Grace Fu Hai Yien
Singapore
“The Government takes a multi-pronged approach to address the disamenities from second-hand tobacco smoke. The National Environment Agency (NEA) works with Government agencies, Town Councils and community leaders to promote considerate behaviour and strengthen social norms.”
“The Government recently announced land-use changes in Lim Chu Kang to optimise our scarce land to meet our growing and evolving needs. We are at the initial planning stage and agencies are still working out the detailed development proposals.”
“Public Waste Collectors and Town Councils have trialled the collection and treatment of segregated food waste from households. However, participation rates are poor despite regular engagement and reminders.”
“The quality of incense offerings and the practice of burning incense are not regulated by law. Instead, the National Environment Agency (NEA) works with stakeholders, such as Town Councils, agencies and religious organisations, to encourage responsible burning of joss paper and incense.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) monitors public cleaning contractors through regular physical audits and remote monitoring, complemented by video analytics. NEA also regularly assesses the cleaning quality and outcomes of public cleaning contractors.”
“This question has been addressed in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment’s combined answer to Question Nos 15 to 18 on the Order Paper for 7 July 2026. [Please refer to "National Recycling Rates, Plans and Targets", Official Report, 7 July 2026, Vol 96, Issue 32, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
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“The quality of incense offerings and the practice of burning incense are not regulated by law. Instead, the National Environment Agency (NEA) works with stakeholders, such as Town Councils, agencies and religious organisations, to encourage responsible burning of joss paper and incense. Based on NEA's ambient air quality monitoring, the burning of incense offerings does not have a discernible impact on the overall air quality. As the burning of incense offerings and joss paper can cause localised disamenities, we encourage members of the public to be considerate when carrying out such practices.”
“Public Waste Collectors and Town Councils have trialled the collection and treatment of segregated food waste from households. However, participation rates are poor despite regular engagement and reminders. Implementing systems, such as RFID-based tracking and charging at the individual household level, is also challenging given the prevalence of high-rise living and common waste chute system in Singapore. Nevertheless, we will continue to review international practices and review our approach to reduce food waste. We encourage all households to buy only what they need and can consume before expiry, to reduce the amount of food waste generated.”
“This question has been addressed in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment’s combined answer to Question Nos 15 to 18 on the Order Paper for 7 July 2026. [Please refer to "National Recycling Rates, Plans and Targets", Official Report, 7 July 2026, Vol 96, Issue 32, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“Of the 790,000 tonnes of food waste generated in 2025, 18% was recycled, while the remaining 82% was disposed of and incinerated. Food that is rescued or redistributed is not reflected in our food waste statistics.”
“The Government takes a multi-pronged approach to address the disamenities from second-hand tobacco smoke. The National Environment Agency (NEA) works with Government agencies, Town Councils and community leaders to promote considerate behaviour and strengthen social norms. This includes putting up posters or reminders in residential estates and issuing advisories to surrounding residential units where feedback on second-hand tobacco smoke is received. These advisories encourage smokers to be considerate to their family members and neighbours, and direct smokers to smoking cessation resources produced by the Health Promotion Board. Where there is smoking in restricted areas of residential blocks, NEA will also take necessary enforcement actions. We will continue to encourage community-driven efforts to promote considerate behaviour and work with relevant agencies and stakeholders on appropriate approaches to reduce the public's exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) monitors public cleaning contractors through regular physical audits and remote monitoring, complemented by video analytics. NEA also regularly assesses the cleaning quality and outcomes of public cleaning contractors. The cleaning frequency of public areas may be adjusted to account for the cleaning needs of individual areas and the time of year, in order to achieve the desired cleanliness outcomes. Where non-compliance or service lapses are identified, the cleaning contractors will be issued default points that translate into financial penalties.”
“The National Environment Agency partners with the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the National Fire and Emergency Preparedness Council to regularly engage and educate stall operators in hawker centres, including cooked food stallholders, on how to prevent and respond to fire emergencies.”
“The Government recently announced land-use changes in Lim Chu Kang to optimise our scarce land to meet our growing and evolving needs. We are at the initial planning stage and agencies are still working out the detailed development proposals. Agencies will assess the potential environmental impact of the proposed development when details, such as the proposed development footprint, intensity and scope of works, are available. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) will be conducted if there is potentially significant environmental impact. If an EIA is conducted, the findings will be carefully considered in consultation with nature groups and community stakeholders and made publicly available so the public can provide feedback.”
“To promote environmental stewardship and keep our shared spaces clean, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) supports its agencies and partners to carry out community clean-up activities. The Public Hygiene Council (PHC), for instance, has been working with community groups, schools and businesses to organise clean-up activities under the Keep Singapore Clean movement. Based on data tracked by PHC, more than 1,600 clean-ups were conducted at recreational beaches and surrounding park areas each year in the past few years. This includes clean-ups organised by PHC, as well as those coordinated and facilitated by PHC for communities and ground-up groups. Community groups may apply to the SG Eco Fund for support to organise such activities. One such recipient, Stridy, has logged over a million pieces of litter picked in Singapore since 2023. To better assess the impact of their efforts, organisers are encouraged to quantify and track the amount of litter collected. MSE will continue to work with agencies and partners to amplify the reach and impact of clean-up activities.”
“Energy conservation is a national effort. Everyone can play their part in strengthening Singapore's energy resilience.”
“Energy conservation is key to supporting Singapore's sustainability efforts. Our Singapore Green Plan 2030 includes targets to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption. The Government has introduced several more schemes and national campaigns to encourage energy conservation and improve energy efficiency in recent years. The enhanced Climate Friendly Households Programme (CFHP) was launched in 2024, allowing eligible households to claim $400 worth of Climate Vouchers to purchase energy-efficient household appliances. In 2025, the Go 25 national movement was started to encourage businesses and residents to set the standard indoor air-conditioning temperature at 25˚C to avoid overcooling and reduce energy use. In response to the Middle East conflict, the Government has stepped up efforts and public communications. In April 2026, the Energy Efficiency Grant (EEG) Base Tier was expanded to all sectors to encourage more businesses to adopt energy efficient equipment. A call to action was also launched to encourage businesses and households to take five simple steps to conserve energy, including staying cool with fans and choosing energy efficient appliances and greener commutes. The Government has taken the lead in national energy conservation efforts. Since April 2026, the public sector has stepped up energy conservation measures, building on existing measures implemented over the years. They include reducing operating hours of air-conditioning and lighting and setting air-conditioning temperature at 25 degrees. This has resulted in estimated monthly energy savings of about 5% compared to FY24 consumption levels, equivalent to powering around 50,000 4-room Housing and Development Board flats, and cost savings of around $6.3 million a month.”
“Improper disposal of waste in residential areas, including bulky waste items, constitutes a littering offence under the Environmental Public Health Act 1987. From 2020 to 2025, the National Environment Agency (NEA) received an average of about 4,500 feedback per year for improper disposal of bulky waste. NEA takes a multi-pronged approach to deter improper waste disposal in residential areas. This includes working with Town Councils, which manage the cleaning of the Housing and Development Board estates, to educate residents on proper disposal practices. Town Councils may also deploy larger bins for residents to dispose of their bulky waste. Residents may check with their Town Councils if they provide free removal for certain number of bulky items each month. For persistent hotspots, NEA may deploy surveillance cameras for enforcement purposes. NEA tracks the effectiveness of these measures through feedback trends, enforcement numbers and recurrence rates at identified hotspots.”
“The Singapore Food Agency and PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency, monitor the level of microplastics in our food and across the water loop, including in our reservoirs and seawater used in desalination. Data shows that the level of microplastics in these sources remains low or undetectable. As microplastics can be produced from the breakdown of larger plastic debris, my Ministry implements measures to reduce plastic waste generation and prevent its leakage into the environment. These include a robust waste management system and strict anti-littering enforcement, complemented by "3P" (People, Public and Private) engagement programmes. Nevertheless, my Ministry is closely monitoring international discussions and scientific studies on this topic. Singapore will continue to take an evidence-based approach and review our policies as scientific understanding and international best practices evolve.”
“The Heat Stress Advisory was launched in July 2023 to provide simple tips for the public to plan their prolonged outdoor activities based on prevailing heat stress levels. Heat stress information is available on the myENV application. We have observed higher engagements with the application's heat stress feature during the hot season from March to May each year when heat stress risks are elevated. The Meteorological Service Singapore has expanded its network of Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature sensors from nine in 2023 to 27 today and will install more sensors islandwide to give the public more location-specific heat stress information through the myENV application. Additionally, we will explore enhancements to improve the myENV application's usability and accessibility. Agencies have also adapted the Heat Stress Advisory for sector-specific needs. This includes the Ministry of Manpower's heat stress framework for outdoor work, the Ministry of Education's guidelines for schools to ensure the safety and well-being of students amid the hot weather, and the Ministry of Health's heatwave response framework for healthcare institutions and eldercare facilities to better manage heat stress risks for both staff and patients.”
“The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has been supporting aquaculture farms, including traditional sea-based farms, to grow food in a more productive, resource-efficient and climate-resilient manner. All aquaculture farms can tap on the Agri-Food Cluster Transformation Fund 2, which had a new tranche of funding of S$70 million, to adopt farming technologies and systems and defray equipment costs. The SFA is also supporting aquaculture farms to adopt newer technologies through conducting demonstration projects to showcase their viability. Furthermore, SFA has invested in research and development to drive research in areas, such as sustainable tropical aquaculture. Research outcomes are translated into practical benefits through SFA's National Broodstock Centre and Hatchery Development and Recognition Programme, which supply our farms with high quality fingerlings that grow faster and survive better. To better prevent and control diseases, SFA implemented the Aquatic Animal Health Services to provide farms with funded veterinary consultations. As water quality is critical for sea-based farms, SFA's Aquaculture Sensing Network and Harmful Algal Bloom Prediction Model will provide farms with timely warnings to minimise stock losses. In addition, SFA has been working with the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation Limited to aggregate supply and demand of local produce, including locally farmed seafood, so as to facilitate long-term commercial contracts between farmers and retailers, as well as food businesses.”
“Smoking is prohibited in pavilions within the common property of residential premises, which are intended to be used for holding funerals, weddings, gatherings, meetings or other communal or social functions. My Ministry will continue to monitor public feedback and consider the Member's suggestion as we continue to review the smoking prohibition regulations.”
“Our reservoirs and waterways form part of our critical water infrastructure in ensuring water security, water quality and flood alleviation. Given Singapore's land scarcity, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) has also made suitable areas available to the public for recreational uses, such as fishing, provided that these primary objectives are not compromised. Many parts of our reservoirs and waterways have inherent hazards, with steep and slippery embankments, as well as fast-rising and fast-moving waters. Safety is, therefore, the key consideration when assessing whether to allow fishing in specific locations. Besides the safety of anglers, we must also make sure that fishing does not risk the safety of members of the public. For example, the casting of fishing lines with hooks could endanger those engaged in water-based activities, such as kayaking and dragon boating. Information on designated fishing areas and responsible fishing practices are accessible on the PUB and the National Parks Board websites. PUB has also posted educational content highlighting how illegal fishing can jeopardise public safety on social media, to better engage youths.”
“The Singapore Standard on the Code of Practice for Water Services stipulates the requirements for all plumbing systems. This is a national standard on water services, drawn up and reviewed regularly in consultation with engineering professionals, members of the industries and relevant Government agencies. The Code does not specify a minimum water pressure and there are no plans to change this because water pressure varies significantly across locations, building heights, pipe configurations and usage patterns. Instead, professional engineers work closely with developers, architects and building owners to design water systems tailored to each development to ensure adequate water pressure and supply. At the national level, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) maintains water pressure that can adequately supply water directly to fittings not exceeding 25 metres above mean sea level. Correspondingly, the Code requires those with water fittings higher than 25 metres above mean sea level to be served by indirect supply from water storage tanks. For the Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks, these tanks are situated at the rooftop and maintained by the Town Councils. Over the last five years, PUB received an average of 75 cases of feedback per month on low water pressure from HDB units, with this monthly average figure remaining largely the same through the years. Most of the incidents of low water pressure are due to localised issues, such as stoppage of pumps, partially closed service valves or blockages in older service pipes or fittings.”
“Mr Speaker, I believe that my question has addressed the first part of Ms He's supplementary questions, which is, really, the impact of climate change resulting in global water scarcity and its impact on water supply. In Singapore, I would like to think that we have planned ahead, and we are always looking at the impact of climate change, as I have mentioned in my answer, and incorporating the impact of climate change in our long-term planning for our water infrastructure. With regard to cost of energy, it is definitely a driver that we have always paid attention to. We have looked at ways to reduce our energy efficiency for water treatment. In fact, we set that as our goal so that our PUB colleagues will focus their attention on always searching for new technology that will reduce the overall costs of producing water, including energy. And, of course, it has been exacerbated by recent events in Middle East, but that does not change our long-term focus on bringing down the costs of producing water, including the use of energy.”
“Mr Speaker, PUB continues to plan ahead and invest in water infrastructure to meet future demand, taking into account economic and population growth as well as the impact of climate change. We have diversified our water supply through the "Four National Taps". These include desalinated water and NEWater, which are weather-resilient sources that strengthen our water security amid the effects of climate change.”
“Site prioritisation for Wolbachia expansion is based on the assessed dengue risk of the area, which includes factors, such as the historical dengue situation, current Aedes aegypti mosquito population and the size and landscape of the area. The National Environment Agency will continue to monitor the dengue situation and update stakeholders on any new release areas for Project Wolbachia.”
“We thank the Member for the suggestion. The myENV application currently shows the prevailing heat stress levels and the heat stress advisory in English. In subsequent updates, we will incorporate features and formats to improve usability for users of different demographic groups. We will also consider introducing multilingual features to improve the application's accessibility.”
“Source-segregated recycling initiatives complement the commingled blue bin system under the National Recycling Programme. We are encouraged that community partners, such as Public Waste Collectors, non-profit organisations and Town Councils have come forward to trial these initiatives, such as the Recycling Hub in Queenstown, which uses smart recycling bins to aggregate clean stream recyclables. These efforts further encourage proper recycling behaviour at the local level. Source-segregated recycling also takes place at the national level via initiatives, such as the extended producer responsibility schemes for e-waste and beverage containers, where producers are responsible for collecting and recycling their products at end-of-life. We will continue to encourage and support ground-up initiatives, such as segregated bins to strengthen our recycling ecosystem, by partnering with the community and industry stakeholders on localised solutions to improve recycling.”
“We encourage pet owners to be civic-minded and considerate. Pet owners should water down or wash off pet urination to keep public spaces clean and prevent bad smells and stains where practicable. There are currently no plans to mandate pet owners to clean up after pet urination.”
“We have no plans to release water sales statistics by industry.”
“The Government is committed to supporting Singapore-based companies of all sizes in the transition to a low-carbon economy. We do this through measures that are funded by several revenue sources, including carbon tax revenue. We tailor solutions to support businesses, recognising that smaller firms may require greater assistance to undertake capital-intensive investments. For example, under the Energy Efficiency Grant, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) receive up to 70% support for the adoption of pre-approved energy efficient equipment, compared to up to 30% for non-SMEs. The Government recently announced that the Energy Efficiency Grant (Base Tier) will be expanded from six eligible sectors to all sectors and extended to 31 March 2028 to better help our companies adopt energy efficient equipment. The Enterprise Development Grant for Sustainability also helps fund up to 70% of sustainability projects for SMEs, which could include resource optimisation projects that help them decarbonise. Singapore's carbon tax is part of a suite of mitigation measures that support the transition to a low-carbon economy. The Government regularly publishes verified emission and carbon tax revenue figures.”
“The Government channels carbon tax revenue towards facilitating the development of decarbonisation solutions which require significant capital investment and supporting businesses' shift to new low-carbon and more energy efficient solutions. Expenditures on decarbonisation and energy efficient solutions, thus far, comprise almost a quarter of carbon tax revenue collected since 2019. This includes support for manufacturing facilities and data centres under the Resource Efficiency Grant for Emissions (REG(E)), for them to undertake eligible projects that improve their energy efficiency and reduce emissions. We expect expenditures on decarbonisation to increase to support the implementation of future decarbonisation measures that are currently still in development and catalyse the development of nascent low-carbon technologies. The tracking of the collection and expenditure of the carbon tax revenue is managed internally by the relevant Government agencies, like other taxes and fees. There is no intention to set up a separate tracking mechanism.”
“The Fort Canning Service Reservoir stores treated drinking water before it is piped to consumers. As such, it is a protected area that cannot be opened for public access and leisure activities.”
“I thank Members for their sustained interest in the Return Right Beverage Container Return Scheme, which commenced on 1 April this year. All 1,070 reverse vending machines (RVMs) that were planned for the initial roll-out have been deployed and are operational. This will increase to around 2,000 RVMs within the first year of implementation. Each machine has an energy consumption rate that is lower than a drink vending machine. As the scheme was launched just over a month ago, it is premature to draw any conclusions on the performance and effectiveness of the scheme. As there is a six-month transition period, the volume of containers returned in April is expectedly small. We anticipate the volume to increase significantly in July and August, when more labelled regulated beverages are introduced into the market. There are no plans for the RVMs to accept non-labelled containers during the transition, as this could lead to greater confusion among the public. In the meantime, we encourage everyone to recycle beverage containers without the deposit mark using our blue bins. We will continue to work with the scheme operator, BCRS Ltd, to fine-tune and improve the implementation of the scheme.”
“We must expect that the increase in energy, shipping and fertiliser costs due to the developments in the Middle East will translate to higher global prices for various commodities, including food. Last month, the Government announced broad-based support measures for households and businesses. These will help to cushion some of these cost pressures. We will continue to monitor developments and stand ready to do more if the situation worsens.”
“The ongoing disruption to global fertiliser supply chains due to the Middle East conflict has not had any significant impact on our food supply yet. Nonetheless, if the disruption continues, reduced application of fertilisers could translate to lower agricultural yield globally in future crop cycles. This may, in turn, adversely affect animal feed production, which are formulated from food crops, such as corn and wheat, and lead to potential downstream global production constraints for animal proteins. We, therefore, cannot rule out some eventual disruption to global and local food supply. The Government is monitoring our food supply situation closely. We stand ready to leverage our food security pillars of diversification, global partnerships, local production and stockpiling efforts when required. In addition, since the start of this Middle East conflict, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has stepped up efforts to further strengthen our resilience. First, we have been engaging importers and retailers to share with them information on possible risks to food supply, so that they may ready alternative supply lines and prepare for possible disruptions. Second, we have recently approved new sources of meat and meat products, such as from Latvia, Lithuania, Greece and Peru. Third, SFA has also been closely engaging local farms to understand the impact of the conflict on their operations and are looking at ways to support local farms in managing production costs and weathering this crisis, building on recently announced efforts, like the Agri-Food Cluster Transformation Fund 2. At the same time, our supply resilience strategies cannot fully insulate us from food inflation caused by structural global factors.”
“The objective of the disposable carrier bag charge is to nudge consumers to reduce the excessive use of disposable carrier bags. The disposable carrier bag charge has helped supermarket operators achieve a 70% to 80% reduction in the number of bags issued at their supermarket outlets. Merchants, including supermarket operators, incur costs in providing disposable carrier bags for their customers. Many merchants already charge for such bags on their own accord, either as part of their sustainability initiative or as a commercial decision. To avoid disadvantaging the supermarket operators, the National Environment Agency has decided not to mandate specific uses for proceeds collected through the implementation of the disposable carrier bag charge. Supermarket operators who are obligated to implement the disposable carrier bag charge are required to publish information annually on the number of disposable carrier bags supplied, amount of proceeds collected and how the proceeds are used. This ensures transparency and public accountability. Thus far, the large majority of proceeds collected has been channelled towards environmental or social causes, including initiatives to support lower-income families. The proceeds have also allowed some supermarket operators to embark on sustainability projects. The Government will continue to monitor the use of proceeds by the supermarket operators and encourage them to channel the proceeds to environmental or social causes.”
“The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) adopts a science-based risk management approach to inspection, sampling and testing. On average, eight infant formula products are tested monthly for contaminants with no related recalls between 2019 and 2025. Prior to the detection of cereulide in infant formula products that triggered global recalls in January 2026, these tests did not include cereulide as it is an uncommon contaminant in infant formula products. There are also currently no international standards by Codex Alimentarius, the international food standards setting body, on the acceptable level for cereulide in infant formula products. Since early this year, SFA has conducted market surveillance of infant formula products sold at major retail outlets in Singapore, stepped up the testing of cereulide and recalled affected products. SFA will continue to monitor developments and adjust our sampling and testing strategy accordingly to ensure the safety of infant formula products available in Singapore.”
“Improper disposal of rechargeable batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries and power banks in the municipal waste stream can pose fire risks. The National Environment Agency (NEA) works closely with other organisations, such as the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the Town Councils, to develop preventive measures and monitor fire incidents. The public is reminded to recycle these items via the extended producer responsibility scheme for e-waste operated by ALBA E-Waste Smart Recycling Pte Ltd. Since July 2025, NEA stepped up public education efforts on proper handling of lithium-ion batteries and power banks for recycling. This includes the distribution of posters with messages on proper handling of batteries to Town Councils. The public is advised to tape the ends of rechargeable batteries and seal any leaking batteries in leak-proof containers or bags before placing them into designated e-waste bins. For damaged rechargeable batteries and high-capacity batteries, such as those from electric mobility devices, that pose a higher risk of fire, the public should recycle them through ALBA's e-waste collection drives, directly at ALBA's depot or by contacting ALBA for doorstep collection. We will continue to monitor the incidence of fires and assess whether further measures are necessary.”
“The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has been working with the industry to enhance demand offtake for local produce, including by facilitating access to overseas markets. SFA has made available on its website a library of export market requirements, which supports farms looking to export their produce by providing relevant information on the import requirements of different countries and regions. Farms can also leverage the Singapore brand and our food safety recognition to position their produce for overseas markets. In addition, SFA works closely with other Government agencies, industry associations, such as the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation and international partners to enhance market access for local produce. For example, in 2024, Singapore signed protocols with China to allow six species of locally farmed fish to be sold there, allowing local farms to access China's vast market. Businesses, including local farms, that are keen to internationalise can also tap on Enterprise Singapore's schemes, such as the Market Readiness Assistance Grant, to defray the cost of overseas market promotion, business development and set-up, as well as the Enterprise Development Grant to upgrade, innovate and transform their business.”
“Singapore's water loss rate for our potable water network is reported in the Public Utilities Board's (PUB's) Annual and Sustainability Report. In 2025, Singapore achieved a water loss rate of 7.2%, which is among the lowest in the world. In the same year, there were six cases of damaged pipes arising from activities at land transport-related construction sites. To reduce the risk of damages to water pipes, since 2023, PUB has required contractors to GPS tag certain machinery to monitor high-risk works that take place near PUB's critical pipelines.”
“The Government has put in place a multi-agency heatwave response plan which is coordinated by the Mercury Task Force. This plan will be activated when the Meteorological Service Singapore forecasts a heatwave. The plan includes the opening of cooling centres islandwide where members of the public can seek respite from the heat, stepped up public communications on recommended actions to minimise heat-related injuries and targeted support for various segments of the population especially those who face greater heat stress risk. These build on ongoing initiatives to manage heat stress for members of the public and specific population segments like outdoor workers. Ahead of every hot season from March to May each year, Mercury Task Force agencies refresh their plans and ensure that stakeholders in their respective sectors are familiar with heat stress management protocols and heatwave response measures. In Singapore, a heatwave is declared when the daily maximum temperature averaged across all weather stations is at least 35oC for three consecutive days, and the average daily mean temperature throughout the period is at least 29oC. This definition remains relevant in our current climate.”
“At launch, the public can obtain a refund of their 10-cent deposits for eligible beverage containers at over 1,000 Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) across Singapore. RVMs will be located at larger supermarkets and locations which are publicly accessible and have high footfall, such as void decks of HDB blocks and some hawker centres, and 90% of residents in HDB housing estates will live within a five-minute walk to one of these return points. The number of return points will be doubled to 2,000 within the first year of implementation. The additional 1,000 RVMs will be located based on return patterns and feedback from the community and other stakeholders. The scheme operator, BCRS Ltd., will take the Member's suggestion into consideration.”
“The improvement in productivity of Singapore's aquaculture sector reflects both farm exits and gains in farm productivity. The 2025 data will be published later this year as part of the Singapore Food Statistics 2025.”
“The aggregated contamination rate for recycling bins and chutes under the National Recycling Programme has remained at about 40% since 2018. The National Environment Agency has implemented a range of efforts to address the issue of contaminated recyclables. These include sustained public education and outreach efforts, such as the Recycle Right campaign. We have also expanded the collection of clean stream recyclables through the extended producer responsibility schemes for e-waste and beverage containers. We welcome ground-up initiatives by community partners to explore alternative approaches to recycling and will review the effectiveness of such measures. We aim to reduce the contamination rate as much as possible. We are monitoring the results of ongoing efforts to improve recycling outcomes and ask that everyone exercise collective responsibility to minimise contamination in our recycling bins and chutes.”
“Singapore sets maximum exhaust noise levels for both new and in-use vehicles which are aligned with international standards, such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Standards. These levels have been progressively tightened over time. Setting different limits for day- and night-time may not be practical, as vehicle noise characteristics are independent of time of day. The National Environment Agency (NEA) takes action against noisy vehicles through joint enforcement blitzes with other Agencies at or near our checkpoints, and targeted enforcement operations on our roads based on public feedback. Since 2023, the coverage and frequency of these efforts have increased. NEA will continue to monitor public feedback to assess whether standards should be adjusted or foreseen enforcement action is required. We will also explore the use of technologies to facilitate enforcement against noisy vehicles.”
“Since July 2016, the National Environment Agency has required Land Traffic Noise Impact Assessments to be conducted for: (a) new residential and noise-sensitive developments located near existing land traffic noise hotspots, such as new hospitals near existing expressways, as well as (b) new major land transport infrastructure located near existing residential and noise-sensitive developments, such as new above-ground MRT tracks near existing residential premises. This ensures that vehicle noise affecting nearby residential receptors is appropriately mitigated at the land use planning and design stage. To reduce noise disamenities to residents near major roads and expressways in existing developments, the Land Transport Authority works with relevant agencies to implement appropriate noise mitigation measures, such as low-noise pavement mix, noise barriers and vegetation, where feasible.”
“While rising energy prices increase the Public Utilities Board's (PUB's) operating costs to produce and supply water, particularly for desalinated water and NEWater which are more energy-intensive, the near-term cost impact is moderated as PUB has fixed-rate contracts for part of its electricity supply. We regularly review the water price to ensure that it reflects the cost of supplying the next drop of water, while exploring technologies to bring down the energy intensity of our processes. The Government also provides targeted support for eligible households in the form of U-Save rebates to help offset utilities expenses.”
“The Singapore Food Agency's (SFA's) focus has been on tracking farm productivity and helping farmers achieve higher levels of productivity, rather than specifically tracking whether graduates from aquaculture programmes join farms. While we do not track graduates' employment outcomes, SFA works with local institutes of higher learning (IHLs), such as Temasek Polytechnic and Republic Polytechnic, to develop aquaculture capability within our local farming workforce. This includes shaping programme curricula and facilitating industry internships. SFA also projects manpower needs based on industry developments, such as farm openings, potential scale-ups and recruitment plans of existing farms and provides regular inputs to IHLs and relevant Government agencies, such as the Ministry of Education, to inform adjustments to programme intakes for related fields of studies.”
“The second category will comprise Prescribed Places bound by two boundary lines, the Absolute Protection Boundary on the landward side of the area, and Protection Boundary on the seaward side. These places are known as "Transiently Floodable Areas (Coastal)". These need to be protected against permanent flooding but need not be protected against transient coastal flooding.”
“The second category will comprise Prescribed Places bound by two boundary lines, the Absolute Protection Boundary on the landward side of the area, and Protection Boundary on the seaward side. These places are known as "Transiently Floodable Areas (Coastal)". These need not be protected against permanent flooding but need to be protected against transient coastal flooding. [Please refer to "Coastal Protection and Other Amendments Bill", Official Report, 6 March 2026, Vol 96, Issue 26, Second Reading Bills section.] [(proc text) Written statement by Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien circulated with the leave of the Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order No 29(5). (proc text)] I wish to make the following factual correction to my speech given during the Second Reading of the Coastal Protection and Other Amendments Bill at the Sitting of 6 March 2026. My speech should read as follows:”
“The National Environment Agency publishes the evaluation criteria and the respective weightages for Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centre management tenders in the tender documents on the Government Electronic Business portal.”
“AquaPolis was established by the Singapore Food Agency, the National University of Singapore and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory. It brings together researchers and industry players to drive innovation, develop talent and speed up the use of new technologies for Singapore's aquaculture sector. Since inception, AquaPolis has launched an industry consortium platform to promote knowledge sharing and collaboration between industry players and researchers through conferences and workshops as well as to translate AquaPolis' research and development (R&D) outcomes into practical solutions that boost production. AquaPolis has also secured a budget of $18.5 million for a three-year R&D programme, starting from November 2025 to lower production costs and to continue to improve the quality of locally produced Asian seabass. For example, an ongoing R&D on seabass broodstock that are parasite-resistant could result in higher quality fingerlings for the industry.”
“So, we also need to have some boundary, and so the Absolute Protection Boundary is set after due consideration. Where would be the appropriate line to be drawn so that we minimise the impact on the environment, so we maximise the protection of properties and lives – because that is the trade off that we are balancing. We want to be friendly to the environment, but at the same time we have to ensure that that is still an absolute boundary that is absolutely critical, crucial for the protection of our properties, our homes, our cars, our businesses and our lives. Trade-offs have to be made, it is not an easy process, but we have done so already with many groups over several rounds, and we believe that we have come to a process that is useful for all parties, all parties – Government, people, users, sports users, recreation users, environmental activists – to come to a compromised position. 4.50 pm”
“Indeed so, Mr Speaker. We place a lot of emphasis on engaging the community, the local community. Earlier on, Ms Cassandra Lee talked about how businesses in her constituency have been consulted – that is really a reflection of the amount of effort and work that PUB colleagues have put in to reach out, to contact and to meet up and to have deep discussions about the obligations and the options. Similarly, we have done so as we move from region to region, conducting site-specific studies, engaging local community, local businesses as well as nature groups, different nature groups, from those that are interested in plant materials to those who are interested in corals, we want to reach out as widely as possible. Having done so over the last few years, I think we have created a good network among interested parties. And the stakeholders, important stakeholders have come forward and participated fully in the process, moving from region to region, as we finish one, we move onto another one. You have seen the design reflecting the collective thinking on what is optimal for the country. So, where it is possible, we build tidal gates at the coastal area in Sentosa, in Keppel Bay, so that we can keep the coastline as pleasant as it is now. We can keep the movements of boats and also we can minimise the impact on the maritime environment. At the same time, we have also moved back the boundary lines in some cases, allowing some transient flooding to occur at Sungei Buloh, really after having long discussions. Because I think the nature groups, having done these extensive discussions with us for many sessions, going through the options deeply, they understand also. If Singapore is flooded, it is difficult for us to protect other things around us.”