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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“ELT is a three-year pilot programme that supports business leaders of promising SMEs to achieve their next bound of growth. Mr Douglas Foo asked how the participants will be chosen. Companies may apply to the programme. Applicants will be selected based on their demonstration of ambition and commitment and also their growth potential. ELT will be designed and delivered together with partners such as the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), professional firms and banks. The programme lasts about a year and it will include business coaching and practical learning components. Participating local enterprises will receive up to 90% funding support for their programme fees. 11.00 am Mr Foo, who is also President of Singapore Manufacturing Federation, has suggested involving TACs as ELT partners. I welcome his suggestion. Indeed, the business networks of TACs will be very valuable and can support peer learning and collaboration. We look forward to working with our TACs. This brings me to the third prong of our strategy – Team Up. We want companies to Team Up to build deeper capabilities and accelerate their growth. One area is the review of Government rules and regulations. Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked about our approach in doing so. Over the years, the PEP has partnered industry, businesses and Government agencies to make close to 1,200 improvements in rules and regulations. These have reduced time, effort and costs for businesses, and improved our overall economic competitiveness. The PEP also partners TACs to organise Pro-Enterprise Clinics to identify regulatory pain points and support innovative ideas from businesses. Earlier, Senior Minister of State Koh mentioned SinFooTech. It is a food technology company which converts soy whey into alcoholic beverages.”
“This will save time and money. If a licence is required, the company can then proceed to do so through the portal. The platform will also integrate other transactions beyond licensing, such as helping entrepreneurs to start new businesses and seek Government assistance. We will introduce an e-adviser. This is a joint project by MTI, GovTech and SNDGO, in collaboration with SME Centres and businesses. Instead of going through multiple sources to gather information on different Government schemes, a company can visit the portal and answer a set of questions. The e-adviser will then recommend suitable schemes based on what the company needs. Those who require further assistance can meet with a Business Advisor at an SME Centre. In 2019, the SME Centres assisted over 28,000 companies. We will enhance our SME Centres as partners for business growth, to provide more in-depth support for promising SMEs. Business Advisors will work with these enterprises to develop long-term business plans and chart the next steps together. Mr Teo Ser Luck asked about the selection criteria for Scale-up SG. Scale-up SG is for companies of different sizes and industries – we have companies from F&B, cleaning and retail. Besides a high level of commitment from the management team to embark on an ambitious growth plan, ESG will look at the company’s track record, its commitment to grow its presence in Singapore and the potential to create economic spin-offs for Singapore and generate good jobs for Singaporeans. Learning from the early success of Scale-up SG, ESG will launch a new Enterprise Leadership for Transformation (ELT) programme later this year. The Deputy Prime Minister touched on this as part of Budget 2020.”
“Our approach has achieved good outcomes so far. Enterprise Singapore supported more than 13,000 projects from over 11,000 enterprises last year. These will generate $17.3 billion in value-add and create 21,700 new PMET jobs and also positive outcomes for existing workers. Productivity improvement, innovation and internationalisation remain important pillars of our economy; and we must press on with these efforts. In doing so, we will regularly review our policies and schemes and we will continue to engage economists in the private sector and academia. Sir, I shall move on to the second "Up" – Scale Up. We will help businesses to expand locally and overseas. Mr Charles Chong asked how SMEs can improve their awareness of the support available and interact easily and efficiently with the Government. Minister Vivian spoke about the GoBusiness Licensing portal, a collaboration between the Pro-Enterprise Panel, GovTech and SNDGO. It provides a simpler, faster and better way for food services companies to apply for all relevant licences. It is not just about using IT, but as Minister Vivian explained, to re-engineer our rules and procedures, make them more efficient and more pro-business and save businesses time and money. We are further developing GoBusiness to be the platform for enterprises to transact with the Government. We will include other sectors like retail. For example, applying for change-of-use licence is one challenge faced by many retail businesses. They may not know which agency to approach and the type of business activities already permitted in their existing premises. Through GoBusiness, a company will be able to check such information by entering its postal code. The company need not apply for a licence if the activity is already permitted.”
“The value of design goes beyond aesthetics. Like technology, design is a critical enabler for innovation and value creation. Design-led approaches can help to solve complex issues and drive business transformation. Companies like Apple and Dyson have pioneered superior technology. But what makes them stand out is their ability to integrate technology with innovative human-centric design. The DesignSingapore Council (Dsg) is now part of EDB and the MTI family. Dsg launched the Skills Framework for Design last year, together with SSG and WSG. We will form the Design Education Advisory Committee on 1 April to enhance design skills training for our workforce. It will be chaired by Mr Low Cheaw Hwei, Head of Design at Philips. This will complement existing Design courses offered by our IHLs and training providers. These add to our existing initiatives to help companies. For example, a traditional logistics SME can benefit from free subscription under the Start Digital pack for six months to access more customers through digital marketing and e-commerce; receive up to $30,000 in support from the Productivity Solutions Grant to implement inventory and fleet management solutions; enjoy up to $100,000 from the enhanced Market Readiness Assistance programme for each new market the business is expanding into; and also receive SkillsFuture support for up to 90% of course fees to upskill their employees. Assoc Prof Walter Theseira asked about the impact of such schemes on productivity. We believe enterprise transformation must start with what the business wants to achieve, what problems it wants to solve and what capabilities it wants to build to reach its goals. The assistance to companies must be enterprise-centric and transformation-focused, based on their needs.”
“Mr Chairman, last year, I spoke about the three Ups: Level Up – to strengthen enterprise and workforce capabilities; Scale Up – to help enterprises grow locally and abroad; and Team Up – to enable enterprises to achieve better outcomes together. Let me update Members on our progress, beginning with Level Up. Our enterprise development schemes provide holistic support to firms of different sizes and at different stages of growth. They improve businesses’ and workers’ productivity, and help them to harness technology, innovate, upgrade their skills and internationalise. Members have highlighted that successful enterprise transformation must go hand-in-hand with skills upgrading and workforce training. I fully agree. The Deputy Prime Minister mentioned in the Budget Statement that we are introducing the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit. Each eligible employer will be given $10,000 in credits, valid for three years from 1 April 2020, to cover up to 90% of out-of-pocket expenses for enterprise and workforce transformation programmes. This will benefit over 35,000 enterprises, which hire more than 1.5 million local workers. How can firms benefit from the credit? They can offset out-of-pocket costs for transformation projects. This is over and above the 70% co-funding support under the Enterprise Development Grant and Productivity Solutions Grant. They can also use the credit to help them redesign jobs under the enhanced Productivity Solutions Grant and redeploy workers to more productive and meaningful roles. Third, firms can use the credit to send their workers for approved training courses, including design-related courses. Sir, good design matters to all businesses and industries. I agree with Mr Henry Kwek that our workers can benefit from these skills.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for her feedback. I am sure this is something which the Government agencies will continue to work closely with employers to raise awareness, to educate our workers that the work environment that they are in will be safe and, therefore, there is no need for them to worry.”
“Sir, it depends on the sector they are in. For tourism, for example, Chinese tourists currently make up about one-fifth of our total tourist arrivals. So, definitely there is an impact. For companies that rely on China for supplies or parts, there will be an impact. Companies that have workers who are currently in China, they have to come back in batches, because we need to make sure that we are able to protect public safety when these workers come back. All these will affect our companies. Companies that have businesses in China are also being affected by the measures that are implemented in China to contain the outbreak. If we look beyond the near-term, the prospects for companies to invest overseas, to expand their operations overseas, including in China, I think that still remains an attractive market. But going back to my earlier point, in my response to Mr Desmond Choo, we should not just put all our eggs in one basket. So, it is important that while we look at expanding our presence in China, our companies should also consider other markets, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including India and even further away, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. This approach of having a diversified supply chain, diversified market, is still the best medium- to longer-term strategy to develop our economy and to grow our businesses.”
“Sir, the package to help companies and workers, some have already been announced. For other measures, the Minister for Finance will address these in the Budget Statement. The second question by Mr Desmond Choo with regard to new investments, because these are long term in nature, the current assessment is that they will not be affected. In fact, I would make an argument that how we deal with the current situation will affect how investors see Singapore in time to come. If we can deal with this calmly, cohesively, and show the world that Singapore, we have what it takes to inspire confidence and to deal with the situation in a professional manner and to bounce back and emerge stronger, then we can turn this crisis into an opportunity to differentiate ourselves from our competitors. Sir, the third question on the Singapore dollar, this depends on which sector we are talking about. And it actually brings the point to bear that that is why we need to ensure that our supply sources are diversified. That is why we need to ensure that our supply chains are resilient. And that is why we also need to diversify our economic structure, our sectors and our markets. This is a very useful reminder, not just for companies in Singapore, but companies throughout the world, that diversification, supply chain resilience, are all very important medium- to longer-term considerations. We should, even after we deal with this crisis, continue to press on with our restructuring efforts to improve our competitiveness to upgrade the skills of our workers, to transform our enterprises.”
“More details on how we will further support our companies and workers will be announced by the Minister for Finance in the Budget Statement.”
“However, we know the COVID-19 situation is still evolving, and the total impact on our economy will depend on the length and severity of the outbreak. We will continue to monitor the situation closely. Sir, MTI's assessment is that the outbreak is unlikely to affect the number of jobs created from new investments and projects, as these are long term in nature. However, there will be an impact on our companies and workers in the near term, especially in the more badly affected sectors. The Government will work together with employers and our unions to support our companies and save jobs for our workers during this difficult period. This is what our tripartite partnership is about. We stand together with our brothers and sisters, and we help one another through thick and thin. I was glad to receive a message from a business leader who owns a chain of restaurants in Singapore and the region. He had advised other employers in his industry that, "Most important, keep the team intact for you will need them to be ready for the recovery." When we met the Singapore Hotels Association – as you know hotels are one of the sectors that are badly affected – the hotel owners and general managers fully supported working with the Government and unions to keep their workers employed. I witnessed the same solidarity and support from our union leaders at a recent dialogue at the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). These examples and many others give me the confidence that, as a nation, we can and we will, overcome this crisis together. The Government has announced some measures to help those who are most affected by the outbreak, such as the tourism and transport sectors.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in China, Singapore and many countries in the region will adversely impact our economy. First, it has led to a sharp fall in tourist arrivals, particularly from China. This affects our tourism, transport, retail and food and beverage (F&B) sectors. Second, domestic consumption in Singapore has declined as locals cut back on activities, such as shopping and eating out. Third, the outbreak will dampen economic growth in several of our key markets, especially China. This affects export-oriented sectors, including manufacturing and wholesale trade. These sectors are also affected by supply chain disruptions due to factory closures and labour shortages in China, due to the lockdowns and travel restrictions imposed by the Chinese government to contain the outbreak. Regional financial markets, including Singapore, have seen greater volatility amidst heightened uncertainty and concerns over the spread of COVID-19. In Singapore, prices for equities and bonds denominated in Singapore dollars have fallen and the nominal exchange rate of the Singapore dollar has eased, in line with weaker economic conditions. Fortunately, these movements happened in an orderly manner and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has not observed any unusual declines in short-term capital inflows. As a result of the outbreak, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has downgraded Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for the year from the original "0.5% to 2.5%" to "-0.5% to 1.5%". The current baseline view is that GDP growth for 2020, as an entire year, will remain positive, but reduced to around 0.5%.”
“Thank you, Sir. Sir, I would like to ask Mr Pritam Singh, he mentioned that the last time the Workers' Party discussed this issue was in 2013. But can I ask him to recall and to confirm if this was also raised in the General Election (GE) 2015 Workers' Party's manifesto, the same proposal about curbing and having zero-foreign workforce growth? Is that a proposal that is also in the GE 2015 Workers' Party's manifesto? Second, if I hear Mr Pritam Singh correctly, he said he had a caveat. If I heard him correctly, I think he is saying that he does support that we do need a local-foreign workforce complement. We need a balance. So, I just wanted to seek those two points of clarification from Mr Pritam Singh.”
“I would like to seek a clarification, Sir, from Mr Pritam Singh. May I have your permission to proceed, Sir?”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to join this discussion.”
“Sir, I think if Ms Sylvia Lim listened to my main reply carefully, I ended by saying we do not have a blanket policy to allow the usage of PSEA for PEI courses. But I also mentioned in my reply that we do have private providers that we have allowed to qualify for subsidies. Let us not make classifications based on what type of entity you are as the main focus of our efforts. Let us look at the quality of the courses, the relevance to the industry and the outcomes to the graduates. If there are suitable courses that are offered by private training providers that can achieve those outcomes, I think it is certainly something that we can take a look at. 12.30 pm”
“More to protect students from cases where, like in the past, some of the PEIs folded halfway through the course and the students were then left in the lurch because the money that they had paid, they could not get it back. So, EduTrust is meant more for that purpose. It does not say anything about the quality of the course or the industry relevance or even the outcomes for the graduates. I think we should separate the two and not mix them up. Getting EduTrust does not mean that you have good outcomes for your students. So, I will still go back to what I said earlier about the importance of looking at the quality of the course, the relevance and the outcomes in deciding where we should be encouraging people to pursue the different skills upgrading and training options.”
“We have also introduced new pathways, including the post-Diploma Advanced or Specialist Diploma for polytechnic students and the Work-Study Diploma and Post-Diploma pathways that are now available to our students in ITE or polytechnics. These are applied programmes that combine structured on-the-job training and institution-based courses. The good thing is that when they are under this programme, the Earn-and-Learn programme or the Work-Study Programme, they can earn a salary while they are working and also go back to school. For the students who are doing the Advanced or Specialist Diploma, it takes up to 18 months. For the new pathway that we introduced, where students would pursue a Work-Study programme leading to a Degree, it will take about three years for polytechnic students. So, it is important that we provide our students with a good understanding of what are the options, what are the pathways and what are the outcomes of the different pathways so that parents and students are better able to make good decisions on how they want to commit their time and resources. Sir, I think Ms Sylvia Lim had one last question on EduTrust. EduTrust is something which the Committee for Private Education (CPE) awards, looking at the standards on corporate governance, administration and fee protection, but this does not directly relate to the content of the individual programmes and the quality of the academic programmes or their industry relevance. It is about whether the governance, administration and the fee protection, whether these elements are adequately provided.”
“There is also a spread in the median gross monthly salary from $2,300, to the highest of $3,200. So, because of this, it is not possible to use this approach to say that just because a programme is not subsidised, therefore, you should allow students to use their PSEA. In fact, if you agree that quality of a course and the relevance of the course and the outcomes that the graduates are able to achieve are important considerations, then we should, first and foremost, be looking at what is the quality of this course and does it offer students good employment outcomes. In the end, we should not forget that the student has to put in considerable amounts of resources, both time and money, to be able to attend and complete the course. So, if the outcomes are not good, I do not think we should be sending mixed signals to confuse people that they are encouraged to sign up for this course when the outcomes are actually not very desirable. I think we do have an obligation and duty to signal clearly to students who are looking at options to consider what are the outcomes and, therefore, please think carefully before you decide. Sir, I think the more important point I want to highlight is this: that there are alternative pathways available to students who wish to pursue further studies and to be able to upgrade their skills along the way. Going to a PEI is not the only option for someone who has completed GCE "A" level or polytechnic. It is not the only means for young Singaporeans to be work-ready. We have very good employment outcomes for Polytechnic Diploma graduates and, for many of them, after they join the workforce, there are still opportunities available for them to do their degrees on a part-time basis or on a full-time basis subsequently after they have started working.”
“Sir, I do not have the data on the CPF OA transfer. But if the Member could file a separate Parliamentary Question, we would provide the information to her separately. As for the other questions from Ms Sylvia Lim, she first asked about the collaborations of different programmes. I think I have explained this in my answer, which is, that we look at both the quality and also the relevance. Some of these programmes that the Membe mentioned are offered by foreign universities. We understand there is a range of courses offered globally. But it would not be possible for the Ministry of Education to maintain a comprehensive list of approved overseas programmes because we do need to safeguard the usage of PSEA monies. For practical reasons, it is limited to local institutions. So, if you have a foreign university but they have a local institution and they run some programmes here, as I explained in my answer, some of them do qualify for Continuing Education and Training (CET) funding. We are looking at the range of possible courses but based on the criteria of quality and also industry relevance. Ms Sylvia Lim also said that she has some disagreement with the explanation about quality because these courses are not given subsidy, therefore, we should be allowing the students to use PSEA. I think we have to look at what is the objective that we are trying to achieve in the first place. If you look at the quality of the programme, there is a reason why they are not receiving public subsidy. The quality is uneven amongst the PEIs. For example, we have the Graduate Employment Survey that is done and if you look at the full-time permanent employment rate of their graduates, it ranged from 17% to 60%.”
“Sir, there is a wide range of courses offered by Private Education Institutions (PEIs), with varying quality and learning outcomes. While SkillsFuture Singapore regulates these private commercial players, they are not part of the public education system and we do not extend public subsidy to them. Likewise, we do not have a blanket policy to allow the usage of PSEA for their courses.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, various Members, including Mr Zainal Sapari, had previously raised similar questions in this House. The Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) scheme was introduced in 2008 to provide additional financial support for post-secondary education. Before 2016, we had restricted the use of PSEA to publicly-funded institutions, namely, Institute of Technical Education (ITE), polytechnics, autonomous universities and the arts institutions Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) and LaSalle, and also Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) courses. This is because being part of the publicly-funded system, we are assured of the quality of the courses. Further, the programmes are already significantly subsidised and extending PSEA support is a natural thing to do. The usage of PSEA was broadened in 2016. We included other approved skills development programmes and modular courses that are subsidised by our continuing education and training policy and delivered by Government agencies and private training providers. Examples include the training programmes offered at the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Academy and Digital Marketing in Hospitality offered at the Singapore Hotel Association Training and Education Centre (SHATEC) Institutes. If there is any unused amount in the PSEA when the account holder turns 30, this will be transferred to his or her Central Provident Fund (CPF) Ordinary Account (OA) in the following year. Quality and relevance remain the key considerations in deciding whether an education and training programme can qualify for PSEA usage. We need to protect the interests of account holders by ensuring that all courses eligible for PSEA support will meet quality standards and the needs of industries.”
“Sir, I think in any economy, whether in good times or in challenging times, we will see firms entering and firms exiting. This is part and parcel of a well-functioning economy. What we want is to ensure that, in the end, resources are being channelled into the more productive, more competitive firms. Firms that are able to offer better services, better products, better able to meet customers' needs. So, we do not have targets in terms of what are the levels of firms exiting the economy. But certainly, I think this process of allowing the churn – firms that are not doing well, exiting; firms that are more competitive, more productive, doing better, coming in – so that the resources of land, labour, these resources are then better able to be channelled to the more competitive and more productive companies. Over time, if we do this well, then the economy will get stronger and stronger, the capabilities in our enterprises will get stronger and our workers will be able to get better jobs.”
“We established Startup SG in 2017 to provide startups with access to a wide range of local financial and non-financial support. These include Startup SG Founder, which provides mentorship and startup capital grants to first-time entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas and Startup SG Network, which connects startup ecosystem players. Sir, Government measures are important, but they are not sufficient. To succeed in our goal of building a vibrant business ecosystem, we need a collective effort from business owners, workers and the Government to work in partnership to transform our economy and enterprises together.”
“Sir, in the first nine months of 2019, the total net formation of business entities in the economy was around 9,900. This is about a quarter lower than the average of around 13,800 recorded over the same period between 2014 and 2018. Most sectors saw a fall in the net formation of business entities during this period, including the transportation and storage, business services and construction sectors. Heightened economic uncertainties in the global economy and the resulting slowdown in the Singapore economy are likely to be factors contributing to this trend. The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) expects the net formation of businesses to remain subdued for the rest of 2019. MTI has several strategies to develop a vibrant ecosystem for business. First, we are looking at ways to grow our economy and enable companies to seize new opportunities, both locally and overseas. This includes transforming our industries, developing new sectors, such as agri-tech and precision medicine, and supporting our companies to tap on external growth opportunities. Second, we are fostering a pro-enterprise environment by lowering the barriers of entry and exit for businesses. For instance, MTI launched the GoBusiness Licensing portal for food services on 31 October, which reduces the number of regulatory touchpoints for businesses from 14 to one and the number of data fields required from more than 800 to below 100. Businesses can also benefit from lower licence fees and quicker processing time. We will extend this to other sectors, such as retail and environmental services, so that more businesses can benefit from the rules review and process re-engineering. Third, we will continue to develop a vibrant startup ecosystem.”
“Sir, I have answered the question actually. Land cost will be determined by the Chief Valuer based on the market value. This is again a long-standing practice. The IRs will pay the fair market value as determined by the Chief Valuer. The second part of the question: of course, we made some projections, in terms of the increase in the number of visitors, tourists, what is the additional value-add to Singapore's economy. I mentioned the number $500 million annually. But the exact number depends also on the global economy, depends on how well we grow our tourism sector because the IRs are not the only thing we are going to develop to grow our tourism sector. We also have Mandai. We also have the Greater Southern Waterfront. We are going to rejuvenate Orchard Road. We are looking at a new tourism site at Jurong Lake District and many others. 2.00 pm”
“Sir, I have explained in my answer earlier. They understood why we had to do this as a package. They noted that the rate of problem gambling has been coming down but, as Minister Desmond Lee explained, just because the rate has come down does not mean that we, therefore, become complacent. We continue to take a serious view on how we can tackle this problem together. So, the community partners, the religious groups, the voluntary welfare groups said that they welcome the additional social safeguards, such as the increase in the levy, the additional safeguards. Importantly, we need to continue to work together to tackle this problem hand in hand.”
“Sir, we had engaged the National Council on Problem Gambling and also key stakeholders from religious groups and voluntary welfare organisations before the announcement was made. These are our key partners because they are the people who are on the ground dealing with the issue of problem gambling, helping the families and the affected individuals. And when we discussed with them, they told us that they understood why we had to do this in a package. They welcomed the additional social safeguards that the Government will be introducing and, more importantly, there was a commitment that we should continue to work together hand in hand to help tackle the problem of gambling, including online gambling, new types of risks facing Singaporeans. We work hand in hand and we work together to help the affected individuals and their families.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for his supplementary question. The IR business model, as I explained in my answer, means it is an integrated package. You need the gaming activities to come together with the non-gaming activities so that it is commercially viable for the operators. Currently, more than two-thirds of their total revenue come from gaming. So, for the new facilities, the theme parks, the 15,000-seater arena, these are expensive facilities which, without the gaming provisions, the additional gaming provisions as options for the operators, they may not find it commercially viable to make these additional investments to create these additional jobs. This was actually explained by the Chief Executive Officer of MBS and I quote him, he said, "The casino revenue generation is very important because it pays for things that sometimes lose money, sometimes have a very low return, or that are just very expensive."”
“This will require a structural increase in our operating revenue. Our revenue base is diverse and resilient, including taxes on personal and corporate income, consumption and property. The tax revenue from the two IRs is one of the many sources of overall tax revenue. The diverse sources of revenue are supported by a diversified economy. As we continue to grow Singapore's economy, we will adopt a multi-pronged strategy, with many different sectors and trading partners.”
“Sir, the S$9 billion investment by the two IRs will introduce additional world-class attractions and experiences for both tourists and locals. These are expected to attract an additional 500,000 international visitors each year and contribute S$500 million annually to Singapore’s economy. The investments will also create up to 5,000 new jobs directly and increase business opportunities for Singapore companies. When there are substantial investments that can benefit our economy and our workers, the Government is open to directly allocate land to these investors. This is a long-standing policy that has been extended to both local and foreign companies across different industries. The IRs will pay fair market value for their land, as determined by the Chief Valuer in accordance with market conditions and established valuation principles. The expansion site for Marina Bay Sands is 3.3 hectares, at a cost of $1.3 billion. Resorts World Sentosa has set aside a budget of $1 billion to intensify the use of existing land and purchase around one hectare of new land. If the IRs choose to activate their options for additional gaming area, they will have to pay additional costs for these areas. The amount payable will be determined by the Chief Valuer based on prevailing market conditions when the option is exercised. Sir, Mr Gan Thiam Poh also asked about funding for healthcare needs. As the Minister for Finance had explained at Budget 2018 and Budget 2019, Singapore's healthcare spending will rise with an ageing population and advances in medical treatment, drugs and technologies. We need to be well-prepared for this, by building additional healthcare capacity and ensuring that we have sufficient financial resources to fund the higher healthcare spending in a sustainable manner.”
“Thank you, Sir. The business model of an Integrated Resort (IR) combines a controlled proportion of gaming activities with a wide range of high-quality non-gaming amenities, such as theatres, theme parks, museums, hotels, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) facilities, restaurants and retail shops. Gaming activities are an important source of revenue for the operators, contributing more than two-thirds of their total revenue. The gaming revenue makes it commercially viable for them to offer the non-gaming facilities, as one integrated package. The two IRs have not decided to activate their additional gaming options. If both IRs exercise their options for additional gaming area in full, gaming area as a proportion of total floor area will drop from 3% today to 2.3%, as the expansion of the non-gaming area is much larger. The IRs have also stated that the additional gaming provisions will be targeted at higher tier, non-mass market players, who are mostly tourists. Based on the Gambling Participation Survey conducted by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), the probable problem and pathological gambling rate of Singapore residents has decreased from 2.6% in 2011 to 0.9% in 2017. This includes all forms of gambling, such as casino, horse racing and online gambling. The Government takes a serious view on tackling problem gambling and will continue to work closely with our community partners to help affected individuals and families. We had discussed with them before making the announcement. The Government will also be strengthening our social safeguards. Minister Desmond Lee has explained earlier how we are doing so in his reply to Mr Seah Kian Peng.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 14 to 18 together?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2019/2020, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Mr Chairman, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow?”
“Thank you, Sir. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Jeremy Fong is a literature and history student, but he also chose to pursue a Diploma in Business Management and take modular courses on mechanical engineering at ITE and PEIs. With developments in technology and markets, Fong's Engineering and Manufacturing Pte Ltd has gradually transformed its business. Just as how Mr Fong has taken it upon himself to reskill, remain relevant and lead transformation in his business, he also applies the same philosophy to his employees. He believes that transformation and training need to take place together in order to achieve the best outcome. Mr Fong retained all his workers after he transformed and automated his processes, and redeployed them to other areas of work within the company. Over the past three years, his company also participated in the SSG Earn-and-Learn Programme, providing polytechnic and ITE graduates with internship opportunities at the workplace. It is heartening to see employers like Mr Fong taking ownership of skills development and using skills to support company transformation. He is a good role model. (In English): To conclude, Sir, SSG is a journey that we must take together with our partners and all Singaporeans. SSG is essential to our economic transformation, but it is more than a programme or an initiative. It is a movement to encourage lifelong learning and continuing education. It is to nurture a passion for deepening skills and a curiosity for new knowledge. What we want to achieve is for lifelong learning to spark a lifetime of joy in our people.”
“The same study showed that employed individuals who attended WSQ training enjoyed a real wage premium of up to 5.8%, on average, in the year after training. Sir, please allow me to share a story in Mandarin about Mr Jeremy Fong, who is Managing Director of Fong’s Engineering and Manufacturing and the past-Chairman of the Singapore Precision Engineering and Technology Association.”
“SSG has rolled out 27 Skills Frameworks and engaged over 2,500 enterprises so far. These Frameworks are jointly developed by employers, industry associations, unions, Government agencies and training institutions. Employers can use these Frameworks to develop career maps, articulate job requirements, design training programmes and recognise skills for hiring and career progression. Ms Foo Mee Har also suggested appointing lead training providers. SSG has started doing this through our CET Centres. There are currently 36 CET Centres, including the IHLs and a good spread of private training providers. We will take on board Ms Foo Mee Har’s additional suggestions as we study ways to further enhance the services provided by these centres. To sustain a strong ecosystem of CETs, lifelong learning needs to be part of our cultural DNA. We have made encouraging progress, with SSG benefiting about 465,000 Singaporeans through a wide range of programmes in 2018. For example, 96% of approved SSG Credit claims are for work-related courses. Prof Lim Sun Sun asked about the efficacy of SSG programmes. We have been tracking the progress of SSG since its launch in 2015. Training participation rates have increased from 35% in 2015 to 48% in 2018. We are also encouraged to see positive training outcomes. From a survey of 3,500 learners who attended work-related training in 2018, more than 80% said they were able to perform better at work six months after the training. We do additional longitudinal studies to supplement these surveys as we know surveys do have their limitations. A recent study by MTI found that for individuals who were not in employment, WSQ training increased their likelihood of securing employment by up to 3.5 percentage points in the year after training.”
“This is additional funding, above the existing training subsidies of up to 90%, to provide extra support for companies. We also want to reinforce the message that worker training and skills upgrading are critical elements for business transformation. Companies can use the training subsidy for training that is aligned with their industry's Skills Framework, to support business transformation and meet their training needs. I have asked MTI and MOE colleagues to keep the application process simple, so that more companies can benefit from PSG and the training subsidy. Mr Zainal Sapari and Mr Ang Wei Neng asked about efforts to deepen workplace learning. Companies can work with the National Centre of Excellence for Workplace Learning (NACE) to develop structured training plans for workplace learning. Gardenia, a company that makes bread, is one such company. Its workers operate on 24/7 shifts, 365 days a year. This makes it challenging for them to attend external training. By working with NACE to develop a workplace learning blueprint, Gardenia is looking to bring training to its workers within the factories. It has also implemented structured workplace training for production coordinators under work-learn programmes. Besides Gardenia, 26 other companies have successfully implemented basic workplace learning systems with the help of NACE. Many of them are small and medium enterprises, with more companies in the pipeline. We will continue to work with TACs and the companies, including ongoing collaborations to train workers for the wider industry, a point that Mr Ang Wei Neng made in his speech. Ms Foo Mee Har made a key point that while employees upskill themselves, employers need to recognise these skills. I urge employers to recognise and support skills-based hiring.”
“SSG is trying to further reduce this fee through regulatory streamlining and process review, so that training providers can enjoy more cost savings. Of course, I hope they pass this through to the students. Mr Baey Yam Keng and Mr Lee Yi Shyan spoke about the need for pro-business regulations during the Ministry of Trade and Industry's (MTI's) Committee of Supply (COS) segment earlier today. We believe that smart regulation is an important enabler for supporting innovation and entrepreneurship and will help our training companies to grow and export their services overseas. It can be one of Singapore's competitive advantages. But we must not assume that smart regulation will automatically happen. I agree with Mr Ang Wei Neng that Government agencies must be open to feedback and listen to feedback from the industry, listen to proposals from the industry. Mr Zainal Sapari asked about involving employers in worker training, and promoting lifelong learning amongst workers. As companies restructure and transform with technology, they should also build capabilities in their workers to help them move up the value chain. Transformation must be "technology-driven, people-led". Using technology alone is not adequate if the workers are not trained to optimise these tools. If we do it well, enterprise transformation should result in higher profits for the company and higher pay for our workers – a win-win outcome. During MTI’s COS, I announced enhancements to the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG). Companies that qualify for PSG can apply for additional training subsidies, which will cover 70% out-of-pocket training expenses up to $10,000. The training subsidy will be provided via a PSG (SSG Training Subsidy).”
“Existing adult educator training requirements for WSQ courses will be extended to SSG-funded, non-WSQ certifiable courses. These requirements will take effect by 1 January 2021. SSG and Enterprise Singapore supported a pilot initiative by the Strategic Association of Professional Training-Consulting Organisation (SAPTCO) to develop and export training programmes referenced to WSQ standards, starting with India and Vietnam. This will help our training providers to export their services to overseas markets. You do not have to be a member of SAPTCO to participate in the pilot. I encourage interested training providers to get in touch with SSG. Dr Intan Mokhtar asked about streamlining of regulations for PEIs and other private training providers. We want our regulations to be pro-business while maintaining quality training standards. SSG is reviewing our rules to reduce compliance costs and make it more convenient for private training providers seeking different types of regulatory approvals and will be making some changes later this year. First, to reduce the number of fees for PEIs from nine to three, with annual cost savings ranging from $380 to $640 per provider. Next, to harmonise requirements and streamline processes for training providers offering WSQ and private education programmes. This will simplify the licensing process for providers offering both types of courses. A risk-based performance management system will replace the current Continuous Improvement Review process for WSQ-Approved Training Organisations. Third, to reduce the cost incurred by WSQ training providers to issue e-certificates. This has been an ongoing effort since 2014. So far, we have reduced the certificate fee from $2.60 to $1.20.”
“Mr Chairman, the SSG movement seeks to build a nation of lifelong learners. To do so, we are working in partnership with IHLs, private training providers, employers and TACs, as well as workers and unions. I would like to give an update on SSG, the outcomes we have achieved and our future plans. First, on increasing quality and industry-relevant training courses through IHLs and private training providers; second, on enabling business transformation through skills upgrading for workers; and third, on supporting individuals for lifelong learning. 7.00 pm Let me start with the IHLs. I agree with Prof Lim Sun Sun that IHLs must continue to focus on teaching quality and ensure their courses are relevant to the industry. Besides getting feedback from students, IHLs work with business leaders to review course offerings and content and collaborate with industry partners on research and student projects. With CET now forming part of their expanded mission, IHLs have significantly increased the range of high-quality CET programmes. The number of work-learn programmes has increased from 15 in 2015 to 123 in 2018, benefiting over 3,500 individuals. We will introduce more work-learn programmes with different modalities. The IHLs have also provided more SSG Series courses. Today, we have about 1,300 courses across eight emerging and priority areas. Sir, the IHLs have made good progress in ramping up their CET offerings. This is a challenging task, involving changes to the way they organise and conduct their courses. I want to place on record my appreciation to the staff and management of the IHLs for their hard work and perseverance. The changes will benefit many Singaporeans. We have also been working with our training providers to develop industry standards and expand overseas.”
“Sir, let me conclude by reiterating MTI's commitment to support enterprises in their transformation journeys. Our conversations cannot start with Government agencies telling companies to buy equipment, adopt information technology (IT) solutions or appoint consultants. We should not pretend that we know what each firm needs to improve its products and services. That must come from the business owner, based on a good understanding of what his or her customers require. Likewise, businesses should not begin the conversation by asking what grants they can obtain from the Government. We want to encourage entrepreneurs, not grantrepreneurs who seek to maximise their grant amount instead of focusing on how they want to transform and grow their business. Enterprise transformation must start with a vision of what the business wants to achieve, what problems it wants to solve and what capabilities it needs to build to reach its goals. Then we look at what schemes and grants can best support the company. Our efforts must be enterprise-centric and transformation-focused, not scheme-centric and grant-focused. MTI will continue to work with other Government agencies and industry partners to review our policies and processes to achieve this outcome. We believe this is effective in helping businesses to build deep capabilities and for Singapore to grow a thicker layer of fast-growing local companies.”
“Through Scale-up SG, the company will receive targeted support to develop a commercially viable product prototype, as well as to shortlist and validate acquisition targets. When these companies grow and succeed in future, I hope they will also provide opportunities to other local companies. In this way, we can sustain our scale-up efforts and grow more Singapore companies into globally competitive enterprises. Sir, let me move to the third "Up": Team Up. As noted by Mr Teo Ser Luck and Mr Leon Perera, collaborations among enterprises can support capability development to testbed innovative solutions and form business alliances to capture opportunities here and overseas. For example, Rolls-Royce and KA Industrial Engineering, a local SME, have worked together on an automated system for loading and unloading fan blades. Previously, the process was carried out by multiple technicians dressed in protective suits, due to the high temperatures. With the automated system, a single technician can manage the process, away from the furnace, improving both productivity and worker safety. Importantly, working with Rolls-Royce helps KA Industrial Engineering open doors to other clients. Partnerships can be amongst enterprises of all sizes and with TACs, too. Last year, ESG facilitated over 30 collaborative initiatives and supported over 40 companies to win new projects in overseas markets. We enhanced Partnerships for Capability Transformation (PACT) last year. This will continue to support collaborations between enterprises of all sizes. I encourage companies to band together to tap on PACT to benefit from one another's strengths, develop deeper capabilities and successfully internationalise.”
“While these efforts may reap long-term returns in the future, banks may be hesitant to provide financing, given the higher level of risks. The Government will increase our support for these projects. In his Budget speech, the Minister for Finance announced the new Enterprise Financing Scheme (EFS), which will be launched this October. EFS brings ESG's financing schemes under a common umbrella scheme, making it easier for our companies to access financing support. The Government will raise the maximum insurance cover for overseas project financing under EFS to $50 million and increase the maximum tenure to 15 years. To support companies that are internationalising via mergers and acquisitions (M&A), the scheme will provide a higher maximum loan cover of $50 million for such projects to allow companies to quickly build new capabilities and expand overseas. The Government will support a higher risk share for loans to young enterprises under EFS, for both domestic and international projects. We will also provide a higher risk share for enterprises venturing into challenging markets, as they do face higher hurdles in obtaining financing. I agree with Miss Cheryl Chan that we should provide tailored support to nurture local enterprises that can grow and contribute significantly to our economy. Minister Chan Chun Sing mentioned the Scale-up SG programme to groom high-growth enterprises into future global champions. Through this programme, we will help enterprises develop and implement long-term plans tailored to their specific growth priorities in areas, such as innovation and international expansion. For instance, a healthcare services company with overseas operations may aim to double its footprint through M&A and expand upstream by developing its own products.”
“The nature of the industry is such that a few will succeed but many will fail, and some may even fail repeatedly. But this is part of the learning process and what we need to build an enterprising society. It includes a "never-say-die" attitude, the courage to take calculated risks and the resourcefulness to translate innovative ideas into reality. For enterprises that are ready to expand beyond Singapore, we will help them to develop their internationalisation capabilities and expand into overseas markets, tapping on our extensive FTA networks. For many years, IE Singapore, now ESG, has been supporting our companies in foreign markets through its overseas offices, working closely with EDB and other Government agencies. 1.30 pm In 2018, seven in 10 Singapore businesses surveyed by SBF have activities in overseas markets. For companies that have internationalised, overseas revenue forms nearly half of their total revenue and has grown more quickly than local revenue. Not surprising. The overseas markets have greater potential for growth. To Mr Henry Kwek's query, ESG supported over 570 internationalisation-related projects in 2018, a 25% increase compared to 2017. We worked with partners to help our companies enter new markets. Last year, ESG added eight new partners to its Plug and Play Network, which has recently expanded to two new countries, the United Arab Emirates and Cambodia. As Ms Cheryl Chan highlighted, these initiatives and partnerships provide large firms and SMEs with in-market support to help them with their overseas expansion. We have seen Singapore companies taking on more ambitious projects overseas, which entail larger investments over longer periods of time.”
“We encourage our research agencies to collaborate with industry players so that companies can benefit from the R&D and commercialise the IP. There are more than 1,500 industry projects deploying more than 1,000 technologies developed by our researchers. We want to grow these numbers over time. Defence-related research also benefits our companies. For example, optronics technology which originated from defence research was used by an SME to measure water quality in our reservoirs. There is scope to explore having more of such collaborations. However, I am sure Mr Low Thia Khiang would agree that not everything from defence research can flow into the commercial sector, as some are classified projects to protect national security. Enterprises can also re-engineer their business processes by harnessing the value of design and using design thinking. I look forward to welcoming Design Singapore to the MTI family from 1 April. We can further strengthen the synergies with economic agencies to grow design capabilities in our enterprises and workforce and use design as an enabler to improve Singapore’s competitiveness. Next, we will support companies on their growth journeys to Scale Up their operations locally and overseas. We have built a vibrant startup ecosystem through a range of measures, such as financing, networks, infrastructure and mentorship. To succeed, we must remain open to ideas and talent, including attracting overseas startups and entrepreneurs, to operate here and use Singapore as a hub for the region. Several Members have made this point as well. A number of our startups originate from the universities and polytechnics. I am encouraged to see young Singaporeans stepping forward to start their own business and turning their passion into possibilities.”
“Mr Chairman, business leaders must take the lead in enterprise transformation, as they know their business and customers best. The Government will provide customised support through our enterprise development schemes. As Minister Chan Chun Sing said, our efforts are centred around three "Ups": Level Up, to strengthen companies' capabilities; Scale Up, to help enterprises grow in Singapore and abroad; and Team Up, to encourage companies to work together for win-win outcomes. Mr Teo Ser Luck suggested that companies must level up and strengthen their capabilities. Let me touch on three aspects where companies can do so: skills training, adopting technology, and business process re-engineering. Enterprise transformation must start with its people, to redesign jobs and upskill workers. Transformation may be technology-driven, but it should remain human-centric and people-led. Earlier, the Minister shared that we will enhance PSG to support employer-led training. Enterprises which qualify for PSG can apply for a training subsidy to cover 70% of their out-of-pocket training expenses, capped at $10,000 per enterprise. This is on top of existing SkillsFuture subsidies and the funding for pre-scoped productivity solutions under PSG. MTI will work with SSG on the implementation. Another priority is to encourage companies to make good use of technology. Regardless of size and sector, all companies need to embrace technology as a tool to improve productivity, reduce operating costs and develop better products and services. Mr Low Thia Khiang suggested having more public sector research flow into industries. We share similar views. MTI has been doing this under the RIE2020 Plan.”
“The way we derive the surpluses is that you have to earn these surpluses during the term of Government. And then you set them aside, the surpluses that you have accumulated, to fund the PGP and MGP. You cannot do this at the start of the term because you do not know at that point how much surpluses you are going to have and how much surpluses you can set aside to fund these packages. These have been explained before. It is part of the design of our system for financial prudence and sustainability. To look after our current generation as well as future generations, we must plan for the long term. And this is what a responsible Government needs to do, to ensure that our policies and programmes are financially sustainable for the current and future generations. What is the size of the bill, where are the funds coming from, how do we achieve maximum value for money, these are important questions. What we can provide for future cohorts of Singaporeans and how much resources we have to invest in our people and to continue to rejuvenate our communities, our infrastructure, these will depend on whether Singapore continues to have constructive politics, good Government, strong economy and a cohesive society. Sir, I support the Budget. [Applause.]”
“And we will enhance the coverage, we will enhance the help that Singaporeans can get, the benefits that Singaporeans can get under CHAS, as part of enhancing primary care, and giving Singaporeans greater peace of mind. In our hospitals, in our Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs), in our nursing homes, there are also structural subsidies. These are means-tested because we want to give more help to lower- and middle-income Singaporeans. When we introduce packages that are cohort-based, like the PGP and MGP, these are on top of the structural subsidies that are already provided in the system for all Singaporeans. Mr Pritam Singh claimed that the MGP gives off a pungent odour of an unfair advantage for the electoral prospects of the People's Action Party. I hope I heard him correctly. Now, I wonder why the Workers' Party chose to use such an unpleasant description and to focus on politicising this tribute to our MGs. The Opposition calls for the Government to give more, and yet when the Government gives more to help Singaporeans, the Workers' Party criticises the move as an election tactic. You cannot have it both ways. Please make up your mind and decide where you stand. As previously explained, we are setting aside funds from current Budget surpluses to give our MGs greater peace of mind and encourage them to stay active and stay healthy. It is also to show our heartfelt appreciation to our MGs for their sacrifices and contributions to Singapore during the early years of our nation-building. So, let us not diminish the significance of the PGP and MGP. It is misleading to link these packages to election cycles. We have explained this point before in the House, but let me say it again, because Mr Pritam Singh brought it up.”
“Thank you, Sir. Sir, Mr Pritam Singh and several of the Workers' Party Members of Parliament spoke about universal healthcare subsidies for all seniors. I would like to share with the House that today, we already have quite a number of healthcare subsidies that are structural. So, it is not cohort-based. In fact, polyclinic subsidies are universal. Seniors who go to polyclinics get additional subsidies compared to other patients. This is part of the primary care network that Mr Pritam Singh and Assoc Prof Daniel Goh spoke about. MediShield Life – for all, for life. This is a universal healthcare insurance that protects Singaporeans against large hospital bills, with premium subsidies and additional premium support from Government to help low-income Singaporeans and middle-income Singaporeans pay for their premiums. So, it is not quite accurate for Assoc Prof Daniel Goh to describe it as Singaporeans pay for one another, Government saves money. Actually, Government pays quite a bit of the premiums through premium subsidies and additional premium support. This is part of the sharing. The same principle is applied for CareShield Life. There are premium subsidies, there is also additional premium support, and these are part of the design of the scheme. It is not cohort-based. It is structural. The Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS). We will be enhancing the coverage of CHAS to benefit even more Singaporeans, especially for chronic care. In 2017 – and this is before the enhancement – more than 650,000 Singaporeans benefited from $154 million of CHAS subsidies.”