Edward Chia Bing Hui
Singapore
“So, I therefore call on the Government to develop a transport jobs and skills roadmap, aligned with our future transport strategy, to identify emerging jobs, the skills required and the training pathways to help Singaporeans seize these opportunities.”
“Thank you, Speaker. The Senior Minister of State also pointed out that at some point Singapore will have a land constraint and looking at the constraints, we, therefore, need to look at maximising the available EV charging infrastructures and, therefore, utilisation rate.”
“Sir, this Bill is a strong step forward. Its success will depend on building credible, liquid instruments that are fully integrated into Singapore's capital markets ecosystem. With continued focus on adaptability, ecosystem strength and investor clarity, Singapore can realise the full potential of this framework.”
“Sir, I have three supplementary questions. First of all, frontier models require a significant amount of compute and are likely to be concentrated among well-resourced organisations, leading to concerns about accessibility and uneven capabilities.”
“Question No 5, Sir. The Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Mr Tan Kiat How) (for the Minister for Digital Development and Information): Mr Speaker, Sir, my response will cover the questions raised by Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Edward Chia in today's Order Paper.”
“Could the Minister clarify the criteria and safeguards for granting such waivers, and how consistency will be ensured? It would be important to avoid unintended circumvention or uneven application across businesses. Finally, on transition and unintended behaviours. I note that there will be a transition period before full implementation.”
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“Peritoneal dialysis can also help tackle a manpower crunch faced as the number of nurses required are halved, compared to the nurses needed for hemodialysis with the same number of patients. Despite peritoneal dialysis being a viable alternative to hemodialysis, most patients are still choosing HD as a dialysis treatment. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that we strengthen our public education on peritoneal dialysis treatments and empower healthcare providers to promote these alternative treatments. As close to 70% of kidney failure is a result of diabetes, we need to strengthen the link between diabetes and kidney failure in public education messages. Lifestyle modifications are the best way to prevent deterioration of one’s kidney function. Upstream intervention and prevention are key to dealing with the anticipated increase of numbers of patients requiring dialysis.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, according to NKF, dialysis centres are experiencing a growing number of applications, more than 100 a month, up from 60 a few years ago. The age profile of applicants are largely seniors. As a member of the PAP Seniors Group, I am concerned about these rising numbers and will speak on co-locating hemodialysis centres for added convenience and the promotion of alternative treatments plans to cope with the anticipated increase in caseloads. I am heartened to know that NKF has been working with MOH to build more centres for hemodialysis at HDB void decks. In addition to building dialysis centres closer to the community, a co-location with other medical facilities such as polyclinics can enhance patients' care. For example, dialysis patients often need wound care and can seek such treatments at the polyclinic. Secondly, co-locating a dialysis centre with a nursing home can provide added convenience for nursing home clients. Lastly, co-locating a dialysis centre within transportation hubs can significantly reduce patients' travelling time. These forms of co-location provide better overall care outcomes as patients can now seek complementary treatments and greater convenience. At large, there is an increasing demand for Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT) on a national and global level. Hence, current hemodialysis treatments are unlikely to meet demand due to inherent constraints and there is a need to look for alternatives beyond community satellite hemodialysis. Alternatives include promoting peritoneal dialysis, which is a home-based treatment where patients can carry out treatment themselves in the comfort of their own homes. Peritoneal dialysis also allows for more flexibility, enabling patients to better fit dialysis into their lifestyles.”
“Thank you, Chairman. I would like to thank Minister of State Desmond Tan on his sharing that to facilitate greater safety, innovation in the plant-based protein space, they are facilitating dialogues with SFA on the requirements. Conversely, I would like to ask, is SFA also actively updating requirements along with technology, innovations in this space?”
“Often, this creates a delay in CCA start date, as affected schools then have to issue new Invitations to Quote (ITQs) with a later award. This affects students’ CCA learning outcomes and opportunities. Secondly, contract terms are usually one to two years. Instead of a short-term period, which increases the chances of disruptions to students’ learning experience, I propose a term that is based on key milestones and development runway for events such as National School Games (NSG) and Singapore Youth Festival (SYF). This ensures that MOE instructors and coaches are able to design and execute structured programmes based on the development runway for NSG or SYF which often takes more than a year to train for. In this way, students can be assured of learning with a clear structured runway. Thirdly, I seek MOE to recognise instructors’ value of work through intellectual property and copyrights. The curriculum created and proposed by the instructors and coaches should be the intellectual property owned by them. Being a key stakeholder in the education ecosystem, instructors and coaches are nurturing partners that can be counted to support schools, teachers, and students. I would like to recommend that MOE partners closely with NICA to enhance the development and delivery of high quality CCAs. Through this partnership, I believe our children will benefit from a balanced and well-rounded education that is aligned to MOE’s mission. Professional Development of Teachers”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to declare that I am an advisor to the National Instructors and Coaches Association, an association formed by the NTUC. As CCAs are essential to students holistic education through the discovery and development of talents, interests, characters and values, our MOE instructors and coaches play a significant role in this aspect. Throughout this pandemic, MOE instructors and coaches who experienced difficulties in conducting CCAs in schools, COVID-19 uncertainties surfaced the issues of pay-per-use contracting model. As a result of the pay-per-use contracting model, many CCA instructors had to leave the industries as it is no longer viable with the number of paid CCA hours greatly reduced. It is indeed heartening that there is an implementation of a new contract mode that ensures a minimum level of commitment towards contracted CCA hours. This was a result of discussions between MOE and National Instructors and Coaches Association (NICA) last year. NICA appreciates MOE's intervention, especially given a time when MOE had to implement various learning modes due to the evolving COVID-19 situation. NICA hopes to foster this dialogue and partnership further with the common goal of providing high-quality CCAs for the holistic development of our students. I believe we can achieve more. Firstly, the existing practice of most schools procuring service in the last month of the year means that contract opportunities are bunched up, resulting in instructors bidding for different schools’ CCA contracts simultaneously. As a result, some instructors and coaches may win multiple contracts. For those with too many contracts, they are forced to withdraw their bids.”
“As structural changes continue to take place, MOM could consider how it can further facilitate companies' decision-making on their foreign workforce strategy so that it is more than just complying with set policies. How a company determines the best sources for their foreign workforce, in line with the diversity of capabilities required to complement our local expertise, is a strategic choice that cannot be underestimated. It impacts how companies will be able to acquire the talent and skills needed to compete and this requires more collaboration with MOM, trade associations and SME management. The shift in our work environment is real and, therefore, how we work together requires innovative solutions. HR has always been important, but the nature of its value is fast-evolving. This is the time to set guidelines for FWAs, enforce workplace mental health wellness, engage SMEs for deeper capability building, design strategic conversations for foreign manpower choices and encourage our relevant Government agencies, such as ESG and WSG, to triple-down in their joint engagements for results.”
“These efforts, therefore, should be translated to include more frontline and shift workers because such jobs will only increase. As we work towards aligning these common HR practices, I would also like to raise questions on how will MOM encourage employers to sustain this increasing prevalence of FWAs during and post-COVID-19. What are the areas in the Employment Act that require a review to recognise these changes to work arrangements? MOM should consider framing clear guidelines and consider updates to the Employment Act for such practices, in partnership with SBF, SNEF, NTUC and the various HR professional associations. For this to work, we need to support our SMEs because, despite much effort over the years, many still lack solid HR policies and capabilities due to resource constraints. These SMEs often do not have policies and procedures in place to be able to adapt to new hybrid environments or necessary HR practices. As their challenges are real, we need some fresh ideas on equipping these groups of enterprises with forward-thinking HR practices. With that, I would like to raise the following questions pertaining to our SMEs. 5.45 pm What has been the assessment of the Government of all previous efforts to create support services for HR for SMEs? Would a HR-as-a-service, similar to IMDA's CTO-as-a-service, be worth considering? And if previous efforts to bring SMEs to such services had resulted in a lacklustre response, could there be ideas where our relevant Government agencies design solutions that are brought directly to SMEs? Another critical area of our HR policies relates to the foreign workforce component. Singapore needs a resilient foreign workforce that can withstand future global and regional disruptions.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, COVID-19 has changed the way we work, bringing about a paradigm shift in where and how we work. This shift includes working remotely, flexible working hours and optimising a mix of virtual with face-to-face meetings. As we transit into a COVID-19 endemic environment, further changes in work conditions could create stressors to our employees' mental well-being. Many workers will face the challenge of managing their work-life balance in a hybrid work model, thereby compounding levels of anxiety. Conversely, these shifts could also present opportunities for better work-life harmony and encourage those who have left the workforce due to caregiving needs to return to the workforce. To tap on the opportunities and mitigate the downsides, there needs to be continuous efforts to support evolving HR practices. An important question here is how our tripartite partners continue to support our HR practitioners with progressive practices, which will lead to effective work-life harmony, better mental wellness outcomes for workers, thereby leading to better productivity and better business outcomes. My proposal is to have a common accreditation for the HR industry. This will set the foundation for workers' future work arrangement as companies respond differently to this new reality. This proposal bears similarity to one of the recommendations by the NTUC-SNEF PME Taskforce on enhancing fair employment practices through improving HR standards. This ensures that there is a standard recognition of good HR practices across the board. There have been ongoing efforts made in providing FWAs for employees who are non-frontline and in non-shift roles.”
“Also, what is MTI's assessment of our regional economies, especially the rise in public and household debts due to COVID-19, and how should our businesses, especially consumer facing businesses, account for these growth plans? What are the concrete steps that Singapore is taking to strengthen our overall trade, economic and digital linkages with other relevant economic partners? The various support grants that MTI has provided for enterprises, such as the Enterprise Development Grant have been timely to support local enterprises in their transformation. In addition to developmental grants, how do we foster stronger partnerships with MNCs and SMEs to help our enterprises collectively seize new opportunities in the global economy that is increasingly competitive? What are the strategies to deepen our ecosystem of businesses and collaborations to provide Singapore a competitive advantage in the global economy? Lastly, how can we translate these strategies into increased productivity in SMEs as they face manpower and cash flow challenges? Overall, as Singapore continues to recover and build new engines of growth, we must ensure that we exit this pandemic with an inclusive recovery in all sectors and industries. Trade Associations and Chambers – Industry Transformation”
“Therefore, there are four questions that I would like to raise pertaining to the Fair Tenancy Code of Conduct. First, I would like to seek updates on the rollout and implementation of the code of conduct for fair tenancy and can I confirm that all Government landlords have adopted this framework? Second, what are the challenges and feedback received by the Fair Tenancy Industry Committee? Third, is MTI reviewing any parts of the code of conduct after gathering feedback and if so, which parts are under review? Fourth, I would like to request a timeline towards legislating this code of conduct into law. To support businesses and jobs, Singapore must continue to function as a business hub. We must continue to strive hard and be on the lookout for opportunities so that Singapore remains relevant to the global economy. However, with increased protectionism, competition from other global cities and travel restrictions, there is a need for the Singapore economy to build on our resilience and capability to catch the eye of opportunity providers. Therefore, how has Singapore’s performance been as an investment destination amidst the COVID-19 pandemic? Furthermore, how can Singapore better distinguish itself as a more favourable business hub and enhance our competitiveness, especially in a post-BEPS 2.0 world? What are the anticipated headwinds for Singapore and how are we positioning ourselves? Asia’s economy continues to be of great value to Singapore and likewise, there is great potential from emerging markets which we can tap. As a global Asia node, how is Singapore supporting our firms to capture opportunities in these markets and how has the support differed, compared to pre-COVID-19 times when the situation was different?”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, our economy remains vital to Singaporeans’ livelihoods. There are four key areas that I would like to focus on: one, the progress of the Fair Tenancy Code of Conduct; two, our Business Hub status; three, opportunities and support for our businesses in our region post-COVID-19; and four, deepening our ecosystem and collaboration amongst MNCs and local companies. While Singapore’s economic recovery has been led by trade-related and manufacturing sectors, this does not fully reflect all sectors and there are still sectors that continue to operate below pre-COVID-19 levels. This uneven recovery amongst businesses can potentially lead to wage disparities. Consumer facing businesses continue to feel the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Added to this, COVID-19 has also highlighted structural issues faced by consumer facing businesses. A notable structural challenge is one of tenancies. As many operate in spaces by way of tenancies, an unbalanced relationship and onerous tenancy conditions have exacerbated challenges faced by SMEs. Nevertheless, during the COVID-19 pandemic, various industry associations, such as Singapore Business Federation (SBF), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS), Singapore Retailers Association (SRA), Singapore Tenants United for Fairness (SGTUFF), Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore (REDAS) and REIT Association of Singapore (REITAS) had come together to develop the code of conduct for fair tenancies. Such a code of conduct provides a fairer tenancy agreement outcome for all parties which sets the basis for business survivability and sustainable growth for both landlords and tenants.”
“Are there any means the Government can ensure it assesses main contractors’ swiftness of payment to its subcontractors and such assessment of its quality as a paymaster be a key consideration in the procurement contract assessment? What is the mechanism in place to make such an assessment? Ultimately, we want to ensure that companies receive timely payments to aid their cash flow. Supporting Businesses amidst COVID-19”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I will speak on three areas. Firstly, with regard to the procurement strategy for infrastructure, how does the Ministry plan to continue to ensure spending on infrastructure projects is value for money and optimised on a life-cycle basis? For example, one aspect that could be looked at is spending on better materials which will ensure better quality and longer lasting infrastructure; and technologies which will ensure better maintenance productivity, allowing workers to focus on higher value works. These workers can be retrained in new skillsets that lead to higher productivity and wages. The initial capital outlay may be higher, but the lower operating cost can compensate for that. Secondly, are there specific capital expenditure items that can be converted to operating expenditure items? For example, an ACMV system can be a contract for service to the Government instead of capital purchase of the full system. Such changes in procurement strategy can, potentially, create more opportunities for market-based green project financing. Thirdly, it is heartening that the Government continues to support companies that are impacted by the pandemic. One question I have is how the Ministry ensures that businesses continue to receive timely and targeted support? For instance, as disruptions in the global supply chain persist, businesses continue to face stresses, such as delays and cash flow challenges in their operations. Hence, to this question, I have a few further clarifications to make. How has the Government, as a major buyer of goods and services, supported its suppliers and service contractors during this challenging period?”
“Question No 3, Sir. The Minister of State for National Development (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim) (for the Minister for National Development): Sir, there are about 8,000 vacant rental flats across Singapore. About half of these are not available for new applicants as they are in blocks that are due for redevelopment or are reserved to house existing tenants of flats that are affected by redevelopment. The other half are available to new applicants, of which two-thirds need to be spruced up before they can be let out. In Woodlands, there are 320 vacant flats available to new applicants, and about 220 of them need to be spruced up before they can be let out. Rental flats that are available to new applicants may be vacant as it takes time for flats to be matched to applicants, depending on the flat type, location and Ethnic Integration Policy limits. For vacant flats that need to be spruced up, the pace of sprucing works has been adversely affected by manpower shortages in the construction industry during this COVID-19 period. To expedite the works, HDB has appointed additional contractors to supplement HDB’s existing pool of term contractors. HDB is monitoring the situation closely and aims to clear the backlog of flats that need to be spruced up by the third quarter of this year. HDB will continue to prioritise and expedite flat allocation for applicants who are in urgent need of a rental flat, such as applicants with medical needs or other exceptional circumstances, though we may not always be able to meet their locational preferences.”
“In addition to the other opportunities in the green economy, does the Government view engineering solutions in climate change adaption as a sector where our businesses can hone a niche in and eventually export solutions internationally? Overall, this Budget will continue to strengthen our common resilience agenda and reinforce Singapore's strong social compact. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Budget.”
“I affirm the Government's commitment towards strengthening Singapore's net zero goals and significantly raising carbon taxes. These steps are necessary and crucial in ensuring Singapore's transition to a green economy and affirm Singapore's commitment towards climate change. Despite our efforts, the sobering reality is that it is unlikely for us to fully escape the effects of climate change. The floods that resulted from torrential rain in many states of Malaysia last December exposed the reality of extreme weather patterns caused by climate change. Hence, there is a need to strengthen our climate resilience through infrastructural interventions. The Government announced new plans in 2020 for coastal protection measures against rising sea levels to mitigate effects of climate change. The range of options to combat rising sea levels, include engineering feats such as reclamation and building sea walls, as well as nature-based solutions are being considered. The Significant Infrastructure Government Loan Act (SINGA) will allow the Government to borrow up to $90 billion to pay for infrastructure that will last for at least 50 years. To diversify the funding options for green infrastructure, Budget 2022 announced that $35 billion of green bonds will be issued by 2030 to fund public sector green infrastructure projects. This builds on the $19 billion worth of green bonds issued during Budget 2021. In relation to these new sources of funding, I would like to ask the Government to provide more details on the infrastructural projects that have been earmarked for development and specifically the opportunities for our local businesses to be involved in these developments so that they can build necessary capabilities.”
“Even when businesses successfully leverage on the productivity enhancement schemes and implement more digitisation and skills transformation programmes, there will be a lag time before digital capabilities are running at full steam and employees are up to speed with their skills transformation programmes. During this transitional period, businesses face a shortage of "plug and play" labour to meet their business needs, compounded by labour shortages and the scarcity of tech talent in Singapore. As a result, even if companies are open to adopting new technologies, there is still apprehension and resistance to operationalising such solutions because of the inability to seize revenue opportunities in the short run. Inevitably, businesses will eventually reach a tipping point for technology adoption. The COVID-19 crisis was such one crucial tipping point of historical magnitude. However, the purpose of cultivating labour market resilience is to ensure that businesses can ride on the waves of digitisation instead of being submerged under them. At present, operational and structural challenges are impeding businesses from actualising a resilient labour force. I acknowledge that a radical mindset shift on the part of businesses is needed to respond to larger global trends. However, I would like to ask the Government, what else can be done to address the short-term challenges that businesses face in building a resilient labour force? And what other measures can be put in place to guide businesses as they re-envision their business transformation roadmaps? With a clear labour shortage on our shores, what is the bigger strategy for our workforce composition that will enable us to remain competitive? Another aspect of the resilience agenda is that of climate resilience.”
“For Singapore to stay relevant in this fast-changing world, we need access to the best talent and have them be part of our team. Domestically, we need essential and enabling workers to support Singaporeans' aspirations and care for our seniors and children. This need for Singapore to remain open has to be felt both economically and socially to build labour resilience. Singapore has always been a talent capital and being welcoming to different nationalities and races to call Singapore their new home is essential for our continuous development. Marriage data shows that we have also more Singaporeans marrying foreigners and this trend is likely to continue. All of this makes social integration and acceptance absolutely important. This acceptance of differences is occurring at all levels of our society – from preschools where I have seen children who are not yet attuned to our local languages to workplaces where respect for religious beliefs in food and practices require more sophisticated HR practices. Retaining and growing our multicultural DNA is absolutely critical and now with even more diversity in it, we need to constantly work at it from our grassroots to our policy officers. Our social compact needs to be strengthened through social integration and I believe this is where much more effort can be put in our community with active involvement by companies too. On the productivity front, the time lag between the implementation of productivity enhancement solutions and reaping their results is a very real challenge for businesses. Allow me to elaborate on this.”
“As we recognise and emphasise the importance of our mental health, there will be a growing need for counsellors in our schools, workplaces and in our communities. With greater mental health capabilities, we can help and enable as many Singaporeans to be at the their best mental and emotional state. One thing that I believe that all Singaporeans enjoy is our hawker food. Our hawkerpreneurs and culture is recognised by UNESCO. But will we have enough Singaporeans, especially with other sectors competing for the same local talent, take up the woks as our hawker legends hang up their ladles? Essential and enabling sectors remain highly dependent on human labour. For sectors such as healthcare, social work and early childhood, human labour is literally the commodity being traded and digital adoption is commonly seen as complementary to human labour but not a perfect substitute. There are also regulatory requirements on service provider-to-client ratios that cannot be changed despite higher levels of productivity. An example would be our early childhood sector where ECDA mandates a teacher to student ratio of one is to a range from eight to 25, depending on ages. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is really not enough of us. I seek the Government to review the essential services sectors' manpower requirements and the projected needs in the coming years vis-à-vis our local workforce numbers. There is also growing concerns within the business and international community that Singapore is perceived to be closing up and foreigners are not welcomed. We need to address these concerns as such perceptions have grave consequences for Singapore. As shared, our workforce is ageing, our labour force growth is declining, and we would not have enough workers.”
“In a recent meeting with a fintech startup, the entrepreneur shared of his difficulty in hiring software engineers. At the same meeting, a business owner in the manufacturing sector lamented that he was unable to hire sufficient staff to fulfil customers' orders. Anecdotes like these are repeated by employers from other industries even when all of them show eagerness to hire Singaporeans. The hiring challenges is also keenly felt in our social services sectors. In my constituency in Zhenghua, I have received numerous appeals from young parents for childcare and infant care placements. Our anchor operator has just taken possession of a large space at the new Senja BTO development, much to the delight of parents. However, parents will have to wait longer for placements as the operator is still facing challenges in hiring sufficient teaching staff. The centre is unlikely to run at its optimal capacity when it opens. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I believe Singaporeans are talented and driven, but there is simply not enough of us. This is a consequence of our ageing population and low birth rates. Our local workforce is anticipated to shrink in the coming years. While I agree that we must provide gainful employment for Singaporeans and strengthen the complimentary factor with the foreign workforce, we may soon or already have reached a point where there is simply not enough of us. Beyond complementing our local workforce, we need to look at supplementing our workforce. This is especially so for essential services and what I would term also as "enabling" services. For example, services such as childcare and infant care enables young parents to dedicate themselves to their jobs, thereby enabling them to be economically active.”
“This resilience agenda will move beyond defensive measures and short-term goals to encompass strategies aimed at achieving inclusive and sustainable growth. In my speech, I will expand on two key aspects of resilience: labour resilience and climate resilience. Labour market resilience can be characterised by a low unemployment rate, sufficient supply of skilled labour and productivity and wage growth. As observed from Budget 2022, the Government aims to instil labour market resilience through two broad strategies. Firstly, to ensure that Singaporeans who are willing and able to do the jobs, will get good jobs with higher wages and better work prospects. By calibrating the minimum qualifying salary for Employment Pass (EP) and S Pass applicants, employers are strongly encouraged to further consider the quality of foreign workers that they want to bring in and how these workers also strengthen the larger workforce with our Singaporean Core. The second strategy aims to increase the productivity of our labour force through the digitalisation of processes and skills upgrading. This strategy is materialised through schemes like the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) that subsidises the implementation of digital and automated solutions designed to raise productivity, and the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit that offsets up to 90% of expenses for skills upgrading initiatives. While most businesses would agree with the rationale behind these strategies to strengthen labour market resilience, they face operational and structural challenges that impede their adoption of these strategies. After many conversations with business owners over the past few months, the difficulty in hiring Singaporeans is a real one. Job recruitment advertisements for Singaporeans yield low responses.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I welcome the 2022 National Budget announced by Finance Minister Lawrence Wong. This Budget builds on the strong social compact between our Government with Singaporeans. In particular, our Government has made decisive steps in the ongoing transformation of our labour market, with a clear focus on uplifting lower-wage workers. The Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS), introduced in Budget 2022, provides transitional wage support for employers to adjust to upcoming mandatory wage increases for lower-wage workers covered by the Progressive Wage Model (PWM). Employers understand their critical role in strengthening our social compact and the need for them to build business resilience through fair and progressive employment practices. The transitional wage support, along with support grants and schemes to upskill workers and raise firm level productivity will enable employers to sustain these wage increases. Speaking with other employers, these support measures give us confidence that the Government is with us as we uplift our workforce wages. The decision to stagger the increase of GST over the span of two years is another strategic choice welcomed by businesses. Many businesses, especially those in consumer-facing sectors, are still reeling from the impact of COVID-19, hence this staggered increase provides the additional time needed for businesses to respond. A one-off GST hike during a period of inflation concerns would have exacerbated concerns over a potential drop in consumer spending. Beyond immediate business challenges, we need to adopt a larger resilience agenda grounded in adaptability and decisiveness.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I would like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary a follow-up question. Given the delays in HDB rental flat allocations due to manpower crunch in the construction industry, has MSF observed a rise in temporary shelter requests and has coordinated upstream with HDB rental on providing shelter to those awaiting allocation?”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State this: while I understand that there are restrictions currently on the nearby amenities, but there are in certain cases, where there are other kinds of amenities that are not for parents to sit to watch their kids and there are times where there are smokers as well. How does the Ministry ensure that the ground enforcement officers and the public are clear on the boundaries where smoking is permissible at such instances, as this could lead to disputes on the ground?”
“Adopting an integrated approach towards upskilling programmes will ensure better alignment between new skills, new purposeful jobs and the expertise industries need to go green. Mr Deputy Speaker, we are living in exciting times where digital empowers sustainability and where economic and environmental outcomes are aligned. The crucial challenge before us is to provide industries and Singaporean workers the tools, resources and skills to capitalise on the confluence of these various elements. Enforcing a carbon tax regime is not a silver bullet that can guarantee our transition to a greener economy. Alongside such tax reforms, we need to: one, strengthen the nexus between digital and more traditional engineering skillsets; and two, strengthen and scale private sector partnerships in aligning new skills, new purposeful jobs and the expertise industries need to go green. These measures enable businesses to adopt the triple "P" bottom line framework. As more businesses succeed in going green, this will create a butterfly effect on the whole of society and lend a boost of faith to those who are hesitant towards green transformation. I believe we can make going green a sooner and more viable option for our businesses and create new and purposeful jobs for Singaporeans.”
“Digital solutions are necessary to monitor, track and report various parameters. Beyond reporting, industries will need to know how to leverage the data and translate into tangible actions. Singapore is starting from a good base as we have invested heavily in empowering our workforce and industries to be digitally ready. Secondly, upskilling programmes should promote opportunities for deeper collaborations between the Government and the private sector. The Government can scale up programmes that tap on the vast range of skillsets possessed by our private sector partners. The Government should continue to seek out pathfinders and interlocutors to ensure job opportunities for our workers and a ready pool of businesses who can embark on green transformation programmes. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Johnson Controls, who is a global provider in smart building management solutions. Johnson Controls partnered SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and Ngee Ann Polytechnic in rolling out a SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme. Besides equipping participants with domain knowledge such as building services management and green building management, the course also imparts foundational digital skills. Learning is further enriched by on-job training within various departments at Johnson Controls. Upon graduation from the course, Johnson Controls supports and play a role in linking the participants to the network of building clients who are in need to hire digital facility managers. It is also worthy to note that three quarter of the course participants are above the age of 45 who are mid-career professionals seeking new meaningful opportunities in the green economy.”
“I believe an example of an industry that is poised to achieve a triple "P" bottom line is the built industry. Current Building Management Software (BMS) can analyse for actionable insights to ensure that energy usage commensurate with the level of occupancy and activities. BMS can also proactively support predictive maintenance which improves plant resiliency. Based on current industry advancements, there have been proven cases that such software driven approaches have saved between 20% and 40% of energy consumption at a building or plant level. The adoption of BMS presents an opportunity for enterprises to align themselves to the triple "P" bottom line. BMS lowers energy consumption, thereby helping businesses reduce energy related costs. These cost savings would be further welcomed given our current elevated energy price levels. Preventive maintenance reduces downtimes caused by faulty equipment. Predictive maintenance reduces over-maintenance of equipment that are in good conditions. This reduces time and trips leading to an increase in labour productivity. The combined reduction of energy consumption, longer equipment lifespan caused by preventive maintenance and optimisation of trips reduces carbon footprint and move our enterprises towards all triple P bottom lines. To support the transformation of industries like that of smart building management, there is a need to aid companies in upskilling their employees so that they are empowered to achieve a sustainable green outcome. However, upskilling programmes cannot be pursued in silo. They need to be integrated in two broad ways. Firstly, upskilling programmes should strengthen the nexus between digital skillsets and more traditional engineering skillsets.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker Sir, I rise in support of the Motion. Sustainable development requires the committed pursuit of a triple "P" bottom line of profit, people, and the planet. This framework advances the goal of sustainability in business practices, in which enterprises look beyond profits and incorporate social and environmental issues to measure their overall business performance. To achieve a triple "P" bottom line, enterprises re-direct profits towards green technology and reskilling of workers for the green economy. A green economy does not necessarily equate to higher business costs and unemployment rates. With the right strategies and good execution, businesses can reduce costs, improve productivity rates and ensure that more workers enjoy purposeful employment. More importantly, this leads to a net positive outcome for our planet. As seen in many parts of the world, carbon tax regimes have been put in place to send an economic signal to move people towards a low-carbon future. While I agree in principle that a carbon tax is necessary to measure the costs of carbon emissions and trigger positive changes, this must be coupled with transformational support and plans for industries and workers to further equip to go green. We need to calibrate the tax amount and couple this with a higher magnitude of transformation support. This is because a levy of a tax without actual transformation would simply lead to a pass through of cost and eventually lead to a rise in cost of living. This could deepen societal fault lines between those who have the resources to go green and those who do not. We must not allow the transition towards a greener economy to be a source of division in our society.”
“It is whether the period of assistance can be extended to reduce anxiety because most of our residents do feel that three months sometimes is very short, and they are very concerned about extensions.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Minister for the reply. I have two supplementary questions. I would like to ask the Minister what the considerations on the review period are. I think the Minister mentioned the last time it was reviewed was in 2019. Is the Minister exploring other ways of reducing the time lag between the review and cost of living increases for our lower-income households? The second supplementary question is: for the short- and medium-term assistance periods, can the Ministry consider extending the periods to reduce the anxiety for many of our lower-income families?”
“Lastly, adopting a similar design principle from the district cooling system where cooling capacity is stored, I would like to propose coupling Energy Storage System (ESS) to existing gencos to further improve the peak capacity demand and spinning reserve. If there is enough ESS capacity installed in the grid, it could minimise the supply-demand mismatch on a faster and larger scale. This would increase the resilience of the grid by providing more cushion to unexpected events when energy demand surges unexpectedly. Mr Speaker, as energy forms the base input of all products and services, it has a direct impact on Singaporeans and residents. Fluctuations in energy prices affects Singapore’s cost of living and any disruptions have immense negative consequences for our industries and this puts jobs at risk. There are clear downside risks to jobs and livelihoods. As we work towards reducing emissions, we need to ensure that this does not limit our economic growth. We need our economy to grow to provide good jobs for Singaporeans. This amendment Bill addresses both the downside and limiting factors of our current energy strategy by boldly diversifying our energy sources, investing in new innovations to both optimise our energy usage and tapping on new forms of sustainable energy. Consequently, by investing in new taps, such as importing clean energy from regional grids, it will provide new growth opportunities and jobs for Singaporeans. I believe that we can reap the benefits from building a sustainable and efficient energy system that serves our national needs while enabling us to compete globally.”
“The peak energy needs of one activity can be curated to offset another activity through different demand periods and leading to more optimum use of energy. This could be an important new criterion for URA’s future requirements in mixed use developments. Secondly, we should leverage on the latest advancements in building management software. With the maturity of digital solutions in the built environment today, there are significant opportunities to leverage on enterprise software as a service, often priced at affordable rates, with advanced fault detection and diagnostic and AI features to analyse for actionable insights and optimise energy efficiency, especially during low building occupancy, so that energy usage commensurates with the level of occupancy and activities. It can also proactively support predictive maintenance which improves plant resiliency and efficiency. This is done through smart sensing, automated response and optimisation. With its advanced features, it would also ensure the health and wellness of the built environment, supported with optimal ventilation where it is required to minimise or eradicate the infectious disease risk. Thus, it also enables clean air for the health and safety of the occupants. Based on current industry advancements, there have been proven cases that such software-driven approaches have estimated savings between 20% and 40% of energy consumption at a building and plant level. The added cost benefit of such software deployment is that it involves much lesser investments compared to hardware capital expenditure.”
“Such new innovation implementation is necessary as current split units used in residential buildings – that is, both public and private – operate in poor energy efficiency, primarily average more than 1.5 kilowatt per tonne, because they are air-cooled and, typically, also have half or less the lifecycle. These split units could be retrofitted with a centralised chilled water system that could operate at a significantly better energy-efficient average of less than 0.65 kilowatt per tonne that capitalises on economies of scale. As global temperatures are set to rise, Singapore needs to fundamentally change the way we cool spaces and scale efficient cooling systems. Beyond implementing new innovations, such as district cooling systems in new developments and estates, we need to explore ways to implement such systems in mature business districts and residential estates. Beyond grants, such as the district cooling grant, we should tap on private sector innovations and financing schemes. For building owners who would like to convert their existing chiller plant ownership into a utility-based cooling as a service, the private sector can offer to buy over the chiller plant from building owners and sell back chilled water as a utility. This way, capital expenditure is avoided by leveraging on the private sector’s innovative financing model. This will help building owners’ cashflow to support their core businesses, especially during this tight economic situation, and make the transition to more sustainable consumption easier. Separately, as we implement an energy reset, urban planning perimeters and uses should consider various energy needs throughout the day.”
“Thirdly, on the insertion of “This section [except subsection (1)(c)] applies to any infrastructure (including cable pipe-blocks and tunnels) housing or intended to house any transmission electricity cable, as it applies to any high voltage electricity cable under the management or control of an electricity licensee…”, in section 80 of the Electricity Act, I would like to ask whether the minimum refers to high voltage, 6.6 kilovolts and 22 kilovolts, or transmission electricity cable, 66 kilovolts or higher? In addition, has MTI or EMA assessed the need to protect all above-ground access to underground infrastructure, especially since the core intention is to protect the underground infrastructure itself? I also have three proposals for MTI’s consideration. Firstly, we must continue to work with the private sector to provide additional capacity, reduce energy wastage and implement innovative solutions to optimise usage of energy. The district cooling system is one innovative and practical example. It is an underground centralised cooling and heating system for air-conditioning of buildings. With district cooling, building owners need not invest in having their own chillers, thereby removing capital expenditure. Currently, we have one at Marina Bay that is managed by SP Group and another in the upcoming Tengah development. Ice tanks form part of a unique design feature of district cooling systems which harnesses energy to cool the ice tanks when demand is low and provides additional cooling capacity when demand is high. This system effectively shifts the electric load requirements and optimises energy consumption throughout the day by tapering any need for energy surge or sub-optimal usage of compressors.”
“Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill. The proposed amendments to this Bill will ensure the sustainability, security and reliability of our power sector. By setting green standards, we are sending a clear signal that our commitment on sustainability towards the Singapore Green Plan 2030 is beyond rhetoric and about getting things done. To strengthen energy resilience, the Government has a dual strategy. First is the diversification of energy sources by harnessing four switches, namely, natural gas, solar, regional power grids and emerging low-carbon alternatives. Second is by working closely with the generation companies to provide critical additional capacity. The adoption of this dual strategy delivers sustainable energy for Singapore and supports a viable industry that contributes to our GDP. Notwithstanding, I would like to put forward three clarifications to this Bill. Firstly, on the insertion of “(f) the inspection of electrical installations to assess their safety”, in section 2 of the Electricity Act, I would like to ask what sort of authority would a market support service licensee have to enter a resident’s premises and on what grounds would this be reasonable. In addition, what is the remedy to these safety issues and what are the specific safety issues EMA is most concerned about? Secondly, on the insertion of “in connection with any purpose under paragraph (a), to construct, acquire (whether by purchase, lease or otherwise), develop, manage (including by leasing out for use) or operate…”, in section 3(3) of the Electricity Act, I would like to ask whether the use of the word “operate” involves full operating maintenance cost.”
“Digital tools should not be seen as the new takeover in making our economy an efficient one, but these tools are to assist our workers who are equipped with upgraded skills to effectively harness these tools. In this way, we can empower as many senior workers as possible who have credible experience in a vocation to translate their skills and experience to new areas of applications in the digital and green economy. Mr Speaker, Sir, in conclusion, I support raising the retirement age to give our senior workers the option of continuing to work and contribute to our ever-growing economy, given their vast and valuable experience. I hope that the Government will also consider my two suggestions: (a) to accelerate the changes of the age from which CPF contribution rates step down from 55 to 60; and (b) to accelerate the development of vocational transformation maps along with ITMs. We have the opportunity now to reframe our workforce composition for the future and move Singapore into being a competitive and inclusive talent capital.”
“Such a shift in mindset throughout the workforce will also prove helpful as we commit to include more middle-aged workers into the bedrock of our workforce. Cost will always be a concern for employers but the reality today with our demographics is that real value is also being created by those above 55 inside many companies. Studies have shown that what matters more in a modern economy is the productivity of teams of workers, rather than individual workers. Hence, the solution might be to employ a mixture of vigorous young workers and more experienced older workers. We need to take careful steps to bring our society in tandem with our economy and, in doing so, allow employers to reap the benefits of such investments in human capital and employees to feel valued enough to continue innovating and increasing their productivity. For Singapore’s human capital advantage to be sustained, we need to enable our workers to always remain relevant in this fast-changing economy. For our older workers, we need to help them translate their experiences into updated contributions to their job functions and the overall economy. As ITMs are scoped based on sectors/verticals, we need to introduce more horizontals in the form of vocational transformation maps. Taking a look at ASEAN’s built environment industry, human capacity with the skills and experience remains vital to optimise the integration of advanced digital technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), AI, robotics and cloud computing. For example, energy specialists go through upskilling courses before they could advise MNCs that are aiming for net zero emissions, or factories looking to measure their Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) leading indicators.”
“Those in their 40s up to the age of perhaps 65, should be the new bedrock of our competitive economy as we compete higher up the value chain where experience and know-how will be the new value proposition. Raising the retirement age progressively would allow Singaporeans to work for a longer period instead of being forced to retire due to a perception of what is considered old age. As we proceed to make this happen, there is also a need to ensure that our current social systems and training models support this extension. I propose two suggestions to allow the benefits of raising the retirement age to be distributed more equitably. First, is to accelerate the changes of the age from which the step-down model of CPF contribution rates takes place from 55 to 60; second, is to accelerate the development of vocational transformation maps along with Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs). As we raise the retirement age progressively, I believe we need to make an adjustment to the age from which CPF contribution rates change. The core principle of the CPF contribution rate remains sound and that lowering it at a specific age encourages our employers to continue finding hiring older workers attractive. I am heartened that the Government had accepted the recommendation by the Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers to start the CPF step-down rate at age 60. I would like to propose an acceleration of the implementation of these increases in CPF contribution rates in tandem with the changes in statutory retirement age. The continuation of an employee's CPF contribution at the same rate, both from employers and themselves, even after 55 years, sends a clear signal that work should be recognised and valued for its intrinsic worth during the most productive periods of an employee.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support both Bills. Raising the retirement age is essential for Singapore because it benefits our workers for this new economy. Singaporeans can retire when they so choose but raising the retirement age will provide a vast majority of our workforce with a longer runway to contribute to the economy, learn new skills to stay engaged and be able to continue to earn a fair and decent wage to sustain their lives and further build their savings for retirement eventually. During one of my community engagements with residents, I came across Mr Tony Ho, aged 74, who continues to work as he is willing to put his acquired skills and experience to help companies create value to our economy. Most recently, he helped to design and execute a new production facility in Tuas for a trading company which wanted to do its own manufacturing. He further guided them on how to manufacture these products to be of high quality so as to achieve local market sales. Mr Tony Ho is a positive example of how our seniors can remain employable, leveraging on their experience and continue to contribute to the larger economy. Raising the retirement age will allow our current workforce who are in their early 60s and have optimal capacity and positive attitude, to continue to be a core contributing force for our economy. They are a part of the experienced workforce we have in the economy, that is, those with more than 15 years of working experience, that forms the core of any company’s competitive talent base – from senior management to professional functions and operations. This is an essential reframing of how we need to look at the future workforce composition within a company and across all industries. This is an essential reframing.”
“Thank you, Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister one supplementary question with regard to training. Minister mentioned that we are ramping up psychological first aid training. Specifically, is this peer support training for migrant workers to provide support for each other, or is this support for employers to provide a more supportive workplace environment, in terms of mental wellness, or is it both?”
“Thank you, Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister if there are instances, where OEM retailers elected to pre-terminate contracts, despite partially hedging purchase prices – and I think Minister mentioned 50% – and by doing so, walk away with a larger windfall by selling the hedge prices in the current wholesale market at the expense of consumers? And if so, what powers does EMA have to ensure consumers are fairly treated?”
“Mr Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank MOM and all the officers for their hard work in retraining and reskilling our workforce during this very challenging time. I have one supplementary question for the Minister. As there will always be laggard effect in reskilling, what is the Minister's assessment of the potential structural impact on the labour market, should job vacancies remain elevated?”
“Thank you, Speaker. I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State a supplementary question. Can the Ministry actually do more in the area of greater awareness of fair employment best practises among employers, such as adopting similar like BizSafe framework, where senior executives of firms undergo structured training. And further to that, making it a requirement to attend such training first before one can participate in Government tenders, so that firms are clearly motivated to deepen knowledge in this particular area of fair best practices.”
“This is the best way to create more jobs, enhance wages and ensure our continued relevance in the global community. Therefore, I rise in support of the Motion standing in the name of the Minister for Finance.”
“” Tunity exemplifies actually what Prof Hoon Hian Teck shared earlier on the need for SMEs to evolve from technology imitation to technology innovation and how staying open has enabled SMEs to do so. In addition, Tunity has grown with their employees, done notable national projects, such as the National Gallery and National Heritage Board's inventory tracking systems, build intellectual property and, recently, secured another huge contract from another MNC in the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, they have worked closely with IMDA under the Company Led Training Programme to provide upskilling, training and employment to mature PMEs. This example of Tunity truly illustrates how participating in the global economy has helped them grow. And as Tunity grew, they contributed further to our economy and society, hired local PMEs, creating a positive virtuous cycle. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government has clearly done a lot for worker training to provide the skills to be relevant. Recent efforts to go further and enhance its powers to tackle workplace discrimination will go an even longer way in easing our workers’ minds on job security. This multi-pronged approach is important so that we can keep our borders open with confidence because our workforce is continually being prepared, ready and relevant. Singapore cannot live in fear of how the world is changing. There are movements which focus only on the downsides of globalisation and I believe this is not a healthy conversation. There will always be challenges and we must be sensitive to them. We should focus on how to mitigate these concerns by regularly evolving our systems, structures and policies to enable our workforce to compete confidently.”
“The benefits of these agreements ensure that Singapore, with our employers and our workers, are relevant in the global movement of economic activities which lead to value creation back home. It is, therefore, highly disingenuous for the PSP to simply focus on one or two components of a single FTA to create unnecessary anxieties, especially when it has been addressed in Parliament. Hence, I completely disagree and am not in support of the Motion standing in the name of Mr Leong Mun Wai. This is not about either the big picture or the small picture. But it is about the real and practical picture of how our workers make a living by Singapore remaining open to the world because we have been strengthening ourselves. Let me share an example. Tunity Technologies is a home-grown employer in the business of RFID technology. This employer benefited from many MNCs in Singapore during their inception through winning business contracts that enabled them to deepen their R&D from the revenue opportunity. In the words of Ms Lim Peck Hui, Managing Director of Tunity, and I quote: “Tunity is chosen by MNCs facing the most challenging and complex RFID projects. Some of the MNCs include ExxonMobil, Katoen Natie, NEC and we are currently working with some Chinese MNCs like Yonyou for collaboration. Such collaboration allows Tunity to develop more IPs to serve them and their clients which, in turn, strengthens our expertise, experience and capabilities. Some of the collaborations bring Tunity's solutions beyond Singapore which, by ourselves, would not have been made possible. This has helped us grow over the past 18 years.”
“By ensuring direct connectivity between employers' transformation and their employees' upskilling, rather than two separate activities, it maximises the return on investments for our grant schemes. There will be many details that need to be sorted out to make this happen. But I believe it would have a significant impact on how our workforce can see their training directly linked to their employers’ strategic direction. My final proposal is to recommend mandatory training hours per year and to couple it with enhanced absentee payroll support to assist employers and employees with resources to continue to stay ahead of the disruption curve. This will reiterate and complement the Government’s existing and ongoing SkillsFuture initiatives, ensuring our workforce is future-ready through upskilling and reskilling. With such a comprehensive suite of measures from skill investments to enhanced employer support and deeper legislative powers to reduce workplace discrimination, we can keep our borders open with confidence. To further mitigate the downsides of disruptions and the "work from anywhere" phenomenon, we need to grow and anchor jobs in Singapore. To do so, we need to grow and entrench employers. Being open and connected is critical for Singapore’s competitiveness because many of our employers can only succeed if Singapore is strategically plugged into the global flow of trade, investments and people. Our FTAs are purposefully crafted and executed to ensure that our employers and workers benefit from such connectivity. It allows employers to have access to overseas markets for their products and services; and it allows for our employers to also source for skills and technologies to accelerate their capabilities.”
“This is such an important step to ensure fairness in the workplace when it comes to hiring – another key component in enhancing our workers' job security. Employers and employees will now be assured that the Government takes this issue very seriously. In the spirit of continuous review and resolving the issue from all angles and addressing concerns upstream, I would like to suggest three more areas. The intent of these suggestions is to keep our people in jobs and create opportunities for progression. By doing so, we reduce the probability of displacement which creates greater distress for Singaporeans and considerably more resources for assistance. This approach is more sustainable for the Government, employers and employees. The first is to provide a degree of longevity for those schemes that were enhanced last year, thereby giving our workers and employers confidence that the Government understands that their transition will take time. This level of commitment will translate well to the enterprise level and workers will have assurance that help will not be pulled back too soon. So, I am pleased to hear earlier from Minister Lawrence Wong that MOF is considering this. If the Government could explore the possibility of committing to a five-year period for these newer schemes, it would be helpful. Building on that is my second proposal. I would like to suggest that existing Government schemes that support local employers to appoint consultancies, especially for business transformation, require the consultant to include relevant training for the employees in support of the identified strategies.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, even though we are in a much better position than a year ago, some Singaporeans continue to be anxious about their jobs as global uncertainty continues. During my regular home visit discussions with residents at Zhenghua as well as my meetings with industry, there are employers and employees who are even concerned if newly-learned skillsets are adequate in view of continued disruptions and technological advancement. Some residents who are self-employed shared with me their concerns that “Work From Home” now means “Work From Anywhere” and clients are starting to offshore services. The competition for jobs and opportunities is no longer confined to a geographical boundary. We are undergoing a significant transformation, and providing national clarity on what we are doing to emerge more competitive and relevant is essential. In my comments today I will be supporting the Motion that the Government has doubled down on our focus on workforce skills upgrading and job security; and this enables us to compete globally through strategic foreign trade agreements with greater confidence. The Government has been reviewing and enhancing several core training schemes. For instance, the Training Support Package and Absentee Payroll were enhanced. Over and above that, many other schemes, such as the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP), Place and Train Programme (PnT) and so on, were put in place. These were introduced to help support individuals and employers with skills upgrading opportunities that are directly linked to job placement. A few weeks ago, at the National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee announced that there will be a new tribunal for workplace discrimination and the further enhancement of legislative powers for TAFEP in the Employment Act.”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State two supplementary questions. With regard to firms' level of productivity, are there actually specific plans to ensure that firm-level productivity support dovetails with worker upskilling and not as two separate activities? The second supplementary question is with regard to LQS. Can the Ministry consider a predictable timeline for future adjustments so that employers can make reasonable financial projections, especially when they are entering or pricing fixed-price term tenders? [Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]”