can get a one-off $3,000 grant to help them defray the costs of raising a child amid the pandemic.[+1 sentence] A resident wrote to me over the weekend. He and his wife just had their first baby in August this year. They are baffled that the grant will only apply to parents with children born from 1 October.[+1 sentence] They had thought that the grant was meant to provide support to new parents during the pandemic period. My resident told me that if the purpose of this grant is to encourage new births amidst the crisis, then the grants should apply to births in nine or 10 months from this month. He emphasised by that having the start date from 1 October, it has "selectively ignored parents who were impacted the most as we do face the same problems or even more than those parents who have their babies from 1 October". He asked, "why were they included for the support and us, who had our babies months earlier, were neglected?" He felt disheartened that "the Government has chosen to ignore us who are directly impacted by the pandemic." I hope that the Government will extend the grant to all children born from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, from February 2020 onwards. Parents who gave birth to children in this period had to bare the brunt of the difficult challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.[+1 sentence] Mr Speaker, Sir, notwithstanding my concerns, I support the Supplementary Budget.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Yip Hon Weng.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang)1005 words
[+21 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, I register my appreciation for the Government's many efforts to protect Singaporeans' livelihoods. This is important as we face rising unemployment now. But I wish to raise some concerns related to helping Singaporeans to get new jobs, especially for our seniors. I was struck by Prof David Chan's comments at a recent forum by the National Library Board on "Living with the Pandemic" and in his recent book "Combating a Crisis". I am sure they resonate with Members as you meet many Singaporeans at your Meet-the-People Sessions and during your house visits. Prof Chan described how the pandemic has uncovered new vulnerable groups. He also discussed how we need to better understand the reality from these groups' perspectives. This is so that we can work effectively with them to navigate post-pandemic challenges. Mr Speaker, Sir, one of these groups is Singaporeans above 40 years old at the middle to upper income levels. This group was earning a comfortable salary for many years. But they are now retrenched or had to close down their businesses. As such, they are often left on their own to deal with their unemployment and its many associated adverse effects. This is unlike those in lower paying jobs who have benefited from the many Government schemes. Specifically, many in this age group have high mortgages to pay, schooling children and elderly to look after. The challenge for them is not just to get any job but one that gives them a minimal sustenance income. The common advice given is to adjust expectations, be less choosy. However, it is not so straightforward. Yes, luxuries can be cut out to reduce the financial burden. But if they are forced to take up a new job just to meet their basic needs, the individual ends up not having the time and capacity to retrain or to seek out a more relevant job. This is not optimal for him nor for the economy. Take for example, Mr Tan, a 50-year-old father who stays in a terrace house in Yio Chu Kang. He came to see me at the Meet-the-People Session. He was recently retrenched from his five-figure monthly salary sales job.[+2 sentences] He told me he has gone for numerous job fairs and sent out many resumes. However, he still cannot land a job. He was hoping to find one with a salary of a few thousand dollars for his family to survive. He is now a Grab driver and he does not qualify for the SIRS scheme because of his housing type.[+19 sentences] I still remember his parting words to me at the Meet-the-People Session: "I have been paying taxes all my life before this. Why is the Government not helping me now?" Some may continue to hold out for as long as they can. This is not because they are choosy with unreasonable expectations but because they need a job that can pay their minimum bills. For seniors, especially those supporting dependents who are in schools or universities, the stakes are even higher. It is well and good to say, "Go for training, upgrade your skills", but realistically, when you are in your 50s, 60s, with mounting bills and financial commitments, you do not have the luxury of time and resources to pursue a new career. To them, such exhortations are meaningless slogans. They may even be mistaken for a disconnection with ground realities. To create real job opportunities that result in appropriate placements, we must do more to match the job nature with the jobseeker's knowledge, skills and other work-related characteristics. Yes, we now have many job vacancies in cybersecurity, data analytics, AI and so on. However, these are usually jobs that require deep technical skills. These skills cannot be acquired in a short time. This is especially so for those in their 40s and above, lacking the prerequisite technical skills. Mr Speaker, Sir, this is the core of the problem: how do we quickly connect with employers who are prepared to offer jobs that come with training? I agree that employers have to be patient as their new employees get up to speed with the necessary knowledge and skill set. We can say it is short-term pain and long-term gain for the companies to embrace IT and to move on to the new post-COVID-19 era. But the reality is companies have practical finances and many other post-pandemic realities to deal with too. How can Government provide more targeted financial help to companies? What other effective drivers can we employ to change the situation quickly? One way is for the Government to dedicate more resources to the job redesign initiatives.[+5 sentences] In this way, we can take a more proactive and structured approach to speed up transformation of growth sectors. How can jobs be redesigned to allocate wider scope, higher responsibilities, so that it can better fit someone who has some seniority in his previous career? In this regard, we need more tailored support as an extension from the Seniors Go Digital movement to help jobseekers improve their digital skills. It can even be something basic like enhancing their online job search and communication skills. This can be done, for example, via community classes to learn Excel skills or how to use Zoom effectively for team meetings. In the same vein of using a targeted approach, it is heartening to learn that a new tripartite work group is being formed to look into improving the salaries and well-being of low-income workers.[+1 sentence] We need more focused and specific solutions to better address the challenges of workers in different sectors. In this way, we work towards increasing their wages and accessibility to training opportunities without risking the loss of jobs.[+3 sentences] This is especially important for older workers, many of whom may not be as educated but willing to work. Mr Speaker, Sir, let us all learn to see things from another's perspective, discover more quickly what needs to be addressed and work towards having specific solutions to specific challenges. Sir, I support the Budget.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Edward Chia.
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui (Holland-Bukit Timah)1795 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, my speech today will focus on three interconnected areas of our economy where I believe further refinements can enhance our global competitiveness. Firstly, I would like to touch on the interconnection between retaining local jobs with enterprises. The Jobs Support Scheme or JSS has clearly helped to save good jobs and kept many Singaporeans employed through this year. It does that by providing wage support to the employers, giving them the resources to retain their local employees when revenue has taken a severe beating this year. The extension of the JSS to March 2021 is a strategic necessity and I support the tapering of the JSS to ensure fiscal prudence as we look towards the long-term growth of the Singapore economy. The next JSS payouts will be made in October 2020 and March 2021, with a six-month gap in between.[+8 sentences] I would like to suggest that an interim payout in December 2020, as it is necessary to enforce the interconnected value of the JSS to the enterprise's cash flow. Many companies are only beginning to see sustainable revenue returning. For other companies, they may need the cash flow support for their industry's uneven recovery. Such an intermediate payment will not increase any cost to the Government. It spreads out the payouts and instead increase the relevancy of the JSS in this next phase. Otherwise, the risk to these jobs will increase, which runs contrary to the goal of the JSS. I hope MOF will consider my suggestion to help enterprises during such economic uncertainty while focusing on the long-term growth of Singapore. Secondly, I would like to focus on how we can build future industry roadmaps such that they take into consideration our connection with the region. The Industry Transformation Maps or ITMs were first launched as part of a $4.5 billion industry transformation package in Budget 2016. They were industry-specific roadmaps which aimed to take an integrated approach where trade associations and chambers, companies and the Government worked together to help each sector prepare for the future. These ITMs are currently being reviewed to ensure relevance and effectiveness.[+14 sentences] I would like to propose that we frame ITMs 2.0 in the context of the region because this would be the right time for our industries to start building new capabilities that can immediately include broader opportunities beyond our shores. Asia as a region will continue to grow even as COVID-19 has thrown a massive curveball. From North Asia to Southeast Asia and the Oceania region, the entire region is in the midst of a global re-orientation as it takes its cue from uncertainties from the US-China tensions. New supply chains are being reimagined as fast as new markets are emerging following the rapid uptake in digital transactions from the variety of circuit breakers or movement control orders employed by governments to contain the spread of COVID-19. This is the time to prepare our industries to include the region in our bid for continued competitiveness. Singapore is already inking digital agreements, and new travel bubbles are on the cards. ITMs 2.0 should include components where the region is integral. One obvious area would be to ensure that the Continuing Education and Training or CET as well as SkillsFuture components for each ITM include understanding the industry models of our neighbours, the supply chains in these countries, the ways of doing business and the cultural context of how things are done. Even language courses could be included as we need to be more connected at the people-to-people level for economic and social win-win outcomes. Another area would be for the new ITMs to focus on our regional opportunities even more within the internationalisation component of the blueprints. Encouraging more cross-country business chamber collaborations or joint ventures in the co-creation of new products and services that can serve two or more cities could provide a larger market, even at the prototyping stage. Making the region a core context of our ITMs rather than the "next step" would accelerate how our companies are thinking in this new decade. This crisis is the right moment to pivot our local enterprises away from a local mindset. An added area under ITMs would be the welfare of our low-wage workers. Minister Josephine Teo mentioned about the formation of a new taskforce that will explore ways to raise the wages of our low-wage workers.[+21 sentences] While the ITMs are being reviewed to ensure its relevancy in the ever-changing environment, each ITM should also focus on the low-wage workers in their own industries. They should dovetail upskilling of these workers, thereby leading to higher wages with higher productivity. Moreover, higher productivity should also lead to business sustainability. Businesses need to remain competitive and avoid passing on the cost to consumers. We must ensure both upskilling of our workers and business sustainability to avoid a case where a low-wage job becomes no job. This is especially so with the growing trends of automation. For example, the role of cashiers at supermarkets is needed lesser with auto check-out machines and cashless payments. These cashiers need to be upskilled and their jobs redesigned to take on higher value-added jobs so that they can continue to be employed, enjoying good wages with better skills and productivity. Hence, ITM 2.0 needs to ensure that as we push industries towards innovation, it has to be coupled with upskilling and job re-design to ensure our workers are not displaced. My final area of focus would be to draw the all-important interconnection of technologies with design. While we encourage innovation driven by technology, we should also encourage innovation driven by design. We only have to look at countries, such as South Korea, Japan and Denmark, to appreciate how they have embraced both technological advancements with deep design capabilities resulting in innovation that has provided economic and societal returns for their citizens. Design is the economic equivalent of creation with the user and customer at the core. It is about designing for specific needs of markets and segments so that real value can be unlocked. Design is also the skill to bring about integration and synthesis – how different technologies or platforms could be organised into appropriate economic units that are scale-able. Design capabilities are even more essential today when we look at how technologies have evolved. For example, we are now seeing how social and live commerce has cut into omni-channel sales because buyers are now showing signs that they prefer to purchase through existing well-designed social messaging platforms rather than another app. I believe that we need to match our investments in technology with a renewed focus on design – a 21st century duet of design and technology where we draw the value out of these interconnected twin engines of growth. Just like how we do not isolate one specific technology from another, we must go beyond looking at design simply as vertical industries, such as publishing or furniture, but, rather, cross-sectional skillsets, such as interaction design and experience design. We must also go past buzzwords like "design thinking" to better appreciate the deeper substance of design, which is a serious academic discipline of creation that focuses on divergent and convergent problem-solving with the user and customer at the core. Many of our Autonomous Universities and Polytechnics have already included design as a core curriculum. Even the recently announced proposed integration of the Faculty of Science with the Faculty of the Arts and Social Sciences at NUS will see design as one of the compulsory core modules.[+7 sentences] We need to deepen this capability inside companies and across industries so that new technologies can be even more successful. Design leaders and design departments need to be created to work with the strategy and digital functions of the business. A good example of a local company that has brought design into its core business is DBS. DBS strives to be the "Apple in banking". DBS uses design methods and approaches to focus on serving customers better both in their digital services as well as in their branches. I am sure all of us have heard of ATMs. But I recently found and learned about BTMs – the Branch Teller Machine! DBS discovered that many senior residents were still queuing in their branches to withdraw cash because they value the traditional passbook over card-based ATMs. Hence, DBS created the BTMs where seniors can simply scan their passbooks to withdraw cash and still have their passbooks updated without having to wait for a physical counter to be available.[+5 sentences] This has shortened waiting times for seniors while continuing to provide the all-important psychological and emotional comfort for this segment of seniors who still want to use their passbooks. This BTM example shows the user-empathy element in interaction design when adopting technology. This is possible when technology solutions are designed and implemented with the customer at the core. Thus, DBS is able to be socially inclusive while still using technology to enable productivity of their business. I believe design is a critical partner for technology and this will further enhance our country's competitiveness in the economic sphere. Our public service needs to embrace design in significant ways, too.[+1 sentence] I would like to urge IMDA, which is the lead agency for technology adoption, to build its own design capabilities so that all future roll-outs of new plans will have an even stronger design-empathy component in them. This could also be the right time for Design Singapore Council to undertake a strategic update of the Singapore Design Masterplan that was launched in 2016, considering how much has changed in just the last two years.[+4 sentences] Design 2025 would require new thinking, especially in the spheres of economic inter-connections and societal value creation. I would like to conclude my speech by echoing Deputy Prime Minister Heng’s economic strategy for Singapore. We need a dynamic and growing economy to deliver our priorities as a society. In a nutshell, we need to, one, ensure that our enterprises survive and grow to save jobs and livelihoods of Singaporeans. Enhancing the next phase of JSS with an interim payout in December will aid in this endeavour.[+1 sentence] Two, we must ensure that our next phase of ITMs is focused on cross-industry and border collaborations with a deeper cultural understanding of the growing Asia region. In addition, the new ITMs should also ensure the upskilling and job re-design of our low-wage workers while ensuring business sustainability.[+3 sentences] Three, we must augment innovation driven by two-fold engines – technology and design. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in this way, I am confident that Singapore can continue to retain and grow our competitive edge in today's fast-changing world and emerge stronger. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Ministerial Statement.
Mr Deputy Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Fahmi Aliman.
Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman (Marine Parade)937 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Deputy Speaker, today, I would like to affirm my support for the Supplementary Supply Bill while speaking on how we can and must continue to support and uplift our low-wage workers. During Budget 2020, it was announced that Singaporeans who had been receiving the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) payments for work done in 2019 will receive a Workfare Special Payment (WSP) of $3,000 in 2020, with the second tranche being paid out this month.[+1 sentence] This has been much welcomed by the WIS recipients. Since the implementation of WIS in 2007, Singaporeans aged 35 and above in the bottom 20th-30th percentile of the workforce has received over $5.5 billion in support.[+7 sentences] This is an effort to be applauded, but we must continue to see how the scheme can better benefit our citizens and uplift the workers who need it the most. I previously called for the Government to consider providing a higher WIS payout to workers in the essential services to acknowledge their actual social value and the hardship faced in their line of work. This has been even more prevalent in the last few months, where many of our essential service workers have stepped up to become our "everyday heroes", continuing to keep Singapore clean, green and safe. Perhaps, the Government can reconsider this suggestion with a view of giving these workers greater recognition. Under the current structure, the WIS payout is dependent on the age and income of the worker. In general, this means that older workers and those with lower incomes will receive higher payouts. This differentiation assumes that younger workers have greater potential to move up the career ladder and, with that, move up the wage ladder. The Government must study if this assumption still holds and consider lowering the age eligibility to 30 years old for workers to qualify for WIS.[+2 sentences] While I do not discount that we should support our older workers, it does stand to reason that our younger workers may have dependants, such as elderly parents or young children, which can be a strain not only financially but also mentally. Any extra income that these workers receive from the WIS can make a difference to many families and workers with young children. Another improvement to WIS is for the Government to consider having the payout to be the same across different age groups, based on the worker’s income, meaning that a 35- or 65-year-old worker earning the same salary, will receive the same payout quantum.[+9 sentences] Mr Deputy Speaker, last month, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo had announced the PWM Mark to recognise companies which voluntarily pay their workers progressive and fair wages with good job advancement pathways. This is a step in the right direction in recognising that all of us, be it workers, employers, the Government and the greater community, have a part to play in creating an environment conducive to improve their work prospects. The creation and implementation of the PWM Mark should involve unions, employers and the Government to ensure that the PWM Mark will take into consideration the specific circumstances of each occupation and industry. More importantly, each stakeholder should lead by example to be the first movers. Only then can we see PWM Mark gaining traction on the ground. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, please allow me to speak in Malay. (In Malay): Another way to keep supporting our workers is for the Government to consider extending the Jobs Support Scheme or JSS. The JSS has helped businesses and companies to retain local workers during this economic downturn and its impact should not be underestimated. As mentioned previously, more than half of the jobs that were saved are due to the JSS alone. While this should be commended, the Government should consider extending the JSS beyond March 2021 especially in industries where the impact of COVID-19 is more keenly felt.[+12 sentences] A large number of these industries are industries with a large proportion of low-wage workers such as the retail sector, or the food and beverage sector. This measure can help us save jobs for our local workers, while we are slowly and cautiously rebuilding the economy. As I mentioned earlier, the WIS has supported many low-wage workers by providing additional income to them. I urge the Government to continue looking at how the scheme can benefit more workers, such as through higher WIS payouts to workers in essential services, as an acknowledgement of the hardship faced in their line of work, especially during this COVID-19 period. The Government may also wish to reconsider the assumption that younger workers should get lower WIS payouts as they are more likely to get wage increments. In addition, I am very much encouraged by the PWM Mark so that companies that pay progressive and fair wages to their workers will be recognised. Workers, employers, Government and the community are all playing a part in creating a better environment for our vulnerable workers. I would like to encourage more companies to participate once the scheme is ready. (In English): In conclusion, as Deputy Prime Minister Heng mentioned, we are currently in the “test of a generation”. I echo his sentiments that there is light at the end of the tunnel for us as a country to emerge not only stronger and more united, but also emerge as a society with more empathy who believe in creating a fair society for future generations. But we are not out of the woods as yet and we must remember not to leave behind those who are most vulnerable in our society. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Ministerial Statement.
Mr Deputy Speaker6 words
[+1 sentence]Minister of State Mr Alvin Tan.
The Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and Trade and Industry (Mr Alvin Tan)2306 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, COVID-19 has disrupted the lives and livelihoods of Singaporeans and has also brought us together. I would like to thank everyone for cooperating with the safety guidelines and regulations and taking the necessary precautions to curb the spread of COVID-19. This has been a difficult journey for all of us and, because of all of our collective sacrifices and effort, we have managed to flatten the COVID-19 infections curve and have kept the number of community infections low. Based on MTI’s advance estimates released today, the Singapore economy contracted by 7% on a year-on-year basis in the third quarter of 2020. This was an improvement from the 13.3% contraction in the second quarter and came on the back of the phased re-opening of our economy following the circuit breaker.[+6 sentences] But we are coming from a low base. Notwithstanding the improved performance in the third quarter, the recovery path ahead is expected to be slow and uneven across sectors. As the COVID-19 situation here in Singapore stabilises, we have the opportunity to reopen our economy safely, in a careful and calibrated manner. And the importance of reopening in a careful and calibrated manner cannot be overly emphasised, as the hon Members Mr Louis Chua and Mr Sharael Taha had mentioned earlier. But since we exited the Circuit Breaker on 2 June, we have been resuming more activities in a safe and progressive manner. We are currently in Phase Two and have reopened most of our economy, subject to safe management measures in place. About 95% of businesses are now allowed to resume operations and more people are returning to office.[+20 sentences] About two weeks ago, we took another significant step towards restoring economic activity. We allowed more employees who have been working from home to return to their workplaces for up to half their working time. We have also allowed work-related events at the workplace to resume. But as we strive to maintain Singapore’s position as a business and transport hub, we are progressively reopening our borders. We are establishing reciprocal green lanes to conduct essential travel with other countries and regions and with the necessary safeguards in place to ensure the safety of Singaporeans and our international visitors. We are piloting new concepts to support our businesses in this new operating environment. These efforts will allow us to play a role in setting the global standards required to resume activities safely. A couple of examples. The first is cruise. Some cruise lines will soon start to operate cruises, under stringent hygiene and safety measures, for safe cruising. To ensure the highest hygiene and safety standards, Singapore is one of the first countries in the world to develop and implement a mandatory audit and certification programme for cruise lines. A CruiseSafe certification is required before a cruise can commence sailing, and cruise lines which have been allowed to operate have since reported an overwhelming number of bookings received. We have also begun pilots of events and activities with a larger number of attendees. For instance, we are piloting the resumption of MICE events of up to 250 attendees. Under STB’s Safe Business Events Framework, event organisers are required to demonstrate their ability to meet specified health and safety outcomes before they are allowed to pilot events. We will continue to adapt and adjust our protocols and assess how we can allow more large-scale events to proceed. Critically, we have also ramped up our testing capability and capacity and we are evaluating alternative tests and sampling methods as they become available, to ensure they can be deployed safely and effectively. In the immediate term, countries that manage the COVID-19 situation best can reap economic dividends, as they will be able to minimise any further disruptions to lives and livelihoods. To do so, our business and community must continue to stay vigilant and exercise social responsibility as we resume more activities. Sir, in the past few months, many businesses have benefited from the schemes and programmes that we rolled out earlier this year to help them tide over the immediate challenges. For instance, our loan schemes have helped firms to address immediate cash flow issues. I want to update the House that as of September 2020, more than 18,000 enterprises have taken up loans under the ESG’s loan scheme, such as the Temporary Bridging Loan Programme.[+4 sentences] As announced earlier this week, we are further extending and calibrating the loan schemes to ensure enterprises can continue to access financing for their cash flow, trade activities and project needs. At the same time, there is a pressing need to help businesses build new capabilities, as Members have shared earlier, and adapt to new realities because there is no going back to a pre-COVID world. So, we are encouraged that many businesses have taken the opportunity to strengthen their capabilities and capture growth opportunities. For those that need it, they can get support available through grants, such as Productivity Solutions Grant, Enterprise Development Grant and Market Readiness Assistance. Since the start of this year, ESG has supported over 28,000 projects under these schemes to help our companies increase productivity, build new capabilities and expand overseas.[+7 sentences] We have also announced enhancements to these schemes, as we continue to support companies to tap new sources of growth and adjust to the new operating environment. For instance, we are expanding the scope of the Market Readiness Assistance grant to include support for participation in virtual trade fairs, so that companies can find new business opportunities overseas without any physical travel. But as I have said earlier, our economic recovery will be uneven. So, some sectors will progressively recover, while others will have to pivot or restructure. That is the reality. We must, therefore, also ensure, as Members have suggested, that our assistance is more nuanced and targeted. MTI looks at the firms in three broad areas. First, for the firms in sectors with good growth prospects, such as biomedical manufacturing, we will help them scale faster and create more jobs for our workers. For firms the second bucket where they are in sectors that are facing a temporary drop in demand due to COVID-19 but will eventually recover, such as F&B and aerospace manufacturing, we will help them to preserve capabilities, consolidate capacity and tide them through this period. Third, for firms in sectors which have changed permanently, such as social entertainment, we will help them to pivot into new markets and businesses.[+1 sentence] Earlier on, the hon Member Mr Dennis Tan had mentioned about discotheques. I just wanted to say that since March 2020, pubs, bars, nightclubs, discotheques and karaoke lounges have not been allowed to operate as their operations pose higher risks of transmission arising from prolonged contact over a period of time. But I wanted to assure the House that the Government has been in consultation with the night life industry and we are finalising the support measures to assist them with the affected firms and employees and we will announce more details shortly.[+10 sentences] But moving forward, we need to reposition our economy to capture these new opportunities and support our enterprises as they transform and restructure. We must also set our sights on capturing new growth trends brought to the fore by COVID-19 and by positioning Singapore as a global-Asia node for technology, innovation and enterprise – the points raised by Members Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Ms Jessica Tan. But in an increasingly complex global economy, we will not compromise on our hard-won reputation as a safe, trusted and well-connected business hub for companies and workers to pursue growth. We have a good foundation; we have worked hard to create the right macro-conditions for cross-border trade and investments and innovation – even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. What is critical is that we have kept our supply chains going, our businesses open and ensured that goods and services continued to flow freely and efficiently through Singapore and we will continue to do so. In MTI's discussions with foreign chambers and businesses, they have recognised these efforts and deeply appreciate our commitment to a free and open trading system. Earlier, Member Ms Jessica Tan had mentioned about the new economic space in an increasingly digital world. This is very important as our interactions with the global marketplace of digital ideas are critical for new opportunities. I will share about how we will help businesses tap onto these new growth opportunities beyond our region. First, we have been working on the Digital Economy Agreement which complements our network of Free Trade Agreements by establishing international rules, setting benchmarks and aligning standards in areas of digital trade. Singapore signed its first two Digital Economy Agreements this year with Chile, New Zealand and also with Australia.[+25 sentences] As we will do so with more partners. This supports the interoperability of Singapore’s digital platforms and systems, such as e-payments or e-invoicing on digital identities, with those in other countries. It is very important that we smooth this out with different countries and we have mutual recognition and standards of interoperability. Why? This will allow our companies, especially SMEs, to internationalise and do business overseas. We will continue to encourage innovation and support companies in the journey to develop new products and solutions. This will enable us to capture new opportunities, especially those led by changing preferences and needs, for example, consumer needs. I think somebody mentioned earlier about purchasing online. For instance, the growing concerns about supply chain disruptions and climate change have led, for example, to the demand for sustainability-related products. The hon Member Ms Cheryl Chan spoke of the agri-food industry earlier on. I would like to assure her that MTI is focused on developing this sector and playing the role, as she mentioned, of the catalyst, and we are taking on an active role. Last week, I had an overseas trip to St John's Island where I visited the Singapore Food Agency’s Marine Aquaculture Centre. The Marine Aquaculture Centre houses a cluster of companies set up to innovate sustainable aquaculture solutions. So, they are feeding shrimps, sea bass and others. It is a sustainable recirculating aquaculture system or RAS, as they call it. One of the companies was Adisseo, which announced the set-up of its first-in-the-world Global Aquaculture Research station in Singapore. This research station will focus on innovative nutrition, health and technologies to develop optimised aquaculture feed solutions for the region and beyond. Another example is homegrown start-up TurtleTree Labs, which uses biotech to recreate the full composition, functionality and taste of milk in a lab environment. This method of producing milk is 95% less resource consumptive, as compared to regular milk production practices. It is an example of a novel solution towards sustainable dairy production globally and could potentially strengthen Singapore's long-term food diversification efforts. So, we will continue to build on our public investment in research and innovation through the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2025 plan. We will take into account shifts in the COVID-19 situation, as we guide public sector R&D to identify critical technologies for Singapore and drive solutions that will meet the changing needs of Singapore and our global partners. That is on the business side. For workers, as we restructure our economy and seek new growth opportunities, some jobs and livelihoods will be affected but the Government will continue to work closely with our workers, businesses and industry partners to help them seize the new opportunities available. On their end, our workers must also keep an open mind and be nimble to capture opportunities, including entering sectors which are new to them. And as a Government, we will support our workers as they pick up new skills and prepare for new opportunities. We have been doing so through the SkillsFuture Credit programmes under SGUnited Jobs and Skills package and WSG's Professional Conversion Programmes or PCPs.[+2 sentences] But at the same time, our businesses must also do all they can to retrain workers, retain and treat them fairly. And we will support them as we do so. For instance, businesses can use the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit to cover their expenses on workforce transformation initiatives, including job redesigning and training for workers. The Jobs Growth Incentive also provides salary support to encourage businesses especially those which are expanding, to hire more local employees, which the Minister for Manpower had mentioned earlier.[+7 sentences] We have been working industry partners, including Trade Associations and Chambers or TACs, and unions, to provide valuable support in this journey. So, you are not alone. I will give you an example. For instance, the extensive network and industry knowledge enable these TACs to reach out to companies and workers to facilitate job matching and training. An example is the Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association or SSIA, who I spoke to a couple of weeks ago. SSIA has been working with WSG on a Professional Conversion Programme to attract jobseekers who are new to the electronics industry, and this is a growing industry. SSIA also partnered training institutes like Singapore Polytechnic and the NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Education to train and re-skill the workers as they make a career switch. Since 2016, SSIA has facilitated the placement of over 1,200 workers into the electronics industry through the programme.[+5 sentences] And we will continue to help our businesses and workers to adjust and transform. Our journey is fraught with challenges, as businesses and workers will need to make painful but necessary adjustments to adapt and to transform. But as I mentioned in my maiden speech, Singaporeans are no strangers to difficulties and challenges since our nation's founding. We have been through many ups and downs over the years, but we have always risen above the challenges and bounced back from adversity. We will continue to press on with resilience and will overcome this challenge together.
Mr Deputy Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Shawn Huang.
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong (Jurong)902 words
[+14 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we face immense challenges. COVID continues to cause massive disruptions to many industries. As we hope for normalcy and eventual recovery, we must expect that recovery will not be uniform. For some, the impact of COVID will have permanence. Some countries will recover faster and with less disruptions. A few will face more permanent dislocation. We can already observe shifts that will affect us with permanence: the changes in the nature of retail, the realignment of supply chains with reshoring of capabilities, how educational services are being delivered, and the rise of teleworking – just to name a few. What does it mean for us? There are a few things to think about. The world has become more global, more digitally connected, sophisticated and culturally attuned to global competition. And at the same time, the world has also become more localised where circumstances have forced corporations and governments to rethink their strategies to build local economic resilience. With such a backdrop, how do we build up our local SMEs to become regional and global champions? For us to do well, we must be able to stack the competencies of different industries to build services and products. We have much unrealised potential in Singapore that has the legs for expansion. One of these local SME is BH Global.[+2 sentences] When it first started in 1963, it was a small hardware company selling electrical products. It has evolved. The mass fever screening equipment that you see at Changi Airport is locally produced by them. Today, it is being deployed worldwide in major airports in Europe, US, UK, India, Kuwait and many more.[+13 sentences] I wanted to suggest to them that they should start printing the Singapore flag on their product. BH is continuing with this strategy of stacking different competencies, for example, cybersecurity for ships, advanced materials for marine sustainability. The true productivity gains of our Singapore companies must be their ability to develop cross industry solutions, to be able to stack different competencies and develop high value products and services to compete regionally and globally. In Singapore, we have strong and diverse competencies within a small geographical area. We are better poised to collaborate and leverage on one another's strength. As the African proverb states: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." We must move away from focusing on being faster, cheaper and better. We must develop an eco-system to enable Singapore companies to move into high value, differentiated markets. Closely related to our survival is sustainable infrastructure. We are now increasingly aware of the dire impact of climate change. This includes food shortages, large-scale human migration, threat to our coral reefs and extreme weather events. An area of growing interest is the concept of a circular economy: resources are being recycled in a loop to maximise their value. One such example is the collaboration between Sports Singapore and Dow to upcycle 300,000 pairs of used shoes into sports infrastructure, such as jogging tracks, fitness areas and playgrounds. According to the World Green Building Council, building and construction account for 39% of all carbon emissions in the world and with buildings' operational emission accounting for 28%.[+21 sentences] We must be strive to look into more sustainable methods of construction, such as the use of steel structures. They are usually stronger, lighter and easier to recycle. Steel buildings can almost be entirely recycled. The rails, frames and cladding can be melted to make new steel, and this takes three times less energy than making new ones. The concrete floors for steel structures can be much thinner than regular concrete floors, and the salvage rate for such buildings is around 94%. It enables manpower savings of up to 20%, allows flexibility in design with less columns and load-bearing walls, less dust and smoke at construction sites and is environmentally sustainable. Another sustainable action is to be deliberate in building new infrastructure. This means not demolishing existing structures unless we really need to. We should look into the conservation or to design future buildings to enable modular upgrades, lifespan extension and to be retrofitted for other purposes. South Beach Tower and our National Gallery Singapore are noteworthy projects. Repurposing and integrating conservation buildings can be environmentally sustainable and modern. For example, in London, one of the world's most prestigious art galleries, the Tate Modern, is located at a former power station on the banks of the River Thames. By deploying modern technology, it uses 54% less energy and generate 44% less carbon today with natural air circulation and advanced temperature controls. The recent proposal to conserve Golden Mile is also noteworthy. Another consideration is conserving and repurposing the “zhap tze yit lau” Diamond Blocks located in Jurong. Both Golden Mile and the Diamond Blocks have the potential to become the hallmark of conservation and sustainability. I recall vividly a number of Singaporeans had expressed a sense of loss over the demolition of existing structures over the years. Demolition for progress and development is crucial to land-scare Singapore. But as we grapple with ways to feel connected with our heritage and in our aspiration to protect the environment, we should explore with increasing urgency the alternatives. Like recycled steel, we constantly recast ourselves for the future but deeply aware of our history that made us who we are. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Ministerial Statement.
Mr Deputy Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Vikram Nair.
Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang)922 words
[+5 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of this Motion. It is hard to imagine that when this year started, COVID-19 was still a little known virus in China and it seemed to be largely contained at that time. I looked back at my Facebook page and still saw happy gatherings and get-togethers at the beginning of the year. Barely 10 months later, the world is a different place. Many have lost and continue to lose loved ones to the virus. Globally, the number stands at 38 million infected people and 1.09 million people have died.[+15 sentences] Global travel has frozen and all across the world, economic contraction is the reality. For those who have not been directly impacted by the virus, livelihoods remain a key concern. Much has been mentioned in this debate about the uneven impact of the virus. And one of the most stark example of this is perhaps the US. The US is the country with the largest number of cases and the largest number of deaths from the virus. Yet, at the same time, US stock market indices continue to make new highs. What this really shows is that there are many companies that continue to thrive even as others in this virus. This is what the Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter would have called creative destruction. There are new businesses coming up, they innovate and break the mould even as old ones suffered and get destroyed. The gains in the US markets are largely driven by tech stocks that were not only unaffected by COVID-19, but in fact have thrived in that environment. Against this backdrop, Singapore has done remarkably well in its fight against COVID-19. From early on, a Ministerial Committee was formed which met regularly and coordinated decision making with a focus to contain the virus. Coordinated efforts were taken as the need arose. And if we look back, the developments in this was really quite significant. It started with guidance, eventually, restrictions became more serious as the spread of the virus grew in Singapore, culminating in a two-months circuit breaker where many of us remained at home. As a result of all these efforts, although we had a spike in cases, largely from a combination of Singaporeans returning from abroad as well as a spread in the dormitories, fatality rates were kept low and are amongst the lowest in the world. Our testing rates are now amongst the highest as a percentage of the population and we had expanded our medical capacity so that everyone who needed medical attention would be able to get it.[+1 sentence] At the same time, the economic impact of COVID-19 has been significantly cushioned by the Government. The wide range of measures provided – from jobs support packages for employers, rental reliefs for businesses and supplementary income for both employees and the self-employed – has provided many Singaporean businesses the ability to stay afloat and provided many Singaporeans with money to spend even if their income has dropped.[+10 sentences] This is important because if businesses shutter, then when the economy recovers, there may be significant gaps and recovery may be stalled. Life is slowly becoming more normal, and while wearing masks has now become part of our lives, most Singaporeans are otherwise returning to work and more and more businesses are opening doors and resuming. Some sectors remain under significant pressure, including travel and tourism, as well as those related to oil and gas. Singaporean businesses also continue to be under pressure and as Government support is taken away, things may get more difficult, which is why it is important to continue to provide some buffer for them to stay in business. Against this backdrop, I believe these latest Budget measures provide a well-thought through suite of measures focused on economic continuity. I think it rightly recognises that performance across sectors is uneven and provides tailored support as needed. So, in sectors such as aviation, retail and tourism, support packages, which include the Enhanced Aviation Support Package, which is a temporary redeployment scheme for affected employees so that they can still get jobs at the moment while at the same time, they get to return to the industry if it recovers. The wage support packages for hiring new employees are helpful, particularly for companies in the start-up sector, as it helps share the risk of hiring new workers. That greater support is given for hiring workers above 40 or workers with disabilities is also a good incentive to help groups that may otherwise have a harder time finding jobs. The lifeline of businesses is of course credit and the bridging loan programme supported by MAS continues to provide businesses with credit lines even as the outlook remains uncertain. The low interest rate environment is also helpful as this keeps the cost of borrowing lower for businesses. I would also like to congratulate the National Jobs Council for curating 117,500 opportunities as at end of August.[+2 sentences] Given that we do not know when hard hit sectors will recover and given the current warnings that the economic scarring is likely to take full effect in the coming months om the MAS, I think it is important for us to continue to create new opportunities so that displaced workers can find new jobs. While “creative destruction” is a necessary component of development and progress, as a Government, I think we can help our people to continue with their lives even if the businesses they are working in get disrupted and they are forced to change.
Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang)1204 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will deliver the first half of my speech in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to express my support for the Supplementary Supply Bill and thank Deputy Prime Minister Heng for his Ministerial Statement. Deputy Prime Minister's statement emphasised developing Singapore into a Global-Asia node of technology, innovation and enterprise which will be supported by a strong, skilled and yet inclusive workforce.[+14 sentences] I am very much encouraged by the plans to prepare our nation for the next phase as we emerge from the uncertainty of the past few months. We are not out of the woods yet but we must stay positive, do our best, and work hard for our future. I am inspired and moved by the many Singaporeans who are taking brave steps to learn new skills, take on new jobs, and adapt to a very different world. I am grateful for the unity and cooperation of Singaporeans and residents during this difficult time. Unlike some parts of the world which are polarised over measures to contain the virus, we are working together to overcome this pandemic based on scientific advice, logic and common sense. People from all walks of life are putting up with inconveniences and making sacrifices for the greater good. All these qualities put us in good stead for the future. I am confident that we can achieve the goal of remaking Singapore as a Global-Asia node of technology, innovation and enterprise. In view of the difficulties we face, this is an ambitious, perhaps even audacious, vision. This vision requires a huge investment in our human capital, especially as we want to achieve it together with the objective of inclusive growth. We are deep in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We must seize the opportunities presented by new technologies, particularly in the digital domains of the Internet of Things, robotics, artificial intelligence and cloud computing, just to name a few. If we fail to do so, we will become irrelevant. Being a small nation state with no natural resources, our survival will be at stake. (In English): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I appreciate that SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres in the HDB estates will reach out to the disadvantaged ones to help with job matching. The extension of the COVID-19 Support Grant and the continued support for households, such as the GST Voucher, Grocery Vouchers, Service and Conservancy Charges or S&CC rebates, and Workfare Special Payment, are also helpful. However, there is room for us to do more. I appeal to the Government and its agencies to make an additional effort to provide a better living and learning environment for the underprivileged children.[+5 sentences] In a knowledge-intensive future, these children will not stand a chance if they live in overcrowded flats with access to borrowed equipment, limited or slow connectivity and minimal adult supervision and guidance. We may need to tighten our collaboration with the volunteer groups and private companies which are willing to sponsor and mentor these children as well. This will be a worthwhile investment to help them break out of a vicious poverty cycle. Allow me to quote from the 28 September article, "The Equality Issue” of the Bloomberg Businessweek. Harvard economist Raj Chetty's research suggested that, and I quote, "Improving education for poor kids wouldn't just help them personally...it should also boost the economy overall. An analysis of the patents filed by 1.2 million Americans found that children of the top 1% are 10 times more likely to be inventors than equally smart kids from other backgrounds...if...children from low-income families could invent at the same rate... these 'lost Einsteins' could quadruple innovation in the US.” I would venture that we can expect a similar situation in Singapore with regard to our future in innovation.[+21 sentences] Children grow up quickly. Within 10 to 20 years, we will be able to see the fruits of our efforts in these children. In less than a generation’s time, we can boost literacy and education levels, reduce crime and recidivism rates, and improve health outcomes. But we must be prepared to intervene more, and the earlier the better. As the saying goes, "A stitch in time saves nine". Early intervention is important and necessary. Under our laws, children already have rights for living necessities, education and healthcare. What we need is effective oversight for children in low-income families to ensure that they are receiving these essentials. For example, if the adults in the families pass away or are imprisoned, the state must step in to protect and provide for these kids. Children unaccounted for must be traced. Schools should alert relevant agencies when children do not seem to cope well. Protecting them, helping them, lifting them up will prevent a future group of potential permanent underclass. We should watch over our children as zealously as we would over our reserves. I would like to suggest that for the underprivileged children, a “Children and Youth” equivalent of the Agency for Integrated Care to be set up in order to enable coordinated and holistic oversight. The children must have guaranteed access to basics, regardless of their families’ situation – accommodation, food, water, electricity, mentoring, healthcare, transportation and so on. The agency should also provide and manage the eco-system of support, such as supervision, mentoring and fostering, so that these vulnerable kids will have better chances of growing up healthy and well-adjusted, enjoying school and be capable of learning well. Increasingly, underprivileged kids who will find it harder to catch up with their peers in a knowledge- and skills-intensive economy. Can the kids from these underprivileged families fulfill the specialised roles required by the Foreign Direct Investments brought in painstakingly by the Economic Development Board? I am not too sure. Deputy Prime Minister mentioned that the best way to protect the welfare of our workers is a good job. Thus, we need to ensure that these underprivileged kids can level up and have a good education now so that they can take on the specialised roles and uplift their families in 10 to 20 years’ time. For workers in the lower income brackets, Government will help them by expanding the implementation of the Progressive Wage Model or PWM to more sectors.[+1 sentence] I am heartened by recent announcement about the Government’s commitment to this. The cleaning, landscaping and security sectors have already seen the fulfilment of the four objectives of PWM, namely, career progression, skills upgrading, higher productivity and wage increases. Hopefully, more sectors will follow, such as for the waste management, construction, retail, food and beverage, accommodation and hospitality sectors. With the PWM, we can look forward to attracting more Singaporeans to work in these essential jobs and becoming less dependent on foreigners.[+2 sentences] During the transition period, we may face some difficulties recruiting Singaporeans. However, I am optimistic that the pressure from the demand for the services will drive productivity and result in better work conditions for these jobs. Workers will be paid higher wages and be respected as professionals in their own right.[+2 sentences] Building a strong Singaporean Core in these various sectors will boost our resilience. On this note, allow me to conclude with my support for the Statement.
Mr Deputy Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Leon Perera.
Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied)18 words
[+2 sentences]Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. Sir, it is my understanding that I am due to speak tomorrow.
Mr Deputy Speaker10 words
[+2 sentences]You would like to speak tomorrow? Is that your intention?
Mr Leon Perera6 words
[+1 sentence]Yes, please, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir.
Mr Deputy Speaker6 words
[+2 sentences]All right then. Ms Joan Pereira.
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar)931 words
[+5 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, today, I would like to speak on helping those who have fallen through the cracks and the issue of a harmonious society. During this difficult time, I would like to appeal for more help for the sandwiched class, especially our young families. The young parents are just starting out in their new careers and new family lives when this crisis struck. I have spoken to many young families in my constituency and I share their worries. I hope the Government will consider providing higher subsidies for their children’s medical and insurance expenses, including some support for expenditure for the third child onwards. Next, I welcome the one-off $3,000 Baby Support Grant or BSG, for newborns.[+1 sentence] This will be in addition to the current Baby Bonus cash gift of up to $10,000. The BSG is intended to help parents of Singaporean children born between 1 October 2020 and 30 September 2022 to defray the cost of raising a child amid the pandemic, and hopefully, to also encourage couples not to delay parenthood.[+4 sentences] However, I have received a lot of feedback from parents whose babies were born after the onset of the pandemic this year but before 1 October 2020. I understand that all policies have to have a specific start date. But I also understand how difficult it has been for parents who were expecting or who just gave birth during or after the circuit breaker period. They shared with me how they had trouble getting a confinement nanny, grappled with the challenge of obtaining supplies when shops were closed and how they fretted over getting necessities for their newborns. Many couples also could not have their parents visit and help out due to safety measures during the circuit breaker period. I appeal to the Government to consider extending the $3,000 Baby Support Grant to all Singaporean babies born in 2020 so that we can better support our young families in these very trying times. I hope babies born to single mothers can also be included to help reduce stress for the mother in an already very challenging situation.[+20 sentences] Sir, in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): I have received a lot of feedback from parents whose babies were born after the onset of the pandemic this year, but before 1 October 2020. I understand that all policies must have a specific start date. But I also understand how difficult it has been for parents who were expecting or who just gave birth during or after the circuit breaker period. They shared with me how they had trouble getting a confinement nanny, grappled with the challenge of obtaining supplies when shops were closed and how they fretted over getting necessities for their newborns. Many couples also could not have their parents visit and help out due to safety measures during the circuit breaker period. I appeal to the Government to consider extending the $3,000 Baby Support Grant to all Singaporean babies born in 2020 so that we can better support our young families in these trying times. I hope babies born to single mothers can be included too to help reduce stress for the mother in an already challenging situation. (In English): For vulnerable families, they need more support and guidance during this very difficult time. Will the Government be channeling more resources into counselling services for them? How about setting up mutual support networks, supported by experienced professionals and other community partners, where they can learn helpful tips from one another and provide mutual encouragement? It is important for them to know that they are not alone and to realise that they do not need to walk this journey alone. Next, I would like to express my concern and slight alarm over the increasing discomfort in some parts of our society towards the idea of a cosmopolitan Singapore. We have to be very vigilant and take proactive steps to ensure that this will not worsen as it may lead to fault lines widening in our society. I am worried that part of this problem may be along racial lines, which may cause discomfort among members of our minority groups. I think that the acknowledgement of this problem is important in order for us to start the process in managing this issue. National education for our young and public education for the rest of us will continue to be essential. All of us must understand that a Singapore that closes its doors to the outside world is bad for all of us. I am keenly aware that some of these questions and comments arose because there is an impression that foreigners are here competing with Singaporeans for jobs. We need to strike a balance between meeting our economic needs and maintaining our social fabric. If we were to keep our goal of being an open, global and regional hub, we need to accept the presence of international firms and foreigners living and working with us in our society. But I wish to call upon the Government to be more selective and ensure that only foreigners with specialised skills or experience that are less commonly found in our local workforce are brought into Singapore so that our citizens will feel more secure and can be convinced that the foreigners are here to add value and not compete for their jobs and other resources.[+2 sentences] We have to keep a careful balance so that we do not feel overwhelmed while trying to maintain our economic competitiveness. Sir, I would like to conclude with my support for the Ministerial Statement.
Adjournment of Debate›Motions5 turns · 40w
· 0 highlighted
motion-1500
Mr Deputy Speaker1 words
[+1 sentence]Leader.
The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah)28 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Deputy Speaker, I beg to move, "That the debate be now adjourned." . (proc text)]
Mr Deputy Speaker5 words
[+1 sentence]Resumption of debate, what day?
Ms Indranee Rajah2 words
[+1 sentence]Tomorrow, Sir.
Mr Deputy Speaker4 words
[+2 sentences]So be it. Leader.
Adjournment›Motions1 turns · 22w
· 0 highlighted
motion-1501
Speaker not recorded22 words
[+2 sentences]. (proc text)]
Basis for Latest Increase in Electricity Tariffs and Gas Prices›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 1,395w
· 10 highlighted
oral-answer-2295
Mr Liang Eng Hwa58 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the basis for the latest increase in electricity tariffs and gas prices; (b) whether the consumption of electricity and gas has increased as more residents work from home; and (c) whether increased development in alternative sources of energy has helped reduce the overall cost of electricity for consumers.
The Second Minister for Trade and Industry (Dr Tan See Leng) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry)798 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, good afternoon. I thank the hon Member Mr Liang Eng Hwa for his question. I have circulated a chart which has been placed on Members' seats, so that it can show clearly my explanation. Sir, electricity tariffs and gas prices generally move in tandem with global fuel prices and they have averaged around 24.58 cents/kWh and 18.36 cents/kWh respectively, since January 2018. Since dipping to their lowest levels in the past 20 years in April 2020, fuel prices rose by 46.6% in the third quarter of 2020 – the quarter that has just passed – and this is in tandem with the resumption of global economic activity. So, the electricity and gas tariffs therefore rose to 22.93 cents/kWh and 17.19 cents/kWh in the fourth quarter this year, as fuel prices rebounded.[+3 sentences] However, the electricity and gas tariffs in the third and fourth quarters of 2020 still remain lower than in the first quarter of 2020. And the prices, the tariffs are amongst the lowest since January 2018. So, the prices for this last quarter that has just passed, are still amongst the lowest since January 2018. For electricity tariffs in particular, it is also worth pointing out that Q4 2020 tariffs still remain at 11.6% lower than Q1 2020 and 6.7% lower than the average electricity tariff between January 2018 and September 2020.[+5 sentences] May I request for all Members in this House to refer to the chart for more details; I think it will give a much clearer explanation. Around 47% of all households will not be affected by the new tariff prices because they have already switched to the Open Electricity Market. Alternative energy sources today constitute a small proportion of our power generation because of our natural geographical limitations. However, our Government is actively partnering industry partners and industry players to deploy more solar power to enhance our energy resilience, our competitiveness as well as longer term sustainability. We aim to increase our solar capacity by five-fold. Today, we are at 0.4 gigawatt-peak or GWp. We are trying to achieve at least 2 GWp by 2030 – in about 10 years' time.[+16 sentences] And we hope that that will contribute to around 3% of our energy consumption in 2030. Consumers who are interested to procure solar power can do so by engaging our local solar companies. Moving on to households’ average monthly electricity and town gas consumption, and if we looked at the consumption from April to July 2020 – this is for the monthly average electricity and town gas consumption – it was 16% for electricity and 34% for town gas. So, 16% and 34% higher compared to the same period last year respectively. It is a difficult point to note on discussion, so, I want to repeat that: households' average monthly electricity and town gas consumption from April to July 2020, was 16% and 34% higher compared to the same period last year, respectively. This is mainly due to the fact that Singaporeans spent more time at home during the circuit breaker period and during the early stages of our phased re-opening, as part of our national efforts to manage local community transmissions of COVID-19. We have also provided Singaporean households with more support for their utility bills this year. Every household with at least one Singapore Citizen received a one-off $100 Solidarity Utilities Credit in their July or August SP Group utility bill. The GST Voucher – U-Save that eligible households receive has also been doubled this year through a one-off GST Voucher – U-Save Special Payment. Eligible HDB households with five or more members also received a first tranche of further GST Voucher – U-Save rebates of between $60 and $100 per household in October, with a second tranche to be disbursed in January 2021. Before this year, the annual amount of GST Voucher – U-Save that households in 1- and 2-room HDB flats received was equivalent to about three to four months of their utilities bill. Those living in 3- and 4-room HDB flats received support equivalent to about one to two months of their utilities bills on average. And this is very targeted. We want to make sure that the support is given to families most in need and hence, the higher quantum in terms of the GST Voucher – U-Save that the households in 1- and 2-room HDB flats received compared to those in 3- and 4-room flats. With the additional support this year, households in 1- and 2-room HDB flats will receive support equivalent to at least six to eight months of their utilities bills on average. And households living in 3- and 4-room HDB flats will receive support equivalent to at least two to four months of their utilities bills.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Liang.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang)220 words
[+2 sentences]Thank you, Sir. Two questions, the first related to communications. When the tariff announcement was made, the headline that came up was that there was a 9.3% increase for the month of October to December. It came across from almost every media outlet. So, what the Minister just explained gave a lot of context and details that indeed, only a certain percentage of the population is affected – about 53%.[+4 sentences] So, such headlines do cause anxiety, especially during this period where the environment is really difficult and indeed, residents have consumed more electricity because of working from home, staying at home more often. So, I want to ask the Minister how we can better communicate this, so that we do not cause unnecessary alarm or concern when residents see the headline number of 9.3% increase. The second question is, the Minister mentioned that the tariffs affected 53% of the households and the remaining 47% households are not affected. Given the unsettling effect of price changes quarter-to-quarter, would the Ministry perhaps use this opportunity to encourage more Singaporeans to go on the fixed price plan, so that there is some certainty; whether that can be pushed out to more residents to adopt and to sign up; whether there are other incentives that can encourage our Singaporeans to sign up as well?
Dr Tan See Leng317 words
[+3 sentences]I thank the hon Member Mr Liang Eng Hwa for his suggestion. In terms of the communications to the households, Mr Speaker, Sir, if you look at the breakdown of all of the utilities bills that SP and some of the retailer send out to the households, these are detailed breakdown in terms of the tariffs charged. At the same time, in terms of the rebates, many of the households in the 1-, 2-, 3-room and 4-room flats would have gotten their rebates. In terms of those rebates, as I have alluded to earlier on, in the 1- to 2-room flats, they get between six and eight months of rebates, and for the 3- and 4-room flats, they get between two and four months.[+6 sentences] We believe that that has been communicated quite adequately across. Of course, in terms of communications, we will find ways and means in which we can continue to improve and further fine-tune how to educate many of our households in terms of managing their utilities bills. One of the key initiatives as a result of these fluctuations or volatility of prices, it is important for us to note that our tariffs are based on what is the prevalent crude oil price. It is benchmarked against that. Ninety-five percent of our electricity is generated by the generating companies or gencos using piped and liquified natural gas from overseas. It is in the interest of many people to switch to the Open Market retailers, to switch onto some of these packaged price plans, as what was surmised by the hon Member Mr Liang Eng Hwa. If it is possible, most households should look at many of these plans that are available and move on to a more fixed price package for more certainty in electricity prices.[+1 sentence] Because I think in the ensuing quarters ahead, there will continue to be more volatility and fluctuations to happen.
Development Support and Learning Support Programmes at Non-Anchor Operator Preschools›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 436w
· 8 highlighted
oral-answer-2296
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang26 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry has plans to introduce the Development Support and Learning Support programmes to non-Anchor Operator preschools.
The Minister of State for Social and Family Development (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for Social and Family Development)175 words
The number of pre-schools offering the Development Support or DS, and Learning Support or LS programme has increased by 60% from 350 pre-schools in 2017 to about 550 pre-schools today. Of these pre-schools offering the DS-LS programme, about 150 are non-Anchor Operator pre-schools.[+1 sentence] Pre-school operators with a critical mass of centres, such as the Anchor Operators or AOPs, are DS-LS providers in their centres with their own in-house Learning Support Educators. Other pre-schools generally tap on regional DS-LS providers to deliver the DS-LS programme in their centres. There are currently three regional DS-LS providers namely, Asian Women's Welfare Association or AWWA, SPD and Thye Hua Kwan, providing the DS-LS programme at about 150 non-AOP pre-schools. The Early Childhood Development Agency or ECDA is working closely with the regional DS-LS providers and pre-schools to expand outreach to more non-AOP pre-schools.[+1 sentence] Pre-schools that are interested to offer the DS-LS programme can contact the regional DS-LS providers to learn more about the DS-LS programme and for assistance to screen children with suspected developmental delays for early intervention support.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon)102 words
[+5 sentences]Sir, I thank the Minister of State for the reply. Could I just ask whether we are aware of what is the number and the percentage of children who are differently-abled or who are in pre-schools that do not offer this DS-LS programme. The second point, I think that there are some that are out there, who are in these schools that do not offer the DS-LS programme. I am wondering whether ECDA is watching this space and seeing how we can support these children. Because I am worried that without the DS-LS programme, it really will be detrimental to their development.
Ms Sun Xueling130 words
[+1 sentence]I thank the Member for his question. The 550 pre-schools I had mentioned earlier form about 30% of pre-schools. I do not have the number or the exact breakdown of the number of children who do not have access to the DS-LS programme but I can come back at a later stage and provide those numbers to the Member. I understand where the Member is coming from, and indeed, the early intervention teams at MSF are looking to work closely with the AOP and Partner Operator Scheme or POP providers to expand the LS-DS provision and also working with the regional therapy teams at the three regional DS-LS providers that I mentioned earlier, to expand their outreach and the provision of these services to the non-Anchor Operator pre-schools as well.
SkillsFuture Programme Attendees Who have Procured Work Related to Their Course›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 506w
· 6 highlighted
oral-answer-2297
Mr Yip Hon Weng44 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) of those who attended the SkillsFuture training programmes in the past year, how many have successfully procured work related to their course; and (b) what efforts does the Ministry take to measure the outcomes of these training programmes.
The Minister of State for Manpower (Ms Gan Siow Huang) (for the Minister for Education)282 words
In 2019, almost 7,000 job placements were achieved through the Professional Conversion Programmes and Work-Study programmes provided by Workforce Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore.[+1 sentence] These were Place-and-Train programmes where employment was secured before training. Another 2,400 placements were achieved through Train-and-Place programmes in 2019, where trainees received assistance from the training providers upon completion of the course.[+1 sentence] As part of the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package to support jobseekers, we are significantly scaling up the training capacity of programmes with placement outcomes in mind. In 2020, we are offering up to 20,000 training places under the SGUnited Skills programme and another 10,000 places under the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways (Company Training) programme.[+4 sentences] These are a subset of SkillsFuture programmes, which are designed to meet the diverse training needs of Singaporeans. There are also many shorter training courses which enable working adults to better equip themselves for their present and future jobs. To measure the outcome of these training programmes, SkillsFuture Singapore conducts both post-course surveys on the course quality, as well as programme-specific surveys such as the Work-Study Programme Outcomes Survey. The latter collects data such as employment and retention rates, as well as wage outcomes of the graduates. In 2019, 87% of the surveyed graduates were employed in full-time jobs within six months after completing the Work-Study Programme.[+1 sentence] Follow-up surveys are also conducted with trainees six months after completion of the SSG-funded courses to ascertain post-training outcomes. More than 80% of the trainees surveyed in 2019 indicated that they were able to perform better at work after undergoing SkillsFuture training.[+1 sentence] We will continue to monitor the outcomes of SkillsFuture training and adapt these programmes to meet the upskilling and reskilling needs of Singaporeans.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Yip.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang)62 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minister of State for her response. I am heartened to know that the Ministry is indeed tracking closely the outcome of the training programmes. Can I ask the Minister of State on some upcoming efforts by the Ministry to improve the awareness of such training programmes and how they have resulted in some positive job placements?
Ms Gan Siow Huang116 words
[+2 sentences]I thank the hon Member Mr Yip Hon Weng for the question. Indeed, I think awareness of the SkillsFuture programme is critical, so that Singaporeans who need these programmes know where to go and how to apply for these courses. More recently, we have started partnership with several agencies to build a pool of SkillsFuture Ambassadors.These ambassadors provide face-to-face and personal services and advisory to jobseekers who want to know where these SkillsFuture training opportunities are.[+1 sentence] With the Community Development Councils or CDCs, we also have a programme that has lasted several years, where the SkillsFuture Ambassadors in the communities conduct courses, workshops and advisories to residents who want to find out more about SkillsFuture programmes.
SGUnited Traineeship Applications and Matches›Oral Answers to Questions15 turns · 2,047w
· 12 highlighted
oral-answer-2298
Ms Carrie Tan78 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how long will the SGUnited Traineeship programme be available for; and (b) between ensuring adequate scrutiny and efficient processing of SGUnited Traineeship applications, how many full-time equivalent staff does the Singapore Business Federation currently have and is projecting to hire and train in the next six to 12 months so as to shorten processing time to help jobseekers and graduates start work sooner since they have found employers keen to hire them.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa47 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Manpower since the set-up of the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres (a) how many Singaporeans have sought assistance at the centres; (b) how many successful job and traineeship matches have been made; and (c) how many training and skills placements have been made.
The Minister for Manpower (Mrs Josephine Teo)15 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to take Questions Nos 4 and 5 together?
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Yes, please.
Mrs Josephine Teo536 words
[+6 sentences]Thank you. The National Jobs Council is coordinating efforts to provide job, traineeship, attachment as well as training opportunities for jobseekers under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package. The SGUnited Traineeships and SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programmes were introduced to provide company-hosted traineeship and attachment opportunities for recent graduates and mid-career jobseekers respectively. These programmes aim to help jobseekers who are unable to find permanent jobs in the current job market, gain industry-relevant skills and build professional networks so as to boost their employability. The SGUnited Traineeships Programme was launched on 1 June 2020, and the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme, on 1 August 2020. Workforce Singapore and its programme manager, the Singapore Business Federation or SBF, have worked closely with host companies to open up earlier-approved traineeship positions as company attachments for mid-career individuals under the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme as well. By now, over 20,500 traineeship and company attachment opportunities have been made available.[+1 sentence] The top five sectors which together account for more than half the openings are: financial services, infocomm technology and media, professional services, wholesale trade and electronics. More than 2,800 local jobseekers have been placed.[+1 sentence] Although the focus must now be for the host companies to secure more successful placements, SBF continues to accept new applications by companies to host attachments for mid-career individuals that commence before 31 March 2021. The SBF has a dedicated team of 25, of which 80% are filled and will be reaching full strength by end-October.[+12 sentences] I had earlier updated the House that SBF undertakes a rigorous screening process and scrutinises each application to ensure that host organisations structure their traineeships and attachments appropriately with clear development plans, so that participants can have a positive and meaningful experience. How quickly an employer's application is approved depends in part on the comprehensiveness of its submission. Factoring in time for SBF to seek clarifications and enhancement, most applications are approved within four weeks. This is, however, not a key bottleneck right now as there are already many existing openings available to jobseekers. After suitable matches are found and necessary supporting documents are submitted to SBF, the traineeship or company attachment can commence. To help our local jobseekers access the available jobs and skills opportunities, we have brought career matching services closer to the heartlands. We have launched the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres in phases. Since early July and by end-August, one had been set up across all 24 HDB towns. Although all satellite career centres were only in operation from end-August, Career Ambassadors have advised about 4,200 jobseekers by now. Jobseekers are reached through multiple channels and assisted through a variety of means. It is therefore more useful to consider their collective impact. Between January and August this year, we have provided career matching services to about 44,200 jobseekers through the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres as well as WSG and NTUC's e2i's five permanent career centres. Since the launch of the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package in April 2020, we have placed 33,100 jobseekers into job, traineeship, attachment and training opportunities.[+2 sentences] This is in spite of a two-month lockdown and the deep economic recession. We will continue to curate more opportunities while seeking to increase placements of jobseekers.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Carrie Tan.
Ms Carrie Tan (Nee Soon)137 words
[+5 sentences]I thank the Minister for her reply to the question. My concern is about the resourcing to process the number of opportunities available. I think it is heartening that there are many opportunities available, but given the 25 staff at SBF right now, processing over a thousand host organisations base on the statistics, that is about 40 host organisations per SBF staff. So, would the Minister not agree that for those who have lost their jobs and everyone in the family has lost their jobs, we would need to increase or a ramping up of resourcing and expedited channel to help them access these job opportunities as soon as possible? Would the Minister consider creating a priority or fast-track channel for trainee applicants under the traineeship programmes whose families have no other working or income earning individuals?
Mrs Josephine Teo512 words
[+18 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank Ms Carrie Tan for her concern. In the beginning, SBF did encounter quite a lot of difficulties because it had responded to the opportunity to curate, to manage the SGUnited Traineeship programmes. It wanted very much to be of service to their members – meaning the companies that potentially can host these opportunities – as well as to jobseekers. So, I would acknowledge that in the earlier stages, it did take SBF quite a while to assemble the team and to process the applications from the host companies. I would also say that because the programme was very new at the time, what constitutes a meaningful traineeship experience, was something that was still being worked out. But, I am glad to say that by now, all these kinks have been ironed out. SBF certainly expanded their team and, as I had mentioned earlier in my reply, it will be at full strength by the end of this month. Right now, if you look at the total number of opportunities that have been made available, I think that period is past. Right now, the focus has to be on the companies making these opportunities available to jobseekers, letting the jobseekers know that they are interested to take in people as trainees or as mid-career attachments. Right now, the action is less on SBF and more on the companies to get this done. So, it is within the companies, their own HR teams that have to follow through with the approved positions, advertise the positions, collate the CVs, the interest that have been made known to them through various sources, and then, arrange for the interviews to take place as well as to make the selection and then follow through with SBF. So, right now, a lot of the action has to be undertaken by the host companies, themselves. I should also add another point to Ms Carrie Tan's concern. SBF is one of the many partners that we work with. It is not the only one that is involved in this whole network that is trying to bring together jobseekers as well as companies that still have openings. Other trade associations and chambers are involved. The whole network of Career Centres, including the 24 in the HDB Towns that I mentioned earlier in my reply, are also involved. If you add all of them together, the resourcing has increased quite considerably. Today, if you look at the overall opportunities that have been curated, there are about 117,500. We have been able to place 33,000 or so.[+5 sentences] So, the opportunities are available. The next step as to whether the job matching can happen is no longer just a matter of facilitation. The jobseeker must feel that he wants the job; the employer must feel that he can give the jobseeker an opportunity. And that is not something that you bring about purely through more facilitation. Although, I will give the Member the assurance that if more resources are needed in that regard, certainly, we have no hesitation to enhance them.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Liang Eng Hwa.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang)103 words
[+4 sentences]Sir, I thank the Minister for the reply as well as commend MOM for a very good initiative – the traineeship programme. I just want to ask whether we are thinking ahead, now that many of them have secured traineeships; what is the next step for them? Are we also encouraging the companies to convert these traineeships into permanent jobs? Would MOM also do some early survey to find out from companies how many of the trainees would be retained as permanent employees and how many may be released, so that they can better plan the next stage of helping the young graduates?
Mrs Josephine Teo261 words
[+5 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank the hon Member for his concern. Indeed, we are following up closely with the companies to have a sense of what they are thinking of for the future. I would say that if you look at the range of opportunities that have been made available, quite clearly, a lot of the companies are looking ahead into the future and seeing that this is a good time to expose more jobseekers to their industries or to the jobs that previously were perhaps less well sought after by the jobseekers. So, they do have that objective in mind. As to whether they can follow through to offer the trainees a specific job, an opening, probably will depend on two things: one, whether they see a need to fulfil that position on a permanent basis and that will depend on their assessment of the business outlook; second, I think they will also assess the specific trainee, whether during this period, the trainee has exhibited good ability to gel with the team as well as to contribute to the organisation. Some of the ways in which the Government is trying to be helpful and to nudge the employers in this direction is through the introduction of the Jobs Growth incentive. This Jobs Growth incentive, essentially, encourages employers to expand their hiring and if the wage support that is provided is able to provide that additional resourcing to the employers, they could also bring forward their hiring.[+1 sentence] That is what, we think, will potentially encourage the employers to think in that direction.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied)78 words
[+2 sentences]Sir, I would like to ask the Minister if the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres are focused mainly at helping PMETs or does it include non PMETs as well. I have quite a number of non PMET residents who are seeking jobs but find that most of the jobs matched by SGUnited's Jobs Programmes, including the traineeships, seem to be targeted more at PMETs. Is there another channel that non PMETs, and specifically unskilled jobseekers, should approach instead?
Mrs Josephine Teo264 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, there are a variety of jobs that are being made available. [restates an earlier point]I mentioned earlier that total opportunities that have been curated under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package is about 117,000. Of these, 70% are jobs and the jobs are of different nature – some are long-term jobs, some are short-term jobs; some of these jobs are suitable for PMETs, some of these jobs are suitable for non PMETs.[+4 sentences] At the satellite Career Centres, as is the case for all the other touchpoints we have with jobseekers, all these jobs can be made available. For some of the non PMET jobseekers, we understand, for example, language may be a barrier. So, even in these career-resourcing centres, there are colleagues who speak Mandarin or speak other languages that will be of help to these jobseekers. So, there is a variety. The Member is incorrect to think that most of the jobs that have been matched are for PMETs.[+4 sentences] Our experience is that matching people into PMET jobs takes longer. The reason is very simple: if you are a PMET, you see yourself as having a set of skills that you would like to find the best match for in an employer that recognises your experience and is also able to pay a premium for those skills that you have. It has actually been easier to match people in non PMET roles. I do not have the numbers offhand, but I can assure you that the matching for non PMET has actually been the majority of those under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Poh Li San.
Policy Considerations for Long-term Population Growth›Oral Answers to Questions11 turns · 1,541w
· 9 highlighted
oral-answer-2299
Ms Poh Li San70 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister in view of Singapore's population statistics for 2019 (a) whether the Government will review the long-term population targets given the increasing trend of outsourcing work overseas and reduction in the employment of foreign workers in Singapore; (b) whether the proportion of annual new citizens will remain at approximately 70% of citizens by birth; and (c) how will changes in Singapore's population demographics affect national infrastructure planning.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa37 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister (a) what are the projected trends of birth rates, life expectancy and immigration in the next decade; and (b) whether the Government has a long-term population target and what are the policy considerations.
The Minister, Prime Minister's Office (Ms Indranee Rajah) (for the Prime Minister)22 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, may I take the question from Ms Poh Li San and the next question from Mr Liang Eng Hwa together.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Yes, please.
Ms Indranee Rajah389 words
[+2 sentences]Sir, the Government has clarified via a media statement and Factually articles in March and July 2020 that it does not have a population target or seek to achieve any particular population size. Singapore’s population size is affected by many factors, including birth rates, life expectancy, as well as global developments affecting immigration and employment. In March 2018, we updated Parliament that given recent trends, Singapore’s total population size is likely to be significantly below 6.9 million by 2030.[+2 sentences] This outlook remains valid today. Like most developed economies, Singapore’s resident total fertility rate or TFR is below replacement. Our most recent resident TFR, for 2019, was 1.14, unchanged from the year before.[+1 sentence] To moderate the impact of ageing and our low birth rates, we take in a stable and measured number of new citizens and Permanent Residents or PRs every year. To the Member’s question on annual new citizens, over the past five years, we granted an average of about 22,100 new Singapore Citizenships each year. This included about 1,600 children born overseas to Singaporean parents every year. We also granted about 31,700 new PRs on average each year, over the past five years.[+9 sentences] The total size of the PR population has remained at around half a million for many years now. New citizens either share family ties with Singaporeans, or have studied, worked or lived here for some time. They are drawn from the pool of qualified PRs who eventually make the serious commitment to take on citizenship. Citizenship and PR status are granted selectively to applicants who are committed to making Singapore their home, and who can integrate and contribute to Singapore. Infrastructure planning is a long-term process guided by many factors, not only demographics. These include, among others, land use needs for economic growth, improving housing and transport for our people, socioeconomic and technological trends, as well as ensuring a good environment and resilience to climate change shocks. Our infrastructure planning process allows us to be flexible and responsive in catering to the changing needs of our residents, and ensure a good quality living environment in Singapore. We will continue to monitor our population trends closely, and regularly review our population policies along with our infrastructure and social development needs. This will ensure that Singapore remains a cohesive society and a good home for all Singaporeans.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Carrie Tan.
Ms Carrie Tan (Nee Soon)111 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the Minister. First, before I put my question, I would like to declare my interest as the strategic advisor to local charity Daughters of Tomorrow which works with many low-income women, including Long-Term Visit Pass-holders who are married to Singaporeans and have Singaporean children. Given our low fertility rate that the Minister had shared, would the Prime Minister's Office consider making the citizenship status more accessible to Long-Term Visit Pass-holders who already have Singaporean children in Singapore for the long-term viability of giving them better access to support and employment opportunities within Singapore, in order to provide more conducive environments to bring up their children?
Ms Indranee Rajah115 words
[+7 sentences]I thank the Member for her question. There are various factors that we look at when we grant citizenship. We cannot only grant citizenship on the basis of giving access to benefits. That cannot be the sole criterion, so, we do look at many things. Importantly, we look at family ties, we look at contributions to Singapore, we look at the stability of the family unit. In short, we will assess each application holistically, but we will give priority to family ties and family support. And even if the parent may not be Singaporean, where the children are Singaporeans, we will also make sure that the Singaporean children are adequately supported and taken care of.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Liang Eng Hwa.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang)64 words
[+3 sentences]Sir, I thank the Minister for giving us the indication of the trends of our population. Clearly, the ageing population is expected to accelerate in the next decade. Can I ask the Minister how would that impact the tax burden of the working population then, and more importantly, how do we mitigate that kind of tax burden for that generation working population, going forward?
Ms Indranee Rajah724 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Speaker, that is actually a very important question. I would like to thank Mr Liang Eng Hwa for raising it. You have seen from the figures that I have mentioned that our TFR is at 1.14, so it is not a replacement rate. At the same time, we do have an ageing population. Last year, about 15% of Singaporeans were aged 65 and above. By 2030, this will increase to around 25%.[+15 sentences] What this means is that we have a smaller proportion of the working population contributing for a population that is growing older. So, the ones who are not working, the numbers are going to expand, and if we do not have replacement, the numbers who can actually come into the economy and contribute is going to shrink. That is the scenario that we are looking at. The question is, how are we going to manage this? There are several strategies. The first and most important, which is what this Government has been doing consistently over the years, is to put in place resilient systems and measures for each generation to save for its own retirement needs. For example, the CPF helps Singaporeans to save for their old age, covers medical expenses and purchase basic health insurance. With the introduction of CareShield Life in 2018, we now have an enhanced system, which includes CareShield Life, CPF LIFE and MediShield Life. With this kind of national risk pooling schemes, we are better prepared to manage the uncertainties associated with ageing in a sustainable way. Then, the other thing that we have done is we have actually set aside funds. For example, for the Pioneer Generation Package and the Merdeka Generation Package. These are committed funds which you set aside because you know what the numbers are like roughly – the package or size – and it means that no matter what, these funds are available to help that group of ageing Singaporeans. But there will be new requirements that will come along because as we know healthcare is not a sort of a gentle slope that increases. It actually increases exponentially as you get older. And you will need recurrent revenues for that, especially when we are ageing at a faster pace. For example, the average annual healthcare spending is expected to rise from 2.1% of GDP today to almost 3% of GDP over the next decade.[+2 sentences] What this means is that aside from savings, you need revenue. You will need fresh revenue and you have to keep your revenue sources diversified. The share of personal income tax or PIT, of our tax revenue has remained at about 18% from FY2016 to FY2018.[+13 sentences] The other taxes which contribute to our revenue are corporate income tax, GST and asset related taxes. When you have recurrent spending, you also need recurrent revenue. That was a key reason why we introduced GST in 1994 because we recognised then, that an ageing population structure would require us to reduce our reliance on personal income taxes. If we continue to rely principally on personal income taxes, the tax burden will weigh increasingly heavily on younger Singaporeans who are still working. You have to try and spread it out and make sure that you have some reliance on personal income taxes, but it is also necessary to have consumption taxes such as the GST. And GST lessens the problem by balancing the taxation more broadly among the population. But that is not all. You save, you tax, but you can only tax if there is something to tax on, which means that you must grow the economy. So, transforming the economy is very important, which is why on every Budget, you hear Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat talking about economic restructuring and transformation – it is to grow the economy. We need to raise the productivity of workers and we need to also ensure that our resident labour force is able to support our economic development. That is why we supplement the local workforce with foreign skilled workers, especially in areas where we do not yet have the needed number of local skilled workers; although obviously we want to grow the local skilled workers to be able to do those jobs. And in the long run, raising birthrates. That remains the most sustainable solution to our demographic challenges.
Pricing Policy of HDB's BTO Flats›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 549w
· 9 highlighted
oral-answer-2300
Mr Gan Thiam Poh82 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the pricing policy of HDB's BTO flats remains the same in using the average mean income of each income group as a reference and not the prevailing market price; (b) what is the pricing policy for BTO flats in mature estates and whether there is a difference; and (c) whether there is a plan to address the pent up demand as a result of record sale prices crossing a million dollars in mature estates.
The Minister for National Development (Mr Desmond Lee)299 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, when pricing new flats, HDB first establishes the market value of the flat by considering factors such as the price of comparable resale flats nearby, the individual attributes of the flat and prevailing market conditions. A subsidy is then applied, so that new flats are priced at a significant discount to the market. The pricing approach is the same for Build-To-Order or BTO flats in mature and non-mature estates. On top of the subsidised price, HDB also offers first-time flat buyers, the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant or EHG, of up to $80,000, to give more help to lower to middle income households buying their first home.[+2 sentences] The EHG was introduced in September last year, with no restriction on the flat buyers' choice of flat type and location. These significant subsidies keep HDB flats affordable. Today, HDB BTO flat prices remain at less than five times of median annual household income or less, compared to other major cities in the world, where the ratio can be nearly 10 or 20 times.[+2 sentences] The vast majority of first-timer families are able to buy BTO flats in the non-mature estates and service their monthly mortgage instalments using CPF, with zero or minimal cash outlay. Apart from BTO flats, some buyers also look to the resale market, where there is a wide range of flat choices. While there have been several resale flats with attractive attributes that are transacted at headline prices of over a million dollars. These transactions are a small minority, representing less than 0.3% of the total resale transactions this year. So, in absolute figures, it is 38 out of more than 14,400 resale transactions so far this year.[+1 sentence] The Government will continue to monitor the housing market closely and ensure that Singaporeans have access to affordable public housing.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Gan Thiam Poh.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio)48 words
[+4 sentences]I thank Minister for the reply. The underlying concern is that because of the million-dollar transactions that we have seen recently, there is a concern that that might create anxiety. There might be a pent-up demand and as a result, anxiety. How would HDB review and manage that?
Mr Desmond Lee116 words
[+4 sentences]I thank the Member. Certainly, when there are these headline-grabbing articles which talk about HDB flats transacting at those prices, it may cause people to have the impression that overall there is a very, very high demand and that prices are escalating significantly. But I have said, it is 0.3% of total resale transactions each year that are in that category. HDB, as I have said, continues to monitor closely housing affordability for both the BTO market as well as the resale market. For the BTO segment last year, we built 14,600 new flats; and this year, we are aiming to build 16,700 flats. And so, each year, we will calibrate the number based on demand.
Career Pathways of Local Madrasah Graduates›Oral Answers to Questions12 turns · 1,393w
· 10 highlighted
oral-answer-2301
Dr Wan Rizal44 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs whether there are studies on (i) the career trajectories of local madrasah graduates from previous and existing cohorts and (ii) what kind of jobs the graduates pursue and in which industries.
Dr Wan Rizal70 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) whether there are proportional statistics of those in the madrasah student cohorts who pursue the "secular" or non-religious academic pathways in their post-Secondary/tertiary education; (b) of these, how many successfully graduate from our local secular tertiary institutions; and (c) whether there are support structures for madrasah students who wish to transition from religious to secular schooling.
The Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M)16 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, can I have your permission to take Question Nos 9 and 10 together, please?
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Yes, please.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M340 words
[+6 sentences]Thank you. Madrasahs play an important role in developing our future Islamic religious scholars and teachers, or what we call in our community, asatizah. Our asatizah provide leadership and religious guidance to our Muslim community, amidst an increasingly diverse and vibrant socio-religious landscape. Our madrasahs have produced key religious leaders such as our current Mufti and Deputy Muftis. Madrasah students receive a comprehensive education in Islamic subjects that is complemented by a strong foundation in secular subjects. This dual education equips our madrasah students with the knowledge and skills to apply the practice of Islam to Singapore's contemporary and plural society, as well as to pursue tertiary Islamic studies later on. In the past three years, around 35% of students in each madrasah cohort, pursue pre-university madrasah education.[+9 sentences] They form the steady pipeline of religious leaders for the community. Most of these students will further their tertiary education in the Islamic sciences, in areas such as Islamic Jurisprudence and Islamic Theology. They later return as asatizah and contribute to the religious sector as religious scholars and teachers and mosque religious officers. Some of these students may choose to use their Islamic training to pursue careers in adjacent sectors, such as social services, business and research, that complement the religious sector in serving the needs of the Muslim community and the larger Singapore society. Madrasah education also enables students who want to pursue non-religious career paths. Some madrasah students move on to post-secondary education at Junior Colleges, Polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education or ITEs, after their GCE "O" level examinations. For this group, their career path may depend on the field of study that they opt for at these institutes of higher learning. Madrasah graduates in this group have ventured into a wide range of industries such as media, finance and the creative industries, sometimes adding value to these sectors through their trilingual language competencies. MUIS will continue to work closely with our madrasahs to ensure the curriculum prepares the madrasah students well for future careers in the religious sector.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Wan Rizal.
Dr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar)76 words
[+5 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for his reply. With regard to the pathways and support structures that are in place for our madrasah students, I would like to know more about the dropouts; those who drop out from their studies midway through the madrasah. Are there any support system for them? And are there any support system for them to transition from, maybe, "N" level or "O" level to the Polytechnics and Universities?
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M229 words
[+3 sentences]I thank the Member for the supplementary question. MUIS' focus must be to produce the best religious teachers for our community, because otherwise, we will be importing them from all over the world and you would have seen the result it has produced in many parts of the world. Therefore, for now, we are quite satisfied with the number of students that are retained at the pre-University level that will move on to acquire professional, recognised degrees in religious studies that will help to guide our community. For the rest of the students – that means about 70% of them – they pursue a secular educational pathways. Most of them – about two-thirds of these 70% – do it after their "O" level.[+3 sentences] Which means that they have accessed to the systems of support in the MOE system to choose the right career, to choose the right studies that may fit what they want to do. In any case, MUIS will be also looking at the madrasah's system holistically, in line with the Committee on Future Asatizah or COFA that Dr Maliki Osman has concluded for us. With that, we also would want to look at the other students who will not be pursuing madrasah education for their career and the kind of support that may be lacking if the national system of support is not enough for them.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang)81 words
[+3 sentences]I thank the Minister for the clarifications. I would like to ask about the adjacent sectors for madrasah students, in particular, in my speech for the Motion of Thanks to the President, I did propose the expanded capability of the Syariah Court, in view of the increasingly complex Muslim inheritance and estate planning matters. Is MUIS exploring any collaborations with MinLaw, Law Society or even the Syariah Court to expand the capability and experience of the madrasah students in this regard?
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M127 words
[+2 sentences]Indeed, this was the discovery of the COFA that Dr Maliki chaired, that the landscape or the kind of careers that our asatizah get launched into are no longer quite simplistic. In fact, they have to deal with quite difficult circumstances, even when it is about socio-religious matters. Which is why now we also want to develop adjacent competencies and we are glad that SUSS has opened up this opportunity for madrasah students through lifelong learning opportunities; at the same time to acquire qualifications that will allow them to practise just like any other lawyer or social worker in a way that will contribute to our community, as well as in the future, if they want to go to the larger sector, they can do so too.
Ms Mariam Jaafar (Sembawang)129 words
[+1 sentence]I thank the Minister for the support given to the madrasah community. I would just like to raise a question on the level of parity between the support given to the madrasah community by MUIS versus by MOE, in particular, as we look into the future support that is given by MOE in the sense of continuing education as well. I understand that today, madrasah students are not eligible for Edusave bursaries.[+3 sentences] And things like the IMDA support programme for computers are also done through MUIS. I would just like to know if, and this can be done in future, I guess, whether the level is at parity. For example, are the thresholds for means testing the same as applied by MUIS to be eligible for certain support programmes?
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M276 words
Parents who opt for their children to pursue madrasah education at the Primary school level are actually exempted from the Compulsory Education Act.[+4 sentences] So, they have made a choice to move into a sector where they know that funding from the Government may not always be available, particularly because it is in the religious sector. Having said that, they still have options to go back to the MOE system that will provide the full support that they may need. In fact, for some of the areas like for those with learning difficulties, it is best that they go and pursue within the Government sector. Because this is where not only is it available but quality, quantity and availability are made available for everybody. Having said that, for our community, our focus, as I had mentioned just now, is to produce religious leaders that will be impactful and also relevant to our community, and of course to help Singapore integrate into the multiracial, multi-religious landscape that we all are in. We will try to increase the support for our madrasah with the resources that we have.[+2 sentences] As you know, these resources come largely from the community themselves. They are adequate, they have been increasing over time, and I thank all the donors, all the generous donations that the community has provided to support madrasah education as it stands today. In fact, if we compare ourselves to many other places, the structure and the institution of our madrasah are serving us; I would say it is adequate but I will not say that it is something we will settle for and we will continue to improve over time.
Rationale to Link Workfare Special Payment to MediSave Contributions›Oral Answers to Questions8 turns · 1,001w
· 10 highlighted
oral-answer-2302
Ms Carrie Tan110 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in respect of the Workfare Special Payment (a) what is the rationale behind having up-to-date MediSave contributions as a qualifying criteria for the payment; (b) how many low-wage workers who are otherwise eligible for this payment have been prevented from receiving this due to arrears in their MediSave contributions; (c) how many of those who are not eligible for this payment have contribution arrears amounting to more than $3,000; and (d) whether the Ministry will consider removing such contributions as an eligibility criteria especially in this difficult time when liquidity and cashflow is needed by individuals to survive day to day.
The Second Minister for Finance (Mr Lawrence Wong) (for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance)321 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, the Workfare Special Payment is a one-off Workfare payment to provide additional support for lower wage workers receiving the Workfare Income Supplement for Work Years 2019 or 2020. In other words, to receive Workfare Special Payment, you will need to qualify first for the underlying Workfare Scheme. The need to contribute CPF in order to qualify for Workfare is not new and this requirement was put in place because the CPF is a key pillar of Singapore’s social security system, which enables all working Singaporeans to save towards their own retirement.[+2 sentences] For employees, the CPF contributions are made on a monthly basis by their employers. For Self-Employed Persons or SEPs, they will only need to make MediSave contributions at the end of the Work Year after declaring their incomes and this is the cause of MediSave arrears. SEPs have until March 2021 to declare their income for 2019 and make their required MediSave contributions, to be assessed for Workfare. As at May 2020, 49,900 SEPs have declared their income for 2019 and are eligible for Workfare. Amongst them, about 44% have made their MediSave contributions, and the rest have until March next year to do so. Letters will be sent to these SEPs to remind them of their MediSave obligations. There are about 600 Workfare-eligible SEPs who have MediSave contribution arrears of more than $3,000, accumulated over the last two Work Years.[+5 sentences] We recognise that this is a difficult period for many Singaporeans. But it is important for SEPs to continue saving for their healthcare needs through MediSave, while they also get support from the Government through Workfare. The CPF Board has helped SEPs who faced difficulties by working out alternative arrangements for them to meet their MediSave obligations. Many lower income SEPs would also have received support under various Government schemes. Those facing difficult circumstances can also visit the MSF Social Service Offices if they need further help.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Carrie Tan.
Ms Carrie Tan (Nee Soon)156 words
[+5 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to thank Minister for his reply. While I understand the importance of CPF and MediSave, and the important role those play in ensuring long-term security for our workers in terms of their retirement and healthcare needs, would the Minister not agree that for individuals already facing cashflow difficulty in the current period, expecting them to make their MediSave arrears first before allowing them to get this payout to meet their immediate needs, is in fact defeating the purpose of the scheme in alleviating immediate financial challenges faced by these individuals? This is in allusion to my maiden speech where I mentioned the good intentions of the Government to 雪中送炭变成雪上加霜. So, in view of that, will the Minister agree that we can allow these individuals to work out an instalment payment arrangement for their MediSave arrears, while at the same time making them eligible to receive the Workfare Special Payment?
Mr Lawrence Wong253 words
[+7 sentences]Mr Speaker, I share the concern that Ms Tan has over the difficulties that many SEPs face during this difficult period. I am sure many Members have shared similar concerns and you would have seen residents who have similar difficulties. I would encourage everyone to look at this particular requirement, not in isolation but to look at the full suite of help measures that the Government has put in place. Yes, there is Workfare Special Payment which is tied to the underlying Workfare requirement. But there are also many other help schemes in the Budget, through ComCare, through SIRS, through GST Voucher, where the help is provided more immediately and are not tied to any CPF contributions. Secondly, I take the point that the Member had suggested, that we should do more to help SEPs meet their MediSave obligations and pay their arrears through instalments. As I had mentioned earlier, the CPF Board is already doing its part to reach out to them and provide instalment plans to help these SEPs fulfil their MediSave obligations. To the extent that some of these SEPs need more time to fulfil their MediSave obligations and they extend beyond the deadline for the Workfare Special Payment, we will be prepared to consider such appeals – meaning to say, they take time to fulfil their MediSave through instalments, but then they have passed the Workfare Special Payment deadline or the Workfare deadline, we will still be prepared to consider such cases for eligibility for the Workfare Special Payment.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang)64 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Speaker. I am just wondering if the Minister can clarify for us whether in this particular period, there has been an increase in the subsidy payouts on the part of Workfare for citizens, in part because, obviously, due to COVID, some of these services may have actually seen reductions in their demand. So, I am wondering if he could clarify for us.
Mr Lawrence Wong90 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, I do not have with me data on the Workfare payout, certainly not the latest periods of Workfare payouts. I will not be surprised if there are more payouts, partly because there may well be people who are in the lower income categories who will benefit from Workfare and, perhaps, more payout has been given during this period. But, certainly, because of the Workfare Special Payment, and if you pool it altogether, the Government is giving more to lower wage workers and we will continue to do so.
Keeping Singapore's Workforce Competitive In Light of Remote Workers From the Region Willing to Work For Less Pay›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 796w
· 9 highlighted
oral-answer-2303
Mr Yip Hon Weng47 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how can Singapore's workforce remain competitive when remote workers from the region are willing to work for usually far lower remuneration; and (b) how will our labour laws be updated to address the impact on our locally-based workforce and tax base.
The Senior Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Zaqy Mohamad) (for the Minister for Manpower)462 words
[+9 sentences]Mr Speaker, COVID-19 has necessitated a change in the way we work, in particular with remote working becoming commonplace for many of our workplaces. Some companies, such as Facebook, have announced that all employees can work from home. UBS has started experimenting with issuing its home-based traders with virtual reality headsets to recreate the experience of working in a packed trading floor. Increasingly, traditional jobs which require physical presence may also be done remotely. For example, port cranes could only be operated from their cabins in the past but now they can be automated and controlled from a remote centre. The impact of remote working technology is, however, not fully clear. Even when staff are able to work from home, employers may still prefer to bring teams of workers together physically, on a regular basis, for learning and collaboration. Face-to-face interactions with clients and partners will still be needed. As with digital technologies, which have mostly been adopted to augment rather than replace the work performed by people, it is likely that remote working technology supplement rather than fully replace physical interactions at the workplace. Nonetheless, remote working may indeed prompt companies to redistribute their activities to take advantage of manpower availability in lower cost countries.[+3 sentences] This is similar to how activities such as garment manufacturing and call centre operations have shifted out of Singapore over the years. In their place, we have now grown new manufacturing clusters such as biomedical sciences and expanded the services sector. At the same time, activities that remain in Singapore moved higher up the value chain. With limited land and manpower, we no longer compete on cost alone but on productivity, connectivity and ability to support business innovation.[+2 sentences] However, with each potential new disruption, we cannot take our relevance as a given. The effort to transform our economy must continue, to retain a competitive edge. First, we must strengthen our business environment and ensure that Singapore remains the preferred location for trade and investment, particularly in emerging growth areas, such as additive manufacturing and fintech.[+1 sentence] The anchoring of global companies, which meet our desired profile and the aspirations of Singaporeans, will help to preserve and spur the creation of good jobs. Second, we must sustain efforts to help Singaporeans build skills relevant to the global talent marketplace. This is why we started the SkillsFuture movement and complemented it with a range of career conversion programmes.[+1 sentence] They have helped Singaporeans take up new jobs in growth areas. As for whether labour laws need to be updated, this is an on-going process that takes into account feedback from our tripartite partners. We are also actively monitoring shifts in workplace practices due to remote working and sharing views with our international counterparts, to assess the need for policy intervention.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Yip.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang)40 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Senior Minister of State for his response. I wish to ask: how will MOM work with the Labour Movement to deal with the impact of remote workers from overseas competing with our local workers?
Mr Zaqy Mohamad245 words
[+2 sentences]Indeed, Mr Speaker, the Member has pointed out that markets are certainly dynamic and businesses will often make decisions based on what makes business sense. So, it is important for our economy to continue to be relevant, to continue to be conducive, stable and to ensure that our companies remain, jobs continue to grow and we create new jobs and new opportunities for Singaporeans. But what it also means is that we need to help our workers stay relevant, skilled, to remain competitive so that these jobs are not substituted or moved overseas so easily. Therefore, I think that the whole eco-system needs to be worked on and this is where the Labour Movement plays an important role, working with the Government, especially on our SGUnited Jobs and Skills programmes.[+4 sentences] One of aspect of the programmes is to upskill workers, work on job matching, trying to garner and harness some of trends out there and see where the emerging growth areas are. But more importantly, apart from just providing opportunities and job matching, it is also helping workers get the right skillsets, working with companies to redesign jobs, to help us move up the value chain. Beyond that, I think it is still important for the Government to keep an eye on growing the economy. Because ultimately, the stronger our eco-system is, the more rooted companies will be here; and for the more rooted, the jobs will be here despite remote working being a trend.
Companies Who Reduce Headcount of Existing Employees While Leveraging JGI to Recruit New Workers›Oral Answers to Questions2 turns · 400w
· 9 highlighted
oral-answer-2304
Mr Murali Pillai56 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Manpower in respect of the Jobs Growth Initiative (JGI), what safeguards will be put in place to guard against companies reducing their headcount of existing employees and at the same time leveraging on the JGI to recruit new workers with the Government providing salary co-payment resulting in no net growth of jobs.
The Minister for Manpower (Mrs Josephine Teo)344 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, the Jobs Growth Incentive or JGI, supports firms to accelerate the hiring of their local workforce over six months. JGI was announced in August 2020 and will be provided to qualifying hires from September 2020 to February 2021. Eligible local hires can attract salary support for up to 12 months. To be eligible for JGI, firms must achieve an increase in their local workforce size from the level in August 2020. Hence, a firm with no net growth of jobs will not receive JGI payouts. A firm that initially increased its local headcount but subsequently reduced its local headcount below its original level would also stop receiving future JGI payouts. In addition, to ensure that the increase in local workforce is meaningful, it must be accompanied by an increase in the number of local employees in jobs that pay at least $1,400 in gross monthly wages.[+2 sentences] There may be valid reasons why a firm that receives the JGI has to later let existing employees go, such as retirement or voluntary resignations. If we were to impose the condition that the firm promises not to let any worker go, that would create significant rigidity to the firm. In practice, firms would likely prefer to moderate their new hiring than have to deal with the risk of support being withdrawn. Hence, we take a practical approach, where a firm's JGI payout is reduced in proportion to the number of existing employees that left the firm after the scheme started in September 2020.[+1 sentence] This gives the firms assurance of funding support while signalling clearly that they should make the efforts to retain existing employees even as they bring in new hires. In addition, IRAS has put in place a robust anti-gaming framework to identify risks and prevent abuse.[+2 sentences] IRAS uses data analytics and risk profiling to identify cases, which are sent to a dedicated team for review. We view any attempt to abuse grant schemes very seriously and will not hesitate to report any malpractices or abuses to the Police for investigation and possible prosecution.
Update on GPFirst Programme at Changi General Hospital›Oral Answers to Questions2 turns · 238w
· 5 highlighted
oral-answer-2305
Dr Tan Wu Meng44 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Health (a) what has been the experience of the GPFirst programme launched by Changi General Hospital; and (b) whether the Ministry has plans to extend the programme to other public hospitals and their respective nearby general practitioners in the community.
The Senior Minister of State for Health (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Minister for Health)194 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, the GPFirst Programme was piloted at Changi General Hospital or CGH in January 2014. It aims to encourage patients with non-emergency conditions to seek treatment at General Practitioners or GPs rather than at Emergency Department or ED. This enables the ED to focus on attending to patients with life threatening and critical conditions. Patients assessed by the participating GPs as requiring emergency care would be referred on and be given priority to be seen earlier at the ED. These patients will be given a $50 subsidy on their ED bill to help offset the cost of their GP visit. From 2014 to 2017, there was a reduction of about 8.5% in the self-referred attendances at CGH ED, which may be attributed to GPFirst and other measures implemented during this period of time. MOH has expanded GPFirst beyond CGH's region in phases. As of September 2020, GPFirst has been expanded to involve more GPs around Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and the Urgent Care Centre @Admiralty Medical Centre, and will be progressively implemented in the region surrounding Sengkang General Hospital, National University Hospital and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital by the end of 2021.
Take-up Rate for 2-room HDB Flexi Flats in First Half of 2020›Oral Answers to Questions2 turns · 123w
· 0 highlighted
oral-answer-2306
Mr Gan Thiam Poh44 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the take-up rate for 2-room HDB Flexi flats for the first half of 2020, especially for retirees and singles; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider building more of such flats to meet the demand.
The Second Minister for National Development (Ms Indranee Rajah) (for the Minister for National Development)79 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, HDB launched about 1,000 2-room Flexi flats in the first half of 2020, with another 1,800 units launched in the August 2020 Build-To-Order exercise. Of the 2-room Flexi flats launched in the first half of this year, about 80% have been booked, of which more than 90% were booked by seniors and singles. HDB will continue to monitor the housing market closely and ensure that our flat supply remains responsive to the housing needs of the population.
Number of Singles Who Have Bought HDB Resale Flats›Oral Answers to Questions2 turns · 95w
· 0 highlighted
oral-answer-2307
Mr Gan Thiam Poh30 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development in each of the past five years, what is the number of singles who bought HDB resale flats, broken down by type of flats.
The Second Minister for National Development (Ms Indranee Rajah) (for the Minister for National Development)65 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, in the past five years, from 2015 to 2019, out of an average of around 22,000 transactions of resale flats per year, about 6,000 resale flats per year were bought by singles under the Single Singapore Citizen Scheme or the Joint Singles Scheme. Of these, about 46% were 3-room or smaller flats, 39% were 4-room flats and 15% were 5-room or bigger flats.
Determination of Maximum Permissible Noise Levels for Construction Work›Oral Answers to Questions6 turns · 864w
· 9 highlighted
oral-answer-2308
Dr Tan Wu Meng40 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how are the current specified maximum permissible noise levels for construction work determined; (b) how are the noise levels measured; and (c) when were the noise limits and penalties last reviewed.
The Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment (Mr Desmond Tan) (for the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment)233 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, NEA stipulates maximum permissible noise limits for construction sites in order to protect public health. The noise limits take reference from the World Health Organization's guidelines and are further tailored to local context. To minimise noise nuisance to residents, the noise limits are further differentiated based on the time bands, with more stringent limits imposed at night from 7 pm and 7 am and on Sundays and public holidays, when most of our residents are resting.[+1 sentence] To measure the noise levels generated from their worksites, construction companies must install noise meters at the nearest affected buildings and monitor the noise levels regularly. For larger projects of contract value more than $3 million or those which involve demolition and piling, contractors are required to install noise monitoring systems, which allow real-time monitoring of the noise levels by both the contractors as well as by NEA.[+1 sentence] My Ministry regularly reviews the construction noise limits and penalty regime. For instance, NEA tightened the noise controls and implemented the no-work rule in 2011 to prohibit work activities at construction sites located within 150 metres of residential premises and noise-sensitive premises, such as the hospitals and nursing homes, on Sundays as well as on public holidays. The penalty regime was also reviewed in 2014. And NEA is working with other agencies and industry stakeholders on an on-going review of the construction noise limits and penalty regime.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Tan Wu Meng.
Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong)173 words
[+6 sentences]I thank the Minister of State for his answer. I would like to raise two supplementary questions regarding his answer. The first is whether, as part of the on-going review, the post COVID environment will be considered, in particular, new features, such as working from home, students doing home learning and furthermore, looking at the built density of our HDB estates. I raise this because, especially during the recent and on-going examination season, a number of residents in Clementi have been very worried about noise from nearby construction developments. Secondly, Mr Speaker, I would also like to ask the Minster of State, whether as part of the review of the penalties framework, they can also consider the economic levers that may be applied to the construction firm. I raise this because when a private development generates noise and disamenities to residents, such as residents along Clementi Avenue 1 and in the Faber Hills area, these disamenities are socialised, whereas in many cases, a private development results in privatisation of gains from the construction.
Mr Desmond Tan358 words
[+8 sentences]I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. Certainly, in our on-going review, we will take into consideration the current situation and, of course, the economic conditions that we are going through. I have to remind Members of the House that noise management has to be considered in view of the cost as well as the duration of the construction time. It is of our most important interest to make sure that public health is being protected, to make sure that noise levels do not exceed the noise levels that are prescribed by the World Health Organization. We will take into account the current as well as future conditions. We have to work closely with the built environment and the industry to ensure that whatever penalty regime as well as noise limits that are imposed will first has to protect the public health of our people and at the same time, also to ensure that our construction work continues to be completed within the time frame and within the cost that is stipulated. So, we will take into account the current and future conditions. The second question that was being raised was about the economic levers. Today, we have a penalty regime that has been reviewed over the years and it has been effective in bringing down the number of feedback as well as enforcement actions. So, for instance, in 2012, we saw that the number of feedback per construction site was about 2.7. And last year, it has dropped to about 1.6.[+4 sentences] And also, in terms of the enforcement action, it has also dropped from 1.6 in 2012 to about 0.8 per 10 sites in 2019. However, we will continue to look at how this penalty regime will have an impact on the construction noise and in particular for repeated offenders, as in construction sites, that have been given the same warning over and over again. So, these are the things that we look at in our on-going review – the noise limits, the ability to measure them as well as the penalty regime. These are the three areas we will look at in the on-going review.
Mr Speaker56 words
[+5 sentences]Order. End of Question Time. Introduction of Government Bill. Second Minister for Finance. [Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), Written Answers to Question Nos 19, 21-23 and 25 on the Order Paper are reproduced in the Appendix. Question Nos 18, 20, 24 and 26 have been postponed to the sitting of Parliament on 15 October 2020.]
Data on Current Estimated Potential (CEP) of Public Officers within Five Years of Joining Public Service›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 181w
· 0 highlighted
written-answer-6557
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang45 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Prime Minister (a) what is the 25th, 50th and 75th percentile change in a public officer's Current Estimated Potential (CEP) within five years of joining the public service; and (b) whether the Ministry will start collecting this data if it is not available.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister)136 words
[+4 sentences]Currently Estimated Potential (CEP) is expressed as the largest job size an officer is assessed to be capable of handling in future. This assessment is expected to change from time to time as officers develop in their job roles and display more of their competencies and capabilities. We understand that the Member is asking for the number of CEP grade changes that officers with CEPs at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles in the initial year will have, over the first five years of their careers. The large majority of officers, including those at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles, will see potential fluctuations upwards and downwards in their CEP of between 1 and 5 grades during the first five years, as they adapt to the public service work and have opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities.
Percentage of Ex-offenders Finding Employment within Three Months after Serving Sentences›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 264w
· 0 highlighted
written-answer-6558
Mr Murali Pillai55 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) in each of the past three years, what is the average percentage of ex-offenders who find employment within a three-month period after serving their sentences; and (b) what steps have been identified to improve the ex-offenders' employability in the current circumstances when Singapore's economy is affected by COVID-19.
Mr K Shanmugam209 words
[+10 sentences]The ability to secure employment is very important for an ex-offender's rehabilitation and reintegration. The percentage of ex-offenders who found employment within three months of release was 55%, 56% and 53% for the cohorts released in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. These figures are lower-bound estimates as our data does not include ex-offenders who took on non-CPF contributing jobs such as delivery riders and private hire car drivers. To enhance ex-offenders' employability, Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG) provides inmates and ex-offenders with skills upgrading, job matching and job coaching services. The economic downturn brought about by COVID-19 has made the job market more challenging for ex-offenders. YRSG has stepped up efforts to help them secure employment. For example, YRSG has tapped on WSG's SGUnited Job Portal and NTUC's Job Security Council initiatives to target industry sectors with available jobs, such as in the logistics and manufacturing sectors, while stepping up engagements with existing employers. Through these efforts, ex-offenders have successfully secured jobs such as technicians, drivers, warehouse assistants and production operators. YRSG has also implemented virtual job interviews to ensure that ex-offenders and potential employers can continue to interact. From January to August 2020, YRSG secured employment for 1,534 ex-offenders, with the majority of them remaining employed during this period.
Availability of Future-ready Counsellors and Psychologists to Help Cope with Potential Increase in Mental Illness Cases›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 463w
· 0 highlighted
written-answer-6559
Mr Christopher de Souza34 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Health (a) whether there are sufficient future-ready counsellors and psychologists to help cope with the potential increase in mental illness; and (b) what is being done to promote these occupations.
Mr Gan Kim Yong429 words
[+15 sentences]As of September 2020, there are 5041 psychologists registered with the Singapore Psychological Society. This translates to 8.9 psychologists per 100k population. Within the public healthcare sector, the number of psychologists increased by 7% in the last three years from 2017 to 2019. Although the Ministry of Health (MOH) does not have the specific numbers of counsellors practising in Singapore as many healthcare professionals and social workers provide counselling as part of their work, there were 9402 registered counsellors with the Singapore Association for Counselling in April 2020. The care of persons with mental health conditions would benefit from management by a multidisciplinary team (which includes psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, psychologists and occupational therapists etc). MOH will continue to work with public hospitals and community service providers, including schools, social service agencies and family service centres, to ensure timely access and support for persons with mental healthcare needs. At the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), each patient's psychiatric condition and psycho-social needs are assessed holistically by the attending doctor, whereupon medications, psychotherapy and counselling support by psychologists or counsellors might be prescribed. In the community, individuals with mental health needs could tap on community mental health supports such as mental health services in polyclinics where psychologists play a key role in mental health assessments and psycho-social therapeutic interventions. In addition, allied health-led community intervention teams provide an array of allied health services such as counselling and psycho-education for individuals with mental health conditions. To raise awareness of the psychology profession, we have profiled their work through the Care to Go Beyond branding campaign. Sponsorships are available through the Healthcare Graduate Studies Award for eligible fresh graduates or mid-career professionals to pursue their interest in Clinical Psychology, with 11 awards offered in the last five years from 2016 to 2020. The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) also offers a range of training and development support for psychologists in the social service sector. These include scholarships, awards, and training grants to support their training, and facilitate the entry of registered psychologists into the sector. NCSS also manages the Sun Ray scheme, a leadership scheme aimed at attracting, developing and retaining leaders, including psychologists, in the social service sector. Between FY2015 and FY2019, there are 20 psychologists on the Sun Ray scheme, and 26 scholarships and awards were given out to psychologists. Other efforts, such as the Social Service SkillsFuture Tripartite Taskforce formed by the Ministry of Social and Family Development, have been instrumental in driving, coordinating and implementing tripartite collaborations for manpower and professional development initiatives, including that for psychologists.
Progress on Development and Clinical Trial of COVID-19 Vaccine and Plans for Mass Vaccination for Singaporeans›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 300w
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written-answer-6560
Mr Gan Thiam Poh86 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Health (a) how does the Government intend to vaccinate Singaporeans once the COVID-19 vaccine is available; (b) whether the Government will consider providing free vaccination for all Singaporeans; (c) what is the progress on the joint development with all established overseas vaccine producers and makers; (d) whether the Government is prepared to have the vaccine produced in Singapore; and (e) whether Singaporeans have participated in the clinical trial of the vaccines in development and, if so, what is the progress so far.
Mr Gan Kim Yong214 words
[+9 sentences]The Government is developing a vaccination strategy based on several factors, including the suitability of different vaccines for different population subgroups and the quantity of vaccines available at any point in time. Our approach aims to protect individuals who are more vulnerable or at higher risk from the disease, as well as those who may be more likely to be exposed to infection, while progressively expanding the coverage of vaccination to the rest of our population. The financing framework for the vaccinations would take into consideration the overall vaccination strategy and the cost of the vaccines. We will adapt our strategy accordingly as more information from the various vaccine candidates become available. We are also involved in different vaccine development initiatives in Singapore. Singapore's Duke-NUS Medical School is collaborating with a United States biotechnology company, Arcturus Therapeutics, to develop an mRNA vaccine. The combined Phase 1 and 2 human clinical trial for this vaccine candidate started in early August at the SingHealth Investigational Medicine Unit (IMU) and about 70 participants have since been recruited. The study is expected to be completed later in the year. Separately, we are also building up vaccine manufacturing capacity, which can provide fill-and-finish contract manufacturing services to vaccine developers and ramp up production of vaccines when they are available.
Criteria Used in Selection of Disease for Inclusion under Chronic Disease Management Programme›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 269w
· 0 highlighted
written-answer-6561
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang54 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the full list of selection criteria used in determining whether to include a disease under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP); and (b) what studies and public consultations does the Ministry conduct to determine if a disease fulfils the selection criteria for inclusion under the CDMP.
Mr Gan Kim Yong215 words
[+8 sentences]CDMP was introduced to help patients manage their chronic conditions well to avoid complications in the future and reduce out-of-pocket costs through the use of MediSave. MOH regularly reviews the list of conditions covered under CDMP to meet the needs of Singaporeans, while ensuring that MediSave balances are not prematurely depleted. For example, ischaemic heart disease and pre-diabetes were most recently identified for inclusion from June 2018. In selecting conditions for inclusion in the CDMP, the Clinical Advisory Committee (CAC) consults clinical experts from public healthcare institutions as well as the private sector and take into consideration factors such as disease prevalence, potential benefits to patients' outcomes (effectiveness of early intervention that improves quality of life and reduces complications) and the availability of evidence-based clinical guidelines for appropriate care of the condition. The review process will also consider findings and information from studies such as the Singapore Burden of Disease and medical literature. Feedback and requests from the public, medical professionals, and members of Parliament are also collated and taken into account. The CDMP CAC will continue to review regularly the conditions to be covered under CDMP. Meanwhile, Singaporeans with difficulties managing their medical bills including those relating to conditions not covered by CDMP can approach the Medical Social Workers at public institutions for assistance.
Proposal for Students to Learn Alongside Differently Abled or Special Needs Students›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 381w
· 0 highlighted
written-answer-6563
Mr Christopher de Souza30 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry will consider introducing ways whereby students can learn alongside students who are differently abled or who have special needs, and vice versa.
Mr Lawrence Wong351 words
[+13 sentences]Today, about 80% of students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Dyslexia and Physical or Sensory Impairments are in mainstream schools. In every school, students have opportunities to learn alongside and make friends with peers who are differently abled. Students learn about inclusivity through the formal curriculum and beyond. For those who need some help, Allied Educators for Learning and Behaviour Support implement strategies to enable students to turn to their peers for friendship and emotional support. Around 20% of students with SEN, who have higher support needs, or 1.5% of all students, attend our 19 Special Education (SPED) schools. These schools are not necessarily separated from mainstream schools as they can enjoy, through the Satellite Partnership, a long-term sustained relationship with a mainstream school where there are opportunities for purposeful social interaction between the students through platforms such as joint CCA activities, recess, workshops and camps. For example, through their Satellite Partnership, students from Dunman High School and MINDS Towner Gardens School have opportunities to relate with each other through activities such as joint community service projects, arts and craft, and science activities. Students attending Canossian School or Pathlight School also join their mainstream peers for academic learning, where appropriate. Over the years, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and schools, with help from partner organisations, have sought to build inclusivity into the arts and sports calendar. At the National School Games, the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation and the National Day Parade, students with and without a SEN rehearse, practice and perform together. The Play Inclusive campaign, organised by SportCares and Special Olympics Singapore in partnership with MOE since 2018, also brings together student-athletes from several SPED and mainstream schools to share sporting experiences as members of the same team. In 2019, MOE partnered Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) to pilot a 5D4N Inclusive Sailing programme around the waters of OBS Pulau Ubin campus. MOE is committed to nurturing the existing Satellite Partnerships and growing new ones, so that the students can continue to learn and grow together in a more inclusive environment.
Number of Rejected Applications for COVID-19 Support Grant due to Income Criterion›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 256w
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written-answer-6564
Ms Ng Ling Ling53 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development how many applications for the COVID-19 Support Grant have been rejected due to applicants' prior gross monthly household income exceeding $10,000 per month or $3,100 per capita income despite the fall in their income significantly, exceeding more than 30%, and all other criteria being met.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M203 words
[+8 sentences]The COVID-19 Support Grant (CSG) supports lower- to middle-income resident employees who, as a result of the economic impact of COVID-19, are presently: (i) Involuntarily unemployed due to retrenchment or contract termination; (ii) Placed on involuntary no-pay leave for at least three consecutive months; or (iii) Experiencing reduced monthly salary of at least 30% for at least three consecutive months. As of 27 September 2020, around 133,000 individuals had applied for the CSG. Of these, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) approved the CSG for more than 83,000 applicants. About 46,000 applicants were unsuccessful, and around 4,000 applications were being processed. Of the 46,000 applicants who were unsuccessful, about 2,500 applicants were rejected due to their prior gross monthly household income exceeding $10,000 and monthly per capita income exceeding $3,100 (some of them might have also failed to meet other eligibility criteria). We do not have further breakdown of this 2,500 figure. Applicants who wish to appeal can either call the ComCare Call Hotline or approach MSF's Social Service Offices (SSOs). MSF's SSOs will assess these applications on a case-by-case basis, and can exercise some flexibility to support households in extenuating circumstances even if they exceed the prior household income criterion.
Extension of COE Renewal in Light of COVID-19 Crisis›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 206w
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written-answer-6565
Mr Christopher de Souza48 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will consider allowing car owners to renew their COE for a subsequent five years at the 15-year mark even if they had previously opted for a five-year renewal at the 10-year mark, given the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 crisis.
Mr Ong Ye Kung158 words
[+7 sentences]All Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) are meant to be valid for 10 years. Hence, for a 10-year old vehicle, its COE can be renewed for 10 years based on the Prevailing Quota Premium (PQP). However, some owners feel that their vehicles may not last for another 10 years. As an exception, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) therefore provides a five-year renewal option for such owners, on the condition that their vehicles must be deregistered at the end of five years. This is made known at the point of COE renewal. Most owners have deregistered their vehicles as required but understandably, some owners feel differently after five years, but it will not be fair for LTA to grant an exception for this group of owners. As an additional piece of information, owners can also renew the vehicle for another 10 years upfront, for which he can receive a rebate on the PQP paid if the vehicle is deregistered early.
Merging Workforce Singapore (WSG) and Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to Optimise Efficiency of Resources›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 492w
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written-answer-6566
Mr Seah Kian Peng42 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Manpower whether there are advantages to merging Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) so as to eliminate the overlap between the two organisations and further optimise the efficiency of the resources in both organisations.
Mrs Josephine Teo450 words
[+17 sentences]The mission of Workforce Singapore (WSG) is to provide job facilitation services and support the transformation of the local workforce and industry for the future economy. As part of its role, WSG's efforts range from providing digital job matching platforms (such as MyCareersFuture), the implementation of employment facilitation schemes (such as SGUnited Jobs and Traineeships, and Professional Conversion Programmes), and the direct provision of career coaching to clients. For direct client-facing functions, WSG has overall responsibility for designing the framework for service delivery, and the allocation of roles to strategic partners such as the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), private career matching providers (Ingeus and MAXIMUS), SGEnable (for Persons with Disabilities), and Yellow Ribbon Singapore (for ex-offenders). e2i brings certain strengths to the job facilitation ecosystem. e2i's strong connections with the labour movement allows it to leverage the unions' networks to provide support to workers, as well as to partner employers to recruit and train local jobseekers for their manpower needs. Of the five national career centres, three are operated directly by WSG, while another two are operated by e2i. The five centres serve different geographical areas, but clients are free to request for their cases to be served by another centre, or by the private career matching providers. For ground activities such as career fairs, WSG and e2i coordinate closely such that their activities complement each other's. WSG, e2i, Ingeus and MAXIMUS share the same jobseeker case management system. This allows all service providers to use the same common system, reaping economies of scale and providing a more seamless experience for the jobseeker. WSG and e2i also meet regularly at the senior leadership level to coordinate their strategy and operations. There are merits to having more than one provider in the employment facilitation ecosystem. It helps to spur innovation and improvements, and service models that can meet the varied needs of our local jobseekers. For example, Ingeus introduced a new way for companies to identify talent for senior executive-level roles. Ingeus asked these companies to provide problem statements. Selected jobseekers were then invited to address these problem statements, and in doing so, pitch and showcase their skills and expertise to the companies. This novel approach was well received by the companies and enhanced job matching. At the same time, it is important for WSG to retain operational knowledge of the business of job facilitation, so that it is able to oversee the ecosystem of providers and innovate new schemes effectively. WSG will continue to work closely with all its partners, to ensure that the needs of every local jobseeker are the foremost priority of each partner, and that they are collectively served to the best of each partner’s ability.
Plans to Harness Technology in Built Environment Industry›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 303w
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written-answer-6567
Mr Christopher de Souza19 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development what plans are being made to harness technology in the built environment industry.
Mr Desmond Lee284 words
[+12 sentences]The Construction Industry Transformation Map (ITM), launched in October 2017, sets out our plans to transform the built environment industry by adopting productive construction methods, embracing digitalisation, and growing a strong local core. Technology is the foundation of the key transformation areas under the Construction ITM. First, we are increasing adoption of advanced building technologies such as Design for Manufacturing and Assembly, which facilitates greater automation and higher quality construction by shifting onsite construction work into a factory environment. Second, we are promoting digitalisation through Integrated Digital Delivery, which reduces abortive work by resolving design conflicts upstream and improves collaboration across the built environment value chain. Third, we are pushing for higher Green Buildings standards by encouraging the use of technology to increase building energy performance in a cost-effective manner. We have also been advocating Smart Facilities Management, which includes solutions such as predictive maintenance and cleaning robots to help the Facilities Management industry become more manpower lean. More recently, technological solutions such as the BuildSG-COVIDSafe platform have been deployed at worksites to prevent COVID-19 resurgence. These solutions help agencies and firms to ensure compliance with safe management measures and facilitate contract tracing when a COVID-positive case is found. The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the importance of technology in the built environment industry. To accelerate digitalisation efforts across the built environment value chain, the Digitalising Built Environment Alliance for Action (AfA), a private sector-led team, was set up under the Emerging Stronger Taskforce in June 2020. This AfA seeks to accelerate our digitalisation efforts by establishing industry-wide common data standards and driving the adoption of digital platforms. These collective efforts will enable the built environment industry to emerge stronger and more resilient from COVID-19.
Requests for Deferment of Loan Payment Received by HDB since Start of Circuit Breaker Period and Proportion Approved›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 170w
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written-answer-6568
Ms Ng Ling Ling50 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development given the increasing retrenchment and unemployment figures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, how many requests for deferment of HDB loan payment have been received by the HDB from the start of the circuit breaker period and what is the proportion that has been approved.
Mr Desmond Lee120 words
[+6 sentences]HDB provides one-to-one financial counselling to homeowners seeking help with their HDB mortgage payments to understand their needs, and identify suitable measures to assist them. These assistance measures include allowing owners to reduce or defer loan payments, and extending their loan tenure subject to certain age limits. As the financial counselling is holistic, we do not have data on the number of households who requested specifically to defer their loan payments. From April to August 2020, HDB assisted around 2,500 households with their HDB mortgage payments. Of these, 864 households deferred their loan payments, and another 277 reduced their loan payments. We are monitoring the situation closely, and will review the adequacy of our assistance measures as the situation evolves.
Statistics on Wife Retaining Matrimonial Flat or Allocated Rental Flat by HDB Following Divorce›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 295w
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written-answer-6569
Ms Poh Li San59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development in the past five years, of the divorces filed where the couples co-own HDB flats, what is the proportion of (i) the wife retaining the matrimonial flat (ii) the wife allocated a rental flat by HDB and (iii) the wife being unable to retain the matrimonial flat nor be allocated a rental flat.
Mr Desmond Lee236 words
[+9 sentences]Following divorce, one party may retain the matrimonial flat via a transfer of flat ownership or resale of part-share, subject to meeting HDB's eligibility conditions. From 2015 to 2019, HDB received about 7,200 transfer applications due to divorce, of which 70% (or 5,100) of the flats were retained by the ex-wife. There were also about 580 resale of part-share applications, of which 43% (or 250) were cases where the ex-wife purchased the share of the flat from the ex-husband and retained the flat. In addition, there were about 6,400 cases where the divorced couple sold the matrimonial flat on the open market and about 300 cases where the couple returned the flat to HDB as they have not met the minimum occupation period to sell the flat. Out of these cases, around 2,500 (or 37%) were cases where the ex-wife went on to purchase another new or resale flat or became listed as an occupier in the flat purchase. We have also allocated about 1,600 rental flats to female divorcees with care and control of children in the past five years. There are also cases where the ex-wife may have moved back to stay with family, bought a private property to stay in, or rented a property to stay in. HDB does not track the specific numbers for these groups. HDB will continue to assist all divorcees who approach HDB for assistance on their housing needs.
Ratio of Total Number of Dwelling Units to Pavilions and Total Number of Void Decks to Blocks in Current and New HDB Developments›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 482w
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Dr Tan Wu Meng71 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the ratio of the current number of HDB blocks designed with void decks usable for common spaces, as compared respectively to (i) total blocks and (ii) total dwelling units in new HDB developments; (b) what is the ratio of pavilions to (i) total blocks and (ii) total dwelling units in new HDB developments; and (c) how these compare with traditional precinct designs.
Mr Desmond Lee411 words
[+18 sentences]In the design of HDB towns and estates, HDB actively plans for common spaces where the community can gather. The approach has evolved over the years, along with the changes in design of HDB blocks and precincts. Compared with older slab blocks with many units per floor, newer blocks are generally taller and more compact, with fewer units per floor. These changes optimise land use and provide residents with greater privacy and better views, but the trade-off is smaller void deck space under each block. With this shift in block design, HDB has been providing a variety of purpose-built facilities and amenities in newer precincts to serve as common spaces, and create opportunities for community interaction and bonding. For example, since the 1990s, precinct pavilions have been built in new developments to provide space for community functions, such as weddings and funeral wakes. HDB regularly reviews its planning norms to ensure that the number of precinct pavilions are adequate to meet the needs of residents. The roofs of all newer Multi-Storey Car Parks are also landscaped for community use. For some very tall HDB blocks, HDB has introduced high-rise gardens and decks, to serve as spaces for residents to meet and interact. Precinct spaces are also carefully designed to facilitate community interaction, such as through the provision of 3-Gen playgrounds and fitness corners that cater to residents of different age groups. In addition, HDB also maximises the smaller void deck space available in newer developments. In 2014, HDB introduced Community Living Rooms at the void deck of every block. These are located near lift lobbies and letter boxes, and furnished with seats and tables to provide cosy gathering spaces for residents. Where possible, in designing new HDB blocks, HDB also pushes the supporting columns to the edges of the blocks, so as to create more unobstructed void deck space. Lastly, in older HDB estates, Social Communal Facilities such as childcare centres or elder-care centres are usually built in void decks. To free up the smaller void deck spaces in newer developments, HDB may integrate larger Social Communal Facilities in multi-storey carparks or in standalone community facilities buildings. In general, surveys of HDB residents have shown that community spaces provided in precincts are sufficient, and that residents are satisfied with the facilities. Nonetheless, HDB will continue to review norms to ensure they are sufficient and support a variety of community events, in accordance with the changing demographics and needs of HDB residents.
Littering Cases Reported in Past Three Years and Measures to Address Problem›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 383w
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written-answer-6580
Mr Murali Pillai76 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how many cases of littering have been reported to NEA for each of the past three years; (b) how many persons have NEA taken action against for littering in each of the past three years; (c) what are the main difficulties that NEA faces in addressing the littering problem; and (d) whether NEA is considering any step to instil a stronger ethos of keeping Singapore's environment clean.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien307 words
[+15 sentences]In 2017, 2018 and 2019, the National Environment Agency (NEA) received about 8,800, 8,100 and 11,200 instances of littering feedback from the public. Over the same periods, it took enforcement action against some 31,000, 37,000 and 26,900 offenders respectively. Since 2019, NEA has adopted various approaches with a focus on deterring potential offenders by increasing enforcement presence in hotspots and deploying more uniformed enforcement officers to increase visibility. NEA takes a firm stance against litterbugs and will continue to step up enforcement action against littering, with the help of technology. The use of predictive data analytics, and the adoption of camera surveillance and video analytics, have augmented NEA's enforcement efforts. In addition to more visible presence of enforcement officers, NEA is also working to enhance deterrence through the display of posters and banners which highlight the penalties for littering. Notwithstanding these enforcement efforts, the bigger challenge is to foster a culture of collective action and social responsibility in keeping Singapore clean. NEA engages various stakeholders in the community, including residents, community leaders, Town Councils, schools and other organisations to promote community ownership in keeping public spaces clean. Our community partners conduct activities such as litter-picking brisk walks, beach and park clean-up exercises, and cleaner appreciation days. For example, the Public Hygiene Council (PHC) introduced the Sustainable Bright Spot programme in 2019 at 11 Residents' Committee zones and one constituency. Through this, residents take ownership of the cleanliness of community spaces and are involved in regular awareness programmes, litter-picking and other outreach activities. PHC plans to bring on board another 10 constituencies into the Sustainable Bright Spot programme in 2020. All of us must play our part to keep Singapore a clean, green, and sustainable home. This includes demonstrating greater social responsibility by not littering. We will then achieve our aim of building Singapore into a gracious society.
Regular Cyclical Maintenance for HDB Rental Flats beyond Typical Repair Works›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 154w
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Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng23 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB will consider providing regular cyclical maintenance for HDB rental flats beyond the typical repair works.
Mr Desmond Lee131 words
[+7 sentences]HDB inspects all rental flats annually to proactively detect defects. HDB will repair or replace any defective finishes and fittings reported by existing tenants, and before flats are let out to new tenants. Apart from regular maintenance, rental blocks are also upgraded, similar to sold blocks, as part of the Home Improvement and Lift Upgrading Programmes. In addition to these, there are specific programmes for rental blocks, such as the Rental Flat Upgrading Project, and Project LIFE1. HDB will continue to keep rental flats in good condition through regular maintenance and upgrading. For example, rental flats will be upgraded in tandem with sold flats when HIP II is implemented. As the flats age, HDB will also study the need for further programmes to maintain and refresh its stock of rental flats.
Addressing Bed Bug Infestations and Excessive Hoarding Problems at HDB Rental Blocks›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 236w
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written-answer-na-6524
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng28 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB will provide a more effective solution for HDB rental flats that are affected by bed bug infestations and excessive hoarding.
Mr Desmond Lee208 words
[+8 sentences]When HDB receives feedback on the cleanliness of a rental flat, HDB officers will carry out an inspection. Should there be a bed bug infestation, HDB will provide pest control treatment on a goodwill basis. For cases where the infestation is serious, HDB will also assist to transfer the tenant to another rental flat, and clean up the affected flat. Hoarding cases tend to be more complex, involving multiple issues and affecting multiple parties, such as the resident, their family, as well as their neighbours and community. The Municipal Services Office has worked with relevant agencies to develop a Hoarding Management Framework, to guide officers across agencies in providing coordinated support to resolve the hoarding issue. The resident will first be advised to remove excess items and keep their flat tidy. For severe cases which pose a risk or dis-amenities to neighbours, HDB will also work with regulatory agencies, such as SCDF for fire hazards and NEA for public health, to declutter the flat for the safety of the resident and the community. As cases of excessive hoarding and serious bedbug infestation could be an indication of other underlying issues, HDB works with relevant Social Service Agencies and AIC to provide counselling and appropriate support to the resident.
Review of Pilot Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening Programme›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 253w
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written-answer-na-6528
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang33 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Health (a) what have been the results of the review of the pilot Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening programme; and (b) whether the programme can be made a routine clinical service.
Mr Gan Kim Yong220 words
[+9 sentences]MOH started a three-year pilot on Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening (PGS) in 2017, to test for chromosomal abnormalities in pre-implanted embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF). The pilot study compares the embryo implantation success rates, pregnancy rates and live birth rates between women who had received PGS, with those who had not received PGS. Thus far, over 350 patients have been enrolled under the study, but only 104 have been tested for PGS, as some of the patients changed their minds after enrolment and proceeded with embryo transfer directly without performing PGS, or decided to freeze their embryos instead. There has also been delayed recruitment due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. Of the 104 patients who underwent PGS so far, 60 completed their embryo transfers. This has led to 31 pregnancies with 15 live births, and 8 pregnancies is still ongoing. There is a need to recruit further number of patients into the PGS pilot programme to enable a robust evaluation of the clinical efficacy of PGS. The review will also take into consideration available international evidence concerning PGS testing, the ethical issues associated with PGS and the regulatory framework that needs to be established for governing PGS, before it can be made a routine clinical service. PGS will remain accessible to eligible patients until the full evaluation is complete.
Prevention of Scam Cases Since Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams was Formed›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 470w
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Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye85 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether there has been a drop in scam cases in the past six months since the Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams was formed; (b) whether the committee has explored how telecommunication companies (telcos) can play a bigger role to combat online scams; and (c) whether it is possible to work with telcos to set up a system where customers can report a scammer and telcos collectively block the scammers' phone number or IP addresses across our local telco networks.
Mr K Shanmugam385 words
[+16 sentences]There were 10,402 cases of scam reported in the first eight months of this year, which is a 100% increase over the 5,229 cases reported during the same period last year. The sharp increase could be partly because more people are staying at home and carrying out more online transactions during this COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, we saw a spike in e-commerce scams involving face masks, hand sanitisers, and other COVID-related products, as well as scams where scammers impersonated officials from the Ministry of Health to obtain victims' personal data and information. There were also significant increases in social media impersonation scams, banking-related phishing scams, loan scams, investment scams and tech support scams. The Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams (IMCS) was set up in April 2020 to develop additional measures to combat scams. The IMCS is looking at four broad areas: (i) improving scam detection and disruption capabilities; (ii) developing measures to secure the digital space; (iii) enhancing loss recovery for scam victims; and (iv) improving public education and outreach. We have also been working with the telcos on measures to counter scams that are perpetrated using telecommunication services. First, efforts have been made to identify and block potentially fraudulent calls for the public. Most scammers are based overseas and often use number spoofing technology to mask their real phone number. Since December 2019, telcos have started blocking international incoming calls that resemble Government agency or emergency numbers. Telcos have also implemented the '+' prefix for all overseas calls since April 2020 to get consumers to exercise greater care when answering overseas calls. Second, when a Police report is lodged about a scam and investigations have established that a local phone number was used in the scam, the phone number is sent to the telcos for remedial action to be taken, including termination of the number. Similarly, whenever Police investigations reveal that a website was used in the perpetration of scams, the website will be forwarded to the Internet Access Service Providers to be blocked. MCI, IMDA and the Police will continue to work with our telcos to put in place measures to better protect Singaporeans from scams. The Member has suggested setting up a system where the public can report scam calls and for these calls to be blocked. We will look into this suggestion.
Update on Plan to Provide 28,000 Electric Vehicle Charging Points by 2030›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 263w
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written-answer-na-6543
Mr Murali Pillai40 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Transport whether he can provide an update on the Government's infrastructural plan to provide 28,000 electric vehicle charging points by 2030 and, in particular, how these points will be distributed across the carparks at HDB estates.
Mr Ong Ye Kung223 words
[+9 sentences]As part of our effort to phase out internal combustion engine vehicles by 2040, we plan to increase the number of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points from 1,700 now to 28,000 by 2030. The 28,000 charging points are all in government-related locations. About two-thirds will be located in HDB estates spread throughout Singapore. LTA is conducting a study with HDB, and found that out of 1,200 HDB carparks checked so far, 400 can readily support overnight EV charging, while the other 800 will need some upgrading of the switch room or substation. The other charging points will be installed in government-owned carparks, such as at offices or by the roadside. 28,000 therefore does not include privately installed charging points by residents in private estates, commercial developments like shopping centres, or new commercial initiatives, such as smart charging solutions that Sunseap announced recently. If we assume EVs are one-third of all private cars by 2030, that works out to about eight cars per charging point, which is not ideal. LTA is therefore reviewing the current plan with other agencies, including incorporating the significant effort of commercial entities to build up the EV charging infrastructure, with a view to bring down the EV per charging point ratio. That way, we can better support the growth of EVs in Singapore. We will announce details when ready.
Overview of Government’s Strategy to Emerge Stronger from the COVID-19 Pandemic›Ministerial Statements94 turns · 41,959w
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ministerial-statement-1512recorded 2020-10-15
Speaker not recorded65 words
[+1 sentence], (proc text)] [(proc text) “That the Ministerial Statement made by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance on the Overview of Government’s Strategy to Emerge Stronger from the COVID-19 Pandemic be considered by Parliament.” – (proc text)].
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Leon Perera.
Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied)2917 words
[+9 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought havoc on the economy of the world and Singapore and as the virus mutates and countries react, we must realise that our efforts may resemble the labours of mythological Sisyphus – who kept rolling a boulder up a hill, only to see it roll down again and again – at least until an effective vaccine is widely available and may be even lasting beyond that. However, we do need to look beyond COVID and to do that, we have to look before COVID. There were many deep economic trends already gathering pace before COVID, including rising geo-political tensions, nativism and economic nationalism. Mr Speaker, Sir, in my speech today I shall focus only one of these trends – industry disruption. The rise of Industry 4.0 or disruptive industries more broadly has been much talked about around the world, among economists, experts, business persons, unions, activists and politicians. Industry 4.0 refers to the Fourth Industrial Revolution where data from the Internet of Things and other sources revolutionises economic activity. Industry disruption more broadly refers to the recent wave of new technologies and business models that threaten or, should I say, promise to disrupt existing industries. Simply put, these refer to new industries like drones which may displace conventional last-mile delivery, including food service delivery, artificial intelligence or AI which may displace clerical jobs or functions like para-legal work or even radiology, autonomous vehicles which may displace jobs like taxi and private hire car driving and quantum computing which is possibly the mother of all disruptions and may drive machine learning, pattern recognition and other activities traditionally associated with AI beyond the bounds of what is conventionally recognised as AI today, in turn potentially displacing many skilled white-collar jobs. What does the advent of all these disruptive industries mean for Singapore? A Cisco Oxford Economic Study in 2018 projected the following: 85,000 existing roles will disappear from the labour market, pushing workers into other industries and occupations. Singapore is said, according to this report, to confront a gap in average skill levels of 14.3 on a scale of 0 to 100 – higher than Vietnam at 13.4, Malaysia at 12.7 and Thailand at 8.5. According to this report, the three sectors in line for most displacement in Singapore are: firstly, wholesale and retail with 80,000 jobs displaced; secondly, manufacturing with 55,000 jobs displaced; and thirdly, transport with 50,000 jobs displaced. Also, the 2017 Global Future of Works Survey by Willis Towers Watson found that companies in Singapore expect automation will account for an average of 29% of all work done the next three years, a big increase in 14% of work being done using automation in 2018 and just 7% in 2015.[+20 sentences] Mr Speaker, Sir, these forecasts were made before COVID. Some may argue that these are alarmist projections. But it is possible that COVID-19 has, in fact, delayed the advance of these disruptive industries by delaying timelines for R&D and new business investment. As COVID recedes, the threat and opportunity from these disruptive trends may return to the old trajectory, which means that many jobs in Singapore will be jeopardised not from COVID but from long-term industry disruption. Sir, I enjoyed reading former US presidential candidate and entrepreneur Andrew Yang's compelling book about industry disruption, aptly entitled "The War on Ordinary People". It argues that the threat of industry disruption hollowing out middle market, skilled jobs as chillingly imminent. Among the examples he cited was that of a person who was exchanging emails with another person whom he thought was the secretary of a business associate. He later discovered that the person he was emailing with whom he had exchanged pleasantries and had a fruitful conversation over email was, in fact, an AI-driven bot. Lest anyone misunderstand my reference to Andrew Yang, let me make clear that I am not arguing for universal basic income or UBI here, as I think the jury is still out on the topic and addressing UBI now would be premature – though it is something we should keep an open mind about. Sir, the Government has been cognisant of the risk to the jobs from industry disruption. Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat in his COVID-19 Statement in Parliament last week spoke about providing holistic support for vulnerable workers and for ensuring that workers have the skills to stay relevant. He also spoke of the even greater urgency for middle aged and middle income workers to gain new skills and transition into jobs with good long-term prospects. Schemes such as the PCP, CSP, SGUnited Traineeship, Mid-Career Traineeship and others have been put in place, some for a long time, some recently to address the systemic risk to jobs in certain industries as well as the risk to employability among certain segments such as older PMETs. There are various CETs and SkillsFuture programmes for training. The newly formed National Jobs Council has said that it will work with the Future Economy Council on the overall upgrading of the economy, including addressing the issue of future proofing jobs. However, there are limitations to these schemes. Firstly, these schemes have not yet made a huge impact on the job market. The tsunami of industry disruption that is likely to emerge in future argues for more scalable schemes which induce more workers to join the industries of the future, including industries that are not big employers right now. In 2019, close to 4,500 individuals were placed through PCPs which is comparable to the placement achievement in 2018. However, this is a very, very small percentage of the labour force. Under the Adapt and Grow initiative, including PCP and CSP, more than 31,000 local jobseekers were placed in jobs in 2019, similar to the 2018 number.[+30 sentences] However, not all of these placements would be in emergent disruptive industries. Secondly, these schemes address certain types of at-risk segments such as older PMETs or those who are retrenched. There is perhaps insufficient attention at the policy level to industries that are doing okay now, like delivery or driving jobs or certain types of clerical and service jobs which are at risk from industry disruption a few years down the road but for whom there is no urgency on the part of employers and employees to prepare for a more uncertain future right now. To raise the example of jobs like driving taxis and private hire cars which are I and others have spoken about in the past, many of these jobs could be wiped out by autonomous vehicles in the years to come. Many younger entrants to these industries may find themselves on the wrong side of industry disruption when they hit their late 30s, 40s or 50s, at which time reskilling and transitioning to a new industry will be hard. Should we not give some thought to these challenges and encourage these workers to plan for the same? Sir, let us now look at the same issue from the perspective not of workers but of the economy as a whole. We do want to attract and root disruptive industries in Singapore so that they can become engines of our economic growth. Why? Because if we anchor the technical skills, employee qualifications, business know-how and entrepreneurial talent behind these industries of the future in Singapore, that will enable us to export these skills to the region and the world, thus facilitating high-quality, inclusive economic growth. If there is an insufficient supply of workers for these new industries, workers whether through traditional industries including sunset industries, that means these new industry investments may not come to Singapore. Rather, they may go to Hong Kong or Bangkok or Jakarta or Shanghai or Hyderabad. Or it could mean that if and when these new industries land in Singapore there would be too few Singaporeans with the will and skills to take jobs there so workers will have to be imported on Employment Passes and special passes. This may mean that it would hard to establish a strong Singapore Core in such industries going forward. It may also mean that these investments may be less firmly anchored in Singapore in the future. Mr Speaker, Sir, one response to all of this is to say, "We don't want disruptive industries, let's legislate to ban them". But I do not think any serious commentator or stakeholder will really argue this nowadays. Such a move would doom us to economic irrelevance. So, I would not spend any more time addressing that straw man argument. How then can we attract and anchor disruptive next generation industries in Singapore and, at the same time, and in tandem urge our workers to transition from sunset at-risk industries to these new industries, thus creating a virtual cycle of enhancing employability and protecting jobs on the one hand and attracting and rooting these industries in Singapore, on the other? There are a few chicken and egg conundrums here. The first conundrum is how do we attract employees to join or to train for riskier, less mature disruptive industries like AVs, AI and so on when they may not feel assured that there will be a job there at the end of their training or that the job will be sustainable. The second conundrum is how do we nurture the growth of such industries in Singapore when there are few workers with the relevant skills in the short term, without relying on an unsustainable importation of skilled foreign workers? Sir, to address these questions, I shall conclude my speech with a few suggestions. Firstly, Sir, I would suggest that our economic agencies study a new model for attracting and supporting investments in next generation industries. Many of these industries rely on highly specialised skills that may not be taught in courses available in Singapore or courses that are widely subscribed to. The lead time to create a critical mass of Singaporeans trained in these skills could be years and the challenge faces the chicken and egg problem discussed above. As in many Singaporeans may not want to invest in such training out of uncertainty about whether it would be worth. However, workers with such skills may be available at short notice in other cities in the world to be recruited for work in Singapore. Silicon Valley, for example, London or Israel or China. In order to attract and support such investment projects that create jobs, either from foreign investors or from domestic investors and entrepreneurs, can our economic agencies offer limited term foreign work passes for individuals with such specialised skills?[+1 sentence] The term could be five years, for example. To attract big investment projects in a competitive investment climate, a mix of fixed term and non-fixed term Employment Passes could be offered. For the fixed term passes, the idea would be that the employer would be expected to hire a Singaporean to fill that position when the term of the pass ends. That fixed term, say, five years could then be used to set up training for Singaporeans to acquire those skills.[+8 sentences] That could be formal academic training or employer-led training, using one of the many existing schemes that we have. When the term ends, there would be enough Singaporeans with the relevant skills to fill that position; and if they are not and that is proven, the pass can be extended a little longer. The presence of the employer in Singapore with fixed term foreign work passes will provide some assurance to prospective Singaporean employees that their efforts to train for a role in this new industry would be likely to lead to a good job. By adopting an approach like fixed term work passes, we can bring in foreigners with rare but future-ready skillsets while buying time for Singaporeans to be trained in those very same skillsets, in a way that gives some assurance to those Singaporeans that the training would have a decent chance of landing him or her a good job in a future-ready industry. Sir, fixed term work passes will also be attractive to foreign professionals because they would have several years of working experience here. They may also be able to find another employer, perhaps in a different industry before the end of that term. Otherwise, they could be posted to another city by their employer. Sir, before I leave this point, I would like to make the observation that as the pace of disruption picks up, Singapore would benefit from a redundancy insurance scheme but one in which additional income support can be tied to training and reskilling for growth sectors. Some economists have argued that the Scandinavian economies succeeded in shifting big sections of their workforce – for example, in Sweden's obsolete shipyards – to more productive skilled occupations, thereby facilitating the upgrading of the Swedish economy at a much faster and more durable pace.[+3 sentences] In contrast, some states and cities in the US saw de-industrialisation because they did not have concerted state-sponsored retraining and income support policies. This led, in some cases, to entire communities and regions becoming impoverished and facing social decay, in turn fueling populist politics. Journalist Thomas Gross, in a 2018 article wrote and I quote, "Most Swedish workers who are replaced by machines fairly quickly land another job as good as their old one, thanks to a network of job security councils jointly run by industries and unions, that retrained laid-off workers in skills that are still in demand and out of reach of robots. Moreover, while unemployed and learning new skills, workers are buoyed by a safety net that includes generous jobless benefits." Sir, going forward, Singapore will need to seriously up its game in both skills upgrading and interim structural income support with the latter tied to the former.[+2 sentences] Secondly, I would suggest that the Government look into working with employees and other stakeholders in industries at risk from disruption to get them to anticipate the risks and start planning for what to do if and when their industry gets disrupted and they lose their job. This is not an idea without precedent. Denmark's national skills anticipation system, for example, seeks to compile accessible and detailed information on labour market trends and skills demand for 850 occupations in order to: firstly, support the work of job centres in helping individuals find better job opportunities; and secondly, to informed education, employment and skills policies.[+13 sentences] Denmark's main skills anticipation activities include: skills forecasting, for example, statistical forecasting of education status and the demand and supply of labour; skills assessments, for example, quantitative sectoral assessments on imbalances in the labour market; skills foresight, for example, sectoral assessments on future needs in the labour market and employer surveys. Sir, in the past, I have also spoken in this House about the Korean jobs dictionary which aims to compile and disseminate information about the nature and outlook for most types of jobs in Korea. The aims and approach, while not similar to the Denmark example I cited, have some points of commonality. At this point, let me declare my interest as a CEO of an international research consultancy that undertakes research on such issues among other things. And lastly, we currently have various mechanisms and platforms for workers of the receiving end of industry disruption to receive help in respect of job matching and career coaching. I have referred some of my constituents in Serangoon onto such services and they are not without value. However, it is less clear if the providers of such services practise an approach where one career coach sticks with a prospective employee from end-to-end, seeing him or her through to a successful placement. The KPIs for such agencies and data on success versus failure are also not clear. What is the ratio of success? How does it vary, based on industry vocation, gender, age, race, PwD status or other variables? It would be good for such data to be made public so that success can be measured and debated publicly. In doing so would not mean accepting that the employee has no responsibility for her or his success in finding a new job. It would just mean that some transparency and a proper account management approach may be more effective in enabling us to refine our strategies for finding jobs for displaced workers. In the UK, for example, around 13,500 work coaches and job centres hired by the department for work and pensions aim to move jobseekers on benefits or income support into employment. A single work coach will follow a claimant throughout their time on benefit, helping to match claimants to jobs that suit their skills and help to fill skill gaps by offering training to claimants who require it.[+3 sentences] Work coaches are trained to play a complex role, almost like a social worker – in listening, encouraging, advising and ensuring jobseekers have access to support. Work coaches seek to understand the barriers faced by each jobseeker and deliver a personalised approach to support them, sometimes coaching them to develop the requisite skills and confidence. Mr Speaker, Sir, in conclusion, the coming wave of industry disruption and job displacement will affect jobs in a way that is hard to underestimate. And thus has it always been when cars replaced horses, when electric power replaced gas lighting and so on and so forth. It behoves us to prepare for that coming wave by considering ideas, like fixed term foreign work passes, jobs anticipation programmes and end-to-end KPI-driven jobs coaching.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms He Ting Ru.
Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang)1630 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, like many expecting parents, the news of the one-off Baby Support Grant is a welcome one for our family as it will go towards defraying the costs of having a new child amidst the global uncertainty brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. It is also good to hear the Government reiterate its commitment towards supporting Singaporeans who aspire to get married and have children. However, the policy start date of 1 October this year has meant that parents with newborns today do not benefit from the grant. Can we consider extending this grant to parents with children born since the onset of the pandemic?[+2 sentences] It is noteworthy that the Baby Bonus Scheme was introduced on 1 April 2001, almost 20 years ago, and has gone through numerous rounds of enhancements, the latest being in 2012. Parenthood tax rebates and other types of tax incentives are also given in an attempt to boost the birth rate. The Marriage and Parenthood Package is also stated to cost the Government approximately $4 billion a year. Yet, in 2019, our Total Fertility Rate was 1.19, and appears to be on course to stubbornly remain far below the replacement rate of 2.1 and still ranks amongst the lowest in the world.[+18 sentences] To make matters worse, we are now anticipating that couples will put off their parenthood plans, which will in turn have knock-on effects on our population's fertility rate. Singapore is not alone in trying to boost our birth rate, as fertility rates around the world have also been falling. However, we should ask ourselves, are there any blind spots in the way we have tackled this issue? Have we focused too much on the financial aspects of child-rearing, and forgotten to tackle other significant barriers to having children? The matter needs to be dealt with in a holistic way. It is notable that studies have shown that in developed economies, greater gender equity is correlated with higher birth rates. That is, better support given to women boosts fertility rates. To address this, one important area would be the role that fathers play in child-rearing. Just last weekend, while visiting friends for lunch, our two-year-old announced that he needed to go to the toilet. My husband stood up to take him, and was immediately met with a chorus of amazement and praise for being such a hands-on father. Would the same have occurred if a mother had brought her child to the toilet? Should we not also think hard about what it says about the roles of mothers and fathers that we are expected to sing high praises for fathers who change nappies or who bring their children out to "give their wives a break"? To be sure, we should not knock positive changes in fathers becoming more involved in bringing up their children in recent years. Yet, at the same time, it strikes me that we should be making better and more conscious efforts to view parenting as something that both parents have equal stake in, and that domestic and child-rearing work should not be the purview of mothers only. Looking at this from the other side, I would like my sons to grow up in a world where they have the freedom to decide for what works for their families. If they would like to have children, they should feel completely at ease to choose to stay at home be stay-at-home fathers, and not be seen as a "failure" or "not manly" enough for choosing this path. Every family should have a right to decide what works best for them and their children's care needs. And our policies must support their choices. As a first step, the Workers' Party has called for enhanced shared parental leave of a total of 24 weeks that would allow couples to decide how best to split the care of their newborn child, with a minimum of 12 weeks to be given to the mother.[+14 sentences] Our current policy of a new father being able to share only up to four weeks from the mother's leave only encourages the sense that it is primarily a mother's job to care for her newborn. However, leave policies are only the tip of the iceberg. As children grow, they require an incredible amount of care and attention. The emotional, physical and time demands on carers have been made worse by the pandemic. And I am not the first to point out that studies from all over the world have shown that parents, particularly mothers of young children, have found lockdowns especially challenging and have seen their share of caring responsibilities multiplied. Given that the end of the pandemic and its social and economic effects are probably nowhere in sight, we should pay special attention to the needs of young families to ensure that they are not burning out while trying to cope with what is after all a unique situation. We must encourage employers to support greater flexibility and career options and ensure this recalibration of work is accessible to both mother and father. This will allow families to make childcare arrangements that work for their particular circumstances. This move away from traditional work structures must not be seen as a cost borne by employers. Instead, it is the key to fully unlocking the human capital in their employees. With a bit of trust on both sides, businesses would benefit from better motivated employees with a resultant increase in productivity. Businesses should seize on recent disruptions caused by the pandemic and turn it into an opportunity to rethink about how we work and understand why it is important that we allow more flexible working arrangements in our businesses. For parents and family members who chose to stay at home to care for the next generation, I reiterate the call I made last month for better support and recognition for informal carers. We often hear jokes about maternity leave being a four-month long holiday, and stay-at-home mothers are idle "tai-tais". But anyone who has had to spend any amount of time being responsible for a young child would quickly debunk these ideas. However, there have been scant studies and time-use surveys done on parents in Singapore and there is also little research on parental burnout.[+2 sentences] Now would be a good time to conduct these to enable us to better understand the strains and pressures that these parents face. It is only when we have better identified these problems that we can start looking at the solutions as a whole, and change the narrative to better support and recognise the invaluable work of these unpaid carers. To add to the mix, our unforgiving and high stakes education system has created significant anxiety around raising children and is cited as a reason why families hold off on having kids or have fewer kids.[+5 sentences] I hear of parents having to volunteer for many hours to get their child a chance at a top Primary school, of the multitude of tuition or enrichment classes that parents send children to, and the stress that parents undergo whenever a key examination looms. We must relieve the pressure on parents and build a more forgiving education regime, where children are given fairer opportunities to succeed from kindergarten and up, and where kids and their families are not made to feel like the next examination will determine their life trajectory. Reducing class sizes, increasing the support and training for teachers to focus on a more inclusive and nurturing system would be a good first step as we start to tackle the stresses caused by our demanding education system. Having said all of this, one can only imagine how much more difficult this year has been for single parents who often have less access to alternative resources and support structures. It is only natural that single parents end up more stressed and burnt out than their married counterparts. Regardless of whether we believe such family structures should be encouraged, their children are innocent and better support for their parents only benefit these children. Therefore, I would like to ask for a clarification from the Minister if single parents too will be eligible for the Newborn Support Grant, and if not, whether they can be included. To close, the $3,000 of additional payment for families is a welcome. However, the effectiveness of this policy is limited by the extent to which the Government is willing to lean in to encourage and foster greater gender equity in the home and drive more flexibility in the workplace.[+7 sentences] This one-time payment must not obscure the importance of doing the hard work of changing the culture around care-giving and what we define as work in the context of family, even if these measures do not have an instantaneous effect like a transfer into a bank account. The importance of getting this right cannot be understated. Fertility is inextricably linked with sustainability and of increasing concerns about the Earth's finite resources. Even as we work to boost our birth rate, we must take action now to soften the impact and address the concerns of a world where an inverted age pyramid will become the norm with all the economic implications that come with it. We must no longer operate within the parameters or assumptions that we can keep our economic strategies along traditional population and economic growth models and ensure that we are not at the same time tackling increase costs of our ageing population, while maintaining inter-generational fairness. Our CPF, care systems and even physical spaces must now begin in another shift towards a society where older people will form part of majority. We must also combat ageism, embrace innovation, productivity and entrepreneurship, for a golden age, and the time to do so is now.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Wan Rizal.
Dr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar)1269 words
[+7 sentences]Mr Speaker, before I begin, I would like to declare my interest as an educator in an Institute of Higher Learning. Mr Speaker, I would like to commend Deputy Prime Minister Heng for his Ministerial Statement last week and express my support. The Deputy Prime Minister’s Statement was an extensive one. I am heartened by the strong people focus in the Statement, placing front and centre, the interests of our people as the Government pushes forth with its plans for the economy. Not only were the strategies outlined broad in nature, it is also clear that the Government is paying special attention towards inclusive growth to ensure that vulnerable groups also keep pace, survive and thrive coming out of this crisis. Three areas resonated strongly with me. Firstly, the prioritisation of skills. One critical message in Deputy Prime Minister’s speech was a strong focus on jobs and in building our human capital through prioritising skills.[+10 sentences] I believe that skills prioritisation must begin early – even before commencement of jobs. Here, I am referring here to the Institutes of Higher Learning. Relevant courses must be identified and prioritised at the Pre-employment Training stage, whereas courses that are more specialised should be pushed towards the Continuing Education Training stage. In that way, all our graduates are assured of a solid yet flexible foundation that can be applied in other disciplines. For example, an aviation engineering student may be provided with a strong engineering foundation coupled with modules relevant to Industry 4.0. Similarly, a student doing tourism may be provided with a strong business foundation. This will provide them with the much-needed agility in an ever-changing job landscape. Second is in linking skills and practice. It is important for us to close the skills and practice gap so that Singaporeans can quickly apply and put into practice what they have learnt. This matching of skills to actual practice also creates a synergy between companies and requires skilled manpower and our workers who are equipped with these skills. The SGUnited Traineeships programme and SGUnited Jobs and Skills package are good examples of the close relationship between in skilling our workforce to meet the actual needs of the industry.[+1 sentence] Our graduates pick up relevant skills to a job which then leads to a transitioning to more long-term employment. A number of my students are in this programme and so far, their experience has been very positive. This gives me confidence to request further that we create more apprenticeship programmes so that this notion of work and relevance becomes a mainstay in our overall education to employment pathway.[+1 sentence] Additionally, I hope we also give allowance to our workers and grant them flexibility in pursuing new skills. This can be in the form self-development, to break the monotony of work, or a form of further upskilling to increase their value in the profession. We could, for instance, mandate a protected time of half a day during the work week so that our workers can take on courses and enhance their skill sets.[+3 sentences] Finally, digitalisation and digital literacy. Looking to the future, leading the digitalisation bandwagon allows us to unlock the growth that comes with it. We have experienced how technology has been critical in navigating us through this crisis. It has allowed many of us to work, study and remain connected. But in that aspect, I hope that the Government pull all stops to ensure that all Singaporeans, including the elderly and our children, have access to devices and are digitally literate.[+17 sentences] To be digitally literate means that our people not only know how to use technology meaningfully, but we have laid foundations for them to explore in this area more confidently. There have been stories of our children being given laptops by their schools, or community agencies, but not knowing how to effectively use these gadgets towards learning. Our elderly too may need more support in adapting to a digital economy. They may own the right smart-phones, but may still struggle to log in to and out of simple apps. Therefore, as we move into the digital economy, we must ensure that all people are digitally literate. In the schools and the Institutes of Higher Learning, I hope that our curriculums will continue to emphasise digital and data analytics skills so that our future generations are effective at using technology as a tool to solve complex problems. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay): In his Ministerial Statement last week, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat gave a comprehensive overview of Singapore’s position in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis so far. The Government is working hard to secure the economy with a focus on manpower skills and further strengthening Singapore's workforce through technology. I hope that education in Singapore will emphasise the importance of skills, especially those related to the current industries, as the foundation for all courses in Polytechnics and Universities. In that way, all graduates are assured of a solid yet flexible foundation that will give them the opportunity to try other disciplines. This will ensure that our children are ready to address the current challenges in the industries and provide them with the much-needed agility in an ever-changing job landscape. As for technology, it is an enabling tool and can unlock opportunities. For example, companies using digital payment platforms can develop their businesses in cyberspace. Embracing technology will enable us to continue progressing with the increasingly vibrant wave of digitalisation and I urge that we reap its benefits. (In English): Being an educator for the past 15 years, having taught from the Primary school to University levels, I have seen how our education system has progressed and evolved over the years. Our education system is not perfect, but it also has considerable strengths which we should recognise. Coming from the Normal stream, I am heartened that our education system has shifted to the subject-based banding, concurrently slaying one sacred cow. However, the elephant in the room remains, and that is your PSLE.[+1 sentence] Like how different perspectives may see this elephant, we have to be mindful of the many trade-offs that may come with it. If we do do away with PSLE, what is the alternative?[+2 sentences] It may become a pure through-train system and this may worsen the pressure in Primary 1 registration, as you all have known by now. Regardless, I do believe that this is one area that we should continue to explore. Being a physical education or PE teacher myself, I am heartened to see the shift of focus from the more academic subjects to PE, to the Arts and even Music.[+1 sentence] Contrary to what some Members of this House may perceive, I believe that this is one clear indication of how our education system has become much more holistic. I am confident that having laid such solid foundations in our education system, it has prepared us sufficiently for the future. This COVID-19 situation has exposed the strengths of our teachers.[+6 sentences] Their dedication and their ability to adapt is amazing. Our teachers work hard to ensure that we meet the diverse needs of our diverse students. I believe that there should always be a balance between drills and free exploration, formative and summative assessments, group work as well as individual work, and of course, the mingling and teaching, based on the different and diverse abilities of our students. Our teachers have been amazing in ensuring that. And I hope as we move forward, we continue to provide them with the best support and work-life balance as it is possible. Mr Speaker, I support the Statement.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang)2198 words
[+12 sentences]Mr Speaker, the Supplementary Budget continues to lend support to hard-hit businesses and workers even as the state of the economy remains precarious. It also begins the important process of repositioning the Budget away from crisis support to crisis recovery. That said, I have a few additional thoughts. I will share about how I believe the process of de-globalisation is both on-going and persistent, and about how we need to do more to pivot away from our historical focus on being an entrepot for the rest of the world towards fostering internally driven growth focused on raising the productivity of our domestic firms, especially small and medium enterprises or SMEs. Before I proceed, allow me to declare that I am an educator at a business school and that I have occasionally provided economic and strategic views for an investment advisory firm. Minister Heng stressed the importance of enhancing connectivity to ensure that our economy is ready for when the pandemic is behind us. He reiterated our commitment to reviving our air hub and transshipment capabilities. As a student of the international system for the past few decades, nothing would make me happier than to see a revival of such a globalised world. That said, I believe that it is imperative for us to have a Plan B if this does not occur. Mr Speaker, the pandemic is often viewed not so much as a harbinger of new trends, but an accelerant of existing trends Minister Heng himself alluded to this – the possibility of structural shifts. In this vein, it is worth pointing out that the breakdown in global integration significantly predates COVID-19. The Global Financial Crisis of 2008 marked the beginning of a dramatic turnaround in global financial flows. Several years ago, the McKinsey Global Institute observed that cross-border capital fell from 12% of global output for the decade until 2010 to a little more than 7% since then. Global banks, especially those in advanced economies, have divested at least $2 trillion in assets.[+2 sentences] Even in financially open Singapore, capital flows have steadily eroded as a share of our national product and we experienced a surge in outflows in the most recent quarter. The financial crisis did not just usher in a decline in financial flows. The aftermath saw a massive collapse in international trade and despite fitful starts and stops, global merchandise exchange has pulled back from peaks of more than half of global GDP to about 44% last year. The global trading regime is fraying with the World Trade Organization operating a dysfunctional dispute resolution system and repeated violations of open trading principles by major economic powers, most notably in the Sino-American trade war of 2018 and 2019.[+1 sentence] And closer to home, our historical entrepôt model is challenged as never before. Our trade in goods as a share of income, fell by more than 40% over the past decade and these trends are hardly positive, with the growth of non-oil exports dipping into negative territory through most of 2019, way before the pandemic visited our shores.[+22 sentences] And now COVID-19 has completely devastated the global movement of people, with the international tourism virtually vanishing overnight, and even typically more resilient work-related migratory flows are under threat, as corporations rethink their need for business and conference travel, and upend historical cross-border relationships in favour of reshoring previously outsourced business operation and shortening international supply chains. The fear, then, is even after a vaccine is discovered and the world is able to return to normal, that new normal and encompasses permanent structural changes in a manner by which the world conducts business and pleasure. Mr Speaker, these trends are worrying from the perspective of our banking on a return to connectivity as a key source of our economic growth. If anything, major economies are turning inward, with China's stressing "internal circulation" – a euphemism for a domestic turn – Europe is preoccupied with ensuring the integrity of its own union, and the United States – once the bastion of globalism – eschewing the multilateral system that it once used to champion. If this fracturing into a multipolar world persists, our traditional approach of positioning ourselves as a global intermediary could face unprecedented stress. Thankfully, it is possible for us to prepare more deliberately for a Plan B. Minister Heng also spoke about the importance of Technology, Innovation and Enterprise – a theme that he has mentioned in speeches at least since 2016. Clearly, the Government is aware of this alternative model. What I am suggesting is a willingness to commit to this shift in a more decisive fashion. Although many forms of international exchange are in retreat, there is one channel that has been further advanced by the pandemic – the even greater importance of global information and knowledge flows. As borders shut down worldwide and work-from-home arrangements become the norm, the information has become the lifeblood of many organisations and countries trying to stay afloat. Service-based businesses digitised their back ends and sought to bring their front end operations online. And goods oriented firms were forced to resort to online strategies to keep demand afloat. Many of these digitally transform functions and automation disintermediated jobs will never return to their pre-pandemic states. It is therefore time for our small and medium enterprises to make the bold transition as well. The Government has rolled out a host of grants such as the Enterprise Development Grant and Productivity Solutions Grant, aimed at this very purpose. This is important because such firms account for 99% of our local companies, but only contribute to half of our national income. However, we have precious little information as to whether these funds have succeeded in raising the productivity and enabling the digital transformation of these firms, as the Government has not released systematic studies of either the coverage nor the efficacy of these programmes. To know whether we are on track, we have to know how far we have come and how far we have to go. And as much as financial assistance, especially in the recessionary environment, can help our SMEs eke by, financial support will only go part of the way toward helping our companies realise their full potential. Beyond relieving financial constraints, SMEs need to build stronger fundamental business skills and capabilities. Such skills in marketing to a diverse regional market, adopting best practices in bookkeeping and budgeting and inventory management are not sexy skills, but essential ones. Programmes of this nature such as Startup SG Founder, Enterprise Leadership for Transformation and various business tool kits can be made more proactive in identifying and approaching qualifying individuals and firms, especially in industries that have lagged in terms of adoption.[+3 sentences] Similarly, we have to ensure that those who have undergone SGUnited jobs and Skills Future re-skilling programmes, continue to closely meet business needs. This can help avoid mismatches that can lead to disappointment and discouragement and experience that one of my residents, Danny, shared regarding the continued difficulty faced by his colleagues in securing work despite having undergone retraining. More generally, what is the return proposition of such training and how is it evaluated? How much are we expanding per a trainee, and what is the placement rate for programme graduates?[+7 sentences] It strikes me that a dedicated unit within Enterprise SG, tasked with identifying, supporting, disseminating and evaluating skills development can be an important complement to our primarily financed focus efforts. My colleague, the hon Leon Perera has also offered a host of additional considerations. Similarly, many public-private venture funds such as Startup SG tends to privilege technologically oriented firms. While such investments are appealing in that they can lead to the next Carousell or Grab, we cannot leave the vast majority of old economy firms behind. Moreover, raising productivity levels in such firms is not limited to deploying the latest technology or adapting AI solutions. They are often derived from much more modest sources such as focusing on improving core management practices. Such practices in performance evaluation, conflict management, team motivation are skills that could be lacking in smaller family run businesses, inhibiting their ability to grow. Our iTalent and iSkills programmes are one such way forward, but the current participation rate, involving a few dozen firms, remain a drop in the ocean.[+8 sentences] Moreover, our funding and support policies should look beyond just the infotech or biotech space. Growth can arise from what many may dismiss as pedestrian businesses, such as coffee roasting and brewing, automotive repair or elderly care. What is required is a willingness to disrupt the existing market regime, but rather than promoting winning firms or championing winning sectors, we should strive to create an environment where every firm, especially SMEs, can potentially succeed. At the aggregate level, what this means is that our regulations could be prepared to be more flexible to ease the wrenching shifts that will accompany structural transformations in our economy. Some sectors may, despite our best efforts, may be destined to shrink and we should ease the teething pains for those poised for expansion. SMEs that have traditionally focused on trade in goods must evolve to add value higher up the ladder. And those who provide services must learn to deliver these across borders. This may also mean greater regulatory forbearance on the part of Government. For example, finance start-ups often find themselves held to reporting requirements comparable to those of establishing comments, while there have been occasional initiatives toward easing pilot regulatory sandboxes as well as easier ACRA reporting requirements during COVID-19, executives from a number of fintech start-ups I have spoken to, reveal that they still find these standards that regulators hold them to, impossibly stringent.[+1 sentence] We should also be more aware of the unintended consequences of our policies, even when enacted in good faith, especially in terms of how they affect small businesses. One owner of a hawker stall in Lucky Plaza, for example, shared with me about how recent policy to only allow either odd or even numbered IC numbers into the mall resulted in the complete decimation of foot traffic, rather than just a halving.[+6 sentences] On a positive front – the number of permissible businesses allowed under existing programmes such as the Home-Based Small Scale Business Scheme can be re-examined and expanded if possible. And if the world does eventually carve itself out into multiple regional markets, our firms must be ready to compete within our economic sphere – which is southeast Asia. This means recognising that a Singapore firm is essentially an ASEAN firm. The Government has understood this for a long time, but we have to make sure that our workforce and our people fully embrace this identity. Doing so has become even more imperative in what is promising to become an increasingly balkanised world. Our workers should be prepared to spend time in our ASEAN neighbours, learning specificities and idiosyncrasies of our neighbouring markets and returning to Singapore to disseminate the knowledge they have gained and their experiences, either with their sending firms or by starting new companies of their own. Government can play an even greater role in fostering this expansionist mindset, beyond internationalisation grants. It can do so with a wider recognition of ASEAN languages in the schooling system, incorporating exchanges and internships in Southeast Asia as a required component of Secondary and post-Secondary programmes, further enhancing the exposure of local firms in exhibitions at regional trade shows and co-financing early career stints for PMETs in other regional capitals.[+8 sentences] After the Allied bombing of Japan in World War II, many major cities there were destroyed. In principle, the architects of post-war Japan could have chosen many other locations to site their new economic hubs. But ultimately rebuilding occurred in those very same cities that experience some of the greatest destruction, a testimony to the incredible resilience of cities. Our forefathers have already made Singapore into a globally competitive city and we will rise again after the crisis is over. To inherit this destiny, we have to be willing to be even more economically nimble, to recognise the limits of further leveraging our trade and transportation infrastructure alone. The strength of any modern city is his ability to be a gathering place for innovators to exchange debate and improve their ideas. We must ensure that our SMEs fully participate in this knowledge based future economy. Mr Speaker, please allow me to recap. In the globalising world, we need a Plan B to cater to the possibility that the post-COVID-19 world will be more fractured and insular. We must transition our economy urgently and decisively by increasing the contribution of SMEs to our growth engine. Government can help in this process with more than just financing, which is still our major focus. It can do so with moves to improve the productivity of these businesses via enhance business skills and management training, exercising greater regulatory flexibility to foster a stronger risk-taking mindset and pushing additional educational and experiential initiatives that strengthen our regionalist worldview.[+1 sentence] Undeniably, the germs of many such programmes already exist. My contention is that we need to accelerate and scale up these efforts.[+2 sentences] Notwithstanding these additional suggestions. I support the Motion.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Hany Soh.
Ms Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee)2050 words
[+13 sentences]Mr Speaker, "ensuring that the last, the lost and the least are being adequately taken care of" is my impression of what our Government and the community have endeavoured to do in a decisive and united manner for the past several months when tackling with this COVID-19 Pandemic. I speak in support of the Supplementary Bill and will be emphasising my speech today on the following two points: one, the efforts to better support our seniors in their transition towards i-banking services as our country steps up on its Smart Nation initiatives digital connectivity; two, the suggestions with regard to building environmental sustainability within our community to fight climate change. In relation to the first point, pertaining to digital banking for seniors, Mr Speaker, please allow me to speak in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): In the face of COVID-19, many senior citizens, especially those living alone, feel helpless and are at a loss. Before the outbreak, they often went out with like-minded friends. They will participate in community activities, they will go to a coffee shop or hawker centre and sometimes, they will order a cup of coffee and spend the whole day chatting with old friends. However, when the circuit breaker came into effect, all of a sudden, they seemed to be at a loss: "I don't know how to use a smartphone. How can I get online and have a video conversation with my grandson?”, “I am alone at home facing the four walls. I am so bored. When can I go back to the CC with my friends and do our health dance?”, “The queues at the wet market are too long, I am too weak to stand for such a long time.”, “When I go to the supermarket, I am too slow to compete with others. Is there a way to improve the situation?" These are the complaints I often hear from them. Fortunately, the Government has worked together with businesses, community organisations and Singaporeans to overcome these challenges. For example, our digital ambassadors have helped the elderly to take the first step towards digitalisation and help them acquire digital skills at three levels, so that they can keep in touch with their friends and relatives via video link, make e-payments at hawker centres and markets, and use SafeEntry in the SingPass mobile's visitors registration system to log in and out of wet markets.[+7 sentences] Our local enterprises such as NTUC FairPrice have also set aside a special time for senior citizens and persons with mobility issues to purchase daily necessities in supermarkets with peace of mind. In addition, their neighbours and Residents' Committees have also demonstrated the kampung spirit by helping them to buy food and essentials items and deliver them to their doorstep. Yet, one thing that cannot and should not be done by someone else on behalf of the elderly is bank transactions involving money. In recent years, all the banks have undergone transformation by introducing more artificial intelligence, encouraging customers to use online transactions and making banking more invisible. These moves have reduced banks' operating costs by a lot, for example, in rentals and manpower. This is also in response to the Government's call for technology transformation and further strengthening Singapore's position as a global Asia node of technology, Innovation and enterprise. But my concern is: have our seniors kept up with this technology advancement? Recently, in Woodgrove, two local bank branches around Fuchun area were closed; one in mid-August and the other is undergoing renovation. Residents who need counter services have to walk about 30 minutes to go to the branches in the shopping mall.[+7 sentences] This is very tiresome for the elderly and those who have difficulty moving around. Many elderly living in the seniors' Studio Apartments told me that they live off their CPF retirement money and government subsidies every month. Because of this, they will personally go to the bank at least once a month to use the counter services to withdraw money. Some of them are illiterate and some have poor eyesight. Hence, they are less inclined to use ATM cards to withdraw money. Most of them do not know how to use Internet banking either; they are fearful that they may transfer their lifetime savings to others if they click wrongly. Another advantage of counter services for senior citizens is that they form a line of defence against fraud. Frontline bank staff are specially trained to sense suspicious transactions and would verify with the customers repeatedly, so that they do not fall victim to fraud syndicates.[+1 sentence] If Singaporeans, especially our senior citizens, are to keep pace with technological changes and accept and use online banking services, the banks should fulfil their social responsibilities by using their resources to work more closely with the Government and the community. Banks can work with IMDA to set up e-banking training kiosks at bank branches in the neighbourhood centres and digital transformation offices at CCs, to help seniors apply for online banking tokens, and teach them how to use online banking services with peace of mind.[+6 sentences] I am confident that with the guidance and help of dedicated people, our seniors will gradually accept and move towards a more diverse digital life. (In English): Like many First World countries, Singapore has begun taking steps to address the issue of climate change and environmental sustainability. While this is a good first step, it is important to ensure that this movement continues to gain momentum amongst our Singaporeans. J F Kennedy once said, and I quote, "Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country." Apart from the Government's efforts in transforming our industries to build a sustainable economy and providing opportunities for the green section to be a growth industry in its own right, every individual in Singapore should also play our part to ensure the preservation of the environment we live in. Semakau Landfill is our only offshore landfill in Singapore. For the past few decades, we have relied on it for our waste disposal while being fortunate enough to be unaffected by any harmful toxins, awful smell and appearance. However, Semakau Landfill has been filling up faster than expected, with our projections for reaching capacity changing for the worse.[+1 sentence] This is attributed by several different factors. One, being a general increase in consumption by residents without sufficient implementation of the 3Rs.[+1 sentence] To rectify this, we will need to encourage responsible consumption of resources, such as food, water and energy, while advocating for environmentally-friendly means of disposal for non-perishable items such as electrical appliances. The second being that many recyclables are being disposed as general refuse, which in turn wastes landfill space and energy to incinerate.[+1 sentence] A renewed focus on recycling will go a long way towards slowing down the landfill’s rate of usage. The other being that residents are largely reluctant to repair broken items which typically cause many faulty electrical and electronic appliances to be thrown away as rubbish instead of repairing it and extending its lifespan.[+22 sentences] With these factors at present, how should we step up our 3Rs efforts nationally in order to achieve measurable outcomes and a positive impact for our environment? Mr Speaker, in Woodgrove, we have a G.E.L mission. "G" pertains to Green Living initiatives. Through the feedback which I have gathered from our Woodgrove residents and various community partners, I wish to suggest a few ideas for consideration. Firstly, Education. I believe that education can go a long way towards inculcating values that favour the 3Rs. We should therefore endeavour to educate every student and resident on good 3Rs practices through experiential learning. MOE can also consider incorporating Responsible Resource Consumption Saving Tips as part of the school curriculum. Over the years, various schools in Woodgrove have participated in North West CDC’s Reduce@Northwest, where students would conduct door-to-door house visits to encourage families to reduce energy and water consumption and food wastage in their homes, while also imparting knowledge on fighting climate change. The schools also adopted another North West CDC’s initiative called WeCare We Recycle @ Northwest, where students are educated on proper recycling practices to counteract the high contamination rate of existing blue recycling bins. As part of this initiative, active recycling points are set up within the participating schools, enabling our students to put the knowledge that they have learnt into good use by taking the lead in active recycling. It is important to continue to engage schools as partners and educate our children on these recycling and energy saving tips, so that they will in turn educate their parents and influence the people around them to conserve resources and adopt eco-friendly practices at home and in the community. Secondly, we can measure and reward the amount of savings on electricity and water by each household. I believe that we should measure the reduction of resources consumed through the use of monitoring systems powered by digital applications. It can be difficult to understand one’s contribution towards the greater whole while adhering to the 3Rs; if we can show them that tangible change is occurring through their actions, I believe residents will be further encouraged to continue these good habits. Meanwhile, we can also introduce new initiatives to encourage the use of energy or water saving devices and appliances in every household. If coupled with the aforementioned monitoring systems, we may see increased adoption islandwide. To jumpstart these schemes, we can first work with grassroots volunteers and schools to engage residents via a pilot project that "adopts" a pioneer batch of select blocks, which students will visit and share energy saving tips with every household. These blocks can thereafter be monitored and their outcomes measured to evaluate the results of these measures. To further incentivise adoption of the energy saving measures, we can grant the block showing the highest drop in energy and water usage with rewards such as grocery shopping vouchers or ActiveSG credits. Lastly, ground-up initiatives. I believe that the People's Association or PA, as the foundation of the community, can eb a valuable ally in our mission to encourage ground-up initiatives by the community for adopting of the 3Rs wihtin our community. For a start, our Community Clubs, CCs, especially those that are to be built or scheduled for renovation, should endeavour to achieve the BCA Green Mark "Platinum" certification.[+6 sentences] The BCA Green Mark is the national green building rating system which evaluates a building for its environmental impact and performance. Not only will this raise awareness of the importance of green living, it also ensures that the CCs islandwide will attempt to reduce their own emissions as a result. Next, the PA can also help to provide platforms for residents to exercise green living, for example with organising events that encourage residents to pick up the 3Rs. Some CCs and RCs in Singapore have already begun doing so, through collaborations with the Northwest CDC, Tzu Chi Foundation and NEA with a monthly "recycling day" where residents can bring out their recyclable waste for sorting and processing, fostering good habits and also presenting an opportunity to bond as part of a community. Another option that we can consider to do is to hold regular flea markets for the exchanging or trading of pre-loved items between residents in the halls of our CCs. On such flea market days, we can take the opportunity to also welcome community partners or residents to share tips on adhering to the 3Rs. One of my residents in Woodgrove Zone 5, Christy, she shared with me her hobby of "Turning Trash to Treasure" – she would often go around the neighbourhood, sometimes to pick up and collect abandoned broken furniture. What she will do is, she will clean it up, she will refurbish it with a new coat of painting and transform it into fashionable new furniture as gifts for the community. I believe that introducing such concepts can raise awareness and encourage more residents to conserve resources by sharing and reusing pre-loved items to minimise waste generation. Just like the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change is a very challenging global issue that cannot be resolved overnight. That said, I am confident that together, we will overcome these challenges and emerge stronger as a nation.
The Minister, Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development (Ms Indranee Rajah)1265 words
[+8 sentences]Mr Speaker, I announced the Baby Support Grant or BSG last Friday, a one-time cash payment for all Singaporean children born from 1 October 2020 onwards for two years. Parents of babies born in October and expectant parents are happy and we are happy for them. At the same time, however, since the announcement, we have received feedback and appeals asking why 1 October 2020, and whether the commencement date can be brought forward to cover children born prior to 1 October 2020. Members, too, have asked about it in this debate. Ms Joan Pereira, Mr Dennis Tan and Mr Saktiandi, yesterday and Ms He Ting Ru, today. Ms Tin Pei Ling1 and Miss Cheng Li Hui2 have also filed Parliamentary Questions. I fully understand that parents who are not eligible to receive the Baby Support Grant are disappointed, especially since this has been a challenging year for everybody. The questions asked are fair ones and it is only right that I should address them and explain our considerations when designing the scheme and also our approach to the appeals that have come in. In a NPTD and MSF Survey in June, three in 10 Singaporean couples said that they were planning to delay having a child due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[+6 sentences] They expressed worries about the global COVID-19 health situation, as well as job and income insecurity. This is understandable as having a child is a major decision and a long-term commitment. We know couples consider many factors when deciding on when to have a child – whether care-giving support is available, the impact on their career plans, and most fundamentally, whether they are prepared mentally and financially. The pandemic has affected our lives and livelihoods in a major way. Employment and financial stability have therefore become even bigger considerations for many couples and made them rethink if they should have a child in the next one to two years. So, the fact that couples are considering delaying having children is a cause for concern. We are also concerned because we recognise that fertility declines with age and chances of conception are much higher when couples start earlier. Hence, we developed the idea of the Baby Support Grant to augment the existing Baby Bonus Cash Gift to provide extra support for parents who wish to have a child, so that they will not postpone their parenthood plans.[+1 sentence] When designing this scheme, we explored several options for the start date. Given the policy intent to encourage more couples to proceed with their parenthood plans, we could have taken a very strict approach and if you take a strict approach, it would mean that the start date should be nine months after the date of announcement, which would actually be July 2021.[+6 sentences] Indeed, one of the residents wrote in to say that "if the grant was meant to encourage couples to have children, then children born in October 2020 should not qualify, as the child is already conceived prior to the grant announcement". But this would mean that all babies born between now and July 2021 will be left out. We then considered providing this additional support only next year, with effect from 1 January 2021, and then drawing on next year's Budget. However, we felt it was important to get the support out as quickly as we can, to help more Singaporeans with their parenthood aspirations. Announcing the plans next year could mean that couples may delay attempts to have a child in the meantime. So, we tried hard to see how we could do this earlier. While the Government's fiscal situation is tight, due to the support given to Singaporeans and businesses throughout the year, we were able to set aside some Budget this year, to provide additional support to more Singaporean parents starting as soon as we could. Hence, we decided to make it effective from the month of announcement, that is, 1 October 2020.[+12 sentences] I know parents of babies who are not eligible to receive the Baby Support Grant are disappointed and I can fully understand why. They would have experienced inconveniences and challenges in caring for newborns this year, especially during the circuit breaker. From coping with new visitation guidelines and restrictions at healthcare facilities, to making quick adaptations when they could not get sufficient help to care for newborns, to juggling care-giving duties while working from home when infant and childcare centres were closed. However, we would like to seek the public's understanding that specific start dates are required for any new measure or enhancement. Regardless of the effective start date, there will always be some babies who are born before it. The appeals we have received to change the start date of the Baby Support Grant have come with a wide range of suggestions for the start date. To give you a sense of this, just let me run through some of them. Some have suggested that the Baby Support Grant should cover babies born in September on the basis that it is so close to October. But this would mean that all of those in August upwards would not get it. Others suggested April 2020 as that was the start of the circuit breaker – and obviously, that was when all the hardships really kicked it, but that would mean all those before April do not get it. Miss Cheng Li Hui, in her Parliamentary Question has suggested 7 February because that was when DORSCON Orange was declared. So, if we go with those, then all those in January will be left out. Many have suggested that it should be with effect from 1 January 2020 as that was when the pandemic started and indeed there is a petition supporting this date. But, on the other hand, there is another petition asking for the grant to cover all children who are one year and below on 1 October of this year.[+3 sentences] In other words, that the effective date should be 1 October 2019. We have also received an appeal that the grant should be given to children under the age of seven years. So, you can see, it is not straightforward. Each group has reasons for the dates proposed and looking at it from their perspective, these reasons are all valid, but we can only choose one date and whichever date we choose, there will be groups who are not covered. We chose October as the commencement date for the reasons mentioned earlier and we seek your understanding, that is why we are maintaining this date. But we will, however, accede to appeals for the Baby Support Grant from a specific group of parents – those whose babies were born before 1 October 2020, but whose certified Estimated Delivery Date, or EDD, was on or after 1 October 2020. In other words, born prematurely although the EDD was 1 October 2020 onwards. The National Population and Talent Division will provide more information to parents on how they can do so. That said, it is important to understand where the parents who have asked for an earlier date are coming from.[+1 sentence] They, too, would appreciate support. So, I would like to reassure them and Members, that even without the Baby Support Grant, there is still substantial Government support for these parents.[+2 sentences] Some of these new measures commenced in 2019/2020, which young children born since 2014, including the babies born from January 2020, would benefit from. With your permission, Mr Speaker, may I ask the Clerk to distribute handouts with information on the Marriage and Parenthood Package available to parents?
Mr Speaker13 words
[+1 sentence]Please do.
Ms Indranee Rajah1382 words
While the extra Baby Support Grant is for babies born from 1 October 2020, parents whose babies were born before 1 October 2020 will receive, and in some cases, have already received cash and cash-like benefits, which were last enhanced in 2015 and 2016. They would have received, for example: (a) between $8,000 and $10,000 in the Baby Bonus Cash Gift; (b) $3,000 First Step Grant, deposited into the Child Development Account or the CDA, without parents having to first save into the CDA; (c) between $3,000 and $15,000 in Government co-savings for the CDA; and (d) a $4,000 grant which is deposited into the Medisave account that is open for every newborn, that is the Medisave Grant for Newborns. So, the total cash and cash-like support that parents can receive ranges from $18,000 for their first child to $32,000 for their fifth and subsequent children, even without the Baby Support Grant.[+4 sentences] This is over and above the other support in the Marriage & Parenthood Package, some of which we also enhanced this year. Let me highlight some of these. First, more subsidies for infant and childcare. There have been suggestions from the public that more help with affordable childcare will go further than a one-off cash grant. Since 1 January 2020, the household income ceiling for the Additional Subsidy has been raised from $7,500 per month to $12,000 per month.[+2 sentences] This means that many more households can receive this support. The amount of subsidies provided have also been increased. Today, after the enhanced subsidies, families can receive up to $1,310 each month in infant care subsidies or up to $767 each month in childcare subsidies.[+4 sentences] A working couple who earns a combined income of $8,000 a month, pays $524 per month per child for full-day infant care at an Anchor Operator pre-school. This is about one third less than what they would have paid previously. When their child turns 18 months, the amount that the couple needs to pay for childcare at an Anchor Operator will further reduce to $280 per month. Next, free National Childhood Immunisation Schedule or NCIS vaccinations and developmental screenings. From 1 November 2020, that means next month, all Singaporean children – and this applies to all Singaporean children today regardless of when they were born – can also receive free childhood vaccinations on the national schedule and developmental screenings, at all Polyclinics and Community Health Assist Scheme General Practitioners or CHAS GPs.[+21 sentences] This extension of fully subsidised services at our CHAS GPs will improve affordability and accessibility for parents, who can now enjoy these services islandwide. Next, support for households, jobs and salary amidst COVID-19. The other source of concern on the part of many parents, like other Singaporeans, are the employment-related challenges and anxieties at this time. Raising children during the COVID-19 pandemic can be more challenging, especially if a member of the family has lost his or her job. We recognised this earlier in the year and provided more support for households, as well as jobs and salary support. To provide more assurance and support to Singaporeans with their household expenses during this period of economic uncertainty, the Government provided the Solidarity Payment and Care and Support – Cash payout in April and June, to every Singaporean aged 21 years and above. This amounted to $600 to $1,200 per Singaporean, depending on income. On top of this, we gave each parent with at least one citizen child aged 20 years and below as of 31 December 2020, an additional Care and Support – Cash payout of $300, that is an additional $600 per couple. Hence, a Singaporean couple with a child, including those with babies born before 1 October, could already receive up to $3,000 in additional cash support this year. In addition to these, all households with at least one Singaporean citizen member would have received the Solidarity Utilities Credit of $100. Eligible HDB households can also receive up to 2.5 times their regular GST Voucher – U-Save and up to 3.5 months of Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) Rebate. Such a household living in a 4-room flat with five or more can receive $800 in U-Save and 2.5 months of S&CC Rebate this financial year. On the support for jobs and salary, the Government has also provided significant support to ease concerns about employment. This includes employment and salary support through the SG United Jobs and Skills Package and the Jobs Support Scheme. I have listed the financial support, but we all do know, of course, that it is not just about the money or the finances because there are other things that are factored in when couples are deciding to have a child. In this regard, we have taken many steps to make sure that we provide additional support, from increasing the number of pre-school spaces to also working on flexible work arrangements. Ms He Ting Ru earlier spoke about a holistic approach and I am so glad that she agrees with us because these were exactly the recommendations of the Citizens' Panel on Work-Life Harmony. Those included recommendations to further encourage and enable companies to provide flexible work arrangements, such as through recognition schemes as well as the nomination of Work-Life Ambassadors. The Panel also called for the shift of societal norms over time, to one where family time and other life priorities are placed above work and workplace practices become more progressive and family-friendly. So, we can see that the idea here is that it is not just about money but how to make Singapore a place that is conducive for families as a whole. Ms He had a specific question on singles and whether the Baby Support Grant, or BSG, would be applicable or whether they are eligible for it. The answer is that they would not be eligible for it.[+2 sentences] The BSG is a one-off grant to help reassure couples and minimise delays in their marriage and parenthood plans. The BSG is an add-on to the Baby Bonus Cash Gift which, in itself, was designed to encourage marriage and parenthood. So, it is not quite consistent to extend it to singles in this context. However, I would like to assure all that Government benefits that support the growth and development of children are given to all Singaporean children, regardless of the marital status of their parents. So, benefits that are available to all parents to support them in their care-giving responsibilities would include childcare and infant care subsidies, the MediSave Grant for newborns, MediShield Life coverage from birth, infant care and childcare leave, the Foreign Domestic Worker Levy concession and, in addition to the above, every Singaporean child will benefit from education and healthcare subsidies and has access to social assistance, regardless of their parents' marital status. In 2016 and 2017, we further extended support to unwed parents, including the Government-Paid Maternity Leave and the Child Development Account which includes the CDA First Step, that is, the $3,000 I mentioned earlier, and the matched co-savings from the Government.[+7 sentences] These benefits aim to support the child's developmental and care-giving needs, as well as the parents' efforts to provide for the child. As society continues to evolve, our policies will be updated to keep pace with societal realities. Mr Speaker, in conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has made this a difficult year for everyone. Many groups of fellow Singaporeans need our support. Parents who have children, or are planning to have children, are one such group. Hence, I am heartened by the efforts of many corporates and community partners which have joined the Government’s efforts in further supporting Singaporeans on their parenthood journey. I hope that many more will come on board. We do understand the difficulties that families, especially those with babies and young children, face during this period, and have implemented measures like the one I described earlier. We will continue to support families during these extraordinary times and I seek Members’ and fellow Singaporeans’ understanding about the start date for the Baby Support Grant, which is one additional measure among many.[+1 sentence] This Government remains committed to supporting the marriage and parenthood aspirations of Singaporeans and we will continue to review and enhance the strong suite of measures already in place to help Singaporeans form and grow families.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied)170 words
[+9 sentences]Thank you, Speaker. To Minister Indranee Rajah, thank you so much for that response to some of the questions the Workers' Party Members of Parliament had on the Baby Support Grant. I fully recognise the trouble and the issue about settling on a start date for a grant like this which was unexpected by many members of the public. Having said that, would the Government consider extending the Baby Support Grant to Singaporeans who have received some of these COVID-19-related subsidies, such as SIRS and the COVID-19 Support Grant, because they have already exhibited particular difficulty arising out of their circumstances once COVID-19 started? So, they are already pre-qualified in that sense to be in need and, hence, they have received Government subsidies. These are mainly Singaporeans at the lower to lower middle income group. So, the extension is not really about a date that will reach back for all Singaporean parents, but specifically for lower to middle income Singaporeans. Would that be something the Government could consider? Thank you.
Ms Indranee Rajah234 words
[+1 sentence]I thank Mr Pritam Singh for his question. I think the approach that we would take is this. This particular scheme has a very specific policy intent, which is to encourage those who are delaying to proceed with their parenthood plans.[+1 sentence] So, for those who are already low income, proceeding with parenthood plans would add to some of the responsibilities that they have. If they are low income and they have children from 1 October onwards, they will get the Baby Support Grant.[+3 sentences] No issue. I think Mr Singh's question is: can we extend the Baby Support Grant to those born before 1 October who are low income. For those, what we will do is we will utilise the existing schemes that we have for the low-income to make sure that they are taken care of and their needs are taken care of, because we do actually have a very strong social support system. The SSOs were set up for this purpose, ComCare was put in place for this purpose and there are many different schemes which are aimed at that. So, the assurance that we can give is that if you are low income and you have had your child before 1 October and you have financial difficulties, we will help you.[+1 sentence] It does not necessarily have to be in the form of the Baby Support Grant, but we will still help you.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon)118 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Sir, and I thank the Minister for the reply. I would just want to make further points for the single unwed parents. I think this Government has said that single unwed parents are no less a mother or a father just because the child is born outside of marriage. So, I really hope the Government could reconsider not providing the Baby Support Grant to the single unwed parents. We also have to bear in mind that the median salary of a single unwed parent under 35 years old is about $600 a month. So, the $3,000 is actually about five months of their salary and it could really provide a lifeline for them during this pandemic.
Ms Indranee Rajah83 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, I had addressed the considerations that we had in mind with respect to single unwed parents.What I would reiterate – because I think the learned Member's concern is whether or not they would have adequate support. So, irrespective of whether they have the Baby Support Grant, if they are, indeed, struggling and if they are in need, please do approach the SSO. There are other schemes available and in place and we will look to see how we can support them.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Gan Thiam Poh.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh927 words
[+15 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minister for the very assuring and heartwarming confirmation of all those measures that have so far been implemented by the Government. I believe Singaporeans actually appreciate it. Speaker, Sir, I support the plans of action, as detailed in the Ministerial Statement. I am confident that this suite of measures will facilitate our progress and ensure that we emerge from this crisis stronger. We will be a competitive yet inclusive economy, a dynamic yet sustainable one. In order to stay relevant and be an active participant on the world stage, we have to remain open to the world. We need to attract more quality investments and accept investors, entrepreneurs, specialists and professionals who can work with us in order to prosper as an economy and society. Bringing in investments and attracting organisational set-ups here will create jobs and other opportunities for Singaporeans. We need these regional and international collaborations to stay ahead of the competition, increase our value and usefulness to the world, thereby ensuring our survival and prosperity. The better approach is not to stay away and shield us from competition in this rapid technologically advancing world. We should rather face the competition and equip Singaporeans with leading skills and tools to make us stay ahead of competition. Even as we welcome foreigners to share their knowledge and skills with Singaporeans, we need to be mindful of the risk of being over-reliant on a particular country, source or nationality. We should also take note of social costs and other implications that might outweigh the benefits in the longer run. Hence, we should be open but selective, monitor the employment market closely and take proactive steps to maintain the right balance. I would like to suggest that the Government reconsider imposing a foreign worker levy instead of minimum qualifying salary to regulate the hiring of foreigner workers, such as Employment Pass or EP holders. A levy proportional to the salary of the EP holder is fair and can be justified.[+8 sentences] It provides another revenue source for the country as the Government continues to invest in Singapore holistically. While cost is one of the major concerns for investors, Singapore has many other attractive advantages which more than make up for the higher costs. These include a conducive business environment, security, stability, excellent infrastructure and telecommunications, updated facilities and amenities, transparency and efficiency. These are all prime determining factors for businesses and workers too. While other countries are grappling with COVID-19, we must continue to invest in both our infrastructure and human capital and provide incentives to pull in companies and individuals to place their investments in Singapore. The good cycle of investments, jobs and opportunities will bring many benefits to our island and our people. Hence, we need to continue with our major infrastructure investments that will support our economic growth for the benefit of Singaporeans in the face of the slowdown. I would like to appeal for further incentives for companies to employ locals, in additional to the Job Growth Incentive or JGI, especially to support those who are middle-aged and above who have been retrenched and finding it difficult to get jobs. This is a group of Singaporeans whom I am especially concerned about.[+1 sentence] May I suggest that up to half of the 50% or 25% support to be paid to employees as Workfare Income Supplement or WIS to narrow the job and income expectations mismatch? It would be good to balance these measures with quotas for foreign PMETs to encourage and incentivise companies to employ Singaporeans. Could the JGI be a long-term policy coupled with support for employers to provide permanent upgrading and upskilling of Singaporean workers? May we extend the COVID-19 Support Grant or CSG to those who were not eligible for the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme or SIRS? Can we also enhance the WIS payout for lowest 25% income group with more payment for the lowest tier, with up to 50% more grants to supplement their income?[+11 sentences] In addition, would MOM look into a hybrid of WIS, CSG and SIRS to form a new scheme to incentivise employment, reduce the pain from income reduction and narrow the job/income mismatch? Notwithstanding, I do agree that all these have to be done with proportionally increase in productivity through job redesign, use of technology, automation so on and so forth, so that our workers are better skilled, productive and equipped, as compared with peers in other countries for the same job with better output. This would help mitigate avoidance of cost inflationary. We need to expedite the industry transformation, for example, more use of machinery in town cleaning jobs and higher productive method in construction industry to reduce reliance of foreign workers and higher income for our Singapore workers. We all need to be very clear that we cannot afford to be complacent in an environment which is advancing rapidly technologically. What is the norm today can easily be disrupted. To ensure that Singaporeans can remain in a leading position in the fast-changing and competitive world, we must continue to invest and equip all Singaporeans with the best skills, knowledge and tools. Singaporeans must be the assets which attract investors. We can further incentivise the investors and businesses to equip and train Singaporeans with leading and competitive skills. The Government should continue with the overseas training and study internship initiative for our citizens so that they will gain wider exposure and market knowledge and deepen their problem solving skills. With that, I would like to conclude with my support again.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon)1767 words
[+10 sentences]Sir, this COVID pandemic has badly affected our economy, many lives and livelihoods. But if there is something positive, it has reminded us about the important things in our life, the things that we may have taken for granted. Sir, I learnt a very painful but important lesson over the circuit breaker. I realised that I missed out on so much of my children's childhood over the last couple of years. While working from home, I was able to spend so much time with my little ones. Together – Ella, Katie, Poppy and I cooked, ate, played, enjoyed bedtime stories and even managed to set up a tent in our living room. Before this pandemic, I was never able to spend so much time with them. I was often out on the ground at work, like most of us, and by the time I got home at night, the kids would be fast asleep. The reality is that work from home is something that us, as Members of Parliament will not be able to completely do as our work is often on the ground. But many fellow Singaporeans can benefit from it. In a survey of 9,000 respondents across night 90 companies conducted this May, 90% of respondents said they wanted to continue working from home.[+6 sentences] Singaporeans do want such an arrangement. Sir, we should respond positively and legislate the right to work from home for all employees and require employers who reject the request to provide specific business-related reasons. Working from home will benefit all employees, whether you're married or single. Employees will have better work-life balance, more freedom, spend less time commuting and it promotes employee well-being. Beyond this, there are four other main reasons why we should give people the right to work from home. The first reason that it will be better for fathers. A survey conducted by Focus on the Family Singapore this year found that out of nearly 2,500 fathers, 70% became more involved with their families during the circuit breaker. Of this group, more than 80% said they connected better with their kids.[+22 sentences] This pandemic has hurt many Singaporean families but it has also provided opportunities for parents, especially fathers to bond with their children like never before. A recent media article spotlighted the stories of several fathers during the circuit breaker and how COVID-19 has given fathers a chance to bond with their kids. Marketing manager Imran talk about how his wife and him are so glad that he has now more time to play and eat together with his two toddler children. Imran talked lovingly about how his kids now miss him even when he stepped out of the house briefly. Shahid Nizami, a managing director, spoke about how he had to strike a balance between working from home and supervising his son, Kain's home-based learning and how he jammed with his son for a virtual talent competition, with his son on drums and the dad on a guitar. He said, "This has been really special for both of us." It is clear that many fathers now want to reconsider their work-life arrangement and we should not waste this opportunity. The right to work from home will give fathers more flexibility and more time to spend with their loved ones. Second, the reason this working from home would help benefit mothers. One mother, Sheena, wrote to me, expressing her joy at seeing more fathers picking up their kids from schools these days as a result from our work from home policy which she says used to be a rare sight previously. Fathers picking up their children from school is part of a bigger solution. A study conducted this year by the US National Bureau of Economics found that a pandemic would likely cause fathers to become more interested and experienced in childcare, reducing the childcare responsibilities on mothers and increasing gender equality at the workplace. This rings true for Singapore too. An IPS study found that fathers who had more time to be with their children at home were able to better develop effective childcare skills. When fathers become more adept with handling childcare responsibilities, their families rely less on the mothers for childcare. This not only improves delegation of home responsibilities more equally between fathers and mothers but allow working mothers to focus better at work. In short, when fathers buck up at home, mothers get to lean in at work. Gender equality happens when everyone chips in. The third reason is that it would be good for businesses. It does so by increasing productivity. A 2011 guide by the tripartite committee on work-life strategy says that working from home enhances business performance and competitiveness for employers as employers can optimise manpower and resources deployment. International examples back up this point. A study again by the US National Bureau of Economic Research found that employees of China's largest travel agency, Ctrip, were 13% more productive while working from home.[+2 sentences] Having employees work from home also help companies reduce fixed costs, such as office rental and workstation set-up costs and staff turnover related costs. As early as 2001, MOM stated that work from home allows workers to better combine their work and personal responsibilities which helps to reduce absenteeism and attrition. Ctrip, the Chinese travel agency I mentioned previously, halved their attrition rate of their employees, with a work from home policy.[+8 sentences] Businesses that allow their employees to work from home do grow stronger. Let us help our businesses recover from this COVID economy in a way that emphasises efficiency and reduce costs. And through the Productivity Solutions Grant, the Government is also helping to make a work from home policy possible for businesses. The fourth and final reason for legislating the right to work from home is that it will be good for our economy. I cited research showing that a work from home policy reduces employee attrition. What I have not mentioned is that so often, this attrition employees are women. When you add up the effects on the national level, we see shocking trends. Let us talk about female labour force participation rate. On that, Singapore scored 61.1% in 2019, far below other countries in Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam at 72.5%; Cambodia at 75.2% and Lao PDR at 76.8%.[+4 sentences] It is often said that Singapore's only natural resource is our people. Yet, we are not even employing half of our people, our women efficiently. Why is our female labour force participation rate so low? According to the McKinsey Global Institute, the culprit is care-giving and childcare responsibilities. The study estimates that if we close this gap, more than $26 billion could be added to the Singapore's GDP by 2025.[+12 sentences] We need every dollar of that and we need to close that gap. The solution is to empower our mothers to work from home. Teresa, a working mother wrote to me, saying that working from home has meant that she did not have to worry about childcare arrangements and could pick up her children from childcare, bring them to appointments and take care of them when they did not have school. The right to work from home will provide parents like Teresa and many other employees with legal grounds to request to work from home when they need to without being penalised. It will enable those who have been discouraged and forced out of the workforce to rejoin their fellow Singaporeans. In these hard times, Singapore's economy needs every leg up we can get. The right to work from home will help. Finally, let me address potential downsides and how we can solve them. MOM has previously stated that this legislation can have unintended consequences for the very group it is meant to benefit and protect. For example, it may discourage employers from hiring groups seen as likely to take up the benefits. I am equally concerned about such outcomes. So, I studied the issue. The UK has done what I am calling for. It provides the right for all workers to request for work from home, which employers can reject only based on certain business reasons. A study conducted in 2018 found that less than 5% of UK workers who worked from home or used staggered hours experience negative consequences due to their working arrangement.[+10 sentences] It is extremely unlikely that getting to work from home hurt someone's career. By contrast, the study found that work from home has been shown to reduce women's likelihood of working part-time after childbirth, reduces the motherhood penalty and potentially increase wage premium for women, especially in the longer run. In other words, the evidence suggests that legislating the right to work from home would help, not hinder women from succeeding at the workplace. Sir, in conclusion, I hope we will legislate this right to work from home. Employers can reject the request with specific business-related reasons and employees who want to choose to work from the office can still feel free to do so. I believe this is a good middle ground win-win proposal. For years, we told everyone that work from home helps with work-life balance, reduces employees absenteeism, leads to higher productivity, saves costs of office space and attracts and retains value employees. It even helped save lives during this pandemic. For months, we make it law. All I am asking is that we now make this law permanent. Minister Lawrence has said that working from home must be embraced as a new normal even after circuit breaker ends. We are now at a 50% work from home policy and I urge the Government not to reduce this any further, but instead take a step forward and ensure that work from home truly becomes a new normal.[+8 sentences] Let me end by stressing that work from home is not just for fathers and mothers. It is for those are not married as well. At some point in our lives, we will have to care for someone else – be it children parents, grandparents, spouses, partners, friends and other loved ones. We will all need to be care-givers some day and we should have the flexibility to do so. Working from home also helps with work-life balance and our well-being so it is also about caring for ourselves. Let us emerge stronger, as I have said many times in this House, spend time with those you love. One of these days, you will either say "I wish I had" or "I'm glad I did". Let us give our people a better chance of saying "I'm glad I did".
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Koh Poh Koon.
The Senior Minister of State for Health (Dr Koh Poh Koon)3051 words
[+10 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, during the Debate on the President’s Address recently, I spoke as Deputy Secretary-General of the NTUC and urged the tripartite partners to come together to conduct an in-depth study on the implementation of the Progressive Wage Model, or PWM, across more sectors, so that we can move faster in this aspect when the economy recovers post-COVID-19. Various Labour Members of Parliament – from former Secretary-General Lim Swee Say to former Parliamentary colleague Mr Zainal Sapari – have in their Parliamentary speeches over the many years also push for a faster and wider implementation of the PWM. Hence, NTUC welcomes the announcement to form a Tripartite Workgroup for Low-wage Workers to take concrete actions on this very important agenda. Uplifting lower income Singaporeans have been a core mission of the PAP Government right from the outset. The PAP was born from the unions in the 1950s. Taking care of our workers has been a critical part of our DNA as a party. We have achieved what few have done over the last six decades, but the task is never finished. It is something that we must and will keep working on. Under the PAP Government and with the support from the Labour Movement, the lives of millions of Singaporeans have been greatly improved: more than 90% of Singaporeans own their homes; our children get much better education; we invested in upgrading skills of our people so that they can stay employed and improve in their careers even as our economy transforms through the decades. We have made significant progress in the past 10 years. The wages of workers at the lowest 20th percentile have increased by 24% in real terms in the last five years and by 39% over the last 10 years.[+2 sentences] This was a big lift and faster than for those higher up on the wage ladder. It has also helped moderate income inequality in Singapore which is now at its narrowest in almost 20 years. The Gini coefficient calculated using the widely used OECD methodology, fell to 0.35 in 2019 after accounting for Government transfers such as Workfare Income Supplement.[+4 sentences] All these did not happen just by itself. It is not by chance. It was brought about by sound economic policies, and the tripartite partners working actively to intervene to support workers. We implemented the “Triple Uplift” formula comprising the PWM, Workfare Income Supplement or WIS, and the National Wage Council or NWC recommendations. The PWM lifted the wages of close to 80,000 cleaners, security officers and landscape workers.[+17 sentences] Their wages have increased by 30% in real terms in recent years without the loss of jobs. The PWM also enables them to climb the skills-ladder, improving their future employability and their wage progression at the same time. This has been a significant achievement because the workers in these sectors tend to be older or with limited education and, therefore, are at a higher risk of this employment. It required very involved negotiations and firms, companies have to undertake changes of many of their practices to do so. Workfare is another significant intervention. It acts like a form of negative income tax. The Government tops up the income of our workers earning less than $2,300 per month. There are many other efforts, all part of the on-going task of uplifting our workers. Skills upgrading and job placement efforts by the NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute or e2i, working with Government agencies help many workers access better jobs, better pay and better job prospects. Bus drivers’ salaries jumped by more than 20% since 2015 with the new bus financing framework supported by the labour movement and National Transport Workers’ Union or NTWU. In the last five years or so, we have pushed hard on our ITM efforts as well. This brought together tripartite partners integrating skills upgrading together with business transformation, productivity enhancement and innovation to catalyse change as a whole of eco-system to also create better jobs and better job prospects for our workers. Raising the income of our less skilled and low-wage workers is, therefore, a holistic and a continuous effort. Through Workfare, the PWM and our efforts involving various stakeholders to boost skills and productivity in every sector, we are demonstrating exactly what Mdm Halimah spoke about in social solidarity. Our low-wage workers get an uplift in incomes through Workfare, supported by our taxes through the PWM and by productivity improvements. The upshot is that we can achieve higher incomes for low-wage workers without putting their employment at risk and minimising cost increases for our consumers. How about the coverage of PWM? The Government has committed to working with its tripartite partners to extend the PWM to all sectors in a manner that is appropriate to each and every sector's unique conditions.[+5 sentences] I should point out also that the PWM in the existing sectors have also helped lift wages in the other non-PWM sectors as well. If we look at the occupations that are traditionally deemed as comprising workers with lower income – clerical support, service staff, tradesmen, operators, cleaners, labourers – there are, perhaps, about slightly over 850,000 workers doing these jobs in Singapore. The vast majority of them actually earn above $1,300 a month. According to MOM, the residual number of low-wage workers who earn below $1,300 is about 100,000 workers. About a quarter of them actually are self-employed so they would not have benefited from any minimum wage, to begin with. With Workfare and employer's CPF contribution included, only about 56,000 across a variety of job roles earn less than $1,300.[+5 sentences] Of these, only about 32,000 are full-time employees. So, what the Workers' Party wants to achieve with the proposed minimum wage of $1,300 a month, we have already achieved through PWM and many other policy measures, such as Workfare Income Supplement. With this latest tripartite move, we will further reduce this number. We have, in fact, actually made tremendous strides over the decades. But as I said, it is still unfinished business. The Workers' Party have called for a Minimum Wage of $1,300 a month to be applied across all sectors, as a quick way to cover everyone else.[+12 sentences] As I have just highlighted, this is a very small number of 32,000 to over 50,000-over, about 1.7% of our local workforce. Let me state that we are not ideologically against a minimum wage. In fact, the first rung of the wage ladder in the PWM is a form of sectoral minimum wage. Senior Minister Tharman has also called the PWM a “Minimum Wage Plus” – Minimum Wage plus a ladder for wage increase through upskilling. So, the idea of having some form of a minimum wage is not new and we share the same objective to uplift the incomes of low-wage workers. Where we differ though is the approach to getting there. All programmes and policies have pros and cons and so too a single blanket minimum wage. Its appeal is that it is seemingly a quick way to raise the wages of workers who have to benefit from PWM – and maybe many other initiatives. But there are actually risks to jumping onto this single blanket minimum wage. First, there is the question of its effectiveness in helping our lowest skilled and most vulnerable workers and not inadvertently putting them at a disadvantage. It is difficult to find the right a single minimum wage for all sectors. If it is not set too low, then the benefit to workers in many sectors will be limited and defeats the purpose of having a minimum wage in the first place. For example, the starting salary for a cleaner in Town Councils today under the mandatory PWM is already $1,442. With overtime pay, Workfare Income Supplement and Annual Wage Supplement or bonuses, this would be much higher than the $1,300 a month that the Workers' Party proposes as a minimum wage. Indeed, because of the mandatory PWM, the Workers' Party Town Councils' cleaners are being paid based on the PWM and not based on their Minimum Wage![+11 sentences] But if the Minimum Wage is set too high, then businesses especially the SMEs, cannot afford to pay. They will have to pass the costs on to consumers if they are able to or cut back on employment of workers of lower educational standards or skills, or, in the worse case scenario, go out of business. In an ideal world, of course, a high Minimum Wage will force industries to invest more in technology, invest in items that can raise the productivity and favour the most efficient firms without lowering overall employment. But in practice there will be winners and losers and it is our SMEs who are the most vulnerable and our most vulnerable workers will also be at risk of losing out. Sir, we all want to help low-wage workers to earn more. But in practice it is difficult to arbitrarily prescribe a single higher salary for all sectors and all industries. There must be a basis for setting the Minimum Wage that reflects the realities of each sector, including the profile of the low-wage worker sin that that particular sector so that it is sustainable, it benefits them and it avoids any unintended costs. Veteran union leaders with long experience on the ground understand the importance of working this out and arriving at the tripartite consensus, so that “low wage” does not inadvertently become “no wage”. If I may share what my good brother in the unions, Brother Toh Hock Poh, will always say when it comes to complex issues, "Ah nay kan duah, wa nang za teo zoh liow, ko tan li la kong" in Hokkien. Sir, if you do not mind I have to do this to justify the charisma of Brother Toh Hock Poh and show his charisma – what it means is; "If it was so simple, we would done it long go." So, a single Minimum Wage is no panacea. The second risk – with a single blanket Minimum Wage is the inevitable politicisation of wage setting.[+36 sentences] What do I mean? Today, let us say we can all agree to $1,300 Minimum Wage proposed by the Workers' Party, a “moral imperative” as Mr Singh puts it in his recent Facebook post. But what next? What happens next? How will this number change from this year to the next and on what basis? In a political contest, a political party will surely come along and say, "Well, $1,500 will reflect higher 'moral imperatives'". Yet another will come along and say, "$1,300 is good; $1,500 is better, but $1,700 must surely be more 'divine' moral imperatives". It can become a political auction. When this process, this political auction gathers momentum and becomes detached from market realities, the Minimum Wage escalates beyond what employers are able to pay. And the jobs of our more vulnerable sisters and brothers in these sectors will be threatened with the risk of unemployment. So, I am not so much concerned by what Mr Singh and the Workers' Party is proposing for now, but what it portends for the future – the possibility of a political auction that will price out our lower skilled workers, our brothers and sisters, and disadvantage our smaller enterprises, our SMEs. This is not an academic issue. We are seeing this kind of political processes, this political auction, happening in other countries. What is a better way? At NTUC, we believe the PWM is one way of doing so. Under PWM, we can engage the different stakeholders of each industry, work out how to address their concerns and challenges, and arrive at a consensus with a basis that they can all actively support. With this sectoral tripartite consensus building approach, it is much less likely for a political auction to happen. We can and should do more to help the lowest paid in our society but we must go about doing it in a way that ensures the upside while minimising the downsides. The cure surely should not be worse than the problem it tries to solve. A third complication, and this is a major one, is the question of migrant workers. In most developed countries, the legal Minimum Wage applies to all workers including migrant workers. If the Minimum Wage is driven simply by a "moral imperative", then the natural question to ask is whether it should include non-Singaporeans such as migrant workers, including our foreign domestic workers. I do see an online petition going on now in the honour of Mr Singh's name, with all the text he put into his Facebook on the page calling for people to petition to support Minimum Wage for foreign domestic workers as well. So, perhaps, Mr Singh should also take this chance to explain to Singaporeans what the position of the Workers' Party is when you advocate for Minimum Wage. Now, if businesses cannot bear the resulting cost, is there also a "moral imperative" to help our SMEs? This is a particular pertinent consideration at this time, when we are in a deep COVID-19 crisis. Many companies, especially our SMEs, such as those in the construction sector, are suffering and not quite out of the woods. What is Mr Singh's views on this? I do note that in his Facebook post, the very first line and I quote, "A universal Minimum Wage for the Singaporean worker is not just a moral imperative, it is an act of national solidarity, one that is even more relevant in today's economic environment". I have been listening to some of the speeches of many of the Workers' Party's Members in the House yesterday and today, and I must thank them for sharing the Government's view on improving career coaching, reforming our education, supporting our workers, helping our SMEs. And the Member Jamus Lim's earlier speech talked about supporting SMEs, which I am sure will be welcomed. But if we juxtapose this together with his speech at the last Sitting about raising Minimum Wages, how does it square away? Are we supporting SMEs or are we adding more oil to the fire, so to speak? Perhaps it will be better explained in Chinese, we call it 雪上加霜. With the companies in a deep economic freeze now or economic recession, is what is being proposed by the Workers' Party – raising wages through a Minimum Wage legislation – going to add more frost to the snow in companies in deep winter right now? Mr Speaker, Sir, I seek the support of this House for us to continue to push for PWM. NTUC will continue our conversations with our tripartite partners via the newly convened tripartite Workgroup on expanding PWM, to ensure that we take into account the concerns of all our stakeholders for a sustainable implementation of the PWMs, even as we work collectively to help ourselves to get out of this economic recession. In the interim, the PWM Mark that was recently introduced by Minister Josephine Teo in Parliament as a potential means of recognising firms that voluntarily pay progressive wages, is something that we welcome.[+4 sentences] We welcome such ideas as it would enable consumers to choose whether to support progressive-minded firms. While introducing a PWM Mark is a good first step, voluntary schemes on their own may not be attractive enough for companies to come onboard. Government must be prepared to use regulatory levers to help incentivise firms to adopt the PWM Mark, such as requiring companies that access Government schemes or bid for Government contracts to come onboard this voluntary Mark. That way, we can also raise the awareness of consumers and service buyers to price the contracts fairly, and build trust towards eventual mandatory PWM for other sectors. Beyond the lift and escalator PWM becoming mandatory in 2022, NTUC had also submitted a proposal to the Government to form a Tripartite Cluster for the Waste Management Industry to introduce a PWM focusing on the waste collection sub- sectors. We look forward to the Government’s strong support and will work closely with our tripartite partners to bring about better wages, welfare and work prospects for the low-wage workers in this sector. In expanding the PWM, we should also consider studying other approaches to complement the existing PWM efforts, such as setting a sectoral wage benchmark as a first step for companies in sectors where there are currently no regulatory levers to mandate a PWM.[+14 sentences] The benchmarks would be a good way, a good starting point, a first step towards empowering workers with greater awareness of wages in their own occupations and their sectors. This can be done through leveraging various sources of data that we currently have, such as the Occupational Wage Survey Data. In sectors with a more variegated employment landscape such as Food Services and Retail, sectoral wage benchmarks may help catalyse more companies to embark on uplifting the livelihoods of our lower wage workers. This, of course, in time to come, can evolve into a PWM. The Tripartite Workgroup could also study lower wage occupations that cut across multiple sectors to see how best to help improve their wage prospects. Some job roles, clerical job roles, for example, do not neatly fall into one particular sector and it is horizontal across many sectors. Having employers, Government and union at the same table would enable us to have frank and deep discussions on policy innovations to move the way forward. Mr Speaker, Sir, there is much work to be done to uplift more lower wage workers, many of whom provide essential services for all of us. We should recognise what the Government and the tripartite partners have achieved in providing a genuine uplift for the workforce, especially our lower wage workers, and be willing to adopt new approaches. Indeed, the PWM and Workfare Income Supplement have major new approaches in recent years and we, of course, remain open to new ideas. Achieving social equality and enabling lower income families to improve their lives is never a simple task. There is no silver bullet. It is also continuous hard work. NTUC and the tripartite partners will focus on this real hard work of uplifting wages of low-wage workers and seek public support for our workers, while hoping to avoid all the possible downsides.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied)1026 words
[+4 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Senior Minister of State for his extensive comments on this matter. I was not intending to speak in this debate but in view of the questions that he has put to me arising from a Facebook post, which was a response to another Facebook post or two Facebook posts by the Minister for Manpower and the NTUC Secretary-General, I will put the position out. Because when we campaigned in the last election, a Minimum Wage was one of the central pillars of our ambit of the proposals that we had put to Singaporeans. So, I would like to start with, actually, what I felt was a very powerful line from the Senior Minister of State, which was he is not so much concerned at our proposal of a Minimum Wage. And indeed, there is no reason to be very concerned about it because what we are talking about is those Singaporeans who earn below the $1,300 mark.[+6 sentences] It is not a number that has come out of the sky. I will explain shortly. The Senior Minister of State has been helpful in providing some data. I believe a newspaper article, just a few days ago, from a former parliamentarian, someone who I think many of us parliamentarians enjoyed listening to, the economist Walter Theseira, asked some important questions. He asked what are the sectors where Singaporeans are earning less than $1,300? How many workers are impacted? And for those who are significantly below the $1,300 floor, what will happen to them? And that is precisely my question for the numbers that the Senior Minister of State had shared – about the 100,000, a quarter of them self-employed; 56,000 not full-time workers, if I remember correctly, and 32,000 are full-time.[+1 sentence] Very important figures. I think this is the first time the Government has shared these figures.[+23 sentences] And my question quite simply is, do we need to wait so long to cover these Singaporeans? Can we not consider how we can cover them immediately because it is not a small number. It is a large number. If you think of 60,000 rental units available from HDB and you compare that with this number, it is significant – it is quite a lot of Singaporeans who need some help. So, my Facebook posts really was not to diss or dismiss the PWM. It was to nudge the Government, to tell the Government, "Hey, wait a minute. Can we move faster on people who are really, really at one end of the spectrum?" So, I think the Senior Minister of State understands that context, so that is not so much the issue. So, that was the first question, whether we can reach out more quickly to these individuals. And I do not believe SMEs would be significantly impacted, with all respect to SMEs, employers and businesses who have also made their views known also in the mainstream media over the last one, one and a half months, perhaps. This number of Singaporeans, we can look after them, we can take care of them, and we can do it quite fast. If there is anybody who can do it for the people who I know as my friends in NTUC, I am pretty sure they are going to work hard with the Government to make that happen. So, I hope the Government takes them up. My second point is about politicisation, which was what the Minister feared. Are we going to get into an auction when one party says $1,300 and another one says $1,500? This is where we probably have to defer to the experts. The National Wages Council is potentially one forum. And there are also some useful statistics we can use, like the average household expenditure on basic necessities; how much really does it cost for the Singaporean family who is at that end of the spectrum. And the Minimum Wage or the floor can be set at a number which is realistic and correspondent to that. Actually, the bigger concern I have with the PWM and some of the sectors that the Senior Minister of State has been referring to, is potential profiteering on the back of raising wages for Singaporeans. My question to the Senior Minister of State is what mechanisms are available in NTUC, with MOM, to ensure that companies do not do that. Now, I say this because earlier this week, I just sat in our usual weekly Town Council meeting and I am aware that certain lift maintenance contracts are coming up for renewal. I have some numbers from the lift companies. For one lift company, costs are going up by 47%.[+7 sentences] Another lift company, 5%, 10%, 5%, 10%, something of that nature, over a few years. So, because we have different contractors, they have different proposals. Now, if all this increase is going to the Singaporean worker, then I am prepared to take on that burden to persuade our Town Council residents that we need to raise S&CC. I am prepared to take it on because Singaporeans are going to benefit from it. But my question is, is that a realistic hike in costs? So, I would like the Senior Minister of State to share how can we be sure that as the PWM moves forward and particularly for raising of salaries, those costs will go to our workers and will not be translated into profits. I think the Senior Minister of State had a question on the ambit of our Minimum Wage proposal. The Minimum Wage we are proposing does not include foreign domestic workers at this point.[+4 sentences] It does not include foreign manpower at this point because there are other regulatory levers, especially for foreign workers – quotas, levies. I know they serve specific purposes, but I think you will have to implement this and see how best to work the overall manpower situation that SMEs demand and what the economy demands. Coming back to the important number, it was, I think Senior Minister of State said 1.7% of the population. I am sure Senior Minister of State agrees with me that –
Dr Koh Poh Koon1 words
[+1 sentence]Workforce.
Mr Pritam Singh102 words
Workforce – I beg your pardon. 1.7% of the workforce.[+6 sentences] Thank you. I am sure Senior Minister of State agrees with me that we can do and we can move quite fast for this people. I will be prepared to work with Senior Minister of State to ensure that we can actually reach out to these Singaporeans as quickly as the Government can. Because, I do not think it is acceptable that any one, any Singaporean is earning below this number. It is simply not acceptable. And if we can do something about it in double quick time, let us do it.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Koh Poh Koon.
Dr Koh Poh Koon664 words
[+7 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for some of his clarifications. I must say it is quite easy to propose a Minimum Wage and then when we ask questions about what it is based on and how they will implement it – does it include foreign workers and all – they say, "Government go sort it out". I think if as Brother Hock Poh said, "If it is so easy to do, we would have done it with any long ago". Proposing it for panel of experts to do, do research and studies, that could be one way, but that is actually also what the tripartite partners do. We look at data, but we incorporate the consensus of all the stakeholders including businesses so that they also must be prepared to price this into their business cost and have a way to also socialise it to the consumers. Indeed, as the hon Member said, when there is a wage ladder that goes up or any cost increase for Minimum Wage, this cost will have to be passed to the consumers at some point. So, there has to be a cost implication in the cost impact. The good news of course is that the PWM, as it stands today, applies only to Singaporean local workforce, Singaporean workers. So, wage increases for PWM only benefits Singapore workers.[+3 sentences] That is why I asked the question about proposing a blanket single Minimum Wage across all sectors, which has to necessarily cover all workers. Because in many developed countries, the concept of a Minimum Wage, as it is applied, includes migrant workers as well. So, I think we have to be careful about what we are saying here, because to buck the norm, to be different, there must be a real strong justification. The data, 1.7% percent of the local workforce, it is not a very clean data because it includes a whole group of people across different job roles.[+11 sentences] But it also includes people who are technically "employed" but they could be employed in jobs like hawker assistant, helping a family member. They are drawing a salary, but they are happy to be just getting $700 a month helping the father or the mother or something like that, manning a store, for example. How do you legislate a Minimum Wage to say that the father who runs the store, employing the son as as a worker, as an employee, has to add a cost on and mandate it? Those are the challenges when you go down to the bottom. They will be the challenges of implementation. Research, data, all these are good. If I may use Brother Hock Poh's words again, he said "Wo jiak yam bi li jiak bee zuay" or I eat more salt than you eat more rice; "Tak chek jin ho", but "ai zor jin gan kor" or easier said than done. So, his point is this, reams and reams of data and research is good. But in practice, is always harder to do, because there are practical considerations, there are pushbacks. So, that is why a negotiator approach with stakeholders is the most important. In the area of working with our stakeholders, I believe that that is why when we work on the negotiated outcome, there is always that balance that can be struck. Where the businesses are prepared to absorb the cost; if not, they have a way to rationalise how to pass the cost on to the consumers. I am glad to hear that Mr Singh is prepared to also raise the S&CC charges to justify for higher wage cost when we eventually push up the mandatory PWM for the lift and escalator sectors, to make sure that our brothers and sisters in this sector get get paid a fair wage.[+1 sentence] And I think collectively we ought to socialise Singaporean consumers to the need to up the wages of those at the lower end and demonstrate social solidarity.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim456 words
[+6 sentences]Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the Senior Minister of State for his impassioned defence of the PWM model. I would just take the opportunity to just clarify a few points and perhaps obtain some clarifications as well. One of them is that Senior Minister of State mentioned a few times that a lot of these affect real lives and I have no doubt that they affect real lives because that is precisely what we are fighting for. But, with all due respect, as much as it will be lovely to always rely on folksy wisdom and beliefs by labour union leaders, at the same time, it is important to realise that when when we talk about studies that show that the Minimum Wage does not lead to any appreciable increase in unemployment, this is based on careful consideration and not just beliefs. It is worth reminding ourselves that there was a time in the 16th century, when people believed that the sun revolved around the Earth. But that belief is not in fact the same as evidence and all evidence from countries all over the world demonstrate that a Minimum Wage has minimal impact on unemployment as long as it is not set too high. So, that leaves us with discussing why, what is too high? And again, I think we made a clear justification on why we believe that $1,300 is a justifiable number.[+3 sentences] But why we believe as well that it is important to be open to other possibilities is because we, likewise, do not want this number to be politicised. There are lots of numbers that can be politicised, the interest rate can be politicised. We ensure that the central banks do not politicise the interest rate by making sure that they have independence. Which is why, one way forward is to ensure that we have an independent wage board comprised of academics as well as representatives from both the Labour Movement as well as employers to come up with a number so that is not politicised.[+6 sentences] I will just close by pointing out one thing. It is that I do not believe in schadenfreude. We have been throwing out Chinese idioms so I will define that 幸灾乐祸. I do not think that supporting SMEs, as I said in my speech just now, is exclusive from supporting a Minimum Wage, which I mentioned in my maiden speech. In fact, I would just remind everyone that Henry Ford who invented the automobile understood this. He said he has to pay his workers enough so that they can buy his cars. So, when we pay our workers enough, it need not be the case that our small businesses end up suffering as a result.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh45 words
[+1 sentence]Thank you, Speaker. I believe Senior Minister of State has not answered my question with regard to how the tripartite partners assess in a particular sector whether profiteering is taking place on the back of what ought to be wage increases for our Singaporean workers.
Dr Koh Poh Koon70 words
[+2 sentences]Sir, I think the simple answer to that is that in a tripartite PWM model, the wages are pegged to a skills ladder, that can be verified by either a participation in a course or verified through an industry accredited programme. So, with the skills increase, the person would then be justified for wage increase, based on the larger job scope or a more productive outcome in the work delivered.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh143 words
[+2 sentences]I thank the Senior Minister of State for the answer. But I am more referring to a case where like the Labour Annual this year in May, talked about extending the PWM to the lift and escalator sector and I believe there is one more sector, I am not sure whether it was waste management, but one of them. My point is, this is in the future, but some of these companies are already pricing it in today and is that legitimately correct for them to do so?[+2 sentences] Apart from that, if there is a reason for a vendor to assert that actually the cost is being overstated here and PWM is being used as an excuse to increase costs, what recourse would the Government consider? Will there be a committee that we can potentially go to to address some of these matters?
Dr Koh Poh Koon65 words
[+2 sentences]Sir, then the simple process is to make sure that the Town Council when you tender contracts, you have a process of evaluating a competitive tender to assess the points of merit surely, unless you are talking about collusion among various vendors for the same project. Otherwise, there has to be somebody who is prepared to price his service or his product competitively and reasonably.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Leon Perera.
Mr Leon Perera381 words
[+8 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir. Just some points of clarification to the Senior Minister of State, Dr Koh Poh Koon, who gave a spirited defence of the PWM model. We have said that we do not think that PWM and Minimum Wage are mutually exclusive. My first question is really how long does the Senior Minister of State envisage the rolling out of the PWM to all the vulnerable workers who are now earning very low incomes; how long would that take? The number could be 100,000 or 36,000 depending on the definition used, but how long we are going to take to address the needs of that group? Secondly, Senior Minister of State Koh also talked about how a Minimum Wage inevitably becomes politicised, but the Senior Minister of State presumably does not feel that PWM inevitably becomes politicised. Why does Minimum Wage inevitably become politicised but the PWM model does not also become a political football and become politicised. Third point of clarification is really on how the Minimum Wage may hurt our SMEs. Senior Minister of State did say that the number of people who will be affected by a minimum wage of $1,300 per month could actually be very small.[+4 sentences] So, how does such a small number actually effect a very substantial hurt or a disadvantage to SMEs if the number is basically small? In making this point, I would note that some discussions publicly that have happened about Minimum Wage within the business community, that have been reported in The Business Times and so on, have shown that many business owners are in fact open to a Minimum Wage if it is not set too high because they also want to pay their employees with dignity. The last point is really on the Senior Minister of State who talked about the contrast between Minimum Wage and Progressive Wage Model that with the Progressive Wage Model, you are less likely to lose jobs because that is a negotiated outcome with employers. But would the Senior Minister of State accept that you can have a process to set a Minimum Wage nationally, with reference to research and facts that involves consultation with employers before that Minimum Wage is set, so you do not surrender that advantage as well.
Dr Koh Poh Koon471 words
[+4 sentences]I think in my speech, I did explain that different sectors have different eco-systems, different kind of skills requirement and therefore different starting pay even for certain lower job roles. And therefore, if at a national level, it is very hard to decide on one number that everyone can agree to as their starting pay. How would that process be to make sure tat there is convergence on one single number – to have the lowest end of a cleaner and a lowest end of a clerical staff – all having the same minimum wage that is acceptable across different industry sectors? So, that is a practical challenge that cannot be overcome so easily with a single Minimum Wage. How do we help the lower wage workers, maybe the 1.7% that we spoke about? I think when we look at this, wage is only one aspect of helping a lower wage worker. Today, with Workfare, we already top up the wages and that is one way of helping them without having to make employers jump through the hoops, without having to make disadvantaged workers that have to do a lot of heavy lifting to get to the Minimum Wage, for example.[+14 sentences] Bear in mind that this segment of workers, some of them could have disabilities that may not be able to embark on the kind of jobs without Government support to begin with. So, by giving some of these Workfare supplements, we actually top up the kind of wages because otherwise, an employer may not be prepared to employ someone with a certain disability that may not be able to fulfil the full function of the job scope. This is where you will end up leading to dis-employment for a particular segment of vulnerable workers. So, it cannot be a one-size-fits-all because there are different segments of people, different industry demands. How long? I think the process will be something that we want to do now, talk about it, discuss it, work out some schematics. But when can we implement? Obviously, we have to look at the economic situation as well because this will be probably the wrong time to push for increased wage costs onto our SMEs who are already suffering. Why would the PWM structure be less likely to be politicised? Because it has tripartite negotiations. It is not decided politically by one party. The employers naturally will push back as well if what we are proposing for the sector is not sustainable to them, business-wise. If what is being pushed from just a political base would put them out of business and make them non-competitive, there will be a natural push back. Otherwise, if it is just a single number that is decided based on politics, I think this is where the danger of the slippery slope occurs.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim232 words
[+4 sentences]Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the Senior Minister of State for the clarification. Just two quick points. One on the issue of heterogeneity, needing each sector to have their own specific Minimum Wage. I would actually put it across even more simply. What I believe that the Workers’ Party would argue is that if you can establish that the Minimum Wage for the lowest paying sector within the PWM is at least $1,300, it is absolutely fine if the other sectors were willing to pay more than that $1,300, for that particular lowest pay sector.[+3 sentences] The other point is I think it is actually a bit disconcerting to bring in special cases like disability and the individual that happens to work part-time for his father, or even to talk about earning more than one $1,300 if someone works overtime, because honestly these are, if I may use the term, straw man. We are not comparing these particular special cases. We are talking about individuals without disability that happen to be working just regular full-time work week and are nevertheless struggling to make ends meet. Even if it is 32,000 people, I do not think that any of these 32,000 people feel that they are being taken care of.[+1 sentence] And I also do not feel that we should let them, in as rich a society as we are, flounder on their own.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Edward Chia.
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui (Holland-Bukit Timah)72 words
[+1 sentence]Thank you, Mr Speaker. Businesses need to stay competitive and avoid passing all costs to consumers to stay competitive. So, an increased wage has to be coupled with an increase in productivity.[+2 sentences] If not, it may actually lead to no wage. So, could I seek clarifications from the Workers’ Party on whether they actually recognise the downside risks of low wage becoming no wage, especially when technology automation is increasingly being adopted?
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh59 words
[+5 sentences]I would like to clarify with the Member. I do not believe any of us made that specific remark. But I would like to ask the Member in return: is he agreeable to pay the 100,000 workers, specifically narrowed down now to 32,000 workers, $1,300 as a business employer? Is he prepared to do that? I hope he is.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Edward Chia.
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui154 words
[+8 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his clarification. I think as a business owner, the responsibility is not to a specific sector of employees but to the entire company. Sustaining a business means providing jobs for the whole company. So, a business owner needs to look at sustainability, and it is the responsibility of a business owner to look at productivity increase because that is what makes businesses profitable, viable and then scalable to be able to provide more jobs for Singaporeans. So, an arbitrary Minimum Wage may actually be more negative for a business. We need to look at it as a holistic approach, helping businesses upskill their employees, helping businesses to grow their business. So, as the businesses grow, we can provide more to our workers and we can actually hire more workers. I think that is what businesses are looking towards in terms of good effective policy.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Carrie Tan.
Ms Carrie Tan (Nee Soon)162 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Speaker. Actually, to be honest, that is a really big debate going on and I think to avoid just discussing this purely on theoretical or rhetorical menace, I would like to ask both sides of the House, including the Senior Minister of State, from the position of someone who is also declaring my interest as strategic advisor to Daughters of Tomorrow where we work actively with employers and businesses to advocate directly to them for what we call livable wages for the employees. Is there anything that Senior Minister of State Koh might want to share that Members of Parliament, backbenchers, or even community groups can do to help the Government in this effort to encourage more employers in different sectors to think about different ways and using different angles to encourage them to pay the employees more, and in return reap the benefits of a workforce that has higher morale and give higher loyalty to the companies and businesses.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Senior Minister of State.
Dr Koh Poh Koon346 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, if we look at what will employer be thinking when he wants to interview and employ somebody. The first thing he is asked is: do you have the skills that I need to do the job, and for the skills that you have, what am I prepared to pay you? If we stipulate a Minimum Wage or whatever wage there is, but the employer feels that this is not worth paying for, or if you set the wage too high, he will say, “Well, with this money, I might as well buy a machine to do this job. Because I will amortise this machine over one year, two years, and my return is immeasurable, beyond the ROI". This worker will never get the job if he is priced too high. On the other hand, if you fix the rate too low, but yet the worker does not have the skills to do the job, no matter how low you price the Minimum Wage, I would not employ the person anyway because there is no skills to it. So, that is why in the PWM construct, it is not just a wage ladder – rising wages across a spectrum, but actually, there is a skills ladder that is tied to it so that as the employee gets the skills that justify the productivity, the work output and the work delivery, the wages commensurate with their skills will be paid to the employee.[+3 sentences] Because the employer will then feel that these jobs that he can do with these skills are justifiable for the wage and costs that I am going to bear for which I can actually be competitive as a business and recover it through my my business. So, it has to go hand-in-hand. It cannot be de-synced from one another. The problem with a Minimum Wage is that it is not connected to any skills ladder. It is a number, and the employer then has to decide if the employee makes the mark or is too costly for him, and that number can fluctuate.
Mr Speaker66 words
[+7 sentences]Order. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting for a minimum of 20 minutes. Because it is not progressive, so it is a maximum of 20 minutes as well. We will take the Chair at 4.30 pm. Sitting accordingly suspended at 4.08 pm until 4.30 pm. Sitting resumed at 4.30 pm.
The Senior Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Zaqy Mohamad)3033 words
[+11 sentences]Mr Speaker, Members of the House, MOM understands that Singaporeans have been through much hardship over the past few months. Many Members have spoken on the challenges and concerns of our workers across all segments. Our infection rates have gone down and we have been able to proceed with the slow and steady re-opening of our economy. Yet, it would be a mistake to think that we are going back to pre-COVID-19 norms. As other speakers in this House have observed, it is unlikely that things will be the same again. Many industries will take time to recover and, when they do, they will look quite different from what it is now. The way we work has already changed and will continue to change. For instance, companies and workers alike have had to adapt to telecommuting. Not all these changes are bad. On the contrary, the pandemic has spurred the pace of digitalisation, upskilling and improving the resilience of our workforce and supply chains. The Government has put in place substantial effort and resources to help our businesses and workers deal with the impact of the pandemic. For example, we have provided extensive support to businesses through the Jobs Support Scheme, with wage subsidies of 75% to help businesses retain workers. Deputy Prime Minister has announced that this support will be extended until next March.[+6 sentences] Right now, our focus must be to help our businesses and our workers to emerge stronger from this crisis and to seize new opportunities ahead. We should work on the basis that short-term relief measures will continually and eventually taper off. This is why economic agencies under MTI as well as agencies that lead the ITM sectors, such as MAS and IMDA, are intensifying efforts on job creation. MOM and WSG will work with these agencies to support employment. Well before the JSS phases out, we have introduced the Jobs Growth Incentive or JGI. The JGI will provide salary support for businesses which bring forward their hiring plans and hire more locals. Eligible employers will receive up to 25% of the first $5,000 of gross monthly wages, or $15,000 for up to 12 months, for new local hires aged below 40. For each new mature local hire aged 40 and above and for all persons with disabilities or PwDs, Government support is doubled to 50%. Thus far, we have committed $1 billion to this initiative, and we encourage more firms to make use of the JGI to expand hiring.[+24 sentences] The SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package is our key push to help our workers to enter new jobs. Where this is not yet possible, we are helping jobseekers to acquire the skills that will put them in a stronger position when the economy begins to recover. It pools together jobs and training opportunities for Singaporeans across the public and private sectors. Under this Package, we have curated 117,500 jobs as at end-August, including jobs, company-hosted traineeships, attachments and training opportunities and training places. With the exception of SGUnited Traineeships which are designed for fresh and recent graduates, these opportunities are all open to mid-career individuals. More than 33,000 jobseekers have been placed into SGUnited Jobs and Skills opportunities. Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked about how the Government determines the number of job opportunities available under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package and the job roles created by the top hiring sectors. We have been putting out the total number of committed opportunities available under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package in our weekly Job Situation Report. The number of committed opportunities is based on approved places under the various SGUnited Jobs and Skills programmes, such as, one, career conversion programmes, traineeships, company attachments and training courses; two, public sector and other Government-funded jobs; and three, private sector jobs that are advertised on the national MyCareersFuture.sg jobs portal. There are opportunities in almost every sector. Not surprisingly, the key contributors are growth sectors, such as information and communications, healthcare, professional services, finance and insurance and manufacturing. Examples of jobs in the top five sectors include: software, web and multimedia developers, nursing professionals, management and business consultants, financial analysts and engineering professionals. But I should also point out that even in sectors badly-hit by COVID-19, there is hiring. In tourism and retail, for example, business models are changing fast. Employers see a need to reskill existing staff as well as to bring in fresh talent. It is, therefore, important not to write them off. To help our local jobseekers access and get more information on the available jobs and skills opportunities, Workforce Singapore (WSG) has organised various career workshops, seminars and walk-in interviews, reaching about 38,800 individuals between July and September 2020. We have also brought career matching services closer to the heartlands. So, we have launched the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres in phases since early July and, by end-August, one had been set up across all 24 HDB towns. Although all satellite career centres were only in operation from end-August, Career Ambassadors have advised around 4,200 jobseekers by now. We are heartened to hear Mr Liang Eng Hwa sharing that his constituents have found this to be helpful and that many were able to secure jobs after going to these centres. That being said, when so many businesses are restructuring, mismatches in jobs and skills must be expected. We recognise the tremendous adjustments needed by both jobseekers and employers to give each other a chance even if they do not look like perfect fits. Many jobseekers have shown such courage and resilience. Around 39% of workers retrenched in the first quarter of 2020 had re-entered employment by June 2020. Of these, seven in 10 re-entered employment within a month of being retrenched and five in 10 possessed transferrable skills that enabled them to switch to a different industry.[+6 sentences] For jobseekers who are prepared to take the leap to change vocation or join a new sector, our career conversion programmes and company-hosted traineeships and attachments can help to make this switch easier. At the same time, we are also seeing businesses changing their mindsets. Instead of looking only for jobseekers who already have the experience and skills, businesses often find that when they widen their search, they find good candidates. The Government has been working closely with such forward-thinking companies in the private sector. And in doing so, these companies have created new opportunities for Singaporeans while placing themselves in a good position for economic recovery. Mr Yip Hon Weng has highlighted that mature workers aged 40 and above are likely to face greater difficulties in making a career switch. We are aware and recognise the challenges this group of jobseekers face. I have already mentioned that the JGI will provide higher salary support for new mature local hires – double that, compared to non-mature hires.[+1 sentence] Moreover, under the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Support Package introduced in the Unity Budget earlier this year, we have ramped up our career conversion programmes to more than 14,000 places this year. This aims to support mid-career jobseekers in reskilling for new occupations in sectors with good long-term prospects. We have also boosted the salary support for all workers aged 40 and above who are enrolled in career conversion programmes, in particular, for non-PMETs, from 70% to 90%.[+18 sentences] This year alone, our career conversion programmes have helped 6,100 mid-career jobseekers to acquire new skills and switch into new occupations. These include close to 100 Professional Conversion Programmes or PCPs, covering across 30 sectors, and specialised career conversion programmes under the Tech Skills Accelerator or TeSA for the ICT sector. For mid-career jobseekers who may not be able to secure a job straightaway, the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme provides attachment opportunities hosted by companies. These opportunities provide jobseekers with valuable industry-relevant experience and help them to build up their skillsets and networks, while receiving an allowance. The Government will co-fund 80% of the training allowances for trainees under these programmes, while the organisations fund the remaining 20%. The public sector has also introduced a Work and Skills Immersion Programme in capability areas, such as ICT, food science and technology, social services and healthcare sector. Open to fresh graduates and mid-career switchers, successful applicants are employed full-time, typically on a two-year basis, and will receive structured on-the-job training, preparing them to take up roles in the economy once we recover. Miss Cheryl Chan has also pointed out that our upskilling and reskilling strategies need to take into account certain vulnerable groups, such as special needs individuals, and we agree fully. The Open Door Programme helps PwDs enter suitable jobs and integrate them into the workplace by providing support for job placement, training and cost of job redesign. The Open Door Programme training grant was recently enhanced in July, with more course fee subsidies of up to 95% and training allowance of $6/hr, as well as a new training commitment award of $100 per completed eligible training course. The training courses are curated to ensure that they equip our PwDs with industry-relevant skills. This includes courses in software and technical design skills, and courses that help PwDs work in emerging sectors like logistics, or in new jobs that may involve automation. There are also customised Train and Place Programmes for specialised jobs. And looking ahead, SG Enable is also working to expand courses in sectors with long-term growth opportunities, such as healthcare, education, banking and finance and computing. On our foreign Work Pass policies, there was already an intense debate last month. So, I will just summarise some of the points that were brought up by Members. The Government will continue to make adjustments to calibrate the flow, keeping in mind Mr Liang Eng Hwa's reminder not to over rely on foreign manpower. To that end, we update our foreign worker policies on a regular basis. At the Work Permit and S Pass level, we cut the services quota from 40% to 38% and the S Pass quota from 15% to 13% in 2020, and this will be further reduced to 35% and 10% respectively in 2021, that is, next year.[+6 sentences] We will also cut S Pass quotas for the construction, process and marine shipyard sectors from 20% to 15% from 2021 to 2023. At the Employment Pass or EP level, MOM has also tightened the framework recently. This is why we raised the salary hurdle – to nudge employers towards better quality. And this also means that applicants who do not meet the higher hurdles must come under the S Pass framework, where there are quota controls. We have extended the job advertising duration from 14 to 28 days. When assessing EP and S Pass applications, we will place additional emphasis on efforts made by employers to build up and retain a strong Singaporean Core. We also regularly take employers to task for pre-selecting foreign candidates and disregarding qualified local candidates. This year alone, 90 employers have had their work pass privileges suspended because of infringements under the FCF.[+9 sentences] We will also be engaging an expanded group of employers to review their hiring practices, including firms whose Singaporean Core has been weakening, or whose EP and S Pass workforce are also overly concentrated from a single foreign nationality source. Members such as NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Koh Poh Koon earlier have spoken passionately on supporting our lower wage workers. We all share the same aspirations in this House. As various Members have also spoken earlier in clarification of Dr Koh's speech, we do not want any Singaporean to be left behind. We want to uplift and care for our fellow workers as best as we can. This Government and our tripartite partners stand in solidarity with our low-wage workers. Our approach has worked. It has worked. We are progressively narrowing the gap between the incomes of our low-wage workers, and those in the middle. In the three sectors where the PWM has been implemented, real incomes have increased by around 30% in recent years, outstripping the 21% of real income growth at the median across all sectors.[+1 sentence] As for the overall workforce – that means those with PWM and those without PWM collectively – real incomes of our full-time employed resident workers at the 20th percentile have also increased cumulatively more than the median. The incomes of our 10th percentile full-time resident workers today, currently stands at $1,517. One decade ago, the incomes of this percentile of workers was at $1,000. This amounts to a 50% increase over the last decade.[+16 sentences] There has certainly been progress, if you look at our measures and how the whole eco-system works. But more importantly, we have done so, while keeping unemployment low for years, up till COVID-19 broke out early this year. The risk of disemployment is a key factor that the Government is very sensitive to. With regard to literature, the fact is that the jury is still out there. Economists have not conclusively found that Minimum Wage will not create disemployment. In fact, I am told it is a very hotly contested area and economists continue to debate this issue. Recent studies have found that the range of estimates for the disemployment effect of Minimum Wage is wide. Moreover, studies have shown that the disemployment effects could be stronger for certain groups of workers. For example, Harasztosi and Lindner found that the disemployment effects due to increases in Minimum Wage in Hungary were considerably larger in the tradeable and exporting sectors than in the non-tradeable or service sector. Others, such as economists Meer and West have shown in their research in the United States that Minimum Wage may not cause immediately disemployment effects, but still impact job growth. Some studies, when you look at it, they relate to disemployment from the averages perspective. But I think it is also important when you look at some of this evidence, the preponderance of evidence show that low-skilled workers are actually most at risk when you talk about job loss. So, we need to deal with the specifics. Look at the natures of our profile of low-wage workers in Singapore and the nature of how this would affect them in specifics. We are not ideologically against Minimum Wage, PWM or what have you, but I think what we want is the best from each of these systems that will benefit Singapore, benefit our low-wage workers; but at the same time, we avoid the downsides and the trade-offs. This is very important for us and that is why we take a very serious view on disemployment. Our sense of solidarity with our low-wage workers also goes beyond wages. We have taken a careful and practical approach to implement a holistic suite of measures: Workfare that tops up the income of low-wage workers by up to 30% and provides targeted training support that supports better employment outcomes.[+14 sentences] I think it is important that we support them beyond just the wages, and we also have Special Employment Credit to offset their wages and improve their employability. Silver Support is also provided to support retirement adequacy. So, on top of the wages that they get, Government supports them with a slew of measures to uplift their income to support their homes. It is also important to inculcate care and respect for our low-wage workers. So, our measures go beyond just wages. With Workcare, we will improve low-wage workers' working environments in appreciation for their work, such as through the provision of proper rest areas for outsourced workers. I think the question would be this – can we be a nation with a strong social compact but without Minimum Wage? When we think of countries with high standards of living, strong social policies, and with good and advanced economies like us, we often think of Scandinavian countries like Norway, Denmark and Sweden. Like Singapore, these countries do not have a single Minimum Wage, and yet they still have vibrant, cohesive societies. In place of a single Minimum Wage, these countries have robust dialogues between stakeholders, resulting in collective agreements on wages at the sectoral level. This is akin to our sectoral tripartite approach in our existing PWMs and future tripartite efforts. The Tripartite Workgroup for our low-wage workers, will be studying this important issue with an open mind. They will work to refresh the consensus on what works best for our low-wage workers, and to ensure that more of our low-wage workers can benefit. Mr Ang Wei Neng and Mr Dennis Tan have asked about the criteria for SIRS. In the first two tranches of SIRS, we have disbursed over $1.1 billion. With the third and final tranches, SIRS is expected to cost $2 billion in total, almost double the original $1.2 billion set aside.[+1 sentence] This is a significant expansion of an already sizeable programme. Altogether, about 195,000 individuals have received support under SIRS.[+1 sentence] We have already been exercising flexibility in the qualifying criteria to support more self-employed persons, or SEPs. About two in three unique applications have been approved.[+7 sentences] And for the remaining one third, applicants may have been earning much higher incomes, they could have resided in higher value properties, or own two or more properties with their spouses. As SIRS was intended to support SEPs, employees who lost their jobs or experienced income loss were redirected to the COVID-19 Support Grant. Where there were other areas of need, we have referred unsuccessful applicants to the appropriate agencies for follow-up assistance. On the suggestion by Mr Saktiandi Supaat to allow citizens in need to tap on their CPF balances early, as announced by Deputy Prime Minister Heng in August, the Government is studying appropriate ways to provide support to working Singaporeans, including SEPs, in the event of prolonged loss of income, beyond existing schemes. Mr Speaker, in this debate, Members have raised a broad range of suggestions to address the needs of almost every worker segment. We take these ideas seriously and will study them closely; rest assured. MOM will continue to make every effort to ensure that Singapore and Singaporeans are not just able to tide over the immediate challenge ahead of us, but also are set in good stead for the future beyond that.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Darryl David.
Mr Darryl David (Ang Mo Kio)1425 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, one of my favourite sayings is, "When you are up to your neck in crocodiles, do not ask which way the river is flowing." Essentially, what it means is that when you are in a tough tight, difficult situation, solve the situation, focus on getting out of the difficult spot and give that priority over everything else. I believe we have seen our Government do this in the past six or seven months with five Budgets that have been rolled out to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Singaporeans and Singaporean businesses. JSS, SIRS, CSG, various industry support packages, different industry grants – they have all provided valuable lifelines for Singaporeans and Singaporean companies to pull them out of the river of crocodiles and get them out from a very difficult period, and would be important to continue to be that supportive foundation that Singaporeans can reply on moving forward.[+9 sentences] While the Government has done a good job, so far, with regard to immediate crisis management and to meet immediate needs, of our Singaporeans. The fact remains that there are, to paraphrase Deputy Prime Minister Heng, "profound uncertainties ahead". So, I am heartened that the key phrase in the Statement is the strategy to emerge stronger. In other words, now that we are out of that immediate danger, what can we do to navigate the river to be mindful of the currents to ensure that our boat sails in that right direction; being mindful, of course, of all the crocodiles that are around us. I would like to focus on opportunities that our Government can take during this period and in coining the term opportunities, I would like to echo a phrase that PA Deputy Chairman Minister Chan Chun Sing was quoted as saying "an opportunity of a generation" – that COVID-19 could be seen as an opportunity of a generation. So, I would to like to see how opportunities could be explored during this period in the Sports & Fitness and Arts & Cultural industries to make them a more essential part of our community and society. Mr Speaker, Sir, most of us would agree that sport has the ability to transcend boundaries and bring people together regardless of their race, language or religion. COVID-19 has indeed had a significant dampener on sports. You need to have spectators to have meaningful sporting activities, and just even play together, you need to have people come together, and understandably so we could not do that in the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides that, COVID-19 has also had an impact on those who are in the sports and fitness industries, regardless of whether they are hired employees, freelance coaches or instructors or owners of sports and fitness related businesses. It is thus heartening to note that some activities such as the Singapore Premier League or SPL will be resuming soon, this weekend, if I am not mistaken, and the Government has managed to relax the guidelines and constraints around sporting activities.[+2 sentences] I would like to ask if the Government has a plan that is dedicated to helping and assisting those who are in the sports and fitness industries, that will not only help them through these immediate challenges, but also reflect a mid-to-long term strategy for how the sports and fitness industries could thrive and flourish in the new normal that we will all undoubtedly find ourselves in. I would also like to focus now on opportunities for those in the arts and culture industries. I am aware that my Parliamentary colleagues, Members of Parliament, Ms Carrie Tan and Minister of State, Ms Low Yen Ling had a good debate about safeguarding the livelihood of our Arts & Culture professionals in Parliament last week. And it is heartening to know that MCCY is taking steps in this direction, especially in terms of helping to support our Arts & Culture freelance performers and also in terms of creating professional opportunities or projects that our performers can work on.[+1 sentence] No doubt, many of the practitioners, professionals and organisations could rely on some of the schemes such as JSS & SIRS for support as well. What I would like the Government to consider is what more can be done, in the mid-to long-term to ensure that we are better to support the Arts & Culture and Sports & Fitness industries. It would be good, in Arts & Culture for example, if the MCCY could see how they could partner with the MOE to bring arts and culture more into the curriculum and integrate arts and culture into our schools' curriculum – not just in terms of subjects being taught by MOE such as music, art or drama which are sometimes taught in formal context by trained MOE teachers, but by ensuring that all students are exposed to the various arts at all levels of the curriculum.[+9 sentences] For example, MCCY and MOE could leverage on the performing expertise of our arts professionals to engage and employ them even as auxiliary educators of sorts for them to come into the schools and bring real-life artistic experience to our students. Using our arts performance like this would, I believe, be a win-win situation because it will allow our arts performers an alternate revenue stream, something else they can do besides their actual performing and it also allow our students to be exposed to and be taught by and be nurtured by as it were, actual, professional arts practitioners coming from the arts industry. I believe that some schools do engage professionals now on an independent ad hoc basis, but what I proposing is, perhaps, having a dedicated core of arts and culture professionals who are actually considered auxiliary MOE educators and having these educators being deployed in a structured formal manner to every MOE school in the country, and through this way we also educate and bring our young people or young adults into the world of arts and culture through forms such dance, music, singing and so on. I would like to briefly refer to the article in The Sunday Times, last Sunday, where it was reported that there are many musicians who have decades of experience, but who cannot get teaching jobs due to a lack of a formal music degree. I believe it was Cultural Medallion recipient Jeremy Monteiro, himself is a world renowned pianist who said, and i quote, “It would be a waste if local musicians, who have years of experience in the industry, but no formal education, are not allowed to formally teach part-time or full time too.” The same, perhaps, could be said of theatre practitioners or dancers as well. If our concern is that such professionals might not have sufficient teacher training, then I strongly recommend that MCCY, perhaps, work with MOE to see how these professionals could undergo basic teacher training certification in the fundamentals of education, for example, how to impart education, how to work with curriculum and so on while concurrently actually bringing their art and their craft, in working with the students. I believe that incorporating more of the arts and culture into our school’s curriculum and involving more of our arts professionals in the delivery of this curriculum is a huge step in the right direction. Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to end my speech with a quote by Prime Minister Lee from six years ago, at an event marking the 30th Anniversary of the Lasalle College of the Arts. I do not know if Prime Minister remembers this or not. It was in 2015, I believe, Prime Minister or 2014 and I quote, "Creating jobs, upgrading workers, making Singapore a more attractive place to work – these are all important things in life." And I agree. "You have to put bread on the table. But 'Man does not live by bread alone'. We do wish for the finer things in life, to appreciate beauty and love, and something uplifting for the spirit." Mr Speaker, Sir, sports, arts, culture, these are indeed uplifting for the spirit and I believe that it is about getting that balance right that even as we extend support to these industries, I would hope that the Government can go one step further to take this opportunity to further embed sports, arts and culture not just in the fabric of our community, but in the psyche and the soul of our people as well.[+1 sentence] With that, I end my speech in support of the Ministerial Statement.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim341 words
[+9 sentences]Mr Speaker, I just wish to take the opportunity to clarify a question that Senior Minister of State Zaqy mentioned about the Minimum Wage and the literature. I think it is important to be clear what the literature says and I wonder if he could clarify. He did cite single studies which show that the Minimum Wage, perhaps, may generate occasional instances where unemployment levels may go up but we should be clear. It is always easy to cite individual studies and that is why in academia we do not rely purely on a single study to support our case. Rather we do something called meta analyses so these aggregate and evaluate the totality of the results. If you look at the totality of the results, I think it is fairly clear that – and I am happy to cite a specific study. So, for the case of the UK you can look at the study by Dube in 2019; for the case of the US, you can look at, in addition to the famous Card and Krueger study in 1995, more recent evidence as well, for Brookman in 2010 for international evidence. The point is, look, I am not trying to make this a battle of studies. But I think we need to come to some kind of agreement that we do not make proposals about the Minimum Wage on the basis of a single study that favours the outcome that we have approached the issue. Rather, we have to base it on the totality of the results and I think if you look at the totality of the results, you will see that a very low Minimum Wage – what the Workers' Party is proposing is a minimum wage of $1,300.[+2 sentences] This would fall far below the minimum wage of every, almost every other developed country and all these studies have been based on Minimum wages that are much higher than the number that we are proposing here. So, I think it is important to keep that in mind.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Zaqy Mohamad.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad547 words
[+2 sentences]First, I thank the Member Jamus Lim for his, I suppose, clarification. The point I made earlier was that this is not about studies and not about particular studies actually. It is about this, the studies being hotly contested and the academia, I think you can throw studies to each other and we can never come to conclusive position. So, I think this is about how we have applied, how we have also shown how wages have grown and I have shared the examples earlier, where our low-wage workers have seen wage growth – 30% in the last five years without Minimum Wage.[+8 sentences] Or actually, we did have Minimum Wage through our PWM or Minimum Wage Plus to some extent. So, conceptually, ideologically, we have clearly said that we are not against one idea or the other. We can throw studies at each other and, like I said, it is hotly contested, even among academia. What is important is this: that we want to reap the maximum benefits of what these studies have shown and how others have applied it. I have also shared others, like in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, have also shown strong, social solidarity without implementation of a single Minimum Wage, using the same approach that we have had – using sectoral consensus to make sure that we have uplifted our low-wage workers. Studies aside, \what we have to look at is our local context. Has the current system work? So, I have shown that at the 10th percentile, as I said in my speech earlier, we have seen wage growth. At the 10th percentile, it was $1,000 10 years ago; it is now $1,500-plus. We have seen a 50% wage growth in the last 10 years for the lowest income threshold.[+11 sentences] I do have to also reiterate the fact once again because the Workers' Party tends to forget this in its deliberations always that our system works in tandem as a holistic system, it is a whole system. It is not just PWM but Workfare that we use to top up. I also said we use Silver Support. I think many of your residents too would have enjoyed Silver Support in their old age. This is exactly the profile that needs the most help and we top up the income so that they are not left behind. And that is why I think it is important that beyond putting studies, showing analyses, meta analyses and what have you, but really getting down on the ground, working in consensus meet the employers too and making sure that the downsides are managed and do not impact our lowest skilled workers who are likely at risk when it comes to job loss. So, the risk of disemployment is something that we are very sensitive to and that is why we have the Tripartite Workgroup on the Low-wage Workers. We need to study this quite carefully as we chart the path ahead. So, it is not just something simple, you could do it within a short span of time without understanding the impacts, the consequences for our low-wage workers. So, we have to be very careful. So, it is not about academic and studies but, really, lives of Singaporeans and how we want to uplift our low-wage workers.
Mr Speaker10 words
[+1 sentence]Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, if you have a fresh perspective.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim143 words
[+4 sentences]Yes, thank you and I will just note them. I am really happy that Senior Minister of State Zaqy has raised the example of Scandinavia because, in fact, it is true that Scandinavia does not have a Minimum Wage but that is in part because they also have unionisation rates in the order of 70% to 80%. So, there is a very strong collective bargaining representation there. In fact, part of the reason why they do not want the Minimum Wage is because they do not want to get into a situation where a Minimum Wage might push wages down below a certain mark which, as I explained, is not in fact the lived reality of our low-income workers who are struggling with some of the lowest wage rates, even with the $1,300 that we proposed as a Minimum Wage among developed countries.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad212 words
[+9 sentences]So, let me put it to the Member again that, yes, we do have a similar system, the tripartite negotiation but we are a much smaller country and you cannot say that our wages do not increase. It is one thing to say that the system has not worked. On the other hand, I put forth the numbers to show that the system has. So, if you tell me that the low-wage workers have stagnated in the last 10 years, I say the numbers show otherwise. I think it is not just about academia or theory out here. It is real practitioners talking here. We have worked the system, we have worked and the unions have worked the ground too, employers have been working with us and our system works too. So, we all have our uniqueness but the issue here is: is our system working? Have the wages of our lowest 10%, for example, if I take it to that level, has it gone up? Yes, there will be some but this is an area we have to look at and that is why the Government is serious. We have put in the Tripartite Workgroup for Low-wage Workers specifically to see how we can do better in uplifting our low-wage workers.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Leong Mun Wai.
Mr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member)16 words
[+2 sentences]Thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to pose four questions to the Senior Minister of State.
Mr Speaker16 words
[+2 sentences]We do not have time to pose four questions, I have said that. Perhaps, two clarifications.
Mr Leong Mun Wai44 words
[+1 sentence]Okay, two clarifications. One is that do you not think that the Minimum Wage that Workers' Party is proposing and PSP is also in favour of something similar called Living Wage.[+1 sentence] Do you not think this is a very bold idea or that —
Mr Speaker28 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Leong, we have been discussing this for the past, quite a long bit of time. It has been discussed. Do you have a fresh perspective to add?
Mr Leong Mun Wai123 words
[+1 sentence]Okay. So, I am asking do you not think that this can be a bold idea to implement during this period of very uncertainty and we have to emerge from the crisis.[+2 sentences] We can always put in new measures to support the implementation of a new Minimum Wage or living wage. This is one question. Second question is that I think the point about there being a danger of losing competitiveness or losing jobs may be a bit overblown.[+3 sentences] Because in terms of the level of competitiveness, the level of Minimum Wage or living wage that we are proposing is actually very low level. So, it would not affect the overall wage level immediately. Secondly, in terms of the loss of jobs —
Mr Speaker5 words
[+1 sentence]That was the second point.
Mr Leong Mun Wai1 words
[+1 sentence]Sorry?
Mr Speaker11 words
[+3 sentences]Two points. You have made your two points. Mr Zaqy Mohamad.
Mr Leong Mun Wai3 words
[+1 sentence]Yes, thank you.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad24 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, these points were all answered earlier on by Senior Minister of State Dr Koh Poh Koon so I shall not repeat them.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Edwin Tong.
The Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law (Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai)16 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, Sir, I hope I can bring a fresh perspective on an entirely different topic.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]I hope so, too.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai4547 words
[+25 sentences]Sir, I have previously spoken in this House about how the Singapore society is like a tapestry, woven out of diversity, bound by community, forged from a shared sense of destiny. Every part of Singapore, coming together, for a beautiful, tightly knitted, cohesive fabric. These diverse strands of our social fabric include our arts, culture and sports sectors. Mr Darryl David has spoken passionately about these three sectors and I will address his queries. These sectors make the Singapore tapestry even more beautiful, vibrant, and meaningful. These strands coe together, to represent the heart of Singapore. In recent times, like the many threads which make up the fabric of our society, these strands have come under strain. The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally affected the way in which we interact and socialise with one another and has threatened to unravel some of these threads. But we know that even as we battle the pandemic, it is critical for us to ensure that each of these threads – our arts, culture and sports sectors – remain vibrant, cohesive and remain very much a part of the Singapore Tapestry. We must continue to sustain and develop them. And they, in turn, must continue to be an avenue through which Singaporeans fulfil their aspirations, dreams and desires. These threads must also continue to connect Singaporeans from all walks of life and be able to inspire and imbue a sense of pride in being Singaporean. Sir, Members will agree that, in one way or another, our lives have been touched by the many contributions and achievements of our artists and our athletes alike. Our sportsmen and sportswomen, past and present, have been a source of inspiration to many Singaporeans. We share the joys of their success and we feel the pain of their defeat. The events and programmes of our arts community reach ever wider and growing audiences. They fill us with pride. They also teach and they inspire us in a way which almost nothing else can. All of this is possible because we have, over time, nurtured the best talents, helped them along in their journey, developed them, given them a boost in their chosen craft, built a platform from which they can showcase their talents. So, we owe a lot also to our community of trainers, coaches, instructors and freelancers, all of whom contribute richly to this landscape. As Mr Darryl David says, we must do what we can to rally behind them during this difficult time. Sir, Deputy Prime Minister has spoken about the unevenness of COVID-19's impact on the different sectors. Whilst some sectors have seen a measure of recovery, the past few months have really not been easy for those in the arts, culture and sports sectors. Fundamentally, these sectors thrive on large group gatherings. Theatre, performances and competitive sport – they all play to an audience. Yet, this is precisely what we cannot now do, as we continue to fight against COVID-19, to keep Singaporeans safe and to keep the virus at bay. We have had to suspend large-scale events and limit group sizes to five.[+9 sentences] These measures are necessary but we must not forget that they have severely impacted the viability of businesses and the livelihoods, particularly of freelancers in these sectors. In the almost three months that I have been at MCCY, I have met a broad range of people across the various sectors. I have met with many leaders of our National Sports Associations, talked to athletes, coaches and freelance instructors. I have also heard from artists, musicians and arts educators. Many have been so very generous in sharing their views and vision with me, giving me a good grasp of the industry and good ideas for the longer term development of these sectors. But they also spoke candidly about their here and now, their immediate challenges, and I think all of us in this House understand those difficulties. Over the past few months, MCCY has rolled out dedicated support measures for our sectors to supplement the assistance they already receive from the broad-based Government measures. We understand what many are going through and we know that we must, where we can, help them further. Let me outline a few of these initiatives. To help them manage overheads, we have provided rental waivers to tenants in SportSG facilities and arts venues, as well as venue hire subsidies for users of our cultural institutions.[+2 sentences] We have also supported practitioners to hone their digital skills and expertise in areas, such as business literacy. And many of them, in turn, support the industry as a whole. The Arts and Culture Resilience (ACR) package has generated over 10,000 work and training opportunities, of which almost 4,000 alone were for freelancers. It has also supported close to 1,200 digitalisation projects and programmes by local artists and organisations.[+21 sentences] For example, the Jazz Association of Singapore – Mr Jeremy Monteiro is their Music Director, someone that Mr David mentioned earlier – they were one of the first recipients of the Digital Presentation Grant. They went online overnight and launched multiple digital programmes, including JASS@Home, a digital concert in celebration of UNESCO's International Jazz Day 2020. This featured performances by many local musicians. I attended many of their presentations – high quality, innovative, entertaining but I think, most of all, comforting, to the many Singaporeans and, especially, in these times. On top of that, in the true spirit of giving back, JASS has also started their own Crisis Fund to assist local jazz musicians affected by the crisis with short-term financial aid. So, JASS receives a grant from the Government but they also pay it forward. Bhaskar's Arts Academy was also awarded the DPG for DashaTanMatra (10 Subtle Elements), a series of 10 mini digital presentations of new dance, music works, webinars on Bharatanatyam, and re-adaptation of past repertoires. We will continue to support the industry as they seek to go digital. Another practitioner I met recently was Ms Emmeline Yong. She was an investment banker in New York. She gave it all up, returned to Singapore to pursue her passion in visual arts and she set up Objectifs in 2003. Objectifs is an example of an arts organisation that MCCY is committed to supporting. It has a strong sense of mission to nurture and also provide a platform for other practitioners and freelancers to hone, practise and exhibit their craft. With the support of the ACRP, Objectifs put up free photography and videography courses for arts practitioners and other freelancers to help them create strong social media content to outreach, a campaign to pitch their offerings. To better support freelancers or smaller set-ups, the Arts Resource Hub (ARH), set up under the National Arts Council (NAC), provides targeted support for all of them, including co-working spaces, talks, clinics on financial planning, probono legal support, digital tools and copyright – a broad spectrum of what is needed, giving them a platform and tools for these artists to pursue their craft and also build on their dream, much like what JASS and Objectifs have done. In the immediate short-term, the ARH has also provided freelancers with aggregated information and assistance to help them tap on the broader Government programmes like the Self-Employed Persons Income Relief Scheme (SIRS), COVID-19 Support Grant and the SEP Training Support Scheme. At the same time, MCCY has also worked with people within the community spaces to develop platforms to bring digital experiences and also blended programmes, which are often hybrid in nature, to blend or both in-person and virtual and finding platforms to bring more of these to Singaporeans. For example, #SGCultureAnywhere by NAC is an integrated campaign that profiles the best of Singapore arts. Our cultural institutions and major arts companies have also made their content available on new digital platforms, such as SISTIC Live. Those of you who have not gone on SISTIC Live, I encourage you to give it a try. In sports, we developed ActiveSG Circle as a virtual sports centre to encourage and inspire Singaporeans to get active, as well as to provide a marketplace for sports and fitness instructors and their potential students and trainees to get in touch with each other. Jasmine Wong, a certified KpopX fitness instructor, has conducted 85 virtual classes on the Circle since April.[+9 sentences] Through the Circle, she has discovered new ways to reach out to both existing and also to new students, with reasonable fees, to make these classes and these interactive sessions a lot more accessible. SportSG has also introduced Blended, an initiative to encourage sport event companies and organisers to transition to events that blend virtual and physical participation which Singaporeans can look forward to more of in the coming months. This format will certainly be with us for some time and we will continue to study how we can support them better so that instructors, coaches and other freelancers alike can continue to reach out to an audience and, as far as possible, even in these times, to continue with as much as they would have done in normal circumstances as possible. Sir, let me now touch on what else we will be doing to support these sectors in the immediate term. MCCY will provide immediate assistance to critical segments with special talents. We know that if we lose these talents, inadvertently or otherwise, in this pandemic, it could take years to recover. It would set us back in our efforts to promote arts, culture and sports in Singapore. So, for the arts and culture sector, we will be providing an Operating Grant under the ACRP to support arts and culture organisations and also those in closely-related sectors. They hold key talent capabilities in our eco-system and we must not lose them. Eligible arts and culture organisations will receive a one-off ACRP Operating Grant of either $75,000 or $50,000 which they can use to defray their operating costs, and the amount depends on the size of their organisation.[+1 sentence] We hope organisations that receive this grant will provide work opportunities for the many employees in this sector, including the freelancers. Pay it forward, like what Objectifs and JASS have done. This grant is expected to benefit over 300 organisations and more information will be made available by NAC in end-October and we will also reach out directly to eligible organisations to tell them about this and to assist them in their application. With this grant, we expect to fully utilise the $55 million set aside for the ACRP by the end of FY2020.[+28 sentences] Sir, for the sports sector, we will add a further $25 million for new and expanded measures. Added to the earlier announced $25 million package, this makes for a total of $50 million available to the sports sector. Let me say a little more about how this will be administered. First, some background to our sports eco-system. It is made up of a diverse range of different institutions, from the National Sport Associations (NSAs), to the private academies and clubs. They are private leagues that run the sports facility as well. They are run privately. And, of course, the whole mass of coaches and freelance instructors, they all make up a very rich and vibrant sports eco-system. They all play an important role in our collective efforts to build a strong pipeline of athletes to mould and shape them and to support them on their quest for competitive success on both the domestic and international front. Many private academies and clubs, in particular, complement the efforts of our NSAs. They enrich training and talent development, and they also offer a range of different competition opportunities. Take the Aquatic Performance Swim Club or APSC, or the APS Swim School, for example. It is a private swimming academy which has, over the years, contributed significantly to the identification and talent of Singaporean swimmers. Since 1996, the APSC has channeled swimming talents spotted from the APS Swim School into specialised competitive swimming training, diving and also synchronised swimming. They have also provided competition opportunities across a range of different levels and through its many myriad of events. We understand the impact that COVID-19 has had on these private academies, such as APS and others, the leagues and facility operators and we understand the challenges they go through. Many of them need some measure of support, if nothing else, to tide over the period. Recently, the Cage and other such similar sport facility operators also reached out to me to share their concerns. They spoke about the inevitable loss of revenue because of the safe management measures. They had to close. They were not allowed to open. And they had difficulties affording rent and continuing to sustain the salaries of their staff. And we can well understand how these restrictions have impacted their ability to operate. SportSG has worked with many such businesses to allow them to resume some programmes and activities safely, coming out of the Circuit Breaker. But I am sure Members in this House will agree that we do not want these operators to be a casualty of the pandemic. Our sporting landscape, with its broad spectrum of different players and options, will be the poorer if that happens. While the resumption of sports activities since June has alleviated some immediate operational concerns, we recognise that there is still the longer term sustainability and survivability. And I think that is a major area of stress for many of these operators. With this in mind, the Sports Resilience Package (SRP) will provide eligible businesses with an operating grant to cover up to 25% of their total operating expenses, capped at $15,000 a month. And this will last for six months, beginning from October 2020 right through to March 2021. We hope to be able to support up to 150 sports businesses with this operating grant, helping operators who do not currently receive Government funding.[+4 sentences] This grant will also ensure that our critical sports businesses which contribute richly, as I have said, to our athlete pipeline development and training, do not close down due to the pandemic, do not marginalise the programmes that are available for athletes, allowing our athletes to benefit from the best training programmes. Sir, let me now touch on some of the mid-term measures to partner our arts and sports community to innovate and adapt to the new environment. The last few months have shown that going digital is paramount, in fact, completely necessary. It allows our businesses and freelancers to reach out to existing audiences, to newer and also wider audiences, allowing higher quality content to be developed and also a degree of interactivity, despite the fact that you are communicating across two screens. Under the SRP, we will provide $5 million to help expand the existing Blended initiative to include eligible private academies and clubs as well.[+22 sentences] We recognise the work that they do and we have extended this programme to them, aiming to support 100 projects, which will, in turn, see the participation of about 450,000 Singaporeans in sports programmes over the next six months. We will also set aside an additional $4 million for sports businesses and freelancers to enhance the quality of their own digital productions to become even more interactive and more engaging and attract a greater following on their platforms. In addition, we will work with MOE and other partners to ensure that our students continue to have access to high quality arts experiences as part of their holistic education. Let me speak a little bit about this. The intent, Sir, is to continue to nurture and develop an appreciation, and hopefully, eventually ignite a passion for the arts in our young. The young will make up our audiences, our supporters and our patrons, and of course, the practitioners, in years to come. I have noted Mr Darryl David’s suggestion to engage our arts practitioners as auxiliary educators in schools. In fact, to ensure that students can benefit from the knowledge and experience of our arts practitioners, which I agree with Mr David it is a critical resource, NAC has worked with NIE International since 2012 to develop a course on the Essentials of Teaching and Learning for arts practitioners, precisely to become arts educators. NAC has also worked with other partners such as the Social Service Institute and SEED Institute to develop relevant pedagogical skills to complement what they are already do and are able to practice so that they can then seamlessly work with children with special needs and pre-schoolers. One needs to merge or blend what you have in your own experience as an arts practitioner with the relevant pedagogical skills so that pre-schoolers and those with special needs can also benefit from such education. NAC is working with arts educators to convert their student-facing programmes, such as the NAC Arts Education Programme, into digital or blended forms in the same way as we do for so many other programmes so that they become more accessible and we can reach a wider audience. NAC has also paired up with NIE to develop an e-learning primer and an e-pedagogy course for the arts, which will be launched in December 2020 and made available to arts educators at no cost. Let me assure Mr David that we are committed to ensuring that arts and culture remain an integral part of the curriculum, as students continue to develop awareness of our cultural heritage. Today, I am sure Mr David knows, museum-based learning forms a key component of the Primary Arts syllabus, with a recommended learning journey for Primary 4 students to the National Gallery in Singapore or to the Singapore Art Museum. On top of that, all Primary 6 and Secondary 2 cohorts will also visit the Asian Civilisations Museum and the National Museum of Singapore respectively, to enhance their learning and also to complement what they are taught in school, out of the classroom, as far as possible. Sir, I would like to next speak on the role which freelancers play in our sectors and address the challenges they face, besides what I mentioned earlier, in the programmes. There is a certain messiness in the way in which the sports and arts practitioners are organised. That is not only inevitable, but perhaps also useful to keep the sector fresh, and maintain some of that carefree entrepreneurial spirit. Hence, MCCY and our agencies have taken a light touch towards freelancers in the past, recognising the value of spontaneity and flexibility in their work – one day you can work on your own, another day you can come together and collaborate with another institution, but there is that spontaneous freedom. But COVID-19 has thrown into sharp focus the importance of having some dedicated organised framework to look after these freelancers to support their efforts, to help them apply for and get into the programmes that the Government has put up. We, my colleagues and Minister of State Low Yen Ling in particular, have reached out to many freelancers, and we will continue to do so – to help them to level up and to allow them to bring in more diversity to their craft. The sport freelancers I have met have also expressed their desire to do so. To support them, we have set aside $2.5 million under the SRP for two initiatives. First, coaches who are registered under the National Registry of Coaches or NROC can receive a training allowance of $10 per hour when they take up courses run by CoachSG, and this is when you take it up beyond the Continuing Coach Education courses that they take. Second, CoachSG will select 50 to 80 pairs of Level 2 and Level 3 NROC-registered coaches to participate in its structured mentorship programme.[+1 sentence] To encourage more to sign up for this programme to raise their coaching expertise so that once we are back – closer to what was normal before – these coaches will become more relevant and have more skillsets to impart to their trainees. To encourage this, participants will be provided between $400 and $600 per month to sign up for this mentorship programme.[+30 sentences] Likewise, for arts freelancers, MCCY and NAC, through the ARH, will work with them to step up on efforts to help them tap on available resources, to support them, identify and facilitate also work opportunities, skills upgrading, and also help them leverage on digital technology. It might not always be as easy for freelancers to be doing this on their own. We recognise that and we have a team set up to look into their needs, and to see how best to organise this, to organise the efforts to pair them up with available programmes. We encourage our freelance artists in the community to contact the ARH directly should they need assistance. Sir, the COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably disrupted our sectors. We are facing both short- and longer term challenges. The Government is committed to helping as many as possible in the sector to pull through, to remain viable, and to continue to play a rich part in the Singapore Tapestry. In the immediate short term, the financial measures that I have outlined briefly will help. But we know that the most sustainable way to help our sectors is to allow for the activities to resume not only at scale, but also safely. We are as eager as our artists, and our athletes, and the wider community for this to happen, and we have been working towards this goal. Recently, my colleagues and I attended several live performance pilots, including those by the Singapore Dance Theatre, Bhaskar’s Arts Academy, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, to name a few. These were carried out safely and successfully. We are reviewing now how we can fully resume and scale up live performances for the sector, with the appropriate measures to always prioritise the safety of our audiences, the performers and the crew. In the coming days, we hope also to progressively reintroduce programmes at museums in a safe manner as more social activities resume. As Mr David pointed out. Singaporeans can also look forward to the return of the Singapore Premier League this Saturday, after a hiatus of more than six months. The teams have resumed training, initially in small groups of five, subsequently full-squad training. I met a few of them when I visited the Lion City Sailors Football Club at Bishan stadium a few weeks ago. I could see that they were all keenly motivated by the desire to get back onto the field and to compete. We are also working with health authorities to pilot the resumption of spectator sports and mass participation sport events in the near future. In particular, we will have to find new modalities for mass participation events to avoid large concentrations of people at one place and also to consider the use of blended models in some of these events. One such example of a blended event pilots is the “Run as One” event, where small groups of runners were given time slots to compete across a fixed route over the course of two weeks. So, you are given the best example of own-time-own target – go at your own time but complete the distance. Nowadays everyone has a fitness tracker, and you can track your time and the distance covered. These examples give us some options in how we will introduce or reintroduce mass participation events. These pilots also allow us to test and refine the sports formats, with the goal of making them as safe as possible and also to try to maximise the amount of interactivity and fun that participants and spectators want to enjoy. Sir, besides arts and sports, we know that, perhaps especially in these times, many turned to religion as s source of solace, spiritual comfort and well-being. Therefore, we have been working closely with religious organisations to resume more activities safely. My colleagues and I have visited many such religious organisations, or the ROs, over the last couple months. It is encouraging to see they have adapted so very quickly, put safety as the primary consideration, and have been committed to working closely with the Government, placing the well-being of their devotees first. Following a successful pilot of the increase in worship limits to 100 persons, all ROs have been allowed to conduct congregational and worship activities/services for up to 100 persons – with the necessary safe management measures in place – that has been the case since 3 October 2020.[+1 sentence] We continue to be in constant dialogue with our religious leaders. Many have shared that singing and live music are integral to the way they practice their faith. So, we have commenced two separate pilots, in selected ROs – one to allow up to 250 persons at a time for worship services; and another a pilot to resume live music for worship services across different faith groups. We will see how that goes, study them, take on the lessons to be learnt, and consider whether we can extend the higher worship limits and live music subsequently to all other ROs and religious activities.[+21 sentences] Finally, Mr Speaker, coming back to the packages that I have outlined today. Much as these will help many tide over this period, we also know that it will take more than just financial assistance to sustain and to develop these sectors. People must be able to see and also appreciate, the intrinsic value that arts, culture, and sports can bring to our community. It brings us together. It allows us to rally behind our athletes, our Team, our sporting heroes. It builds and it shapes Singapore, and the kind of Singapore we want to live in, in a way which nothing else can. Singaporeans have turned to the arts, culture and sports to find respite, inspiration, and even to uplift spirits over the last few months in these times. Now, our practitioners need you as well. I urge all of us to support them as much as we can. Whether it is for the established artists, or the nascent sporting talent, they all thrive on having an audience. They will perform even more gracefully – I am sure, compete more vigorously when they are cheered on by an appreciative audience. I think we all can see why. I hope we can also be receptive to the new ways of consuming the arts, culture and sports. Some of the programmes, like Bandon that I mentioned earlier, please get onto them, please experience them for yourselves. Support them as they bring better content, programmes and events to you. To our practitioners in all these sectors, I encourage you to stay determined, continue to hone your craft, build your skills, train, compete, perform. Each of you will continue to be a vital part of the Singapore Tapestry, bringing together rich patterns and colours drawn from each of your diverse contributions and special talents, and your own achievements in arts, culture and music, and sports. All of these threads make for a more vibrant, exciting and cohesive Singapore. Be assured that we value the work that you do, and the Government will support you. Thank you, Sir. With that, I support the Ministerial Statement.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Carrie Tan.
Ms Carrie Tan201 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, I would like to make one point, but please pardon me, I have few lead-ups to that point. I thank the Minister for all these packages and support the MCCY has shared about for the Arts community and I am truly grateful for all these that we have budgeted for in the immediate short term of the pandemic which I know is difficult and we need to be prudent with our resources. But as with all things, I think we need to begin with a goal in mind. My question to the Minister is how far are we as a country setting our sights for the future of our Singaporean Arts for the sector? Do we have and what is our ambition for Singaporean Arts internationally if there is even one at this moment?[+1 sentence] We have given a lot of tribute to how the Arts and the Sports make up the Tapestry of Singapore, provide social cohesiveness, but I would like to encourage and seek the Minister's clarification on whether there is any thinking right now, or there will be any thinking in the near future, about planning for the Singaporean arts scene to become internationally successful and viable.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai374 words
[+4 sentences]Sir, I thank Ms Tan not only for her question now, but really, also for the Adjournment Motion that she filed some weeks ago. It had given us a lot of food for thought and really, we took on board the points as we looked at what else we could do, how else you could support the immediate short term of the freelancers, the coaches and the performers. But more importantly, I am very cognisant of the points she makes about the longer term vision. It is precisely because we have to have the ability to have the longer term to be able to prepare our artists today and to protect them. Ms Tan might know that we have a Culture Academy.[+4 sentences] The culture Academy is really a set up to look at the short-term needs, the industry and also to chart the longer term goals. In fact, just this morning I had a meeting with many of our Arts Institution heads. We had an interesting dialogue and the same question has come up. We have come a long way. The fact that we have so many different cultural institutions and we had a room full of people from the different types of arts from visual, to theatre, to performing, to music, says a lot about how we have grown that sector over the past years. But, we are never content with where we are and I share Ms Tan's passion to make Singapore art not just local but also global, to blend what we want to do here with our unique Singaporean heritage and identity, with what we can deliver on the world stage.[+2 sentences] And if Ms Tan is looking for recognition, just look at the exhibition today at the National Museum, started on the 8 October 2020, the Venice Biennale exhibition, Music For Everyone, and you will see that actually that exhibition has been on the world stage. Events like that in the past, as well as events in the future, will continue to nurture to grow and will give each of these artists as best a pipeline as possible, as best a development pathway as possible for them to shine on the world stage because ultimately that is what we want.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Xie Yao Quan.
Mr Xie Yao Quan (Jurong)2502 words
[+6 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to speak on three key areas today. First, to offer some perspective on the truly extraordinary measures that the Government has taken in its Budgets to deal with this crisis, such that we are even in a position today to debate about the way ahead. Second, to highlight the struggles that Singaporeans continue to face in the immediate term and what more we can do to support Singaporeans. And third, to look ahead and seek clarifications on the Government's strategy to invest in our long-term capabilities and priorities. First, on what has been truly extraordinary in the Government's four Budgets this year and the latest set of support measures. Sir, the Government now estimates that in this fiscal year, it would spend $27 billion for the Jobs Support Scheme, $1 billion for the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme or SIRS, and more than $1.5 billion each on Workfare Special Bonuses for low-wage workers and rental rebates for businesses. More than $31 billion in total, or almost 7% of GDP, directly injected by the Government into our economy to save jobs, keep viable businesses afloat and put a floor beneath an unprecedented economic contraction.[+1 sentence] By any count, this is extraordinary. The Government also estimates that it would spend more than $4 billion in Care and Support cash payouts, GST vouchers, service and conservancy charges rebates, utilities credits and Passion Card top-ups.[+1 sentence] More than $4 billion, directly into the hands of households, to boost the Government's support for households in these difficult times. More extraordinarily, the Government has maintained its initial commitment of $6 billion in the Unity Budget for the GST Voucher Fund.[+2 sentences] Six billion dollars that it is setting aside, amidst a crisis, for future GST Voucher payouts, because the Government knows that the GST Voucher scheme is a permanent commitment. And so, I completely disagree with the hon Member Mr Leong Mun Wai, who suggested yesterday that, because the Government is putting $6 billion into the GST Voucher fund, he has raised apprehension about an impending GST hike and in fact, the $6 billion should be spent elsewhere. On the contrary, the Government is doing the responsible thing, by recognising the GST Voucher scheme for what it is, a permanent commitment by the Government to help Singaporeans and keep GST progressive for all Singaporeans.[+1 sentence] Therefore, we must stay the course. And staying the course we are, in other areas as well, the Government has maintained its initial commitment in the Unity Budget for all other sums, for various endowment and trust funds: $5 billion to the Coastal and Flood Protection Fund, for our 100-year defence plan against rising sea levels; $2 billion to the National Research Fund, $2 billion to the Skills Development Fund and almost $1 billion to the ElderCare Fund, to save up for our future healthcare needs.[+30 sentences] More than $10 billion in total that the Government has set aside again during the crisis for our strategic, long-term needs. More than $10 billion that the Government has remained committed to, despite all the fiscal exigencies of the crisis. By any count, these are extraordinary measures. I thought these bear mentioning, because it is so easy to underestimate the scale of the Government's response to the crisis, so easy to overlook the Government's fundamental commitment to think long-term and so easy to take for granted the resources that we now have to sustain our response to the crisis while building a better future together. I hope that by highlighting these, we would have a better sense of perspective as we debate the Government's strategy to emerge stronger from the pandemic. Sir, with this sense of perspective, I would like to highlight the immediate struggles that Singaporeans continue to face, and what more the Government can and should, do. I have two suggestions. First, on the COVID-19 Support Grant. The COVID-19 Support Grant aims to help Singaporeans cushion the impact of the pandemic on their livelihoods. It is meant to work alongside ComCare assistance, which remains available, and indeed has been enhanced for the lowest income households in Singapore. So, ComCare is designed for one particular segment. The COVID-19 Support Grant, for another segment. One of the criteria for the COVID-19 Support Grant is income loss of at least 30% for three months. Sir, I have residents who narrowly miss this criterion. One resident in particular lost 30% income for two of three months and 29% in the remaining month. He did not get the grant, despite my appeal for him. I was told there were no extenuating circumstances in his household to justify an exception, as his other family members are working and so the gross household income should continue to be sufficient for their needs. Sir, I understand where the agency is coming from, but if my resident's income had fallen by just one more percentage point, he would have qualified for the grant and all of these considerations about household income and circumstances would have been moot. And while the responsible policymaker would make sure that the next $1 in income support is given to the household that needs it the most, I urge that we also consider what the next 1% point drop in income would mean for a household in the middle income segment. The median income in Singapore is about $4,000 a month. Take a 25% drop, that represents $1,000 less each month. A resident in this situation would not qualify for the COVID-19 Support Grant at all. And we can point to the $3,000 that the resident still draws each month and say this is sufficient. But I urge that we consider from the resident's perspective, his or her lived reality, his or her expectations, burdens and commitments, and what that $1,000 loss might feel for him or her. I therefore suggest that we pro-rate the COVID-19 Support Grant, based on the extent of income loss up to 30% and avoid the all or none cliff effect of the current criterion. In making this suggestion, I am well aware that wherever we draw the line in a policy, there will always be those on one side of the line who feel like they have missed out. And yet, in many of our policies, we have drawn not one, but multiple lines, such that it is a gradient rather than a cliff. This is the case with housing grants and this is the case with healthcare subsidies in the Pioneer and Merdeka Generation Packages and CHAS. Pro-rating the COVID-19 Support Grant would provide calibrated relief for more middle income households and better cushion the lingering economic pains of the pandemic for Singaporeans. Sir, my second suggestion to address the immediate struggles of Singaporeans is with regard to job matching. As of end August, almost 120,000 openings have been curated under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package and more than 33,000 jobseekers have been placed into these openings. While this has been encouraging progress, it remains that around 84,000 openings are as yet unfilled.[+33 sentences] More importantly, if we cut through the statistics and think about the thousands of Singaporean jobseekers as individuals, with lives to build and families to feed, grappling with the uncertainties of a search that has been going on for months, trying to stay strong amidst the deflating radio silence after that application that was sent out weeks ago, or after that interview last week that seemed to have gone went quite well – then it becomes abundantly clear to us that we not only need to walk alongside each Singaporean each step of the way, but also deliver outcomes for these jobseekers. In other words, I urge the Government to double down on job matching and get many more openings filled much more quickly. One of my residents was holding a full-time job. She successfully applied for another role, in a different sector and was told that her first day will be in April. So, she resigned and started serving her notice period. Then, the global economy worsened, the department she was slated to join got shut down and the offer that she had accepted got withdrawn. She ended up with nothing – she could not go back to the company she had resigned from and there was no other opening in the company she was slated to join. It has been seven months since. She has sent out more than 80 applications. In her words, "anything to get me started, I applied." And in her words, from "using various platforms, cold-emailing, career fairs, I have tried them all." She is 25 years old. Another resident of mine was manufacturing vaccines with a major pharmaceutical company here, but was let go after her contract expired. Her applications for similar positions had been without success, despite relevant experience. In her words, "it doesn’t make sense." She had also applied for other positions in MedTech and healthcare. It has been again months. She tells me she simply hopes to support her ageing parents, who probably cannot for work much longer. She says her "mind is dropping to almost negative now". She asks me to put myself in her, quote, "dusty shoes". She is 34 years old. Then there is this other resident, 44 years old, holds a Master's in Chemical Engineering, retrenched three months go – still searching and still interviewing. Yet another resident, this one, in his 50s, with more than 25 years of managerial experience. He has been searching for 10 months. In his words, "when recruiters see my age, they just pass me over." He told me he does not mind at all a lower pay or position and he told me he wished his career coach would have more time for him, because in his view, time is of the essence in certain openings. Of course, there are happier stories too. There is the resident who was an air stewardess and is now signing up for a training course with monthly allowance under the SGUnited Skills Programme to become a healthcare assistant. And there is this resident, who switched from being a bar executive in one of the top bars in Singapore, to being a lift technician with one of the top OEMs in Singapore in the market. I told him I hope he would consider joining our Town Councils some day. Sir, the anxiety and struggle of Singaporeans and Singaporean jobseekers is palpable. We have to match these jobseekers with available opportunities much more quickly. And we need to do this because we must maintain hope amongst our people and maintain hope in our society. To this end, I propose that we resource e2i and WSG decisively beyond today's levels to enable decisive outcomes for Singaporeans.[+9 sentences] Anecdotally, a big part of the challenge in job matching has been about expectations, concerns and mindsets, on the part of both jobseekers and employers. Therefore, we need an intensive relationship-management approach, focus on building the relationship with each employer and jobseeker, really understand and work the accounts, broker a match with persistence and finesse, and ultimately, convert and secure a placement. I think we are know where we want to go. We are aligned in terms of our objectives. We have the schemes in place. But I am asking that we resource much more decisively because we need the outcomes for Singaporeans a lot more quickly. Sir, I have spoken about keeping our eyes firmly on helping Singaporeans through their immediate struggles. At the same time, I would like to look ahead and seek clarifications on the Government's strategy to invest in our long-term capabilities and priorities. Deputy Prime Minister and the Finance Minister has said that the latest set of support measures would not draw further on past reserves but be funded by the reallocation of reduced spending, as well as deferred development expenditure. The total amount of deferred development expenditure is almost $7 billion.[+3 sentences] This includes more than $3.5 billion for transport infrastructure, more than $0.5 billion for healthcare infrastructure, more than $0.5 billion for waterworks and land preparation for the AgroTech zone at Neo Tiew and more than $150 million for MCCY. Given the Government's weak revenue outlook for the next few years, I share hon Member Mr Liang Eng Hwa's concerns about how we might be able to fund these deferred projects in future. I appreciate the Government's commitment to minimise its draw on past reserves, but I wonder if current revenues originally budgeted for strategic development should be set aside in a fund for deferred spending while additional, exceptional COVID support measures continue to be funded exceptionally with a further but prudent draw on past reserves, instead of reallocation of deferred development spending. At the same time, I hope the Government could clarify our overall outlook for these key investments. Certainly, we should not expect a catch-up in deferred capital expenditure in the next few years. And so, I echo the hon Member Mr Murali Pillai's question and ask: are we looking to push out the investment timeline, or are we expecting to cut back on our overall level of investment?[+10 sentences] These investments concern our long-term connectivity with the world and within Singapore. They concern our water and food self-sufficiency. They concern our healthcare capacity, and our capacity to stay healthy through community sports. So, we would have very hard and very important choices to make. Sir, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): To combat COVID-19, the Government has announced four Budgets decisively and introduced additional assistance measures in August. The Government has allocated tens of billions of dollars to tackle the immediate challenges. The scale and decisiveness of these efforts are evident to all. But the economic impact of the pandemic on Singaporeans will not abate soon. I urge the Government to continue to address the immediate needs and concerns of Singaporeans while looking into the future planning and implementing the Emerging Stronger strategy. First, one of the current conditions for the COVID-19 Support Grant is a reduction of at least 30% in income for three consecutive months. I suggest that the Government provide wage subsidies based on the degree of income loss of the applicants so that more Singaporeans can receive appropriate assistance to avoid the current cliff effect.[+4 sentences] I would also like to urge the Government to put in more resources to improve the success rate of the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Programme to give more hope to the many workers who are still looking for jobs. (In English): Sir, in conclusion, I ask that the Government provide more calibrated support for the broad middle, more effective job matching for workers across all age groups and age groups, and more clarity on our long-term investment strategy in key capabilities that will shape our survival and success. I am confident that we will remain a hopeful and united people, determined to build a better future for ourselves and future generations. Sir, I support the Motion.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Murali Pillai.
Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok)108 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Government's strategy to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic outlined in the Ministerial Statement delivered by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on 5 October 2020. As the hon Member Mr Xie mentioned just now, the resources committed under the four Budgets are significant. It amounted to about $100 billion and this is on top of the other measures, such as special relief measures for debtors and tenants.[+2 sentences] I wish to offer a comparative perspective as to how we fare in relation to Asian countries. With your leave, Sir, may I be allowed to use the LED screen to flash the slide?
Mr Speaker14 words
[+1 sentence]If it helps, that will be fine.
Mr Murali Pillai1747 words
[+3 sentences]Obliged. Sir, you have here an extract of a report from the Asian Intelligence which was issued on 23 September 2020. We see here, Sir, that Singapore is first among 12 Asian countries, in terms of the fiscal commitment to the COVID-19 fight. The stimulus package that we have endorsed in Parliament here amounted to 21% of the GDP.[+3 sentences] This compares to Japan, which is second, and comparatively, it comes in at 15.9%; South Korea comes in at 14.4%, and so on. So, from this perspective, Sir, we can see we compare relatively well. But it is not just the amount. It is also the positive impact on the lives and livelihoods in Singapore. It is worth restating what Deputy Prime Minister had said in his Statement that "The four Budgets are estimated to prevent the economy from contracting by 5.6% of GDP this year and 4.8 % next year." Furthermore, he said that "an estimated 155,000 jobs are likely to be saved in these two years too." At the same time, we owe a duty to spend the money well.[+18 sentences] What do I mean by this? Sometimes, we have to spend more; sometimes, we have to spend less. And the Budget itself is replete with some examples of this. Just a few hours ago, the hon Minister Ms Indranee Rajah, gave an example of how sometimes we need to spend less when she announced the Baby Support Grant scheme. She took pains to explain that the grant is aimed at couples who were put off by the COVID-19 pandemic and to encourage them to start and raise families. She also explained that for lower income families, there are already a number of grants and programmes to help them. So, from that perspective, it may not make sense to extend the grant and spend more money. On the other hand, there are programmes where we have to spend more to spend well. What are these programmes? Well, we have the COVID-19 Support Grant which was extended by the hon Deputy Prime Minister Mr Heng Swee Keat. The extension now would cover Singaporeans who suffer a fall in income or lost their jobs after December 2020. This is welcome relief for the affected families. Not only that. He also extended the Workfare special payment to Singaporeans who did not receive Workfare last year, but did so this year. And, in this way, many low-income families, mind you, the WIS is triggered in relation to low-income workers earning $2,300 per month or less, so more low-income families would benefit from this extension. I think although we spend more, we spend it well to help these families. In my speech, I would like to concentrate on three budgetary measures for individuals. First, the Special Financial Relief Programme (SFRP) (Unsecured). I filed a Parliamentary Question or PQ on this earlier this month. I had suggested an extension of the programme in my PQ and I am glad to note that MAS has decided to extend this programme which is originally scheduled to finish in December 2020 to 30 June 2021.[+5 sentences] Under the SFRP (Unsecured), the savings for an individual can be significant. The average card interest on outstanding sums attracts 26% per annum. Converted loans under SFRP (Unsecured) are imposed 8% per annum over a five-year tenure. So, Singaporeans facing debt pressure are well advised to consider the SFRP (Unsecured) during this extended period. In my respectful view, the take up rate is low and can be improved. In his reply to my PQ, the hon Senior Minister, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, informed that under this programme, financial institutions granted more than 8,100 conversions amounting to $200 million of personal unsecured debt.[+20 sentences] I think the pool of Singaporeans who are heavily in debt is bigger. I say this because in 2017, MAS introduced measures to tighten unsecured credit limits to those heavily in debt. In that announcement, MAS stated that there were an estimated 60,000 borrowers in this pool or 4% of total unsecured credit users. I would assume that this pool should have grown during this crisis with the declining economy, falling income and loss of jobs affecting some families. But if I am right, I would suggest more proactivity on the part of the Association of Banks in Singapore or ABS and the Credit Counselling Singapore to publicise this programme more so that they can reach out to individuals bogged down by this debt. It can also be made compulsory for financial institutions to consider inviting the debtors to SFRP (Unsecured) before considering legal action as a last resort. Before leaving this topic, it would be remiss of me if I did not commend the Financial Institutions & ABS for coming together with MAS and the Govt to implement SFRP (Unsecured) to help Singaporeans facing debt pressures. The Financial Institutions could have just insisted on the strict terms of their contract; they would not be wrong but they did not. It is a great example of SGUnited and how banks are helping Singaporeans facing the debt pressure as a result of the pandemic. Next, I suggest a re-look at the funding model for skills upgrading for Singaporeans. Skills upgrading for Singaporeans is an important pillar in our Roadmap for the Future as outlined by the hon Deputy Prime Minister. Deputy Prime Minister Heng said "We will…need extensive upskilling and continual reskilling of our workforce, to equip our workers to continue to get good jobs. We want to do so for every worker at every age." On the point about "doing so for every worker at every age", I wish to share an e-mail that I received from Mr John Tan, my resident. He is turning 35 this year. He is married with one bubbly son who is two years old. He applied for a three full-day Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) course. The total course time is 25 hours. He pointed out that for Singaporeans aged 21 and above, they get 40% subsidy. The original course fee was $1,016.50, with GST, so he had to pay $641.50, with GST. For Singaporeans aged 40 and above, however, they get 90% subsidy. For them, they need only pay $161.50, with GST.[+8 sentences] I do appreciate why we need to incentivise our older worker to upskill by providing them with a higher subsidy. Given the current challenging environment, there is an opportunity to up the tempo for upskilling and re-training even amongst our younger Singaporeans, so that they get into better-paying jobs with better prospects. I therefore suggest that we use a tiered approach that incentivises Singaporeans to re-skill as they get older instead of backloading the extra subsidies only when they reach 40. In this way, we will be able to nurture a reskilling attitude in all Singaporeans. Finally, I wish to speak on the Government’s additional plans to foster inclusive growth. I welcome these moves. The hon on Deputy Prime Minister said "In the design of our support schemes, we have been deliberate in channelling additional support to vulnerable groups, to help them access opportunities and stay in good jobs". This is a laudable objective. In particular, I support the plan to provide a higher tier of wage support of 50% under JGI to all Persons with Disabilities, a point that hon Member Ms Denise Phua made during her Adjournment Motion yesterday.[+10 sentences] She had delivered a very compelling speech. In that speech, she made a point that how we treat persons with disabilities is shaped by the attitude of society. I fully agree with her and I would say that a similar point can be made in relation to ex-offenders. In my speech in February 2020 on occasion of the Unity Budget, I applauded the introduction of Enabling Employment Credit or EEC to incentivise employers to employ and retain persons with disabilities. I also said that a similar credit scheme should be provided to incentivise employers to employ ex-offenders. I shared the story of Mr R, an ex-offender who was earning a depressed wage on account of his background. I continue to meet several residents who are ex-offenders who find it difficult to get jobs or are being underpaid during this pandemic. The hon Minister for Home Affairs shared useful statistics on the plight of ex-offenders just yesterday pursuant to my Parliamentary Question. He informed that the economic downturn brought about by COVID-19 has made the job market more challenging for ex-offenders. The Yellow Ribbon Singapore has stepped up its efforts to help these offenders and I must pay tribute to Yellow Ribbon Singapore and its partners for their stupendous work in getting work for ex-offenders so that they can complete their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. In terms of statistics, the hon Minister for Home Affairs mentioned that over the past years 2017, 2018 and 2019, the percentage of ex-offenders who found employment within three months are 55%, 56% and 53%.[+11 sentences] This year to date, I do not have a percentage but 1,534 ex-offenders have been employed, thanks to Yellow Ribbon Singapore. These figures are lower-bound estimates as they do not include self-employed persons, such as delivery riders or private hire car drivers. A lot of hard work has been put into this, so as to achieve these figures, but I think we can do much more. Remember, these are able bodied Singaporeans. Even though we assume that we have another 20% in self-employed jobs, I would suggest that our Government and whole of society can do much more to bring down the roughly 30% unemployment amongst our ex-offenders. This will be in accord with hon. Deputy Prime Minister's objective outlined in his Ministerial Statement about channelling additional support to vulnerable groups. It will be a good signal by our society to ex-offenders that we remain invested in their rehabilitation and reintegration even in these challenging times. I seek the hon Deputy Prime Minister's views on this. Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I applaud the Government for taking decisive steps to protect the lives and livelihoods of Singaporeans and transform our economy to be even more ready for the uncertain future that we face. The suggestions I have made are intended to ensure that Singaporeans who join our workforce continually upgrade themselves to grab the opportunities our future brings and to strengthen the inclusivity element of our Government’s strategy to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic as outlined by Deputy Prime Minister Heng in his Statement. I support the Ministerial Statement.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Poh Li San.
Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang)1003 words
[+16 sentences]Mr Speaker, I would like to thank Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance for the additional help to businesses and workers outlined in his Ministerial Statement. In response, I have some clarifications and recommendations. We are all aware just how COVID-19 has severely disrupted businesses and livelihoods. Air travel has ceased, borders are closed and our daily average of about 100,000 Malaysian workers commuting from Johor is significantly lower. Many local factories are extremely short-handed and facing harsh challenges. Some of these factories are located within the Woodlands Industrial Area, which happens to be in the division I look after. My volunteers and I tried to assist by attempting to match some of the residents who were seeking jobs, especially within 2 km of their homes. We always knew that there is a stark mismatch between the jobs and the expectations of jobseekers. However, this pandemic has forced us all to rethink and recalibrate our approach to address the mismatch between the employers and the job seekers. Ultimately, we need happy workers. Since the middle of this year, I have been actively planning and organising both online job webinars and physical job fairs with support from NTUC e2i for our Sembawang residents. We partnered several MNCs and home-grown companies in the electronics and manufacturing industries to be part of these job fairs. Some of the jobs available involve operation of complex machines that are far more automated compared to the older labour-intensive assembly lines. Singaporeans are not enthusiastic about the opportunities to work in these manufacturing companies. After speaking to the hiring teams, I had a better understanding. To be able to apply for some of these jobs, you need a NITEC certification or even a diploma for more technical job roles. Most operators' roles will require a 12-hour-shift and the average monthly pay is between $1,000 and $1,400 and may require workers to wear the cleanroom jump smocks. Now if you do not have any qualification, you can easily make $1,200 to $1,400 or even more as a cleaner or a food delivery rider.[+4 sentences] If you have a driving licence, you could also make more than $2,000 per month. It is obvious that many job seekers will shun job opportunities in the manufacturing industry because the entry pay is simply a non-starter. There is a concern that should the borders remain closed, many of these factories will be unable to fulfil their orders, this is especially so for high growth industries like semi-conductor manufacturing. The labour shortage situation will inevitably threaten the future of these companies and also affect Singapore’s economy. The manufacturing industry contributes approximately 20% to our GDP and it averages $100 billion in value.[+1 sentence] It is the biggest contributor to our economy. Foreign workers take up about 60% of the jobs in this sector.[+28 sentences] Over the weekend, two pieces of good news were announced. First, MNCs are staying firm on their growth plans in Singapore despite the COVID-19 pandemic and they include companies in the semiconductor sector. Second, a new task force will be formed to study how to raise the wages of low-income workers and to push for productivity growth. Now, due to the crisis situation, we do not have the foreign workers to help our factories. So, should these companies have to wait for circumstances to improve and while waiting, hope not to have a painful death or should they take this opportunity to rebuild our Singapore Core? The answer ought to be obvious. We must relook at the unemployment problem. We need proper intervention and improvements. We need to address the criteria for job offers, instill better working conditions, implement job redesign and relook at how workers are remunerated. I thank the Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon for his comprehensive sharing on the Progressive Wage Model and how low-wage workers in certain sectors have benefited. I would like to ask Deputy Prime Minister if it is possible to then allocate part of the Budget to raise the pay of manufacturing industry workers, to a more acceptable level benchmarked against industries which have implemented the Progressive Wage Model. Another question is: how can Progressive Wage Model be applied directly to these manufacturing companies in order to assist them, to be able to attract local workers instead of always having to rely on daily cross-border commuting foreign workers? Instead of providing a COVID-19 Support Grant of $800 for three months to Singaporeans and PRs who are still searching for jobs, this $800 could become a contribution of $400 per month for six months as a top-up to the current pay of $1,400. A manufacturing industry worker could easily get $1,800 per month instead of remaining jobless. As Singaporeans, they will still qualify for Workfare Improvement Supplement while the manufacturing companies could attempt to address the short-term labour shortage by hiring available Singaporeans and PRs. Can such a solution be considered? Similar to the manufacturing industry, you hear the same problems with the nursing homes and community hospitals. Currently, 60% of the community healthcare sector staff are foreigners and 40% are locals. With rapid ageing in Singapore, the demand for healthcare assistants will only increase, and if it continues this way, the supply will be very limited. I met several housewives who have prior care-giving experience and are keen to join the healthcare sector. However, the entry salary of $1,400 to $1,600 per month is a key deterrent because the net take-home income after deducting their CPF, meals and travel expenses will only be a few hundred dollars. I am certain that if the monthly salary is around $2,000, they will be more likely to consider such job offers. Workers must feel appreciated and taken care of. Only then will they give their best to be positive and productive. Any employer will benefit from happy workers. We need happy workers. Mr Speaker, Sir, I hope that Deputy Prime Minister and the relevant Ministries will look into my suggestions. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Ministerial Statement.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Foo Mee Har.
Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast)1697 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, I rise in support and thank Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat for outlining the Government’s strategy to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has led to permanent changes across industries. Even as COVID-19 continues to rage on in many parts of the world with new waves of infection, Singapore is, indeed, in an enviable position to shifting focus to recovery and growth and seizing opportunities in a new world order. Significantly, we announced the Hong Kong and Singapore travel bubble today which, hopefully, represents a pathfinder to revive our air travel.[+1 sentence] Much has been done to cushion the impact of COVID-19 on workers and businesses and it is now time to press the reset button and focus our efforts on building new capabilities for the post-COVID-19 world. With the honour of speaking last, I would like to cover Singapore’s fiscal position, SkillsFuture 2.0 to make training efforts impactful and the need for an enhanced version of COVID-19 Support Grant.[+1 sentence] Sir, the allocation of close to $100 billion to support families, workers and businesses effectively means that almost all the accumulated surpluses from the last 20 years have been consumed in dealing with this crisis. I am comforted that the additional measures announced by the Deputy Prime Minister do not require any further draw on our reserves and will be funded by re-allocating monies.[+9 sentences] The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to be protracted, so it is prudent that we adopt a financially sustainable approach as we settle in for the long haul. To this end, we must ensure that the COVID-19 response measures are targeted, prudent and implemented cost-effectively. We must also critically review and prioritise future expenditures, in line with tighter fiscal space. We must ensure that the choices we make are prioritised to deliver the best outcomes for our people and businesses. With sharp deterioration in growth outlooks expected of all major economies, Singapore’s revenue outlook will remain uncertain and challenging for several years to come. I guess we were all worried when the Deputy Prime Minister spoke about the need for higher taxes. Given the gloomy economic environment, residents are understandably concerned about the impending GST hike. I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the original sums worked out by the Government still hold – that is, to provide a $6 billion Assurance Package to cushion the impact of the GST increase when it comes for the majority of Singaporean households, whilst counting on foreigners and tourists to contribute to a substantial share of the additional revenue. Travel disruptions will surely impact GST collections from foreigners and tourists. The assumptions behind the GST hike must be reviewed to take into account the impact of COVID-19 on people and businesses. COVID-19 has also led to an accelerated growth of e-commerce. It has, therefore, become ever more urgent for Singapore to arrest tax leakage in cross-border online transactions and level the playing field for our retailers.[+28 sentences] The exponential growth of e-commerce may yield substantial GST contributions if the tax regime is enhanced. We may not be able to avoid raising taxes to fund our rising expenses, but we must continue to find ways to keep taxes and transfers progressive and fair. I have spoken about wealth tax in my earlier speeches. Sir, I would like to declare my interest as the CEO of an education and research institute serving the finance sector. COVID-19 has accelerated structural shifts and we must redouble our efforts to equip our people with the necessary skills to thrive in a post-COVID-19 world. Singapore has the foresight to launch SkillsFuture more than five years ago. The movement was driven by the imperative to have Singaporeans develop new capabilities for the future and embrace a culture of lifelong learning in order to ride the waves of change brought upon by rapid technological disruptions and economic restructuring. This imperative is now more urgent than ever. Whilst the SkillsFuture movement has galvanised much awareness on the need for lifelong learning and led to greater participation in training programmes, Sir, it is less clear how SkillsFuture training is linked to the attainment of distinct quantifiable skills, career advancement and wage growth. I often hear the frustrations of residents, particularly those who have been retrenched, that their efforts to attend training courses are not matched by recognition accorded by prospective employers and made very little difference in their job search efforts. Employers themselves have shared their own frustrations. Many employers, especially the SMEs, are at a loss as to how they may identify the right training programmes best suited for their employees to support the restructuring of their business. Sir, notwithstanding the Government’s strenuous efforts to tackle unemployment and retrenchments, surveys have found that employers expect a talent crunch this year – this very year, a talent crunch – and 42,400 vacancies remain unfilled as of end-June 2020. With growing acceptance of remote working, businesses are widening their talent search for skillsets and deep knowledge beyond Singapore’s shores, under the Work From Anywhere in the world policy. It is, therefore, of paramount importance that we support our adult workforce with an education regime capable of equipping them with skills and capabilities that match the labour needs demanded by employers and industry robustly. Starting from a position of strength, SkillsFuture 2.0 must evolve to foster stronger linkages between training programmes, skills acquisition and improved career prospects. Training that people attend must count. To achieve this, I call for a Government-led effort to introduce a new category of training programme, maybe called Industry Skills Training (IST) Scheme. A key feature of this IST Scheme is the requirement to address labour force demands, with the strong involvement of prospective employers and industry group in training design and delivery, in collaboration with the training providers. The Swiss and Swedish Vocational Training Systems are useful references in designing the IST Scheme. The Governance framework of IST programmes must facilitate clear identification of training needs and accountability of training effectiveness and quantifiable outcomes, with the industry and employers both playing pivotal roles. The programmes should be anchored upon a clearly laid out, systematic skills ladder for the respective sectors organised along ITM clusters and include training for new business models and solutions within that sector. Skills certification should be portable and should, if it works, right skills are being charted, correlate with pay levels. IST programmes should provide a clear training pathway for new entrants to the industry as well as for existing employees. Where appropriate, credit-bearing structured internships should be an integral part of the training. Training providers should be incentivised to achieve positive employment outcomes linked to their training and not just focused on the delivery of these programmes. Sir, Singapore’s effort to emerge stronger must be accompanied by our ability to successfully help our people retool and reskill. Mr Speaker, I support the Government’s approach on the Jobs Support Scheme transitioning to a much more differentiated level of support for companies. I would like, nevertheless, to repeat my call that well-intended assistance to companies that may not have a viable future in the post-COVID-19 world may hinder restructuring efforts and slow down re-allocation of labour and resources.[+1 sentence] Sir, I have seen the pain and frustration of residents who are stuck with companies with poor prospects, anxiously waiting and hoping for their "old" business to recover whilst fearing their eventual closure. So, I would like to call on the Deputy Prime Minister to review the COVID-19 Support Grant (CSG) to allow workers who voluntarily leave companies in sectors with poor prospects to also qualify for CSG.[+1 sentence] It is time we pivot our assistance to support our people rather than simply preserving any and all jobs. Remove the involuntary unemployment requirement from CSG for workers in selected sectors and set our people free to pursue more promising careers.[+7 sentences] Sir, whilst I understand the need to exercise prudence and care when providing financial assistance, many residents have expressed their frustration with the CSG application process. The biggest hurdle for many is the documentary evidence of income reduction, requiring the co-operation of employers. For example, one of my residents told me that her employer threatened to terminate her services altogether, if she reported her pay reduction in order to qualify for CSG. Less educated senior residents who work in low-wage jobs struggle the most with the application process. Even though residents find comfort in the extension of CSG support till the end of this year, many are unsure about how they may meet the requirement to prove to the authorities that they had made sufficient effort in job search and training in order to qualify for this support. Sir, with 46,000 or 35% of applications rejected, I would like to ask the Government to seriously review the CSG scheme to address the challenges faced by residents. The scheme should allow room for unique circumstances and empower approving officers to apply good sense and compassion in hardship cases that may not neatly fit the criteria. With the impact of COVID-19 likely to be protracted and uncertain, the support level provided under various support schemes will also need to be reviewed and extended beyond the period currently provided by the Deputy Prime Minister in his Ministerial Statement.[+2 sentences] We need to provide for families a sustained level of basic daily expenses, medical coverage and retirement adequacy should their livelihoods continue to be disrupted. We cannot stop at the time that we have indicated if the situation continues. With many residents experiencing income reduction, I hope the Government will also review the very strong policy lever they have, the Workfare Income Supplement as a possible means to top-up the income for low-wage workers whose pay has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.[+2 sentences] Mr Speaker, we are confronted by the greatest crisis of our generation but, just as Sir Winston Churchill said, we should, I quote, “never let a good crisis go to waste”. This may be just the catalyst that reskills, transforms and strengthens Singapore’s greatest resource – our people – and catapults us into the forefront of an international recovery when the tides are with us once more.
Overview of Government's Strategy to Emerge Stronger from the COVID-19 Pandemic›Ministerial Statements3 turns · 7,942w
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ministerial-statement-1515recorded 2020-10-15
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Deputy Prime Minister
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (Mr Heng Swee Keat)7901 words
[+10 sentences]Mr Speaker, Sir, let me start by thanking Members for the thoughtful debate. Members have raised many useful points over more than 12 hours of the debate. So, if I take 20% of your time, there would be still be 80% of the points that will not be addressed. But my respective Ministry colleagues will review them. Keeping the pandemic under control remains our top priority. As I shared last week, we are in a stable position. Cases of infection have dropped. We have a plan to further re-open our economy safely. But we must stay vigilant, to stay ahead of this virus. Our economy is also showing early signs of recovery. GDP in the third quarter of this year picked up after the sharp contraction in the previous quarter. However, compared to the same quarter last year, GDP still contracted by 7%.[+18 sentences] The International Monetary Fund or IMF's latest projections for global growth in 2020 is -4.4%, a less severe contraction than the June forecast of -5.2%. But the IMF also warned that recovery is prone to setbacks. Although it seems we have turned the corner, we are not out of the woods. Major risks remain. The virus continues to spread globally. Just last week, the World Health Organization recorded the largest one-day rise in cases, with an increase of more than 338,000 cases globally. Our economic trajectory also hinges on how other countries manage the pandemic and reopen their economies. And even if our GDP growth figures rebound, the jobs situation will remain challenging for some time. It is, therefore, critical that we support our workers and businesses through this crisis. Several Members shared their views on the COVID-19 support measures. Let me set out the considerations behind our support during this crisis and into the next six months. At the start of the crisis, no one could predict how severe the virus situation would become and how badly our economy would be affected. COVID-19 is both a health and economic crisis. It has caused both a simultaneous supply and demand shock as trade links were disrupted and consumer demand plunged. In the face of an unprecedented crisis, our priority was to flow support to as many affected people and businesses, and as quickly as possible. The Jobs Support Scheme, or JSS, is one example of this support. Let me assure Mr Louis Chua that the current design of the JSS already tilts this support towards SMEs, as wage costs forms a greater share of their business costs. SMEs, on average, receive more than five times as much JSS support per dollar of revenue compared to the average JSS recipient. Together with other schemes, we have committed about $100 billion, or 20% of our GDP, over five support packages.[+1 sentence] Our schemes and programmes have dampened the adverse economic impact of COVID-19. As I mentioned in my Ministerial Statement last week, our measures are expected to avert a 5.6% loss in real GDP this year and save an average of 155,000 jobs each year in 2020 and 2021.[+3 sentences] They have also kept our unemployment rate in check and reduced long-term scarring on our economy. As the COVID-19 situation in Singapore stabilises, the next pressing task is to help our economy recover. Our support must therefore evolve from "resuscitate" to "rejuvenate". To do so, we must shift from a focus on job retention to a greater emphasis on creating jobs. This was why I announced the tapering of the JSS and introduced the Jobs Growth Incentive, or JGI.[+27 sentences] We are also pivoting from broad-based relief to more targeted support, to better cater to the needs of our sectors and firms. Broadly, the firms fall into three categories. First, those that will see greater demand in the post-COVID-19 economy. I encourage these firms to make full use of the suite of capability development grants to expand and grow. The JGI will also support them to hire more locals. The second category are firms in sectors that are suffering a temporary drop in demand now but will eventually recover. We will help them recover faster and emerge stronger. For the tourism sector, the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers will help encourage domestic consumption. For the aviation sector, the Enhanced Aviation Support Package will help firms retain core capabilities to position for recovery. I share Mr Sharael Taha's view that being an air hub is strategic to our economy. For the arts and sports sectors, Minister Edwin Tong has just shared further details of the Arts and Culture, and Sports Resilience Packages. I hope these will alleviate Mr Darryl David's concerns for the sector. However, there could also be cases where a firm's potential failure due to this crisis would significantly impact Singapore's competitiveness or national security. In such instances, we cannot preclude the possibility of Government taking some action to ensure these strategic capabilities are preserved. The exact form of support will depend on the circumstances. But the bar for any Government action will be high. The Government will also exercise prudence and ensure public funds are well used. The third category are firms where the outlook remains bleak as there are fundamental changes in their operating environments. They will need to reinvent themselves and pivot into new products and sectors. As Minister of State Alvin Tan mentioned yesterday, the Government is finalising a set of measures to support nightlife businesses. These measures will be announced next week. I agree with Mr Saktiandi Supaat that as firms recover, we need to taper the support carefully to avoid a cliff effect. In addition to the extensions of financing schemes and payment moratoriums, customised restructuring schemes will also be available for those who need more tailored support. We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust where needed. Taken together, these measures will help our firms recover, in a more targeted and efficient manner. Given the scale of this crisis, we may not be able to save every business and every job, but we will support every worker. We launched the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package earlier this year to create opportunities in jobs, traineeships and skills training. The National Jobs Council has curated 117,500 opportunities as of end-August.[+7 sentences] We are working on the next bound of tripartite efforts to develop more opportunities. I will share more details tomorrow. Mr Xie Yao Quan asked if we could accelerate job matching for our displaced workers. Indeed, we have been working to speed this up through multiple channels. There is now an SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centre in every HDB town. We have also held multiple career fairs at locations islandwide. As a result, we have seen a steady increase in placements. From July to August, more than 9,000 individuals were placed into training or job opportunities, bringing the total number of placements to over 33,000.[+14 sentences] Of these, close to 30,000 were jobs. In this period of restructuring and recovery, I urge both employers and jobseekers to keep an open mind and be willing to adapt and adjust. Members have also highlighted concerns over a few groups of workers who are at higher risk of income loss or who face difficulties finding a job during this period. I share these concerns. We are fully committed to supporting them. The first group is our mid-career professionals. I agree with Mr Yip Hon Weng that we must intensify our efforts to help our retrenched mid-career workers reskill and find new employment. This is why we introduced additional support for them via the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Support Package and the SG United Jobs and Skills package. I also encourage our mid-career jobseeker to stay resilient and adaptable. As Mr Vikram Nair pointed out, "creative destruction" is inevitable. Some jobs may never return. Changing industry and potentially taking a pay cut for now is certainly painful, but will put you on a better footing in the post-COVID-19 economy. At the same time, I urge companies to be receptive towards hiring mid-career workers. They have much to offer with their wealth of experience. With the JGI, eligible companies will also receive higher Government funding, at up to 50% of the salary of each new local hire aged 40 and above.[+6 sentences] Ms Denise Phua will be pleased to know that this same 50% support is also available to employers who hire persons with disabilities, regardless of age. I also agree with Mr Murali Pillai's idea to extend the 50% JGI support to ex-offenders. I have asked MOM to take this up. They will announce more details in due course. Another group of concern is our self-employed workers, as Mr Dennis Tan and others have highlighted. This was why we introduced the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme, or SIRS, to provide relief to those with less means and family support. By the end of this month, over 195,000 of them would have received three payouts, amounting to $9,000.[+29 sentences] The three payouts were sized to cover affected self-employed persons till end-December 2020. The Government is studying how to continue supporting this group of workers beyond 2020. But like other support schemes, we will need to taper towards normalcy. We will provide an update before the end of the year. Another group we are watching out for is our lower wage workers. I agree with Miss Cheryl Chan that we need to extend holistic support to uplift our low wage workers. Indeed, many of them are in frontline service jobs which have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and safe management measures. For those who are retrenched, we will support them under the SG United Jobs and Skills initiative. So far, we have facilitated the placement of 17,000 non-PMET workers into new jobs. This is more than 50% of the 30,000 placements facilitated as at end-August. As mentioned at my Ministerial Statement last week, we will expand PWM to more sectors over time to benefit our low-wage workers, while making sure that businesses can absorb this change. I agree with Senior Minister of State, Zaqy Mohammed and NTUC Deputy Secretary-General, Dr Koh Poh Koon for their cogent explanation on the strengths of the Progressive Wage Model. Indeed, we should avoid a blunt approach, especially when we are in the midst of battling this crisis. Let us focus on supporting our workers and businesses especially SMEs. I commend our tripartite partners for agreeing to form a Tripartite Workgroup on Lower Wage Workers to study how to expand the PWM to more sectors and push for greater productivity growth. I fully support this tripartite partnership and look forward to their recommendations. Besides the Progressive Wage Model, we also have the Workfare Income Supplement, or WIS, which Mr Fahmi Aliman mentioned. This boosts the wages of our workers who earn below $2,300 monthly with an income supplement of up to 30% through cash and CPF payouts. PWM and WIS must be seen as an integrated package. Take 65 year-old Auntie Geok, for example. She works as a cleaner and earns $1,500 each month, thanks to the PWM. On top of that, she receives Workfare payments at $333 per month. Taken together, she has a monthly income of at least $1,800. Auntie Geok also benefits from the one-off Workfare Special Payment of $3,000 this year, to help tide through this difficult COVID-19 period. Besides our at-risk and vulnerable workers, we are aware that COVID-19 has affected the livelihoods of many Singaporeans at large. For those who faced job or income loss, we provide relief through the COVID-19 Support Grant, or CSG. I thank Mr Xie Yao Quan and Mr Ang Wei Neng for their suggestions on the CSG. We have designed our schemes to ensure support is targeted towards those who are most in need. As with any eligibility criteria, there will be exceptions along the margins. For individuals with extenuating circumstances, we exercise flexibility when we consider their appeals. We have also extended the CSG till 31 December 2020. As suggested by Mr Leon Perera, in our recent extension of CSG, we have required applicants to actively participate in job search or attend training. Given the continuing impact of COVID-19 on jobs, we are studying how best to support our workers in this crisis, and how to link support to job search and reskilling, so as to better protect the welfare of our workers.[+43 sentences] In summary, let me reassure Members that we remain determined to support our firms and workers through this period. While we have made a shift to prepare our firms and workers for recovery, we recognise that the COVID-19 situation remains uncertain. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and provide additional support where necessary. Mr Speaker, Sir, even as we battle the immediate fallout caused by COVID-19, we must not lose sight of our longer-term nation-building efforts. In my Ministerial Statement last week, I sketched out the broad strokes of our economic strategy. I am glad that many Members have contributed many useful ideas. Mr Liang Eng Hwa puts it well. "The crisis has hurt us as a country. But we should also capitalise on this crisis to write another exceptional chapter of the Singapore story." Unlike other countries, Singapore is both a city and a nation. Cities are nodes sitting at the cross-roads of many flows – goods, capital, people, and ideas. They are open and outward-looking. Nations are communities with a common identity and destiny. They look out for and care for one another. Singapore is a global city – open to new and exciting flows. But we are also a nation – we have to make a living for ourselves, stay united and defend our independence. Managing this unique dual identity is critical to our success. We have to stay open to the world while forging our own identity, stay globally connected while remaining independent, and embrace diversity while being socially cohesive. These seemingly conflicting objectives are not choices, but necessities for us. And they will always define us as a country, and guide how we manage our economy and society. This dual identity has shaped our economic journey. Since Independence, we have adopted outward oriented policies, embraced free trade and welcome foreign multinationals to base themselves here. Over time, companies like Infineon, Johnson & Johnson, and Rakuten have established regional and global operations in Singapore. They bring their know-how and business networks to Singapore, and create a vibrant ecosystem to nurture our local companies and start-ups. These foreign firms also give our companies opportunities to become part of a global value chain. For example, Zumata, a local start-up, was engaged by Sompo, a global Japanese insurance player, to automate the handling of customer queries. Sompo ended up applying their prototype solution not only in its contact centre in Singapore, but also in its Philippines outfit. Through this process, Zumata was brought into an overseas market as well. It is these kinds of synergies – between foreign and local firms, between MNCs and start-ups – that will continue to anchor Singapore as a true Global-Asia node of technology, innovation and enterprise. Mr Gan Thiam Poh had correctly reminded us that such collaborations ensure our survival and prosperity. They bring good jobs to Singapore, and ensure that new businesses continue to seed themselves in our soils. This is why we have always been relentless in encouraging our people and firms to upskill and transform themselves; to ready themselves for such new opportunities. And this is how we make sure jobs and industries are future-proof – exactly what Mr Leon Perera spoke about. Assoc Prof Jamus Lim also spoke about activating a Plan B, to get local firms to transform and go regional. The fact of the matter is that this economic transformation has been our plan all along. And in fact all of these years, we have been reinventing our economy over and over again. Assoc Prof Lim mentioned the Government has spoken about technology, innovation and enterprise since 2016. Sir, I thank him for following our plans. Twenty sixteen was also when we started our Industry Transformation Maps, or ITMs. But we have a broad base of companies, numbering several hundred thousand. Uplifting all of them, along with our workers, is not a straightforward matter. Our agencies like Enterprise Singapore, and in fact, all our economic agencies and our tripartite partners have been working decisively and closely with businesses on their transformation journeys. And we have gained some headway. For instance, between 2016 to 2019, overall productivity of our economy measured by real value added per actual hour worked rose by 2.4% per year – an improvement over the 2.2% per annum growth in the preceding three years.[+8 sentences] COVID-19 has accelerated the pace of change. It has given us added impetus to help our businesses find new opportunities and take new strides. And I know businesses are doing what they can. Business owners I spoke to, tell me about how they are working to transform their operations and upskill their workers. We will double down on our efforts to support them in this journey. And this is what the next iteration of the ITMs seek to achieve. We are consulting widely across industries and firms as we refresh our ITMs – as part of our preparation for ITM 2.0, as Mr Edward Chia mentioned yesterday, and many Members have given helpful suggestions. Mr Chia raised a very good point about how supply chains are being reimagined, and how this is a good opportunity for our firms to further expand themselves into the region. To support our firms, we have a range of schemes including, amongst others, the Market Readiness Assistance Grant, the Enterprise Development Grant, and the Double Tax Deduction for Internationalisation.[+5 sentences] Mr Chia's other point on how innovation can be augmented by the "two-fold engine" of technology and design, is also useful. This will help our firms differentiate themselves in this age of the online marketplace. Another way firms can differentiate themselves is to offer innovative products and services born out of cross-cluster synergies. Ms Jessica Tan and Mr Shawn Huang had insightfully observed that we need to recognise and harness adjacencies across industries and across jobs. Indeed, that is what we are doing. The 23 ITMs are now clustered into six clusters and we are seeking to look at the synergy within clusters and across clusters, as well as the impact that digitalisation has across all clusters.[+1 sentence] So, all of these will bring about the potential for systems-level innovation across our economy. So, I urge our firms to tap on platforms like the Open Innovation Platform launched by IMDA. It allows companies to crowdsource innovative solutions from over 9000 companies for their challenges.[+17 sentences] And we have seen very successful partnerships. Teho Ropes & Supplies is a local firm that provides systems solutions to the marine and offshore industries. Through the platform, it was matched with Ent-Vision, a local AI start-up. Ent-Vision tapped on its experience in supply chain and logistic solutions to build a machine-learning system for Teho that automated the labour-intensive customer quotation process. At the same time, Ent-Vision built on this newly gained domain knowledge to develop a new product and segue into the maritime sector. The Green Economy also presents opportunities for firms to seize early mover advantages. These opportunities range from clean energy solutions and low-carbon technologies, to innovations in the built environment, and the development of green financial tools and markets. We invested R&D in these areas early, as part of our 2020 Research, Innovation and Enterprise plans. The next step, as Miss Cheryl Chan rightly identified, is to equip our people with the know-how. Work in under way on this very important area. For example we have set up the Energy Efficiency Technology Centre to offer training programmes, on top of existing SkillsFuture courses that will train Singaporeans in sustainability sectors. Mr Speaker, Sir, the heart of our economy is our people. The objective of growing our firms is ultimately to create quality, well-paying, and sustainable jobs to benefit Singaporeans. Ms Foo Mee Har highlighted a pertinent point, that the future of work may be very different post-COVID-19. The rise of digitalisation and the gig economy will make the job market more volatile. Job types and work arrangements will also evolve, as Ms Yeo Wan Ling and Mr Louis Ng had pointed out. At the same time, Singapore is facing an ageing population. Our current old-age support ratio, defined as the number of working-age adults compared to the number of seniors aged 65 and above, is 4.3 to 1; this is the current number.[+61 sentences] By 2030, this ratio is projected to become 2.7 to 1. Put another way, each adult will need to work twice as hard to support our seniors in 2030. Or, we can work twice as smart. And of course, we will also support seniors to stay active in the workforce if they wish. That is why we will redouble our efforts to support Singaporeans of all ages to stay well-educated, well-trained and well-skilled. This Government will spare no efforts in providing our people with the avenues to fulfil their fullest potential. We take a life-cycle approach to do this. To give every child a good start in life, we provide affordable, quality pre-school education. I agree with Mr Don Wee on the importance of uplifting our disadvantaged children. He had put it very well, that "a stitch in time saves nine". We will continue to help those who start off with less. We have programmes like KidSTART, UPLIFT and Learning Support Programme to help them. For our youths, they benefit from a good education system that equips them with the latest knowledge and skills. And just before or just after they enter the workforce, they can tap on schemes like the Global Ready Talent Programme to study and work overseas. They will gain valuable real-world skills and insights from foreign markets, to support their career aspirations. I thank Ms Hazel Poa for her point on the need to promote diversity in our education. This is in fact, something that MOE has been doing for years. However, even with excellent pre-employment education, our workers will need to be proactive about upskilling and reskilling. The new economy will require workers who are versatile and know how to build on existing skills, embrace lifelong learning, and be able to move between adjacent industry clusters. But upskilling is not the responsibility of workers alone. Companies too, must play their part. They should actively participate in the development of training programmes, redesign jobs, and encourage employees to upskill. As Ms Jessica Tan rightly pointed out, training should be demand-led to ensure industry relevance. And Ms Foo Mee Har has just proposed an IST, Industry Skills Training. Ms Poh Li San also suggested meeting the needs of the manufacturing sector. Indeed, there is a very wide range of labour market issues – the demand for labour, the supply of labour, the changing labour profile, the way that we can more effectively match jobs and skills, and how we can develop the right skills profile and the right jobs profile to meet the needs and aspirations of our people. These are issues that we will continue to study but we will provide strong support to our workers and firms. Finally, for our senior workers, it is never too late to learn new things, or even transition to another industry. The National Silver Academy offers a wide range of subsidised courses, from Starting a Home Business to Taking Care of the Aged. With the Retirement and Re-employment Ages set to be raised by 2022, those who want to continue working can choose to do so. With these efforts, we hope that Singaporeans, regardless of age, can continue to learn and upskill so that they not only have good jobs, but experience good wage growth. These efforts to upskill our workforce will help us to stay ahead of the global curve. Coupled with openness to ideas, innovations and innovators, we secure a brighter future. As a global city, our economic competition and collaboration are with other global cities like New York, London, Frankfurt, Shanghai and Mumbai. These cities have their own hinterlands and can draw talent from millions and billions of their own nationals. In Singapore, we draw from a domestic population of about four million locals. As Ms Joan Pereira has aptly put, "a Singapore that closes its doors to the outside world is bad for all of us". As the global economy undergoes changes driven by technology and innovation, it is even more critical that we assemble the best possible team to stay useful and relevant to the world. We want to make sure that we have the best players in our team, playing to one another’s strengths, working together as a team. This is why we must remain open to the best talents from all over the world, so that we can put forth the best team and step out onto the world stage. By bringing the best to our shores, we learn from them and synthesise good ideas from around the world. Our scientific community, for example, has gained from the diversity of exceptional minds that have come to call Singapore their home. Leading researchers Prof Sir David Lane and Prof Birgit Lane have provided thought leadership that has spurred our advancements in the biomedical sciences. The late Nobel Laureate Dr Sydney Brenner was also a giant in the global scientific community, who helped us set up the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) in 1985. Today, IMCB is a world recognised biology institution. We also send our best minds overseas to learn from others. Mr Philip Yeo, former chairman of A*STAR, started the A*STAR scholarship with the hope of grooming outstanding Singaporeans in science and technology. We have since awarded more than 1,500 scholarships to some of our best students, and many are now back in Singapore with a global network and contributing significantly in our R&D efforts. Our openness has also allowed our locals to collaborate with the best. The Cooling Singapore 2.0 programme facilitated by the National Research Foundation has brought together an international team of researchers from our local universities and researchers from ETH Zurich. This joint team is working with our public agencies to develop new modelling and simulation models to support our urban planning and policy-making. A good complement of foreign students and researchers in our universities have also made good nests for innovations that are going global. For example, Pedra Technology is a deep tech medical start-up that came out of NTU’s labs. Its founders are a Korean, two Singaporeans and a UK citizen born in India. This diversity will put them in good stead to expand into these different markets. Mr Speaker, Sir, I started by speaking about how Singapore is unique in our dual identity as both a global city and a nation. As a global city competing and collaborating with other global cities, it is crucial that we remain open and at the same time, invest in our people. That way, we remain relevant and useful to the world. Singapore is a nation. We must take care of our people and build a cohesive and resilient society. Several Members spoke about the need to continue supporting our households, especially the lower income, through this crisis. Indeed, we have moved decisively to support households with an unprecedented $5.9 billion of household transfers this year.[+1 sentence] This is the largest amount we have ever disbursed in a single year. Over 2.8 million Singapore residents have benefited from some combination of our Care and Support Package, Solidarity Payment and Solidarity Utilities Credits.[+1 sentence] All Singaporean households, regardless of property type, have received relief in some form, with lower and middle income households receiving higher levels of support from the Care and Support Package. On average, citizen households received $1,500 of support for each household member, equivalent to about half a month of their income.[+1 sentence] More support was provided for lower income households. For households in the bottom 50% based on per capita household income, the support received was equivalent to an average of two months of their income.[+11 sentences] In addition to household transfers, we have also introduced the Community Development Council or CDC Vouchers Scheme to help households in need with their daily expenses, while supporting local hawkers and heartland merchants. There are now more than 8,000 merchants on board. As of September 2020, more than 300,000 Singaporean households have benefited from the first tranche of the CDC voucher scheme. Mr Ang Wei Neng will be pleased to note that we intend to disburse a second tranche over the next few months. Ms He Ting Ru spoke passionately about supporting the needs of young families. To ease the financial concerns that couples may have about starting a family in the near-term, we have also announced a one-off Baby Support Grant of $3,000 for each child born from 1 October 2020 to 31 September 2022. Minister Indranee has earlier addressed some of the concerns raised by Members, so I will not dwell further on this. I hope all this support has gone some way to help our households alleviate the impact brought about by COVID-19. As part of our efforts to build a cohesive society, we must also ensure that vulnerable groups are not left behind. I agree with Dr Wan Rizal and Ms Hany Soh on being digitally inclusive, especially for our seniors. To support our seniors, IMDA launched the Seniors Go Digital movement in May 2020 to encourage seniors to equip them with digital skills. Since June, we have deployed 1,000 Digital Ambassadors, to rally the community and volunteers to support our seniors, hawkers and heartland enterprises to acquire digital skills. I am glad that as of end-September, more than 28,000 seniors have participated in at least one training programme.[+1 sentence] I also agree with Mr Melvin Yong and Ms Raeesah Khan that mental health is a rising concern, especially during this COVID-19 period. Ensuring access to mental health care is a major priority and requires our collective effort.[+1 sentence] This ensures we have happy workers. We have set up a COVID-19 Mental Wellness Taskforce to study ways to strengthen our community (mental) health services, to support new vulnerable groups that may emerge due to the pandemic.[+14 sentences] As one of the initiatives under the Singapore Together Action Networks, we have also set up the Youth Mental Well-being (YMWB) Network. This allows anyone who is interested in improving the mental health of young people to contribute, kickstart discussions and take ownership of the projects. Building a cohesive society requires the effort of not just the Government alone, but of all Singaporeans together. COVID-19 has shown how far we have come as a community, as a society, and how resilient we are as a people. Many of us have contributed and even made personal sacrifices in our fight against COVID-19. I thank all Singaporeans for doing your part. This is why we are in a more stable position today. I am glad that there continues to be many ground-up community movements to help those in need. For example, KampungKakis, a neighbourhood buddy system to support the elderly, low-income families and vulnerable residents during the COVID-19 crisis. Volunteer kakis were the additional eyes and ears of our grassroot leader, who guided their kakis-in-need to available resources and ensured vulnerable residents received assistance. Our Social Service Agencies have also been working tirelessly to support those who need a helping hand. To support these efforts, we have the Enhanced Fundraising Programme to provide dollar-for-dollar matching for some charities. This is in addition to enhanced tax deductions for donations to charities with IPC status. I am also heartened that donations for COVID-19 related causes have remained resilient. Key donations platforms such as Community Chest, the Sayang Sayang Fund, and Giving.sg received a total of $100 million in donations from January to August this year.[+49 sentences] This is already more than the overall donations received by the Community Chest and Giving.sg throughout 2019. I encourage those who can to continue donating generously. And as Mr Ang Wei Neng suggested, companies can donate their JSS payouts to worthy causes. For instance, Lockheed Martin has donated their JSS payouts to The Invictus Fund and The Courage Fund. For those who have donated, I thank you for your contributions. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is heart-warming to see the deep reservoir of social reserves that we have grown as a cohesive and resilient nation-state. This is the spirit of SG Together in action – a community of deeds, where we support one another, combine our various strengths, and make sure no one is left behind. Let me now turn to the points made by Members on our fiscal situation. I mentioned earlier that Singapore is both a global city and a nation. As a nation, we have spending priorities that cities do not have. Yet unlike other cities, we do not have a federal government to bail us out. As a nation, our planning horizon cannot be just 10, 20 or even 50 years like a company or an individual. We have to think about the countless generations that come after us. This is why it is critical that we remain fiscally prudent, to make sure that we spend within our means, and also leave something behind for future Singaporeans. For this latest Fifth Support Package, we are able to fund it entirely from Budget reallocation. As mentioned in my Ministerial Statement earlier, our guiding principle is prudence, not austerity. The Government did an extensive scan, Ministry by Ministry, to identify deferment or reductions in expenditure. Some expenditures such as those for MRT lines, HDB upgrading, and sewerage and drainage works were deferred arising from delays due to the circuit breaker and the safe re-opening of the construction sector thereafter. Some expenditures were also lower than earlier projected due to COVID-19 and safe distancing measures. However, most of these are not savings but delayed spending which will still be incurred in future years as Mr Liang Eng Hwa has rightly pointed out. Mr Xie Yao Quan suggested that we should not delay critical projects. Indeed, for projects that are critically important, we will resume these. These projects are needed to raise Singaporeans’ standard of living and our economic development. We will push ahead when the conditions allow. We are also already reviewing major infrastructure projects to account for the longer term impact of COVID-19. For example, the construction of Changi Airport Terminal 5 has been put on hold for two years amid uncertainties over how COVID-19 will change the aviation sector. There could be further deferments or reductions in scale, if demand takes longer to recover. Conversely, we may also need to build in more resilience and safety features, which could raise project costs. Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked how we would balance our Budget. I thank Mr Liang Eng Hwa for being forward-looking. In fact, looking ahead, our fiscal situation will get tighter. Our revenues in the medium term are expected to be subdued and uncertain for two reasons. First, global economic growth will likely remain weakened for several years. Second, we can expect global competition for tax revenue to intensify. Many advanced economies have accumulated more debt to fund their COVID-19 responses, which they will need to repay. There is added impetus globally to push for "re-allocation" of taxing rights under the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project, or BEPS in short. So, even as we contend with these revenue challenges, we cannot lose sight of our goal to secure the long-term needs of Singapore. As I have shared on multiple occasions, we expect expenditure to increase in public healthcare and pre-school education. This is vital to ensuring we can take better care of our old and young. In order for Singapore to continue thriving as a global city tomorrow, we must ensure our financial security as a nation today. We are therefore making the responsible decision today, to study how we can strengthen our fiscal toolkit. Even before COVID-19 struck, we have explained that we are looking into borrowing for major long-term infrastructure. This will help to spread out the hefty upfront costs equitably across current and future generations who will benefit from such investments. Our approach will be a principled and prudent one. We will borrow only for infrastructure that benefit multiple generations, and ensure that our debt level and future repayments are sustainable. I am glad that Mr Louis Chua echoed our stance to maintain a disciplined use of borrowing for projects that will benefit multiple generations of Singaporeans We will not borrow just to make up for revenue shortfalls or be opportunistic in timing the market. However, for recurrent spending like healthcare and education that benefits the current generations, the responsible way is to pay for them using what we earn, through recurrent revenues like taxes. This discipline ensures that every generation earns and pays its share. Several Members have asked about the timing of the GST rate increase. In February this year, I announced that the GST rate will remain at 7% in 2021.[+4 sentences] However, we cannot defer the GST rate increase indefinitely. The GST rate increase is to support our future needs in healthcare and pre-school education. We will continue to study the timing of increasing the GST rate carefully, taking into account the pace of our economic recovery, our revenue outlook and how much spending we can defer to later years, without jeopardising our long-term needs. Ms Foo Mee Har asked if our assumptions behind the GST rate increase have been affected by COVID-19. Indeed, GST collections this year are projected to be down by 14% from what we had estimated before the start of the year, mainly due to the travel disruptions and the impact of the circuit breaker.[+1 sentence] We expect collections to continue to be lower than usual until international travel recovers fully, which we expect to be at least a couple of years away. However, let me assure Ms Foo that we remain committed to helping our people manage the impact of the GST rate increase. We have already set aside a $6 billion Assurance Package for GST to cushion the increase for Singaporeans when the GST rate is eventually raised. For most households, this will offset at least five years' worth of additional GST expenses incurred and for those living in 1- to 3- room HDB flats, equivalent to about 10 years' worth of additional GST expenses.[+17 sentences] On top of the transitional support, we have the permanent GST Voucher scheme, which will be enhanced to provide more help to lower income households and seniors. I would also like to point out that over 60% of the GST borne by all individuals and households is from foreigners residing in Singapore, tourists and the top 20% of resident households. Mr Leong Mun Wai's suggestions to shelf the GST rate increase indefinitely means that we lose the additional revenues from this group which we can use to improve the lives of Singaporeans. I do not know if Mr Leong is aware of this. Mr Speaker, Sir, over the five support packages this year, we are committing about $100 billion to fight COVID-19. And as what Mr Murali Pillai has just showed us in a chart earlier, our fiscal support is very significant, very significant for Singapore and very significant compared to many other countries. And we did not incur a cent of debt to fund our package. This is unlike many other countries, which had to borrow further to fund their COVID-19 response, despite already being at high levels of debt. In Singapore, we are fortunate to have a rainy-day fund built up over the generations that has allowed us to mount a quick and strong response. We are drawing up to $52 billion from our past reserves to fund the support packages. Several Members have asked for clarifications on this $52 billion draw. So, let me address them. Mr Louis Chua asked how the draw on reserves would impact the Net Investment Returns Contribution or NIRC. Yes, there will be some impact to NIRC but the design of the NIR framework is to provide a stable, sustainable source of income to our Budget, smoothed out over market cycles. This means that when the projected returns and value of the net asset base goes down, we do not see an immediate proportionate decrease in NIRC. In the same way, in periods of sharp spikes in the market and asset values go up, we do not see an immediate increase and overspend. Mr Gerald Giam asked about the Government's plans to put back the sums drawn from our reserves. To be clear, under our Constitution, there is no legal obligation for the Government to put back the amount drawn from our past reserves. Rather, it is about having the moral obligation and sense of duty to current and future generations and the recognition that we are stewards of our reserves which have not come by easily. So, it is not possible for me to be definitive on how long it will take for us to build up sufficient surpluses to make up the $52 billion.[+1 sentence] I would like to remind everyone that the COVID-19 crisis is not over. The scars it will have on our economy and the global economy are still unknown. But I can say that it will not be two years, and I certainly hope it will not take us 50 years. How long it will take also depend on the choices we make as a country and Government – whether we continue to manage our resources prudently. We remain committed to running a broadly balanced Budget over each term of Government and will assess the viability of returning the amount drawn, depending on our fiscal position.[+44 sentences] Mr Leong Mun Wai has suggested the amount of reserves drawn is much less than $52 billion and he has cited several figures in his speech. I will not repeat his computation but I will just make two points. First, the NIR framework is based on expected long-term returns, not actual returns. So, it is incorrect to estimate the actual return by multiplying the NIRC by two. Second, in considering the amount that we are spending from our reserves, it is wrong to subtract the returns from the $52 billion to derive a net spending figure. In addition to the draw, we continue to spend NIRC which also comes from our reserves. And furthermore, the amount drawn from the reserves would have generated returns in perpetuity without a draw. So, the draw of $52 billion is unprecedented and no one should downplay its size or significance. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how our reserves allowed us to remain nimble in times of uncertainty. When I delivered the Unity Budget in February, we did not foresee a need to draw on our Past Reserves. In fact, Mr Pritam Singh said at the debate then that the Government had, and I quote, "the privilege of far more budgetary elbow room, both political and fiscal, than any previous government in Singapore's history." In the short span of 100 days since the Unity Budget when Mr Singh made these remarks, we have delivered three more Budgets and had to propose a draw of up to $52 billion from our Past Reserves to help save lives and livelihoods. Therefore, as you can see, we face great uncertainties. It is too early to conclude that we have unlimited space. So, we need to be more circumspect when it comes to using more reserves, as we are confronted with greater uncertainties ahead. First, the global economy and financial system will be more volatile. The build-up of debt globally introduces instability in the financial system, which can lead to or exacerbate crises. Second, we are seeing increasing risk of geopolitical conflicts and deglobalisation. Third, scientists have warned of the risk of another serious international epidemic caused by a new unknown disease, Disease X. Not if, but when. Sir, I am sure that we all want Singapore to be here for the long haul. As long as Singapore continues to exist, the question is not whether there will be an externally induced crisis but when. If we spend more or even all the returns from our reserves annually, future generations will likely have a smaller buffer in a world of greater uncertainty. We must therefore ensure that we continue to spend within our means and hand over to our children more than what we have inherited from our previous generations. Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked whether the Government would consider a further draw on reserves, considering the magnitude and severity of this crisis. Indeed, there is profound uncertainty in this trajectory of this pandemic and its economic impact. We must act early and decisively to support our workers and businesses when needed. So, I am prepared to propose to the President a further draw on our Past Reserves should it be necessary for us to do so. In the medium to longer term, our approach is to adapt and find new ways to generate growth. We must work hard to get ourselves back in a position where our economy is growing and we can build up reserves for the future again. This is the sustainable and prudent way forward. Mr Speaker, Sir, let me conclude. This COVID-19 crisis is a test of how far we have come as a global city and a nation. How we respond will determine how far we will go. Singapore's dual identity as both a city and a nation has given us agency, nimbleness and unique strengths. But it has also conferred upon us some unique challenges which we have turned into successes. In the face of new threats and opportunities, we must continue to stay open as a global city yet closely-knit as one people and one nation. Over the next few months, we will continue to study ways to help our businesses and people emerge stronger. Our consultations for Budget 2021 have already begun. The Emerging Stronger Taskforce is pressing on with the Alliances for Action to seize growth opportunities for Singapore, even as we deal with COVID-19. I have also set up teams to look into how we can better support workers and households in the post-COVID-19 world. Our battle with COVID-19 is far from over and the road ahead in a post-COVID-19 world will be uncertain. But I am confident that if we stay open and stay united, we will continue thriving as an exciting and vibrant global city and emerge stronger as a more cohesive and resilient nation. And most important of all, we must retain our core values. Three days ago, one Mr Sim, who was on medical leave wrote to us. He was very concerned about the public discussions that we are having, particularly on the use of reserves.[+1 sentence] Let me quote. He said, "Singapore could not afford instability, not like big countries. Once our reserves are used up, Singapore is gone.[+1 sentence] It will be forever gone. We do not have natural resources to fall back on." So, Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank all Members for your comments and I leave you with this sobering thought from one of our citizens.
Mr Speaker38 words
[+3 sentences]Clarifications? Really nothing? Very good. Pursuant to Standing Order No 44 (2), the Motion to consider the Ministerial Statement on the Overview of Government's Strategy to Emerge Stronger from the COVID-19 Pandemic lapses at the conclusion of debate.