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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“Retail workers who are affected by restructuring or business closure can tap on Workforce Singapore for career advisory and matching services to other hiring retail firms. There are currently around 2,000 vacancies in the retail sector, ranging from Cashiers to Marketing and Business Development Managers, and Sales Associate Professionals. Workers who would like to pursue career opportunities in a new industry can also tap on WSG’s support through the Professional Conversion Programmes and Career Trial under the Adapt and Grow Initiative.”
“The ORPM is becoming the choice venue for well-known retail brands to launch new products, beyond the traditional retail setting. In January this year, we launched Design Orchard, a one-stop shop for locals and tourists seeking out unique, locally designed products, featuring over 70 local brands. The Government will work with retail companies to upgrade their capabilities and grow their business. We introduced the Retail Industry Digital Plan in November 2017 to provide a step-by-step guide for retailers to digitalise their processes. To help retailers expand overseas, Enterprise Singapore provides internationalisation support through seminars, business missions, and building platforms for our local retailers to gain brand exposure overseas. An example is the "Singaporium" pop-up in Manila, Philippines, which took place in September this year. The event involved 17 local retail, food and lifestyle brands and attracted an estimated 400,000 visitors. Local fashion retailer Benjamin Barker and pet store chain Pet Lovers Centre are examples of companies which have recently expanded into regional markets, such as Malaysia and the Philippines. As the industry transforms, our workers also need to be upskilled. The Retail Skills Framework helps our retail workers assess their career interests and identifies relevant training programmes to upgrade their skills. This is supported by the efforts of our unions, Trade Associations and Chambers and employers. Last month, Dairy Farm Singapore, the owner of retail chains, including Cold Storage, Giant and 7-Eleven, set up a Jobs, Skills and Training Committee together with the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union to help more than 5,000 of their workers in training and skills upgrading.”
“From January to August this year, retail sales volume, excluding motor vehicle sales, fell by 1.8% year-on-year. Retail demand has been affected by weaker consumer sentiments amidst heightened uncertainties in the global economy. There are also structural challenges facing our retailers, such as tighter labour constraints and increasing competition from e-commerce. There are retail companies which are doing well in this challenging environment. Some have made good use of technology to deliver new concepts and offer innovative retail experiences to their customers. Others have expanded into the e-commerce space by adopting an omni-channel format that integrates online and offline retail. For example, Skin Inc tapped on Enterprise Singapore's support to develop an online strategy targeting the Chinese market, including setting up online stores on WeChat and Weibo, which are some of the largest online platforms in China. Skin Inc has also developed an offline strategy to promote and launch new products to customers through Sephora's physical stores. This omni-channel strategy is expected to give the company a three-fold increase in its China sales. New companies have also entered the local retail scene. Last month, Japanese retail chain BEAMS set up two pop-up stores in Singapore, which are among their largest outside of Japan. This is an example of pop-up retail, which is gaining popularity as it allows retailers to test new products and concepts. As part of the rejuvenation of Orchard Road, the Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) is curating the use of event spaces along the Orchard Road Pedestrian Mall (ORPM). Since April this year, ORBA has secured 22 pop-ups and organised monthly night markets.”
“Singaporeans are our family, no matter where they are in the world. As with family members around the world, we keep in touch regularly and stay connected. The Overseas Singaporean Unit (OSU) was formed in 2006 to coordinate the Government's efforts to engage overseas Singaporeans. Since 2006, OSU's suite of face-to-face programmes and online engagement channels have reached out to more than 100,000 overseas Singaporeans. OSU has successfully cultivated an extensive network of overseas Singaporean clubs and associations, as well as community leaders who take an active role in galvanising the overseas Singaporean communities around the globe. Cumulatively, these overseas Singaporean communities organise more than 100 events annually, such as National Day or festive celebrations, social gatherings and networking events. On 1 June 2019, OSU became part of the Singapore Global Network (SGN) within the Economic Development Board. SGN's mandate is to broaden and deepen our overseas Singaporean network with friends and fans of Singapore. This stronger and wider network will serve Singaporeans and Singapore well for economics, fellowships and friendships. This is especially important in the increasingly tumultuous and fragmented world today. I look forward to what the SGN can do for Singaporeans and for Singapore.”
“Er Dr Lee Bee Wah had highlighted reports of sales persons marketing "freebie" bags to senior citizens in her Parliamentary Question in July 2018. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore did not receive any consumer complaints regarding such practices. If consumers have reason to believe that suppliers have engaged in unfair practices, such as pressure-selling or false claims, they can approach the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) with details of these practices for CASE to assist them in seeking redress from the suppliers. Consumers are also encouraged to take pre-emptive measures to protect themselves against unfair practices. For example, they can check the reputation of the supplier, ask questions about the products and examine the products before making the purchase.”
“Between 2008 and 2018, more than 490,000 international visitors have attended the Formula One (F1) Singapore Grand Prix, contributing more than S$1.4 billion in tourism receipts and benefiting local businesses. The event has also been broadcast to a global audience of more than 840 million viewers. We will assess the costs versus the benefits of our options to decide whether to continue having F1 in Singapore beyond 2021.”
“The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee was formed on 1 August 2019.”
“The Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) was founded in 2003 to help start-ups in areas such as mentorship, network building, talent, and financing. It transitioned into a private sector-led organisation in 2014. In the last five years, ACE has supported more than 2,000 startups through various programmes and initiatives, including facilitating more than 200 mentorships through the ACE Mentorship Programme. As an Accredited Mentor Partner under Enterprise Singapore’s Startup SG Founder programme, ACE also mentors first-time entrepreneurs. Through its overseas networks, ACE has helped Singapore-based startups access international markets. ACE is constantly looking for new ways to invigorate our startup ecosystem. In August this year, it launched the Innovation Enablers Network which aggregates opportunities for corporates and startups to collaborate on innovation. Through such connections, startups are able to gain access to new resources and build up their track record, while corporates benefit from knowing what the cutting-edge innovative solutions are.”
“Scale-up SG supports local companies with high growth potential to develop into global or regional leaders in their respective sectors. Participating companies go through a 2.5-year programme together with Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and other programme partners. We support the companies in management development, business innovation, market penetration and other areas that will help to accelerate their growth. As the process is resource-intensive, we choose the participating companies carefully. Besides a high level of commitment from the founders and chief executive officers to embark on an ambitious growth plan, ESG also looks at the company's track record; the commitment to grow its presence in Singapore, especially headquarters and management control functions; and the potential to create economic spinoffs for Singapore and create good jobs for Singaporeans. Scale-up SG was launched in July 2019 with 25 companies from various industries in the first two cohorts. Examples of companies include JUMBO Group from the food and beverage sector, AEM Holdings from the advanced manufacturing sector, Chye Thiam Maintenance from the cleaning and waste management sector, and Health Management International from the healthcare sector. ESG plans for another four to six cohorts to embark on the Scale-up SG programme over the next two years, with each cohort comprising 10 to 15 companies.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with any new technology, any new games, as Ms Anthea Ong said, it comes with associated dangers and there will always be a certain, albeit small proportion who might get addicted to such things. So, this is where the Ministry of Social and Family Development, together with the National Addictions Management Service or what we call NAMS, is working closely to monitor this issue. It is not exactly the same as the e-sports that we are talking about. We are talking about another part of the spectrum, which, of course, we are concerned about if there are such things. There are help channels available. We are also working with the schools to make sure that people who get involved in electronic games are properly guided and they maintain a certain sense of discipline, so that they do not get into trouble at all. Like many of these addictions, the best thing for us is to invest our resources in prevention rather than just post-issue management.”
“In fact, actually, the best test of where to apply the funds will certainly be the markets. A good idea will always have opportunities with the venture capitalists and so forth. Whenever we spend Government money, which is actually the public's money, then we have to be very careful and ask ourselves this question: where is the market failure that we are trying to address? The Government agencies and the taxpayers' money should not be used to displace the market mechanism and the general workings of the market. So, anybody, be it in this particular sector or any other sector, if they would like to get help from the economic agencies, they can always contact Enterprise Singapore, they can always look at the various schemes that the Government has to help our companies to grow. As to the Member's third question, that is best left to the commercial arrangements. It is not possible, and neither do I think it is right, for the Government to intervene in the commercial arrangements between different companies and different games developers. I understand where the Member is coming from. But there is a market mechanism that can work and I will be very careful to intervene to disrupt or displace the market mechanism.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me respond to the three questions in more generic terms of how we spend money and when we spend money. First, on the issue of postgraduate training. Whether we start any postgraduate course, whether for e-sports or any other thing, depends on the demand for the course and curriculum. In today's world, the mental model of just going for postgraduate courses is a bit passé. In many of these areas that are fast evolving, the best training is not in a postgraduate course. The best training and the best exposure are actually with the leading-edge companies. So, while postgraduate courses are important, we will continue to monitor whether we need to start a postgraduate course and have the critical mass to do so, and if there is a market demand to do so. At this point in time, it is still early days. But what we should really do is to make sure that our aspiring e-sports gamers, designers or developers have the best opportunities to work with the best around the world. So, getting them into companies to have the necessary exposure is important. The Member's second and third questions are related to how the Government should spend grants and who do we give the grants to, and should we interfere in the commercial arrangements between developers and some of these gaming houses. In general, I would state this: we are using public money, we are not in the business of choosing winners and losers, and that is not the way we develop our industries. Any entrepreneur who wants to start up a new business can obviously get various forms of help from the Government, but it will not be the appropriate role for the Government to pick and say that this is better done than another thing.”
“We are building a robust talent pipeline for the video games industry. Local games schools, such as DigiPen Institute and Nanyang Polytechnic, offer courses for aspiring game designers and artists to develop their skills. IMDA also works with the Economic Development Board (EDB) to attract internationally-acclaimed studios, providing a platform for our entrepreneurs to gain valuable experience before starting their own studios. Third, we are building a vibrant and enabling ecosystem. For example, game engine company Unity Technologies has been supporting gaming startups at PIXEL with mentorship, workshops and technical support since 2018. This ecosystem has supported companies like BattleBrew Productions, founded by a DigiPen graduate, and whose first mobile game intellectual property (IP) won the Visitor’s Choice Award at the GameStart Asia 2018 convention. Finally, we are building international mindshare. During our Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Chairmanship last year, the first ASEAN e-sports and music festival, Hyperplay, was held in Singapore. The event was well-attended by over 8,000 youths of different backgrounds and featured the first League of Legends ASEAN tournament. Singapore will also host the first Asian edition of Gamescom in 2020. Gamescom is the world’s largest video games industry event and business platform. The Singapore edition will also let our video games companies showcase their capabilities and connect with prospective investors, collaborators and buyers. The Singapore Tourism Board will continue to be on the lookout for other major events which can be hosted in Singapore, to further augment our position as a video games and e-sports hub in the region.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, video games and e-sports are rapidly growing industries. They generated over US$140 billion globally in 2018, of which almost half was from the Asia Pacific region. In Singapore, the development and distribution of video games contributed S$1.95 billion in 2017. This includes activities by foreign companies with operations in Singapore, such as Ubisoft and Bandai Namco, as well as local firms, such as Sea and GoGame. On the community engagement front, events such as e-sports tournaments have also been organised in the heartlands to bring our youths together. An example is the "Yio Game On" event, that was organised at Yio Chu Kang Community Club in May this year, which was well-received. Government agencies have been supporting local startups and companies in this space. Sea, formerly known as Garena, is one of Singapore's unicorns and first made its mark through its platform for video games. The games industry has also catalysed the growth of other companies in the ecosystem, such as Razer and Secretlab, which are globally prominent lifestyle brands amongst gamers today. We are building on such successes through several approaches. First, we are helping our companies to grow. Launched in 2017, the Startup SG initiative provides local companies a range of financial and non-financial support, such as mentorship and startup capital support through the Startup SG Founder programme. In addition, companies can leverage sector-specific initiatives, such as the Infocomm Media Development Authority's (IMDA's) PIXEL innovation space, which offers incubation and co-working spaces for digital startups so they can develop their projects with the right technical and business support. Second, we are deepening capabilities.”
“Lenders which extend car financing on a hire-purchase basis are required to comply with the disclosure requirements under the Hire Purchase Act. This includes disclosing the Effective Interest Rate (EIR) to consumers in writing before they enter into a hire purchase agreement. Other information which must be provided include interest rates for overdue instalments and administrative charges. If this information is not provided prior to signing of the agreement, the agreement will not be enforceable. In addition, banks, which provide the bulk of car financing today, are also expected to include the EIR in their advertisement of loan products, including car loans, as set out in the Code of Advertising Practice issued by the Association of Banks in Singapore. We strongly encourage consumers to review the terms of car loan agreements carefully and assess their ability to meet the financial commitments before entering into any agreement.”
“The second area that we will always strive to do better is to make sure that the funding ecosystem provides that continuum of funding options for new enterprises from the startup stage, all the way through until they perhaps one day get listed on the market. That chain is also something that, across the entire globe, everyone is working very hard to make sure that new enterprises have those options to bring their business ideas to fruition.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, on the first question on whether we are satisfied with the progress of innovation. No Ministry, no agency, no country will ever say that they are happy with what they have. We always seek to do better. So, the more important question is, how can we do better? The biggest challenge for any research, innovation and enterprise cycle is this: how do we translate research into innovation and enterprise? Essentially, as Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean would say – how do you translate money into research outcome and translate research outcome back into money? What are the challenges? It is always very difficult to find in one person a scientist, an innovator and an entrepreneur. The challenge and the lesson we have learnt from other countries is to make sure that, while these may not all reside within one person, we must have an environment where both the entrepreneurs and the scientists are able to constantly mix with one another to generate those ideas for both businesses and for scientific research. It is this combination that is most important in any scientific community. When I was studying in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, they have been able to achieve this ecosystem very well. Within every class that you go to in business school, there are the scientists, the researchers, there are also the people who have a very keen sense of business to know what is possible. It is this mix that many places around the world are trying to emulate because that is how we can percolate the ideas and bring research outcomes into market opportunities. So, this is one area that everyone wants to do better in.”
“Our opportunity is how we can work together to bring these different strengths together, to leverage on one another's strengths, so that we can have a 600 million market as a hinterland, rather than depending on ourselves individually. Having said that, beyond the startup scene, it is also very important for us to enable the multinational corporations (MNCs) to innovate and develop their products across different markets to serve the region. These MNCs can be from within the region or from beyond the region. Regardless, our challenge is to make sure that we have the enabling environment, the business rules that allow them to innovate across borders and to make use of the talent from different parts of the region to come together to develop those new products and services to serve the market.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, let me touch on the regional trade pacts. Today, for Singapore, more than 90% of all our trade is already covered by the existing FTAs. We will continue to expand our network of FTAs, both in terms of numbers and also in terms of the quality. But more important than that, beyond reducing the tariffs associated with the trade negotiations, we must increasingly focus on the lowering of what we call "non-tariff barriers". Because sometimes, the gains from lowering tariff barriers could be eroded by the imposition of new non-tariff barriers. This is a challenge, not just for the region, but also worldwide. These include the standards for healthcare products, the standards for food, the standards of mutual recognition and so on. This is what we mean by non-tariff barriers. Corollary to that, on Brexit, we are working with the United Kingdom (UK) administration to see how we can, post-Brexit, have a short form agreement that will essentially continue the current arrangements that we have with the UK as part of the European Union. So, that is under negotiation at this point in time. On the Member's second question, yes, there are two parts to the regional innovation. Today, in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), we have a very lively startup community. Today, I am very happy when I meet the young startup entrepreneurs. They no longer see their role as serving only one particular market. In fact, most of the time, they see themselves as what they call an "ASEAN company". Grab is one such example. They started their operations with a vision to serve the entire region. There is a very lively startup scene in ASEAN, particularly in Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.”
“So, Mr Speaker, Sir, in short, the current situation warrants us to take a close look at how we develop our companies and economies, and we must go beyond looking at just the US-China issues or looking at it as just a trade issue. There are various things that we must do, regardless of whether it is US-China or whether it is a trade issue. Continue to diversify our markets, continue to diversify our supply chains and product mix. Continue to invest in innovation and build real capabilities and not just capacities, and focus on the training not just of the workers but of the management team. And focus on sharing market knowledge with all our available agencies.”
“We have often talked about the training of workers and that is well-known. We will continue to invest heavily in the training of our workers, especially in the acquisition of skills for the Industry 4.0 journey, digital platforms and so forth. This is an area where SkillsFuture Singapore, Workforce Singapore, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the TACs must work closely to bring the level of the skills of our workers up to speed with what is required by the markets. Having said that, it is necessary but insufficient just to focus only on workers' training. We also need to focus more heavily on the training of the leadership teams in the respective companies. This is an area that I have discussed with the many TACs and we can do much more. From my own experience in NTUC, before we even talk about the training of the workers, it is most important for us to open up the vision of the management team. For example, in the recent rollout of the Scale-up Singapore initiative, we did not focus just on the workers' training. We focused on the training of the management team by getting the entire management team to come in, do their envisioning exercise, do their change management exercises together as a team, before we even talked about workers' training. Last but not least, when it comes to training, we will have to do much more to better organise ourselves and our respective agencies, from the TACs to the overseas missions from the Economic Development Board, Enterprise Singapore and other economic agencies, so that we can combine the market knowledge that we have to help our enterprises to diversify their markets beyond Singapore.”
“We must build real capabilities beyond building capacities. We must compete on the basis of real capabilities, rather than just capacities. For countries that are much bigger than us, with much stronger and a more diverse resource base, they might compete on the basis of capacity. But for us, we compete on the basis of capability. It is often said that many countries are competing on the low-mix, high-volume products. That is a lot to do with capacity. For us, if we are to be serious in competing with what we call the high-mix, low-volume products, then, research and innovation, intellectual property protection, and quality standards are all very important, and those play to our strengths. The second thing that we need to invest much more in is the adoption and proliferation of our digital platforms, especially amongst the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within our economy. These are not very difficult solution sets. They are available in the market and we are committed to working with our Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) to make sure that we accelerate the pace of adoption. When we achieve critical mass, it will also bring about a virtuous cycle for us to reduce the price of adoption and allow businesses to do business with one another more easily. Last but not least, with or without the current challenges amidst the global uncertainties, we must continuously look at our production system and processes. There is always room for us to innovate in such things, beyond the innovation of products. It is about the innovation in production systems and processes that can make us more productive. The third prong of the strategy has to do with training. There are three subparts to the training strategy which we need to focus on.”
“And this is the reason why the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), with the economic agencies, will continue to diversify our portfolio of free trade agreements (FTAs), both in terms of the number of FTAs and the quality of FTAs, in order for our companies to access the markets around the world, especially those with strong and positive growth. The second part of diversification has to do with supply chains. In this world of flux, supply chains might be disrupted because of economic and political reasons. This is why the economic agencies are working closely with all our companies to make sure that our sources of materials, labour and other factors of production will continuously stay robust and resilient amidst these shifting geopolitical tensions. Last but not least, we must continue to diversify our product mix as an economy. We must make sure that no one particular sector dominates the economy to the extent that it causes us to be much more fragile than we need be. This is how we have approached the situation over the last many years. And if we look at the numbers today, while some sectors like the electronics, precision engineering and wholesale trade and retail are down, there are also sectors like the information and communications sector, biomedical sector and professional services sector that are still up. So, that diversification of our economy and product mix actually helps us to stabilise the overall economic performance. The second strategy that we need to adopt amidst all this flux is to make sure that we continue to innovate and invest. First, we must make sure that we continuously do better to translate our research outcomes into enterprises. We must complete the research, innovation and enterprise cycle – not a chain, but a cycle.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, let me answer the question in two parts. First, I will explain why the choice of words "US-China" and "trade conflict" is not exactly very precise. For the second part, I will answer what we need to do as a country and as companies. Let me touch on the first part. Today, the challenges that we are facing in the external environment are not exactly limited to only the tensions between the United States (US) and China. The uncertainties around the world have gone beyond the US and China. They include the uncertainties with Brexit, Japan and Korea, Hong Kong and others. It has also affected the functioning of the World Trade Organization system, of which the challenges to the continued functioning of the appellate body are a serious concern for all of us. So, it is not just about the US and China. The second part is that it is also not just about the trade war. The competition between the US and China today has gone beyond trade to encompass technology and other issues. So, it is a more multifaceted challenge that we are dealing with. With that as the backdrop, the question is: how do we, as a country and as companies, adapt and adjust our strategies amidst all these uncertainties? Let me touch on a three-pronged strategy that I think we need to adopt: diversification, innovation and investment, and training. Let me elaborate on diversification. To manage the uncertainties ahead of us, which may take quite a while to settle down, we should continuously diversify our markets, our supply chains and our product mix. For the diversification of the markets, we must always remember that there are still many parts of the world that are experiencing strong and positive growth.”
“With increased uncertainty, the impact on Singapore's economy is likely to be larger. As Hong Kong is an important market and economic partner for Singapore, we hope that there will be a peaceful resolution to the situation in Hong Kong soon.”
“Hong Kong is an important business and financial centre in Asia and shares close trade and investment ties with many regional economies, including Singapore. For Singapore, Hong Kong was our fifth largest trading partner in 2018, and fourth largest investment destination as at end-2017. We are monitoring developments in Hong Kong with concern, as continued disruptions to Hong Kong's stability will have negative spillover impact on Singapore and the region given these close linkages. To date, Singapore's economy has not been significantly affected by the developments in Hong Kong. The Ministry of Trade and Industry estimates that the total value-added that Singapore derives from Hong Kong's final demand amounts to 1.2% of Singapore's gross domestic product. However, businesses with strong dependence on Hong Kong may see a greater impact. For instance: (a) Some of our trade-related services, such as wholesale trade as well as transportation and storage, are more exposed to the developments in Hong Kong, as Hong Kong is a significant export destination for Singapore. Thus far, feedback from the companies in these sectors indicates that they have not been severely affected. (b) Some Singapore businesses with operations in the lifestyle and retail sectors in Hong Kong have been more directly affected by the developments in Hong Kong. Our economic agencies are in touch with these businesses and monitoring the situation closely. Over the longer term, if the current situation in Hong Kong persists and adds to global economic uncertainty, investor confidence will likely be adversely affected. This will, in turn, weigh on investments and economic activities in the region. Singapore, as well as other regional economies, benefit from a stable and predictable operating environment.”
“The eligibility criteria for National Day Awards are governed by the various gazetted medal rules. Individuals who have rendered outstanding public service or distinguished themselves in the field of arts and letters, sports, the sciences, business, the professions and the Labour Movement are eligible for National Day Awards. We also have awards that recognise public and military officers for gallantry, distinguished service or long service. The type of award which individuals may be eligible for depends on their achievements, contributions and service. Every year, the Prime Minister's Office invites nominations from the public and non-public sector through Ministries, Organs of State and Advisors of Grassroots Organisations. The nominations are then evaluated by various committees. The final shortlist is submitted for the President’s approval. The medal rules do not cap the number of awards except for the Medal of Honour, which is limited to four in any one year, the Certificate of Honour which is limited to six in any one year and the Order of Temasek (With High Distinction) which is limited to 12 recipients. Notwithstanding this, to ensure the prestige of the other awards and that only the most deserving are awarded, we cap the number that agencies can put up where practical. The caps vary depending on the pool of eligible candidates and the awards. The total number of awards given to grassroots leaders ranged from 189 to 191 between 2016 and 2019.”
“Households that have switched to a retailer in the Open Electricity Market (OEM) have enjoyed between 20% to 30% savings compared to the regulated tariff. Given that the OEM rollout was only completed recently in May 2019, it is too early to determine whether the cost savings have resulted in any changes to households' electricity consumption patterns. The Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Energy Market Authority intend to conduct a study on this at an appropriate time.”
“The Land Transport Authority's (LTA's) regulatory framework for the point-to-point (P2P) transport sector will take effect from June 2020. The framework contains provisions to keep the market open to new providers of P2P services. For example, licensed operators will not be allowed to offer exclusive arrangements to "lock in" drivers that in effect prevent them from driving for other operators. The new P2P framework does not restrict the ability of the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore to monitor for anti-competitive behaviour in the P2P sector and initiate investigations where it has reasonable grounds to suspect that the Competition Act prohibitions have been infringed. We will also work with LTA to ensure businesses compete on a level playing field and that consumers' interests are protected.”
“All electricity retailers must comply with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) when collecting, using and disclosing personal data. This includes making reasonable security arrangements to protect their data. There are additional safeguards in the Energy Market Authority's (EMA's) Code of Conduct for Electricity Retail Licensees. For example, when signing up consumers, retailers are required to obtain the consumer’s consent or proper authorisation before entering into a contract. EMA carries out Mystery Shopper Audits to assess if retailers are in compliance with the Code of Conduct. Consumers who find that their identities have been compromised or used to sign up for electricity accounts without their consent, should first approach the retailer to resolve the issue. In the event of an unauthorised switch, consumers will be able to terminate the contract without incurring early termination charges. Consumers who encounter errant retailers can contact the Consumers Association of Singapore or EMA. EMA will take action against any retailer that is found to have breached the Code of Conduct. Such retailers could be suspended from signing up new customers and can be subjected to financial penalties. Consumers who have reason to believe that their personal data has been used or disclosed by a retailer in violation of the PDPA can report it to the Personal Data Protection Commission. Retailers who breach the PDPA may be subject to financial penalties of up to $1 million.”
“I thank Mr Pritam Singh for raising the financial sector. In fact, that is a very good example of how we do business. When we grew our financial sector, there will obviously be areas where we initially lack the expertise. We brought in people and experts who are globally attuned and have the exposure. Over time, we progressively make sure that that expertise is localised and we have achieved much in the financial sector, under the leadership of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. We will continue to do this because we will never stay static and we will never say that we have done enough to get our locals into the top leadership positions. This is exactly the same spirit that we intend to do for all the new sectors. That is why, just now, in answering Mr Patrick Tay's question, I talked about the Fair Consideration Framework, what Mr Patrick Tay called the "triple-weak". We want to make sure that every company, as they grow, are conscious of their responsibility to localise the talent and also to build up the capabilities within Singapore. That is how, progressively, we are not shy to learn from the best in the world. But as we learn from the best in the world, we want to make sure that our people have the best opportunities to learn from them, acquire those skills and maybe even go beyond. This must continue to be the Singapore way. This was how we built up the semi-conductor industry in the 1960s and 1970s and that will not change.”
“The answer is yes. We are open to considering how we can work with the other sectors which are short of this talent at the global level. But I want to clarify. We are not talking about S Pass holders, we are not even talking about the average Employment Pass holders. We are talking about people who can manage programmers by the hundreds and thousands. These are the people who know and have the expertise to manage global teams of the hundreds and thousands of people, and these are in critical shortage. Just to put in context how tough this competition is, China, the most populous country in the world, even China has a 千人计划 to attract the best from around the world to go back to China and help. If China, France and Thailand are all doing this, we can understand how critically short we are at the global level. So, while everybody is trying to churn out as many as they possibly can within the time, everyone is also fighting for the available talent at this point in time.”
“We must make sure that we can do all we can to help those companies that are growing the fastest at this point in time, suffering from the global shortage of tech talent, including many of our ICTs and AI companies, to make sure that the Tech@SG programme will give them the best chance possible to succeed and will not make them lose out to other companies from other countries who are competing for the global talent at this point in time.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, let me respond to the three questions. The answer to the first question is a definite yes. We are working closely with MOM. The Fair Consideration Framework applies to everyone and every firm in Singapore. The second question: did we consider the Capability Transfer Programme? Yes, that is one of the various instruments that we use to level up our own professional knowledge. We will continue to do that and, where there are opportunities, we will even step up our gear to do that. But having said that, as I have explained, even though we are churning out as many people as we can, as fast as we can, it is still not sufficient to meet the growing demand. We must make sure that we do not miss the boat by losing the professionals, the startups and the companies for us to form a critical mass quickly. On the third point, it is precisely because of the uncertainties with the economic outlook that we have stepped up our gear to make sure that we build the next generation of companies in this sector. At this point in time, I would say that this forms part of our overall surgical measures to help our companies transform and expand their market presence. At this point in time, the average of the economy may be about 0% to 1% growth, but that does not mean that every sector is between 0% and 1% growth. We know that the current numbers are dragged down by the global electronics downturn, the wholesale and retail trade, and some of the precision engineering sectors. On the other hand, our economy is growing well in the financial services, ICT and many of the high-tech industries. This is why we must make sure that while we try to lift the bottom, we must never cap the top.”
“To this end, we will continue to do our best for each and every Singaporean while continuously building on our efforts to take Singapore into the next lap, with the world as our hinterland for trade and talent.”
“Seliyan counts his experience learning from and working with a global and diverse team as critical to preparing him for his role in developing new and exciting products. Besides companies like Mastercard and Visenze, we have a good stable of companies like the digital giants Google and Facebook that create good opportunities for Singaporeans. We need to be able to create an environment for Singaporeans to learn from the best and to thrive. We need to grow our tech ecosystem and create exciting opportunities for all Singaporeans. This is what Tech@SG is about. Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to assure the House that we are deeply cognisant of the fact that this topic can be easily stirred up because of the emotions involved and because it concerns the jobs and the kind of society we want to build in Singapore. At the same time, this is a Government that has always sought to be honest with Singaporeans and has never shied away from explaining our challenges and sharing what needs to be done in order for us to grow and adjust to changing realities. We will never stop putting Singaporeans at the heart of everything we do and will continue to develop every Singaporean to their fullest potential so that they can fulfil their aspirations and seize opportunities in Singapore and beyond. However, we must not go down the path of other countries which have started to put up barriers and take an inward-looking, protectionist approach, not just to trade, but including talent. Doing so, we will only hurt Singapore whose success over the last 54 years has been built on our openness and courage to do what is necessary for our country.”
“They have also grown an entire generation of specialists and professionals in this area that enabled the semi-conductor industry of Singapore today. Today, we have a similar opportunity to create a vibrant and dynamic tech sector, generating new and exciting job opportunities for yet another generation of Singaporeans. But time is running out. I would like to highlight some examples where we can already see the benefits to Singaporeans. Visenze, an AI and image recognition company founded by four Singaporeans, now hires more than 60 tech professionals to form multinational teams that develop and improve their AI technology. Abel Lim, a recent graduate from the National University of Singapore's School of Computing, learns about applying machine learning to real-life problems from colleagues in his team who come from around the world. Together, their team makes improvements to Visenze’s algorithms. Another example would be Mastercard. Mastercard is an MNC currently spearheading the creation of new digital technologies in payment solutions and smart mobility in Singapore, powered by AI. These innovative activities require new capabilities that would need to be built up in the Singapore team. To that end, the company introduced the Mastercard Graduate Programme that offers Singaporean employees a structured programme of rotations, international work experience and mentorship opportunities. These equip them with new skills and allow them to work alongside senior experts from around the world. Seliyan Silvarajoo is one such Singaporean who has undergone this programme. He started out as an intern at Mastercard and is now a senior digital product specialist.”
“This is why we launched Tech@SG to help fast-growth tech companies, both local and foreign, to grow in Singapore. This programme is intended for companies with the commitment and ability to build teams and products in Singapore. They will have to be incorporated in Singapore, have a digital or technology offering or have a business model built around proprietary technologies, research or hardware. Companies would also need to have secured more than US$10 million in Venture Capital (VC) funding cumulatively and have received funding from a Programme-recognised VC in the past 36 months. This will ensure the companies would have sufficient resources and readiness to internationalise and compete. Tech@SG will enable such companies to put together globally competitive teams to develop their products and internationalise quickly. In addition, Tech@SG will raise the quality of tech talent in Singapore and create more opportunities for our tech experts to team up with the best from around the world. We must be prepared for these fast-growth companies to recruit the skills they most require. In the short term, these skills may come from global professionals. But we must take a strategic view on this to reap the long-term rewards for Singaporeans. We did so for the semi-conductor industry in the 1960s. At that time, many multinational companies (MNCs) in the industry came here and set up their core team which comprised mainly foreigners. Over time, as these companies anchored themselves in Singapore, they began to rapidly grow their local pool of employees. In a span of just three years, the first three semiconductor companies in Singapore – National Semiconductor, Fairchild and Texas Instruments – created more than 7,000 jobs.”
“The Straits Times recently reported that recruiting firm Michael Page said that the demand for technology jobs in Singapore rose by 20% in the last 12 months but there is a shortage of supply. Companies have also given our agencies feedback that we lack experienced software engineers and product managers. They are looking for people who can take charge of the development and rollout of digital products at a global scale, instead of only working on specific components of the product. These are often people that can marry both technical leadership and commercial acumen, manage larger tech teams in the hundreds and thousands, and are highly valued because they are in short supply. Mr Speaker, Sir, this is the reality which we will have to face or we risk diminishing our competitive edge. We need to complement our local pipeline with skilled workers from all around the world to meet the surging demand from companies that are already in Singapore and companies that we want to bring to Singapore. The presence of workers from other countries and nationalities also provides opportunities for Singaporeans to work in globally competitive teams and advance the frontiers of innovation together. In a world where multi-sectoral, cross-discipline and cross-cultural teams are increasingly common, Singaporeans must learn how to work with people from all around the world. This will increase their competitiveness as individual employees and make them more attractive to employers. Alibaba, Grab, SAP and Taiger are examples of some companies which have plans to expand significantly in Singapore. Many of these companies have shared that the ability to complement their local workforce with global talent is essential for them to quickly scale their operations in accordance with their plans.”
“The first prong of our talent strategy, ever since we achieved Independence, has been to develop our local workforce. Our people are our most important resource and we spare no effort in nurturing them. In our efforts to widen our tech talent pool, we have been rapidly scaling up our local pipeline of tech professionals. Today, more than 74,000 training places have been taken up or committed under the TechSkills Accelerator and this will amount to about one-third of our information and communications technology (ICT) professionals across the country. Our institutes of higher learning offer around 200 full-time tech-related courses today. In Academic Year 2018, there was an enrolment of more than 63,000 locals in these tech-related courses, which received about $1.1 billion in Government funding. We are also investing significantly in building new capabilities, such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI). Together, these efforts will increase our baseline of tech skills and capabilities. As we develop our base, we must also stretch the top of our Singaporean crop. We have connected Singapore to the world to secure frontier opportunities for Singaporeans through programmes, such as the Global Innovation Alliance (GIA). GIA is a global network connecting Singapore to leading innovation ecosystems and key markets around the world. Singaporeans and businesses will be able to gain overseas experience and connect and collaborate with their overseas counterparts through GIA. But even these efforts are insufficient because the demand for tech talent is far outstripping the local supply. This is not just a Singapore issue; it is a global challenge.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, deep tech industries and companies are the lynchpin for the future economy. Digital technologies have transformed the way we work and live. Today, technology companies are among the fastest growing in the world and occupy an increasing share of the Fortune 500 list. Singapore must develop our tech ecosystem and ride this growth to create more opportunities for Singaporeans. Talent is critical in this effort. Tech companies require experts with specialised skills. Increasingly, companies are basing their investment decisions on the availability of talent instead of traditional factors, such as the cost and availability of land. Unfortunately, there is a global shortage of tech talent, and competition is intense. France overhauled its French Tech Visa six months ago to make it easier for tech talent to work in France. Closer to home, Thailand introduced a SMART visa programme this year to attract highly skilled tech professionals. If Singapore sits back and does nothing, we will almost certainly be left behind. We have only a small window to build a critical mass of high-end professionals, startups and companies. There will only be a few such nodes globally. How we do today will decide whether we make it as a tech hub, or not. We must move fast and move now. It is not only companies which are facing a shortage of tech talent. Our Government is also using technology to transform our public services and serve businesses and citizens better. The Government is, therefore, tapping on the same limited pool of local tech professionals as our companies. We need to urgently expand this pool. We are accelerating our efforts to develop our tech talent while ensuring that Singaporeans remain at the core of our efforts.”
“From May this year, all consumers have the option of buying electricity from a retailer of their choice under the Open Electricity Market (OEM). As of end-June 2019, about 34% of household consumers have made the switch. The switching process for OEM consumers was designed to be simple and accessible to all, regardless of income or household types. OEM consumers can approach their preferred retailer to sign up and can do so via different channels, including online, over the phone, as well as at the retailer's roadshows or physical stores. The retailer will then work directly with SP Group to make the switch. Surveys commissioned by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) show that 98% of OEM consumers who have switched to a retailer found the switching process easy. We have also introduced the necessary consumer safeguards. OEM consumers have access to various avenues, such as the Consumers Association of Singapore or the Small Claims Tribunal, for dispute resolution in the event of any contractual dispute with their retailers. EMA will continue to work with SP Group and the retailers to provide a positive consumer experience under OEM.”
“For instance, the CPTPP rules for intellectual property rights and e-commerce help attract research and development and spur the growth of transformative digital services that we all enjoy today. MTI regularly reviews our trade agreements to account for new business models and regulations. With the rapid growth of the digital economy, we have started negotiating digital economy agreements with Chile and New Zealand, as well as a collaboration with Australia. We also upgrade our FTAs in light of changing economic circumstances. For instance, we upgraded our FTA with China in November 2018 to provide our businesses with enhanced investment protection, greater access to China's legal, maritime and construction services sectors, and improved Rules of Origin for petrochemical and plastics exports.”
“Singapore currently has 24 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). We are also working with the European Commission to bring the European Union (EU)-Singapore FTA (EUSFTA), which was ratified by the European Parliament in February 2019, into force at the end of 2019.1 In addition, we are negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which connects all 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economies with six other economies accounting for about 30% of global gross domestic product (GDP), as well as FTAs with the Eurasian Economic Union, the South American regional economic organization (MERCOSUR) and the Pacific Alliance. Our trade and investment partnerships create opportunities for our economy and strengthen our strategic relations with other countries. A study by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) estimated that, on average, Singapore's domestic exports to an FTA partner increased by 18% two years after its entry into force, and a further 16% in the third year.2 New agreements, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EUSFTA, can potentially increase Singapore's GDP by up to 0.2% and 0.35% respectively.3 Our FTAs also make it easier for our companies to do business in foreign countries by providing preferential market access for our businesses, including lower tariff and non-tariff barriers for Singapore goods, fewer restrictions for the services sectors, and enhanced protection for investments. Beyond market access benefits, FTAs also establish common enforceable rules that provide certainty for businesses.”
“Our economic agencies have been engaging our companies closely. Generally, Singapore companies operating in the United States (US) or China have told us that they have not been significantly affected by the US-China tensions, either in their operations overseas or in Singapore. Their responses to the ongoing trade tensions have also been mixed. Some companies are putting their investments on hold until there is greater clarity, while others are actively looking to diversify their businesses across different regions. In short, our companies are adopting a range of measures. The US-China trade tensions are not the only cause of the present slowdown. We are also experiencing the downswing in the global electronics cycle, which has affected externally-oriented sectors like wholesale trade and precision engineering. As I had shared with the House last month, the Government is closely monitoring the situation and will provide support to the companies where needed. Even as we weather our immediate challenges, we must maintain a steady course for the long term. We must continue to transform our economy by implementing the Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) and investing in new capabilities, such as digitalisation and technology. We must also raise the productivity of our workers through SkillsFuture and continuous learning. By working together and investing for the future, we will emerge stronger from the present storm.”
“The Straits of Hormuz is a vital oil transit passageway. More than 20% of global petroleum consumed passes through the straits. While the International Energy Agency (IEA) has announced that emergency oil stocks are sufficient to cover supply disruptions for an extended period, tensions in the straits can put upward pressure on oil prices. Oil trading volume has remained steady so far. However, as Singapore imports almost all our energy needs, our electricity prices cannot be insulated from movements in the global energy market. Within Singapore, we promote competition in our energy market so that Singaporeans can enjoy competitive electricity prices. The Open Electricity Market (OEM) is one such initiative. Since May this year, all households and small businesses have the option to buy electricity from a retailer of their choice under the OEM. Consumer feedback has been positive so far, with thirteen electricity retailers offering a good range of competitively priced plans and households reporting savings of about 20%-30%. We do not subsidise electricity prices upfront, as this may encourage over-consumption and disproportionately benefit wealthier households which tend to consume more. To help lower- and middle-income Housing and Development Board households cope with their utilities expenses, we provide the Goods and Services Tax Voucher – U-Save, which gives quarterly rebates on utilities bills.”
“As companies transform, they need to also invest in training their workers to help them pick up new skills and move up the value chain. The Government firmly believes that enterprise transformation must go hand in hand with worker training and skills upgrading. When we enhanced the PSG from 1 July 2019, we included a SkillsFuture Training Subsidy of up to $10,000 per company to encourage companies to embark on training when they undergo enterprise transformation.”
“The Government has implemented many programmes over the years to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) upgrade their capabilities and grow their businesses. The SMEs Go Digital programme was launched in April 2017 to make it simpler for SMEs to adopt digital solutions. This includes providing step-by-step guidance on going digital through the Industry Digital Plans, pre-approving digital solutions with grant support, as well as offering consultancy and project management services. SMEs which are newly incorporated can take up foundational solutions with the Start Digital Pack. To date, about 10,000 SMEs have benefited from the programme. The Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) programme helps SMEs in taking their first steps to tap global markets. MRA supports companies in activities, such as preparing for market entry and participation in trade fairs. Since its introduction in 2013, about 5,000 companies have tapped on this programme to bring their business overseas. The Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG), introduced in April 2018, assists companies to adopt ready-made solutions like information technology tools and equipment to become more efficient. The programme has been well received by businesses. Around 6,400 projects have been supported so far, benefiting about 5,370 companies. There are many other grant schemes available to support SMEs, but I would like to emphasise that companies should not be grant-focused and scheme-centric. The grants and assistance schemes are meant to enable companies to build up their capabilities and become more competitive. This outcome can only be achieved when companies start by having a clear plan on how they want to transform and grow to meet the needs of their customers.”
“The pensions of Government pensioners who retired from the Civil Service are fixed based on their length of service and pensionable salary at the eve of their retirement. Government pensioners include pensionable officers who were transferred from the Civil Service to Statutory Boards and subsequently retired from the Statutory Boards. The Government has given an ex-gratia Singapore Allowance since 1974 to help Government pensioners whose monthly pensions are below a gross monthly pension ceiling. The current Singapore Allowance quantum is $320 and the gross monthly pension ceiling is $1,250. Corporatised entities are private firms. Retirees who continue to receive retirement benefits from private firms will follow the terms set out by these firms, which do not need to be the same as those provided to Government pensioners. Retirees who receive retirement benefits from private firms may also be eligible for benefits, such as the Pioneer and Merdeka Generation Packages, that are given to all eligible Singaporeans. These benefits can help the elderly retirees cope with their expenses and would be paid out on top of any benefit their firms provide.”
“We have adopted a graduated approach in setting the various legal ages at which a person can undertake different responsibilities in Singapore. A person’s rights and responsibilities gradually increase as one matures, until the common law age of majority of 21, when a person comes of age to make decisions as an adult and engages in activities that involve significant personal responsibility. As has been explained in this House before, voting in elections involves making serious choices, which requires experience and maturity. Voters elect the President who exercises the custodial and veto powers under the Constitution. Voters also choose their Member of Parliament and, in so doing, decide on the group of individuals who will eventually form the Government. If we were to lower the voting age to 18 today, some 130,000 youths would become eligible to vote. The Government currently does not plan to lower the voting age. Nevertheless, we recognise that many youths want a voice in national matters and wish to make a difference. We will continue to keep such channels and platforms open for youths to express their views and contribute to nation-building. For instance, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth has launched the SG Youth Action Plan to give youths a platform to articulate their vision for the country and propose policy ideas and partnership projects to achieve this vision.”