Chan Chun Sing
Singapore
“Since 2002, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has worked with the autonomous universities (AUs) to establish arrangements that minimise disruption to National Servicemen (NSmen) who are pursuing full-time studies up to the undergraduate level, while meeting the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) operational and training needs.”
“Secondments help to build up the range of competencies and work experiences of public officers to strengthen their longer-term employment relevance and resilience. The Public Service Division's guideline to agencies is to support public officers even while they are on secondment.”
“The priority of our National Servicemen must be their military duties and operational training, to meet the Singapore Armed Forces's (SAF's) operational requirements.”
“In January 2026, I had informed this House that the Government had convened an independent committee to conduct a review of the political salary framework that was laid out in 2012. The Committee has completed the review and submitted its recommendations to the Government in April.”
“All countries seek to develop mutually beneficial partnerships, and the United States-Indonesia Major Defence Cooperation Partnership is one such example.”
“Since the Singapore Armed Forces Volunteer Corps (SAFVC) was established in 2014, over 1,500 men and women have completed training and served as SAFVC Volunteers (SVs). Presently, there are about 1,100 in-service SVs, comprising 52% male and 48% female. About seven in 10 of our in-service SVs are new Citizens or Permanent Residents.”
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“As of October 2020, 52% of around 1.4 million households have chosen to remain with SP Group on the regulated tariff: The Energy Market Authority (EMA) has conducted surveys to better understand consumers' response to the Open Electricity Market (OEM). Generally, most consumers who switched did so to enjoy cost savings. The main reasons that consumers cited for not switching to a retailer are their comfort with SP and a lack of awareness or trust in the new retailers. EMA will continue to educate consumers about the OEM to ensure that they can make an informed choice about their electricity plans.”
“Overseas Singaporeans are already able to participate in our elections via voting at overseas polling stations. There are challenges in implementing mail-in ballots. For example, it is difficult to ensure that the ballots will get back on time to be counted. Late and missing ballots can result in controversies. There are also risks with security and secrecy of the ballot as it may be lost or tampered with during postal delivery. Nevertheless, the Elections Department continually reviews our election processes, to see how we can improve access for overseas Singaporeans while ensuring integrity and secrecy of the vote.”
“The Gini coefficient for each year is computed on the basis of a sample of households surveyed in the Comprehensive Labour Force Survey conducted by the Ministry of Manpower in that year, or the Censuses of Population and General Household Surveys conducted by the Department of Statistics in the years ending with '0' and '5' respectively. The Gini coefficient that accounts for Government transfers and taxes is calculated using data on individual household members' income, transfers and taxes where possible. The individual-level data are based on data collected by agencies such as IRAS and CPFB where available. For transfers and taxes where data at the individual-level are not available, they are estimated at the household-level. For instance, the Goods and Services Tax for each of the sampled households is estimated based on data from the Household Expenditure Survey, taking into account the characteristics of the household such as dwelling type, household income from work, age of household members and household size.”
“In 2020, Tencent announced plans to set up its regional hub for Southeast Asia in Singapore, while Alibaba and Bytedance took on additional commercial space to support their expansion. These recent investments were not awarded incentives by our economic agencies. These recent investments are projected to create at least 1,000 new PMET jobs over the next five years. Many of these jobs will be in both new and established roles Singaporeans are equipped for such as data science, data analysis and business development.”
“This question has been addressed via a Ministerial Statement by the Minister for Education, in his capacity as Co-Chair of the Multi-Ministry Task Force, on 4 January 2021.”
“Some 2,500, 2,600, and 3,200 PMET vacancies in the Civil Service were filled each year in 2018, 2019 and 2020 to-date1 respectively. Of these placements, there has been an increase in the proportion of mid-career hires from the private sector from 27% in 2018 to 39% in 2020. Of these mid-career hires from the private sector, the proportion of hires who did not have prior public sector experience also increased from 48% in 2018 to 68% in 2020.”
“The Civil Service currently recognises qualifications issued by a range of institutions for the purpose of employment in the Service, including local tertiary institutions, registered private educational institutions (PEIs) and overseas institutions. We do recognise and take into consideration the qualifications issued by private educational institutions such as MDIS and SIM. Educational qualifications are only one of multiple factors that we use to assess an applicant’s suitability for a job. The Civil Service is also assessing candidates on the competencies required for the different jobs in the Service. For example, to assess applicants' competencies in relation to HR and finance jobs, the Public Service Division (PSD) and Accountant-General's Department have worked with professional institutions such as the Institute for Human Resource Professionals and Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants, respectively, to develop and deploy competency assessment tools.”
“We are constantly engaged and working with companies to develop our local workforce and leadership, and to draw long-term benefits for our people from our investment promotion efforts.”
“This is manifested in the overall employment and wage outcomes for all Singaporeans. To this end, the healthy employment and wage outcomes of Singaporeans over the years give us confidence that we are heading in the right direction. Let me also share some examples of how Singaporeans have benefited through these efforts. One example is Mr Samson Tan, who joined the inaugural batch of Salesforce-NUS EDB Industrial Postgraduate Programme in 2019 to investigate novel techniques to increase the robustness of language AI systems to linguistic variation and adversarial attacks. Through the programme, he has gained exposure to industry practices and the application of AI in commercial production. Today, he continues to research on the ethical use of AI at Salesforce while concurrently pursuing his PhD at NUS. Over time, we hope to build a pool of postgraduate manpower like Samson with relevant experience in commercial-driven research, who are ready to take on more complex R&D roles in the industry. Our programmes go beyond just formal training, but deliberate efforts to develop local leaders to hold critical functions and leadership roles. Let me share another example - Mr James Lim started out as an Engineering and Facility Manager in global medical technology firm Becton Dickinson, twenty years ago. Since then, he has received many opportunities to gain new skillsets and experiences in various facets of the company’s business – from R&D to plant operations, and subsequently to lead as the Director of Operations for Asia Pacific. In 2012, James was appointed as Becton Dickinson’s President for Greater Asia, a post he holds till today. There are many other stories like that of Samson and James.”
“Our economic schemes, including tax incentives, are means to encourage companies to upgrade their capabilities and expand their operations in Singapore to promote economic growth and create good job opportunities for Singaporeans. Companies, local or foreign, that are keen to qualify for the incentives must be prepared to make significant investments in Singapore. They are also required to meet a stringent set of quantitative and qualitative criteria which include job creation, total business expenditure, fixed asset investment and a deep commitment to grow capabilities in Singapore. Over the years, we have attracted many local and multinational companies to grow their businesses in Singapore and create job opportunities for Singaporeans. In addition, the government partners these companies on several initiatives on knowledge transfer and skills training, such as the Singapore Industry Scholarship, Industry Postgraduate Programme and SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative. Our range of economic and manpower development schemes reinforce each other to support companies and workers. It is therefore not meaningful to attribute specific employment outcomes to any one specific scheme. A well-functioning dynamic labour market also means there will be a healthy churn of Singaporeans moving in and out of specific firms to others with better paying jobs. In turn, it is also not meaningful to just look at the number of Singaporeans in any particular set of companies – be it local or foreign companies; or those who received more incentives and those who receive less incentives. The overall effect of our economic and manpower schemes is that we are able to constantly create new and better paying jobs for the current and future generations of Singaporeans.”
“I wish to clarify that Hyundai’s venture is not Singapore’s first car-making plant. Ford and Mercedes Benz used to assemble cars in Singapore until the 1980s. Nonetheless, the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre in Singapore is an exciting investment in our future of electric mobility. The new facility is projected to manufacture 30,000 electric vehicles per year by 2025. It will also create exciting jobs for Singaporeans, in roles such as Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) engineers, data scientists, cobot technicians and digital supply chain strategists. The actual number of roles is still being finalised. Electric and autonomous mobility is the future of mobility in a land and carbon constrained world. We will therefore grow the electric and autonomous driving industries in Singapore by attracting investments across the mobility value chain, including from companies like Motional and ST Engineering which are developing and testing autonomous vehicle technology, and Desay SV which is engaged in R&D efforts for vehicle autonomy and automotive cybersecurity. We will also continue building our mobility ecosystem among various industry players, including global OEMs and Tier One automotive suppliers like BMW, Continental and Borgwarner. The future urban mobility ecosystem will create exciting job opportunities in traditional functions given a new "spin" – such as in (i) R&D – for example in battery technologies, (ii) design – as electric vehicles can take on a different form factor, (iii) manufacturing – enabled by an even higher level of robotics, (iv) maintenance – of a much more IOT and electrified vehicle, (v) sales and support – where smart navigation systems become mainstream; and also new jobs in autonomous driving system development, sensor development etc.”
“TBL applications are subject to PFIs' credit approval to ensure the prudent use of public funds. The success rate for Temporary Bridging Loan applications is high, over 90%, with more than 20,000 loan applications approved by Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs). Common reasons for rejection cited by the PFIs include: (a) The company was loss-making or had weak cashflow pre-COVID; (b) The company and/or its owner had prior records of loan default; or (c) The company was over-leveraged, or in receivership.”
“The Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers Scheme was launched in June to help defray the cost of living of lower income Singaporean households as well as to support local businesses in the heartlands. Under the CDC Vouchers scheme, 8000 merchants and hawkers have signed up to participate in this scheme. As of mid October, close to 55% of the total vouchers have been redeemed under this scheme.”
“Nonetheless, the government will continue to monitor our evolving industry landscape, investment opportunities, and assess if there is a need to do more.”
“The Ministry of Trade and Industry aims to build a vibrant economy in Singapore, with globally competitive companies and exciting jobs. To do this, the Government employs a variety of tools including venture capital-type investment funds. Each fund supports different economic objectives and invests in companies at different stages of their development. Enterprise Singapore (ESG) administers the Startup SG Equity scheme, through which the government co-invests with third party investors in Singapore-based, tech startups. The funds are managed by SEEDS Capital, the investment arm of ESG, and SGInnovate, a private organisation wholly-owned by the government. The National Research Foundation (NRF) administers the Early Stage Venture Fund (ESVF) that seeds funds with selected venture capital firms to invest in Singapore-based early-stage technology startups, as well as startups whose business models are underpinned by intellectual property generated from publicly-funded research. EDBI invests mainly in globally competitive startups and high-growth small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which have the potential to compete globally and through Singapore, participate in our economic transformation or deepen our capabilities. EDBI's portfolio comprises about a hundred investments, the majority of which are in the growth stage. Many of these companies eventually established their regional headquarters, R&D operations, innovation labs and other operations. These activities in turn create good jobs, strengthen our capabilities, develop our industries and grow our economy. There are currently no plans to set up new venture capital-type investment funds.”
“Current private bus (including coach) season parking holders at all Government-owned car parks received a six-month waiver of season parking fees from 1 May to 31 October 2020 as announced on 26 March 2020. This waiver has been extended till 31 March 2021.”
“As at end-September 2020, 48% of around 1.4 million households have switched to buying electricity from a retailer in the Open Electricity Market (OEM). This is significantly higher than the first-year switch rates observed in other jurisdictions, such as Japan, France and the UK. The OEM was introduced to provide consumers with more choices in their electricity purchases beyond the regulated tariff. OEM retailers offer different price plans and services from SP Group, and may also impose different contract lock-in periods and charges. Retail prices also change over time and may rise above the regulated tariff in future. Consumers also have different needs, which can vary with time. Hence, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) does not have a target take-up rate for the OEM. Consumers should consider their electricity needs and preferences, before making a decision whether to switch to OEM retailers. To this end, EMA's priority is to raise awareness and educate consumers about the OEM, including the options available, and the safeguards put in place to protect their interests. EMA ensures that retailers include all key contractual terms in a Fact Sheet during the contracting process. Consumers can also use EMA's online Price Comparison Tool (compare.openelectricitymarket.sg) to compare Standard Price Plans. In addition, EMA conducts regular Consumer Satisfaction Surveys and publishes the satisfaction ratings of each retailer regularly.”
“More recently, the Singapore-China (Shenzhen) Smart City Initiative (SCI) launched in October 20193 serves as an important pathfinder collaboration for Singapore and Shenzhen companies and agencies to work together in the digital space. Notably, industry-led initiatives such as the OneSME platform, launched in September 2020 under the SCI, will help Singapore's SMEs expand their overseas reach and tap on a larger ecosystem of buyers, sellers, and business partners across China. Singapore companies are encouraged to tap on our strong existing networks, including our platforms and projects with GBA cities and businesses, to leverage the GBA's development to capture new opportunities and forge new areas of growth.”
“In October 2020, the Chinese Government released a five-year implementation plan for comprehensive pilot reforms across diverse sectors in Shenzhen. These reforms to promote Shenzhen and the broader Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA)1 into a vibrant world-class city cluster offer opportunities, and new areas of collaboration for Singapore companies to work with GBA enterprises. Singapore companies keen to explore these opportunities can leverage Singapore's strong economic ties with GBA cities through various government platforms and projects. These cover many areas of cooperation spanning trade and investment, smart cities, financial services, talent strategy, innovation, and intellectual property (IP). Through these platforms and projects, which provide regular touchpoints with the Chinese government and enterprises, Singapore companies can actively engage and collaborate with potential GBA partners. For example, at the Guangdong provincial-level, we have the annual Singapore-Guangdong Collaboration Council (SGCC) meetings co-chaired by Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung and Guangdong Governor Ma Xingrui, which brings together leaders, government officials and private sector representatives from Singapore and Guangdong. In Guangzhou, close to 50 Singapore companies have established a presence in the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (CSGKC), using it as a useful entry point to tap growth opportunities in the GBA. The International IP Innovation Service Centre (ISC) in the CSGKC2 also provides Singapore companies access to IP services in China that assist them in penetrating markets in the GBA and beyond, while enabling Chinese enterprises to leverage Singapore’s IP offerings to expand internationally.”
“Between 2014 and 2019, the total revenue of firms in the cleaning and landscape sectors averaged $2.1 billion and $0.5 billion per year respectively, while their nominal value-added per worker averaged $23,300 and $24,500 per year respectively.1 The yearly data for the two sectors are provided in Tables 1 and 2.”
“As at 31 December 2019, there were 138,126 Singapore citizens, 5,306 permanent residents and 3,160 foreigners employed in the Civil Service and statutory boards.”
“Forty-eight per cent of around 1.4 million household consumers and 46% of around 175,000 business consumers have switched to a retailer, as of end-September 2020. The remaining 52% of household consumers and 56% of business consumers remain with SP Group on the regulated tariff. The electricity that SP sells to consumers is covered by vesting contracts. SP acts as an intermediary – the payments for electricity are fully passed on to the generating companies with the vesting contracts. The vesting contracts will expire in June 2023. EMA is studying options for the regulated tariff after the expiry of the vesting contracts.”
“During Singapore's Chairmanship of the ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) in 2018, the ASEAN and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish dialogues and joint activities to promote renewable energy in the region. In August this year, the Energy Market Authority co-organised a Regional Training Programme on Sustainable Energy Policies in Smart Cities with the International Energy Agency. The Programme explored policies promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy sources in smart city planning. Singapore and the International Energy Agency also co-hosted the second Global Ministerial Conference on System Integration of Renewables during the Singapore International Energy Week, to promote dialogue in the acceleration of renewables integration.”
“ASEAN energy cooperation is guided by the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation, or the APAEC. It sets out various capacity building initiatives and measures to advance regional energy cooperation. Currently in the fourth instalment, the APAEC 2016 to 2025 pursues the enhancement of energy connectivity and market integration in ASEAN to achieve energy security, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability for all ASEAN Member States. As part of this plan, ASEAN aspires to increase the proportion of renewable energy in its primary energy supply from 13.6% in 2015, to 23% by 2025. The APAEC 2016-2025 comprises two phases. The first five-year phase comprises short to medium term goals to enhance energy security cooperation, connectivity and integration. On the renewables front, ASEAN published the first Renewable Energy Outlook for ASEAN, and organised capacity building programmes and energy policy dialogues on best practices and financing related to the deployment of renewables in the region. According to the fifth ASEAN Energy Outlook published in 2017, wind capacity in ASEAN is projected to increase from 0.6 gigawatt in 2015 to 6 gigawatts in 2025. Similarly, solar PVs are expected to increase its capacity from 1.3 gigawatt in 2015 to 10 gigawatts in 2025. The next five-year phase of the APAEC seeks to accelerate energy transition and strengthen energy resilience through greater innovation and cooperation from 2021 to 2025. Renewable energy will continue to be a key focus. ASEAN plans to deepen cooperation with Dialogue Partners and International Organisations on renewable energy initiatives, including supporting biofuel and bioenergy development. Singapore is also doing its part to promote renewable energy development in the region.”
“The Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) and solutions supported by Enterprise Singapore (ESG) under the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) are intended to support Singapore companies in their transformation, including by automating existing processes, as well as improving overall productivity. The minimum local shareholding criterion of 30% reflects this intent. ESG may consider exceptional cases based on factors such as the company's local employment and strategic importance to the economy. The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) reviews this threshold periodically to ensure that it remains appropriate.”
“To combat rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, Malaysia has imposed a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Putrajaya since 14 October 2020. The CMCO does not affect economic activities such as logistics, which continue to operate. The flow of goods and services between Malaysia and Singapore has remained smooth. We have a mutual interest to ensure that supply chains function well so that essential supplies remain available to both countries and business disruption is minimised. Nevertheless, as I shared with the House previously, we have strengthened our ability to withstand unexpected disruptions through a combination of strategies such as stockpiling essential items, diversifying our import sources, and increasing local production. We are also working closely with companies on their business continuity plans. I wish to thank everyone for their support and hard work during this unusual time.”
“Currently Estimated Potential (CEP) is expressed as the largest job size an officer is assessed to be capable of handling in future. This assessment is expected to change from time to time as officers develop in their job roles and display more of their competencies and capabilities. We understand that the Member is asking for the number of CEP grade changes that officers with CEPs at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles in the initial year will have, over the first five years of their careers. The large majority of officers, including those at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles, will see potential fluctuations upwards and downwards in their CEP of between 1 and 5 grades during the first five years, as they adapt to the public service work and have opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities.”
“We will continue to do what we must to maintain our innovation eco-system including attracting global companies to establish their manufacturing capabilities in Singapore, and supporting our local companies to pivot into new areas to capture emerging opportunities.”
“Singapore has a globally competitive pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. Many pharmaceutical companies, such as Pfizer, Sanofi and Amgen, invest here to leverage on our skilled talent, commitment to research and development, and excellent global connectivity. Our ongoing efforts to focus on innovation has helped us to build up a base of local companies in the biomedical sciences industry. We have supported our local companies such as Tessa Therapeutics that specialises in cell therapy for cancer treatment and Advanced MedTech that is a pioneer in urology treatments, by partnering them with global companies, marketing their products and services to overseas customers in global markets, and facilitating efforts to conduct R&D, leverage technology and prototype new products. This strategy of attracting global pharmaceutical companies to Singapore, and building up our local SMEs, is serving us well in our fight against COVID-19. To help vaccine developers ramp up production, we are in discussions with global pharmaceutical companies to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines out of Singapore. To ensure that Singapore has early and equitable access to vaccines, we are also participating in the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility with other like-minded countries. Locally, companies specialising in diagnostics such as Mirxes and Acumen Diagnostics are manufacturing diagnostic kits. Other local companies such as Proteona and Immunoscape are leveraging on their innovative R&D capabilities and sharing their insights on human immune response against the virus, with pharmaceutical companies and vaccine developers. Tychan, a local biotechnology startup is also developing a monoclonal antibody for the treatment of COVID-19.”
“Third, we will place more emphasis on helping individuals identify their potential and career goals within the short to medium term of three to five years, and work with them on achieving these goals. The Public Service has started to expand training, job rotations and career coaching as we expect that as our operating landscape changes, the CEP of our officers will keep changing. What is important is to create the best conditions, for our officers to discover their passion and talents and to maximise their full potential.”
“The Civil Service adopts the concept of Currently Estimated Potential (CEP) as a proxy of an officer's potential. It is expressed in terms of the largest job responsibility level an officer is assessed to be capable of undertaking in his or her career in the Public Service. Today, it is used as a long-term talent development and succession planning tool for key leadership positions and a career management tool for progressing and developing officers. Last year, the Civil Service embarked on a review of the CEP system, as part of a proactive review of its Human Resource (HR) systems and policies, to support Public Sector Transformation. We concluded that while CEP is still a useful tool to identify and develop officers with leadership potential, we need to adapt its application in a few ways. First, we need to refresh what qualifies as having high CEP, or "leadership potential". The set of leadership competencies has been refreshed to be more holistic. For instance, leaders must have the cognitive ability but also be able to build systems for the future, lead people well and have a good sense of the ground. These qualities will be consistently observed through job rotations as well as through new channels such as 360 feedback. Second, we will use CEP more lightly in our HR decisions. It is a means of identifying those with leadership potential for early development but will no longer be the single most important determinant of career development and progression. We will place greater weight on assessing officers’ demonstrated skills and competencies as part of performance management, progression, and talent identification and management.”
“The Government will continue to monitor developments in this area and work with CASE and CCCS to ensure that the interests of consumers, especially our seniors, are safeguarded.”
“There are considerable measures to safeguard consumers from pressure sales tactics. Such unfair practices that exert undue pressure or influence on consumers to enter into transactions involving goods or services are prohibited under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (CPFTA). Consumers can report these unethical practices to the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) and seek their advice and assistance in obtaining a redress from the suppliers. Under the CPFTA, CASE may ask a supplier who has engaged in, or is engaging or likely to engage in an unfair practice, to enter into a Voluntary Compliance Agreement (VCA) and stop such actions. The supplier may also be required to compensate any consumer who has suffered loss or damage as a result of the unfair practice, as well as publicise the VCA. In addition, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS), as the administering agency of the CPFTA, is armed with investigation and enforcement powers to file for a court injunction restraining a supplier that persists in unfair practices. Apart from a consumer advisory on its website about how to shop wisely for beauty-related products and services, CASE also publicly lists the names of companies in this industry that use aggressive pressure sales tactics. In addition, CASE regularly holds awareness talks for senior citizens to educate them on their consumer rights and how not to fall for pressure sales tactics. Furthermore, CASE works with industry associations to develop initiatives such the CASE Trust accreditation schemes for specific industries like the spa & wellness sector. To discourage heavy-handed sales tactics, the accreditation criteria for these industries include the need for sales staff to be trained in ethical sales practices.”
“Enterprise Singapore (ESG)'s financing schemes involve a high degree of Government risk-sharing (50% to 90%). As such, we have imposed a minimum 30% local shareholding criterion to ensure that the schemes support mainly companies owned by Singaporeans. As of 30 September 2020, over 18,000 companies have taken up loans supported under the enhanced financing schemes. For companies that do not meet the eligibility criteria, ESG may consider exceptional cases on a case-by-case basis, based on factors such as their local employment and strategic importance to the economy. Six companies with local shareholding below 30% were supported under the enhanced financing schemes.”
“The Ministry fully agrees that businesses must prepare themselves for disruptions arising from COVID-19 and other public health emergencies. That is why Enterprise Singapore released a guide on "Business Continuity Planning for COVID-19" to help companies, especially small and medium sized enterprises, put in place a basic Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to deal with the COVID-19 situation. This includes protocols to maintain a safe workplace, handle employees who may be COVID-19 positive, and recommendations to diversify supply chains and staffing arrangements so that the company can continue operating under different scenarios. We will consider the Member's suggestion to implement 'virus drills' as we continue working with the business community to enhance their preparation for COVID-19.”
“Since the end of the Circuit Breaker on 1 June 2020, Singapore has gradually resumed activities across sectors. Most businesses in the CBD have also been gradually allowed to reopen. However, as many employees continue to work from home, footfall in the CBD has yet to return to normal levels and sales for F&B and retail establishments in the CBD have remained sluggish. On 23 September 2020, the Government announced a revised set of workplace safe management measures, whereby amongst other measures, employees who are able to work-from-home may return to the workplace, subject to various rules, to better support work and business operations. While working from home will remain as the default mode of working, more employees are likely to head back to their workplace and business within the CBD will likely improve. The Government is aware of the difficult situation businesses are in. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Heng Swee Keat, had unveiled four budgets totalling close to $100 billion to support people and businesses in this crisis. These include the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) and various loan schemes to ease the cash flow for businesses. We are also providing support for businesses to transform themselves and build new revenue streams. These include schemes such as the : (a) Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) with a support level of up to 90% for businesses to grow and transform; (b) Productivity Solutions Grant with a support level of up to 80% for businesses to adopt proven pre-scoped solutions (e.g. IT solutions) and (c) e-Commerce Booster Package which supports 90% of the costs for retailers to on-board e-commerce platforms. We encourage enterprises in the CBD and elsewhere to leverage these schemes to strengthen their businesses.”
“For GE 2020, the Elections Department (ELD) had split polling stations with larger numbers of voters at HDB void decks and pavilions, to allow for safe distancing measures. As a result, there was a larger number of polling stations with fewer voters than the previous two general elections. The percentage of polling stations with 2,000 and below voters, increased from 5.2% in GE 2011 to 9.3% in GE 2015 to 38.7% in GE 2020. Table 1 shows the distribution of voters across polling stations of different sizes. Correspondingly, the average number of voters per polling station dropped from 3,021 in GE 2011, to 2,960 in GE 2015, and to 2,417 in GE 2020. As the average number of voters per polling station varied across the GEs, it would not be meaningful to compare the number of polling stations exceeding the average using different baselines. For GE 2020, there were three large polling stations with more than 5,000 voters, which were not split. They were located in schools and community centres/clubs, and had been used as polling stations in previous elections without problems. Nonetheless, as ELD had noted in its findings on why some polling stations saw long queues in GE 2020, larger polling stations should have been better resourced. For future elections, ELD will split large polling stations where possible. If it is not feasible to do so (e.g. due to a lack of alternative premises in the area), ELD will ensure that these large polling stations are better resourced, including by providing additional manpower and equipment.”
“We have also embarked on new generation Digital Economy Agreements with countries such as Australia, Chile and New Zealand that will help firms to interoperate more seamlessly and efficiently in the digital economy. Physical connectivity allows businesses to trade through Singapore, while digital connectivity will enable businesses to transcend geographical boundaries and trade from Singapore by capturing value from trade flows that do not physically pass through Singapore. Thirdly, we will continue to focus on innovation, digitalisation, improving productivity, upskilling our workers, and building core capabilities that are difficult to replace. These are fundamentals which underpin our competitiveness, and ensure that Singapore continues to be the preferred business hub of Asia by adding value to businesses that trade with Singapore, trade through Singapore, and trade from Singapore.”
“Singapore’s positioning to be a critical node in the global system has not changed, amidst trade tensions and reconfiguration of supply chains. To achieve this, we must continue to position Singapore as the preferred business hub by adding value to businesses that trade with Singapore, trade through Singapore, and trade from Singapore. First, Singapore must build on our reliability as a trusted node. We will continue to remain open for business to facilitate the flow of goods and essential business travel. Singapore's ports have stayed open throughout the COVID-19 crisis. We are working to establish travel arrangements with more countries to progressively enable greater air travel, while ensuring public health and safety are upheld. Singapore will continue working with our trading partners to foster greater global and regional integration, and reduce impediments to the flow of goods across borders. For example, Singapore is working with other ASEAN Member States to streamline non-tariff measures on essential goods such as food and medical supplies. Greater global emphasis on resilient supply chains brings opportunity too. Companies will want to diversify their sourcing and production. Some will look to South-East Asia, and this will benefit Singapore’s businesses and other trade-related services. Second, we will continue to strengthen Singapore’s physical and digital connectivity. Our efforts to enhance our air and sea ports’ connections are complemented by efforts on digital connectivity, such as the digitalPORT@SGTM initiative, which is a one-stop portal for maritime regulatory and port services transactions.”
“The Civil Service seeks to operate a transparent and fair performance management system which rewards officers according to their work contributions. We adopt a system of relative ranking, where an officer's performance is not just assessed by his own supervisor, but also cross-ranked against his peers by a ranking panel comprising direct and indirect supervisors. The system allows us to moderate supervisor subjectivity and establish common and consistent standards of performance assessment, to identify and recognise stronger performing officers. It also correspondingly helps identify weaker performing officers to help them improve their performance. On balance, we find that a system of relative ranking of performance still serves its purpose. Nevertheless, we have also allowed flexibility for deviation where the case merits, depending on the performance of individual officers. We continue to study alternative systems of performance management so that we can ensure our system remains relevant and effective as our operating landscape changes.”
“Working from home has become more prevalent in recent years, due to technological advances and corporate policies. COVID-19 has accelerated this trend. The Government has not commissioned a study into the impact of working from home on commercial rental property. Nevertheless, we are monitoring vacancy rates and rentals carefully in order to calibrate the supply of commercial properties in line with changes in demand.”
“For these companies, we will look to spur them on to grow further, so that they will create more jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans as they flourish. The second type of companies comprise those that have suffered a drop in demand, but will eventually recover. We will help them preserve their core capabilities as they tide through this difficult period, so that they will be well-positioned to emerge stronger once the economy recovers. The third type of companies comprise those that have seen their business conditions changed permanently. We will provide support to them to pivot to new products and markets. At the same time, our SkillsFuture and Adapt and Grow initiatives will help the workers in such companies reskill and find jobs in new areas. Even with this support, some businesses will inevitably have to cease. By taking this approach, we will be able to reallocate resources, labour, and skills to support those parts of the economy that are still growing, while preserving the core capabilities of our companies that are going through difficult times. This will give us the best chance to create the largest number of jobs for Singaporeans in a fiscally sustainable and efficient manner.”
“The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have devastated the global economy, and Singapore is no exception. MTI expects GDP growth this year to be between negative 7% and negative 5%. If this forecast is realised, the impact of COVID-19 will be worse than that of past crises, such as SARS and the Global Financial Crisis (or GFC). It will negate the gains that the Singapore economy had made in the last two to three years. This extent of impact required the Government to act swiftly and decisively to provide temporary relief to businesses. We have introduced a variety of support measures to help companies with cashflow, costs, and credit. We have also introduced measures that were designed to help companies retain capabilities or build new ones in the face of a changed environment, including the enhanced Enterprise Development Grant, and Productivity Solutions Grant. We recognise that some companies with unviable businesses might have been able to stay afloat in the near-term by benefiting from some of the support measures. However, the temporary nature of the broad-based support given means that any reprieve enjoyed by such companies would only have been for a short time. This is especially since we constantly review our measures to ensure that they are relevant for the situation. In particular, over the past few months, it has become clear that the economic downturn will be prolonged. The economy emerging from the crisis will also look very different. Rather than sustaining businesses, we need to help them adapt to the new environment. There are broadly three types of companies. The first type of companies still have the opportunity to grow.”
“On the second question regarding hostels' qualification as partners for the use of the SingapoRediscovers vouchers, our primary focus is safeguarding the health and safety of Singaporeans. As backpacker hostels are largely made up of close-living quarters with communal facilities like bathrooms, there is a higher risk of virus transmission associated with the physical setting. We are reviewing if hostels with non-communal facilities can be made safe for staycations, and if so, we will look to include them in the SingapoRediscovers vouchers programme.”
“I will first answer the first and third question. Since global travel restrictions were in place in the first quarter of 2020, STB has been working closely with the National Association of Travel Agents, also known as NATAS, as well as the travel agent community, to help companies tide over the lull by tapping on domestic demand and using this time to upskill their staff to prepare for recovery when international travel returns. When Phase Two reopening began in July, travel agents and tourist guides were permitted to resume tour operations gradually, with appropriate safe management measures in place. Since then, over 200 applications with close to 500 tour itineraries have been approved. To promote these tour offerings, we have featured innovative tour packages and experiences on STB’s SingapoRediscovers campaign site. We have also provided various forms of marketing support, for instance, through STB's Marketing Partnership Programme, where travel agents can apply for a grant to offset their marketing costs. Furthermore, STB has facilitated discussions between travel agents, attractions and hotels to offer combined packages for Singaporeans to enjoy. The minimum financial requirement is imposed to ensure that travel agents have the financial means to fulfil their commitments to customers. In view of the sharp drop in customer business and financial stress on our travel agents, we decided to reduce the minimum financial requirement for travel agents holding a general or niche licence by 90% until the end of this year. We are closely monitoring the situation and are prepared to extend this if needed.”
“Between January 2020 when the first local COVID-19 case was confirmed and July 2020, the Consumer Price Index-All Items1 declined by 0.2 per cent on a year-on-year basis. This decline was largely driven by a fall in the cost of pre-primary education, electricity, outpatient services and petrol, which outweighed an increase in food prices. Nonetheless, the Government recognises that cost of living may remain a cause for concern for Singaporeans, especially those who have suffered employment losses or wage cuts during the current economic downturn. To help Singaporeans tide over this difficult period, the Government has rolled out several support measures, including the Care and Support Package, COVID-19 Support Grant, and SG United Jobs and Skills Package. The Government will continue to monitor developments closely, and stands ready to provide more support to Singaporeans if necessary.”
“The Singapore-China Fast Lane was launched on 8 June 2020 to facilitate essential cross-border travel between Singapore and six Chinese provinces and municipalities1. It was Singapore's first fast lane arrangement with a foreign partner, and China's first with a Southeast Asian country. The Singapore Government has received feedback from the Singapore business community on the challenges our businesses face in obtaining approval from the Chinese authorities for Fast Lane travel to China. These include difficulties in securing Fast Lane Letters of Invitation (LOI)2, the restrictions under a controlled itinerary, and being subjected to a 14-day quarantine by some local authorities. Requirements such as the need for a controlled itinerary supervised by a sponsoring local government agency or host company are integral to the Fast Lane. They are intended to minimise the exposure of such Fast Lane travellers to the broader community, in lieu of a quarantine period. This applies to Fast Lane users of both Singapore and China. MTI, together with MFA, has conveyed the feedback from our business community to the relevant Chinese authorities. We will continue working with the Chinese authorities to improve the Fast Lane to bring greater benefit to the business communities of both countries.”
“Enterprise Singapore works with 18 Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs) to implement financing schemes such as the Temporary Bridging Loan Programme and the Enterprise Financing Scheme. The PFIs include banks, finance companies, and leasing companies. The full list of the PFIs that administer the various schemes can be found on Enterprise Singapore's website.”
“Eligible HDB households with five or more members will also receive a further GST Voucher – U-Save rebate.”
“Electricity and town gas tariffs had decreased in the third quarter of 2020, and there had been no change in water prices during this period. However, three reasons could have contributed to higher household utility bills in recent months, compared to earlier this year. First, households’ utility consumption in Singapore is typically higher during the warmer months from April to August as households use more electricity for fans or air-conditioners. In the past five years, the average monthly electricity consumption during April to August is typically 8% higher than in other months. Second, households’ utility consumption increased since April, as Singaporeans spent more time at home during the circuit breaker period and early stages of our phased reopening, as part of our national efforts to manage local community transmissions of COVID-19. Third, physical meter readings by SP Group were suspended in April and May 2020 during the circuit breaker period. Households' utility consumption during this period were estimated using data from February and March 2020, which is an under-estimation. The higher consumption in April to May was reflected in households' utility bills in June and July 2020, after physical meter readings resumed in June 2020, which could have led to the higher utility bills. We have provided Singaporean households with more support for their utility bills this year. Every household with at least one Singapore Citizen received a one-off $100 Solidarity Utilities Credit in their July or August SP Group utility bill. Eligible HDB households also received the GST Voucher – U-Save, which has been doubled this year through a one-off GST Voucher U-Save Special Payment.”