Tan Kiat How
Singapore
“(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Thank you, Mr Speaker. Earlier I spoke about the policy objective of the Speak Mandarin Campaign, and we have remained consistent and united on this objective over the years. The question is our measures – how might we show some flexibility when it comes to movie screenings?”
“Sir, I can take the Member's question first, about the institutional arrangement. IMDA works very closely with different Government agencies including the NHB. In fact, we work closely on films, the classification of films. So, there is no need for an explicit institution arrangement as they are already doing so.”
“These are the primary objectives, but we will continue to see how we can think about meaningful information for family members. I know family members when they put their loved ones in nursing homes, there is a range of factors they consider.”
“These are lessons we have learned and we will make sure that those lessons would be incorporated in our standard operating procedures in our approach next time. Lastly, I just want to thank the Member for coming by at least a few times to my constituency to speak to my merchants, the hawkers, the residents.”
“For example, there are no dialect restrictions for arts performances or content available on the Internet and online streaming services. On free-to-air television and radio, we believe that Mandarin should continue to be the mainstay.”
“If there is more demand, we will discuss it with the film distributor and see how we can provide additional flexibility. But we will take a review as it comes along and it is certainly something for which we will speak to all members, industry partners, community partners about, and take their views on board.”
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“These are some of the steps that we have taken to combat the threat of illegal wildlife trade. But this threat is constantly evolving and because illegal wildlife trade is so profitable, smugglers are constantly looking for loopholes to exploit. So, beyond strengthening our research capabilities, partnerships and engagements, we must ensure that our regulations and enforcement tools remain up-to-date and effective. The Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act or ESA for short, is the key legislation that supports Singapore's regulation of trade in the wildlife species protected under CITES. It gives us the powers to take enforcement action against illegal traders. For example, through ESA, we have established a domestic ban in ivory trade since last September, to support international efforts against the illegal trade in elephant ivory. We are now proposing to amend ESA, to strengthen our regulations for the trade of CITES species, and to enhance our penalties and enforcement powers against such illegal trade. In drafting these amendments, we consulted a wide range of partners and stakeholders, including traders, shipping companies, industry associations, academics and non-profit organisations. I would like to thank all of them for their valuable suggestions. Last November, we also embarked on a public consultation on the ESA amendments and on Singapore's approach to combating illegal wildlife trade. We have carefully studied the feedback received and incorporated relevant suggestions in our amendments in the Bill. This includes additional amendments to make the Act more effective and more closely aligned with relevant domestic and international laws on endangered species. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me now take Members through the key features of this Bill.”
“This will help source countries to focus on tackling elephant poaching hotspots and the illegal export of ivory, and destination countries to curb consumer demand for ivory products. The Centre for Wildlife Forensics was also recognised as a CITES Reference Laboratory in June. This recognition is a testament to Singapore's capabilities in wildlife forensic science in supporting the implementation and enforcement of CITES. It also attests to the high standards of the Centre in conforming to ISO quality assurance standards for wildlife forensic testing. With this, we can help other CITES member states carry out wildlife forensic analyses, on top of sharing our experiences and expertise with them. This will aid them in investigating and prosecuting illegal wildlife trade cases more easily. Together, we can strengthen our efforts against the criminal syndicates and networks that conduct illegal wildlife trade. And within Singapore, we also continue to partner key stakeholders and the community to raise awareness on our roles in tackling illegal wildlife trade and protecting our planet's biodiversity. This includes regularly engaging industry stakeholders, such as the maritime industry, e-commerce companies and financial institutions. And reaching out to the wider public through outreach and education programmes, such as webinars and exhibitions, to better understand their roles in tackling the illegal wildlife trade. For example, just this March, our volunteers under NParks' Youth Stewards for Nature Programme organised the World Wildlife Day Regional Youth Symposium, which brought youths around the ASEAN region together, to discuss ideas and solutions to tackle illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the Minister for National Development, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Illegal wildlife trade threatens the survival of endangered species and harms habitats and ecosystems around the world. Singapore is committed to the global fight against illegal wildlife trade. As an international trading hub, we take this issue very seriously. We are a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES in short. CITES ensures that international trade in wildlife and plants does not threaten their survival in the wild. We have also put in place a whole-of-Government enforcement framework and we work closely with regional and international partners to stop illegal wildlife shipments from passing through our borders. For example, through our close collaboration with our counterparts in China, we seized a record haul of elephant ivory passing through Singapore in 2019. The ivory was worth more than S$170 million and it came from more than 300 African elephants. Our efforts also helped the Chinese authorities to arrest 14 suspected criminals. Last August, we opened our Centre for Wildlife Forensics, to enhance our science and research capabilities, in collaboration with international partners and local experts. Recently, our studies with Prof Samuel Wasser from the University of Washington found that most of the large ivory seizures made globally over the past decade, came from repeated poaching at the same location and even from the same families of elephants. Such insights help us better understand the patterns and networks of illegal wildlife trade and we share them with our international partners to facilitate cross-border enforcement.”
“Madam, I thank the Member for her question and welcome her back to Parliament as well. Indeed, these are the issues that the various sector leads, the various Ministries and agencies, are discussing with their HV operating businesses. Some of these will be dependent on the specific sectors, for example, in the logistics sectors, buses for ferrying workers and passengers will be very different from sector to sector. And these are, indeed, the issues that we have been discussing with the different stakeholders. If there are specific issues or questions that the Member has encountered, please write to us. We would be happy to take a look at the specifics.”
“As of December 2021, there are about 42,100 Heavy Vehicle (HV) lots islandwide, and about 32,400 HVs registered under LTA's Vehicle Parking Certificate (VPC) scheme. Hence, there are sufficient lots for all HVs islandwide. We recognise that some HV drivers may prefer to park near where they reside. However, locating HV parks (HVPs) in or near residential areas comes at a high opportunity cost, as the land could otherwise cater to housing or other community needs. Residents have also raised noise and safety concerns due to heavy vehicle traffic arising from these HVPs. As the competition for land intensifies, it will be increasingly difficult to have HVPs in or near residential estates, where the tradeoffs are more acute. Today, the majority of HV lots are already located in industrial areas and privately operated. As the Member has also pointed out, we have been reviewing our plans to progressively reduce the number of public HVPs in or near residential areas, to free up land to meet other development needs. Any injection of public HVPs in or near residential areas will need to be considered carefully. HV drivers play an important role in our economy. We are, therefore, working closely with agencies like MTI, MOT, ESG and LTA, to ensure that there remain sufficient HV lots islandwide which are accessible to drivers, as we phase out some of our public HVPs in or near residential areas. As part of this process, we take into consideration feedback from industry stakeholders, like HVP operators and HV-operating businesses, to address business needs and possible constraints. We will continue our efforts to engage stakeholders from HV-operating sectors, like the private bus and logistics sectors.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank the Member for the two supplementary questions. Indeed, we are reviewing the Animals and Birds Act. We are consulting internally and will consult stakeholders when ready. We assure Members that we are working on it, including the penalty framework. The second question is around the mandatory treatment order. This is something that if the Member has views on, he can write to us with, as part of the consultation.”
“Madam, of the 654 pieces of feedback, upon investigation, 12 cases could be substantiated. Enforcement actions were taken. To the Member's other query, most of the reported cases of stray animal abuse involve injured or dead animals that were found by members of the public. These injuries could have been caused by other circumstances, such as attacks by other animals, disease or accidents. For many of these reported cases, NParks was unable to find sufficient supporting evidence and proof that they were cases of animal abuse. So, for members of the public who come across such cases, please let NParks know. We have a 24-hour hotline at the animal response centre, 1800 476 1600, or go to the OneService app. And please include any information that might facilitate investigations.”
“Madam, from 2019 to 2021, NParks received 654 pieces of feedback about alleged stray animal abuse. Upon investigation, 12 cases of animal abuse could be substantiated with evidence and enforcement actions were taken against the offenders. Based on the data, we do not see a rising trend in stray animal abuse cases and there are no common types of abuse observed. Most of the cases reported involved stray cats. We take a serious view of all acts of animal abuse. NParks investigates all cases of feedback on animal abuse and will take enforcement action as appropriate. Individuals who are found guilty of animal abuse can be charged under the Animals and Birds Act. First-time offenders can face a maximum fine of $15,000, or a jail term of up to 18 months, or both. In addition, NParks works closely with stakeholders such as animal welfare groups and veterinarians, to promote responsible interactions with animals. For example, NParks conducts outreach at pet-related events and community walkabouts and develops educational resources and programmes as part of its efforts. Safeguarding the welfare of animals is a shared responsibility. Members of the public can play their part by reporting suspected cases of animal abuse to NParks and providing information that might help to facilitate investigations.”
“Mr Chairman, Mr Melvin Yong had two clarifications. I will answer the first one about working with NTUC and, specifically, BATU, in terms of upskilling and raising the level of professionalism, as well as wage and career progression for our FM workers. The answer is, certainly, yes, we are happy to work together with NTUC, as well as our partners in BATU to do so. In fact, this is something we are working very closely on with all partners: industry partners, companies, employers as well as our union leaders. Specifically, on the modality of CTCs, it is one modality that we work closely with the union leaders and companies on. Broadly speaking, I would say that we encourage the FM and the MA workers to go for training and accreditation to raise their professionalism and improve their competencies. Because that is the sustainable way for wage progression and career pathways in both sectors. And we are very heartened that many companies and workers have come on board many of the training programmes conducted either by BCA Academy or our trade associations, including the Singapore International Facility Management Association (SIFMA), the Association of Property and Facility Managers (APFM) and the Association of Strata Managers (ASM). So, we are working together and we welcome a tripartite approach. To the Member's second question about the PWM within the FM sector, I understand that the NTUC friends are working very closely with MOM. The Member has raised a proposal to look at the PWM for workers in the strata management sector and we are working very closely with MOM to look at the scope, as well as the merits of the issue. We look forward to continue working with our NTUC colleagues on this.”
“That said, trapping birds and moving them to another location, as suggested by Mr Gerald Giam, is not a feasible approach. We will be transferring the problem to another group of residents. A more sustainable approach will be keeping our public and common areas clean and free of food waste. In this regard, we will need the assistance of all our Town Councils and the public. Mr Louis Ng had also raised the issue of cat ownership in HDB flats. As part of our broader efforts to improve standards in the pet sector, we have been engaging stakeholders on a range of issues, such as improving dog rehoming and adoption processes, raising standards of pet boarders and breeders. And we are reviewing and will continue to review pet ownership policies to ensure that they balance the needs of different segments of the community, including pet lovers and those who might have concerns about disamenities that may arise. We are considering this issue from various angles, including enhancing our strategies for the management of both pet cats and stray cats, to effectively manage the overall population of cats in Singapore. I would like to assure the Member Mr Louis Ng that we will continue to work with stakeholders to study this issue carefully.”
“We will extend various schemes under the Construction Productivity and Capability Fund. To address climate change, we will make available $63 million in grants to retrofit existing buildings to achieve higher sustainability standards. We will launch a new $30 million grant to transform the Facilities Management industry and accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies. I encourage firms to make full use of our schemes. If we work together, we can create a resilient, sustainable and liveable built environment. (In English): Across our collective efforts to transform the BE sector, the Government will take the lead through our public sector projects. We also remain committed to working hand in hand with our industry partners on charting the path ahead in the new normal. Together, we can create a future-ready built environment and emerge stronger from COVID-19. Let me now address some other cuts. Mr Gerald Giam had asked about our efforts to manage bird pest issues in housing estates. NParks will continue to work with Town Councils, including Aljunied-Hougang Town Councils, to manage the population of pest birds in residential areas through measures such as habitat modification and food source reduction. NParks is also carrying out research to understand the ecology of birds, including how their reproductive biology and factors, such as food availability, can affect their population. And NParks has been sharing best practices with our Town Councils. In fact, on 24 February 2021 and 17 August 2021, NParks briefed all Town Councils on some of the best practices and findings and held a dedicated session for Aljunied-Hougang Town Council on 18 May 2021.”
“This is why we are embarking on a Jobs Transformation Map (JTM) study for the BE sector. Many of our existing schemes adopt a broad-based approach to workforce development. But there is a need to be more targeted in our approach and tailor our initiatives to grow in-demand jobs for the next bound of industry transformation. In this regard, the JTM will examine the combined effects of COVID-19 and industry transformation and chart out targeted interventions for specific roles. We aim to conclude the JTM in the second half of this year and will work with our IHLs, trade associations and firms to implement the recommendations. Mdm Chairman, please allow me to say a few words in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Over the past two years, COVID-19 has posed significant challenges for the BE sector, such as the increase in construction costs, supply chain disruptions and manpower shortages. The Government has provided comprehensive support to help the sector tide over the pandemic. With the support provided, and the resilience and actions of our industry partners, we continue to see signs of recovery from COVID-19 for the BE sector. Construction output has recovered to close to pre-COVID-19 levels. That said, the Government continues to monitor the situation carefully and could introduce further support measures if necessary. Above all, the pandemic has reminded us how important it is for the sector to be resilient to shocks. We will need to accelerate our push for transformation. In particular, we will need to become more productive and reduce our heavy dependence on migrant workers. In this regard, the Government will continue to support our firms on this journey.”
“First, we will continue to work closely with our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to engage our students on built environment careers through the iBuildSG Club. We are also working with IHLs to incorporate emerging skillsets in DfMA, IDD and green buildings into their curriculum. And we will undertake further initiatives to better retain our Polytechnic and ITE graduates. We will partner our IHLs to put in place more work-study programmes and provide meaningful internships for our students. Second, we will support our mid-career entrants through putting together more Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs), which provide on-the-job training to help our mid-career entrants pick up new skills more quickly. 6.00 pm For instance, we have managed to train 94 individuals as Building Information Modelling (BIM) modellers in the past three years. Third, we will continue to work closely with trade associations on accreditation schemes to raise standards within the BE sector and encourage more firms to adopt the Built Environment Skills Framework. For example, I recently met Boustead Projects, a firm that has actively invested in training its employees to keep pace with industry transformation. Over the years, Boustead has leveraged BIM to deliver quality construction projects, through digital visualisation of building designs, documentation and cost estimation. This has allowed Boustead to develop its own in-house training programmes to train its employees in these skillsets. In fact, Boustead has curated training programmes, in partnership with NTUC Learning Hub, BCA Academy and IHLs as a SkillsFuture Queen Bee, for employees of SMEs across the BE sector. As we embark on the next bound of industry transformation, we will also need to update our existing initiatives.”
“We will further invest $46 million to support innovations for advanced construction and FM. These innovations include customisable robotic systems for on-site assembly and off-site construction, and building designs that facilitate the use of robotic solutions. We are also investing in next-generation construction techniques and technologies, such as 3D concrete printing (3D CP), to complement the adoption of robotics in raising productivity. Chairman, I have detailed how we will transform the built environment sector to be more manpower-lean and resilient. But we will need to complement these efforts with a resolute focus on jobs. Mr Henry Kwek and Mr Cheng Hsing Yao had asked how we would attract more Singaporeans to join this sector. Our ongoing transformation efforts have helped us to create good jobs for locals in the areas of DfMA engineering and digital delivery. I recently met Mr Teh Ming Xuan, a planning engineer working for Kimly Construction whose studies were supported by a joint iBuildSG scholarship between BCA and Kimly. Through an internship with Kimly, Ming Xuan became interested in how construction can be radically transformed via DfMA and IDD. He now provides technical support in these areas, working on the implementation of digital platforms and prefabrication to raise construction productivity. He also contributes to Kimly's R&D efforts in advanced robotics and automation and actively explores how new innovations can be deployed for Kimly's projects. In addition to the iBuildSG Scholarship and Sponsorship scheme, we have put in place a multi-pronged approach to attract and upskill talent.”
“This includes smart FM technologies that enable predictive maintenance and investing in the infrastructure for data and analytics, as both Ms Tin Pei Ling and Miss Cheryl Chan had pointed out. And we also agree with Miss Cheryl Chan that service buyers, including our Town Councils, should look at adopting outcome-based contracts that can facilitate advanced technologies. At the same time, service providers will need to level up their capabilities. That said, the adoption of integrated and aggregated FM remains nascent, especially for existing buildings, given the high retrofitting costs. To encourage building owners and the FM industry to adopt these good practices, we will introduce a new $30 million grant, which will co-fund up to 70% of the initial capital investment and retrofitting costs for integrated and aggregated FM. We plan to fund around 10 to 15 projects across different building typologies. This will establish the business case for wider adoption. To qualify for funding support, building owners will need to work with FM firms to install smart infrastructure, such as sensors and intelligent building management systems and rework their procurement practices and processes, to integrate at least three FM services for at least three buildings in their portfolio. The grant will be available for a period of three years from the second half of this year. I seek the strong support of our building owners and FM firms to explore integrated and aggregated FM for your operations. In addition, we will continue to leverage R&D to push the boundaries for automation, digitalisation and sustainability through innovation. Since the launch of the Cities of Tomorrow (CoT) programme in 2017, we have supported a wide range of R&D efforts for the built environment sector.”
“Taken together, these Construction Productivity and Capability Fund (CPCF) schemes will support firms to transform and build the pipeline of local talent and be better prepared for the foreign manpower tightening moves that would be implemented in 2024. In addition to transforming the way we build, we need to change the way we maintain our buildings through facilities management (FM). By 2025, more than 50% of our buildings will be above 30 years old. Given the twin pressures of ageing buildings and rising manpower costs, we will need to press on with our efforts to transform the FM industry. Miss Cheryl Chan asked what steps we will take to accelerate the FM transformation. We agree with Miss Cheryl Chan that there is a need to do more to encourage the adoption of new technologies. In particular, FM firms can harness efficiencies from managing different FM services on an integrated platform and aggregating FM services across many different buildings. I recently visited CBRE, a firm that provides FM services to office buildings, industrial spaces and laboratories. Through its integrated Vantage Analytics platform, CBRE is able to virtually manage its entire portfolio of buildings for its full suite of FM services, including security, cleaning and energy management. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] CBRE's services have helped its clients, including public sector agencies, attain significant cost savings. For instance, CBRE has worked with JTC to achieve up to 15% operational cost savings in the maintenance of its buildings, including Space@Tuas and JTC Chemicals Hub. This is what we call integrated and aggregated FM. Both service buyers and providers play key roles in the adoption of advanced technologies, as a part of integrated and aggregated FM.”
“And we have greened more than 49% of our buildings by GFA under the Singapore Green Building Masterplan. Mdm Chairman, we have made steady progress over the years. But we will need to accelerate our transformation efforts in light of the lessons learnt from COVID-19. At the same time, the operating environment for the built environment sector is rapidly changing. Against this backdrop, we have begun refreshing our transformation plans under the Future Economy Council (FEC) Urban Systems (US) Cluster Sub-Committee. Co-chaired by Mr Liam Wee Sin from UOL Group Limited and myself, we have been engaging stakeholders across the sector – developers, builders, consultants, contractors and facilities managers. We will share more details later this year. However, to kickstart the next bound of transformation, we encourage our built environment firms to tap on various incentive schemes in making the transition. First, we will extend the Productivity Innovation Project (PIP) scheme until March 2024. PIP has helped many firms, including SMEs, adopt DfMA and IDD technologies that have made construction work more productive. Under PIP, firms can benefit from support of up to 70% of the cost of adopting solutions like DfMA and IDD technologies. Second, we will extend the iBuildSG Scholarship and Sponsorship scheme until March 2023. This scheme has been very helpful in enabling our built environment firms to attract young talents. Since 2010, the scheme has supported more than 3,700 Singaporeans with the costs of their studies and to pursue careers in the sector. Firms can also continue to apply for the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG), which co-funds up to 70% of the cost of adopting off-the-shelf digital solutions.”
“In 2021, around 44% of building projects by gross floor area (GFA) adopted DfMA and we remain on track to meet our target of 70% by 2025. Mr Chong Kee Hiong spoke about raising the adoption of Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC), which is a form of DfMA. It is well suited for residential and hotel developments. Our PPVC adoption rate is, currently, about 20% by GFA. The cost premium for PPVC, compared to the traditional construction methods, has decreased from 10% to 15% in 2015 to 7% to 8% in 2019. It has remained at around this level during the pandemic. This is because while labour costs have risen, the cost of imported PPVC materials has also risen. We will continue to encourage PPVC adoption through the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme. For instance, we require PPVC adoption for suitable residential and hotel GLS sites, including HDB executive condominium developments. We are also putting in place greater modularisation and standardisation requirements under the Buildability Framework to lower costs. However, PPVC may not be suitable for all developments, especially developments with site constraints or smaller developments without economies of scale. But let me reassure the Member that we will continue to push for the wider adoption of DfMA, including PPVC, wherever possible. Another focus area is IDD. Through IDD, stakeholders across the building lifecycle from upstream design to downstream facilities management can collaborate more seamlessly through digital platforms. This digitalisation improves the accuracy of design and planning and reduces abortive work in construction and maintenance. We have raised IDD adoption by GFA from 20% to 34% in the past year alone and continue to make good progress towards our target of 70% by 2025.”
“He also asked how the Government can continue to work with our trade associations to support the sector. The Government has worked closely with the industry to facilitate the inflow of migrant workers. Our industry partners, including trade associations like the Singapore Contractors Association Limited or SCAL, spearheaded efforts to implement a tightened end-to-end process to bring in migrant workers in a safe manner. Workers can also enter Singapore via MOM's Work Pass Holder General Lane. While this arrangement has served the industry well, there is scope to streamline the entry requirements as the COVID-19 situation improves. That is why we have recently announced that the entry requirements for vaccinated new Work Permit holders in the Construction, Marine shipyard and Process, or CMP, sectors will be streamlined with effect from 13 March 2022. The streamlined process will help the CMP sectors accelerate the entry of necessary workers for ongoing projects, alleviate the labour shortage while building greater resilience in the workforce. At the same time, we must accelerate our push for transformation. We started this journey back in 2017 and have worked with stakeholders to put together the Construction Industry Transformation Map or ITM. There are three key outcomes: achieving automation through Design for Manufacturing and Assembly or DfMA; enhancing digitalisation through Integrated Digital Delivery or IDD; and promoting sustainability through green buildings. Through DfMA, we are moving construction work off-site into a controlled factory environment, where building modules are prefabricated before assembly onsite, achieving higher labour productivity and safer worksites. We have been pushing for DfMA adoption in the industry over the years.”
“This includes offering contractors the option of guaranteed protection against steel price fluctuations, where HDB will pay their contractors, if the price of steel exceeds the price that is protected by HDB. Another example is stipulating a fixed quantity of concreting material that HDB will supply at the point of tender closure. However, the contracts for town improvement projects are between Town Councils and their own contractors, and it is up to each Town Council to decide whether to adopt this approach. HDB understands that Town Councils, generally, do not do so as their projects are not as complex or as extensive as BTO projects. Mr Giam also suggested that MND explores measures to strengthen confidence within the construction sector and for parties to better manage risk. We have been doing so and the public sector is taking the lead. 5.45 pm Last November, we amended the Public Sector Standard Conditions Of Contract, or PSSCOC, to reduce the need for our contractors to buffer in additional cost in their tender bids. First, we made clear the grounds for the Extension of Time caused by pandemics. Second, we included provisions for parties to co-share equally the relevant cost increases incurred due to pandemics – such as labour, plant and equipment, materials or goods and site overhead costs. Third, BCA has also worked with Government Procuring Entities (GPEs) to provide a provisional sum for anticipated cost items during the pandemic, such as swab tests, in their new tenders. With this, contractors need not price these costs into their tender bids. These practices minimise the need for contractors to buffer significant additional cost in their bids to cater for uncertainty. Mr Henry Kwek asked about the inflow of foreign manpower for the sector.”
“Mdm Chairman, I will speak on how we will accelerate our transformation plans for the built environment (BE) sector. Over the past two years, COVID-19 has posed significant challenges for the BE sector, as shared by Mr Henry Kwek and others before him. The Government has provided substantial support to help the sector tide over this pandemic. This includes the $1.36 billion Construction Support Package, the Jobs Support Scheme, Foreign Worker Levy waivers and rebates, and legislative relief under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act (COTMA). The support has been made available to all our construction firms, including sub-contractors. The Government has also recently announced the extension of the Temporary Bridging Loan Programme (TBLP) and the Enterprise Financing Scheme – Project Loan to support firms’ cash flow needs. Notwithstanding the support available to contractors, we understand that some Town Councils are facing higher tender prices, as raised by Mr Gerald Giam. This issue was also raised by Ms Tin Pei Ling and Ms Ng Ling Ling last year. Mr Giam suggested that HDB temporarily increase its Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) grants. Upgrading projects, such as the NRP, remain important to rejuvenate older HDB estates to benefit our residents. As I shared with Ms Tin then, our overall fiscal situation remains tight and I encourage Town Councils to start by reviewing the scope of your projects and reduce upgrading items if possible. Nonetheless, we are in regular discussions with all Town Councils and we will continue to monitor the situation closely. Mr Giam also suggested that HDB provides materials price protection for contractors of town improvement projects. HDB does provide such price protection for its BTO contractors.”
“Looking ahead, we will continue to expand the Continuing Education Training (CET) efforts with other Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to provide training for smaller firms across the economy as smaller firms like SMEs may face resource constraints in sending their employees for this sort of skills training. This will be coordinated under the overall effort under SMEs Go Digital. We are also working together very closely with our counterparts, SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), in thinking about how to meet the skill gaps in the digital economy, aligned with the SkillsFuture Report that they came up with around the digital economy. We work together with our tech sector industry association, SG Tech, tech professional association, Singapore Computer Society (SCS) which I mentioned earlier, so that, together, alongside their industry counterparts, SCS, SG Tech with their counterparts in other sectors, like industry associations, to work with them to identify and promote suitable digital upskilling opportunities for each sector. As Ms Janet Ang suggested yesterday, we are adopting an industry supporting industry approach, an industry training industry approach with TACs playing an important role. Just to assure Ms Mariam Jaafar that it is something we are working on. More details will be shared at MOE's Committee of Supply.”
“Chairman, Ms Mariam Jaafar asked about helping our SMEs reskill their staff and workforce in terms of digital skills when they transform digitally. Indeed, this is an important area. If Members recall, last year, in December, if I recall correctly, SkillsFuture Singapore came up with the Future of Skills for the digital economy. And the number one skill that is in demand in the digital economy is really around technological application, that is, how to apply the skills to use the technology tool that an SME or a firm has put in place in its organisation. Having a tool is important, but to be able to use it effectively to achieve business outcomes is something that is really an important return on investment (ROI) that the SMEs need to think about. In this regard, we have worked together with other agencies on a few areas. First, as part of our SMEs Go Digital, our industry digital plan, which I spoke about earlier, they are designed to account for these skills needs in the digital plan. Because the skill needs for different tools – applied in different sectors and different firms at different levels of digital maturity – will vary. These skills plan and training roadmap will have to be customised for that archetype of firms. And that will be as part of the industry digital plans. So, when SMEs go through a process, develop digital plans, implement them, select the tools, select the solutions, that is a corresponding set of skills training that they can consider sending their employees to. It is linked up with the different skills frameworks, if available, across the different sectors.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank Ms Jessica Tan for her suggestion and idea. Behind the suggestion was really about having tech talent, basically tech professionals, coming together to share best practices, update one another on technological advances in this space, especially in this digital space which is evolving so quickly. New threats appear every day, cybersecurity data breaches as well as new practices in terms of how we apply technology, the kind of technical advances and innovation coming out from all over the world as well as Singapore. And I think the spirit of that, is something that we will consider and look at. More importantly, I think it is working together with our industry associations, both the ICT companies and industry associations, SGTech, as well as the tech professionals' association, Singapore Computer Society, or SCS. Today, we already work together with them to mount many training and upskilling courses for our tech professionals, bringing tech professionals together to discuss issues. For example, is Web 3.0 reality or hype, whether NFTs are something that will be mainstream, what is the future for cryptocurrency, how we are thinking about cyber-attacks and cyber protection? These are topics and issues that we work very closely on with our industry partners, our industry association partners, SGTech and SCS, on many of these causes. So, certainly, we will take Ms Jessica Tan's suggestion and continue to expand on these areas.”
“To a point that Ms Tin asked earlier in her cut, which I did not manage to reply to fully, I will just provide updates on Mentor Connect, which is a cross-company mentorship programme in which women professionals and leaders in those companies mentor students and other girls and women who are interested in a career in technology. In fact, they have done well and reached out to many more schools. Many more companies are coming on board. I encourage women tech leaders and companies to join us in this effort. 3.30 pm”
“Mr Chairman, I thank Ms Tin Pei Ling for a very important question, about women and girls in the tech sector. Just to share some statistics and some updates, close to three in 10 of our students in our IDT courses, which I mentioned earlier, in our IHLs are female. And according to a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study, four in 10 of our tech professionals are women. This is well above the global average and we are very proud of it. The SG Women in Tech movement, which was mentioned by Ms Tin Pei Ling, was started and driven by IMDA in 2019. It is supported by the community and, importantly, our industry partners. Over the last few years, they have made very good progress in terms of raising the awareness that diversity and inclusion are better for business. They have done many programmes to raise awareness and try and develop more girls and women in technology and established Singapore as a global leader in creating a supportive environment for women in tech. Just to share some statistics with Ms Tin, since its launch in October 2019, the programme has reached out to more than 120,000 people through its initiatives and connecting over 115,000 girls in schools with female tech leaders through a series of Students Ask videos. It brought together over 600 women in the tech workforce for networking and mentoring events and, having received over 1,400 nominations for the Singapore 100 Women in Tech List in 2020 and 2021, they have identified the women leaders in our technology space who are role models and mentors.”
“Many joining the sector aim to progress in their careers, taking on higher value roles, such as product managers, software engineers or solution architects. We want to support these aspirations of our tech professionals. We will partner industry leaders like Google, Microsoft and Grab, as well as large end-user companies like DBS, to groom product engineering talents for these roles. Those on this specialist track will be trained in advanced technical skillsets like software and application development, data analytics, AI and Cloud, through both instructor-led and hands-on programmes. These tech professionals can look forward to taking on senior technical roles in their companies over time. IMDA will also launch the ICT Jobs Transformation Map (JTM) later this year, to help employers and employees across the ICT sector identify areas of high impact and the relevant reskilling or upskilling opportunities and training as needed. Mr Chairman, in closing, our moves to help businesses thrive in a digital economy and nurture a future-ready digital workforce will help us ensure that the digital wave is one that lifts all boats. I look forward to your continued support as we journey towards our shared digital future.”
“It was only later, with the encouragement of his Class Advisor, that he applied for the Work-Study programme and gained a place with the sponsorship of Racks Central Data Centre. Syurhan shared with me that his company's support and a structured career pathway gave him the confidence to complete the course. To help others like Syurhan pursue their passion and realise their ambitions, we will put in place a structured end-to-end approach to better support our Polytechnic and ITE students, starting with 1,000 places over the next three years. We will establish a TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) for ITE and Polytechnics (TIP) Alliance, comprising leading global tech companies, leading companies here and major hirers to galvanise industry support for this effort. 3.00 pm We will enhance the quality of internship opportunities for Polytechnic and ITE students, to apply their knowledge outside the classroom. After graduation, they will be able to take up apprenticeships at participating companies under place-and-train programmes, to learn the ropes of the ICT roles. Participating companies will also establish skills-oriented training plans and pathways for tech roles for these graduates, including certifications and specialist training. These graduates interested in further studies will be supported through Work-Study Diploma or Degree programmes, spanning growth areas like AI, Cloud and cybersecurity. I am heartened that companies like Accenture, GovTech, IBM, NCS and PSA Corporation have made significant commitments to provide internship, apprenticeship or placement opportunities and I urge more industry leaders to join this meaningful effort. In addition to fresh graduates, many enter the industry as mid-career workers, such as through the TeSA initiative.”
“First, we will strengthen our pipeline of ICT graduates from our Universities. The number of local IDT degree places has risen four-fold from 800 in 2010, to 3,300 in 2021. As a proportion of all degree places, the number of IDT places increased from 7% in 2010 to 18% in 2021, close to one in five. We will also establish new programmes and specialisations to support emerging tech needs in different sectors. An example is the new Bachelor of Science in Applied Computing, with specialisation in fintech that will be launched this year by the Singapore Institute of Technology, in partnership with IMDA and MAS, and supported by financial institutions, including AIA and Standard Chartered Bank. We look forward to working with other sector leads on different training modalities for specific skills needs for their sectors. Second, we will help our Polytechnic and ITE graduates enter tech roles through more structured pathways. Some Polytechnics and ITE IDT graduates shared with us that they cannot find suitable entry-level roles in their areas of study, while others encountered employers who preferred University graduates, even though our Polytechnic and ITE graduates are capable of doing these jobs. Structured support and clearly defined scaffolding in their career pathways can make a world of difference. I recently met Mr Muhammad Syurhan Bin Ja'afar, who graduated from our Work-Study Diploma programme in Data Centre Infrastructure & Operation. Syurhan graduated from ITE with a Nitec in ICT (Cloud Computing) and gained first-hand experience of the tech sector through his internship at NCS. However, his family's financial situation meant that he had to forgo his plans to take up a diploma.”
“Obtaining the trustmarks would give businesses and their customers the confidence that certain cybersecurity and data protection standards have been met. I encourage businesses to view these trustmarks as investments and a competitive advantage. Our Digital Economy efforts are powered by the Infocomm sector. Last year, the sector contributed $28.4 billion to the economy, accounting for 5.6% of our GDP and grew by 12.2%, far outpacing other sectors. Ms Tin Pei Ling and Mr Seah Kian Peng spoke about helping our people seize opportunities in this digital economy. Indeed, the growing and vibrant tech sector creates many good jobs and opens up many exciting opportunities for Singaporeans. Our Digital Economy employs around 216,000 ICT professionals, with half of them in the ICT sector and the other half supporting digital transformation in non-ICT sectors like finance, manufacturing and retail. Around 10,000 more ICT professionals have been added each year in recent years. Yet, 19,000 tech roles remain unfilled across the economy, particularly in roles like software engineering and development, but also across the entire tech value chain, from deep technical skills like AI and cybersecurity, to innovation-oriented roles in product development, and applied business roles like cloud migration and data analytics. Our priority is to nurture a strong pipeline of local tech talent, including fresh graduates and mid-career workers, while ensuring our tech workforce remains relevant and competitive in this fast-changing digital space. In the next three years, around 23,000 local students will graduate from our IHLs in Information and Digital Technologies, or IDT, courses. In this regard, let me outline two important moves we are making.”
“We will continue to refresh these IDPs to incorporate new digital utilities, relevant technological advances and best practices. Let me next touch on how individual SMEs can benefit. Last year, we announced two schemes – CTO-as-a-Service and the Digital Leaders' Programme – to empower businesses on their digitalisation journeys. This year, our enhancements will help SMEs raise their digital maturity, reach markets abroad and retain trust in the digital marketplace. On digital maturity, we will raise SMEs' digital maturity with advanced technological capabilities that are curated to meet their sectors' needs. Launched in 2020, the Advanced Digital Solutions, or ADS scheme, helps SMEs access advanced technology and integrated digital solutions, such as robotics and aggregated data analysis. We will grow our list of 30 solutions, with an emphasis on AI-enabled and cloud-based solutions. We will also expand our Grow Digital scheme. Through the Grow Digital programme, we have worked with Enterprise Singapore to curate a group of e-commerce platforms that can help our firms reach international markets. Since launching in 2020, Grow Digital has helped more than 2,500 firms access markets in 10 countries, while building capabilities in digital marketing, business matching and door-to-door fulfilment. This year, Grow Digital will bring more firms to global markets through a broader group of e-commerce platforms. Ms Hany Soh, Mr Xie Yao Quan and Mr Shawn Huang spoke about helping businesses protect themselves against cyberattacks and data breaches. We will launch the Cyber Trustmark and Cyber Essentials mark, and the Data Protection Essentials Programme.”
“SMEs, which comprise more than nine in 10 of our enterprises, account for almost half of our GDP and hires seven in 10 of our local workforce, are an important constituent in our national digital push. Our approach is threefold. First, enabling secure and seamless digital transactions across the economy. Second, supporting digital transformation of our industry sectors; and third, equipping firms with resources and tools to facilitate digitalisation. First, on economy-wide digital enablers, or digital utilities. Just like water or electricity in the analogue world, we can envisage a foundational set of systems or standards to facilitate seamless and secure transactions in the Digital Economy. E-invoicing and e-payment are two examples. To Ms Jessica Tan's question, more than 50,000 businesses have adopted InvoiceNow since it was launched in 2019, and more than 90% of our businesses have adopted PayNow. We will continue to put in place such digital utilities to support our businesses as they shift their operations and transactions online. Second, we will support the transformation of our industry sectors, building on these digital utilities. We recognise that each sector faces unique challenges and operating contexts. We have launched Industry Digital Plans (IDP) and these IDPs provide firms with a step-by-step guide on digital solutions and skills training curated for each stage of their growth, tailored to their sector. Since 2017, we have launched 20 IDPs to guide digitalisation across sectors as diverse as accountancy, logistics and security. We will expand the coverage of the IDPs, and the next IDP to be launched will be for the legal industry.”
“Mr Chairman, Ms Tin Pei Ling and Ms Jessica Tan spoke about the opportunities in our Digital Economy. Indeed, we saw the benefits of digitalisation, particularly over the last couple of years where firms and our workforce had to deal with COVID-19. I am heartened that many firms are embracing digital technology. IMDA's Digital Acceleration Index, an annual survey of more than 2,000 firms across 23 sectors, showed that digitalisation is picking up pace across our economy. More than 80,000 firms have benefited from the SMEs Go Digital programme since 2017, including a quarter of them coming on board in 2021 alone. Three in four firms now adopt at least one digital solution. And as we emerge from COVID-19, we will sustain this momentum in two ways. First, providing businesses, particularly our Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), with the tools and support to transform digitally. Second, by nurturing a future-ready workforce with the qualifications and skills to get into good jobs in the tech sector and progress well in their careers. Let me elaborate on the first prong. Our firms want to adopt digital and transform. This is the consistent feedback when we engage industry associations and firms, as well as from various surveys that we conduct. However, as Mr Christopher de Souza pointed out, SMEs face practical issues in raising their digital game. SMEs share with us their difficulty in building up their in-house IT team with the right experience and expertise; in helping them select solutions and vendors that meet their needs, while putting in place system and processes to protect their clients and operations from cyber threats and data breaches. I empathise with these sentiments. We must harness network effects to fully benefit from opportunities in the digital economy.”
“For instance, HDB car parks are designed primarily for parking and not for other uses. Just one simple example, we think of power or electricity. Actually, HDB carparks only come with three-phase 30 amps electricity supply. Farm operators, especially for those in high technology farming, may require three-phase 100 amps electricity supply. It requires extensive work to upgrade the main switchboard, power cables, even perhaps building a new consumer switch room. So, this infrastructure requires certifications and we do require time and proper supervision.”
“Mr Speaker, let me address Ms Mariam's second question first. She spoke about whether there could be a Pro-Enterprise Panel equivalent to look at the streamlining of rules to make it easier for operators and partners, in terms of using the MSCPs for urban and commercial farming. Just to share with the Member, indeed, SFA has been working closely with and supporting the farms awarded from the first MSCP tender. For example, there is a Regulations Workgroup, which is led by SFA and Enterprise Singapore, and it conducts multi-agency consultation sessions for the successful tenderers of the rooftop sites for urban farming. As part of the continuing efforts by the Regulations Workgroup, an industry guide was launched in 2020 last year to provide companies in the farming industry with one consolidated knowledge resource. SFA has also worked with HDB and other relevant agencies to prepare a guide, specifically on the setting up of urban farms on HDB MSCP rooftops. The guide consolidates key information of the various regulatory approvals under the purview of different agencies and maps out the agencies' approval processes involved in the set-up. I assure the Member that we will continue reviewing this and continue working on this as we progress on the projects. On the first question, I appreciate the Member's questions around what kind of regulatory approvals are needed and what kind of qualifications, for example, for Professional Engineers are needed. Just wanted to share with the Member that these are the first two tenders, we are going through the processes, we are learning along the way and we will certainly streamline them. But it is actually not so straightforward to set up an urban farming infrastructure on a MSCP.”
“Mr Speaker, as part of greenery intensification under the HDB Green Towns Programme, suitable HDB Multi-Storey Car Parks (MSCP) rooftops are being converted to community gardens or commercial urban farms. The introduction of urban farms helps to bring food production closer to the community. Although the production volume is not significant, it contributes to Singapore’s "30 by 30" food production goal. To date, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and HDB have tendered out 16 MSCP sites for commercial urban farming, while HDB has repurposed six MSCP rooftops into community gardens. SFA and HDB consider multiple factors when identifying suitable MSCP sites for urban farming. These include the utilisation rate of the MSCPs, the loading which the rooftops at each site can bear, the availability of water and electricity supply, waste discharge facilities, as well as the current and future developments plans for the surrounding HDB blocks. Agencies are evaluating the outcomes of the first two tenders before deciding on future plans. In addition, NParks will continue to work with HDB, Town Councils, Residents' Committees and Neighbourhood Committees to encourage the setting up of more community gardens, including at suitable MSCP rooftop sites or by converting parts of the common green in estates to community gardens.”
“Notwithstanding that, we will continue to be vigilant to the threat posed by illegal wildlife trade and related money laundering. NParks will work closely with other agencies, like MAS and the other enforcement agencies, in this regard. 11.30 am”
“On the first question, Mr Speaker, NParks and foreign enforcement agencies have not found any associations with illegal wildlife trade syndicates or organised crimes in Singapore or overseas in the 18 cases at this point in time. Specifically, to the seven cases where the persons prosecuted were involved only in transporting the endangered species, NParks did not find any evidence that other persons in Singapore were involved. The investigation findings were also shared with INTERPOL and the source and destination countries, if we know them, for further investigations. We have not received any information from INTERPOL or our foreign enforcement agency counterparts that these persons were acting as part of a larger organised crime syndicate or network. In response to the Member's second question, I would also like to refer the Member to the reply to his Oral Question in the Sitting on 2 November 2020, where Mr Ong Ye Kung replied on behalf of Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister and Minister in-charge of MAS. In the reply, Minister Ong Ye Kung gave a fuller reply around the various rules and regulations in place to look at illegal wildlife trade and money laundering and organised crimes. But I would just also direct the Member's attention to the part of the reply, which I think addresses his question, about having public-private partnerships playing an important role in our effort to combat illegal wildlife trade and money laundering. The Government has enhanced the collective understanding of illegal wildlife trade risks by sharing case studies and red-flag indicators with banks, traders, agents who apply for trade permits and this has helped them to better detect and report suspicious fund flows linked to illegal wildlife trade.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, from 2017 to 2021, 18 cases were prosecuted for the illegal trade of endangered species under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act, or ESA, for short. In seven of these cases, the persons prosecuted were involved only in transporting the endangered species. There was no evidence they were selling the species or keeping the species for their personal use. Of the remaining 11 cases, the persons prosecuted in four cases were found to be transporting the endangered species to sell the species. The persons prosecuted in the other seven cases were found to be transporting the endangered species for their personal use.”
“The intent is to bring different stakeholders together to understand the issues and one another's perspectives and come to a common consensus on how we are to move together, with the welfare of the pet at the centre of what we do. As part of this pet sector review, we are also engaging the veterinary sector and this is something we are looking at in terms of the various parts of the standards. Indeed, this is something that is ongoing and we hope to share more details when ready.”
“I thank the Member for the two supplementary questions. On the first question about timeframe, indeed, this is something that we are very mindful of for any investigation where the complainant and the accused are being looked into. As I have mentioned earlier, NParks – or AVS in specifics, a part of NParks – looks into the investigations for a thorough evaluation. We have to interview all the parties concerned; we have to look at thorough medical records. And for animals, which, in a way, perhaps unlike for human beings, we need to bring in the relevant veterinary practitioners with expertise. For example, if the animal is a frog, rabbit, hamster, dog or cat, we may require different expertise to join the panel – the Complaint Evaluation Committee – to look into this matter. And this is something that we are mindful of, in making sure that the process is robust, objective and thorough. I take Mr Leon Perera's point about whether we could look into shortening the process. This is something that we have to discuss with our stakeholders in the veterinary sector, as well as the different users of the vet services. And we certainly look at this as part of the overall review that we are doing. On the second question around the setting up of the professional body or entity that was mentioned in my reply, allow me to contextualise it to the Member. This is part of the overall broader pet sector review, which I spoke about also in response to the Member's question yesterday. We are looking at raising standards of professionalism across the entire pet sector, from boarders, breeders, to animal welfare groups, veterinarians, trainers, to individual users; and we are doing so collectively.”
“We are consulting veterinarians, vet para-professionals and vet service users to seek their views and will share more details when ready.”
“Mr Speaker, veterinarians are licensed and regulated by the Animal and Veterinary Service, or AVS, for short. As part of the licensing conditions, veterinarians are required to comply with the Code of Ethics for Veterinarians, which sets out the expected professional standards of conduct. Veterinarians who fail to adhere to the rules of conduct may be subject to professional discipline, including written warnings, composition fines and even suspension or revocation of their licences. Over the last three years, AVS received a total of 65 veterinary complaints, comprising 15 cases in 2019, 25 cases in 2020 and 25 cases in 2021. Of these cases, 10 veterinarians were issued warnings and one was issued a compound fine. None was suspended or had his/her licence revoked. AVS investigates complaints on professional misconduct or negligence. Investigations can take up to 12 months or longer, as AVS needs time to gather the evidence, including detailed medical records and accounts from all parties, to make a thorough assessment. In complex cases, AVS will seek inputs from veterinary practitioners with the relevant experience and expertise. Such veterinary complaints may be presented to the Complaint Evaluation Committee, or CEC, for short, for further assessment. The Committee appointed by AVS comprises AVS veterinarians, practising veterinarians and non-affiliated legal professionals to ensure that the complaints are evaluated robustly. AVS is working with the Singapore Veterinary Association to raise professional standards of the veterinary sector. We are exploring a number of ideas to advance the standards and practices of the sector, including the possible establishment of a professional entity.”
“Mr Speaker, can I take Question Nos 4 and 5 together, please?”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for the supplementary question. As also shared in my reply to Member Mr Louis Ng, we are undertaking – and it is actually in process – quite a comprehensive review of the pet sector. We are looking at the various regimes, regulations, guidelines, best practices and engaging various stakeholders. As part of this review, we are also reviewing the Animals and Birds Act and we are also looking at the kind of penalty frameworks that are in place. So, certainly, this is one area that we will consider as part of the review and we hope to do so in the coming months and, hopefully, by this year.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for the supplementary question. As the Member would be aware, we have started a comprehensive review of the pet sector, involving various stakeholders, looking at training regimes or trainers, looking at rehabilitation, adoption, routines and practices with the animal welfare groups, engaging breeders and boarders, and also individual pet owners. We have undertaken a review and put in place various new practices, guidelines to raise standards of pet care, training, breeding, boarding, as well as the kinds of licensing regimes. The Member had asked about the micro-chipping of cats. This will also be taken into consideration as we review the pet sector.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, NParks investigated 180 alleged cases of pet abandonment in 2017, 225 cases in 2018, 230 cases in 2019, 215 cases in 2020 and 225 cases in 2021. Of these cases, 11 persons were issued composition fines, 21 persons were sentenced in Court and fined, and one was given a jail term. About half the cases investigated, and half the cases for which further action was taken, involved cats. We take a serious view of pet abandonment, and all acts involving failure in the duty of care for pets. NParks investigates all feedback on alleged pet abandonment and will take enforcement action as appropriate. Individuals who are found guilty of pet abandonment can be charged under the Animals and Birds Act. First-time offenders can face a maximum fine of $10,000, or a jail term of up to 12 months, or both. We will continue to review the penalties under the Act to ensure that they remain effective in deterring acts of pet abandonment.”
“We are also in close contact with the various firms through the Association. These are issues that we are working on very closely and we will monitor the situation in the coming months.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Member for the two supplementary questions. On the first point, I would just like to assure the Member that we are very focused on this issue, making sure that the construction works in the BE sector proceed safely and seamlessly. There are very important public sector projects, from housing to transportation, to private residential projects that we know are important to Singaporeans and we want to make sure the construction works continue smoothly and safely and that the entire sector is on a steady keel. We have been in regular contact with the construction industry, the BE sector, from developers to consultants, architects, engineers, contractors, facility managers, companies big and small. Especially since the Government accounts for almost 60% of the total construction output in Singapore, we have been working very closely with the industry. All the Government agencies, the Government procurement entities, like HDB and LTA, have been working very closely with their contractors and their subcontractors, making sure that work continues. So, I would just like to reassure the Member that we are monitoring the situation very closely. In fact, my colleagues from MOM and MND meet these firms on a very regular basis, going through issues of payment, workers, inflow of workers, salaries and so on. On a related second point around the movement of workers, we have been working together with the Singapore Contractors' Association Limited, or SCAL, to look at different mechanisms. For instance, if one firm decides to wind up or decide to shed workers, how can the workers be so allocated or shared with other firms which may be growing their business? There are certain mechanisms in place, including the Manpower Exchange.”
“Based on project progress payments made at the industry level, the current level of construction output is close to pre-COVID-19 levels. This indicates that construction works are progressing at a steady state. As such, barring any unforeseen circumstances, such as a severe industry-wide disruption to construction works caused by COVID-19, the reliefs under COTMA Part 2 and Part 8B will end on 28 February 2022. We strongly encourage all contracting parties to agree on mutually beneficial arrangements to sustain their projects. Part 10A of COTMA has been extended until 31 March 2022. This Part pertains to the co-sharing of cost increases attributed to foreign Work Permit holder salaries. While the foreign manpower inflow has been improving in recent months, we will continue to monitor the situation and review whether a further extension is needed.”