Committee of Supply – Head T (Ministry of National Development)
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Committee of Supply – Head L (Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment)›Budget99 turns · 23,600w
· 182 highlighted
budget-1873recorded 2022-03-07
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon)818 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head L of the Estimates be reduced by $100". Sustainability is at the heart of everything MSE does. The MSE GPC is heartened to hear that Singapore will commit to achieve net-zero emissions sooner and will also raise the carbon tax significantly.[+17 sentences] It is code red for humanity and this race to zero is crucial. Climate change is an existential threat that we cannot ignore and simply adapt to. A recent UN IPCC report warned that if countries do not do more to fight climate change, the climate will change faster than we can adapt to it. So, we absolutely have to do more. Sir, I am glad we are doing more and responding positively to both calls in this House and outside for us to take concrete steps to tackle this climate emergency. We are especially heartened with this whole-of-Government and whole-of-society approach. I hope we will continue to work with businesses and citizens to co-create solutions to tackle climate change together. I hope we can share more about how we are increasing our climate ambition and action, how the revised carbon tax will support our inclusive green transition, how we will soften its impact on households and businesses, and how we are protecting our coastlines as well. As we chart the way forward, I hope we always remember that there is no Plan B because there is no Planet B. Beyond climate change, my GPC colleagues and I will be speaking on a broad range of issues. We look forward to updates on the Green Plan 2030, our Zero Waste Masterplan, the disposable carrier bag charge, GreenGov.SG and the lifespan of the Semakau Landfill. We hope to strengthen our defences against public health threats, advance water and food resilience and security, make progress on our 30 by 30 plan and do more to support our hawkers, who have not had an easy two years during this pandemic. And we will of course debate my pet topic of second-hand smoke. I am sure Senior Minister of State Amy Khor is looking forward to it and I promise her, no more stealth mode. Let me be upfront. Second-hand smoke is another threat that we cannot ignore. I have been flooded with appeals for help, people fearing for their health and begging for fresh air. In the past two months, 2,475 people in Singapore have approached me for help as they are suffering from second-hand smoke in their own homes. What scares me is that almost 50% of them have been affected by second-hand smoke in their own homes for more than three years already.[+5 sentences] I hate to imagine what impact this has had on their health and the health of their loved ones. It is a race towards tackling this public health crisis, and like climate change, it is a race we should not and cannot lose. There are lots more questions and issues to raise and it is an incredibly diverse range of issues that we will be debating over the next six and a half hours. Sir, I look forward to a robust debate. Next cut. Four years ago, in an Adjournment Motion, I urged the Government to implement a charge for single-use carrier bags of all materials.[+2 sentences] The call is not to eliminate the use of disposable bags but to reduce it. As Prime Minister Lee said: “It is a sensible approach: to make people conscious of the plastic bags they use, but not to ban plastic bags altogether. Using fewer plastic bags alone will not solve climate change or save the earth, but every bit counts. And making us conscious of our habits, and consider better alternatives, has value in itself.” I am glad the Government announced that it will proceed with this charge but why only for supermarkets?[+13 sentences] I understand we want to start small but this problem is urgent and massive. I hope we can extend this charge to smaller convenience stores. I am glad Cheers has already done this and I saw firsthand how this works. We usually make smaller purchases at convenience stores as compared to at supermarkets. This means the disposable bag charge is a relatively larger amount and people feel the pinch more. When cashiers say, “Do you want a plastic bag? It is now chargeable”, I have seen so many people reply, “In that case, I don’t want it.” Purchases at convenience stores are also usually of a smaller quantity. Many can simply hold or put the purchases in their own bags. Lastly, many of the disposable bags used at convenience stores are smaller and can’t be used to line our rubbish bins. They are usually wasted. Extending this charge beyond supermarkets can have a huge impact for this planet. I hope MSE will consider this positively.
Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang)360 words
Chairman, when it comes to using plastic bags, Singapore is among the top. We are using 2.5 billion plastic bags a year, according to NEA. This can be translated to be about 450 plastic bags per person each year. And in 2019 and 2020, NEA pointed out households and trade premises in Singapore threw away 200,000 tonnes of disposables per year, two-thirds of which are disposable bags.[+7 sentences] In 2018, in a Singapore Environment Council study, it found shoppers take 820 million disposable carrier bags from supermarkets a year, or an average of 146 bags per person. If we look back at our past, we can understand why Singaporeans have such a voracious appetite for plastic bags. Many of us grew up with them from around the 1970s. Admittedly, they come in very useful when you are at the wet market when buying fish, vegetables and many other uses. Many of us justify taking plastic bags from the supermarket because plastic bags can be reused for disposal of household rubbish. Thus, these plastic bags become an omnipresent product, which can be found in the remotest of places from the seabed to the summit of Mount Everest. This poses major environmental challenges. MSE has announced that it would implement a disposable carrier bag charge at supermarkets, which was one of the recommendations submitted by the Citizens Workgroup on Reducing the Excessive Consumption of Disposables.[+7 sentences] Implementing a plastic bag charge will certainly reduce excessive plastic bags consumption but such implementation will also add to the increased cost of living, especially for lower socio-economic group. Can the Minister share details on the model of this impending bag charge? How has the Ministry consulted stakeholders to develop the model for the disposable carrier bag charge? How will this affect the cost of living, especially the lower socio-economic group? What can be done to mitigate the cost for this group? Apart from plastic bags, in fact, the current COVID-19 pandemic has brought about another set of problems with the use of plastics, that is, millions of discarded single-use plastic food containers. How are we dealing with the disposal of all these plastics in the current pandemic?
The Chairman11 words
[+2 sentences]Ms Yeo Wan Ling. You can take your two cuts together.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol)375 words
[+1 sentence]The announcement to implement a charge on disposable carrier bags at supermarkets as per the recommendations submitted by the Citizens Workgroup after consultation with the NEA and members of the public, is a move that is highly anticipated, and to some, viewed with some hesitation. Such a solution has already been implemented in various countries and generally attains success in reducing the usage of plastic bags. We likewise hope to see a positive outcome in early 2023 when charges for disposable carriers bags in large supermarkets are made a legal requirement.[+6 sentences] In Singapore, supermarket retailers such as NTUC Fairprice and Don Don Donki have already taken the initiative and begun to implement charges for their disposable bags. While such measures look to disincentivise shoppers from using disposable plastic carrier bags offered in stores, there are some who have brought up that Singaporeans have always been recycling supermarket bags, using them as trash bags and such a model might create a situation where consumers take more bags than needed after paying the fee for them. It is of these concerns that we would like to seek clarification concerning the proposed charging model when implementing the mandatory charge for carrier bags at supermarkets. My second cut. As a smart nation of digital natives, we have become increasingly reliant on electronic devices to allow a society to function. Incorporating more of such devices into our lives naturally means that we generate more of such e-waste, waste that contain hazardous materials and poses a health and environmental risk if not managed. With the implementation of the nationwide Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme for e-waste in July 2021, we have taken steps to regulate the disposal of such waste by placing greater responsibility on the producers and retailers of such products to ensure that the items ranging from our handphones to our light bulbs will be handled when they reach end of life.[+2 sentences] With the current e-waste collection and disposal scheme having been in place for half a year, we would like to seek clarification on whether the scheme has contributed to the increase in e-waste collection. Furthermore, we also seek assurance of the effects of the present scheme has on the ability to recycle the e-waste that we have generated.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio)139 words
[+5 sentences]Chairman, the Zero Waste Masterplan was introduced in 2019. It is an important blueprint for us to move forward towards being a sustainable city and it is essential we continuously move towards the targets we set for a greener Singapore. I would like to ask: While we have already embraced the circular economy approach in several areas through our successes in closing a number of resource loops such as water, what are the plans to better incorporate circularity efforts as part of our national strategy for other resource loops? How will the Government support the proper management of the three priority waste streams – namely food, e-waste, and packaging – to promote resource sustainability? In addition, what is the progress of the Zero Waste Masterplan and are we on track to reduce waste to landfills by 20% by 2026?
Ms Ng Ling Ling (Ang Mo Kio)164 words
Mr Chairman, also on the Zero Waste Masterplan launched in 2019, our target for Domestic Recycling Rate in 2030 is 30%. This is on the back of our domestic recycling rate declining from 19% in 2015 to 17% in 2019 and 13% in 2020.[+2 sentences] How can we encourage and support Singaporeans towards achieving our zero-waste target? I would like to mention Slovenia as a case study in Europe, with a domestic recycling rate of 59.2% for some learning points. Their domestic recycling rate increased by almost 37% over just one decade.[+3 sentences] Its capital city, Ljubljana, attributed part of its success to strong communications strategies, campaigns and educational programmes to shift its citizens towards an eco-conscious culture. They adopted a bottom-up approach, with communities’ involvement, cooperation from different stakeholders and implementation of nationwide programmes. Considering our aspirations towards reaching the zero-waste target and Singapore’s strength in whole-of-community approach, I will like to ask how MSE plans to enable families and communities to achieve our targets.
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling (East Coast)360 words
[+14 sentences]Sir, Semakau Landfill is projected to be full by 2035. There is an overall decline in waste generation for the past four years, this is a good sign but is this sustainable when our domestic consumption has not significantly reduced, and recycling rates are not increasing proportionately within the industries and general public? I wish to know what more are we doing to extend the lifespan of Semakau Landfill? Here, I highlight two areas for improving waste management in Singapore. First, food waste. Discounting the effects of pandemic, the inherent problem lies with the long supply chains for food and losses during the handling and storage. To better manage the supply, we need more focus on technology applications and begin upstream in our food industry. For example, (a) to use technology like blockchains to assist the wholesalers, large importers and large users to provide key sourcing countries with more accurate information on supply demand patterns in variety and volume of food needs through the year. This will help improve harvesting supply at right timing, production volume with less wastage and better understand the impact of increasing unseasonable weather; (b) to provide specific funding and more opportunities to connect the teams in ecosystem working on similar problem statements, for example, the food preservation with fresh producers using new techniques; and (c) conduct a comprehensive study to understand which part of the supply can be transformed locally or at source in order to mandate partially or in full the adoption of the Food Waste Minimisation Guidebook. Second, on ferrous metal scraps, waste from construction and demolition, paper and card boxes. All this waste will go into our landfill if not recycled or handled properly. Can NEA provide an update on the sustainable resource recovery solutions piloted thus far? For high volume generated waste materials, what has the Government’s effort been in reducing them jointly with the industry? I suggest a greater focus on waste reduction in immediate term, from more direct partnerships with business associations and corporations with large waste disposal to find ways to reduce and to reduce the packaging for local food delivery and introduce more environmentally friendly disposable packaging.
Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang)223 words
[+6 sentences]Mr Chairman, with climate change, we can expect to experience more unpredictable and intense rainfall. Over the years, we have been working on a number of projects to improve drainage and surface run-off and enhance storm water management. Would the Ministry share an update on these projects and future ones? Maintenance and protection of drainage pathways are important, as we learnt from recent incidents where flash floods were caused by blockages and violations from engineering works in the vicinity. What are PUB’s plans to mitigate inland floods? In the face of rising sea levels, we need to start on coastal protection. To defend our coastal areas from erosion, we have erected walls and stone embankments covering 70% to 80% of Singapore's coastline.[+2 sentences] Eventually, some of them will have to be built higher. What are the plans for these, including new seawalls, going forward? When do we expect the construction of sea walls to commence?[+4 sentences] And would the Ministry share updates on the progress of reclamation works as well? The rest of our coastline are natural areas such as beaches and mangroves. How does the Government ensure that coastal adaptation measures are cost-effective and adequately resourced; and how can the marine ecosystem be protected while these measures are being carried out? Lastly, what progress has been made on coastal protection efforts since last year?
Dr Lim Wee Kiak292 words
[+8 sentences]Chairman, last month I watched an interesting CNA documentary titled "Lost Waterfronts" which relate the history of Singapore’s former coastlines and waterfronts, which is now replaced by man-made landscapes such as Marine Parade, Changi Airport and MBS. I was amazed by the tremendous transformation that our little island has undergone. What was formerly our coastlines and beaches have all disappeared and replaced with land and development. I wonder in 50 or 100 years from now, will our descendants be watching a different version of a similar documentary titled "The Lost Land", featuring the sea and describing what used to be a huge Changi airport and HDB Marine Parade estates is now replaced by sea. If we do not do anything to protect our low-lying areas against the rising sea level, that may become reality. I still remember the graphic presentation during Prime Minister's National Day Rally in 2019, on Singapore's map showing all the low-lying areas which will be reclaimed by a rising sea level if nothing is done. And what Prime Minister said, that our descendants may ask: "why did we not do anything when we had a chance?" I, and many, are impressed by the ambitious plans shown during the presentation on building polders and a sea wall, not only to protect the low-lying areas but also to create new land and new possibilities. Can the Minister give an update on our progress to safeguard Singapore's low-lying areas against the threat of rising sea level? Can the studies on the protection measures be speed up, so that it could mitigate the work needed to protect our shorelines?[+2 sentences] What interim measures can be done now? And how does the Government ensure that the coastal adaptation measures are cost-effective and adequately resourced?
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin142 words
[+1 sentence]Chairman, during last year's Budget, as part of our climate adaptation measures, it was announced that Public Utilities Board (PUB) and JTC Corporation (JTC) will embark on site specific studies at the coastlines of City-East Coast and Jurong Island for coastal protection. To enhance flood resilience, PUB has spent almost $2 billion in the last decade and plans to spend $1.4 billion more in the next five years for drainage work.[+3 sentences] I understand that future studies for the northwest coast have also been planned. I would also like to add to the questions raised by the previous Members before me, to ask how will the Government ensure that these measures are cost-effective? How will the Government plan to take into account existing ecosystems such as mangroves or intertidal zones as nature-based solutions, both in terms of conservation as well as potential solutions.
Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Punggol)122 words
Chairman, the rising sea levels is a global challenge for many coastal cities and Singapore is especially vulnerable, as we are a low-lying island with only 30% of our land residing five metres above sea level.[+4 sentences] Unlike other countries, we do not have abundant high grounds. With climate change, we can expect to experience more unpredictable and intense rainfall with sea levels rising faster. What progress has been made on coastal protection efforts since last year and how can we protect our coastlines from rising sea levels, as well as erosion by waves and storms and reduce the land take for such measures to protect our coastlines? How does the Government ensure that the coastal adaptation measures are cost-effective and well resourced?
Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok)158 words
[+4 sentences]Sir, currently NEA is not able to conduct investigation against drivers of foreign vehicles for infringement of vehicle emission regulations if they are merely reported by members of public, unless NEA officers personally confirm the cases at the scene. This is because unlike local vehicles, NEA does not have the information on ownership of foreign registered vehicles. This gives rise to an unhappy situation as NEA officers have to catch the offenders red-handed. This gap in enforcement policy must be closed, as NEA officers cannot be everywhere. Those who violate our emission laws must face the same consequences, regardless of whether they are local or foreign drivers. I recommend that NEA work out an arrangement with ICA that will allow for measures; such as not allowing the foreign vehicles to be driven into or out of Singapore until such time the drivers' particulars are provided or the composition fine imposed for the commission of the offence is paid.
Ms Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee)147 words
[+5 sentences]In May last year, I have filed a Parliamentary Question to MSC, subsequent to several cases of gastroenteritis in preschools, to enquire on what actions will be taken to manage such incidents and prevent them from recurring in future. I am delighted that Minister Grace Fu has in response, announced the intention to implement the Environmental Sanitation (ES) regime. Since then, I note that the ES regime has been implemented progressively to premises such as social service facilities, schools and preschools, as well as food centres, coffee shops and markets. Can the Ministry share the current progress on the regime's roll out and share more as to which other sectors or premises will it be expanded to, in order to prevent further gastroenteritis outbreaks from happening in the community. Would places that offer food items to patrons, such as cinemas and spa facilities, be included as well?
The Chairman12 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Mohd Fahmi Bin Aliman. He is not here. Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon)107 words
[+8 sentences]Sir, there is no risk-free level of exposure to second-hand smoke. Breathing in small amounts can be dangerous. I have spoken up a lot about protecting people from second-hand smoke in their own homes. It is equally important to protect everyone in public areas. I am glad Orchard Road was designated as Singapore’s first No Smoking Zone (NSZ). Our surveys show that there is strong support for this. Last year, I asked if the Government will designate other areas as NSZ. It has been a year, and I hope MSE has monitored this space closely and will roll out more NSZ and prohibit smoking in more places.
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling110 words
[+4 sentences]Sir, the ability to have fresh air and not take in second-hand smoke is an option that everyone should have if they are given a choice. Despite knowing the harms of smoking and increasing prices of tobacco products in Singapore, the smoking rate in Singapore remains at about 10% in 2020. After the introduction of NSZ at Orchard Road, many are eagerly hoping that NSZ can be expanded especially nearing housing estates and provide permanent digital enforcement at the playgrounds, parks and common corridors of HDB blocks. Can the Ministry provide an update if there is any intent to expand NSZ in other areas of Singapore following the early pilots?
Dr Lim Wee Kiak429 words
[+4 sentences]Chairman, the COVID-19 pandemic has rightly raised our concerns because of the toll it takes on innocent lives and the suffering of those who were inflicted with the disease. Globally, since the outbreak of the pandemic, there were some 5.9 million deaths, and it is still rising. There is another pandemic that is also claiming lives, but it is somewhat given a back seat. This is the scourge of smoking. According to WHO, the tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing more than 8 million people a year around the world. More than 7 million of those deaths are as a result of direct tobacco use while 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.[+5 sentences] The economic costs of tobacco use are substantial, for example, costs for treating the diseases caused by tobacco use as well as the loss of human capital that is a result from tobacco-attributed morbidity and mortality. There are studies that shows that smoking is highly likely to worsen the severity of COVID-19 and the risk of dying from infection, according to a UK Biobank study published online in the respiratory journal of Thorax. Despite all the health risks, cigarette smoking is one of the most common forms of tobacco use and it is one of the leading preventable risk factors for premature deaths, including non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke. We have been taking various steps to control cigarette smoking. But some countries, like New Zealand, are taking bolder steps to ban smoking. New Zealand plans to raise the legal smoking age by one year every year, effectively banning the sales of tobacco products to people born after 2008. Malaysia intends to introduce a new law to ban smoking and the possession of tobacco products, including electronic vaporisers, for people who are born after 2005, as a "Generational End Game" for smoking in the country. In 2019, the smoking prohibition was introduced and Orchard Road was designated Singapore’s first NSZ.[+4 sentences] Does the Ministry intend to roll out more NSZs and prohibit smoking in more places to protect the public from the harmful effects of second-hand tobacco smoke? Do we have plans to introduce "end game" laws to snuff out cigarette smoking completely for our young Singaporeans? What is the results and lessons learnt from the 2014 Nee Soon South pilot project to ban smoking in public? I urge the Government to take bold steps to extend more NSZs and finally also to consider smoking completely banned in all HDB estates.
Ms Poh Li San106 words
[+4 sentences]The Chairman, the last extension of the smoking prohibition was in 2019, when Orchard Road was designated as Singapore’s first NSZ. Does the Ministry intend to roll out more NSZs or prohibit smoking in more places to protect the public from the harmful effects of second-hand tobacco smoke, such as smoking corners at food retail establishments? Many residents have been bothered by their neighbours’ second-hand smoke emitted from their windows and balconies. Would the Ministry please do more to curb second-hand smoke in residences, especially when complaints are from families with young children or residents with health problems and the neighbours are consistent and heavy smokers?
Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio)174 words
[+12 sentences]Chairman, will the Ministry consider setting out a designated eco-friendly smoking zone at each HDB block for smokers to visit, instead of smoking at home and common corridors? What other plans does the Ministry have to encourage residents who smoke at home to reduce the spread of their second-hand smoke in their homes and to surrounding units? Next cut. How effective has the wastewater testing surveillance strategy been for COVID-19? Can the Ministry share if NEA intends to make this method of testing regular and routine in all areas for the long-term in order to monitor the spread of the pandemic? Next cut. Public toilets’ cleanliness and hygiene must meet NEA standards. How does NEA ensure that these standards are maintained? What are the progress and improvement requirements for all toilets in hawker centres, markets and coffeeshops? Next cut. Hawker centres provide a wide range of delicious and affordable food to our residents in the heartlands. Will there be new hawker centres in the next two years, especially in some of the newer estates?
Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang)137 words
[+7 sentences]Chairman, hawker centres are an important part of our heartland estates, providing a variety of affordable food to our multicultural population. They are also gathering points which serve to help with community bonding. COVID-19 has disrupted our everyday lives significantly, including slowing down the progress of work in our construction sector. I would like to ask the Government how has COVID-19 impacted the progress of the construction of new hawker centres and will there be new centres that will open in 2022? Will we have enough hawkers to man the stalls at the new hawker centres? There is no point having new and nice hawker centres with low utilisation rate. How is the Ministry ensuring that we are training a pipeline of new hawkers to take over from the older cohort, many of whom will be retiring?
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin146 words
[+4 sentences]Chairman, as we transition to endemic living, our hawker scene has also undergone significant challenges. Our hawkers are an important part of our heritage, and have seen some tough times during COVID-19. However, some issues are evergreen, for example, urban bird management and ensuring clean hawker centres. I also hope that in due course, we will be able to reduce food, produce and packaging wastage in hawker centres, where everyone can play a part in food rescue efforts with the relevant overarching structures and support put in place. Can the Government share more details about how the Hawker Centres Transformation Programme is enabling hawker centres to be more efficient and sustainable, and how many hawker centres will benefit from this? How has hawker centre cleanliness improved over the past year, and does the Government have any preliminary findings on the effectiveness of the Clean Tables Campaign?
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Joan Pereira.
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar)8 words
[+1 sentence]Chairman, can I take my two cuts together?
The Chairman2 words
[+1 sentence]Yes, please.
Ms Joan Pereira643 words
[+23 sentences]Like any other UNESCO cultural heritage, our hawker culture needs to be preserved and passed down for future generations. However, it needs to transform with the times, in order to remain relevant for our people and for the livelihoods of our hawkers. In the face of manpower shortage, especially in the hiring of hawker assistants and the shortage of young Singaporeans willing to pick up the hawker trade, I hope that we, as a nation, can consider this as a matter of urgency; we need to look into ways to support and transform this sector, which includes hawker centres, coffeeshops, canteens and food courts. It has not been easy, but our hawkers have been trying very hard to keep their prices affordable. Can we, therefore, help them reduce their costs with raw materials or improve productivity? I have already seen some of our hawkers adopting machines to automate their cooking or other processes. We have seen how most of our hawkers have adopted digital payments and online ordering and delivery, through the support of efforts such as the Hawker Productivity Grant and the Alliance for Action. Can more be done to bring down costs, such as by working with industry players to consolidate ingredient purchases by hawkers to achieve better economies of scale and lower prices for all? We have to review all aspects of the nature of the industry and businesses, involve our hawkers in providing their feedback and inputs on how we can help them. I also hope that as we embark on the transformation and rejuvenation of our neighbourhood town centres, through initiatives by other agencies such as Enterprise Singapore’s Heartland Enterprise Centre, the relevant agencies can work together and take a holistic view, to ensure that our heartland enterprises and hawkers are all part of the overall rejuvenation efforts. After all, our hawkers are heartland enterprises too. I hope to hear more from the Ministry on its plans to transform the hawker trade. Sir, our hawker trade plays a very important role in our economy. In a nation where many couples work full-time, many of our families depend on hawker centres to provide ready-cooked food. Our hawkers are specialists in their niche areas, and this is how we can enjoy so many different versions of our favourite meals from across different ethnic cuisine groups. Singapore will not be the same without our hawkers. How can we improve the job prospects and working conditions, so as to attract more young hawkers? Do we need restructure this occupation, so that they get covered for leave days, sick leave, medical care and insurance? Presently, most hawkers work as independents and some do quite well. However, for many, they really need to work many hours with very few rest days to earn a living, and falling sick becomes an extremely unthinkable costly problem. We must safeguard our hawker trade which is at the risk of vanishing when our older hawkers retire. The work is tough and not many young people want to take over. However, our ageing hawkers want to pass their recipes and techniques for future generations. Will the Ministry share and update on the progress of the Hawkers Succession Scheme, which facilitates the pairing up of a retiring veteran hawker with an apprentice, so as to pass down his or her culinary skills, recipes and hawker stall to the aspiring successor?[+4 sentences] I would also like to reiterate my suggestion for NEA to facilitate the transition and help the veteran hawkers be paid an appropriate compensation amount, while the skills are being taught to the apprentice. The compensation sum should reflect the value of the heritage recipe and technique. In turn, the apprentice would have to serve out the bond at the stall for a period of, say, three years, for example. I hope this will help to safeguard our hawker trade.
Mr Raj Joshua Thomas (Nominated Member)148 words
[+4 sentences]Sir, in Malay, please. (In Malay): Singaporeans enjoy hawker food. Our hawker trade is a key part of Singapore's history and identity. We have strong public support for hawker culture, and many of us celebrated when our Hawker Culture was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2020. Therefore, we must ensure that our hawker culture and food continue to thrive for future generations. I am heartened to know that NEA has announced last year it will be rolling out the Hawkers Succession Scheme. This scheme aims to facilitate retiring veteran hawkers pass down their stalls, culinary skills, practices and recipes to aspiring successors through an apprenticeship and mentorship programme.[+1 sentence] I would like to ask what is the progress of the scheme, and are there more details available on how the scheme will be implemented?
Dr Lim Wee Kiak266 words
[+5 sentences]Chairman, plant-based meat is increasingly taking its place on our supermarket shelves, and I generally believe there is a gradual acceptance of this alternative meat substitute for real animal meat. Food security is important for Singapore. We are reliant on many countries to supply many essential items including meat. And if we are able to develop such alternative meat products locally, this would address some of our concerns in this area. Besides, meat substitutes which are produced in laboratory by cell culture would contribute to our efforts to address climate change issue as well. According to the Good Food Institute, an international US-based non-profit re-imagining meat production, animal agriculture takes up 77% of all agricultural land on Earth despite supplying only 17% of humanity’s food supply. This inefficiency drives the need for agricultural expansion, which is the single largest driver for ecosystem damage on land. They reported that plant-based meat emits 30% to 90% less greenhouse gases than conventional meat production and animal agriculture contributes to more climate change than exhaust emissions from the entire transport sector.[+4 sentences] Thus, to meet the nutritional needs of a growing population and, at the same time, protect earth's fauna and flora, and fight against climate change, we need to consider and promote food products like meat substitute that are manufactured using plant-based products and meat produced in the laboratory by cell culture, instead of from animals in farms. This can form part of our 30 by 30 plan. What is Singapore's role in this new emerging sector? How can we promote and grow this sector to benefit from this sector?
Prof Koh Lian Pin (Nominated Member)159 words
[+1 sentence]Safeguarding our food security is among the most important priorities for Singapore in our sustainability journey. One of the Government's efforts to address this goal is to produce 30% of our nutritional needs locally and sustainably by 2030.[+5 sentences] How does the Government plan to help the local food production industry build up capabilities and capacity to achieve our 30 by 30 goal and enhance the resilience of Singapore's food supply? As we achieve success in increasing our local food production, is the Government looking to calibrate food imports to avoid wastage? Unlocking Singapore's sea space for sustainable aquaculture can help boost our local food production in the long term. However, as with our land resource, there will be diverse and competing needs for the use of our sea space. Does the Government plan to provide the local food production industry with greater certainty on the use of both land and sea space to optimise the supply of local produce?
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Nadia Samdin.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin9 words
[+1 sentence]Chairman, may I take my two cuts together, please?
The Chairman2 words
[+1 sentence]Yes, please.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin306 words
[+1 sentence]I am heartened that much progress has been made in the last year towards the 30 by 30 plan, to reduce our reliance on food imports. According to a survey done by SFA, 98% of Singaporeans agree that this is an important effort.[+10 sentences] However, concerns of space and sustainability, including that of sea spaces, are always a concern. What are the Government’s plans to optimise sea spaces for food production? And given the heavy investment required, does the Government have plans to provide the industry with greater certainty on the use of land or sea space? Will measures be put in place to ensure a more sustainable aquaculture industry? Last year, it was announced that the Government is working on a framework to shore up defences against marine litter to protect our coastline and surrounding waters. Some of my youth volunteers and I had the opportunity to join environmental activists, students and clean-up crews at a Kayak and Clean event, where we found discarded nets, plastics and other types of marine litter floating around our island. I have also had the opportunity to do dive clean-ups off our Southern Islands with marine scientists and volunteers from Our Singapore Reefs. From youths to seniors, expats to Singaporeans, I am grateful for active and caring citizens who run efforts such as the East Coast Beach Plan, Green Nudge, One Planet and even our own Young PAP who have played a part in keeping our shores clean. I would like to ask whether the Ministry has further plans to tackle marine litter as a concerted effort and how the Government can better consult and co-create solutions with ground-up groups and businesses to optimise efforts and resources in tackling issues, such as marine litter and climate change, beyond dialogues and panels. Can the Ministry consider a citizen committee, for example?
Mr Raj Joshua Thomas203 words
[+2 sentences]Food security is an existential issue for Singapore. The global food system faces many challenges, from short-term disruptions, such as disease outbreaks in a source country and the pandemic, to long-term issues such as climate change, global population growth and dwindling resources. One of the Government’s efforts is the 30 by 30 goal, to transform our agri-food sector, and build capabilities and capacity to sustainably grow in a highly productive, climate-resilient and resource-efficient way.[+5 sentences] It is important for the Government to work towards the 30 by 30 goal in a sustainable manner. I would like to ask how does the Government plan to help the local food production industry to build up capabilities and capacity to achieve the 30 by 30 goal, to enhance the resilience of Singapore’s food supply. Further to this, unlocking sea space for sustainable fish farming can help boost our local production in the long term. However, as with land, there will be diverse and competing needs for the use of our sea space. I would like to ask what are the Government’s plans to provide the local food production industry with greater certainty on the use of land or sea space to optimise the supply of local produce.
Mr Don Wee136 words
[+3 sentences]Chairman, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the global supply chain crisis highlight how important it is for Singapore to become more self-sufficient for our food supply. I am glad that the Government is embarking on a holistic exercise to master plan the Lim Chu Kang area into a high-tech agri-food zone. This bodes well for our future food security. What is the status of the Lim Chu Kang Master Plan exercise? What is the progress of the discussion with the current cohort of farmers?[+3 sentences] Is the Ministry involving them and inviting them to participate in the new plan? They should be given assistance, to start off, and incentives to upgrade their operations. What other plans does the Government have to help our agri-food industry build up capabilities and capacity to achieve the 30 by 30 goal?
Ms Poh Li San121 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Chairman, we have water supply from the Four National Taps: water from local catchment, imported water, NEWater and desalinated water. Desalinated water and NEWater meet up to 70% of today's water demand and is projected to go up to 80% in 2030 and 85% by 2060.[+3 sentences] While desalination and NEWater are weather resilient and free from the vagaries tied to imported water, they are energy intensive. In view of the current global energy challenges and Singapore’s commitment to transit to greener energy sources, how will PUB leverage on R&D and technology to enhance water efficiency and treatment? And what is the progress of our research projects in this field and are we collaborating with any foreign partners on this endeavour?
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Gan Thiam Poh.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh10 words
[+1 sentence]Chairman, may I have your permission to take two cuts?
The Chairman2 words
[+1 sentence]Yes, please.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh102 words
[+5 sentences]Desalination and NEWater are two of our four sources of water supply, in addition to imported water and water catchment. The challenge with these two sources is that they require a lot of energy to process and treat the water. How would PUB improve on the energy efficiency of our water treatment to ensure its sustainability? PUB launched the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme to harness the full potential of our waterbodies – a network of 8,000 kilometres of waterways and 17 reservoirs. Would the Ministry share if there will be any new ABC projects in the next two years?
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong (Jurong)175 words
[+4 sentences]I applaud the efforts of the Ministry in undertaking long-term infrastructure projects. Joint efforts that use science, technology and our strong engineering capabilities to deliver highly accretive outcomes for sustainability mission. In addition, much effort was also taken to use an ecosystem approach to leverage on the strengths of each project to further enhance outcomes. The Tuas Water Reclamation Plant, an integrated waste management facility are prime examples. In September 2020, PUB and NEA announced the construction of Singapore's first integrated water and solid waste management plant – the Tuas Nexus – consisting of the Tuas Water Reclamation Plant and the Integrated Management Facility.[+3 sentences] It was mentioned that the Tuas Nexus will tap on the synergies between water, waste treatment and energy – to use water sludge from Tuas when co-digested with food waste will improve bio-gas generation. I support these efforts by SME and the beyond horizon thinking and bold execution of these officers. To follow up, can I ask the Ministry on the progress of the Tuas Nexus and Tuas Water Reclamation Plant.
Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir)138 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Chairman, I start by congratulating the PUB for being successful in closing the "water loop" through integrated water management, by collecting as much water as we can and reusing water where possible. PUB had previously announced that the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System Phase Two is to be extended by 2025 to serve the western part of Singapore. This is an important project that will go towards safeguarding Singapore’s strategic interest in water. As a result of the pandemic situation, we know that many infrastructural projects have been affected due to manpower shortage and supply chain disruptions. I, therefore, invite the Minister to share with this House, whether the PUB is on track to complete the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System Phase Two and an update on the progress of the project in the light of the present circumstances.
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling294 words
[+3 sentences]Sir, to many, Singapore has a successful water story. From water conservation to building our own water taps. But is this sufficient? PUB has placed emphasis on driving home the awareness on water conservation and set a target to achieve 130 litres usage per person per day by 2030 from the current 141 litres in 2019. In the 2018/2019 household study conducted by PUB, it showed that shower, flushing, kitchen and laundry constituted 77% of its total water usage and the consumption increased by 20% for households with domestic helpers.[+5 sentences] Since the pandemic started, our hygiene alertness has significantly heightened. There is more extensive washing and higher frequency of cleaning in households, public areas and workplaces. While we hope these good hygiene habits continue to prevent the next potential spread of disease, I would like to ask whether the Ministry observed more water usage for maintaining such hygiene standards? Does the work-from-home setting change the consumption usage by the households and what are the other initiatives the Government plan to introduce to improve water conservation? While raising awareness and changing consumption habits are important, we need to complement efforts beyond these. For example, HDB to consider changing to purpose-built waterless urinal design for new flats, or using other methods to remove dirt from void decks and common corridors instead of high pressure water jets. I am glad we have over the years built alternate water taps like desalination and NEWater. They are weather resilient technologies, but equally energy intensive.[+2 sentences] As Singapore is currently unable to harness all of the rainfall for usage, I would like to know how PUB is planning to maximise capacity of the underground water storage systems? At the same time, are more energy efficient technologies being explored for water treatment?
Ms Hany Soh51 words
Household water consumption has increased as a result of COVID-19 due to people spending more time working from home.[+1 sentence] With hybrid work arrangements expected to continue as COVID-19 becomes endemic, what are some of the initiatives that PUB or the Government will be taking to encourage more water conservation among households?
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Minister Grace Fu.
The Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien)79 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Chairman, I thank the Members for their questions. May I have your permission for MSE to address these cuts and take clarifications from Members after Senior Minister of State Amy Khor, Minister of State Desmond Tan and I deliver our speeches. And thereafter we will have Members deliver their cuts on the joint segment on the Singapore Green Plan 2030 which will be addressed by Senior Minister Teo and several Green Plan Ministries, including clarifications that may arise.
The Chairman2 words
[+1 sentence]Please proceed.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien3187 words
[+5 sentences]Thank you. COVID-19, climate change and income inequality. These are among the biggest threats confronting the world today. The pandemic has laid bare the fragilities of global supply chains, the vulnerabilities of healthcare systems and the cost of being underprepared. The effects of climate change could be far worse. The latest IPCC report underlines how climate change has resulted in increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events, especially heat waves, droughts, and floods.[+15 sentences] Climate change will adversely impact economies and livelihoods, as well as security of essential resources such as water, food and energy. COVID-19 has taught us the importance of resilience and this has relevance in the way we deal with climate change. Whether a disruption is brought about by extreme weather events, or a global pandemic, we must take action today to assess our risk exposure, prepare our people and put in measures that will enable us to bounce back from disruption. In this COS, Senior Minister of State Amy Koh, Minister of State Desmond and I will share how MSE is strengthening our resilience across three areas: resource resilience; climate resilience; and public health resilience. First, resource resilience. As a globally connected economy with no natural resources, we are vulnerable to external shocks and supply disruptions. This has been made abundantly clear by the COVID-19 pandemic. As our demand for resources continues to grow, so will our exposure to such fluctuations. Excessive consumption of resources also generates waste and emissions, worsening the climate crisis. We must reduce waste and maximise resource efficiency. We also need to diversify our supply sources and promote circularity to reuse and recycle resources. This is no mean feat, but we have shown that it can be done. We have closed the water loop by reclaiming used water to become NEWater, allowing us to reuse every drop of water endlessly. Minister of State Desmond will share how we are strengthening the resilience of our food and water supply. Ms Nadia Samdin and Miss Cheryl Chan have asked for an update on our waste reduction efforts. Our Zero Waste Masterplan was driven by the need to reduce carbon emissions, boost resource resilience and conserve landfill space. We set a target to reduce waste-to-landfill per capita by 30% by 2030. Under the Singapore Green Plan, we will frontload efforts to achieve a 20% reduction by 2026.[+8 sentences] In an increasingly resource-constrained world, we need to shift to a circular economy, where trash is turned into treasure and reused endlessly. As we strive to become a Zero Waste Nation, we need to: encourage sustainable production, build capabilities to maximise resource recovery and collectively adopt sustainability as a way of life. Let me elaborate. One key upstream measure to encourage sustainable production is the Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR scheme. EPR requires producers, such as manufacturers and importers, to be responsible for the collection and proper treatment of their products at end-of-life. We implemented the e-waste EPR last year to ensure the proper handling and treatment of e-waste. This reduces our waste to landfill and allows us to recover valuable resources like gold and copper from e-waste, for use in manufacturing new products. Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked for a progress update. Since the scheme started in July last year, ALBA, the appointed scheme operator, has collected around 3,500 tonnes of consumer e-waste, which is three times the amount collected annually under NEA’s previous National Voluntary Partnership programme.[+15 sentences] This accounts for approximately 8.5% of the consumer electronic and electrical equipment supplied in 2020. The e-waste collected includes large home appliances like refrigerators and air-conditioners, and ICT equipment like mobile phones and laptops. Members of the public can drop off e-waste at more than 500 e-waste recycling bins nationwide, at convenient locations such as community centres, supermarkets and electronics stores. ALBA also works with Town Councils to organise quarterly collection drives at housing estates and collection of bulky e-waste. For a fee, members of the public may contact ALBA to arrange for doorstep collection of e-waste. Efforts are also ongoing to develop an EPR for packaging waste, starting with a return scheme for beverage containers. Under such a scheme, a deposit is included in the price of the pre-packaged beverages. Consumers will receive a refund upon returning the used beverage container. To facilitate development of this scheme, NEA formed a stakeholder group comprising key industry, academia and civil society representatives in December last year. Over the past two years, NEA has engaged more than 100 large and small producers, which make up about 80% of the pre-packaged beverage market. This included industry briefings, surveys and one-on-one engagements with individual companies and trade associations. Other stakeholders consulted included retailers, waste management companies and members of the public. NEA will continue to broaden engagement with the public and industry in the coming months, to co-design a cost-effective and suitable Beverage Container Return Scheme for Singapore. As we strive towards a Zero Waste Nation, we need to continue to ensure the sustainability of essential waste disposal services, while encouraging waste reduction to conserve Semakau Landfill. Over the years, the operational costs of waste disposal have increased. To keep pace with rising costs, we will revise the refuse disposal fee for incinerable waste from $77 to $88 per tonne. This fee is paid by public waste collectors and general waste collectors to dispose of incinerable waste at the waste-to-energy plants. We will also revise the refuse disposal fee for non-incinerable waste from $97 to $124 per tonne.[+1 sentence] This fee is paid by general waste collectors and toxic industrial waste collectors to dispose of non-incinerable waste at Semakau Landfill, such as treated toxic industrial waste and sludge. The revised fees will take effect on 1 January 2024, two years from now.[+21 sentences] NEA will issue notification letters to the industry to allow the industry sufficient lead time to adjust. We encourage all businesses to adopt sustainable practices to generate less waste and recycle more and play their part in the shift towards a greener and zero-waste Singapore. As we put in place a comprehensive regulatory framework to encourage recycling, we also need to build capabilities in our local industry. A thriving local recycling industry can generate economic value, job opportunities and exportable solutions for the global green demand. EWR2 is a local e-waste recycling company that recycles large household appliances and ICT equipment and was set up in response to the increasing demand for e-waste recycling services driven by the EPR scheme. It operates a highly automated recycling facility that can recover up to 95% of materials used to make the appliances, of which about 80% is being recycled. We are also pursuing chemical recycling of plastics that converts plastic waste into pyrolysis oil, which can be used as feedstock for the manufacturing of chemicals and plastics. NEA commissioned a feasibility study on the development of a plastic recovery facility last year to extract plastics from our waste for chemical recycling. The facility will harness advanced plastic waste sorting capabilities and improve our plastic recycling rates. We are finding other new innovative ways to turn waste into resource. Semakau Landfill, for example, can potentially be mined for its landfilled materials. NEA and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore are carrying out a feasibility study to use such materials in its reclamation for Tuas Port. If feasible, this will prolong the lifespan of Semakau and at the same time, reduce the amount of reclamation materials to be imported. Our transition to a Zero Waste Nation will require everyone to play their part. To be a nation known for sustainable development, care for the environment must be reflected through our daily practices. Our personal and societal values drive the actions and choices we make daily. The use of disposables is an issue that many Singaporeans care about. While disposables have become an everyday convenience, they create large amounts of waste and use up finite resources. We convened a Citizens' Workgroup in September 2020 to co-create solutions with the public in the spirit of Singapore Together. The workgroup came up with recommendations on how we can reduce the use of disposables such as carrier bags, food containers, cutlery and packaging. Implementing a charge for disposable carrier bags at supermarkets was one of the recommendations of the workgroup. After careful deliberation, we announced last year that we would work on an appropriate model for a disposable carrier bag charge at supermarkets.[+9 sentences] We did not decide on this lightly. Our earlier considerations for not implementing a disposable carrier bag charge in Singapore are still valid. Plastic bags are used by many households to bag our garbage before throwing it down our rubbish chutes. Unlike many other countries, we do not directly landfill our disposables but incinerate them. Hence, we do not face the land and water pollution issues that plague those countries. Climate action and environmental protection are gaining pace internationally and locally and we cannot continue with business as usual. A bag charge is becoming commonplace in jurisdictions around the world and closer to home such as in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia. There is broad recognition that we can reduce wastage of plastic bags. In Singapore, an increasing number of retailers have voluntarily implemented a charge on disposable carrier bags, which has shown to be effective in encouraging the use of reusables. For example, FairPrice's "No Plastic Bag" initiative has saved more than 30 million plastic bags over two years, with seven out of 10 customers willing to bring their own bags.[+8 sentences] More importantly, we want Singaporeans to be a part of the shift towards a green Singapore. We should show our care for the environment in the choices we make every day. By making the cost of the bag visible to consumers, the intent of the bag charge is to nudge people to consider what they really need instead of taking bags freely. The charge is not a ban. It will not remove the public's access to disposable bags. It is a nudge to every one of us to develop the habit of bringing a reusable bag when shopping for groceries and more and to reduce the use of disposables, an essential feature of sustainable living. Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked about our consultations in developing the bag charge framework. We have conducted extensive consultations over the past year, including with supermarkets and members of the public. Close to 6,000 stakeholders were consulted through focus group discussions, industry and public consultation sessions and surveys.[+1 sentence] We have heard diverse views in our consultations and have considered these views carefully. Ms Yeo Wan Ling and Dr Lim also asked for details on the bag charge.[+1 sentence] Let me share with Members about the framework. We will introduce a charge of at least five cents per bag for purchases made at the supermarket outlets.[+4 sentences] This will be applicable to all disposable carrier bags. We have kept the minimum charge low to moderate the cost impact on shoppers, including on low-income households. Charging per bag is equitable and effective. The more bags we take, the higher the amount we pay. Charging from the first bag would also encourage shoppers to bring their own bags from the outset.[+1 sentence] The charge will take effect in mid-2023. It will apply to operators of SFA-licensed supermarkets with an annual turnover of more than $100 million, which will cover about two thirds of all supermarket outlets.[+4 sentences] We are starting with the larger supermarket operators who have extensive market coverage. We will not extend the charge to smaller convenience stores for now, as suggested by Mr Louis Ng. During our consultation, concerns have been expressed about supermarket operators potentially profiteering from the charge. We strongly encourage supermarket operators to channel the proceeds obtained from the bag charge to environmental or social causes and consider initiatives to support lower-income families. To ensure accountability, we will require supermarket operators to publish information on the number of bags issued, amount of proceeds collected from the bag charge and how these proceeds would be used.[+18 sentences] The public will then be able to see how the supermarket operators are using their proceeds. Over time, we hope that the charge will encourage Singaporeans to adopt sustainable habits and bring our own bags when shopping at supermarkets and other stores. At this point, I would like to quote Ms Liu Yining who eloquently expressed on the need to reduce the use of plastic disposables in a recent commentary in Lianhe Zaobao. In Mandarin, please, Mr Chairman. (In Mandarin): On 4 March, Ms Liu Yining wrote a commentary in Lianhe Zaobao titled "Charging for disposable carrier bags sows a seed for de-plasticisation", She wrote that "the moment people take an extra plastic bag, they will have to think about whether they really need it or not, and at that point in time, a seed of happiness and kindness is sowed in the heart, and it is a seed of hope for themselves, the country and the world." (In English): The larger purpose of the bag charge is to make all of us pause and think if we really need the next bag before we reach for the bag. It is a seed of hope for a better world – the first step on a journey towards sustainability and the beginning of a change in how we treat the environment. Ms Ng Ling Ling asked how we can encourage and support families and communities to recycle more. Applying an idea from the Recycle Right Citizens' Workgroup to encourage right recycling behaviour, we recently piloted the use of transparent recycling bins in Hong Kah North and East Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC). The residents' response was positive. To encourage recycling at every home, NEA is collaborating with the Singapore Institute of Technology to design a compact recycling container to better sort out and collect recyclables at home. These containers will be made available to households later this year. To minimise wastage, NEA will only distribute to households that want them. Our individual actions will determine the collective outcome of Singapore. Together, our zero-waste efforts will bring us closer to achieving our waste-to-landfill targets and extend the lifespan of Semakau for as long as possible beyond 2035. Next, I will touch on climate resilience. Ms Poh Li San, Ms Nadia Samdin, Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Sharael Taha asked about our progress in shoring up our coastal and flood defences. Sea level rise poses an existential threat for a low-lying island nation like Singapore. The Centre for Climate Research Singapore has projected that climate change could cause mean sea level rise of up to one metre by 2100.[+4 sentences] If there should be a confluence of extreme high tides and storm surges, some projections suggest that sea levels could be as high as four to five metres. This is high enough to potentially flood one third of Singapore. Coastal protection is a long-term endeavour and we have started planning ahead. In May last year, PUB, the national coastal protection agency, embarked on a site-specific study at the coastline of City-East Coast. We are starting site-specific studies at other parts of our coastline. This year, JTC and PUB will commence studies at Jurong Island and the North West coast respectively.[+10 sentences] Singapore has a varied coastline of over 300 kilometres. Hence, our site-specific studies allow us to understand the characteristics of these different segments and develop coastal protection solutions accordingly. Take the northwest coast as an example. First, there are four coastal reservoirs – Tengeh, Poyan, Murai and Sarimbun. We will study how to reinforce the dykes and dams for these important water sources to protect them from seawater intrusion. Next, we will study how best to dovetail coastal protection solutions with upcoming developments such as the future Sungei Kadut Eco-District and Lim Chu Kang high-tech agri-food cluster. There are also sections of mangrove habitats at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and the Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat Nature Park. We must take care to minimise environmental impact in these biodiversity-rich areas. PUB will explore hybrid coastal protection solutions that combine nature-based elements with hard engineering measures and will also work closely with NParks and stakeholders to conduct environmental studies, minimise impact and enhance existing ecosystems. These studies are expected to take a few years. To ensure that coastal and flood protection measures are adequately resourced, we established the Coastal and Flood Protection Fund in 2020 with an initial injection of five billion dollars. In May last year, the Government passed the Significant Infrastructure Government Loan Act (SINGA) to allow the raising of loans to finance major long-term infrastructure such as coastal and drainage infrastructure.[+3 sentences] Even as we plan long term for the challenges of sea level rise, we are already seeing more extreme weather patterns today. We see more flash floods from more intense rains. Ms Poh Li San and Ms Nadia Samdin asked what PUB's plans are to mitigate inland floods. The Government has invested significantly with almost $2 billion spent on drainage improvement works since 2011. This includes the Stamford Diversion Canal, Stamford Detention Tank and the Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal. We have set aside another $1.4 billion to carry out further improvements to the drainage system till 2025.[+3 sentences] While we systematically improve our drainage system across the island, it is not possible to expand our drains to cater to every extreme rainfall event as it will mean less space for housing, parks or roads in land-scarce Singapore. Hence, it is important to strengthen community resilience and our collective response to flooding incidents. PUB has been enhancing its early warning systems to provide more timely updates to the public, including launching a dedicated Telegram channel last November. PUB has also expanded its fleet to 13 flood response vehicles that are able to stream real-time flood conditions and drive through higher floodwaters.[+11 sentences] This allows PUB to provide timely assistance during any heavy rain event. PUB cannot do it alone. We urge Singaporeans to be on alert for weather events, by subscribing to PUB’s flood alerts for timely updates on heavy rains and potential flood risk locations. Building owners must do their part in protecting their properties by installing effective flood protection measures. In July last year, PUB trialled the automated flood barrier at the entrance of Fortune Park Condominium leading to the basement carpark. The automated barrier uses approaching floodwaters to buoy itself up and block floodwaters from entering the premises, without the need for any human or mechanical intervention. It is a viable and cost-effective solution for flood protection, and we encourage building owners in low-lying areas to implement these automated barriers. Mr Chairman, as a small island city-state with no natural resources, we have weathered many crises together as a people and as a nation. We have overcome these crises and seized the opportunities to develop into a clean, green and liveable city that we see today. Climate change is the defining crisis of our generation. Together, let us build a resilient Singapore, for a sustainable future.
The Chairman7 words
[+1 sentence]Senior Minister of State Dr Amy Khor.
The Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan)3097 words
[+3 sentences]COVID-19 has reinforced the importance of good personal hygiene and clean public spaces. These have always been our priorities and will better prepare us beyond COVID-19 for Disease X, which is not a matter of “if” but “when”. Over the past two years, we have improved the cleanliness of public spaces – from working with premises managers to uphold high cleanliness standards, to ensuring individuals practise personal responsibility by returning trays and binning litter. Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin would be pleased to know that since the Clean Tables Campaign and mandatory clean tables regime were implemented, the national average Tray and Crockery Return Rate (TCRR) in hawker centres has improved significantly, from 33% to 85%.[+14 sentences] We have also achieved a national average TCRR of above 85% in coffeeshops and food courts. Many have shared that the dining environment is now cleaner, with faster turnover of tables and fewer incidences of pests and bird nuisance. We will build on this progress to ensure a clean and safe Singapore. We commenced the progressive roll-out of the Environmental Sanitation (ES) Regime last July, which specifies mandatory baseline ES standards for high-risk premises and places greater accountability on premises managers to meet these standards. We introduced the ES regime in more than 3,000 premises under the inaugural phase, including preschools, MOE schools, food centres, markets and coffee shops, and the first tranche of eldercare, youth and social service facilities. Together with the sector leads, we developed sector-specific ES standards and trained more than 3,600 Environmental Control Coordinators (ECCs). The ECCs will assist premises managers to develop and oversee the implementation of an ES programme, which specifies cleaning frequencies and disinfection protocols. To Ms Hany Soh’s query, the regime was rolled out to preschools in November 2021 and all have appointed personnel to be ECCs. The ES regime ensures that premises are properly cleaned and disinfected regularly. For example, from March this year, coffeeshops are required to carry out thorough cleaning every quarter on top of routine cleaning. This is a marked difference from just ad hoc cleaning before. High-touch surfaces would also be cleaned and disinfected more frequently. Premises managers are also sensitised to their responsibility to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases like gastroenteritis within their premises. For instance, preschools have found the regime useful in providing clear guidance on minimum cleaning and disinfection frequencies, and scope of cleaning and disinfection works, neither of which were clearly defined before. Ms Hany Soh would be glad to hear that we will implement the regime at another 2,700 premises this year.[+3 sentences] These would include publicly accessible premises with high footfall such as large shopping malls, as well as private education institutions. We have worked with these sectors to develop sector-specific ES standards. All premises will minimally require an ECC. For large premises with multiple tenants like shopping malls, Environmental Control Officers (Specified Premises) will be introduced to oversee more wide-ranging public health issues and management of stakeholders. We aim to train 2,700 more ECCs and ECO(SP)s this year.[+3 sentences] Another important aspect of a clean and safe environment is protecting Singaporeans against the harmful effects of second-hand tobacco smoke. Today, smoking is prohibited in more than 49,000 premises, including covered walkways and common areas of residential buildings. We have prioritised places where second-hand tobacco smoke affects more people, such as community spaces. Miss Cheryl Chan, Dr Lim Wee Kiak, Mr Louis Ng and Ms Poh Li San would be glad to hear that, together with PUB, NParks and the Sentosa Development Corporation, NEA will extend the smoking prohibition to more places including all remaining public parks and gardens, Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters Sites and 10 beaches from 1 July 2022.[+2 sentences] In addition to neighbourhood parks in public and private housing estates where smoking is already prohibited, smoking will be prohibited at Regional and City Parks like East Coast Park and Fort Canning Park, and all Park Connectors. Smoking will also be prohibited at 10 recreational beaches, including three beaches in Sentosa. With this extension, Singaporeans can enjoy these shared recreational sites without exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke. There will be a three-month advisory period before enforcement commences on 1 October 2022.[+8 sentences] We currently have no plans to set up additional No Smoking Zones. We will review the need for further extensions of the smoking prohibition from time to time. Setting up No Smoking Zones requires significant stakeholder buy-in and operational resources to implement. We will need to plan extensively, assess the suitability of the precinct and availability of sites for designated smoking areas. On smoking in homes, which Dr Lim Wee Kiak, Ms Poh Li San and Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked about, legislation is no panacea to curbing second-hand tobacco smoke in homes. There are privacy concerns and technological limitations to gathering evidence required for enforcement. The Designated Smoking Points (DSPs) in Nee Soon South have thus far not resulted in a sustained reduction in feedback received on smoking in homes in the division since its implementation. Nevertheless, we will continue to monitor the effectiveness of DSPs as localised solutions, even as we work with MOH and HPB to discourage smoking at home. On "end game" laws for smoking, MOH remains open and will study how New Zealand implements the ban, its effectiveness and how their experience could be applicable to Singapore.[+6 sentences] Besides adopting preventive measures to minimise the spread of infectious diseases, we are building up capabilities to deal with public health threats. Singapore is an early adopter of wastewater surveillance for COVID-19, which is being explored in various countries. In response to Mr Gan Thiam Poh's question, when transmission first occurred at workers’ dormitories, NEA brought in wastewater testing to assess the situation, including the viral loads collected from each dormitory. Our findings were used to complement individual testing, guide infection control measures and facilitate the progressive clearance of dormitories by the Inter-Agency Task Force. Monitoring has since been expanded to student hostels, nursing homes, and residential sites. From a modest eight sites in May 2020, we gradually expanded surveillance coverage to 200 sites in July 2021. Since February 2022, we have achieved surveillance coverage of 440 sites, including 150 sites distributed across residential areas and town centres. We have also expanded our laboratory testing capacity to 4,000 samples being tested per week, up from 2,500 in July last year.[+16 sentences] As Singapore transits to COVID-19-endemicity, the focus of wastewater testing has shifted from early case detection to providing situational awareness. The data collected alerts Government agencies and premises owners or operators of the situation, which allows them to calibrate public health measures. It provides objective information on whether infections among the population are increasing or decreasing, independent of the population’s health-seeking behaviour and prevailing clinical test protocols. This will therefore be an important surveillance tool even as we transit to an endemic state. Further research and development will allow the wastewater surveillance system to be used for monitoring other infectious disease threats in the future. Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked about improvements to toilets. We launched the Toilet Improvement Programme in October 2020 to raise the cleanliness of toilets in hawker centres and coffeeshops. The programme supported premises in improving toilet design and choice of sanitary fittings for easier cleaning and coffeeshop operators' initial adoption of fortnightly deep cleaning on top of daily cleaning. NEA has received applications from 62 eligible coffeeshops and 28 hawker centres. Twenty-four coffeeshops and one hawker centre have completed their toilet enhancement works. I will now speak about our hawker culture, my favourite topic! Our hawkers are frontline heroes, providing us affordable hawker food during this pandemic. NEA has provided relief measures to hawkers over the last two years, including 10 months’ rental waivers and six months’ subsidies for table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing services. Eligible hawkers also received up to $9,000 via the Self-employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS) in 2020 and a one-off cash payout of $500 under the Market and Hawker Centre Relief Fund (MHCRF) last year. We will continue to support our hawkers. Minister for Finance announced that small F&B businesses, one of the sectors most affected by COVID-19, will receive the Small Business Recovery Grant. SFA-licensed operators and stallholders in markets, hawker centres, coffee shops, food courts and canteens will receive this grant. They will receive $1,000 for each local employee receiving mandatory CPF contributions, capped at $10,000.[+8 sentences] Those without local employees will receive a flat $1,000 if they are Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents. Our efforts have helped hawkers during these tough times. On average, 17 cooked food stallholders or 0.3% terminated their leases each month between 2020 and 2021. This is lower than the monthly average of 28 terminations between 2017 to 2019. Ms Joan Pereira asked if more can be done to help hawkers reduce ingredient cost. We will review her suggestion of bulk purchasing carefully and also consider the interest from our hawkers, where many may already have established relationships and specific arrangements with their suppliers for their preferred ingredients. To prepare hawkers for the digital economy and expand their reach to potential patrons, hawkers, community groups, food delivery platforms, together with NEA and IMDA came together to form the SGTogether Alliance for Action (AfA) for Online Ordering for Hawkers last June and developed pilot initiatives to help hawkers utilise online services. About one in every four cooked food stallholders have been supported via NEA’s Food Delivery Support Scheme. Currently, about half of our 6,000 plus cooked food stallholders are on board these services, and almost 70% of them have adopted e-payment.[+10 sentences] WhyQ, Deliveroo, FoodPanda and Grab have stepped up to pilot a Common Acquirer Model for online food delivery in 15 hawker centres at zero commission to hawkers. Hawkers can receive online orders from any of these platforms through a single ordering device. Alternatively, they can choose to transact offline through WhyQ hawker captains. To date, 18 hawker centres have set up Digital Support for Hawkers groups, which provide peer support to help less digitally savvy hawkers embrace digital opportunities. This includes creating Facebook pages for each centre, facilitating online community group buys, and organising bulk meal orders. I am pleased to share that many of my fellow Members of Parliament have adopted AfA’s recommendations on group buys from hawkers for our lunches during Parliament sittings! For today’s lunch, many of us enjoyed wanton noodles, chicken rice and burgers from Commonwealth Crescent, Bukit Merah and Golden Mile! More enticing and mouth-watering hawker dishes to come! Ms Nadia asked for an update on the Hawker Centres Transformation Programme (HTP). Last year, I shared plans about the HTP to future-proof hawker centre infrastructure. While HTP will be applied to new and redeveloped centres, we are also piloting it at two existing centres even as they face constraints with limited floor space. I am pleased to announce that we will consult stakeholders, including Hawkers’ Associations, Town Councils and Advisers in 2022 to jointly develop the HTP pilot at Geylang Serai Market and Cheng San Market and Food Centre.[+2 sentences] The proposed scope of works may include High-Volume Low-Speed fans to improve ventilation, provisions to support flexible implementation of Safe Management Measures, such as quick deployment and removal of temporary access control, reconfiguration of tables and chairs to reduce crowding, and additional handwashing facilities to raise hygiene levels. Finally, our hawker culture would not exist without our hawkers. On Mr Don Wee’s query, there has been healthy demand for hawker stalls, with high occupancy rates averaging consistently at about 97% at existing and new hawker centres.[+5 sentences] NEA has also been receiving enquiries from individuals who are keen to take up stalls at the new centres, and the monthly tender for vacant stalls at existing centres have continued to attract a good number of bids. Ms Pereira asked about efforts to attract new hawkers, including improving job prospects and working conditions. Our hawkers today are mostly self-employed individuals, with the flexibility and autonomy to decide their operating hours based on what they sell. They are covered by Medishield Life and can also top up their medical insurance individually, or even explore purchasing together as a group through their Hawkers’ Associations (HAs). We have been helping our aspiring hawkers prepare for the trade, through the Incubation Stall Programme and Hawkers’ Development Programme, and similar programmes by Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centre operators. Over 40 new hawkers have joined the trade through these programmes.[+14 sentences] Their median age is 33, significantly lower than the overall median age of hawkers of 60. Eleven aspiring hawkers are currently operating incubation stalls, with another six awaiting allocation of incubation stalls. Some of our new hawkers include Ms Priscilla Huang, aged 31, of Authentic Hong Kong Delights, and Mr Lim Wei Keat, aged 27, of Ah Keat Chicken Rice, who joined the hawker trade over the past year after completing HDP. In addition to Wei Keat’s chicken rice which we had for lunch just now, I have ordered mochi and water chestnut cakes from Priscilla for Parliament’s tea break today. A few others like Ms Amber Pong, aged 32, of The Headless Baker at Ghim Moh Market, who converted to a full-fledged hawker after completing her Incubation Stall Programme, even opened a second outlet in July last year. To ensure that veteran hawkers’ recipes and skills are not lost, the Hawkers Succession Scheme (HSS), which was shared last year, will link retiring hawkers without succession plans but wish to pass on their businesses, skills and recipes, with aspiring hawkers. To Ms Pereira and Mr Raj Joshua Thomas’s question about the HSS, a 10-member independent advisory panel has been set up to work with NEA to support and review the HSS pilot. Among the 10 panellists, six are established hawkers. The rest include culinary chefs, hawker centre operators and culinary training partners. The panellists will help identify suitable veteran hawkers, assess aspiring successors’ readiness, and provide feedback to improve the programme. Under the pilot, aspiring hawkers will be assessed on culinary skills and capacity to learn, before pairing up with veteran hawkers. They will undergo a three-month apprenticeship under the veteran hawkers. Aspiring successors will be evaluated on their ability to execute the veterans’ signature dishes. Where needed, veteran hawkers may continue to mentor the successor for two additional months. In recognition of their time and effort spent, veteran hawkers will receive a nominal stipend of up to $5,500.[+4 sentences] This is but a token of appreciation and is not a measure of the effort that veterans have invested into establishing their clientele and refining their recipes. The HSS is not intended to be a commercial arrangement but is an option to help retiring veteran hawkers find suitable successors and preserve their culinary legacy for future patrons. We will also introduce safeguards to protect the interest of the veteran hawkers such as requiring successors to serve the veteran hawkers’ signature dishes and retain the stall names for three years. Mr Gan and Mr Wee asked about the construction progress of new hawker centres. While COVID-19 has caused some delay, four new centres – namely Bukit Canberra, Fernvale, One Punggol and Senja Hawker Centres, will begin operations by the third quarter of this year.[+4 sentences] In addition, five more centres in the construction stage will progressively be completed in the next few years, and two more are in the planning and design stage. Residents in Tampines Town can also look forward to another new hawker centre. More details of this new centre will be shared in due course. Ms Nadia will be glad to hear that upcoming centres will incorporate sustainability features. All new centres will have food waste digesters.[+2 sentences] Some will also have solar panels. Two redeveloped centres will also be starting operations this year. Market Street Hawker Centre that used to be at Golden Shoe Carpark will open for business from 1 April, at levels two and three of the integrated development CapitaSpring on Market Street and continue to provide affordable food options for those working in the CBD.[+3 sentences] We also expect Margaret Drive Hawker Centre, which replaces the hawker centre at Block 1A, 2A, 3A Commonwealth Drive, to commence operations from fourth quarter of 2022. Chairman, in Mandarin please. (In Mandarin): NEA will be expanding the smoking prohibition. From 1 Jul 2022, we will ban smoking at Regional and City Parks like East Coast Park and Fort Canning Park, as well as the park connector system linking various parks.[+5 sentences] The smoking prohibition will also cover recreation sites under ABC Waters projects, as well as 10 recreational beaches, including three at Sentosa. In the past two years, the Government has been supporting our hawkers through various ways and schemes. This includes waiving a total of 10 months of rent and subsidising six months of table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing fees. Eligible hawkers received up to $9,000 of income relief in 2020 and $500 in cash assistance last year. To continue our support for hawkers, we will provide all SFA-licensed market, hawker centre, coffeeshop, food court and canteen operators and stallholders with a one-time cash assistance, under the recently announced Small Business Recovery Grant. For every employee that operators and stallholders pay CPF for, they will receive $1,000, capped at a maximum of $10,000.[+3 sentences] Those who do not hire local employees will also receive a $1,000 payout. Over the past four years, we have also been attracting new hawkers to join the trade through various training programmes and over 40 new hawkers have joined the trade through these programmes. We will continue to support aspiring hawkers to enter the trade, including matching them with retiring hawkers via the Hawkers' Succession Scheme. In addition, we will be opening four hawker centres this year.[+8 sentences] They are at Bukit Panjang, Sembawang, Sengkang and Punggol respectively, and will provide residents in these towns with food choices and convenience. We will also be building a new hawker centre in Tampines. Details will be announced later. Lastly, from 1 Apr, Market Street Hawker Centre will return to its original site, and reopen on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the newly developed, large integrated development CapitaSpring. All the original stallholders from "Golden Shoe" centre will return to the reopened Market Street Hawker Centre. (In English): Chairman, despite the challenges of the pandemic, everyone – be it the cleaning industry, premises managers or hawkers – have demonstrated resilience, seized opportunities to improve cleanliness, and embrace new business opportunities online. Let us continue to work together to build a truly SG Clean Singapore and safeguard our hawker culture for future generations. Indeed, let us support SG hawkers!
The Chairman5 words
[+1 sentence]Minister of State Desmond Tan.
The Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment (Mr Desmond Tan)1340 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Chairman, I will be speaking about how MSE has taken steps and will continue to secure our food sources and water supply and how we intend to do this with the support of our industry as well as with every Singaporean. First, on food security. Minister Grace Fu mentioned earlier that climate change and pandemics, such as COVID-19, are some of the biggest threats we face today. Coupled with the war in Ukraine, the confluence of factors is causing global supply and price volatility and we can expect to feel the impact in the coming months. MSE plans to ensure food supply resilience through our three food baskets – diversify import sources, grow local and grow overseas.[+6 sentences] Our "grow local" basket is supported by our 30-by-30 goal – an ambition to expand our capability to grow more food locally in a sustainable and resource-efficient manner. Last year, I shared about how our intention to masterplan Lim Chu Kang and turn it into a high-tech agri-food zone that can significantly raise food production and thereby also providing new and exciting job opportunities for Singaporeans. I am glad to update Mr Don Wee and Prof Koh Lian Pin that in 2021, we completed a six-month-long series of engagements on how the Government, industry, including our farmers, nature groups and public can co-create the future Lim Chu Kang region. Many industry players and other stakeholders are keen to embrace high-tech farming, with also other ideas like shared processing and distribution facilities and centralised waste management systems for complementary uses which will enhance the entire farming ecosystem. The feedback and ideas that we received from the engagements will now be folded into our actual planning phase of Lim Chu Kang this year. We have also been driving research innovation and plugging existing technological gaps. Under the Singapore Food Story R&D Programme, we set aside up to $144 million for R&D for sustainable urban food production, future foods, such as advanced biotech-based protein production, as well as food safety science and innovation. To date, around $75 million has been committed to over 30 projects.[+14 sentences] I echo Dr Lim Wee Kiak’s point that alternative proteins, such as cell-based and plant-based meats, can contribute to our nutritional needs. As some alternative proteins do not have a history of use as food, it is important to ensure the safe introduction of such novel food products into Singapore's market. This is why SFA developed the Novel Food Regulatory Framework in 2019 which requires companies to undertake pre-market food safety assessments as part of the process of seeking approval from SFA. I encourage novel food companies to engage SFA early through platforms, such as SFA's Novel Food Virtual Clinics, to better understand SFA’s requirements, so that they can prioritise their research efforts. Now, let me move on to our aquaculture industry. Mr Chairman, fish is a commonly consumed source of protein that can be grown locally to contribute to our food security. To Ms Nadia Samdin’s question, SFA has been working closely with the industry over the past year to understand their needs and introduce best practices that can help them uplift their production and the sector. I have joined them in some of these engagements and visited many of the farms in the Johor Straits as well as in the Southern Waters. The sea-based fish farms in Singapore are, indeed, quite varied, each with a unique approach to farming. Some, like Rong-Yao Fisheries, culture their fish in traditional open-net cage systems. With good farm management practices in place, Rong-Yao Fisheries has obtained the Good Aquaculture Practice (GAP) Fish Farming certification. We have also seen the emergence of high-tech farms which have the potential to transform fish farming by culturing fish intensively. The Eco-Ark by Aquaculture Centre of Excellence (ACE) is one of the world’s first purpose-built floating closed containment aquaculture production structure that combines Offshore & Marine Technology with a closed containment system, using water treatment technology to provide good quality seawater to culture the fish and, at the same time, reduce the vulnerability to external conditions. Farms like Rong-Yao and ACE's Eco-Ark have found farming methods that work for them, but they also shared their hopes of getting greater certainty on their use of sea space so that they can continue to invest in their future. Today, sea-based farms do not have a lease mechanism and this creates some uncertainty for our farms. So, we will offer leases to all sea-based farms in the longer term. Incumbent farms will be eased into this arrangement by starting with yearly-renewable temporary occupation licences (TOL) from 1 January 2023.[+8 sentences] The charges will be progressively stepped up to market rate from 2023 to 2026. This will give farms sufficient lead time to consider their longer-term investment decisions. I also mentioned in my speech last year that SFA plans to launch new sea space tenders on lease. I am glad to share that this will happen from the end of 2022. Sea-based farms will see a reduction in their annual licence fee from 1 January 2023. SFA has reviewed the fish farm licence fees to ensure that it remains relevant and that compliance costs for the industry are minimised. Only new farm applications and farms with major changes to their farming activities, such as a change in food type that they want to produce, will be subject to a separate one-off assessment fee due to higher manpower and equipment costs incurred during the course of the assessment. More details will be announced in the coming months. To address Ms Nadia Samdin, Prof Koh Lian Pin and Mr Raj Joshua Thomas' queries, we want to provide greater certainty for our farmers so that they will invest more into their farms.[+1 sentence] I am happy to announce that new land and sea parcels will benefit from longer term leases of 20 plus 10 years. This means that future tenders will offer farmers the option of extending their lease beyond the initial 20-year period for an additional 10 years, subject to the farms meeting SFA’s production output conditions.[+3 sentences] This will apply to new land parcels in Sungei Tengah as well as in Lim Chu Kang after the master planning exercise, as well as sea spaces that I mentioned earlier from end-2022 onwards. More details will again be announced by SFA when the tenders are launched. Mr Don Wee and Mr Raj Joshua Thomas asked how we are helping farmers to upgrade their operations and reach our 30-by-30 goal. Last year, I shared that SFA launched a $60 million Agri-Food Cluster Transformation (ACT) Fund.[+1 sentence] This ACT fund supports farmers’ needs in different aspects at different phases, for example, from capability upgrade, innovation and test-bedding, as well as tech upscaling. SFA has received a total of 32 applications as of end of last year and eight applications have already been approved, while the rest are being processed and evaluated. Going forward, we will also expand the scope of the ACT fund to allow more food types that are commonly consumed in Singapore to also benefit from higher co-funding quantum.[+3 sentences] This includes fruited vegetables, mushrooms and shrimp. More farms can now benefit from the higher co-funding support to invest in their farming solutions. Prof Koh Lian Pin asked if the Government plans to calibrate our food imports as we increase local food production in order to minimise waste. Even as we aim to produce more food locally, Singapore will continue to need to import most of our food. We remain committed to facilitating free, open and competitive trade, and any substitution between imports and local production will be a result of market forces.[+3 sentences] While local farms ramp up production to contribute to our 30-by-30 goal, it is critical that Singaporeans continue to play their part by supporting local produce. Strengthening Singapore’s food security is a whole-of-nation effort and, without strong local demand, our farmers would find it hard to sustain a high level of production. With your permission, Mr Chairman, may I display a slide on the LCD screens?
The Chairman9 words
[+1 sentence]Please proceed.
Mr Desmond Tan1273 words
[+10 sentences]To help Singaporeans better identify local produce, SFA launched a set of three logos to integrate branding for local produce in February 2022. These are the updated SG Fresh Produce logos you see on the screen to identify, first of all, local farmers – you see the first one on the left with one star; and logos to differentiate farms certified under the Good Agricultural Practice scheme for quality assurance – and they get two stars at the bottom; and Clean & Green scheme for sustainable production, which is the three-star logo. By choosing local produce, everyone can contribute to our food security. Whether you are buying groceries for your family or for your restaurant, choosing local produce will support our local farmers, helping them not just to survive but to flourish by becoming more productive and sustainable. So, let me remind everybody to try and support our local produce. Mr Chairman, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): Mr Chairman, to ensure Singapore's food security, SFA announced the 30-by-30 goal in 2019. We hope that by 2030, we can satisfy 30% of Singaporeans' nutritional needs through local production. Today, sea-based farms need to renew their sea space lease very year. This has made it hard to attract aquaculture businesses that require large upfront investments. After the reviewing the policy on the lease of sea space, I am glad to announce that we will offer long-term leases to all sea-based farms to help attract investors to develop the local aquaculture industry. To help existing farms ease into this arrangement, we will start with yearly renewable temporary occupation licences from 1 January 2023.[+7 sentences] This will give farms sufficient lead time to consider longer-term investment decisions. From the end of 2022, SFA will launch new sea space tenders on lease. From next January onwards, SFA will also reduce the licence fee for sea-based farms to ensure that the fees are more appropriate. We will share more details in the coming months. To achieve our 3-by-30 goal, besides Government support and funding, we hope that Singaporeans can also play a part by supporting local produce. SFA launched a set of three logos in February this year to help Singaporeans better identify local produce. I hope Singaporeans can buy and support fresh local produce more and achieve a more secure future together. (In English): Mr Chairman, I would now like to speak about our other basic need, which is water. We will continue to strengthen water security by developing weather-resilient sources like NEWater and desalinated water and I am happy to announce that Singapore’s latest plant, Jurong Island Desalination Plant, will be operational in Apr 2022.[+4 sentences] This plant is co-located with Tuas Power’s existing Tembusu Multi-Utilities Complex (TMUC). It taps on the cost and operational synergies in the water-energy nexus by sharing infrastructure, such as the seawater intake and the substation, with the TMUC. As pointed out by Miss Cheryl Chan, Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Ms Poh Li San, weather-resilient sources are energy-intensive. Since 2002, PUB and stakeholders have committed more than $800 million in R&D into technologies, such as biomimetic membranes and blue energy, to improve energy efficiency of NEWater and desalination processes. The energy to produce one cubic metre of desalinated water could, potentially, be reduced from 3.5 kilowatt hours to less than two kilowatt hours by 2025.[+5 sentences] In 2020, we announced that work had already begun on Tuas Nexus, Singapore’s first integrated solid waste and used water treatment facility, comprising NEA’s Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF) and PUB’s Tuas Water Reclamation Plant (TWRP). Mr Shawn Huang asked about the Tuas Nexus project and an update. To date, more than $4 billion worth of contract works have already been awarded by NEA and PUB. The Tuas Nexus is set to complete in phases from 2025. The electricity generated by IWMF will be sufficient to sustain the operations of Tuas Nexus, and excess electricity will be exported to the national grid. When fully operational, the excess electricity exported to the grid by IWMF will be able to power up to 300,000 four-room HDB flats.[+10 sentences] This is just the beginning. We will continue to explore such synergies across various infrastructure facilities across the Government. Mr Chairman, the Deep Tunnel Sewerage system will transform the way Singapore transports our used water. This is essential in land-scarce Singapore and, when completed, will result in a 50% reduction in the land take for used water infrastructure. This is a multi-year $6.5 billion project that showcases our commitment towards forward planning. I am glad to update Mr Sitoh Yih Pin that for the Phase 2 tunnel contracts which began in 2017, more than 80% of the tunneling works have already been completed. The overall project, including Tuas Water Reclamation Plant, is scheduled to be ready by 2026. Mr Chairman, Singapore's water story has been a success not just because of our infrastructural achievements, but through fostering community stewardship among Singaporeans towards our water resources. For example, we have transformed our waterbodies into recreational sites for all to enjoy and protect under the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters, or ABC Waters programme. I am pleased to update Mr Gan Thiam Poh that 50 ABC Waters projects have been completed since it was launched in 2006 and seven more will be completed over the next two years. Beyond our local waterways, we are also inspiring collective action to safeguard our marine environment from the threats posed by marine litter. I am pleased to update Ms Nadia Samdin that the Government is on track to publish Singapore's first National Action Strategy on Marine Litter in June 2022.[+4 sentences] The Strategy will describe Singapore's comprehensive approach to address the sources of marine litter. Ahead of the launch of the Strategy, we organised a public engagement session to seek feedback on measures to address marine litter and to galvanise 3P efforts to improve the situation in Singapore. Miss Cheryl Chan and Ms Hany Soh asked how we can improve water conservation. The COVID-19 pandemic saw water consumption shift from the non-domestic sector to the domestic sector. In 2021, non-domestic water consumption fell by 6% while domestic water consumption increased by 6% compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. In per capita terms, household water consumption increased from 141 litres per day in 2019, to 158 litres per day in 2021.[+2 sentences] This was largely due to more time spent at home because of work-from-home and home-based learning arrangements, as well as more frequent hand washing, showering and cleaning by households to maintain higher hygiene standards as what Ms Chan and Ms Soh have pointed out. PUB will support households to make informed choices and raise awareness on water consumption at home, for example, through the Smart Water Meter Programme. PUB has commenced the roll-out of the first phase of the programme in Tampines Central in January 2022 and will be installing some 300,000 smart water meters in new and existing residential, commercial and industrial premises, target to complete by 2023.[+2 sentences] Water conservation starts with every Singaporean. I hope every individual can play their part to save water to ensure our water supply continues to be sustainable. I also want to thank Mr Murali for his suggestion to plug the existing gaps with enforcing foreign vehicles that have idling engines. There are practical challenges, but I want to assure Mr Murali that we will be studying this proposal.[+1 sentence] Mr Chairman, I thank Members for their support of the work done by MSE, PUB and SFA to ensure food security and water sustainability, and ask that you continue to help us build a sustainable, resilient, liveable and vibrant Singapore.
The Chairman38 words
[+3 sentences]We have some time, about 15 minutes for clarifications and then we will press ahead with the rest of the cuts until 7.30 pm. So, can I invite Members if you have any clarifications now? Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang194 words
[+11 sentences]Thank you, Sir. I have two clarifications. Both relating to having roadmaps, which I think has been very useful that we have published the roadmap for carbon tax so companies and people can plan and adjust in advanced. First, for Minister Grace, I thank her for sharing details about the disposable carrier bag charge and I also thank her for not saying no to extending the disposable carrier bag charge to smaller convenience stores. I believe she said not now. So, could I ask whether we can have a roadmap in terms of expanding the disposable carrier bag charge. So again, companies and our people can plan and adjusting in advanced. Second, I thank the Senior Minister of State Amy Khor for sharing the details of the extension of the smoking prohibited areas. The same thing, could I ask whether we can have a roadmap in terms of expanding the no-smoking zone in Singapore. I really do thank the Senior Minister of State for all the hard work in addressing all my questions with regards to second-hand smoke. I sincerely wish and hope that would become her second most favourite topic after hawker culture.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Minister Grace Fu.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien181 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. I thank Member Louis Ng for his supplementary question. I would like to assure Members that we do look at his suggestions very carefully and I think that for the issue on disposable bag, this is indeed an important step that we have taken. Having thought through all the considerations and also positions that we have taken in the past about how relevant plastic bags are in our daily lives, we need to make this change, it is important for us start cultivating that habit and let us see what happens after that.[+1 sentence] We may encourage more businesses to come on board, which we have already been doing, and I would like to see a lot more businesses, individuals, taking this as part of their habit. When you have that as part of your habits, then I think we do not need to use the lever of legislation. So, I am keeping it open for now. We will see what is the response by the people and by the business community, and we will review it over time.
The Chairman5 words
[+1 sentence]Senior Minister of State Khor.
Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan149 words
[+2 sentences]I thank the Member for his question, yet again, on second-hand smoke. But let me also thank the Member for acknowledging that we have provided him with comprehensive answers for the various questions he had posed on second-hand smoke. With regard to a roadmap, as I have said before, we continue to monitor and review if we can further extend our smoking prohibition from time to time.[+4 sentences] In fact, we continuously do this, in the area of second-hand smoke in homes as well as in public areas. This is something that we will continue to do. So, the roadmap really is about driving, continuing to work on it and continuing to look at how we can actually feasibly implement any extension of smoking prohibition to other areas. Because whatever we do, it will have to be operationally feasible as well as effectively enforced in order to make a difference.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Hany Soh.
Ms Hany Soh107 words
[+5 sentences]Thank you Chairman. My clarifications is in relations to the ES regime. While I applaud the Ministry's determinations to implement the ES regime next to more premises to keep our community safe, I am also concerned that this will also be equate to increasing operating costs. In my earlier Parliamentary Question that I asked this morning, I have raised my concerns that places like preschools are already grappling with COVID-19 rules and shortage of manpower. So, I wish to inquire whether MSE intends to provide more support or monetary grants which these business operators can tap on to implement and continue to comply with the ES regime.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Senior Minister Khor.
Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan288 words
[+5 sentences]I thank the Member for the question. Indeed, for the ES regime, what we have actually done is really to work with the specific sectors. Preschools, for instance, we work with them to come up with the standards, the baseline standards for the regime. And in that sense, what we are doing really is to go upstream to implement the baseline standards so that they know, for instance, I have shared that the preschools actually welcomed the fact that now they have clear guidelines on the cleaning and disinfection frequencies, as well as protocols, which they did not have before. Then, they will be able to implement it. So, what we really have done, as I have said is to work with the sector and calibrate the requirements. And if you think about it, if you do it right upstream, actually it will help you to reduce or avoid costs downstream because it will avoid, say gastroenteritis cases or minimise or reduce the cases.[+4 sentences] And if you do not, when there are such incidents, there could be additional costs because you will have to do deep cleaning and so on, there will be reputational damage and then closure of the schools. So really, it is also cost avoidance and upstream, it is really about putting in place a proper system and proper measures rather than needing say, for instance, additional manpower Regarding the ECC that they have to appoint, it can actually be an existing staff. It could be one of the supervisors or teachers for instance, or you could actually employ one to oversee a few within the neighbourhood or within that area. So, we do provide for some flexibility and we are mindful of the cost.
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Dr Lim Wee Kiak.
Dr Lim Wee Kiak209 words
[+11 sentences]Chairman, I have two clarifications regarding disposable plastic bag charges. I would like to ask the Minister when we implement this plastic bag charges, because plastic bag charges, the cost price, which is actually very low. It is a fraction of a cent. So, when we charge $0.05 per bag means that the profit margin is quite high. I know you are saying that it is not purely for profit, but does it mean that any other shops, including convenience store, if they decide they want to charge for plastic bags, is it legitimate do so straightaway. Is it considered profiteering? This is something, especially in this climate of rising inflation, many of the residents are all very concerned about cost. The Minister also mentioned that the cost itself, that is the profit that is – or rather the revenue that is collected from this will be channelled towards other social causes. Is this mandatory or is this voluntary? Which means, how would we ensure that this cost is really channelled towards helping the environment and those of a lower socioeconomic group. Previously, I also asked before how do we help our lower socioeconomic cope with this increase in the cost now even though is just $0.05 per bag.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Minister Grace Fu.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien395 words
[+2 sentences]Thank you, Mr Chairman. I would like to thank the Member for these clarifications. On the first point about possibility of profiteering, right now, even without this latest legislation proposal, some shops are already collecting a bag charge for environmental reasons.[+4 sentences] It is for good reasons. You can look at it as a motive for profit, but actually, it is really putting a cost on it. I would like to remind Members and also all members of the public that this is a cost that can be entirely avoided, you do not have to pay the bag charge if you carry a reusable bag or you put it into your carrier bag. That is the kind of habit that we would like all Singaporeans to cultivate over time, that when you are going out, please have a collapsible, reusable bag in your bag, or carry along with you in your car, so that you can avoid having to pay the bag and do not let any companies make any profit out of this. Second point about whether we would make it mandatory to apply their proceeds to environmental and social causes. The answer is yes, but we are not requiring them to put it into specific charities or specific causes. The supermarket operators will have the choice of how they want to apply, maybe as part of their CSR and ESG programme.[+6 sentences] The idea is, I firmly believe, that this action for climate, action for environment, is not restricted by income segmentation. Whether it is a low-income, high-income family households, everyone has the capacity to contribute to reducing waste and to be environmentally friendly. So, I would like to encourage all households, regardless of your income level, think about how to reduce wastage. And for the supermarket operators, if we are minded about it, you can always work with your charities around you, or the social service agencies around your community to give back and help the low-income family in other forms, whether it is food vouchers or whether it is low-cost food. This is really our way to extend assistance to everyone at this time, a very difficult time. So, short answer is yes, they are required to and I would like to really see them doing their bit for the environment and also for the social causes in the area where they operate.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Edward Chia.
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui (Holland-Bukit Timah)55 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. I would like to thank Minister of State Desmond Tan on his sharing that to facilitate greater safety, innovation in the plant-based protein space, they are facilitating dialogues with SFA on the requirements. Conversely, I would like to ask, is SFA also actively updating requirements along with technology, innovations in this space?
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Minister of State Tan.
Mr Desmond Tan184 words
[+1 sentence]I thank the Member for the question. The short answer to the Member is yes, SFA will continue to keep abreast with the latest technology and also review our regulations to keep pace with what is coming up.[+6 sentences] But I have also mentioned in my speech that because novel food does not have a history of safe consumption, we are paying a bit more attention on the safe implementation before it reaches our consumption market. And I just also want to highlight on the stepping up on safety, companies can also collaborate with Future-ready Food Safety Hub. In short, we call it FRESH which is a partnership between SFA, A*Star and NTU to conduct their food safety assessments. And, thereafter, these food safety assessments are then rigorously reviewed by SFA's Novel Food Safety Expert Working Group. So, we have put in place some of the structure. One is to ensure that we monitor the progress and advancements in technology for novel food and, at the same time, to ensure that these are safely assessed and before they are implemented to the Singapore consumer market.
The Chairman6 words
[+1 sentence]Last clarification, Ms Poh Li San.
Ms Poh Li San88 words
[+5 sentences]Thank you, Mr Chairman. This clarification is for Minister of State Desmond Tan. I thank him for giving us an update on the progress of the DTSS but I like to know a bit more about what are the PUB's plans to mitigate localised flooding in regions that are outside the capture vicinity of the DTSS? For example, last year, remember that Bukit Timah area as well as Loyang areas experienced quite severe flash floods. I would like Minister of State Desmond to share a bit with us.
The Chairman1 words
[+1 sentence]Minister.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien304 words
[+7 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. I think this will be part of ongoing effort by PUB to reduce inland flooding. As I mentioned in my speech, we have been spending huge investments in improving our infrastructure. We do that systematically in three ways: we look at the source, we look at the passage and we look at the receptor. So, we look how we can, for example, slow down the flow of flood water. We build detention tanks, we have built one at, for example, Stamford Canal. We have also required building owners, for example, to have detention tanks within their properties. Really, all ways to slow down the movement of water.[+1 sentence] We have also improved drainage. We are going to invest significantly over the next few years in order to improve our drainage system, including Bukit Timah.[+4 sentences] And we will look at how we can improve our flood responses on the ground. But the challenge is this. I would like to inform Members is that climate change is telling us – all the signs and data are telling us – that we are going to expect more intense rainfall. We are going to also expect rainfall that did not used to collect in places that we are used to. So, we are starting to see some areas that did not used to be flood-prone have now becoming more flood-prone partly because we have already worked on some areas and, therefore, the water will its way towards the lowest point now and we have to continue to improve our infrastructure. But more importantly is that we cannot prevent the possibility of a single flood event in Singapore.[+1 sentence] And for that, we will have to really get community to be aware, to have the ability to manage and the ability to be resilient towards such an event.
The Chairman6 words
[+1 sentence]Miss Cheryl Chan, next cut, please.
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling595 words
[+1 sentence]Sir, climate change is fast happening with tangible consequences keenly felt by many worldwide. In the pursuit of meeting net zero emissions by 2050, several countries have adopted carbon pricing to different extent, with this mechanism likely to be a global norm in time to come.[+16 sentences] While carbon pricing could be one of the levers towards achieving net zero emissions, there are a few clarifications on Singapore’s plan that I wish to seek. Could the Ministry outline in further details on the considerations and roadmap underpinning this net zero target? As carbon emission varies across the industries and each sector has differing operational needs and product lines that result in GHG emission, is the intent to begin with sector specific approach or to have industries across the board to provide proposals on their efforts in reducing GHG at each site over specified time period? Further, will companies be identified in the value chain and efforts be coordinated through the Ministry to enable scale up efforts in accelerating the decarbonisation process and possibly enabling the sharing of cost in platforms or tools that can assist players within the same industry to benefit from economy of scale? As businesses begin to internalise the cost of carbon price impact versus the implementation cost of actions to reduce emissions, how will the Government ensure that the GHG reduction impact is properly measured and accounted for with respect to the targets set at each interval? Will further review be conducted to validate if the revised carbon tax level is deemed adequate at 2026/2027 to achieve the targets set? Without our own power sources, our reliance on natural gas means the energy supply is a large carbon source that we need to actively consider to decarbonise. Today, we are looking at different forms of renewables, solar sources locally and hydropower overseas. For the solar capacity that are announced to be available in Singapore, will the full capacity being channelled into the grids as part of the energy mix and are the power producers actively working on large scale electricity storage to harness as much of the power generated? Without which, the process to reduce energy source from low carbon to green supply will always be impeded. I had also previously mentioned the move towards green friendly practices may be easier for the large corporations who have the resources and expertise to do so. For our SMEs, they will have real tangible costs to them. As we emerge from the pandemic, besides financial grants, will the Ministry be looking at other options to help the SMEs embark on the sustainability topic in the decade ahead? Finally, the rationale of a carbon tax is to shift behaviours and mindsets to nudge businesses to rethink their existing way of operations and to become more sustainable. A mechanism should be implemented to prevent the carbon tax from being fully passed on to consumers, especially if the goods being consumed is a necessity. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose of making corporates take ownership in decarbonising their footprint. A possible mechanism that I can suggest could be on the power generation companies to tier the cost being passed down to households based on usage, for example, with the first 400 kilowatt hour having no carbon tax passed on, and a subsequent tier percentage to be determined by the Energy Market Authority of the carbon tax allowable to be passed on for every 100 kilowatt hour thereafter. This would ensure that the households that are conserving energy and using electricity within the national average level are not penalised.
Ms Poh Li San256 words
[+1 sentence]Chairman, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, or COP26 in short, concluded with many countries committing to net-zero pledges. Due to our lack of renewable energy resources, we may only be able to meet the net-zero target by or around 2050, as we avail of new opportunities in the carbon market and technological breakthroughs.[+9 sentences] How will Singapore respond to calls for increased climate ambition and action? In order to meet the net-zero target in a shorter time frame, what kind of changes on the part of households and industries would be required? Will the Government share some figures and scenarios to help Singaporeans understand? These details are necessary to get support from Singaporeans for climate mitigation related measures, which will entail changes in our lifestyle, business processes, social practices, just to name a few. What more can the Government do to rally businesses, civil society groups and the people to accelerate the race to zero? Can the Government also share what are the key considerations that underpin Singapore’s approach to setting climate targets? What are the trade-offs and circumstances that the Government has to account for? One of the chief concerns would be the impact on the cost of living, jobs and businesses. How will the Government balance the need to mitigate climate change and ensure Singapore’s survival and competitiveness? What are our revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to be submitted to UNFCC in 2022?[+1 sentence] Does Singapore intend to declare our Carbon Net Zero goal to UNFCC and if so, by when?
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang)284 words
[+7 sentences]Chairman, during this year's Budget, Minister Lawrence Wong announced that Singapore is targeting to reach that net-zero by or around mid-Century. First of all, I would like to thank the Government for coming to this decision. As party to the Paris agreement, Singapore has a duty to set a clear target that aligns with the 1.5 degrees goal. This is even more so as we recently signed the Glasgow Climate Pact. A new net-zero target sends an urgent that we take climate change very seriously. I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of Civil Society members, like climate scientists, youth activists as well as fellow Members of Parliament who have been pushing for a more ambitious target for years. However, I have several classifications about the new target that increased carbon pricing. From 2024, businesses will be able to use and I quote, "high-quality international carbon credits to offset up to 5% of their taxable emissions." What accountability measures will the Government put in place to ensure transparency and fair implementation? How much of the Government's own net- zero target will be based on such international carbon credit offsets?[+6 sentences] With the latest update to net-zero targets, what is the Government's projection of our emissions pathway from today up to mid-century? Specifically, are we still looking at rising emissions levels up to 2030? Lastly, all this is clearly a huge step forward. Around mid-century is still quite ambiguous, to be honest, and we all know what it means to set smart goals – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. So, will the Government consider setting a more exact deadline to achieving net-zero emissions? Can we strive firmly towards net-zero by 2050?
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang184 words
[+14 sentences]Sir, I am glad we have announced our new target of reaching net-zero emissions by or around mid-century. Many activists in Parliament and outside, have been speaking up about this for many years. We are glad that our voices have been heard and that we have a much more ambitious target. We thank all the Ministries and agencies for their hard work. But I hope we can have a more specific target. Reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century would be good but around mid-century would not be that good. But around mid-Century will not be that good. Twenty-fifty is not just a random year. It is based on science; global emissions must be net-zero by 2050 if we want to have any hope of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In Singapore, SIA, Temasek, and DBS have committed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Singapore always punches above its weight on the international stage. We should also punch above our weight when it comes to climate change. Many other countries have made this very specific pledge. Can Singapore also reach net-zero emissions by 2050?
Prof Koh Lian Pin (Nominated Member)66 words
Chairman, in line with Singapore's announcement of our revised target to achieve net-zero emissions by or around 2050 and the review of Singapore's Nationally Determined Contributions by COP27, the Finance Minister mentioned in his Budget 2022 speech that public consultations will be done as part of this revision and review.[+1 sentence] How will these public consultations be conducted and which stakeholders will be engaged in the process?
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang)628 words
[+9 sentences]Presently, most carbon offset programmes often serve as little more than a palliative. Typically, parties interested in reducing their carbon footprint, the climate-conscious non-profit hoping to attend an environmental conference on the other side of the world, say, will purchase offsets from a vendor or exchange equivalent to the amount of carbon that they expect to generate. Unfortunately, such vendors are seldom closely regulated and depend on the goodwill and enterprise of the operators. Too often, even among well-meaning vendors, the strategy is to simply pay off some rancher, who would otherwise cut down trees on their land, using the cash from the non-profit with a small fee paid to the vendor for the effort. The system works well, of course, for just about everyone involved. The ranchers benefit from a stream of income for not developing their land, the non-profit believes that they have done their part in reducing their carbon footprint. And the vendor has earned a transaction fee, all while believing that they are doing good. Just about everyone, except the Earth. The typical scenario sketched out above is such that net emissions will actually have increased. So, go on, do the math quickly in your head. Now, making carbon offsets that truly work requires that the amount paid for said offsets actually goes toward reducing the total amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere.[+1 sentence] This is where a credible system of offsets, paired with an actual cap-and-trade exchange, comes in. Recall, carbon cap-and-trade systems are typically seeded with a fixed amount of carbon emissions distributed via permits.[+1 sentence] These permits, of course, are finite. Hence, a credible exchange would direct the funds from the carbon offset toward the purchase of permits, which are then retired from circulation.[+11 sentences] The major difference between this approach and that of a green vendor is that there it is no longer a counterfactual of otherwise increased carbon emissions that are being funded. Rather, it is now used to fund activities that have to be backed up by actual verifiable emissions reductions. This is where trusted governments can take a lead. A private-public partnership (PPP) led by private sector initiative and efficiencies, but encompassing active public sector involvement to ensure that the programme's purported goals are being met, strikes me as the best way forward for such an endeavour. A separate agency operating under the umbrella of NEA can take the lead on the Government side. I have previously spoken about why carbon taxes tend to trump cap-and-trade systems. I still hold to that position, which is shared by the majority of economists who have studied the merits of both systems. Still, I see little reason why, if we are going to operate a carbon emissions trading system alongside a carbon tax regime, the system should not also be operated in a manner that complements our carbon reduction efforts. Moreover, a PPP of this nature is consistent with the stated goals of the Singapore Green Plan to develop Singapore as a carbon services and trading hub. Credible carbon offsets can be a major project to help develop Singapore's trusted reputation in the region. Of course, all markets require liquidity and the best way to get the programme off to a solid start is to provide a steady stream of income. To this end, I would like to suggest that MSE consider requiring the purchase of credible carbon offsets along the lines of what I have described for all official international travel by civil servants.[+2 sentences] These will operate in line with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). Even better, if the Government takes on the proactive role of permanently retiring offsets that it purchases, then I think the world, the Earth in particular, will be much better off.
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry (Kebun Baru)180 words
[+3 sentences]Chairman, during last year's debate, I spoke about the importance of Singapore building a world-class carbon trading ecosystem so that we can use high-quality carbon offsets to help us exceed our NDC. I also recently spoke about the importance of promoting carbon accounting/auditing services, as well as the importance of influencing the direction of global regulations. As such, I commend Singapore's new net-zero ambitions and our efforts to shape Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Can MSE explain on the specifics on how these globally traded carbon credits can help us reach net-zero?[+3 sentences] I also hope that we can, if we use globally traded carbon credits, source for credits from many, rather than a few countries, because sourcing diversity also builds resilience for Singapore. Also, I hope carbon credits will supplement, rather than replace our local efforts to improve energy efficiency, import and generate green energy, and adopt mitigation technology, such as Carbon Capture and Sequestration. So, in sum, can MSE share more about our thoughts on how to best balance Singapore-based efforts versus the purchase of overseas carbon credits?
Mr Don Wee63 words
[+1 sentence]Chairman, Singapore needs to set up an appropriate carbon price mechanism to internalise the emissions cost and incentivise reductions effectively while ensuring we do not impose unbearable burdens upon our enterprises and households. Would the Government elaborate on how the revised carbon tax level and any potential increments will support our green transition and what is the expected impact on households and businesses?
The Chairman9 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Gan Thiam Poh. Both your cuts together, please.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh113 words
Chairman, Singapore’s carbon tax will be progressively increased to reach S$50 to S$80 per tonne of emissions by 2030, so that we will meet our new target of reaching net-zero by or around 2050.[+3 sentences] Would the Ministry elaborate on how the revised carbon tax levels and trajectory will support our objective of becoming a green economy? We are faced with overall rising costs due to the pressures of the pandemic and other crises. In the midst of this, we have begun to transit to use more clean and alternate energy. How would the Government help to minimise the impact of the carbon tax on consumers, especially those in the middle- and lower-income groups?
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang146 words
[+1 sentence]Sir, currently, carbon tax applies only to facilities emitting at least 25 kilo-tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year. This covers around 50 facilities that contribute to about 80% of our total carbon emissions.[+7 sentences] We should aim for a higher coverage. I understand that the Government sets a high threshold to limit compliance costs by smaller emitters. But smaller emitters, those emitting at least two kilo-tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, are already “reportable facilities” and have to pay the costs of monitoring and measuring their emissions. Given that any additional compliance costs would likely be minimal, it makes sense for the carbon tax to cover all reportable facilities. This would, after all, be in the spirit of a whole-of-nation fight against climate change. Emitters, small and large, have a role to play. Will the Government expand coverage of the carbon tax to include all reportable facilities?
The Chairman7 words
[+2 sentences]Ms Poh Li San. Both cuts, please.
Ms Poh Li San333 words
[+14 sentences]Mr Chairman, the Singapore Green Plan 2030 was greatly welcomed when it was launched last year. With the national agenda on sustainability set out, it creates a clear framework to rally a whole-of-nation movement. Can the Government provide an update on our progress thus far for the Green Plan and what are the additional programmes and goals? Considering the impact of the pandemic, are we still on track to reach the targets of the five pillars of the Green Plan – City in Nature, Energy Reset, Sustainable Living, Green Economy and Resilient Future? For example, are labour shortages delaying the development of new parks, greener buildings and the goal of producing locally 30% of our national nutritional needs by 2030? How successful have we been in getting green investments and green jobs? Have Singaporeans managed to conserve more water and electricity in the past year? Research and development hold the key to our green aspirations. How would the Government direct its R&D funding to achieve Singapore Green Plan outcomes? Are we attracting and nurturing enough talents in green and sustainability engineering, R&D and related technological explorations? What impact has our R&D investments into sustainability and climate resilience projects made? How will we encourage more Singaporeans to take up deeper research in this field as a career? In 2020, about 52% of the 5.88 million tonnes of solid waste generated were recycled. The rest were incinerated and sent to our only landfill – Semakau Island Landfill. At the current rate of waste incineration, it is expected to be full by 2035.[+4 sentences] We must expedite measures to reduce waste in the next few years. Will the Ministry consider more drastic measures, such as higher fees or fines, to reduce waste generation? What are the Ministry’s plans after this date? Will it extend the lifespan of Semakau Landfill? NEA has been administering the $45 million Closing the Resource Loop funding initiative on sustainable resource recovery solutions.[+1 sentence] Are there any updates on the progress of this initiative?
Mr Gan Thiam Poh55 words
[+3 sentences]Chairman, to build a low carbon future, we do need to invest in R&D projects to address our special needs and requirements. How will the Government direct its R&D funding to achieve the Singapore Green Plan outcomes? Which are the areas with the best growth and development potential and how will the Ministry support them?
Miss Rachel Ong (West Coast)128 words
[+1 sentence]Chairman, the Singapore Green Plan 2030 was launched in 2020 with a slew of ambitious targets across the five pillars. More recently, in his Budget 2022 speech, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong committed to raising our goal of achieving net-zero emissions by or around mid-century and increasing our carbon tax rate with a view to reaching $50 to $80 per tonne by 2030.[+3 sentences] This is most encouraging. May I ask the Government to provide an update on the progress of the Green Plan since 2020? In light of Singapore’s increased ambitions, as announced in Budget 2022, and also inputs from the Members from the two Motions on Sustainability this and last year, whether the Government is making any adjustments to our Green Plan targets to match this increased ambition.
The Chairman10 words
[+2 sentences]Prof Koh Lian Pin. Please take your three cuts together.
Prof Koh Lian Pin388 words
[+7 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. The Government has made commendable efforts in engaging the public on the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and Budget 2022 and has continually encouraged public participation through public consultations. Will the participating Ministries in the upcoming Green Plan conversations consider putting in place guidelines and protocols for greater accountability and transparency in the engagement process, including releasing post-engagement reports of key insights to the public? Furthermore, it is laudable that the Ministries have conducted online public consultations on issues, such as the future of Dover Forest and the proposal for retailers to charge for plastic bags. However, the length of time allocated for seeking public feedback often varies between consultations for different issues, ranging from several weeks to months. Has the Ministry canvassed feedback from the participants of these consultations and the public to better assess the most appropriate length of time for conducting public consultations? Will the Ministry consider ways of ensuring sufficient time be allocated for future public consultations for the public to be more fully aware of issues and to provide even more valuable comments? In December 2020, the Government announced its Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan (RIE2025), amounting to $25 billion allocated for the period 2021 to 2025.[+1 sentence] One of RIE2025's key focus areas is urban solutions and sustainability, which will address challenges in sustainability and climate resilience. The Government also mentioned that we will allocate $5.2 billion under RIE2025 to scale up innovation and enterprise platforms, including those seeking to facilitate research and technology translation.[+3 sentences] How does the Government intend to direct its funding under the USS domain to achieve Singapore Green Plan 2030 outcomes and to scale up innovation and enterprise to unlock green growth opportunities? Does the Government have any early examples of the returns on our R&D investments into sustainability and climate resilience for Singapore? Third cut. Given the revised carbon tax trajectory in Budget 2022, we can expect more Singapore-based companies to tap into funds, such as the Energy Efficiency Fund, to improve energy efficiency of their operations as part of their decarbonisation journey.[+2 sentences] How much of this fund has been dispersed so far and, of which, how much has been resourced from our carbon tax revenue? Additionally, does the Ministry have any early examples to share regarding the impact of the E2F since its inception?
The Chairman7 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Hany Soh, both your cuts, please.
Ms Hany Soh337 words
[+12 sentences]How can communities and individuals continue to participate in the national movement to secure a greener future for Singapore? The SG Eco Fund was launched in November 2020 and aims to support projects that advance environmental sustainability and involve the community. What is the progress of the SG Eco Fund so far? The Woodgrove community is one of the beneficiaries of this wonderful initiative. Its community partner, the Singapore Institute of Building Limited (SIBL) has successfully applied for the SG Eco Fund, intending to raise awareness on environmental issues and encourage more residents to adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle through community, education programmes, sustainable markets along with an app with interactive games. Workshops will also be conducted with the support of our Woodgrove's green taskforce involving residents and volunteers to share useful tips to practise the 5Rs – refuse, reduce, repair, reuse and recycle – and to empower residents with the knowledge to conserve water and energy as well as to reduce food waste. Looking at the list of the SG Eco Fund awardees, many of them have interesting and practical ideas. Moving forward, I would like to ask if MSE would consider remodeling the SG Eco Fund concept so that more constituencies and divisions can consider applying for the grant to adopt ideas that have proven successful in other divisions. Apart from the finances, there is also a need to look into improving the existing infrastructures in our community so that individuals and the community are able to practise green living, such as building more community gardens and setting up more recycling bins catering to different recycling purposes. Many of my Woodgrove residents have shared that the present design of the blue recycling bin poses many challenges to recycle effectively. Are there plans to roll out new types of recycling bins to replace the existing blue bins? Rather than providing one bulk container for people to dispose all types of their recyclables and waste, can the Ministry consider and introduce more innovative solutions to encourage single-type recyclables?
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin169 words
Chairman, with $50 million set aside in total, the SG Eco Fund has had two grant calls so far, awarding almost $4 million to 79 projects – no small amount to show our commitment to the environment. These funds have supported a wide range of projects from community-based scavenger hunts to a freshwater mangrove wetland development project, among many others.[+3 sentences] As we approach nine months since the results of the first grant call, I would like to ask what is the progress of the SG Eco Fund so far? Given the wide-ranging sizes and types of projects which it has supported, what environmental and community outcomes does the SG Eco Fund track to ensure that the projects are achieving their goals and do these contribute towards our national targets and Green Plan? Further, how can the SG Eco Fund better reach out to the community and are there ways for the Eco Fund to collaborate with the private sector for catalytic and sustainable funding as well as capacity building?
Mr Don Wee149 words
Chairman, the Government had earmarked Choa Chu Kang, Nee Soon and Tampines as eco towns.[+8 sentences] Residents can expect transformations which will enhance their built environments so that they will be more green, sustainable and liveable for residents. For example, hawker centres will aim for zero waste by composting food scraps. In addition, these towns will be able to track their energy consumption, water usage, carbon emissions and their progress in recycling. Can the Ministry provide an update on what has been implemented so far and what future developments can be expected? Will new waste disposal methods, such as a pneumatic waste conveyance system (PWCS), be introduced in these towns? How about the installation of more energy-efficient light bulbs and solar panels? Will there be incentives for more rooftops to be converted to urban farming? Will the Ministry facilitate community collaborations for recycling projects and electricity and water conservation drives?
Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied)455 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Chairman, Sir, heat inequality is an issue I spoke on in last year's climate Motion in Parliament. The number of very hot days where the real feel temperature, considering humidity, exceeds 40 degrees has increased by about eight times since the 1950s to over 80 days each year now.[+1 sentence] The situation is serious. The Government mentioned one year ago that it is working on an urban heat impact mitigation action plan.[+5 sentences] I would like to ask the Minister for an update and propose that the action plan consider lower-income groups and blue collar workers, including migrant workers. Firstly, on prioritising low-income groups. The cheapest air conditioners cost about 60 cents per hour for electricity. So, many less well-off residents head to air conditioned spaces like malls and libraries, which are important for the hottest days in the year. There is not always space at the library though. From what I understand, the Green Towns Programme does not prioritise vulnerable neighbourhoods.[+4 sentences] Can we quickly provide good stopgap measures for such vulnerable areas? We already know where the warmest areas in Singapore are through Landsat thermal images and these places often have high concentrations of HDB rental blocks. We could focus our OneMillionTrees project on areas where vulnerable people live. We also have a programme providing vouchers for households to buy high-efficiency appliances like fridges but can we extend this to include fans and include more households? Moreover, can we look into including living space temperature requirements under the building control regulations? I would also like to ask what are the Government's targets to retrofit all estates to deal with the urban heat island effect?[+12 sentences] Next, on blue collar workers. Blue collar workers face the short end of the stick. For shift workers, it can be really hot sleeping during the day. This reduces sleep quality and quantity, which have an impact on workplace safety. Studies show that driving on low-quality sleep can be as dangerous as drink-driving. With migrant workers, many have spoken about why they choose to sleep on the floor or on hard boards without bedding. The heat can be unbearable because, very often, you have 16 workers in a room and many dormitories have metal roofing and walls. NEA recently released a Good Environmental Health Practices statement. However, there are no legally binding measures regarding heat management. With the MOM employers' guide for domestic workers, there is no definition for "adequate ventilation". In 2017, one of our non-governmental organisations (NGOs) even reported that a domestic worker was made to sleep on the balcony. Of course, most employers put in effort to ensure workers have decent living conditions but let us work towards stricter binding guidelines so that no worker is left behind.
Ms Janet Ang (Nominated Member)486 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Chairman, executing on our Singapore Green Plan (SGP) 2030 is an imperative, whether it is all of us using less plastic bags or NUS researchers finding ways to store CO2 below ocean floor. Like the COVID-19 pandemic, no country is spared, no business can ignore, no individual can hide. We need the collective will of all of humanity to heal the earth for which we are all stewards of. In this Committee of Supply, I would like to touch on the following points. One, at the company level, our businesses need to be brought up to speed on the what and the how of sustainability and they need help to assess their gaps and develop the plans that will take them to net zero.[+6 sentences] The SGP 2030 vision is a great rallying cry. How successful has our engagement of businesses and the public been and what are the next steps being taken? Next, at the supply chain level. The national Chambers are reiterating the importance for local companies to step up and embrace sustainability practices and standards urgently to better support their multinational companies (MNCs) partners based in Singapore. The race to create competitive green supply chains to stay relevant in the global economy and win is fast and furious. How are we planning to create competitive green supply chains out of Singapore? At a country level, our trusted status as a financial hub land ourselves as a potential key player in carbon trading.[+2 sentences] Besides that, Singapore is also blessed with: (a) having the world's busiest container transshipment port with a global network of more than 50 locations in 26 countries around the world; and (b) our Changi Airport, albeit pre-COVID-19, being the most internationally connected airport in Asia Pacific and among the top 10 air mega hubs in the world, according to OAG. How can Singapore businesses leverage these two crown jewels to play the bigger game in this world of green and sustainable? Next, financial support for green transition is critical for businesses as they map out their net zero plans.[+3 sentences] How will the Ministry ensure a robust financing ecosystem will be in place to support the industry, especially the SMEs? More assistance schemes may be needed to catalyse the SMEs with specific actions. Switching their fleet of vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) will be a good first step but SMEs must not be mistaken that they can get to net zero without changing their processes and greening their supply chains. Can the Government consider providing targeted tax incentives or rebates to SMEs as a measure of their progress in their sustainability adoption?[+2 sentences] In fact, if players in the supply chain collaborate through research to innovate and partner each other and the Government to achieve progressive outcomes, the Government can provide more tax incentives. The sustainability agenda will require leadership and talent with new skills and expertise and the collective will to act.
Committee of Supply – Head L (Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment)›Budget5 turns · 952w
· 6 highlighted
budget-1875recorded 2022-03-07
The Chairman12 words
[+1 sentence]If you would like to take your both cuts together, please do.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast)361 words
[+5 sentences]Thank you, Mr Chairman. Budget 2022 has outlined Singapore's ambitious plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 or around 2050. To achieve this goal, there will need to be an accelerated pace of transition. The green economy announced last year as Singapore's Green Plan 2030 sets out Singapore's objective of sustainability as a new engine of opportunity and growth for Singapore and investments to be carbon efficient. What is the Government doing to enable R&D to grow the capabilities of our industries to develop low-carbon alternative such as hydrogen and to advance other low-carbon sustainable technology and solutions? What support and investments has Singapore made and will make to support the growth of businesses in the green economy in areas such as green ICT, carbon services and trading hub and goods and services related to low-carbon project development, project financing, trading, consultancy and measurement, reporting and verification?[+12 sentences] My next cut. Mr Chairman, becoming more sustainable is not just about compliance for businesses. While companies will need to be able to address compliance, which often relates to regulations on emission, waste management, energy efficiency and labour practices, compliance also concerns investors' and consumers' decisions. Hence, businesses need to understand the benefits, competitive advantage and growth opportunities of being a sustainable business. With the unpredictability and instability in energy cost and supply, there is also direct business benefits of reduced cost for businesses to be more energy efficient and in having more sustainable operations. But we know that to become greener and more sustainable does not just happen. Businesses need funding but also much more. Companies will have to understand and track the impact of their business on the environment. Businesses need to also review and relook at how they produce their goods and deliver services, their supply chains to reduce waste and impact on the environment. This will require new skills and know-how as well as new systems and tools to manage. What are the Government's key efforts to support businesses to transition and to capture value in the green transition? What is the Government doing to enable businesses to adopt more sustainable operations and develop sustainability as a competitive edge?
The Chairman9 words
[+2 sentences]Ms Mariam Jaafar. Please take both your cuts together.
Ms Mariam Jaafar (Sembawang)558 words
[+8 sentences]Chairman, in past speeches, I have called for Singapore to have a higher ambition, leading the way to a green future in spite of our size. To do this, our local industry must innovate and invest in a green transition. But uncertainty over costs, benefits and risks will influence incentives to make the move. Each sector has a different emissions profile, transition readiness, industry structure and willingness of the end customer to pay. The increase in carbon taxes may compel companies to move, though it must be implemented in just transition. The Government is also exploring and putting in more regulations and standards and benchmarks. What else can the Government do to encourage local companies to invest, perhaps, ahead of the market? One key lever is green public procurement. Globally, public sector procurement activities are directly or indirectly responsible for 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions – seven times the amount emitted by the entire aviation industry. They are also heavily concentrated in six industries: defence and security, transportation, waste management services, construction, industrial products and utilities.[+1 sentence] And often account for a large share of their suppliers' revenues. Using this buying power, green public procurement can be a major boost for the green economy. Government can set standards for products, services and project activities, certify companies and materials for sustainability, giving extra points for suppliers that are "greener".[+3 sentences] However, public procurement is complex and highly decentralised and there are competing priorities and socioeconomic considerations. For example, does HDB prioritise going for the fastest, cheapest way to get a lot of flats out or go for green buildings that have lower embedded emissions and reduce controllable lifecycle emissions? These are complex questions but ones which we must take a position and communicate effectively to all stakeholders as part of the green public procurement transformation. Other levers for the Government include funding and incentives for innovation and R&D in transformative new technologies, working with industry coalitions to promote decarbonisation across the value chains, upgrading and making available climate and sustainability data and analytics systems, providing incentives for market adoption such as low interest loans and tax credits and boosting understanding expertise and capabilities through education and reskilling programs, the subject of my next cut.[+9 sentences] We can also invest in relatable and inspiring public education campaigns to educate Singaporeans on the choices they make. For the right portfolio of measures and pace of implementation, we will need to understand trade-offs, consider cross-sector impact and socioeconomic impact. How will the Government support local companies that innovate and invest in a green transition ahead of the market? What is the Government doing to activate the market demand and willingness to pay, including among end consumers? Chairman, I filed the cut but I do not have to write my own speech here as the hon member Koh Lian Pin has very succinctly made the points in his Budget speech. In a green economy, every worker must have basic and foundational knowledge of climate sustainability alongside functional specific skills and sector‐specific competencies to enable a successful transition of key industries towards sustainable business models and practices. Our IHLs can play a key role in building these capabilities and competencies. I echo his views. What is the Government doing to reskill and upskill employers, employees and students for managing and capturing value in the green economy?
The Chairman12 words
[+1 sentence]Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad, would you like to report progress?
Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023›Budget1 turns · 20w
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Committee of Supply – Head L (Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment)›Budget74 turns · 23,396w
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Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast)8 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Chairman, should I take two cuts together?
The Chairman8 words
[+2 sentences]Yes, please. There is only one cut right?
Ms Foo Mee Har7 words
[+1 sentence]There is another one at the end.
The Chairman10 words
[+2 sentences]Alright, you can take that later. Take this one first.
Ms Foo Mee Har381 words
[+3 sentences]Okay. Chairman, the Singapore Green Plan 2030 is well-timed to galvanise a national movement, not only to achieve sustainable development but also to build exportable capabilities, such as sustainable urban solutions. Our green agenda holds much promise for our future. The issuance of Green Bonds will provide a substantial capital base for sustainable developments not only in Singapore, but also throughout the region.[+1 sentence] Singapore is well-positioned to serve as a living lab and test bed for emerging green technologies as well as a hub to foster collaboration and co-creation. It is critical that in our drive for sustainability, we fully leverage this opportunity to groom a new generation of green local firms, support them to build their green capabilities and position them to capture emerging opportunities. So, I would like to ask the Minister what can be done to ensure that the development of green local firms is an integral part of the $25 billion investment under RIE2025. We should consider a special programme, with R&D funding to be carved out, especially to support and promote development of green technologies and solutions by our very own local firms and startups.[+7 sentences] Sir, with SME making up 99% of Singapore enterprises, the need to embrace climate change and sustainability is also a matter of business survival. With successive carbon tax increases in the pipeline, as well as increasing demands from partners, investors and customers for sustainable practices, SMEs need support to pivot and adapt, in order to thrive. I would like to repeat my call to support SMEs in the transition on three fronts. First, we can promote sector-based sustainability roadmaps with industry-aligned principles, frameworks and uniform standards. Second, we need to support SMEs with pre-identified sector-based green solutions to fast track their adoption. Third, we can leverage the ecosystem to build scalable green capabilities and collaboration. Sir, the introduction of the new Enterprise Financing Scheme Green (EFS-Green) to support local farms with a range of financing needs, from developmental capital to a venture debt, is a great initiative. With the Government providing 70% of reshare to catalyse lending by participating financial institutions, there have been calls by the industry for more favourable terms, such as preferential interest rate and loan terms, in order to spur adoption.
Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied)327 words
[+5 sentences]Mr Chairman, Sir, nature-based climate solutions are powerful methods of carbon capture. They also have the added benefit of protecting ecosystems. As we move to set up our carbon trading hub and companies consider buying carbon credits from overseas entities to offset emission, there is a pressing need to ensure projects are socially sustainable. Lack of local buy-in, poor oversight and poor management can result in projects with less carbon capture than what companies pay for. Indonesia's Katingan Mentaya project has reportedly been one such case. A Nikkei investigation found that more carbon credits were issued than it could likely make good on.[+12 sentences] Poor quality credits diminish accountability and reduce the emissions captured. Crucially, they could impact the Singapore brand. Renewable projects funded by Government-linked companies (GLCs) should also be accountable for Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) impacts. Reports mentioned that the Laos hydro projects could be negatively impacting food production, ecosystems and indigenous communities. With Keppel recently signing its hydroelectricity import deal, I hope that our GLCs pay attention to such externalities. Impacts can be minimised with the adoption of free prior and informed consent policies. I would like to suggest that the Government step in to recommend consistent, baseline, transparency and traceability, and due diligence process guidelines for such renewable projects. This is important from the standpoint not only of promoting green outcomes, but for our national brand as well, Lastly, my Parliamentary colleague, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, previously expanded on the potential soft power benefits of having a foreign aid agency. Such an aid agency could support targeted cash transfers to indigenous and rural communities to manage and protect forests abroad. NGOs, like Cool Earth, already do this and one UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report studying Latin America found this to be a cost-effective way to preserve forests. In Indonesia, there are already community-managed forests. Sir, we should come in to support such efforts as good neighbours on the same pale blue dot.
The Chairman12 words
[+3 sentences]Ms He Ting Ru. She is not here. Prof Koh Lian Pin.
Prof Koh Lian Pin (Nominated Member)274 words
[+1 sentence]Chairman, as Singapore positions itself to become a leading climate services hub, we need to develop a healthy pipeline of talents for our green economy. What are the Government's plans for building a Singapore core of industry-ready talents to support our emerging sustainability sector, especially in relation to our Industry Transformation Maps? Has the Ministry assessed whether our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) provide adequate training and upskilling programmes on sustainability-related competencies at the undergraduate, graduate and continuing education levels, to address talent gaps in our emerging sustainability sector?[+4 sentences] Are there plans to consult the public, private and people sectors, including IHLs, businesses, green groups and our youth, on the demand, content and modes of delivery for these training and upskilling programmes? To build a vibrant and impactful sustainability ecosystem in Singapore, we should welcome and, indeed, encourage the participation of international organisations, including research and educational institutes, service providers and non-profits, to contribute to Singapore's efforts in building a green talent pipeline towards our sustainability goals. But, crucially, to ensure success for Singapore's sustainability goals, we need to work closely with international stakeholders to build a common and deep understanding of Singapore's existing capabilities and gaps, ongoing efforts and investments and long-term vision and mission for sustainability, so that they might truly engage, collaborate and uplift our local enterprises, IHLs, civil society groups and other Singapore stakeholders. What steps is the Government taking to ensure that all stakeholder participation in our sustainability journey will be well-coordinated, complementary and synergistic to ensure that all stakeholders work towards the common goal of building a Singapore core of talents and expertise to achieve our sustainability ambitions?
The Chairman9 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Saktiandi Supaat, please take your two cuts together.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh)528 words
[+10 sentences]Mr Chairman, Minister Tan See Leng mentioned that Singapore could harness its robust legislative commodity trading and financial services foundation to develop an international trusted carbon services and training ecosystem here. We are not the only ones interested. Other countries, like China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, are all taking steps to establish its own carbon markets or frameworks to trade carbon credits. We need to coordinate a holistic inter-agency effort to create a vibrant marketplace with many active participants with clear ESG and carbon credit standards in place. At present, carbon markets are plagued by low liquidity, scarce financing, inadequate risk management services and limited data availability. We will need to further encourage our financial institutions (FIs) to get involved to meet the liquidity and financing difficulties. Market infrastructure should develop along with deliberate and calibrated regulation by MAS and MinLaw. For example, what would be the risk-weighted asset, or RWA, to be associated with carbon credits? For FIs holding carbon credits, will we need clearing houses to mitigate risks? At the moment, the weights are high and unclear. While the Government's decision to allow businesses to use high-quality carbon credits to offset up to 5% of the taxable emissions will help stimulate local demand for such credits, as with many other things, we must also look to cater to external demand.[+5 sentences] MTI and MFA must engage our partners to ensure that our carbon credits will be accepted in other countries, too. We may need to provide it in our Free Trade Agreements so that other countries cannot take protection and discriminatory approach. Further, given our lack of natural resources, including land, we are unlikely to have any huge wind farms or hydroelectric plants that can originate a large amount of carbon credits for sale. We, therefore, require our agencies like EDB to go out and attract project developers to bring and sell their carbon credits in Singapore with an "ASEAN Registry" of sorts set up. We will also need to train the necessary subject matter expertise in our workforce, whether through our tertiary institutions or our various work training programmes. Can the Government provide an update on our efforts to build a carbon credit trading ecosystem?[+7 sentences] Will we expect to see a detailed roadmap outlining how and when we will get there? One of the most far-reaching crises today is the global energy crunch. Increased fuel consumption from an economy recovering from COVID-19, production outages and geopolitical events have driven up prices. Presently, almost 95% of Singapore's electricity is generated using imported natural gas. Hence, our push to transition into a low-carbon energy future cannot come at a more opportune time. However, given our limited size, what challenges does the Government expect with energy transition and what measures have been put in place to ensure a smooth transition? For Singapore, solar energy appears more promising than other renewable energy sources like wind or hydro. Can the Government provide an update on our solar development and deployment plans and whether there are any efforts to accelerate solar deployment?[+1 sentence] Will we look to incentivise individual households to install their own solar panels to defray their own consumption?
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong (Jurong)257 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Chairman, I would like to declare my interest as the founding director of Green SG, a registered charity that aims to catalyse and accelerate green action and develop future leaders for sustainability. The price of natural gas spiked 25% in the UK to hit a record high last Friday. Italy uses natural gas to generate 40% of electricity demands and imports 90% of its natural gas, mostly from Russia.[+12 sentences] It is looking for alternatives from Algeria and Azerbaijan. In Germany, there were thoughts of cancelling plans to shut down nuclear plants and ramp up coal-powered generators. Heavy industries are affected and are reducing production and shortening of working hours. Energy supplies cannot be replaced overnight. Power generation infrastructure cannot be built over a short period of time. We are well reminded of the 1973 oil crisis caused by the OPEC embargo; the 1990 oil shock caused by the Gulf war; 2001 California electricity crisis caused by market manipulation by Enron. And to remember that peak oil is on the horizon and oil production will go on a terminal decline. We must, therefore, plan our energy transition well, well-diversified with price stability and affordability. How we plan our energy transition will affect future generations and the security of our economy. As such, I would like to ask the Minister to share more on expected challenges ahead and how the Government will ensure a smooth energy transition. What is our latest progress and future plans for our solar deployment? How will our energy transition impact future electricity prices?
Mr Saktiandi Supaat491 words
Mr Chairman, the Government has announced that, upon review, it will bring forward the timeline for us to achieve net-zero around 2050.[+4 sentences] Pre-pandemic, transport accounted for 16.2% of Singapore's carbon emissions. This is already a lower percentage than the US, UK and the global figure, but it is still a significant piece as we look out to cut our carbon emissions. What are the Ministry's plans to reduce transport emissions on land, air and sea? A key pillar of our efforts to decarbonise our transport system is the adoption of electric vehicles, or EVs. Our Land Transport Master Plan 2040 aims to phase out internal combustion energy vehicles by 2040.[+3 sentences] To successfully do so, we must make EVs a financially sensible option for users, capitalise on rapid technological advancements and ensure that our infrastructure is integrated to support this switch to EVs. Presently, a major obstacle to private adoption of EVs is the prohibitive costs involved. Vehicle prices in Singapore are already among the world’s highest, with our COE system to control the vehicle population in land-scarce Singapore. As most electric cars have a higher power output than the 97-kilowatt (kW) threshold under CAT A, they fall within CAT B where COE prices has recently soared past $93,000.[+13 sentences] This discourages the uptake of EVs and is likely preventing a wider choice of EVs from entering the Singapore market. We may need to relook how our EVs are classified for COE purposes. Another question is whether the existing incentives and rebates for EVs are sufficient to affect consumer behaviour to the desired level. Given Singapore's car-lite strategy, we probably cannot afford to give EV owners a two-year road tax exemption like how Malaysia has done. However, we do need to study our incentive and rebate structure to see if any revisions are necessary. For example, I understand that road tax for EVs is currently based on the simple addition of the power output of its motors and this may lead to weird situations where an EV is taxed based on a total added output of 390 kW even though it can only deliver a maximum combined output of 240 kW. Harnessing technological advancements can also promote the adoption of EVs by enhancing convenience and efficiency. Battery swapping technology has been tried and tested in markets like China and Norway and represents a more efficient proposition to users than electric charging at charging stations. This could complement our existing strategy of building more EV charging points closer to where people live. Finally, the recent episodes of personal mobility device fires remind us of how the stability our vehicular batteries can become a safety issue. We must reassure the people that EVs are a safe option before they can decide to embrace it. Can the Ministry share more about its overarching strategy to further stimulate EV adoption among road users in Singapore? Would the Minister consider introducing an early adoption incentive for electric motorcycles?
Mr Ang Wei Neng (West Coast)547 words
Chairman, the number of registered EVs in Singapore more than doubled, from 1,397 EVs in year 2000 to 3,713 EVs in 2021 or last year.[+8 sentences] Most of the individuals who bought EVs are likely to stay in landed properties due to the high cost of EVs and the ease of installing mid-range EV home chargers for about $2,500 at the comfort of their home. Can MOT shed some light on the demographics of the first wave of EV buyers in Singapore? Before I proceed, I would like to declare my interest as I work in the transport industry. I have always maintained that whether EVs can take off in the mass market segment is dependent on whether we have sufficient public charging stations in Singapore. This is a chicken-and-an-egg situation. If we leave it to market forces, few will be willing to install charging stations in large numbers. Thus, it is very important for Singapore to decisively incentivise companies to build EV charging facilities ahead of demand, like what the European countries and China have been doing. In particular, I would like to suggest four areas for MOT to consider. First, many commercial properties are not able to install fast-charging stations at their commercial buildings because these fast-charging stations are needed by the large fleet owners, because they have to pay a high fee to build substations or upgrade the grid.[+10 sentences] So, I would urge the Government to consider paying for the upgrading cost of the grid and the expansion of the electric substations. Second, to encourage the growth of the EV mass market segment, the Government can consider providing significant incentives for companies to install up to five charging stations at all HDB car parks that have a sizeable number of parking lots. Third, for condominiums, few MCSTs are successful in installing the charging stations because they need to go through a long and tedious process to obtain the residents’ support. Could LTA work with MND to consider mandating all condominiums with a sizeable number of parking lots to install charging stations? Would it be possible for the Government to provide incentives for doing so, especially for the early adopters? Fourth, would the Government consider mandating all commercial properties, including shopping centres and malls with sizeable parking lots, to install charging stations? After solving the supply side of installing charging stations, we need to provide incentives to increase the ownership of EVs, like what Norway and China have been doing. In Norway, almost 65% of all new passenger cars sold in 2021 were EVs. How did Norway do it? The Norway government taxed internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles very heavily, but does not tax EVs at all. In Singapore, the various incentives for the early adoption of EVs can amount to $45,000, but only the more expensive EV models get to enjoy these maximum savings. To further encourage the adoption of mass market EVs, I would like to propose reducing the 20% excise duty of EVs with Open Market Value (OMV) of less than $30,000.[+2 sentences] The reduction in the excise duty should be inversely proportional to the EV’s OMV, so that there would be a bigger discount for a cheaper EV. This would prevent profiteering by EV distributors and make EVs more affordable to the masses.
The Chairman11 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Gan Thiam Poh. You can take your four cuts together.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio)226 words
[+2 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. We can expect emission improvements from passenger cars as we require all newly-registered vehicles to be cleaner-energy models from 2030. What about lorries, buses, and coaches and other heavy-duty vehicles?[+9 sentences] What are the Ministry’s plans to reduce transport emissions? Will the Government increase the use of incentives for the use of EVs and other clean energy vehicles? With the steady increase in EV adoption and EV charging, will the Government set up a dedicated certification centre to oversee the safety and reliability of EVs and their charging points and batteries? What is the progress to set up a framework for the industry's safety standards for EVs and EV batteries permitted in Singapore? Would the Ministry give an update on EV adoption so far and whether the set-up of charging points and provisions for battery changes are on track? Would the Ministry encourage more private participation, including the utilities companies, as what other countries have done, to set up and offer EV fast-charging services as well as battery changing services? Transiting to a greener transportation sector will require quicker adoption of EVs by users. Will the Ministry consider further incentives and tax rebates to encourage the purchase and use of EVs, including commercial vehicles, such as vans, buses and coaches? How will the Ministry facilitate and expedite the electrification of our public transport fleets?
Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol)89 words
[+5 sentences]In embracing EVs, perhaps the biggest hurdle in the smooth transition to popular adoption of EVs is the issue of infrastructural coordination. For instance, what is the schedule like for charger deployment and how would this be synced with the gradual adoption of EV models? Will there be priority given to livelihood vehicles like taxis and PHVs at charging docks? Would the Government regulate the cost of charging? Could the Ministry give a clearer account of the overall plan on how the charger deployment will be financed and accelerated?
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang)325 words
In 2021, Singapore's population of electric cars more than doubled from 1,217 to 2,942 cars.[+3 sentences] This, however, only represents 0.5% of the 645,000 cars in Singapore today. So, this uptick is encouraging, considering that much of it was contributed by the increase of 924 units in the number of Tesla's here in Singapore, which costs about S$200,000 each. The economics of EVs currently is still such that it is difficult for the average Singaporean to adopt EVs. EVs are much more expensive compared to the equivalent for internal combustion engine (ICE) cars and you see that the Hyundai Ioniq Electric, after considering various rebates, retails for $173,000, that is, $45,000 or 35% more, compared to the $128,000 for the Ionic Hybrid, and $65,000 or 59% more than the $108,000 for the ICE Hyundai Avante.[+3 sentences] I believe more can be done to ensure that we phase out ICE vehicles ahead of 2040, especially in the context of Singapore's COE system. Norway, for example, saw 84% of new car sales in January being all electric. Even as EV prices start to come down with advancements in manufacturing, the disparity in price between EVs, after factoring in Government incentives, are still significant. EV owners will also expect to fork out an additional tax of $700 a year from 2023, introduced to partially cover the loss in fuel excise duties from ICE cars, with the higher charges already starting to be phased in since 2021.[+3 sentences] This reduces the attractiveness of EVs to consumers at a time where we should be pushing forward for adoption. I hope the Government will also consider longer-term policies, such as preferential access and toll rates, which have been shown to show a significant impact on boosting EV sales in Oslo and several Chinese cities. We also need to accelerate the rollout of EV-charging points across Singapore to further incentivise EV adoption and ensure it is both economical and practical for Singaporeans to adopt EVs.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang)343 words
[+1 sentence]The increase in our green ambitions requires us to look at emerging trends in last-mile logistics. Online retail sales have averaged 13.5% in total retail sales in Singapore in 2021, compared to an average of 5.4% of retail sales between 2018 and 2019.[+3 sentences] This has meant great convenience to Singaporeans who purchase from online platforms, but it also is likely to mean that there is more demand for last mile logistics. Today, all types of goods vehicles are of the diesel engine variety. The increase in demand for last-mile logistics will mean an increase in our carbon footprint. A study by the World Economic Forum in 2020, prior to the pandemic, indicates that the expected growth in last mile delivery is likely to increase carbon emissions by 30% by 2030.[+9 sentences] The accelerating effects of COVID-19 would have increased the carbon emissions more rapidly. To be clear, the Government has taken some steps to mitigate the issue. During the COS last year, then Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung made the announcement that no new diesel cars and taxis will be allowed to be registered from 2025. The current Commercial Vehicle Emissions scheme, which started in April last year, was designed, in part, to persuade owners of light commercial vehicles, which make up 68.9% of all goods vehicles, over to vehicles that burn cleaner fuels. We have also seen electric light commercial vehicle models increasingly being rolled out by manufacturers, such as Renault, Opel and BYD. The main constraint is electric charging infrastructure, which is still in its infancy. I, therefore, wish to seek updates from the Minister on the plans for a green transition for such goods vehicles, starting with an update on the Government's targets to convert goods vehicles to EVs and other green options and plans to achieve these targets. Will the Ministry be getting more industrial estate operators to roll out more EV charging infrastructure around industrial areas and encourage a switch to electric light commercial vehicles and vans? Will there be subsidies for companies that adopt these EVs early?
Prof Koh Lian Pin92 words
[+4 sentences]Chairman, the EV charging sector is growing rapidly with the acceleration of EV adoption. Has the Ministry considered the need to strengthen regulations on EV chargers and EV charging operators, to ensure a safe and reliable charging network? The Government has announced targets for the greening of our public transport and point-to-point fleets by the year 2040. Will the Ministry be announcing further details of our EV roadmap, particularly in relation to any intermediate targets for the greening of our public transportation fleets, similar to what has been done for private vehicles?
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling (East Coast)310 words
[+12 sentences]Chairman, at MND's COS 2021, I said that for urban infrastructures to be more climate-resilient, it is imperative to adopt the use of existing climate change information and resources for urban planning. Further, to have buildings designed with lower carbon emissions and for sustainable maintenance, we should incorporate innovative design solutions. The Government announced then that it is driving R&D in urban sustainability, such as climate-resilient urban infrastructure with reduced carbon emissions. Can the Minister provide an update on the progress made and how the Government plans to encourage stakeholders to adopt these solutions further? Often, when people think of sustainable projects, they will, naturally, associate it with higher costs. However, that is because they did not consider sustainable principles in the project planning for building lifecycle costs. By optimising resources during the planning stage to evaluating environmental and performance trade-offs, finding a good balance between capital and lifecycle costs, it can effectively improve the outcome of the system. The push towards a low-carbon built environment also has to do with scale, speed of adoption and investment in technologies. When larger players in the value chain utilise good asset management programmes and invest in technologies at scale, the trickle-down effect will benefit the smaller players, too. With emerging trends in sustainability towards dynamic master planning for city planning or utilities, I believe we can leverage algorithms and digital tools to predict and test extensive scenarios to better organise capital allocation, project prioritisation and develop strategies to improve the city’s resilience and liveability. With all these giving momentum to the industry and deepening research for solutions, we will soon be able to put sustainability concepts into real-world practice. I would thus like to ask BCA: apart from the sustainability guidelines, as introduced for existing and new buildings, how is BCA supporting the industry to effectively transit to a low-carbon built environment?
Mr Cheng Hsing Yao (Nominated Member)310 words
[+15 sentences]Sir, Singapore should build up our capabilities in urban sustainability to help solve our own problems and to develop an exportable industry. To do so, we can look at R&D and talent development. The Government announced last year it is driving R&D in urban sustainability. Can MND update on the progress of the efforts in R&D? As the R&D topics are so wide-ranging, does it make sense to focus on specific areas, such as coastal protection and issues unique to the region or the tropical belt? This can help us focus, as well as differentiate, our capabilities. Can the R&D be commercialised by Singapore companies and developed into exportable services? The built environment (BE) sector will be the key sector that needs to be transformed to fulfil our future urban sustainability needs. However, the built sector has difficulty attracting more talent. To build up a critical mass of talents, we should have a holistic approach. For example, curriculum in schools and tertiary institutions should be updated and jobs redefined to better reflect the new capabilities needed. It may also be useful to reframe the built environment jobs to better reflect their contribution. Jobs in this sector are not just about building things. Rather, they help to enhance our liveability, support our economy with intelligent infrastructure while allowing us to be sustainable. We should also seek more ways for public-private sector collaboration. For example, I co-chair with BCA the Central Procurer Panel that works with various built sector trade associations and chambers (TACs) to administer accreditation of professions, such as construction manager, surveyor and facilities manager.[+2 sentences] The aims are two-fold: one, to help employees with continuous learning and upgrading of their professional skills; two, to help employers better recognise and reward higher skill levels. Can MND comment on how to better build up a critical mass of talents in urban sustainability?
Dr Shahira Abdullah (Nominated Member)155 words
Singapore has taken the bold step of enhancing its climate change target and having its carbon emissions target set to net-zero by around 2050.[+1 sentence] This is especially reflected in its plans for urban development. The Government aims to green 80% of Singapore's buildings by 2030.[+1 sentence] We can do so by designing and constructing greener buildings. Currently, buildings account for over 20% of Singapore's carbon emissions. In addition to that, according to the Singapore Green Building Council, the shorter building lifespans due to urban renewal means that embodied carbon emissions could go up to 40%.[+3 sentences] How will BCA continue to support our transition to a low-carbon built environment? The Government is also driving R&D in urban sustainability. This is to ensure that our urban infrastructure is made more climate-resilient while reducing carbon emissions. Can the Ministry give an update on the progress made and how it plans to encourage or incentivise stakeholders to adopt these solutions?
Prof Koh Lian Pin110 words
It has been a year since MND announced the latest edition of the Singapore Green Building Masterplan.[+1 sentence] May we please have an update on the progress made so far? Buildings account for over 20% of our carbon emissions.[+4 sentences] How will the Building and Construction Authority support our transition to a low-carbon society? The Government announced during the Committee of Supply 2021 that it was driving R&D in urban sustainability with the goal of enhancing the climate resilience of our urban infrastructure while reducing their carbon footprint. May we please have an update on the progress made so far? How does the Government plan to encourage stakeholders to adopt these solutions?
Mr Abdul Samad (Nominated Member)233 words
[+12 sentences]Chairman, we have seen that many of our existing HDB and commercial buildings have installed solar panels on their respective rooftops. Can we know how much energy efficiency and savings have been made since the installation? Some of my friends and cousins have been asking what does this bring to them as residents? Can the Ministry also share their plans for those remaining HDB blocks and do we actually target to do for all the residential properties? If so, what is the timeline that we aim for? In addition to that, is MND also planning to do this for the new HDB residential properties via the BTOs and the new buildings upcoming? I would also like the Minister to share how can the residents know the value of the solar panels installed on top of their blocks. This knowledge will go a long way in educating not just adults but everyone in the household. Will HDB start to explore having solar window panels so that residents can also play their part in adopting solar consumption? On the commercial building front, will there be plans to move our old existing substations, with their reasonably large land spaces and even those on prime land, underground? I understand there is, currently, an ongoing construction of an underground transmission substation, with commercial buildings above it. Will it just stop there or will it increase progressively over time?
The Chairman11 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Xie Yao Quan, you can take your two cuts together.
Mr Xie Yao Quan (Jurong)185 words
[+7 sentences]Thank you, Mr Chairman. Buildings account for over 20% of Singapore's carbon emissions. Therefore, green buildings will be a key lever for our net‐zero ambitions. How will MND and BCA continue to support our transition to green buildings and a low carbon built environment? Also, MND announced last year that it was driving R&D in urban sustainability such that our urban infrastructure is made much more climate‐resilient while reducing carbon emissions. Can we have an update on the progress made and how MND plans to encourage stakeholders to adopt these solutions? Have we achieved any innovation that has the potential to be commercialised and exported to the world? Mr Chairman, HDB envisages the Green Towns Programme as a 10‐year plan that aims to reduce energy consumption, recycle rainwater and cool the built environment in all HDB towns.[+4 sentences] Can MND provide an update on the progress of the HDB Green Towns Programme? I know the target for solar panel installation has been revised upwards. How about the targets for other aspects of the programme? How much have we moved beyond pilots to deploy solutions at scale?
Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang)72 words
Mr Chairman, to support our goal of growing 30% of our local nutritional needs by 2030, the Ministry should encourage more local community efforts, such as growing small edible plants in households and available plots in housing estates.[+2 sentences] Urban rooftop farms on multi-storey carparks will not only contribute to this movement but also bring together neighbours in a meaningful endeavour and build social cohesion. How will the Ministry support such farming efforts?
Ms Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee)84 words
[+1 sentence]Will MND consider incorporating green features into our HDB flats by adopting sustainable materials and designs in future housing projects, concurrently upgrading our existing ones through the Home Improvement Programmes? Many of our existing HDB flats comprise full-glass windows that transfer considerable amounts of heat through the afternoon sun.[+1 sentence] Will HDB consider appropriate greener alternatives, like installing low-heat transfer windows, to cool down our flats, thereby enabling residents to be less reliant on fans and air-conditioning and, indirectly, contribute towards saving their utility costs?
The Chairman10 words
[+1 sentence]Miss Rachel Ong, you can take your two cuts together.
Miss Rachel Ong (West Coast)195 words
[+9 sentences]Chairman, in my house visits and conversations with residents, I have observed increasing interest amongst private estate residents, specifically condominium residents, in being engaged in sustainability efforts. However, access to recycling bins for different materials is limited in condominium estates. In addition to keeping HDB estates sustainable, with the rising proportion of residents living in condominiums and other apartments over the last decade, it is vital that we also support these residents in Singapore's sustainability efforts. Can the Ministry share future plans to support and encourage recycling efforts in private estates, especially in the condominiums? A 2018 study by Future Cities Laboratory found that the less-educated and less-wealthy people in Singapore are less actively engaged with urban nature, with potential negative impact for health and well-being. Understandably, expending finances on travel to nature reserves would not be a priority for the lower income. Many lower-income working adults also may have limited time to access nature. For some, the distance between their households and green spaces deters the frequency of their visits. With this in mind, how will the Ministry continue to improve equity in green space access for the lower-income families, especially for our children?
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio)210 words
[+1 sentence]Chairman, Singapore has long been known as a Garden City. Two years ago, MND announced its plans to transform our green landscape even further, turning Singapore into a “City in Nature”. This includes dedicating another 200 hectares of nature parks by 2030 and having 300 kilometres of Nature Ways and 500 kilometres of park connectors by 2030.[+5 sentences] Could the Minister please give an update on the progress made so far in transforming Singapore into a City in Nature? Does NParks have further plans to enhance and expand Singapore’s green and blue spaces? Ultimately, our green and blue spaces exist for our people and for future generations. As such, it is important for the community to have a voice in shaping the landscapes they live and play in. How can the Ministry better collaborate and consult with the community? Furthermore, visitorship to our Southern Islands increased by 20% to 30% in 2020 and they are being promoted as a good escape from the city.[+2 sentences] What are the strategies to ensure that the amenities are kept up-to-date and the Ministry’s plans to balance competing priorities both on the islands and in the sea space surrounding it? Will the Ministry consider carrying out a capacity assessment to ensure our nature spaces are protected?
Prof Koh Lian Pin102 words
[+2 sentences]Chairman, climate change and sustainability education requires the teaching of not only sustainability-related skillsets, values and principles but also the ability to think ecologically and holistically at a systems level. Future generations of Singaporeans need to be both digital citizens and ecological citizens. Has the Government considered incorporating sustainability competencies and systems level thinking into our education curriculum at appropriate levels to ensure that our learners are well-equipped for a global green economy and will be ready to compete with global talent?[+1 sentence] Are efforts being undertaken to ensure teachers have access to sustainability resources and training in order to deliver such curriculum?
The Chairman11 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Poh Li San, you can take your two cuts together.
Ms Poh Li San277 words
[+7 sentences]Mr Chairman, how is the Government preparing our teachers from Primary schools to Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) for the green economy? Do we have a roadmap for Universities, Polytechnics, ITEs, JCs and Secondary schools to support the green economy? The Government will need to update the education curriculum and teaching materials for sustainability-related courses. Is this being done for our teachers? What are the programmes to train and equip our teaching staff with the latest skillsets and knowledge so that, in turn, they can teach their students the same required by businesses and industries? In order to prepare our students for the green economy, changes will need to be made to our curriculum. Has the Government set up a general roadmap for all our education institutions so that the design of the courses and programmes fulfil the wide-ranging demands of the green economy? The inaugural Skills Demand for the Future Economy report has identified more than 450 green job roles across 17 sectors, ranging from manufacturing and trade and connectivity, to financial services and the built environment.[+4 sentences] How does MOE ensure that relevant courses, diplomas and degrees are offered in the IHLs and schools in order to prepare a pipeline of local talents to fill the jobs required for the green economy? Considering lifelong learning now to be an integral part of Singapore’s education, the system should incorporate sustainability modules which can be picked up at all ages. Is provision being made for such flexibility in the SkillsFuture courses and programmes? How will the Government facilitate collaboration between education and training institutions, research and industry stakeholders to create relevant academic, internship and apprenticeship in sustainability-related industries?
Miss Rachel Ong114 words
[+3 sentences]Chairman, in my speech supporting the second Parliamentary Motion on Climate Change earlier this January, I highlighted the need for our IHLs to enhance their course offerings in PET to better integrate sustainability-focused and related modules. This is because, with the greening of jobs over time, increasing fields of disciplines will need to embrace sustainability in their practice. I also shared on the need to better complement PET curricula with CET Sustainability Modules to ensure that, by the time our students graduate, they are equipped with up-to-date skills and knowledge required for their fields. Can the Ministry please share what efforts the IHLs are undertaking to further support the green economy and sustainable living?
Ms Foo Mee Har348 words
[+8 sentences]Chairman, the lack of understanding of sustainability-related concepts has been a barrier to galvanising strong action. Our students, workers and businesses can seize opportunities in the green economy if equipped with the proper understanding of climate change and sustainable development. We should prepare them to grasp the science of global warming and the current and impending impact of climate change in their respective fields of work. We should enable them to position themselves to be the change needed in the world. First, the challenges of sustainability can only be overcomed through the involvement of future generations. Our schools can play a fundamental role in enhancing our children's eco-literacy and nurture them to be stewards of our environment. I would like to ask the Minister to provide an update on how our primary and secondary schools are involved in preparing a new generation of students, who will drive the future of sustainable practices. Our universities are well-positioned to be the key enablers for the development of the green economy in Singapore. New courses at NUS include a Major in Sustainable Urban Development, which "aims to train the next generation of urban problem-solvers". Other Autonomous Universities are also launching new courses on sustainability. So, the question I have for the Minister is how the respective IHLs will develop their unique programmes as well as combine their strengths to develop world-beating sustainable technologies and solutions.[+1 sentence] Sir, the Finance Minister has committed that the carbon tax will not accrue to the revenue but collected to support the decarbonisation and transition as well as investment in green technologies and solutions. In the years to come, a significant amount of carbon tax will be deployed as Singapore progressively raises the carbon tax rate to $50 to $80 per tonne of emissions.[+2 sentences] So, what governance and accountability framework will be put in place to determine and monitor the spending of green R&D as well as to assess outcomes? I would like to request the Minister to provide an update on how Singapore is developing capabilities in renewable energy, urban solutions, green infrastructure and clean transportation.
The Chairman5 words
[+1 sentence]Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean.
The Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security (Mr Teo Chee Hean)1841 words
[+10 sentences]Mr Chairman, Sir, climate change is a real and existential threat. The latest findings from Work Group 2 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)'s Sixth Assessment Report, which were released last week, assessed that the impacts of climate change are more apparent and will affect us more severely than previously thought. We are already seeing some of these effects – stronger and longer heat waves, unprecedented droughts and floods, rising sea-levels and storm surges affecting communities all over the world. In the past year, international resolve to take urgent and decisive action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has grown. In November 2021, as part of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) Glasgow Climate Pact, it was agreed that all Parties should aim to achieve global net-zero emissions by mid-century, in order to keep the 1.5-degree goal within reach. Members of this House have also called for more decisive action on climate change. Indeed, since 2021, this House has debated two Motions on climate change. This House has acknowledged climate change as a global emergency and called on the Government to accelerate efforts against climate change. Members made several suggestions, including increasing the carbon tax substantially, green financing, creating green jobs and strengthening corporate accountability. Mr Chairman, Singapore has taken important steps to contribute to the global effort to tackle climate change. Two years ago, Singapore submitted our enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2030, and our Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy (LEDS) under the Paris Agreement – to halve emissions from our 2030 peak to 33 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, with a view to achieving net-zero emissions as soon as viable in the second half of the century.[+10 sentences] Miss Cheryl Chan, Ms Poh Li San, Mr Louis Chua, Mr Louis Ng and Prof Koh Lian Pin asked about Singapore's key considerations and the process for setting our climate targets and the timeframe. In our LEDS two years ago, we laid out three thrusts to achieve our aspiration: first, transforming our industry, economy and society; second, harnessing low-carbon technologies; and third, pursuing international collaboration, for example, in the form of carbon markets and electricity imports. We said that we would continue to review our climate goals with the aim of achieving net-zero emissions as soon as viable. If the potential emissions reductions from each of these thrusts are available sooner, we will be able to realise our goals earlier. Mr Chairman, since then, there have been important developments at COP26 in Glasgow. This marks an important inflection point. More countries pledged to reach net-zero by mid-century. More companies have also made net-zero commitments. This will spur greater investment in low-carbon solutions, making them technologically and economically viable earlier. The Paris Agreement's Article 6 rulebook for international carbon markets was also finalised. With these important developments, we are now able to have greater clarity and to raise our ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by or around mid-century, in line with the Glasgow Climate Pact.[+7 sentences] Mr Chairman, this is a significant improvement over our current LEDS. We are making a decisive move: one that is necessary, practical and implementable. We are making a commitment on behalf of generations of Singaporeans to come, spanning several decades into the future. I am glad that Members from both sides of this House support these moves. Before we finalise our plans and declare a specific net-zero year, we will consult closely with industry and citizen stakeholder groups. This is because raising climate ambition will not only bring about many benefits but also entail some costs and trade-offs. These engagements will take place under the Green Plan and our broader SG Together movement. We will, at the same time, review our 2030 NDC. We will then declare and make a formal revision to both our NDC and LEDS later this year.[+5 sentences] Let me elaborate on why we assess that we can now make this decisive move and why we should do so. First, why we can. COP26 successfully finalised the rulebook for international carbon markets. Carbon markets allow Singapore to access global mitigation opportunities through international carbon credits and provide an additional option for us to decarbonise. I thank Minister Grace Fu and our officers for playing a key role as co-facilitator of the COP26 multilateral discussions on Article 6 to finalise these rules. This was one of the most difficult negotiations in COP26. These rules lay the foundation for rigorous, robust and credible carbon markets and provide clarity on environmental integrity and accounting by buyer and seller countries when reporting their national emissions.[+7 sentences] They enhance the transparency of international carbon trading and provide the necessary quality assurance for Singapore to use high-quality international carbon credits to help meet our climate goals. I agree with Mr Henry Kwek on the need to strike the right balance between pursuing domestic mitigation and using carbon credits. As we strive to reach net-zero earlier, we will need to do both. We will continue to prioritise domestic efforts to meet our climate goals. However, as a small, alternative energy-disadvantaged city state, we will need to look beyond purely domestic mitigation and consider other measures, such as importing low-carbon hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and storage, which are reliant on international cooperation. Carbon credits will help offset our residual emissions to reach net-zero and, at the same time, spur the development of high-quality carbon markets in Singapore. Second, major countries and companies are making substantial investments in decarbonisation technologies, making them technologically and economically viable earlier. Global investment in energy transition hit a record high of over S$1 trillion in 2021, an increase of 27% over the previous year. Under our own Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2020, we had invested about S$370 million in decarbonisation solutions over the five-year period. And in the next five-year period, this will continue to be a priority in RIE2025, where we will invest about the same amount, with potential for further funding from the White Space provision as needed.[+5 sentences] These investments in low-carbon solutions will drive down costs and accelerate technical viability and commercial scalability, allowing us to lower our emissions earlier. The third reason why we can: more global corporates are making commitments to reduce emissions. When the global Climate Ambition Alliance was launched at COP25 in 2019, fewer than 100 companies committed to net-zero by 2050. But, just two years later, in 2021, some 5,000 companies had committed to net-zero – a significant 50-fold increase, which, we expect, will increase further. Private financing is also shifting towards sustainability and low-carbon projects. At COP26, the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, a coalition of 450 financial firms representing some 40% of global banking assets, pledged to make over S$170 trillion of private capital available for investment to reach global net-zero by 2050.[+37 sentences] Sustainable private financing and corporate net-zero targets have a powerful mutually reinforcing effect. They draw capital towards sustainable projects and make it more difficult and expensive to finance projects which are not. This will not only accelerate global emissions reduction but also provide capital to create new economic opportunities in the global green economy. With these positive international developments, we now have confidence that Singapore can more effectively find solutions to address our alternative energy constraints. We cannot wish these constraints away, but we now have more options to enable us to reach net-zero earlier. Why we should? Mr Chairman, I have just explained why we now can move decisively to net-zero. I will explain why we should make a decisive shift. We want to take advantage of the positive global trends in sustainable financing and corporate net-zero targets to make Singapore an attractive place for green economic activities in industry, services and finance. This will reposition our economy and establish our competitive edge early in a low-carbon future. Let me describe some of the potential new growth opportunities. First, in existing industries. Manufacturing makes up about 20% of our GDP and offers many good jobs for Singaporeans. The world is moving away from traditional carbon-intensive industries. For example, the energy and chemicals sector is itself re-orientating to pursue sustainable production and new areas of growth. Singapore is positioning itself as a first mover to capture these opportunities and jobs. In November last year, our Economic Development Board (EDB) announced the Sustainable Jurong Island plan to transform Jurong Island into a Sustainable Energy and Chemicals Park that makes and exports sustainable products globally. We are also moving ahead with plans to be a hub for sustainable aviation fuels and, in the future, for hydrogen. Several major companies which already have a strong presence here have committed to making major investments in their operations and products to align with our mutual goals for zero emissions by mid-century. We hope to attract new companies, too, which share our sustainable net-zero ambition. Second, we are a global financial centre. We are building the capabilities to catalyse sustainable and green finance in the region. Global sales of green bonds grew from nearly nothing in 2012 to S$380 billion in 2020. The Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore have set out 12 technical skills and competencies in sustainable finance to help financial institutions and training providers promote careers in sustainability and climate change-related jobs. Third, growing new green sectors. We are developing Singapore as an international carbon trading and services hub with Singapore-based global carbon exchanges, such as Climate Impact X and AirCarbon Exchange. We will continue to develop the larger ecosystem by anchoring key activities, such as project development, financing and certification, in Singapore. We will signal to global markets and corporates that Singapore is ready to be a good partner and location for forward-looking companies which have clear low-carbon goals. This will create many good jobs for Singaporeans and enhance Singapore's value proposition in the future low-carbon global economy. Mr Don Wee, Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Miss Cheryl Chan asked how the revised carbon tax levels will support our green transition. As we make a decisive shift towards a low-carbon future, we need to provide the right price signal to shape responsible behaviour. We have always priced key resources like water, energy and waste disposal properly so that consumers and businesses make appropriate decisions, taking the true costs into account. This policy has served us very well. In the same way, the revised carbon tax levels will provide the appropriate carbon price signal for individuals and businesses to internalise the cost of carbon emissions in their consumption and business decisions. In Parliament last February, Members proposed raising the carbon tax, with suggestions ranging from $30 to $133 per tonne of emissions. I am glad that during the discussions of these two Motions this past year and, during this Budget session, Members from both sides of this House have so strongly spoken in support of a significant carbon tax. With your permission, Mr Chairman, may I display a slide on the House's screens and request the Clerks to distribute a document to Members?
The Chairman9 words
[+1 sentence]Yes, please.
Mr Teo Chee Hean1008 words
[+2 sentences]Members may also access these materials through the SG Parl MP mobile app. Save some paper. Our proposed carbon tax out to 2030 is set at a level that sends a significant price signal to influence consumer and business behaviour.[+3 sentences] Announcing our intentions and the expected trajectory early provides predictability for investment decisions. We also take reference from the carbon price levels of competitor jurisdictions. China and South Korea, which submitted net-zero pledges within the last two years, have sizeable emissions-intensive sectors and export to our region as well. The International Energy Agency estimates that, to match their targets, China and South Korea would have carbon prices of S$45 and S$61 per tonne respectively in 2030.[+10 sentences] But we should bear in mind that they have a range of renewable alternatives, including nuclear, which is not available to us in this timeframe. The 2030 projected carbon price for the European Union (EU) is about S$174 per tonne. The EU has legacy emissions-intensive sectors, some of which are still reliant on coal that will require considerable effort to decarbonise. Another useful reference is the internal carbon prices that many corporates are already using to make their medium- to long-term business and investment decisions. For example, the multinational consumer goods company Unilever already currently uses an internal carbon price of S$77 per tonne and Temasek uses an internal carbon price of S$57 per tonne currently. An appropriate carbon price will shape responsible behaviour. Individuals and households will have a greater incentive to adopt more sustainable lifestyles, such as conserving electricity and using more energy-efficient appliances. The savings from these changes will offset the increases in utility charges. The carbon tax will also provide the impetus for businesses to be more resource-efficient and invest in decarbonisation solutions. Mr Don Wee, Ms Foo Mee Har, Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Miss Cheryl Chan asked how the Government will help minimise the impact of carbon tax on households and businesses and account for the use of the revenue collected from the carbon tax. Mr Chairman, I would like to emphasise that the Government will not derive additional net revenue from the carbon tax.[+3 sentences] The Government will flow the additional tax collected back to help households and businesses transition to a low-carbon future. Nine hundred and fifty thousand households have already benefited from U-Save rebates from 2019 to 2021, and we will provide additional support to help households manage the cost of utilities. But saving energy, and not just helping to pay the bills, is an even more important way to lower emissions and household utility bills. As of January 2022, about 70,000 or 22% of eligible households have registered for the Climate-Friendly Household Package, which subsidises the upfront cost of switching to energy-efficient appliances for lower-income households and more than 19,000 vouchers have already been utilised.[+16 sentences] All in, Mr Chairman, almost a million households and more than 200 businesses have already benefited from these schemes that we have implemented over the years. The carbon tax will fund additional schemes to support households and businesses to achieve greater carbon efficiency and decarbonisation, and these schemes will be subject to the usual stringent governance and accountability frameworks and key performance indicators (KPIs) for the use of public funds. We recognise that it will not be easy for the emissions-intensive trade-exposed sectors to fully decarbonise their emissions in the near to medium-term while remaining competitive with other manufacturing locations. Therefore, we will also use the carbon tax collected to provide transitory support for existing investments which have contributed to the current and earlier phases of Singapore's economic growth. This will give them time to make the transition to a low-carbon economy without blunting the price signal and being very clear about what our trajectory is. Mr Louis Ng asked to expand the coverage of the carbon tax to include all reportable facilities. At this point in time, we will retain the threshold of 25,000 tonnes of emissions. This covers about 80% of our emissions and is already one of the highest in the world. Coupled with our existing taxes on transport fuels, we are achieving around 90% coverage. Lowering the threshold would impose significant additional regulatory burden and costs on companies, without any meaningful increase in coverage. Assoc Prof Jamus Lim asked how we can catalyse the purchase of high-quality carbon credits. Providing companies with the flexibility to surrender high-quality international carbon credits to offset up to 5% of their taxable emissions will help to create local demand for high-quality carbon credits and catalyse the development of a carbon services hub in Singapore. It will also cushion the impact for companies that are able to source for cost-effective and credible carbon credits. We will have clear environmental integrity criteria to ensure that the carbon credits surrendered by businesses to offset their emissions are aligned with international carbon market rules finalised at COP26 and reflect an actual reduction in global emissions. Mr Chairman, the carbon tax is but one part of our comprehensive package of measures to move our nation decisively towards a low-carbon future. Last year, we launched the Green Plan, a whole-of-nation movement to advance our national agenda on sustainable development. All the Green Plan Ministries have gathered again during the COS this year to explain how the various initiatives under the Green Plan will be enhanced and implemented. Mr Chairman, all of us have a part to play. We can and we should make this decisive move to net-zero. We must advance on this sustainability journey together as a nation and we will require the participation and support of all Singaporeans to do so. There will be costs to bear and trade-offs to be made. But this move will reposition Singapore and bring significant benefits for generations of Singaporeans to come.[+1 sentence] By moving decisively now, we are charting the path to a cleaner, greener Singapore for our future generations – with a sustainable environment and lifestyles, a forward-looking economy with new green jobs, and a brighter future at the forefront of a low-carbon world.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Minister Grace Fu.
The Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien)2798 words
[+8 sentences]One year ago, we launched the Singapore Green Plan 2030 to catalyse a nationwide sustainability movement to move towards a greener future. Since then, the international momentum for climate action has increased. Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean spoke about the greater urgency and resolve internationally to take decisive action and why Singapore will raise our climate ambitions to achieve net-zero emissions by or around mid-century. He explained how carbon pricing will be pivotal in spurring Singapore's green transition. Singapore must catch and ride the green wave to thrive in a low-carbon future. This is key to our continued relevance as an international hub for transport, business and finance. The sustainability movement in Singapore is growing and inspiring action across all segments of society. Ms Poh Li San and Ms Rachel Ong will be heartened to hear that we have made progress in many areas under the Green Plan, including the following. Two consortia have been awarded tenders to install more than 600 EV chargers in carparks across Singapore. This year, we will begin trialling the import of electricity from Malaysia and Laos and we are seeking proposals to import low-carbon energy from beyond our shores.[+7 sentences] GreenGov.SG was launched to steer the public sector towards ambitious sustainability targets. Organisations, such as Sentosa Development Corporation, Nanyang Technological University and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, have drawn up their own sustainability plans. We have been engaging our partners from the people, private and public, or 3P sectors, to make the Green Plan a reality, as raised by Ms Janet Ang. Green Plan Ministries have engaged more than 25,000 stakeholders over the past year, including corporates, youths, NGOs and the community. They have participated in initiatives, such as the OneMillionTrees movement, Green Plan Conversations and the Youth Action Challenge. The private sector is adopting sustainability practices and committing resources to secure an early foothold in the green transition. The Maritime and Aviation sectors are trialling the use of cleaner and lower-carbon fuels. SIA and Scoot will begin a pilot to use blended sustainable aviation fuel at Changi Airport. To accelerate the decarbonisation of the Built Environment sector, more than 80 organisations have signed an embodied carbon pledge launched by the Singapore Green Building Council.[+26 sentences] Global firms, such as McKinsey, Bain and Company, and PwC, have established sustainability hubs and centres in Singapore, to serve the region and beyond. Civil society, community organisations and youths are galvanising a social movement on sustainability, empowering action and advocacy from the ground. At last year’s Climate Action Week, over 60 partners from the 3P sectors organised more than 130 wide-ranging activities, a record for the event. To mark Youth Day at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, a group of Singaporeans and youth-led environmental and climate organisations, such as Ho Xiang Tian and FiTree, released a statement with wide-ranging recommendations on tackling climate change. I am inspired by their passion to drive change and encourage our youths to continue to advocate and act for change. As we step towards a greener and low-carbon future, we will need to build a new social compact to prepare for changes in the way we live, work and play. As citizens, we must reflect on the changes we are willing to make to our lifestyles. Across the economy, we must move boldly to transform and capture the opportunities from the green transition. As a nation, we must thoroughly debate the trade-offs and come to a consensus on the right balance to strike. Today, my colleagues and I will give an update on how the Government is preparing for the transition to a low-carbon future, anchored around the Green Plan. Minister Gan Kim Yong will elaborate on our efforts to grow our green economy and decarbonise our energy sector. Minister S Iswaran will speak about measures to further reduce carbon emissions in the transport sector. Minister Desmond Lee will share about our progress in greening our built environment and in transforming Singapore into a City in Nature. Minister Chan Chun Sing will give an update on how we are nurturing the next generation to be stewards in environmental sustainability and how our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) are driving skills training, research and innovation in sustainability. Let me share about my Ministry’s efforts to empower, invest in and partner companies, people and communities to move towards a low-carbon future. First, empowering businesses, workers and households. Improving energy efficiency is one of the primary ways that businesses can lower their carbon emission. We will provide targeted support to help every sector decarbonise. BCA will support the built environment sector; EMA the power generation sector; and EDB and NEA, the manufacturing sector. Prof Koh Lian Pin asked about the Energy Efficiency Fund, which is part of an enhanced package of support launched in January 2019 to help industries become more energy efficient and lower their carbon tax. Since then, we have committed over $75 million to support businesses to implement energy efficiency improvement and carbon abatement projects. SMEs deserve our attention. They are at the heart of our economy, supplying products and services to many sectors and employing a significant proportion of our workforce. While many of them are nimble, dynamic and creative, they often lack resources to invest in energy-efficient technologies or make changes to their business. Earlier in the Budget debate, Mr Don Wee and Ms Denise Phua called for more support for SMEs. Over the years, we have built on our support for SMEs to achieve greater energy efficiency. ESG launched the $180 million Enterprise Sustainability Programme to support Singapore companies in their sustainability journeys.[+11 sentences] Last year, NEA and ESG supported the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition Singapore’s LowCarbonSG initiative to help companies build capabilities in measuring, monitoring and reducing their carbon emissions. NEA and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) set up an Energy Efficiency Technology Centre (EETC) in 2020. It provides SMEs with low-cost energy assessments to help them identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency. The Centre also develops the workforce by training students and practitioners in industrial energy efficiency. NEA is working with SIT to strengthen the Centre’s capabilities in the next phase. Enhancements will include setting up a training-and-simulation centre to enable learners to practise their craft in a realistic, yet safe environment. With the enhancements, the Centre will be able to assume a more prominent role in Singapore’s transition to a low-carbon economy. More details will be announced when ready. NEA’s Energy Efficiency Fund (E2F) helps SMEs in the manufacturing sector to defray the cost of adopting energy-efficient technologies. Kawarin Enterprise Pte Ltd, a local steel manufacturing company, has benefited from the Fund. By upgrading their old air compressors to more energy-efficient ones, they enjoyed annual cost savings of more than $30,000 and abated about 48 tonnes of carbon annually. To help the manufacturing sector mitigate the impact of higher carbon tax, I am happy to announce that from 1 April 2022, we will raise the Energy Efficiency Fund’s maximum grant support for investing in energy-efficient technologies, from 50% to 70% of qualifying costs.[+14 sentences] This will help companies invest in energy-efficient equipment, such as lighting, air-conditioning, boilers and air compressors. We will simplify the grant application and disbursement process. I urge companies to take advantage of the higher support level early. The green transition will present new opportunities for our economy and workforce. We hope to anchor emerging green industries in Singapore to create good jobs. We are growing a new industry in agri-tech. Minister of State Desmond Tan has shared this in his speech. Mature industries, such as the environmental services industry, are poised for transformation, catalysing higher demand for green skills. We will support our workers to develop these skills. Mr Eu Leng Pheng, who began his career in the chemical and marine industry, took a leap of faith and entered the waste management industry in 2017, as a Facilities Manager in LHT Holdings to support wood waste recycling operations. To make the transition, he took part in a professional course offered by the Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore. His vast experience in troubleshooting electrical components and circuit boards from his previous work experience allowed him to quickly render professional support to other engineers. He has also provided in-house training to the mechanics in his company, furthering their knowledge. We are also encouraging households to embrace sustainability. NEA and PUB launched the Climate-Friendly Households Programme in 2020 to help 1-room to 3-room HDB households reduce energy and water consumption.[+12 sentences] Eligible households can redeem $225 worth of e-vouchers to offset costs for energy-efficient refrigerators, LED lights and water-efficient shower fittings. The vouchers are valid till 31 December 2023. I urge eligible households to use these vouchers when your appliances are due for replacement. Making the switch can help households save on utility bills. Second, we will continue to invest in science and technology to unlock possibilities for a low-carbon future. Our water story is a good example of the critical role R&D plays in Singapore’s development. In our decades of patient and persistent investments, over the years, we have created two of our national taps, NEWater and desalinated water, and raised Singapore’s profile as a leading global hydrohub. Our research objective now is to bring down the energy requirement through science and technology. In 2023, a Desalination Integrated Validation Plant will be commissioned to trial promising technologies to reduce the energy consumption of desalination to less than two kilowatt hours per cubic metre (kWh/m3) of water. This will pave the way for the technologies to be implemented in full-scale desalination plants. The plant is just one of the many projects that are supported under our national Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2025 plan. As Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Ms Poh Li San and Prof Koh Lian Pin have pointed out, science and technology are important enablers for the Green Plan. Under RIE2025, the Urban Solutions and Sustainability domain will strengthen our capabilities in addressing climate change, advancing energy transition, promoting liveability and transforming our built environment. I am pleased to announce that the Government has allocated $220 million for R&D in resource circularity and water technologies.[+4 sentences] Eighty million dollars will be allocated to Closing the Resource Loop, to develop sustainable resource recovery solutions for key waste streams, such as e-waste, plastics and food. It will support the development of useful and safe applications for treated waste residue and low-carbon waste treatment options. This will build on the $45 million Closing the Waste Loop under RIE2020. Under this funding initiative, NEA has funded 15 R&D projects, with seven garnering commercial interest. Another $87 million will be allocated to the Centre of Excellence Programme to support water and membrane research at the Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI) and the Separation Technologies Applied Research and Translation Centre.[+8 sentences] The remaining budget was allocated to the Competitive Funding for Water Research programme last year. Our investments will go towards developing high-impact solutions for our national water needs. But beyond that, research and innovation will also be an engine for green growth, spurring private sector R&D spending, job creation and technology spin-offs in the water industry and adjacent sectors. For example, NEWRI has developed technologies with local and global applications in areas, such as biomimetic membranes for desalination and anchored investments from global companies in Singapore. Science and technology will also inform our policies and interventions to keep Singapore liveable in the face of climate change. As Mr Leon Perera pointed out, rising urban temperatures is a major concern for our compact and dense city. The Government already incorporates urban planning measures to keep neighbourhoods cool. For example, weaving nature more intensively into our built environment, which Minister Desmond Lee will touch on later. The Government is also piloting the use of cool paints in 130 HDB blocks in Tampines, under the Green Towns Programme.[+5 sentences] We are also working with MOH, MOM and the Workplace Safety and Health Council, to ensure that guidelines on managing heat stress at workplaces are regularly updated. Third, partner. We need to involve the whole-of-society in the sustainability movement and develop a shared ownership of our environment. Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin and Ms Hany Soh asked for an update on the SG Eco Fund. We have seen great interest since its launch in November 2020. As we wrap up our second grant call, I am happy to share that we will award $2.9 million to 68 projects.[+1 sentence] This includes 42 smaller projects under the new Sprout category, which has a simpler application process. In total, 105 individuals and organisations have been awarded $6.6 million in funding thus far.[+24 sentences] Some of the recipients in the second grant call are: Earth School Singapore, which has launched a new experiential education programme for Primary school students; U Farm, a social enterprise farm, which will train and employ persons with disabilities and host environmental programmes for the public; Mr Neo Zhi Xuan and his team, who will develop a web application to educate the public on where and how to recycle different household items. Our applicants have diverse interests and goals, reflecting the reach of the grant. We will work with our grant recipients to maximise the impact of their projects and co-create relevant environmental and community engagement targets. SG Eco Fund will also explore new partnerships to rally more people to contribute to the Green Plan. Our local communities are also responding to the call to action. Mr Don Wee asked about the progress of Eco Towns. In Tampines, Semula, a social enterprise, will be conducting plastic collection drives at F&B outlets and shopping malls and involving the community to process the collected plastics into art pieces. In Nee Soon South, the grassroots organisation is setting up a Black Soldier Flies composting hub. In Chua Chu Kang and Hong Kah North, grassroots leaders have organised hackathons with residents to co-develop an Eco Town plan for the district. We intend to provide more support, including capacity building workshops, to help more communities in Singapore plan and develop sustainability initiatives in their towns. This will complement HDB's Green Towns Programme to enhance the sustainability of estates. We will continue to consult and engage the public on environment and climate issues, including our net-zero ambition, as Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean has explained. Prof Koh Lian Pin suggested that sufficient time must be set aside for the public to learn about the issues and share their views. I agree fully. Under the SG Together movement, we created many opportunities for Singaporeans to participate and contribute actively to sustainability. Depending on the issue at hand, different approaches and modalities are adopted to engage stakeholders and we endeavour to share the insights gathered from these consultations with the public. Across the Public Service, we are also growing capabilities to engage well and consistently, through shared frameworks, case studies and ongoing training. For instance, the disposable carrier bag charge was developed after more than one year of extensive consultations and engagements with the industry and the public, including a Citizens' Workgroup. MSE and NEA released our response to the recommendations by the Citizens' Workgroup in 2021. For the Lim Chu Kang Masterplan, we brought stakeholders together over six months to discuss how the Lim Chu Kang area could be redeveloped to become our agri-food production hub of the future. The full report covering the whole engagement series has just been finalised and will be published soon. I thank the participants for their valuable contributions. These consultations and engagements enable participants and stakeholders, including the Government, to hear and understand diverse views. Participants go away with a better appreciation of different perspectives and the rationale for policies, and the Government goes away with better-informed and considered decisions. There is a sense of unity and shared responsibility in shaping the collective future of our society. And this is what the Green Plan is about – it is a movement, a collective movement towards a shared vision. It is a living plan that evolves as we engage and participate fully as a nation and as new technologies and solutions present us with new options.[+2 sentences] It is my hope that the Green Plan will spark new possibilities that were once thought to be unattainable. That it will pave the way for a greener, brighter future. That when it is time to hand the torch over to the next generation, we will be remembered as faithful stewards of our island nation, who made the right and difficult choices.[+1 sentence] In good time. This push towards a low-carbon future heralds a new phase in Singapore's sustainable development. Just as how we have transformed Singapore into a modern metropolis, our future will be even brighter as we work together to build Singapore into a city of green possibilities.
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Minister Gan Kim Yong.
The Minister for Trade and Industry (Mr Gan Kim Yong)2821 words
[+19 sentences]Mr Chairman, I am encouraged by Members' commitment to sustainability. Many have spoken about it and asked how we can do more to further our sustainability and climate ambition. Members also recognise that while Singapore must take bold steps to address climate change, we must remain pragmatic, managing the trade-offs for supporting our enterprises and helping our workers in the green transition. A few days ago, I outlined in this House our economic strategies for Singapore. Sustainability must underpin these economic strategies. First, we need to press on with our efforts to help our industries and enterprises decarbonise. Second, we need to help our enterprises and workforce harness sustainability as a competitive advantage, invest in innovation and seize new growth opportunities in the green economy. And third, we need to expand Singapore's global connection to capture cross-border opportunities. Singapore's transition to a low-carbon economy is critical not only to ensure that we are aligned with the global efforts on sustainable development, but also to leverage new opportunities in the emerging green economy. Today, I will focus on Government's Green Economy Strategy and I will cover four key areas. First, decarbonise our industries, including the energy sector, which is a major emitter. Second, drive new areas of growth in the green economy. Third, invest in the development of new low-carbon solutions. And fourth, deepen our workforce capabilities. First, let me talk about decarbonising our industries and the energy sector. Many companies have already embarked on the sustainability journey, for they know that not doing so would risk them losing relevance and market share. We will continue to support industries and enterprises in their transition efforts. Last November, we released the Sustainable Jurong Island report which outlines our plan to transform Jurong Island into a Sustainable Energy and Chemicals Park. The Park will operate sustainably and produce sustainable products for exports. By 2030, we target for the energy and chemicals (E&C) sector to increase its output of sustainable products by 1.5 times from 2019 levels and achieve at least two million tonnes of carbon abatement per annum from low-carbon solutions.[+4 sentences] For example, Shell Singapore has announced plans to halve its operational emissions by 2030 from 2016 levels. Another example is specialty materials manufacturer, Arkema, which will be setting up a new bio-factory on Jurong Island to produce high-performance polymers made from castor beans. The new plant will enable Arkema to increase its polymer production capacity by 50% to meet the rising global demand for sustainable, high-performance materials. Decarbonising Singapore's energy sector is key in greening Singapore's economy. The energy sector powers our industries and households and is a major emitter, contributing around 40% of Singapore's direct emissions.[+11 sentences] The demand for energy will grow as we digitalise our economy and electrify our transport and various processes. However, the energy transition is especially challenging for Singapore. Many of the renewable energy options adopted by other countries are not available to us. We have little wind, hydro or tidal power. Solar is our most viable form of renewable energy, but we have heavy cloud cover and limited land available to expand our solar energy deployment. Despite these limitations and complexities, we must continue to forge ahead to transform the energy sector and reduce its carbon footprint. First, we will enhance the energy efficiency of power generation plants. Last year, we launched the second Genco Energy Efficiency (Genco EE) Grant Call to support generation companies in improving the efficiency of their existing power plants. EMA is evaluating the proposals and will announce the successful applicants later this year. We also amended the Electricity Act to empower EMA to require electricity generation licensees to meet greenhouse gas emissions standards. EMA will consult the industry on the specific standards later this year. Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Shawn Huang asked for an update on our alternative energy deployment plans. They will be pleased to know that we are on track to achieving our solar deployment target of at least two gigawatt-peak (GWp) by 2030, which is equivalent to powering 350,000 households annually. Since 2015, our solar installed capacity has increased by over nine times to around 560 megawatt-peak (MWp) in the third quarter of 2021.[+13 sentences] We are finding ways to further accelerate solar deployment. Our public sector agencies are taking the lead in solar deployment. HDB, for example, recently launched the seventh SolarNova tender, to aggregate demand across HDB blocks and Government sites. Since 2020, JTC has also put in place a mandatory solar deployment scheme for its lessees. And to-date, over 224 MWp of solar has been deployed across JTC's industrial estates or around 40% of our total solar deployment. We are also exploring how we can overcome our land constraints. For example, PSA has installed vertical solar panels on its external walls of the PSA Tuas Port Maintenance Base Admin Building as a trial. The Government is also exploring the use of vertical solar panels on other surfaces. To further expand the potential of solar deployment in Singapore, EMA is looking at ways to integrate energy storage systems into the grid, to overcome the intermittency of solar energy and manage the stability and resilience of our energy grid. But these efforts alone are not sufficient. Increasing the energy efficiency of our natural gas power plants can, at best, reduce carbon emissions by about 10%. Even if we maximise all available space in Singapore for solar deployment and account for efficiency improvements, we would still be unable to generate enough power to keep the lights on with solar energy alone. Meaningful abatement can only be achieved through tapping on renewable energy beyond our shores and by developing the use of other low-carbon alternatives in the longer term. In October last year, I announced that MTI and EMA plan to import up to four gigawatt (GW) of electricity by 2035. This will constitute around 30% or one-third of Singapore's electricity supply by then. In the interim, we will conduct small-scale 100 megawatt (MW) trials which will help us learn, build confidence and pave the way for our larger-scale sustainable electricity import projects.[+15 sentences] The energy transition will require trade-offs and we will need to accept changes to the way we live and work. In particular, the transition to more carbon-efficient generation and low-carbon technologies, accelerating the deployment of renewable energy and importing electricity, may not mean cheaper electricity, as Mr Shawn Huang pointed out. We will need to invest in infrastructure and technology which will be costly and are likely to lead to higher electricity costs. This is an inevitable but necessary trade-off to build a better and greener world. The Government is pacing and managing the transition to ensure that electricity remains affordable and will provide assistance to vulnerable groups when necessary. We will continue to work closely with our industry partners and stakeholders to innovate and explore new solutions. Even as we push on with decarbonisation, there are exciting new economic opportunities, too. They are different sides of the same coin on sustainability. Green financing, for example, will grow as companies look to financing instruments to support their sustainable investments. Another opportunity is in the carbon services and carbon credits market. Firms and even countries will want to trade in carbon credits to offset their emissions and meet their climate goals. Mr Leon Perera suggested that we need to scrutinise and properly account for the carbon credits and, indeed, so. This also means that we will need monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) services. These growth areas will lead to good jobs in the professional services. Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked how the Government will enable the development of Singapore's carbon markets. Today, there are more than 70 organisations in Singapore providing carbon services, which is the highest concentration of service providers in Southeast Asia.[+20 sentences] We will continue to work with the private sector, as well as with other countries, to develop carbon credit projects which have high environmental integrity and quality, as Mr Leon Perera talked about. These credits can be traded via trusted platforms in Singapore or can be used by corporates or the Government to meet climate targets. For example, we have partnered local ecosystem players, such as Climate Impact X (CIX) and AirCarbon Exchange (ACX), to establish marketplaces for companies to access high-quality carbon credits. This entire value chain and ecosystem will require new skills. MOM, MOE, Workforce Singapore (WSG) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) are working together to equip our workers with these new skills and for these new job opportunities. Another area that presents opportunities for Singapore is sustainable tourism. Eventually, global tourism will recover and become vibrant again as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourists are increasingly demanding sustainable travel options, such as eco-friendly hotels and attractions. This is why we have been taking steps to work with the tourism industry to move towards more sustainable operations, create sustainable products and experiences for our visitors to establish Singapore as a sustainable urban destination. This includes initiatives, such as the launch of the hotel sustainability roadmap later this month. This is a key milestone that will spur hotels to adopt sustainable operations. Last year, Sentosa received the Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories Award. The Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) also launched the Sentosa Carbon Neutral Network, Singapore's first business alliance committed to carbon neutrality by 2030. The network aims to help businesses develop sustainability solutions through the sharing of resources and expertise while also leveraging economies of scale and providing a common network to introduce larger-scale precinct level solutions. I agree with Ms Jessica Tan, Ms Mariam Jaafar and Ms Foo Mee Har that businesses which start early on the sustainability journey can gain a competitive advantage over those which are slow to do so. This is why, last year, the Government launched the Enterprise Sustainability Programme (ESP) to enable local enterprises to uplift their capabilities and capture opportunities in sustainability. The ESP provides support at three levels. First, to develop sustainability capabilities in enterprises through training and access to relevant tools and resources. Second, to strengthen sector-specific initiatives through partnerships with Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) and corporates. And third, to foster a vibrant and conducive sustainability ecosystem by working with service providers and enablers in training, certification and provision of green financing. ESG has announced the roll out of the first series of ESP-Sustainability Courses for businesses which were developed in partnership with the Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS), PwC Singapore and the Singapore Environment Council (SEC).[+1 sentence] Businesses are also making good use of the Enterprise Financing Scheme (EFS) - Green, which provides enterprises better access to green financing. For example, Durapower Group was extended a green trade loan of $6 million by HSBC Singapore.[+15 sentences] The loan will enable the Singapore tech company to accelerate the development and distribution of its high-tech energy storage solutions using lithium-ion batteries for the Tuas Port's automated guided vehicle fleet. I encourage more companies to tap on the ESP and EFS-Green. Mr Chairman, as Ms Foo Mee Har and Ms Jessica Tan pointed out, innovation and the development of low-carbon solutions are key to sharpening Singapore's competitive advantage in the green economy and facilitating the energy transition. Some of these solutions, such as low-carbon hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and storage, or CCUS, have the potential to be a gamechanger, especially for the hard-to-abate sectors, such as energy and chemicals. However, the technology will take time to mature and become more commercially viable. The Government is studying how we can catalyse the development. Let me elaborate on hydrogen, which has, in recent years, emerged as a promising energy carrier in the global search for low-carbon fuels. Many of the technologies required to enable the production, transportation, storage and use of hydrogen at scale are still nascent and relatively costly today. Currently, there are also no commercially available utility-scale combined cycle gas turbines (CCGTs) that can use 100% hydrogen. Without significant retrofitting, only small amounts of hydrogen up to 5% by volume can be deployed. Another challenge is in transporting hydrogen in larger volumes over long distances as the technology to transport liquified hydrogen is not yet available. Alternative carrier forms of hydrogen, such as ammonia and liquid organic hydride carriers, are more easily transported but come with their own challenges, such as the need to extract the hydrogen from the carriers at the destination. We expect the costs of low-carbon hydrogen technologies to fall over time with technological advancements and greater economies of scale. Low-carbon hydrogen will also become increasingly more accessible with the development of global supply chains and as technological developments make its transportation and use easier. The Government is, therefore, investing resources to understand and monitor the potential for hydrogen deployment in Singapore and exploring potential solutions. Last year, we awarded $55 million for R&D projects under the Low-Carbon Energy Research Funding Initiative to pursue R&D in low-carbon technologies, such as hydrogen.[+6 sentences] One of the projects supported involves NTU working with a consortium of companies comprising local enterprises, such as PSA and Sembcorp Industries, and international partners like Chiyoda Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation. The consortium will seek to develop new technologies for the extraction of hydrogen from liquid organic hydrogen carriers. Another project involves NUS and NTU researchers collaborating with the industry to develop new catalysts to liberate hydrogen from ammonia in a more energy-efficient way. These have the potential to allow for more efficient and economical transport of hydrogen, which can, in turn, contribute to the expansion of global hydrogen supply chains and improve the viability of hydrogen as an alternative fuel. Another promising low-carbon technology is CCUS, which could be deployed to capture greenhouse gas emissions and keep them out of the atmosphere. Efforts are underway to make CCUS pathways a reality and we will put in place a robust verification system to ensure proper accounting of the carbon captured, as Mr Leon Perera mentioned. In November last year, A*STAR's Institute of Chemical Engineering and Sciences (ICES) worked with EDB and JTC to partner 13 energy and chemicals (E&C) stakeholders to study the development of a Carbon Capture and Utilisation Translational Testbed (CCUTT) to be housed on Jurong Island.[+11 sentences] CCUTT will facilitate the rapid evaluation and test-bedding of emerging carbon capture and utilisation technologies to accelerate industry adoption. This will complement our efforts to develop Jurong Island into a sustainable E&C park. To enhance the synergy of our R&D efforts in low-carbon technologies and solutions, A*STAR will reorganise key R&D capabilities across its institutes into a new Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment, or ISCE2. ISCE2 will advance research areas, such as carbon capture and utilisation, low-carbon hydrogen, carbon life-cycle accounting and synthetic biology, to pave the way for alternative green materials, products and processes to support Singapore's sustainability agenda. ISCE2 will continue to partner academia, public agencies and industry to contribute to Singapore's climate change goals. We look forward to reaping the fruits of these industry and international partnerships in time to come. Sir, as we transform our industries, we must also equip our people to seize upcoming opportunities in the transition to the green economy and low-carbon power sector, as Ms Mariam Jaafar and Prof Koh Lian Pin have highlighted. I shared about the reskilling and upskilling programmes offered by agencies in January. These include the Career Conversion Programme (CCP) for Clean and Renewable Energy Professionals by WSG and MAS' setting up of centres of excellence for training and research in green financing. I am pleased to hear of employers and workers coming forward to make use of these skills programmes. One such example is Mr Wang Yi Tian, a design engineer at SembCorp Marine (SCM). Mr Wang and seven of his colleagues enrolled in the CCP for Clean and Renewable Energy Professionals to undergo training in new offshore wind technologies. They will be future-skilled to take on job roles, such as supporting the construction and commissioning of overseas windfarms and windfarm substations. With these new skills, Mr Wang and his colleagues will be part of the team to expand SembCorp Marine's capabilities in renewable energy beyond our shores. We will continue to roll out new programmes to keep pace with the evolving needs of the transition to a green economy.[+7 sentences] This will enable our workers to benefit from the emerging green economy and low-carbon power sector. Mr Chairman, over the past five decades, Singapore's economy has built up significant strengths and competitive advantages. We have adapted to the various challenges and constantly reinvented ourselves to stay relevant in the regional and global economy. Our transformation to a low-carbon economy is yet another chapter in the Singapore story. It will be a challenging journey but an exciting one. The Government will partner our industries, businesses and workers as we undertake this journey. Together, we can navigate the transition, explore new ideas and forge new frontiers as we create a greener future for Singapore and for the world.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Minister S Iswaran.
The Minister for Transport (Mr S Iswaran)2010 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Chairman, the Singapore Green Plan articulates our national climate ambitions, as well as our commitment to climate action and achieving net-zero emissions. Sir, climate change is a challenge of the global commons. The cost of solutions will be incurred by individuals, enterprises and economies, while the benefits will take time and accrue to the global community. But we must act now, individually and collectively, by making responsible choices and trade-offs to avert a tragedy of the commons and prevent grave harm to our environment. Our land transport system is an important part of this endeavour. It is our third largest source of emissions, accounting for 15% of national emissions today.[+2 sentences] Over the decades, we have taken significant steps to build an efficient and sustainable transport system. We have, progressively, introduced policies on car ownership and usage, invested heavily in public transport and active mobility and promoted the transition to cleaner-energy vehicles. As a result of these moves and other changes, I am happy to share with Members that our land transport carbon emissions peaked at 7.7 million tonnes in 2016. While this is a significant inflection, we must do more to work towards net-zero emissions, as stated by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean. Hence, aligned with our national effort, we aim to reduce land transport emissions by 80% by or around mid-century, from the peak in 2016.[+4 sentences] This is a reduction in absolute emissions. It is an ambitious goal that will require policy moves, new technologies and behavioural shifts across our land transport system. Along with the decarbonisation of the power grid, electrification of vehicles is a key initiative that will have a material impact and I would like to elaborate on our moves in that regard. Globally, EV technology continues to advance and sales of electric cars have gained momentum. In Singapore, new electric car registrations increased 18-fold, from 100 in 2020 to 1,800 in 2021, accounting for almost 4% of all new car registrations.[+12 sentences] This is a promising indicator of the impact of our measures, such as the EV Early Adoption Incentive (EEAI) for cars, which has been highlighted by Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Mr Louis Chua. We will monitor developments and assess the need for similar measures in other vehicle segments, like electric motorcycles. To sustain the momentum of our EV transition, we will step up our efforts in three key areas. First, charging infrastructure. Several Members have highlighted the need for charging infrastructure to keep pace with, if not be ahead of, EV adoption. Range anxiety is a commonly cited impediment. In practice, the average driver in Singapore may need to fully charge her electric car only once every five to seven days, given that most have a range of at least 300 kilometres. Nevertheless, this concern over nascent technology is understandable. To take anxiety out of range, chargers must be widely available. Last year, MOT shared plans to deploy 60,000 charging points across public and private carparks by 2030. Since then, LTA has undertaken a major survey of the switchrooms and substations serving residential carparks across the island to assess the additional electrical capacity needed to support EV charging. This evaluation has given us the confidence to accelerate the implementation of our plans. We will make every HDB town EV-ready by 2025.[+40 sentences] To achieve this, we will install charging points in nearly 2,000 HDB carparks over the next three to four years. They will mostly provide low-powered, overnight charging, which would meet the needs of car owners and minimise the load on the electrical grid. There will be at least three charging points per carpark and more where there is demand and adequate electrical capacity. LTA will launch the large-scale tender for charging points at HDB carparks in the first half of this year. We have also made progress in the deployment of chargers at other premises. Mr Ang Wei Neng’s question was regarding the pattern of ownership. More than 80% of electric car users live in private residences today, many in condominiums and private apartments. So, to incentivise non-landed private residences to install chargers in their carparks, we introduced the EV Common Charger Grant last July. So far, 12 developments have used this grant and at least 20 others are in the pipeline. Their applications are being processed and I would like to encourage more Management Corporation Strata Titles (MCSTs) to benefit from this scheme. Our second move is to upgrade the supporting electrical infrastructure. Consumer switch-rooms and substations will have to be expanded to support increasing use of the residential charging network. After industry consultation and feedback, we have decided that the Government will undertake this long-term infrastructure programme. The National EV Centre at LTA will take the lead, working with other Government agencies like EMA and HDB. Upgrades will commence over the next few years and continue well into the 2030s. Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked about financing. LTA will be issuing green bonds to fund these infrastructure upgrades. The bond repayment obligations will be met through a tariff on EV charging operators and users, which will be phased in at a later stage. The third thrust of our EV masterplan is to implement policies and regulations that support adoption and ensure safety. I agree with Prof Koh Lian Pin that robust regulations and standards are necessary to ensure a reliable and safe EV charging ecosystem. To that end, LTA has worked closely with the industry on revisions to Technical Reference 25, or TR25, which is our national EV charging standard. The revised TR25 will preserve public safety while easing compliance and maintenance obligations for owners of EV chargers. It will also allow for new technologies, such as battery-swapping, for electric motorcycles and very high-powered charging of up to 500 kilowatts. Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Gan Thiam Poh have asked about our approach to such technologies. As they are still relatively nascent, we will focus on safety regulations, while monitoring industry and technology developments to assess their applicability to our overall charging network. To lay the foundation for a new regulatory framework, we will introduce legislation to regulate EV charging. This will cover the approval and registration of EV chargers and the licensing of EV charging operators. It will also mandate the provision of charging infrastructure in new buildings and major redevelopments. There will be a public consultation on the proposed legislation later this year. We have also reviewed our vehicle policies to ensure they are relevant for an EV future. With the changes over the last two years, the road tax for mass market electric cars is now comparable to that of equivalent internal combustion engine (ICE) cars. Several Members, in this debate and before, have suggested using pricing and other incentives to increase the attractiveness of EVs vis-à-vis ICE cars. We earlier introduced the EEAI to reduce the gap in upfront costs. However, the cost differential remains for certain mass market EVs because they fall within Category B COEs, along with bigger ICE cars. One reason for this is the Maximum Power Output (MPO) criterion. We introduced the criterion of 97 kilowatts in 2013, in addition to an engine capacity of 1,600 cc or less, for Category A cars. That was to address the market trend then, when many luxury petrol cars with smaller but turbo-charged engines could draw on Category A COEs. Introducing the 97-kilowatt MPO threshold shifted these turbo-charged luxury cars into Category B. However, mass-market electric cars in international markets tend to have a MPO of 110 kilowatts or lower. Locally, more mass-market EV models with an MPO above 97 kilowatts have been introduced in the last year. So, Mr Saktiandi Supaat would be pleased that MOT has reviewed the MPO threshold between Category A and Category B COEs for electric cars. We will be increasing the Category A MPO threshold for electric cars from 97 kilowatts to 110 kilowatts. Based on the EV models approved by LTA for use so far, this move will double the number of models that fall within Category A from 10 to 20, including models like the Hyundai Ioniq that Mr Louis Chua mentioned in his speech. This change will apply to electric cars registered using COEs obtained from the next COE quarter in May 2022.[+5 sentences] Mr Chairman, the EV transition also applies to other vehicle segments. Prof Koh Lian Pin and Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked about the plans for the public transport and point-to-point (P2P) fleets. The P2P sector is key to emissions reduction as taxis and private hire cars clock a much higher daily mileage, compared to the average private vehicles. Our taxi operators have already announced some plans. ComfortDelgro will roll out up to 400 electric taxis, or e-taxis, in 2022, while Strides has committed to a fully electric fleet by 2026. To support these initiatives and higher ambitions, the Government will extend the statutory lifespan of e-taxis to 10 years, up from the current eight years.[+18 sentences] As EV batteries for e-taxis may need to be replaced around the five-year mark, this extension will enable taxi operators to optimise their investments and price e-taxi rentals competitively. In turn, our taxi operators have committed that at least half of our taxis will be electric by 2030. This is a significant move, given our total taxi fleet of around 15,000 today. Among private hire cars, 50% of GrabRentals fleet will also go electric by 2030. LTA will continue working closely with private hire car operators to increase EV adoption. We will make a similar concerted push for our public bus fleet. We aim for half of our public buses to be electric by 2030. This means an almost 50-fold increase from the 60 electric buses today, to about 3,000 by 2030. To achieve this, bus buys from now till 2030 will primarily be electric. For a start, LTA will replace over 400 diesel buses with electric buses by 2025. To further green our public transport infrastructure, LTA will call a tender later this month to deploy more solar panels at locations like rail and bus depots, the upcoming Integrated Train Testing Centre, covered linkways and pedestrian overhead bridges. This will reduce both emissions and energy costs. Goods vehicles and private buses are also key to our effort as they contribute the bulk of our remaining emissions. As Mr Dennis Tan noted, last year, MSE implemented the Commercial Vehicle Emissions Scheme and enhanced the Early Turnover Scheme to encourage the adoption of cleaner-energy light goods vehicles. However, for the heavier goods vehicles, there are fewer viable cleaner-energy solutions currently available. We will work closely with industry partners to track technology advancements in this space with a view towards early adoption of viable solutions for heavier goods vehicles. Mr Chairman, in summary, we are taking decisive action to reduce land transport emissions by 80% by or around mid-century. We will make every HDB town EV-ready by 2025. We will support EV adoption with adjustments to our COE Category A MPO threshold, upgraded electrical infrastructure and a robust regulatory framework for EV charging and ensure half our public buses and taxi fleets are electric by 2030.[+1 sentence] But beyond these efforts, the success of this green endeavour, ultimately, rests with each one of us and the commuting decisions we make every day. Based on LTA’s estimates, compared to driving an ICE car, switching to an electric car halves our carbon footprint. Taking an electric bus reduces our carbon footprint by 70%. Taking the MRT reduces our carbon footprint by close to 90%.[+5 sentences] And if we walk or cycle, the carbon footprint is practically zero. So, we can make a difference with our choices. At the MOT COS debate, we will share more about our plans to make all these options more accessible by expanding the rail network, repurposing our roads and building more cycling paths. Our informed individual choices will have an indelible and enduring impact on our carbon footprint, environment and future. Together, we can make the vision of the Singapore Green Plan a reality.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Minister Desmond Lee.
The Minister for National Development (Mr Desmond Lee)2456 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Chairman, I will first give an update on our work to make our city more sustainable and how this will support our transition to a low-carbon economy and create opportunities for our firms and workers. Second, I will report on our progress to transform Singapore into a City in Nature. And third, set out how we will strengthen our R&D to find innovative ways to improve our urban sustainability. Let us start with how we are making our built environment and our city more sustainable. Our buildings contribute more than 20% of Singapore’s carbon emissions.[+2 sentences] So, the work to green our buildings is very important. As we do this, we also want to create growth opportunities for our companies and workers in our built environment sector. Last year, we launched the latest edition of the Singapore Green Building Masterplan (SGBMP). We set three targets: “80-80-80 in 2030”, to push further in greening our buildings.[+3 sentences] We have moved decisively to meet these targets over the past year. So, let me share some updates on our progress and our plans to support the industry in this green transition, which Members like Miss Cheryl Chan, Mr Xie Yao Quan and Prof Koh Lian Pin have asked about. Our first target is to green 80% of buildings by Gross Floor Area (GFA) by 2030. To date, we have greened more than 49% of our buildings.[+11 sentences] So, we are well on our way to meeting our target. But we need to do more to sustain our momentum and push ahead. Last December, we raised the minimum energy performance requirements that both new buildings, as well as existing buildings undergoing major retrofitting, must now meet. We have also worked with our industry to revise the Green Mark scheme. We have set higher energy efficiency standards and increased our emphasis on other sustainability outcomes, too, such as reducing carbon emissions across a building's lifecycle. This will help ensure that Singapore’s Green Mark remains one of the world's leading green building certifications and the go-to standard in the tropics. So, we have raised both our minimum environmental sustainability requirements, as well as our standards at the higher end, for Green Mark. In particular, we want to encourage owners of older buildings to retrofit them to be more energy-efficient, because these tend to be less resource- and carbon-intensive than demolishing them and constructing new ones. I will share more at MND's COS. Our second target is for 80% of new developments to be Super Low Energy (SLE) buildings from 2030. These are buildings that achieve energy savings of over 60%, as compared to 2005 levels, when we started our journey to green our buildings. Over the past year, we have certified close to 7% of new buildings by GFA as SLE buildings.[+36 sentences] This is a modest but promising start, as we bring SLE developments into the mainstream. The Government is taking the lead to make more buildings SLE buildings. Under GreenGov.SG, we have raised our energy performance requirements for public sector buildings. All new public sector buildings and existing ones undergoing major retrofitting must now meet Green Mark Platinum SLE standards. We are encouraging developers to pursue SLE standards, too. In November last year, we started an incentive scheme that will give developers of private projects bonus GFA, if they meet Green Mark Platinum SLE standards and other requirements. We will also require higher environmental standards from developers for the new Government Land Sales (GLS) sites that we launch from the second quarter of this year. If we want to achieve these ambitious targets, we must ensure that our firms and workers have the capability to design, build and maintain SLE buildings. We have been building up a core of talent to support our sustainability efforts, as Mr Cheng Hsing Yao has mentioned. As of September last year, we have worked with our partners to train more than 22,000 green professionals. We will work with training providers so that their courses cover the latest developments in sustainability. Through collaborative platforms like the Super Low Energy Building Smart Hub, we will also facilitate the sharing of new energy-efficient technologies. We hope that our firms and our professionals will make good use of these resources to upgrade their skills. We will share more on our plans to attract and upskill talent at MND's COS. This brings me to our third target, which is to achieve 80% improvement in energy efficiency, compared to 2005 levels, for our best-in-class buildings by 2030. Currently, we have achieved some 65% to 70% improvement. So, we have some way to go. To help us with this important effort, we have a programme under what we call the Green Buildings Innovation Cluster (GBIC). This supports the research, prototyping and demonstration of our green building technologies and encourages companies to adopt these solutions. Let me give Members an example. The SMU Connexion building uses a Passive Displacement Cooling system, which makes use of convectional currents to circulate cool air throughout most of the building. This new technology can achieve energy savings of up to 40% over conventional air-conditioning systems. It is one of several technologies that enable the building to achieve Zero Energy standards, which means that its entire energy consumption is offset by renewable energy generated on-site. To further push the boundaries of energy efficiency, we will enhance funding for GBIC by a further $45 million. Under GBIC 2.0, we want to target key demand drivers, such as building owners and developers, as well as their value chains, to jointly develop innovative solutions. These include energy-efficient cooling technologies, smart building systems and enhanced building ventilation. We will accelerate the commercialisation of these solutions through industry partnerships and help to grow the local ecosystem of firms with green building expertise. This way, our companies can compete better in serving the growing global demand for sustainable urban solutions and take the lead to drive sustainable development across the Asia Pacific, home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Beyond individual buildings, Members have asked how we will make our HDB towns more sustainable. We will do this by tapping on new technologies and smart infrastructure solutions under our HDB Green Towns Programme. This will complement the various initiatives that MSE is piloting in the Eco Towns. For example, for new HDB flats, we are using green technologies, such as smart lighting for common areas, as well as rainwater harvesting systems, to reduce energy consumption and the use of potable water. Ms Hany Soh asked whether we use green construction methods for our HDB Home Improvement Programme (HIP) upgrading works. We require all builders for our HIP projects to come under the Green and Gracious Builders Scheme, which sets standards to mitigate the environmental impact of construction work. HDB also adopts other green construction practices, such as reusing metal hoardings for future projects. We have also been installing solar panels on top of our existing HDB blocks to power common services, such as lifts and lighting. Mr Abdul Samad asked how we are progressing with these plans. We have done this for more than 2,700 blocks already, more than a quarter of the over 10,000 HDB blocks we have in Singapore today.[+1 sentence] And we will strive to install solar panels on as many HDB blocks as possible. By 2030, we target to have a solar capacity of 540 MWp, equivalent to powering 135,000 4-room flats.[+2 sentences] Beyond this, we are also exploring how to make good use of our limited space to enhance Singapore’s food security. Ms Poh Li San and Mr Don Wee asked how we can support more urban farms on the rooftops of multi-storey carparks (MSCPs). Since 2020, HDB and SFA have launched tenders for 16 sites on MSCPs for food production.[+17 sentences] Although the expected production volume is not very high or large, it will contribute to our “30 by 30” food production goal. We will be evaluating the outcomes of this programme first before we decide on future plans. Next, we are piloting some new initiatives in our HDB estates to encourage residents to live more sustainably. For instance, we will introduce e-waste recycling bins in our HDB estates to make recycling more convenient. This will also support our Green Plan efforts to help Singaporeans recycle more and recycle right, as Minister Grace Fu had shared with us earlier. We are also exploring the use of Light Emitting Surfaces (LES) for signages in our housing estates. LES is a new technology that can potentially reduce about 80% of energy consumption, compared to standard fluorescent block signages. We hope that these initiatives will enable our residents to lead more sustainable lifestyles and leave a lower carbon footprint. To finance the building of green and sustainable homes, HDB has also developed a Green Finance Framework. New HDB projects that seek to achieve BCA's Green Mark GoldPlus certification or above can now be financed or refinanced with green bonds or loans under this framework. This will support HDB as it seeks to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption in our projects. HDB's Green Finance Framework will also contribute to our whole-of-Government effort to further develop the green bond market in Singapore. Let me now update Members on our work to transform Singapore into a City in Nature. Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked how we balance conservation and development. I will give a fuller update on our approach at MND's Committee of Supply later but let me briefly share some of the progress that we have made. First, we have restored and enhanced several core habitats throughout the island. These comprise over 12 hectares of forest, marine and coastal habitats in Singapore which are key ecosystems and important homes for native biodiversity. Last year, we expanded the Species Recovery Programme from 94 to 120 species and, by 2030, we will increase these to 160 species.[+8 sentences] We have seen some early success. Our latest studies have shown that many of our native flora and fauna species have become less threatened over time, such as the Smooth-coated Otter and the Lesser Mousedeer. Second, beyond our core habitats, we have greened other parts of our city more intensively. We have established more nature parks, especially at the fringe of our core biodiversity areas, as ecological buffers. Over the past two years, we have announced new nature parks, such as the Khatib Bongsu Nature Park, a rich mangrove and mudflat habitat, and the Rifle Range Nature Park, a key buffer for our Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Last year, we also added new parks at Bukit Gombak and Pasir Panjang and enhanced existing ones, such as the Coastal Playgrove at East Coast Park, with more lush vegetation and natural landscapes. We have even expanded the greenery on our rooftops and facades of buildings and in our sky gardens, to over 140 hectares. We are well underway to meeting our target of 200 hectares of skyrise greenery by 2030. Third, we have continued to enhance connectivity between our green spaces to help our native flora disperse and our fauna to traverse our island. We have completed more than half of the 300 kilometres of Nature Ways that we aim to implement by 2030 and we are on track to meeting our target of 500 kilometres of park connectors by 2030, with around 370 kilometres of park connectors completed so far.[+2 sentences] Miss Rachel Ong asked how we will make our green spaces accessible to all Singaporeans. The moves we have made as part of City in Nature not only help nature to thrive in our city state but also bring all Singaporeans closer to our green spaces for all its benefits. Over nine in 10 households are now within a 10-minute walk from a park and we aim to reach 100% by 2030.[+9 sentences] Our City in Nature efforts can also help us build up our climate resilience through nature-based solutions. For example, we have already begun to weave natural designs and plantings into our parks and streetscapes. By planting different shrubs and trees to mimic the multi-tiered structure of a natural forest, we can better connect our green spaces for animals like birds and butterflies and also beautify our city, provide shade, cool our surroundings and improve our air quality. We can also use nature-based solutions to help protect our coastlines from rising sea levels. Looking ahead, as Minister Grace Fu had shared earlier, research and innovation will enable us to achieve a low-carbon future. We will continue to invest in science and technology for our city and our natural spaces. Let me share some of our plans, which Members like Dr Shahira Abdullah and Mr Cheng Hsing Yao have asked about. To support our City in Nature ambitions, we have invested in R&D under our Cities of Tomorrow (CoT) and the Marine Climate Change Science (MCCS) programmes to explore solutions that tap on nature to help strengthen our ecological, climate and social resilience. In one project, researchers created "green seawalls" that enhance our marine ecosystems at the same time. These specially-designed tiles can host a range of native species, such as crabs and sea snails, more abundantly than conventional seawalls. They will be piloted at Pulau Tekong and have the potential to be applied to other parts of Singapore.[+3 sentences] The Cities of Tomorrow R&D programme will also improve our urban sustainability, such as by designing greener buildings for our tropical climate. For instance, air-conditioning uses a lot of energy. BCA and NUS are exploring the use of weather sensors and smart watches that track how building occupants respond to indoor conditions to optimise cooling and ventilation systems. This technology aims to reduce energy use while still providing comfort for the occupants. I am glad to share that we will invest an additional $64 million into R&D under the City in Nature and Greater Sustainability pillars of the Cities of Tomorrow programme.[+6 sentences] This will support us in developing innovative solutions for a more sustainable, liveable and resilient city. Let me conclude. Whether it is making our built environment and city more sustainable or transforming Singapore into a City in Nature, we all need to work together – Government agencies, industry partners, academics and researchers, nature groups and the wider community. While we have made good progress so far, there is much more to do and we must press on in close partnership. Along the way, we can help local firms and our workers build expertise in sustainability solutions and create good jobs and good opportunities for Singaporeans. And we can grow a greener and more sustainable home for all of us – one where we live in harmony with nature as good stewards of our environment for generations to come.
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Minister Chan Chun Sing.
The Minister for Education (Mr Chan Chun Sing)1127 words
Mr Chairman, to achieve sustainability as our competitive advantage for Singapore, foundational education in our schools will be a key enabler; but the capabilities of our institutions – Universities, Polytechnics and ITE – and the competencies of our graduates and the workforce, will be the real needle movers.[+8 sentences] Let me first provide an update on our efforts in our schools. MOE has been making good progress since the announcement of the Eco-Stewardship Programme, or ESP, last year. Through the "4Cs" approach of Curriculum, Campus, Culture and Community, we continue to holistically nurture our students from Primary to pre-University levels to be environmental stewards for our future. We will continue to support our teachers for the ESP through professional development opportunities and teaching resources on sustainability in the Student Learning Space. MOE is also developing an Eco-Stewardship Toolkit, which will include a repository of resources to further support schools in strengthening their sustainability journey. Beyond our schools. I agree with Ms Foo Mee Har that our institutions play a critical role in Singapore's green transition. As part of our Green Plan effort, our institutions have made sustainability a strategic priority in their agendas, with some of our Autonomous Universities developing comprehensive masterplans on their sustainability targets and initiatives. Miss Rachel Ong has asked how our institutions are stepping up efforts to support sustainable living and the green economy. There are two needle-moving areas that our institutions can contribute to the national sustainability push.[+9 sentences] One, leveraging their research and innovation capabilities to develop new products and services which enable other sectors of our society to tackle sustainability challenges. Two, developing the skills and competencies of our graduates and the workforce to enable them to seize opportunities in the green economy. Let me elaborate. The deep research and innovation capabilities of our institutions position them well to advance Singapore's sustainability goals. In tandem with their hands-on approach to sustainability education, our institutions partner companies, agencies and our community on research and innovation projects that advance national sustainability efforts. This is done in two ways. First, our institutions can develop innovative solutions to support the industry's green transformation. Through projects that they work on with the industry, the Polytechnics enable local enterprises to reduce their carbon emissions and achieve sustainability goals. For example, in January this year, Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) launched a Sustainability Experience Centre in partnership with Schneider Electric, a company specialising in energy and automation digital solutions for efficiency and sustainability. Through the Centre, NYP staff and students will work with 100 small and medium enterprises by 2023, to co-create and implement energy-efficient initiatives.[+7 sentences] In partnership with a local startup, Firmbase Private Limited, Ngee Ann Polytechnic's Environmental and Water Technology Centre of Innovation has recently developed a membrane for effective oil-water separation in the treatment of oily wastewater in the oil and gas industry. Second, our Autonomous Universities are leveraging their deep research capabilities for sustainability R&D and using their own campuses as "living laboratories" to support national research and talent development efforts. For example, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has partnered France's Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, or CEA, to set up the Singapore-CEA Alliance for Research in the Circular Economy, focusing on research around recycling of electronic waste. As part of its Sustainability Plan, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) will be transforming its campus in Changi into a green experimental ground. This will allow SUTD faculty and students to partner the industry and the community to testbed new technologies and innovative projects for sustainable and smart living. Such studies may include waste management and reducing electricity usage. Our institutions also play an important role in equipping our youth and workforce with the skills and competencies for the growing green economy. The "Skills Demand for the Future Economy" report by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) noted that over 450 job roles across 17 sectors already require green skills in their job tasks.[+8 sentences] We can expect more new jobs to emerge and more exciting jobs to adopt green practices. We, therefore, need to invest in "green upskilling" for our workforce so that they can seize the new opportunities presented by green growth. Our institutions are refreshing their specialised course offerings and are launching new programmes. These programmes provide young Singaporeans with forward-looking skills for emerging green jobs or existing jobs that are going to be "greened". For example, Republic Polytechnic recently launched the Diploma in Environmental and Marine Science, which prepares students to take up roles at the forefront of developing sustainable, environmental and aquaculture solutions. Beyond equipping students to enter green jobs, we are also equipping the broader base of students with knowledge, competencies and skills related to sustainability. Almost all our institutions include sustainability as a theme for their common curricula for undergraduates. Singapore Management University, for instance, offers a common module on "Climate Change, Global and Local Solutions" as part of its core curriculum for undergraduates. As part of the enhanced LifeSkills framework, students at our institutions will also explore and discuss sustainability-related issues and how these relate to their roles as global citizens.[+1 sentence] Our institutions will continue to work closely with industry partners to curate more internship opportunities. These allow students to acquire and apply green skills in real-world settings and better prepare them for future careers in green jobs. We will ramp up our Continuing Education and Training (CET) courses for those already working in industries that face a "green transition". Currently, our institutions offer more than 100 CET courses that provide training in areas, such as sustainable built environment, green engineering solutions, green finance and environmental sciences. One example is Temasek Polytechnic's Specialist Diploma in Energy Management and Sustainable Design which upskills workers in the building industry to take on job opportunities in energy efficiency design and technologies.[+7 sentences] We will expand the offerings in our institutions to meet the market demand and our students' aspirations. Mr Chairman, to conclude, MOE is fully committed to contribute to a sustainable Singapore under the Singapore Green Plan 2030. Our schools will be a key foundational enabler for this journey, as they nurture the next generation of our students to be stewards in environmental sustainability. Our institutions will play significant, needle-moving roles by building up their capabilities and capacities, in partnership with the industry. They will leverage their research and innovation capabilities to develop sustainable products and solutions and equip our graduates and workforce with in-demand and emerging green skills. However, it takes a whole-of-nation effort to make sustainability our way of life. We, therefore, welcome experts, educators, companies, community partners and all Singaporeans to join in this endeavour to embrace sustainability consciousness and practices, build skills for the green economy and develop innovative solutions to create a greener and lasting future for generations to come.
The Chairman5 words
[+2 sentences]Clarifications, please. Ms Nadia Samdin.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin56 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. I thank Minister Grace Fu for giving the update on the progress of the SG Eco Fund. I would like to ask and clarify what environmental and community outcomes are tracked as part of the Fund to ensure the effectiveness of the Fund and that these are mapped towards the Singapore Green Plan.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien94 words
[+7 sentences]I thank the Member for that question. The Eco Fund is actually designed to allow very broad-based participation and it is made very inclusive for different types of groups. Individuals, businesses, community, grassroots organisations or charities can participate. Actually, it allows groups to participate in a wide area of interests. It stretches across all the five pillars of the Singapore Green Plan. The key indication that we are looking for in all these groups is whether they are able to mobilise the community around them. That is the key that we are looking for.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Sakitandi Supaat.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat226 words
[+10 sentences]Chairman, I would like to thank the Senior Minister and the Ministers for their very detailed answers to some of our cuts. I have two clarifications. My first clarification is with regard to the risk-weighted assets question that I asked in my cut. With the efforts to incentivise carbon credits and the ecosystem, may I ask Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Gan Kim Yong whether the efforts to incentivise by introducing risk-weighted assets are a bit lower for FIs, for example, to hold on to carbon credits? As of now, I think carbon credits are regarded as a high risk and the weights in the risk-weighted asset are quite high. That is my first question. For my second clarification, I would like to first thank Minister for Transport S Iswaran for sharing that the cut-off for EV cars for COE Cat A has been increased to 110 kilowatts, thus benefiting 10 cars. But my question is with regard to my cut about the taxes – road tax for EVs. Can the Minister share a bit more how we can enhance this incentivisation of the rebate structure for EV cars on the road tax front? And the other one is on motorcars – what monitoring developments and assessments will be needed to ensure that earlier adoption incentive for electric motorcycles can be done earlier than later?
Mr Gan Kim Yong162 words
[+3 sentences]Sir, I thank Mr Saktiandi Supaat for the question. In fact, banks do have exposure to carbon credits, for example, from trading in carbon credits arising from a market intermediary. Banks, therefore, can be exposed to the risk of losses arising from market movements in the price of carbon credits. Under the MAS' bank capital framework, banks' exposure to carbon credits are treated similarly as exposures to commodities.[+1 sentence] These attract a risk-weight of 187.5%. The risk-weight is agreed internationally in the capital standards promulgated by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and has been calibrated very carefully based on demonstrated riskiness of the commodities and carbon credits. So, we will have to be very careful in adjusting the risk-weighting for some of these assets because it may inadvertently expose the banks and financial institutions to unacceptable risks.[+1 sentence] We will continue to work with the financial institutions to see how we can better quantify the risks so that we can manage risk-weighting better.
Mr S Iswaran406 words
[+10 sentences]Mr Chairman, I thank the Member for his questions. If I may take the second one on electric motorcycles first. As I have said earlier in my speech, the technology is still evolving, different models, different types of solutions. So, we are tracking this very closely and we will make an assessment of the need to put in place any specific measures that might facilitate earlier or quicker adoption of such e-motorcycles. The Member's first question was around incentives for electric cars and, in particular, the road tax angle. So, let me address this in three parts. First, road tax. As the Member would be aware, last year, we made a series of changes to the road tax treatment of EVs. As a result of that, the road tax payable by mass- to mid-market EVs is, generally, in line with their ICE equivalents. I think that does not seem to be an impediment per se, but we will continue to monitor this and see if there is a need for further tweaks. Second, we have also introduced the upfront ownership cost adjustments through the EV Early Adoption Incentive which, when combined with the Vehicle Emission Scheme (VES), can result in a reduction of up to $45,000 in the upfront cost, depending on the OMV of the car.[+6 sentences] So, I think that is quite substantial. So, when we put these together with the recurrent costs – and the likely savings in recurrent costs of running an EV, because the maintenance tends to be less costly and so on – we think that, on balance, the economics works in favour of EV adoption or, at least, not against it. But we will continue to monitor this because this is an evolving space. But if I may make a final point, Mr Chairman, I think it is important to bear in mind that EVs are, first and foremost, vehicles; hence, "V"s. And that means our policies on car ownership, usage and, indeed, the emphasis on a car-lite strategy and greater use of public transport – those must remain as important principles that guide our larger transport policies. So, we want to encourage the adoption of EVs in the context of our larger green transition, but we also want to ensure that, where we can and where it is also within the ken of our people, greater transition to the use of public transport and less carbon-emitting modes of transportation.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Miss Cheryl Chan.
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling138 words
[+6 sentences]Chairman, I would like to seek two clarifications from Minister Gan Kim Yong. The first one is on the projects of the sustainable Jurong Island project because, currently, most of all the projects and the carbon emissions are based on disclosures by the industry or the companies. I would like to understand from the Minister how we would be tracking these so that we can validate the carbon emissions that they said have been reduced over time. That is the first question. The second question is with regard to the new technologies that we are going to bring across, whether on Jurong Island or in Singapore, how will we be doing this sandbox of the new pilots? Could the Minister elaborate further on how this would be possible so that people with good proposals would put them up?
Mr Gan Kim Yong240 words
[+1 sentence]Thank you. In fact, I mentioned this in my speech, that as we embark on projects on reducing our carbon emission as well as new projects like carbon capture and so on, it is very important for us to develop our capability in tracking and verification in auditing some of these carbon reductions that they claim. In time to come, we will work with the various industries to set standards and work out a system where we can verify the actual carbon emission and the carbon savings that they have achieved.[+6 sentences] So, it is something that we will continue to work with the industry on and to develop the standards for that. Miss Cheryl Chan also asked about how we embark on sandbox projects. EDB, ESG and A*STAR are working very closely with industries and looking at the various new technologies, new solutions. We welcome industries, companies or researchers who are interested in the respective areas of green projects to discuss with us. For the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), it would be easier for them to approach ESG to talk about potential projects and the various schemes that will be available that they can tap on to embark on these projects. And for the larger projects, like CCUS and so on, they can talk to EDB as well as A*STAR, which has a centre which I mentioned that they have set up with regard to carbon utilisation and technology.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon)58 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Sir. I thank the Senior Minister for sharing that we will be doing some consultations when it comes to net-zero emissions. Could I ask that we consult with the NGOs and activists sooner rather than later because they have shared with me that they were consulted rather late when it came to the carbon tax increase?
Mr Teo Chee Hean3 words
[+1 sentence]Yes, of course.
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Poh Li San.
Ms Poh Li San166 words
[+8 sentences]Mr Chairman, I have two questions. The first one is for the Senior Minister. The Senior Minister mentioned that about 5,000 companies now have given their commitment towards the decarbonisation solution. I would like to know how many out of these 5,000 are actually present in Singapore and what kind of contribution would they be able to help us in our decarbonisation efforts locally. On the second question, the Senior Minister and Minister Gan Kim Yong also shared about some of these new and nascent technologies, such as carbon capture and hydrogen, that we are now studying to open up our own technologies for future renewable energies. So, I would like to understand more about do we have any plans to devote more of our resources, our Budget, to investments in such energy, new nascent energy and technologies. Some of these facilities will require also large amounts of land to build them. Do we have plans to adjust our land use plans to accommodate such facilities?
Mr Teo Chee Hean219 words
[+14 sentences]On the first question, I do not have a count of how many of the 5,000 which have committed to net-zero in COP26 are actually in Singapore. But we do know that there are many companies in Singapore – international companies and major ones. Minister Gan Kim Yong has given the example of Shell, which is a major E&C company, which has made a commitment to go to net-zero by 2050 – Scope 1, Scope 2, Scope 3. They have been long-time residents here in Singapore, contributing greatly to our economy and we will partner them. A number of other companies – ExxonMobil, for example, has committed to going net-zero in its operations by 2050. They are very interested in CCU as a technology. Both companies are very interested in developing Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and other forms. These provide very good partnerships for us. There are other important companies in Singapore like Neste, which is a major producer of biodiesel. In fact, it is the biggest producer. We have one of the biggest plants in the world, if not the biggest plant in the world. And they have expressed an interest in expanding their range of products here in Singapore. So, there are a number of useful opportunities. Minister Gan Kim Yong may want to add to that.
Mr Gan Kim Yong232 words
[+1 sentence]I mentioned this in my remarks earlier on that we have devoted quite a lot of resources into the development of technology and R&D. For example, I mentioned that, last year, we awarded $55 million of R&D projects under the Low-carbon Energy Research Funding Initiative to pursue R&D in low-carbon technologies, such as hydrogen.[+5 sentences] We are also consolidating the various institutions under A*STAR so that we can create greater synergy among these research efforts to focus on investment in the development of these technologies. But I must add that many of these technologies are still very nascent and they are in the developmental stage. We will need to continue to remain nimble and monitor their development, keep pace with their development not only in Singapore but globally, and explore collaboration with international institutions, research institutions, so that we are able to keep tabs on the latest development in the technology and seek collaboration in developing some of these capabilities. I also agree with the Member that it is important for us to also invest in building capability among our people, as well as I have also mentioned about training and upgrading. Minister Chan Chun Sing talked about education and how we equip our people to be able to invest their resources into R&D and also to capitalise on the employment opportunities that will be brought about by some of these emerging technologies.
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Foo Mee Har.
Ms Foo Mee Har115 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. I have one clarification for Minister Gan Kim Yong. My question relates to the new Enterprise Financing Scheme (EFS-Green) to support local firms with a range of financing needs. [restates an earlier point]As I said, despite the generous Government risk-sharing at 70%, the industry's feedback, mainly coming from the SMEs, is that the interest rate and loan terms offered by the participating financial institutions are actually not much different from commercial loans.[+2 sentences] So, I would like to ask the Minister if ESG would look into the feedback from the industry for FIs to look into more favourable terms for the EFS-Green to spur adoption. This is especially if the Government is risk sharing at 70%.
Mr Gan Kim Yong77 words
The short answer is yes, we will take in the feedback from industries and to continue to refine our various schemes, including EFS-Green, so that they are relevant and are able to help the industries in embarking on this sustainability journey. But we also have to bear in mind that we have to also ensure that these schemes and these projects make sense and are viable, so that we have a sustainable outcome for the sustainable projects.
The Chairman19 words
[+3 sentences]Any more clarifications? Happy to take clarifications. No? Okay. Mr Louis Ng, would you like to withdraw your amendment?
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang274 words
[+2 sentences]Sir, our words in this House matter, so do our deeds. Let me start by thanking Members for their passionate speeches for our planet, for sustainability and for the health and livelihood of our people, and for Senior Minister of State Amy Khor's favourite topic of hawker culture. I also thank the Government for its strong, concrete and very significant steps forward in tackling climate change, in ensuring that we live and breathe sustainability and that we have fresh air to breathe – my most favourite and Senior Minister of State Amy Khor's second favourite topic of second-hand smoke.[+5 sentences] But as some of you might realise, many of us are wearing green in this House today. In fact, it is the first time I am not wearing my white shirt in this House. And I should thank Speaker, the Chairman, for also greening Parliament, for turning up the heat during our debates in this Chamber, and, by that, I mean turning up the temperature in the air-conditioning and also phasing out the use of single-use plastic bottles. I thank him for all these steps in greening Parliament. But we are not just wearing green today; I am glad and, hand on heart, we are truly going green. For that, I thank Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, Minister Grace Fu, Minister Desmond Lee, Minister Chan Chun Sing, Minister S Iswaran and Minister Gan Kim Yong for their strong leadership and commitment on this issue and all the other political officeholders from the different Ministries and Statutory Boards for all their hard work and dedication. And, with that, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.
The Chairman61 words
[+1 sentence]So, amidst a 24oC setting, is the hon Member given leave to withdraw the amendment?
Committee of Supply – Head T (Ministry of National Development)›Budget106 turns · 34,114w
· 245 highlighted
budget-1881
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling (East Coast)867 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head T of the Estimates be reduced by $100". Sir, the majority of Singaporeans are residing in public housing and the affordability of public housing is ever more an important topic for us to emphasise on. This will be my focus for this speech. The property market has been vibrant over the past two years amidst the pandemic, largely due to the delays in BTO construction and, hence, resulting in higher resale market housing prices.[+11 sentences] While MND had all hands-on deck to better manage the delays in BTO construction through providing concessionary work passes for construction workers from neighbouring countries, to extending the duration of steel price protection to shield the construction companies from rising cost pressures, we were still unable to prevent the delay that is involved. As I mentioned in my Budget speech, Singapore, as a small nation, we are very susceptible to supply chain disruptions and shocks. With more unseasonable weather occurring globally and unstable political situations, the likelihood of these supply chain disruptions would only continue to persist. Would MND be able to share the plans in place to build resilience in our construction ecosystem as we continue to be dependent on them as we develop this nation and manage the potential future disruptions? Since the onset of hybrid working, many have realised that their existing homes may not be adequate to facilitate both working from home and for their children to continue home-based learning on certain school days. Some may look to upgrade and having more space or the younger members of the family may choose to have their own spaces as they look out because they want to have a private working space. This trend is further accelerated by COVID-19. Also, the trend may further pick up, as seen in some Western societies, whereby the young would leave their “nests” when they turn of age. How can we prepare for this sociological change that we are seeing in our society today? At this point, I must commend MND for the timely intervention in the fast-heating property market in 2021. As we all know, it is a tight balance to let market forces operate on its own to sustain a property market but, at the same time, introducing property cooling measures that do take some effect in the short term to prevent any possible housing bubbles. One of the schemes that was introduced is the Prime Local Public Housing (PLH) scheme, and that is not so much about the housing bubble but to manage the evolving housing needs and trends that we are seeing in our country.[+7 sentences] But very often, we forget that, with limited land available, the affordability of public housing does hinge upon forward planning of land usage and allocation of land in Singapore. We need to ensure that we have a delicate balance in the many needs from residential, commercial, leisure and environmental sectors. In last year’s COS, MND announced the commencement of the public engagement exercise for the Long-Term Plan Review (LTPR). I personally attended some and am heartened to see the active participation of Singaporeans in envisioning, together with our land planners, on how they would like the future Singapore to be. I am encouraged at how our citizens have reflected the needs of incorporating natural and environmentally sustainable solutions in addressing housing needs moving forward. But at the same time, they also acknowledged that, sometimes, trade-offs are inevitable. May I ask the Minister on the current progress of this public engagement exercise and what are the next steps to involve more citizens in shaping our future land use together? As the LTPR is more strategic in nature and with the plans materialising only in the decades ahead, can the Minister shed some light on whether there are plans to expand the PLH scheme to beyond the core central regions?[+3 sentences] During my walkabouts and house visits, residents have expressed reasons why some choose to purchase public housing outside of the core central regions and they do prefer to have this in actually the mature estates. I understand there could be some challenges because the mature estates are quite highly built by today. But their reasons do range from convenience of facilities in the mature housing estates to the ability to stay closer to their parents who can assist with caregiving for their young children and some also want to do the same for their elderly parents. Would there be a possibility for the PLH scheme to be extended to popular mature estates? With headlines last year heralding that our public housing in mature estates is being sold at record-breaking prices, it does not help that some young working adults do desire their own independence but yet still would like to live near their parents for mutual support.[+2 sentences] Sir, public housing is a necessity for many individuals and with the young families that we are looking at. As we pride ourselves for having one of the highest home ownerships around the world, we must continually find ways to enable this to remain affordable for the generations to come.
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied)434 words
[+6 sentences]The use of the word "lottery" to refer to the allocation of HDB flats in the online domain dates to as far back as 2003. The term "lottery effect" started coming into widespread use in 2015, after flats at The Pinnacle@Duxton reached their Minimum Occupation Period (MOP). This lottery effect was explicitly commented on by Minister Lawrence Wong in 2016 when he was asked about it while he was the National Development Minister. He talked about possible measures to curb this effect and the PLH scheme was finally launched in 2021 with the project at Rochor. The second PLH project was launched on 17 February, that is, last month. The PLH scheme continues to raise many questions. The first question is: how was the subsidy clawback determined for Rochor and the Kallang-Whampoa developments? How did the Government arrive at the figure of 6%? The second related question is what is the purpose of the clawback?[+6 sentences] Is it to avoid high prices for PLH flats, or is it to lower the lottery winnings of PLH flat owners? If it is to avoid high price rises, that may not be the result of the subsidy clawback. Six percent is likely to be included in a future sale price after the MOP, with a very long 89 years left on the lease. Buyers and sellers are likely to simply add the 6% into their overall calculations. The unintended effect could be that prices are driven up even higher than they otherwise would be. The higher the clawback, the higher the prices may be driven up. The third question concerning the PLH scheme is: how does the HDB determine which development would be considered as being in a prime location?[+5 sentences] This is not merely being asked to satisfy curiosity. If the Minister makes known the criteria, then economists, urban planners and other experts may study the criteria and give feedback to the Government on their validity or otherwise. And the fourth question is: would the PLH scheme further drive up the prices of developments and resale flats close to PLH estates? The scheme does not admit of gradual differences between PLH projects and non-PLH projects. The distinction is all or nothing. Has the Government done calculations or made an assessment of the likely effects on the prices of non-PLH flats in close proximity to PLH projects?[+3 sentences] If so, I ask the Minister to share the calculations with this House. These questions need answers, because it is important that the perceived solutions to problems do not create new problems themselves. Ameliorating the lottery effect should not be a gamble.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang)615 words
[+2 sentences]Chairman, there are two main issues regarding the PLH model which I would like to address. The first is that windfall gains or the so-called "lottery effect" from the PLH scheme is inadequately addressed. When a PLH flat is sold on the open market for the first time, owners will have to pay 6% of the higher of resale or valuation, as a subsidy clawback.[+2 sentences] However, my view is that the obvious outcome of this is that 6% will simply be factored into the asking price of the flats in the future – "priced in", in market lingo. And if we are to use the example of The Pinnacle@Duxton, which frequently transacts for over a million dollars, this 6% will be less significant than the windfall gains the first-time seller of the PLH flat would stand to make. Furthermore, having a 10-year MOP may reduce the number of property speculators, but it does not go far enough in reducing the lottery effect and merely kicks the can down the road.[+1 sentence] Chairman, rather than having these onerous mechanisms, which distort the market, a simpler and more equitable solution, especially from the perspective of those who may not have the good fortune to buy into the new BTO PLH flats, who far outnumber the lucky few who managed to, is to reduce the quantum of subsidy given at the onset and provide higher subsidies for resale flat buyers who perhaps need them more. Reduced subsidies at the onset better tackles the issue of windfall profits and the perception of fairness to the broader Singapore population, while giving less room for market distortion. This is especially so when considering that there are already many HDB flats today located in various prime locations that are transacting at very steep market values and, hence, generating much windfall profits – a record 261 million-dollar transactions in 2021, based on The Straits Times article in January, for example.[+9 sentences] Arguably, the widest subset of such HDB resale flats would have very high market values and would require significant additional subsidies to keep such flats affordable. Their need for additional subsidies is much more so than the still limited new launches of PLH flats. And for many Singaporeans, the resale market is the only available housing option if they remain unsuccessful in the BTO lottery. The second issue is that singles are not being allowed to buy PLH flats even on the resale market. One of the most baffling aspects of the PLH model is its discrimination against singles, whereby singles are not allowed to buy PLH flats even on the resale market. As it stands, singles are not allowed to be sole owners of large BTO flats in mature estates and can only buy resale non-PLH flats if they are aged 35 and above. Chairman, if there is no coherent reason why MND should impose additional restrictions on singles for PLH flats in the resale market, the message that this sends is that the needs, aspirations and sacrifices of singles are less valued, despite the Minister's claim that MND is not taking a step backward in this regard, as it would have the perception of doing so. While the PLH model is new and will need to be reviewed over time, I had asked specifically in January this year if singles would, eventually, be allowed to be sole owners of new or resale PLH flats and, if this were to happen one day, what are the key considerations before these are lifted. Minister Desmond Lee stated in January that the PLH model is designed with the objective of being inclusive for Singaporeans, and I trust that singles should be considered Singaporeans as well.
The Chairman10 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Louis Ng, you can take your two cuts together.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon)404 words
[+8 sentences]I thank HDB for the change in our policies that now allow single unwed parents to rent and purchase HDB flats more easily. This has provided a lifeline for many of them. But we can do more and help reduce the stress and uncertainty for single unweds who already feel that they are at the end of the road at times. I understand that single unwed parents can only get their rental flat after the child is born. Assurance of having a roof over one’s head is as important as the roof. Single unweds need a clear timeline for their applications to be completed so they have the assurance and can plan for the future. Most of us here would know the chaos of settling into a new home. Let us not forget that single unweds have to do so alone while caring for a newborn and with a median salary of only $600 a month. Can MND provide a timeline for single unweds to obtain housing once they apply for it and also allow housing to be allocated to them by the third trimester of their pregnancy, so that they can welcome their newborn into their home from the day the baby is born?[+11 sentences] A survey by Singapore’s Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group found that the top reason for stopping breastfeeding was the challenges of expressing milk at work. One thing working mothers say they need the most is a lactation room. Currently, buildings with a Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 10,000 square metres and above are required to only have at least one lactation room. This is sorely inadequate. Expressing milk is not like using the toilet. It takes time. Unlike queuing up for a toilet which does not take that long, breastfeeding mothers are stuck when the only lactation room in the building is used. Some have shared that, out of desperation, they sometimes express milk in the storeroom or in the toilet. One mother shared: "HR arranged a janitor room which is so small and stuffy with no chair at all for me to express breast milk. It is so inconvenient as the janitor will need to go in and out all the time and I am always only able to express halfway through." Why subject breastfeeding mothers to such an unhygienic and undignified situation? Will MND increase the minimum number of lactation rooms currently required and lower the GFA threshold?
Mr Pritam Singh585 words
[+2 sentences]The HDB's web page lists seven separate priority schemes to book a flat under the Build-To-Order (BTO) or Sales of Balance Flat exercises. My purpose in speaking on them today is to ask whether HDB has explored whether the thresholds of these priority schemes remain fit for purpose, in light of current demand in relation to supply, and under what circumstances does HDB review and adjust them. The Minister for National Development, in his written answer to several Parliamentary Questions in January this year, said that there were 5.5 applications for each BTO flat in 2021, after an even higher 5.8 applications per flat in 2020.[+5 sentences] While he explained that the numbers include repeat applications and that they increased partly due to the raising of the monthly income ceiling, he agreed that there is, currently, a strong demand for public housing. Taking into consideration this mismatch, the Government should take a look at whether the allocation of HDB flats, including through the use of these schemes, is being done in the fairest and most optimum way possible. One thing that needs to be pointed out is that the priority schemes do not truly give priority. They do not ensure that applicants in the schemes get allocated flats over those not within the schemes. The schemes merely increase the probability of being allocated a flat and, thereby, give the appearance of being awarded priority. For example, 30% of BTO flats are set aside for first-timer married couples with children.[+10 sentences] If more than 30% of applicants are first-timer married couples with children, then there will be a ballot. If a couple is unsuccessful, then they go into another balloting pool, but they could again be unsuccessful. It must have happened many times in the past that non-prioritised applicants, for example, second-time applicants got BTO flats while perhaps so-called prioritised applicants did not. Higher chances and multiple chances are just that – chances. It does not matter how many chances an applicant has over others. If they fail, it is still 0% success in getting a flat. If they are really deserving groups, the Government should look into the possibility of giving such groups actual priority. The question, of course, is, who should get the priority and to what extent? Should it remain at 30% for married couples with children, or should this go up to a higher percentage and include even newly-married couples? I am minded to think so. In order for Singaporeans to better prepare for their own BTO plans going forward, would the Government publish the number of applications under each priority scheme as a percentage for every HDB BTO exercise after the selection process is completed?[+7 sentences] This information would make it clearer to applicants and to market watchers what the current trends point to. This would also prompt proactive adjustment of the policy scheme thresholds to be more attuned to the market and population demands. To conclude, the current system is reminiscent of a previous system in allocating Primary school places. Singaporeans were given priority in the sense that they got more ballot chances than Permanent Residents (PRs), but this meant that, many times, PRs would be successful while Singapore Citizens were not. This has now been changed, of course. The principle is the same when it comes to BTOs. The Government should consider making priority an actuality, rather than, for some – a probability. From a national perspective, is there scope to increase priority for first-timer married couples with children and newly-married couples?
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Chong Kee Hiong.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong (Bishan-Toa Payoh)8 words
[+1 sentence]Chairman, can I take the two cuts together?
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Yes, please do.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong348 words
[+1 sentence]Thank you. Under the Joint Single Scheme (JSS), some applicants have cited difficulties in looking for a partner. Will HDB share an update about the JSS-Operator-Run (OR) pilot, where a flat mate will be assigned to the applicant?[+10 sentences] HDB indicated that it will help to match the applicants based on their common factors, to increase the likelihood of successful matches and reduce potential friction. How successful has this endeavour been and what is the percentage of flats allocated for JSS-OR? For those applying under the Family scheme, would HDB consider assigning larger rental flats to bigger families, such as those with more children, three-generation or extended family households? Bigger units will reduce the problem of overcrowding and are more conducive for work-from-home (WFH) arrangements and for the children to study at home. I am also concerned that due to a lack of space, the children may choose to stay outside of the home more often. This may lead to higher chances of them becoming wayward and delinquent and being victims of crimes; similarly, for the youths and adults who might be sleeping rough outside. Their health and ability to study or work productively are also likely to be affected. The average waiting time for a BTO project is four to five years, which is not a short period, especially for young couples with children on the way. Many applicants have to stay with parents or other family members in the meantime. This is a particularly challenging arrangement, with more people working from home these days. Will HDB provide more flats under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) and consider including unsold sale of balance flats, surrendered flats and confiscated flats under BPHS?[+3 sentences] Also, if HDB does not have sufficient units for PPHS, would HDB consider giving more grants to first-time owners for the purchase of resale flats, especially young families or singles? This is in view of the higher prices of resale flats in recent transactions. In particular, the bigger grants will be helpful to young couples desperate to find a resale flat to accommodate their growing families.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied)280 words
[+9 sentences]There are many residents who have approached me to request assistance in appealing to HDB for subsidised rental housing. Some have had to sell their flats after a divorce, or they have to move out of their current homes due to family issues. Most cannot afford to buy flats and face being homeless. The Minister said previously that the overall stock of rental flats is sufficient to meet demand. Unfortunately, problems remain. First, some residents exceed the Public Rental Scheme income threshold, but do not earn enough to afford to rent in the open market. Others may be single unwed parents who do not qualify for the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS). Second, applicants who qualify for public rental housing may still have to wait between three and eight months before they can collect their keys. Many need a place to stay urgently as they do not have family or friends who can take them in. Could the Minister share, since 2020, the number of applications HDB receives for rental flats under the Public Rental Scheme, the Interim Rental Housing Link (IRH) scheme and the PPHS?[+4 sentences] How many approvals were granted under each scheme and what were the main reasons for approvals or rejections under these schemes? I urge HDB to increase the number of flats under the IRH scheme. HDB could offer tiered rental rates that are higher than the Public Rental Scheme rates, but lower than the open market prices. This will help many families and individuals that fail the strict means test of the current rental schemes, but are not earning enough to rent in the open market and need housing urgently, to avoid being left homeless.
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Gan Thiam Poh.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio)8 words
[+1 sentence]Chairman, can I take the two cuts together?
The Chairman2 words
[+1 sentence]Yes, please.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh95 words
[+3 sentences]May I ask the Minister how many interim rental flats are there available to help first-timers, pending the completion of their BTO flats? Will there be more of such flats reserved to support first-timers and help them to settle down early? Would the Ministry consider giving priority to those with children or with children on the way? How many households formerly living in rental flats have been helped successfully to own their flats in the last three years?[+1 sentence] Will the Ministry be reviewing its existing scheme further to help encourage tenants to own their flats?
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis373 words
[+2 sentences]As we think about our new way forward, I find it timely to bring up the Adjournment Motion that I moved last November on supporting diverse aspirations through rental housing. If anything, I am glad that my views on how this policy will strengthen communities, as opposed to weakening them, have sparked conversations within and beyond this House from online discussions to forums and news articles. Meanwhile, however, many of my residents continue to struggle with seeking their temporary home under the existing rental schemes, be it the family which applied for PPHS, only to be unsuccessful for five consecutive times, or the family which meets the stringent eligibility criteria and was even successful in applying for a public rental flat, only to be told that there are many applicants on the waiting list and of the long wait times. Hence, I would like to humbly request once again that the Government significantly increase the stock of rental flats across flat sizes, thereby creating a viable and expanded public rental scheme with an emphasis on ensuring that our lower- to middle-income households' needs are well looked after.[+6 sentences] Perhaps, we could also explore expanding our notion of what it means to have homeownership via a rent-to-buy model. This scheme aims to ease the transition from renting to buying a home by providing subsidised rent. This is not a new idea and, in fact, has been adopted in several parts of the world, such as the Rent to Own scheme in Wales or the Rent to Buy scheme in the UK. If home ownership is a cornerstone of this Government's housing policy, enabling residents the option to buy the same house after renting it for a certain number of years does seem like a viable solution. A solution might be for HDB to build more flats and allocate a portion of them as rent-to-buy units, instead of just limiting all rental flats to 1- or 2-room flats. This has the potential of concurrently addressing two systemic socioeconomic concerns of eliminating the stigma of residents living in rental flats and reducing the burden on the next generation of Singaporeans who could use their freed-up finances on housing to explore more daring career choices and/or entrepreneurial pursuits.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten)253 words
[+7 sentences]Sir, for the past few years, I have been asking HDB to review the policy of not allowing singles to rent flats on their own. This is especially so for elderly singles, some of whom are divorcees or estranged from their spouse or children. For this group of people, due to their age and behaviour, they just cannot get along with another person in the same rental flat. I have come across cases where HDB pairs two total strangers to rent a 1-room flat. However, they are not able to get along with each other due to different habits, different hygiene practices or medical conditions. As a result, sometimes, they quarrel with each other. Sometimes, one of them will move out and sleep at the void deck to avoid further quarrels. Last December, HDB launched the JSS-OR pilot whereby an operator, which is a social service agency, will try to pair up single applicants for rental flats.[+8 sentences] It has been four months since. May I ask MND for an update on this Joint Singles Scheme Operator-Run Pilot? How many tenants have been successfully paired? What is the feedback on the scheme so far? Were they able to stay with each other without quarrels? What if a quarrel or dispute should break out between the two of them? What if one of the applicants had an unacceptable behavioural issue, like hoarding? Would the operator try to mediate a settlement of the dispute or would the operator try to pair them with another single applicant?
Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang)74 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Chairman, the prices of resale HDB flats have gone up quite a bit recently. What measures are available to assist Singaporeans who are ineligible for BTO flats and executive condominiums (ECs) due to their higher household incomes but who still find resale flats and private properties not so affordable? Would HDB consider allowing Singaporeans whose earnings exceed the household income ceiling to purchase BTOs and ECs at a non-subsidised or tiered subsidised rates?
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis601 words
Chairman, long waiting times for BTO flats have been a persistent concern among Singaporeans with current average waiting times of around four to five years and, in some cases, six to seven years, where projects have been delayed by COVID-19.[+7 sentences] Such long waiting times are not just an inconvenience but seriously affect Singaporeans' life plans, such as causing young couples to delay starting a family. The BTO demand and supply situation is made even more challenging by rising demands for BTO flats. As the Minister recognised in January this year, a strong demand for flats has been driven by factors, including rising marriage and family formation rates, smaller household sizes and higher income ceiling, allowing more households to qualify. In view of these realities, it is an apt time for the Government to review and improve its approach towards the supply of HDB flats in order to keep waiting times in check. We recognise that large housing development projects simply take at least three to four years to complete. Therefore, in order to achieve shorter average waiting times of, say, two to three years, Singaporeans must be allowed to apply for new flats at a point in time much closer to project completion and delivery. This basic idea is not new and, indeed, MND confirmed that, where possible, HDB has, since 2011, already been commencing some BTO projects ahead of demand or actual bookings. In 2017, the Government specifically introduced a plan to offer BTO flats with shorter waiting periods of two to three years, such as approximately 3,000 flats launched in 2018 with a waiting time of 2.5 years.[+2 sentences] More recently, HDB also announced BTO flats with waiting times of two to three years, such as in Tenggah and Yishun. Unfortunately, despite these apparent relaxations of the BTO system, average BTO wait times are still stubbornly long, suggesting that HDB's efforts, though welcomed, do not go far enough. A potential approach would be to expand on HDB's existing initiatives and create two distinct application tracks for BTO flats: first, the current system with a four- to five-year wait; and second, some kind of BTO express lane for projects already one to two years into construction, resulting in a much shorter waiting time of two to three years.[+3 sentences] In order to maintain parity between the two tracks and to mitigate the risk of vacant flats, the express lane option should perhaps offer applicants less specificity in their preferences. For example, an applicant may only specify a unit type in the ranking of different floors of the zones. For this to work, there may need to be a larger percentage of HDB stock being contracted every year ahead of demand. For instance, there could be a certain baseline of HDB supply, say 15% to 30% of the annual new stock, that is continually constructed every year, regardless of prevailing BTO demand.[+5 sentences] To be clear, this is not a proposal to revert to the pre-BTO era with the registration for flats system. We saw an oversupply of flats in the wake of the Asian Financial Crisis. However, the proposal does involve an acceptance of some risk of excess supply if there were to be a severe demand shock. That being said, I strongly believe that such a risk is low and, in any event, worth taking, given the stubborn problem of long BTO wait times plaguing us today. It is worth pointing out that, since 2010, BTO flats have consistently been multiple times oversubscribed, with only one exercise where the ratio specific to that of 2-room Flexi Flats was close to one time.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh57 words
[+1 sentence]Chairman, there were HDB flats built in advance in the past and allocated successfully. Will the Ministry consider building more such flats in the new towns ahead of their launches to support couples to get married and start their families without delay?[+1 sentence] I hope that more BTOs could be built in the Sengkang and Punggol new towns.
Mr Pritam Singh545 words
A single Singaporean has to be above 35 years of age to purchase a resale public housing flat or to apply for a Build-to-Order 2-room Flexi Flat. The Workers' Party's position is that the eligibility age for singles to buy a flat should be lowered to the age of 28.[+2 sentences] According to the latest Government census, the proportion of singles has risen across age groups. The increase was most significant for those between 25 and 34 years of age. Between 2010 and 2020, the proportion of singles among residents aged 25 to 29 rose from 74.6% to 81.6% for males and from 54% to 69% for females.[+9 sentences] Similarly, the proportion of singles among those aged 30 to 34 rose to 41.9% for males and 32.8% for females. In 2018, then Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong stated in Parliament that as marriage rates among singles under 35 was still high, the age of 35 remained a valid number. Does the Government intend to move from 35 as the magic number? There is a prevailing orthodoxy that Singaporeans should be married by 35 and that offering flats to those of a younger age could somehow discourage marriage. Alternately, there may be an assumption that offering flats to those younger than 35 would jeopardise the value of filial piety. The National Youth Council's 2021 publication on the state of youths in Singapore is helpful in this regard. The publication reports the results of the National Youth Survey 2019 covering those between 15 and 34 years of age. Those surveyed were asked: how important are the following aspirations or life goals in your life? They were given 19 possible choices to rank from not important at all to very important. The top choice selected by our youths was to maintain strong family relationships while the second choice was "to have a place of my own".[+9 sentences] Both choices were ranked somewhat important or very important by at least 95% of the respondents. To our youths, filial piety and having one's own home are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, they are both almost equally important values. To be clear, strong family relationships did not automatically mean marriage or having children to those surveyed because those were the 10th and 11th choices respectively. One assumption we should question is that offering flats to 28-year-olds would discourage genuine interest in long-term marriage. Is it not possible that some people who want to be married may be discouraged from tying the knot early because they prefer to have financial security before getting hitched and having children? If a single person is allowed to purchase HDB property, whether BTO or resale, earlier, this may well open new prospects to, concomitantly, move on to marriage and parenthood. In addition, the prospect of purchasing a flat at 28 years of age, down from 35, would leave more scope for the growth of one's CPF balances for peace of mind and for retirement adequacy. We must ask whether it is reasonable to continue disallowing singles from purchasing a BTO or resale flat once they are financially able to do so before 35. The Government should look into rolling out more housing choices for singles to purchase public housing at the younger age of 28 rather than 35 currently.
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Chong Kee Hiong.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong8 words
[+1 sentence]Chairman, can I take the two cuts together?
The Chairman2 words
[+1 sentence]Yes, please.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong484 words
According to HDB, most new flat buyers use less than 25% of their monthly household income to service their monthly instalments for a 25-year loan.[+5 sentences] This is viable, provided that the buyers are able to keep their jobs and maintain uninterrupted employment. I spoke about this during the debate on the President's Address in September 2020. The employment situation today is less favourable for holding long mortgage tenures, compared to the past when people used to hold jobs for life. Going forward, people will change jobs more frequently and quite a number are making a living from the gig economy. This new job trend and the higher macroeconomic risk backdrop should be captured in the analysis of the affordability of HDB flats. With lower employment security and reduced market predictability, affordability of HDB flat prices should be measured based on a tenure that is less than 25 years. HDB flat prices should, therefore, be priced lower to adequately reflect this new normal.[+14 sentences] This would also provide flexibility to structure lower instalment payments by stretching the loan tenure should financial circumstances of the buyer change over time. Alternatively, HDB should find ways to increase affordability, such as giving more grants, to help first-time owners with their BTO flats, especially those from the lower-income group. HDB should continue to tap on technology and improve building techniques to keep the cost of construction of BTO flats low, as it confronts rising labour and material costs. Would the Ministry share what measures HDB is implementing to improve affordability of its BTO flats? Some owners have difficulty selling their flats due to the Ethnic Integration Policy. They are mostly from the minority ethnic groups. A few owners had complained that they could not even get a single offer to negotiate upon. This situation causes hardship for families who need to move for personal reasons, such as those that need to be nearer other family members who can be caregivers, or who need money for retirement or family emergencies and, hence, are downgrading. Will HDB consider helping them out and facilitate such sales by providing a grant or subsidy to a buyer from the eligible minority group? This will help to plug the difference between the sellers' asking price and what the eligible buyer can afford. This grant can be piloted in areas where there are more mismatches and where the gaps are more significant. Alternatively, HDB can act as a buyer of last resort for such flats and purchase the flats from the sellers. These flats can then be leased to singles or families in the eligible minority ethnic groups under the parenthood provisional housing scheme or public rental scheme. Similarly, BTO and sale of balance flats, which have been reserved for certain ethnic groups under the EIP and which have remained unsold for an extended period of time can be included under PPHS and the public rental scheme.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan261 words
[+8 sentences]Sir, like Mr Chong Kee Hiong who spoke before me, for the past two years, I have received several appeals from residents of the minority race living in an HDB estate in my constituency asking for waiver of the EIP quota. Some of them wanted to sell and right-size their flat because their children have moved out. Some wanted to sell their flat because they needed a larger flat due to increased family members. However, due to EIP, they are unable to sell their flat to a Chinese family. A few of them wrote to me to say that they have advertised for several months without receiving a single offer from someone of the minority race. Some of the potential buyers for their flat know of the policy and they may depress the prices because they know that there is limited demand for these flats due to the restriction. Sir, I understand fully the need for EIP and the need to ensure that we do not have racial enclaves in our heartlands. However, it seems unfair that existing minority sellers of the flat have to carry the burden of having to accept a lower price for their flat due to a national policy. Like Mr Chong Kee Hiong before me, I am asking HDB if it could review the possibility of allowing some form of compensation to the minority sellers of the flats based on HDB's independent valuation of the flat.[+1 sentence] This is especially so if he has not been able to sell the flat for several months due to EIP.
Mr Pritam Singh97 words
[+3 sentences]In September last year, I asked the Minister for National Development a written Parliamentary Question for data on each of the respective five-yearly intervals from December 1990 to December 2020 to detail, amongst other things, the names of the EIP-affected neighbourhoods where at least one EIP limit was reached and the total number of HDB units in each of these aforesaid neighbourhoods. The Ministry only provided data for 1990 and 2020, even though it was able to provide information at five-yearly intervals for the EIP-related question earlier. Why was it unable to provide the information as requested?
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh)163 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Chairman, the fact that Singaporeans of various races live and interact with one another in harmony differentiates us from many other countries. Similar to three other Members who have shared on the EIP, the unintended economic consequences of EIP have been repeated frequently, including in this House. Minorities sometimes face or perceive difficulties in selling their HDB flats at their desired price, especially where they are prevented from selling to Chinese buyers who make up a large proportion of the market. I have also heard the same from my Malay and Indian residents. Is there room for us to refine EIP so that we do not economically disadvantage our minority residents while ensuring that we do not form significant ethnic enclaves?[+1 sentence] As we move to unite larger neighbourhoods with community hubs like Our Tampines Hub and Kampung Admiralty, is it possible to loosen the block-by-block quota and enforce a second-level "cluster" or "district" quota, while still maintaining the broad principles in EIP?
Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar)358 words
[+3 sentences]Chairman, peace and quiet are two of the most important characteristics of a better living environment. All residents, whether they are staying in HDB or private properties, should have the right to peace and quiet in order to catch up on their rest and sleep. Unfortunately, for some beleaguered residents of HDB blocks with sky or roof gardens, they have not been able to enjoy this basic right for years. We all recognise that such public housing projects are considered to be representative of the new-generation of public housing in Singapore, with a focus on community bonding, greenery and lifestyle. However, the sky gardens located at HDB blocks, while still public spaces, are unique, because of the very close proximity to residents' homes, which means that any noise or disturbances at the gardens will directly affect these residents, especially if they occur at night. The well-being of our residents is important, especially when the noise disturbances and disamenities have been going on for so many years. Therefore, I would like to ask if there could be additional enforcement powers to allow the authorities to put a stop to the noise and disturbances taking place at the sky gardens so that affected residents can have peace of mind and a good night's sleep.[+4 sentences] We require more regular patrols by the authorities and agencies. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Safe Distance Enforcement Officers, the Police, MOM, NEA, HDB, the Town Councils, RC volunteers and residents for all their efforts in patrolling the sky gardens, tackling safe distance breaches, noise disturbances and disamenities over the years. Many residents have sent me emails to thank our volunteers and agencies. However, the current arrangement is not sustainable. For the safety, security and well-being of my residents, I sincerely hope that MND would consider installing a gate which allows access only during the day and early evenings.[+2 sentences] This will greatly cut down on the requirements on manpower. As these sky gardens will increasingly be a common feature in future public housing developments, I appeal to the Ministry to reconsider installing a gate to such sky gardens as the longer-term solution.
The Chairman13 words
[+3 sentences]Ms Sylvia Lim; not here. Ms Carrie Tan; not here. Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song256 words
[+3 sentences]Sir, construction costs have skyrocketed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The price of materials has shot up, wages have increased and the cost of bringing in foreign workers is also elevated. The construction industry's confidence has been shaken up late, resulting in shorter payment terms and demands for higher upfront payments. Against this backdrop, it is not surprising that recent bid prices for town improvement projects, like the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme, are up to 50% higher than pre-tender estimates.[+5 sentences] Yet, HDB's grants to Town Councils have not kept up with these price increases. Some may suggest that Town Council's existing funds can be used to cover the cost increases. However, doing so would be unfair to the majority of residents as each project mainly benefits residents living in a particular precinct. It is also unfair for residents of those precincts if the new projects are pared down to meet the original budget. I have three suggestions. First, can HDB temporarily increase its NRP grants to Town Councils to cover these short-term cost increases?[+4 sentences] Second, can HDB provide contractors and subcontractors for town improvement projects some price protection for raw materials, like steel and concrete – similar to that of HDB's BTO projects? This will better ensure residents receive comparable amenities, regardless of market conditions at the time of tendering. And third, can the Ministry explore more measures to restore confidence among construction firms, so as to ameliorate the need for onerous upfront payment terms? This could also help temper price increases across the industry.
Ms Mariam Jaafar (Sembawang)165 words
[+8 sentences]Chairman, a fairer, greener, and more inclusive Singapore requires fairer, greener and more inclusive housing. Fairer: while the EIP continues to be relevant, it remains a concern that it causes negative externalities to minority home owners who face difficulties in selling their flats as well as renters and home buyers who cannot get a flat close to their parents. How can the Minister address the rough edges of the policy? Greener: buildings account for a large share of emissions. Can the Minister share how HDB is playing its part to move to greener buildings, both new builds and retrofits? More inclusive: can the Minister update on the outcomes of the policy to integrate rental units with purchased units instead of dedicated rental blocks? What more can be done to facilitate the forming of support networks within the community for rental flat residents in these integrated blocks? Can the Minister also update on measures to enhance the HDB experience for the elderly and persons with disability?
The Chairman9 words
[+1 sentence]Miss Rachel Ong, please take your two cuts together.
Miss Rachel Ong (West Coast)312 words
[+6 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. A citizen's contribution to the nation-building effort is not limited by their marital status. Singles and married citizens can both participate in the workforce and serve the community. It may be argued that singles could even expend more time at work and the community than those with family commitments. At the same time, while singles may not have to care for children, many provide essential care for ageing family members, be it physically, through financial support, or both. My residents, who are single, have shared that in the bid to prioritise housing for families, they feel that the housing and home ownership policies are less equitable for singles. Singles can only purchase 2-room Government-subsidised BTO flats which cannot be in mature estates nor prime location public housing. This means that their flats are less easily sold in the market, with relatively lower-value appreciation over time than the bigger flats.[+2 sentences] Such a housing policy impacts not only space allocation, but cumulative asset value over time for singles. With that said, how can HDB housing subsidies be made more equitable across both single and married Singapore Citizens who contribute to Singapore's nation-building efforts in their different ways? Despite the cooling measures applied, resale flat prices have continued to climb with first-time home buyers competing with those who are looking for bigger spaces after selling their private condominium units. We have also seen an unprecedented number of million-dollar flats being sold this season.[+3 sentences] I believe that the mandate to keep our housing affordable to Singapore Citizens extends to all Government-built flats, not only BTOs. Apart from the new flats under the Prime Land Housing model, are there plans for MND to regulate the prices of the HDB resale market to make housing more accessible to Singapore Citizens who do not qualify for the BTO market? An example is the non-citizen spouse scheme.
The Chairman17 words
[+2 sentences]Ms He Ting Ru; not here. Mr Xie Yao Quan; you may take your three cuts together.
Mr Xie Yao Quan (Jurong)340 words
[+10 sentences]Chairman, heartland shops are a precious part of our HDB estates. They provide convenience to residents by bringing various goods and services close to homes. They provide jobs and livelihoods in the community. Heartland shop proprietors are quite often also residents within the same estate and they hire assistants, roles quite often filled by residents who are caregivers or seniors, who need or value work flexibility and proximity to home. And heartland shops provide a place for residents to meet one another, for ties to form, a focal point for each community. In short, heartland shops make our HDB estates not only places to live, but also work, play and bond. They make our HDB estates "Home". Yet, many forces are disrupting the retail sector at large. And heartland shops, too, would need to keep abreast with changes, transform where they must, and indeed, look beyond the estate to capture new opportunities. To this end, how does MND plan to support heartland shops to thrive and remain a vibrant part of our HDB estates? Chairman, in November 2021, MND announced a pilot heritage study for the Old Police Academy site, with a view to informing both future studies on other sites and the larger assessment and planning process, how we can continue to strengthen this, including the possibility of formalising a framework by which such heritage studies may be required.[+4 sentences] Could MND update on its plans to formalise such a framework to require heritage studies for certain sites? Chairman, since MND and MOH launched their assisted living pilot, the Community Care Apartments last year, there has been a lot of interest by seniors – seniors who wish to right-size, live independently, with the right care support when needed, and in the company of fellow seniors. I have asked before in this House, and I would like to ask again, if MND plans to launch more of such Community Care Apartments? And would MND be minded to work with the private sector, to promote the development of private assisted living options?
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry (Kebun Baru)146 words
[+8 sentences]Chairman, many Singaporean seniors prefer to age-in-place. Our high housing density, in both the HDB and private estates, affords Singapore the chance to create excellent age-in-place conditions. We can create a strong eco-system of well-integrated, affordable and high-quality private assisted-living and home-based healthcare services. This is an issue that many of my colleagues and I from PAP care deeply about. We do so because we believe that doing so will help our seniors and their caregivers. Doing so will minimise the cost associated with ageing. To create this ecosystem, we must create a strong vision, build common physical infrastructure, provide a digitalised services platform and create a suitable financing framework, as well as to put in place effective regulations and standards. Does MND have plans to guide or promote the development of private assisted living options for residents staying in both the HDB and private estates?
The Chairman9 words
[+2 sentences]Ms Nadia Samdin. Please take your four cuts together.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio)630 words
[+1 sentence]Thank you, Chairman. People aged 65 and older are projected to hit 47% of our population by 2050.[+3 sentences] Many seniors wish to right-size while retaining their independence. Single or widowed seniors, especially those with no children, often do not have anyone to turn to for housing advice and one bad decision could spiral into another. What efforts and safeguards are in place to ensure that seniors understand their various options and financial ability in considering housing options, prior to making a firm decision? Recognising our nation’s changing demographics, last February, MND partnered HDB and MOH to launch the first Community Care Apartments in Bukit Batok. Last year, all 169 Community Care Apartment units were oversubscribed within one day.[+3 sentences] Given the high demand, how can these Community Care Apartments be complemented by programming on the ground? Given rising housing prices and competing uses for land, does MND have a framework in place to keep the price of these homes at an affordable level for our seniors? Singapore’s Public Rental Scheme (PRS) is a key social safety net for households with no other housing options or family support. As of 2020, about 50,000 households lived in rental flats under the PRS. I note the recent announcement which shared that 4,500 households living in public rental flats moved on to buy their own homes over the past five years with the help of various HDB schemes and grants.[+20 sentences] Many of these families aspire to move on to home ownership, especially those young families with working-age adults. However, this can be an uphill battle. For instance, some families have previously owned an HDB flat but fallen on hard times, such that HDB subsidies are less readily available. Others receive variable incomes in the gig economy, making it more difficult for them to access loans. How can we support them, too? I would like to ask what criteria does MND use to preliminarily assess individuals to be ready to buy a flat, such that they can be supported by the home ownership support team. And for those who are unable to, what are the typical barriers which prevent them from doing so? During COVID-19, we saw an increasing number of PRS applicants who may not fall within the original policy intent but do have pressing needs. Given limited resources, does MND have plans to expand or evolve the options, criteria and objectives of the PRS to cater to a more diverse group of Singaporeans? As Singapore continues to develop, we have seen how our heritage districts have evolved over the years. They are an important part of keeping our history and traditions alive and relevant today. But our local businesses in these districts have faced many challenges in the last few years. What plans does the Government have to reinvigorate the vibrancy of Kampong Glam and our other heritage districts after the pandemic shock to increase footfall? Would the Government consider looking into best practices on tenant mix to ensure a seamless integration of our older tenants and newer stallholders in the area? What plans does the Government have to balance heritage and conservation against the risk of gentrification and how does the Government intend to involve all the local stakeholders? Finally, last February, NParks launched an Ecological Profiling Exercise (EPE) in consultation with the nature community and academics. The EPE studies the ecological profile of green spaces in Singapore and understands how these spaces can boost ecological connectivity. One year on from its launch, what are EPE’s findings so far? How have findings from EPE shaped NParks’ internal nature conservation strategies and approaches to safeguarding our green spaces? May I also ask how have consultations with academics and the nature community supported these profiling efforts, and are there plans to further involve the community?
Prof Koh Lian Pin (Nominated Member)63 words
[+3 sentences]Chairman, it has been two years since MND announced its City in Nature vision. May we please have an update on the progress made on transforming Singapore into a City in Nature and how NParks will continue ramping up efforts on this front? What more can be done to inform and interest our people, especially the young, in conserving our biodiversity and nature?
The Chairman8 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Henry Kwek. Please take both cuts together.
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry223 words
[+11 sentences]Chairman, COVID-19 has posed significant challenges to the construction industry over the last two years. The industry appreciates the tremendous support that MND has provided since the start of the pandemic. With the Omicron variant, the construction industry continues to face challenges. Can MND provide an update on the help provided to the construction industry thus far, especially on the progress of replenishing the sector's foreign manpower, the availability of bank financing, especially for subcontractors, as well as MND's current assessment of where the sector is heading? Can MND also share on how the Government can, together with the various built sector trade associations and chambers, continue to help our industry overcome the challenges from COVID-19? COVID-19 has highlighted the pressing need to reduce our reliance on low-skilled foreign manpower. At the same time, digitisation and automation can significantly help us transform our industry. For example, digitisation allows players to better coordinate and, therefore, increasing efficiency. The automation of construction techniques also promotes the use of technology on site, as well as the pre-fabrication and modularisation of construction methodologies. More importantly, digitisation and automation may create jobs that appeal to Singaporeans. Can MND share on the measures that the Government will take to build a more resilient and manpower-lean built sector, as well as to encourage further localisation of jobs in the sector?
Mr Chong Kee Hiong211 words
[+3 sentences]Chairman, prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC) is attractive as it has been assessed to improve building productivity by up to 40%, resulting in substantial onsite manpower and time savings. It is green and sustainable since it reduces construction material wastage and can incorporate green features, such as green concrete. It is popular because it reduces all the disamenities of a construction environment, such as noise and dust. Since most of the installation works and related manpower are offsite, this also results in improved safety on the construction site. It costs about 10% more than conventional building methods, but is expected to come down in price as more projects use this method, which has been experienced in overseas markets.[+2 sentences] I would like to ask the Minister, with higher labour costs and lower number of foreign workers, have the overall cost gaps been breached? Would MND provide an update on the status of PPVC adoption in all categories of construction, including for HDB projects? The use of PPVC has been required for some residential, non-landed Government land sales sites since 2014.[+3 sentences] Why is it required only for these selected sites? Would MND consider requiring more builders to use PPVC and speed up its adoption? What are the constraints which are preventing wider adoption?
Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson)179 words
Chairman, buildings account for over 20% of Singapore's carbon emissions.[+11 sentences] This is significant. With technology and advancement, new buildings today can use green material and smarter designs to reduce emissions. But in a highly built‐up environment like Singapore, we have many mature estates with a high concentration of buildings that are decades old. Many of these buildings are homes to our people. Therefore, how will the Government and BCA continue to support our transition into a low‐carbon built environment? What are our progress and quick wins so far? How can emissions in existing buildings be reduced without affecting homes, where precious memories are forged? The quantum advancement in green technology and digitalisation of energy can allow us to move from reactive to predictive maintenance. These can reduce waste, save energy and enhance user experience. Over the long term, these can lead to cost savings for the public, too. Could the Government give an update on its plans to leverage smart technology and data to enhance the quality of living while preserving the tangible and intangible values of housing estates?
The Chairman10 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Mohd Fahmi Bin Aliman; not here. Mr Dennis Tan.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang)372 words
Mr Chairman, I return to the issue of lift upgrading for the six blocks of HDB flats in Hougang SMC where there are still certain units which do not have the same floor access to lifts and this is a very real issue affecting a number of my residents. We were told that there are about 150 such HDB blocks left in Singapore. At COS last year, the Minister replied to my cut and said that, for blocks where the costs are still too high, it will not be prudent to offer the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP). He also said that while the Government continues to explore new technical methods to bring down LUP costs, the Government had also introduced the Lift Access Housing Grant of up to $30,000 in 2020, which is supposed to assist residents with urgent mobility or medical needs to move to another flat with direct lift access.[+7 sentences] While this may provide an option, shifting can be a more complicated decision for many, more than one would imagine, especially if the residents have been living in the same flat for a considerable time. Some prefer to stay on, even if it meant carrying their elderly relative on their back, or together with the relative's wheelchair, down two flights of stairs. But a year on, residents in affected blocks have continued to speak to me of their frustration with no same floor lift access. Unsurprisingly, the Lift Access Housing Grant is no panacea to many of the residents who spoke to me. Many residents feel frustrated by HDB's explanation of the issue of costs, something which could have been avoided if HDB had tendered out lift upgrading projects consisting of these blocks with design issues together with the bulk of the HDB blocks with no design issue for LUP access to all residents in the blocks, as former Hougang Member of Parliament Png Eng Huat had raised in the House way back in 2014. I would like to seek an update from the Minister on HDB's quests for new technical methods to bring down LUP costs for these affected blocks in Singapore. I also hope that HDB will work on this issue expeditiously to bring lift upgrading to all.
The Chairman28 words
[+2 sentences]Order. I propose to take a break now.
Mr Speaker88 words
[+5 sentences]Order. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 3.50 pm. Sitting accordingly suspended at 3.30 pm until 3.50 pm. Sitting resumed at 3.50 pm. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY – HEAD T (MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT) (Creating an inclusive and sustainable home)
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling247 words
[+1 sentence]Mdm Chairman, Singapore's facilities management sector has been challenged by manpower shortages, ageing facilities, the need to make existing and new buildings more sustainable and varying service standards. I understand that in the Facilities Management (FM) sector's transformation, the key areas identified are design for maintainability, procurement, smart FM and manpower development. However, some businesses have cited the delay in adopting technologies due to the higher implementation cost and the immediate impact of workers' cost with the Progressive Wage Model.[+4 sentences] Today, we are at the intersection of urbanisation, digitalisation and innovation. By not enabling smart facilities through technology, they will face even more challenges ahead by not knowing where to harness efficiencies using conventional FM methods. Take, for example, rainwater harvesting. There is enough technology in this space to allow for some upgrades through incorporating IOT solutions to better harness and understand the environment and know which part of the facilities to manage and be more effective in the waterflow. Could the Minister share the steps taken to accelerate the transformation of the FM industry and encourage the adoption of new technologies?[+5 sentences] Below are a few areas for consideration in the transformation. First, use of data analytics to improve maintenance outcomes. Second, share best practices in design or retrofits that enable optimal building performance and sustainability. Third, focus on outcome-based contracts to achieve cost efficiency and improve the service delivery. Lastly, partner industry players to map technology solutions and invest in R&D for complex infrastructure environment analysis.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang260 words
[+21 sentences]Madam, as I have done in the past decade and as I did at the last COS and the one before and the one before and I think the one before, I am speaking up again and asking that we allow the keeping of cats in HDB flats. Minister Desmond Lee replied to me previously that MND does not intend to play a cat-and-mouse game on this issue. Indeed, let us stop chasing each other and let us focus on the facts. Let me share the President of the Law Society, Mr Adrian Tan's thoughts on this. He calls this rule "irrational and unfair". He gave a breakdown on the four reasons HDB bans cats. "Reason 1: 'Cats are generally difficult to contain within the flat'. So are dogs, birds, mice and even humans. I rate this a bad reason. Reason 2: 'Cats tend to shed fur'. So do dogs. Another bad reason. Reason 3: 'Cats tend to defecate or urinate in public areas'. So do dogs. Bad reason. Reason 4: 'Cats make caterwauling sounds'. Very rarely. And dogs bark, especially at strangers walking past a flat. Birds, especially parrots, make a lot of noise, too. Bad reason. Verdict? All four reasons are terrible." I encourage everyone to read Mr Tan's full post on this issue. It is time that we progress on this issue and change our policy to accept what we already accept in reality – that HDB residents are allowed to keep cats, who can be removed if they are found to cause disamenities within the community.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song272 words
[+9 sentences]My residents in Bedok Reservoir and Hougang have given me feedback on the nuisance caused by pigeons, crows, mynahs and even quails around the housing estates. The proliferation of the bird population is often a public hygiene concern and, in the case of crows, a safety issue, which worries residents. The Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) has been doing its part to combat this problem. The AHTC puts up banners to caution residents against bird feeding and works with residents to identify and report feeders. It advises food stall operators on proper food waste disposal methods and our conservancy workers regularly remove unattended food sources. The Town Council also conducts regular tree pruning and, as a last resort, pigeon culling. Despite these efforts, the bird nuisance problem has persisted. NParks, occasionally, sets up crow traps but these are rather ineffective as crows are intelligent creatures and tend not to fall for these traps. I believe this problem is not unique to AHTC. A national level effort by MND and its agencies may be needed to combat it.[+4 sentences] These may include more public education to discourage bird feeding, setting up CCTV monitoring and stepping up enforcement action against bird feeders. It would be helpful if NParks could regularly share with Town Councils its research and recommendations on best practices for controlling the population of various bird species. It could step up efforts to trap and relocate birds in areas where they are causing a nuisance to the public. Together with the efforts of Town Councils, MND's stepped up involvement could help residents and our ardent friends to co-exist more peacefully in our urban environment.
The Chairman8 words
[+1 sentence]Miss Cheryl Chan, take your two cuts together.
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling521 words
[+2 sentences]The OneService App began as a one-stop platform for Singaporeans to provide feedback on municipal issues without having to go through hoops to figure out the appropriate agency to undertake the issue raised. Since 2015, it has, indeed, brought much operational efficiencies to both the Government agencies and Singaporeans alike. Anecdotal sharing suggests that many have found this app very helpful with ease of use and some having their feedback addressed in a timely manner. However, I have also received feedback that some cases have been closed or deemed resolved by the agency, but the action done did not exactly resolve the issue raised or it was not satisfactorily managed. One suggestion is for a summary report of the actions taken by all agencies to be provided to the complainant so that they can be actively involved in the matter's closure. With the OneService App now evolving to include more features, such as the "Help Neighbour" and parking facilities, can the Municipal Services Office (MSO) share the impact of these new features on the user base?[+6 sentences] What has the adoption rate been like for these new features? Can the Minister also share if there are any additional features that are still under consideration and yet to be implemented? How does MSO envisage the future of the OneService App? Since the start of the pandemic, many people have experienced working from home. Even as the borders are gradually opened up and corporations transition to hybrid work, this trend of hybrid working is likely to stay post-pandemic. While some relish the prospect of spending more time with their loved ones, there are also more media reports and ground feedback on neighbourly disputes as a result of spending more time at home. In cases where neighbours are unable to resolve their differences, HDB refers cases to the Community Mediation Centre (CMC). And since 2014, over 70% of cases are resolved through CMC.[+6 sentences] But there is also difficulty underlying mediation, as when the relationship is acrimonious, this option may be futile. For the longstanding and intractable cases, what else can be done if the cases taken through the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRTs) still remained inconclusive? I have had such case feedback, some of which occur in private condominiums where the MCST and the by-laws are unable to assist. Will MSO consider having other pilot schemes, like Project Restore, that is run by social service agency, the Lutheran Community Care Services (LCCS). LCCS actually gets parties to come together and talk and they create what they call a "peace-making circle". The parties can discuss issues objectively and without feeling being judged. So, besides mediation, what further assistance can MSO provide to address such disamenities? And since the launch of the "Help Neighbour" function in June 2021, can MSO update the number of cases that was received thus far and the nature of the cases?[+2 sentences] What is the success rate like? And since the function is targeted at the vulnerable groups, will MSO consider a more extensive outreach effort to educate the mentioned group on the use of the app and how to maximise its usage?
The Chairman10 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Yip Hon Weng, please take your two cuts together.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang)462 words
[+4 sentences]Madam, I wish to raise two issues for improvement for the OneService App. Firstly, tracking and coordination of municipal issues across agencies until resolution. A resident can submit feedback but there is no information about the status of operational processes. Sometimes, the case is closed before the problem is officially resolved, something that Member Cheryl Chan has earlier raised as well. How does MSO track and coordinate issues for all cases until resolution, especially complex ones that may require collaboration with other agencies?[+4 sentences] How does smart technology assist us in this area? Another area is the resolution of neighbourly disputes, such as community noise and corridor obstruction. Such issues have been aggravated by work from home arrangements during the pandemic period. I think it was useful for OneService to disclose the units in the resident's block which are undergoing renovation works so that, in the event of noise issues, the resident can contact the owners of the unit. Can we go further to integrate this, for example, by allowing residents to raise concerns about noise issues in the app in a dedicated category?[+11 sentences] Furthermore, if the flat owner has downloaded the app, they would be able to see the concerns and respond, with a mediator on-hand to assist. Some residents do not wish to attend in-person mediation at the Community Mediation Centre or bring the matter to CDRT. Technology has made online mediation more accessible and popular. It is certainly something we should explore. As our population ages, we should aspire towards having our housing typology cater to our life needs. This is especially so when there is a growing preference among our seniors to age in place. Good housing designs should adopt universal design elements that are not only elderly-friendly but also cater to impaired mobility due to unexpected illness, injury or disability. The Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) is a good initiative. But sometimes, residents wait until something has happened, like after a fall, before they make the application. We should take a more proactive approach towards home safety for the elderly because a fall can really impair them. Indeed, we must do more, beyond the basic infrastructure, something that the PAP Seniors Group is pushing for. Can we look into integrating senior-friendly features that come with the new Community Care Apartments into our existing HDB estates? Some of the services in the optional service packages, like housekeeping, meal services and medical escorts, can also be designated to service providers and even senior activity centres in the community and extended to all mature estates with a high population of seniors.[+2 sentences] What other upcoming senior-friendly initiatives will be introduced to our housing estates? How is MND working with MSF and MOH to ensure that our built environment supports ageing in place?
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry126 words
[+5 sentences]COVID-19 has exacerbated the challenges in municipal service delivery, with manpower constraints even more binding, especially over the past two years. Because more Singaporeans are working from home, we see a significant increase in the use of common area within our estates as well as increased disputes among neighbours. We also see heightened expectations from our residents with regard to cleanliness standards. With our Government's digitalisation effort, Singaporeans also expect timely and comprehensive responses from MSO's app. All these conditions create considerable challenges for MSO despite all the hard work and resources that MSO has already committed to keeping our estates clean. As we enter the endemic phase of living with the virus, what are MSO's plans to ensure that municipal services are efficient and resident-centric?
Mr Lim Biow Chuan240 words
[+14 sentences]Madam, in the course of my work as a Member of Parliament, I receive many complaints from residents complaining about noise from their neighbours. Many times, it is about heavy steps from the higher floors, noise from shifting of tables, chairs or furniture in the middle of the night. Sometimes, it is about noisy music or children screaming. Sometimes, it is about noisy renovation works. Due to unhappiness about the noise, neighbours do start quarrelling with one another and allegations are made. Sometimes, abusive language is also used against one another and the living environment in the area becomes hostile. It seems that we are helpless to help these neighbours resolve such disputes. The resident has to simply live with the noise. Last year, I spoke about the disputes between neighbours during the Committee of Supply (COS) debate for MinLaw. I asked how CDRT could help to resolve these disputes. However, surely, a better option is to try to nip the problem in the bud before it even gets to CDRT. Is there room for Government agencies to do more to address such neighbourly disputes? Can we do more to promote neighbourliness among residents so that they can build on the relationship with one another and become friends who can discuss issues without having to resort to loud voices against each other or to quarrel? Can such disputes be resolved by encouraging neighbours to be more considerate towards one another?
Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tampines)502 words
[+7 sentences]Mdm Chair, I need to confess that I have been an inconsiderate neighbour before. I was staying at my first matrimonial flat, a 3-room resale flat in Toa Payoh. It was a slab block design where the units are side by side and have windows that open into the common corridor. We had some friends over for a gathering and it lasted into the wee hours. Naturally, there were chatting and laughter. On hindsight, we must have sounded especially loud in the quiet of the night. Our next-door neighbour, an elderly uncle, approached us at around 2.00 am, complaining about the noise and reminding us to keep our volume low. The next morning, we heard that the neighbour had to see a doctor because his blood pressure went up after a disturbed night's rest.[+3 sentences] We felt so bad, we bought some chicken essence to express our apology and wished him well. After that episode, we became more careful and managed to maintain a friendly relationship with the uncle for the rest of our stay there. Mdm Chair, I shared this because, sometimes, these things happened when we were not thoughtful enough, not because we have any ill intention. I am sure Members have had their fair share of complaints from residents of issues and disputes with their neighbours. This has become more prevalent these two years with work from home and home-based learning practices.[+6 sentences] Personally, I feel that such matters are best settled between neighbours. I thank the uncle for letting us know personally and allowing us the opportunity to make amends. If he had reported to the authorities immediately, I could conclude that he preferred a more officious approach towards our relations. On the other hand, if he had suffered in silence, I would not have known that it was an issue and might have organised even more house parties. His frustrations and unhappiness would have built up without me knowing. The worst scenario would be a retaliation. The uncle could have vented his displeasure by banging on our common wall and that would have embarrassed me in front of my guests.[+1 sentence] Perhaps, a tit-for-tat war would erupt. Therefore, I always advise my residents with such issues to first talk nicely to their neighbours. Actually, we should go further upstream and make friends with our neighbours when there are no issues.[+4 sentences] We should not let the first encounter to be an unpleasant one. Typically, a neighbourly dispute is more complicated, with different versions of the situation. The misunderstanding and mistrust between neighbours are likely to have developed over years. Having said that, there will be cases when there is ill will or neighbours who are just being difficult and unreasonable. I do hesitate to ask the MSO what the Government could do more to address such disamenities and neighbourly disputes. But with the spectrum of neighbourly disputes that MND has come across, I would appreciate if the Minister could share some insights and suggestions on how such matters could be addressed.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Minister Desmond Lee.
The Minister for National Development (Mr Desmond Lee)6165 words
[+7 sentences]Mdm Chair, even as we continue fighting COVID-19 today, we are focused on our mission of building an even better Singapore tomorrow. I will explain how we at MND are doing this in these key priority areas: (a) keeping public housing affordable and accessible and meeting the housing aspirations of Singaporeans; (b) transforming the way we design, build and maintain our city; (c) growing our City in Nature; and (d) safeguarding our built heritage. My MND colleagues will give more details on the various areas of our work. Helping Singaporeans own their homes is a key national priority and a promise that the Government has been committed to for decades. A home that we can call our own provides the basic foundation to raise our families and bring up our children. If you look at other cities, they have different ways of housing their people. Some leave housing largely to the private market while others provide rental flats to certain demographic groups at subsidised rates. But the experience of these cities shows that the private market will often not provide adequately for the low-income or even middle-income families. That is why our focus is to sell flats to Singaporeans, including low-income households, at highly subsidised prices rather than offer them rental units at subsidised rents.[+9 sentences] We are committed to ensuring that public housing remains affordable and accessible to help meet the housing aspirations of Singaporeans. We plan the supply of new flats by taking into account long-term factors, such as demographic changes and trends, including family formation rates and household sizes. We also monitor the market and make adjustments to meet cyclical shifts in demand. In addition, we provide generous grants for first-timers, for both new and resale flat purchases, with more help for lower-income buyers. Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked if we should review our affordability benchmarks. Most first-timers buying HDB flats in the non-mature estates only need to set aside a quarter of their income or less to pay for their monthly loan instalments. This is already significantly lower than the international benchmark of between 30% and 35% for affordable housing. And it allows buyers to pay their mortgage with their CPF savings, with little or no cash outlay. To ensure prudent use of public funds, we impose a monthly income ceiling to allocate housing subsidies to those who may need it more. To Ms Poh Li San's question, the current income ceiling of $14,000 for BTO flats already covers more than eight in 10 Singaporean households.[+5 sentences] The income ceiling for executive condominiums (ECs) is even higher, at $16,000. Households earning an income above $14,000 have a variety of housing options, such as resale flats, ECs and private developments. The income ceilings were just raised in 2019, but we will continue to review them. In the immediate term, the pandemic has had a serious impact on the construction sector, causing housing delays, concerns about the tight housing supply and worries about rising resale home prices. At the same time, marriage and family formation, a growing trend of smaller households and the current low interest rate environment have led to strong housing demand in both the BTO and resale markets. Since last year, we have been working closely with the industry on two important tasks: first, we are working hard to minimise delays in the ongoing construction of flats; and second, we are ramping up our building programme to meet the strong demand for public housing. We will launch 23,000 flats per year in 2022 and 2023 and are prepared to launch up to 100,000 flats from 2021 to 2025, if needed.[+4 sentences] Miss Cheryl Chan asked about these efforts. This is difficult work, especially in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. Our HDB colleagues have been on the ground, working closely with contractors to overcome the many challenges that COVID-19 has thrown at them: (a) bringing in workers safely to make up for manpower shortages due to border restrictions; (b) coping with the impact of public health measures on productivity at worksites; (c) sharing cost increases when prices of construction materials rose sharply; (d) localising more precast production and stockpiling more materials in case of further disruptions in supply chains and so on. We have seen some progress. In 2021, we delivered about 14,500 new flats, more than the 9,400 flats in 2020 and the 13,500 flats in 2019, pre-pandemic.[+6 sentences] We are also increasing the supply of private housing through the Government Land Sales Programme and, last year, we introduced measures to cool the property markets to pre-emptively address the risk of home prices running ahead of market fundamentals and, in doing so, keep housing affordable for genuine home buyers. So, that is how we are addressing the housing situation today – by increasing both private and public supply to meet the strong demand while moderating market movements and minimising delays. We are not out of the woods yet, because the pandemic situation remains uncertain and the geopolitical situation increasingly volatile. But the delays have impacted many Singaporeans’ life plans. We seek your understanding and support, as we press on to try to minimise delays and deliver your homes to you as soon as we can. In the meantime, for first-timer families who face challenges renting on the open market, we assist them with interim rental housing under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS). Mr Chong Kee Hiong, Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Mr Gerald Giam asked about the PPHS supply. We are on track to add 800 more units by mid-2023.[+3 sentences] We have tripled the number of PPHS flats offered at each application exercise. But supply remains tight. So, we are prioritising families with the greatest needs. As a result of these efforts, application rates have fallen significantly, from about 20 times to about nine times in the most recent exercises – though that is still high.[+8 sentences] That said, around half of the applicants who are invited to select a flat decide not to do so, suggesting that many may have other options. HDB also offers Interim Rental Housing (IRH) on a case-by-case basis to those who do not have other interim housing options. To Mr Gerald Giam’s suggestion, the supply of IRH flats varies to meet the demand, as these flats are also used for PPHS or public rental. Members have made other suggestions to address concerns about housing delays and supply. Mr Louis Chua and Mr Gan Thiam Poh suggested building more flats with shorter waiting times. Significant land and infrastructure preparation is needed before we can build BTO flats. Where possible, we have brought forward our plans for land preparation. This allows us to launch flats with shorter waiting times. In November last year and February this year, we launched more than 4,000 flats with waiting times of around three years or less.[+26 sentences] We will launch more such flats in future where we can. Sale of Balance Flats, Open Booking of Flats are also flats with shorter waiting times. But all these depend on whether sites are available. For brownfield redevelopment, we may be delayed if, for example, existing users of land require more time to relocate or if existing services need to be diverted. For greenfield sites, we need to carry out detailed environmental studies. In fact, we have accelerated many of our plans in order to increase the BTO supply over the next two years. That is our priority, to meet the current strong demand. The Leader of the Opposition asked if we would also review the various HDB priority schemes and give absolute priority to certain groups. Priority schemes allocate housing supply to meet the needs of a wide range of Singaporeans – to support marriage and parenthood aspirations of young couples, the desire to live with or close to parents or married children for mutual care and support, or the housing needs of our singles and seniors. These objectives all remain relevant and important. Let me explain how our priority schemes work. For each scheme, we set aside a certain proportion of flats. Those who qualify for the scheme and are balloted within that quota are guaranteed the chance to select the flat. Those who are balloted outside of the quota will be considered with the other applicants who do not qualify for the scheme. In that sense, each priority scheme guarantees a certain number of flats for qualifying applicants and so, addresses different categories of households and families in Singapore who have needs. But we cannot guarantee a flat for all the applicants in any one of these priority schemes for a particular launch because there may well be more applicants than there are flats set aside for each scheme. It would mean that the other groups who do not qualify for that scheme would not get a chance to book a flat at all. This could include singles, couples who do not have children and others. We would also need to build a lot more flats and use a lot more land to meet this demand if done this way. Instead, our approach is to strike a calibrated balance between the housing needs of different groups. So, contrary to the Leader of the Opposition's characterisation of the way in which we set aside our priority schemes, it is not one in which priority refers only to more chances but, rather, in trying to balance the needs of different groups, we provide absolute priority within certain quotas to ensure that one group does not then eat up the quotas and spaces for other groups. As for putting up information on the application numbers under different priority schemes, HDB already provides the number of applications received for each project across the various household types for every town and flat type. These figures are updated through the application period for each BTO and SBF exercise. Applicants can refer to this information in deciding which project to apply to. Besides managing current demand and supply, we also continue to enhance our housing policies. Ms Mariam Jaafar asked what we were doing to make public housing fairer and more inclusive. One major policy we rolled out last year was the new prime location public housing model (PLH), after many years of study and engagement. This allows us to build flats in prime locations and keep them affordable, so that these areas remain diverse and inclusive and do not become places where only the well-to-do can live.[+1 sentence] We have just launched two PLH projects. They attracted a lot of interest, with more than three applicants for each 3-room flat and more than 10 for each 4-room flat.[+1 sentence] We also plan to build public rental flats in future PLH projects where possible. To Ms Mariam Jaafar's question, our approach has been to integrate sold and rental flats in the same BTO projects, including in prime areas where feasible, to enable Singaporeans across different backgrounds to build neighbourly ties, form community bonds, build a stronger and more cohesive community and society. We have completed two new blocks that integrate both rental and owned HDB flats in the same block, and more are in the pipeline.[+8 sentences] Mr Pritam Singh and Mr Louis Chua raised some concerns about the PLH model. These are not new. They have been raised by others, considered and addressed during our extensive public engagements. But let me go through them again quickly. Mr Pritam Singh asked how we determine the subsidy recovery rate. As we have explained, because PLH flats are in prime locations, we need to provide additional subsidies, on top of the usual BTO subsidies, to bring the price of the flat down to an affordable level for more Singaporeans. Mr Louis Chua suggested lowering the subsidy quantum at the point of sale. If we were to do that, it would just mean that only those with higher incomes or wealth can afford these flats. This would go against the intention of the PLH model. We size the subsidy recovery rate to recover these additional subsidies, as a percentage of the resale price, when the flat is sold on the open market.[+17 sentences] This is to be fair to the other BTO flat buyers who do not get these additional subsidies. Taken together with the other measures, such as the 10-year MOP, disallowing of rental of whole flats and ring-fencing the pool of eligible buyers to those meeting the BTO eligibility conditions at the point of resale, among others, would help to mitigate excessive windfall gains. Mr Pritam Singh also asked how we determine which projects come under the PLH model and, if PLH might push up resale prices of neighbouring flats. We look carefully at the attributes of each project, including expected selling prices, to decide if we should apply the PLH model. As to whether neighbouring resale flats will see higher prices, this is unlikely as they are much older flats. In any case, it will be another 15 years or so before PLH flats reach the resale market. So, we will keep studying and monitoring this. Mr Louis Chua asked why singles are not allowed to buy PLH flats. To moderate resale prices, we require resale PLH buyers to meet BTO eligibility conditions, which are a set of criteria that most people are familiar with. These criteria include singles who are part of larger households with caregiving responsibilities, say, they are buying a home with parents or with their siblings, if their parents are not around. And these would apply mostly to older singles. The PLH model is very new and we have only launched two projects. We will continue to monitor the response to PLH projects and review the parameters as part of our regular policy reviews. Besides socioeconomic inclusiveness, we also want our public housing estates to reflect our society’s ethnic diversity. The Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) seeks to support that. It enables people from different ethnic backgrounds to interact in their daily lives – around their homes, at the markets or hawker centres, in schools, in neighbourhood shops, in playgrounds and so on. That provides some of the conditions to foster tolerance and understanding and counteract the powerful social forces that tend to divide societies. Even today, nearly one in three HDB blocks, and 16% of HDB neighbourhoods, have reached one or more of the EIP limits.[+8 sentences] Without EIP, racial concentrations could be much higher in various parts of Singapore. So, EIP remains relevant and important in promoting racial harmony and I am glad that we had established bipartisan consensus on this after our debate in this House last July. We are mindful that some flat owners may face difficulties selling their flats when the EIP limits are reached. For example, some may have to lower their asking price or may take longer to sell their flats. We have been helping these families in different ways, such as by giving them more time to sell their flats and even waiving the EIP limits in exceptional circumstances. But it is not sustainable to keep waiving the EIP limits, because this would erode the very objectives that EIP seeks to achieve. Over the years, we have continued to receive feedback about the rough edges of EIP and suggestions on how to smoothen them from the public and Members of Parliament, including Ms Mariam Jaafar, Mr Chong Kee Hiong, Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Lim Biow Chuan, during this debate. We have said before that we would continue to study these options. Having done so carefully, we have decided that, for EIP-constrained households who face genuine difficulties in selling their HDB flats, HDB will buy back their flat on a case-by-case basis.[+1 sentence] This complements existing forms of assistance that I have just articulated. To ensure that we focus on households with the greatest needs, we will offer this buyback assistance to those who have owned their homes for at least 10 years.[+2 sentences] But those who are EIP-constrained and need to move out earlier due to extenuating circumstances can still apply to HDB for special consideration. In assessing households for buyback assistance, we will consider the household’s specific circumstances, including how long the household has been EIP-constrained and whether they have marketed their flats consistently at reasonable prices. If HDB assesses that the conditions have been met, it will appoint a professional licensed valuer to perform a valuation and HDB will make a fair offer, so that the household is not unduly disadvantaged due to EIP.[+12 sentences] In deciding how best to assist EIP-constrained flat owners, we had considered other suggestions. Mr Saktiandi Supaat suggested applying the EIP limits over a larger geographical area. Mr Pritam Singh had also previously suggested this. But this could likely lead to over-concentration of particular ethnic groups at the local level, in specific blocks or neighbourhoods, rendering EIP less effective. And when the limits are reached in larger geographical areas, significantly more flat owners will be constrained. At that point, HDB may have to waive the EIP limits in even more cases. So, this is not a viable long-term solution. Mr Chong Kee Hiong and Mr Lim Biow Chuan suggested giving a grant to households which may have to sell their flats at a significantly lower price due to EIP. We have studied this in detail, but found that it would be difficult to implement in practice. First, it would be difficult to size the grant fairly. A fixed grant may undercompensate some sellers but overcompensate others. Yet, a variable grant, say, a certain percentage of the transacted price, would give sellers with higher flat values more support in absolute terms, which might not seem fair to others. Second, some buyers and sellers might well artificially lower their transaction price to take advantage of the grant and it would be hard to guard against this.[+1 sentence] This would be unfair to taxpayers. So, on balance, we have decided that the most feasible option would be to buy back flats from EIP-constrained households in genuine need.[+21 sentences] This is not a decision that we make lightly, because it requires significant Government resources. But we believe it is the right thing to do, because EIP benefits all of us and helps to foster a more cohesive society. Finally, a quick response to Mr Pritam Singh’s question about EIP data. During our exchange in Parliament on EIP last year, he wanted data to understand what was unique about EIP-constrained neighbourhoods. I had said that we would look into what we could practically provide, given the large volume of data requested. In our response to his two Parliamentary Questions, we had provided comprehensive figures, such as the number and proportion of blocks and neighbourhoods that have been constrained by the different EIP limits over the last 30 years as well as the areas corresponding to some of the neighbourhoods that were EIP-constrained in both 1990 and 2020. However, there are practical limitations to providing all the data sets requested. For instance, he had requested the names of all EIP-constrained neighbourhoods from 1990 to 2020 – a 30-year period. But there are no public maps or demarcated areas that we can make reference to. So, we did the next best thing and provided corresponding areas, but it would have been difficult to do so for all neighbourhoods without significantly compromising accuracy. So, where practical, we have and will continue to provide the information requested to further everyone’s understanding of the issue. I think it is important to clarify this. Next, we want to contribute to a more inclusive society by meeting the housing aspirations of low-income families that need more support. Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked how we will help families in rental housing to own their own homes. Our public rental housing system is not just about providing homes for lower-income citizens. We also want to provide integrated social support – in education, healthcare, training, employment and many other areas – to help them achieve stability and improve their situation. And that is what Community Link, or ComLink, is all about – to enable lower-income families with children to achieve stability, self-reliance and, ultimately, social mobility. More will be said during MSF’s COS. For those who are ready for home ownership, HDB’s Home ownership Support Team (HST) will guide them through their journey. We also provide financial support to make home ownership more affordable for these families. First-timer families can benefit from the usual first-timer grants like the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG), whereas for second-timer families with children, we introduced the Fresh Start Housing Scheme in 2016. Under the Scheme, families can receive a $35,000 housing grant.[+4 sentences] They can buy 2-room flats with a shorter lease, which are otherwise only available to seniors. Families will also receive close support from a social service agency to ensure that they can sustain home ownership. We want to give more support to these families who aspire to own a home again for their children to grow and develop. So, as the Finance Minister had announced in his Budget speech, we will enhance the Fresh Start Housing Scheme in two ways. First, we will increase the grant to $50,000, to help more tenants afford a home. Second, we will allow families to buy 3-room flats with a shorter lease to meet a wider range of housing needs, rather than just short-lease 2-room flats. This is the first time that we will offer new 3-room flats on shorter leases.[+18 sentences] We are doing so to provide these families with more housing options. It is a substantial change that we are making in our housing policies, to support lower-income families and their children, as they seek to improve their lives. My colleague, Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim, will share more details on our other efforts to uplift households living in rental flats. As our population ages, we are also paying close attention to the needs of our seniors. In particular, we are doing more to help seniors age-in-place while getting appropriate care. We launched our very first Community Care Apartment, an assisted living pilot, in Bukit Batok last year. Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim will share more details on our plans to launch a second Community Care Apartment pilot and to work with the private sector to provide more assisted living options. Members have suggested that we do more to support the housing needs of other groups, such as singles or those who prefer rental to home ownership. My colleague, Senior Minister of State Sim Ann, will address some of these suggestions. Senior Minister of State Sim Ann will also share more about how we are making our HDB estates more vibrant and liveable. Let me now turn to how we are transforming the Built Environment (BE) sector. The sector was badly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and Members, such as Mr Henry Kwek, have asked about its progress. Throughout this period, we have worked closely with the industry – not just on BTO projects, but also more widely across the sector to deal with the challenges that have come our way – from manpower shortages to cost increases and supply disruptions. We still hold regular meetings and site visits to understand the situation on the ground and to find a way forward. We are thankful for the close partnership with trade associations, companies and workers, as the sector recovers. We are seeing encouraging signs. Construction output has reached close to pre-COVID-19 levels and work is progressing steadily. The manpower situation is also improving. Between November 2021 and February 2022, around 16,000 S-Pass and Work Permit holders from the Construction, Marine and Process sectors entered Singapore each month.[+9 sentences] This is more than five times the monthly average of 3,000 between May and October 2021, when travel restrictions were in place. While the Omicron variant has had an impact on firms, we are much better prepared this time around, after the difficult lessons we have learnt when the pandemic first struck. We will continue to monitor the situation carefully, because the sector is still under some stress. Above all, the pandemic has reminded us how important it is for the sector to be resilient to shocks. The sector remains heavily dependent on migrant workers to take up manpower-intensive jobs at construction sites. So, we need to step up our transformation of the sector, which we started when we launched the Construction Industry Transformation Map in 2017. Together with our industry partners, we are determined to make a decisive change in how we do things in the sector. We will push on to improve the quality of our construction workforce and shift more towards productive work processes. To drive this transition, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Manpower had earlier outlined the changes that we are making to our foreign workforce policies. First, we will remove the current Man-Year Entitlement (MYE) framework in 2024 and introduce a new levy framework that encourages off-site prefabrication work.[+1 sentence] This will make it easier for firms to hire workers for more productive and skilled work. Second, we will reduce the Construction Dependency Ratio Ceiling, from 1:7 to 1:5.[+16 sentences] This means that firms will be able to hire fewer migrant workers per local worker. Some might ask why we are making these changes when the industry is still recovering. But it is precisely our painful experience from the pandemic that has shown us why these changes are necessary. And as the sector recovers, we should seize this opportunity to fundamentally change how we design, build and maintain our city. These foreign manpower moves should be looked at together with other efforts to raise productivity. For example, we have enhanced our buildability framework over the years to raise the standards for manpower-efficient designs and technologies. And from April this year, all larger buildings must be designed in ways that require less manpower to construct. This means that the industry should need fewer workers when the foreign workforce policies take effect from 2024. Mr Chong Kee Hiong and Mr Henry Kwek have asked how we will support firms to digitalise and adopt productive technologies, such as Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC). Indeed, this continues to be a key priority. This year, to support firms and workers to be more productive, we will extend various schemes under the Construction Productivity and Capability Fund (CPCF). My colleague, Minister of State Tan Kiat How, will elaborate on this later. We will also push ahead with built environment sustainability to address climate change. During the Green Plan Joint Segment, I had spoken about the importance of greening our buildings. Ms Tin Pei Ling and Ms Mariam Jaafar asked if we will do more to reduce emissions in existing buildings. Today, more than half of our buildings that are more than 20 years old have not been retrofitted and they lag behind newer buildings in terms of energy performance. Retrofitting older buildings costs a lot more upfront and it may take several years to recoup this investment. This is why we will provide $63 million in grants to help building owners undertake retrofits and achieve higher standards of energy efficiency and sustainability.[+7 sentences] We will do this by significantly enhancing our Green Mark Incentive Scheme for Existing Buildings. The previous scheme supported retrofitting costs for more than 80 buildings and achieved more than 180 gigawatt hours in annual energy savings. This is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of close to 40,000 4-room flats. Under the enhanced scheme, we will raise the minimum qualifying standard from Green Mark Gold to Green Mark Platinum and expand the scheme to include residential as well as light industrial buildings. Building owners can choose the strategies and technologies that are most appropriate for their building. For example, they can upgrade the cooling system, install solar panels or redesign spaces for natural ventilation. The grant amount will be based on the additional carbon abatement and Green Mark certification achieved, instead of the cost of works, as was used by the previous scheme. For example, a project that achieves zero-energy certification can receive up to $1.2 million under the enhanced scheme. You can apply for this scheme from the second quarter of this year. We are also exploring whether to require building owners to conduct energy audits to improve the energy performance of their buildings.[+12 sentences] We will consult our industry partners on this before deciding. Together, these efforts will help to enhance the productivity, sustainability and resilience of our built environment sector. Transformation is never easy, but it also creates many exciting growth opportunities and we look forward to working with the industry on this. Let us turn to another important priority: transforming Singapore into a City in Nature. During the Joint Segment on the Green Plan, I spoke about the progress that we have made. Why are we striving to become a City in Nature? We face intense land-use pressures, as a city state. We need to find space for all the things that a country needs, within the limits of our city-state – not just homes, community amenities, industries and offices, but also reservoirs, airports, seaports, military bases and all the other things that larger countries can site far outside their cities. And amid these intense pressures, we also want to conserve our natural heritage. It is a tough balancing act. To do this, we take a science-based approach – to understand the ecological value of our green spaces and identify the most important ones to conserve. In some cases, this means retaining green spaces that were intended to be developed for other purposes. For example, we have retained the Rifle Range Nature Park and the Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat, which were originally intended for housing and industry respectively, because they are important buffer zones for our core biodiversity habitats. These nature parks will be completed by mid-2026, along with Khatib Bongsu Nature Park.[+8 sentences] Last year, we also launched the Ecological Profiling Exercise (EPE), in partnership with experts and members from the nature community. Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked for an update on this. Based on the EPE’s findings, we are creating more ecological corridors between our core nature areas. For example, we have found that the forests at the western half of Ulu Pandan are richer in biodiversity than its eastern half. So, we will safeguard a sizeable nature park there. We also found that the green networks around Toh Tuck, Maju and Clementi are important stepping stones between Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Southern Ridges. So, over the next few years, we will establish a Clementi Nature Corridor that runs through these green spaces, including the eventual nature park in western Ulu Pandan. Beyond strengthening ecological connectivity, we also continue to expand our islandwide park connectivity networks, to give Singaporeans greater access to green spaces near their homes. Today, we have around 370 kilometres of park connectors – more than seven times the length of Singapore from east to west – and we keep adding more.[+17 sentences] In January, we launched the eastern half of Phase 1 of the Round Island Route. Covering a total distance of 75 kilometres, this green connection makes the journey from Rower’s Bay to Berlayer Creek more seamless and accessible. Prof Koh Lian Pin asked what more we can do to involve Singaporeans in nature conservation. This is an important point. Being a City in Nature is not just about our living environment. It is about who we are as a people – how we respect nature, take care of it, steward it responsibly. We are encouraged by the strong support of our community partners. Over 320,000 trees have been planted under the OneMillionTrees movement, involving over 30,000 members of the community. Many volunteers have also helped restore and enhance our green spaces, through the Friends of the Park initiative. And last December, through our City in Nature Conversations, we heard many thoughtful suggestions on how to advance our greening journey. We invite Singaporeans to join us in realising our vision of a City in Nature and grow a greener, more liveable and sustainable home. Besides stewarding our natural resources, we also want to safeguard our history and heritage. As we look to the future, we must also remember our past. Our built heritage is important because it gives present and future generations a sense of place, identity and rootedness. Our built heritage has significant intangible value that we should safeguard. Today, heritage conservation is an important consideration in our planning process. When evaluating development proposals, URA works closely with the National Heritage Board (NHB) to determine the conservation merit of our buildings, consult relevant stakeholders and calibrate how to balance conservation with development. Despite our short nation-building history, our conservation efforts have achieved good success, with close to 7,200 heritage buildings gazetted for conservation.[+10 sentences] Over the years, we have continued to refine our approach to safeguard our built heritage and expand our engagement efforts with the heritage community and key stakeholders. For example, we formalised constructive working relationships with the heritage community by setting up public-private-people partnerships like the Heritage and Identity Partnership (HIP) and NHB's Heritage Advisory Panel (HAP). These partnerships allow us to tap on their expertise upstream at the planning and design stages of developments to optimise how we conserve and celebrate our built heritage. We have been developing a structured framework to evaluate when and how additional heritage impact studies should be conducted as part of the planning process. In 2018, URA, HDB and NHB commissioned NUS' Department of Architecture to pilot a large-scale detailed heritage study of the Old Police Academy. The Old Police Academy played an important role in the professional development of Police officers from the 1920s until 2005. And since 2016, the Singapore Police Force (SPF), URA and HDB have been engaging the larger Police fraternity on how we could celebrate and sustain the heritage of the Old Police Academy. The heritage study report was also published for public feedback last year. Members of the public who wrote in include a former trainee who shared his memories of the place. He suggested retaining certain roads and certain road names. Taking into consideration the study findings and the feedback received, we plan to conserve six buildings, including four within the new housing estate.[+1 sentence] They will be meaningfully adapted for contemporary use. Part of the parade square will also be retained as an open space.[+2 sentences] For buildings and spaces which cannot be retained in their entirety, we will explore how to sustain their heritage significance in the design of the new housing estate. HDB and SPF have also formed a dedicated workgroup chaired by Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim with Police and heritage stakeholders and have started to discuss how to celebrate the rich heritage of the Old Police Academy. In response to Mr Xie Yao Quan, we are glad to announce that we will formally implement the structured heritage impact assessment, or HIA, framework. Under this new framework, developing agencies for public projects that are likely to cause major impact to significant heritage sites will need to consult URA and NHB, to determine if a heritage study is required. For sites that require an HIA, which is the most extensive of heritage studies that may be imposed, agencies will engage consultants to provide an additional and more detailed assessment on the significance of each heritage element and the recommended interventions.[+14 sentences] The HIA will complement URA and NHB's existing processes. Findings will be shared, unless there are security or other concerns, and members of the public will be invited to give feedback. Heritage communities and other stakeholders will continue to be engaged throughout the process. We expect such detailed and in-depth HIAs to only be necessary for larger-scale public development projects in areas of rich and complex heritage significance. For other projects, URA and NHB's existing processes remain adequate. The implementation of the HIA framework marks an important milestone in the maturation of our heritage evaluation process and we will continue to refine this process along the way. Keeping public housing affordable and accessible, transforming the built environment sector and growing Singapore into a City in Nature and safeguarding our built heritage – these are some of the key priorities that we are working on. We have to do all these, while meeting the evolving needs and aspirations of Singaporeans, all within the confines of our small city state. This is a big challenge. There will be difficult trade-offs. But it is also due to tight constraints like these that the most creative and resourceful ideas are born. As part of our Long-Term Plan Review, we are reaching out to Singaporeans from all walks of life, to hear their goals and dreams and aspirations for our future city. My colleague Senior Minister of State Sim Ann will give an update on this. We hope all Singaporeans will walk with us on this journey, as we build a better city, together.
The Chairman6 words
[+1 sentence]Senior Minister of State Sim Ann.
The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Ms Sim Ann)3368 words
[+7 sentences]Mdm Chairman, I thank Mr Henry Kwek for highlighting the challenges facing MSO, our partner agencies and Town Councils. Feedback on municipal issues has indeed significantly increased with the onset of COVID-19 as Singaporeans spend more time at home. This has spurred us to find new ways to work and to forge stronger partnerships with the public on issues which the Government alone cannot fully resolve. MSO will work with our partners to make progress in three areas: increasing productivity of municipal services; improving processes for better user experience; and forging stronger community partnerships to holistically address complex neighbourhood issues. Our key goal is to deliver resident-centric services in an efficient and seamless manner. The OneService app has been a useful platform to achieve this. It is, today, a one-stop neighbourhood platform with many functions, beyond reporting feedback. Since its launch in 2015, our user base has increased 10-fold to more than 430,000 users.[+5 sentences] This is the result of MSO constantly enhancing the OneService app to meet residents' evolving needs. For instance, to help residents plan around potential disamenities and inconveniences, residents can now refer to the "Happenings" feature for information on HDB-approved renovation works at their blocks and will soon be able to check the crowd levels at public libraries should they wish to find alternative locations to study or to work. Residents can also access the "Book Facilities" feature to perform end-to-end contactless booking and payment for the use of common areas and facilities, such as multipurpose halls and void decks in their estates. We are also finding ways to deliver better services with the pilot of integrated municipal operations in Tampines town and have commenced ground operations last month. Next, I will speak about improving user experience, as mentioned by Miss Cheryl Chan and Mr Yip Hon Weng. Every day, agencies and Town Councils receive over 4,000 cases of feedback on municipal issues.[+6 sentences] Most are straightforward cases that can be resolved within a week, but some complex cases can be long-drawn, especially where investigations or neighbours' cooperation are required. Case owner agencies, currently, have the flexibility to decide how to close cases, be they straightforward or complex. MSO is working with our partners to improve the handling of municipal feedback, in terms of how they should close the feedback loop for the different types of cases. For straightforward cases that involve only one agency and where concrete actions can be taken to fully resolve the case, agencies should close the feedback loop only upon complete resolution of the case. For complex cases, agencies should close the feedback loop only after explaining to the feedback provider the actions taken or the intended action plan, as well as provide an estimated timeline. We have implemented two corresponding changes in the OneService app. First, photo evidence is provided upon resolution of straightforward cases. This initiative has been implemented since 2020 for feedback concerning public cleanliness and has since expanded to include other straightforward issues, such as the maintenance of common property in HDB estates, HDB car parks and commercial properties, and lights along covered walkways and footpaths.[+1 sentence] Second, we have differentiated the status of cases since May 2021. Where, previously, all cases were labelled as "Closed" once the agency had responded to the feedback, now they are labelled as either "Resolved" or "Replied".[+7 sentences] With differentiated case status, residents have a more accurate understanding of the status of their case and can be assured that unresolved cases continue to be worked on. We will also continue to make our OneService e-services more accessible by introducing them on more digital platforms. In the second half of the year, residents will be able to submit feedback using the LifeSG app, in addition to the OneService app. In time, more of our digital offerings will be available on LifeSG so that residents who are currently not users of the OneService app can also enjoy our e-services. Together, we hope that tighter collaboration in the delivery of municipal services will bring greater convenience and satisfaction to residents. Mr Dennis Tan asked for an update on new technical methods to lower the costs of the Lift Upgrading Programme, or LUP, for HDB flats without direct lift access. Over the years, HDB has adopted innovative technical solutions, such as machine-room-less elevators and bubble lifts to provide direct lift access for such flats. More than 5,000 HDB blocks have thus benefited from LUP.[+4 sentences] There remains about 150 blocks where it is not possible to implement LUP due to prohibitive costs or existing technical and site constraints. We will continue to explore how to bring down LUP costs, as well as alternatives to LUP, such as powered stair climbers for wheelchair users. The Lift access Housing Grant is also available to help residents with urgent mobility or medical needs to move to another flat with direct lift access. Several Members – Miss Cheryl Chan, Mr Yip Hon Weng and Mr Baey Yam Keng asked about MSO's efforts to address neighbourhood disamenities that arise due to differences in social norms or behavioural issues, such as the cluttering of common spaces, high-rise littering, bird feeding and noise from neighbours, given that work-from-home will remain an option for many people in the longer term. First, we are collaborating with the business community and the public to harness innovative ideas and bring practical solutions to residents.[+1 sentence] Switch is one such company. We facilitated the "Switch for Community" initiative by the People's Association (PA), HDB and Switch, which offers affordably priced and conveniently located Switch work booths for residents whose attempts to study or work-from-home are affected temporarily by renovation works or other forms of noise.[+1 sentence] I am happy that residents have found this initiative useful. Since its launch last December, over 100 individuals have used the work booths located at the Bukit Timah Community Club and Trivelis Residents' Network in Clementi.[+2 sentences] Due to demand, the operating hours of the work booths at Trivelis Residents' Network centre have also been extended to late evenings and the weekends. We will continue to monitor the outcomes of the pilot after a year and consider scaling it up if there is good demand. In the spirit of Singapore Together, PA and HDB will also be co-leading an Alliance for Action (AfA) to study practical solutions to better facilitate group-buy activities in HDB estates.[+8 sentences] Group-buy activities support small businesses and promote interaction among residents. But when large quantities of goods are delivered to an estate and redistributed to individual buyers, there could be inconveniences, such as cluttering of goods at the common corridor and blocking of passageways. We would like to identify win-win solutions so that residents can continue to engage in group buying and support small businesses while minimising inconvenience to others. Members of the AfA will consist of stakeholders, such as group-buy hosts, grassroots leaders and potential solution providers from the private sector, to explore better ways of facilitating the delivery, storage and distribution of group-buy items, such as making use of HDB void decks. Second, we will continue to focus on shaping positive social norms to mitigate neighbourhood disamenities due to human behaviour. This is an upstream measure and one of many that needs to be put in place to holistically address the management of community disputes, as explained by Minister Edwin Tong during MinLaw’s COS. Ms Joan Pereira and Mr Lim Biow Chuan rightly highlighted that neighbourhood noise is a complex issue to resolve and can cause significant tension and unhappiness between neighbours. MSO and MCCY are exploring various ways to tackle this issue. As part of a holistic response, we intend to set up a Community Advisory Panel on Neighbourhood Noise to look at defining what is deemed as unacceptable noise disturbances, as well as what constitutes good civic norms that residents should observe, to reduce noise disturbances to their neighbours.[+4 sentences] The Community Advisory Panel (CAP) will consist of representatives from the community who have the relevant experience and expertise in managing municipal issues. The "community norms" developed by the CAP will help neighbours to better communicate with one another, as well as serve as a useful "benchmark" and reference for our public advisories, and to facilitate mediation and decision-making at the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal. We hope to establish CAP soon and for the panel to submit its recommendations by the end of the year. MSO is also working with MCCY on how agencies would enforce against neighbourhood noise using these "community norms" as a reference and Minister Edwin Tong will share on this aspect during MCCY’s COS. Miss Cheryl Chan also asked for an update on the "Help Neighbour" feature in the OneService app since its launch in last September. Thus far, "Help Neighbour" has referred 272 cases of seniors in need, rough sleepers, cardboard collectors and tissue sellers to the social agencies for targeted assistance – of which, about 50% were new cases unknown to the agencies.[+13 sentences] With this feature, concerned residents can directly connect persons-in-need to social agencies, without risking over-exposing them on social media. I thus encourage everyone to use "Help Neighbour". I would now like to address Mr Xie Yao Quan’s query about HDB’s plans to keep our heartland shops vibrant and sustainable, amid the rise in online shopping and changing consumer habits. Our heartland shops must do well if our neighbourhoods are to remain vibrant and endearing. Beyond serving the day-to-day needs of residents, heartland shops reflect the distinctive character and identity of our neighbourhoods, provide spaces for residents to meet and interact and serve as a social glue for the community. Our heartlands can also be incubators for budding entrepreneurs and exciting new business ideas. Since 2007, HDB co-funds physical upgrading works and promotional activities through the Revitalisation of Shops scheme to improve the shopping experience for our residents. HDB also partners Enterprise Singapore to encourage our heartland retailers to modernise their operations and embrace digitalisation. To ensure our heartland shops stay relevant and vibrant, HDB and Enterprise Singapore are further engaging the public through the Heartland Shops Study to understand what Singaporeans value most in the heartlands. Since October last year, we have engaged over 2,400 residents, business owners and shop employees through surveys, interviews and focus group discussions. I joined one of these public engagements earlier in February and was excited to hear ideas on how we can shape the heartland retail scene, while preserving its cultural and social value. Together with HDB, we will thus explore ways to better curate the trades at our neighbourhood centres, taking into consideration the attributes that residents and businesses have told us they value and also better support the digitalisation and business sustainability of these shops. I encourage all Singaporeans to participate in the online survey for the Heartland Shops Study which is available on the REACH website until the end of this month. The findings from the study will help to shape and refine national programmes and plans to support our heartland merchants. We will follow up on participants’ feedback and partner Enterprise Singapore to rejuvenate our heartland spaces with new experiences as part of "Our Heartlands 2025", a new initiative announced by Minister of State Low Yen Ling during MTI’s COS.[+5 sentences] Finally, I would like to provide an update on our public engagement exercise for the Long-Term Plan Review (LTPR), as enquired by Miss Cheryl Chan. We embarked on the review last year to refresh our long-term land use plans for the next 50 years and beyond. This is not a new exercise. We have conducted regular reviews of our long-term plans since the first Concept Plan in 1971. Key infrastructure outcomes of the 1971 Concept Plan include Changi Airport and our current MRT lines. From July to September last year, URA engaged more than 5,800 Singaporeans through polls and workshops, to better understand Singaporeans’ values, hopes and concerns for the future.[+17 sentences] We found that Singaporeans aspire towards four key broad outcomes for Singapore. First, a sustainable Singapore – a city where we can grow in an environmentally responsible way, especially in light of climate change. Minister Desmond Lee covered our sustainability efforts extensively earlier. Second, an inclusive Singapore – a city where we can meet the diverse needs of our people and foster social cohesion and harmony. Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim will share more on how we are supporting our vulnerable citizens and forging community partnerships later. Third, an adaptable and resilient Singapore – a city where we can adapt nimbly to disruptions and seize emerging opportunities. MSE colleagues yesterday provided an update of our efforts to build a more resilient Singapore, such as our coastal protection plans to combat rising sea levels, our development of weather-resilient water sources through desalination and the transformation of our used water network with the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System. Fourth, a distinctive and endearing Singapore – a city that we are proud to call our home. Minister Desmond Lee shared earlier about how we will strengthen the character and identity of our city by safeguarding our built heritage. Since October last year, we have followed up and facilitated in-depth discussions with more than 1,000 participants. We also tapped on discussion forums and webinars involving more than 7,000 participants. We discussed how we could achieve the four desired outcomes and how we should balance the trade-offs required. A wide range of ideas were raised. Some of them were quite imaginative, like using our canals and waterways as transport networks, or building floating or underground housing apartments to overcome our land constraints. The public engagement is still ongoing and will culminate in an exhibition in the middle of this year. We encourage Singaporeans to continue contributing their ideas and views. While not all of them are feasible today, they are harbingers of the future possibilities we need to keep in mind. Given the greater uncertainties we face in the future, key focus areas of the LTPR would be strengthening the resilience, flexibility and inclusiveness of our long-term plans and strategies.[+4 sentences] On public housing specifically, Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin and Mr Louis Chua asked about expanding public rental housing to cater to more groups of Singaporeans. The Leader of the Opposition and Miss Rachel Ong also asked about housing access for singles and families with non-citizens. Madam, a vibrant housing market exists. For the rental housing that HDB offers, our emphasis is on providing highly-subsidised rental flats to those who have no other housing options, such as those with financial difficulties, as well as first-timer families who have challenges renting from the market while waiting for their booked flats to be completed. To Mr Louis Chua's suggestion of a Rent-To-Buy model, our Government already provides generous grants and subsidies to help most Singaporeans own either a BTO or resale flat directly.[+2 sentences] Rent-To-Buy arrangements may serve a purpose in societies where there are significant gaps between home ownership aspirations and affordability. In Singapore, we design our public housing financing policy to minimise this gap. Flat buyers in Singapore, generally, require little or no cash outlay in servicing the payments for their flats as their mortgage loans can be paid using their CPF contributions, which leaves flexibility for them to pursue other aspirations and goals with their disposable income. Therefore, it is not clear how Rent-To-Buy is better for the aspiring Singapore home owner.[+10 sentences] We have also been expanding housing options and grants over the years for households of singles and families with non-citizens. For instance, single buyers have access to housing grants and can buy smaller BTO units in non-mature estates. While our overall housing policy continues to support families, we, nevertheless, recognise the home ownership aspirations of singles and, particularly, the circumstances of singles who are also caregivers and seniors. We are very mindful of their concerns and will continue to study ways to assist them. With limited land, we will have to consider the trade-offs and resources needed whenever we make policy changes. For instance, whenever we raise the income ceiling or liberalise eligibility criteria for public housing – for example, by lowering the age limit, demand will go up and we will need to make sure we have the land and the resources to meet such demand. While our current priority is to catch up on the delays caused by the pandemic which Minister Desmond Lee has spoken about, we recognise that the needs and aspirations of Singaporeans are changing, including those who are single or have non-citizen spouses and will continue to study how best to extend more support to them as the situation stabilises. As we carefully balance trade-offs and hedge against future uncertainties, innovation and human ingenuity offers opportunities for us to overcome our constraints. Minister Desmond Lee earlier spoke about enhancements to our Cities of Tomorrow (CoT) R&D programme to fulfil our vision of a more sustainable, liveable and resilient Singapore. The research efforts under the CoT programme also allow us to tap on advancements in big-data analytics and social science research to aid our urban planning and design. In July last year, HDB completed a research project, in collaboration with Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), using data analytics and behavioural studies to look at how to foster the "kampung spirit" in our heartlands. One of the findings was the importance of visual connectivity and the development of a social hub to promote neighbourly interactions. This led HDB to develop a new model of "raised" multi-storey carparks, where the carpark levels are lifted to introduce a porous space on the ground floor where residents from surrounding blocks can interact and gather for social activities.[+6 sentences] Mdm Chairman, in Mandarin please. (In Mandarin): Singaporeans are spending more time at home since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, feedback on municipal issues has significantly increased in the last two years. Among these, neighbourhood issues, such as noise from neighbours, cluttering of common spaces, high-rise littering and bird feeding, are more difficult to resolve. MSO will work with Government agencies, residents and communities to collectively address these neighbourhood issues and maintain a pleasant living environment, in two ways. First, we are collaborating with the business community and the public to harness innovative ideas and bring practical solutions to residents. For example, we piloted the “Switch for Community” initiative in Bukit Timah which offers affordably priced and conveniently located Switch work booths for residents whose attempts to study or work from home are affected by noise concerns.[+6 sentences] The pilot will last for a year, after which we will consider scaling it up to other areas. PA and HDB will also be co-leading an Alliance for Action (AfA) to study practical solutions to better facilitate group-buy activities in HDB estates. Group-buy activities are getting more popular these days, supporting small businesses and promoting interaction among residents. However, it can also cause inconveniences to some residents, such as cluttering of goods at the common corridor and blocking of passageways. The AfA will invite stakeholders, such as group-buy hosts, grassroots leaders and private companies, to identify better solutions together. Second, as an upstream measure, we will continue to focus on shaping positive social norms to mitigate neighbourhood disamenities due to human behaviour. In this regard, MSO and MCCY will set up a Community Advisory Panel (CAP) on Neighbourhood Noise.[+3 sentences] The CAP will consist of representatives from the community who have the relevant experience and expertise in managing municipal issues. We hope to establish CAP soon and invite the public to jointly discuss and develop a set of “community norms” regarding neighbourhood noise. For example, defining what is deemed as unacceptable or uncivil behaviour, as well as what residents should do to reduce noise disturbances to their neighbours. The “community norms” developed by CAP will facilitate mediation and decision-making at the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal, as well as serve as a useful reference for our public advisories.[+3 sentences] Let us work together to create a better living environment for all. (In English): We will continue to work closely with our partners to maintain high service standards. To emerge stronger as a society, we need residents and communities to work together towards our shared goal of a better living environment for all.
The Chairman5 words
[+1 sentence]Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim.
The Minister of State for National Development (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim)2739 words
[+9 sentences]Mdm Chair, the fight against COVID-19 has been long and hard. But the past two years have also shown us that Singaporeans share common aspirations for a caring and inclusive society and want to contribute to making Singapore a better home for all. Today, I will share more about our efforts to support different groups of citizens, especially those who may require more assistance, and create vibrant places in partnership with the community. First, on those staying in public rental flats. Some Singaporeans face more challenges than others in life. For those who are lower-income or more vulnerable, providing highly subsidised rental housing is an important first step. With shelter, they have a safe space to come home to, a stable foundation upon which they can regroup and stabilise. Mr Louis Ng spoke about giving more assurance to single unwed parents. We understand the anxiety that families may face when their housing arrangements are uncertain. Generally, single unwed parents can receive the outcome of their rental flat applications within three weeks of submitting all required information, although more time may be required for complex cases.[+5 sentences] All rental flat applicants may contact HDB at any point for updates on their applications. HDB will also prioritise flat allocations for those with urgent housing needs as far as possible. Beyond housing, those in public rental may also be grappling with other challenges: health issues, family conflict, employment troubles and more. So, public rental housing is not just a shelter; it is a home that comes with social support, to help our rental tenants bounce back stronger. For example, under Community Link, or ComLink, HDB and many other agencies work together to support families with children living in public rental housing. ComLink is a flagship project led by MSF and it is being scaled up nationwide to cover some 14,000 families over the next few years.[+12 sentences] ComLink proactively reaches out to families to understand their unique challenges and aspirations, provides close case support through befriending and action planning, and works with community partners and volunteers to offer customised programmes and services that meet families' needs. Through ComLink, we hope to empower families to regain stability, become self-reliant and, eventually, achieve social mobility. On Mr Chong Kee Hiong's concerns regarding larger families in public rental flats, families may request for a 2-room flat if there are three or more persons. Multi-generation families that can form two family units may also apply for two flats and HDB will try to ensure that both flats are located near each other. We also work closely with MSF and Family Service Centres at selected ComLink sites to offer 3-room rental flats, coupled with social support, to larger families with children. With a limited supply of 3-room flats, however, we are only able to offer them to a small number of families on a case-by-case basis. Like Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin, we hope to help rental tenants achieve their aspirations to own their homes. HDB has a dedicated team of officers, the Home ownership Support Team, who will guide rental tenants on their journey towards home ownership. Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked how families will be identified. The Home ownership Support Team estimates the housing budget of households, based on their income and CPF information that they last shared with HDB. These officers then provide one-to-one guidance. They help families make sense of available housing schemes and grants, provide practical tips and advice, and walk families through the processes of buying a flat. Over the past two years, the team has successfully helped about 110 households own their own homes and another 230 should be ready to apply for a flat in the next one to two years.[+1 sentence] Families can also benefit from generous housing grants when they purchase a flat. For example, first-timers can tap on the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant and receive up to $80,000, on top of already subsidised flat prices, if they purchase a new flat.[+4 sentences] Second-timers can tap on the $15,000 Step-Up CPF Housing Grant. We are also enhancing the Fresh Start Housing Scheme this year, as Minister Desmond Lee shared earlier, to help second-timer families with young children in public rental to own a home again. These grants ensure that public housing remains affordable and accessible, especially to lower-income families. Owning a home is an achievable goal. Between 2019 and 2021, over 2,200 rental households have moved into flats of their own.[+22 sentences] Another 2,200 or so households have also booked a flat and are waiting for their new homes to be ready. I encourage all rental families to aspire and work towards home ownership. The Government and community will support and complement your efforts, as you work towards better lives for yourselves and your loved ones. For low-income singles under the Joint Singles Scheme, or JSS, Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Mr Chong Kee Hiong spoke about the unique challenges they face when it comes to finding or getting along with their flatmates. We understand these concerns and are continually exploring ways to address them. Last year, I shared that HDB will pilot the JSS Operator-Run model. Under this model, singles can apply for public rental without finding a flatmate first and an appointed social service agency will manage the flats and flat-sharing arrangements. I am happy to update that the pilot has started and is progressing well. We currently have two sites, in Bedok North and Buangkok Crescent, which are managed by Good News Community Services. HDB started accepting applications last December. So far, about 90 tenants have confirmed their tenancy and some have already moved in with the flatmates whom they were matched with. I visited the site at Bedok North recently and was encouraged to see that tenants were, generally, able to get along. I also spoke with the operator, who plays a critical role in this model. They help tenants adjust to living together, address other challenges that tenants might face and foster a living environment that is comfortable and supportive. Plans are underway for a third site in Bukit Batok and we will continue to monitor the effectiveness of this model, to see how it can be improved to better meet the needs of singles. Next, on supporting our rapidly ageing population. Mr Yip Hon Weng, Mr Henry Kwek, Mr Xie Yao Quan and Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked about our efforts to help seniors age in place, including our plans to provide assisted living options. As Mr Henry Kwek and Mr Yip Hon Weng mentioned, this is something that the PAP Seniors Group also cares about. I thank Members for their strong interest and support on this. We understand that many seniors prefer to age in environments they are familiar with, surrounded by family and neighbours they can depend on. So, we have made extra efforts to provide senior-friendly homes and estates. Within homes, seniors can tap on HDB's Enhancement for Active Seniors programme, or EASE, to install senior-friendly features for mobility and comfort. These features include grab bars, mobility ramps for wheelchair users and slip-resistant treatment to toilet floor tiles. There has been strong demand and over 250,000 households have benefited from EASE so far.[+16 sentences] Together with other agencies, we will continue to refine the enhancements offered under EASE, to help seniors age independently in their own homes. At the town level, our physical infrastructure also offers an inclusive and user-friendly living environment for all ages. We have features like gentle-sloping ramps for barrier-free accessibility, and pictograms on directional signages to aid wayfinding. Earlier this year, we also formed a pilot community partnership in Boon Lay, called "Our Accessible City @ Boon Lay Neighbourhood". Together with the local community, including seniors and persons with disabilities, we will study how to address accessibility gaps in the HDB heartlands. We also intend to form a similar partnership in Nee Soon Central later on. Beyond infrastructural features, we work with agencies to provide amenities and services in HDB towns so that seniors can meet their needs easily. For example, at the integrated developments at Kampung Admiralty and Yew Tee, senior-friendly housing is co-located conveniently with healthcare, commercial and community facilities under one roof. In each HDB estate, HDB also sets aside spaces for social service agencies to offer services to residents onsite. Depending on residents' demographic profile and needs, these services could include home and day care services or befriending services, which provide support for seniors to age in place. We want to offer a spectrum of housing options to meet the aspirations of seniors to age autonomously and gracefully in place. In particular, we want to meet the aspirations of our senior population for assisted living housing typologies that integrate housing and care services together. Hence, MND, HDB and MOH worked together to develop the Community Care Apartments (CCA). CCA is a new public housing typology. Affordably priced, it combines senior-friendly housing with care services that can be customised according to seniors’ needs. It also offers communal spaces and social programming for seniors to interact and stay engaged with the community. The first pilot we launched last year in Bukit Batok was very well-received, with an application rate of 4.2 applicants per unit. So far, over 90% of the units offered have been booked. To meet the demand for assisted living, we will launch a second CCA pilot this year in Queenstown. About 200 CCA units will be offered and the project will also include other flat types.[+13 sentences] There will also be common facilities, such as roof gardens, fitness stations and community living rooms, to promote social interactions among all residents. This second site is situated within the Health District at Queenstown, where HDB, NUS, healthcare partners like NUHS and local grassroots organisations are piloting new strategies to create a built environment that promotes a healthy lifestyle and active and healthy ageing. Queenstown also has the Alexandra Hospital, which will allow medical and healthcare services to be seamlessly incorporated into the care model for residents. HDB will share more specific site details later this year. We will also launch a site at Parry Avenue for sale by public tender later this year, for a private assisted living facility, to give seniors even more assisted living options. The facility may accommodate about 300 to 400 seniors. I invite prospective tenderers to propose innovative assisted living models to help our seniors age gracefully within the community. We look forward to partnering the private sector to co-create new assisted living housing products that will further enhance the quality of life for our ageing population. Beyond seniors, other segments of our population also have diverse needs and aspirations. For example, Mr Louis Ng asked about catering more lactation rooms in buildings to better support working mothers. The Code on Accessibility which buildings have to meet, by default, includes a requirement to provide lactation rooms. Only certain types of buildings, like offices, are currently not required to provide lactation rooms if they are below a certain size, in consideration of practical space limitations. Nonetheless, the Government encourages building owners and occupants to go beyond the requirements of the Code to cater to the needs of building users. Building owners can tap on co-funding under BCA's Accessibility Fund to undertake voluntary upgrading to provide accessibility and inclusive features like lactation rooms.[+25 sentences] Finally, on working with community stakeholders to rejuvenate heritage precincts in Singapore, which Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked about. Our heritage precincts were impacted by COVID-19. For instance, businesses suffered when footfall fell, due to border closures and other safe management measures. To rejuvenate these heritage precincts, the Government takes a participatory approach on the ground – to actively engage and respond to local communities and find a more resilient and sustainable way forward. This includes working with stakeholders to mitigate gentrification risks and allow older tenants and newer stallholders to exist alongside each other in a seamless and complementary way. In Kampong Gelam specifically, local businesses, institutions, landlords and residents had come together to form the Kampong Gelam Alliance, or KGA, to collectively look into various long-term issues concerning the area. To encourage greater interest in the rich heritage that Kampong Gelam offers, the alliance recently worked with URA, LTA and students from LASALLE College of the Arts to put up posters detailing Kampong Gelam’s storied history around Bugis MRT Station. I have taken on the role as advisor to this alliance and will work closely with existing and new community stakeholders to support their efforts for the area. Together, we hope to preserve the heritage that makes Kampong Gelam distinctive and, at the same time, refresh it so that it remains relevant for future generations. I also invite Singaporeans to share your visions for Kampong Gelam when KGA engages the community and public later this year. Your ideas will guide our efforts to keep Kampong Gelam alive as a centre of community, culture, heritage and enterprise. Through partnership platforms like the pilot Business Improvement District programme, URA also works closely with local stakeholders to transform other neighbourhoods into vibrant and attractive destinations. They are making good progress and we will continue to collaborate with private sector and community partners to enliven neighbourhoods across Singapore. Mdm Chairperson, in Malay, please. (In Malay): Last week, Mr Faisal Manap spoke about Malay families living in public rental flats. We understand that families in public rental have the same aspirations as other families. They want a home where they hope to build a bright future for their families. But many of them are also dealing with multiple challenges, such as health issues, family conflict and employment. So, in public rental housing, the Government gives them both a physical home as well as social support. We take a holistic and coordinated approach to uplift families in rental flats. Through initiatives like ComLink and Project DIAN, HDB works closely with other social agencies and community partners to identify families’ needs and provide the support they need to achieve self-reliance. When families are ready to own a home of their own, they will also receive the help they need. We are ramping up our public housing supply to provide more affordable housing options for Singaporeans, including those from the Malay community. Today, families can receive personalised guidance from HDB’s Home ownership Support Team, that is, HST, who will advise them on their housing options and guide them through the flat purchase process. Families can also benefit from significant housing subsidies and grants, such as the CPF Housing Grant and Step-Up CPF Housing Grant. Between 2017 and 2021, over 1,800 Malay rental households progressed to home ownership. This is more than double the number in the previous five years.[+1 sentence] This year, we will do more. As Minister Desmond Lee mentioned earlier, we will enhance the Fresh Start Housing Scheme, which is for second-timer families with children in public rental. We will increase the grant amount from $35,000 to $50,000. We will also expand the scheme to include the purchase of 3-room flats with shorter leases.[+10 sentences] We hope these enhancements will make it easier for rental families to have a better living environment for their loved ones. If you would like to find out more about how you can work towards home ownership, HDB will be happy to assist. Let me also share a bit about our plans for Kampong Gelam. Kampong Gelam is an important area to the Malay/Muslim and wider Singapore community. So, we want to work hand in hand with the local stakeholders and other citizens, to keep it vibrant and preserve its culture and heritage. I recently took on the role as advisor to the Kampong Gelam Alliance, that is, KGA, which unites local stakeholders, such as businesses, residents and institutions. Together, we will work closely to address local issues and ensure that Kampong Gelam continues to be a place that we hold dear. I also invite Singaporeans to share your ideas with us at an engagement session organised by KGA later this year. (In English): Mdm Chairperson, to conclude, let me reassure everyone that we are committed to supporting vulnerable citizens, meeting the diverse needs of all Singaporeans, and creating vibrant and endearing spaces. And we will do so in close partnership with citizens and the community, to make sure that Singapore continues to be a place that all of us can truly call home.
The Chairman6 words
[+1 sentence]Minister of State Tan Kiat How.
The Minister of State for National Development (Mr Tan Kiat How)3224 words
[+2 sentences]Mdm Chairman, I will speak on how we will accelerate our transformation plans for the built environment (BE) sector. Over the past two years, COVID-19 has posed significant challenges for the BE sector, as shared by Mr Henry Kwek and others before him. The Government has provided substantial support to help the sector tide over this pandemic. This includes the $1.36 billion Construction Support Package, the Jobs Support Scheme, Foreign Worker Levy waivers and rebates, and legislative relief under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act (COTMA).[+16 sentences] The support has been made available to all our construction firms, including sub-contractors. The Government has also recently announced the extension of the Temporary Bridging Loan Programme (TBLP) and the Enterprise Financing Scheme – Project Loan to support firms’ cash flow needs. Notwithstanding the support available to contractors, we understand that some Town Councils are facing higher tender prices, as raised by Mr Gerald Giam. This issue was also raised by Ms Tin Pei Ling and Ms Ng Ling Ling last year. Mr Giam suggested that HDB temporarily increase its Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) grants. Upgrading projects, such as the NRP, remain important to rejuvenate older HDB estates to benefit our residents. As I shared with Ms Tin then, our overall fiscal situation remains tight and I encourage Town Councils to start by reviewing the scope of your projects and reduce upgrading items if possible. Nonetheless, we are in regular discussions with all Town Councils and we will continue to monitor the situation closely. Mr Giam also suggested that HDB provides materials price protection for contractors of town improvement projects. HDB does provide such price protection for its BTO contractors. This includes offering contractors the option of guaranteed protection against steel price fluctuations, where HDB will pay their contractors, if the price of steel exceeds the price that is protected by HDB. Another example is stipulating a fixed quantity of concreting material that HDB will supply at the point of tender closure. However, the contracts for town improvement projects are between Town Councils and their own contractors, and it is up to each Town Council to decide whether to adopt this approach. HDB understands that Town Councils, generally, do not do so as their projects are not as complex or as extensive as BTO projects. Mr Giam also suggested that MND explores measures to strengthen confidence within the construction sector and for parties to better manage risk. We have been doing so and the public sector is taking the lead. Last November, we amended the Public Sector Standard Conditions Of Contract, or PSSCOC, to reduce the need for our contractors to buffer in additional cost in their tender bids.[+1 sentence] First, we made clear the grounds for the Extension of Time caused by pandemics. Second, we included provisions for parties to co-share equally the relevant cost increases incurred due to pandemics – such as labour, plant and equipment, materials or goods and site overhead costs.[+8 sentences] Third, BCA has also worked with Government Procuring Entities (GPEs) to provide a provisional sum for anticipated cost items during the pandemic, such as swab tests, in their new tenders. With this, contractors need not price these costs into their tender bids. These practices minimise the need for contractors to buffer significant additional cost in their bids to cater for uncertainty. Mr Henry Kwek asked about the inflow of foreign manpower for the sector. He also asked how the Government can continue to work with our trade associations to support the sector. The Government has worked closely with the industry to facilitate the inflow of migrant workers. Our industry partners, including trade associations like the Singapore Contractors Association Limited or SCAL, spearheaded efforts to implement a tightened end-to-end process to bring in migrant workers in a safe manner. Workers can also enter Singapore via MOM's Work Pass Holder General Lane. While this arrangement has served the industry well, there is scope to streamline the entry requirements as the COVID-19 situation improves. That is why we have recently announced that the entry requirements for vaccinated new Work Permit holders in the Construction, Marine shipyard and Process, or CMP, sectors will be streamlined with effect from 13 March 2022.[+6 sentences] The streamlined process will help the CMP sectors accelerate the entry of necessary workers for ongoing projects, alleviate the labour shortage while building greater resilience in the workforce. At the same time, we must accelerate our push for transformation. We started this journey back in 2017 and have worked with stakeholders to put together the Construction Industry Transformation Map or ITM. There are three key outcomes: achieving automation through Design for Manufacturing and Assembly or DfMA; enhancing digitalisation through Integrated Digital Delivery or IDD; and promoting sustainability through green buildings. Through DfMA, we are moving construction work off-site into a controlled factory environment, where building modules are prefabricated before assembly onsite, achieving higher labour productivity and safer worksites. We have been pushing for DfMA adoption in the industry over the years. In 2021, around 44% of building projects by gross floor area (GFA) adopted DfMA and we remain on track to meet our target of 70% by 2025.[+3 sentences] Mr Chong Kee Hiong spoke about raising the adoption of Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC), which is a form of DfMA. It is well suited for residential and hotel developments. Our PPVC adoption rate is, currently, about 20% by GFA. The cost premium for PPVC, compared to the traditional construction methods, has decreased from 10% to 15% in 2015 to 7% to 8% in 2019.[+9 sentences] It has remained at around this level during the pandemic. This is because while labour costs have risen, the cost of imported PPVC materials has also risen. We will continue to encourage PPVC adoption through the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme. For instance, we require PPVC adoption for suitable residential and hotel GLS sites, including HDB executive condominium developments. We are also putting in place greater modularisation and standardisation requirements under the Buildability Framework to lower costs. However, PPVC may not be suitable for all developments, especially developments with site constraints or smaller developments without economies of scale. But let me reassure the Member that we will continue to push for the wider adoption of DfMA, including PPVC, wherever possible. Another focus area is IDD. Through IDD, stakeholders across the building lifecycle from upstream design to downstream facilities management can collaborate more seamlessly through digital platforms. This digitalisation improves the accuracy of design and planning and reduces abortive work in construction and maintenance. We have raised IDD adoption by GFA from 20% to 34% in the past year alone and continue to make good progress towards our target of 70% by 2025.[+8 sentences] And we have greened more than 49% of our buildings by GFA under the Singapore Green Building Masterplan. Mdm Chairman, we have made steady progress over the years. But we will need to accelerate our transformation efforts in light of the lessons learnt from COVID-19. At the same time, the operating environment for the built environment sector is rapidly changing. Against this backdrop, we have begun refreshing our transformation plans under the Future Economy Council (FEC) Urban Systems (US) Cluster Sub-Committee. Co-chaired by Mr Liam Wee Sin from UOL Group Limited and myself, we have been engaging stakeholders across the sector – developers, builders, consultants, contractors and facilities managers. We will share more details later this year. However, to kickstart the next bound of transformation, we encourage our built environment firms to tap on various incentive schemes in making the transition. First, we will extend the Productivity Innovation Project (PIP) scheme until March 2024.[+4 sentences] PIP has helped many firms, including SMEs, adopt DfMA and IDD technologies that have made construction work more productive. Under PIP, firms can benefit from support of up to 70% of the cost of adopting solutions like DfMA and IDD technologies. Second, we will extend the iBuildSG Scholarship and Sponsorship scheme until March 2023. This scheme has been very helpful in enabling our built environment firms to attract young talents. Since 2010, the scheme has supported more than 3,700 Singaporeans with the costs of their studies and to pursue careers in the sector.[+11 sentences] Firms can also continue to apply for the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG), which co-funds up to 70% of the cost of adopting off-the-shelf digital solutions. Taken together, these Construction Productivity and Capability Fund (CPCF) schemes will support firms to transform and build the pipeline of local talent and be better prepared for the foreign manpower tightening moves that would be implemented in 2024. In addition to transforming the way we build, we need to change the way we maintain our buildings through facilities management (FM). By 2025, more than 50% of our buildings will be above 30 years old. Given the twin pressures of ageing buildings and rising manpower costs, we will need to press on with our efforts to transform the FM industry. Miss Cheryl Chan asked what steps we will take to accelerate the FM transformation. We agree with Miss Cheryl Chan that there is a need to do more to encourage the adoption of new technologies. In particular, FM firms can harness efficiencies from managing different FM services on an integrated platform and aggregating FM services across many different buildings. I recently visited CBRE, a firm that provides FM services to office buildings, industrial spaces and laboratories. Through its integrated Vantage Analytics platform, CBRE is able to virtually manage its entire portfolio of buildings for its full suite of FM services, including security, cleaning and energy management. CBRE's services have helped its clients, including public sector agencies, attain significant cost savings. For instance, CBRE has worked with JTC to achieve up to 15% operational cost savings in the maintenance of its buildings, including Space@Tuas and JTC Chemicals Hub.[+6 sentences] This is what we call integrated and aggregated FM. Both service buyers and providers play key roles in the adoption of advanced technologies, as a part of integrated and aggregated FM. This includes smart FM technologies that enable predictive maintenance and investing in the infrastructure for data and analytics, as both Ms Tin Pei Ling and Miss Cheryl Chan had pointed out. And we also agree with Miss Cheryl Chan that service buyers, including our Town Councils, should look at adopting outcome-based contracts that can facilitate advanced technologies. At the same time, service providers will need to level up their capabilities. That said, the adoption of integrated and aggregated FM remains nascent, especially for existing buildings, given the high retrofitting costs. To encourage building owners and the FM industry to adopt these good practices, we will introduce a new $30 million grant, which will co-fund up to 70% of the initial capital investment and retrofitting costs for integrated and aggregated FM.[+2 sentences] We plan to fund around 10 to 15 projects across different building typologies. This will establish the business case for wider adoption. To qualify for funding support, building owners will need to work with FM firms to install smart infrastructure, such as sensors and intelligent building management systems and rework their procurement practices and processes, to integrate at least three FM services for at least three buildings in their portfolio. The grant will be available for a period of three years from the second half of this year.[+2 sentences] I seek the strong support of our building owners and FM firms to explore integrated and aggregated FM for your operations. In addition, we will continue to leverage R&D to push the boundaries for automation, digitalisation and sustainability through innovation. Since the launch of the Cities of Tomorrow (CoT) programme in 2017, we have supported a wide range of R&D efforts for the built environment sector. We will further invest $46 million to support innovations for advanced construction and FM.[+26 sentences] These innovations include customisable robotic systems for on-site assembly and off-site construction, and building designs that facilitate the use of robotic solutions. We are also investing in next-generation construction techniques and technologies, such as 3D concrete printing (3D CP), to complement the adoption of robotics in raising productivity. Chairman, I have detailed how we will transform the built environment sector to be more manpower-lean and resilient. But we will need to complement these efforts with a resolute focus on jobs. Mr Henry Kwek and Mr Cheng Hsing Yao had asked how we would attract more Singaporeans to join this sector. Our ongoing transformation efforts have helped us to create good jobs for locals in the areas of DfMA engineering and digital delivery. I recently met Mr Teh Ming Xuan, a planning engineer working for Kimly Construction whose studies were supported by a joint iBuildSG scholarship between BCA and Kimly. Through an internship with Kimly, Ming Xuan became interested in how construction can be radically transformed via DfMA and IDD. He now provides technical support in these areas, working on the implementation of digital platforms and prefabrication to raise construction productivity. He also contributes to Kimly's R&D efforts in advanced robotics and automation and actively explores how new innovations can be deployed for Kimly's projects. In addition to the iBuildSG Scholarship and Sponsorship scheme, we have put in place a multi-pronged approach to attract and upskill talent. First, we will continue to work closely with our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to engage our students on built environment careers through the iBuildSG Club. We are also working with IHLs to incorporate emerging skillsets in DfMA, IDD and green buildings into their curriculum. And we will undertake further initiatives to better retain our Polytechnic and ITE graduates. We will partner our IHLs to put in place more work-study programmes and provide meaningful internships for our students. Second, we will support our mid-career entrants through putting together more Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs), which provide on-the-job training to help our mid-career entrants pick up new skills more quickly. For instance, we have managed to train 94 individuals as Building Information Modelling (BIM) modellers in the past three years. Third, we will continue to work closely with trade associations on accreditation schemes to raise standards within the BE sector and encourage more firms to adopt the Built Environment Skills Framework. For example, I recently met Boustead Projects, a firm that has actively invested in training its employees to keep pace with industry transformation. Over the years, Boustead has leveraged BIM to deliver quality construction projects, through digital visualisation of building designs, documentation and cost estimation. This has allowed Boustead to develop its own in-house training programmes to train its employees in these skillsets. In fact, Boustead has curated training programmes, in partnership with NTUC Learning Hub, BCA Academy and IHLs as a SkillsFuture Queen Bee, for employees of SMEs across the BE sector. As we embark on the next bound of industry transformation, we will also need to update our existing initiatives. This is why we are embarking on a Jobs Transformation Map (JTM) study for the BE sector. Many of our existing schemes adopt a broad-based approach to workforce development. But there is a need to be more targeted in our approach and tailor our initiatives to grow in-demand jobs for the next bound of industry transformation. In this regard, the JTM will examine the combined effects of COVID-19 and industry transformation and chart out targeted interventions for specific roles. We aim to conclude the JTM in the second half of this year and will work with our IHLs, trade associations and firms to implement the recommendations.[+11 sentences] Mdm Chairman, please allow me to say a few words in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): Over the past two years, COVID-19 has posed significant challenges for the BE sector, such as the increase in construction costs, supply chain disruptions and manpower shortages. The Government has provided comprehensive support to help the sector tide over the pandemic. With the support provided, and the resilience and actions of our industry partners, we continue to see signs of recovery from COVID-19 for the BE sector. Construction output has recovered to close to pre-COVID-19 levels. That said, the Government continues to monitor the situation carefully and could introduce further support measures if necessary. Above all, the pandemic has reminded us how important it is for the sector to be resilient to shocks. We will need to accelerate our push for transformation. In particular, we will need to become more productive and reduce our heavy dependence on migrant workers. In this regard, the Government will continue to support our firms on this journey. We will extend various schemes under the Construction Productivity and Capability Fund. To address climate change, we will make available $63 million in grants to retrofit existing buildings to achieve higher sustainability standards. We will launch a new $30 million grant to transform the Facilities Management industry and accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies.[+7 sentences] I encourage firms to make full use of our schemes. If we work together, we can create a resilient, sustainable and liveable built environment. (In English): Across our collective efforts to transform the BE sector, the Government will take the lead through our public sector projects. We also remain committed to working hand in hand with our industry partners on charting the path ahead in the new normal. Together, we can create a future-ready built environment and emerge stronger from COVID-19. Let me now address some other cuts. Mr Gerald Giam had asked about our efforts to manage bird pest issues in housing estates. NParks will continue to work with Town Councils, including Aljunied-Hougang Town Councils, to manage the population of pest birds in residential areas through measures such as habitat modification and food source reduction.[+2 sentences] NParks is also carrying out research to understand the ecology of birds, including how their reproductive biology and factors, such as food availability, can affect their population. And NParks has been sharing best practices with our Town Councils. In fact, on 24 February 2021 and 17 August 2021, NParks briefed all Town Councils on some of the best practices and findings and held a dedicated session for Aljunied-Hougang Town Council on 18 May 2021.[+9 sentences] That said, trapping birds and moving them to another location, as suggested by Mr Gerald Giam, is not a feasible approach. We will be transferring the problem to another group of residents. A more sustainable approach will be keeping our public and common areas clean and free of food waste. In this regard, we will need the assistance of all our Town Councils and the public. Mr Louis Ng had also raised the issue of cat ownership in HDB flats. As part of our broader efforts to improve standards in the pet sector, we have been engaging stakeholders on a range of issues, such as improving dog rehoming and adoption processes, raising standards of pet boarders and breeders. And we are reviewing and will continue to review pet ownership policies to ensure that they balance the needs of different segments of the community, including pet lovers and those who might have concerns about disamenities that may arise. We are considering this issue from various angles, including enhancing our strategies for the management of both pet cats and stray cats, to effectively manage the overall population of cats in Singapore. I would like to assure the Member Mr Louis Ng that we will continue to work with stakeholders to study this issue carefully.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Joan Pereira.
Ms Joan Pereira80 words
[+5 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. I have a clarification for the Senior Minister of State. The issue I highlighted for MND's consideration is not really one between neighbours. Rather, the issue is disamenities caused mostly by non-residents and we know they are non-residents because we patrol the sky gardens or roof gardens nightly. I note that a committee looking into disputes will be formed and I hope that the gating proposal that I made can be seriously considered, studied and, hopefully, implemented.
Ms Sim Ann124 words
[+2 sentences]I thank Ms Joan Pereira for her clarification. HDB has been working together with Ms Joan Pereira and her team on the management of the sky gardens that she has talked about. And one of the considerations is the importance of keeping our HDB estates open in terms of their nature. I am also glad to update that we have been working, not just with HDB, but also with other agencies like MOM and NEA, in doing joint operations to manage against safe distancing or safe management measure violations at these sky gardens. My understanding is that the situation has come under control.[+1 sentence] We understand where Ms Joan Pereira is coming from and will continue to work with her to look for sustainable solutions.
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Pritam Singh472 words
[+4 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. I thank the Minister for responding to some of my cuts. Just a few clarifications. First on the priority schemes. I note that the current information provided by HDB does not detail whether the respective priority schemes have been fully allocated for a typical BTO exercise. And to that extent, for example, it is difficult to assess whether the current 30% threshold of priority for married couples with children is at the appropriate level, particularly given the recent demand in public housing. Can the Minister share, for example, for marriage or priority scheme, whether HDB believes that threshold can be raised?[+17 sentences] But more importantly, does it suggest from HDB's data that, for the more recent BTO exercises, this rise is actually warranted? We recently heard feedback from residents, as I am sure Minister would also have received from newly married couples and couples with children that they are repeatedly unsuccessful in their BTO applications. So, I think that clarity would be quite helpful. The second clarification pertains to EIP. I welcome the announcement of the buyback option for EIP-constrained households, so as to make things fairer for Singaporeans. But I note that this position that was announced today was actually the original last resort solution that was put out by then MND Minister, Mr S Dhanabalan, when he introduced the policy in the late 1980s. Can I confirm if HDB had applied this last resort earlier and, if not, why had it not applied it earlier, because the Minister in the late 1980s already said that this was a last resort option to buy the property from the affected EIP household? Actually, I had asked a written question in July about how many times HDB had purchased an EIP-constrained flat and the reply actually was specific to voluntarily surrendered flats. That was the reply that the Ministry gave. So, I am not sure whether it was an answer to the same thing, whether the flat was actually purchased by HDB in the first instance, as HDB would have committed to do if there were EIP-related constraints, or whether it had not purchased any EIP-affected flat previously. So, has this actually been done before, because the policy was already announced earlier? My third point relates to EIP data. I acknowledge the Minister's point about the difficulty in coming up with a map which is consistent over time. I asked the question because of the previous EIP-related question I filed. The Ministry actually provided the five-yearly interval data. So, naturally, I asked whether that data could be further clarified in those five-yearly intervals, but I note the Minister's point. Finally, I believe my cut on singles and whether HDB would consider reducing the eligibility age for singles to buy a 2-room BTO Flexi Flat or a resale flat could be reconsidered.
Mr Desmond Lee1301 words
[+8 sentences]I thank the Leader of the Opposition for sharing his immediate reaction to the change to EIP where we will introduce the buyback to support EIP-constrained families on a case-by-case basis. But let me first talk about the priority schemes. I said in the speech that we provide data for individual BTO launches. So, let us, say, we launch in a particular area, like Tengah. Each BTO launch, we put out a couple of locations and we say what kinds of housing typologies are available in each location and we specify the application rates for each project, at each launch on a daily basis. That will, in our view, give potential home buyers the most practical and meaningful data that they will then be able to use in determining whether to make an application for that flat in that location or not. So, we provide that data, not only for the location, but for each housing typology. We think that the data we put out needs to be practical and meaningful for flat buyers. And the Leader of the Opposition mentioned that he, anecdotally, hears of cases of people who cannot get flats. We have said that virtually all who apply as first-timers for non-mature estate BTO flats, virtually all, on the third try, should be able to get their flat.[+11 sentences] Of course, those who apply for balance flats or flats in mature estates, particularly where the attributes are very attractive, demand will, naturally, be high across all the possible priority schemes. So, for each launch, for each site, we have allocated quotas for each group, for example, for married children and their parents; for multi-generation families, where relevant; for the Tenant Priority Scheme. For ASSIST, you should be a widowed or divorced second-timer with children. The application rates will vary for a variety of reasons. One, of course, because of the current pandemic situation where people are concerned about housing delays and more people put in applications earlier or based on location and attributes. Some are extremely attractive and lots of people will apply for them. So, in terms of the data we put out, we want it to be practical and useful for home buyers. And whether the Married Child Priority Scheme can be raised, in a way when you talk about "X" number of dwelling units or units in any particular launch in any particular location, it is almost like a zero-sum game because, you have, say, 1,000 units and you have a certain percentage for married children, a certain percentage for other groups, for seniors, based on typology, if you increase one group in terms of quota, then you must eat into other groups and, ultimately, the second-timers will be squeezed out. So, we want to make sure that we provide a balance. HDB looks at all the data, not just for individual sites, but overall launches across the years, and also looks at long-term demographic trends and data, to decide whether we need to make any adjustments to the quotas and priority schemes. Therefore, we keep a very close eye on this. For the prime location public housing, if the Leader of the Opposition recalls, we had made some adjustments to the MCPS, by reducing the quota available to them, if I recall, five percentage points , because we considered it and we said that, yes, we want to ensure that children who want to live near their parents in the area can get access to some of these flats. But we reduced it because we had a bigger objective, or equally important objective, of allowing inclusion in these estates and allowing people who used to live in other parts of Singapore to also have a fair opportunity to buy a flat in some of these very prime locations.[+5 sentences] So, that is first. On EIP, when EIP was introduced in 1989, the resale market was really nascent. The number of resale transactions back then pales in comparison with the resale market that we see today. In fact, all the way to the year 2000, if my memory serves me right, people could surrender their flats to HDB for any reason and not just because of EIP. And it took a period of time for the resale market to become mature in Singapore. When the resale market became mature, HDB stopped the buyback option as a last resort.[+12 sentences] And then, we put in the various measures that we put in place that I have articulated before – waiving EIP on exceptional basis; giving home buyers more time to sell if they feel the constraint and so on. So, that is my response to the Leader of the Opposition's question, if I got him right, in terms of when the buyback option was last used. Then, the Leader of the Opposition had asked the question about the written Parliamentary Question for data and I had explained that we received a request for significant data-sets by the Leader of the Opposition. We had endeavoured to give the data that we were able to provide. And for the second Parliamentary Question that there were constraints with regard to neighbourhoods, neighbourhood names, boundaries and so on, it is all in the reply. And if the Leader of the Opposition looks at the Hansard and he is not satisfied about the response in any way and needs more clarification, we welcome him to put forward a further request and we will clarify. On singles, Senior Minister of State Sim Ann had explained that we want to be responsive to the evolving aspirations of all Singaporeans. A number of years ago, singles could not buy HDB BTO flats. But keeping an eye on how society is evolving and that more Singaporeans are either choosing to remain single as a matter of choice or becoming single because of circumstance – they have caregiving obligations and so on – that group is growing and we wanted to provide for them. Hence, we made the decision to provide BTO eligibility for singles quite a number of years ago, but, certainly, less than 10 years ago. And along the way, we have adjusted the grants and made more flexibilities to accommodate singles and to provide for them. But every group that has eligibility for HDB BTOs, there will always be constraints. So, even for married families, there are income ceilings, there are different criteria – citizenship, household type. And then, for singles, when they apply, they have caregiving obligations and they put their parents as essential occupiers, they can get housing – BTO, not just resale. Or if they are much older and their parents are no longer around and they want to have mutual care and support for single siblings living with each other, we also provide eligibility for them.[+1 sentence] The Leader of the Opposition earlier said that he wanted the priorities to be real priorities, not a gamble – you have high priority but, actually, it is really just a ballot and a gamble and more chances. [restates an earlier point]As I have said before, each group has a specific quota so that we make space for every group that has needs for housing. But if we provide absolute priority for certain groups, like the Leader of the Opposition mentioned, households, then, even if you make adjustments for singles, as proposed, it will not come to fruition because all their spaces will be taken up.[+1 sentence] So, the reality that the Leader of the Opposition now recognises also is that we will have to make adjustments along the way, but also balance the needs of different groups for it.
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Pritam Singh174 words
[+5 sentences]I would like to thank the Minister for sharing that. With respect to my last point about eligibility for singles, I take the Minister's point that there are zero-sum realities to think about here. But I also wish to come back to the point that the Minister made earlier about the number of flats that HDB is prepared to construct from 2021 to 2025. I think the number was up to 100,000. In view of what I shared in my cut about the latest population census and the number of singles that has gone up from the age groups 25 to 29 and 30 to 34, has that information prompted a change in HDB's thinking about its options for singles – which I acknowledge there were not any previously, and these have now been introduced – but in view of new information that is coming online, through the census as I explained, is there some scope to include the building of more flats for singles, for example, within that timeline the Minister has shared?
Mr Desmond Lee350 words
[+3 sentences]I thank the Leader of the Opposition for that. The census makes clear the social demographic trends in Singapore, including that of singles or even of delayed marriage and parenthood. But this is not something that is news to us. We have been looking at social demographic trends all the while and, therefore, the moves on singles through the years, both in allowing them to apply for BTO flats and also adjusting the grants' eligibility along the way. So, we will continue to look at our HDB eligibility criteria and make adjustments where we can.[+9 sentences] As both the Senior Minister of State Sim Ann and myself have said, our priorities are to make sure that we deliver the flats that people are waiting for and also address the significant demand from newly-formed households as well as nuclearising households. In fact, in a paper that the Workers' Party itself put out in 2019, they cited data from, I believe it is the Department of Statistics, showing the family size or the median family size per household, coming down very sharply. And that, of course, comes through in the form of greater demand, both for married households, households with seniors, singles and so on. But as Senior Minister of State Sim Ann said, both sides of the House, we all want to provide for Singaporeans and meet as many needs as we can and to help as many people achieve their home ownership aspirations as possible. We both want to do that. But we live in a situation where both land and resources pose real constraints. And, in fact, if neither land nor resources were constrained, we want to meet everyone's needs all the time. But we will have to make priorities for different groups, based on income, nationality, number of chances they got owning a home based on their family obligations and then make some adjustments, helping those who may need more help and giving them more support. So, that is where we are and we continue to look at the needs of Singaporeans and the housing options that they have.
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Lim Biow Chuan.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan77 words
[+8 sentences]Thank you, Chairman, for seeing my hand at that little corner where I was. Can I ask Senior Minister of State Sim Ann about this Community Advisory Panel? Who is expected to be on this panel? Would it be community leaders? Would it be mediators? Would members of the public be involved in this panel? Also, what about other issues, like second-hand smoke and hoarding? Would Senior Minister of State Sim Ann be able to clarify that?
Ms Sim Ann168 words
[+1 sentence]I thank Mr Lim Biow Chuan for the clarifications. For the Community Advisory Panel on Noise, we intend to invite onto this panel community leaders who have experience in handling or mediating issues to do with noise in the neighbourhood. And we also plan to have engagements and discussions where members of the public can also take part because the idea is to formulate a set of norms or benchmarks that can be useful in mediating conflicts arising from noise and also to guide our agencies in terms of their public education advisories.[+1 sentence] We are starting with noise because, amongst the different kinds of neighbour disputes that I have raised, which have their roots in human behaviour, neighbour noise is the most numerous and we would like to gain more experience from using this Community Advisory Panel to form these norms and then work in concert with enhanced community dispute resolution mechanisms and gain some experience from that before we apply it to other forms of neighbour disputes.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Louis Chua.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis177 words
[+7 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. I just have two clarifications. The first is regarding the BTO cut that I had filed. It is really whether or not we could set aside a minimum target percentage of the flats. We have the shorter wait times. So, instead of the Build-to-Order (BTO) process, we have one which is build-ahead-of-order, considering that we do have a very significant demand and supply imbalance in the market today, with very high over-subscription rates for the BTO flats. The second is in relation to resale subsidies and ensuring affordability. As it is, there are already a lot of public housing flats today in areas where only the better-off can afford them.[+1 sentence] I spoke about the 261 million-dollar flats. But if we look at the median resale prices of, say, a 5-room flat in places, such as Bukit Merah, Queenstown, Toa Payoh, these range from $800,000 to $900,000.[+1 sentence] So, what is it that the Ministry would be looking into to ensure that it is not only the better-off who can afford a flat in these places?
Mr Desmond Lee629 words
[+2 sentences]The Member asked if more shorter waiting time flats can be built. The answer is that we are doing everything we can to do so. The reason why flats have shorter waiting times and, in the case of the most recent launch – two in Yishun, if I am not wrong – it is two years plus to get the flat. That is because the land was available, we were able to carry out the very significant land preparation and infrastructure development to enable those two projects to be launched ahead of time, ahead of our BTO launch, so that when people actually select the flat, the time to them collecting the keys is much less.[+15 sentences] But that requires us to not just do land preparation and that work is very significant – you have to clear encumbrances, do land preparation, you may need to clear the land, provide the services, the roads. That work takes time. Singapore is land-scarce. So, where does this land come from to meet all these needs, or growing needs? To which, the Workers' Party would like to add more demand, which we will look at. But we will have to take land from greenfield sites. And the Workers' Party has said, "Please keep as much greenery as possible". But some of these sites, we will have to use. So, please support when the studies are out. Some are greenfield sites. Some of them are brownfield sites, which means they have been cleared of their previous use and the land is ready to be developed. But often, brownfield sites are still being used – whether they are used for businesses and industry or for nurseries, farming or retail or whatever, and we have to give the user of the land the time to be able to clear out and then we take over. And if there is a delay in that, that will affect our land preparation, that will affect our launch, that may cause delay to our housing plan. So, to plan for a BTO programme requires many years of planning ahead of time. And, wherever possible, we will advance it in order to allow shorter waiting time flats to be launched. In addition to that, as I have said in my speech earlier, we have both Sale of Balance Flats options as well as the Open Selection of Flats, where we put the balance units from all over the island and allow people to select.[+4 sentences] In fact, one is coming up, starting this month. I look forward to residents who need immediate housing to apply for those. As for affordability of resale flats, there are certain areas which are very popular, the flats' resale prices are higher. But part of it is in the last year or so, because of COVID-19, because of concerns about construction delays, coupled with the ongoing socio-demographic trend of household formation and smaller households, had resulted in greater demand for resale flats; particularly in some areas which are very popular. In fact, for the last six out of seven years, resale prices have been trending downwards. We provide generous subsidies for those buying resale flats, up to $180,000 , depending on income level, to help with the affordability of resale flats.[+1 sentence] But we also have put in place the Prime Location Public Housing flats to ensure that, in some very prime locations, eventually, when they become resold on the market and became resale flats themselves, we have enough mechanisms and levers to try to ensure that they remain affordable, not just at first launch, but, over time.
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Gan Thiam Poh.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh39 words
[+2 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. (In Mandarin): I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State what are some of HDB's considerations in considering the profile of shops that it would prioritise in an area.
Ms Sim Ann197 words
[+10 sentences]Mr Chairman, in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): I would like to thank Mr Gan Thiam Poh for his question. With regard to the features of heartland shops, we are now conducting a public consultation exercise. According to the feedback we have received from the public consultation so far, they have a few unique features. Some participants have shared that heartland shops should provide essential goods and services for residents and blend in with the spirit and ambience of the estate. They also hope to see more specialty shops and heritage shops in the heartlands and that the heartland shops will continue to operate and retain their local identity and connection. At the same time, there are others who wish to see more innovative shops that can offer residents a fresh shopping experience. In general, most of the participants from the public consultation were of the view that there should be active curation and management of goods and services offered by the heartland shops. We will continue with the consultations based on the feedback received. After collating and analysing all feedback, we will craft a plan to enhance the shopping experience in the heartlands.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Mariam Jaafar.
Ms Mariam Jaafar137 words
[+8 sentences]Thank you, Chairman, two questions for the Minister. One is on EIP – wonderful news. On the flip side of my question, the group that, due to EIP, cannot rent or buy flats nearer to their parents, is there something that the Ministry is also thinking to do for them? Secondly, on green buildings. Great to hear about the grants for retrofits being extended to residential buildings, too. But, of course, HDB is the primary volume driver here. Can the Minister also give an update on the roadmap for HDB to retrofit its large base of buildings, as well as new buildings, to become greener? I say this knowing that it has a lot of socioeconomic impacts; I do not take it lightly, but it would be great if the Minister could share something on the roadmap.
Mr Desmond Lee432 words
[+2 sentences]I will take the second question first. In the joint segment on the Green Plan, I had shared briefly about efforts that we will be undertaking under HDB Green Towns. For existing flats, we have committed to emplace solar panels on the roofs of 8,400 blocks and have done so for about 2,700, which is roughly around 30%.[+7 sentences] We aim to put solar panels on as many HDB rooftops as possible, subject to studies like loading, technical considerations, whether it gets adequate exposure to the sun and so on. And for new BTOs, to make every HDB rooftop solar panel-ready, so that when the SolarNova contracts come their way, they are ready to be fitted out with solar panels. The pneumatic waste management system under the HDB Green print in both Ang Mo Kio and Yuhua has shown that they are best done for new BTOs. Likewise, for the rainwater harvesting pilot in Yuhua. But for existing BTO flats, we are piloting cool paints on the surfaces of existing HDB blocks to reflect more heat away and to make the ambient environment in the homes more liveable and, in that regard, help families manage the cost of keeping their homes cool at the hottest times of the day or year. And, of course, making every effort to green our HDB towns as much as possible and, hence, the OneMillionTrees, getting people heavily involved in HDB towns to plant as many trees in the town as possible. So, these are just some of the many things we are doing to retrofit, or to help our existing estates to be greener and more sustainable. On EIP, our announcement focuses on those who are EIP-constrained and, despite marketing their flats for up to six months at reasonable prices, they are not able to sell and can show to HDB their efforts.[+6 sentences] So, HDB has now one more tool in the toolkit to help some of these families address their personal pain points, in order for society as a whole in Singapore to understand and support the policy of EIP, to keep our estates ethnically diverse. The Member's point is about the reverse, people who want to buy a resale flat in an area that is near their parents' homes, but are facing a constraint because the seller cannot sell to them. In those cases again, I would say, put an appeal through. Let HDB take a look because it works both ways. They cannot buy, seller also wants to sell. And then, we will have a look globally at both the buyer and seller's situation.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat190 words
[+11 sentences]Thank you, Mr Chairman. I got one clarification in regard to EIP and it is addressed to the Minister. First of all, I thank the Minister for the explicit move on the EIP. It has been a long time coming to help families or individuals who cannot sell. My first clarification is about the fair offer. In what way can the Minister reassure sellers involved in this EIP appeal, on a case-by-case basis, and residents have suggested this as well, as in a buyback from HDB? But how can the Minister reassure that the price will not be too low when the valuation comes in and what is the valuation level that will be coming up? The second question is, sometimes, the seller could be seniors who stay in some of these old mature flats and they stay alone. How can HDB help them to compile these documents for submission? I know property agents may be involved, but, in some ways, how can we inform some of these senior sellers with regard to documentation? Because it looks quite onerous in terms of collecting listings for six months and all that.
Mr Desmond Lee148 words
As I have said, HDB, when considering this buyback option for the seller, will appoint a professional valuer. We will look at the inputs and then make a fair offer, taking into account the specific circumstances that the family is in.[+4 sentences] Certainly, we cannot match the highest possible resale prices in the area. But we will make sure the offer is fair, the seller will be told and given time to consider. He can, of course, write to HDB if he feels that he disagrees with the quantum, but that is an offer that HDB makes after taking in inputs. On seniors living alone and if they face these difficulties, please ask them to approach the HDB branch office and we will do what we can to support them if they face difficulties carrying out the process in order to avail themselves of some of these support mechanisms.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Melvin Yong.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas)136 words
[+6 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. I have two clarifications for Minister of State Tan Kiat How. Today, NTUC has formed Company Training Committees (CTCs) with some Facilities Management (FM) companies. Through these CTCs, we are working very closely with the companies to transform their business operations and upscale their workers, achieving win-win outcomes. So, my first clarification is whether MND and BCA will work with NTUC and Building and Allied Trades' Union (BATU), that is, our building, construction and timber industries employees' union, to reach out to more FM companies to establish CTCs with them? My second clarification is whether the FM sector, both employers as well as workers, could benefit from adopting Progressive Wage Model (PWM) with its wage and skills ladders, so that we can better attract, retain and develop local professionals in this growing sector?
Mr Tan Kiat How290 words
[+12 sentences]Mr Chairman, Mr Melvin Yong had two clarifications. I will answer the first one about working with NTUC and, specifically, BATU, in terms of upskilling and raising the level of professionalism, as well as wage and career progression for our FM workers. The answer is, certainly, yes, we are happy to work together with NTUC, as well as our partners in BATU to do so. In fact, this is something we are working very closely on with all partners: industry partners, companies, employers as well as our union leaders. Specifically, on the modality of CTCs, it is one modality that we work closely with the union leaders and companies on. Broadly speaking, I would say that we encourage the FM and the MA workers to go for training and accreditation to raise their professionalism and improve their competencies. Because that is the sustainable way for wage progression and career pathways in both sectors. And we are very heartened that many companies and workers have come on board many of the training programmes conducted either by BCA Academy or our trade associations, including the Singapore International Facility Management Association (SIFMA), the Association of Property and Facility Managers (APFM) and the Association of Strata Managers (ASM). So, we are working together and we welcome a tripartite approach. To the Member's second question about the PWM within the FM sector, I understand that the NTUC friends are working very closely with MOM. The Member has raised a proposal to look at the PWM for workers in the strata management sector and we are working very closely with MOM to look at the scope, as well as the merits of the issue. We look forward to continue working with our NTUC colleagues on this.
The Chairman8 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Yip Hon Weng. Keep it short, please.
Mr Yip Hon Weng38 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Mr Chairman. Two clarifications: can services in the Community Care Apartments (CCAs) be extended to seniors living in existing HDB estates? And two: why is a first-timer family not eligible for the Fresh Start Housing Scheme?
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim168 words
[+8 sentences]Mr Chairman, I thank the Member for the questions. CCA is a new concept and we need to evaluate the pilot to see how it helps in the physical and socioemotional well-being of the seniors. We will also take the Member's suggestion. That said, today if you look at MOH, they also have services that look after the frail, for example, home and day care. At the same time, for those who need social support, we have the befrienders. As we move forward, there will be a levelling up of the elder care centres to see how these can better serve as a point of contact for seniors in every community, providing active ageing, befriending and many more services where they can be a point of contact. But we are encouraged by the support and also the responses from the public about CCA. We will closely study its impact and we really want to make it work, so that we can give opportunities for our seniors to age-in-place.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Minister Desmond Lee.
Mr Desmond Lee75 words
[+1 sentence]Thank you, Chairman. I just want to make two factual clarifications. [self correction]I misspoke earlier in response to Mr Louis Chua.[self correction]I said that the resale grant is up to $180,000.[+1 sentence] It should be $160,000. And in relation to the Leader of the Opposition, when I mentioned the MCPS adjustments for the first PLH and second PLH, it was 30% to 20%. So, it is a cut of 10 percentage points, rather than five percentage points.
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Chong Kee Hiong.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong80 words
[+6 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. I thank Minister Desmond Lee for buying back flats from EIP-constrained owners under certain conditions. I have the following clarifications: would these flats be added to the PPHS or Public Rental Scheme to meet rental demand from singles or families in the eligible minority ethnic groups? My second clarification is for Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim. Could the Minister of State provide an update on the current situation of EIP-constrained owners? Has the number of appeals increased?
Mr Desmond Lee50 words
[+2 sentences]All flats that are bought back, we are likely to prioritise them for home ownership, put subsidies and put them out as balance flats to meet housing demand. But depending on circumstances and on location, we may also consider them for PPHS or other uses, subject, of course, to EIP.
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim34 words
[+2 sentences]For the number of appeals, we have seen the number of appeals going down over the years, from 2019 to today. So, with these changes, we hope we can support the home owners better.
The Chairman8 words
[+2 sentences]Miss Cheryl Chan. Keep it very, very short.
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling30 words
[+2 sentences]Chairman, because I am also aware of the Guillotine Time, so, I shall file my clarifications in subsequent Parliamentary Questions (PQs) instead. Would you like me to withdraw my amendment?
The Chairman8 words
[+1 sentence]Yes, would you like to withdraw your amendment?
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling266 words
[+8 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. I want to begin by thanking Minister Desmond Lee, Second Minister Indranee, whom we miss but I am sure she has been preparing for this COS as well, Senior Minister of State Sim Ann, Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State Tan Kiat How and the entire MND team who have been working very hard to address all the varying topics that we have raised. Housing policies and land planning topics are complex for the fact that they have a lot of stakeholders that they interact with and also because they address genuine needs on a day-to-day basis. So, it is not an easy balance. By recognising this, the Ministry has been trying its very best to help many people on the ground, based on all the feedback that we have received. I hope that we can continue refining the policies over time, in order to make sure that we can strengthen the schemes that are available, so that it really helps people. Last but not least, it is important that we continue engaging citizens and partners to be able to shape the future Singapore, so that we can truly have a sustainable, resilient and liveable city and, together, we can build a home for all. Chairman, with that, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.
Committee of Supply – Head W (Ministry of Transport)›Budget15 turns · 4,567w
· 31 highlighted
budget-1882
The Chairman16 words
[+3 sentences]Head W, Ministry of Transport. Mr Saktiandi Supaat. If you could just take your first cut.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh)455 words
Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head W of the Estimates be reduced by $100." As we hopefully look to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic year, it is timely for us to take stock of the lessons we have learnt from the supply chain disruptions amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and how businesses are responding to the same.[+3 sentences] This will prepare us to bolster our hub status as a reliable and resilient transport node to the world. First, there is a general consensus that digitalisation is required to mitigate the risk of supply chain disruptions. To utilise our limited resources productively, we have already been focusing on digitalisation before the pandemic. But other larger and resource-rich countries will also see the same need now – whether it is using AI and machine learning to decrease dependency on human labour in critical parts of the supply chain or digitising the cumbersome paperwork that accompanies the cargo flowing through the chain. So, while I welcome the launch of our Supply Chain 4.0 Initiative to help small businesses scale up on digital and automated solutions to make supply chains more resilient and secure, we need to think about how we can continue to stay ahead as the transport node of choice.[+3 sentences] Second, the unpredictability of supply chain disruptions has led businesses to move from "just in time" to a "just in case" inventory strategy. As businesses start to keep a fair level of buffer beyond their expected inventory needs, they are also looking for integrated short-term storage solutions in addition to the efficient processing and clearance of goods at our ports. This creates a conundrum for land-scarce Singapore, where storage space at our ports or elsewhere is only available at a premium. Perhaps the Government can consider how we can use idle state land to support this – as part of our more general plan to move our sea port westwards in the coming years.[+5 sentences] Third, we must remember that supply chain disruptions are a global problem and no one country is going to solve it themselves. So, collaboration is key. Even as we compete, we must recognise that sharing knowledge and solutions will improve the interoperability across a network of ports and enhance our resilience and reliability as a regional transport solution. Through this pandemic, I am glad that we have succeeded in developing and sharing safe crew change protocols with fellow International Maritime Organisation member states and enhanced our digital OCEANSTM initiative to shape and harmonise global data standards. We must continue these efforts to export knowledge. How does the Ministry intend to further enhance Singapore as a reliable and resilient transport node?
Mr Saktiandi Supaat538 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Chairman, today, many countries in the world are talking about smart transportation or intelligent transportation systems. We are no different. Under our Smart Mobility 2030 masterplan launched in 2014, we aim to optimise transport systems and enhance commuter travel experience across Singapore with the latest developments in transport technologies.[+10 sentences] Time-wise, we are almost at the 50% mark. Could the Ministry share an update on our progress? What are the Ministry's plan and strategy to embrace, testbed and utilise new and advanced technologies to benefit commuters in Singapore or even globally? Putting aside autonomous and green vehicles, one of the centrepieces in the Smart Mobility vision is to leverage data and analytics to optimise the use of transport systems. Besides collecting information and analysing them at the backend, it is equally important to push such information to individual commuters, so that we are able to influence our user behaviour in real time. This is not new – we have long been informing motorists of road conditions through radio broadcasts and the Expressway Monitoring and Advisory System’s (EMAS) electronic signboards. However, rapid improvements in technology mean there are now faster and more efficient ways to push information to commuters. We can now look to apps and websites on our mobile phone for bus arrival timings from the SBS Transit app, ERP rates from the MyTransport app and road conditions from OneMotoring. But these are only as useful as we can get commuters to use them. What is the utilisation of feedback on these informative apps? Is there an opportunity to centralise information on a single user-friendly platform, now that a global chip shortage has delayed the rollout of the Next-Gen-ERP to the latter half of 2023?[+2 sentences] For example, at the usage of Park Connector Network (PCN) level, we can roll out a PCN cycling and pedestrian density real-time "crowd level" map akin to NParks' Safe Distance website where it helps users avoid or navigate with the understanding it is a busy PCN peak period. We are seeing these exciting transport evolutions as we see the transport industry facing a sea change globally. International climate change objectives have intensified the race to decarbonise transport, which accounts for around one-fifth of global carbon emissions.[+4 sentences] Technological advancements are driving the evolution of smart and intelligent transport systems. We are seeing these exciting transport evolutions in Singapore as well, including the Hyundai electric vehicle (EV) plant that is coming up, the commercial air taxi services that are coming up as well. Smart technology can complement our transport system by providing last-mile connectivity where required, such as to our islands. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has also shaken up the transport industry over the past two years as transport routes and norms are disrupted. While our seaport continued to post stellar results despite the pandemic, the same cannot be said about our air transport and supporting services industry, which has bled thousands of jobs since the pandemic broke.[+2 sentences] What is the projected job creation outlook in the transport sector, be it air, land or maritime? What are the emerging areas and what future jobs will be there and how can we encourage and develop local talent to join these sectors early on?
The Chairman8 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Melvin Yong, take both your cuts together.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas)688 words
[+5 sentences]Mr Chairman, the COVID-19 pandemic has a profound impact on our transport workforce across the air, sea and land sectors. First, it is no secret that our aviation sector has been hard hit by the pandemic. But as more vaccinated travel lane arrangements are made and air travel starts to recover, what is the Government's outlook for the aviation sector? Is the worst behind us or are we looking at a long bottom of a U-shape recovery curve? It takes years to train our aviation staff, especially highly-skilled jobs, such as pilots and aircraft technicians. According to MOM's data, our air transport workforce has dropped by about 30%, compared to pre-COVID-19 staffing levels.[+18 sentences] A well-trained and well-staffed workforce is vital for Singapore to recover our status as a travel hub. How does the Government intend to support the aviation sector and revive Changi Airport's manpower capacity? Are there any plans to increase recruitment to prepare for the return of air travel demand? Our maritime sector, however, has done well amidst the pandemic. Singapore's ports handled a record number of container throughput in 2021. As the sector grows and transforms, what are the Ministry's plans to attract more local workers to join the maritime sector? Has the enhanced Career Conversion Programme for Sea Transport Professionals and Associates been successful in attracting Singaporeans into this growth sector? Lastly, our land transport sector saw more locals joining as bus captains, bus technicians and rail engineers in the past two years, many of whom are mid-career switchers. But as our economy recovers and companies in the hospitality and tourism industries ask ex-staff to return, do we foresee an increase in attrition among our public transport workforce? How does the Ministry intend to tackle this attrition and keep our essential services attractive to Singaporeans? Sir, COVID-19 also highlighted the vulnerability of our public bus workforce. We should build a reserve public bus captain pool, one that can be activated upon short notice to fill urgent manpower gaps. I propose to train taxi drivers to act as reserve bus captains. This reserve force could drive buses once a month to keep their driving skills and route familiarity current so that they can be activated upon an emergency. Two of our public bus operators, SBS Transit and SMRT, have taxi companies within their corporate groups today. I hope LTA can work with the National Transport Workers' Union (NTWU) to initiate a pilot with these two companies. COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way we live, work and play. My concern is whether we need to review our pre-pandemic key planning parameters for our major transport infrastructure projects. According to data from LTA, public transport ridership in 2021 has continued to remain low. There was an average of 5.25 million bus and train trips a day, the second lowest since 2010 and much lower than the record 7.69 million daily trips in 2019.[+5 sentences] How will the permanent shifts in the way we live and work affect our long-term plans to grow the MRT network? Can the Ministry provide an update on our rail expansion plans, specifically, the Cross Island and Jurong Regional Lines, and whether we need to review the earlier ridership projections for these lines? Our aviation sector, too, has seen a continued slump and the Ministry had announced a two-year pause in Changi Airport Terminal 5's construction. Can the Ministry provide an update on when construction will resume, if at all, and whether there will be changes to the scope of the project? Lastly, the maritime sector, however, has performed well amidst the pandemic. According to MPA, Singapore was the world's busiest container transhipment port, handling a record high of 37.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of container throughput in 2021. We are currently building the Tuas Mega Port which, when fully completed in 2040, will be the world's largest fully-automated terminal with the ability to handle up to 65 million TEUs annually.[+2 sentences] This is twice our current record high. I would like to ask whether we have oversized the capacity of the Tuas Mega Port and whether the pandemic has delayed its construction timeline.
Mr Ang Wei Neng (West Coast)1119 words
[+7 sentences]Chairman, the pandemic has completely changed our lives in the past two years. There may not be an exact endpoint where we can say life is going back to normal. While we are slowly restoring parts of our lives, some parts have changed forever. I would like to touch on one aspect which is close to my heart – how the pandemic has altered our transport patterns. Before I proceed, I would like to declare my interest as I am working in the land transport industry. It is amazing how all of us have been forced to work from home in one way or another in the past two years. Will working from home be a permanent feature in the future? From my conversations with many business leaders, the consensus is that most staff, barring the frontline staff, will likely be working from home between 10% and 30% of the time even after the pandemic.[+5 sentences] More employers are also willing to have their workers put on staggered working hours. Indeed, data from a study in San Francisco showed that the pandemic had reduced traffic throughout the morning peak hour and spread it all over throughout the day. Ultimately, this can also contribute to healthier communities as there is less air pollution and is aligned with our green plan. Therefore, we need to capitalise on the work-from-home trend to permanently reduce the level of travel demand during the peak hours between 7.30 am and 9.30 am. Before the pandemic, the resources devoted to the morning peak hours often defined the maximum capacity required to meet the travel demand. Going forward, firstly, I would like to suggest that the Public Service, which employs about 130,000 public officers, consider encouraging their staff to continue to work from home one to two days a week or to allow the staff to come to work after morning peak hours.[+7 sentences] If there is a need to have an early meeting at 8.00 am, perhaps we can allow some of them to join the meeting virtually. The unions can also chip in to encourage similar practices in the private sector. Secondly, at the next review of public transport fares, perhaps the Public Transport Council, or PTC, can take the opportunity to encourage less travelling during peak hours. In London, some national rail services do not stop at the busiest interchanges at peak times in a deliberate attempt to discourage travelling during peak hours. But I do not suggest that Singapore do the same. It might be better for PTC to amend the fare structure to give a significant discount during the off-peak travel period. However, providing monetary incentives alone will not shift the travel pattern significantly. In 2013 to 2014, many of you would remember that commuters were offered free pre-peak travel if they exited certain MRT stations before 7.45 am.[+14 sentences] What was the result? There was only a sustained decrease of about 7% of commuters exiting the 16 participating MRT stations during the peak period between 8.00 am and 9.00 am. This means that there needs to be a combination of people working from home, staggered working hours and financial incentives for off-peak travelling to result in a significant and sustained impact. After going through the pandemic, I hope MOT can work with the various stakeholders to cement the change. This will also mean a more pleasant ride on our trains and buses. If we manage to flatten the curve of peak-hour travelling, should we allow or should we slow down the construction of MRT lines? I hope MOT will reply with a firm "no". After the construction of the North-East Line, when the ridership was much lower than what LTA had anticipated, the construction of the Circle Line and Downtown Line was delayed. That resulted in overcrowding in the oldest North-South and East-West lines. We should not create the same kind of situation again. We should still build train lines ahead of demand. I trust that MOT will continue with its plan for the Jurong Regional Line and Cross Island Line. However, we can consider reducing the number of trains deployed to save on the operating, maintenance and fixed asset costs, like rolling stock, if we are successful in flattening the peak-hour travel demand. Next, I would like to move on to the topic of cycling. The pandemic has made cycling more popular for leisure and for commuting. As what Minister S Iswaran had said, commuting by bicycle does not emit any carbon dioxide. So, it is good that Singapore is expanding its current 440-kilometre network of cycling paths to 800 kilometres by 2023 and to 1,320 kilometres by 2030.[+12 sentences] However, these paths and the park connector network, or PCN, are getting crowded as more Singaporeans are using them. I, myself, have been cycling. I have come across instances where the entire shared path was blocked by families holding hands and walking in a row side-by-side. On other occasions, I had also seen three bicycles cycling in parallel, blocking the entire PCN. To keep everyone safe, I suggest that there should be dedicated cycling and pedestrian paths as far as possible. East Coast Park is one of those parks which have dedicated cycling and pedestrian paths and we need to extend this to more places, such as the PCNs in Marina Bay, Alexandra or the Sengkang/Punggol PCN and more. In order to create separate paths, the entire path needs to be widened to include the space on either side. Hence, the agencies need to be bold to take back the land or to repurpose the land which may now comprise part of a road or a grass verge to expand the PCN. COVID-19 might have slowed down our pursuit of new technologies in transport, such as autonomous vehicle or AVs. The use of AVs is an important technological milestone that we cannot miss. In 2020, Singapore was named as the world's top country for autonomous driving due to the expansion of our testing areas and training of bus drivers to operate AVs. In fact, there was an earlier announcement that three new towns would be served by driverless buses by 2022. Can MOT update on the progress of AV trials at Jurong Innovation District, Tengah and Punggol? Meanwhile, two air taxi pioneers had recently announced their ambition to launch commercial air taxi services in Singapore by 2024. Could MOT provide us an update on the regulatory framework and safety standard for air taxis in Singapore? Alongside pandemic-induced changes in the way we travel, new transport technologies like AVs and air taxis would be an important part of our transport strategy for the future to reduce traffic congestion and free up land for other uses.
The Chairman11 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Gan Thiam Poh, you can take your two cuts together.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio)124 words
[+8 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. The aviation sector has been badly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the travel sector gradually recovers, how fast can Changi Airport open up to more Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs)? How will the Government support our airport to recover its role as an aviation hub safely? In the longer term, how will the airport continue to remain competitive and provide good jobs for Singaporeans? As almost all Singaporeans and residents complete their vaccinations and boosters or acquire immunity, it will become safer for our travel sector to resume. Can the Minister provide an update on the upcoming plans to reopen our borders and attract more flights to Changi Airport? Would the Ministry share its outlook for the aviation sector for 2022?
Mr Raj Joshua Thomas (Nominated Member)107 words
[+4 sentences]Sir, Singapore's tourism sector has been hit hard by the disruption of travel into Singapore. On the home side, Singaporeans have become a little stir-crazy from restricted travel overseas for leisure, and business persons are also looking for easier travel procedures to places they need to be at. In this regard, I would like to ask the Minister about MOT's plans to recover air passenger travel and revive the aviation sector. On a related note, I would also like to ask if there are plans to ultimately drop the VTL system and to introduce quarantine-free travel for vaccinated travellers from all destinations, perhaps starting with vaccinated Singaporeans.
Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang)9 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Chairman, may I take my two cuts together?
The Chairman2 words
[+1 sentence]Yes, please.
Ms Poh Li San533 words
[+5 sentences]Thank you. Mr Chairman, I would like to first declare my interest as an Executive in the Changi Airport Group. The aviation sector has been one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the spread of the Omicron variant has been a drag on the recovery of the sector, there was still cautious optimism at the beginning of this year that global air travel demand will pick up over the course of 2022. Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine has now cast a shadow over the much-anticipated recovery of this sector. As Russia accounts for about 10% of the world's supply of crude oil, there will be serious disruptions due to the sanctions against Russia by the international community. Not only will oil prices jump, there will also be an impact on the supplies of jet fuel and, in turn, an upward pressure on the price of plane tickets.[+9 sentences] Flights over Europe may also need to be rerouted due to the war. Would the Ministry share its views on these events and their impact and its outlook for the aviation sector? What is our strategy going forward to minimise the impact of the pandemic and the war on our aviation sector? Despite these challenges, we should try to proceed to open our borders safely. Will the Ministry provide an update on the upcoming plans to reopen our borders? With different countries issuing different travel regulations in their attempts to control the pandemic, air travel has become challenging and fraught with confusion. There should be better coordination amongst countries. A uniform set of travel regulations would be more helpful to rejuvenate air travel. What is the Ministry's view on this and what can Singapore do to contribute to improve cooperation with our partner countries, especially those with the most traffic with Singapore? Mr Chairman, the aviation sector is a manpower-intensive one, with more than 50,000 workers working in Changi Airport pre-COVID-19.[+5 sentences] After more than two years of the pandemic, how many workers were still employed at the end of 2021? With the gradual resumption of travel, how can the Government ensure that there are sufficient workers to cope with the border reopening? What are the measures to increase the automation of labour-intensive jobs? In the longer term, how can we ensure that the aviation sector remains attractive and provides good jobs? How will the Government continue to support the sector to scale up its capacity and capabilities? Last month, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore convened the inaugural meeting of the International Advisory Panel on Sustainable Air Hub to develop a blueprint for Singapore to become a sustainable aviation hub.[+4 sentences] Would the Ministry share more about its plans under the blueprint? Companies in the aviation sector are trying to keep afloat amidst a very difficult environment caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and, now, the war in Ukraine, which will lead to higher oil prices. What will the Government do to help the aviation sector cope with increased carbon taxes in addition to the other cost pressures? What grants and funds are available for the aviation industry to invest in new technology and equipment that will reduce carbon emissions and boost energy efficiency?
The Chairman10 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Dennis Tan, you can take your two cuts together.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang)716 words
[+2 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. In the last few months, there appears to be some lamentation over the slow recovery of the Asia Pacific aviation industry from the pandemic amidst government restrictions. According to figures released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for October last year, travel in the Asia Pacific was down 92.8% in October 2021, compared to October 2019.[+17 sentences] According to IATA, the region is the only part of the world to see practically no improvement in air travel during the past year. A few months on, as countries battled their way out of the Omicron threat, I wonder whether there is any sign of recovery for the aviation industry in the Asia Pacific and, indeed, for Singapore this year. At last year's Committee of Supply (COS), Minister Ong Ye Kung told the House not to expect a V-shaped recovery. That was before the start of the VTLs for Singapore and many other countries. Many countries have relaxed travel restrictions in the last few months. Nearer home, Singapore continues to increase its VTL locations. Australia recently opened its borders to visitors again. As more countries start to open up and increase flights to other countries and with some relaxing COVID-19 test requirements, will the Minister update the House on his expectations for growth of air travel in the coming year and its implications for Singapore as a major air hub and for our aviation industry? I would also like to ask the Minister whether we will see the start of recovery for the aerospace sector. This sector is significant to Singapore and includes maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), avionics and aircraft component production and repair. As we head towards a post-pandemic world, may I also take the opportunity to ask the Minister whether he can update the House on MOT's review of its plans for Terminal 5? Mr Chairman, I declare my interest as a maritime lawyer. In August 2021, the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) was set up by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and six partner maritime organisations and companies to, I quote, "Support decarbonisation of the maritime industry to meet or exceed the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)'s goals for 2030 and 2050." Its stated goals were, among other things, and I quote again, "Lower the adoption barriers for low zero carbon fuels and technologies by closing the gaps in infrastructure, safety operations and financing, and to accelerate the deployment of scalable low-carbon technologies." The opening of the Centre and the Centre's aims are, indeed, befitting of our port as a leading bunkering port in the world as well as one of the busiest ports in the world and one of the major world maritime hubs. Singapore should aim to take the lead to hasten the development and adoption of low- or zero-carbon fuels for commercial shipping at this critical time. The International Advisory Panel on Maritime Decarbonisation had earlier proposed the establishment of this Global Maritime/Decarbonisation Centre in Singapore to coordinate, drive and catalyse maritime decarbonisation solutions. MPA has recently reported that in 2021, Singapore has kept its position as the top bunkering port, registering total bunker sales volume of 50.04 million tonnes in 2021. Of this, the bulk of the sales volume, 49.99 million tonnes to be exact, were conventional bunker sales, while only 0.5 million tonnes were in LNG bunker sales.[+7 sentences] It was reported that Singapore commenced regular ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operations from March last year and that Singapore will continue to diversify our fuel offerings in line with our push for maritime decarbonisation. Indeed, LNG itself may not even be a long-term solution. The industry may have to push on to better low, if not zero, carbon fuels. There is not much time for all stakeholders in the maritime industry in the world to achieve the goals set by IMO to halve greenhouse emissions from 2008 levels by 2050. There is much to do in our search for affordable zero-carbon fuels. I hope GCMD will enable Singapore to spearhead the push among leading maritime nations. Will the Minister share with this House his hopes for GCMD and also his expectation of what Singapore hopes to achieve for its bunker sales in terms of lower carbon offerings in the coming five, 10 and perhaps 20 years?
Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten)231 words
[+8 sentences]Sir, in a recent public transport survey, it was reported that overall satisfaction with public transport in Singapore in 2021 dipped to its lowest level since 2015. Public transport remains the main mode of commute for the majority of Singaporeans and LTA needs to ensure that our public transport remains, safe, reliable, accessible and comfortable. And, yet, at the same time, I urge the Ministry to ensure that public transport remains affordable, as it is a public service available to all Singaporeans. So, may I ask the Minister whether there is any assessment or evaluation as to the reasons for the drop in commuter satisfaction? What are the steps taken by public transport operators to improve on their performance? Would a report be issued by the public transport operators on their remedial action? May I also ask the Minister whether he can provide the House with an update on the plans to expand the MRT network and how to make public transport more accessible to Singaporeans? May I also ask the Minister for an update to the public transport fare review formula, which is due by next year? Thirdly, may I ask the Minister whether the construction of the Thomson-East Coast Line is on track to be fully operational by 2024?[+1 sentence] Here, I declare my interest in this Thomson-East Line as there will be four MRT stations located in my constituency.
Committee of Supply – Head W (Ministry of Transport)›Budget7 turns · 1,400w
· 9 highlighted
budget-1884
Mr Gan Thiam Poh63 words
[+2 sentences]Chairman, what has been the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our plan to grow the MRT network from 230 kilometres to 360 kilometres in the early 2030s? Would the Ministry share what is the progress of the feasibility study of the new lines, including the possibility to have a line to serve the residents in Buangkok, Yio Chu Kang, Fernvale and Punggol?
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied)274 words
The Public Transport Council (PTC)'s latest customer satisfaction survey found that satisfaction with public transport services has fallen to its lowest level in six years. The survey showed that discontent with public bus services was a factor with many commuters, notably expressing dissatisfaction with bus waiting times. These sentiments are similarly expressed by many of my residents living along Bedok Reservoir Road where four bus services were recently cut or re-routed last December.[+1 sentence] This has resulted in my residents having to put up with longer waiting times, crowded buses and losing direct routes to their destinations. Before removing or re-routing bus services, LTA should conduct public consultations with affected residents.[+2 sentences] If bus services are being rationalised due to low ridership, I would like to suggest that LTA first consider switching to smaller buses or extending their headways. If bus services must be removed, the frequency of the remaining feeder services to bus interchanges or MRT stations should be increased to make up for them. Commuters should not have to wait more than five minutes during peak hours or 10 minutes during off-peak hours for feeder buses.[+5 sentences] LTA should strive to retain trunk bus services. These serve many elderly and disabled residents who have trouble walking between bus stops or transferring from bus to MRT. Many of them do not mind longer bus routes or bus rides if that allows them to walk less. While LTA and public transport operators strive towards efficiency, they must pay closer attention to the comfort and convenience of commuters. LTA should proactively monitor public feedback and be open to bringing back bus services if there is strong commuter demand.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang)820 words
Chairman, I wish to share with this House a proposal that seniors and those with disabilities be furnished with a concession card that will allow them to ride public transportation free of charge.[+25 sentences] On its face, this sounds like a preposterous and profligate idea. Preposterous, because, surely, removing charges would invite overuse and abuse. Profligate, because even when they are made free of charge, these services are, certainly, not free of cost and must be funded by some source – in this case, the Government. But before we jump to instinctive judgement, it is worth noting that free ridership already exists in some form or another. In Singapore, there are free transport shuttles for patrons of Turf City, for tourists seeking a city tour during a stopover and for students connecting to campus from nearby MRT stations. Other countries have gone even further. Some municipalities from smaller ones, such as Hoeselt in Belgium and Obare in France, to larger cities, such as Prague in the Czech Republic and Washington DC in the United States, run selected free bus and tram services. Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, recently converted its entire public transportation network to a zero-fare system. Around two years ago, Luxembourg became the first nation in the world to make all public transportation modes free within the country. As our society ages, but many elderly remain mobile and healthy, some may wish to continue to pursue employment opportunities. Such positions, typically on a part-time basis, do not pay very much and public transportation would very quickly gobble up a sufficiently large share of the pay cheque, so as to make the entire enterprise no longer worthwhile. Free transport for seniors will allow those who wish to remain productive and engage in employment to do so. Our labour force participation has already trended down since 2015 and while this is natural and normal in an ageing society, the scheme will help mitigate the rate of decline and allow our economy time to adjust. Even in the absence of work, free transport will encourage the elderly to be out and about, engaging in social interactions that can promote their physical and mental well-being. This can help manage the rising incidence of dementia, which already one in every 10 seniors faces. This initiative also dovetails nicely with our nation's effort to promote environmental sustainability. An important cornerstone of the Singapore Green Plan 2030 is to encourage green commutes, with a target of 75% mass public transportation usage. Providing incentives for our elderly and disabled to rely more heavily on public transport, since trips will be free, will contribute toward this goal, especially since riders are least likely to be using green forms of transportation, such as bicycles, in any case. An initiative, such as this, will entail trade-offs, of course. Our existing pricing structure is, to be fair, relatively affordable by global standards. Moreover, seniors and the disabled already pay concessionary rates on existing tariffs. The Government has also invested heavily in the transportation infrastructure on which the public transportation system relies on, thereby providing an indirect subsidy. But to the extent that fares are used to offset operational costs, with profits subject to corporate taxation and dividends returned to majority shareholders, such as Temasek, the Government is able to recoup much of its initial outlay. Seniors and the disabled are only a comparatively small fraction of public transportation ridership. The financial impact would, therefore, correspondingly be much more limited. Our estimates, which are, admittedly, conservative, suggest added expenditures of between $0.3 billion and $0.4 billion a year, or an increase of 3% to 4% of the Ministry's current budget. Even if we are uncomfortable with completely unrestricted free usage, one reasonable accommodation would be to allow such free transport during off-peak hours, where there is, typically, some spare capacity in our bus and train systems in any case.[+4 sentences] If so, the opportunity cost of not implementing such a free transportation scheme may well exceed the cost of doing so. Mr Chairman, LTA has declared that it seeks, and I quote: "inclusive public transportation system", one that ensures barrier-free access for wheelchairs and strollers, providing priority boarding lines and reserved seats for elderly and disabled commuters and creating bus-stop seats that are more elderly-friendly. While these multidimensional aspects of inclusivity exist, we have neglected inclusion of the most fundamental form – ensuring free access to public transport for those who can least afford it. Some have gone as far as to argue that urban transit is a human right, akin to why we do not pay to ride elevators. Even if we do not wish to push the argument that far, I believe we can all agree that the least an inclusive and caring society can do for our seniors and disabled is to afford them the dignity to move around our beautiful city, free of charge.[+1 sentence] Let them ride free.
The Chairman28 words
[+2 sentences]Order. I propose to take a break now.
Mr Speaker77 words
[+6 sentences]Order. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 7.55 pm. Sitting accordingly suspended at 7.36 pm until 7.55 pm. Sitting resumed at 7.55 pm. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY – HEAD W (MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT) (Creating an inclusive and sustainable home)
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye129 words
[+5 sentences]Mr Chairman, I have raised on multiple occasions in this House about the importance of ensuring that our workers travel to and from work safely every day. The Government had said that it was reviewing how to enhance the safety of workers ferried in the rear decks of lorries after a spate of traffic accidents last year. I would like to ask whether the Government is considering a ban on the transportation of workers in the rear decks of lorries. Can the Ministry provide an update on this as well as to my earlier suggestions to install speed limiters and seat belts, as interim measures, on lorries used to ferry workers to enhance safety? Sir, we should do all we can to improve the safety of our workers' transport.
The Chairman9 words
[+2 sentences]Deputy Leader. Would you like to adjourn the debate?
The Deputy Leader of the House (Mr Zaqy Mohamad)21 words
[+1 sentence]Chairman, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow?
The Chairman46 words
[+2 sentences]I give my consent. . (proc text)]
Mr Zaqy Mohamad31 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2022/2023, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]So be it.
Extension of a Sitting›Motions1 turns · 30w
· 0 highlighted
motion-1883
The Chairman30 words
[+3 sentences]Order. Pursuant to Standing Order No 91(3)(d), I propose to extend the time of this day's Committee Sitting for a period of up to 30 minutes. Mr Gan Thiam Poh.
The Deputy Leader of the House (Mr Zaqy Mohamad)100 words
[+2 sentences]Mr Speaker, I understand that Mr Leong Mun Wai wishes to make a Personal Explanation to the House, in response to my request for the withdrawal and apology in respect of his Facebook post. I, therefore, beg to move, "that the proceedings on the Personal Explanation by Mr Leong Mun Wai be exempted at this day's Sitting from the provisions of Standing Order No 2." (proc text)]
Rearrangement of Business›Motions2 turns · 54w
· 0 highlighted
motion-1887
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Deputy Leader.
The Deputy Leader of the House (Mr Zaqy Mohamad)52 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That notwithstanding Standing Order 10, a Personal Explanation by Mr Leong Mun Wai be taken now".
Adjournment›Motions1 turns · 23w
· 0 highlighted
motion-1889
Speaker not recorded23 words
[+2 sentences]. (proc text)] Adjourned accordingly at 8.07 pm.
Review of Rule for 80% of Funds Raised for Foreign Charitable Purposes to be Applied in Singapore›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 622w
· 9 highlighted
oral-answer-2774
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang76 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether the Ministry will consider reviewing the 80:20 fund-raising rule requiring at least 80% of funds raised for foreign charitable purposes be applied towards charitable purposes in Singapore; (b) whether a specific list can be provided for fund-raising activities where this rule can be waived; and (c) whether this rule can be waived for more fund-raising activities other than those for immediate disaster relief in other countries.
The Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth (Mr Alvin Tan) (for the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth)172 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, the intent of the 80:20 fund-raising rule under the Charities Act is to ensure that donations from our Singapore public are used primarily to benefit locals and to address locals' needs. The intent of this 80:20 rule remains relevant. Besides appeals in aid of providing immediate disaster or humanitarian relief to other countries, the Commissioner of Charities (COC) also waives this 80:20 rule for certain private fund-raising appeals. It would not be practical to provide a specific list of activities that would be eligible for waiver, as the COC considers a range of aspects in making its decisions, such as the nature of the appeal, target donor groups and beneficiaries, and the safeguards in place to mitigate risks. But should an applicant wish to apply for a waiver of the rule based on its circumstances, the applicant may put forth its reasons for waiver of the rule in its application for fundraising for foreign charitable purposes permit to the COC.[+1 sentence] The COC will consider the application on a case-by-case basis.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon)106 words
[+7 sentences]Thank you, Sir. I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I understand he cannot provide a specific list. Then, could I ask whether he could at least provide the list of fund-raising activities that have got exemptions in the past few years, not including those for humanitarian disasters? Second, I really hope that the Government can take a more light-touch approach. We can trust Singaporeans to decide who they want to donate to. The Government, I hope, can take a step back but still have the check and balance in place, do audits to make sure that the funds go to the appropriate beneficiaries.
Mr Alvin Tan265 words
[+2 sentences]I thank the hon Member for his supplementary questions. I want to assure the hon Member that we do actually allow our charities and our organisations to raise funds for foreign charitable causes. In fact, in 2021, COC granted a total 78 permits for organisations to conduct fund-raising appeals for foreign charitable purposes. The COC, as I have mentioned earlier, can, on a case-by-case basis, waive this 80:20 rule, such as for appeals in aid of providing immediate disaster relief and for private donations raised for foreign charitable causes. In fact, they have done so, including for private appeals and appeals for relief efforts going to causes, such as for COVID-19 in many different countries, for the Malaysian floods in December last year and January this year, and also for Typhoon Rai, which affected and afflicted the Philippines in December.[+3 sentences] It is really encouraging to witness, during these challenging times, how Singaporeans have stepped up and also have been moved by foreign charitable causes overseas; and we are helping to facilitate that as well. It really speaks to who we are as a nation and our role in the global community. At the same time, as the Member had suggested, it is important that we provide the necessary safeguards as well as due process to help ensure that the funds go to verifiable and legitimate causes and to mitigate the attendant risks. In this regard, the COC carries out reviews of the charity regulations on a regular basis. We will consider the Member's feedback and, in fact, welcome the Member's feedback in the next review.
Update on Plans to Regulate Foreign Worker Dormitories under Foreign Employee Dormitories Act›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 337w
· 8 highlighted
oral-answer-2775
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang43 words
asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether an update can be provided on the plans to regulate all foreign worker dormitories under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act (FEDA); and (b) whether a timeline can be provided on when the FEDA will be amended.
The Senior Minister of State for Manpower (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (for the Minister for Manpower)156 words
[+1 sentence]Sir, last year, we announced the review of the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act (FEDA) to expand its coverage to include migrant worker dormitories with fewer than 1,000 beds. This will strengthen our regulatory levers to raise and enforce new standards quickly during pandemics and introduce a consistent regulatory framework for dormitories of different sizes and types. There are, currently, more than 1,000 of such smaller dormitories, including factory converted dormitories (FCDs), construction temporary quarters (CTQs), temporary occupation licence quarters (TOLQs) and non-government organisation (NGO) shelters. The significant number of dormitory beds across this diverse range of dormitory housing types and the broad landscape of operators necessitate more time to engage these groups to better understand the infrastructure constraints and the impact of the licensing requirements, especially on our smaller dormitories. We intend to implement the expansion of FEDA by the end of the year and will share more details on the expansion in the coming months.
Mr Speaker3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon)70 words
[+4 sentences]Thank you, Sir. I thank the Senior Minister of State for the reply. I think many NGOs have been waiting quite some time for the implementation of the amendments. Could I ask whether we are still in consultation with the NGOs, with regard to extending FEDA to cover all dormitories? Two, what kind of support are we providing to the dormitories when it comes to implementation of these new rules?
Dr Koh Poh Koon65 words
[+1 sentence]Sir, I assure the Member that we are continuing to engage the different operators of the different types of dormitories, including our NGO partners as well. We will, definitely, make sure there is sufficient time for this implementation and to develop a transition plan for the different dormitories to meet the new requirements. We will share more details in the latter half of this year.
Proposal to Add Text Messaging Service in National Anti-Violence Helpline to Facilitate Quick Reporting›Oral Answers to Questions5 turns · 748w
· 10 highlighted
oral-answer-2776
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim43 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry will consider a text messaging service in addition to the 24-hour National Anti-Violence Helpline to allow for the quick reporting of family violence cases or urgent queries for assistance via non-verbal means.
The Minister of State for Social and Family Development (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for Social and Family Development)265 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, Sir, the National Anti-Violence Helpline (NAVH) was officially launched in February 2021 for members of the public and social service professionals to report cases of child abuse, vulnerable adult abuse and family violence. NAVH is a consolidation of 10 helplines into a single helpline to make it easier to report abuse and violence, reduce call waiting time and provide quicker support to callers. Since it started operations on 18 January 2021 until end-December 2021, NAVH has received 8,400 calls. In line with efforts to make it easier to report abuse and violence, MSF will enhance NAVH to allow multiple modes of reporting, such as via a web link or mobile application.[+2 sentences] These modes of reporting would enable persons to quickly provide necessary details, such as timing, location and other key observations of the violent incidents, for follow-up action through an easy-to-use form. These new modes of reporting will increase the accessibility of NAVH and make it easier for survivors and bystanders, including persons who are unable to call NAVH, to report violence discreetly. The enhancements will be rolled out by end-2022.[+1 sentence] MSF will give some time for the changes to stabilise. MSF will also study the feasibility and need for text messaging service to complement NAVH and web/mobile application in subsequent enhancements, taking into account considerations, such as the security of clients’ data.[+1 sentence] NAVH should not be used for emergencies when there is imminent danger to safety. If members of the public require emergency assistance but are unable to call 999, they should use the SMS 71999 service of the Singapore Police Force.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang)153 words
[+7 sentences]I thank the Minister of State for the announcement. It is very welcoming news of the new modes of reporting and assistance to complement NAVH. With discreet text messages or through web link or through the app, we do need to consider two considerations. One, is to minimise the risk of interception of the chat history, data on iCloud, the conversation thread; second, is preventing impersonation, perhaps by the use of code words or a phrase. In other jurisdictions, they will use code words like S-A-F-E to convey that there is some unsafe access to the conversations. Could MSF look into this while looking into the rolling out of the other modes of reporting, to look at how to further enhance the protection and perhaps in concert with colleagues from MCI as well, together with the recently announced Code of Practices on Social Media Platforms? I would appreciate any clarifications in that regard.
Ms Sun Xueling283 words
[+6 sentences]I thank the Member for his clarifications as well as suggestions. Indeed, the security of client data is very important to us. That is why we are not just purchasing off-the-shelf solutions. We now have this dedicated NAVH. I mentioned earlier that we are looking into rolling out an easy-to-use form via a web link or a mobile application. That easy-to-use form would already include areas where the caller can include items, such as timing, location and other details, that will be helpful to allow first responders to reach the person who is asking for help. This person could either be the survivor/victim himself or herself, as well as a bystander. We will study the suggestion you have made about what the other jurisdictions are doing.[+5 sentences] Indeed, we have been doing so. That is why we had the signal for help hand signal to help the vulnerable as well as children who are suffering, potentially, from abuse and neglect. This was something that the Member had suggested. MSF had taken it up and we rolled it out as part of our "Break the Silence" campaign. We will continue to look into improving the different modes and channels in which survivors and potential victims can report. Indeed, the security of the data is of utmost importance. We will be rolling out those implementation plans in stages to make sure that the system is stable, and also that when callers dial in, they get help.[+1 sentence] Because the information is triaged out into the Family Violence Specialist Centres or the Family Service Centres, to ensure that callers not only have convenient and safe modes of reporting, but also, that they get the help that they need.
Frequency and Effectiveness of Rehabilitation Programme Interventions Provided in Prison, Drug Rehabilitation Centres and Halfway Houses›Oral Answers to Questions7 turns · 1,259w
· 11 highlighted
oral-answer-2777
Mr Leon Perera59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) in 2021, what has been the average frequency of the different rehabilitation programme interventions provided in (i) prisons (ii) drug rehabilitation centres and (iii) halfway houses; (b) what are the minimum qualifications and training which prison counsellors must have; and (c) what criteria are used to assess the effectiveness of these programmes.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim) (for the Minister for Home Affairs)377 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) adopts an evidence-based approach in the rehabilitation of inmates. Factors, such as the inmates’ risk of re-offending, rehabilitation needs, conduct in prison and remaining length of the sentence, are taken into consideration in the allocation of intervention programmes.[+6 sentences] In prison and drug rehabilitation centres, inmates undergo psychology-based correctional programmes to change their negative thinking and behaviours and improve their pro-social skills to minimise their risk of re-offending. Inmates may also undergo other types of programmes, such as family programmes, to help them build stronger bonds, employability and skills training, work programmes, education, release preparation and religious programmes. The frequency of these programmes varies. For example, the psychology-based correctional programmes consist of individual and group-based sessions and take place one to three times a week, with varying intensity from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the inmates’ needs and risks. Religious programmes happen on a weekly basis, while pre-release programmes take place towards the tail-end of an inmate’s sentence. SPS also partners halfway houses to provide community-based programmes to inmates. At these halfway houses, supervisees undergo a programme to reinforce the skills and concepts learnt in prison to cope with challenges in the community. This programme comprises 11 sessions, usually conducted within four months.[+9 sentences] Depending on the programmes that they conduct, SPS staff and partners have a wide range of qualifications. They are selected and recruited on the basis that they have the relevant competency and skillsets to deliver the programmes. SPS evaluates the effectiveness of its rehabilitation programmes. For example, SPS had conducted an evaluation of its high-intensity psychology-based correctional programmes, which included taking pre- and post-programme measures. The findings showed that inmates who had completed the programmes showed reduced negative thinking patterns and were more confident to stay away from drugs and crime. Inmate feedback on the usefulness of the programmes is also collected. SPS provides different programmes in prison to help inmates in their rehabilitation and prepare them for reintegration into the society. Ultimately, there are other factors, such as having stable employment and positive pro-social networks, that will help in the successful reintegration of ex-offenders in the longer term. It would also depend very much on the individual’s personal motivation and desire to change.
Mr Speaker4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang)133 words
[+7 sentences]I thank the Minister of State for the clarifications. Just a full disclosure, I am on the Board of Yellow Ribbon Singapore. In September last year, I asked a Parliamentary Question (PQ) on the rehabilitation challenges faced by elderly inmates and also, in the recent cuts in the Committee of Supply, I have asked on rehabilitation efforts. The Minister of State mentioned about the various rehabilitation programmes, such as the release preparation, religious, work and family programmes. I was just wondering, how many, in terms of percentage, of inmates actually attended those programmes in the last year, in 2021. For those who did not attend, what are the reasons for them not attending? If so, what are the steps that SPS and the Ministry would be taking to enhance attendance in such programmes?
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim347 words
[+1 sentence]Sir, I thank the Member for the supplementary question. As I have shared earlier, SPS assesses inmates for programmes based on various factors, such as their risks of re-offending, rehabilitation needs and the remaining length of sentence and also looking at their responsivity with regard to the programmes that are available. So, we assess that psychology-based correctional programmes and family programmes would be suitable for about half of the 2021 admissions into prisons.[+2 sentences] However, about 5% may, eventually, not attend the programmes due to motivation or mental health issues. For some, they also fall sick. About 40% of the inmate population as at end-2021 attended skills training.[+10 sentences] About 30% of the inmate population as at end-2021 attended work programmes. For other programmes, such as educational, religious programmes, the participation ranges from about 5% to 60%, as it depends on the inmates' own needs and preferences. All inmates, even those who decide not to attend the programmes, can access – using tablet computers – rehabilitation materials like e-versions of psychology-based correctional programmes, motivational talks and various guides on regulating emotions and communication skills. At the halfway houses, all supervisees would have to go through a programme to reinforce the skills and concepts learned in prison, like what I shared in my answer earlier. So, as I also said earlier, while SPS provides various programmes to help inmates, there are also other factors that will help in the successful rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-offenders, such as having stable employment and positive pro-social networks. It would also depend a great deal on the individual's personal motivation and desire to change. In fact, that is always the message whenever I visit the prisons to meet the inmates. I will always remind them "while we will do our best to help you to rehabilitate as part of your rehabilitation and reintegration journey, at the end of the day, a large part of it depends on you". Many of them agree. We will continue to support them, so that they are able to reintegrate into the society in a better and stronger way.
Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied)172 words
[+5 sentences]I thank the Minister of State for that helpful reply. Just two supplementary questions. One is that, if an inmate, for whatever reason – be it lack of capacity or any other reason – would like to attend educational, rehabilitative or religious programmes, but they find that they do not have access to those programmes, can they make a request to attend such programmes and will that be taken into consideration in giving them access to such programmes, if for any reason they do not have that? That is my first supplementary question. Second supplementary question: it is my understanding, based on published, publicly available information, that SPS adopts a classification system for inmates based on what is seen as their propensity to be rehabilitated. So, I am wondering whether those who are classified in that way as being less likely to be rehabilitated, can also demonstrate, through acts of good faith, through requests, that they are open to attending these rehabilitative programmes and get access to them, if they demonstrate that.
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim167 words
[+2 sentences]Sir, as I have shared earlier, we use the risk, need and responsivity model approach, as well as the length of the stay in the prison or institution, to look at how that kind of programmes may be useful for the inmates. We have received requests from inmates. And I would like to share with the House that every request that we see, we will assess it, consider it and we will also propose to the inmates what will be useful for them.[+1 sentence] Rehabilitation is not only about giving them programmes. In fact, we adopt a throughcare approach where the process of rehabilitation begins when the inmates start their prison term, all the way, with the community, at the end of it. And even after the release into the community, SPS still continues to engage the ex-inmates and their families. So, we will look at all the different requests and we do our best to provide them the opportunities to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into the community.
Prison and Drug Rehabilitation Centre Inmates Exercising in Cells›Oral Answers to Questions2 turns · 257w
· 6 highlighted
oral-answer-2778
Mr Leon Perera59 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether prison and drug rehabilitation centre inmates are prohibited from exercising in their cells; (b) if so, what is the Singapore Prison Service's (SPS) rationale for the rule; and (c) whether SPS will consider allowing inmates to do prescribed workouts in their cells, given the significant psychological and health benefits of exercise.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim) (for the Minister for Home Affairs)198 words
Inmates in the prison or drug rehabilitation centre, generally, have at least an hour of recreational time per day on weekdays. They can use this recreational time for physical exercise and ball games in the recreational yard, or other activities, such as watching television and playing board games. In the cells, inmates are allowed to do stretching exercises, but not vigorous exercise.[+2 sentences] And that is not allowed for the following reasons. First, to prevent tension and conflict among cellmates. The majority of prison cells are designed to house up to four or eight inmates each, and there is insufficient space for inmates to carry out vigorous exercise without affecting the safety of cellmates, inconveniencing them, or intruding into their personal space.[+1 sentence] Doing so could lead to conflict among the cellmates. To ensure equal treatment, we do not allow vigorous in-cell exercise even if the cell is occupied by only one inmate.[+1 sentence] Second, to maintain good order and discipline in prison. Some inmates may claim to be exercising in their cell when shadow-boxing or sparring, or giving tips and teaching others how to fight and attack opponents.[+1 sentence] This would pose challenges to maintaining good order and discipline in prison.
Plans and Timeline to Implement Busking Zones›Oral Answers to Questions3 turns · 500w
· 8 highlighted
oral-answer-2779
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang32 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth what are the plans and timeline to implement the busking zones that were announced in the Ministry's Committee of Supply debates in March 2020.
The Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth (Ms Low Yen Ling) (for the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth)420 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Member for his support for the arts and busking. In March 2020, MCCY announced that we would introduce new busking zones at the Singapore River and Ang Mo Kio.[+2 sentences] The intention was for each of these zones to comprise a cluster of busking locations which our buskers would have the flexibility to move around. This would offer a more varied busking experience for audiences and ensure equitable access to popular busking spots. Unfortunately, the onset of COVID-19 in 2020 leading to a suspension of busking had meant that there was no opportunity for the new busking zones to be implemented and used by our buskers.[+1 sentence] Since then, NAC has continued to engage our buskers and venue managers on ways to expand access to even more locations for our buskers, in preparation for the eventual resumption of busking. NAC has also been working on an online system to enhance access to busking locations and time for all buskers, in an equitable manner. NAC will share further details about this online system in the coming months. The timeline for the implementation of these plans will have to take into consideration the prevailing COVID-19 situation.[+2 sentences] We have had to adopt a cautious approach due to the higher risk of virus transmission from activities involving singing and performing of wind and brass instruments, and the challenges of crowd management in open spaces. Nonetheless, MCCY and NAC have been identifying ways to resume busking activities safely. In December 2020, NAC partnered Clarke Quay and *SCAPE to conduct busking pilots over three weekends which were well-received.[+3 sentences] Unfortunately, we had to delay the resumption of busking pilots due to the public health situation. We are looking to expand these pilots at the appropriate time. Meanwhile, NAC has rolled out various alternative platforms and initiatives for our buskers, encouraging them to pick up new skills and bring their performances into the digital space. For example, in December last year, NAC supported the Buskers’ Association through the Self-Employed Persons Grant (SEPG) to organise a series of workshops for the busking community, culminating in live performances at Our Tampines Hub in December 2021 and via livestream in January 2022. NAC is committed to improving our busking infrastructure and processes and will take into consideration the feedback it has received from buskers and other stakeholders, such as venue managers.[+1 sentence] We appreciate and salute our busking community for their resilience and positive spirit during this challenging period, and we thank them for their patience and understanding.
Mr Speaker48 words
[+2 sentences]Order. End of Question Time. [Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix, unless Members had asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn.]
Personal Explanation by Member›Personal Explanation6 turns · 531w
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Mr Speaker6 words
[+2 sentences]Personal Explanation. Mr Leong Mun Wai.
Mr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member)182 words
[+8 sentences]Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to make this Personal Explanation. At yesterday's MOM COS, I was hoping to ask the Manpower Minister a very important point about the displacement of Singaporean PMEs. It was not my intent to impugn the Speaker or the Parliamentary processes. But in my social media post, I was trying to highlight that some amount of discretion and flexibility with the Standing Orders will go a long way in enhancing our discussion in this House. But, today, I would like to sincerely and unreservedly apologise to the Speaker and this House for my Facebook comments of 12.52 pm and 12.53 pm on 7 March 2022, and the video I posted at 6.55 pm on 7 March 2022, and the statements therein which impugned the Speaker and the processes of Parliament. I have taken the post down at 5.30 pm today. I withdraw what I said in them and undertake not to repeat such words again. I acknowledge that I had not set out all the facts in my post and thus, gave a misleading impression.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Deputy Leader.
The Deputy Leader of the House (Mr Zaqy Mohamad)21 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, may I also confirm if the Member will be putting up an apology on Facebook as I had requested?
Mr Leong Mun Wai24 words
[+1 sentence]Speaker, in reply to the Senior Minister of State's question, I confirm that I will put what I said just now on my Facebook.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad296 words
[+14 sentences]Mr Speaker, Parliament is the place for us to debate important issues that affect Singapore and Singaporeans. We have, in this House, developed a set of procedures and practices to guide us on how we are to do this in an effective and efficient manner. In other jurisdictions, there are examples where we see such procedural rules and how they are used to prevent or frustrate the government of the day from carrying out its proper functions. It would be completely contrary to our interests for this to occur in this House. The rules have been designed and finetuned over the years and have worked in ensuring that important issues to us are brought up before the House and robustly debated, while allowing business to be completed without undue delay. Mr Leong Mun Wai himself should acknowledge this. We had a long debate on the Motions on the topic of Singaporeans' jobs and our foreign talent policy just six months ago, which we spent hours debating here. In this year's COS, more than 600 cuts were filed and we are looking at more than 50 hours of debate. So, I do not think anyone can reasonably say the Budget was not extensively debated. There are also avenues for issues to be raised in subsequent Sittings. So, I would, therefore, hope that Members would bear this in mind and remember that we are all representatives of this House and we should resist any attempt to lower the standing or dignity of this House. We all play a part in ensuring that robust debate can take place here and that Parliament remains a trusted and respected institution, where issues can be raised fairly and can be scrutinised by the public. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I accept the apology.
Statement by Deputy Leader›Point of Order6 turns · 1,659w
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The Deputy Leader of the House (Mr Zaqy Mohamad)5 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Speaker, Point of Order.
Mr Speaker2 words
[+1 sentence]Please proceed.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad237 words
[+5 sentences]Mr Speaker, during yesterday’s proceedings, you made a statement in Parliament to respond to the Facebook comments put up by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Mr Leong Mun Wai yesterday, shortly after the conclusion of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM)’s Committee of Supply (COS) debate. Mr Leong has, subsequently, put up a video and further post at about 6.55 pm yesterday, captioned: "This is How The Speaker Prevents A Member From Speaking". This video is accompanied by a further post in which he claims that he was “deprived of the opportunity to respond to Tan See Leng’s (TSL) 'red herring' statement made last Friday”, that you did not allow him “to speak using the cut-off time as an excuse”, that “there is flexibility because the Parliament schedule is ahead of time this year”, that other Members of Parliament (MPs) were “allowed to speak before” him and that you should have known that he “had an outstanding issue from the previous Friday’s sitting”. This video shows the exchange between Speaker and Mr Leong just before the conclusion of MOM’s COS debate yesterday. Mr Speaker, given that Mr Leong’s post raised questions about the basis of Speaker’s decision not to call him to seek further clarifications, I would like to seek a ruling from Speaker as to the basis for proceeding with the conclusion of MOM’s Committee of Supply (COS) debate, despite Mr Leong rising to make further clarifications.
Mr Speaker394 words
[+14 sentences]Hon Members, I do wish to confirm in this House that the Guillotine Time for the debate on the Ministry for Manpower was Monday, 7 March 2022 at 12.40 pm, as all of you are aware. The Guillotine Times were made pursuant to Standing Order 92(7)(a) which states that: "The Speaker shall fix the time on any allotted day at which the consideration of any head of expenditure shall, if not previously disposed of, be concluded. If the time so fixed is reached before the head concerned is disposed of, the Chairman shall forthwith put every question necessary to dispose of that head." Members were all informed before the commencement of COS of the total time allocated to the debate for each Ministry, and the start and end times of the debates. Members were also informed that if the discussion of a head of expenditure is concluded before the Guillotine Time stated, the head next following will be entered into straightaway. Members were informed of the Guillotine Times for MOM last week, on Thursday, 3 March 2022, through Notice Paper No B003 of 2022 and this information was published in the Daily Working Paper for Monday, 7 March 2022. Thirty-and-a-half minutes were allocated for clarifications, but I allowed the clarifications to continue for 48 minutes till the Guillotine Time of 12.40 pm. There were no time savings for the debate on MOM based on the Guillotine Times. Ten MPs made clarifications, including four Opposition Members, Mr Louis Chua, Mr Gerald Giam, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim and Mr Pritam Singh and one Nominated MP, Mr Abdul Samad. So, in total, five Government MPs and five Non-Government MPs spoke and raised their clarifications. Mr Leong Mun Wai was not the only MP who could not ask a clarification at the end of MOM’s debate. There were other MPs who had raised their hands or had indicated that they wished to speak, including Mr Edward Chia, Mr Louis Ng, Ms Janet Ang, Mr Melvin Yong, Mr Leon Perera, Ms Yeo Wan Ling. I wish to emphasise that under Standing Order 92(7)(a), the Chair is under the duty to end the debate when the Guillotine Time for that Ministry is reached. As the Chair of the Committee of Supply, I will continue to ensure that the proceedings in the COS are undertaken in a fair and orderly manner.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad1008 words
[+44 sentences]I thank Mr Speaker for his ruling. Mr Speaker, the COS for MOM took place yesterday, 7 March 2022. In the course of the COS, the Ministers from MOM addressed the cuts and queries filed by MPs. After the Ministers’ speeches, there was time to take some further questions but not all, given the number of hands raised by Members. At the end of the time allotted for this head of expenditure, which had been made known to all Members beforehand in the Guillotine Time Notice Paper and the Daily Working Paper, Mr Leong Mun Wai, along with several other MPs, still wanted to ask further clarifications. However, as time was up, you, as Chairman of the Committee, invited Mr Desmond Choo to withdraw his amendment so that the COS for MOM could be brought to a close. Mr Leong interrupted this repeatedly, saying that he would like to ask questions. And you informed Mr Leong that the time was up and asked Mr Choo to proceed. The MOM COS duly ended at 12.40 pm, the Guillotine Time. Subsequently, Mr Leong Mun Wai made two comments on his Facebook profile as follows. On 7 March, 12.52 pm: “Now I’m at the budget debate for the Ministry of Manpower. Following from Minister Tan See Leng’s (TSL) comments 'red herring' comments (sic) last Friday, I have a number of clarifications to make. But the Speaker didn’t even give me the chance. I will show you the video later when the volunteer has done it for me.” On 7 March, 12.53 pm: “Completely ridiculous!” That was his comment. Later in the day, at around 4.14 pm, as Chair of the Committee, you brought these two Facebook comments to the attention of Members and explained the following: (a) the parliamentary process for COS; (b) that COS proceedings are subject to timing deadlines known as the Guillotine Time under Standing Order 92(7)(a); (c) that when the Guillotine Time is reached for each Ministry, the question for the approval of the head of expenditure must be put and the COS concluded; (d) that there were other MPs who also wanted to ask further clarifications but could not do so as the time limit had been reached. Notwithstanding this, at 6.55 pm yesterday, Mr Leong Mun Wai proceeded to post a video of the end of the COS with the caption “This is how Speaker prevents a member from speaking”. It was accompanied by a post which stated as follows: "Today I was deprived of the opportunity to respond to Tan See Leng’s (TSL) 'red herring' statement made last Friday because Speaker did not allow me to speak using the cut-off time as an excuse. The cut-off time is decided by the Speaker before the session but there is flexibility because the Parliament schedule is ahead of time this year. Many MPs were also allowed to speak before me. He should know that I had an outstanding issue from the previous Friday’s sitting (please view the video clip below)." Mr Speaker, this was despite your clarification earlier in the afternoon and the fact that it was clear that the Guillotine Time had been reached and that, under the Standing Orders, you were required to bring the COS to an end. Mr Leong’s posts and his video have impugned the Speaker and the processes of Parliament and have misrepresented how the COS proceedings for MOM were ended yesterday. And this is by suggesting that you could have called on Mr Leong but deliberately did not do so for improper reasons. This is dishonourable and a contempt of Parliament, and breaches the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act. Mr Leong has had the benefit of your remarks yesterday and has now also heard your ruling. I therefore request that Mr Leong do the proper thing and: One, take down the video and the accompanying caption and post. Two, take down his two Facebook comments of 12.52 pm and 12.53 pm on 7 March 2022. Three, apologise before this House, and also via a Facebook post, for his words and actions in the following terms: "I sincerely and unreservedly apologise to the Speaker and this House for my Facebook comments of 12.52 pm and 12.53 pm on 7 March 2022, and the video I posted at 6.55 pm on 7 March 2022, and the statements therein which impugn the Speaker and the processes of Parliament without any basis. I have taken the posts down. I withdraw what I said in them, and undertake not to repeat such words and actions again. I acknowledge that I had not set out all the facts in my posts and thus, gave a misleading impression. In fact, many MPs filed to speak both in the Budget debate and the Committee of Supply of the various Ministries. Every MP is given the same amount of time. The Guillotine Time for each Ministry is announced ahead of time and based on the MPs who have filed to speak. It is standard Parliamentary procedure that when the time that is allotted to the Ministry ends, Speaker will require that the votes on that Ministry be taken and the debate move to the next Ministry, even if some MPs’ questions have not been answered. Specifically, for the Ministry of Manpower debate, questions from several MPs could not be answered because the allotted time was up. I acknowledge that I have every opportunity to raise, during subsequent Parliamentary Question times, the questions which I had wanted to ask in the Committee of Supply for the Ministry of Manpower." Mr Speaker, I request that Mr Leong Mun Wai do these by the end of today’s Parliament’s Sitting on 8 March 2022. Thereafter, Parliament can decide whether and if so, what further steps may be necessary depending on how Mr Leong responds to my request. I note that the Member is not in the Chamber. We will formally notify him of this Statement and my request to ensure that it is brought to his notice. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker13 words
[+2 sentences]Order. The Clerk will now proceed to read the Order of the Day.
Average Wage Earned by Prison Inmates Per Hour of Work in Prison Jobs in Past Three Years and Plans for Wage Framework›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 150w
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written-answer-10228
Mr Leon Perera45 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) in the past three years, what has been the average wage earned by prison inmates per hour of work in prison jobs; and (b) whether the Ministry prescribes a wage framework for such jobs or is developing one.
Mr K Shanmugam105 words
[+5 sentences]The objective of work programmes is to ensure that inmates stay purposefully engaged, develop positive work ethics and gain useful skills while they are in prison, so as to prepare them to join the workforce upon release. Inmates can choose whether they want to participate in work programmes. For those who choose to participate, they will receive an allowance. The allowance is not meant to be a wage but serves to motivate inmates to perform well and develop themselves while on work programmes. Currently, this ranges from about $0.30 to $2.60 per hour for prison workshops and depends on the requirements of the work programme.
Median Household Income of Primary School Students Taking Foundation Subjects in Past Five Years›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 129w
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written-answer-10229
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang63 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) for each year in the past five years, what is the median household income of Primary school students who (i) take one foundation subject, (ii) take two or more foundation subjects and (iii) do not take any foundation subjects, respectively; and (b) whether the Ministry intends to collect such data if it currently does not do so.
Mr Chan Chun Sing66 words
[+2 sentences]MOE does not have data on household income of students, except for Singapore Citizens who apply for the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), where the income criterion is set at about the bottom quintile of the national household income. Over the past five years, on average, two in five students who took at least one subject at Foundation level in the PSLE were on MOE FAS.
Annual Number of Eligible and Successful Applications under Financial Assistance Scheme in Past Three Years›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 242w
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written-answer-10230
Mr Leon Perera81 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Education (a) in the past three years, what is the annual number of (i) eligible students, (ii) successful applications and (iii) unsuccessful applications under the Financial Assistance Scheme; (b) how many Secondary students on the scheme are from Government versus Government-aided schools; (c) how many Secondary school students on the Independent School Bursary scheme are on 100% financial assistance; and (d) when does the Ministry plan to next review the income eligibility criteria in view of inflation.
Mr Chan Chun Sing161 words
[+8 sentences]The number of Singaporean students on the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) and the number of Singaporean secondary school students benefiting from 100% fee subsidies under the Independent School Bursary (ISB) from 2019 to 2021 are shown in the table below. MOE does not distinguish between students in Government schools and Government-aided schools for the purpose of financial assistance. The eligibility criteria for MOE FAS and full fee subsidy under ISB are the same. Students need to be Singapore Citizens with a gross household income of up to $2,750 or per capita income of up to $690. All eligible students will have their applications approved. Those who do not meet the criteria can apply for school-based assistance, or, in the case of Independent Schools, they could also qualify for partial fee subsidies under the ISB scheme. MOE reviews our financial assistance schemes regularly, taking into account changing household incomes and education-related expenses. The schemes were last reviewed and enhanced in 2020.
Numbers of Work Permit Holders Living in Dormitories and Non-dormitories Who Attempted and Committed Suicide in Each of Past 10 Years›Written Answers to Questions2 turns · 297w
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written-answer-10231
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang45 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Manpower for each year in the past 10 years (a) what are the respective numbers of work permit holders who have attempted and committed suicide who were living in dormitories; and (b) what percentage of them were not living in dormitories.
Dr Tan See Leng252 words
[+11 sentences]MOM responded to a similar Parliamentary Question1 based on a five-year trend. Between 2016 and 2020, the suicide rates for Work Permit Holders (WPHs2) were lower than the general population. Looking at a 10-year period between 2012 and 2021, the average suicide rate among WPHs at 4.2 per 100,000 persons was lower than that of the general population at 8.7 per 100,000 persons. The suicide rates among WPHs have also been lower than that of the general population for each of the 10 years3. The suicides rates among Migrant Workers (WPHs excluding migrant domestic workers) were somewhat higher in 2020 and 2021 but were still lower than that of the general population (please refer to footnote 3). The rate for the general population had also increased in 2020. We share the concerns expressed by many on the challenges brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic. The last two years have been a difficult time for our migrant workers and also for the general population. Since November 2020, the seven-point strategy under the Project DAWN task force has been focused on raising awareness on mental health literacy, ensuring at-risk persons are identified early and enabling appropriate access to care services, including counselling and post-intervention support. One key area is in the training of peer support leaders among migrant workers in psychological first aid skills so that they can give timely support to their co-workers and friends. MOM will continue to place close attention on the mental health of all workers and offer our support.
Reduce Unnecessary Packaging in ART Kits Given Their Extensive Use›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 83w
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written-answer-na-10214
Mr Yip Hon Weng43 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Health given the rapid increase in the use of antigen rapid test (ART) for self-testing, whether the Government will consider working with the ART kits manufacturers to reduce and streamline the amount of unnecessary packaging used in these kits.
Mr Ong Ye Kung40 words
[+2 sentences]To minimise the risk of contamination and leakage, manufacturers pack the various components of ART kits individually. Nevertheless, MOH will work closely with MSE to encourage manufacturers to reduce ART packaging and to move towards more environmentally-sustainable packaging, where feasible.
Ban on Trans Fat in Foods Sold in Singapore›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 252w
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written-answer-na-10243
Mr Leon Perera67 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has studied the impact of a potential ban on all types of trans fat in foods sold in Singapore, including in supermarkets and eateries; and (b) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the implementation of the ban on partially hydrogenated oils as an ingredient in all foods sold here that has been effective from June 2021.
Mr Ong Ye Kung185 words
[+10 sentences]Trans fat can come from both natural and artificial sources. Natural trans fat occurs in dairy products and red meats, such as beef and lamb, hence, it is not possible to reformulate or remove them from products. Before the partially hydrogenated oils (PHO) ban, the majority of the trans fat in our diet came from artificial trans fat. The main source of artificial trans fat is PHOs that can be found in products, such as snacks and fat spreads. Singapore tackled trans fat in the food supply in two phases. In 2013, Singapore implemented trans fat limits in fats and oils, across supermarkets and eateries. In 2021, we introduced a ban on PHO, to eliminate artificial trans fat in Singaporeans’ diets. Since the announcement of the PHO ban in June 2019, high-risk products, such as fat spreads and frozen cakes, have already been reformulated to be PHO-free. After the ban came into effect in June 2021, we have not detected any non-compliance from our surveillance. The Health Promotion Board will continue to conduct regular surveillance and monitor the average daily trans fat intake among Singaporeans.
Demerit Point System for Recalcitrant Neighbours Who Repeatedly Cause Noise Nuisance and Other Disamenities›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 241w
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written-answer-na-10247
Mr Yip Hon Weng32 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will consider setting up a demerit point system for residents who are recalcitrant neighbours who repeatedly create noise nuisance and other community disamenities.
Mr Desmond Lee209 words
[+9 sentences]In responding to neighbourly disputes that arise from disturbances created by residents, Government agencies will first seek to fact-find and facilitate dialogue and discussion among neighbours, in order to enhance mutual understanding and achieve a consensus among the neighbours involved. This addresses the root cause of the problem while strengthening the relationship among neighbours. Most cases of neighbour disputes are resolved through such efforts at dialogue and mediation. We do recognise that, for some cases, the persons involved could persist in creating disturbances for the neighbourhood. The Member would be aware of an ongoing interagency review of the Community Dispute Management Framework (CDMF), which has been studying different ways to more effectively address egregious and persistent cases of neighbour disputes, involving disturbances, such as noise. MND is taking part in this review. We are considering ways to strengthen the management of neighbour disputes, so that residents are held to greater responsibility for their actions. While there are, currently, no plans to adopt a demerit point system, we do intend to consult the public on ideas and suggestions that can help establish clearer norms for daily life in the community. We are also studying ways to empower agencies to take more decisive actions in addressing protracted and egregious dispute cases.
Seniors Requiring Mental Health Intervention Given Social Isolation in Last Two Years Due to COVID-19 Pandemic›Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by End of Question Time2 turns · 291w
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written-answer-na-10248
Mr Yip Hon Weng72 words
[+1 sentence]asked the Minister for Health in light of the impact that social isolation has had on the mental health of seniors in the past two years (a) how many seniors have required mental health intervention; (b) of which, how many of these cases are detected through community efforts and social service agencies (SSA); and (c) what are the efforts by the Ministry and the SSAs to conduct mental health screening for seniors.
Mr Ong Ye Kung219 words
[+8 sentences]Currently, MOH does not track the breakdown of those seeking mental health intervention by age bands for adults. However, surveys, such as the National Population Health Survey, have shown that the proportion of seniors aged 60-74 with poor mental health was 11.4% in 2017 and 9.4% in 2020. The second Well-being of Singapore Elderly study is under way and we will continue to track and better meet the mental health needs of our seniors. As there is inconclusive evidence on the benefits of mass mental health screening, efforts are focused instead on increasing mental health literacy and awareness, as well as identifying and providing support to persons at risk or suspected to have mental health conditions in the community. In the past two years, the community outreach teams have reached out and provided information and/or assistance to more than 128,000 people. To complement the above, our Eldercare Centres (ECs) work with the Silver Generation Office (SGO) to proactively reach out to vulnerable seniors who have no or limited social support. Seniors identified to require care and support are referred to the appropriate care services, such as befriending and mental health services. MOH will continue to work closely with our partners to develop community resources and build their capabilities to better support the mental health and well-being of the population.
Committee of Supply – Head W (Ministry of Transport)›Budget47 turns · 16,243w
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budget-1891recorded 2022-03-09
Speaker not recorded52 words
[+2 sentences], (proc text)] . (proc text)]
Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok)216 words
[+4 sentences]Sir, hon Members on both sides of the aisle have expressed concern about the high motorcycle COE prices. These prices impact persons from low-income background, especially those who use motorcycles as part of their work. For them, taking public transport is not a viable option. Even as demand for these continue to be strong, the supply has been squeezed. Last year, the Government announced a zero-growth rate for cars and motorcycles until 31 January 2025.[+2 sentences] In these current circumstances, motorcycle prices may rise even further unless something is done. I support a cap on our vehicles, as the number on our roads draw near to one million, but I wonder if the total number can be allocated differently. For example, I note from the categorisation of vehicles for COE purposes, goods vehicles are in a separate category, Category C. I further note that this category is allowed a growth rate of 0.25% of the vehicle population divided by four until 2025.[+3 sentences] I wonder if the Government is prepared to recognise a separate category of delivery motorcycles and apply a similar growth rate for this category. This may go some way to mitigate the high COE prices for motorcycles used for work. It is a practical and fair way to harness the market to work for us.
Mr Abdul Samad (Nominated Member)256 words
[+5 sentences]Chairman, the cost of owning a motorcycle has risen miserably for motorcycle riders since the past year, more so with COEs for motorcycles crossing the $10,000 mark. This has impacted many workers riding small motorcycles, not just to and from work but also for those who use it to earn a living, to bring food on the table for themselves and their family members. Many of my cousins, friends, union members and fellow workers shared with me their concerns and they are worried about how the cost of owning a motorcycle would affect their livelihood. Not more than three years ago, the cost of purchasing a new motorcycle with a small engine capacity is around $8,000 or below, including with COE. But today, it is a really big challenge for them. My recent engagement shows that owning a new small motorcycle with the same small engine capacity will cost between $15,000 and $18,000 dollars.[+5 sentences] MOT certainly has the data of motorcycle ownerships based on engine capacity. Hence, on behalf of all of them, I am appealing that MOT takes a much deeper and closer look and provide the necessary support or assistance for this group of riders. Can MOT also consider tiering the COE prices based on engine capacity? To the Minister for Transport, this is the plea I wish to convey on behalf of them: "We like to earn a living for ourselves and family and this is only what we can afford. If you don't help us, who then should we turn to, Sir?"
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang)281 words
[+1 sentence]Sir, the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums for motorcycles hit new highs and stayed above the $10,000 level since January this year. The premiums now can cost more than two times the price of an entry level motorcycle.[+13 sentences] Does this make sense? And how does it impact those who are dependent on motorcycles for their livelihoods? Sir, while the market-based approach to allocate COEs is efficient, it may not always lead to the desirable economic and social outcomes. Motorcycles is one the essential mode of transport that have helped many meet many critical and general business needs, such as delivery and dispatch of goods and documents. It is less impacted by traffic jams and hence, can be a more reliable transport mode to get around, including delivering essential items like medicines or attending to emergency repairs and many other economic activities. Many full-time and freelance workers are also dependent on their motorcycles for livelihoods. Hence, the sharp rise in COE premiums do cause anxieties to these riders. Their concerns are whether would the COE premium continue to rise higher and to stay high. Like any markets, there is always room for interventions when the price actions do not reflect fundamentals, or where there are market distortions that cause imbalances in demand and supply. What are the reasons for the recent record high premiums of motorcycle COEs? What can the Government do to moderate or bring down the premiums to more affordable levels? Should we look at the supply of the motorcycles' COE as one way to meet the higher demand? Otherwise, would the Government consider other additional measures to help those who are impacted and dependent on their motorcycles for livelihoods?
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry (Kebun Baru)175 words
[+5 sentences]Chairman, in previous Budgets, COS debates and Parliamentary Questions (PQs), I have spoken about whether the Government can do more regarding the high prices of motorcycle COEs. High demand, like what my Parliamentary colleagues have just mentioned, is one of the reasons. Another possible reason is that over the years, there was a reduction of the percentage of total COEs used by motorcycles. And this is because a portion of motorcycle COEs were converted previously into Open Category COEs, even though motorists rarely used the Open Category COEs for motorcycles. I previously asked for MOT to consider stopping this transfer to Open Category and for a greater proportion of COEs to be allocated to motorcycles over time, with an eye of restoring the original ratio of motorcycle versus non-motorcycle COEs. MOT has responded then by stopping the transfer to Open Category, which was helpful to moderate motorcycle COE prices then. In view of the current prices of motorcycle COEs, is there more that MOT can do and possibly increase the number of COEs for motorcycles?
Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang)121 words
[+7 sentences]Chairman, over the years, the Government has conducted several reviews of regulations to ensure safe usage of active mobility devices. Active mobility modes have also increased in popularity since the pandemic started. Would the Ministry provide an update on the situation today? How many Singaporeans and residents are using active mobility devices on a regular basis today, compared to the last two years? What are the Government’s plans to support active mobility while ensuring safety for all users and pedestrians? Would the Ministry provide an update on the Islandwide Cycling Network? With the rise in the number of cyclists for commuting, delivery and leisure, would the Government speed up the construction of cycling networks, especially in towns with dense cycling traffic?
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang)401 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Chairman, in the past half a year or possibly longer, I have noted from media websites that the authorities have been regularly conducting operations to promote safe riding efforts by cyclists and Personal Mobility Devices (PMD) users. And according to news, media reports or the LTA Facebook page, these efforts included enforcement against errant riders, as well as efforts by officers to stop and engage riders on-the-ground on safe riding etiquette, as well as use of the right equipment, such as having compliant e-bikes complying with road traffic or active mobility rules – such as observing appropriate speed limits, complying with traffic lights, riding against the traffic, no riding on expressways, wearing of helmets and riding in the right numbers or formation. I had previously spoken of the need for consistent enforcement and I am heartened by the publicity on more regular enforcement. The enhanced publicity for these operations and engagements are also good, as they should help to encourage riders to be more conscious in riding safely and complying with road traffic or active mobility rules. Will the Government give a brief report of its enforcement and engagements over the past year, including the number of cases of infringements by cyclists or PMD users, who were taken to task?[+5 sentences] While I agree that the recent efforts are a step in the right direction, I have continued to see, on quite a regular basis, that there are still riders who, for example, beat red lights or cycle against the traffic, or do not wear helmets and riding on the road. I still see some e-scooters on the road or on footpaths, even though their use on these services have been banned for some time. Though I agree that the use of PMDs on roads or footpaths have reduced considerably from the time before the ban took place, I am often surprised to see that people continue to take the risk of riding illegally. Sir, I hope the Minister would share MOT's plans on how the Ministry will engage or deal with this smaller group of active mobility users who may continue to use their bikes or e-scooters illegally or inappropriately, so that we can continue to improve the riding culture in Singapore. In particular, are there any lessons learned from the enforcement or engagement efforts in recent months, which can be applied to persuade this group of active mobility users?
Dr Shahira Abdullah (Nominated Member)214 words
[+2 sentences]With Singapore moving towards being a car-lite society, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic leading to a cycling boom, there have been many altercations between motorists and cyclists in Singapore. These incidences may be uploaded on social media, which serves to stoke further tensions between them. Therefore, the recommendations from the Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) came at a timely juncture to ensure safety as motorists and cyclists increasingly share the roads. I am glad the Panel has recommended that cyclists take up third-party liability insurance.[+6 sentences] It can help protect the cyclists when accidents occur, providing compensation for victims of accidents. As such, I would like to find out the timeframe for rolling out these measures. Even though the Panel has decided not to license on-road cyclists, public education is still an important part of the adoption of these recommendations. There is also a concurrent need to educate the drivers as well. Motorists may not be aware of what cyclists can do on the road and not all cyclists are familiar with the highway code. What will the Ministry be doing to step up public education on road safety for cyclists and motorists hand-in-hand with its enforcement action? How will the Ministry be ensuring that errant cyclists and motorists will be caught and censured?
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang)295 words
[+1 sentence]Sir, I wish to make the case for designated bike lanes in towns, carved from the existing road network. These lanes would be proposed by the Town Councils in collaboration with LTA and can be piloted on roads that are less heavily utilised within their estates.[+9 sentences] To be clear, there is already an extensive network of island-wide bicycle-friendly trails, comprising the Park Connector Network (PCN), alongside trails as well as corridors. But these trails do no address the so-called "Last Mile Problem", where riders are still required to ride on regular roads and occasionally on pavements, to the detriment of some of the Members of this House as well as safety, to get to their final destination, or to traverse across the estate. Bicycle riders can, of course, make use of existing roads, riding to the far left. But when bike lanes are not designated, there is an absence of clear guidelines for vehicle drivers and this often results in compromising the riders' safety when passing vehicles leave uncomfortably little space. Accordingly, riders ride defensively, sometimes two abreast, to occupy the entire lane, which would be more inefficient than designating a clear, even if narrow, bike lane and correspondingly narrow lines for regular vehicles. Dedicated bike lanes will support commercial activity. Since cycling paths currently allow the use of powered vehicles, delivery riders that cannot ply foot paths, will have a safe alternative for their Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs). In Sengkang, such delivery riders and dedicated bike lanes seem like a win-win solution that will accommodate our many PMD users. Such bike lanes will also encourage activities that promote environmental sustainability. Lanes that connect within estates will serve as an important supplement to the tripling of bike trails envisioned in the Singapore Green Plan 2030.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten)340 words
[+10 sentences]Sir, last year, during COS debate, I spoke about the frustration caused to many pedestrians due to a minority of reckless cyclists, who speed along shared paths and footpaths. Their inconsiderate behaviour is a cause of danger to other users of the shared paths or foot paths, who may be injured by such riders. I have seen regular enforcement action taken by LTA and NParks' officers, but this situation does not seem to have improved. The enforcement officers cannot possibly be at the park connector or other shared paths every day. Pedestrians tell me they do not feel safe using the shared paths or footpaths, when cyclists zip by them at high speeds and in a dangerous manner. And this is especially so for pedestrians who are seniors or with young toddlers. One wrong step by the toddler or the senior person may mean serious injury if a speeding bicycle crashes on them. It does not help that many shared paths do not have clear demarcation as to which side of the path is for pedestrians and which side is for the cyclists. Indeed, I myself have walked along such paths and I felt it was very stressful not knowing whether a reckless cyclist would crash into my back. May I ask LTA to do more – to educate and remind all cyclists using shared or footpaths that they should not speed and be considerate to other users? Can LTA put up more prominent signs along the paths reminding cyclists on the dangers of speeding and riding recklessly?[+4 sentences] In Tanjong Rhu, there used to be a sign – a small sign – that the cyclists are not supposed to ride beyond the bicycle lane. But nobody obeyed it. But when a prominent "No Cycling" sign was put on the floor of the footpath bridge, I saw marked improvements in the behaviours of cyclists and a large majority of cyclists dismounted and pushed their bicycles across the foot path. Without the prominent signage, many cyclists would just ride across the bridge.
Mr Cheng Hsing Yao (Nominated Member)245 words
[+12 sentences]Sir, recently, a foreign friend shared that one of the best things about Singapore is that people can walk freely and comfortably on the streets, even in the early morning or late at night. They do not feel that their safety is threatened. This is the combined efforts of MHA, which maintains a very low crime level in Singapore and the concerted planning and execution of various Ministries, like MND and MOT. I am a member of the Discover Tanjong Pagar Business Improvement District (BID), which is an association of private development stakeholders. We work together to find ways to enhance the Tanjong Pagar neighbourhood. Initially seeded by MND and URA, the Discover Tanjong Pagar BID has become a close-knit group of stakeholders. The BID had many positive experiences working with the agencies, such as URA, NParks, SLA, PA and LTA. On walkability, members of the BID had site walks with LTA officers to explain some of the areas of concerns for pedestrian safety or comfort. With the other agencies, we have jointly developed green spaces, introduced play facilities and tree planting. LTA considered the inputs from the BID and implemented improvements, such as introducing new traffic lights or widening of footpaths. These efforts cannot make news headlines, but they relate to the detailed on-the-ground adjustments that greatly improve the experience of the neighbourhood. Can MOT share more about how agencies and stakeholders can work together to make our city more walkable, vibrant and liveable?
The Chairman9 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Gan Thiam Poh, take your three cuts together.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio)160 words
[+2 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. More Singaporeans and residents are taking up cycling as a form of exercise and as a green mode of transport. Can the Ministry share an update on the islandwide cycling network as well as plans to make cycling safer for cyclists and pedestrians on pathways which are currently not part of the network?[+7 sentences] Our road network spans 9,000 lane-kilometres and requires much maintenance to keep it in good and safe condition. In the face of labour shortage, how would LTA upkeep maintenance? Will LTA be leveraging on new technology or materials to maintain this network effectively? Illegally-modified vehicles cause not only noise pollution, which disturb residents, especially late at night. They also put the drivers, passengers and other road users at risk. There have been quite a number of incidents where they either burst into flames or would not be able to function safely. What is LTA doing to address this problem of illegally-modified vehicles and motorcycles?
Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol)450 words
[+10 sentences]Through the years, our taxi and private hire vehicle driving community has been keeping Singapore going. Rain or shine, early mornings and late nights, pandemic or no pandemic, providing a reliable and safe form of transportation for many Singaporean families. Our resilient hardworking drivers have weathered changes to their industry, affecting their livelihoods and lives. Some changes are sudden, like COVID-19; some changes are long-tailed, like technology changes, ranging from changing diesel standards, the invention of ride-hailing apps, the rolling out of full EV vehicles. Our drivers have rolled with the times and, with the support and representation of the NTUC Associations, National Taxi Association and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, their resilience and courage have carried them out of these situations stronger and better. In the midst of the fuel price surges, which have left our drivers reeling and frightened about the sustainability of their livelihoods, our association leaders have led the charge and bringing the matter of business cost up to the taxi and ride-hail platform partners as well as LTA. Our leaders have similarly worked with the tripartite partners in the introduction and extension of the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund (CDRF), which has given our drivers some added measure of relief. One evergreen challenge our leaders have brought up is the support needed to aid drivers looking to transit out of driving. Unlike salaried employees who may take paid training leave, for every hour a self-employed driver spends away from his trade, it is an hour less spent on earning a living. Hence, most drivers who wish to undertake training must bear triple costs – training fee, vehicle rental and loss of income. To provide some ground reality, the current training allowance provided by WSG is pegged at $4.50 per hour. An eight-hour training day equates to $36 or 50% of vehicle rental cost.[+1 sentence] Given that many drivers have depleted their savings trying to cope with COVID-19, this is a challenging dilemma. As our drivers seek for more sustainable future-proof livelihoods, will the Ministry consider training allowances to be adjusted?[+3 sentences] Can the Ministry also provide an update for the support of our drivers to prepare for a better future? Throughout COVID-19, our drivers have been frontliners and sometimes face the wrath of angry and unreasonable commuters. This can range from ugly spats on the COVID-19 measures to our female drivers who meet the tricky passengers as they brave the long night drives. What are some of the new safety nets that the Government will be putting in place to ensure that our drivers remain safe and how has it been effective as a deterrent for taxi drivers and PH drivers since its inclusion in July 2021?
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Minister S Iswaran.
The Minister for Transport (Mr S Iswaran)3515 words
[+15 sentences]Mr Chairman, I would like to thank all Members for their questions and suggestions for my Ministry, which Senior Minister of State Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng and I will endeavour to address. Sir, connectivity is the lifeblood of Singapore. We depend on our transportation links, domestic and international, for our lives and our livelihoods. Hence, MOT's aim is to build a Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Transport Hub. I will focus my response to Members' cuts on four themes: first, the recovery of our Aviation Hub; second, our sustainability initiatives; third, keeping land transport accessible and affordable; and fourth, creating good job opportunities in the transport sector. Let me start with the reopening of borders and aviation recovery, which Mr Melvin Yong, Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Ms Poh Li San, Mr Dennis Tan and Mr Raj Joshua Thomas have asked about. This is our immediate priority. Changi's air connectivity anchors the Singapore economy. Many companies choose to be in Singapore because they can easily reach their customers and suppliers in our region and beyond. To lose Changi's connectivity is to lose this key competitive advantage and our livelihoods that depend on it. In the early stages of the pandemic, we were faced with a stark and difficult trade-off between protecting public health and opening our borders. Fortunately, we are in a different situation today, thanks to a better understanding of the virus, well-established safe management measures and high levels of vaccination in our population. Hence, we have been able to take careful and calibrated steps to reopen our borders. In early 2021, the passenger volumes were at 3% of pre-COVID-19 levels. We introduced Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) from September last year, barely six months ago, although it feels like a lifetime. Today, we have VTLs with 32 countries and regions. These VTLs have enabled us to attain passenger volumes of about 15% of pre-COVID-19 levels in December 2021.[+7 sentences] Flights at Changi have reached 38% and city links are at 58%. Many have, finally, been able to reunite with family and friends abroad. We must sustain this momentum. Other aviation hubs, like Dubai, Qatar and Istanbul, are already at up to 70% of their pre-COVID-19 international passenger traffic. In our region, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines have announced plans to reopen their borders to all vaccinated travellers. In short, the world is learning to live with COVID-19. We now have the confidence and opportunity to move decisively. IATA forecasts that international passenger volumes in the Asia Pacific will recover to about 40% of pre-COVID-19 levels this year. We aim to restore Changi's passenger volumes to be at least 50% of pre-COVID-19 levels in 2022.[+15 sentences] We are now in the first phase of this plan, launching VTLs with specific countries and regions. Just last week, we announced further VTLs with Vietnam, Greece, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Europe. The next phase will entail a more fundamental shift – from Vaccinated Travel Lanes to vaccinated, quarantine-free travel. Our aim is to allow all fully-vaccinated travellers from countries and regions under MOH's "Low Risk" and "General Travel" categories to enter Singapore without having to serve Stay-Home Notice (SHN) or quarantine. This will, effectively, reopen our borders to the rest of the world. MOT will work closely with the Multi-Ministry Task Force (MTF) and MOH on the timing of this transition, which will depend on the public health situation in Singapore and the world, among other things. We share Ms Poh Li San’s concerns about the potential impact of the situation in Ukraine. It has already affected fuel prices and could impede the recovery of the global economy and international aviation. We are monitoring the situation closely with our aviation partners and will mount an appropriate response should the need arise. In the meantime, our airport community is gearing up for higher travel volumes. During the pandemic, the workforce in Changi Airport Group, SIA, SATS and other aviation companies fell sharply. Based on MOM's latest published employment data, as of September 2021, the air transport sector employed about 25,000 workers, nearly one-third less than pre-COVID-19 levels. Our companies are now ramping up recruitment. SIA has started hiring new cabin crew and SATS is bringing back experienced workers. This is an important effort, but by no means an easy one. The Government will continue supporting our aviation sector amidst the continued uncertainty with a $500 million "OneAviation Resilience Package" in the coming financial year. Of this, $60 million will go towards manpower support, as companies build up capacity ahead of demand; $390 million for continued cost relief and measures to safeguard public health at the airport; and $50 million to support long-term industry digitalisation and transformation efforts via a top-up to the Aviation Development Fund.[+23 sentences] Mr Melvin Yong and Mr Dennis Tan asked for an update on Terminal 5 (T5). In 2020, we announced a two-year pause in the development of T5. We have used the opportunity of this pause to review the T5 design in light of the pandemic experience and the heightened sustainability ambition. But there should be no doubt that we are firm in our resolve that Changi must have the capacity and capability to seize opportunities that arise from aviation growth, especially in Asia, and we will provide an update on the review in due course. Let me now turn to Environmental Sustainability. Yesterday, in the Joint Segment on the Singapore Green Plan, I announced our land transport emissions target and explained how vehicle electrification will contribute to that effort. Today, I will cover other sustainability initiatives in the transport sector. Let me begin with our Aviation Hub. Ms Poh Li San asked about the Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint which is key to Changi’s future competitiveness. The Blueprint will establish emissions reduction targets for 2030 and 2050 and the specific measures we will take at the airport, with airlines and in air traffic management. All of these can contribute to a more sustainable air hub. Besides lowering emissions, it will also create new opportunities for Singaporeans in fields like data analytics and engineering. The detailed plans will be announced in early 2023. Ms Poh also asked how we will help aviation companies cope with increased business costs arising from carbon taxes, which would include higher electricity charges. MOT and Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) are working with our aviation companies to adopt new technologies and other measures to enhance energy efficiency, reduce electricity usage and lower carbon emissions, such as through the deployment of solar panels at the airport. I should add that our aviation enterprises should also view this as an opportunity to differentiate themselves and enhance their competitiveness, given the global focus on sustainability. In a similar vein, I would like to inform Mr Dennis Tan that we are making significant efforts to build a sustainable maritime hub. International shipping accounts for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Maritime centres like Singapore can play a meaningful role in achieving the emissions targets set by the International Maritime Organization. As a follow-up to last year’s recommendations of the International Advisory Panel for Maritime Decarbonisation, the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has held extensive consultations with the industry. This effort has culminated in the Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint, which I am happy to launch today. Let me highlight three aspects of the Blueprint. First, we will reduce emissions from our port terminals and harbour craft. Our terminal operators will electrify equipment, optimise energy usage and leverage renewable energy. We aim to reduce emissions by at least 60% from 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions at our port terminals by 2050.[+7 sentences] For harbour craft that operate in our port, we will first use low-carbon fuels such as biofuels, LNG and diesel-electric hybrids. This will enable us to reduce emissions by 15% from 2021 levels by 2030. In parallel, we will develop and deploy zero-carbon vessels such as those using electricity, to further halve 2030's emission levels by 2050. Second, we will support global efforts to decarbonise international shipping. We are working with the industry, research community and international partners on R&D, pilots and standards development for low and zero carbon fuels, especially at the new Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation. We expect hydrogen and its carriers, including ammonia and methanol, as well as bio-LNG, to be important components of the future fuel mix. We will, therefore, prepare our port for this multi-fuel transition. Third, MPA will commit an additional $300 million in funding over the next 10 years to reduce emissions from our port terminals and harbour craft and support the development of green technologies and fuels for international shipping.[+9 sentences] Finally, public transport is a core element of our sustainability efforts. As I shared yesterday, the adoption of EVs can make an important contribution, but the greenest modes of mobility are walking, cycling and the use of public transport. We will continue to enhance these options for commuters. Let me start by first assuring Members that notwithstanding the disruptions wrought by COVID-19, the Government is committed to continue expanding our rail network. It is a critical investment in the capacity of our public transport system, the productivity of our economy and effective mobility for our people. We are making good progress in this regard. LTA’s 2021 Household Travel Survey shows that seven in 10 households now live within a 10-minute walk of the nearest train station. This brings us closer to our target of eight in 10 households by 2030. Trips during peak hours are also shorter. The proportion of peak hour walk, cycle or ride journeys completed within 45 minutes has increased from 66% in 2019 to 71% in 2021.[+13 sentences] We aim to raise this to 90% by 2040. In August last year, we opened the second stage of the Thomson East Coast Line, or TEL. We expect 11 more TEL stations to commence service in the second half of 2022. This will connect residents in the north directly to many destinations in the city and significantly shorten travel times. Those who live or work near stations like Great World, Maxwell and Shenton Way will have direct connections to the entire MRT network. When TEL is fully opened over the next few years, more than 240,000 households will be within a 10-minute walk from a TEL station. Beyond the Thomson East Coast Line, the Jurong Region Line (JRL) and Cross Island Line (CRL) will open in stages from 2027 and 2030 respectively. The JRL serves the north-western part of Singapore, connecting towns like Choa Chu Kang, Tengah and Jurong to Nanyang Technological University and the Jurong Innovation District. For CRL, we had earlier shared details about the first stage comprising 12 stations from Aviation Park to Bright Hill, as well as the extension with three stations from Elias to Punggol. The second stage of the Cross Island Line will extend further west and run through areas such as Turf City, Sunset Way, Clementi, West Coast and Jurong Lake District. We will release more details later this year. The Cross Island Line will have interchanges with all the radial lines, giving commuters more travel route options. A wider and denser network also strengthens resilience at the system level. When these lines are completed, we would have increased our rail network by 50% to 360 kilometres.[+7 sentences] The rail network is complemented by bus services. As we expand our public transport system and the asset and operating base grows, costs will inevitably rise. One way to sustain this growing network and manage costs is to optimise the provision of bus and rail services holistically at the system level. This may entail reallocating capacity and resources. Senior Minister of State Chee will elaborate on how we seek to achieve this, with a focus on the overall benefit to commuters. Mr Ang Wei Neng suggested giving discounts to encourage more off-peak travel. Indeed, this is another way to better utilise our existing public transport infrastructure. Today, commuters who tap-in at any MRT or LRT station before 7.45 am on weekdays, excluding public holidays, enjoy a discount of up to 50 cents.[+5 sentences] With changing work and travel patterns, we will continue to work with employers and study various options to smoothen peak demand. Some Members like Mr Lim Biow Chuan have pointed out that a high-quality public transport system must be resilient, yet affordable and accessible. The challenge is in striking the difficult but essential balance, between quality, affordability and financial sustainability of our public transport system over the long term. In particular, even as we manage increasing costs, we have always sought to keep public transport affordable for all Singaporeans, especially for vulnerable commuters like our seniors and persons with disabilities (PWDs). Indeed, that is why we tilt public transport subsidies towards more vulnerable commuter segments. In addition, in the last two Fare Review Exercises, for example, we set aside approximately $20 million a year in Public Transport Vouchers to help defray the impact of the fare increase.[+3 sentences] Seniors and persons with disabilities from lower-income households can benefit from this additional support. So, when Assoc Prof Jamus Lim suggests making public transport free for seniors and persons with disabilities, we understand where he is coming from, yet do not necessarily agree with where he suggests we go. To address the Member’s proposal, it is worthwhile to first understand what we are already doing today and what his suggestions mean for commuters and taxpayers. Overall, the Government spends more than $2 billion annually in subsidies for public transport commuters: about $1 billion for bus operations and $1 billion for train operations.[+5 sentences] On average, we subsidise more than $1 for every journey taken on public transport. As of January this year, there are around 975,000 seniors and persons with disabilities who hold concession cards, which is nearly 1 million. Depending on the trip, they receive a discount of up to 55% from what an adult commuter would pay. The Member has estimated that his proposal will cost $300 to $400 million annually, which he has acknowledged has to be paid for by commuters or taxpayers. Using his numbers, for taxpayers, this would mean a 15% to 20% increase to the $2 billion in subsidies already borne by them. If borne by commuters, adult fares will have to be increased by around 20% to 25% today, or 30 cents to 40 cents on average – this is up to 11 times the fare increase last year. This financial burden is by no means insignificant and it will only grow by 2030, when the number of persons with disabilities and seniors aged 60 and above is expected to increase, by about 28%, to about 1.2 million.[+23 sentences] In contrast, the Public Transport Council, or PTC, which is cognisant of the need to ensure that fares remain affordable for vulnerable commuter groups, adopts a different approach. When fares are increased, PTC has apportioned less of the increase to concessionary commuter groups and more to other adult commuters. But everyone pays a share and those who can pay more, do so. This is a more equitable approach, which has served us well over the years. Looking ahead, several converging trends will affect our public transport system over the next decade – a growing rail network, shifting work and travel patterns, our ageing population and volatile energy prices. Amidst these changes, it is important to have a fare formula for long-term financial sustainability. The current fare formula is valid until 2022. We will commence the fare formula review this year and conclude the exercise by next year. The PTC will continue to strike a delicate balance across cost pressures faced by public transport operators, the burden on taxpayers of public transport subsidies and fare affordability for commuters. Mr Chairman, let me now turn to active mobility and private transport. Walking and cycling complement our public transport network, especially to bridge the first- and last-mile connections. Many different groups of commuters use our various paths and I note the comments by several Members about the nature of the interactions in these different pathways. These paths should not be territory that is jostled or contested over. Rather, they should be common spaces that we share and enjoy with a culture of graciousness. To balance the needs of different users and promote safety and graciousness, the Active Mobility Advisory Panel, or AMAP, was first formed in 2015. I would like to thank the Panel for their good work over the past few years under the strong leadership of Minister of State Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng has taken over from Minister of State Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim as Chairman since the start of the new term of AMAP in January this year and he will elaborate more on the steps that we have taken and on AMAP’s key priorities going forward. Next, private transport. Given our limited land, we have long pursued a car-lite strategy. The COE system is an allocation mechanism that responds to market forces. Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Murali Pillai and Mr Abdul Samad raised questions about motorcycle COEs where prices have been high in recent times. Mr Henry Kwek and Mr Murali Pillai have also suggested increasing motorcycle COE supply. I understand the reasons for their suggestions and share their concerns for those who may depend on motorcycles for a living. However, it is important to note that there has been strong and persistent demand for motorcycles. This is reflected in the utilisation rate of motorcycle Temporary Certificates of Entitlement, or TCOEs, which have remained consistently high at over 99% since bidding resumed in July 2020.[+3 sentences] TCOEs mean that the bidder has six months. So, it is a temporary COE – six months within which they can then utilise that COE. And the fact that, over that six-month period, the utilisation rate has been high consistently at 99% underscores the point that demand has been high. The distribution of these COEs is also noteworthy: 70% have been used for motorcycles with 200 cc engine capacity or less, about 20% in the 201 cc to 400 cc range and about 10% are more than 400 cc.[+1 sentence] There have been some suggestions, like from Mr Murali Pillai, that perhaps we could consider a special sub-allocation. But the problem is that the overall number of COEs available is between 400 and 600, on average, per bidding cycle exercise. That being the case, if we further subdivide the category, the likelihood of greater volatility in the prices is significantly increased. Having said that, we have observed early signs that the utilisation rate may be softening for TCOEs obtained in more recent months. So, I want to assure Members that I have asked LTA to study this very carefully and they will be completing their review soon.[+16 sentences] Several Members asked about job prospects and how we will develop local talent. Mr Chairman, the changes I have outlined will need the support of our transport workers and unions. The past two years have been difficult for the entire transport community, especially for our frontline workers in our airport, seaport and land transport system. With hard work and grit, they have kept Singapore connected. And I want to thank the entire transport community, especially our frontline transport workers, for their tenacity and forbearance in this most challenging of times. Beyond COVID-19, as we forge ahead with electrification, digitalisation and automation, I know that many of our workers in the workforce may be worried about their jobs and their future. Our commitment to you is that we will be with you every step of the way. We are working with the unions and employers, our tripartite partners, to ensure that you navigate this transition successfully. We will help you to upskill and retrain so that you can seize these new opportunities. Senior Minister of State Amy Khor and Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat will elaborate on how we will do this. Mr Chairman, a resilient, sustainable and inclusive transport network is essential for Singapore's survival and success and to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of our people. Our world-class Aviation Hub, Maritime Centre and land transport network of today are the fruits of the labour of earlier generations who adapted to the challenges and needs of their time while planning and investing for the future. The critical decisions our transport pioneers made were not necessarily conventional wisdom of the time nor were they self-evident. Building Changi Airport, betting on containerised shipping, constructing an MRT network and introducing vehicle population control measures are just some examples. But with the passage of time and the benefit of hindsight, we can appreciate how their decisions, some even unpopular, positioned Singapore strategically for the future. In the same way, the responsibility now falls upon us to steward our world-class transport ecosystem adapted to the evolving circumstances and emerging trends and, ultimately, pass on an even more resilient, sustainable and inclusive transport hub to and for future generations of Singaporeans.
The Chairman7 words
[+1 sentence]Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat.
The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Mr Chee Hong Tat)2262 words
[+5 sentences]Sir, let me begin with Mr Melvin Yong and Mr Gerald Giam's questions on bus services. Mr Yong proposed that bus operators tap on taxi drivers as reserve bus captains who can be deployed during a crisis. Ms Joan Pereira made a similar suggestion at a recent Sitting to bring back former and recently retired bus captains. I thank both Members for their suggestions. These are possible ways to increase the resilience of our public transport workforce. On Mr Gerald Giam's questions, we shortened three bus services on 12 December 2021.[+16 sentences] Service 22 and service 66 ran from Ang Mo Kio to Tampines and from Jurong East to Bedok respectively. Service 506 was an express service from Jurong East to Upper East Coast. As Service 22 was shortened, consequential changes were made to service 65 to serve Tampines Avenue 4. Sir, I understand Mr Gerald Giam's concerns. When there are changes to bus services, commuters need time to adjust to the new arrangements. My PAP colleagues, who look after areas affected by these changes, have also shared feedback from their residents. I thank Mr Giam for giving MOT this opportunity to explain our approach to keep Singapore's public transport system financially sustainable while trying our best to balance the different trade-offs and always focusing on the best overall interests of commuters. Earlier, Minister Iswaran spoke about the importance of financial prudence and sustainability, for our public transport system to remain resilient, affordable and accessible over the longer term. To achieve this, we need to regularly trim and reallocate excess capacity, including bus services, when we expand our MRT network to keep overall costs manageable for commuters and taxpayers. So, how does LTA decide on changes to bus services? We start with ridership data, which is an objective indication of commuter demand. To be clear, we do operate bus services with low ridership. There are many such services which run at a loss and require funding from the $1 billion pool of bus subsidies every year because they provide necessary connectivity for commuters in some areas who otherwise would not have alternative public transport options. We also keep some trunk services for network resilience. However, there are bus services with low ridership that run parallel to MRT lines and have alternative bus services plying similar routes, including the three services 22, 66 and 506 that we are discussing. Their ridership numbers along some parts of the trunk route had been low and fell further after Downtown Line 3 became operational in 2017. If we look at the data before COVID-19, the sustained drop in ridership for these three services ranged from 32% to 55% for parts of the routes.[+12 sentences] This is because many commuters preferred to take MRT for longer journeys, using buses as feeder services for travelling to and from key transport nodes within the town. By switching to a combination of bus and MRT for long journeys, commuters enjoy lower fares and shorten their total travelling times, compared to taking the bus from start to end. For example, a trip from Bedok North to MacPherson, after including waiting and transfers, would take around 25 minutes via feeder bus and DTL versus 42 minutes via bus service 66. The bus-MRT option also costs less because the distance travelled is shorter. LTA amended the route of bus service 65 in Tampines, so that commuters would still have connectivity between Tampines Avenue 4 and Bedok Reservoir Road when service 22 was shortened. The original route for service 65 through Tampines Avenues 1 and 5 has three other bus services. LTA will continue to explore cost reduction methods before making changes to a bus service. This includes switching from double deck to single deck buses and reducing service frequency where possible. These steps were taken for the three bus services before the decision was made in 2021 to shorten their routes. However, the cost reductions from the above changes are not very significant as running a bus service still requires bus captains to work in shifts and a technical crew to maintain the buses. By trimming some of the existing bus services with low ridership, we free up resources that can be reallocated to provide new feeder services for new residential estates. Through these efforts, we are better able to meet new demand for bus services without a rapid increase in operating costs and subsidies. The shortening of the three bus services, for example, saved $9.5 million of subsidies per year, which can be reallocated to new bus services.[+8 sentences] Put another way, if we continue to run the three bus services without any changes, it means that either commuters or taxpayers would have to pay an additional $9.5 million per year. Hence, I hope Mr Giam understands why we are unable to agree with him to retain as many trunk services as possible. We will retain some as I explained, but we cannot go to the extent he has proposed. That will not be financially prudent and sustainable. And we will not be doing what is in the best collective interests of commuters and taxpayers. Sir, I will now speak about the plans to grow our maritime sector. Maritime Singapore did well in 2021. We strengthened our reputation as a trusted hub port and international maritime centre (IMC). Container throughput reached a new high of 37.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), while our IMC attracted 23 companies to expand or set up operations in Singapore.[+8 sentences] Singapore ranked top in the 2022 Leading Maritime Cities of the World report, including for "Attractiveness and Competitiveness" and "Maritime Technology". I would like to thank our tripartite partners and maritime workers. This achievement would not have been possible without your dedication, your contributions and your sacrifices. Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked how we are enhancing Singapore as a reliable and resilient transport node. Maritime Singapore will develop strong capabilities, superior connectivity and rewarding careers to address emerging challenges and seize new opportunities. First, building strong capabilities. PSA has commenced operations of its first two berths at Tuas Port as scheduled. We are making steady progress with the rest of the construction. When completed, Tuas Port can handle up to 65 million TEUs a year, 50% more than our current capacity.[+26 sentences] Tuas Port will secure Singapore’s cargo connectivity to the world and keep up our competitiveness as a global hub port. Our port will leverage on technology to operate more efficiently, sustainably and safely. MPA will use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to manage the increasing scale and complexity of ship movements in our waters. Our next-generation Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) will be equipped with advanced smart collision detection capabilities. It will be based at the future Port Operations Control Centre in Tuas, to be completed in 2025. Another key technology is 5G telecommunications, which will support new concepts of operation. It will enable shore-to-ship deliveries using drones, which is cheaper, better and faster than the traditional method of sending a boat and crew; or piloting a containership safely from a control room on shore. 5G will support our vision to be the Silicon Valley of Marine Tech and be a game-changer to differentiate our port and IMC from the competition. Maritime 5G for Maritime SG. We will also help maritime SMEs build capabilities to ride the digitalisation wave. We currently provide funding support under the Sea Transport Industry Digital Plan (IDP) and this is given to SMEs in the ship agency, harbour craft and bunkering sub-sectors to help them implement digital solutions to improve their operations. We will expand IDP to cover all SMEs in the Sea Transport sector, including those providing ship supply services. MPA will also extend the grant beyond end 2022, to benefit eligible maritime companies on an ongoing basis. Next, we will expand our physical and digital connectivity. Tuas Port will be the nucleus of a larger ecosystem of business and industrial districts. We can enhance the connectivity of high-value sectors like advanced manufacturing and cold chain logistics by locating such companies close to the port. The Government has set aside land around Tuas Port for companies to integrate their developments with the port. We will also review our regulatory processes to maximise the benefits from integration and process efficiency. MOT will leverage on our strengths as an air and sea hub to expand the suite of connectivity options for cargo owners, including multimodal options. Such air-sea cargo solutions provide additional efficiency and resilience and support just-in-time manufacturing and distribution for regional supply chains. In the information age, digital connectivity is as important as physical connectivity. Electronic bills of lading (eBLs) are documents proving ownership of cargo in transit. The benefits of eBLs over physical documents are clear: receive cargo faster, free up working capital and have more secure transactions. However, adoption of eBLs has been slow due to legal and technical hurdles. MPA will co-fund three consortiums to develop and trial eBL solutions across the container, wet bulk and dry bulk segments. Through these trials, we aim to grow the ecosystem and encourage adoption of eBLs in Singapore and beyond. With the expansion in capabilities and connectivity, Maritime Singapore will grow and create rewarding career opportunities for our people. In response to Mr Saktiandi and Mr Melvin Yong, the Sea Transport sector aims to create 1,000 good jobs for locals between 2020 and 2025, including traditional maritime jobs like seafarers and port operation managers, and many emerging roles such as software engineers and supply chain managers.[+13 sentences] Looking at our progress so far, there is scope to grow even more good jobs by 2025, if conditions remain favourable. As Mr Yong noted, it is important to attract more local workers to take up both seafaring and shore-based jobs. MPA is supporting the industry and unions to attract talent, nurture our workforce and transform workplaces in Maritime Singapore. Seafaring experience is important in the maritime sector and can open doors to good shore-based careers. Captain Ranesh Sandhu started out as a seafarer in Neptune Orient Lines and became a ship master after a decade of sailing. His seafaring credentials have laid the foundations for a meaningful shore-based career, including in leadership positions such as Senior Director of Shipping for Marathon Petroleum Corporation and Managing Director at BTS Tankers. MPA has partnered the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU), the Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS) and maritime companies to attract and develop locals for seafaring careers through scholarships and awards. Local seafarers like my Toa Payoh resident, Mr Takamasa Ng, have benefited from the Tripartite Maritime Scholarship (TMSS). Takamasa obtained his Class 3 Certificate of Competency (CoC) in 2018. He currently works on board a ship for NYK Line and he wants to continue sailing and attain his Class 1 CoC, which is the highest level of certification. Qualifying as an experienced seafarer is a long and challenging journey. Attaining the Class 1 CoC can take eight years or more and the job requires frequent stints away from home. We will support our local seafarers on this journey. Beyond the existing scholarships, MPA and our tripartite partners will provide an additional $12.5 million to fund a new Sail Milestone Achievement Programme (SailMAP) to enhance the retention of local seafarers. Over the next five years, up to 250 local seafarers can receive up to $50,000 each, when they attain key career milestones.[+1 sentence] This helps to support their income when they are not sailing, so they can continue to upgrade their seafaring skills and knowledge. Most of the funding will come from the Government and the remainder will be funded by the Singapore Shipping Association, SMOU and SOS as part of this tripartite partnership. In addition, we will launch an accelerated training pathway for individuals with mechanical engineering backgrounds to become shipboard marine engineers, shortening the duration from the current 120 weeks to 22 weeks.[+3 sentences] I hope this will encourage more local mechanical engineers to become marine engineers. We have also collaborated with Yellow Ribbon Singapore to place suitable inmates as trainees with harbour craft operators to become steersmen or engine drivers. Eight ex-offenders have benefited so far and we hope to increase the number over time. Since 2018, we have helped around 200 mid-career workers undergo skills conversion to take up new roles through Career Conversion Programmes (CCP) in the Sea Transport sector. This includes 30 PMETs who have been successfully placed in new roles in 14 companies under the enhanced CCP for Sea Transport Professionals and Associates launched in November last year.[+9 sentences] Sir, as we attract and nurture local talents, our maritime hub must remain open and welcome people from abroad. This is especially important for an international industry like maritime, which requires openness and connectivity to thrive. Singapore cannot be a hub for maritime, aviation, finance or technology, if we adopt populist manpower policies, build walls around us and disconnect ourselves from the world. We cannot aim to be a hub and yet become inward-looking. There is no such thing as an inward-looking hub. Foreign talents bring new capabilities and perspectives that keep our hub dynamic and they complement our Singaporean Core. The tripartite partners fully support this approach, as we understand that a good local-foreign complement is necessary to grow our economy and create good jobs for our people. Sir, as Maritime Singapore grows our capabilities, connectivity and careers, an ocean of exciting possibilities awaits. I would like to encourage our students, our workers and our businesses to make Maritime Singapore your port of call and join us in turning these opportunities into reality.
The Chairman7 words
[+1 sentence]Senior Minister of State Dr Amy Khor.
The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan)969 words
[+9 sentences]Chairman, I will speak about MOT’s efforts to improve Singapore’s land transport system, in four aspects. First, I will touch on how we have transformed the taxi and private hire car sector and made it more resilient. Second, I will share on how we leverage technology to improve the resilience and reliability of our road network, and how we prepare for new shifts from these technologies, like vehicle electrification. Third, I will explain how we are reshaping our transport infrastructure by focusing on people and sustainability. Finally, I will conclude by sharing about our continual pursuit to enhance safety on our roads. Our land transport sector has remained resilient through the pandemic. This stems largely from the courage and dedication of our frontline workers. Taxi and private hire car drivers took extra precautions such as regularly disinfecting their vehicles even as ridership plunged. To tide them through, the Government, associations and operators provided targeted financial support. Close to 50,000 drivers benefited from over $390 million of support through the Special Relief Fund and COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund.[+1 sentence] Today, the situation has improved. The number of trips is about 75% of pre-COVID-19 levels, up from about 25% during the circuit breaker period.[+14 sentences] We expect this to rise further but will continue to monitor the situation closely. If necessary, we will step in again to support our drivers. Ms Yeo Wan Ling will be glad to know that we go beyond financial support. We will improve our service delivery to drivers, with the launch of the digital vocational licences in the second quarter of this year. Prospective drivers will receive their digital licences in about half the time, from around 20 days today. Drivers no longer need to worry about losing their vocational licences, as they can easily access it through Singpass. We also agree that drivers should feel safe. Indeed, taxi and private hire car drivers are covered as public service workers under the Protection from Harassment Act. We stand ready to support drivers who encounter abusive passengers. Chairman, our land transport system is in the midst of a major transition – towards vehicle electrification. A wide range of industries will be affected and workers, such as workshop technicians, must upskill to remain competitive. The Government is, therefore, actively consulting OEMs, fleet owners and other industry partners to better understand the training needs of these workers. The aim is to equip them with the necessary skills to seize these new opportunities. Our taxi fleet will also be increasingly electrified. At least half of our taxi fleet will be electric by 2030, up from about 2% today.[+14 sentences] To prepare drivers, LTA will launch an updated training curriculum for taxi and private hire vocational licences this month. The refreshed curriculum will cover electric vehicles and the latest on-the-road competencies, such as the use of mapping and navigational tools. Our public transport workers will also receive support to be future-ready. As Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Melvin Yong would know, we want to ensure that public transport workers, young or old, are ready to seize new opportunities arising from the greening of our fleet. The Singapore Bus Academy has conducted 17 runs of cleaner energy bus training programmes since December 2019, involving over 550 workers. While preparing for the future, there are core functions that LTA must continue to perform, such as the maintenance of the expanding rail, road and footpath infrastructure. As Mr Gan Thiam Poh shared, technology can help us be more efficient. One example is the use of video analytics and artificial intelligence in the maintenance of our 9,500-odd lane kilometres of roads. LTA has trialled the use of highspeed cameras mounted onto a van to automatically detect and report defects on the road since 2020. Defects are automatically logged backend, to enable targeted, predictive maintenance. When fully implemented, the technology-enhanced process can reduce manhours by up to 30%. Beyond leveraging technology, we will build more sustainable transport infrastructure, in collaboration with our communities. The greenest way to travel is by walking, cycling and using public transport. That is why we have several Transit Priority Corridors, or TPCs. These corridors incorporate bus, cycling lanes and footpaths for all. We will add another 60 kilometres of these corridors by 2030, including the longest TPC along the North South Corridor.[+8 sentences] This may not sound like a lot, but each TPC will become the key thoroughfare for the neighbourhood. An example of an upcoming TPC is along Sin Ming Avenue, between Upper Thomson Road and Marymount Road. Wider footpaths, new cycling paths and bus lanes will be incorporated. Residents in the area can more seamlessly ride a bus, walk or cycle to the amenities near them, such as schools and the Bright Hill MRT station. Mr Cheng Hsing Yao will be glad to know that we have made good progress in reimagining our road spaces. We widened the footpaths along a busy stretch of Havelock Road, where there are several popular eateries. Residents and visitors now find it a safer and more comfortable walking experience. We have also transformed the Civic District as we closed Connaught Drive, Fullerton Road and Anderson Bridge to vehicular traffic. Pedestrians can now walk freely and enjoy the picturesque landscape, as they visit key landmarks, such as the Padang and the Esplanade Park or various art and cultural institutes, all without having to worry about traffic and fumes. This has also opened up opportunities for us to work with stakeholders in the Civic District to bring new arts and cultural activities outdoors to further enliven the area.[+1 sentence] It does not stop there. Residents in Tiong Bahru, a popular neighbourhood, can look forward to wider footpaths and more community spaces.[+2 sentences] Works will begin later this month. With your permission, Chairman, may I display some slides on the LCD screens.
The Chairman8 words
[+1 sentence]Please do.
Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan1184 words
We will convert the roadside car parks along Seng Poh Road to wider footpaths.[+21 sentences] This will create a safer environment for pedestrians, especially for seniors and children. We will also begin pedestrianisation trials for Eng Hoon Street to create space for community use. These ideas were shaped in consultation with the local community including residents, shop owners and the Tiong Bahru Market and Hawkers’ Association. LTA will work with URA to co-create placemaking ideas with the local community that will be implemented through the Lively Places Programme. Another identified area is Tanjong Pagar. URA had earlier announced the pilot Business Improvement District programme to drive placemaking efforts. To complement this, LTA will lead an inter-agency workgroup to study plans to enhance the pedestrian and cycling experience. Key areas of focus include connectivity to transport nodes, conversion of road spaces for wider footpaths and cycling paths and community activities. These repurposing projects are connected by a common thread – the active input from local communities. Going forward and in the spirit of inclusivity and citizen participation, this approach will be our modus operandi. Finally, enhancing safety remains a priority. Illegally modified vehicles are dangerous to motorists and pedestrians and many of them cause noise disturbances as Mr Gan pointed out. To ensure roadworthiness of vehicles and compliance to in-use noise emission standards, LTA mandates periodic vehicle inspections. LTA also conducts joint enforcement operations with other agencies to flush out these vehicles. During a joint enforcement conducted in December 2021, LTA officers issued summons for 34 vehicles for offences including illegal modifications. Two workshops were charged last year for providing illegal modification services. Our approach to safety must take cognisance of society's changing needs. Given our ageing population, LTA has implemented Silver Zones at towns with a higher senior population since 2014. Key measures implemented include reduced speed limits and narrower roads to slow traffic. They have proven effective, reducing the accident rate of senior pedestrians by about 80%. To date, LTA has completed 22 Silver Zones. LTA will implement another 28 Silver Zones by 2025 in towns, such as Tampines, Ang Mo Kio and West Coast.[+22 sentences] Agencies have also been working to improve the safety of workers transported on lorries. Mr Yong asked for an update on this. We understand the union's and NGOs' concerns and likewise want to improve safety for workers. To protect lives and livelihoods, we need to take a balanced approach and make changes that are sustainable. This is why we consulted extensively on this issue, including with trade associations in the construction sector, such as Singapore Contractors Association Limited, the marine and process sectors and private bus operators. Indeed, their needs are different. Many small and medium enterprises, especially in the specialist trade, shared with us the constraints they face. They may need to transport a small crew with bulky equipment to several different locations in a single day. It will be operationally challenging and inefficient for them to use buses for workers and separately transport their equipment in lorries. In addition, in our engagements with private bus operators, they have told us that there are simply insufficient private buses and drivers to transport the large number of workers in the manufacturing and construction, marine and process sectors, especially when other activities like tourism resume post-COVID-19. A full transition to buses could require a doubling or even tripling of the number of large private buses in the industry today! Even if multiple and staggered trips are made, the demand for buses will still be significant. Furthermore, bus operators shared that the shortage of bus drivers would be an even more binding constraint. These challenges are not all insurmountable, but we will need time to work through them with the industry and relevant agencies. The good news is that some firms have already shifted away from using lorries for some projects. For example, Tong Tar Transport was asked by a multinational construction company to ferry about 3,000 workers of their main and sub-contractors between dormitories to the construction site via buses. This was a large-scale endeavour that involved coordination among various bus operators but shows that it is possible under the right circumstances. We encourage more in the industry to follow. We will facilitate the sharing of best practices and will study the "conditions for success" to enable more companies to make the shift. In the meantime, we have identified two areas to further improve the safety of workers on lorries. First, the Government will require all lorries to be subjected to some form of speed management device. Today, speed limiters are already mandated for all goods vehicles with maximum laden weight (MLW) of 12 tonnes and above. The Traffic Police (TP) will be expanding the speed limiter regime to encompass all lorries of MLW above 3.5 tonnes.[+2 sentences] TP will be engaging the industry closely on this and will release more details when ready. Second, besides ensuring the relevant hardware is in place, it is crucial to ensure that lorry drivers operate safely behind the wheel at all times. MOM will introduce new measures to require employers to provide sufficient rest for their drivers, in particular, those who play dual roles of a driver and ground worker. MOM will also mandate that every lorry ferrying workers have a designated vehicle person-in-charge who will sit next to the driver. This person-in-charge will be empowered to stop the driver from driving if he deems the driver to be unfit for driving.[+10 sentences] Some have also suggested requiring lorries to be fitted with seat belts. We recently consulted the motor vehicle dealers and workshops again. Their feedback remains that retrofitting seat belts would not be feasible and could in fact pose safety risks. How so, you may ask? Commercial lorries today are not designed for seat belts to be installed in the rear deck, as the floorboards in the rear deck might not be sufficiently strong to keep the seat belts anchored in the event of an accident. There are also liability issues for such modifications without the support of the lorry manufacturers. Without the industry being able to bring in lorries with seat belts and vouch for their safety, it is not prudent to mandate this. Lastly, we have heard calls to mandate rain covers to lorry rear decks to shield workers from the elements. Most employers today already do so. But we will take this one step further. LTA, with the support of MOM, have decided to mandate the installation of such covers on all lorries used to ferry workers. We will share implementation details at a later date.[+2 sentences] We will continue to study further measures even as industries adapt and more companies move towards alternative modes of transport. Once again, I urge employers to do their part in ensuring the welfare and safety of their staff. Chairman, in conclusion, we will improve our land transport system by adopting new technologies, upskilling our workers and refreshing our approach to infrastructure design, all while maintaining safety at the forefront.[+1 sentence] Together we can look forward to a more sustainable, vibrant and safe land transport system!
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Baey Yam Keng.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport (Mr Baey Yam Keng)1683 words
[+6 sentences]Mr Chairman, Minister Iswaran spoke about our plans to transform Singapore into a resilient, sustainable and inclusive transport hub. To support a shift towards greener choices, I am going to cover the two transport modes that have the lowest carbon emission: active mobility and public transport. In particular, I will share how we will continue to invest in both the "hardware" and "heartware". First, Mr Ang Wei Neng, Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim and Ms Poh Li San will be pleased to hear about our efforts to enhance our cycling path network. Despite the pandemic, we have accelerated the plans for the Islandwide Cycling Network. These are not easy infrastructure projects, especially in mature towns where there is little space on the sidewalk and various utilities underground. The cycling network is around 500 kilometres long today. We will grow it to 800 kilometres in the next two to three years and eventually reach our target of around 1,300 kilometres in year 2030.[+21 sentences] This will greatly improve convenience and connectivity both within and between towns. A good example of connectivity within a town is Bukit Panjang, where LTA is on track to complete seven kilometres of cycling paths this year. By then, residents can cycle to Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre for lunch, continue to Zhenghua Community Club for activities and then to Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport Hub to take a bus or train. Active mobility users and pedestrians will also enjoy the perks of improved connectivity between towns. Once the North-South Corridor is completed, it will connect to the park connector network and local cycling paths within HDB towns along the entire corridor. Someone living in Woodlands can cycle along dedicated paths all the way to work or play in the Rochor area. This will allow more convenient inter-town travels. We will also increase the number of end-of-trip facilities. Today, we have about 27,000 bicycle parking lots at public transport nodes. We will provide 3,000 more at MRT stations by 2025. We are encouraging workplaces to provide such facilities through the Active Commute Grant and have awarded the grant to 14 workplaces so far. We hope that more workplaces will make good use of this grant when the next round of applications open this year. Next, like Mr Dennis Tan suggested, education and enforcement of our rules must go hand in hand. To reduce the risk of severe accidents, we have put in place regulations that are reviewed regularly with the support of the Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) in consultation with the public. Over the years, we have imposed speed limits on paths and set restrictions on the weight and size of devices. At the start of this year, to enhance safety of on-road cycling, we introduced a guideline on safe passing distance between motorists and cyclists, and a new rule to limit cycling group size on roads. However, we heard the desire of cyclists to cycle in larger groups. I am happy to share that we intend to conduct a trial to provide dedicated cycling space along West Camp Road in Seletar on Sunday mornings. More details will be shared at a later date. We have stepped up enforcement efforts to deter errant riders since the ban of e-scooters on footpaths in 2019. We have also leveraged technology to identify hotspots for enforcement, many thanks to public feedback from the MyTransport app. Notably, the number of off-road accidents involving active mobility devices has decreased by 40% since 2019.[+1 sentence] To ensure riders of personal mobility devices (PMDs) and power-assisted bicycles are familiar with active mobility rules, we have introduced mandatory theory tests. To date, close to 31,000 riders have passed the tests.[+19 sentences] A significant number considering that we have a population of about 40,000 registered devices. At the same time, like Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Dr Shahira Abdullah pointed out, public education is key. LTA and the Traffic Police are working together to raise awareness among cyclists and motorists through campaigns, and we are also looking to incorporate these materials into the driving theory test curriculum. Third, an inclusive active mobility system requires a gracious and responsible community, underpinned by clear and forward-looking regulations. Since 2016, the AMAP led by Minister of State Muhammad Faishal has played an important role in building a safe and gracious active mobility landscape. The AMAP strikes a balance among the many competing needs of different users in consultation with the public. I thank Minister of State Faishal for his leadership over the past six years. As the new AMAP chairman, I would like to share two key priorities for this new term. First, we will stay ahead of emerging trends that could shape the active mobility landscape. For instance, we will review the use of devices, such as cargo bikes and trikes which have gained popularity overseas and are starting to enter the local market. We will also review the safe use of recumbent bikes and personal mobility aids. Second, we will continue to strengthen our engagement and education efforts to collectively build a safe and gracious culture on our paths and roads. Many stakeholders have responded positively in partnering us. For instance, public bus operators have emphasised to their bus captains the importance of defensive driving and keeping a lookout for road cyclists. Earlier this year, a few cyclists from the Singapore Cycling Federation tried out bus simulators to better appreciate the perspective and challenges of bus captains. Last year, LTA also launched the new Confidence on Wheels Programme to equip active mobility riders with practical riding skills and to promote safe riding habits. We will build on the momentum set forth by the AMAP to expand and deepen our partnerships with the community. Next, I will share about our progress towards an inclusive public transport system. Let me start with our efforts on thoughtfully designed hardware for three groups of commuters. First, to better support communication between commuters and public transport staff, we are working with the Singapore Association for the Deaf to introduce a visual communication tool in all MRT stations and bus interchanges by end 2022.[+5 sentences] This tool contains pictures and keywords that commuters can point to so that public transport staff understand their needs more easily. Besides the deaf or hard-of-hearing community, this should also be useful to commuters who have other communication difficulties. Second, we have installed the Hearing Enhancement System at Passenger Service Centres, starting with those at the Thomson-East Coast Line. The system reduces background noise so that commuters with hearing aids can communicate better with station staff. Next, the elderly group. With an ageing population, conditions such as dementia will likely be more prevalent. Hence, we are working with public transport operators to list all public transport nodes as Dementia Go-To-Points by end 2022.[+7 sentences] More than five million trips are made on public transport every day. We hope that the millions of eyes and ears can help to look out for people who show signs of dementia and are lost. Members of public can bring them to these Go-To-Points and enlist the help of our staff who are trained in dementia awareness. Everyone can do a part to help commuters with dementia who lose their way to be reunited with their loved ones quickly. The third group is families with young children. We currently have baby care rooms at all interchange stations on the Thomson-East Coast Line and 60% of our bus interchanges. I am happy to announce that all new bus interchanges and all stations on Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line will each have a baby care room. In addition, families travelling with young children in strollers will find it more convenient now that stroller restraints are installed on all public buses.[+5 sentences] To achieve a truly inclusive public transport system, we must also cultivate our "heartware". Tasked with this mission, the Caring SG Commuters Committee has collaborated with partners on various initiatives, such as by engaging different profiles of commuters on the ground, including those with invisible disabilities. I will urge all of us to adopt four caring behaviours in our daily journeys: give time, give care, give a hand and give thanks. How else can we play a part in this journey? We can become Caring Commuter Champions to better assist commuters in need. Since its launch in December 2020, more than 500 people have signed up as volunteers.[+14 sentences] One of them is Ms Ashley See. For her university's final year project, Ashley had researched about wayfinding for persons with visual impairment. She has benefited from the Champions training on how to assist other profiles of commuters. As a Champion, she hopes to encourage more people to lend a helping hand to others. While the Committee has laid a good foundation, all of us must play our part. Moving forward, the Committee will deepen stakeholders' involvement at the individual, enterprise and community levels to facilitate more ground-up initiatives. Mr Chairman, I would like to say a few words in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): We have spared no efforts to build an inclusive public transport system that is a choice mode for all. Over the years, we have enhanced our infrastructure so that all commuters, including persons with disabilities, the elderly and families travelling with young children, can navigate the public transport system more easily. However, a truly inclusive public transport system is not built on infrastructure enhancements alone, but also requires a gracious and caring commuting culture. By giving time, giving care, giving a hand and giving thanks to others during our daily commute, we can all make a positive difference to our fellow commuters' journeys. (In English): Mr Chairman, people are at the heart of what we do, in connecting people, places and possibilities through our different transport modes. We will continue to invest in both our hardware and heartware. I urge everyone to play our part towards a gracious culture to spin wheels of virtuous cycles that will make every journey on our paths and public transport a safe and inclusive one for all.
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Gan Thiam Poh.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh54 words
[+3 sentences]Thank you, Chairman. I thank the Senior Minister of State Amy Khor for the update on the actions against modified vehicles. May I know from Senior Minister of State, is there a plan to go for enhanced penalty against those who modify their vehicles, the owner and also the one who provided the service?
Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan111 words
[+1 sentence]I thank the Member for his supplementary question. Since last year, in July, we have enhanced the penalty framework and doubled the fines for illegal modifications. On 1 March this year, a motorcyclist was fined $1,200 for illegal modification of his exhaust system. We have also decided to enhance the penalty framework by, for instance, applying to the Courts for second and subsequent offenders to have their motorcycles detained for up to three months for illegal modification.[+2 sentences] Currently, the agencies are looking into imposing demerit points in addition to fines for offenders who knowingly drive an illegally modified vehicle. And we continue to undertake investigations on workshops who provide such services.
The Chairman3 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied)162 words
[+8 sentences]Sir, for trunk services, if ridership has been low, can we use smaller buses or increase the intervals between buses instead of cutting services? This is for trunk services. And for feeder services, after bus 66 was re-routed, my residents were left with only bus 228 as a feeder service to Bedok Interchange. Many have told me that the intervals of 15 minutes or more are really too long and LTA would be aware of this because I have written many letters on behalf of my residents on this matter. So, can LTA increase the frequency of feeder bus services to make up for the reduction in other services? Lastly, while I agree there is a need for financial prudence, we must not be penny wise and pound foolish. If more commuters take public transport instead of private transport, it will lower our carbon footprint and reduce traffic congestion. So, does MOT take this into account when it reduces the bus services?
Mr S Iswaran115 words
[+6 sentences]Mr Chairman, I thank the Member for his questions. I have a clarification for him, because he has heard the explanations that I and also Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat have given in terms of the process and how we go about this. So, may I understand, does he accept the principle that as we expand our rail network and as we invest more, and as the capital base and the asset base grow, we have an obligation to optimise across the system? Is he disagreeing with us on the principle or is it about the process? Or is it specifically about the outcome in his constituency? I would like clarity on that.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song95 words
[+5 sentences]I thank the Minister. I do not disagree with the principle that we must optimise, but I disagree with how it is sometimes optimised. Because I feel that sometimes, for example, for trunk services, yes, there is a need to ensure that the services are not running empty. But there is a small group of people – the elderly, disabled – who need to travel for long distances and they find it very inconvenient to transfer a lot. So, that is why I am asking, as a compromise, can mini or smaller buses be used?
Mr S Iswaran372 words
[+4 sentences]Mr Chairman, I thank the Member for that clarification. It is helpful because it means that we agree in principle that we have a fiscal responsibility to see what we can do to optimise the resources. Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat would be able to give more information on his specific points about trunk routes and alternatives. But the Member also raised the point about financial prudence and about being penny wise and pound foolish. When a proposal is made that will incur $300 million to $400 million more a year, when we raise questions about that, I do not think that is being penny wise and pound foolish.[+8 sentences] I think it is all about big pounds that are at stake. When I listen to some of the comments from Mr Giam and also his colleague Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, I am reminded that, Mr Chairman, with your indulgence, there is an Ernest Hemingway book “The Sun Also Rises”. In it, there is a character Mike Campbell and he is asked, “How did you go bankrupt?” And he replies, “Two ways – gradually, then suddenly.” I think we need to remember this: if we resist every effort to optimise and if we champion every effort to increase services or collect less, but resist every effort to perhaps increase fares and other measures to have the financial resources to do what we need to do, then, what we will end up with is this – the creep will be gradual and the end will be sudden. That is the risk that we run. So, what we are trying to do here – and I think I am not the first Transport Minister to make this point; it has been made by generations of Transport Ministers and I am sure many more to come – is really to strike that all-essential balance. I do not think there is a monopoly of virtue here, in terms of wanting to help Singaporeans, especially those who are in vulnerable segments, but what we are trying to do is make sure that we are being fair to our commuters, to our taxpayers, to the vulnerable segments and also, to public transport operators and their financial viability.
The Chairman7 words
[+1 sentence]Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat.
Mr Chee Hong Tat577 words
[+5 sentences]Mr Chairman, I will address some of the more specific points that Mr Giam mentioned. Specifically, on service 228, I touched on feeder services in my speech earlier. For service 228, Mr Giam did give us some feedback because initially, when the bus services were shortened, what LTA then tried to do was precisely like what he mentioned – make sure that we have bus service 228 to provide the connectivity to the necessary key transport nodes. When Mr Giam shared the feedback with us, we then followed up with the bus operators to make improvements and adjustments to bus service 228. Just to share some data, in terms of the loading level and the waiting time. Before Mr Giam shared the feedback with us, the maximum load during peak periods was about 70% to 75%.[+2 sentences] This was not excessive, but it would feel more crowded than usual. So, we understand the concerns. When Mr Giam shared the feedback with LTA, LTA then worked with the operator to make some adjustments and the peak loads have now dropped to below 45%.[+3 sentences] In fact, on most days, and I am referring to peak periods, it is around 25%. So, the situation has improved and I want to thank Mr Giam for sharing his feedback with us to enable us to be able to address some of these local concerns. About waiting times, Sir, service 228, I do not think what Mr Giam said earlier is factually correct. During the morning peak, between 6 am and 6.45 am, LTA has asked the bus operator to increase the frequency, precisely because we understand that this is the peak period.[+13 sentences] So, the frequency is actually every five minutes. There is another way to help residents to shorten the waiting time, so they do not have to go to the bus stop too early. That is to help them to use the MyTransport app. I understand, maybe some of the seniors may not be so familiar with technology, but that is also an area where, collectively, as a community, we can reach out to them through raising awareness and public education, help them to be able to use these tools, so that they can plan their journeys, they can shorten the waiting time. And, I think, importantly, the shift that I was explaining in my main speech will allow us to provide new feeder services to new areas, meeting the needs of other commuters. So, yes, we want to take care of as many commuters as possible, but our responsibility is not just to one group of commuters, but to all commuters, collectively. We do need to weigh difficult trade-offs and make the adjustments accordingly. One last point, Sir. I think I do need to point out that because we shift from bigger buses to smaller buses, it does not mean the cost will shrink correspondingly. I explained in my speech we still need to have bus captains to drive the buses in shifts. We still need to have a maintenance crew to be able to maintain the bus fleet. In fact, if we buy new mini buses, we would have to incur additional upfront costs to buy the buses and train a new group of bus captains and a new group of technical crew to maintain these mini buses. So, from a logistics and maintenance cost point of view, I am not sure that will actually end up with lower costs.
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim211 words
[+6 sentences]Thank you, Chair. I thank Minister Iswaran for his explanation. I feel I should clarify that the proposal that I had explicitly states that the subsidy should be borne by MOT expenditures, not by other riders. He spent quite a bit of time, I felt, attacking a little bit of a straw man. It is fair to say that $300 million, $400 million is not a chump change, but as I also mentioned in my speech, we should be clear that this is about 3% to 4% an increase in the Ministry’s budget, when you set it within context. I did also seek a compromise and this was not touched on in Minister Iswaran’s clarification. Which is that even if MOT believes that an unconstrained subsidy is unaffordable, what of the possibility of free ridership during off-peak hours?[+3 sentences] The marginal costs in this case are likely to be minimal, mainly in the form of foregone revenues, since buses and trains are already operating with spare capacity in this case. And in fact, during the description of what happened during COVID-19, ex-Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung mentioned that buses were ferrying air. So, I wonder if instead of ferrying air, could we instead ferry the elderly and the disabled in our society?
Mr S Iswaran339 words
[+3 sentences]Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his question. Let me start by saying it is not exactly a straw man argument at all. Because, fundamentally, there is a need to explain where the money is going to come from. By the Member’s estimate – I am not saying that I agree with his estimate – but his estimate is $300 million to $400 million.[+2 sentences] And then, he says it is 3% to 4% of the Ministry’s budget. I would urge the Member to look at the budget carefully. The Ministry’s budget of $11 billion includes two-thirds which is development expenditure.[+2 sentences] What the Member is proposing, is a recurrent operational subsidy of $300 million to $400 million. So, in other words, it is on the lower base which we are looking at. Specifically, the Ministry’s operating budget in the last couple of years has been increased because of COVID-19-specific measures. So, if you discount that further, what the Member is actually proposing is an increase in the subsidies – if I use my $2 billion reference point – of about 20% to 25%.[+13 sentences] That is a significant increase! Should we incur such an increase? I think it is something we should debate. But I think then, we should also, to be intellectually rigorous, examine where the Member and his party stand when it comes to sources of revenue. Because you have to square the circle. Last year, we increased fare revenue and I know that the Leader of the Opposition made a point about how fares have increased and that is contributing to cost of living. In other words, the Workers’ Party looks askance at increases of fares. And yet, we are also arguing about spending more. And where do we get that from? From the Government revenue? And the Member and his party also take a dim view of several of the revenue sources that have been proposed by the Finance Minister. So, we have to square the circle. And it is by no means a straw man.
The Chairman4 words
[+1 sentence]Ms Poh Li San.
Ms Poh Li San217 words
[+11 sentences]Thank you, Mr Chairman. I have two questions. One is for Minister Iswaran. I thank him for the One Aviation Fund to assist the airport community. Minister Iswaran mentioned that about one-third of our airport workers have already left the airport sector, given the pandemic situation and we know that in the Airport, many frontline jobs are actually filled by foreign workers. So, my question is that given the border closures or the border restrictions, how can Government further help airport companies get ready and ensure that we have sufficient workers prepared for the recovery of the aviation sector? The second question is for Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng. I thank him for sharing about the island-wide cycling network and the plans. I would like to know if there are any plans to prioritise the building of the stretches of cycling network for cyclists who are involved in day-to-day commuting, especially in the last mile stretches, for example, to the MRT stations? During these peak periods where the cyclists are rushing, there could be a surge in the traffic and that may lead to safety concerns, especially against pedestrians who are using the same stretch. So, I hope that there will be some prioritisation of the building of such last mile stretches in the cycling network.
Mr S Iswaran346 words
[+15 sentences]Mr Chairman, if I may, I omitted to respond to a specific point that Assoc Prof Jamus Lim made which was on whether we could consider off-peak measures which, I think, was one of his ideas. I would never rule any option out. But again, I just want to make the point that when you run a concession fare system, then, basically, what it means is, you pay one concession fee and then you can vary the terms, but then the revenue level is there. But once we say we are switching from off-peak to peak and so on, then essentially, it changes the construct and we have to look at this quite carefully. So, I just wanted to make the point. I would not rule out any options going forward because, as I have said, there are various factors that we have to take into account in thinking through our fare formula and our approach. But I just wanted to make that point specifically. I want to thank the Member Ms Poh Li San for her question. Indeed, she has raised a very important point because it is one thing to say we want to increase our arrivals to 50% or more of pre-COVID-19 levels, but how to make it happen? Because there has been a significant attrition in manpower and we have to re-employ. MOT and CAAS are working with the unions and with the companies, first, of course, to see how many Singaporeans we can bring back into the fold. This is an important priority. But at the same time, a significant portion of the attrition has been manpower from overseas. So, we are also working with MOM to see what kind of solutions we can put in place because once we decide to go towards vaccinated quarantine-free travel, the volumes will pick up significantly and we need to make sure that, from a capacity perspective, we are geared up. The ability to bring in the requisite level of manpower is key and we are working with the companies and MOM on that.
The Chairman12 words
[+2 sentences]Leader of the Opposition. Oh, a reply from Mr Baey Yam Keng.
Mr Baey Yam Keng105 words
[+4 sentences]Sir, I would like to assure Member Poh Li San that when we planned the islandwide cycling network, it is, first, at the town level and within the town, at different phases. As we plan the roll-out, we will look at the last-mile connectivity, especially to places where many residents go to. So, in the Bukit Panjang example I quoted, the CC, the transport hub or hawker centres. We must also plan it such a way that there is connectivity amongst the different stretches of cycling paths so that it makes sense for cyclists to be able to enjoy a more seamless cycling path network.
The Chairman19 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Pritam Singh, if you can keep it to a minute, so that we can have a minute’s response.
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied)133 words
[+4 sentences]I will, Chairman. Thank you. I did not intend to rise, but I had to, after the Minister for Transport stood up and spoke of "intellectually rigorous". I think he was going to say "intellectually honest" but he stopped himself and said "intellectually rigorous alternative proposals". Indeed, as part of this Budget debate, the Workers' Party has put up four alternate levers.[+3 sentences] It is not as if the money is going to come from an unknown source. So, I just wanted to clarify that point, that the party put up four different levers to consider where additional revenues can come from to address some of the issues we have raised, not just here by Member Jamus Lim, but also in our manifesto. I think it is important for me to put that out.
Mr S Iswaran189 words
[+7 sentences]Mr Chairman, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the clarification. Intellectual rigour, intellectual honesty – I am not sure, I mean the Leader of the Opposition appears to be imputing words. Whatever it is, I think you cannot have rigour without honesty. So, let us leave it as that. In terms of proposals, I do not intend to canvass again the arguments about the different sources of revenue. I think they have been well discussed in the main Budget Debate on the Budget policies and so on. However, I want to bring it back to this Ministry’s budget because it is an important point. Every year, we have to address this issue of the balance between quality service, affordability and financial sustainability.[+1 sentence] This is not going to go away. So, when we make proposals, it cannot be that we make proposals that incur additional expenses under one Head, but then, say it will all be taken care of at some macro level. Because we do need the discipline of also addressing how, within that particular Ministry’s budget, we are making every effort to find the appropriate balance.
The Chairman10 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Saktiandi Supaat, if you can withdraw your amendment, please.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh)297 words
[+1 sentence]Mr Chairman, the state of our air, sea and land transport is a reflection of our economic and the social state of our country. And we have discussed today quite a significant range on air, land and sea. I am really looking forward to all our efforts to make our air and sea hubs status thrive again: the job opportunities that Senior Minister of State Chee mentioned just now in maritime Singapore and in various other sectors, the dedicated cycling paths that are going to come on stream and also the TEL, JRL and CRL.[+8 sentences] So, in other words, a wide range of exciting opportunities in the transport sector. Before I withdraw my amendment, I would like to thank Members for their 30-plus cuts and many thanks to Minister Iswaran, Senior Minister of State Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng for their responses. And also the Permanent Secretary of MOT and his team and our MOT family of agencies – CAAS, MPA, LTA. And most importantly, to all our frontline workers in the transport sector. I think they have put in a huge effort, not just over the last year but over the past two years. I have been saying this for the previous Budget cuts and discussions. So, all their hard work, conviction and passion to keep our air, sea and land hubs working well and going forward, being future-ready. With that, Chairman, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.