Koh Poh Koon
Singapore
“In 2025, for walk-in patients, the median and 95th percentile doctor consultation waiting times were eight minutes and 72 minutes respectively. However, the Ministry of Health (MOH) does not track waiting times by peak versus off-peak hours, but it is likely that 95th percentile waiting times happened during peak hours.”
“The offences and penalties for importing, supplying or abusing SPS products are similar to those in the MDA, to ensure similar level of deterrence. Mr Speaker, with your permission, may I ask the Clerks to distribute a handout that summarises the changes in legislative penalties for key offences.”
“So, if you are a Singaporean student, you will expect that there will be some subsidies to the fees. The third question on how can the public, who may want to seek psychological care, know who is legitimate.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for his question on audiologists. In general, a qualified audiologist in Singapore needs a higher level of certification because a diploma level may not be quite enough to perform the task. So, we will look and see whether there is a way to actually find an in-between.”
“We are starting with registration to give formal recognition to those who are practising in higher risk sub-sectors in psychology and making sure that the quality, the standards and the support is given to them to deliver the care that the clients and the patients need.”
“It takes a bit of, not just system change in the providers, in the doctors and the care teams, but also, a gradual shift in the mindset of our population as well. So, it is something that we have to continue to do. There is no magic bullet to this and it is not something we can achieve overnight. 12.15 pm”
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“The Fourth Schedule of the Bill makes amendments to the CPF Act to support the housing and retirement adequacy of platform workers. Today, platform workers are treated as self-employed persons and are only required to make MediSave contributions of up to 10.5% of their net earnings. To meet their housing and retirement needs, platform workers should also contribute to their CPF Ordinary and Special Accounts. The proposed amendments enable platform workers to achieve the same level of housing and retirement adequacy as employees who earn the same amount. We will do this gradually. Starting in 2025, platform operators will contribute 3.5% of platform workers' net earnings and platform workers will contribute up to an additional 2.5%. This will increase by the respective percentage quantum yearly until 2029. By then, it will bring platform operators' and workers' CPF contribution rates to the same level as employees and employers' contribution rates – by 2029. For platform workers in the ages of 55 to 65, the timing of the increase will be synchronised to the senior worker CPF contribution rate increases for employees in the same age group. The increased CPF contributions will be mandatory for the cohort of platform workers born from 1995 onwards. In all our engagements, younger cohorts have indicated the greatest need and desire for CPF contributions as it can help with their housing needs. Many are starting their families and getting their first Build-To-Order (BTO) flats. Older cohorts can choose to opt in anytime from November onwards, with no deadline. Opt-ins are not reversible. I encourage older platform workers to consider opting in to boost their housing and retirement savings and to benefit from our CPF system.”
“If the Bill is passed, companies that meet the definition of platform operator must comply with their statutory obligations and provide protections to their platform workers once the Bill comes into effect. The same applies to: (a) new companies; (b) existing companies that change their business models later on; and (c) companies in subcontracting arrangements if the company satisfies the definition of a platform operator vis-à-vis a worker. Just like how companies today are responsible for assessing whether they are an employer and need to comply with employment laws, companies are also responsible for assessing whether they are a platform operator as they would be the most familiar with their own business models and their relationship with their workers. That said, to support companies, MOM will provide resources such as a checklist for companies to self-assess if they are platform operators. Tripartite partners will also engage the ground to educate companies and relevant workers. If there is feedback that a platform operator has self-assessed wrongly and did not provide work injury compensation or make CPF contributions to a platform worker, MOM will investigate. If we find out that the company is a platform operator, we will require the platform operator to pay any outstanding CPF contributions or work injury compensation owed to the worker, as we currently do with employers. Additionally, the platform operator may face penalties for not making CPF contributions or not providing work injury compensation in a timely manner for platform workers and for failing to notify MOM that they are a platform operator. Next, let me talk about supporting housing and retirement adequacy.”
“Others such as the United Kingdom (UK) have left it to the courts to determine whether platform workers are "employees" or "workers" on a case-by-case basis. This led to different classifications for the same worker who may use different platforms to work. The downside of this approach is a lack of clarity for both the workers and companies. We have decided that it is better for the Government to provide clarity upfront for companies and workers through legislation and to do so in a way that preserves the flexibility that both workers and companies wish to retain for platform work. We want to better support platform workers by providing them with workplace safety and retirement adequacy. But if platform workers are given the full suite of employment rights, such as sick pay and vacation leave, the nature of the relationship between the platform operators and platform workers will likely change to resemble an employment relationship, with much less flexibility, which neither party wants. We have thus struck a finely balanced middle ground. Clause 5 of the Bill defines platform workers as individuals who have contracts with and are subject to the management control of a platform operator in their provision of services, but who are not employees of the platform operator, in effect, creating a middle category of workers in between employees and self-employed persons. Singapore is among the first in the world to take this approach of providing statutory protections for platform workers as a distinct group. This approach preserves the flexibility of platform work that both sides want and achieves our aim of better protecting platform workers.”
“The use of data in an automated manner to make decisions is a critical point here as it enables a platform operator to scale its operations significantly and quickly as well as impose and rapidly change terms of work for platform workers, with little or no room for negotiation. This is not a new concept. The European Union's (EU's) directive on improving working conditions in platform work uses the same concept to define a digital labour platform. Second, platform operators impose requirements, prohibitions or restrictions on their workers. These include imposing rules on how a task should be performed or restricting workers' ability to negotiate their fees with clients for providing the service. The effect of all these is that platform workers cede some autonomy to platform operators in terms of how they provide services, which makes them resemble employees to an extent. However, unlike employees, platform workers are not given employment rights. This is why we are moving to legislate some rights for platform workers to better support them at work. Looking internationally, countries have taken different approaches to determine the statutory rights of platform workers. Countries like Spain, Belgium and Portugal have presumed certain groups of platform workers to be employees, entitling them to employment rights, including fixed hourly wage, sick pay and vacation leave. But this means that they also lose the flexibility they had, such as deciding when and how much to work. Some countries like Greece have presumed that platform workers are not in an employment relationship, but have given them some rights pertaining to welfare, health and safety, similar to employees.”
“Third, measures to ensure financial protection of platform workers if they get injured at work and to strengthen stakeholders' responsibilities to prevent injuries. These involve amendments to the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) and the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act. Fourth, the legal framework for representation of platform workers. This involves amendments to the Industrial Relations Act. These matters also require consequential and related amendments to a wide range of other Acts as well as the Constitution through the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, which will be tabled at a later Sitting. Let me start with the scope. On the scope of entities covered, in clause 4 of the Bill, a platform operator is defined as an entity that has an agreement with one or more service users to provide platform services and exercises management control over one or more platform workers. We are covering ride-hail and delivery platform services as around 93% of platform work is concentrated in these services today and because such work is precarious, as I explained earlier. These platform services are set out in the First Schedule of the Bill. We can consider the need to amend the Schedule to cover other platform services in future reviews. In clause 6 of the Bill, there are two prongs to management control. If both are satisfied, the entity will be deemed a platform operator. First, platform operators use data from service users, such as consumers, as well as their workers in a highly, if not fully, automated manner to make decisions. For instance, this could be through the use of algorithms that determine the fee that ride-hail drivers will receive for a trip based on data on the demand for rides and supply of drivers at a given time.”
“This is how we strengthen our social compact and not leave these workers behind as the platform economy continues to evolve and grow. Therefore, to strengthen protections for those involved in platform work, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) set up the Advisory Committee on Platform Workers (PWAC) in 2021 to review how ride-hail and delivery workers can be better supported in the areas of (a) housing and retirement adequacy; (b) financial protection in the case of work injury; and (c) representation. These are some of the employment rights that employees have today. The PWAC consulted extensively, including with platform workers, companies, trade associations and academics, and examined international practices. In November 2022, following a year-long process of engagements and deliberations by the PWAC, the Government accepted the PWAC's recommendations. This Platform Workers Bill today will give effect to these recommendations. This is a good example of how tripartite partners in Singapore have worked closely together to enhance labour standards in a sustainable manner. Through close collaboration and discussions in the PWAC, tripartite partners have extensively and actively engaged key stakeholders, such as platform operators and platform workers, and effectively represented their perspectives in ironing out the policy and implementation details. There are four key components to the Platform Workers Bill. First, the scope of entities, including companies and workers covered under the Bill. Second, measures to support the housing and retirement adequacy of platform workers through the CPF system. These involve amendments to the Central Provident Fund Act, or CPF Act.”
“Many of us in our Meet-the-People Sessions would have come across our residents who work as platform workers who sustained injuries at work and ended up with financial hardships and inability to service their housing loans. In fact, a 2022 poll by the Institute of Policy Studies found that up to a third of food delivery workers have been in at least one accident that required medical care. Third, platform workers also have less control over their work, compared to typical self-employed persons. For instance, they may not have a say over how much to charge for their services, what tasks to take on, whether they can grow their own base of clients and so on. This is because platform operators control these decisions as part of their business models. When we say, "Every Worker Matters", we are recognising the inherent value and dignity of these workers, regardless of the work that they do. We are saying as a society that we are taking a stand – that these platform workers also deserve our care, to ensure fairness and equity. Why should a platform worker who takes the same risks on the road as any other employee working in the delivery or transport sector be denied a fair compensation when they are injured or, worse still, lose their lives at work? Are their lives worth less than other workers in the same sector? Their work generates revenues for the platform operators. Just as the platform operators pay Central Provident Fund (CPF) and buy workplace insurance for their staff working in their office, should these workers who brave the elements to ensure the revenue stream for the platform operators not get the same level of support and protection? I am glad that platform operators, workers and the broader society agree that we ought to do more for these workers.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the Minister for Manpower, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time". Sir, before I begin my speech, I just want to acknowledge the presence of our brothers and sisters from the National Taxi Association, National Private Hire Vehicles Association and the National Delivery Champions Association as well as representatives from the platform operators here with us in the Gallery today. [Applause.] Sir, their presence signals the support they need for this Bill to be passed to ensure a sustainable development of the platform economy. The platform economy has provided opportunities to earn a living for many platform workers who bring convenience to us through their services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, while most of us were safely working from home and observing safe management measures safely in our homes, many platform workers braved the elements and health risks to deliver goods and services and food items to us. Following the pandemic, there is broad social support that we need to do more for this group of workers who have been left behind. As of 2023, there are around 70,000 platform workers, comprising about 3% of our workforce. However, platform work can be precarious. Let me cite three aspects of this. First, platform workers generally have modest incomes that can fluctuate from month to month. In 2023, their median earnings were around $1,500 to $2,500 a month. Second, they are also exposed to risks, such as traffic accidents, due to the amount of time they spend on the roads. Those without sufficient insurance coverage bear the financial risks of getting injured and being unable to work.”
“So, there is more cost certainty to many of the stall operators. Since September 2019, operators of new hawker centres are also required to stagger their stall rentals for the first two years of the centre's operations at 80% and 90% respectively, before stallholders pay the full rental costs in the third year. So, this is to help stallholders manage their operating costs as they gradually establish a clientele in that hawker centre over the first two years of their operation. For those who have, for example, bid a very high price, such as $10,000 or $8,000, in their first tenancy term, this price will hold. But following their first tenancy term, that price will be adjusted to the assessed market rent, which is about $1,800 to $1,500, thereabout. So, that will help to make the price more sustainable for this hawker in the longer term over the next tenancy terms. [Please refer to "Clarification by Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment", Official Report, 9 September 2024, Vol 95, Issue 140, Correction By Written Statement section.]”
“Sir, I thank the Member for his question. As far as the stall rental pressures are concerned, NEA does provide hawkers with a conducive environment, including ensuring that rentals are kept reasonable and affordable at hawker centres. So, for example, NEA has put in place a series of measures to ensure that the rentals in our hawker centres are fair and not speculative. As I mentioned in my reply earlier, this includes disallowing subletting or assignment of hawker stores to prevent stallholders from engaging in rent-seeking behaviour. So, they basically just pass on the higher rent to the next guy who wants to sublet from them –and that is something that we disallow. Also, NEA measures include adopting a transparent and fair monthly tender exercise, as I mentioned. Since March 2012, the reserve rent has therefore been removed in the tender of vacant stores to allow stall rentals to reflect fully the market conditions based on what people tendered. While there are no minimum bid price restrictions, some may submit higher bids in order to secure the stalls at more popular locations. And let me just also mention that only about 4% of cooked food stores in hawker centres today are paying rent at above the assessed market rent. For the remaining over 6,000 stallholders, they are paying rent no higher than assessed market rent. In fact, for some of our new hawker centres, under the Socially Conscious Enterprise Hawker Centre management model, NEA will take into consideration tender proposals holistically, including the total cost that hawkers will bear before we award the tender to the operator. And thereafter, the successful tenderer is required to maintain the same rates for charges collected from stallholders throughout the tenancy term.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for her question. Indeed, the ACT Fund actually does both. The ACT Fund also has a technology adoption component that allows farms to adopt technology that has already some degree of curation by the expert panels, so that these are easier to adopt as they are technologies that have some degree of proven record. The ACT fund also allows innovation to take place at the farm level, if they want to try a new innovation based on current base technology to unlock new potential. So, the ACT fund already allows farms to adopt it to do both the things that the Member has asked for.”
“But it is not a straightforward issue of trying to ask the hawkers to buy from the aggregator because many of these hawkers and businesses have already established relationships with specific suppliers, and it is probably not so easy for them to change this kind of relationship overnight. But if there are particular hawker associations, particular groups of hawkers in a particular locality, who are keen to come together to do some group buying, I think SAFEF will be prepared to work with them and discuss longer-term contracting models where there is more constancy of supply with good quality and there is also better demand for the farmers themselves. So, if there are hawker associations who are keen, do get in touch with SFA or SAFEF directly.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. On the utilisation of the ACT fund and what is the extent of the projects being funded, as of 30 April this year, SFA has awarded $25.7 million to 42 companies under 68 awarded projects. So, there are still available funds for companies that want to tap into this fund to expand their businesses, adopt technologies and to use it for energy efficiency purposes. As I said in my main reply, we did enhance this fund with the energy efficiency programme so that farms can tap on this fund to do energy audits, look at their current operations and see if there are equipment or processes that could be altered, so that they can adopt more energy-efficient measures. It could involve things like changing the type of LED lights so that it is more energy-efficient. It could include things like adopting solar panels so that you can get some more renewable energy sources that could well be cheaper than energy from the grid. These are measures that farms can adopt to defray some of their operating energy costs. But to directly offset operating expenses, that will be something quite challenging because it could well end up having the perverse effect of paying for inefficient players to offset their costs to the detriment of taxpayers' money as well. So, we want to fund them so that whatever they do, has durability and sustainability for the longer term and fundamentally changes the way the company operates for a more sustainable future. On whether demand aggregation can work with hawkers, I think SAFEF and the farms are prepared to explore.”
“They worked with a partner, TeamBuild Construction, which is a traditional construction company that was able to build the infrastructure that they needed more efficiently and helped them in the design phase of incorporating some of these elements into how their farm should operate. And by working with a partner like this, that, to some extent, could co-invest in this new operation, they then combined their strength together: one, with farming expertise and knowledge of the demands of the market; another one with the capability to build a larger structure and make it efficient and scale up. By combining their strength together, they managed to launch Green Harvest. I wish them well. I hope that such partnerships, in other aspects, whether it is in aquaculture or agriculture, can be a way that our farmers can surpass their own current limitations and find new opportunities to grow in scale.”
“Sir, I thank Miss Chan for her question. Indeed, we do not take a one-size-fits-all approach to this because different models may work for different types of partnerships. Even the food ecosystem is not a uniform one. There are those that work more with the small-scale stallholders in our wet markets, there are those that work more with restaurants, some with food and beverage players, and some are also with food processing companies. Therefore, the kind of relationships and partnerships can be different. But I take Miss Chan's point that, sometimes, the small farm player may not have all the skillsets and the ability to scale and to stitch together the entire value chain, which is why actually some of the farmers managed to scale, not by acquiring their own abilities, which may take too long. Those who want to scale sometimes work with partners that can bring in an ecosystem of ready retailers and ready buyers, so that by working with the partners, they get funding and investments. They can then scale up much quicker and be able to find an off-taker because the partner could well be somebody in the retail space, for example, or in the food manufacturing space. Just as an example, Kok Fah Technology Farm built and launched Green Harvest, one of our largest greenhouses, which uses a mobile gully system that incorporates hydroponic systems to make the farming of vegetables much more efficient. But as they scale up from a traditional land-based farm into a larger greenhouse facility using more structural elements like the mobile-gully system, they did not do this on their own.”
“I think the smaller farms do add value and contribute to the "30 by 30" vision, but I think they are operating at a different scale, and if you talk to buyers, especially larger off-takers; like supermarkets, what they want is certainty of production and consistency, in terms of quality and quantity. Therefore, a large-scale farm can probably meet the demands of aggregators and retailers much better than small-scale farms, where they produce in smaller batches, with a different mix from different localised farms and it might be harder to meet the expectations of a larger-scale retailer. So, we work with all partners and all these farms, whether they are large-scale or smaller ones within a community, can together add to our "30 by 30" vision.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for her questions. The first question on success rate, I think it is not something that is easy to define, because today when we look at a farm, we look at their production levels, the tonnage, for example, that they can produce. It is not so much on the scale, per se, although having said that, larger farms with economy of scale, can produce a product at a more efficient rate, and therefore, probably has a lot more price competitiveness when they enter the market and, in that sense, we track the farms' production. So, we define success by the fact that the farm can produce and they are able to find a market to sell their products. But this also a journey, a process. Every farm would go through a certain period of time before they can scale up their production. Typically, even if they scale in new technology, they will take a while to testbed the technology, get the parameters right before they increase the production in terms of volume. And as they produce in greater quantity, they will have to start looking for potential buyers to off-take those quantities. So, it is not a straightforward process by just building infrastructure and hoping that the product will be able to enter the market effectively. They do need to go through several iterations and several steps on their own, as well as with potential stakeholders. On the second question of whether a localised, decentralised model, for example, community farms, can replace the larger-scale farms in reaching our "30 by 30" target.”
“The agri-land plot that was originally awarded to VertiVegies has since been retendered to another agri-food player to contribute further towards our "30 by 30" vision. The success of our farms is also dependent on sufficient demand for our local produce. This is why SFA has been working with the industry to improve demand offtake through measures, including supporting the formation of a supply and demand aggregator for farms and retailers, and promotional events to increase the public's awareness of our local produce. Consumers can certainly also do their part, by choosing to purchase produce labelled with the red SG Fresh Produce logo, or dining at food establishments under the Farm-to-Table Recognition Programme, which recognises food businesses that feature local produce in their menus.”
“Thank you, Sir. Sir, in our "30 by 30" vision, we aim to build the capability and capacity of the agri-food ecosystem towards productive, resource-efficient and climate-resilient food production. Over the years, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has progressively built the agri-food ecosystem of productive farms, harnessing science and technology to boost production, and preparing the necessary spaces and infrastructure. However, our agri-food sector, like many other sectors, has been facing challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic to strong headwinds, such as high inflationary pressures and construction delays, especially during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. SFA is working closely with our farms to overcome these challenges through initiatives, such as facilitating regulatory clearances and supporting capability development by co-funding the adoption of technology through the Agri-food Cluster Transformation (ACT) Fund. To date, the $60 million ACT Fund has committed more than $23 million of co-funding to 60 projects. The ACT Fund can support licensing, acquisition or registration of intellectual property for farming systems and engagement of consultancy, sub-contracting, and design and development services, which can help to increase our food production. Farms also work with partners, with complementary strengths and capabilities, especially when they are thinking of scaling up. They work with partners that can bring skillsets and capabilities that they may not have. Local farms can also partner food researchers to tap on the Singapore Food Story 2.0 Research and Development (R&D) Programme, which promotes R&D in aquaculture, sustainable urban agriculture, future foods and food safety.”
“Sir, I want to assure the Member that we will continue to look at how to best support our lower-earning workers, including how we can make sure that they have a proper work-rest cycle.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for his questions. The issue of giving more entitled leave and raising business costs is not something straightforward. But I think if you look at it from a very simplistic way: if more people do go on more leave, then the company's operations will require some backfilling, which may then require them to hire more extra people to backfill the persons who are on leave. So, in that more direct way, you can look at it as raising some form of business cost. But I think when we talk about being more productive, having more leave itself is not the only way to have people getting more rest and therefore becoming more productive. Productivity can come from many ways: through better training; better redesign of the job; and better equipment, for example, for those that need to perform manual tasks. We are looking at this from a more holistic way, by ensuring that there are avenues for other forms of work arrangements, including flexible work arrangements, and also equipping our workers with better skills and leveraging technology to be a multiplier of productivity. So, all this will work in concert to make sure that the person or the workers themselves are able to be more productive, while also ensuring that there is a flexible arrangement to allow them to have more balance of their work needs as well as personal needs. So, we are looking at it more from multiple angles, rather than just fixing the problem with more entitled annual leave.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for raising this Parliamentary Question because he is quite passionate about this topic and has asked this several times before. While the Employment Act stipulates a minimum entitlement of seven days of annual leave, this increases by one day per year of service with the same employer. In 2022, over 90% of full-time resident employees aged 25 to 64 had more than seven days of annual leave. In addition, 64.6% of full-time resident employees aged 25 to 64 had 15 days or more of annual leave, higher than the 61.1% in 2018. Annual leave entitlements must be seen alongside other entitlements that similarly support employees in balancing their work and personal needs. These include paid public holidays, sick leave and parental leave, which we have just recently enhanced. Besides employees' needs, reviews of leave entitlements must also take into account the impact on business costs. There are no plans to review the annual leave entitlements for now, but we encourage more employers to review their employment benefits holistically to better attract and retain talent in our currently tight labour market.”
“Because at the normal gantry, the ERP gantry where you go to the gantry and you get the fees charged on the ERP device in your vehicle, we have mounted a similar tapping sensor on the gantry. So, a driver just needs to reach the gantry where the fees are deducted for the per-entry charge or the exit charge. You wind down your window, you tap your IC on the sensor that is mounted at the height of the windows and you can just then drive through without having to disembark the vehicle. This is the way in which we facilitate traffic flow without increasing congestion. But as I said, we will do this in phases. We want to settle the human traffic first and then we will implement the vehicle part, when we are quite certain that the tenants have already tried to engage most of the upstream and downstream stakeholders so that they will not come there and be surprised by it. The final phase will then involve the rest of the public. By which time, we hope to have sent out enough information and make the public aware that should they want to turn up, they should pre-register online or must be prepared to bring their IDs for registration with the kiosk at the guardroom. I hope that reassures the Member that we are considering this very carefully. We will continue to engage the stakeholders there and if there is a way to use other convenient technology like perhaps a QR code, we can consider that. But as I said, because we are using IDs that all of us physically have, there may not really be a need to duplicate another new step by generating a QR code.”
“Sir, I thank Mr Melvin Yong for raising this suggestion to consider a QR code. I think we are all mindful that it is a very busy place with many different stakeholders going in and out – high human traffic and also high vehicle traffic. So, the approach we take is going to be a gradual one. We start with the tenants who have to be there regularly, on a daily basis, as well as the workers who are permanently working there. We will track how many of them have already pre-registered. The registration need not be done at the kiosk on-site. In fact, you can do it online. You do not need to be congested in the guardroom trying to register. You can do it online in the comfort of your home or your office. Once that is done, that registration will be valid for a whole year. Then, there will be no further queues needed at the point of entry, except to produce your NRIC or your Singpass on your mobile phone – something which most of us will carry anyway. When it comes to vehicles, I think it will be the same approach. Delivery personnel who are regularly coming to the place, most tenants will know who their upstream suppliers are and who are their downstream customers. We will give time for the tenants to engage their upstream and downstream stakeholders, to make sure that they are given time to pre-register themselves online; so that when these personnel who are not physically working there on a regular basis, but do come frequently enough to pick up or to deliver items, they can then be processed quite quickly by just scanning their NRIC and a tap, a couple of seconds, the gantry opens and they can enter. For drivers who are entering the premises, they need not even get off their vehicle.”
“The Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness has completed its work and issued its final recommendations in August 2023. I want to assure the Member that the Committee had consulted widely, including with SG Enable and various community groups representing persons with disabilities. The Committee took into account the feedback and recommended prohibiting workplace discrimination on the basis of disability and supporting employers who wish to hire persons with disabilities. The Committee also recommended issuing a Tripartite Advisory on providing reasonable accommodations, which are adjustments to the job or the work environment that make it possible for employees with disabilities to perform their jobs. The tripartite partners will continue to engage the various community groups and SG Enable when developing this advisory.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for his question and the concerns for seniors. Indeed, there are different archetypes of seniors who may sometimes fall through the cracks, even when we have a scheme like this. But let me just explain that the Government has put in place a comprehensive suite of different support measures to meet the various needs of our seniors. The support ranges from universal ones such as MediShield Life for healthcare to more targeted ones. For those who need particular help for healthcare, such as there is the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) blue card, for example. The Silver Support Scheme is one of those more targeted schemes that is meant to support the bottom 20% to 30% of seniors who have little or no family support currently and earned lower wages during their working years. So, per capita household income is thus quite relevant to assess their overall support structure and the housing type that they live in or own is but one of those other indicators as well. But certainly, we will consider the Member's suggestion to look at each appeal on a case-by-case basis. If there are merits for the senior who needs more support, we will look at how other measures can also come in, apart from just Silver Support.”
“Sir, the Silver Support Scheme is targeted at seniors who had lower incomes during their working years and now have little or no family support and resources in their retirement. Property ownership is indicative of the senior’s resources and remains relevant in ensuring the Silver Support Scheme is targeted at seniors who need it the most. In particular, seniors who own a 5-room or larger Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat are likely to have more resources and access to additional retirement funds, and hence, are not eligible for Silver Support. Nonetheless, seniors who face unique circumstances, including those who own 5-room or larger HDB flats with short remaining leases and low annual values, can write in to the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board to review their eligibility for Silver Support. We will consider the merits of each appeal on a case-by-case basis. To strengthen support for retirement adequacy, the Government announced enhancements to the Silver Support Scheme at Budget 2024. This includes increasing the qualifying per capita household income threshold to support more seniors. Taken together with the Majulah Package and upcoming enhancements to the Workfare Income Supplement Scheme and Matched Retirement Savings Scheme, these measures will help seniors to meet their basic retirement needs, with greater support given to lower- and middle-income Singaporeans.”
“In my speech, I said that the median rental across non-subsidised hawker stalls remains at $1,225. It should be $1,250.”
“Sorry, Mr Chairman, I do have a correction to make for my speech.”
“NEA will also continue to build new hawker centres to ensure that Singaporeans will continue to have access to affordable and tasty hawker food. I am pleased to share that three new SEHC hawker centres will be opening this year, namely Woodleigh Village, Anchorvale Village and Punggol Coast Hawker Centres. The three new hawker centres, each with about 40 cooked food stalls and 700 seats, will be connected to local amenities and transport nodes, ensuring ease of access for residents. They have also been designed to offer a pleasant dining environment, with spacious, family-friendly and inclusive seating, centralised dishwashing and high ceilings for improved ventilation. Patrons will also, of course, be able to find affordable food options at these new centres. Mr Chairman, as a small nation constrained by land and resources, the road ahead to strengthen our coastal resilience and food security may seem challenging and daunting, but it is a path that we will navigate together, to transform our limitations into opportunities for growth. Through our collective efforts, we will pave the way for a thriving and secure future for generations to come.”
“] For Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centres (SEHCs), NEA will consider proposals from prospective operators with lower rental and operating costs to hawkers. Operators are not allowed to vary the charges to hawkers over the term of tenancy and they are to stagger stall rental prices for the first three years. To help hawkers enhance their operations and productivity, NEA has also implemented measures, such as the Productive Hawker Centre (PHC) programme and Hawkers’ Productivity Grant (HPG). On hawker food affordability, NEA does not regulate hawker food prices to avoid distorting the true cost of hawker food. Our hawkers should be given the autonomy to price their food based on multiple considerations, such as operating costs and market conditions. Mr Edward Chia asked if the Ministry had conducted a survey on hawkers’ average earnings. While we do not collect this data from hawkers, NEA does conduct regular surveys on hawker food prices and their cost components and will continue to ensure a conducive business environment for our hawkers. Today, patrons can continue to find affordable options in all hawker centres, including at the SEHCs, where operators have committed that all stalls will provide at least one budget meal option. The public can also utilise Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers provided under the Assurance Package at hawker centres and coffee shops. Mr Gan Thiam Poh would be glad to know that NEA has implemented various programmes to encourage aspiring hawkers to enter the trade. NEA's Hawkers' Development Programme and Incubation Stall Programme provide holistic training to equip aspiring hawkers with skills needed to run a successful hawker business. Over 60 hawkers have joined the trade through these programmes.”
“Since August last year, SFA has been engaging with industry associations and key stakeholders on the proposed enhancements. Relevant feedback has been incorporated into the draft Bill. We will begin public consultation this month. Let me now address questions from Mr Edward Chia, Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Mr Louis Chua and Ms Mariam Jaafar on measures to help our hawkers. NEA provides a conducive environment for hawkers to operate, enabling them to strike a balance between pricing their food affordably and sustaining their livelihood. NEA lets out hawker stalls through monthly tender exercises, which are transparent and fair. There is no minimum bid and subletting is not allowed. Individuals can bid for a stall at a monthly rental as low as $1, while others may choose to submit higher bids to secure stalls at popular locations, as they factor in considerations such as footfall and expected patronage. Some popular hawker centres, such as Newton Food Centre, attract additional clientele, such as tourists, and enjoy better footfall over longer business hours. Rent will be adjusted towards the assessed market rent after the first three years. In fact, only about 4% of cooked food stalls in hawker centres today are paying rent at above the assessed market rent. These stalls would be in their initial three years of tenancy, and their rental would be based on their tender bid. When they renew their tenancy at the end of the three years, it will be adjusted to the assessed market rent. Median rental across non-subsidised cooked food stalls has remained constant at about $1,225 since 2015. [Please refer to clarification later in the debate.”
“Ms Nadia Samdin also asked about the SG Fresh Produce (SGFP) logo and if wet market stallholders that supply local produce could be better recognised. To date, over 100 farmers, distributors and retailers have used the logo on produce packaging and in marketing channels. SFA has also developed marketing materials featuring the SGFP logo for wet market stallholders to help generate higher sales. SFA will also work with partners, like the Singapore Chefs’ Association, on programmes, such as cooking classes, to promote SGFP and the FTTRP. Ms Poh Li San asked how the public can do their part to support Singapore’s food resiliency. Consumers like you and I must recognise our vulnerability to food supply disruptions and be flexible in our food choices in the event of a disruption. This awareness should be inculcated from young. Hence, as part of Total Defence 40th Anniversary, SFA in collaboration with MOE and SATS, conducted a pilot Food Resilience Preparedness Project (FRPP) involving an estimated 50,000 students from 40 secondary schools. This involved the distribution of retort meal packs made with locally sourced ingredients and educated students on the importance of food security, the benefits of local produce and how we can all jointly strengthen Singapore’s food supply resilience. To better protect consumers and safeguard Singapore's food supply resilience, we will strengthen SFA’s legislative powers through the introduction of a new Food Safety and Security Bill (FSSB). FSSB will consolidate all food safety and security legislation from eight existing Acts into one Act and provide an overarching framework to ensure coherence across the entire food value chain.”
“SAFEF, Hai Sia Seafood as well as retailers, such as FairPrice supermarket, are also intending to pilot dedicated retail shelves for local produce by the second half of this year, so it will be easier for consumers to purchase and support local produce. The AfA also supported the Farm-to-Table Recognition Programme (FTTRP), launched in March last year, which recognises food businesses that procure locally produced ingredients. To Ms Nadia Samdin’s question, I am pleased to share that there are 50 businesses onboard to date. SFA plans to onboard at least a total of 100 food establishments over the next year. The Government has also taken the lead to support the FTTRP. Since October 2023, Government procurement has incorporated a weighted criterion for sustainability into our catering contract. This allows FTTRP-recognised food caterers, which uses sustainably sourced local produce, to receive additional points that increase their chances of securing Government catering contracts. As of 1 February 2024, there are 11 FTTRP caterers, up from two previously. I believe that more caterers will start using local produce if more Singaporeans, businesses and community groups support our local farms by asking for catering to use local ingredients and local produce. At today’s tea break, Members would have sampled an array of local dishes using locally sourced food ingredients. From the savoury delights of Nyonya laksa prepared from local prawn, eggs and beansprouts, to tandoori fish made with our local harvest, and sweets, such as peach croissant with basil cream, made with locally farmed basil. I would like to urge Members to support our local farms and to incorporate local produce from our farms in the events that you organise or host.”
“Some farms are, in fact, ready to ramp up production, but our farmers need to know that it will be met with a corresponding increase in demand. Food security is, therefore, a joint responsibility. As consumers, we all have a part to play in strengthening Singapore's Food Story. Last year, as part of the Forward SG exercise, we launched the AfA that brought together various industry stakeholders to encourage increased offtake of local produce. I am happy to update that the AfA’s efforts has led to the formation of an industry-level supply and demand aggregator, spearheaded by the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation (SAFEF). SAFEF will partner traders and food processing companies via longer-term commercial aggregator contracts to better match supply and demand. This gives certainty to both producers and buyers and also allows better price negotiations. 7.45 pm For example, SAFEF aggregated locally farmed marine tilapia from several fish farmers at the Western Johor Strait and marketed it as “The Straits Fish”. With additional support from Hai Sia Seafood, a food processing and distributor company, as well as Chang Cheng Group, a food services company, “The Straits Fish” dishes were officially launched on 17 February 2024 across the Group's "zi char" chain, Ming Kitchen Seafood. Initially, they were uncertain about how consumers would respond, so the partnership commenced with a modest launch of 200 kilogrammes of fish. The dishes were well received and sold out within the day. SAFEF now plans to sell approximately 50 tonnes of “The Straits Fish” within the next six months and further develop it into value-added processed food products for sale at retail outlets and potentially for export.”
“In October 2023, we brought together key stakeholders from industry, academia, nature groups and Government agencies to envision the answers to these key questions and to guide the development of productive and sustainable aquaculture for Singapore. We are midway into our discussion, but we have started to converge on some key principles to develop the sector in a manner that is suited for our local context. First, we will support industry to scale up through enabling regulation, technology and infrastructure. Agencies will proactively review legislation and regulations to guide resilient and sustainable aquaculture production. Before new sites are tendered, SFA works with agencies to conduct environmental studies to assess the potential impact of aquaculture developments and identify proper mitigating measures. We will help farmers to adopt more sustainable farming practices and technologies, including closed containment aquaculture systems. We will also facilitate the necessary supporting infrastructure. Second, we will consider competing sea space uses and ecological sensitivity upfront when identifying aquaculture sites. Third, we will be outcome-based and science-based in ensuring sustainable production. Farming need not be at the expense of the health of our waters. Lastly, we will also take a collaborative approach with various stakeholders to co-create solutions for sustainability and growth. These principles will be consolidated in an updated version of the SAP by the second half of this year and will embody our collective vision and serve as a roadmap for aquaculture development here in Singapore. Ultimately, for the agri-tech sector and the agri-food sector to thrive, our farmers will need sufficient consumer demand to be commercially viable.”
“This is the driving force behind our aspirational "30 by 30" vision to build our agri-food industry's capability and capacity to sustainably produce 30% of our nutritional needs locally by 2030. This goal is very ambitious but it signifies our determination to make progress. It has not been easy for our farms, especially due to developmental delays during the COVID-19 pandemic and strong headwinds due to inflationary pressures and higher costs. Global agri-tech companies have also not been spared from the near-term investment headwinds. Even as we deal with these challenges, we will still forge ahead to strengthen our food supply resilience. To help our farms cope with the higher energy costs, SFA, in April last year, enhanced the Agri-Food Cluster Transformation (ACT) Fund and introduced the Energy Efficiency Programme (EEP), providing farms with co-funding to adopt energy-efficient technologies. As at the end of last year, SFA has committed over S$23 million to fund 60 ACT Fund projects. We will also continue to upskill and build the pipeline of agri-workforce to meet the sector's needs. Ms Nadia Samdin and Ms Poh Li San asked about the progress of the Singapore Aquaculture Plan (SAP). We have been working with agencies to increase and optimise aquaculture spaces to encourage better farming practices and invest in R&D through our AquaPolis programme. Optimising our limited sea spaces for aquaculture will require us to balance competing priorities, including maritime activities and biodiversity. How can we come to a consensus on the right balance to strike? How can we achieve win-win outcomes to help Singapore responsibly manage our sea space for our present and future needs while preserving biodiversity?”
“This would delineate the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders, safeguard land for coastal protection measures and future upgrades to cater for uncertainties in climate projections, and regulate and enforce against activities that could pose a risk to coastal protection measures and ensure that PUB's coastal protection standards are met. We intend to kickstart consultations with stakeholders later this year. Concurrently, PUB has started on a two-year study, from November 2023, to develop a new Code of Practice. This will guide and standardise the design, implementation as well as the operation and maintenance of coastal protection measures. Let me now talk about strengthening our food security. As we import more than 90% of our food, Singapore is particularly vulnerable to global food supply chain disruptions. Recent examples include disease outbreaks, policy decisions by foreign governments and, of course, geopolitical tensions. To Ms Nadia Samdin's and Ms Poh Li San's questions on ensuring food resilience, import source diversification will remain the cornerstone of our food security strategy. We will continue to facilitate food imports from new sources by working closely with industry and governments globally. For example, we approved the export of eggs and live chickens from Indonesia to Singapore in April and May 2023 respectively, and Türkiye for eggs in September 2023. SFA also works closely with industry players to put in place robust business continuity plans. Ms Poh Li San asked about the progress of our "30 by 30" vision and support for the agri-food industry. The volatility of global food supply chains underscores the importance of having a buffer, a form of insurance by being able to grow some of our own food locally.”
“To Mr Louis Chua's suggestion that clustering will not give economies of scale and decentralisation is better, I would like to share that the key feedback from our engagement with stakeholders, including farmers and industry players, since 2021, is that it will not be commercially viable nor an effective use of space and resources if farms were to build individual smaller-scale infrastructure for their own needs alone. Following his suggestion would mean that we are back to status quo and would miss the opportunity for Lim Chu Kang Master Plan to create better efficiencies and new opportunities to take our agri-food sector to a new high level. We are, in fact, studying the viability of shared facilities, such as centralised processing facilities, for better economies of scale. We are also exploring innovative solutions that could intensify land use while guarding against sea level rise, such as growing in a "stacked farm approach". Farms affected by the redevelopment have been given time to transit and can bid in land tenders launched by SFA. The Public Utilities Board (PUB) will be extending Our Coastal Conversation in the first half of 2025 to discuss the possibilities for the north-west coast and this will include development plans for the Lim Chu Kang Master Plan. To ensure effective implementation of our coastal protection plans along the more than 300 kilometres of our varied coastline, we are working towards enacting coastal protection legislation.”
“Mr Chairman, the effects of climate change are already upon us. I will speak on our approach in enhancing coastal protection and food security. The Third National Climate Change Study (V3) by the Centre for Climate Research Singapore released in January this year showed that extreme rainfall is projected to increase, mean sea levels around Singapore are projected to rise higher than previously projected under the V2 study, up to 1.15 metres by 2100 and up to around two metres by 2150. Ms Nadia Samdin and Ms Poh Li San asked how the V3 study will be used. We will progressively share V3 data with regional and local partners. We will also incorporate V3 data into our research, such as the Climate Impact Science Research and the work of the Coastal Protection and Flood Resilience Institute (CFI) Singapore. We have begun preparations for coastal protection with site-specific studies of Singapore's coastlines since 2021. With the commencement of the latest study along the coastlines of Lim Chu Kang and Sungei Kadut in August 2023, our site-specific studies now cover the entire north-west coast from Tuas to Woodlands, as well as Jurong Island and the City-East Coast. Mr Louis Chua, Ms Nadia Samdin and Ms Poh Li San asked about the progress of the Lim Chu Kang Master Plan (LCKMP). The comprehensive master planning effort is now underway. We aim to harness synergies between land and sea farms in the Western Johor Strait so that farms can grow with greater resource efficiency. The detailed plan will optimise land use and put in place the necessary transport infrastructure.”
“Sir, the simple answer to Ms Jean See is yes, we will continue to work with our tripartite partners to look at these guidelines from time to time, and this will take a tripartite approach to see what is relevant at this point in time.”
“Sir, to answer Assoc Prof Jamus Lim's question, we need to understand that there is no default job description in any job. So, there is no way to have a default restriction against a restriction of trade clauses for a particular job. Unless there is a standard job that is available for which we know what a worker does from one company to the next, it is very hard to prescribe in law what the default position is. Which is why the Court takes a case-by-case approach but lays out principles in which why some of these clauses are non-enforceable. And that is why it is so difficult to have a one-size-fits-all approach. The job title of a clerk in one company can mean one thing in one company and mean another thing in another company. So, it is very hard for us a priori to determine what is the default baseline for a job requirement.”
“Sir, I thank Mr Desmond Choo for that clarification. Let me explain that the MRSS is targeted at seniors with lesser means and lower retirement savings. The enhancements to provide the $2,000 per year matching grant annually and $20,000 matching grant over a lifetime as a cap are, in fact, a significant increase from the current scheme and can help to increase eligible seniors' CPF savings, as I had explained in my main speech, by about $48,000 over 10 years. This is already going to give them about $260 of extra payout per month. I understand that it may not help all eligible seniors meet their BRS. The fact is that it is not meant to do that. It is actually part of a whole suite of measures, including other schemes, that support retirement. For example, the Majulah Package, as well as the SSS , will also help to boost the retirement adequacy. For those who may already have a certain quantum in their CPF and they are not eligible, for example, for the MRSS, what certain family members can do is to continue to top up the senior's account and enjoy tax benefits of up to $16,000 a year for those kind of top-ups that do not attract any matching grants from the MRSS. So, I think we are just encouraging everyone to look at this as a means which can catalyse more support for our seniors. It is not meant to bridge the gap with the BRS.”
“We will continue working with partners to enhance programmes and events in the recreation centres to better meet migrant workers' social needs. Mr Chairman, to uplift Singaporeans, the Government has put in place measures to boost the retirement adequacy of our seniors and improve protection of our workers. At the same time, we have continued to transform the migrant worker ecosystem by improving existing housing and healthcare needs and increasing engagements with our migrant workers. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders, including our tripartite partners to implement the initiatives I have shared about. With the support of the whole-of-society, I am confident that we can uplift those who are more vulnerable among us as we build a shared future together.”
“Mr Louis Ng asked how we will safeguard the well-being of migrant workers and ensure that they receive fair treatment. As the Member has previously raised similar questions in Parliament, I will just provide a brief overview. In setting the minimum living space per resident for dormitories, we have to balance liveability against costs and land-take considerations. The new dormitory standards are in line with the standards set by the International Labour Organization for workers' housing. On food hygiene, employers and dormitory operators must only procure food from licensed food establishments. MOM also conducts regular inspections on dormitories to check that food delivered to the dormitories is protected from contamination until it is collected by the residents. Mr Louis Ng suggested to increase the penalties for employment kickbacks. Currently, offenders may be sentenced to imprisonment of up to two years, fines of up to $30,000, or both, for each worker affected. Thus far, the penalties imposed by the Courts have not reached the maximum fine or the imprisonment term. This indicates that the current caps remain sufficient. We have also strengthened protections for workers to encourage them to come forward early without fear of reprisal, as we will facilitate a change of employer if necessary. Workers can also report kickbacks through multiple avenues, such as our MOM hotline or to our Forward Assurance and Support Teams (FAST) team officers deployed on the ground or through the FWMOMCare app. Since 2022, we have implemented the Primary Care Plan to improve access to healthcare for migrant workers and established the Friends of ACE network to expand our outreach efforts.”
“It is not sustainable to keep building migrant worker dormitories or adding more beds to house new workers, because when the catch-up projects are eventually completed and the excess workers return to their home countries, we may end up swinging to the other extreme and end up with an excess of dormitory beds. Thus, the more sustainable way forward is for employers to reduce their reliance on migrant workers by adopting productivity measures. I am glad Mr Louis Chua agrees with us that this is the right thing to do. This is why we have the Skills Recognition Framework in place, which encourages employers to retain experienced and skilled Work Permit holders through lower levies. Ms He Ting Ru suggested that employers should be required to wait one month before repatriating migrant workers. Her concern is that repatriation may arise from retaliation by the employer. Should this be the case, they should approach MOM. When migrant workers are onboarded, we inform them of their rights and avenues to seek help if they are unfairly treated. Upon notification, MOM will investigate and issue a special pass to allow the worker to remain in Singapore until investigations are completed. If employers have been found to be victimising their employees, enforcement action will be taken against the relevant employers. I hope Ms He Ting Ru does not forget that, at times, migrant workers themselves are at fault, leading to the end of the employment relationship. For example, if a migrant domestic worker has been mistreating children in a household, I think it would not be reasonable to expect the employer to continue keeping the migrant domestic worker in the household and providing for her upkeep instead of repatriating her immediately.”
“We expanded the scope of the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act to cover all dormitories housing more than six workers to ensure dormitories are well-managed with good health and safety standards in place. We also announced the Dormitory Transition Scheme to transition almost 1,000 existing dormitories to improve standards by the year 2030. And, by 2040, all regulated dormitories, including new and existing ones, will meet even higher dormitory standards. These measures will strengthen public health resilience and better prepare us for future disease outbreaks. Mr Louis Chua mentioned the need to ensure that companies are able to access adequate accommodation at reasonable standards and prices. Pre-COVID-19, the number of dormitory beds available was sized to adequately meet the demand, with a healthy 90% occupancy rate. When the economy reopened after COVID-19, employers were desperate to catch up on projects that were delayed by COVID-19 and have been hiring more migrant workers. Today, the number of Work Permit holders in the construction, marine and process sectors is 20% higher than pre-COVID-19 days. This led to a market-induced relative shortage of dormitory beds. MOM has been working closely with key stakeholders to make more dormitory beds available to accommodate this growth while ensuring they meet MOM's dormitory standards. Since December 2022, 17,000 more dormitory beds have been added through various measures. About 47,000 more will be available over the next few years, as seven more purpose-built dormitories come into operation. These measures have helped to alleviate pressure on the broader housing market and rental prices. However, the growth in the migrant worker population has outpaced the increase in dormitory supply.”
“But in practice, the specific types of jobs that interact substantively with an employer's legitimate business interests will depend on each employer's business considerations and structures as well as other case-specific factors, such as the nature of work that the employee is engaged in at that time and the position of the employee within the organisation. It will not be appropriate nor feasible for tripartite partners to take a one-size-fits-all approach and prescribe exhaustively the specific circumstances in which restraint of trade clauses are reasonable. Employers should assess if there is a genuine need for restraint of trade clauses to protect legitimate business interests based on principles that the Courts have already previously set out. 5.00 pm In the meantime, I urge employees who believe that they have been subject to such practices to seek assistance from their unions or TAFEP. Members would be aware that tripartite partners are releasing guidelines on the use of such clauses in the second half of this year. These guidelines will shape the norms of behaviour to strengthen fairness in the use of such clauses in employment contracts. As the Minister mentioned, we are strongly committed to strengthening Singaporeans' job prospects and career health. At the same time, we need to transform the migrant worker ecosystem and improve their well-being. Through collaborations with more than 160 partners, including stakeholders like dormitory operators and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), we have made significant improvements in migrant workers' well-being in a holistic way, from their workplace concerns to housing, healthcare and their social needs. MOM has made significant moves in migrant worker housing in 2023.”
“As their own boss, freelancers have control over their business model and pricing to negotiate key service terms with service buyers, such as fees and whether to include the cost of their insurance coverage within their contract pricing. The Government will continue to work with associations to provide guidance on what businesses should do when contracting with freelancers. Ms Jean See also raised various suggestions at the Budget Debate on how to better support freelancers. We will take these suggestions from the Labour Movement into account as we review how to better protect workers. Beyond work injury compensation, the Government is also committed to ensuring that our employment regulations remain relevant and provide sufficient protection for employees, while maintaining a competitive business environment that continues to generate good jobs. Mr Patrick Tay and Mr Raj Joshua Thomas suggested several areas within the Employment Act for review. The Government reviews the Employment Act regularly together with our tripartite partners, taking into account changes in the nature of work, workplace arrangements and workforce profiles. I thank Members for their suggestions, which we will take into consideration when we next review the Employment Act. In the meantime, I would like to assure Members, such as Mr Louis Chua and Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, that the Government will continue to work closely with our tripartite partners to ensure that exploitative employment practices do not become the norm in our workplaces. To Assoc Prof Jamus Lim's suggestion to legislate against restraint of trade clauses for employees who are of a certain pay grade, theoretically, this sounds like an easy thing to do.”
“If eligible elderly Singaporeans receive $2,000 in cash top-up annually, their retirement savings will increase by about $48,000 over 10 years. As a result, their monthly payout from their CPF LIFE will increase by about $260. The Government will also assist elderly Singaporeans with lower CPF savings and less family support through the SSS. Starting from 2025, the SSS quarterly payment will increase by 20% to help cope with inflation. The per capita monthly income ceiling for eligible households will also be raised, benefitting about 290,000 elderly Singaporeans. To achieve this, the Government will allocate an additional $260 million in 2025 with total annual expenditure reaching $860 million. The Government is committed to helping elderly Singaporeans with their retirement security, allowing them to enjoy their golden years. To achieve this goal, we also need the collective effort of the whole society. Therefore, I encourage families, employers and community groups to reach out and lend a helping hand to those in need around them, so that elderly Singaporeans can have a sense of security in old age and enjoy a “springtime” retirement. (In English): Sir, let me move on to the issue of employment protection for our workers. Ms Jean See asked how freelancers can be protected for workplace safety and health risks. Under the Workplace Safety and Health Act, service buyers have a duty to ensure the safety of contracted freelancers who work under their direction or at their work premises. If a freelancer is injured at work, he or she can pursue a civil claim against the service buyer. Compensation will depend on the facts of the case. For certainty of coverage, freelancers should consider personal accident insurance for their own financial protection in case of injury.”