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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“The Ministry of National Development refers Mr Yip to our response to Parliamentary Question No 93 for oral answer on the Order Paper for 22 September 2025 which shares the status of the review of the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act. [Please refer to "Review of Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act 2004, and Addressing Maintenance Issues in Ageing Condominium Developments", Official Report, 22 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 2, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“Since 2024, the National Parks Board (NParks) has removed more than 8,600 crow nests and 16,000 crows from urban hotspots islandwide. With the recent increase in pest bird-related feedback, NParks has been stepping up its multi-pronged efforts to manage the disamenities. These include direct population control with enhanced trapping and removal methods, crow nest removal, enforcement against illegal bird feeding, and education and outreach efforts to reduce human-generated food sources. To further mitigate crow-related disamenities, the Ministry of National Development and NParks have been working closely with the Singapore Police Force over the past few months to resume the shooting of crows as part of our efforts to bring down the crow population.”
“The question for written answer has been addressed in a written reply to Question Nos 64, 65, 66, and 67 for written answer on the Order Paper for 22 September 2025. [Please refer to "Review of Penalty Framework for Animal Cruelty and Abuse Offences", Official Report, 22 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 2, Written Answers to Questions section.]”
“All buildings, including Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks, are designed to be sufficiently robust to withstand lateral forces including tremors from earthquakes in the region. HDB and the Building and Constuction Authority (BCA) have also installed tremor sensors on selected buildings to monitor real-time data to assess the potential impact of seismic activities on our buildings. Real-time data from HDB's and BCA's tremor sensors showed that the recent earthquake in Johor had no impact on buildings in Singapore, including older HDB estates. BCA and HDB will continue to monitor regional seismic developments and review risk assessment frameworks as necessary. To ensure building and public safety, BCA has put in place a rigorous regime of periodic structural inspections, which identify signs of structural defects and deterioration.”
“The majority of strata mixed-use developments in Singapore, including Compass One and Compass Heights, operate under a single-tier Management Corporation Strata Title structure.”
“The response for this question has been addressed by oral reply to Question No 103 on the Order Paper for 22 September 2025. [Please refer to "Addressing Issue of Pigeon Roosting and Defecation at Air-conditioner Ledges of HDB Flats", Official Report, 22 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 2, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“NParks aims to start public consultation on the draft Bill by around end-2026. NParks will continue to investigate feedback on animal welfare and cruelty thoroughly. For instance, in the recent cases involving community cats in Yishun and Punggol, NParks interviewed key witnesses, reviewed closed-circuit television footage and carried out post-mortem examination for the Yishun community cat, and found that the cases were likely the result of vehicular accidents. NParks will take firm enforcement action, considering factors, such as severity of the offence, and whether it is a repeat offender. In line with its enforcement efforts, NParks also works with animal welfare group partners to increase education and outreach efforts to raise awareness of responsible pet ownership and the consequences of animal cruelty.”
“The Animals and Birds Act 1965 (ABA) safeguards against animal cruelty and abuse. Under the current ABA, the maximum penalty for a cruelty offence is higher than that for a welfare offence. Repeat offenders are also liable for enhanced punishment. Where acts of cruelty are particularly aggravated, the prosecution will highlight this to the Courts to take into account for sentencing. The National Parks Board (NParks) has started a comprehensive review to ensure ABA remains effective in deterring acts of animal cruelty and abuse. This includes reviewing the penalty framework, such as imprisonment terms, fines and disqualification orders for animal welfare offences, and enforcement powers for better animal welfare and management. The review currently does not include proposals to prevent the posting of animal abuse content online or increase collaboration on enforcement with animal welfare groups. To reduce disamenities caused by irresponsible pet ownership, NParks has launched initiatives, such as cat licensing under the Cat Management Framework and the Pet Ownership Course. We will continue to take a collaborative approach in this review. For instance, Minister of State Alvin Tan had engaged Animal Concerns Research and Education Society and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in July on their White Paper on Strengthening Protections for Animal Welfare. We agreed that while some recommendations will be challenging to implement due to the trade-offs, we could adopt some recommendations as part of the ABA review and further evaluate others with partners. NParks will continue to engage stakeholders, such as animal welfare groups, pet business owners and vets, to ensure that all views are considered.”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat applicants who are invited to book a flat, but choose not to do so, will incur a non-selection count (NSC). First-timer families with an NSC will be considered second-timers for a year when balloting for a Build-To-Order (BTO) flat, while second-timer families, first-timer singles and seniors who incur an NSC will have to wait one year before they can apply for a flat again. This ensures more efficient flat allocation, so that those with urgent housing needs can secure their flats more quickly. HDB provides indicative flat price ranges at every BTO sales exercise to allow prospective applicants to make informed decisions on their flat applications. To date, the prices of all BTO flats have been within the indicative flat price ranges provided. HDB does exercise flexibility in waiving NSC in some cases. For instance, HDB recognises that applicants invited to book at the tail end of the flat booking exercise may face limited choices and will waive NSC for applicants who have 10 or fewer flats to choose from in a BTO sales exercise; and five or fewer flats to choose from in an SBF sales exercise. HDB will also assess appeals for waiver of NSC on a case-by-case basis, particularly where applicants face extenuating circumstances that affect their ability to proceed with the flat purchase.”
“My response will also cover related issues raised by Ms Poh Li San, scheduled for a subsequent Sitting. Given Singapore's tight land constraints, some vegetated sites will have to be developed to meet our land use needs that help create jobs and build new homes for Singaporeans. Such developments will be carried out sensitively, with measures in place to mitigate potential environmental impact. The JTC Corporation (JTC) hence commissioned an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to assess and recommend measures to mitigate potential environmental impact arising from the Woodlands Gateway development. The EIA report was reviewed in consultation with nature groups and published online in August 2025 for public feedback. The EIA report recommended measures to mitigate the impact of the development on flora and fauna. These include transplanting plant species of conservation significance and implementing a Wildlife Management Plan. JTC will also integrate greenery into the development, where feasible.”
“My response will also cover matters raised in the question by Mr Kenneth Tiong scheduled for a subsequent Sitting. Vacancy rates for commercial properties have remained stable over the past three years at around 7% for retail spaces and around 11% for office spaces, comparable to pre-COVID-19 levels. Landlords are unlikely to leave their properties vacant for too long, as prolonged vacancy could affect property valuation and limit capital appreciation. It is also not financially sustainable for the landlord to incur holding costs, such as property tax and mortgage repayments, as well as opportunity costs from foregone rental income. Given these considerations, we do not see a need to impose a vacancy tax on commercial properties. We acknowledge concerns from some retail and food and beverage business owners that their business costs, including rents, have risen. At an aggregate level, rent increases of private retail spaces have trended below the inflation rate in the past three years. At a local level, there will invariably be differences in the rents, with some commercial properties commanding higher rents due to their more attractive attributes, such as shopping malls integrated with mass rapid transit stations. For more cost-conscious businesses, a variety of lower-cost options remain available. The Urban Redevelopment Authority publishes detailed rental data every quarter, which offers the public and businesses sufficient insights to make well-informed leasing or investment decisions.”
“The Housing and Development Board reviews all applications under the Public Rental Scheme holistically to understand the applicant’s individual circumstances, housing options, and level of family support, taking into account input from social workers if necessary. From 2019 to 2024, an annual average of 7%, 4% and 17% of requests for public rental flats under the Family Scheme were from single unmarried parents, non-citizen single parents with Singaporean children and divorced parents respectively. There is some overlap between these groups. During this period, about 4,000 unique applicants across these groups were successful in applying for the Public Rental Scheme.”
“In the last five years, the National Parks Board received about 100 complaints annually against licensed and unlicensed pet breeders. Animal and Veterinary Service's licences require pet shops to procure cats and dogs from licensed pet breeders.”
“Housing and Development Board (HDB) households facing medical or mobility challenges may tap on the Lift access Housing Grant (LHG) to help them move to a new or resale flat with direct lift access. Since the implementation of the LHG in 2020, HDB has received 78 complete applications; 60 of these were approved, of which 12 benefitted from the grant increase in April 2025.”
“Town Councils are responsible for managing and maintaining the common property in Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates, including playgrounds. Periodic maintenance checks on playgrounds and other facilities in HDB estates are carried out by the respective Town Councils. Town Councils should rectify defective equipment expeditiously based on the prevailing industry standards, including Singapore Standards SS457 on public playground equipment, to ensure that the equipment is safe for public use. Town Councils' playground maintenance contracts typically contain clauses that stipulate rectification requirements, such as repairs or replacements.”
“The Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for the Changi reclamation projects have taken into consideration cumulative impacts from the ongoing Pulau Tekong reclamation works. In particular, the most recent EIA for Changi North considered cumulative impacts of the ongoing Changi Bay and Pulau Tekong reclamation projects, and concluded that there was negligible to minor environmental impact.”
“Since 2021, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has been performing safety checks on the existing Residual Current Circuit Breakers (RCCBs) for all flats undergoing the Home Improvement Programme (HIP). Any faulty RCCBs detected during these checks are immediately replaced, with the costs fully borne by HDB. HDB also checks the existing water heater electrical installations and offers to upgrade installations that are not compliant with prevailing regulations. Under the Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) programme, should households apply to replace their existing light switches with rocker switches, HDB similarly performs safety checks on the existing RCCBs, as well as the electrical wires connected to the light switches. Any faulty RCCBs and electrical wiring detected during these checks are replaced at a subsidised cost for residents. If HDB finds a lighting installation that is not compliant with prevailing regulations, HDB will advise the flat owner to engage a licensed electrical worker to rectify the installation, before replacing the light switches with rocker switches. In 2024, around 5% and 28% of flats that underwent HIP were found with faulty RCCBs and non-compliant water heater electrical installations respectively. Less than 1% of flats that applied for rocker switches under EASE were found with faulty RCCBs. All faulty RCCBs and non-compliant water heater electrical installations have since been replaced. HDB does not track the number of flats that applied for rocker switches under EASE and were found with non-compliant lighting installations.”
“We recognise that widowed or divorced persons may be concerned about their housing options due to changes in their life circumstances. First-timer widowed or divorced citizens with care and control of at least one child from their marriage may buy a new flat or a resale flat of any size, subject to meeting the prevailing eligibility conditions. Under the Assistance Scheme for Second-Timers (Divorced/Widowed Parents), those with at least one child aged 18 and below are given priority when applying for a 2-room Flexi or 3-room Build-To-Order flat in Standard projects. All other eligible first-timer singles aged 35 and above, including widowed or divorced persons without children, can buy a new 2-room Flexi flat island-wide. This strikes a careful balance between the housing needs and aspirations of singles and other groups of Singaporeans, given the land constraints we face in Singapore.”
“NParks aims to start public consultation on the draft Bill by around end-2026. NParks will continue to investigate feedback on animal welfare and cruelty thoroughly. For instance, in the recent cases involving community cats in Yishun and Punggol, NParks interviewed key witnesses, reviewed closed-circuit television footage, and carried out post-mortem examination for the Yishun community cat, and found that the cases were likely the result of vehicular accidents. NParks will take firm enforcement action, considering factors such as severity of the offence and whether one is a repeat offender. In line with its enforcement efforts, NParks also works with animal welfare group partners to increase education and outreach efforts to raise awareness of responsible pet ownership and the consequences of animal cruelty.”
“The Animals and Birds Act 1965 (ABA) safeguards against animal cruelty and abuse. Under the current ABA, the maximum penalty for a cruelty offence is higher than that for a welfare offence. Repeat offenders are also liable for enhanced punishment. Where acts of cruelty are particularly aggravated, the prosecution will highlight this to the Courts to take into account for sentencing. The National Parks Board (NParks) has started a comprehensive review to ensure the ABA remains effective in deterring acts of animal cruelty and abuse. This includes reviewing the penalty framework, such as imprisonment terms, fines and disqualification orders for animal welfare offences, and enforcement powers for better animal welfare and management. The review currently does not include proposals to prevent the posting of animal abuse content online or increase collaboration on enforcement with animal welfare groups. To reduce disamenities caused by irresponsible pet ownership, NParks has launched initiatives, such as cat licensing under the Cat Management Framework and the Pet Ownership Course. We will continue to take a collaborative approach in this review. For instance, Minister of State Alvin Tan had engaged the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in July on their White Paper on Strengthening Protections for Animal Welfare. We agreed that while some recommendations will be challenging to implement due to the tradeoffs, we could adopt some recommendations as part of the ABA review and further evaluate others with partners. NParks will continue to engage stakeholders, such as animal welfare groups, pet business owners and vets to ensure that all views are considered.”
“Under Singapore's Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) framework, reclamation projects with potential ecological or trans-boundary impacts are required to undergo detailed environmental studies to assess the potential impacts on our coastlines and marine environment, and to develop appropriate mitigating measures. These studies take into account surrounding habitats that may be affected by the works. Developing agencies will engage stakeholders, such as nature groups, academics and researchers, for feedback on the environmental study's scope, findings and proposed mitigation measures. Interested members of the public can also view the environmental study report and share their feedback with developing agencies when EIA is publicly disclosed. Such studies and engagements are done early in the planning process, so that inputs can be incorporated in the reclamation and development plans before implementation.”
“This answer will provide a combined response to related questions raised by Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Ms Valerie Lee, Ms Yeo Wan Ling and Mr Alex Yeo, which are scheduled for subsequent Sittings. As part of the property cooling measures introduced in September 2022 to promote sustainable conditions in the property market, private property owners need to wait 15 months after the disposal of their properties, before buying a non-subsidised Housing and Development Board (HDB) resale flat. To better support the retirement needs of seniors, Singapore citizens aged 55 and above are exempted from this waiting period if they move from their private residential property to a 4-room or smaller resale HDB flat. Since 2022, HDB has processed about 1,800 appeals annually from private property owners to waive the 15-month wait-out period. This number has been stable over the last few years. HDB acceded to about one in four appeals, mainly for households in financial difficulties or extenuating circumstances, who have no alternative housing options. HDB does not track the appeals by the flat type that the appellant seeks to purchase. We will continue to monitor the resale market and when conditions allow, we plan to remove the 15-month wait-out period.”
“The new requirement for lift plan submission aims to have lift installations properly reviewed by qualified professionals before works start. The additional cost of engaging qualified persons to submit lift plans could range from 0.5%-2% of the total installation cost for lifts, estimated to be about $500 to $2,000. To streamline the application process, the Building and Contruction Authority will allow all lift owners, including town councils, to submit a single application for works relating to the same lift design or same modification work to lifts across different locations.”
“Keeping the pigeon population under control requires a collective community effort. As bird feeding and human-generated food sources are key drivers of pigeon population growth, we urge residents not to feed birds and to keep our environment clean. NParks will also continue to take enforcement action against individuals who feed pigeons.”
“My response will also address other questions related to pigeon management filed by Mr Abdul Muhaimin and Mr Patrick Tay for subsequent Sittings. Should the Members feel that my response sufficiently addresses their questions, the Members may wish to withdraw their questions. National Parks Board (NParks) takes a proactive, holistic and science-based approach to manage the pigeon population across Singapore. These include direct population control, with trapping and removal, habitat modification, enforcement against illegal bird-feeding and education and outreach efforts to reduce human-generated food sources. Since July 2024, NParks has partnered Town Councils, the National Environment Agency and Singapore Food Agency to step up these efforts in hotspots under the pigeon management pilot. The pilot showed encouraging results. There has been a decrease in the estimated pigeon population by around 50% across the three town councils, namely Ang Mo Kio, Bishan Toa-Payoh and Tanjong Pagar. The pigeon-related feedback is around 34% lower than the average. These results were derived by comparing against control areas that were not part of the pilot. In June 2025, NParks expanded the pigeon management plan to three more hotspot town councils, namely Jalan Besar, Marsiling-Yew Tee and Nee Soon. NParks will scale this up across Singapore in phases to help manage the pigeon population. Specific to the Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates, NParks and HDB have been studying pigeon-related issues and will continue to monitor feedback from residents and trial deterrent measures, such as bird nettings, in consultation with town councils. There are currently no plans to modify the Home Improvement Programme to address this issue.”
“From 2020 to 2024, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) approved about 6,100 requests from individuals who had either completed their divorce or separation, or were undergoing the proceedings with ancillary matters settled. An additional 186 requests were approved without their ancillary matters settled, on a case-by-case basis. The total number of approved requests each year is about 1,200 to 1,300. HDB does not differentiate applicants who have completed their proceedings and those who are undergoing the proceedings with ancillary matters settled. HDB also does not track applications by the type of documentation submitted and is, therefore, unable to provide the breakdown requested by the Member.”
“NParks aims to start public consultation on the draft Bill by around end-2026. NParks will continue to investigate feedback on animal welfare and cruelty thoroughly. For instance, in the recent cases involving community cats in Yishun and Punggol, NParks interviewed key witnesses, reviewed CCTV footage and carried out post-mortem examination for the Yishun community cat and found that the cases were likely the result of vehicular accidents. NParks will take firm enforcement action, considering factors, such as severity of the offence and whether it is a repeat offender. In line with its enforcement efforts, NParks also works with animal welfare group partners to increase education and outreach efforts to raise awareness of responsible pet ownership and the consequences of animal cruelty.”
“The Animals and Birds Act 1965 (ABA) safeguards against animal cruelty and abuse. Under the current ABA, the maximum penalty for a cruelty offence is higher than that for a welfare offence. Repeat offenders are also liable for enhanced punishment. Where acts of cruelty are particularly aggravated, the prosecution will highlight this to the Courts to take into account for sentencing. National Parks Board (NParks) has started a comprehensive review to ensure ABA remains effective in deterring acts of animal cruelty and abuse. This includes reviewing the penalty framework, such as imprisonment terms, fines and disqualification orders, for animal welfare offences and enforcement powers for better animal welfare and management. The review currently does not include proposals to prevent the posting of animal abuse content online or increase collaboration on enforcement with animal welfare groups. To reduce disamenities caused by irresponsible pet ownership, NParks has launched initiatives, such as cat licensing, under the Cat Management Framework and the pet ownership course. We will continue to take a collaborative approach in this review. For instance, Minister of State Alvin Tan had engaged Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in July on their White Paper on Strengthening Protections for Animal Welfare. We agreed that while some recommendations will be challenging to implement due to the trade-offs, we could adopt some recommendations as part of the ABA review and further evaluate others with partners. NParks will continue to engage stakeholders, such as animal welfare groups, pet business owners and vets, to ensure that all views are considered.”
“This response will also address similar Parliamentary Questions raised by Mr Yip Hon Weng and Ms Valerie Lee for subsequent Sittings. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is currently reviewing the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act to strengthen self-governance and support effective estate maintenance. In particular, BCA is studying ways to address ageing infrastructure issues faced by older condominiums, as well as inadequate sinking funds to maintain or upgrade such infrastructure. The review will be completed by the first half of next year.”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) Hougang Branch was closed on 1 September 2025 to facilitate the development of the mixed commercial and residential site at Hougang Ave 10 and Hougang Central. To ensure continued service for residents, HDB has implemented several measures. First, HDB has opened a 24-hour e-Lobby at the ground floor of Block 806 Hougang Central. HDB has also set up e-Lobbies in Bukit Panjang in 2018 and Queenstown in 2022. The e-Lobby is equipped with self-help machines, such as HDB's e-Service kiosks, for residents to access HDB services and complete transactions, such as mortgage and rental payments. These services are also available on the HDB InfoWEB and Mobile@HDB app. Second, to guide residents in using these e-services, as a transitional measure, HDB has stationed a service ambassador at the e-Lobby until October 2025. We will continue to monitor the situation and may consider extending the availability of the service ambassador, if there is a need to do so. Third, for complex transactions or transactions requiring wet-ink signatures to be made in person, residents can book an appointment at the Sengkang Branch located at Rivervale Plaza, which is accessible by train and multiple bus services. We recognise that some residents may have accessibility needs or face exceptional circumstances. For these residents, they may reach out to HDB directly to be served in-person at the Hougang e-Lobby.”
“The Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) offers a subsidised housing option for eligible families, including expectant parents, while they are awaiting completion of their new Housing and Development Board flat. A monthly household income ceiling of $7,000 was implemented in August 2021 to target support at families who are less able to afford renting on the open market. PPHS rents are not differentiated based on per capita income.”
“The Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP), seeks to ensure that our Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates remain diverse and inclusive, and applies to the sale and purchase of all HDB flats, as well as the allocation of HDB public rental flats. For EIP-constrained flat owners with extenuating circumstances, HDB has been exercising flexibility and provides a range of assistance measures on a case-by-case basis. Tenants who rent HDB flats on the open market are not subject to EIP. The majority of these tenants are non-citizens from diverse ethnic backgrounds and countries. Their stays are typically temporary in nature and do not affect the ethnic proportions in our public housing estates over the long term. To prevent the formation of foreigner enclaves and maintain the Singaporean character of our HDB heartlands, HDB introduced the non-Citizen quota in 2014, which caps the number of flats that can be wholly rented out to non-Malaysian non-citizens within each block and neighbourhood. Eligible HDB flat owners must have fulfilled the minimum occupation period before renting out their whole flats. They are also required to seek HDB's approval and meet the non-Citizen quota. The rental period is capped at two years when owners rent out their flats to non-Malaysian non-citizens. If irregularities are detected, HDB will take appropriate enforcement action against the flat owner.”
“This includes empowering commercial property owners to undertake place management through the Business Improvement District initiative and partnering local companies to develop innovative products and solutions, which can benefit the BE sector in Singapore and abroad. Together with all Singaporeans, MND will shape a vibrant and sustainable future for our city – one that every generation can take pride in calling home.”
“Selected private housing estates will also benefit from senior-friendly enhancements, under the Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) (Regular Estate) and the EUP (Silver Estate). We will review legislation to ensure Management Corporations maintain and upgrade their ageing developments to meet the needs of their residents. Eligible households with seniors living in private properties will also get support to install in-home senior-friendly fittings under the Enhancement for Active Seniors (Private) programme. MND will ensure towns are well-served with recreation amenities. We will build more integrated community hubs, for example in Toa Payoh and Woodlands, bringing together sports facilities, healthcare and community spaces in one convenient location. We are expanding the network of parks and park connectors to make green spaces more accessible and planning new public spaces along Identity Corridors that anchor community activity. MND will mitigate the impact of climate change on Singaporeans through measures such as climate-sensitive urban planning and building design and the use of cool paints to mitigate the impact of rising temperatures. MND will work with industry partners to uplift the built environment (BE) sector and to offer more career opportunities for Singaporeans. We will continue to empower BE firms to embrace technologies such as artificial intelligence tools, automation and digital collaboration across the building lifecycle. MND will advance a pro-enterprise agenda, by streamlining our regulatory processes through the implementation of CORENET X and reducing regulatory burden and business costs. MND will work with industry partners to catalyse new growth opportunities.”
“The Ministry of National Development (MND) will continue to build an endearing city to live, work and play. The Draft Master Plan 2025, developed through the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s extensive public engagement exercise, showcases our shared vision for Singapore’s land use plans and strategies for the next 10 to 15 years. We will build more homes that cater to different needs, rejuvenate older neighbourhoods and estates, and make them more liveable, vibrant and senior-friendly. Business nodes and workplaces will be revitalised, bringing jobs closer to homes. The northern, eastern, and western gateways will grow as important economic nodes, while the city centre will remain a vital destination for business, tourism and culture, anchoring Singapore’s status as a global hub. MND will keep public housing affordable and accessible, through a robust supply of Build-To-Order flats across different regions, including more with shorter waiting times. We will review the public housing income ceiling and study how to provide more housing options, including for singles, seniors and larger families. We will continue to improve public rental housing, including upgrading older rental blocks and supporting more rental households to own their homes. We will also maintain a strong supply of land for private housing. MND will enhance support for Singaporeans living in older estates, including by upgrading older towns and homes through programmes like the Home Improvement Programme and Neighbourhood Renewal Programme. We will improve infrastructure and amenities to make towns more senior-friendly. We will also develop and flesh out the framework for the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme.”
“Only taxis are allowed to provide street-hail services. Hence, it is important to have an adequate supply of taxis to meet the demand for street-hail services, including for seniors. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is introducing measures to improve the commercial viability of taxis by reducing the regulatory differences between taxis and private hire cars. As part of the measures announced under the point-to-point transport (P2P) review, taxi operators will be allowed to sell taxis more than three years old and register used vehicles as taxis. These provide taxi operators with more flexibility to manage their fleet size and operating costs. Previously announced measures, such as the extension of taxis' statutory lifespan, will also help to reduce operating costs and moderate rental costs for drivers. We have also reduced the course fees and duration for the taxi driver's vocational licence curriculum. Together, these measures aim to encourage greater growth in the taxi fleet and attract more individuals to become taxi drivers, which can increase street-hail availability. Beyond street-hail services, LTA is also exploring ways to meet the needs of senior commuters via ride-hail services. We will introduce the P2P Inclusivity Co-funding Grant later this year to provide co-funding for ride-hail operators to develop solutions that improve the accessibility of their services.”
“The pedestrian overhead bridges along Hougang Avenue 3 near Blocks 101, 172, 241 and 248 have been prioritised for lift retrofitting under the current phase of the Land Transport Authority's lift retrofitting programme, which focuses on locations that will benefit a larger number of seniors. Construction works for this phase of lift retrofitting works are scheduled to take place progressively from the fourth quarter of 2025.”
“Battery health in electric vehicles (EVs) is influenced by several factors, including battery chemistry, usage profile and charging profile. Different EV models may have different types of batteries which have different degradation rates. Taxi operators and private hire car (PHC) fleet owners are, hence, best placed to decide which EV models meet their commercial and operational needs. Fleet owners will also have a better understanding of the usage and charging patterns of their vehicles, which can also affect battery degradation. In addition, most motor dealers provide warranty for the traction battery should the battery state of health degrade below a certain threshold. Electric taxis and PHCs purchased after 1 January 2021 would have received a subsidy under the EV Early Adoption Incentive and Enhanced Vehicular Emissions Scheme, as with all other electric cars. At this point, there are no plans for further subsidies for electric taxis and PHCs.”
“The initiative implemented in the European Union (EU) and Northern Ireland requires all newly registered vehicles to be equipped with an Intelligent Speed Assistance system. This is different from the speed limiters we require some heavy goods vehicles to have installed in Singapore. The EU authorities are studying the effectiveness and reliability of these technologies, as more of such systems are installed in new vehicles. The Land Transport Authority will continue to monitor and evaluate the EU authorities' assessments as part of the effort to improve road safety.”
“A majority of the cost for Changi Airport Terminal 5 and its supporting infrastructure will be funded by the Government, as the benefits from a well-connected airport accrue to the wider economy and society and not only to the aviation system. The remaining costs will be funded by the Changi Airport Group using its reserves, future surpluses and borrowings, and by airlines and passengers through airport charges and levies.”
“Our Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems are designed to operate closer to residential developments. LRT trains run on rubber tyres along concrete guideways and, hence, produce less noise compared to Mass Rapid Transit trains. The noise generated by LRT trains passing near residential estates is within the National Environment Agency's (NEA's) guidelines. For temporary LRT maintenance works, including works being carried out overnight during engineering hours, the Land Transport Authority will put in place the necessary noise mitigation measures, such as noise blankets, to keep the noise levels within NEA's guidelines.”
“Taxpayers who face difficulties in paying their taxes due to unexpected or extenuating circumstances, can apply to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) for extended instalment plans beyond the standard 12 months interest-free instalment plan for payments via General Interbank Recurring Order (GIRO). Almost all applications in the past five years were approved by IRAS as these taxpayers were generally able to provide valid reasons for why an extended instalment plan was needed. The number of individuals who applied for and received an extended instalment plan in the past five years are provided in the table below.”
“For the period of 19 to 21 March 2025, the Land Transport Authority did not observe an increase in vehicular accidents or traffic congestion along the relevant portions of the Bukit Timah Expressway and the Seletar Expressway leading towards Woodgrove division.”
“The reply will also address a related question filed by Ms He Ting Ru for a subsequent Sitting. Improving the safety of all road users is a priority for the Ministry of Transport. We had explained during the 26 February 2025 Sitting that it is not operationally possible to ban the transportation of workers on the back of lorries. [Please refer to "Stakeholders' Feedback on Safety of Transporting Workers on Back of Lorries and Suggestions to Ban This", Official Report, 26 February 2025, Vol 95, Issue 153, Oral Answers to Questions section.] Doing so will have a serious impact on many small- and medium-sized enterprises who may have to cease operations, leading to job losses for workers, project delays and higher costs for Singaporeans. This is why agencies have been engaging companies to understand the challenges of shifting to other modes of transportation to see how best to scale the adoption of alternative modes in a sustainable, safe and effective manner. We continue to work closely with the industry and other Government agencies to improve the safety of transportation for our workers, which is the crux of the matter.”
“Taxpayers who face difficulties in paying their taxes due to unexpected or extenuating circumstances, such as retrenchment, can apply to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) for extended instalment plans beyond the standard 12 months interest-free instalment plan for payments via GIRO. This can be done via an e-service on IRAS' myTax Portal. Alternatively, taxpayers can also reach out to IRAS via email or phone. As every individual's financial situation is unique and not all taxpayers who have been retrenched need an extended tax instalment plan, it is not automatically granted to all taxpayers who have been retrenched. For example, some may have secured another job shortly after retrenchment. Upon receiving a Mandatory Retrenchment Notification submission from an employer, the Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation, led by Workforce Singapore, will reach out to retrenched workers via their employers to provide an information kit containing links to different types of support that these workers may find useful, such as employment facilitation services as well as the SupportGoWhere webpage where they may submit a request to IRAS for extended instalment plans.”
“To ensure that vehicles remain roadworthy and are safe for use on our roads, all Singapore-registered vehicles are required to be inspected regularly at Authorised Inspection Centres. Vehicles that do not pass these inspections cannot be used on the roads. For foreign vehicles, the cross-border movement of vehicles is governed by the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic 1949, which Singapore and many of our neighbouring countries, including Malaysia and Thailand, are signatories to. Vehicles from signatory countries that meet the standards on vehicle construction and functionality stipulated in the Convention are allowed to enter Singapore. The owner of a vehicle is responsible for ensuring that it is roadworthy. The Land Transport Authority conducts spot checks on local and foreign vehicles travelling on the roads. Vehicles that do not meet roadworthiness standards are impounded and the owners penalised under the Road Traffic Act.”
“Since 2018, all newly-constructed Pedestrian Overhead Bridges (POBs) are installed with lifts. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has also been retrofitting existing POBs with lifts since 2011. To date, LTA has retrofitted lifts at 91 existing POBs, including the 29 POBs committed under the Land Transport Master Plan 2040. LTA aims to retrofit another 150 POBs with lifts by the end of 2030. Currently, it costs about $5 million to retrofit a POB with a pair of lifts.”
“The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has built 186 kilometres of covered linkways since the launch of the Walk2Ride programme in 2013. This programme makes walking to key public transport nodes more convenient and comfortable by building covered linkways connecting public transport nodes to key amenities within a 400-metre radius. In 2024, we announced plans to build covered linkways to Friendly Streets within an 800-metre radius of a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station. In the next five years, with new MRT stations and more Friendly Streets launched, LTA will build an additional 50 kilometres of covered linkways to enhance first and last mile connectivity.”
“The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has guidelines for all contracting states on the carriage of lithium batteries by passengers. In light of recent incidents, ICAO plans to discuss the issues relating to power banks soon. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore's (CAAS') safety regulations are aligned with ICAO's prevailing guidelines: (a) for checked baggage, power banks of any capacity are prohibited; (b) for hand-carry luggage, passengers are allowed to carry power banks of capacity not exceeding 100 watt-hours; (c) passengers who wish to hand-carry power banks with a capacity exceeding 100 watt-hours, but not more than 160 watt-hours, must obtain approval from the airline before travel; (d) power banks with a capacity above 160 watt-hours are prohibited in hand carry luggage; and (e) the use of all power banks is also prohibited during critical flight phases including take-off, landing and taxiing. CAAS regularly reviews and updates its regulations to ensure high safety standards. In doing so, CAAS takes into account international guidelines and latest developments related to the carriage and use of power banks in aircraft. This will include the outcome of safety investigations into recent incidents involving power banks in aircraft, which are still ongoing.”
“The Government has introduced environmental sustainability considerations for the procurement of selected goods and services since 2007. About 60% of Government procurement by contract value already incorporate environmental sustainability considerations. The Government is progressively extending the use of environmental sustainability considerations to cover additional categories of goods and services. We are prioritising efforts based on the expenditure size and emissions impact of each category. The Government aims to extend environmental sustainability considerations to all government procurement by 2028, in a manner that keeps pace with industry readiness and international developments.”