Low Yen Ling
Singapore
“I want to thank Member Cai Yinzhou for the clarification. As far as his historic district is concerned, I want to assure him that the new Place-making Project Office that comes under the Inter-agency Task Force does indeed not only serve Kampong Gelam, Little India, but also Chinatown.”
“A "we first" society needs an active citizenry working together to realise it. When corporates, community groups, and individuals come together, we will be able to create a harmonious, united and progressive home and society that belong to us.”
“I want to thank Member Mr Andre Low. In my earlier speech, I have also responded very succinctly. I want to assure him, as well as Mr Melvin Yong, I think you touch on very similar issues, and you probably heard from the political office holders speaking at the Ministry of Home Affairs COS about their tough stance against scams.”
“Finally, Government agencies, not just MTI, EDB and Enterprise Singapore, under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, will continue to create a pro-business, pro-people environment, building a business environment based on integrity.”
“— family business, as well as the other one on TACs. On family businesses, I want to assure him that earlier on, when we mentioned that we raised the support level for SMEs and non-SMEs and indeed, many of our multi-generational family businesses are in that category.”
“And since the Member asked, price obviously is an important indicator. Another example is if CCS observes the behaviour of the organisations and if we pick up signals that they are coordinating the behaviour to raise prices, to reduce quality, to reduce output, to reduce innovation, CCS will step in.”
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“This year, NAC will support and develop three pilot projects that allow our artists to experiment with new ways of making art and nurturing new audiences, especially among young people. While we invest in bringing the arts and culture to all Singaporeans, we also want to encourage them to attend local arts and cultural events and activities. This is why Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Minister Edwin Tong shared more about the introduction of the SG Culture Pass. We are proud of our unique Singapore arts and culture, and we call on all Singaporeans to "support local". Beyond this, we also hope to continue fostering cultural philanthropy through the Cultural Matching Fund (CMF). As Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has announced, we will top up CMF by $100 million and extend it until 2029. To date, we have disbursed more than $400 million in dollar-for-dollar matching grants to 127 unique charities. This means, almost eight in 10 arts and heritage charities have received such grants. The number of donations matched by CMF has multiplied from 2,000 in Year 2014 to more than 16,000 in 2024. Ms Usha Chandradas asked if CMF could be expanded to match earned income and if matching grants can be broadened. The CMF encourages philanthropic giving to Singapore's arts and heritage sector. CMF grants fund expenses which are directly related to the delivery of programmes by arts and heritage groups because we want to ensure that public monies deliver impact for Singaporeans. Expenses, like legal fees, staff bonuses and welfare benefits, are not covered. This applies only to the matching grants, not to the donations raised by the charities and IPCs. The CMF is just one of many schemes administered by MCCY and NAC, that our arts and heritage groups can use.”
“For 67-year-old Mdm Jamaliah, she felt a sense of pride in her culture when she watched NADI Singapura's traditional Malay drumming performance in Brickland Estate with her friends. Ms Usha Chandradas asked about encouraging cross-cultural appreciation and engagement through the arts. I want to assure her ArtsEverywhere@CDC is a key platform for this purpose. ArtsEverywhere@CDC performances have featured arts groups from different cultures, such as Indian ensemble Brahmastra; Chinese traditional ensemble Ding Yi; and the Philharmonic Winds Orchestra. ArtsEverywhere@CDC also includes fringe activities, where arts groups provide audiences, participants with more immersive cultural experiences. It is a multi-sensorial engagement. For example, Brahmastra’s performances were accompanied by a Parai and Karagam Workshop, where participants learned to play the parai, a traditional Indian percussion instrument; and perform the karakattam, an ancient Indian folk dance. NADI Singapura also ran a Paper Tanjak Workshop, where participants of all background or races could create their very own traditional Malay headgear. Overall, the response to ArtsEverywhere@CDC has been encouraging. We will keep bringing the arts to Singaporeans like Mdm Yang and Mdm Jamaliah, with over 200 ArtsEverywhere@CDC performances this year. Beyond physical spaces, we will also bring the arts into the virtual world. Ms Usha Chandradas asked about the plans to enable our arts practitioners to use technology to reach younger audiences. As part of Arts Plan 2.0, NAC launched Project Arts Metaverse, an Alliance-for-Action to co-create arts experiences in virtual spaces with the arts and tech community.”
“Chairman, Minister Edwin Tong spoke about building a caring, cohesive and confident Singapore. Let me touch on how we will accomplish this through the arts and heritage. Today, we have a vibrant arts and heritage scene that Singaporeans can be proud of. In 2024, attendance of arts events across music, dance and theatre in Singapore reached more than four million. I will outline two areas we will focus on to bring Singapore's arts and heritage sector forward. First, we will expand Singaporeans' access to the arts and encourage all, from the young to the old, to participate in and appreciate our vibrant local arts. Second, we will strengthen support for our arts and heritage workers and businesses and empower them to shape an enduring future for our arts and heritage ecosystem. Under the Arts Plan 2.0, we aim to build a Connected Society and a Distinctive City through the arts. A key part of this is bringing the arts to every part of our city. We launched the ArtsEverywhere@CDC initiative last year and brought high-quality performances into places where Singaporeans live, work and play. Since July 2024, more than 40,000 people have enjoyed performances islandwide at popular locations, like Kampung Admiralty, Heartbeat@Bedok, Toa Payoh HDB Hub, Our Tampines Hub and Jurong Lake Gardens. Through ArtsEverywhere@CDC, Singaporeans with little or no exposure to the arts have gained a newfound appreciation for both the arts and the Singapore culture. For example, Mdm Yang Siew Shan, an engineer who lives in Woodlands, discovered a new interest in the arts after attending an ArtsEverywhere performance in her neighbourhood.”
“Chairman, I want to thank Ms Sylvia Lim for her two clarifications. I will address the second one first. I understand where the Member is coming from when she shared her thinking when she delivered her cut yesterday. As shared by Minister of State Sun Xueling during the Ministry of Home Affair's (MHA's) COS debate, a majority of the scams involve self-effected transfers of money to scammers as well as cryptocurrency scams. These are, one, criminal in nature and two, often carried out by highly sophisticated criminal networks. The third point really is that a lot of these are really based out of Singapore. So, such scams are, hence, more appropriately handled by our law enforcement authorities. But I want to assure her that to ensure a collective effort in tackling scams, the Singapore Government works closely not just mounting a whole-of-Government approach, but also with the private sector. Members have heard from Minister of State Sun Xueling, with the various tech companies and so on, as well as community partners, to tackle scams, go upstream, not just engaging the seniors, but it can affect people of all ages and all backgrounds. So, the anti-scam efforts are coordinated by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Scams, which comprises representatives from MHA, Singapore Police Force, MDDI, IMDA, MAS and other public agencies. MTI sits in, and if there are relevant cases that are relevant to our economic agency, that is where we will bridge the communications. Notwithstanding that, I want to assure the Member that where there are unfair practices by, say, suppliers being involved, CCCS can certainly take them to task under our CPFTA. This really forms part of the whole-of-Government approach, where agencies can work together to safeguard consumer interest.”
“I would like to represent the whole MTI family – not just MTI, but also Enterprise Singapore, EDB and all our economic agencies – to thank SBF and Mr Mark Lee for co-chairing the AfA on Business Competitiveness, and also to Nominated Member of Parliament Mr Neil Parekh for being part of the AfA as well. We also want to thank the 13 TACs that joined us in this journey from February to November last year. It was very intense. We consulted many of the businesses, not just sectoral but also the industry and trade associations and so on. That really is the usual engagement, and we must continue to sustain this momentum. That is why earlier, during Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong's speech, you heard him mentioning that he helms the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Pro-Enterprise Rules Review. In the last few months, I joined him as well as Minister Shanmugam, Minister Tan See Leng, Minister Desmond Lee and Minister Chee Hong Tat in hosting discussions with more than 140 chief executive officers and chief experience officers of SMEs to continue to understand, sector by sector, if there are any pain points or any areas that we can look at to further improve the whole-of-Government regulatory agility. I want to reassure Mr Mark Lee and in fact, the business community that MTI and not just MTI, now that we have set up the SME PEO from 26 March onwards as a key coordination unit to galvanise the whole-of-Government to lean forward, to continue to work with the business sector to improve the regulatory agility, to better support our businesses to seize opportunities overseas.”
“We will support and empower our enterprises as they transform and grow be it an SME hoping to expand abroad or an SME embarking on AI or heartland shops and stalls seeking more customers. We will spare no effort to support them every step of the way. As we forge ahead together, we invite all Singaporeans to join us in energising our heartlands. Let us show them our support during this SG60 year, by patronising our heartland shops and participating in their placemaking activities. Let us enjoy and celebrate our vibrant and beloved heartlands. As we do so, we affirm our Singaporean identity with pride and joy.”
“Firstly, the Government has distributed several rounds of CDC Vouchers, encouraging Singaporeans to spend at approximately 23,000 participating heartland shops and hawker stalls, with total spending exceeding $1 billion. Through the new round of CDC Vouchers and the SG60 Vouchers this year, we will continue to help heartland shops and hawkers increase their revenue. Our heartland communities are our emotional connection points. For Singaporeans, the familiar heartland shops and hawker stalls play an irreplaceable role in deepening our collective memories and national identity. Like the handmade snacks you will enjoy later, our heartland communities have that familiar flavour and human touch. Therefore, we will further upgrade Our Heartlands 2025 Programme to let communities shine from inside out, injecting vitality throughout our heartland communities. These include launching an enhanced Visual Merchandising Scheme, increasing the total qualifying cost five-fold from $12,000 to $60,000, while expanding shop renovation scope and adding training topics. Additionally, we will launch the Vibrant Heartlands Programme for Merchants' Association. This programme has two parts. Firstly, for shorter pre-set activities, the qualifying cost is $3,000 per event. Secondly, Merchants' Association planning larger community building activities can apply for subsidies, on qualifying costs of up to $200,000. We hope more heartland businesses will make good use of existing schemes for innovation and transformation. 1.30 pm (In English): Chairman, the Government is standing together with our Singapore enterprises, with our SMEs.”
“This enhanced programme will offer the heartland shops support in training, consultancy as well as makeover of their shopfronts. We are increasing the total qualifying cost by five times, from $12,000 previously to $60,000 now. In addition, the project scope for the shopfront makeover can be more customised and more training topics will be added. From "inside" to "outside", besides revitalising the interiors of heartland shops, we will also rejuvenate what takes place in our heartlands' neighbourhood. We will launch a new Vibrant Heartlands Programme for Merchants' Associations to support their placemaking activities and events. They can conduct bite-sized and pre-scoped activities under a recommended standard option or explore holding larger-scale, customised placemaking events. Bite-sized and pre-scoped activities would receive grant support on qualifying costs of $3,000 per application, while larger-scale customisable placemaking events would receive grant support on qualifying costs of up to $200,000 per application. Mr Chairman, please allow me to say a few words in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Chairman, fellow Members of Parliament, the global and regional economies are facing unprecedented situations, and all Singapore businesses must actively innovate and transform. The Government will support businesses in their transformation and growth in these areas. First, supporting internationalisation. Second, helping businesses leverage AI for transformation. Third, increasing regulatory flexibility to create a business-friendly environment. In recent years, we have continuously work to revitalise our heartland economy and promote the development of heartland enterprises.”
“They participated in Easty Breezy, which is a seaside-inspired marketplace last September in Marine Parade, as well as a Chinese New Year Bazaar this year. Both events led to higher revenue, footfall and brand loyalty. In fact, with its refreshed brand, expanded online presence and growing product range, Quan Shui's revenue increased by 25% from 2021 to 2024, and the company is projecting a 20% growth year-on-year. Today, we would like to invite all Members to have a taste of Quan Shui's success. MTI has arranged for bento boxes with Quan Shui's siew mai, har gao as well as the chicken and mushroom dumplings to be served in the Members' Room later during tea break, and we have also made special arrangements for our Muslim Members. We have set aside four of their very, very popular halal otah buns in each bento set for each of our Muslim Members when they break fast later. We hope that Members will enjoy this at the end of the day. These handmade local dim sums are really based on the 60-year-old family recipe from the founder, Uncle Oh. So, companies like Quan Shui, have shown that Government support and schemes helped them to transform and boost their businesses. We want to encourage our enterprises to approach any of our 10 SME Centres for assistance and to embark on a journey of transformation and growth. Given the success of these initiatives, we will continue strengthening Our Heartlands 2025 Programme with fresh initiatives and energise our heartlands "inside out". Starting from the "inside" of our heartland shops, we will launch the Enhanced Visual Merchandising Programme to help our heartland shops refresh their stores and gain visual appeal to attract more customers.”
“As a result of this programme, the heartland shops that participated shared that they have seen their footfall and their sales increase by generally about 20%. Our heartland shops in Singapore have also benefited from the launch of Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers since the scheme started slightly more than three years ago. To date, Singaporeans have spent more than $1 billion at about 23,000 heartland shops and hawker stalls. In fact, the new round of CDC Vouchers as well as the SG60 Vouchers this year will again boost the visibility, footfall as well as business for our heartland shops. For many of our heartland shops, getting that additional visibility and awareness can really make a vital difference to their business. That is why, last year, we launched the Heartland Enterprise Placemaking Grant (HEPG) to encourage our heartland merchants to organise innovative placemaking activities involving community engagement, public art installations, workshops, and thematic festivals. Many heartland shops have applied successfully for the HEPG. One such shop is Quan Shui Wet Market, which started in Ang Mo Kio in 1968. The fresh pork stall owned by Uncle Oh Quan Shui has grown to eight and is now an omni-channel retail operation with a flagship store at Upper Thomson. Quan Shui participated in the Digital Practitioner Programme (DPP). In fact, under the charge of Uncle Oh's grandson, Neo Jun He, the store has refreshed its brand and pivoted online with a website and marketing a wider range of product range that went beyond just pork. Within just five months, Quan Shui attracted a growing pool of keen visitors and potential customers. And like what Mr Desmond Choo mentioned during his cut yesterday, Quan Shui tapped into the HEPG to improve its product visibility.”
“MTI works closely with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) to raise consumer awareness and champion their needs and rights. I agree with Mr Melvin Yong that more can be done, especially in the e-commerce space, where unfair practices can take on new and less-obvious forms. The Government welcomes and encourages businesses to take the lead in industry-led initiatives, to ensure a fair and safe marketplace for our consumers. We have commenced consulting with the industry and will announce more details on our upcoming initiatives in the coming weeks. Last but not least, let me speak on something closer to home – heartland shops. Many of us have very close ties to the heartlands, where we live, work and share good memories. They form part of our collective identity as Singaporeans, and our heartland shops are really part and parcel of our daily lives and social fabric. I reassure Mr Desmond Choo and Mr Keith Chua that we are sparing no efforts to rejuvenate our heartlands. We have made progress in the past few years and we will strive to do more. To recap, in 2022, we launched the $50 million Our Heartlands 2025 programme to revitalise our heartlands and to enhance the capabilities of heartland shops, helping them transform, stay relevant and continue serving residents. In fact, earlier in October 2020, we laid the foundation for transformation with the Heartlands Go Digital Programme. Since then, more than 17,000 heartland shops have adopted e-payment solutions. In 2022 and 2023, we further expanded the Heartlands Go Digital Programme to cover wider areas, such as service excellence, digital marketing and human resources. We have also helped heartland shops rejuvenate their premises with the Visual Merchandising Programme that was launched in 2021.”
“These enhancements to our grant application and approval processes for local enterprises will not stop. We will continue to look at how we can improve and shorten the processing time by leveraging automation and centralised processing. Taken together, the three pillars – the SME PEO, SME Centres and digitalisation – will continue to drive our efforts in supporting business transformation and growth for our SMEs and our enterprises. Chairman, while easing regulatory burdens for businesses, the Government is also mindful that for markets to function properly, consumers' trust in merchants and markets must be upheld. I thank Mr Dennis Tan, Ms Sylvia Lim and Mr Melvin Yong for their questions. On Mr Dennis Tan's suggestion, while right-to-repair has its benefits to the environment and to consumers, there are also potential downsides, such as data security concerns. I want to assure him that we will monitor and assess the need for such legislation in Singapore. I also want to assure Ms Sylvia Lim that there is a whole-of-Government approach today to deal with scams which are criminal in nature, led by MHA and coordinated by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Scams. MTI and the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) regularly review our consumer protection regime to ensure that consumers' interests are protected. The Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (or CPFTA) provides general remedies for consumers who encounter unfair trade practices when transacting with businesses. In addition, sector regulators have established more specific standards relevant to the sectors they oversee. An effective consumer protection regime also requires the strong support of our key partners and businesses.”
“Working with the Pro-Enterprise Panel and respective regulatory agencies, SME PEO will be the Government's key coordination unit to aggregate business feedback and to improve regulations at the systems level. We seek continued strong support from our key partners, including the SBF and all TACs, to be our ears on the ground as well as champions for SMEs. Let us work closely with SME PEO to reduce red tape and to streamline processes to support our SMEs. Second, we will enhance our SME Centres to offer a wider range of business advisory services and programmes. Today, there are 10 SME Centres across Singapore, helmed by TACs. The Business Advisors at these Centres will be armed with new toolkits to provide enhanced one-to-one business advisory services, workshops as well as group-based upgrading projects where multiple businesses facing similar pain points can adopt a common solution. This complements the work of the SME PEO so that our businesses can receive advisory support for their growth needs, including regulatory issues. We will continue to partner closely with our TACs to enhance SME Centres' offerings and to extend our reach to more businesses. Third, we will continue investing in and improving our digital platforms, such as the GoBusiness portal and the Enterprise Singapore's Business Grants Portal. We will not only streamline licensing and regulatory transactions, but we will also improve, in terms of the grant applications, to better serve businesses. Enterprise Singapore continues to enhance its grant processing efficiency through automation and centralised processing. For instance, the processing time for PSG applications has been shortened by 80%, from the previous almost three months to the current two weeks.”
“To this end, I co-chaired the AfA on Business Competitiveness with SBF Council Vice Chairman Mr Mark Lee from February to November last year. Mr Neil Parekh will also know and, in fact, he shared that the AfA engaged the businesses, and trade associations and chambers (TACs) extensively last year and released 27 recommendations on manpower, land and regulatory issues. Our Government agencies have considered the AfA's recommendations seriously. Earlier on, you heard from Second Minister Dr Tan See Leng, JTC will implement the AfA's recommendation on lease tenure and renewals for industrial land. 1.15 pm In April 2024, the Government formed the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) for Pro-Enterprise Rules Review to review our regulatory regime for the next bound. I thank Mr Edward Chia, Ms Jessica Tan, as well as Mr Keith Chua and Mr Mark Lee for their questions on the IMC. As announced by Deputy Prime Minister Gan earlier, he mentioned after extensive reviews and consultations, the Committee has set out three Statements of Commitment to streamline regulatory processes and to reduce the compliance burden on businesses. Our work does not stop there. Let me share more about the three-pronged commitment to enhancing our ecosystem and supporting businesses as they navigate Government regulations. First is the SME Pro-Enterprise Office (SME PEO). Following the AfA's recommendation, I announced last September that this new office will be set up under Enterprise Singapore to help businesses navigate regulatory matters. I am pleased to announce that the SME PEO will be fully operational from 26 March this year, in 20 days' time.”
“The Government will also provide a grant for ECI participants to access consultancy services offered by system integrators to help them develop and scale their AI solutions. Secondly, the Government will continue to support the broad base of enterprises that are considering the adoption of AI-enabled solutions. Ms Jessica Tan will be pleased to know that Enterprise Singapore, in partnership with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), has helped close to 3,000 SMEs adopt AI solutions through the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG). We will continue to enhance our existing digitalisation initiatives, such as the SMEs Go Digital Programme, to accelerate AI adoption. MDDI will elaborate more on this during their COS. Besides powering up enterprises to use AI, we will help workers to upskill and harness AI to advance their careers. Mr Liang Eng Hwa will be glad to know that we are indeed deepening our partnerships with the industry and the IHL partners to continue delivering industry-relevant curricula and providing student internships. MOM will share more details on how we will enhance support for businesses as they redesign jobs and upskill workers. Chairman, Singapore is continuing to innovate and stay agile with AI. The constant energy to do better is part of our Singapore DNA. Deputy Prime Minister Gan spoke about our business-friendly environment, a fundamental quality that has enabled Singapore to stay attractive, to stay competitive. We are not resting on our laurels and we are committed to doing more. The Government has stepped up our engagements with the industry and sought views on how Singapore can strengthen our competitiveness.”
“This will help unlock loan financing for enterprises to acquire specific and complementary assets of a target business that can enhance their growth prospects without having to buy out the target business and, therefore, take on its liabilities. The pilot will last five years, from 1 April this year until 31 March 2030. Chairman, in addition to providing access to financing, we will continue to support enterprises in adopting new technologies, such as AI, because AI can spur enterprise and workforce transformation. It enables the firm to automate manual business processes and augment workers' skills, raising productivity, driving innovation and further growing business revenue. The Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) will share the broad progress of our National AI Strategy (NAIS) 2.0 while I will focus on MTI's key industry development efforts. First, we will support more enterprises in setting up AI centres of excellence to accelerate the development and deployment of AI solutions across our economy. We recognise that enterprises need access to compute infrastructure, software and consultancy services to grow their AI R&D and productisation capabilities And so, as the Prime Minister announced and mentioned in his Budget Statement, we are introducing the new Enterprise Compute Initiative (ECI) for Singapore-based enterprises with the ambition to anchor AI mandates and grow AI teams here in Singapore. Enterprises which are digitally mature, have a compelling AI use case as well as an implementation roadmap can tap on the ECI. Mr Mark Lee will be pleased to know that under ECI, participants will have access to cloud compute credits and training programmes from cloud service providers, such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services.”
“I am glad to announce that moving forward, we will further enhance our support in this area. First, we will permanently double the maximum loan quantum for the Enterprise Financing Scheme – Trade Loan (EFS-TL) from $5 million to $10 million. We have considered feedback from the business community, including the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and PricewaterhouseCoopers, and would like to meet this need for financing. Second, we will extend the Double Tax Deduction for Internationalisation (DTDi) for the next five years. Enterprises with expansion plans can continue to benefit from a 200% tax deduction on eligible expenses for overseas market expansion and investment development activities. Third, we will extend the $100,000 Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) Grant cap by one more year to 31 March 2026, because this is in response to industry feedback that many companies, many businesses have spent the last two to three years getting back on their feet after COVID-19. They are restarting their expansion plans and need more time to execute their global market outreach. Besides our grant, tax and financing schemes, Enterprise Singapore and its partners operate a wide network of Overseas Centres where Singapore SMEs can receive support to enter regional markets. Besides helping enterprises grow their overseas markets, I want to reassure Mr Mark Lee that the Government will enhance support for enterprises pursuing inorganic growth via M&A. We will expand the scope of the Enterprise Financing Scheme – Mergers and Acquisitions (EFS-M&A) to also cover targeted asset acquisitions, such as intellectual properties and contracts, without a corresponding equity purchase.”
“Mr Chairman, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong shared that the next chapter of our economic journey will bring new challenges and opportunities. We have what it takes to stay anchored amid the waves. Over the years, our enterprises have acquired the skills to adapt, innovate and change to emerge stronger. Together, we can transform to achieve growth and stay ahead of the game. The Government is strongly committed to supporting our enterprises every step of the way. To enable their business transformation and growth, we will: one, support the overseas expansion of our enterprises; two, empower our enterprises to transform and benefit from artificial intelligence; and three, enhance Singapore's pro-enterprise business environment and reduce red tape. We will also boost our heartlands and support our heartland enterprises. Chairman, Singapore's economic success is built on our ability to connect with the world, as Mr Mark Lee has noted. For Singapore enterprises to grow, they must expand beyond our hinterland to overseas markets for fresh revenue streams. I want to reassure Ms Jessica Tan, Mr Edward Chia, Mr Mark Lee and Mr Keith Chua that Enterprise Singapore is committed to providing comprehensive and holistic support for Singapore enterprises. In 2024, Enterprise Singapore supported more than 2,300 companies, helping them boost their projected annual revenue by $14.5 billion through transformative projects in productivity, that is $8.2 billion; internationalisation, that is $5.5 billion; as well as innovation, that is $0.8 billion, all totalling up to the $14.5 billion I highlighted earlier. Companies that undertook internationalisation projects saw a projected increase in annual revenue of $8.8 million per company compared to $7.7 million in 2023.”
“Mr Speaker, I want to thank the Member Ms Hany Soh for her follow-up supplementary questions. And her question on the viaduct is part of the broader Woodlands Checkpoint expansion that MHA and ICA are undertaking. So, this part does not come under the JTC reclamation works, but in the spirit of whole-of-Government, we welcome her to file a separate Parliamentary Question, and our counterparts at MHA will certainly provide her the details. I know that MHA, ICA and HDB colleagues have as early as 2022 conducted door-to-door visits, conducted dialogues. And these dialogues will continue, and in fact, will intensify. As far as JTC is concerned, we are currently evaluating the tender to appoint the contractor, and once that has been finalised, we will conduct regular meetings between JTC and the contractor. The contractor will also appoint designated contact persons, more than one, in fact; and all these will be placed on notices at each HDB block and also at the hoarding, to make it easier for her, her community leaders, for the residents to give feedback. We certainly will put together the multi-agency team to bridge the communications with her and her team.”
“On the environmental impact analysis, in fact, JTC has conducted a very detailed and in-depth EIA for the reclamation project, and it examines the air and water quality, the noise and the visual impact, the preservation of biodiversity, the habitat disturbances and so on. And she may have noticed that JTC has put out the full EIA report. It was gazetted on 29 January this year and the hard copy was made available for public viewing at JTC Summit for four weeks, from 29 January to 26 February. Even though the public consultation has ended, if any parties are interested, including the residents, they can still write to JTC to review it. The assessment revealed that the impact on the biodiversity would be considered insignificant with the mitigation measures carried out during the redevelopment of the Woodlands Checkpoint. The report does not expect major environmental concerns from the construction works. I want to assure her that all hands are on deck, not just within the Ministry of Trade and Industry and JTC, but together with ICA, in fact, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) as well and the appointed contractors to put in all the necessary measures to minimise disamenities to the residents, the commuters and also to the environment.”
“Before I talk about the environmental impact assessment (EIA), I know she is serving the residents in that area, together with her Group Representation Constituency (GRC) mates, so, allow me to reassure her that JTC, as the agent appointed to conduct the reclamation works, will work very closely with ICA, as well as with the eventual contractor that has been appointed to do this, to implement necessary mitigating measures, such as the noise barriers I talked about, hoarding and also dust control. I want to assure her that some of the mitigation measures for noise, for example, we have looked into all the details. For example, I mentioned the three-metre-high noise barrier. It will be erected along the shoreline of Woodlands Waterfront Park. I think she is very familiar with it. In fact, the whole length will be 600 metres long. I think she will be very assured by that. The length of the shoreline is about 300 metres and the length perpendicular to the shoreline is about 300 metres, so a total of 600 metres. In terms of dust, I want to also assure her and her residents that JTC and the appointed contractor will certainly monitor the air quality and manage it. We will implement a range of dust control measures, I cited a few; for example, erecting hoarding to contain the dust, spraying water on the reclaimed land, cleaning the tyres of the vehicles at the site exits, keeping speed limits and so on. And in addition to all that, we will also make sure that the dust-intensive activities will be planned in stages or phases, to minimise accumulative dust emissions. I think it is important that I share these details with her and her residents.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to thank Ms Hany Soh for her three questions. First, let me take the last question about the land. The Woodlands Checkpoint is being redeveloped to provide a more sustainable and a more long-term solution to the chronic congestion at this land crossing, which can be described as the world's busiest and is of importance to both countries. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), is the overall project lead of the redevelopment of the Woodlands Checkpoint. They have conducted very extensive feasibility and technical studies, and assessed that the land needs for the redevelopment of Woodlands Checkpoint can only be met through a mix of land acquisition and land reclamation. I want to assure her that the expanded Woodlands Checkpoint works will not disrupt the operations including of the bus service and so on. There might be some re-routing to keep passengers, commuters and motorists safe, but it will not disrupt the checkpoint operations. The expanded Woodlands Checkpoint will be operationalised progressively from 2028 and redevelopment works will not, like I have mentioned, disrupt the operations. In terms of the first question, she asked about the bus, transport and so on. ICA and JTC do not anticipate any significant traffic diversion or detours due to the reclamation works.”
“Mr Speaker, as the appointed agent to carry out reclamation and related works at Woodlands Checkpoint, JTC is mindful that such reclamation works may increase noise, dust and traffic. JTC will ensure the necessary mitigating measures to minimise inconveniences arising from such reclamation work. For example, JTC will erect a three-metre-high noise barrier along the shoreline of Woodlands Waterfront Park and restrict the duration of noisy activities where needed. It will also monitor and manage the air quality throughout the construction period and deploy dust suppression measures, such as water spraying. In addition, JTC will also moderate and monitor the traffic-related construction works to reduce congestion during peak hours.”
“Chairman, I want to thank the Member, Ms See, for the suggestion on the sustainable practices. I want to assure her that in MCCY and also NAC, we are aligned with NICA. In fact, I recall coming into MCCY, it was during the COVID-19 years, so we had many Zoom sessions with NICA and the various agencies. We pulled this whole-of-Government, multi-agency committee together to support our SEPs. Like what Minister Edwin Tong has mentioned, more than a third of our arts and cultural practitioners are freelancers. We are certainly aligned with the Member in supporting them, in terms of strengthening their resilience, in terms of enhancing and ensuring better career stability. That is why we made the announcement today. The Arts Resource Hub is a very important place for our SEPs, not only as a co-working space for collaboration, but also a place for them to sort of attend some of these important courses, whether it is digital literacy, financial literacy and so on. The Member's proposed sustainable practices is something that NAC will certainly follow up and look into and work in consultation with NICA.”
“Both Minister Edwin Tong and myself talked about Singapore Art Week 2023 and Singapore Art Week 2024. NAC has also supported the growing creative developments at the Tanjong Pagar District Park through programmes, such as the sonic sessions during the Singapore Art Week 2024 this year featuring the performances by local musicians and artists. Singapore also plays host to leading showcases and art fair, such as the recently concluded ArtSG which saw a line-up of 114 galleries from 33 countries and territories, attracting a record attendance of more than 45,000 visitors during the 2024 edition, the one that just recently concluded. I want to assure the Member that the NAC's arts infrastructure and spaces have grown over the years. From 2010 to 2023, the Arts gross floor area (GFA) increased by 42%, from 66,000 square metres to 94,000 square metres. I want to assure the Member that we will be working very closely with our MND counterparts and their agency to give the necessary support to the art tenants. I also want to assure the Member that we will work with the partners in the arts and culture sector to develop a vibrant and sustainable arts sector.”
“Chairman, I want to thank Ms Usha Chandradas on the question of Gillman Barracks. MND will be starting heritage and environmental studies in the second quarter this year. But I want to assure her and also the tenants at Gillman Barracks that the tenants at Gillman Barracks can continue to stay on till the end of their leases. HDB, URA and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) have shared that any further extension or retention of the current uses in Gillman Barracks will be assessed at a later point when their studies are over and when the development plans are ready. I want to assure Ms Usha Chandradas and also arts tenants at Gillman Barracks and, in fact, our arts and culture sector that NAC will certainly work with the relevant agency – MND, HDB, SLA and also URA – to support the art tenants where possible and if some of them are planning and thinking of relocation, we will certainly work together with the relevant agencies to facilitate their relocation. For example, supporting them and pointing them to available spaces that they can possibly consider. I want to assure the Member that we are committed to supporting the development of a vibrant and sustainable arts sector in Singapore and that involves supporting our artists, programme activation and of course, providing spaces. If I can take one minute to share with Ms Usha Chandradas and, in fact, the sector, they would have observed that, in fact, in the last few years we can see that the visual arts sector has really continued to grow and flourish over the years. It was mentioned a bit earlier but it bears repeating again. The Tanjong Pagar District Park is a very exciting and evolving space with the Singapore Art Museum and also a number of art galleries and art businesses currently sited there.”
“And the guide will include strategy on how arts programme can be designed to achieve well-being outcomes, best practices, case studies and also impact measuring tools that are in line with and very, very importantly, validated by our healthcare sector.”
“Chairman, I want to thank the Member Ms Joan Pereira. She spoke very passionately during her cut delivery last evening about this. Actually, she has been consistently giving feedback to MCCY to see how we can synergise our workstream with our MOH counterparts. Indeed, the arts can be harnessed to support greater well-being, empowering individuals to lead healthier and more fulfilling lives. She asked about evidence-based approach. In preparing for this collaboration with SingHealth and AIC, we checked and overseas studies on the impact of arts on well-being have clearly shown that adults who participate in arts and cultural activities are: one, more likely to have better cognitive reserve in later life; two, less likely to develop dementia; three, have lower levels of frailty and chronic pain in older adulthood; four, less likely to experience loneliness and depression; and five, likely to live longer. So, we really encourage all Singaporeans: please get involved in the arts and cultural activities. It is really evidence-based. Turning to her clarification, NAC's collaboration with healthcare partners – AIC, starting with SingHealth – to develop a framework for the arts to promote health and well-being, will bring the power of the arts into the lives of our seniors for a start. Then, we will open up for other segments later – Singaporeans and to expand arts access and the range of work of our arts and cultural practitioners. Initially focusing on seniors, the new framework to promote well-being through the arts will be built on an evidence-based approach, interdisciplinary expertise from both the arts and the healthcare sector and also based on existing research.”
“MCCY, NAC, NHB, we are committed to working closely with our partners in the private sector, public sector and people sectors to deepen our shared identity and grow a distinctive city that is anchored on our shared arts and culture, because our artists and our practitioners form the powerhouse for Singapore’s creative economy. With our arts and heritage plans in place, we have the chance to turn our aspirations into reality – to become a creative city that inspires. 12.15 pm”
“These two Heritage Activation Nodes will unlock more heritage touchpoints for Singaporeans, promoting greater understanding and appreciation of the unique heritage of their neighbourhoods, and allow all to jointly experience and create unforgettable memories together. Arts and culture not only bring communities together, it can also cultivate our character, allowing us to experience the beauty of life and bringing us positive energy. Therefore, this year, NAC will collaborate with healthcare partners to promote arts and cultural activities with the aim of improving the well-being of Singaporeans. NAC and healthcare partners will work together to integrate frameworks and resources to guide artists and community partners in the design of arts and cultural programmes that can help to uplift spirits, cultivate Singaporeans’ interest and passion in arts, enrich our lives and making them more meaningful. This programme will be developed first through pilots with seniors and expanded thereafter for more communities to benefit from arts for well-being programmes. Chairman, MCCY is committed to working with our artists and partners from various fields to build a vibrant and dynamic arts and heritage sector for Singaporeans, as well as a harmonious, inclusive, creative, cohesive and uniquely charming Singapore. (In English): Chairman, our arts and heritage belong to all Singaporeans. As Minister Edwin Tong mentioned, everyone can support and everyone contribute to the vibrancy of our arts and heritage ecosystem. So, MCCY, NAC, NHB, we invite all our stakeholders to co-create a dynamic and flourishing Singapore arts and heritage scene together.”
“The Cultural Medallion (CM), as the nation’s highest arts accolade, provides funds to support its recipients’ continuous artistic pursuits and contributions to the Singapore art scene. We would like to assure Ms Usha Chadradas that NAC has, over the years, broadened the range of projects that the CM Fund can support. I also want to assure her that the process for the recipients to utilise the Fund has also been simplified. Chairman, please allow me to speak in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Chairman, the arts and culture reflect our daily lives, connecting Singaporeans from different social backgrounds and fostering a sense of unity and identity. It is an important part of our social and national development. Last year, MCCY launched Our SG Arts and Heritage Plans 2.0. Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in this year's Budget Statement that the Government will allocate $100 million for Our SG Arts Plan from 2023 to 2027. This funding will support three key thrusts: first, building a Connected Society; second, developing Singapore's Creative Economy; and third, establishing Singapore as a Distinctive City. This funding will help us to expand the scope of arts, increase opportunities for Singaporeans to engage with arts, nurture more artists, and establish a more comprehensive arts ecosystem. MCCY has always been committed to bringing arts and culture to more Singaporeans so that more can participate in and benefit from the activities. This year, we can look forward to even more vibrant and robust arts and heritage offerings. For example, NHB will roll out two new Heritage Activation Nodes consecutively this year – one in Katong-Joo Chiat and the other in Clementi.”
“To create a vibrant arts and heritage ecosystem, we need a strong core of practitioners with talent, capabilities and skills. Many of our arts practitioners are self-employed persons, or SEPs. As Minister Edwin Tong announced earlier, NAC will strengthen the support for our Arts SEPs to boost their prospects and their chances of success. We will enhance and increase their training opportunities to enable them to pursue their profession with better career stability. NAC will develop multiple pathways of training and support for Arts SEPs. This can be in the form of workplace-based, peer-to-peer and also self-directed learning. The Arts Resource Hub will also be enriched with career guidance resources and content tailored for Arts SEPs. For instance, NAC worked with Jeremiah Choy, an SEP and creative director, producer and curator to produce a series of videos with tips and best practices on how to set up a business in the arts and be a successful freelancer. In addition, NAC will widen the funding access for Arts SEPs to receive training opportunities. These training support enhancements will certainly benefit SEPs, including the arts instructors, as Ms Jean See had pointed out during the delivery of her cut last evening. I would also like to assure Ms Jean See that NAC works with the National Instructors and Coaches Association (NICA) through the NAC-NICA Training Support programme, providing our SEPs with training subsidies and training allowances to support their upskilling journey. NAC also provides affordable physical spaces for arts SEPs and arts instructors’ use via the Arts Resource Hub (ARH). To maintain a vibrant arts and heritage ecosystem, we will continue to honour and celebrate the peaks of artistic excellence in our midst.”
“Under the Creative Economy Thrust of our SG Arts Plan 2023 to 2027, the funding will be used to grow our arts ecosystem and help our local arts companies scale impact and speed up their transformation. First, product development. We will further support our artists and arts companies to develop distinctive and diverse arts offerings for both local and international audiences. Second, innovation and capability building. NAC will support transformations in art making and artistic productions that leverage on technology to catalyse innovative arts products. Third, audience development. NAC will help our arts companies to expand their reach or cultivate new audience segments through engaging and innovative works or presentations. Let me quickly elaborate on how we will broaden and grow our audience through partnerships, technology, data and also insights. NAC will partner with individuals, including independent content creators and writers, as well as organisations, on joint projects and initiatives to expand the overall audience base. We will use technology as an instrument to achieve our goals. It is an important learning point from COVID-19 that we intend to continue to harness. For example, NAC’s Catch, which is a one-stop online destination for all things arts and culture in Singapore will help our artists and arts organisations to: one, promote their work; two, reach a wider audience; and three, to build relationships with potential supporters. In addition, technology can empower us to better understand consumers’ preferences and tastes through data collection as well as analytics. So, with this knowledge, we will be then more equipped to grow the arts and culture scene strategically.”
“When completed in two years' time in year 2026, 45 Armenian Street will provide about 14,000 square feet space for the arts. Chairman, besides having greater access to the arts in a variety of spaces, Singaporeans are also gaining a deeper appreciation of our heritage assets at different spots across the island. Mr Mark Lee, Mr Darryl David and Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked about our plans to foster community bonding, national pride and enliven neighbourhoods through our heritage assets. As part of Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0, NHB will launch Heritage Activation Nodes, or HANs, in various neighbourhoods island-wide. Together with community partners and heritage interest groups, we will co-create heritage activities and celebrate the unique heritage of our neighbourhoods in each HAN. The first of these nodes will be introduced in Katong – Joo Chiat just next month, April 2024; while the second HAN in Clementi will be rolled out in the later part of this year. I was hoping that Dr Tan Wu Meng will be in the House when I say that about the second HAN in Clementi. Behind the development of the Katong-Joo Chiat HAN is Katong Culture, a heritage interest group from Joo Chiat Community Club Management Committee and their community partners. Through these nodes, we hope to encourage greater appreciation of our heritage assets among Singaporeans. The HANs will offer fresh heritage touchpoints and provide the platform and opportunities for Singaporeans to co-create heritage experiences. Chairman, I will now touch on how we will create a vibrant arts and heritage ecosystem with a strong core of arts and heritage businesses and practitioners. As I mentioned earlier, NAC will be investing an additional $100 million over the next four years.”
“Through these initiatives, we hope to make the arts and heritage accessible for all Singaporeans across different age groups, ensuring meaningful engagement with our cultural heritage. Chairman, as part of our aim to widen access to the arts, NAC will further expand the diversity of arts spaces in Singapore. This is in line with our goal to make Singapore a distinctive city. Mr Darryl David would be glad to know that NAC will continue to collaborate with public and private sector partners to unlock arts spaces for our artists and also our arts organisations, while also enlivening our public spaces with the arts. For example, NAC works with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on the Community and Sports Facilities Scheme, which co-locates community, arts and sports spaces with commercial developments. Recently, The Artground, which is an inclusive family-oriented arts space for children opened at the One Holland Village mall. This not only offers Singaporean families' easy access to quality arts experiences but also enhances the vibrancy of commercial spaces. To create more touchpoints for the arts, NAC will continue to collaborate with public sector and private sector partners to unlock and develop arts spaces across Singapore, including the use of both new and also refurbished spaces. Take 45 Armenian Street for example. NAC has been working with the arts community and stakeholders to co-create the vision for the redevelopment of this space. It is being developed as a hub for artistic experimentation and to support the work of young and emerging practitioners. We thank Ms Usha Chandradas for her feedback when she delivered her cut last evening.”
“The National Heritage Board (NHB) will continue partnering with social service agencies on heritage-based interventions targeted at improving well-being, especially that of our seniors. This is part of the focus on community under Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0. 12.00 pm To give Members a quick example, I think some of you may have visited the National Museum. The National Museum of Singapore recently created an inclusive social space that is called Reunion, for our seniors, including those with mild cognitive impairment and dementia, to engage in meaningful activities and conversations inspired by the museum’s collection. Chairman, besides engaging our seniors through the arts, we are also actively engaging our youth in the plans for promoting and safeguarding Singapore’s heritage. I agree with Mr Keith Chua and Mr Sitoh Yih Pin on the importance of strengthening our youths' understanding and appreciation of our shared legacy. To this end, the NHB has involved 35 young people on its panel to develop the inaugural Youth Heritage Blueprint. This gives our youth a platform to share their views and a chance to shape our museums and heritage landscape. Sir, 26-year-old Ms Nur Ashikin Binte Muhamad Ali, a project manager and also a committee lead of the Youth Panel, is excited to see how digital tools like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) can make Singapore heritage come alive for younger people. Since January 2023, the Youth Panel has received feedback and suggestions from more than 1,000 youths. The Panel is analysing the findings and developing recommendations for the Blueprint, which will be published in July this year.”
“We want to extend the reach and the significance of the arts sector to Singaporeans across diverse walks of life and socioeconomic backgrounds. Besides widening access, we will unpack the power of the arts to promote the health and wellness of Singaporeans. Yesterday evening, Ms Joan Pereira and Mr Mohd Fahmi have shared, super-ageing Singapore can certainly gain from arts programmes that seek to enhance the quality of life and personal wellness. We, in MCCY and NAC, agree with both Ms Joan Pereira and Mr Mohd Fahmi. We have had good feedback from such programmes and will continue to do more in this area. For example, participants in the series of mindful "Slow Art" programmes by the National Gallery Singapore reported lower stress levels and enhanced well-being, compared to non-attendees. So, I am glad to announce that NAC will collaborate with the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and SingHealth to develop a framework and resources to guide the design of programmes that promote the arts for health and wellness. The framework, to be developed by 2027, will include best practices, impact measurement tools and case studies that can be used by artists and our community partners. It will initially focus on the well-being of our seniors, with plans to subsequently expand its scope to reach wider groups of people. The framework and the resources will open up more opportunities for our arts practitioners to use their craft to support and promote well-being. This move is also aligned with our aim to increase access to the arts for citizens through health and community touchpoints, further supporting the Government’s HealthierSG objectives.”
“Last year, we unveiled Our SG Arts and Heritage plans for 2023 to 2027, like what Minister Edwin Tong mentioned, envisioning an inclusive, accessible and vibrant arts and heritage sector for Singapore. We aim to create a connected society, foster a creative economy and establish Singapore as a distinctive city. At the same time, our SG Heritage Plan 2.0 seeks to empower the community to safeguard and promote our shared heritage and encourage active participation in shaping our heritage landscape. We will build the growth of our heritage sector upon the foundational blocks of identity, industry, innovation and community. The Government is committed to the success of these plans. Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in the 2024 Budget that an additional $100 million would be allocated over the four years of Our SG Arts Plan 2023 to 2027. Ms Usha Chandradas would be glad to know that this $100 million provided is on top of the annual budget for arts and heritage and will go towards: one, expanding arts access for Singaporeans; two, developing our artists and arts workers in Singapore; and three, building a robust arts ecosystem where arts companies and artists thrive. In addition, we will look at making more significant investments in bringing the arts to the community, catalysing new spaces in our city and leveraging the arts for social impact. We will further support arts groups to achieve excellence, for instance, by catalysing innovation, expanding into new audience segments and building common new capabilities through technology. Let me elaborate. NAC will expand access to the arts for Singaporeans so that all can participate and benefit.”
“Chairman, the arts and heritage serve as powerful ways to connect Singaporeans of different backgrounds. The Government works closely with our arts and heritage practitioners, stakeholders and the public to create and foster a vibrant arts and heritage ecosystem. In my speech today, I will share how we aim to bring Singapore's arts and heritage to the next bound of growth. First, we will open up more diverse touchpoints to widen Singaporeans' access to arts and heritage. Second, we will support the development of our practitioners and boost their artistic excellence. Third, we will build a more robust arts and heritage ecosystem to bring the sector to greater heights. In recent years, we saw sustained and holistic efforts to expand access to the arts, develop a wider audience and enrich our heritage. I think everyone remembers the pandemic years. During the pandemic period from 2019 to 2021, some $490 million was spent each year to boost and uphold the arts and heritage sector. NAC provided grants and arts housing subsidies to support the creation and production of artistic works, foster organisational growth and cultivate audience engagement. For instance, earlier on, Minister Edwin Tong talked about the Singapore Art Week or SAW. I think it bears repeating. SAW reached over 1.4 million attendees in 130 events last year. And this year, SAW 2024 featured 183 events. Partners from different sectors, like Marina Bay Sands, HDB and Singapore Airlines, worked with us to bring Singapore art to wider audiences. To promote and preserve our heritage, we opened the revamped Peranakan Museum last year. And in addition, we joined Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand to jointly nominate the kebaya to be on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2024/2025 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?”
“Thank you, Chairman. I will keep it brief. I want to thank Mr Mark Lee for his request and question. I want to assure him that we certainly will help our SMEs to invest in energy-efficient equipment. As I mentioned, when we launched this two years ago, the sectors that we approved are food manufacturing, food services and retail. Because when you look at their operating expenditure, electricity was a key component. We want to continue to avail this to other sectors as well. That is why from 1 April, local food services, retail and manufacturing companies will be able to enjoy this enhanced support of 70%. I must say, it is capped at $30,000. I want to assure him that we will continue to work with other champion agencies outside MTI to also understand what the other industries and sectors that will benefit from it. The EEG will be open to other industries such as maritime, construction and data centres by the end of this year. I welcome SBF and TACs to work with us, to be a voice for the sectors and bridge the conversation with MTI and our economic agency on this front.”
“Okay, I want to thank the Member for the clarification. The used cars that are sold by car dealers on behalf of the owners, they are also known as consignment cars. The Member might be aware of that. They are really considered consumer-to-consumer (C2C) transactions between the owner and the buyer. The lemon law only covers business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions and does not cover the C2C transactions. However, I want to assure the Member that car dealers who misrepresent a C2C transaction as a B2C transaction can be taken to task under our current Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, or CPFTA, as an unfair trading practice. So, if the Member knows of any, please let us know and we will follow up. We also want to use this platform to really advise the consumers to take extra precaution when making such purchases.”
“Chairman, I promise to keep it short so that you can enjoy your peach oolong tea. I thank the Member Mr Louis Chua. I will just make two quick points. When the Member talked about lemon law, is he talking about owner selling to owner or business selling to owner? Can I clarify?”
“So, it means that the three tranches we have completed and the ongoing fourth tranche have catalysed spending of $540 million in our 23,000 heartland shops and hawkers. The key point is that it is not just MTI, it is not just Enterprise Singapore that is going the extra mile to support our heartland shops for them to innovate, for them to transform, for them to future-proof themselves in this digital era. We welcome agencies within the Government. We are also working with the Federation of Merchants' Associations, Singapore (FMAS), Heartland Enterprise Centre Singapore (HECS), and we welcome each and every one of you, wearing your different hats, to share with us how you would like to also synergise the efforts to support our heartland shops, because they are close to our homes and close to our hearts.”
“At the same time, our heartland shops had been closed for two months, and two months of closure can really make or break these heartland shops. Back then, it was Deputy Prime Minister Heng who launched the $20 million paper voucher, because our sense back then was that the paper voucher will be more effective. It was warmly welcomed, very well-received. And then six months later, in January 2021, another tranche of $20 million. And then, we went digital. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong launched the first nationwide digital CDC Vouchers. We say digital, but we also gave assurance to residents who do not have smartphones, we assured them that they can print their CDC Vouchers in any of the Community Centres, to provide them the convenience. And the Member's question was how much was channelled towards the heartland shops. So, on 13 December 2021, Prime Minister Lee launched the first tranche. If Members remember, that was $100 for each of the 1.22 million households. Then five months later, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong launched a second tranche. Similarly, I recall it was $100 for the 1.22 million households. Then, last year, 3 January 2023, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong launched the third tranche, which is $300 for the 1.238 million households. Just less than two months ago, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong launched again a fourth tranche, which is $500 for the 1.267 million. A few days ago, I just did a check on the numbers. The first three tranches basically catalysed spending in our 23,000 heartland shops and hawkers amounting to $407 million. And if we include the fourth tranche, which is ongoing, the amount that has been spent at our heartland shops and hawkers amount to $133 million.”
“Chairman, I want to thank the Member, Ms Foo Mee Har, for her question. I think she notes that this is a MTI COS debate and I outlined the new schemes that Enterprise Singapore colleagues have launched, which is the Heartlands Placemaking Grant (HEPG). And in her cut, I recall that she, and many other Members, spoke very passionately about the unique role of heartland enterprises in Singapore, and I completely agree with them. That is why we are always leaning forward, going the extra mile for our heartland enterprises, especially during the COVID-19 period. And I think, we can all agree that the heartland shops are literally close to our homes and also close to our hearts. First, they provide the convenience and also a wide assortment of products and services and, most of the time, daily necessities and essential products and services. Second, they also provide jobs to a lot of our residents who do not want to travel too far for their day job, or maybe part-time job, but just want a job nearby. But very importantly, they inject vibrancy into all our neighbourhoods, the kampung spirit, the community spirit. And that is why in MTI and Enterprise Singapore, we are always going the extra mile to support our heartland shops in going digital, in embracing transformation and also reaching out to new customers, not just customers who cannot visit their shop physically, but also customers overseas, by going online or even adopting digital platforms. In the same vein, we are always looking out for like-minded partners within the whole-of-Government. So, frankly, if Members remember how CDC Vouchers came about, it came about because of the circuit breaker. Coming out of the circuit breaker, we felt it was very important to support lower-income households.”
“Our gumption to embrace transformation will set a formidable front against the odds. Let us stay the course. Let us keep up the momentum of transformation, from reshaping industry, whether it is M&OE or heartland enterprises, energising our heartland shops as well and also seizing potential in digital economy as well as the green economy. Because by taking shared ownership of our transformation path, we will set sails of positive change and ride new waves of opportunities to reach the harbour of a thriving future for Singapore and Singaporeans. [Applause.]”
“To enable TACs to be effective change agents, the Government has invested significantly in developing their capabilities. Mr Derrick Goh, Mr Keith Chua and Mr Shawn Huang would be glad to know that MTI is working with SBF, our apex business chamber, to develop more capability programmes for the TACs, including their staff. Over the next five years, SBF will build shared resources for TACs to support their members in critical areas like digitalisation, sustainability and internationalisation. We will continue to work with SBF to boost the capabilities of TACs' secretariats to serve their members better. SBF will share more details on this effort in the later part of this year. Finally, with the TACs and the industry, we will improve business practices and strengthen consumer protection. The Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, or CPFTA, already provides for civil remedies for unfair practices, such as deception and false claims. Thank you to Mr Melvin Yong, who is also the President of CASE, and Mr Louis Chua for their suggestions on enhancing consumer protection. We appreciate the close partnership with CASE, and all the work that CASE has done to support consumers. For example, CASE's Price Kaki app allows consumers to compare the prices of many different household items and cooked food and the unit pricing features makes it even easier to compare. MTI, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) and the economic agencies will continue to work closely with CASE to protect consumer interests as consumer purchasing habits evolve. Chairman, this sustained spirit of collaboration and cooperation between the private sector, public sector and industry associations gives us the grit, give us the resilience to overcome challenging circumstances.”
“The Government cannot drive these efforts alone. Many Members talked about the importance of trade associations and chambers (TACs). And indeed, TACs are critical industry multipliers we work with to drive industry transformation. Let me elaborate. Since 2022, we have supported 30 TACs to spearhead industry initiatives benefitting some 14,000 companies through the Local Enterprise and Association Development Programme (LEAD). We partnered with TACs to set up SME Centres island-wide to offer SMEs capability development programmes. Last year, more than 30,000 SMEs benefitted from these services. I want to reassure Mr Derrick Goh that the SME Centres will continue supporting business transformation efforts, particularly in digitalisation and sustainability. TACs also represent the interests and needs of the respective industries and form a vital bridge between the industry, the private sector and the Government. Our close partnerships with TACs help us to better understand and address critical concerns on the ground. Business costs and competitiveness are top-of-mind issues for many SMEs and many businesses today. We are very cognisant of that. While there is no magic bullet for these pain points, the private and public sectors and the union representatives have come together to co-create solutions to overcome these challenges. We will form an Alliance for Action (AfA) on Business Competitiveness co-chaired by myself and hon Member Mr Mark Lee, who represents SBF. The AfA will forge solutions with the industry and adopt recommendations to help businesses become more competitive in the long term. This complements existing efforts by the Pro-Enterprise Panel (PEP) to enhance the regulatory journey for businesses.”