Sim Ann
Singapore
“Sir, given the increasingly transnational nature of crime and the rapid advancement of digital finance, international cooperation is indeed key. Singapore will continue to issue MLAs where it is appropriate, but also pursue international cooperation in informal manner. This applies not just to AML/CFT and PF, but also to scams.”
“Sir, I believe that the first and the third supplementary questions from the Member are related. I would say that if the facts of the case are such that it warrants taking action under the Penal Code for offences relating to the circulation of intimate images, the Police will do so.”
“Sir, we have a national movement to prepare Singaporeans against terrorism – SGSecure. This is one way through which we disseminate important information so that Singaporeans are aware of security risks.”
“Sir, we want to see everyone get home safe everyday. If safety is compromised, then livelihoods and many other good things in life are going to be at risk. We believe that the public will see our proposed for changes in this light, particularly our vocational drivers, because safer roads also mean a safer working environment for them.”
“To Ms Cassandra Lee's question, the alcohol limits that are currently enforced have been in place since 1985, and that is more than forty years ago. Now, Singapore is one of the jurisdictions with the highest alcohol limits, while the other jurisdictions have adopted stricter regimes with lower limits.”
“MFA is working with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to strengthen our safeguards against foreign interference, which will be elaborated on by MHA during its Committee of Supply. Mr Chairman, foreign policy begins at home.”
The complete record
Every one of 775 lines we hold for Sim Ann, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 13 of 16.
“At the same time, we are already exploring ways to have clearer contractual terms between travel agents and tourist guides, which may help reduce the occurrences of such disputes. While we have made a number of amendments to improve consumer protection, we also need to ensure that our travel agents are not subjected to excessive regulatory burden. Mr Lim Biow Chuan has asked if the Government would consider requiring travel agents to provide a performance bond, so that consumers can have confidence that the travel agent will fulfil its obligations. Mr Louis Ng also asked if MTI or STB will consider establishing a Travel Industry Compensation Fund, which can provide reimbursement to travellers in specific situations, such as travel agent insolvency. STB has previously considered these direct consumer protection measures. However, we have decided not to implement these measures as it would increase business costs across the board for all travel agents when, in reality, only a minority of our travel agents are likely to cause harm to consumers. Travel agents are also likely to pass on such increased business costs to consumers. In addition, such measures may duplicate the coverage provided by travel insurance, which a majority of consumers are already purchasing. Instead, we will legislate in the Travel Agents Regulations that travel agents are required to inform consumers of their option to purchase travel insurance that protects against travel agent insolvency. STB will also continue to work closely with industry stakeholders to encourage the uptake of travel insurance via consumer education efforts. We hope that these measures will help to enhance consumer protection, without increasing business costs significantly for travel agents.”
“That said, the Travel Agents Regulation does address more egregious service issues, such as the need to inform customers of any material changes to tours once a contract has been formed. Mr Lim Biow Chuan has urged that travel agents publishing or distributing "inaccurate or erroneous" advertisements be taken to task. This will be punishable by a maximum administrative financial penalty of $2,000. For the specific example that Mr Lim has shared, whereby a travel agent advertises "zero-fare tours" but does not disclose to consumers that there will be forced spending on shopping or compulsory tips, such advertisements may be considered "false or misleading", which will remain a criminal offence under the Travel Agents Regulations, punishable with a higher penalty of up to $10,000. Mr Ang Hin Kee asked if STB can set up a conciliation service to resolve disputes between travel agents and consumers or tourist guides. For disputes between travel agents and consumers, there already exists a regulation prohibiting travel agents from wilfully refusing or neglecting to resolve such disputes. There are also other avenues and bodies for dispute resolution between such parties. As for disputes between travel agents and tourist guides, STB has worked with NTUC to review the feasibility of setting up a mediation centre or conciliation service to manage such disputes. However, there are only a handful of such disputes brought to STB's attention each year and they are typically resolved without the need for further mediation. STB is monitoring this closely and will continue discussions with NTUC and other relevant agencies.”
“The minimum paid-up capital requirement was introduced with the intention of ensuring that travel agents have a certain level of financial resources before they are granted licences. The intention was not to dictate how these funds should be used, but rather to seek broad assurance that the travel agent is unlikely to default on its obligations. In the event of sudden closures, STB works with the appropriate Government agencies to lessen the impact on employees. Employees may also reach out to these agencies for assistance and STB can facilitate link-ups where possible. I agree with Mr Ang Hin Kee on the importance of ensuring responsible behaviour by travel agents. Most of our travel agents act responsibly and fulfil their obligations to customers. Our proposed amendments are a further effort to improve transparency and help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions. A case in point is the power that STB will have to require travel agents facing suspension or revocation to disclose this fact to their customers. STB may also choose to publish information relating to such suspensions or revocations on their website. To Mr Desmond Choo's query on whether there is a list of errant travel agents, consumers can access STB's TRUST platform to check the status of the travel agent they are transacting with, including whether the travel agent has had its licence suspended or revoked. Mr Desmond Choo has suggested to include a list of travel agents with chequered customer service records. To clarify, the policy intent of the travel agent legislation is to take action against errant travel agents, rather than to police all service-related issues.”
“Mr Ang Hin Kee asked for early intervention and Mr Lim Biow Chuan urged STB to constantly check on the financial health of our travel agents. STB conducts regular checks on the audited accounts of all licensed travel agents annually. While such checks can provide possible tell-tale signs of financial difficulties, we cannot safeguard against business failures. What the Government does is to monitor such closures very closely and work with CASE and other industry stakeholders to minimise consumer impact. We will also continue encouraging consumers to take measures to protect their interests by purchasing travel insurance that covers against travel agent insolvency. Mr Louis Ng asked how the new section 28(1)(ga)(i) would be helpful to consumers in cases of sudden closure, as even if STB varies the contract or directs that the licensee compensates consumers, travel agents might not be willing and able to do so. I would like to share that the purpose of this provision is to prescribe regulations to govern the business practices of travel agents in general, rather than to be overly intrusive and empower STB to intervene in each and every such case. Mr Desmond Choo and Mr Ang Hin Kee expressed concerns for the impact of sudden closures on tourist guides. Thus far, the cases of sudden closures relate to travel agents dealing primarily with travel out of Singapore, which typically do not involve the hiring of local tourist guides. In terms of impact to employees, voluntary closures are typically planned for, and travel agents usually make plans to account for their employees' welfare. Mr Desmond Choo suggested ring-fencing a percentage of net worth capital required for the travel agent licence, for the purpose of paying workers when travel agents close.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Members who have spoken on the Travel Agents (Amendment) Bill, for their support and comments. Let me now address the pertinent points they have raised which can be classified into four main categories. First, dealing with closures of travel agencies. Several Members raised queries and suggestions on dealing with this matter. Mr Desmond Choo noted in his speech that about 125 travel agents have ceased operations since the beginning of 2017. I would like to clarify that more than 95% of these 125 cessations were, in fact, orderly and voluntary, where the travel agents chose to cease their licences. In such instances, there is typically minimal consumer impact, as these travel agents ceased operations after fulfilling all contractual obligations. Over the past three years, we have also noticed that around 40% of business cessations were by travel agents who were already dormant. As such, we should not be overly alarmed by this kind of usual cessation of business. As pointed out by Mr Lim Biow Chuan, the issue of concern is sudden closures. On this note, sudden closures remain relatively infrequent. From 2012 to 2017, there were 10 such sudden closures, making up around 1.5% of all business cessations in that period. Nonetheless, every such closure can be a case of concern. The case of MISA Travel was widely reported earlier this year, where the business decision was made to not continue operating. In MISA's case, the business failure which resulted in its closure was not due to malpractice or any ill-intent on MISA's part. The Government does not have regulatory oversight over such business decisions made independently by travel agents.”
“Besides amending the Travel Agents Act and Regulations, STB will continue to work with industry players to strengthen consumer education, encourage consumers to buy travel insurance and raise awareness of the updated provisions. I hope that all Members will support these measures. (In English): Mr Speaker, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] 4.47 pm”
“] Mr Speaker, Parliamentary colleagues, there are currently close to 1,200 travel agents in Singapore. The majority of Singapore's travel agents are law-abiding and ethical operators. However, there are occasionally a few "black sheep" who tarnish the reputation of the industry. In such cases, the Government has to take action in accordance with the law to protect consumers' interest and safeguard the reputation of Singapore's tourism industry. In order to better protect our consumers, the amendment Bill proposes the following key measures. First, to tighten the criteria that travel agents must fulfil in order to be granted a licence. Second, to enhance STB's investigation powers when dealing with errant travel agents. Third, to reduce the "show cause period" for travel agents facing licence suspension or revocation from 21 days to 14 days and allow STB the option to require such travel agents to disclose this fact to their customers during this period. This will lower the chances of customers making misinformed decisions. Fourth, to adjust the penalty framework to introduce administrative financial penalties for more minor contraventions, allowing STB to take more timely action against such contraventions, while raising the maximum fines to curb more serious contraventions. In addition, after taking into consideration recent developments in the tourism industry, the amendment Bill will reduce regulatory requirements on lower-risk travel operators to encourage them to roll out more innovative and attractive travel products. This can also help to create more attractive and flexible job opportunities for Singaporeans who wish to join the tourism industry.”
“As tour models constantly evolve, we will review the exemption from time to time to ensure that it remains relevant and balances innovation and consumer protection. Collectively, these measures benefit entities who pose lower consumer risk, enabling them to obtain travel agent licences more easily and, in some cases, even exempting the need for a licence. By doing so, we hope to encourage more players to provide differentiated offerings to both tourists and locals, which will also help them to innovate, grow and maintain relevance in response to changing consumer preferences. With greater innovation in our tourism options, there could also be more appealing and flexible jobs available to Singaporeans who wish to join the tourism sector. Mr Speaker, we have taken a calibrated approach in finalising the Bill, enhancing consumer safeguards while also remaining pro-business and pro-innovation. With these legislative amendments, we hope that the travel agent industry will be better positioned to grow and thrive in the fast-changing tourism landscape. MTI and STB will work towards implementing these changes in phases from 2018. Effective legislation is just one component of the Government's continual efforts to strengthen the regulatory framework. The other key strategy is to step up our consumer education efforts. We will continue to work with all stakeholders, including the travel agent associations and CASE, to raise awareness of common malpractices and the benefits of purchasing travel insurance. We hope that these efforts will help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions. Mr Speaker, please allow me to say a few words in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.”
“For instance, we intend to introduce a "niche licence" tier in the Travel Agents Regulations targeted at travel agents who sell or arrange local tours with passenger-carrying conveyance, but without accommodation. This refers to tours that bring travellers around Singapore with dedicated transport provided to ferry the tour group around, including coach tours or bum boat tours. Niche licensees will be subjected to lower minimum financial requirements compared to general licensees. At the moment, we intend to require niche licensees to meet a minimum requirement of $50,000 in paid-up capital and net worth, compared to $100,000 for general licensees. While we have reduced the regulatory costs, we will still need to retain regulatory oversight over such niche licensees so as to protect consumers from possible errant operators who may carry out malpractices, such as forced shopping expeditions, or commonly known in the industry as "zero-fare tours". We are also making a related amendment to the Travel Agents Regulations to calibrate the licensing regime according to different levels of risk posed to consumers. We will exempt some entities from needing travel agent licences, such as entities who sell or arrange tours within Singapore without providing passenger-carrying conveyance. These tours tend to be more experiential as the participants operate the conveyance themselves, including bicycle tours, segway tours and kayaking tours. Walking tours will also fall under this category. Such entities pose much lower risk to consumers as prepayment is typically low or not required. We hope that this exemption will encourage more entities to offer consumers innovative and experiential tours and, in turn add to the vibrancy of our tourism landscape.”
“Clause 7 allows STB to require travel agents to disclose to all customers that they have been issued a notice of suspension or revocation. If required by STB, travel agents have to make this disclosure during the show cause or appeal periods. This is important as travel agents are still able to collect payments from customers during these periods, when there is a chance that they may not be able to fulfil these obligations. With this disclosure by travel agents, customers can take this information into account when deciding whether to continue transacting with the travel agent facing suspension or revocation. STB may also publish the notice or order of suspension or revocation on its website, to further raise awareness of travel agents that are facing suspension or revocation. Taken together, the measures I have outlined above are a comprehensive suite of consumer protection measures that facilitates STB's role as the regulator, while also empowering consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions. At the same time, we have also taken care to ensure that the regulatory regime remains fair to licensees, who will continue to have the right to show cause and not be subjected to overly punitive measures. Mr Speaker, I will now elaborate on the second category of amendments which seeks to reduce regulatory cost where possible, so as to ensure that the business environment remains conducive for travel agents to innovate and thrive. We want our travel agents to remain relevant and enhance their capabilities in meeting the rising demand for experiential and customised travel. To cater to travel agents with different areas of business, clause 6 provides for the creation of different classes of licences with different minimum financial requirements.”
“Fourth, we have adjusted the penalty amounts for contraventions of travel agent legislation, following their last update in 1993. The amounts need to be sufficiently high to deter potential malpractice. Clause 5 raises the penalty ceiling for the offence of unlicensed travel agent activities from $10,000 to $25,000. The maximum fine for other offences has also been doubled. For compoundable offences, clause 18 provides for a maximum composition amount of half the maximum fine prescribed or $5,000, whichever is lower. This is an increase from the current maximum composition sum of $1,000. Even as we raise the penalty ceilings in some cases, we are also conscious that penalties imposed should be proportionate to the severity of the contravention. Clause 7 introduces administrative financial penalties set at a maximum of $2,000 for minor contraventions. Certain minor and technical contraventions will consequently be decriminalised. STB will thus be able to take swifter and proportionate enforcement action against travel agents in such cases, instead of going through a lengthy prosecution process. Another key plank of our efforts to enhance consumer protection measures is based on the principle of "caveat emptor", or "let the buyer beware". While we have made the relevant changes to empower STB to do more to ensure that travel agents are professional and responsible, it is, ultimately, the consumers who make the final purchasing decisions. In this light, we have also taken steps to ensure that travel agents will provide the information necessary for consumers to make informed purchasing decisions, with a greater awareness of the potential risks.”
“Clause 6 highlights that in making licensing decisions, STB will consider additional factors, including whether the individuals involved with the travel agency, such as company directors, are suitable to hold the licence. For instance, individuals who had previously contravened travel agent legislation might be denied licences. Second, the amendments seek to equip STB with sufficient investigation and enforcement powers, so as to enable them to take action against errant operators more promptly and effectively. Clause 10 enhances STB's investigation and enforcement powers, for example, by empowering STB to take photographs, audio and video recordings that may facilitate investigations and that can serve as evidence for any contraventions of the travel agent legislation. Third, we have reduced the "show cause period" for a travel agent facing potential suspension and revocation, from 21 to 14 days. The show cause period is the period after STB issues the initial notice of suspension or revocation, during which the travel agent will have the opportunity to explain why they should be allowed to keep their licences. If the travel agent is unsuccessful in making a case for retaining its licence, STB will issue the order of suspension/revocation after the show cause period. As travel agents are still able to conduct business and collect payments from customers during the show cause period, we have shortened the time required for STB to complete the licence suspension or revocation process, thus reducing the risk consumers are exposed to. The new 14-day period has been pegged to the provisions in other similar legislation, to ensure that licensees have a reasonable amount of time to present their case.”
“In this regard, STB regulates the travel agent industry through a licensing framework implemented via the Travel Agents Act and Regulations. The framework allows STB to take action against fly-by-night travel agents and provides safeguards against malpractices that pose risks to travellers. At the same time, the Government works with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) and industry associations to safeguard consumer interests. In the course of our review, MTI and STB have sought feedback from more than 180 industry stakeholders, including a diverse group of travel agents, industry associations, tourist guides and CASE. With their valuable input, we had put forth a draft Bill for public consultation earlier this year. The respondents were generally supportive and provided constructive input on how to facilitate more effective implementation on the ground. MTI and STB have carefully considered all feedback received and incorporated them where relevant. Mr Speaker, the Bill before us is the outcome of our review and consultation. We have sought to balance consumer and business interests when finalising these amendments, which I will now outline. One key objective of this legislative review is to better protect consumers against potential malpractice by travel agents. Sudden closures that affect a larger number of consumers also remain a concern, even though these cases are infrequent. To address these issues, we have proposed the following amendments. First, we have tightened the criteria that travel agents must fulfil in order to be granted a licence.”
“Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Minister for Trade and Industry, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The number of licensed travel agents in Singapore has grown from approximately 800 in 2007, to 1,200 in 2017. Our travel agents play an important role in the tourism ecosystem as they deliver memorable experiences to both visitors and locals. At the same time, the travel agent industry provides good jobs for Singaporeans. Since the Travel Agents Act came into force in 1976, MTI and STB had reviewed and amended the Travel Agents Act in 1993 and the Travel Agents Regulations in 2007 to ensure that the regulatory regime remains relevant. Compared to 10 years ago, the travel industry has evolved significantly, in particular, with the intensifying growth of e-commerce. Consumers can now browse and compare a wider range of travel products online on various platforms. There is also greater demand for experiential travel that is immersive and authentic while personalised for consumers' needs and preferences. To keep up with these changes, many travel agents are seeking additional channels to reach out to customers. Some of them have evolved from the traditional brick-and-mortar model to new operating models, or developed new and niche areas of business. It is thus timely for us to amend the travel agent legislation to take into account these emerging business models and ensure that consumers continue to be adequately protected. The majority of Singapore's travel agents provide quality travel experiences and contribute to a positive image of the industry. Unfortunately, there is a small minority that conducts their businesses irresponsibly.”
“These tend to be usually based on the specific FTA negotiations that are ongoing. So, it would typically be based on a country or group of countries that we are negotiating with. Companies with interests in these markets are very welcomed to join in and the launch of FTA negotiations is also featured in the media. So, we hope companies who know about this will take part actively if they have issues to raise. At the same time, however, our various economic agencies, including IE Singapore, are also constantly in touch with companies. So, even on occasions or fora that are not dedicated to FTAs, they are also free to raise issues concerning FTAs.”
“Certainly. As I have mentioned, I believe that quite a number of such studies and figures are available being done by different organisations. These are all figures that we track because we do want to benchmark ourselves against the retail scene in different countries and to see where we stand. So, this is something we will constantly do.”
“As I mentioned earlier, under our retail ITM, our intention is to help foster a very vibrant Singapore retail scene and we want to see strong local brand owners with global footprints. In terms of strengthening the competitiveness of Singapore-based retailers' Singapore brands, vis-Ã-vis their global competitors, that is certainly a very important thrust of our work under the retail ITM. So, to this end, we have various programmes and strategies in place to help our retailers improve their capabilities. Part of this would involve omni-channel capability building. It also involves up-skilling the workforce so that our retailers will be able to draw on expertise who understand how to operate in an e-commerce environment. But I think this also involves, generally speaking, profiling Singapore brands in a variety of retail sectors. This is, indeed, a very challenging area but it is certainly a challenge that we recognise and which we are preparing our retailers for.”
“The data that I mentioned earlier is from MAS which tracks the Internet transactions being made with locally issued credit cards and debit cards. Having said that, I think that gives part of the picture because the entities being tracked who are parties to the transactions may not only be retailers. It could be, for instance, payment for bills and so forth. Having said that, we are also aware that there are various commercial studies being done by consultants on the state of e-commerce. So, I would like to refer the Member to the figure that I cited earlier, which is, that 3% of retail receipts in Singapore are from e-commerce. If we want to make a comparison, in 2014, based on studies, we understand that e-commerce accounted for about 10%, 13% and 6.5% of total retail sales in China, the UK and the US respectively. So, this suggests that there is room for e-commerce to increase as a proportion of total retail activity in Singapore.”
“Under the CFE, productivity is a very important element and, by enabling our industry across sectors to achieve greater productivity, this also takes into account energy efficiency. So, we are all moving in the same broad general direction.”
“IE Singapore has been facilitating the participation of SMEs in the G-to-G projects. We welcome more SMEs to take part. The challenge, very often, I think, is in reaching out to SMEs and encouraging them, for instance, to attend talks and forums organised by IE Singapore or in coming along on business missions.”
“Madam, we are constantly looking for ways to broaden our outreach to SMEs so that they are aware of the range of assistance that is available. In fact, internationalisation is a very key strategy that has also been elaborated upon in the Committee on the Future Economy. We are doing so, first, directly, through IE Singapore's own publicity efforts. We also do a lot of this publicity through TACs because they also help spread the word. We do so also for informal groupings. For instance, the one that comes to mind is "The Bosses Network". They hold an annual learning cruise. I will be attending this event in order to help SMEs understand the full range of assistance and support schemes that are available, not limited to internationalisation, but that is obviously going to be a key one. As for helping our SMEs take part in G-to-G projects, I suppose Er Dr Lee Bee Wah is thinking perhaps of, for instance, a G-to-G project between Singapore and China. The entire purpose of setting up G-to-G projects really is to help expand the scope of economic and trade collaboration. We hope very much that our SMEs, too, benefit. For instance, some of it may be in terms of creating a space where business can flourish. The first G-to-G project between Singapore and China, the Suzhou Industrial Park, is of this nature. Likewise, the Tianjin Eco-City. For the third G-to-G project, the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative, the scope has broadened because it is not just about township development or industrial park development. It is also about, for instance, logistics development, information and communications technology and financing exchanges. This opens up the scope for even more companies, large and small, in different sectors to participate.”
“I thank Mr Pritam Singh for the clarifications. I am not able to comment on ongoing investigations, but I am confident that our colleagues at CCS are doing their best and addressing the issue as quickly as they can and as comprehensively as they can. As for the Member's point about the interest of those who procure the services of the third-party lift maintenance contractors, the CCS had, indeed, in their press release, acknowledged that potential cost savings could be had if competition in the supply of lift spare parts was not curtailed. This is also something that they sought stakeholders' feedback on, and they take this feedback into consideration when deciding whether to accept the commitments that the company eventually undertook. So, all this is taken into account.”
“In this aspect, the Government is happy to provide more detailed assistance, including the SME Go-Digital Programme and the new OTR Scheme. Of course, instead of helping SMEs one by one, it is more effective to do it through the TACs. To get more SMEs on board various assistance schemes, the Government is also trying to enhance cooperation with the TACs. One good example is FMAS. FMAS embody the spirit of self-help and has strived to carve out a new path and inject vibrancy into neighbourhood businesses. Going forward, we will support FMAS in formulating new development plans for specific neighbourhoods, with Ang Mo Kio and Bedok being the first two to roll out their plans. I hope to see more SMEs tapping into and strengthening the TACs and their networks, explore faster and better ways to embark on their journey of transformation, to turn a new page not just for themselves but also for the Singapore economy.”
“I have explained how we intend to do this through the ITMs, various initiatives to help our SMEs stay competitive, and working in closer partnership with our TACs. Together, I am confident that our SMEs will emerge stronger and better prepared for the future. Sir, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Our SMEs form the key pillar of our economy. How can SMEs transform in the future economy is a key concern shared by the Government and our society. The Government takes feedback from SMEs very seriously. Firstly, SMEs need assistance as they are limited by scale. Several Ministers who spoke before me have talked about the short-term and long-to-medium term measures that the Government has rolled out to support SMEs, and how to help SMEs stay competitive. Secondly, quite a number of SMEs say they hope Government assistance schemes can be further simplified, so that it will be easier for them to receive help. We take this issue seriously as well. It is why the Government has set up 12 SME Centres and have constantly worked to enhance the service quality of these centres, so that they can provide more targeted business consultancy services for SMEs. These SME Centres have worked well to complement the SME Portal set up by the Government. We are also actively enhancing the SME Portal with new features like Tech Depot, which provides technology and digital solutions suitable for SMEs. I urge SMEs to fully utilise the SME Centres and SME Portal as the first point of contact for them to seek assistance and obtain information. Thirdly, SMEs interested in transformation have also said that they hope to receive more guidance on implementation, so as to avoid going through a lengthy process.”
“Such projects should have clear productivity enhancements or innovative outcomes that benefit a sizeable number of SMEs. The full benefits of industry transformation cannot be felt if we have only a handful of progressive, creative SMEs in each industry. These benefits can only be unleashed when the majority of SMEs participate fully in the transformation process. In this respect, we ask two things of SMEs. If you have found forums, workshops or networking platforms provided by the MTI family to be useful, please spread the word. If you have achieved success with a boost from our assistance schemes, please do not shy away from speaking up when invited or interviewed. This will help contribute to a more collaborative business ecosystem. I recently attended the Turning Passion into Profits shareback event organised by the Singapore Productivity Centre. The aim was to help raise awareness about the resources and support ecosystem that F&B startups and microenterprises can tap on. I was very encouraged that several successful entrepreneurs came back to share their stories with others. One example was Ms Diana Teo, co-founder of WaaCow!. This is a fast-casual restaurant retailing premium quality Japanese-inspired rice bowls. She spoke very passionately about the assistance she received. There are many more Diana Teos out there, and their collective sharing will help many more entrepreneurs build better, more competitive businesses. Sir, SMEs are at the heart of our economy. The MTI family is committed to supporting them. We shall press on with our efforts to restructure the economy, even as we cope with the more immediate challenges.”
“One of the projects FMAS will be working on is to help our heartland enterprises better align their business models to meet new demands of consumers and explore partnerships within the community for capability upgrading. To start off, FMAS is conducting two pilot studies in Bedok and Ang Mo Kio to identify market needs and formulate precinct development plans. In total, this project could benefit more than 2,500 heartland enterprises. Ms Foo Mee Har may wish to note that during the last Budget, we introduced SPRING's LEAD+ programme to raise the internal capabilities of TACs in four areas, namely, TAC's leadership, management, processes and services. To date, seven TACs have been supported through LEAD+. We recognise the importance of TACs as our key partners. We will increase the overall FY2016 to 2020 budgets under the LEAD Programme to $100 million to help more TACs to step up and do more for their members. First, we will expand our outreach to more TACs. We have received feedback from several smaller associations that they would like to embark on projects to help their members. But they say they lack the know-how or experience to do so. To help these TACs take the first step, we will support them in improving their internal systems and processes, as well as in implementing bite-size upgrading projects. Second, we will strengthen TACs in all the 23 ITM sectors, so that they can play a stronger role in driving industry transformation and internationalisation. Third, we encourage TACs to collaborate with one another to reap greater benefits. Cross-sectoral, multi-TACs or projects where larger TACs step up to support smaller ones, can be supported up to 90%, from the current 70%.”
“I have explained how the MTI family assists SMEs, how we are making it easier for SMEs to obtain assistance, and how we are moving to help more SMEs in a customised, step-by-step manner to transform. But, given the sheer number of active SMEs in our economy, the Government alone cannot help all businesses transform. We need to strengthen our partnerships and collaboration to help more SMEs succeed. Ms Foo Mee Har and Mr Liang Eng Hwa have asked about TACs. Our TACs are important enablers in the transformation of industries. They have a good sense of what is happening among their members and have strong industry networks. This allows them to effectively reach out and help more SMEs. Over the past decade, through the Local Enterprise and Association Development (LEAD) programme, SPRING and IE have engaged about 40 TACs actively. They work on projects to support their members in capability upgrading and internationalisation. Altogether, close to 190 of these projects have been supported, with a committed grant of $190 million. As an example, the Singapore Food Manufacturers' Association (SFMA) continues to build the international reputation of Singapore food products. It does so through activities, such as helping SMEs find new channels for their products in overseas markets, as well as marketing quality food products as tourism gifts. Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Miss Cheryl Chan also asked about our plans to support our heartland enterprises. We are working with the Federation of Merchants' Associations, Singapore (FMAS) to deepen their internal capabilities and rejuvenate our heartlands. FMAS was recently awarded projects under our LEAD and LEAD+ programme to do so.”
“We hope that this initiative will give SMEs and startups the opportunity to engage the Government as a valuable reference customer and build their track record. Mr Thomas Chua also asked about how SMEs can participate in the $700 million worth of construction projects that MOF is bringing forward. The Ministry of National Development will be speaking about this at their COS. We also want to ensure that we have healthy, competitive and efficient markets in Singapore. This is the goal of the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) and I thank Mr Pritam Singh for his question. CCS administers the Competition Act, which allows it to issue an interim measures directive to businesses. This is provided there are reasonable grounds to suspect an infringement of the Competition Act and if there is urgency to act for the purpose of either protecting the public interest or preventing serious, irreparable damage to a business. To date, CCS has not issued any interim measures directive. We would like to clarify that in the case of EM Services brought up by Mr Pritam Singh, CCS' view was that the threshold for an interim measures directive, in other words, that third-party contractors had suffered serious and irreparable damage as required under the Competition Act, had not been reached. I would also like to highlight that safety concerns of the public would have been considered by BCA. With regard to public consultation, it is standard practice for CCS to seek feedback from industry stakeholders on a company's proposed commitments as they are in the best position to assess if the commitments will address the competition issue. CCS would consider the feedback in deciding whether to accept the commitments.”
“But for products to be commercially scalable, companies need to ensure that the product design and manufacturing process are optimised. This is tested through small batch production. We hope the expansion in grant coverage will help to co-share risks associated with this early stage of production and help our SMEs to scale. Beyond this, we will be taking steps to better drive innovation among our SMEs and startups. This will be with an enhanced GOV-PACT. Today, there are efforts by various Government agencies to work with companies to co-develop innovative solutions. Participating companies can also tap on SPRING's CDG to fund part of the cost involved in the development of new technologies. But we recognise that SMEs and startups still face uncertainty of securing the procurement contract after investing time and resources at the development stages. To overcome this, SPRING will be working with several Government agencies, such as HDB and JTC, to drive procurement for innovation. We help more SMEs and startups participate in Government projects. For example, the procurement process for projects under this scheme will be broken into stages. An SME or startup will be eligible to move on to the next stage once the current stage proves successful. This will reduce the risk and investment for the SME. 8.00 pm As one of the agencies pioneering this, JTC has already been working with companies to fund and test-bed innovative solutions. It has worked with vTrium Energy, a local SME, on the test-bedding of flexible solar films within its CleanTech Park and Seletar Aerospace Park. Through the field trials, vTrium was able to prove that their flexible panels work well on curved surfaces and vertical building facades and in a tropical climate.”
“Second, SMEs that wish to develop, prototype and test new products can tap on our new Tech Access initiative. They will get access to A*STAR's installed base of specialised equipment on advanced manufacturing. This will help them build capabilities in the use of advanced machine tools, new processes, prototyping and testing. SMEs will also receive user training and advice from A*STAR to optimise the effectiveness of the equipment. As Mr Thomas Chua has noted, TACs are important partners to help us leverage R&D to uplift the capabilities of our SMEs. A*STAR has worked with TACs, such as the Singapore Precision Engineering and Technology Association (SPETA) and the Singapore School Transport Association (SSTA), on specific R&D projects. A*STAR will continue to engage TACs on specific R&D projects, as well as to help them tap on new initiatives like the Tech Access and Tech Depot. We also want to strengthen our support for SME capability development. SPRING's CDG is one of our key support schemes for this. It supports SMEs to take on upgrading projects across 10 key business areas. In 2016, SMEs took up close to 2,400 CDG projects, totaling $125 million in grants. To make it easier for companies to do capability development, SPRING simplified the application process for grants below $30,000 in 2015. This has received a positive response and, as a result, many more companies today have been able to benefit from the grant. We are constantly looking for ways to broaden and deepen our support for capability development. This year, we will strengthen our support in product development by extending the grant coverage to small batch production. Currently, most of our support efforts focus on helping companies develop their products at the R&D and prototyping phase.”
“Complementing the SME Centres is our SME Portal, which serves as the first online touchpoint for SMEs. The portal offers Government and commercial information useful for SMEs. It also lists services suitable for SMEs at various business stages. To improve our companies' access to technology and digital solutions, we will add a one-stop Tech Depot to the SME Portal by the second quarter of 2017. This is a showcase of easily adoptable technology solutions. It will include A*STAR's ready-to-go (RTG) technologies as well as IMDA's prequalified Infocomm and Media (ICM) solutions. These can help companies improve inventory and asset tracking processes, supply chain management and planning processes. For SMEs looking to embark on a transformation journey, we are more than willing to meet them halfway by providing step-by-step, customised assistance. Let me elaborate on three areas. Mr Yee Chia Hsing asked how our SMEs can increase their competitiveness, given the rapid technological changes. We have taken steps to help SMEs enhance their technological capabilities. These include improving their access to technology solutions and helping them identify and implement the ones best suited to their needs. First, for SMEs that require specific help to identify how technology can support their business strategies, A*STAR can help them develop an operation and technology roadmap (OTR). This involves a customised, step-by-step guide of what companies need to do to better leverage technology in their operations. Since 2003, A*STAR has developed over 240 technology roadmaps, with positive feedback. This year, we will partner the trade associations to expand our network of trained OTR facilitators. We aim to support up to 400 companies over the next four years.”
“And we will work with SMEs to deploy them. As an example, within the Lifestyle cluster, there is Techmetics, a robotics and IT solutions company. It provides common automation solutions to the Food Services and Hotels industries and has worked with SPRING and the Singapore Tourism Board to deploy these solutions. In restaurants like Kinsa Sushi, guests can place their orders through Techmetics' iPad ordering solution. Their food is then delivered by Techi, a robotic waiter. The company also adapted Techi to meet the needs of hotels. For instance, Techi is at work in Park Avenue @ Rochester, delivering room service. The robot is able to take the lift, travel to the guest's doorstep and notify him through a phone call that the food has arrived. Techi helps the food services and hotels industries do more without needing more staff. It also saves ageing workers from having to perform physically tedious or repetitive tasks. It also means that homegrown tech companies can showcase their solutions and, hopefully, achieve greater success. We look forward to supporting more SMEs adopt such win-win solutions. We often hear that SMEs are not sure whom to approach for help. Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Miss Cheryl Chan have raised similar concerns. We did not just reorganise the delivery of assistance in the form of ITMs. As a first touchpoint, we have our SME Centres for SMEs, including our heartland and micro enterprises. As a first stop, the SME Centres provide customised business advice and help SMEs better understand Government initiatives. Last year, we also enhanced our SME Centres to provide business diagnosis and run capability workshops for SMEs. In total, our Centres assisted about 30,600 enterprises in 2016.”
“It turns out there is, one that uses vacuum suction technology instead of straightforward compression. But it is costly. With the support of SPRING's Capability Development Grant (CDG), the company was able to automate its processing kitchen in 2016. They purchased this special machine. Now, Omakase can make more of the same delicious burgers and think of expanding operations and growing its top line, without having to find more chefs. Ms K Thanaletchimi asked how we can improve productivity in our retail sector. This is addressed in the Retail ITM which sets out to drive greater productivity through technology and shared platforms. An example, SPRING has worked with retailers to get them to use self-check-out counters. In 2016, more than 110 self-checkouts were installed in supermarkets. This has allowed a 20% reduction in the demand for cashiers. The former cashiers were redeployed to new stores or reassigned to other duties. Our target is for 50% of large retailers to adopt these established technologies by 2020. E-commerce and omni-channel sales will also help retailers to better meet customers' needs and allow them to do more with a lean workforce. The Retail ITM encourages and supports SMEs and their workers to take advantage of these strategies. SPRING is working with Workforce SG to conduct master classes on omni-channel retailing and digital marketing. To date, 38 companies have benefited from these classes and we encourage more to join in. As Ms Foo Mee Har pointed out, there are potential synergies among the different industries. We agree. That is why we are adopting a cluster approach for our ITM efforts. For instance, we will identify and develop common digital solutions and automation technologies that can be applied across industries.”
“SMEs can think of each ITM as a guide to the key shifts in the industry. It lays out the practical steps they can take to transform their businesses. There are four major themes: to improve productivity, innovate, internationalise as well as to develop the skills of our workers. To address Ms K Thanaletchimi's question, we do have indicators to track the progress of the ITMs. At the national level, we track indicators, such as value-add and value-add per worker. At the sector level, each ITM is tailored to the specific needs of the sector. We have sector-specific indicators to track progress in productivity, innovation, internationalisation and in developing the skills of our workers. Let me now explain how our SMEs can benefit from the ITMs. The Food Services ITM helps SMEs address a key challenge − their heavy reliance on manpower. This is made more acute by an ageing workforce and the fact that many prefer to work in other sectors. As part of the ITM, food services SMEs will be supported in their adoption of technology, as well as the development of productive and innovative business formats. An example is Omakase Burger, a gourmet burger restaurant chain that specialises in smashed burgers. As some foodies might know, an artisan burger is especially juicy and delicious because the meat patties are shaped by hand and not compressed by machine. So, a key challenge for Omakase was that a lot of the food processing was manual. Whether the business can grow depends crucially on how many skilled chefs it can hire and, as many of us know, this is one of the biggest bottlenecks in the F&B industry. Is there no machine that can replicate the taste and texture of a hand-shaped burger patty?”
“Sir, SMEs are the heart of our economy. They are the base from which many brands have emerged and we hope and believe many more great Singapore companies will grow. The concerns of SMEs are also the Government's concerns. Supporting SMEs is very much at the front and centre of the CFE report as well as this year's Budget. It will also be a key focus of the MTI family in the months and years to come. The feedback from SMEs falls into three main categories. First, the need for assistance to cope with challenges, both immediate and in the longer term; second, where to go and who to approach for assistance and, third, how to transform themselves. The MTI family's response is clear. We want to help SMEs succeed. We provide assistance. We are making it easier for SMEs to receive assistance and we are doing more to help SMEs implement step-by-step plans if they wish to transform. For the first category, in terms of how to cope with challenges, several Ministers have already spoken about them. Hence, I shall address the question of whether we can make it easier for SMEs to benefit from our support schemes. We can do so in several ways. First, by changing the way Government agencies work with one another to support SMEs. Our economic agencies are largely organised based on function and, with a few exceptions, not by industry type. But SMEs have told us that if they knew that there was one specific agency in charge of their industry, they would feel more assured. They will know the needs of the entire industry are considered holistically. We hear our SMEs. This is why we have organised our industry strategies into ITMs. We now have one lead agency for each industry. We have started rolling out the ITMs. Eventually, we will have 23 ITMs covering more than 80% of our economy.”
“At the moment, our discussions with stakeholders indicate that there is no clear indication or trend of decline in arrivals.”
“The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and its agencies will continue to closely monitor developments through the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) and are prepared to develop and activate further support for businesses should these prove necessary.”
“Madam, it is premature to determine the impact of the Zika outbreak on the tourism industry and the broader economy. Singapore remains a safe travel destination, and there is no travel restriction by the World Health Organization (WHO) to Zika-affected areas. The Government is taking strong coordinated actions to contain the Zika outbreak and any possible impact it might have on the economy. Zika's impact on visitor arrivals is currently contained. Nevertheless, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is working closely with in-market travel trade and tourism partners to proactively address concerns from potential visitors regarding travelling to Singapore. STB's frontline operations, such as the Call Centre and Singapore Visitor Centre, have also been monitoring daily visitor feedback and responding to queries on the Zika outbreak. While it is too early to consider Zika-specific support measures for businesses, they can tap on existing schemes if needed. For example, small and medium enterprises facing short-term cash flow issues may apply for the Working Capital Loan programme administered by SPRING Singapore (SPRING), which provides loans of up to $300,000. To ensure enterprise resilience in the event that operations are affected, SPRING is working with the Singapore Business Federation to help companies develop business continuity plans under the ongoing business continuity management (BCM) programme. Companies can also tap on SPRING's Capability Development Grant (CDG) to adopt BCM standards.”
“Madam, may I take Question Nos 12 and 13 together?”
“Last year, MCCY set up the Committee for Disability Sports and MCCY has accepted the recommendations proposed by the Committee. There are three thrusts under the Disability Sports Master Plan. First, expand access and opportunities for participation. SportSG will pilot the launch of Centres of Expertise, which will have disability sports programmes and facilities like inclusive gyms that are more accessible to persons with disabilities. Within the next five years, we will introduce these in at least five ActiveSG sports centres island-wide, starting with centres in Queenstown, Sengkang, Toa Payoh and Jurong West. SportSG will also work with MOE to develop relevant sports programmes for schools with students with disabilities. Second, we will develop the necessary organisational and professional capabilities. SportSG and the Singapore Disability Sports Council will work with sports associations and healthcare institutions to introduce sports for rehabilitation. Third, we will build awareness of disability sports. SportSG will work with NVPC to develop a support network for disability sports through volunteerism and corporate philanthropy. We will also continue to showcase our inspirational para-athletes. Together with stakeholders, SportSG will develop and implement these initiatives over the next five years. MCCY will continue to work with our people to make Singapore an inclusive society with a culture of contribution.”
“Foreign charitable purpose trusts are set up by foreigners with foreign sources of funds. They are granted tax exemptions to encourage them to locate their trust Page: 35 management and administration activities in Singapore. To get this exemption, they must administer their trust through a Singapore-licensed trust company. Local charitable purpose trusts, whose sources of funds are local and which advance charitable purposes substantially in Singapore, must register for charity status under the Charities Act in order to enjoy tax exemption. This is to safeguard the interest of donors and recipients. To promote charitable giving, we have made our regulations for these trusts easy to comply with. Under the lighter-touch regulatory regime, qualifying grant-makers, including local charitable trusts that do not solicit funds from the public, only need to comply with the basic requirements of filing annual reports and financial accounts. So, they have a significantly lower regulatory burden than other charities. We will study the point raised by Ms Foo and review with partner agencies if necessary. I will now address Mr Alex Yam's query about how we are making our arts and heritage spaces more accessible to those with disabilities. MCCY will extend concessions to persons with disabilities at our NHB museums as well as the Singapore Art Museum and the National Gallery of Singapore. Those with disabilities will be charged the lowest concession price for permanent and special exhibitions, and we will grant free access to one accompanying caregiver. NHB will continue to consult on how it can further improve the visitor experience for persons with disabilities. Mr Melvin Yong asked about how we can help more people with disabilities benefit from sports.”
“Participating businesses can also choose to display a Company of Good logo on their materials. For businesses that are starting giving programmes without prior experience, NVPC will provide basic training. NVPC will give more details on the Company of Good programme in May. Mr Melvin Yong asked about how we can use sports, arts and heritage to encourage more Singaporeans to volunteer. Minister Grace Fu spoke of the commitment of Singaporeans who volunteered during the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games last year. To continue supporting the thousands of these Team Nila volunteers, SportSG will establish domains of expertise for volunteers to use their skills through sports events. These include sports photography, sports safety and leadership functions. SportSG will also enhance the Sports Volunteer Framework to better engage and recognise volunteers and expand volunteering opportunities. SportSG will also expand its SportCares volunteer movement. In the arts, the National Arts Council (NAC) has a programme called ArtReach to raise the capability of artists, voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) and rehabilitation centres to use the arts to achieve social outcomes. For example, NAC partners the Agency for Integrated Care to incorporate the arts into the community care framework. Today, one-fifth of our Community Care organisations run arts programmes. Last month, NHB also launched a volunteer programme for the heritage sector. HeritageCares will have programmes at NHB museums and other heritage institutions to bond families and communities. It will also offer volunteer programmes for the public. HeritageCares will reach 4,000 beneficiaries each year. Let me now address Ms Foo Mee Har's query about harmonising requirements for foreign and local charitable purpose trusts.”
“GreenPac's founder and chief executive officer, Ms Susan Chong, believes in doing well by doing good and she has built this belief into her company's Page: 34 structure. GreenPac sets itself key performance indicators (KPIs) for giving and appraises its employees on how they give. The company has donated hydroponic systems to schools and estates in the Jurong neighbourhood, and its staff regularly visit to train students and residents to care for the plants. Having made corporate giving a part of its core principles, GreenPac's employees consistently report workplace satisfaction levels above 90%. We will do more to encourage businesses to be more civic-minded, meet the aspirations of their employees and be enterprises of which Singaporeans can be proud. In his Budget speech, the Minister for Finance spoke about the Business and Institutions of Public Character (IPC) Partnership Scheme. The Minister for Social and Family Development, in his Committee of Supply speech, spoke about how he is enhancing the ComChest SHARE programme. Beyond these incentives, Ms Joan Pereira and Mr Henry Kwek asked how MCCY and NVPC are building up corporate giving capabilities in our businesses. I am pleased to share that NVPC has partnered the Singapore Business Federation Foundation to develop a new Company of Good Programme. The programme is open to all businesses in Singapore and will empower them to give better. The programme will offer customised levels of support to meet the different needs of businesses. All participating businesses will have access to advice, resources and networks where they can share and learn best practices. As Mr Thomas Chua suggested, this will help them improve their giving practices.”
“I agree with Dr Lily Neo that we must find more ways to recognise and support our volunteers. We will consider her suggestions as we and our partners refine these programmes. Minister Grace Fu spoke earlier about how we are supporting ground-up initiatives through Our Singapore Fund and how we will support youth volunteers through the Youth Corps. Ms Joan Pereira wanted to know more about how we are supporting our senior volunteers. As part of the Action Plan for Successful Ageing, we want to create opportunities for seniors to be enriched with productive and meaningful lives. Last year, a Silver Volunteer Fund of up to $40 million was set up and it is championed by the President's Challenge. From this year, the fund will be implemented by the Council for Third Age, with support from NVPC. It will support the establishment of volunteer management systems, volunteer training and programmes that offer volunteering opportunities to seniors. Another key group of volunteers is our working adults. We regularly speak of corporate transformation in terms of productivity and innovation. It is just as important that businesses in our future economy are civic-minded and play active roles in our communities. CapitaLand is a fine example. Ten years ago, it set up its CapitaLand Hope Foundation to donate a portion of its annual profits to support underprivileged children. In addition, CapitaLand staff are given three days of Volunteer Service Leave each year. And when a staff member takes all three days, CapitaLand donates $500 to a charity of their choice. And it is not just large companies that benefit from corporate giving programmes. 1.15 pm GreenPac is a small and medium enterprise which provides well-designed and environmentally-friendly packaging solutions.”
“MOE and the Media Literacy Council have developed cyber wellness resources to help Page: 33 parents guide their children's digital media consumption. MOE's cyber wellness curriculum in schools also reinforces positive values so that our students can navigate cyberspace safely. Madam, in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] As a multiracial and multi-religious society, Singapore has always viewed racial and religious harmony as one of the fundamental tenets in nation-building. Many places in the world still see conflicts along racial and religious lines. Extremist and violent messages have also become easily broadcast due to the widespread use of the Internet. In this environment, it is difficult to maintain peace and unity. One can even say that it is like swimming against the tide and you will be swept away if you do not keep up. To maintain Singapore's racial and religious harmony, the Government has set up several initiatives and platforms to strengthen mutual understanding, trust and resilience among community groups. These include CEP in 2006; NSC, which includes the apex leaders of ethnic and religious groups; and IRCCs. This has resulted in a strong and deeply-rooted network of community groups. MCCY, through the Harmony Fund and NYC, also supports activities like dialogues and learning camps that enhance our youths' appreciation and support of racial and religious harmony. (In English): Let me now elaborate on how we will grow our giving culture. MCCY works with partners like the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) to encourage Singaporeans to give. Last year, NVPC launched their online giving platform, giving.sg, to match citizens with causes and charities and enable them to track their giving activities.”
“In Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) and Social Studies, students discuss the need for mutual respect, common space and the consequences of perpetuating stereotypes and prejudices. Beyond the classroom, MCCY supports additional programmes that bring youths together to make friends from different cultures and backgrounds, share common experiences and appreciate one another's beliefs. One such programme is CampTeen, which will have its 10th edition this year. It is a four-day residential programme that brings together more than 200 students from schools, international schools and madrasahs, during which they engage with sensitive topics, including race and religion. We also support the HarmonyWorks! Conference, which reaches out to some 700 youths each year. This provides a safe space for our youths to converse honestly. For example, some participants share their personal experiences of racism. Volunteer facilitators lead small-group discussions about the challenges faced by our increasingly diverse society and the personal steps we can take to address them. We want more groups to help make such conversations possible. MCCY launched the Harmony Fund in 2013 and this has already seeded 78 projects that draw participants from a wide range of ethnic and faith groups. Almost half of these are targeted at youths. NYC is also working with IRCCs and various religious and ethnic groups to launch more platforms where youths can have candid and constructive exchanges. I also share Mr Alex Yam's concern that our young may be exposed to online disinformation. Minister Yaacob Ibrahim earlier highlighted initiatives undertaken by the Malay/Muslim community against radicalisation. More generally, parents play a key role in shaping their children's Internet exposure.”
“Madam, I will first address Members' remarks on efforts to strengthen racial and religious understanding. Page: 32 Racial and religious harmony is a fundamental value of our society. The Community Engagement Programme (CEP) was launched in 2006 to establish national and local platforms to strengthen relationships between our ethnic and faith groups. At the national level, the National Steering Committee (NSC) on Racial and Religious Harmony is a platform for apex leaders of the major ethnic and religious groups to engage each other and with the Government. At the local level, MCCY supports the activities of Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles (IRCCs), which comprises representatives from ethnic and religious organisations. IRCCs organise more than 400 activities each year, including dialogues, celebrations of one another's festival and joint volunteer programmes, at different places of worship. They also train community leaders to respond to crises in order to ensure that our communities are resilient to incidents with religious and racial overtones. I agree with Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin that our harmony depends on Singaporeans having respect for one another's beliefs as well as a sense of shared responsibility. And it is important that these values are passed down to our youths. So, I thank Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin, as well as Ms Rahayu Mahzam, for their thoughtful comments on the need to engender open conversations among our youths. This is necessary if we are to develop a deeper understanding of the need for common spaces, give-and-take and a rich appreciation of one another's beliefs. Schools are natural places to develop our students' sensitivity to different beliefs and practices.”
“The Government is concerned about the retirement adequacy of Singaporeans who may not have had the opportunity to work or to build up their savings either in cash or in their CPF. That includes, but is not limited to caregivers. To address this, there are CPF top-ups. There are also various assistance schemes which we have mentioned broadly, which are meant to supplement either the incomes of those who are in greater need or to help them cope with living expenses.”
“I thank the Member for his support and efforts to bring e-services to more people. The CCC+s that I have talked about earlier, are kiosks which will comprise docked mobile tablets with touch-screen interfaces, that are less cumbersome and easier for the elderly to use. Some kiosks will also be height-adjustable to better serve the needs of those who are wheelchair bound. In addition, CCC+ landing pages would be redesigned for better access to the 10 most commonly used digital services by CCC visitors today, such as checking their CPF and IRAS statements. We will also ensure that CCC officers are well-trained to provide assistance to the visitors.”
“The Member suggested that we consider incorporating other needs-based eligibility factors used in the UK's Income Support. We note that this scheme is a targeted one based on application, and also requires other criteria, such as the amount of personal savings the individual and his spouse have. We do have schemes, such as the ComCare Short- to Medium-Term Assistance, that take into account the unique needs of each family that applies. This is more similar to the UK's Income Support mentioned by the Member. We will continue to review our means-testing criteria across all schemes to ensure that our assistance is targeted at those who need them most. I would also like to share that such targeted schemes form only a small part of the total amount of benefits that Singaporeans, including private property dwellers, receive. Broad-based schemes that involve less or no targeting include (a) healthcare subsidies, (b) education subsidies for primary education to tertiary education, (c) training subsidies like the SkillsFuture credit, (d) Marriage and Parenthood Package, (e) lower Foreign Domestic Worker levies for those with young children or the elderly, and (f) the Senior Citizen Transport Concession. Mdm Chair, I thank all Members again for their comments and suggestions.”