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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“At present, all Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations have “Priority Use” signs to help wheelchair users and the elderly find their way to the lifts at train platforms. These signs also encourage other commuters to give way to those who need the lift. Operators are trialling directional floor stickers at the station concourse to help with navigation to station exits. LTA has assessed the Member’s suggestion to add wayfinding graphics on the floor of MRT platforms by consulting various social service agencies (SSAs), including the Handicap Welfare Association and Muscular Dystrophy Association Singapore. The SSAs gave feedback that such signages may be less visible to some users during peak hours compared to existing signages. As an alternative, floor tactile guiding systems are available at all MRT stations, including the train platforms. While these primarily serve to guide commuters with visual impairment to the nearest lift, they can also be used for navigation by other commuters. Beyond infrastructural enhancements, we encourage commuters to offer assistance to others, such as seniors and commuters with mobility needs, during their daily commute. Through the Caring SG Commuter Committee, we will continue to promote a more inclusive and caring commuter culture.”
“Bus operators are required to maintain bus equipment regularly, and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) audits their maintenance regimes twice a year. Operationally, bus captains are trained to check that the bus stops are accurately reflected on the card reader and to surface any discrepancies. LTA also tracks commuters’ claims for over-deduction and works with bus operators to investigate buses with higher frequencies of claims. These measures have been strengthened over the years and have proven to be effective; 0.0005% of all bus trips had over-deduction claims in 2014. This has halved to 0.0002% in 2022.”
“Mr Speaker, if the Open category COEs is used for a particular category of cars, then when that car is deregistered, it will go back to that category. But there is a mechanism to then flow part of it back to the Open category, in order for the quota to be re-allocated again. That is part of the system design.”
“Mr Speaker, Mr Singh is correct that previously, there was a transfer of the motorcycle COE to the Open category, but I think Mr Singh will be aware, that practice has now stopped. So, now it is not done for Cat D anymore. The second point is that the total number of supply for motorcycles in view of the changing and evolving needs of the users, I think that is something which, as I pointed out in my reply, we are studying – whether they are ways to achieve a better outcome to reflect the intent of, I think what Mr Singh has in mind and what Mr Murali Pillai had raised earlier as well, but perhaps not going to the extent of treating them like commercial vehicles and having a growth rate. Because the risk of doing that is it then becomes a structural change and then, every year you will have an increase. And the downsides of road congestion that can be caused by motorcycles, even though they take up less road space, are still there. But we will study the intent of what Mr Singh and Mr Murali Pillai had raised earlier to see what steps we can take on motorcycle COEs.”
“But what we recognise is that the nature of how these motorcycles are being used is similar to PHCs because you use it effectively for dual use, unlike say, commercial vehicles, where it is mainly, predominantly for business needs. Sir, the second question that Ms Poa raised about the Open category, I think I have explained earlier that this is a way for the system to be able to re-allocate, to better meet the demand from the car buyers. So, if the Open category bids are being won and it is being then used for a certain category, it actually reflects what the buyers, what the market demand is. There are different ways of addressing the need for a more progressive system. But I would put forth to Ms Poa and to the House that COE, while there is an element of that in having Cat A and B, it is actually not the only tool that we have to achieve that progressive element in our car ownership system. Actually, the bigger, and perhaps more direct, tool is the ARF where you very clearly differentiate based on different OMV of the vehicles, how much ARF they have to pay, and it is tiered and progressive.”
“Mr Speaker, first, I need to clarify that I did not say that there are no additional support given to motorcycle owners. If Ms Poa had heard my speech correctly earlier, I said that we do recognise that some Singaporeans rely on motorcycles for their livelihoods and there are higher proportions of lower-income individuals among motorcycle owners compared to car owners, and that is why the ARF, road taxes and ERP charges for motorcycles are lower, compared to the other vehicle categories. So, just to clarify that point. Sir, if I may just also add to earlier questions on the commercial vehicles. Our Light Goods Vehicles ARF is also set at a lower rate: 5% of open market value (OMV), which is much lower than cars as well. So, we do recognise and we will, as part of the policy that we set, try and see how we can cushion and provide more help for these categories of vehicle owners, while not going against the fundamental principles that, ultimately, defines COE as an allocation mechanism, and we do need to allow the market to work to decide how to allocate the limited supply of COEs. Sir, as for the motorcycles – it is actually not so straightforward because how do you consider whether this motorcycle is used for commercial or used for personal, when the individual actually uses it for both? And in different cases, and for different individuals, the proportion may actually change. Some of them do use it for commercial purposes from time to time, some of them use it more frequently, similar for PHCs that are owned by individuals. So, I think it is very difficult for us to tell for sure that this is the exact percentage.”
“Mr Speaker, I understand where the Member is coming from. But I think we need to be mindful of the trade-offs when we make such a move. As we can see from the recent bids, there is a strong demand from Singaporean buyers for both Cat A and Cat B. So, in deciding how to re-allocate, we have to bear that in mind as well. It is actually the same kind of complexities that I explained earlier about why there are trade-offs to having a separate category for private hire cars. Because then, how do you decide how much to shift, to re-allocate? And if you do not do it correctly, it will actually lead to more negative outcomes for everyone.”
“Sir, I thank Mr Yip for his question. We have just started this review not too long ago, but the purpose is to look at how we can further enhance the provision of P2P services. So, I would say it is not focused only on the COE issue, even though today we are here in this House talking about the COE issue right now. But this P2P review is actually a larger review looking at how P2P services can better meet the evolving needs of commuters. So, we will share more information with the House when the study is completed. We are now going through the different parts of it together with our tripartite partners.”
“Mr Speaker, may ask if Mr Yip could state his question again? I am sorry. Thank you.”
“Sir, I think that will require a much larger review to look at what will best meet the commuting needs of Singaporeans and balancing the trade-offs very carefully. First, we need to recognise that we cannot keep on building roads. There is a cost to doing that because the roads will take up land. So, instead of building roads, if we could use the space that is taking up by roads for other purposes, it could generate more value for society as a whole. One example I can share with Mr Liang and the House is that as part of the North-South corridor, because we are building this corridor and moving the cars underground and, therefore, freeing up some of the surface space. So, over the next few years as a project is being completed, we will go round and talk to different communities along this stretch of the North-South corridor to explore how we can make better use of the surface space that is freed up. So, instead of roads, we use it for gardens, community space, public spaces, cycling and walking. That is something which we need to bear in mind. There is a trade-off to building more roads to cater to more cars. Second is: are there better ways to allow our people to still meet their commuting needs without necessarily having to own a car? That is one option, of course, that will still be available to some Singaporeans. But for the majority of households, which as I mentioned earlier, now only one-third of resident households own a car and two-thirds do not. So, the main mode will be public transport. I think what we can do to also meet their needs where on occasions they need the P2P service is to look at how we can also enhance point-to-point services and car-sharing services.”
“Sir, the short answer is yes, we have been doing so and we will continue to do so. There are different ways of helping our SMEs to reduce costs and to look at how to increase also on the other side, that means, it is not just the cost side of the equation, but also to help them to be able to increase their revenue and improve productivity.”
“As to whether we can look at the ERP policy, whether there is room to tweak this further? In the past, some people have suggested whether it is possible to tilt more towards usage and then, therefore, give us a bit more confidence on the car population side of the house. These are things that we can continue to review. But I do want to point out that there is a need for both tools. Because if you only rely on usage, it will not be adequate, it will not be enough; if you only rely on controlling the population, then you are also not achieving the optimal outcome. So, I think the best balance is to have both: control the car population, but also look at usage-based.”
“Mr Speaker, has the higher COE prices in recent quarters resulted in fewer people deregistering? Maybe what Mr Gan meant was that they then extend their COEs. We are seeing some of that. That is the individual's prerogative because, all along, we have allowed this option that if you extend your COE by five years, then you cannot extend anymore; but if you extend by 10 years, we allow you to extend. It is an individual's decision. But when we look at it from a systems point of view, we have to bear in mind that most people do not extend their cars because we have a policy as well that if you extend your cars beyond 10 years, the road tax that you have to pay will be higher. So, what we have found is that the large majority of car owners, whether in years when the COE prices are lower, also including when years when COE prices are higher, most people do not keep on extending. They actually do deregister. So, that is the first point. The second point about high-end cars, after we increased the ARF for the high-end cars, the luxury cars, we have actually seen a moderation in terms of people buying those cars. And if you look at car ownership system as a whole, beyond COE, that is why we have the ARF tiered in a very progressive manner. So, if you buy a more mass market car, typically it will be in Cat A; and for most of the cars in Cat A, the amount of ARF you pay will be a lot less than if you were to buy a bigger car and, certainly, a lot less, than if you were to buy a luxury car. I am sorry. Can I ask Mr Gan to repeat his last question? Oh, yes, usage-based. Sir, we have already been using both. Our policies to control congestion require us to do both. So, we control the population of the cars through the COE system, but we also have ERP which manages the usage.”
“Sir, just to clarify factually for Mr Leong's first supplementary question, when we announced last Friday the additional supply that we are injecting for the different Cats A, B and C, is on top of what we had announced earlier in October. So, I would suggest maybe Mr Leong can add up the two numbers and he would then see very clearly that, since we started this "cut-and-fill" earlier this year, we have been allocating more additional COE supply to Cat A, and less so to Cat B overall. So, do not look at the 1,614 in isolation. Please add up also what we had earlier injected and look at the complete picture. The second supplementary question that Mr Leong raised, the design of our system is that we have the different categories contributing to Cat E, the Open category, and then the people who bid for Cat E can then decide what cars they want to use it for. If we look at Cat C, which is a question that Mr Leong has filed, because we have a growth rate of 0.25%, it is not zero-growth for Cat C. So, what happens is that the number of COEs that we transfer out of Cat C is still less than the number of new COEs that we have injected. So, the overall supply for Cat C has continued to rise, albeit less than if we have not taken out to transfer to Cat E. But the overall supply for Cat C has been increasing over the years. We will continue to monitor the situation carefully. And what we have done recently, with the additional injections into for Cat C, I hope it will help our business owners.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank Mr Saktiandi for his two supplementary questions. First, on "cut-and-fill", he is right that there is a trade-off. And the trade-off is this: because when we do "cut-and-fill", we are effectively borrowing from the future. We are taking the supply in the future peak years and we "cut" this to "fill" the current troughs. So, we are borrowing from the future peak years, ahead of time, before these cars are actually deregistered. What it means is that, in the near term, we do have the risk of having more cars on the roads in the next few years, before the cars are deregistered during the peak years. But this is a trade-off that we have to make in order to strike a balance between the volatility and to be able to do some "cut and fill" to raise the supply in the current trough years. And that is also why, because of this trade-off, we have to be quite calibrated and not overdo this "cut-and-fill", because there will be downsides in the short term. Sir, on Mr Saktiandi's second question, this is not only by MOT and LTA, but we also working closely with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to closely monitor the situation and, certainly, if there are speculative behaviours that we need to take action against, we will do so.”
“The zero-growth rate policy, therefore, applies to both cars and motorcycles. That said, the Government recognises that some Singaporeans rely on motorcycles for their livelihoods and there are also higher proportions of lower-income individuals among motorcycle-owners, compared to car owners. This is one reason why the Additional Registration Fees (ARF), road taxes and Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges for motorcycles are lower, compared to other vehicle types. To safeguard against speculative bidding behaviour for Cat D COE, MOT introduced several measures in the last two years. These include raising the Cat D TCOE bid deposit to S$1,500 and reducing the TCOE validity period to one month. Cat D COE prices have come down from more than S$13,000 in November 2022 and have stayed at around S$11,000 in recent bidding exercises. We will continue to study ways to improve the COE system for Cat D, including ideas which share the same intent as what Mr Singh and Mr Murali have raised.”
“We will continue to closely monitor and explore ideas to improve the situation. I will now turn to commercial vehicles. Mr Leong Mun Wai, Mr Don Wee, Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked about this segment. Like Cat A and B, the quota supply for Cat C has also been rising in the recent quarters. It rose 58% in the second quarter and 66% in the third quarter. This has helped to moderate the Cat C prices, which have largely kept within the S$80,000 to S$85,000 range in the last few quarters, coming down from more than S$91,000 in March this year. As LTA announced last Friday, the Cat C quota supply for this current quarter will increase a further 65%, compared to the third quarter of 2023. Similar to Cat A and B, I want to assure our businesses and commercial vehicle owners that the quota supply for Cat C will also continue to increase in 2024 and beyond, before reaching a peak in 2026. Let me now turn to motorcycles, or the Cat D segment. Mr Pritam Singh asked about allowing a marginal growth in the number of motorcycles, given our approach for commercial vehicles and in view that motorcycles take up less road space. Mr Murali Pillai had raised a similar suggestion in this House in November last year and MOT had explained that we have no plans to increase the growth rate of motorcycles as part of our zero-growth policy. It is true that motorcycles have a smaller footprint on the roads than cars. However, they can still contribute to congestion, as what we can see from the experiences of other cities. As individuals who own motorcycles may use them for both commercial and personal purposes, such use of motorcycles is similar to private hire cars, as compared to commercial vehicles which are used predominantly for business needs.”
“On a quarter-on-quarter basis, Cat A supply increased by 11% in the second quarter and then 22% in the third quarter this year, while Cat B supply increased by 3% and 6% in the second and third quarter of this year respectively. However, demand has remained very strong and COE prices have continued to rise. We will, therefore, do further cut-and-fill to bring forward more quota from the peak years to fill the current troughs, while maintaining our zero-vehicle growth policy. Last Friday, LTA announced that the supply for Cat A and Cat B quota for the fourth quarter of 2023 will both increase by 35%, compared to the third quarter. Industry players have welcomed this move, as the additional supply injection this time is more significant, compared what we have done in previous quarters. I should also point out that the 35% increase in supply for both categories is larger than the proportion of bids won by car-leasing companies in the last three quarters. We will also ensure that the COE supply in the upcoming quarters will continue to increase in 2024 till the peak supply years in 2026 and 2027. As one motor dealer representative commented to The Straits Times, "more COE quota will be made available going forward. So, the message is quite clear. There is no need to rush." With the increase in supply, we hope that COE prices would moderate. However, we know prices will also depend on market demand, and demand is not within the Government's control. I need to be upfront with everyone that it is not possible to predict how prices will move in the next few rounds of COE bidding, but I want to assure hon Members and the public that the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) are doing what we can to address the concerns.”
“The Government will also take enforcement action against dealers who make false claims or misleading representations to consumers on the nature of their transactions, for example, if they claim that consumers would have ownership of the motor vehicle with a 100% loan with no down payment when, in effect, consumers are merely leasing it from them. Mr Speaker, let us move to the supply of COEs. Under a zero-growth policy, the number of COEs available for bidding is based on the number of deregistered vehicles. For Cat A, B and C, we are currently facing a tight supply situation because many of the existing vehicles have not reached the end of their COE period and are not due for deregistration. Looking ahead, industry players have correctly observed that the COE supply for these categories will increase significantly from the second half of 2024 before reaching the peak supply years from 2026 to 2027. Large differences in the supply during the peak and trough years result in higher volatility in COE prices across different years, assuming demand stays relatively constant. A better outcome can be achieved for all stakeholders, while still allowing the COE system to play its role as an allocation mechanism, if we can reduce the peak-to-trough ratio, by using a "cut-and-fill" approach to shave off the future peaks and using the supply to fill the current troughs. We have previously made several moves to reduce volatility in quota supply. Instead of just the preceding quarter, we now use the moving average of deregistrations in the four preceding quarters to compute COE quotas for the next quarter. In May 2023, MOT announced that we will bring forward the quota from guaranteed deregistrations in the peak years. This has helped to increase COE supply over the last six months.”
“For Cat A and B, there are a number of restrictions. The Temporary COE (TCOE) bid must be made in the name of the buyer and transfers are not allowed. The TCOE is valid for six months, within which it must be used to register a vehicle, otherwise it expires and the bid deposit of $10,000 is forfeited. For Cat E, the validity period of the TCOE is shorter, at three months. Specifically for Cat E, we have seen that the TCOEs are used to register vehicles, on average, within 14 days, way before the validity period of three months. Since January 2023, only one Cat E TCOE has expired. [Please refer to "Clarification by Senior Minister of State for Transport", Official Report, 06 November 2023, Vol 95, Issue 115, Correction By Written Statement section.] This shows that the dealers are not speculating, but are bidding based on actual demand. The large majority of bids for cars are clustered within a small range around the clearing price, with most bids being made within the final hour of bidding. This shows that bidders are closely monitoring the clearing price and making bids based on their willingness to pay, while not paying more than necessary. It is typically not in the interests of dealers to bid higher than what is necessary to win the bid, as they have to absorb the higher COE prices since they have committed to certain sale prices for their vehicles. We will continue to closely monitor the COE market to detect speculative behaviour and, if necessary, we will introduce further measures to discourage such behaviour.”
“They also serve more individuals and households compared to private cars. In addition, PHCs allow our drivers to earn a living using their own cars or leasing from PHC companies. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has started a review on the industry structure and regulatory framework for P2P providers to ensure that services stay relevant and are able to meet evolving commuter needs. Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Mr Yip Hon Weng suggested having a separate COE category for car-leasing companies or treat them like taxis which do not have to bid for COEs. There are trade-offs to having a separate COE category for car-leasing companies. Similar to taxis, the quota for this new category would have to be drawn from existing categories given our zero-growth policy. As PHC demand is still evolving and could vary from quarter to quarter, it is difficult to ascertain what is the exact quota required to meet the needs of drivers and commuters. If we move too much of the existing quota from Cat A and B to this new category for PHC companies, it will further reduce the supply in these categories and there is a risk that COE prices may spike further. On the other hand, if we do not move enough quota to the new category, drivers will end up with insufficient vehicles to rent and commuters could be affected by shortages in P2P services. We will study if there are further options beyond COE bidding to address the concerns with car-leasing companies, recognising that PHCs do travel longer distances on our roads but they also serve an important function in providing P2P services for Singaporeans. Next, let me turn to concerns over speculative demand, including by dealers, as raised by Mr Saktiandi Supaat. We have a suite of measures in place to discourage speculation.”
“These companies won about 21% of Cat A COEs in the last three quarters. This is lower than the 27% of Cat A COEs they won in 2022. In fact, in the most recent bidding exercise, car-leasing companies won only 16% of the Cat A quota. Their proportion of Cat B winning bids also reduced slightly from 24% in 2022 to 23% in the last three quarters. The data shows that COE prices have gone up in a period where demand from car-leasing companies has come down, so it is unlikely that they are the main factor for the increase in COE prices. There are two categories of PHCs: self-drive PHCs and chauffeured PHCs. Both are available for rentals, but only chauffeured PHCs may be used to provide ride-hail services. As of September 2023, the total PHC population is around 78,000 – similar to what it was in end-2019. About two-thirds are chauffeured PHCs and the remaining are self-drive PHCs including car-sharing vehicles. As of September 2023, about 53,000 individuals hold a PHC Driver's Vocational Licence (PDVL), allowing them to provide ride-hail services using a chauffeured PHC. Two-thirds of PDVL holders who made at least one ride-hail trip in September 2023 drive company-owned cars, while the rest drive cars owned by individuals, including their own vehicles. Sir, as I explained earlier, PHCs and taxis complement mass public transport by providing Singaporeans with an alternative option for point-to-point journeys. The demand for P2P services is increasingly met by PHCs rather than taxis. Pre-COVID, PHCs provided around three out of every five P2P trips. This has increased to about two out of every three P2P trips as of September 2023. PHCs therefore play an important role in ensuring the availability of P2P services for commuters.”
“These provide options for Singaporeans who do not own cars, but may need to use cars as a service from time to time, for example to take family outings during weekends or to send their parents for medical appointments. As Members are aware, the COE system is an allocation mechanism for our vehicle quota, to achieve the zero-vehicle growth policy. COE bidding takes place twice a month and the bid prices can fluctuate depending on the prevailing demand and supply. When demand is weaker and there is plentiful supply, prices will be lower. However, when supply is tight, like what we are experiencing for the past year, and demand is strong, prices will increase. Over the last three quarters, or from February 2023 to October 2023, the largest driver of demand has been from Singapore residents. Three in four Category A (Cat A) COEs and two in three Cat B COEs were won by Singapore residents. In comparison, foreigners won 1% of Cat A COEs and 4% of Cat B COEs. It is clear that the increase in COE prices was not due to foreign buyers. Some have asked if the high COE prices were caused by households who own multiple cars and whether we should impose additional taxes on such households when they purchase their second or subsequent vehicle. The percentage of multiple car-owning households has been reducing – from about 19% of car-owning households in 2012 to less than 15% today. This translates to just 5% of all households in Singapore, since about one-third of households own cars. Given the low proportion, demand-measures such as imposing additional taxes on foreigners or households that own multiple cars would have little effect on COE prices. Let me now turn to car-leasing companies, which bid for vehicles that are then leased out as private hire cars (PHCs).”
“Currently, 64% of peak-period journeys are made on public transport and we aim to increase this to 75% by 2030 as we expand our Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network. Conversely, the percentage of car-owning resident households has fallen from 40% in 2013 to about one-third in recent years. Mass public transport enables the greatest number of people to get to their destinations with the least land take and carbon emissions. With our current energy mix where the bulk of our electricity is generated using natural gas, a journey that is made on an electric vehicle emits 50% of the carbon compared to an internal combustion engine vehicle. However, if the journey is made using an electric bus, the carbon emission level drops to 30%. Using MRT is even better, as the carbon emission level is only 10% compared to an internal combustion engine vehicle. To keep our buses and trains running, the Government subsidises public transport by more than $2 billion annually; and this translates to more than $1 in subsidies per journey. We are also expanding our public transport network significantly – an additional 100 kilometres of rail by 2035, which is almost 40% increase from our current network. Today, seven in 10 households are within a 10-minute walk of one of our 202 MRT and Light Rapid Transit (LRT) stations. By the next decade, it will be eight in 10 households. To achieve these improvements, the Government is investing more than $60 billion in the rail network this decade. Besides mass public transport, we are also enhancing the first-and-last-mile options such as walking and cycling, as well as access to point-to-point (P2P) services offered by taxis, private hire vehicles and car-sharing vehicles.”
“Thank you. Sir, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) understands the concerns of Singaporeans regarding high Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices. My residents and stallholders have also shared their feedback with me during my market and house visits. I thank Members for their questions on this topic. My response will have three parts. First, I will recap why our zero-vehicle growth policy remains relevant, as the COE system is one of the policy measures, which supports this goal. Second, I will clarify some of the questions that Members in this House and the public have raised regarding how the COE system operates. And finally, I will explain the steps we have taken to address the concerns. Let me start with our zero-vehicle growth policy, which is important for managing traffic congestion in land-scarce Singapore. We currently have about one million vehicles on our roads, including more than 650,000 cars. It is not tenable for our vehicle population to keep increasing, as it means that we have to either set aside more land to build more roads, or accept higher levels of congestion like what we see in many overseas cities. The Government's aim is to build an accessible, inclusive and sustainable land transport system that meets the needs of all Singaporeans, while bearing in mind our two key constraints: land and carbon emissions. Roads currently take up about 12% of our total land and the land transport system accounts for about 15% of Singapore's total domestic carbon emissions. Reflecting the views of many Singaporeans, we have adopted a "car-lite" strategy and placed mass public transport at the core of our transport strategy.”
“Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to take oral Question Nos 35 to 45 and written Question No 26 in today's Order Paper, as well as related questions that have been filed for subsequent Sittings?”
“Out of approximately 67,000 vehicles registered in 2020, about 12,000, 4,000 and 4,000 vehicles were transferred within the first, second and third year of being registered respectively. In the first year of registration, the majority of transfers are for Category D motorcycles.”
“The design of MRT infrastructure has taken into consideration climate change scenarios, such as increases in sea levels, rainfall, ambient temperature and wind strength, based on findings from the National Climate Change Study by the Centre for Climate Research Singapore. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) also periodically reviews the design of existing infrastructure to ensure that they comply with international standards and best practices. Underground MRT stations are designed in compliance with Public Utilities Board’s Code of Practice (COP) for Surface Water Drainage, which sets out the drainage and flood protection requirements for all developments. For instance, new underground MRT stations have elevated entrances to guard against flooding. The COP is reviewed regularly to ensure that its requirements remain robust in light of urbanisation and increasing weather uncertainties due to climate change. For existing stations that do not meet the latest requirements, LTA has also put in place further mitigation measures, such as flood barriers, to reduce flood risk. These protective facilities are maintained regularly by operators to ensure that they are in working order. The operators also regularly conduct refresher training on flood barrier installation for operational staff and conduct periodic flood incident response drills at various underground MRT stations. In addition, LTA audits flood incident response plans to assess operators’ readiness to respond to station flooding incidents.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I have addressed it in my reply at the Parliament Sitting on 3 October 2023. [Please refer to "Impact of Deferring Public Transport Fare Increments", Official Report, 3 October 2023, Vol 95, Issue 113, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“The location for NS3A Station, working name "Brickland", was chosen following robust engineering studies and consultations with other technical agencies, such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority and Housing and Development Board. The station will serve approximately 13,000 existing households from Keat Hong, Bukit Batok West, Pavilion Park and Tengah town’s Brickland district, as well as nearby educational institutions and future housing developments. As NS3A is an in-fill station, its location was subject to the constraints of the existing North-South Line track. In particular, stations have to be located along tracks that are level and straight; an in-fill station was not planned for when the stretch of North-South Line tracks near Brickland Road was built in the 1980s. Hence, locating NS3A near Brickland Road will require the realignment of long stretches of curved and sloped tracks, disrupting train operations and causing greater disamenities to residents. Besides NS3A, residents in the area will also be served by the upcoming Jurong Region Line. The Land Transport Authority will also review bus services to boost last-mile connectivity to the stations.”
“Since 2004, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has implemented audible traffic signals to assist Persons with Visual Impairments (PwVIs) to navigate and commute independently. Presently, 1,300 pedestrian crossings are equipped with audible traffic signals that operate from 7.00 am to 9.00 pm. It does not operate in the late-night hours to reduce noise disamenity to nearby residents. Over the last five years, LTA received, on average, eight feedback a year on noise disamenity due to audible traffic signals. These were resolved by reducing the volume of the audio devices. As part of the Enabling Masterplan 2030 to further enhance the mobility of PwVIs, LTA announced in April this year that 325 pedestrian crossings across 10 town centres will be installed with 24/7 on-demand audible traffic signals by 2025. To-date, the installation has been completed at 62 pedestrian crossings in towns, such as Bedok, Tampines and Jurong West. LTA is on track to complete installation at the remaining pedestrian crossings by 2025. LTA, together with the Ministry of Social and Family Development, will monitor the usefulness of the feature and assess whether to implement more of them. LTA is also studying the technological feasibility of integrating traffic signals with third party applications to enhance the mobility of PwVIs.”
“The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) informed all Singapore carriers and their maintenance organisations on 25 August 2023 when the issue of AOG Technics having supplied aircraft engine parts with falsified paperwork first surfaced. CAAS also required Singapore carriers and their maintenance organisations to check for parts that may have originated from AOG Technics. There have been no reports from Singapore carriers or their maintenance organisations of parts acquired from AOG Technics in their inventory. CAAS is closely monitoring the situation.”
“This is the part where Singapore is also able to, because of our strong tripartite partnership, build a strong, competitive ecosystem that will allow us to differentiate ourselves from the competitors. So, if you look at COVID-19, where many airports and ports were disrupted, we kept our airport and ports open. We allowed supply chains to continue, we supported global supply chains to continue. In fact, Singapore was used as a catch-up port by many of the shipping lines. Now that COVID-19 is behind us, this trusted reputation that we have built up during the crisis is now paying some dividends. People are now looking at Singapore and saying that "this is a place that we can rely on, this is a trusted hub". So, I see what we are doing here – the FTZ Bill – as an enhancement of that strategy because we are cautiously optimistic about the future of trade in Singapore and the importance of connectivity to our economy. 3.16 pm”
“Mr Speaker, I think, first, we have to get our facts correct. Le Freeport is not a free trade zone. It is not a free trade zone. I hope that clears up what is factually true and what is factually not true. Second, this point about whether FTZs are going to be an area of growth or a mature sector, I think that is perhaps an area where we could agree to disagree. Assoc Prof Lim may have his opinion, I would have my opinion. We may not agree, but I respect that he has a different view. I do not agree, Sir, with the characterisation that we no longer need FTZs or that trade is no longer going to be important to Singapore, for two reasons. First, as I explained in my earlier response, the world is going through a reconfiguration of supply chains. That part we agree. Globalisation is not going to proceed in the same way as what it has been in the past few decades. However, the world still needs to trade. Cargo still needs to flow. There will still be supply chains. It is just that the supply chains will be configured differently. The key for us is not whether trade is important or not important. The key for us is, if this is going to continue, how do we then adjust our strategy and prepare ourselves to be ready to tap on this new landscape so that if the trade flows reconfigure, can Singapore still remain a key node in global supply chains? This would then have an impact on whether in Singapore, this would be a growth area or this would be a stagnant area. That is how I view it. So, how do we prepare ourselves, Sir? By investing for the future. I think the hardware part is clear: we need the capacity, T5, Tuas Port. I mentioned this. But even more important than the hardware, we need the operating systems, we need the workers to be ready, we need the workers to be trained.”
“Today, we seek to formalise these amendments into law and, in doing so, put Singapore on a stronger footing to combat illicit trade and remain a critical node in global trade flows. This will help Singapore to safeguard our position as a global trade hub in the years ahead. Mr Speaker, I beg to move.”
“If we position ourselves as a trusted competitive trade hub, we can still capture a slice of the pie. I also wish to clarify one example that Assoc Prof Jamus Lim mentioned in his speech – Le Freeport. He gave this as an example of how lack of compliance would affect its status as an FTZ. Sir, I wish to clarify that Le Freeport, despite its name, is not an FTZ. It is a high-security warehouse facility located near Changi Airport that is modelled after similar institutions in Geneva and Luxembourg. Le Freeport Singapore offers climate-controlled storage solutions for both businesses and individuals, enabling storage of valuable assets, such as art, wine and precious metals. But it is not an FTZ. Mr Speaker, let me conclude. Our trade facilitation regime today is highly competitive. The World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (2023), which ranks countries’ performance on trade logistics, placed Singapore first in almost all categories, including customs and border management, trade-related infrastructure and timeliness of shipments. This is not a given. Maintaining our status as a trusted hub for global trade takes constant, proactive effort by our agencies, with support from our tripartite partners. Our industry, our unions, our workers, everyone has been working very hard to contribute to this outcome. This Bill is part of that effort. The proposed amendments seek to enhance the regulation and control of goods that flow through our FTZs. They will strengthen Customs’ ability to detect and deter illegal actors from misusing our FTZs, while maintaining a business-friendly operating environment that minimises compliance cost and facilitates efficient transshipment of goods.”
“Appeals against any penalties imposed are provided for in section 18 of the FTZ Act. The appellant could appeal to the DG. If the appellant is aggrieved by the DG’s decision, he or she may appeal to the Minister. Mr Speaker, I wish to address one point that Assoc Prof Jamus Lim raised during his speech, where he gave an academic description of globalisation and the impact on supply chains. Sir, I do not agree with the way he has characterised how global trade will change. We recognise that there is a change in global supply chains, the reconfiguration of the global supply chains and trade flows. That part is obvious and that part we agree. But what I do not fully agree with Assoc Prof Lim is that because of these changes, trade flows will no longer be important, global trade will no longer be important and, therefore, FTZs will no longer be important. I think that is not quite in line with what we have seen, based on industry feedback, and also if we hear the speeches from the other Members in this House, including those with practical business experience, that is not what they are saying. They believe that FTZs continue to play an important role in supporting our position as a trade hub. And when we look at PSA's container volumes this year compared to last year, it is not going down. In fact, this year, our container volumes for PSA continues to grow. That is why we need to invest for the future. We are putting in resources, building Tuas Port and expanding our container handling capacity. We are building T5 at Changi Airport and getting ready to be able to handle more passengers and more cargo. All this is because we know that even though globalisation may affect global supply chains, the world still needs trade.”
“Currently, officers of Customs carry out inspections and enforcement within our FTZs by drawing on the powers granted to them under the Customs Act (CA) and the Regulation of Imports and Exports Act (RIEA). The proposed amendments will help to set out and clarify powers that relate specifically to FTZs and consolidate these under the FTZ Act. Mr Yip and Mr Saktiandi sought clarifications about the proposed licensing regime and provisions for revocation or appeals where necessary. To qualify for an FTZ operator licence, the entity will need to demonstrate its ability to effectively operate an FTZ. Singapore Customs will also take other relevant considerations into account, such as whether the entity has obtained the necessary approvals from other Government agencies, for example, from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore or the Maritime and Port Authority. The FTZ operator licence will be valid for five years, after which, it can be renewed. This is a key lever for Singapore Customs, the FTZ regulator, to ensure that licence holders meet the required standards for the proper and efficient functioning of the FTZ. I wish to assure Mr Saktiandi that licence fees will be reasonable and will not impose a significant cost burden on the FTZ operators. Licensees who wilfully and repeatedly fail to comply with the licensing conditions or provisions of the FTZ Act may have their licence suspended or revoked. Other instances of non-compliance may attract penalties, such as fines, imprisonment, or both. The penalty imposed will depend on the specific offence and will be tiered according to the severity of the offence. To Mr Yip’s question on whether there will be an avenue of appeal, the short answer is yes.”
“Mr Yip Hon Weng asked how we can ensure that the data provided is accurate. Indeed, criminals will not declare accurate data about their illegal goods. This is where Singapore Customs’ sense-making and intelligence capabilities come into play – to detect discrepancies in the data submitted to pick out suspicious shipments and perform additional checks. Mr Yip and Mr Huang also asked how the data collected would be treated and managed, including cybersecurity requirements and other safeguards. The transmission of cargo data to Singapore Customs will need to abide by the data management and cybersecurity standards set by the Government, such as those under the Cybersecurity Act. All cargo data collected by Customs will be subject to the data confidentiality provisions in the new section 16A of the FTZ Act, which are consistent with our other laws pertaining to data protection and secrecy. In short, data collected cannot be disclosed without prior written consent of the related parties. This also applies to requests by foreign law enforcement authorities. Exceptions pertain only for specific circumstances, for example, to enable officers of Customs to investigate suspected offences, or to enable our public agencies to collect, compile and analyse such data for the purposes of national security. The fourth and final theme relates to the proposed licensing regime for the FTZ operators, the new powers granted to the DG and officers of Customs, and the Government’s approach to enforcement. Mr Saktiandi asked if the powers granted to the officers of Customs are new and, if so, how Customs officers are empowered to carry out enforcement in the past.”
“Most of the new requirements introduced in the Bill are practices currently performed by the FTZ authorities, such as ensuring the security of the FTZ and reporting any goods that contravene the law. The proposed amendments seek to consolidate, standardise and codify these requirements under the FTZ Act, to ensure consistent implementation across FTZs and a more robust regulatory regime. We do not expect the new data submission requirements to be disruptive to trade. This is because the additional data that we are requesting from cargo agents are existing fields in the bill of lading and airway bill. They are standard information already provided today for the voyage and transport of goods. The submission timelines under the FTZ regime are also aligned with current industry norms. We will facilitate transmission of the data collected by the cargo agents to Customs via existing systems where possible. In proposing these amendments, we have consulted key industry stakeholders to ensure that these changes are designed and implemented in such a way to minimise the cost and compliance burden for companies, including our SMEs. Implementation of the provisions under the revised Act will be phased in from early 2024. As part of this, clauses 25 and 27 of the Bill provide for a six-month transitional period to allow companies time to adjust. Let me now move on to the third theme, which relates to the collection and safeguarding of cargo data. The proposed amendments will empower Singapore Customs to collect specified cargo data in advance of vessel arrival in Singapore. This will strengthen the ability of Customs to detect suspicious goods prior to their entry into Singapore and facilitate the conduct of timely interventions by our public agencies.”
“Some can be operational in nature, for instance, improving sense-making and detection capabilities and stepping up enforcement efforts, which are what Singapore Customs has been doing over the years. For example, Singapore Customs develops and refines risk profiles and indicators on an ongoing basis to more accurately identify suspicious goods before they enter Singapore. Red flags are already made known to industry partners today, both through Singapore Customs' website and through direct engagements. We will continue to do this. In recent years, Singapore Customs has also started using data analytics and artificial intelligence to improve its targeting and enforcement efforts. In addition, Singapore Customs maintains strong partnerships with our other enforcement agencies and international counterparts and organisations, including the World Customs Organization, to share intelligence and best practices. Such capability-building and international partnerships supplement our legislation and enforcement framework, forming a multi-pronged approach to detecting and deterring illicit activities within our FTZs. Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Edward Chia asked why we are amending the Act now. Sir, we need to keep our regulatory regime updated, as the risk of illicit trade grows and criminals become more sophisticated. Stronger levers will supplement Customs' broader efforts that I have just described, to build a trusted and competitive trade facilitation regime. Let me now address the second theme that Members have raised: the impact of the revised regime on business costs, operational efficiency and our overall competitiveness. The proposed amendments seek to strike the right balance between better governance and preserving our pro-business environment.”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to thank Members for their support of the Bill and for their suggestions. Indeed, as hon Members have pointed out, facilitating trade is critical to Singapore's survival as a small and open economy and our FTZs play an important role in supporting this. It is why we are making the amendments in this Bill. They will keep our regime updated and responsive to the evolving threats, so that we remain a trusted and competitive trading hub. Members raised questions around four themes: one, whether the proposed amendments are necessary and adequate to deal with evolving threats faced by our FTZs; two, whether the revised FTZ regime will affect business costs, lead to operational delays in cargo flows and affect our overall competitiveness; three, the accuracy of and safeguards around the data collected; and four, how FTZ operators are licensed and regulated. Sir, I will address them in turn. First, on the adequacy of the legislative amendments to combat and prevent illegitimate trade, as raised by Mr Shawn Huang, Mr Edward Chia, Ms Mariam Jaafar and Assoc Prof Jamus Lim. Enhancing our FTZ regime is a constant endeavour. Even as we enhance the regulatory regime with this Bill, we must expect criminals to find new ways to circumvent the rules. We have to remain vigilant and continuously strengthen our regulatory framework to detect and deter illicit trade. Customs will continue to review the adequacy of its regulations, take action to address gaps and ensure that we have a robust regime in place. Not every enhancement to our regulatory regime requires legislative amendments.”
“Our target is for all vehicles to run on cleaner energy by 2040. The Electric Vehicle Early Adoption Incentive (EEAI) and the Vehicular Emissions Scheme (VES) contribute towards this goal by reducing the upfront costs of buying cleaner energy cars. The extension of EEAI and VES was to continue with the subsidies for cleaner energy cars to reduce the difference in upfront and total lifecycle cost with internal combustion engine cars. More rebates are given to cars with lower emissions. The extension of the Additional Registration Fee (ARF) floor of $0 for electric cars allows electric cars to maximise the combined EEAI and VES rebates off the ARF, up to $40,000. As a result, many mass-market models will not need to pay ARF.”
“Residents in Brickland and Keat Hong are currently served by bus service Nos 172, 300, 301, 975, 983 and 991, which provide first-and-last-mile connectivity to nearby transport nodes and amenities in Choa Chu Kang, Bukit Panjang and Bukit Gombak. With the future JS2 station – working name "Choa Chu Kang West" – on the Jurong Region Line and NS3A station – working name "Brickland" – on the North-South Line, residents will have more direct connectivity to the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will continue to monitor travel pattern changes and adjust the provision of bus services as necessary, including improving the frequency of existing bus services, to serve higher demand in new estates in Brickland and Keat Hong. LTA will also review bus services in the area when the new MRT stations are operational, to further improve connectivity to these new transport nodes.”
“Airlines may need to offload baggage on a flight due to safety or other operational considerations. There is no requirement for airlines to report such occurrences and we do not track such incidents at Changi.”
“This question has been addressed at the 3 October 2023 Sitting. [Please refer to "Impact of Deferring Public Transport Fare Increments", Official Report, 3 October 2023, Vol 95, Issue 113, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“All Mass Rapid Transit trains are installed with robust joints and corrosion-resistant pipes to minimise air-conditioning refrigerant gas leaks. Rail operators conduct preventive maintenance of aircon units and regularly check for signs of leaks. Aircon units on trains are also dismantled for more thorough checks based on manufacturer's guidelines and are replaced if necessary. Refrigerant gas leaks do occur, but these are rare incidents which do not pose public health risks.”
“Policies that allow passengers to be ferried in the rear deck of goods vehicles vary internationally. To our knowledge, countries, such as Thailand, as well as several jurisdictions in countries, such as the United States of America and Canada, allow passengers to be carried in the rear deck of goods vehicles, subject to safety requirements, such as having all passengers seated away from the edge of the vehicle. In Singapore's context, we have imposed additional safety requirements, such as the installation of canopies and higher side railings on lorries from as early as 2011; these are not mandated in those countries. The Land Transport Authority regularly studies international and industry best practices and adapts them to Singapore's context where relevant, bearing in mind the need to address our local circumstances and considerations.”
“First, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) conducts public campaigns, such as the Move Happy Graciousness Campaign, to educate the public on the Code of Conduct guidelines under the Active Mobility Act. Second, Active Mobility Enforcement Officers and Active Mobility Community Ambassador volunteers actively encourage path users to stay on the appropriate paths. Third, LTA reaches out to schools through its Path Safety Programme and partnered the Singapore Kindness Movement to educate students on the Code of Conduct as well. LTA has been using a distinctive red coating with cycling logos to demarcate cycling paths beside grey concrete footpaths since 2016 and will progressively upgrade the older dark grey cycling paths with the red coating for consistency. However, where there is insufficient space to segregate cycling paths and footpaths, shared paths are demarcated with red dashed borders. LTA will continue to work with other agencies that implement and maintain cycling paths in Singapore to harmonise the markings and signages, such that the regulations are demarcated clearly and easily understood by the public.”
“Airlines have standard operating procedures to deal with the situation where their aircraft encounters a technical issue on the ground. Depending on the nature of the issue, the airline may decide to disembark its passengers, taking into consideration the effort and estimated time needed to rectify the problem and the impact on passengers to whom the airline has a duty of care. Changi Airport Group works closely with airlines to minimise inconvenience to passengers when there is a disruption to their flights.”