Indranee Rajah
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, I would like to make a clarification in relation to two written answers on childcare leave issued by the Prime Minister's Office on 25 September 2025 and 3 February 2026 in response to Parliamentary Questions filed by Members of Parliament Ms Cassandra Lee and Ms Valerie Lee respectively.”
“Based on Year of Assessment (YA) 2025 data, about 9,500 working mothers claimed a lower amount of Working Mother's Child Relief (WCMR) under the fixed-dollar basis than they would have under the previous percentage-based basis, for children born or adopted on or after 1 January 2024.”
“We regularly receive feedback on enhancing child-related leave provisions, including the Member's suggestion. In recent years, parental leave provisions have been significantly enhanced, such that parents now have 30 weeks of paid leave, including 10 weeks of Shared Parental Leave.”
“The Government does not have data on the number of transactions involving multiple units on a single residential title that have not been subdivided. Such properties are treated as a single property for Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) purposes when it is bought, so no ABSD is foregone.”
“The Government publishes data on personal income tax, which is publicly available on www.data.gov.sg. This includes data on the number of course fees relief claimants and the amount of the relief granted. The Member may refer to the website to access the data for the first three questions.”
“In considering the duration of leave, we will look at the need. In this case, as I have explained, there is a difference between those who give birth physically to a child and those who adopt.”
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“In fact, this question should have been brought up during the Budget because then it would have given the Government the opportunity to explain the position. But in summary, we all know, we are so badly constrained, because of COVID-19, we already have to go into actual reserves, we have to dip into actual reserves. It is no longer just a question of taking from income on the reserves. We are squeezed on the corporate tax front. Because of the economic situation, you can have a scenario where even your personal income tax is going to be affected. So, GST is one of the options that we have, but because we know that GST does have an impact on the lower income and the vulnerable, we take steps to deal with that. So, as the Deputy Prime Minister explained earlier, actually 60% of our GST revenue comes from tourists and from the higher income. But we do know that middle income and lower income are affected, which is why we set aside the $6 billion Assurance Package, which will effectively buffer the majority of Singaporeans for five years against the increase and the lower income for 10 years. And with respect to the last question, I think, whether when we look at our reserve position – we have already explained all of that in the Budget statement and Round-up speeches; it is not necessary for me to go into that. But essentially, our formula for spending of the returns is a fair one – 50% of returns. It is no magic to this formula but it is a fair formula: 50% for today's generation and another 50% for tomorrow's generation.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his clarification. He opened by saying that we had discussed this topic during the Budget. Actually, we had not. During the Budget, the Workers' Party, touched peripherally on the Budget. I believe Mr Louis Chua mentioned land sales. But what the Workers' Party did not say during the Budget debate, was what they had said in their social media post. In their social media post, what they had actually said was that: "the Government says that the Government expects a deficit of $11 billion" and they said the deficit should only be $3.5 billion. So, effectively, in their social media post, what they are really saying is that the Government is not setting out the correct fiscal position. The Government has set out the correct fiscal position. We do expect in this year, a deficit of $11 billion and we have explained why. So, essentially, in the social media post, what the Workers' Party had done was to point just to cash surpluses. And as I explained earlier, you cannot look just at cash surpluses to understand the fiscal position. You also need to look whether or not all of that constitutes revenue under our budgeting rules. And as for the reasons that I explained earlier, it does not. So, that was the first point that I wanted to respond to the Member Mr Louis Chua. Then, the second point that he raised I think – well, he went through quite a lot of things but I think that the question that he ultimately came back to was, is the raising of GST the best option? I think after going through what the IMF said and so on, that was the question, and is it time to look at the NIRC formula again? This has been explained in some detail by the Deputy Prime Minister during the Budget.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his supplementary question. The Government seeks to run a balanced Budget over the term of government by spending prudently within the limits of its annual revenues and any accumulated surpluses. The Government has generally adhered to this in line with the Constitutional requirement. In general, this means that we avoid running deficits early in the term of government. This is not only to avoid a draw on past reserves, which should be reserved for exceptional situations, it also helps the Government to preserve fiscal headroom to deal with unexpected spending needs during its term of government. However, in the event of a major crisis, the Government is prepared to run a deficit and seek a draw on past reserves regardless of which part of the term it happens to be in. And that is exactly what we have done this year because we have been facing one of the biggest crises of all. This year, the first full financial year of this term of government, we sought and obtained the President's approval to draw up to $11 billion for the continued fight against COVID-19. If and when we have unexpected surpluses, we have used them in three ways. First, we share some of the surpluses with Singaporeans. In financial year (FY) 2018, we distributed up to $300 per Singaporean through the SG Bonus following an exceptional surplus in FY2017 due to unexpected market movements that resulted in higher Statutory Board contributions from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). Second, we save for anticipated future needs such as the Railway Infrastructure Fund and the Coastal and Flood Protection Fund. Last, any unutilised fiscal space becomes part of past reserves, which is invested and supports future spending needs via the NIRC.”
“In a tight fiscal situation, this Parliament will not be able to avoid having to make difficult decisions. We will have to choose between what may be popular and what is right. This will require political courage. Mr Speaker, let me conclude by thanking Members for their active participation over the past weeks and for their support for Budget 2021. On behalf of the House, I would also like to thank you, Mr Speaker and your deputies for presiding with great stamina over the proceedings. You have taken pains, Mr Speaker, to be fair and even-handed to Members of Parliament on both sides of the House. We are also grateful to the Clerk of Parliament, the Parliament Secretariat and the staff for their support behind the scenes. Members should be aware that for every late night spent in the Chamber, the Parliamentary staff have to stay even later to ensure that all is in order for the next day's proceedings. [Applause.] A big thank you also to the translators who have had to follow the speeches in two languages simultaneously. [Applause.] And I would also like to express our thanks to the teams from Speedoc Pte Ltd, BGC Group Ptd Ltd and Chye Thiam Maintenance Ptd Ltd who – if you are wondering what they did – facilitated the smooth running of the Antigen Rapid Testing in Parliament. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. 4.07 pm”
“Mr Liang Eng Hwa also suggested funding economic investments to help us emerge stronger through one off special purpose borrowing. The Government will study the suggestion. For recurrent expenditure, however, the Government reiterated that it should be funded through recurrent revenue. Even before COVID-19, we had already signalled the need to raise GST to fund the anticipated structural increase in healthcare spending correlated to an ageing population. As these structural trends remain unchanged, the GST raise remains on the cards with the exact timing subject to the economic outlook. Alternatives such as wealth taxes were proposed and discussed. Some Opposition Members of Parliament suggested tapping on land sales proceeds, or using 100% of the NIR instead of 50%, both of which essentially involve using more of our reserves. Deputy Prime Minister Heng addressed these, explaining the need for fiscal prudence in order to ensure fiscal sustainability. He reiterated the Government's commitment to help our people manage the impact of the GST rate increase through: first, enhancement of the permanent GST voucher scheme when the GST rate is raised; second, the $6 billion Assurance Package to offset the GST increase which will effectively delay the GST rate increase for the majority of Singaporean households for five years and 10 years, for lower income Singaporeans; and third, keeping our overall taxes and transfer system fair and progressive. Mr Speaker, while we are in agreement on the fiscal approach for Budget 2021 based on what Opposition Ministers of Parliament have said on GST, I rather suspect we may have to debate this issue again at a future time. I wish only to leave Members with this thought: if we want to do more for our people, we will have to spend more.”
“The women Members of Parliament rose to the occasion – quite literally – by standing to speak in sisterhood on women's issues. They canvassed ideas to support women in their career and parenthood aspirations, as well as their care-giving responsibilities. We will also be having the Conversations on Women's Development, with a view to a White Paper later this year, as mentioned by Minister of State Sun Xueling. In this Budget, we also signalled clearly that the little red dot has a big green agenda. Climate change adaptation and sustainability have taken the forefront in our plans for the future. These have been consolidated into the Singapore Green Plan 2030, which was debated in the joint segment in the Committee of Supply as execution will be across different ministries. We were agreed on future plans and the need to do more to support Singaporeans. At the same time, all these good things need to be paid for. Hence, a crucial part of the debate was on our fiscal strategy. We began the financial year with a deficit following a year that saw the largest deficit in our history due to circumstances beyond our control. We have had to seek a draw on our reserves to the tune of up to $53.7 billion to fight the crisis. Current revenues and taxes are inevitably impacted by the economic downturn. We are already using 50% of our net investment income (NII) and net investment returns (NIR). At the same time, Government is called upon to do more. How do we fund all the good things we want to do going forward? Members welcome the use of borrowing to finance the cost of nationally significant infrastructure such as new MRT lines. The long lifespan of such infrastructure makes it equitable to distribute the cost across different generations who will benefit directly from it.”
“We were concerned for our workers and the need to prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow while paying close attention to those in sunset industries, to help them to reskill and gain access to opportunities in growth industries. The Labour Members of Parliaments laid out proposals to better protect jobs and empower and support vulnerable workers such as the low-wage workers and senior workers. Members remained concerned about job security and employability of Singaporeans, highlighting issues such as increased competition from foreign manpower, unfair hiring practices and workplace discrimination and put forward many suggestions to address these. MOM in reply, spoke about the legal and regulatory measures that are in place to keep our workplaces progressive, fair and inclusive. 4.00 pm We reaffirmed our commitment to be a caring and inclusive society. COVID-19 has increased inequalities and the impact of the digital divide. Members called for greater support to ensure social mobility and to bridge gaps, especially for the lower income. The expansion of ComLink will be a critical step towards achieving these objectives. We affirmed our support for children with special education needs and students from disadvantaged families. We will build capabilities and leverage technology to provide more seamless and integrated support for lower-income households. We put the spotlight on mental health, which has been made worse worldwide by COVID-19. We agreed to enhance mental health services, improve outreach and intervention, and provide a supportive environment for those with mental health issues. Today is International Women's Day, but MSF has gone further, declaring 2021 as the year of celebrating SG Women.”
“We agreed on the approach to open up safely, bring our economy back to normalcy and provide targeted support for affected sectors, businesses and workers that remain hard-hit by the pandemic. We rightly acknowledged the invaluable contribution of our healthcare workers in the fight against COVID-19 and the tremendous debt of gratitude we owe them for the sacrifices they have made and continue to make. We wholeheartedly supported the salary enhancements for healthcare workers, with Members putting forward suggestions for enhancing the career prospects and progression opportunities for nurses and healthcare professionals. We recognised that even as we tackle the immediate challenges presented by COVID-19, we have a rare window of opportunity to act to position ourselves to emerge stronger for a post-pandemic world. We focused on helping our businesses and our workers to ride the winds of change, to look forward, not back, but providing the necessary support to see them through. Members noted the need for companies to adjust to major structural shifts, such as accelerated digitalisation, rising protectionism, remote working and the reconfiguration of supply chains, as well as the need to seize new opportunities in growth areas and plug into critical parts of emerging business opportunities. We affirmed support for business transformation, growth and innovation as well as cross-border collaboration. We considered how to help SMEs leverage digital solutions and other resources and through collaboration with GLCs and MNCs to help them scale up and venture into global markets.”
“Mr Speaker, we have come to the end of the Budget debate and the Committee of Supply but I think for Members who are new, especially the first-time Members, it should be made known to you that there are two more speeches to go through. [Laughter.] Just in case Members thought it was over. Mr Speaker, this year’s Budget Debate and Committee of Supply has many firsts. It is the first full Budget delivered after GE2020. This is the first Budget session for the first-term constituency Members of Parliament and Non-Constituency Members of Parliament, as well as the newly appointed Nominated Members of Parliament. For many of the Nominated Members, the Budget debate was the occasion of their first speech in Parliament. There were 65 speakers over the three days of the Budget debate, the highest number in the past five years. The Committee of Supply saw 569 cuts filed, also the highest number of cuts in the past five years. With backbenchers having up to 20 minutes of speech time, 18 minutes of cuts and additional time for clarifications, we spent 4,290 minutes, or 71.5 hours debating this year’s Budget and Committee of Supply, culminating in the unanimous support of all Members for Budget 2021. In addition, we cleared 195 Parliamentary Questions, dealt with one Adjournment Motion and a Ministerial Statement on a matter of some importance. But it is helpful to look beyond these facts and figures to the values which we have upheld in approving this Budget. Our endorsement of the COVID-19 measures reflect our determination to bring Singaporeans safely through this pandemic and to build resilience.”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time." [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time." [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolutions." [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolutions accordingly agreed to. (proc text)]”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2021/2022, and ask leave to sit again on Monday, 8 March 2021.”
“Mr Chairman, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again on Monday, 8 March 2021?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move a motion to take this day's proceedings on the Estimates for the Financial Year 2021/2022 beyond 8.00 pm?”
“Sir, may I seek your consent to move that the Chairman do leave the Chair? This is to enable me to move a Motion to take the proceedings on the business of Supply today beyond 8.00 pm.”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "that, notwithstanding Standing Order 91(2), the Ministerial Statement on Review of Sentencing Framework for Sexual and Hurt Offences be taken now.” The Statement is on a matter of some importance and it would be more expedient and efficient for the disposal of Parliament business for the Ministerial Statement to be taken before the resumption of the debate on the Committee of Supply and it will also to allow sufficient time for Members to seek clarifications from the Minister for Home Affairs. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolved, that, notwithstanding Standing Order 91(2), the Ministerial Statement on Review of Sentencing Framework for Sexual and Hurt Offences be taken now. (proc text)]”
“Mr Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move a Motion to allow the Ministerial Statement on Review of Sentencing Framework for Sexual and Hurt Offences be taken now.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Rule of Law, Judicial Review and the Sunlight of Scrutiny 7.27 pm”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2021/2022, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Mr Chairman, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow?”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2021/2021, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Mdm Chairman, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2021/2022, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Mr Chairman, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow?”
“Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolutions." [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolutions accordingly agreed to. (proc text)]”
“But I also want to go on to point out that in the UK, after setting up the OBR, it has not necessarily been the case that they have been on target. So, the second opinion, well, in 2012, the OBR admitted it had a poor forecasting record. The OBR had predicted economic growth six times stronger than the latest official figures suggested. And in August 2020, the Institute for Fiscal Studies or the IFS described the OBR's "upside scenario" economic forecasts for UK GDP as "extraordinarily optimistic". So, second opinion does not always settle the issue. 9.00 pm With regard to the second clarification, the learned Member said that the council he is proposing will serve the full Parliament. The suggestion really is that, okay, this is going to be for everybody. And he asked whether in the absence of such a fiscal council, all suggestions will be treated with the same regard. Well, the Parliament comprises the Members of Parliament who form the Government, the Members of Parliament who are part of the Ruling Party's backbenchers and the Opposition Members of Parliament. Insofar as proposals are put forward by the Government, these are assessed by the Civil Service. The Government has an idea of the costing of its proposals and how it should be dealt with. So, in essence, what the learned Member is actually asking is for this council to serve the Opposition Members because the PAP Members are not asking for this, and the Government does not need it. So, effectively, it is a request for a $20 million fiscal council to assist the Opposition Members with their proposals. Effectively, that is what it is.”
“When the OBR in the UK was set up, it was done so by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon George Osborne, and this is what he said when he set up the OBR, because it was set up by the Tory government. He said, "Over the last 13 years, the public and the markets have completely lost confidence in government economic forecasts. The last government's forecast for growth in the economy over the past 10 years have, on average, been out by £13 billion. Their forecasts of the budget deficit three years ahead have on average been out by £40 billion. Unsurprisingly, these forecasting errors have almost always been in the wrong direction. The conclusion is clear. We need long-lasting change in the way we put together budgets in this country. The final decision on the forecast has always been made by the Chancellor, not independent officials. And that is precisely the problem. Again and again, the temptation to fiddle the figures, to nudge up a growth forecast here or reduce a borrowing number there to make the numbers add up has proved too great...We need to fix the budget to fit the figures and not fix the figures to fit the budget. To do this, I am today establishing a new independent Office for Budget Responsibility. For the first time, we will have a truly independent assessment of the state of the nation's finances." That was the scenario that prompted the setting up of the OBR. That scenario is not present in Singapore, and for that, we have very good civil servants and agencies to thank, who keep us straight, who keep us narrow, who keep us honest. And he asked whether a second opinion is valued. Well, I have explained firstly why it is not necessary.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank the hon Member for his clarification. Let me take them in turn. So, the first one he asked whether I thought that the macroeconomic fiscal environment is unchanged and whether or not a second opinion would be valued. On the first one, of course, it has changed. The world has seen the biggest crisis in a century, which was when the last global pandemic was around. So yes, it has changed, but the important thing is this – what is the difference between Singapore and the other countries who have needed the IFIs or their own fiscal councils? They got themselves heavily into debt. They borrowed. They would not raise taxes when they needed to. Some did not display the political courage that was needed in order to maintain a balanced budget. Singapore on the other hand – thanks to the foresight of our pioneering PAP leaders – set aside our reserves, refused to squander the reserves, put in place a constitutional framework which required us to run a balanced Budget and to make sure that any time that we had to dip into the reserves, it was for good reason and put in place a framework where you could use the income on the reserves, but set in place a certain limit. All of these things are what set Singapore apart, and that is one of the reasons why we do not need a financial council like this. And earlier on in his answer, the hon Member referred to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) in the UK and referenced a cut made by Mr Low Thia Khiang some years ago. The hon Member was not in the House at that time, but I would like to read out an excerpt of what I had responded to Mr Low at that time, which is still relevant today.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank the Member for his clarification. I am sorry, I did not understand the second clarification. Could the Member repeat it or explain it in clearer terms? Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: I would be happy to. So, my suggestion in the cut was that the independent fiscal council, the Parliamentary Budget Office, whatever we wish to call it, would serve the full Parliament. So, all Members of this House would be able to pose requests for scoring of policy proposals that are advanced. So, my question was if the Minister or the Ministry believes that in the absence of such a fiscal council, are all suggestions about policy, even if it is self scored by us, and not by an independent fiscal council would be treated with the same regard?”
“We are currently piloting this with Eezee and Shopee, and will be onboarding more e-commerce platforms progressively in the coming months. This solution not only helps us save processing time, it also incentivises vendors to digitalise and bring their businesses online. Ms Foo also asked if local businesses could re-use Government developed capabilities. Minister Vivian Balakrishnan earlier mentioned various collaborations between Government and the private sector, like SGFinDex, to deliver solutions. GovTech has also launched the Singapore Government Developer Portal in December 2020. This one-stop resource site enables tech developers to discover the latest Government IT solutions to build on and integrate into their applications. Mr Chairman, in conclusion, the Public Service continues to enhance its capabilities, and is committed to working with the community and businesses to position Singapore to grow and thrive for the long term. Let us work in partnership so that Singapore can emerge stronger together.”
“We are taking further steps to consolidate the procurement of facilities management services of Government buildings. A central team with deeper expertise would manage these premises, instead of smaller, decentralised teams. This provides the scale for service providers to adopt more innovative, less manpower intensive solutions to manage the facilities, and is in line with our industry transformation efforts. As a start, we have consolidated the facilities management of The Treasury and Revenue House. This has resulted in estimated annual savings of $1.2 million. It also enabled the adoption of innovative technology solutions that facilitate workflow automation, data analytics and access to real-time data, which has improved service delivery at reduced costs. As Mr Chia pointed out, we need to develop public officers with deep sector technical knowledge. The Finance and Procurement Academy set up by MOF is working with agencies such as the Building and Construction Authority and GovTech to deepen technical know-how in specialised procurement areas such as contract management for construction and Infocomm Technology. We will also be facilitating attachment stints and exchange programmes with the private sector to enable our officers to stay abreast of the latest professional and industry developments. In response to Ms Foo and Ms Tan's questions, as we strengthen the public sector capabilities and processes, we are also adopting more pervasive digitalisation in our processes. These efforts also help spur digital transformation in the private sector. For instance, MOF and GovTech are partnering businesses to co-create a solution which facilitates public officers to make smaller value purchases on commercial digital platforms.”
“We are stepping up our partnerships with businesses, community groups and citizens to create policy solutions together. For example, the Technology Hub for Non-Profit Organisations (NPO) initiative, was an idea that originated from the NPO leaders to accelerate the digital transformation of the non-profit sector during COVID-19. Tote Board partnered MCCY, MSF and NCSS and worked with IT companies to put together this one-stop shop, providing a variety of shared-service IT manpower, programmes and digital solutions to NPOs. Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Edward Chia and Ms Jessica Tan asked about MOF's efforts in building up public sector capabilities and strengthening functional leadership. MOF is leading efforts to raise public sector capabilities in essential functions, such as finance, procurement, grants management, shared services and internal audit. These functions play vital roles in ensuring the Government spends prudently, effectively and accountably. When these functions perform well, agencies can focus on their core missions of helping businesses, citizens and the community. MOF has re-organised ourselves and formed dedicated offices to drive these efforts. To strengthen grants management, MOF established a new grants governance framework last year that sets out rules and guidance that cover all stages of a grant – from grant design, approval and disbursement, to monitoring and fraud detection. The Grants Governance Office was formed to drive its implementation and raise agencies' capabilities to ensure proper financial governance. 8.45 pm We are transforming Government procurement to buy more smartly and effectively. MOF set up the Government Procurement Function Office last year to drive efforts to transform and strengthen the Government's procurement function.”
“I was actually simply describing the broad range of measures. I was not making a statement as to a specific time when it is considered. I think ICA considers each case on its own merits and the point I was making is that family ties will mean greater priority.”
“Mr Chairman, on the first question, I do not have information on specific study with me at hand but I can look that up and we will liaise with the Member separately. On the second, I believe the Member had a suggestion. I am always happy to entertain suggestions from the hon Member Mr Louis Ng and we will look at it.”
“The current COVID-19 situation globally has also made the cross-jurisdiction investigation efforts more challenging. CPIB is unable to comment further on the case, so as to protect the integrity of investigations, which are confidential in nature and to avoid prejudicing any prosecutorial decision that might follow. CPIB remains resolute and committed to combat corruption and will continue to pursue the case to its end. With respect to the FAS case, I am afraid that when Mr Pritam Singh filed the cut on corruption, normally you have to indicate the gist of the cut. And the gist of the cut which is indicated to Parliament and then given to the Ministries, only indicated update on Keppel investigations; so, I am sorry I do not have the information on FAS. But perhaps, Mr Singh might like to file a Parliamentary Question on that.”
“And in the latest Political and Economic Risk Consultancy 2020 corruption survey, Singapore maintained top position and improved its score to 1.73 as compared to a score of 1.85 the previous year, zero being the best score. In 2019, CPIB received 350 corruption-related reports compared to 358 in 2018. And in 2019, the percentage of corruption-related reports registered for investigation increased to 34% compared to the annual average of 28% over the preceding four years, but generally speaking, we are doing well on that front and the cases have been prosecuted with all due dispatch. Mr Singh asked for update on two cases. I think it was the Keppel Offshore and Marine and I believe FAS. On Keppel Offshore and Marine, this case is complex and transnational, involving multiple authorities and potential foreign witnesses from several countries. The Singapore authorities have been working closely with foreign investigating and prosecuting agencies on the matter. As part of the on-going investigation, AGC and CPIB had made two fact-finding trips to Brazil in May and August 2019. As there is a need to obtain additional information from other witnesses based overseas, AGC and CPIB have worked together to send a mutual legal assistance, MLA request to Brazil following the earlier fact-finding trips. The MLA request is pending their response. AGC and CPIB are also working together to send more MLA requests to other relevant foreign authorities to interview these potential witnesses. While our intention is to move as expeditiously as possible, not all aspects of the investigation are within our control, particularly in relation to the requests and applications made and filed in other jurisdictions.”
“In 2020, we also worked with the Citizens' Workgroup to co-develop new curriculum and programmes for the Singapore Citizenship Journey. This initiative explored what it means to be Singaporean, including our shared values and duty to contribute to society. We agree with Miss Cheng Li Hui that the Government's strategies for encouraging marriage and parenthood need to account for shifts in life priorities and societal norms. As part of the Emerging Stronger Conversations, Minister of State Sun Xueling and I will lead a series of conversations on "Building A Singapore Made For Families", from April to September this year. We want to better understand how the thinking and aspirations of Singaporeans, at different stages of their Marriage and Parenthood journey, may have changed due to the pandemic. Ms Denise Phua will be glad to know that the engagements will include transnational families, who may face unique challenges after deciding to make Singapore home. We will work together with the rest of society to better support all families in Singapore and shape an environment in which we can make time for things that matter. Our post-COVID world will require population strategies that keep us resilient and cohesive. Together, let us continue to build a Singapore that is a home for all Singaporeans and emerge stronger as a nation. Let me now go on to separately address the cut by Mr Pritam Singh on corruption. I think he made some general comments at the start about the status of corruption, and I just wanted to refer to the CPIB Report for 2019. This indicates that the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index for 2019 ranked Singapore fourth out of 180 countries and territories with a high score of 85.”
“Widowed or divorced foreign spouses, with custody of minor Singaporean children, will generally be allowed to stay here on a Long-term Visit Pass (LTVP) until the child becomes an adult. They can also qualify for a Letter of Consent from MOM which will allow them to work and care for their Singaporean children here. While it is not possible to guarantee PR or citizenship to any foreigner, foreign spouses are generally considered more favourably, especially when they have Singaporean children. We must continue to build a community that is inclusive and united. In the past year, we saw many uplifting positive examples of Singaporeans and foreigners rallying together to help battle the COVID-19 crisis. For example, Ms Chong Pek Lian from Malaysia contributed to the COVID-19 battle as a contact tracer at Sengkang General Hospital. Despite the long hours and heavy workload, she was glad to help reduce the spread of the virus. Singaporeans also gave help, support and appreciation for our foreign workers who have contributed to our society, such as those in healthcare and construction. Many have continued to carry out their duties here and have not been able to see their families throughout this period. Our society will be stronger if all who call Singapore home and believe in our vision are empowered to make Singapore a better place. The Government will continue to work with a range of stakeholders to build our future together and emerge stronger post-COVID. We have consulted Singaporeans widely on population-related issues. For instance, in 2019, we convened a Citizens' Panel to tackle the tricky issue of improving work-life harmony, which affects marriage and parenthood.”
“They bring with them experience in alternative protein and food distribution. The team is developing plant-based foods, including an alternative chicken product. Next Gen Food Technologist Ms Claudia Lee, who majored in Food Science at NUS, said it was a dream come true to work directly with leading global experts in plant-based foods. By working with global talent, more Singaporeans like Claudia can deepen their expertise in growth areas. Finally, we will continue to carefully calibrate the pace of immigration. In 2020, we granted about 21,100 new citizens, and 27,500 new Permanent Residents (PRs). These figures are lower than previous years due to travel restrictions and operational issues arising from COVID-19. For example, safe management measures resulted in limited slots to complete the final steps for PR and citizenship registration, which must be done in-person. Hence, a few thousand applicants, who were approved in-principle, had not completed all the required processes to be granted their PR or citizenship respectively by end-2020. Depending on how the COVID-19 situation evolves, these applicants could be granted PR or citizenship in the coming months and may add to the numbers normally granted this year. We continue to carefully select new PRs and citizens, and welcome those who have committed to making Singapore their home. We take in immigrants not just based on their ability to contribute to Singapore, but also their ability to integrate. As Ms Denise Phua has acknowledged, foreign spouses have family ties to Singapore and our policies are already facilitative for those in genuine and stable marriages.”
“This will apply to parents whose children's date of birth, estimated date of delivery, or formal intent to adopt, is on or after 1 January 2021. About 500 working fathers and adoptive mothers would benefit from GPPB and GPAB annually. More details on the eligibility criteria and application process will be shared later. I move on now to a workforce with a strong Singaporean Core. The pandemic has also given us an opportunity to transform our workforce and reduce our reliance on lower skilled foreign workers. From June 2019 to June 2020, our total population declined slightly by 0.3% due to a decrease in foreign employment in the services sector, and Work Permit holders. S Pass and Employment Pass (EP) holders have also decreased amid the pandemic due to travel restrictions and the economic downturn. The Government continues to maintain a tight stance on our foreign worker manpower policy. COVID-19 has accelerated efforts for businesses to transform business models and improve productivity. At the same time, we will continue to partner businesses to train and retain local workers and strengthen the Singaporean Core of our workforce. 7.15 pm We must also remain open to global talent who can complement our local workforce and attract high-value activities that create quality jobs for locals. That is why we have tightened the EP criteria and sharpened our tools, such as the Tech@SG and the Tech.Pass. We set a high bar for these schemes and are very selective. The talent base will help us emerge stronger, by anchoring and expanding new growth sectors. For example, Mr Timo Recker and Mr Andre Menezes, from Germany and Brazil, co-founded agri-food tech start-up Next Gen Foods in Singapore in early 2020.”
“Ms Carrie Tan has championed greater gender equality in caring for children and asked to set aside two months from the current four months of maternity leave, as paternity leave. She also asked for tax incentives to nudge fathers to use them. We agree that the active involvement of fathers is critical to the wellbeing of children and their partners. Today, fathers can already share up to one month of their wives' maternity leave under the Shared Parental Leave Scheme, on top of two weeks of paternity leave. However, only about 5% of fathers use this flexibility. Some couples also prefer to reserve all 16 weeks of maternity leave for mothers to recuperate and bond with their child. Hence, we are cautious about requiring fathers to take more of mothers' existing maternity leave. We would first urge fathers to take their paternity leave. Since the introduction of Paternity Leave, take-up rates have increased from 25% in 2013 to 53% in 2018. It is encouraging that more fathers have been taking time off to care for their new-borns, and we hope this signals a stronger shift towards greater shared parental responsibility. Some working fathers and adoptive mothers may not qualify for paternity or adoption leave due to their employment arrangements. For example, they may be on multiple short-term employment contracts, or their employment contracts may have expired before the birth or adoption of their child. To better support this group of parents, we will introduce the Government-Paid Paternity Benefit (GPPB) and Government-Paid Adoption Benefit (GPAB). This is similar to the current Government-Paid Maternity Benefit for working mothers, where a cash benefit is given in lieu of the Government-paid share of leave if their employment circumstances do not qualify them for leave.”
“This will be piloted at maternity hospitals and selected private obstetrics clinics, complementing MSF's BBPR website, and HPB's e-toolkits for expectant mothers and new parents. But we can always do better. With your permission, Mr Chairman, may I ask the Clerks to distribute an infographic showing the key enhancements this year. Members may also access these materials through the SG PARL MP mobile app. While most married Singaporeans wish to have two or more children, and the majority still do, a growing number have only one child. Some Singaporean couples have shared their worries about the costs of having a second child, even though they very much want to. Currently, the support from Government to parents for their second child is the same as their first. We reviewed this and will provide more support for couples having their second child. We will double the maximum dollar-for-dollar Government co-matching of parents' savings in the Child Development Account (CDA) for the second child, from $3,000 to $6,000. This is in addition to the $3,000 CDA First Step Grant that parents receive upon opening the CDA. With this enhancement, the maximum total Government contributions for the second child's CDA will increase from $6,000 to $9,000. All Singapore Citizen, or SC, children who are the second child, and whose date of birth or estimated date of delivery is on or after 1 January 2021, will be eligible. About 12,000 children will benefit annually. The one-time $200 CDA top-up, announced by Deputy Prime Minister Heng on Budget Day, as part of the Household Support Package, will provide additional support.”
“We agree that adequate financial and socio-emotional support is important. While we encourage married couples to have children when they are younger and their chances are better, we have also enhanced ACP support over the years. The age cap on ACP co-funding is based on clinical evidence that success rates decrease with age. In deciding the maximum number of co-funded cycles, we also considered the emotional strain couples face when undergoing ACPs. With MediSave and existing co-funding support, eight in 10 eligible Singaporean couples have no out-of-pocket expenses for their first cycle, while nine in 10 would not pay more than $500 for their first cycle. Just last year, we removed the age limit for women undergoing Assisted Reproduction Technology, or ART, treatments. We also enhanced the co-funding scheme for couples to tap on up to two of the six co-funded ART cycles when the wife is aged 40 and above, if she had attempted an ACP before 40. We will continue to review the MediSave withdrawal limits to balance between supporting couples with their cost of treatment today, and ensuring they have sufficient savings for healthcare in old age. While public Assisted Reproduction centres currently provide couples undergoing ACP with emotional support and social counselling, we will do more with community partners to provide holistic support and remove stigma for those seeking fertility checks or treatment. Ms Hany Soh, who has asked for information to be disseminated to first-time parents, will be glad to know that the MSF's Baby Bonus Parenting Resources, or BBPR, Pregnancy Keepsake Journal, provides tips on pregnancy and parenthood.”
“This is consistent with findings from the latest National Population and Talent Division's Marriage and Parenthood Survey, where over 80% of single respondents aged 21 to 35 said they wanted to get married, and 92% of married respondents in the same age group wanted at least two children. In the last five years, or 2016-2020, the average number of citizen births also increased compared to the previous five-year period of 2011-2015. We hope that notwithstanding the pandemic, Singaporeans will continue to pursue their family goals, and we will galvanise a whole-of-nation effort to support them. Responding to Ms Denise Phua's suggestions, we are committed to building a Singapore that is made for families. In the past two years, we have significantly enhanced access to affordable housing and pre-school. We raised the qualifying income ceiling for subsidised housing from $12,000 to $14,000 in September 2019 so that more couples could have affordable housing options. Those buying resale flats, can now receive up to $160,000 in housing grants, up from $90,000 five years ago. We also increased the Additional Subsidy for pre-schools and raised the qualifying household income ceiling to $12,000 a month. We aim to further lower fee caps at Government-supported pre-schools so that working families with a child in full-day childcare pay around the equivalent of fees for Primary school plus after-school student care. With means-tested pre-school subsidies, low- and middle-income households will pay even less. Miss Cheng Li Hui in her Budget Speech yesterday, and Ms Denise Phua and Ms Ng Ling Ling in their speeches today, have suggested increasing support for Singaporeans who undergo Assisted Conception Procedures, or ACPs.”
“COVID-19 showed that flexible work arrangements (FWAs) are feasible and help parents to manage their responsibilities at work and home. Mr Louis Ng asked if we could introduce additional leave for parents to care for sick children. Any leave enhancement, even if unpaid or temporary, could affect employers' operations and parents' employability, and must be reviewed with other requests for leave enhancements. It is more difficult to introduce such changes in the current challenging economic climate. FWAs, on the other hand, are a pragmatic approach to meeting the needs of employers and workers. So, that is something that we can look at. I agree that we need to lock in the gains of FWAs since the vast majority of employers now offer it. We are studying the effects of increased use of FWAs and how to keep such practices. Meanwhile, we urge employers to continue to offer FWAs to achieve better work-life harmony while at the same time, meeting business needs. Ms Denise Phua suggested many ways to improve our Total Fertility Rate (TFR). Our TFR has been below replacement level for years. In 2020, our TFR was 1.10, which is a historic low. We are in a similar predicament as East Asian societies like South Korea and Taiwan, and Scandinavian countries known for achieving good fertility outcomes, like Finland and Norway. They also experienced a drop in TFR, and some are at historic lows too. Raising fertility is an uphill task for advanced societies, but we must continue to support those who wish to marry and have children. Most young Singaporeans still desire to marry and have children. The recent World Values Survey showed that families are important to Singaporeans and most want to have children – preferably two.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank Members for their views and suggestions on population matters. We want to build a population that fosters a strong and cohesive society, sustains a strong sense of shared national identity and generates a strong, vibrant economy where all can progress, and the fruits of growth can be distributed for a fair and just society. Singaporeans will remain front and centre of all we do. Let me share four key population strategies that will help us to emerge stronger in a post-COVID-19 world. First, supporting marriage and parenthood remains a national priority. Helping Singaporeans start and raise their families allows individuals to fulfil their aspirations to be a parent and also addresses an existential issue for us, which is maintaining a core of citizens born and bred here. Miss Cheng Li Hui asked about the pandemic's impact on our marriage and fertility outcomes. COVID-19 has caused some Singaporeans to postpone their marriage, resulting in about 10% fewer marriages in 2020 compared to 2019. Others have delayed their parenthood plans. Because we recognised the importance of marriage and parenthood as a life-goal for Singaporeans, we prioritised these even as we tackled the health and economic consequences of COVID-19: We increased the attendance capacity for wedding receptions and solemnisations to 100, so couples can celebrate with more loved ones. We introduced the $3,000 Baby Support Grant, or BSG, in October for Singaporean couples who have a child in these two years. This is over and above the Baby Bonus Cash Gift. Almost 10,000 families have benefited. We hope this gives some reassurance to couples to proceed with their parenthood plans. The pandemic has also brought about opportunities.”
“Mr Speaker, that was not really my question. The Leader of the Opposition is well also the leader of the Workers' Party, so I assume he knows what he is talking about, and I assume he knows what his Member is going to to ask about. So, I am not asking in advance what Assoc Prof Jamus Lim is going to say. That, of course, he will do in the Committee of Supply. But I am just asking and I am sure the Leader of the Opposition must know this: is the office that he is asking to be set up the same thing as what his colleague is going to ask for, or are they both asking for two separate things? That is all I want to know.”
“I thank the Leader of the Opposition. So, there are actually then two proposals: one, for a Parliamentary Budget Office, and the other for an Independent Fiscal Council. Is that correct?”
“I apologise, Mr Speaker. I did not mean to go before the Deputy Prime Minister's response, but I just wanted to ask or seek a clarification from the Leader of the Opposition, because this may be helpful for either the Deputy Prime Minister's reply or perhaps for later. When he refers to the Parliamentary Budget Office, and I think it was quite clear in his original speech and just now, that he indicated that the purpose of this Office is to assess outcomes of Government expenditure. Can I just clarify if that is the purpose? Question number one. Question number two, is this the same as the Independent Fiscal Council that the other Member of the Workers' Party, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, has filed a cut on?”