Chee Hong Tat
Singapore
“The National Parks Board (NParks) resumed crow shooting operations in March 2026 across nine districts, including Yishun. These sites were prioritised based on several factors, including the volume and severity of public feedback on crow-related issues, as well as the technical feasibility of conducting shooting operations safely at each…”
“To drive sustainable construction and reduce reliance on conventional diesel generators, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has required the use of battery energy storage systems (BESS) or synchronised generator set systems at Build-to-Order construction worksites for all building tenders called since February 2025.”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) tracks resident feedback on maintenance-related issues, including spalling concrete and structural cracks within HDB flats. Such issues are much less common in younger flats, compared to older flats above 30 years old.”
“The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) provides resources on its website to guide building owners and Management Corporations Strata Title (MCSTs) on lift modernisation.”
“Private retail developments sold through the Government Land Sales Programme are intended to complement the commercial offerings in public developments undertaken by agencies, such as the Housing and Development Board.”
“The National Parks Board (NParks) is reviewing both the Animals and Birds Act and the Code of Animal Welfare (COAW). The former will include pet sector businesses and the latter will include and start with pet groomers.”
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“If I may just comment quickly, Mr Chairman, before I invite the Senior Parliamentary Secretary to reply to Mr Dennis Tan's second question. We will try our best to improve the footpath infrastructure. If Members could look at different places around Singapore, one of the things is we have been working closely with PUB to cover up the open drains and then to widen the footpaths, where possible, so that we can then have a pedestrian lane and a cycling lane. This helps to be able to separate the different devices so that we give pedestrians and also cyclists, PMA users, greater assurance, greater peace of mind when they use the paths. But having said that, it is not always possible because there are areas where, due to space constraints, site constraints, we may not be able to do that. So, the key is where we cannot do that or even where we can do that, people need to use the paths responsibly and safely, and be considerate and gracious.”
“Mr Chairman, the question about bunkering, first of all, this is something which the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has already set as a target that they want the international shipping industry to move towards. So, there is already that impetus for shipping lines to look at how to reduce their carbon emissions gradually over time. Of course, we are mindful that this process has to be gradual because ships that are already built, they cannot, overnight, be switching to cleaner fuels. So, you have to do this in a gradual way. When they replace their existing vessels with new builds or when they upgrade their engines, that is when they can put in the option for the ships to take cleaner fuels or to take dual fuels. So, we will continue to work closely with IMO and with the industry and our unions to prepare for this process. There are a few pieces here that are important. I will be brief, Mr Chairman. First is that we need to make sure that the infrastructure is there. So, both the shore-based infrastructure as well as when they come into our ports, the availability of the service, both shore-to-ship as well as potentially ship-to-ship kind of services, will be available. Second will be to look at safety because, as Mr Neil Parekh mentioned earlier, we need to train our workers to be ready for handling these cleaner fuels. Just to give an example. Traditional bunker fuel, if there is a spill, it goes into the water, you have an oil spill. But if you use ammonia, actually, it goes into the air and instead of having an oil spill, we will have a plume cloud. So, it is very different. And the way we handle these emergency scenarios, our workers need to be ready, our security and emergency services need to be ready.”
“We will make full use of the good measures that Deputy Prime Minister announced during the Budget Statement – SkillsFuture and many other good initiatives – and use our tripartite partnership to work together, make full use of those schemes that have been announced and translate those into good outcomes.”
“But if I may say so, this process started even before the Red Sea disruptions, because the COVID-19 pandemic was the first major disruptor. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw how supply chains were disrupted and then, along the way, a ship blocked the Suez Canal. We went through a few rounds of this and what we found was that the critical thing that Singapore can play a role in is to offer ourselves as a catch-up port, for shipping lines that were delayed elsewhere, to turn to Singapore as the trusted, reliable port where they could re-organise their supply chains and do some catching up. So, this time round, same thing. We will do the same for the Red Sea disruptions. To the second clarification from Mr Saktiandi, I think this is one of the key constraints that we are grappling with – besides land constraints, carbon constraints, it is labour constraints. In a tight labour market, we often cannot find enough workers, like public transport. Brother Melvin Yong will be very familiar. We work very closely with the operators and with the unions to attract more bus captains, bus technicians. Not easy. We have sign-on bonuses. We have different, different ways to try and attract and retain our essential workers. But we will keep trying, because we believe it is important for us to have a Singapore Core in our essential services. The other thing that we will continue to do is job redesign. We need to look at how we can make the jobs more palatable, more attractive to Singaporeans and especially to our young, to get them to join our industries. Then, the training, skills upgrading, productivity improvement. I think that is the other very important area.”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to thank Mr Saktiandi for his clarifications. To his first clarification on the AfA, this is something that we started on earlier, under the Future Economy Council, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, where he encouraged us to work with industry players, work with unions, to identify areas where we can come together and translate good ideas into implementation. So, the focus must be on something very actionable. Instead of doing this by ourselves, we thought we would ask the industry, "What are some of the pain points and what are some of the regulatory hurdles and process improvements that you would like to see that will help you to do your business better?" That was the starting point. We talked to a few groups of industry leaders, trade associations, our union leaders; and from there, we identified and we prioritised what are some of the ones that we thought we would start with first, and then we formed the joint task force and then we worked on it. I cannot give Mr Saktiandi a time frame in terms of exactly when we can finish this, but we approach some of these projects with the objective of "ASAP". Because the sooner we can come together and finish our review and come up with actionable items that we can implement, the better it is for everybody. If we need to split it up into a few stages, we will do so, because there may be some low-hanging fruits that we can do first, to help improve some of the processes. I think we will take that approach, a very practical, action-oriented approach. Indeed, I think the Red Sea disruption is something that has triggered a further review by a lot of companies on their supply chains.”
“Singapore has some key strengths that allow us to achieve these aspirations: our ability to plan long-term and prepare ahead of time; our strong tripartite partnership with industry and unions that has been built on a high degree of trust over the years; and our openness to investment, to ideas, to talent from around the world to complement our Singapore core. Together, I am confident that we can chart a brighter future for Singapore and all Singaporeans for many years to come. [Applause.]”
“It has helped to reduce manpower and business costs for logistics companies, which they can then pass on as savings for their customers. At our seaport, Singapore rolled out Phase 2 of digitalPort@SG last year. This includes a Just-In-Time Planning and Coordination Platform, which provides incoming vessels with their estimated time of berthing, allowing them to route their journeys more efficiently and save on fuel costs and time. Marine services providers can optimise their resources to minimise waiting times for customers. Again, we want to do something that will differentiate us from other ports and this is one potential area. Through the use of technology, through the use of data sharing amongst the ecosystem, we are able to do this. In many other ports, they may find difficulty in implementing something like this. We are also going to complete the 5G coverage in our port waters by mid-2025 and this will allow more seamless provision of marine services. All of these can help our vessels to come to Singapore to “catch up” on delays and if they experience some route disruptions elsewhere, they will turn to Singapore as a trusted, reliable hub. Madam, we envision a home, our home, where Singaporeans enjoy a range of accessible, reliable and affordable transport options in a very liveable city; where we are proud of our clean and green living environment; and where our businesses create good jobs that improve the livelihoods of our people.”
“Members may recall I shared some cost-saving measures for businesses during the Ministry of Finance's Committee of Supply last week, and also during the Singapore Maritime New Year event earlier this year. I believe it is important for Government agencies to be pro-business and to continually improve our rules and processes, to help our businesses innovate new ideas, and enable them to save time, save money and save effort. It also provides useful opportunities for the public, private and people sectors to work in partnership and to tackle challenges together, which is what we want to encourage under Forward SG. Coming back to supply chain connectivity, we will streamline land transshipment procedures so that instead of two permits – one for import and one for export – companies transshipping goods via land checkpoints will only require one permit. This will be implemented in the first quarter of 2025 because we need to make system changes and legislative amendments. It will help companies to save cost and save time. Aggregated across the industry, we estimate potential savings of up to $2 million per year. There will be even higher savings if the volume of goods transshipped via our land checkpoints increases in future. Additionally, we are allowing Malaysian trucks and drivers that meet relevant safety, security and operational requirements to directly access our container terminals to handle cross-border containers. So, there is no need for double-handling. PSA commenced a pilot with one company last year and has now expanded it to all eligible companies. More than 300 containers have been handled under this arrangement so far and I expect the volume to grow over time.”
“A key success factor will be our strong tripartite process to identify skills relevant for employers and employees and develop courses providing workers with these in-demand skills. And this is important to achieve a win-win post-training outcome for employers and workers. MPA and SMF have established a Joint Office for Talent and Skills to drive this effort. To Mr Neil Parekh’s question, as we press on with maritime decarbonisation and digitalisation, we must equip workers with skills to work efficiently and safely onboard vessels powered by green fuels. MPA will work closely with our tripartite partners to provide the training infrastructure. Singapore can also play a part in training the international maritime community in selected key capabilities, to grow the maritime ecosystem of talent, ideas and companies here. For aviation, we launched the Air Transport Industry Transformation Map 2025 last year. CAAS, in partnership with Workforce Singapore, has launched a year-long sector-wide manpower study to plan for the future of the aviation workforce. CAAS is working with the IHLs to incorporate emerging areas such as automation, artificial intelligence and sustainability into their courses. We are expanding the adoption of automation and assistive tools for workers at scale across the airport, making jobs more age-friendly and reducing barriers to entry. And we hope this can help us to attract and retain more workers. 5.00 pm Next, we recognise that business costs have increased due to global inflation and a tightening labour market. We have been reviewing our rules and processes to help businesses reduce avoidable costs and save time.”
“Last year, we launched the Work-Study Diploma in Customer Experience Management in Aviation, adding to the 1,800 graduates from our aviation and aerospace-related programmes every year. Aviation employers like SATS and dnata continue expand their targeted intake of ITE Work-Study Diploma students to 90 this year, which is more than double that of 2023. Ms Poh asked about the plans to encourage more women to join the industry. Madam, there are many talented women in the aviation industry, including Ms Poh, and they are handling important roles across fields like engineering, customer service and air traffic control. In fact, about 40% of our 500 air traffic controllers are women. CAAS will continue to work with partners such as the Women in Aviation Singapore Chapter to encourage more ladies to join the sector. Ms Yeo Wan Ling and Mr Melvin Yong asked how we ensure a strong pipeline of skilled maritime workers. Our Career Conversion Programme lowers barriers for employees seeking to move to new or enhanced roles by equipping them with new skills, as their companies undergo business transformation. The programme was expanded to cover functions in the maritime digitalisation, decarbonisation and cybersecurity spaces. It has also been enhanced to allow 100% on-the-job training, based on industry partners’ and employees’ feedback. Beyond recruitment, we are working with our tripartite partners to develop our workers’ capabilities and skillsets to seize new opportunities. For maritime, the Tripartite Advisory Panel, convened by the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) and supported by MPA, has completed its year-long review with industry partners and IHLs to prepare Maritime Singapore’s workforce to upskill and transform alongside industry developments.”
“If we can do that, it will reduce time and cost for logistic providers and their customers, and importantly, we allow Singapore to differentiate ourselves from the competition as a trusted and efficient multi-modal logistics hub. We do what other people cannot do. I am pleased to announce that DB Schenker, PSA, Cargo Community Network, SATS, Singapore Airlines Cargo and the Singapore Aircargo Agents Association have decided to come together to form an Alliance for Action (AfA), together with MOT, to co-develop solutions that can overcome the current bottlenecks and achieve our shared targets. There are many entities involved because there are many moving parts in these operations. But that is also why we need to bring them all together and work closely. And that is one of our strengths in Singapore – the ability to work beyond Government; with our industry, with our unions, through the AfA, and to deliver results and get things done. We will also continue to engage industry players to identify more collaboration opportunities to review our rules and enhance our processes, which can support new business models and innovations. Next, we will lower barriers for workers to upskill, reskill and transition to new roles into and within our transport sectors. Mr Melvin Yong spoke about this earlier. We expect demand for aviation professionals to increase steadily given the growth in air traffic and opening of Terminal 5. To Ms Poh Li San’s question on our recruitment and training plans, we have intensified our talent attraction efforts, showcasing the variety of exciting careers available at the OneAviation Careers Fair and roadshows.”
“For the Tuas Road Viaduct, LTA will expedite the construction timeline and we will manage traffic demand during the construction. Beyond increasing our capacity, we need to preserve our trusted position as global aviation and maritime hubs, as companies respond to shifts in international supply chains and trade networks. Mr Neil Parekh spoke about this earlier. Given our trusted reputation and strong connectivity, Singapore is well-placed to capture opportunities arising from these trends. MOT is working with other Government agencies and industry partners to further strengthen Singapore’s position as a node for international trade and as a leading global supply chain hub. This will be a priority for our Ministry over the next few years. Through regular engagements with industry, we have identified collaboration opportunities to optimise inter-modal connectivity through our seaport and airport. Just to give one example. Currently, the time taken for an air-sea inter-modal transshipment may exceed five days. There are two main reasons for this. First, logistics providers face uncertainty in the arrival and departure times, and to be prudent, they factor in buffer periods between arrival and departure of goods. Second, for smaller logistics providers, especially our SMEs, booking of flights and preparation of permits are still largely manual and last-minute changes in vessel or flight schedules, especially in the current environment, will add to the duration. Madam, we want to at least halve the dwell time. I have told my colleagues that our stretched target is to enable the goods to depart Singapore on a connecting flight or vessel within 24 hours of its arrival.”
“This increased Changi’s annual capacity to 90 million passengers across all four terminals. We are on track to break ground on Terminal 5’s construction next year. When completed in the mid-2030s, T5 will add another 50 million passengers to Changi’s annual capacity and further strengthen Singapore’s aviation connectivity. Works have also resumed on the Changi East Industrial Zone, to be completed in the mid-2030s. This will double Singapore’s air cargo handling capacity from about three million tonnes per annum today to more than five million tonnes per annum. Our seaport also broke several records last year. Annual vessel arrival tonnage crossed three billion Gross Tonnage, and Singapore’s container throughput reached 39 million 20-foot equivalent units. We are currently the second-largest container port in the world and the world’s largest transshipment hub port. Our maritime sector’s growth has remained robust going into 2024. In January, our Singapore Registry of Ships surpassed 100 million Gross Tonnage for the first time and our container volumes have further increased compared to the strong performance in 2023. Tuas Port now has eight berths. We can look forward to three additional berths commencing operations at Tuas Port by end-2024. There are currently 800 workers at Tuas Port, and as pointed out by several Members, this number will grow as operations ramp up. Mr Ang Wei Neng and Mr Melvin Yong asked about connectivity for our workers to Tuas Port. Madam, this work is ongoing and we have been making progress. We will continue to work closely with our tripartite partners and Government agencies to improve the transport options for our workers. For example, we have improved road conditions in Tuas, and extended the operating hours of Bus Service 248M.”
“The efforts to expand our charging network in HDB car parks are key to support a growing EV population. Over one in three HDB car parks are now equipped with EV chargers. By end of 2025, every HDB car park will be equipped with EV chargers. These will support overnight slow charging, which remains the main strategy for our charging network. This is adequate for most drivers. However, as Mr Ang Wei Neng and Mr Lim Biow Chuan noted, high mileage fleet vehicles, such as taxis, private hire vehicles or light goods vehicles, often need a mid-day top-up. They require high-powered fast chargers, which are now mostly located at commercial spaces such as shopping malls. But these are not the usual rest spots for many fleet drivers. The Government will kickstart the deployment of fast chargers at HDB town centres and JTC’s premises, which are frequented by fleet drivers during their breaks and also close to amenities such as hawker centres and coffee shops. We recently launched the first fast charging points at Toa Payoh HDB Hub and Oasis Terraces in Punggol in January, and will deploy fast chargers at Boon Lay, Redhill, Kallang Bahru, Tampines, Woodlands and other areas. 54. In total, there will be 120 fast chargers installed at about 60 carparks under this initiative. Finally, let me speak about how the transport sector improves the livelihoods of our people. Our aviation and maritime sectors are important sources of good jobs for Singaporeans. They are also key enablers for many other sectors in our economy, including manufacturing, finance and tourism. Asia Pacific is projected to be the fastest growing region for air travel over the next two decades. Changi is well-placed to ride on this growth. We reopened the expanded Terminal 2 in November last year.”
“45 pm Second, from April 2024, harbour craft owners and operators may apply for loans through the Enterprise Financing Scheme – Green. This provides enhanced risk-share of 70% for loans by participating financial institutions for green solutions. On Ms Poh Li San’s question on green maritime solutions, we are preparing Singapore for a multi-fuel future that will include hydrogen and its carriers like ammonia and methanol. MPA successfully conducted the world’s first ship-to-containership methanol bunkering operation last year. We are developing a national standard on methanol bunkering to support commercial-scale operations. Last December, MPA issued an expression of interest (EOI) for interested parties to submit proposals for the supply of methanol as a marine bunker fuel in Singapore. The Energy Market Authority (EMA) and MPA have shortlisted six consortiums whose proposals will be further developed to provide low- or zero-carbon ammonia solutions for power generation and bunkering on Jurong Island. As the world’s leading bunkering port, these are crucial steps to prepare Singapore for the transition to cleaner maritime fuels. Madam, I spoke earlier on enhancing Walk-Cycle-Ride as a key pillar of greening our land transport sector. The other is electrification of our vehicle fleet. Ms Poh Li San asked about the take-up of cleaner-energy vehicles. In 2023, more than 18% of new cars registered were EVs. This is a 50% increase from 2022. Hybrid car sales have increased from 39% in 2022 to 47% in 2023. So, together, nearly two-thirds of cars registered in 2023 were cleaner-energy models. In the first two months of this year, 30% of cars registered were EVs and almost 50% were hybrids. So, altogether, about 80% of new cars are now cleaner-energy vehicles.”
“Our goal is to raise the Sustainable Aviation Fuel target beyond 1% in 2026 to between 3% and 5% by 2030, subject to global developments and the wider availability and adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. As Ms Poh Li San noted, our approach differs from the volumetric mandates imposed in Europe, or the incentives-based approach in the United States. What we collect with our Sustainable Aviation Fuel levy from 2026 will be used to centrally procure Sustainable Aviation Fuel on behalf of airlines operating at Changi Airport. This provides cost certainty to airlines and passengers when there is volatility in Sustainable Aviation Fuel prices and ensures a level playing field for all airlines operating out of Singapore. Importantly, we hope it will encourage fuel producers to invest further in Sustainable Aviation Fuel production facilities in Singapore and the region. For maritime, we will introduce a new sustainability pillar under the Maritime Cluster Fund to catalyse first-mover adoption of sustainable solutions. MPA will set aside $15 million till 2030 to co-fund qualifying costs for adopting pre-approved sustainability solutions. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can receive 50% co-funding, while non-SMEs can receive 30% co-funding, up to $30,000 per solution. In his Budget speech, Deputy Prime Minister Wong announced two other schemes to support sustainability initiatives in the maritime sector. First, maritime companies can tap on the Energy Efficiency Grant by end-2024, which will provide two tiers of support for energy-efficient equipment. Under the base tier, they can receive up to 70% co-funding for pre-approved energy efficient domestic port and harbour craft equipment until March 2026. Across both tiers, they can receive up to $350,000 per company. 4.”
“Usage-based charges need to work in tandem with ownership controls and other measures like parking charges to achieve a more balanced and sustainable outcome for all stakeholders, while ensuring smooth traffic on our roads. Mdm Chair, MOT is open to reviewing the idea of having a one-off increase in our total vehicle population spread over a few years, which is accompanied by higher usage-based charges to prevent traffic congestion. This includes location- and time-based charges like our current ERP system, as well as the possibility of having distance-based charging in future, which some commentators have suggested. But I hope Members recognise that the trade-offs are not straightforward and need to be studied carefully before a decision is made. For example, some stakeholders such as taxi, PHC and delivery drivers will likely pay higher usage-based charges as they drive longer distances. We will need to examine the impact on these groups, though usage-based charging is in principle a fair approach. Let me turn to our living environment. As we expand our transport network, we must continue to reduce the carbon footprint so that our transport system becomes more sustainable. There are some no-regrets initiatives that reduce both emissions and costs. These we will pursue. However, other measures require us to balance our climate goals with cost and competitiveness considerations while we move in tandem with global developments. We launched the Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint at the Changi Aviation Summit last month, an important step in our journey to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. MOT announced a target of 1% Sustainable Aviation Fuels uplift in Singapore from 2026.”
“I would like to express my appreciation to our enforcement officers, or "path protectors", for their hard work to engage and educate path users and to enforce against errant individuals. Your job is not easy, but it is an important mission to protect the safety of all path users. So, please continue to do it well, without fear or favour. We will support you and we will back you up. Madam, complementing trains and buses is point-to-point transport, which includes street-hail taxis and ride-hail services. These provide the convenience of direct journeys for commuters who do not own cars. Senior Minister of State Amy Khor will provide an update in her speech, including how we are making taxis more viable to improve street-hail services for commuters such as our seniors. On private vehicles, Mr Saktiandi asked if introducing distance-based charging would allow us to increase total vehicle population by a certain percentage, while still achieving our car-lite vision. Some commentators have made similar suggestions. This idea is not new. In 2002, the Economic Review Committee recommended, "a gradual lowering of car ownership taxes accompanied by an increase in COE supply and shifting towards a better balance between ownership charges and usage charges". With the ERP system in place in 1998, vehicle ownership taxes were reduced during the 2000s. In 2002 and 2003, the Government released an additional 5,000 Category E (Cat E) COEs on top of the allowable vehicle growth rate, or VGR. However, it is not feasible to only rely on usage-based charges to prevent traffic congestion as these would have to be set at very high rates, which might not be acceptable to many car owners.”
“There are trade-offs involved and we expect pushback from some PMA users, but we must be clear that between ensuring safety for residents and providing convenience for PMA users, safety must come first. The Straits Times had an article on PMAs over the weekend. It quoted the views of pedestrians, including seniors and also PMA retailers. Many agree that a lower speed limit will make it much safer for the community. This is also the feedback that AMAP received from its focus group discussions and I believe many hon Members in this House would have heard similar views from our residents. Demand for PMAs will increase as our population ages. This is why we must take action now so that we can give users and retailers sufficient time to adjust. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng will elaborate further. Many Members have spoken on this matter – Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Mr Gerald Giam, Mr Lim Biow Chuan, Ms Poh Li San, Mr Dennis Tan and Ms Yeo Wan Ling. I am glad that Members from both sides of the House agree with our position that safety must come first and that enforcement is important to complement the engagement and education efforts. Public paths are used by many pedestrians, including seniors and young children. Cyclists and PMA users should be considerate, slow down and give way to pedestrians. It is not right to jeopardise public safety for personal convenience. Safety must come first. The large majority of cyclists and PMA users do pay attention to safety and I thank them for doing their part. For the minority who endanger the safety of other path users, we will take enforcement action against them. Those who ride recklessly on paths can be fined up to $10,000 and/or imprisoned for up to 12 months.”
“We also provide public transport vouchers to help lower-income households. Through these measures, we have kept public transport affordable for Singaporeans. Among lower-income households, spending on public transport as a proportion of household income has reduced from 3.1% in 2013 to 2.4% in 2022. Keeping fares affordable without overburdening taxpayers requires us to optimise our resources. In some cases, this means redeploying buses and bus captains from trunk routes running parallel to new MRT lines, which have experienced substantial drops in ridership, to new feeder services for residents in new estates. We will continue to balance evolving transport needs across different estates to serve more commuters while being financially prudent and keeping overall costs sustainable. To complement our rail and bus network, we will make it more convenient to walk or cycle to transport nodes. As announced at this year's Budget, the Government will invest $3.5 billion in Age Well SG. This includes $1 billion over the next decade to improve first-mile and last-mile connectivity in our neighbourhoods by expanding the Friendly Streets initiative and enhancing commuter infrastructure for residents. Senior Minister of State Amy Khor will elaborate on this. We also want to promote safe usage of footpaths, which will become more important with an ageing population. We accept the recommendations from AMAP on the use of PMAs. The panel had recommended certifying those who want to use mobility scooters, reducing the speed limit from 10 kilometres per hour to six kilometres per hour and imposing size limits for PMAs on paths. Madam, I agree with AMAP's recommendations because they will help to enhance safety.”
“Through Government investment and the dedicated efforts of our rail operators and workers, the MRT network has maintained a Mean Kilometres-Between-Failure, or MKBF, of over one million train-kilometres since 2019. This is comparable to some of the world's best metro systems. While reliability has improved, operators' maintenance costs have increased. Our next goal is to work closely with operators to achieve high reliability while keeping costs sustainable. This includes developing our workforce and improving productivity. Mr Melvin Yong asked about the Rail Manpower Development Package (RMDP). Through RMDP, rail operators have worked closely with the unions to train around 3,300 workers to pick up technical skills such as data analytics and condition-based monitoring. Another 700 workers will undergo similar training this year. I want to assure Brother Melvin Yong and our workers that building a future-ready rail workforce will remain a priority. From 2024 to 2028, the Government will provide a Rail Reliability and Performance Incentive to the operators to incentivise them to keep up rail reliability standards, invest in workers and improve manpower productivity. Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked how we will keep public transport affordable. We have explained this previously. Let me recap the key points. The Government currently provides over $2 billion of subsidies for public transport every year. To keep fares affordable for commuters, the Public Transport Council did not grant the maximum allowable fare increase in the past two years. So, the Government provided additional subsidies of about $200 million and $300 million in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Two million commuters, including seniors, students and workfare recipients, enjoy concession fares.”
“LTA will also close the loop of the Circle Line and open three new stations in 2026 – Keppel, Cantonment and Prince Edward – between the existing HarbourFront and Marina Bay stations. To facilitate integration works, we are temporarily closing one platform each at Telok Blangah and HarbourFront stations from January to May this year. When we complete the full circle, commuters can enjoy more direct routes to the city centre. Altogether, these expansion efforts up to 2026 will add 16 stations to our rail network. To Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Gan Thiam Poh's questions, these will benefit 90,000 more households across the east, northeast and central areas, bringing us closer to our target for eight in 10 households to be within a 10-minute walk of a train station by the 2030s. Besides connectivity, the rail network must continue to provide reliable service. Last year, we completed major renewal works on the North-South and East-West Lines. This project took more than a decade, through close partnership between LTA, SMRT, manufacturers and contractors. The Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit (LRT), or BPLRT, is also undergoing a major renewal programme to be completed by 2026. Renewal works are progressing well and we will be putting new trains into service. To facilitate testing of these new trains, we will implement Early Closures on Fridays and weekends from late March to June this year. BPLRT has also been running on a single-loop service during off-peak hours and weekends since 2019. I thank residents for your understanding and patience. Starting later this month, we will gradually resume double-loop service during more time periods. Madam, besides major renewal projects, a strong daily operations and maintenance regime is key to rail reliability.”
“Many are looking forward to the fourth stage of TEL. The seven new TEL stations from Tanjong Rhu to Bayshore will improve connectivity and shorten travel times for residents in the east, such as those staying in Marine Parade and East Coast. Travelling from Marine Parade to Shenton Way will take 20 minutes via TEL, compared to about 40 minutes today. TEL4 is currently going through rigorous testing to ensure system resilience and reliability before commencing operations. I am happy to announce that TEL4 will open for passenger service on 23 June this year. Commuters can enjoy free rides on TEL4 during the preview on 21 June. Besides TEL, the North East Line (NEL) will be extended with the opening of Punggol Coast Station by end of this year. This station will provide a new link for residents in Punggol North, and enable convenient access to the Punggol Digital District and Singapore Institute of Technology Punggol campus. 4.30 pm We had earlier introduced six new trains, which will reduce wait times for commuters along the entire NEL. Minister of State Low Yen Ling and her residents will also be happy to know we will open Hume station on the DTL next year. We will bring the MRT closer to more residents over the next few years, but our task is not without challenges as many projects were delayed by the pandemic. This includes the TEL Stage 5 and Downtown Line Stage 3 extension which will link these two lines. We have tried our best to catch up and to overcome the construction challenges of tunnelling in close proximity to existing critical infrastructure. We will open Bedok South, Sungei Bedok and Xilin Stations in 2026.”
“Chairman, I thank Members for their questions and suggestions. I also wish to thank Singaporeans for sharing valuable views and feedback during MOT's Forward Singapore (Forward SG) engagements and helping to shape our vision for Singapore's land, air and sea transport together. MOT is focusing on three areas for this year's COS: enhancing our liveability, living environment and livelihoods, by putting people at the heart of what we do. Madam, transport is about connectivity, connecting Singapore with the world and our people and businesses with one another within Singapore. We are also preparing for future challenges, such as climate change and technological developments and to overcome our land, labour and carbon constraints. Let me start with how we are making Singapore more liveable through better connectivity and convenience for our people. Core to this vision is our car-lite strategy, where Walk-Cycle-Ride are the main modes of transport. During the Forward SG exercise, many participants agreed this was the right direction to take in land-scarce Singapore, to meet our connectivity needs in a sustainable manner. We have increased our Walk-Cycle-Ride mode share for peak period journeys, from 71% in 2016 to 74% in 2022, while the proportion who drove decreased from 29% to 26% over the same period. Singaporeans also shared their desire for a more inclusive and accessible public transport system, with good first-mile and last-mile infrastructure to support walking and active mobility and to prepare for an ageing society. Our rail network is the backbone of Singapore's public transport system. Over the past decade, we have grown our rail network by 40%, with the opening of Downtown Line (DTL) and the earlier stages of TEL.”
“0), the vehicles' new On-Board Unit (OBU) will also alert motorists when they are approaching and driving within School Zones. LTA has also initiated a Safe Route to School programme, in collaboration with primary schools and communities, where students' artworks are displayed onto road signs. In the process of creating the artwork, road safety messages are emphasised by students. These unique artworks are then displayed along the road to raise awareness among motorists and students, especially in the areas around the school where the students frequently commute. There are currently 40 schools on this programme, and we will expand the programme to more schools. LTA also embarks on the Path Safety Programme, which educates students on the various mobility devices and safe path-sharing habits through talks and school activities. To manage the traffic surge during school arrival and dismissal timings, schools have protocols in place to manage vehicular movement within the campus. For example, schools have designated places for drivers to pick up or drop off students. LTA advises and works with schools on traffic management measures, such as improving the traffic flow of vehicles entering and exiting the school. Marshals would usually be deployed to guide and facilitate drop-off activities to facilitate traffic flow and to enhance students' safety. Some schools would also stagger their operating times to ease traffic congestion in the area. LTA will continue to work with our schools and the community to enhance road safety of our students.”
“The road safety of students has been and will always be a key priority. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) started the School Zone scheme in 1996 to enhance road safety for school children. Today, all schools have a School Zone in its vicinity. School Zones have road safety features, which include additional signalised pedestrian crossings where necessary, lower speed limit and special signs and textured red coloured road surfaces, to alert motorists that they are entering a School Zone. We also prioritise the installation of red-amber-green arrows at traffic light junctions near schools, replacing discretionary right-turn movements. To promote safe walking and cycling near some schools, footpaths are marked and have speed regulating strips before crossing points. Since 2014, we have put in place a School Zone Demerit Point (SZDP) scheme to deter errant motorists and encourage safer driving behaviour at School Zones. In 2021, Traffic Police (TP) increased demerit points and composition sums for offenders who contravene road traffic rules at School Zones. Everyone has a part to play to keep the roads safe for all. In addition to infrastructure improvements, LTA and TP work closely with schools, the community and the Singapore Road Safety Council (SRSC) to develop road safety campaigns and programmes to promote good road safety habits. Road safety booklets are distributed to all Primary 1 students and educational banners are displayed at schools' frontages as a visual safety reminder to students. LTA also shares digital materials on road safety, including videos, with schools to disseminate via their communication channels. With the new Electronic Road Pricing system (ERP 2.”
“While agencies will continue to enforce, educate and engage all road users, road safety is ultimately a shared responsibility. Everyone has a part to play to keep the roads safe for all.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has been prioritising the implementation of Red-Amber-Green (RAG) arrows at junctions in the vicinity of School and Silver Zones, as well as at locations where there is a history of accidents and where the junctions are wider and have a higher posted speed. Since the programme started in 2018, LTA has implemented RAG arrows at close to 1,200 junctions. LTA has observed about a 40% reduction in accidents involving rights turns after RAG arrows are installed. To complement RAG arrows at these junctions, other traffic enhancement measures, such as additional road markings, integrated pedestrian countdown timers and signages, may be introduced too. Today, speed warning devices are required for all goods vehicles with a maximum laden weight (MLW) not exceeding 3,500 kilogrammes (kg). Speed limiters are required for all goods vehicles with MLW exceeding 12,000 kg and public service vehicles exceeding 10,000 kg. To further improve road safety, the Traffic Police (TP) will expand the speed limiter regime to lorries with MLW between 3,501 kg and 12,000 kg, inclusive. The installation began on 1 January 2024, and will take place in phases until 1 July 2027. For all vehicles, including cars and motorcycles, drivers are to comply with the posted speed limits or risk facing heavy penalties from TP. In addition, TP will be stepping up enforcement to further deter speeding offences. From the second quarter of this year, TP will be activating the speed enforcement function in red-light cameras, especially at locations that are more accident- or speeding-prone. The Singapore Road Safety Council also regularly conducts public education campaigns to promote good road safety habits.”
“Our approach to build the Sustainable Aviation Fuel ecosystem strikes a balance between economic competitiveness and environmental sustainability, to support the long-term growth of our air hub and encourage investments in new Sustainable Aviation Fuel production facilities. The Member may wish to refer to the Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint published by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on 19 February 2024 for more details on our approach. The Blueprint is available on the CAAS' website.”
“The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) published the Singapore Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint on 19 February 2024. The Blueprint sets out 12 concrete initiatives across the airport, airline and air traffic management domains that we will take to achieve net zero domestic and international aviation carbon emissions by 2050. The Member may wish to refer to the Blueprint, which is available on the CAAS' website, for the details.”
“The street lights in Singapore are designed to comply with globally recognised International Electrotechnical Commission standards. LED street lights are focused on required areas on the roads and allow drivers to see better at night. This is important for the safety of all road users.”
“For stations along the Downtown Line and Thomson-East Coast Line, the median distance between a mass rapid transit (MRT) station exit and the nearest taxi stand and bus stop is about 24 metres and 40 metres respectively. The exact location of the bus stops and taxi stands at each station would depend on site layout and available space. For instance, a bus stop must be located where there is sufficient space for buses to move safely in and out of the bus bay. Where there are existing bus stops, the Land Transport Authority would also avoid shifting them to minimise disruption to commuters.”
“If there is a missing exit tapping, it will look at distance from the point of entry to the end of the bus route. This is because there is no record to calculate the actual distance, so they use the maximum possible distance to compute. But as I mentioned earlier, I think the best way to protect commuters against such occurrences is to raise awareness and help them to avoid this in the first place by using the same device or the same card.”
“First, I would like to thank Mr Giam for raising these two Parliamentary Questions and also for his supplementary questions. This is an important initiative that we want to raise awareness for. We use this opportunity to let more commuters know that the best way to avoid this issue from cropping up in the first place is to use the same device or to use the same card. But Mr Giam is right that errors do occur. That is why it is important for us to look at how we can improve the system design where possible to make the refunding process easier, more convenient. I will certainly take on board his suggestion as we look at how to enhance SimplyGo's overall system design and user experience. Which is what we wanted to do for the project as a whole, but I will also pay attention to this particular aspect; in case there are some fares that need to be refunded, we will see what is the process to allow that to happen in a more convenient manner. I will also take on board Mr Giam's suggestion for the languages on the posters so that we are able to reach out to more commuters and to raise awareness. For Mr Giam's first question, it depends on whether you are referring to rail or bus because the calculations are slightly different. For rail, if there is a missing entry or a missing exit, that means when you tap in with a different card, it will record as two separate transactions with a missing entry and a missing exit, each one will be charged at $2.30. So, not quite the maximum, but quite close to the maximum. For the buses, it depends. If there is a missing entry, for example, you will look at distance from the first bus stop to where you exit, because there is a missing entry.”
“This is the same latency problem for account-based ticketing systems that prevents fare deduction and card balance information from being displayed immediately at fare gates and bus card readers. These errors can be avoided, by using the same device or card to tap in and tap out. That is why other public transport systems like in London and Hong Kong who face similar issues have taken steps to raise awareness among commuters to reduce such occurrences. Similarly, since the Mastercard pilot for SimplyGo started in March 2017, we have carried out publicity efforts to remind commuters to use the same card or device to enter and exit, such as by placing posters at fare gates and on buses, putting up outdoor banners, making in-station announcements, using radio advertisements, as well as publicising on the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SimplyGo websites and social media platforms. We will continue with these publicity efforts to raise awareness among commuters. Commuters can check their transactions using the SimplyGo app or at ticket machines. If they find transactions which are wrongly computed, they can apply for a refund via the app, or seek assistance at ticket offices.”
“Thank you. Sir, to ensure public transport fares are computed accurately, commuters need to use the same device or card to tap in and tap out at fare gates and bus card readers. If a commuter taps in with one device or card, and taps out with a different device or card, two separate transactions are recorded. This can occur for a variety of reasons. For example, a commuter may have multiple cards in their wallet and tapping the entire wallet at the reader could result in different cards being detected at entry and exit. A commuter may also have used a different device, such as a smartphone, smartwatch, or physical bank card, to tap in and tap out. As the digital identifier of each device or card is different, even if they are linked to the same bank card, these are also recorded as separate transactions. The vast majority of transactions in public transport are carried out accurately with commuters using the same card or device to tap in and out. The usage of different devices or cards at entry and exit led to refunds for two out of every 100,000 trips made on public transport, with each refund amounting to $2.70 on average. It is not possible to identify and reconcile such transactions automatically, since a single card can be used by different commuters. For example, the same bank card can be set up on multiple devices for use by different family members. It is also presently not operationally feasible to stop commuters who are using SimplyGo from exiting if they use a different device or card from the one used at entry, as this would require a check with the backend system, which will slow down the flow of commuters and lead to long queues during peak hours.”
“Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to answer Question Nos 4 and 5 together?”
“Track maintenance is essential for the safety and reliability of our rail system. It can only take place between 1.30 am and 4.30 am, when trains are not running. Over the years, rail operators have improved track design and adopted new equipment and tools to reduce noise from track maintenance. Where noisy works are required for above ground tracks, residents in the vicinity are informed in advance. These are similar to best practices carried out overseas.”
“In December 2023, about 96,000 travellers crossed the land border at Woodlands Checkpoint to and from Johor Bahru by public transport every day. In the same month, the total number of arriving and departing public transport travellers cleared at Woodlands Checkpoint peaked at around 10,000 per hour. The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link is expected to have a peak capacity of up to 10,000 passengers per hour per direction.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank Mr Mark Lee for his questions. To his first question, we will take a look at the specific suggestion that Mr Lee has brought up. But I just want to go back to what I mentioned in my speech earlier, that MOF, when we review some of these schemes, we have to take a look at the cost benefit but also to check on consistency with international standards. I think this is important because at the end of the day, we do need to also make sure that our standards that we apply here are consistent with international standards. As to Mr Lee's second question, certainly this is a very important area under the Singapore IP Strategy 2030, because if you do not have a talent pipeline, you cannot execute and implement many of the good ideas. So, I think the Ministry of Law will elaborate on this during their COS.”
“Over the past five years, there had been an annual average of 558, 165 and 78 traffic accidents with injuries and/or deaths, along the Pan Island Expressway, Bukit Timah Expressway and Kranji Expressway respectively. The impact on congestion and time delay depends on multiple factors, including the timing of the accident, severity of the accident, weather condition and number of vehicles involved. The majority of congestions caused by accidents lead to time delays of 15 minutes or less. On average, the Expressway Monitoring and Advisory System vehicle recovery service will arrive at the accident site within 15 minutes.”
“LTA Enforcement Officers would capture photographic evidence of the illegal modifications and compare these with photographs taken by the Authorised Inspection Centre. If a vehicle owner removes the illegal modifications before inspection, he will still be caught.”
“Street-hail services remain important in ensuring that point-to-point (P2P) transport remains accessible for all commuters, including those who are less familiar with ride-hailing apps. We will address this in our ongoing review of the P2P industry structure and regulatory framework. The SG Digital Office under the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) teaches essential digital skills to less digitally savvy individuals, based on the newly launched Digital Skills for Life Framework (DSL). This includes how to use transport and ride-hailing apps. Through the national Digital for Life movement, IMDA is working with partners, such as Grab, Gojek and ComfortDelGro, to develop resources in support of DSL.”
“Pending the outcome of the Coroner's Inquiry and Traffic Police's ongoing investigations, LTA will review if additional measures are required.”
“Mr Speaker, I believe Mr Lim will agree with me that the Auditor-General's Office (AGO) is an independent statutory organisation, so, I cannot answer on behalf of AGO. But I believe AGO has put out its explanations as well, on this matter. The second question about interest rates, the rate of 5.5% was set referencing the prevailing interest rate for Government refunds over the affected period and that is the average prime lending rate, compiled by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) from leading banks and licensed companies. Sir, I cannot comment on the earlier figure that Mr Lim cited. Maybe he could forward to me more information and we will look into that.”
“Mr Speaker, to Mr Yip's first question, we are going to table a Bill in Parliament soon to amend the GST Act. As I explained in my main reply, we will prescribe a list of the regulatory fees where GST should not be charged. I think this will provide clarity and take away the uncertainty for all stakeholders, whether is it the agencies or public officers who are involved in administering these fees, or taxpayers, because there is a prescribed list of such fees where GST should not be charged. Sir, I also want to highlight that we take this issue of integrity and governance very seriously. That is why when MOF and IRAS came across the inconsistencies in November last year, we did a thorough review of all the regulatory fees and charges. By January, we completed the review and we identified that there are 18 fees altogether that would need to be rectified and the GST that is wrongly collected, will have to be refunded to taxpayers. I think this is the approach that we will take. It does not mean that we do not make mistakes, but when we discover that mistakes are made, we will be upfront, we will be open and we will deal with those mistakes. We will rectify the errors and we will make good.”
“MOF will table a Bill soon to amend the GST Act to clarify the GST treatment for such fees, and to prescribe a list of regulatory fees where GST should not be charged. This will make clear which fees are regulatory in nature. This approach will also help to address any cases where GST should have been applied, but agencies failed to do so. Mr Leong suggested to exempt all Government fees and charges from GST. As mentioned earlier, there are fees that are charged for the provision of services, like public sports facilities. Some of these services could well have been outsourced to private sector providers, or there may be businesses providing similar services. GST should therefore be applied consistently to such services, regardless of whether the entity providing the service is from the public or private sector, so that there is parity in tax treatment. Other countries with GST systems also adopt similar principles. Sir, the Government is committed to upholding high standards of governance and integrity. We will continually review and improve our processes, and where feasible, we will incorporate the suggestions from hon Members.”
“Sir, we have put out the facts and the remedial actions that will be taken. As announced on 14 February, the agencies involved have ceased charging GST on the 18 fees and will refund all affected taxpayers with interest of 5.5% per annum. The refund will minimally cover transactions since 1 January 2019 as the agencies, as GST-registered entities, are required by law to keep records for five years. Where records and updated banking details are available, agencies will proactively and automatically credit the refunds to individuals and affected businesses. Otherwise, agencies will contact taxpayers to provide or update such information before refunds are effected. If affected taxpayers are not contacted by agencies by 30 June 2024, they can reach out to the agencies to seek a refund. In cases where the affected company has been dissolved or the individual is deceased, agencies will make refunds to the Official Receiver and the executor, administrator, or Public Trustee respectively. The agencies should be able to refund the vast majority of the affected taxpayers. But if there are any unrefunded amounts, then they will be considered part of the Government’s GST collections and broader tax revenue used for nation building purposes. Mr Yip Hon Weng, Mr Huang and Mr Leong Mun Wai asked how the Government will guard against future recurrence, for example, by leveraging on technology. As the issue did not arise from a lack of technology but from differences in the interpretation of law, we will simplify and clarify the rules and processes to provide greater clarity on regulatory fees where GST should not be charged.”
“Thank you. Sir, Government fees may be regulatory or non-regulatory in nature. Fees imposed for purposes of control and regulation are regulatory in nature, and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) should not be charged; whereas fees for the provision of services such as the use of public sports facilities or rental of hawker stalls and exhibition spaces are non-regulatory in nature and GST applies in such cases. Each Government agency, like any GST-registered business, has to assess whether its fees should be GST-chargeable whenever a fee is introduced or revised. Agencies do so based on the law. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Inland Revenue of Authority of Singapore (IRAS) also provide guidance to agencies on what constitutes regulatory fees. Members asked how the issue was identified. It was picked up by MOF and IRAS as part of our regular internal review of the GST regime. We discovered inconsistencies in the application of GST on certain Government fees in November 2023 and concluded the review in January 2024, with 18 regulatory fees identified to have charged GST wrongly and need to be refunded. As most of these 18 fees are for the processing of applications, rather than licence fees, agencies had deemed them to be taxable provisions of services. For example, an agency had charged GST on the application fee for a licence but had not charged GST on the licence itself. The correct treatment should have been to not charge GST on both the application fee and licence fee. Businesses or individuals who wish to appeal against the GST treatment for any Government fee can lodge an objection with the Comptroller of GST or an appeal with the GST Board of Review. To date, there have been no cases relating to Government regulatory fees.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) does not make decisions to change bus services immediately after a new Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line is opened. Commuters need time to adjust to the new travel options. LTA will monitor the situation and assess possible changes to a bus service if there is a significant reduction in its ridership. The Government is currently providing more than $2 billion of subsidies for public transport every year, including about $1 billion for trains and $1 billion for buses. As we had explained previously, it is necessary to make changes to bus services from time to time to match the evolving needs of commuters, while keeping our public transport system sustainable. The affected buses and bus captains will be redeployed to serve new estates and new routes with greater demand from commuters.”