Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. Questions for Oral Answer, Mr Darryl David.
Mr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member): Point of clarification, Deputy Speaker, Sir.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Yes, Mr Leong.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: With reference to the Order Paper today, I noticed that the issue that has been talked about in our society in recent weeks, which is the Ang Mo Kio Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) case, all the questions – a total of seven of them – has been relegated to the last of the question list.
Which means that there would be limited or no airtime on it. There is a difference between oral questions and written questions. So, I would like to ask whether those questions can be moved forward because, indeed, there is a large number of questions being asked.
If not, will there be sufficient airtime for us to at least discuss the general principles about the compensation package of this SERS exercise which is quite different from the rest? There are 600 households out there, waiting for clearer answers on the general principles.
I know the Government and HDB have been engaging the residents. But many of them would still like to know what are the general principles behind some of the changes in the policies. Thank you.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Mr Leong. I have been briefed by the Clerks and I understand that 11.10 am, this morning, you sent a Petition in to the Clerk of Parliament – that is less than two hours ago. The Petition needs to be in accordance with the Standing Orders. Like any Member of this House, you are entitled to file a Petition, but the Clerk of Parliament needs to ensure the Petition is in accordance with the Standing Orders. In this case, a reasonable time is needed to ensure that whether or not your Petition does meet the requirements of the Standing Orders, in particular, Standing Order No 18.
The Standing Order in question is Standing Order No 18(5) and the Clerk needs time to verify whether your Petition meets those standards. Mr Leong, to be fair to you, in between the limited time between 11.10 am and 1.30 pm, the Staff and I had been working to ascertain whether your Petition accords with the Standing Orders; and presently, there are a few concerns that it does not. They will share them with you in due course, in fairness to you.
In relation to you saying that there is an important question of the Ang Mo Kio SERS project, I understand from Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin that, indeed, that issue is going to be covered in the very Adjournment Motion which is scheduled this evening. So, it will be ventilated and it will be answered. So, I hope we will all be able to carry on with Parliamentary business, with Question No 1. Mr Darryl David.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Decision for Government to Take Over Ownership and Management of Singapore Sports Hub","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"1 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth in light of the decision of the Government to take over the ownership and management of the Singapore Sports Hub, whether there are any concrete plans for key national community events like the National Day Parade to be held at the National Stadium as this would allow many more spectators to experience the Parade “live” than at its present site.
2 Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the learning points from the public-private partnership model adopted for the Singapore Sports Hub; and (b) what is the total amount spent by the Government in financing this development since its inception.
3 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the outstanding responsibilities to be discharged by SportsHub Pte Ltd (SHPL) before SportSG will make payment upon termination of the public-private partnership (PPP); (b) what is the amount of the final payment and the basis of its calculation; and (c) what are the reasons for the Government’s decision for SportSG to take over earlier instead of the original PPP end-date in 2035.
4 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are some examples of contractual limitations in the public-private partnership (PPP) with SportsHub Pte Ltd that prompted the Government’s decision to terminate the PPP; and (b) what are the types of events and activities that SportSG envisions to advocate for the benefit of the community once these limitations are removed upon its takeover of ownership and management of the Singapore Sports Hub on 9 December 2022.
5 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what is SportSG’s vision and long-term plans to maximise the potential of the Singapore Sports Hub upon its take over on 9 December 2022; and (b) what is the model that SportSG intends to adopt for the operational aspects of the Singapore Sports Hub upon termination of the public-private partnership.
6 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether the decision to terminate the public-private partnership with SportsHub Pte Ltd was due to their persistent failure to perform up to standard; and (b) what are Sport Singapore’s plans to improve the performance of the Singapore Sports Hub, particularly in driving sporting, social and community outcomes.
7 Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether SportSG has the right expertise and capabilities to manage and operate the Singapore Sports Hub after taking over from SportsHub Pte Ltd; and (b) whether SportSG intends to continue working with the private sector in the management and operation of the Singapore Sports Hub.
8 Mr Xie Yao Quan asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth what are the financial and strategic reasons which led to the Government’s decision to terminate the public-private partnership on the Singapore Sports Hub.
9 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether there was an opportunity in 2008 to review the decision to develop the Sports Hub by a public-private partnership and, if so, why was the decision made to proceed with the public-private partnership (PPP); (b) what are the respective roles of SportSG and Sports Hub Pte Ltd (SHPL) in the PPP; and (c) whether any shortcomings by different parties in the PPP have been identified.
10 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the factors which SportSG considered in deciding to terminate the public-private partnership agreement with Sports Hub Private Limited; (b) what is the expected cost to the Government to take over the management of the Sports Hub including the compensation payable; (c) how does the Government balance the costs payable versus the benefits to the sporting community; and (d) how does this consideration differ from the situation in 2008 when the tender was awarded.
11 Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the long-term plans for the Singapore Sports Hub under SportSG; (b) what are the steps taken by SportSG to ensure that it has the capabilities to operate and run a world-class venue; and (c) to what extent will the public have access to the Singapore Sports Hub.
12 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth how will SportSG use the takeover of the Singapore Sports Hub as an opportunity to develop sports excellence at the junior level, notwithstanding the comparatively low commercial value of junior sports, to grow a broader pipeline of future high-performance athletes and sports champions.
13 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what have been the key performance indicators for the Singapore Sports Hub that are tracked by the Government in assessing the performance and viability of the public-private partnership (PPP) since its inception and to what extent have these been met; (b) what has triggered the termination of the PPP in 2022; (c) what is the agreed cost of the termination to be paid to Sports Hub Pte Ltd; and (d) what are the main causes of the PPP not working out.
14 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) how will the plans for SportSG differ from the past to ensure better utilisation of the Singapore Sports Hub; and (b) what considerations must be in place to balance an effective usage of the facility for world-class sporting events versus community use.
15 Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth in view of SportSG taking full ownership and management of the Singapore Sports Hub from December 2022 (a) how will the upcoming Kallang Alive facilities such as the Football Hub, Kallang Tennis Centre, Youth Hub and Velodrome be funded for development and running costs; and (b) how can these facilities in the Kallang sporting and entertainment hub hosting world-class sporting events, be made accessible and affordable to both Singaporean athletes and spectators.
16 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the objectives and performance criteria set for SportSG when it takes over ownership and management of the Singapore Sports Hub in December 2022; (b) whether SportSG has the expertise to manage the Singapore Sports Hub; and (c) what is the estimated additional taxpayer revenue needed annually for the Singapore Sports Hub after SportSG takes over.
17 Mr Raj Joshua Thomas asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth what is the financial cost to the Government arising from the termination of the public-private partnership agreement over the ownership and management of the Singapore Sports Hub.
18 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether there have been or will be any review done to look into the issues surrounding the termination of the Singapore Sports Hub public-private partnership, including (i) the financial impact and implications that relate and led to the termination and (ii) other reasons why the partnership has to be terminated.
19 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth in view of the termination of the project agreement with Sports Hub Pte Ltd and the Government taking full ownership and management of the Sports Hub (a) what are the reasons for the failure of this public-private partnership (PPP); (b) what lessons have been learnt; and (c) what guidelines will be put in place to ensure the goals of the stakeholders in future PPP contracts are aligned.
20 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth in view of the Government taking full ownership and management of the Sports Hub (a) what is the expected annual cost of running the Sports Hub; and (b) what are the criteria for success for the Sports Hub when SportSG takes over.
\tThe Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth (Mr Alvin Tan) (for the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, may I have your permission to have to have Question Nos 1 to 20 taken as part of the Ministerial Statement to be delivered by the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Mr Edwin Tong at tomorrow’s Sitting, or at a Sitting in August 2022 if he is still COVID-positive tomorrow.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Singapore's Economic Outlook Given Rising Inflation and Government's Plans to Assist Businesses and Singaporeans","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"21 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the Ministry’s assessment of the likelihood of a recession in Singapore within the next year; and (b) in the event of a recession, how is the Government prepared to assist businesses and Singaporeans.
22 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Government forecasts stagflation occurring in Singapore in the next few years; and (b) if so, what are the measures considered to deal with stagflation and its impact on businesses and livelihoods in Singapore.
23 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how has inflation affected consumer demand and business sentiments; and (b) in what ways will Singapore's economic performance be affected by global and domestic inflation.
The Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Mr Alvin Tan) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Deputy Speaker, may I have your permission to take oral Questions Nos 21 and 22 by Miss Cheng Li Hui, oral Question No 23 by Mr Desmond Choo, as well as written Question Nos 17 and 18 in today’s Order Paper by Mr Shawn Huang and Mr Desmond Choo respectively, together.
\t
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Please do.
Mr Alvin Tan: The global economic environment has become increasingly challenging. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is now entering its fifth month, while economies such as China continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. Protracted global supply disruptions, due in large part to the conflict and the pandemic, have fuelled inflationary pressures globally, especially through their impact on energy and food commodity prices.
As a small, open economy, Singapore cannot be insulated from these external developments. In particular, we have seen a significant rise in inflation. MAS Core Inflation picked up to 3.6% year-on-year in May, from 3.3% in April and 2.5% in the first quarter of the year. CPI-All Items inflation, which includes private transport and accommodation costs, rose to 5.6% year-on-year in May, from 5.4% in April and 4.6% in the first quarter.
Inflation is likely to pick up further in the coming months but should start to moderate towards the end of the year if external inflationary pressures recede. For the year as a whole, MAS Core Inflation is expected to average 2.5% to 3.5%, while CPI-All Items inflation is projected to average 4.5% to 5.5%.
Mr Desmond Choo asked whether inflation has affected consumer demand and businesses in Singapore. Notwithstanding rising inflation, economic activity in Singapore has remained resilient thus far. In the first quarter of 2022, Singapore’s GDP grew by 3.7% on a year-on-year basis. Non-oil domestic exports and industrial production remained healthy in April and May, rising by 9.3% and 10% year-on-year respectively over this period. Similarly, retail and food and beverage sales volumes increased by 8.4% and 6.9% year-on-year respectively in April, reflecting a continued recovery from the pandemic.
For the rest of the year, the recovery in international travel and domestic demand with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions will help to mitigate some of the weaker external demand.
Miss Cheng Li Hui and Mr Shawn Huang asked whether Singapore is likely to see a recession or stagflation within the year or the next few years. Overall, MTI expects the Singapore economy to expand by 3% to 5% in 2022, with growth likely to come in at the lower half of the forecast range. We expect growth to moderate further next year. At this stage, we do not see or expect a recession or stagflation in 2023. Nonetheless, risks in the global economy remain significant. These include further escalations in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, more severe global supply-side disruptions, risks to financial market stability if monetary policy tightening in advanced economies is faster than expected, and the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Desmond Choo also asked how rising global interest rates will affect lending and mortgage rates in Singapore. To tame rising inflation, the central banks of many economies have started to raise interest rates. With higher global interest rates, Singapore’s domestic interbank interest rates have also risen in tandem, although the extent of the increase has been moderated by the strengthening of the Singapore dollar. The increase in domestic interbank interest rates has in turn led to a rise in lending and mortgage rates in Singapore. As global interest rates could increase further, businesses and households should bear in mind the rising cost of borrowing when making borrowing decisions.
The Government understands businesses and Singaporeans’ concerns. The Government plans to address the challenging environment in three ways. First, we will maintain a stable macroeconomic environment so that businesses can make investment and operational decisions with confidence. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has tightened monetary policy three times since October last year. The appreciation of the Singapore dollar will help to temper imported inflation. Second, the $1.5 billion support package announced on 21 June will provide immediate and targeted relief to lower income and vulnerable Singaporeans, who are disproportionately affected by higher prices. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance will be elaborating on the support measures later. Finally, MTI will continue to attract investments and foster new growth engines. Strong job creation and wage growth are the best ways to combat inflation.
To sum up, our economy is facing significant headwinds, including a global economic slowdown and strong external inflationary pressures. However, I am confident that by working closely with businesses and Singaporeans, we will be able to weather the storm, as we did with the COVID-19 pandemic.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Liang Eng Hwa.
\tMr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. My question to Minister of State is, since the decisive move towards living with COVID-19 earlier this year, we have actually seen a hive of economic activities picking up, possibly due to the pent-up demand the catch-up growth but also the new investment activity, perhaps due to our hub status and so on.
I have been hearing businesses lamenting about the shortage of labour, the intense poaching of manpower, the turnovers are very high, we are seeing that traffic is getting jammed up with more commercial vehicles on the roads, ERP has made a comeback, the construction sector is also back to full swing. My question to the Minister of State may be quite contrarian to the question being filed by my colleagues in the House.
Firstly, is our economy on over-drive mode at the moment, notwithstanding the backdrop of rising global interest rates at this point in time? Secondly, is this sustainable and is this healthy growth for us? Do we need to better curate this growth so as to avoid this intensed poaching or pricing up of resources, and also the undesirable effect of crowding?
\tMr Alvin Tan: Sir, I thank the Member for his questions. First, I would say that our economy is operating slightly above potential. I think in the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been urging for and doing all our best to help our businesses recover. I would also say that we should grow if we can grow because strong growth will enable us to create jobs, good wages, make our economy more vibrant, attractive to foreign investment; it also helps us in many ways to address some of the inflationary pressures that I mentioned earlier on.
But, granted, we also have to manage inflation, upskill our workers, prepare our businesses for the long run.
To the specific points that the Member raised, if you take into account this expected recovery and the resilient performance of some of the outward-oriented sectors, such as our electronics cluster, MTI's assessment is that GDP growth is on track to come in within the official forecast range mentioned earlier of between 3% and 5%, notwithstanding external shocks or growing headwinds in the economy.
This growth forecast actually represents above-trend growth because in the five years prior to the pandemic, GDP growth averaged about 3.2% per annum. This growth forecast, as I had mentioned, represents above-trend growth but along with it, also the economy's output gap, which is actual output minus potential output, and it is estimated to turn mildly positive this year.
He talked a bit about labour market conditions. We all know that labour market conditions are tight. We expect them to remain tight but a significant overheating of the labour market is unlikely. Following the significant easing of border measures since end-March, the in-flow of non-resident workers should help to alleviate manpower shortages and also moderate labour cost pressures in the coming months.
If we were to assume stabilisation in global commodity prices and the unwinding of global supply chain constraints, both MTI and MAS expect inflation to moderate towards the end of the year, as I had mentioned earlier on, even as it remains higher than the historical average.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
\tAssoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Thank you, Deputy Speaker. And thank you to the Minister of State. I have a clarification question. In his speech, the Minister of State mentioned that he expects the rate of inflation to moderate by the end of the year, the headline inflation to go from 4.5% to 5.5%, to something on the lower end of that range. I wonder whether he would be willing to share either MTI or MAS' forecast for what it would be not just this year but into 2023. And related to that, whether there will be plans for addressing cost of living challenges beyond the $1.5 billion package announced a few weeks ago, were inflation to exceed what would be expected.
I ask this in part because MAS has itself suggested that as much as a third of inflation is actually domestic in origin and no longer just international.
\tMr Alvin Tan: I thank the Member for this supplementary question. Inflationary pressures, as we all know, are subject to external environment. Currently, the external cost pressures – I mentioned the Russia-Ukraine conflict as well as supply chain global disruptions – will impact projections. But at this point, MAS and MTI expect inflation to moderate towards the end of the year, baring any significant shocks.
With regard to the support for businesses as well as households in addition to the $1.5 billion package that we announced, we have also previously announced over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic support for businesses, support for households, and in the medium to longer term, to help businesses and workers to upskill, to help businesses to prepare for the global economy – the changes, the swifts to supply chain, the shifts towards the digital economy, as well as the shifts towards the sustainable economy.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Mr Lawrence Wong will go into some of these details later in his reply to the Parliamentary Questions, talking about the many different physical measures that we have out in place to support businesses, as well as Singaporeans.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Desmond Choo.
\tMr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I have two supplementary questions. One, as inflation has stayed elevated for some time, we must expect consumers to make adjustments to consumption patterns, can we ask Minister of State Alvin Tan: has inflation caused demand destruction in certain categories of consumption? And as the consumer expected short- to medium-term inflation continues to stay elevated, there is a potential adverse impact on business and investment activities. Does the Ministry believe that our GDP growth might, therefore, be affected going ahead?
\tMr Alvin Tan: I thank the hon Member for his supplementary questions. Higher prices will lead to some adjustments in consumer behaviour, as consumers substitute between products, as well as services. Thus far, the higher inflation readings in recent months have not led to any significant cut-backs, at least in household consumption.
The latest private consumption, retail sales and F&B sales indices point to firm consumption spending. In fact, spending on food services, as well as wearing apparel and foot ware have seen a discernible step-up, relative to Q12022, in the month of April, following the removal of mobility restrictions.
I also wanted to highlight an example. A consumer-facing company in Singapore that has done well so far this year after restrictions have been removed is Dian Xiao Er. They shared that the dining crowd has returned and sales have recovered to pre-COVID-19 levels. Dian Xiao Er is expecting its revenue to increase by 40% from FY2021 to FY2023, based on this recent performances.
On the Member's second supplementary question, I would say that, in the near term at least, external inflationary pressures are expected to remain strong, as factors driving up global inflation, such as elevated energy prices, are likely to persist for some time. Domestically, I mentioned earlier that the labour market is still tight. It will remain tight in the near term and will lead up to continued upward pressures on labour costs. But with the relaxation of the border measures in March and inflows of non-resident workers, I think, that should also help alleviate some of these pressures.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance will also share, as I mentioned earlier, some of the different fiscal measures that have been put in place to support businesses and households during this time.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of Rising Inflation on Planned GST Increase and Related Financial Offset Measures","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"24 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance with the current sharp downturn in the global financial markets given soaring inflation, falling US consumer confidence and higher interest rates affecting Singapore, whether the Government will consider (i) postponing the impending GST hike in 2023 and (ii) introducing additional subsidies to help households and affected businesses that are struggling with rising inflation.
25 Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance with regard to the global supply chain disruptions and countries imposing export restrictions, causing the prices of food to increase continually and putting further pressure on the cost of living for consumers (a) whether the Government will provide further relief for consumers facing eroding spending power, especially basic food necessities; and (b) what measures will be taken to manage the heightened inflationary risks.
26 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what tracking indicators have been used to determine the latest $1.5 billion support package to help Singaporeans cope with inflation; and (b) whether the Government will consider temporarily enhancing the GST offset package for the lower- and middle-income groups if inflationary pressures continue unabated with the impending GST hikes.
27 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what are the key considerations in the sizing and distribution of the latest $1.5 billion support package; (b) whether the various cost pressures faced by different segments of Singaporeans can be further mitigated; and (c) whether the Government will have the fiscal space to introduce further assistance measures in this financial year.
28 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the $1.5 billion support package announced recently and the Assurance Package will continue to offset the five to 10 years of additional GST expenses for Singaporean households; (b) what are the quantitative or qualitative thresholds that will trigger another support package; (c) whether there are any updates on non-fiscal and exchange rate policy measures to address rising prices driven by supply side factors; and (d) what are the risks of a wage-price spiral emerging in Singapore over the next year.
29 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance what are the considerations in determining the size, scope and duration of the support measures in the $1.5 billion support package, including the assumptions on inflation beyond September 2022.
30 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Government expects inflationary pressures to abate and, if so, when; and (b) how does the Government intend to mitigate the risk of stagflation in the event that \"higher-for-longer\" inflation persists.
31 Mr Alex Yam asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what lessons can be drawn from the results of the recent survey conducted by Blackbox Research which indicate that cost of living and inflation issues raised in 59% of polled respondents are the two biggest threats Singapore is facing today; and (b) whether the Ministry has avenues of recourse for citizens faced with the challenge of rising costs amidst unprecedented global disruptions.
\tThe Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (Mr Lawrence Wong): Mr Deputy Speaker, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 24 to 31 together as these questions pertain to the holistic set of Government support amidst inflationary pressures?
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Please do.
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Sir, my response today will also cover similar Parliamentary Questions filed by several Members for subsequent Sittings. And if Members are satisfied with the response, they may wish to withdraw their questions after this session.
First, let me, in my capacity as Deputy Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), explain how monetary policy helps to mitigate imported inflation and manage heightened inflationary risk. MAS aims to keep inflation low over the medium term, through its exchange rate centered monetary policy. When inflationary pressures build up, MAS allows the trade-weighted exchange rate to appreciate faster, thereby, helping to directly reduce imported inflation.
As Minister of State Alvin Tan said just now, MAS has been pre-emptive in tightening monetary policy, in response to rising inflationary pressures. MAS has raised the appreciation path of the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate (S$NEER) policy band three times in the past nine months – in October last year, in January and in April this year.
In April, MAS also re-centered the mid-point of the exchange rate policy band upwards. The stronger exchange rate has helped dampen imported inflationary pressures, for example, while global food prices increased by 20.3% year-on-year in the first quarter this year, non-cooked food prices in Singapore rose by a more modest 3%. So, global prices increased by 20.3%, but in Singapore, by 3%.
And more recently, over April and May, while global food commodity prices increased by an average of 21.7% year-on-year, domestic food prices increased by an average of 4.5% year-on-year. Meanwhile, energy-related components in Singapore's Consumer Price Index, which includes the cost of electricity, gas and petrol, increased by 13.6% from January to May, even as global energy prices went up by a more significant 27.5%.
So, these examples illustrate how our monetary policy has helped to mitigate inflationary pressures in Singapore. The effects of MAS' successive monetary policy tightening moves are still working their way through the economy and will continue to moderate some of the externally-induced price increases.
We are also closely monitoring the labour market situation. For now, we assess that the risk of a wage-price spiral remains contained. We have relaxed our border restrictions and the continued inflow of foreign workers should help to ease labour market tightness and moderate labour cost pressures.
Next, let me touch on fiscal measures. Our approach is to provide short-term relief and to support longer-term economic restructuring. And that means our fiscal support must continue to ensure the right incentives for businesses to build their capabilities and become more energy efficient and productive. We had anticipated the higher prices earlier this year and, therefore, had rolled out more support for Singaporeans in Budget 2022. This included the Household Support Package (HSP) for Singaporean families, as well as the Small Business Recovery Grant (SBRG) for SMEs affected by COVID-19 restrictions.
In my April Ministerial Statement, I brought forward the implementation of some of these Budget measures, including the CDC vouchers to May and the SBRG to June. Last month, I announced a $1.5 billion support package, in response to the more challenging global inflation environment in recent months, especially the sharp increases in energy and food prices. In formulating this latest support package, we have taken into consideration the latest economic and inflation outlook.
For now, as Minister of State Alvin Tan had said just now, we expect prices to pick up further in the coming months before they stabilise towards the end of the year, in line with the likely trajectory of global prices. At the same time, we continue to expect healthy growth across many sectors of the economy this year. The labour market is very tight and our overall unemployment rate is lower than pre-COVID-19 levels. On the whole, the economy is operating at slightly above potential.
Under such circumstances, we had to consider carefully the size of any additional support measures by the Government, because excessive fiscal injections at this juncture can exacerbate inflationary pressures and easily become counter-productive. And that is why we had designed a package to provide more targeted relief for the lower-income and vulnerable groups, who are disproportionately impacted by the effects of higher prices.
When you combine the additional measures in the latest package with the previously announced Budget measures, we are, in fact, providing comprehensive support for households and businesses throughout the year. For example, after putting together all the measures, about 1.5 million lower- to middle-income Singaporeans, including retirees, will receive a GST Voucher – Cash and Special Payment of up to $700 in August this year.
All Singaporean households received $100 in CDC vouchers in May and will receive another two tranches of $200 each in CDC vouchers over the next two years. Households living in 4-room HDB flats will receive a total of about five months' worth of rebates on their utility bills for the whole of Financial Year of 2022, while those in 3-room flats will receive about seven months' worth of rebates.
More importantly, I hope everyone understands that the challenges before us are not just about coping with higher prices. We must also adjust to major structural changes in our operating environment, including the threat of climate change, as well as greater geopolitical contestation between the major powers, all of which means that we are entering a more bifurcated, unpredictable and dangerous world.
We will, therefore, have to accelerate our efforts to restructure and transform ourselves for this new environment. In particular, we must decarbonise our economy, learn to manage with fewer manpower resources as our population ages and strive for more inclusive growth in the years ahead.
When designed well, the short-term relief we provide can also help us manage these structural issues. For example, as part of the $1.5 billion support package, I had enhanced the Government's co-funding share for this year under the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS). This means that the Government will pay up to 75% of the wage increase of our lower-wage workers this year. And in this way, we are able to secure real wage growth for lower-wage workers, while cushioning the cost impact for businesses.
Crucially, we must always ensure that we have sufficient resources to tackle our longer-term challenges and do so in a fiscally responsible and sustainable manner. And this is why the Government will need to go ahead with the GST increase as announced at Budget 2022. We had already anticipated the higher inflation outlook earlier this year and that is why, instead of a two-percentage point increase this year, I had decided to delay and stagger the GST increase over two steps – by one-percentage point from January 2023, and another one-percentage point from January 2024.
We should not push back the GST increase any further, as we will need the funds urgently to take better care of our growing number of seniors and to meet our rising healthcare expenditures. That said, we have already set aside the $6.6 billion Assurance Package to cushion all Singaporean households from the impact of the GST increase. As I had shared in the Budget, the majority of Singaporean households will not feel the impact of the GST increase for at least five years. And for lower-income households, the impact of the GST increase is delayed by about 10 years.
Let me be clear, taking into account the latest inflation and the latest higher prices, this assurance still holds today. This is because we had designed the package with a buffer, precisely in case of higher inflation. We will continue to assess the adequacy of the Assurance Package as the inflationary outlook evolves. If need be, we will further enhance the Assurance Package to uphold our commitment.
The Assurance Package and the $1.5 billion package are two examples of how we are monitoring the global and domestic developments carefully and ensuring our support measures, whether already announced or new ones, are adequate and fit for purpose. You have my word that if the situation worsens significantly, we will be prepared to do more, especially to provide targeted help for the lower-income groups, and we will continue to do so while living within our means and upholding prudence and responsibility in fiscal management.
Sir, we must brace ourselves for a bumpy road ahead of us. We are confronting multiple crises. Governments and citizens around the world are facing the same problems of rising food and energy prices or uncertainties navigating economic challenges.
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In Singapore, we have used a combination of monetary, fiscal and other policies to cushion our people from the extremes of global inflation, target help to those who need it most and help businesses adjust to higher prices, not just for today but for the medium term. With careful fiscal planning, we are able to mount further support, if the situation warrants it.
By continuing with sound policies and earning our people's trust, we will turn challenges into opportunities. We will take care of those with less and support the vulnerable, while keeping our eye on the medium and longer term. This is how we will get through this together and come out stronger as one Singapore.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Ms Foo Mee Har.
\tMs Foo Mee Har (West Coast): Thank you, Deputy Speaker. It is assuring to hear that inflation is expected to moderate towards the end of the year. But nevertheless, I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, what were inflation related assumptions used to develop the $6.6 billion Assurance Package that was announced and whether the Government is still committed to deliver the promise to our people that the 10-year cost increase cushion for lower-income households and the five-year cost increase cushion for middle-income households on a higher cost base that we are seeing now? When it was announced, there were some buffer, but can you still assure that the $6.6 billion is still sufficient?
The second question is, we have seen countries around the world announce minimum wage adjustments. Recent announcement on this includes Los Angeles, Australia and Turkey, in an effort to provide support to households on soaring inflation. I would like to ask if the Government will consider working with the tripartite partners to accelerate the wage increases planned under the Progressive Wage model for low-wage workers?
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Mr Deputy Speaker, on the first question, the answer is absolutely yes. First, as I have said in my reply, we have done an update based on the latest inflation outlook. We are still able to assure today that our commitment holds, that the majority of Singaporean households will not feel the impact of the GST increase for five years and for the lower-income households, it will be 10 years.
Of course, we recognise that the situation is highly fluid. Inflation can be much higher than we had expected and for longer durations too. So, we will continue to review the situation, and as I mentioned in my reply, if the need arises, we will enhance the Assurance Package to uphold our commitments. So, let there be no doubt about this.
On the second point, we will certainly work closely with the tripartite partners to speed up the implementation of our Progressive Wage Model. We are doing our best on this front. The Government will do its part too, which is why in this latest support package, I had enhanced the Government co-funding share of the wage increase for lower-wage workers, so that we can encourage more businesses to implement the wage increases faster and the Government will bear a larger share of the increase to cushion the impact on business costs.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Yip Hon Weng.
\tMr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Finance for his reply. I have two supplementary questions. First, can the Deputy Prime Minister share what are the consequences of further delaying the GST hike of 1% which is scheduled to take place by January 2023? Specifically, MOF has previously shared that the GST increase will go towards supporting healthcare expenditure and to take care of seniors as well as other areas of social spending. As such, which specific areas of healthcare and social spending will be affected if the GST increase does not take place by January 2023?
Second, the global economic outlook since January, has taken a nose-dive. Is the Government adaptable enough to consider what the approach to take, including reconsidering the GST increase, should there be a global recession in the coming months?
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Sir, in my Budget speech this year, I had highlighted that the Government expects government spending to increase largely because of our rapidly ageing population, with a large part of the increase driven by healthcare expenditures. Today, the Government is spending about 18% of GDP. By 2030, we expect this to rise to 20% of GDP, or maybe even more.
And that is why I had also announced in the Budget, not just the GST, but a whole range of tax increases in order to ensure that we are fiscally sustainable in the medium term. So, the short answer to the question, what will happen if we do not have this GST increase, is simple. We will be at risk of a persistent structural funding gap, which will continue to widen year by year. And I do not think anyone wants this to happen in Singapore. It will be highly irresponsible for us to embark on this path.
So, I hope all Members understand why we need to ensure a sound and sustainable fiscal position for Singapore in the medium term and the GST increase is part of this package of moves that we have to put in place to ensure that Singapore is in a strong position for the medium term.
In the near term, there are cost increases, higher prices, lots of concerns and anxieties and we will do our best to deal with them. But we cannot keep neglecting the medium- and longer-term challenges either.
On the second question, we fully recognise that the situation is fluid. For now, we do not expect a recession or a stagflation scenario next year, but things are unpredictable, volatile, there can be new shocks. So, we will continue to monitor the global and domestic environment very closely and if the need arises, the Government will adjust its approach and measures accordingly.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Pritam Singh.
\tMr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Sir, I have two questions for the Minister for Finance. First, an article in The Business Times in May this year, citing Singapore's Department of Statistics data, confirmed that the Government's tax collections for fiscal year 2021 was $74.76 billion, a 10.5%-increase compared to the pre-COVID-19 fiscal year 2019, of about $67 billion.
The same article notes that stamp duty collection was 61% higher over the same period, hitting $6.7 billion for fiscal year 2021, ending March this year.
In light of this information, can I understand what is the Minister's assessment of the Government's current fiscal position and how much fiscal room it has to introduce more cost of living support measures for the lower- and middle-income end of Singapore, particularly families and small businesses?
Secondly and connected to the first question, in light of elevated fuel prices, has the Government considered the prospect of a more acutely targeted and temporary road tax rebate, similar to that introduced in 2015 and 2021, to assist Singaporean households, that for various reasons, need a vehicle for family use and due to historically high COE prices, as an example, cannot make the green transition to less pollutive electric vehicles (EVs) at this point in time.
I understand the previous policy explanation for road tax rebate was to offset the Government's decision to raise fuel taxes. However, in view of high pump prices today, would the Government consider some targeted financial relief for those who drive cars and motorcycles below a certain engine capacity and whose assessable income is below the median salary range, for example, because of inflation today?
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Sir, we had indeed enjoyed some fiscal upsides in our projections. On the revenue side, these are largely once-off upsides due to higher-than-expected collections with regard to property and vehicle transactions. These are sentiment-based transactions. We can in no way count on them to happen year after year and certainly, we cannot rely on them to fund our longer-term recurrent and structural spending increases.
But we did enjoy this upside this year and on the expenditure side, it so turned out, fortunately, for us that Omicron was milder than we had expected and so we had some savings on the spending side. And that was exactly why – because of both the revenue and expenditure savings – we were able to mount this recent $1.5 billion package within our current budget, within our current means. So, we are fortunate in that regard but let us not count on these one-off instances to fund our longer-term structural spending increases.
On the second point, we had designed the $1.5 billion package precisely to help lower-income households, families, workers, as well as the more vulnerable groups. And we were very mindful that there are people who rely heavily on their vehicles for a livelihood, which is why we provided specific help for them, targeted help through the NTUC U FSE Relief Fund, as well as for taxi drivers and private hire car drivers.
So, that will be our approach, the general approach we take, as I have explained before. It will be very hard for the Government to shield businesses, workers directly from these cost increases which are externally induced. But what we will try very hard to do is to provide short-term relief and in the process of providing that relief, we will also want to encourage businesses, families, individuals, wherever possible, to become more energy efficient, for businesses to become more productive, so that even as we navigate through the immediate crisis, we will emerge stronger, greener and more productive and therefore better prepared for the challenges before us in a new environment.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
\tMr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I would like to thank the Deputy Prime Minister for his answer. I have two supplementary questions. First, in regard to my Parliamentary Question (PQ). I am mindful there are multiple factors or reasons to move in regard to future packages, but in my PQ, I actually asked whether there is a quantitative or qualitative threshold that will trigger another support package, and if the Deputy Prime Minister can share, maybe not one single threshold but a few, if there are any.
My second question is in regard to a resident who came to me. He is a poultry seller. The Deputy Prime Minister mentioned that we are in a more complex, bifurcated world with climate change and processes will change. The poultry seller's example for the question I am asking is, whether there could be targeted, specific help for specific sectors or merchants affected? In this example, a poultry seller, a merchant affected by supply-side changes. With future food protectionism moves and in a bifurcated world, can there be that targeted help for specific merchants that will be affected; in this case, poultry, but in the future, there could be other types of food being affected?
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Mr Deputy Speaker, on the first question, I understand the Member's question. It is going to be very hard to distill it into a set of indicators, where we say if these indicators and these thresholds are crossed, then, definitely, a new package would arise. But what I want to assure everyone is that we will monitor the situation very closely. We have already put out this additional package. The measures in this package, as well as the measures that were announced in the Budget will still be implemented in the months ahead, including the additional cash payout which I mentioned just now, up to $700 in August, the utilities rebates, CDC vouchers coming up soon. All of these are still going to be rolled out.
We will have to take it all in totality, looking at external developments: whether there are new shocks coming up, global prices as well as local prices, taking into account the state of our economy as well, before we size, if the need arises, any additional package.
As I had cautioned, too, given the state of our economy, that it is running above potential, if we were to give excessive fiscal injections, it may well end up being counterproductive and cause inflation to go up higher. So, we must always be mindful of this risk, recognising where the state of the economy is today and think very carefully about the need as well as the timing and scope and size of any future support, if the need arises.
So, that is something we are committed to doing. We are monitoring closely and responding swiftly, if and when necessary.
On hawkers who are impacted, particularly poultry sellers, MSE, NEA, SFA have been engaging them and helping some of them to adjust where possible to adapt to the situation, see if they can sell frozen chicken, for example, or see if there are other things they can continue selling in order to keep the business going. But for those who are truly impacted and are unable to adjust, we have existing help for them too – through ComCare, through the COVID-19 Recovery Grant – these existing mechanisms are in place. But, of course, the better way to help beyond these one time relief, is to make sure that they become more resilient over time and are able to adapt to future shocks. So, that is an ongoing process that we will continue to do, to build up the capabilities of our hawkers, of our SMEs, so that they themselves become more resilient and are able to cope with future disruptions.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: I suggest the last two supplementary questions on this topic. Mr Louis Chua and then Mr Edward Chia.
\tMr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I have one supplementary question for the Deputy Prime Minister. Would the Government be able to share with us the assessment of the increase in household expenditures as a result of the higher inflation expectations and what is the expected offset in household expenditures as a result of this $1.5 billion package? I ask that also because as recently as January, I think MAS had assessed that inflation is expected to come in at between 2.5% and 3.5%, and now it is two percentage points higher at 4.5% to 5.5%, so that is quite a significant increase in terms of the expected rates of inflation.
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Thank you. Mr Deputy Speaker, we can put out these detailed estimates separately. I do not have the figures with me right now. Obviously, with the higher-than- expected inflation, there will be an impact on households and that is precisely why we had put in place this package. But we have, as I mentioned in my reply, been very careful to target the measures more for the lower-income and vulnerable groups, because they are the ones who will bear the greater brunt of higher prices. That is a key objective that we had sought to uphold in designing the package and I hope Members understand this.
But we will continue to monitor the impact and where possible, we will put out more detailed figures to show the overall impact on household consumption and how the package that we have put in place can help households in the different income groups.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Edward Chia.
\tMr Edward Chia Bing Hui (Holland-Bukit Timah): Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister, with regard to the $1.5 billion targeted support measure, can he elaborate how it specifically helps two groups: families and caregivers who continue to face cost pressures as they look after aged and ill parents; and parents and caregivers with special needs children, who are likely to find providing care continually difficult to be sustained.
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the items in the package are clear. I think we do not have to go through and reiterate those items. But we are not only enhancing or providing an additional support package in the areas that we had announced because we had also recently updated, some of our structural schemes, structural programmes that are helping the groups that Mr Edward Chia talked about. For example, we have recently enhanced our Home Caregiving Grant. Or for that matter, we have been continuing to update our subsidies and help for healthcare. Even as fees go up, healthcare costs go up, we continue to review and update these subsidies and programmes, including for the Pioneer Generation, for the Merdeka Generation. Even more recently, we had updated some of our structural schemes for Workfare and for ComCare assistance too.
So, it is more than just what is in the package alone that is one off, providing targeted relief. We are also quite aware that there will be groups – the elderly, parents with special needs children – who will be finding it difficult to cope with higher prices. And for some of these groups, the way to go about helping them is not just a one-off relief, but to adjust our underlying funding for the various programmes to make sure that they keep pace with inflation and higher prices. This we will continue to do on a regular basis.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Ms Jessica Tan, next question, please.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of Export Curbs on Supply of Key Food Items to Singapore and on Singapore's \"30 by 30\" Food Production Goal","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"32 Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment with countries curbing the export of their produce (a) what measures are in place to ensure Singapore’s continued supply of key food items; (b) what further measures will be taken to prevent future disruptions to Singapore’s food supply; and (c) what support can be extended to businesses and consumers to help manage the impact and rising costs as a result of disruptions to food supply.
33 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry will consider setting some local production targets for poultry and poultry products under the “30 by 30” food production target of SFA to enhance the resilience of Singapore’s supply of poultry.
34 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what has been the impact on local businesses and consumers in relation to Malaysia's export ban on chicken; (b) how has the Ministry been engaging with the Malaysian government on the supply of poultry; and (c) how will the Ministry protect our local consumers from similar supply shocks involving other products.
35 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) between 2018 and 2021, what is the amount (in tonnes) of live and chilled poultry imported into Singapore from each country or territory; and (b) what are the constraints to expanding the number of approved countries for poultry imports.
36 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether there will be a review of the “30 by 30” target on self-sustainability in food production in view of the rising food security concerns; (b) whether there are plans to accelerate self-sustainability in food production; and (c) what is the long-term target on local food production and nutrition needs beyond the year 2030.
37 Mr Alex Yam asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Ministry has been informed in advance of the Malaysian authorities’ decision to stop cross-border supply of fresh chickens; and (b) how has this month-long suspension affected local businesses thus far.
\tThe Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, may I have your permission to answer Parliamentary Question Nos 32 to 37 together?
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Please do.
\tMs Grace Fu Hai Yien: My response will also address Parliamentary Questions filed by Mr Edward Chia1 and Mr Shawn Huang2 due for reading at subsequent Sittings, and I would like to invite the Members to ask any supplementary questions they may have.
Global food supply chains are highly interlinked. Disruptions to the production, export or transportation of agricultural inputs or food products in one country or region often have knock-on effects on other parts of the food supply chain. These can arise from many causes, including geopolitical tensions, extreme weather events, disruptions to logistics chains or policy decisions by foreign governments.
Some food producing countries have reacted by imposing exports bans or restrictions on food items. Indonesia's recent palm oil export ban, India's wheat and sugar export bans and Malaysia's chicken export ban, are recent examples.
Singapore imports more than 90% of our food. We cannot fully prevent such disruptions. However, we have adopted a multi-pronged approach to mitigate the impacts. Let me elaborate.
First, we work with the industry to build resilience in their supply networks. SFA supports the industry's diversification efforts by actively accrediting multiple overseas food sources. SFA also helps to accredit new source countries, regions and suppliers in order to give our importers more choices. Through import licensing, SFA requires egg importers to have a business continuity plan and have measures such as diversifying import sources, signing retainer contracts or holding a buffer stock. These measures help to mitigate the impact of disruptions from any single source. We currently import our food from over 170 countries and regions. We will continue our diversification efforts.
Specific to the chicken export ban, chicken from Malaysia accounts for 34% of our total chicken imports. This has dropped by three percentage points from 37% in 2018. While this accounts for 99% of our live and chilled chicken imports, at about 73,000 tonnes in 2021, we have the alternative of frozen chicken available. Frozen chicken provides us with greater food resilience as industrial freezing extends the shelf life of the meat. Under proper storage conditions, frozen meat can be kept for up to a year. It enlarges our pool of available choices to include suppliers from countries that are further away like Brazil and the United States.
In the recent chicken export ban, we saw industry partners such as SATS and trade associations such as the Meat Traders Association and the Poultry Merchants Association, increase imports of frozen chicken from the United States and Brazil, and chilled chicken from Thailand and Australia. SFA has also recently accredited Indonesia as a new source for the import of chicken.
Mr Gerald Giam asked if there were constraints to expanding the number of approved countries for poultry imports. Even as we diversify our food sources, food safety remains paramount. Only accredited sources that meet Singapore's food safety and animal health standards will be allowed to export to Singapore. This has not hindered our diversification efforts. Specifically for chicken, 25 countries are accredited.
Second, we intend to grow more food locally to serve as a buffer in times of supply disruption. We are building the capability and capacity of our agri-food industry to produce up to 30% of our nutritional needs locally and sustainably by 2030, up from less than 10% today.
Mr Louis Chua asked whether we have plans to accelerate \"30 by 30\". The 30 by 30 goal is already very ambitious. Singapore is a land scarce country. We only have about 1% of our land set aside for agri-food production, given other competing land uses. To achieve 30 by 30, we need a significant transformation of Singapore's agri-food sector. As part of this transformation, SFA has recently embarked on the holistic master planning of the 390-hectare Lim Chu Kang area. It will take time for these plans to be implemented.
Ms Joan Pereira and Mr Shawn Huang asked if we could have poultry production in Singapore. Given our land, labour, energy and water constraints, we prefer to concentrate on farming food items that can be produced in a resource efficient and commercially sustainable manner. For example, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reported that producing one kilogramme of chicken for meat would generate about three times that the CO2-equivalent emissions compared to some fish. We currently have about 260 local farms producing food items that are commonly consumed and have local demand, such as eggs, fish and vegetables.
To Mr Edward Chia's question on our crisis stockpile, the Government works closely with industry partners to maintain stockpiles of essential food items in order to mitigate the impact of any unforeseen disruptions to our food supply. These stockpiles will help to stabilise supplies during periods of acute disruption as imports from other sources are ramped up. As mentioned by Prime Minister Lee recently, the Government had begun to build up our stockpiles to a higher level at the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, as we were concerned with possible disruptions to our food supply,
I have described our food security strategies to mitigate the risks of unavailability of supply. However, we will not be able to eliminate all risks. To do so would be costly and uneconomical.
We will also not be able to isolate Singapore from the price fluctuations of food supply. As we have seen in recent months, even countries with sizeable food production capabilities face higher food prices because of higher prices of feedstocks, fertilisers and transportation costs.
Price control or subsidies for food, distorts business conditions and may not be financially sustainable. Instead, to address households' concerns over rising prices, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong recently announced the $1.5 billion support package which includes a GSTV – Cash Special Payment of up to $300 in August to support lower-income individuals.
All Singaporean households would also have received $100 CDC voucher in May to help with daily expenses and the Deputy Prime Minister has already addressed many Parliamentary Questions on this issue, so I do not intend to repeat his points here.
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Ms Jessica Tan asked about our support to businesses and consumers. During the ban, our businesses using chicken from Malaysia were able to have access to chicken from alternate sources. The majority of poultry market stalls and chicken rice hawker stalls have remained open. We have also linked up affected hawkers and market stallholders with the Meat Traders Association to switch to frozen or thawed frozen chicken. Our businesses have shown resilience by adapting and pivoting to alternatives, as they have done so with previous disruptions over the COVID-19 pandemic. If needed, we will extend assistance and relieve the burden on businesses and households, as we have done so in the past.
Mr Desmond Choo and Mr Alex Yam asked about our engagement with the Malaysian government on the chicken export ban. Although the news of the export prohibition broke on 23 May 2022, SFA was officially notified by the Malaysian Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) on 31 May 2022 of Malaysia's export prohibition of chicken to Singapore that was effective from 1 June 2022. SFA continues to keep in close contact with the Malaysian DVS.
Because of climate change, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and disruptions in supply chains globally, we expect more disruptions to our food supply ahead of us. While our multi-pronged strategy has worked well in mitigating the impact of such disruptions, we remain vigilant and nimble in the execution of our strategy when new conditions emerge. Businesses should similarly review their Business Continuity Plan and diversify their supplies. Households and individuals too, can contribute to our food resilience by accommodating changes and pivoting to other food types when one is not available. The critical success factor of our food security is the ability of Singaporeans – businesses, consumers, policy makers – together collectively, to adapt, adjust and remain resilient in the face of supply disruptions. Together, we can and we will face any challenges that may come our way.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Ms Joan Pereira.
\tMs Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I have one supplementary question for the Minister. Would the Ministry consider exploring the use of offshore islands such as Pulau Ubin for poultry or agricultural users with aspects of ecotourism, so as to enhance the resilience of Singapore's food supply.\t
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: In my course of engaging the public as well as stakeholders on our food resilience plan, suggestions like what Ms Pereira has offered, are often heard. There were suggestions about using rooftops for community farming, using space in front of our void decks and allowing Singaporeans to plan and grow their own food for food resilience. Also, there were suggestions for other types of farming, such as permaculture for soil rehabilitation, crop rotation, so that we can improve our ecosystem and eco-diversity.
Mr Deputy Speaker, these are all valid considerations. In many ways, they can contribute and add to our food resilience. But, as SFA, looks after food supply resilience, our priority must be to meet a significant proportion of our food supply needs, build up significant skillsets so that we have the production knowledge and capability onshore to support us in times of need. So, while we are developing our Lim Chu Kang masterplan, we will incorporate suggestions, such as, what Ms Pereira had offered. We invite other stakeholders to also come onboard to give us their suggestions.
But ultimately, the challenge ahead of us, Mr Deputy Speaker, is how we should increase our food production from the current figure of less than 10% to 30%, with less than 1% of our land almost at the same amount of land that we are using now. In many cases, we are looking at productivity to the multiple of 10 times of what we are doing now, in order to give us the bulk that we need. So, we also invite the public, the stakeholders, the businesses to join us in raising the productivity and production capabilities of our local agri-farm sector.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Ms Jessica Tan.
\tMs Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast): Mr Deputy Speaker, I have one supplementary question for the Minister. It is, as Minister said, very concerning that there is still risk even with our multi-pronged approach. So, maybe I will turn my question around. I think Minister has done quite a bit of engagements with both businesses and and Singaporeans. What is it that Singaporeans, individuals and businesses, what is it that we need to do more of to be able to support this strategy?
\tMs Grace Fu Hai Yien: Mr Deputy Speaker, I think like many Members in this Chamber, we have been most concerned about the well-being of our businesses, small and large – small ones in the wet markets, large ones like importers or slaughterhouses, and also, our residents, the consumers. I think many of us have made many rounds at our wet markets, our coffee shops to survey and to understand the situation. I would like to share some of my personal experiences.
We – myself and my colleagues from NEA and SFA – have been reviewing and surveying constantly and regularly, so as to allow us to understand what is happening on the ground. Which are the stores that remain open, what are they selling, how are they getting alternative sources? Which are the ones that have closed and for how long? So, that is why I think we speak with some confidence that actually, the majority, by and large, of the stores have remained open. And if they have closed, they closed for short while and when the news about the importation of kampong chicken and black chicken came, they reopened quickly again.
I would like to share some of my experience talking to the stallholders. A nasi lemak stallholder said that: \"I've learned to diversify, not just for chicken but for many of the major types of ingredients and to multiple suppliers, because during the COVID-19 period, we have seen how suppliers has not been able to cope\". So, he has learnt to diversify to multiple suppliers.
We have also a \"si yau gai\", a soy sauce chicken, seller in my area, who has basically replaced his fresh chicken with frozen chicken. We also have poultry stallholders who were selling chicken, fresh chicken and so on, converting to sell kampong chicken, black chicken and frozen chicken as well. And I have a quintessential Hainanese chicken stallholder, who shared with me that she has switched to frozen but could not get the same taste as before and so their business has been affected. And then, she showed me her very swollen fingers, saying, \"This is what I have to go through to try to thaw many frozen chicken in order to try to get to the same recipe and same taste as before\".
I am sharing this as our stallholders have actually shown great resilience. They have really tried to pivot. And even though they have not really recovered to pre-ban days, they are definitely trying. And I think that is the kind of spirit that we would like to see and encourage Singaporean businesses, stallholders to have. Sometimes, in the eagerness of helping them with financial assistance or other assistance, we must not undermine this resilience that we see. And we also must not reverse some of the good business practices, the business continuity plans that they have started or implemented. We should not unwind some of these things.
As a whole, I hope our businesses are able to diversify during peacetime, establish trade relations with more suppliers across different countries. Diversify, so that we know if there is a bout of avian flu, we will not be affected in the same way, and I look at a having good business continuity plan. Our businesses, small businesses, have shown resilience, adaptability and flexibility in different forms of meat and different ways of cooking – if you cannot do it in the boiled state, do it in the grilled way. I think this will make us a lot more resilient.
As for individuals like ourselves here, we can always look for different types of cooking, different menus, different sources. And if you are able to again adapt to it, if you cannot buy it this week, just do not eat this form of meat. If you cannot find chicken, let us go for other forms of proteins like eggs. There are very good alternatives around and if you show some hardiness, then, as a whole, the whole country, the whole of Singapore, will have much better resilience against food disruptions.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: May I suggest two more supplementary questions on this topic? Mr Gerald Giam and then Mr Alex Yam.
\tMr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, before 1 June 2022, almost all our live and chilled chicken imports were from Malaysia. May I ask why more regional countries had not been approved earlier, for live and chilled chicken imports before we faced this crisis, so as to ensure better food supply resilience. I note the Minister just said that food safety is paramount but that has not hindered our diversification efforts, so what has?
Secondly, as Malaysia's export restrictions are still in place, what is SFA doing to incentivise poultry importers to import chicken from alternative sources that are already approved so as to increase supply and lower the price of chicken in Singapore. For example, can import fees for live and chilled poultry from all approved suppliers be waived until Malaysia completely lifts its export restrictions on chicken?
\tMs Grace Fu Hai Yien: Thank you very much for these supplementary questions. On the first question, actually, we do have countries that have been accredited for importation and as I mentioned Malaysia has 99% of the live, chilled market. The rest comes from countries like Thailand and Australia.
So, is there any reason why we do not accredit other countries? There are reasons because, as I mentioned, food safety is definitely one consideration. From time to time, countries are affected by zoonotic diseases, such as avian flu. So, our food security surveillance or food security review system has to take these factors into consideration and we do get into sometimes, protracted discussions with the relevant authorities, about how they are doing safety compartmentalisation, so that affected areas are not affecting the supply from the non-affected area.
So, these are the reasons. I do not wish to go into further details here, but let me give you the assurance that we will support our businesses.
In the pre-COVID-19 days, we used to go together with our trade associations to open up new areas and I think that the supplies from South America is one of the outcomes. We go together, we decide on which are the areas that we want to focus our priorities on and we managed to establish the kind of trade links. So, we will do so.
As to why we are only getting from Malaysia, it is actually related to the first question. Although we have accredited many other countries, but because of proximity, because of historical reasons of having associations with businesses between Singapore and Malaysia, we are very closely linked, with a long history of doing business together. Malaysia continues to be an important source country for us.
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I do not believe that we have any significant import fees that will hinder the establishment of a new market but if the Member has specific questions or issues with import fees or costs, please let us know, we will be happy to look into it.
But the basic question is this. There will always be a cost competitive reason for importers to gravitate to the source market that is most competitive. Sometimes, it is because it is the nearest, sometimes it is because it has an established logistics chain that can allow the goods to arrive in the shortest time. Because of competition, they will be reluctant to try new areas that may increase the cost. They may be reluctant to try new products because it is not familiar to the consumers.
So, from time to time, we have to evaluate the need for licensing conditions. We have done so for eggs and we will think about whether it is necessary for chicken as well. The more conditions we impose on licenses, on business regulations, it will introduce rigidity, no doubt. But we may have to do it because it is a trade-off to encourage businesses or to require businesses to diversify. So, if we find that there is a strategic reason for us to do it, we will do so.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Alex Yam.
Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I have two supplementary questions for the Minister.
The first is a little bit shorter one. Have the Malaysian authorities given any indication to SFA when they will review or, perhaps, end the current ban on chicken export?
The second is related to our food security. In our previous food security roadmap – I think this is 2013, 2014 – stockpiling was considered one of the core strategies for food security. The last time the public was updated on our national stockpile was, I think, in March 2020, at the start of the pandemic and amidst panic buying. Minister Chan Chun Sing in his capacity then as Minister for Trade and Industry updated on the situation of our national stockpile. Could the Minister, therefore, update the House on our current stockpile situation, whether they remain robust and without jeopardising our negotiating position? Are we more resilient today, considering the two years of COVID-19 and the challenges brought about by the Ukraine conflict and global feedstock cost? So, whether our stockpile situation has stabilised?
\tMs Grace Fu Hai Yien: Mr Deputy Speaker, the answer to the first question about whether we heard anything from Malaysian authorities, the answer is no.
Second, about the update on food security roadmap, we work very closely with MTI, given the current situation and quite volatile conditions, many reasons, many factors to be concerned with. We will continue to work closely with MTI and we have done so, adjusting our stockpiling positions and stances. I would say that our businesses themselves have reacted very positively in also stockpiling for themselves. So, I think this is an area that we will continue to have the discussion within MSE, with MTI, on stockpiling and also with the downstream businesses on what they need or the amount of food that they need to stockpile.
If there is a more specific question about the strategy on stockpiling, maybe the Member would like to address the question to MTI.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment regarding the announcement by several countries to impose export restrictions on key food produce (a) what is the Ministry’s assessment of its impact on food prices in Singapore and our supply chain resilience, should such restriction broaden and last beyond three months; (b) what are the circumstances for considering the need to leverage on our crisis stockpile; and (c) what other strategic options, both externally and internally, are being considered to enhance our food supply portfolio.","2 : Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment with regard to Malaysia’s export ban of poultry (a) what has been the impact of the chicken supply disruption; and (b) what will be the long-term approach for the poultry supply in Singapore."],"footNoteQuestions":["32","33","34","35","36","37"],"questionNo":"32-37"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reasons for Not Disclosing Racial Composition of Prison Inmate Population and Criminal Offender Figures","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"The following question stood in the name of Mr Christopher de Souza –
38 To ask the Minister for Home Affairs what are the reasons for not publicly disclosing the figures on the racial composition of the prison inmate population and criminal offenders.
\t
\tMs Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast): Question No 38.
\tThe Minister for Home Affairs (Mr K Shanmugam): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Member for the question. In all these matters of public disclosure, for that matter, any other Government action, any decision by the Government has to be guided by what is in the public interest and that includes assessing what information should be made public.
And, really, we do not take an ideological position on these matters. So, in certain respects, releasing data can adversely impact the community and society and this particular question relates to one such example.
The fact is minorities are disproportionately represented in the prison inmate population and in crime statistics. The Government has been careful about publicly releasing such data with the racial breakdown, because it might deepen racial stereotypes. I say \"deepen\", specifically because it is not as if these stereotypes do not exist. They exist. Our concern is releasing the data would deepen those stereotypes.
So, if Government were to release data on racial composition of our prison inmate population and criminal offenders on a regular basis, we really risk hardening the stereotypes. Over time, the concern is that that will undermine our efforts in building harmonious relations amongst all the races and, really, will make it harder for us to achieve racial harmony.
This is not to say that the Government does not release any race-based statistics at all. We have done so in our population census, which includes key indicators broken down by ethnicity, like resident population, marriage and fertility, education, home ownership and religion. Through the M3 network, the initiative by Minister Masagos, we have also released specific statistics on the Malay community, like the number of Malay graduates from Institutes of Higher Learning, the number of Malay professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and the recidivism rate of the Malay inmate population. The Government also releases race-based statistics on drug and inhalant abuse through CNB’s annual reports.
Why do we, for example, release those statistics? We do so to effectively mobilise the communities into action. By working with the community, we are then able to come up with interventions that are better suited for different communities.
While I deal with this, I should also say that the Malay and Indian communities have seen improvements in terms of educational attainment and literacy rates over the last decade. The Malay community has made significant progress: the number of Malay university graduates has doubled and the proportion of Malays working as PMETs has also increased.
Going back to the point on releasing data on drug and inhalant abuse and whether this could lead to stereotyping, the answer is yes. But this is where judgement comes in. Our assessment is that in these cases, the upside of spurring the community to take action outweighs the negative of potentially deepening the stereotypes. We consider the implications on each community and proceed based on judgement and assessment.
Let me share some examples. The Dadah Itu Haram campaign and the Malay-Muslim Organisations (MMO) Rehabilitation Network are examples of how the Government was able to partner the Malay community to join hands with CNB and Singapore Prison Service (SPS) to combat drug abuse and prevent reoffending. We have seen positive results with our efforts.
In some other instances, the judgment lies in not releasing the data. The Government has on these considerations taken the approach not to release race-based statistics for prison inmate population and criminal offenders. Sir, with your permission, may I display some slides on the screens?
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Please do. [Slides were shown to hon Members.]
\tMr K Shanmugam: Annex 1 sets out the list of stakeholders we engaged with. We specifically went and asked the various community organisations on their views on releasing such information: race-based statistics on criminal offenders and inmate population. It is a very substantial list.
We consulted many different groups and community leaders, sought their views. The unanimous view – and I underline \"unanimous view\" – was that it would not benefit our community and Singapore’s society. And it would encourage stereotypes and harm community relations. Some of their comments I have asked to be reproduced for Members’ reference. Sir, Annex 2.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Yes, please.
\tMr K Shanmugam: Members can cast their eyes over the slide. It may be too simplistic to share these race-based statistics as the reality is more complex. Another commented, \"It is not good to publicise such statistics, no matter which community is involved.\" Members can see the different comments.
Overall, the community leaders were clear. They said you should not simply look at the racial breakdown. It would not take into account other contributing factors which could have led to a person committing a crime. It would also detract from the improvements made by the respective communities. And we take these views quite seriously. Overall, they agreed that the race-based inmate and crime statistics should continue to be shared in closed-door settings with community leaders and groups, so that we can address the issues as a community.
It is the Government's as well as the community leaders’ considered assessment that race-based inmate and offender statistics should not be released. We will continue our current approach of disclosing such information on a selective basis, where doing so would be useful and positive for the community and society. If any Member has a different view, having heard the views of the community leaders, you are welcome to explain why.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Mr Alex Yam.
Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): I thank the Minister for that explanation. I completely agree with the stance of MHA. Could the Minister share with the House how do specific communities work behind the scenes, perhaps in the prisons, to address some of these issues?
\tMr K Shanmugam: The Prisons, and MHA as a whole, mobilises large number of volunteers to work with our prison inmates. For Prisons, the tagline is \"Captains of Lives\" because we no longer look at prison as a place where we just guard people. We want to make a distinct difference to their lives such that when they come out, they can actually reintegrate back into society. That involves a number of different approaches: one, assess them when they come in into different risk categories, decide what kind of rehabilitative approach would be best suited for them and, of course, all of this applies only if they stay for some time in prisons; those in there for a few months may not benefit from these approaches.
Then, there are different programmes depending on whether they are in an early stage of incarceration, middle stage or late stage. It does not end there. We got to try and handhold them after they leave prison: we find them jobs, try and encourage them to keep their jobs and give other kinds of interventions. And those with family support, those who have other kinds of community support including religious support, we find that the recidivism rates are generally lower.
So, what is necessary also beyond prisons officers, MHA officers and civil servants doing it is a substantial community support when they are in prison and when they are out of prison. So, in prison, for example, if you take the different communities, on a non-religious based approach, we have a wide variety of volunteers. But, of course, many religious groups also come in and offer their services and we find that they actually make a big difference. And we mobilise them. We are generally quite careful about having people of one religion going into the Prisons and talk to persons of another religion, unless there is clear consent, because MHA needs to be careful about these issues.
And Members would have heard of the very substantial initiative in the Malay community where the mosques, MUIS, community organisations, Pergas, various organisations have come together, together with the Malay Members of Parliament and office holders to increase the number of volunteers. The number of volunteers has increased substantially. They go in there, there is intervention with religious education, there is intervention with social skills. So, that is one example.
The churches play an extremely active role in helping inmates, both when they are in and when they are out.
So, we have a lot of people who are, what I would call, true activists. They want to make a difference to people's lives.
\t
Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. End of Question Time. Clarification, Dr Koh Poh Koon.
[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix, unless Members had asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Clarification by Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Sustainability and the Environment","subTitle":"Seeking clarification on speech by Member","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Sustainability and the Environment (Dr Koh Poh Koon): Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to update this House on the clarification I sought from Ms He Ting Ru sometime back.
Sir, on 4 April 2002, I sought clarification from Ms He Ting Ru on an anecdote she shared in her speech during the debate on the Budget Statement on 28 February 2022, in which she said and I quote, \"After all, what does it say about us as a society that our senior residents come to us and tell us as a matter of course that they have requested for their medication dosages to be cut down because they cannot afford to pay for the full dosages that doctors have prescribed to them to treat their medical ailments?\"
She clarified on the same day after checking her records that a resident sought her assistance at her Meet-the-People Session to appeal for an increase in his MediSave claimable limits because he was, I quote, \"prescribed various medications for these chronic conditions, which despite the various subsidies and claims of MediSave available to him, he was unable to avoid paying in full as there remained a residual cash payment that he was required to make.\"
I asked Ms He to forward the details of this resident to me so that I could check and ensure that the necessary support and assistance were rendered to him.
On 5 April 2022, the day after the clarification in Parliament, Ms He sent me a copy of the Meet-the-People Session letter dated 24 February 2022 which she sent to CPF Board, requesting for the MediSave claimable limit to be raised by a further $500 a year. It must be noted that Ms He submitted the appeal to CPF Board on 24 February 2022 but she made her speech in Parliament on 28 February 2022, just two working days later before the CPF Board had a chance to consider the appeal and furnish a reply.
She said in her speech on 28 February 2022 and I quote, \"While these systems are in place to prevent abuse – and quite rightly so – we must also ask ourselves and continue to ask ourselves important questions: who we are as a people and what values do we stand for?\"
This seems to suggest that the system has failed the patient and left him to struggle, such that he even asked for a reduction of the dosages of medication – something that would not be in line with what doctors professionally would do.
Having checked the facts with MOH colleagues, I felt that I should update this House to close the matter. For medical confidentiality reasons, I will use the initials of this patient and refer to this resident as Mr H.
I understand that her resident, Mr H is receiving medical treatment at Sengkang Polyclinic to manage multiple chronic medical conditions and currently, has no outstanding bills with Sengkang Polyclinic.
On 8 September 2021, Mr H had visited Sengkang Polyclinic where he declined his doctor's recommendation to increase the dosage of his medication to manage his chronic condition due to affordability concerns. I want to confirm with Ms He that at no time was there a suggestion to cut the dosage of his medication and his medication dosage has not been reduced.
His doctor had done the right thing and referred him to see a medical social worker to assess his financial ability and eligibility to receive Medication Assistance Fund (MAF) subsidies for three Mr H's drugs. However, Mr H did not follow up with the medical social worker.
Following Ms He's appeal to CPF Board on behalf of Mr H on 24 February 2022, his MediSave withdrawal limits for the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) has been raised from the current $700 per year to $800 per year with effect from March 2022. And this higher limit would apply for his entire lifetime. In addition, he can utilise a further $300 a year from his MediSave under the Flexi-MediSave scheme. The CPF Board had, in fact, replied to Mr H on 16 March 2022, with a copy forwarded to Ms He.
So, Ms He Ting Ru should already know that CPF Board had accorded flexibility to her resident when she gave a clarification in Parliament on 4 April 2022 and subsequently sent the details of this resident to me via an email on 5 April 2022.
Hence, there is flexibility in our system to meet the needs of this resident.
Sengkang Polyclinic also reached out to Mr H to arrange for him to see a MSW on 14 April 2022 and has since accorded Mr H MAF subsidies of 62.5% for the three non-standard drugs. His next medical appointment at Sengkang Polyclinic is in August 2022, next month. Should his doctor assess then that he requires other MAF drugs to manage his condition, he will automatically receive 62.5% subsidies for these drugs as well. If he still has difficulties paying for his medical bills, the medical social worker is able to further assist him to apply for MediFund assistance.
I should emphasise that while the drugs are non-standard, he would have been eligible for MAF if he had gone to see the medical social worker in September 2021 as arranged.
Mr Deputy Speaker, having provided these factual clarifications, may I just make a few more additional observations.
It is unfortunate that when Ms He raised this issue in Parliament, she phrased it in the following way, and I quote, \"After all, what does it say about us as a society that our seniors come and tell us as a matter of course that they have requested for their medication dosages to be cut down because they cannot afford to pay in full for dosages that doctors have prescribed to them to treat their medical ailments?\"
Her statement was cast as an indictment on our society and the picture painted was one of a society where seniors are forced to cut down on their necessary and essential medication dosages, simply because they cannot afford it. Implicit is also the suggestion that this state of affairs is due to a government that is not in touch with the ground or is uncaring.
However, as seen from the facts which I have outlined above, this is not the case. In fact, the opposite is true.
As a government, we are very much concerned and look out for those who have difficulties with medical costs and the system is designed to cater for the needs of those who are in need: the elderly, the low income and the vulnerable.
In this case, had the resident gone to see the medical social worker in September 2021 as originally arranged, it would have been determined that he is eligible for MAF assistance and he would have received the 62.5% subsidies much earlier.
We do not know the reason why he did not go to see the medical social worker at that time, but the key point to note here is that there is a system in place to help patients like Mr H. And the system is operating as it should have and the agencies did their part.
The other observation I wish to make is that when Ms He made her statement lamenting where we stood as a society, it was before the agencies even had a chance to consider the appeal. Ms He submitted the appeal to the CPF Board on 24 February 2022. She made her speech two working days later on 28 February 2022 before CPF Board even had a chance to look at the appeal or furnish a response.
For avoidance of doubt, let me clarify that I have no issues at all with Ms He raising the issue of costs of medications. Members of Parliament can and should raise the concerns important to their residents here in Parliament. The part that is of concern to me is that Ms He cited Mr H's case in support of a statement characterising our society as one that does not look after seniors, even before the facts of the case were determined and established, and before the agencies have had a chance to respond.
Having regard to the facts outlined above, that is not a fair characterisation and it is also not fair to the agencies on the ground.
It is understandable that members of the public may sometimes not be aware of the many different avenues and means in which Government agencies render assistance to them. However, as Members of Parliament, we can give them the assurance that in our society, those in need will always be provided for. As this case has shown, this Government has made provisions and set in place systems of appeal so that residents that like Ms He's resident, Mr H, need not worry.
We will continue to review and update our system and processes as the needs evolve. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms He, would you like ask any clarifications?
Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. It is good to hear the assurance that the Government will take care of people.
But I think the point I was trying to make was that things like these are still happening on the ground. And even though these avenues are available, our residents sometimes come to us and say that they really feel that they have to jump through many hoops, they feel very demoralised. Some of them tell us that they feel a bit humiliated going through the process.
The sense that Mr H came to me with, was that he could not afford it. And, in fact, he brought down his invoice, his bill, where he actually struck out the item in question; and he wrote down \"delete\". I have a copy of that bill. From memory, he said that he went down to the polyclinic and they actually told him that he had to come to his Member of Parliament in order to put an appeal.
And the point there was, is there any way where, yes, if the systems are working, if the systems are flexible, do our residents know that they are there? How do we get that message out to our residents, rather than have them feel that we are uncaring, that the system does not work for them, that they had to really work for it, that they have to really be humiliated? This is how they feel.
So, this is the point that I was really making here. Again, I was not casting any aspersions on the doctors, on the system. I never said that the doctors told him to cut down his usage or his dosage. Again, like I said earlier, he asked for these medications. Again, we would not go into details because of confidentiality. But he actually asked for these to be deleted because he felt that he could not afford it.
And as for the timeline, if I am not wrong, on 4 April, I said I had to check my records because the letter that the CPF Board wrote back to me was a physical one. It took a couple of days but in the meantime, I found the copy of the letter that I sent to CPF Board. I forwarded it to you. You acknowledged it to say that you would look further into this. So, that that was that. And that is just an explanation of on the timeline. Thank you.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Senior Minister of State, would you like to respond?
Dr Koh Poh Koon: Mr Deputy Speaker, I think it is not impossible for us to encounter residents or even patients who sometimes are not really aware of how they can seek help. This case does illustrate that this patient could not quite understand why he needs to go and see the medical social worker and perhaps that could be the reason why he did not turn up for his appointment. As a result of that, he did not get the subsidies much earlier than he would have.
But the point that is at stake here is that it is not wrong for Ms He to actually appeal for her resident and also, to speak up on behalf of the resident who needs help. And through that process, the resident gets connected to CPF Board and is able then to receive more subsidies and subsequently through the intervention of the medical social worker, get more subsidies than he would have otherwise.
But the issue here is that Ms He used this case as an example in her speech and made broad sweeping statements about how we behave as a society when this case has not actually been dealt with by the agency concerned because she made the speech two working days after the appeal was given to the agency. If she had waited for the appropriate response by CPF Board, which reached her on 16 March, she would have known that this patient has received adequate help, that the system actually works, instead of saying so in her speech, that as a society, we had failed this resident. That is the point I was trying to make.
As regard to her point about the fact that she did not say that the doctors had to cut down the medication dosages, I think I have quoted her in a speech before that that the patient has requested for their medication dosages to be cut down because they cannot afford to pay for their dosages in full. That may well be an issue of communication and how she understood what the resident has said to her.
The point I want to make here is that as parliamentarians making speeches here, let us be clear about the facts before we make statements in Parliament and not to tarnish the reputation or the efforts of agencies on the ground who work very hard to make sure that the gaps are closed, to make sure that the system actually addresses the needs of our residents and patients. Thank you, Sir.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms He, do you have any further clarifications. No. Ministerial Statement, Minister for Home Affairs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Prison Conditions and Rehabilitation","subTitle":"Statement by Minister for Home Affairs","sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr K Shanmugam): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Earlier this year, CNA screened a documentary titled \"Inside Maximum Security\". That documentary featured what inmates go through during their incarceration.
The documentary generated substantial interest in prisons' operations and conditions. Since then, several Members have filed questions on prison conditions and rehabilitation.
From time to time, you will also hear questions on prison conditions in Singapore and whether the conditions ought to be changed.
So, Mr Deputy Speaker and Members, I have decided that I will deal with many of those issues by way of a Statement that deals with how our conditions are.
I have, both in this House and outside, spoken about the purposes of imprisonment, the outcomes that we aim to achieve, the different types of sentences and the factors taken into account during sentencing. For example, this year, in March, during the Committee of Supply (COS) debates and on various other locations. So, I do not intend to repeat those points, but I ask Members to keep those points in mind because they are relevant in understanding our prison regime.
Our prison regime and prison environment are austere and intentionally so. We place a lot of emphasis on security and monitoring so that our officers know what is going on. That is because you get situations where inmates might try to do a lot of harm to themselves, get contraband, create security situations and other similar issues.
Our approach is probably one reason, for example, for lower suicide rates in the Singapore prisons. Between 2017 and 2021, there was one case of suicide in Singapore prisons, compared with 10 cases in Hong Kong over the same period, 12 cases in Norway between 2017 and 2020 and 22 cases in Denmark between 2017 and 2020.
We also focus on rehabilitation of our inmates. I have spoken extensively about this issue as well, previously, including in March of this year during the COS debates, and in earlier years, and so I will not repeat those points. But as with the other points, the points I made need to be kept in mind as we talk about prison conditions.
My focus today is on the actual conditions. And with your permission, Sir, may I ask that some slides be shown on the LED screens?
Mr Deputy Speaker: Please do. [Slides were shown to hon Members.]
Mr K Shanmugam: Let me start by showing some photos of our prison conditions. All prison cells have toilet facilities within. This is a cell that houses one inmate. Cell space is around seven square metres.
Members are welcome to visit the prisons for a shorter or longer duration. We can arrange.
This cell houses up to four inmates. The cell space is around 10 square metres. And now, Members will see the picture of cells that house up to eight inmates, around 20 square metres.
There are no fans inside the cells for inmates. Mounted fans could pose a security risk because they can be a potential anchor points for suicide. They could also be dismantled and the parts potentially used as weapons. Instead, there is a combination of natural and mechanical ventilation inside the cells.
On bedding for inmates, we provide straw mat with two blankets. Due to our hot and humid climate, mattresses for inmates are not ideal because of hygiene issues, generally. The current bedding also minimises the security risks of inmates hiding contraband items in the cells. Generally, there is no direct staff supervision inside the cells. However, beds are provided for inmates who require additional care, such as due to old age or mobility issues.
So, Members can see the photographs of correctional units for assisted living. These beds are in medical wards as well as the correctional units catered for assisted living that you see in the photos. These correctional units for assisted living also have other features like seated toilets, handrails, grab bars and anti-slip flooring.
Next on food and meals, inmates are given three meals daily, planned based on dieticians' recommendations to meet nutritional requirements. As some would have seen from the CNA documentary, breakfast is bread with spreads like butter, jam or chocolate, and a hot beverage like coffee or tea. For lunch and dinner, it is a staple such as rice or noodles, with some dishes. Fruits are provided daily. Special dietary requirements are considered. For example, inmates, who are diabetic are given a low sugar diet. Inmates who have gout are given a low purine diet and vegetarians can request a non-meat diet.
Each inmate is also given basic necessities for daily living: toothbrush, toothpaste, clothing, slippers and towel. Members can see in the photograph.
For recreation, inmates have access to electronic tablets in their cells daily. They have access to e-learning material. They read e-books. They write and receive letters.
Tablets are also used to broadcast essential news, information to keep inmates up to date on the latest COVID-19 measures, for example, both within the prison and in the community.
On recreation, inmates typically have at least one hour of out-of-cell recreation on weekdays. They engage in sports and exercise or read newspapers, play board games or watch TV programmes. There are photographs of the common areas and recreational areas that Members can see on the screen. These are conducted either in the recreational yard or day rooms. Staff strength is a consideration as these activities are higher risk and require closer supervision by staff.
Inmates who work or attend programmes such as psychology-based correctional programmes, family programmes, religious programmes, may spend two to 10 hours a day outside of their cells, depending on the programme intensity.
Some questions have been raised about prison conditions and I will now address them.
Some Members might remember the case of David James Roach, the perpetrator of the Standard Chartered Bank robbery in 2016. It was claimed then that Singapore's prison conditions would violate his human rights. He argued this in the UK when arguing against extradition.
An expert witness for him said that the modesty wall in our prison walls divides the living space from the sanitary facilities. Eating in a cell with a modesty wall does not fully partition the living and sanitation spaces, and it is effectively eating in the toilet. On the mirrored dome on the ceiling of the toilet, which allows prison officers to check on inmates, he said the lack of privacy is not acceptable when inmates use the toilets.
The UK Courts found that while the conditions of our prisons were, in their words, not ideal, the defence counsel representing Roach failed to show that Roach was at real risk of a breach of his rights. Other points have been made elsewhere about long periods of time inmates spend inside the cell, inmates sleeping on a straw mat and overcrowding.
Let me explain our rationale based on a few aspects of prison conditions and prison life.
First, the prisons are not overcrowded based on the specifications they were designed for.
For background, I should say overcrowding in prisons is an issue in several countries. A 2021 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) report states that prison overcrowding, and I quote, \"Prison overcrowding is widespread around the world and of the 100 countries and territories for which UNODC had data on, nearly half, 47%, were operating at more than 100% of the intended capacity.\" We are at about 70% based on our own standards and assessments. I would be careful with this caveat of comparing the percentages between countries because whether there is overcrowding can be a matter of definition. It depends on what your baseline is, what your intended capacity of the prison is and how it is designed.
If the intended capacity of the prison is lower than another, then, of course, occupancy rates would be higher for the first prison, compared with the second, for the same number of inmates. But based on media reports, I think we can say conditions in many of these jails, for example, the US jails, are much worse than ours. And from what we have seen from photos and media reports, Scandinavian jails are generally much more luxurious.
If you look at a 2021 CBS News report, it describes how overcrowding has led to a deterioration of conditions at Rikers Island prison in New York state. One New York state lawmaker is quoted as saying that one of the inmate facilities was so overcrowded that prisoners were reported to be staying in rooms without bathrooms for a few hours and some for days.
Another article describes the crowded conditions in New York City's jails as a ticking time bomb. The head of the Prison Governors Association of the UK, in a report in 2020, said prisoners should be released to reduce overcrowding to prevent disorder and slow the spread, for example, of the COVID-19 virus.
We are not in that situation. In Singapore, the Changi Prison Complex was built in the early 2000s. We know land is scarce. We are a country of about 733 square kilometres. Land area taken up by your prisons and drug rehabilitation centres (DRCs) is about 0.26 square kilometres. This is the footprint that we have and we have to maximise the usage of the land. If we want to change it, a huge amount of money will have to be spent, probably running into billions of dollars and with more land taken. Whether that should be done depends on our assessment of the current conditions.
Our assessment is that conditions are acceptable and fits in with our philosophy of how prisons ought to be. Essential needs of our inmates are also met.
On medical services: now, all inmates admitted to the prison are assessed on their state of physical and mental health. Inmates are able to report sick at any time should they feel unwell. They are accorded the necessary medical care by prison medical officers (MOs), prison psychiatrists and supporting medical personnel. Those who require specialist attention and medical care may be referred to Government restructured hospitals. Preventive health measures, including vaccinations, are provided to eligible and willing inmates. For example, vaccinations against flu, Hepatitis B and, of course, COVID-19. Ninety-four percent of medically eligible inmates have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim has asked about statistics of inmates diagnosed with mental health issues upon admission and the measures to address the needs of inmates who suffer from mental conditions and the support given to such inmates inside prison.
Data on inmates diagnosed with mental health conditions upon admission are not actively tracked. But I can say, as of March 2022, about 5% of inmates are on medication for the management of their mental health conditions. The most common conditions were adjustment disorders and mood disorders.
Inmates with mild mental health issues are housed with the general inmate population, seen regularly by the prison psychiatrist and go through rehabilitation programmes. Those with severe mental health issues may be housed in a specialised facility, managed with the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), that allows for more intensive intervention and therapy. Inmates who need active IMH follow-ups are referred to a psychiatrist. Inmates with mental health needs may also have other rehabilitation issues, for example, violent behaviour, that is an increased safety risk for staff and other inmates, and the prisons deals with those.
On feedback, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) provides various avenues to make inquiries and provide feedback and raise concerns. They can speak to their officers. They can raise their feedback through their family and friends. There are also independent bodies, like the Board of Visiting Justices comprising prominent members of society. They inspect the prisons; they ensure that the basic well-being of inmates is taken care of, and they hear complaints from inmates.
Mr Murali Pillai asked whether our prison conditions are reflective of SPS' standing as a leading correctional agency. There are countries where prison conditions are less austere than ours. There are also countries where prison conditions are more austere, going to downright extreme overcrowding, as you would have seen from the articles I referred to earlier.
I will show Members some photos of prisons in other countries: Denmark, Norway, Thailand, Hong Kong and the Philippines. I think it shows a broad variety. If you look at Norway and Denmark, if I did not tell you that was a prison, you might be mistaken for thinking that is a condominium. We do not take that approach. Our philosophy is to keep the regime strict.
In addition to looking at the physical conditions – and of course, I think many Singaporeans will say we cannot compare with Thailand and the Philippines – but I think Hong Kong is often seen as a fair comparison. In addition to the actual physical conditions, I would say not enough attention is paid to what I would call the software – the recidivism rate, the effort put into the inmates when they are in prison, the assault rates and whether discipline and inmate safety are maintained. These are all very relevant. As I said, I would call this the software. What do you do to help the inmates? How do you make sure they are safe?
We do many things. I have referred to my earlier speeches. Our two-year recidivism rates have remained low and stable. The recidivism rate for the 2019 release cohort is now at 20%, which is the lowest in the last 30 years. We can do even better because our five-year recidivism rate for the 2015 release cohort is at 41.7%. Prisons is working with the community to improve the five-year recidivism rates.
By comparison, many other countries that you would think of, the two-year recidivism rates are usually in the 40% range, even in places like New Zealand, and the five-year recidivism rates can be in the 60% to 70% range.
So, we make a real difference to the lives of our inmates.
If you look at the assault rate per 10,000 inmates, the assault rate is low. It is around 47 since year 2019. Forty-seven per 10,000 is very low. In comparison, 520 for Hong Kong, 270 for England and Wales, 214 for Australia and 105 for South Korea.
These things do matter. You look at the big picture and you look at the effort put in.
This is another aspect of our prison management that I will like to point out. In some countries, there is a hierarchy among the inmates. Some inmates are allowed to exercise control over other inmates. Gangs of inmates are also often allowed to exert their power inside the prisons. We often see media reports. You would have seen enough films about this. Prison gangs informally set the order. That includes controlling the underground trade in drugs and other contrabands like cells phones inside the prison.
What happens is that in such prisons, those who are weaker will often be at the mercy of the stronger prisoners. Assault rates between inmates can be quite high. Inmates who go in, first time, could come out as even more hardened criminals brutalised by the experience. Their lives are often set on a very sad trajectory from which it is very difficult to change.
In Singapore, the position is quite different. Our Prisons officers run our prisons – not inmates, not gangs. Prisons are run in a fair and disciplined manner. We have a zero-tolerance stance towards gang-related activities. Assault rates between inmates are much lower. And the gang situation in our prisons is closely monitored. Prisons takes disciplinary actions against those found to be involved in such activities, including corporal punishments – Prisons can mete out.
Do not take me to be saying that some bad things do not happen sometimes in our prisons. The point is we maintain more control and on the whole, less of these bad things happen compared with most other places.
We try and maintain safety, order and discipline in our prisons. We want inmates to be focused on rehabilitation and turning their lives around without having to live in constant fear for their personal safety.
Let me now move on to our rehabilitation and reintegration approach. Members will know how extensive our rehabilitation efforts are. Again, I have made several speeches on this, so I will not go into detail. Instead, I will distribute a document setting out the points in a brief form. Mr Deputy Speaker, with your permission, may I ask the Clerks to distribute an annex on the rehabilitation approach on Prisons? Members may also access this annex through the SG PARL MP mobile app.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Please do. [A handout was distributed to hon Members.]
Mr K Shanmugam: The rehabilitation approach by Prisons is based on the concept of throughcare – address rehabilitative needs of inmates in prison and facilitate reintegration upon release.
Dr Tan Wu Meng and Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim had asked about the challenges faced and support for inmates with mental health and medical issues. These inmates may face challenges in accessing continual treatment after release, as said. Prior to release, inmates with mental and medical conditions may be referred to IMH or restructured hospitals for follow-up care.
Dr Tan Wu Meng had asked about the handover of medical care for ex-offenders during this year's Committee of Supply debates. Ex-offenders who need further follow-up after release are referred to Changi General Hospital's specialist clinics for continuity of care. Prisons is working with SingHealth to facilitate follow-up appointments for ex-offenders at other public healthcare institutions which are nearer to their home.
Mr Deputy Speaker, in conclusion, I have set out in some detail the approach we take in our prison regime and the reasons for our approach. I have also set out our approach towards rehabilitation.
Mr Deputy Speaker: We have some time for clarifications. Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Minister for his clarifications and Statement. I am heartened by the good work done by our SPS officers. As a volunteer with Yellow Ribbon Singapore, I have visited the prisons myself and spoken to some of the inmates. I have two clarifications: one on the meals for our inmates and second, on the mattresses.
On the food, this is a point highlighted to me by a resident as well. There are three meals for inmates – one for breakfast at 7.30 am, lunch at 12.30 pm and dinner at 6.00 pm. For inmates who do not have visitors or family members who can provide the approved snack bags by SPS, they would have no choice of any night snacks from the period of 7.00 pm to the following day's breakfast. Would perhaps the Prisons be looking into providing at least some snacks for inmates who require them after 7.30 pm?
Second, on the mattresses, I totally agree with the Minister on the security aspect for hidden contraband risks. There is also the risk of flammability, I think, of the mattresses. I quote from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission in this regard that although there are fire-retardant and protective fabric barriers that can be used, through any acts of vandalism, the material within the mattresses can be exposed and be used as a fire safety risk within the prison, posing safety risks for the inmates and our custodians. In this regard, is MHA looking into actively any other materials that can be used as an alternative to the current bedding that is being used right now?
Mr K Shanmugam: We have been looking at possible alternative materials for some time and I do not think we have come across anything that we have seen as a possible substitute that can be used. But it is something that we continue to look at – something that will meet the security requirements and will work in our climate, given that we do not do air conditioning, and that would be resistant to or at least not become a source of passing on disease.
On snacks, we do not provide snacks. I think the meals that we provide are based on the recommendations by dieticians. Any additional amounts that people want, there is a canteen from which they can buy.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Dr Tan Wu Meng.
Mr K Shanmugam: I should mention that depending on behaviour, good behaviour allows you to certain privileges, including a food pack that you can redeem.
\tMr Deputy Speaker: Dr Tan.
Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): I thank the Minister for his detailed Statement. Some of my Clementi residents have asked about the ventilation of prison cells that the inmates stay in. The Minister mentioned that there is natural and mechanical ventilation for these cells. Can I ask two questions?
Firstly, what has been the Singapore Prison Service's experience of COVID-19 in our prisons, especially compared with other jurisdictions. And secondly, has there been any review or study regarding the risk of transmission of airborne diseases within our prisons, especially in the COVID-19 era.
Mr K Shanmugam: All our prison institutions are installed with mechanical ventilation systems that are designed to provide sufficient air ventilation into the cells. They are designed to meet the required building standards. The air changes per hour, which is the number of times the total air volume in a cell is completely removed and replaced in an hour, is regularly monitored to ensure adequate ventilation.
On COVID-19, Prisons is obviously a place where we need to be careful because of the proximity and the amount of time people spend with each other. Prisons take it very seriously. I do not have the data here but I gave you earlier that 94% of eligible inmates had been vaccinated. Generally, my recollection is that the spread of COVID-19 in prisons was low and the measures taken by Prisons officers – it is not just the physical conditions but the measures we take – were quite adequate to help in that regard.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Ms Sylvia Lim.
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Two clarifications for the Minister.
The first concerns rehabilitation and this is in relation to those who are serving long jail terms – let us say 20 years or more. Can he confirm whether there is any guideline that the rehabilitation programmes or the reskilling programmes will only be available to these long-term prisoners, perhaps, much closer to their release date, maybe in the one or two years before release, or would they be available to these long-term prisoners even earlier than that?
My second question is, earlier on, the Minister showed a picture of some cells for assisted living, which I believe are for prisoners who are ageing. May I ask if him if he is able to tell us what is the age of the oldest person currently in our prisons?
Mr K Shanmugam: I am taking the second question: as with the rest of society, the general prison population is also ageing. So, we find more people who need more help. But I cannot give her the precise answer. Perhaps can I ask Ms Lim to file a Parliamentary Question on both those questions that she has raised and we can deal with them in detail?
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Murali Pillai.
Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I welcome the hon Minister's statement on the conditions of prisons, and, as I hear him, it appears that there is a balance being struck between the austere conditions of prison and, at the end of the day, getting prisoners to be rehabilitated and we have heard about the commendable efforts put in by SPS to reduce recidivism.
I have two questions. The first is in relation to the Minister's decision to allow cameras into the prisons. Issues of prison conditions have been raised from time to time. May I just please ask what was the rationale in allowing cameras into prisons for members of the public to see what the prison conditions are?
Secondly, it is in relation to safety. The hon Minister mentioned that one reason for the austere condition is for the safety of prisoners. The hon Minister spoke about the suicide rates are compared to other countries. How about assault rates, compared to other countries? How does the austere condition allow SPS to reduce opportunities for assaults?
Mr K Shanmugam: Let me deal with the second question first, assault rates. I do not have the data on this. Data is not easy to get because it is not as if prisons, generally, publish the assault rates. But my own understanding is that the assault rates in Singapore prisons are, generally, much lower. In some ways, it is due to a variety of reasons which, for example, were raised in the David Roach case, that there is no privacy when one uses the toilet facilities. But a lot of assaults take place there, too, when you give them the privacy.
Many prisons put prisoners together in a cell; just depend on the number of persons in a cell. But that is not the only reason. There is a whole set of infrastructure of factors. I spoke earlier about gangs in prisons. I spoke earlier about a hierarchy amongst prisoners. That is a very relevant factor for high assault rates. In Singapore, we do not allow any of that.
Secondly, in Singapore, there is pretty continuous monitoring – whether you are in the cell, outside the cell, with technology, there is a lot of monitoring going on. And as a result, prisons officers can intervene fairly quickly. It does not mean no assaults take place. Sometimes, there are even grievous injuries because people can inflict injuries on one another very, very quickly. So, you need the right intelligence, you need to know what is going on, who is manoeuvring against whom. You need all of that. And with the best will in the world and best intelligence, you cannot prevent every incident. But we keep it very low.
And prisoners committing suicide, it is a big risk. We want to save them. So, monitoring; no gangs; continuous engagement; rehabilitation efforts. I can mention many other factors. But our whole approach is very different and I would say much more focused on trying to make sure that the prisoners are safe and that, when they come out, they are, hopefully, in a better position than when they went in. That is the aim. We do not always succeed, but that is the aim.
Now, why did we allow the cameras in prison? For all these years, it was a taboo. No one can go in, which is why I invited Members to turn up as well. The approach we decided on was this, that people needed to understand how our prisons operate, what the conditions were. So, let us be open about it. Let the cameras go in, let them speak with the prison inmates themselves, let them speak with the prisons officers so that they understand our approach.
And this Ministerial Statement, this debate, as it were, is part of that process. For us as a society, we want to set out our approach. This is how we do it and this is why we do it. These are the reasons why we are doing what we are doing. And then, if anyone has a different view, we can hear them in Parliament.
Mr Speaker: Mr Vikram Nair.
Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for raising this topic in Parliament and for making very clear that a big focus of the programme is to rehabilitate prisoners. In line with this, I would like to ask whether prisoners are allowed access to newspapers, television or the Internet, and, if so, whether there are any restrictions on this or any security considerations relating to this.
Mr K Shanmugam: I thank Mr Vikram Nair for that question. The answer is yes, inmates do have access to newspapers and television programmes. The newspapers would be made available after the prisons have gone through the newspapers, the contents, and they have removed some content. They remove contents which depict, describe or may encourage violence, crime or other such conduct.
For example, reports on rapes, assaults, violence, those sorts of things are taken out because when people read it, there is a sense that they might then be inclined to engage in such conduct. We also remove articles which may incite social, racial or religious tension. So, screening is done. The approach is for safety and security. So, the newspapers would not be current, what they get. Likewise, live television programmes are not allowed for the same reason, because you cannot censor and then put it out.
I am looking for the data in my earlier speech, going back to Mr Murali Pillai's question. I did give the data on assault rates. If I find it, I will mention it. But I think you can take it as on the record.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. End of Ministerial Statement. Introduction of Government Bills. Minister for Defence.
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The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Mr Tan Kiat How) (for the Minister for National Development): 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. 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.
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 Bill seeks to amend ESA in four key areas. First, to strengthen Singapore's regulatory regime for trade in CITES species; second, to align ESA more closely with CITES Resolutions; third, to introduce stiffer penalties for illegal trade for CITES species; and fourth, to strengthen NParks' enforcement powers so that it can tackle illegal wildlife trade more effectively. Let me now go through each of these areas in turn.
First, on our requirements for CITES species traded in Singapore. Currently, traders are required to produce a CITES permit or certificate when importing, transiting, exporting, or re-exporting CITES species in Singapore. This allows NParks to verify that the trade in these species is legal, sustainable, traceable and in line with CITES requirements.
We are making amendments to ESA to provide greater clarity for all stakeholders. In particular, on the requirements for the transit of CITES species through Singapore and the documents required for such trade.
First, we will amend the definition of \"transit\" in ESA to make clear when CITES species are considered to be in transit in Singapore. Today, ESA states that for a CITES species to be considered \"in transit\" in Singapore, the species, must among other things, be brought into Singapore solely for the purpose of taking it out of Singapore.
We recognise that ESA could be clearer on how this \"sole purpose\" requirement is to be satisfied, such that there is no ambiguity on when species are considered \"in transit\". Clause 3 therefore replaces this requirement with a stipulation that traders who bring CITES species in transit through Singapore must among other things, provide NParks with a document that specifies a port, airport or any other place outside Singapore as the destination for the CITES species. This document must also be issued on or before, or within 14 days after the date on which the CITES species is brought into Singapore.
Traders can provide a Bill of Lading, air waybill or sea waybill, which state the final destination of the CITES species transported. These are among standard transport documents used in international shipping today. A list of the accepted documents will be prescribed in subsidiary legislation.
Second, we will make clear the permits that traders need to obtain from the countries of export, re-export or import, for CITES species in transit in Singapore. Today, traders are required to produce CITES permits for CITES species transiting in Singapore. Where the countries of export, re-export or import are not CITES Parties, \"written permission\", which is not defined in the Act, can be produced instead. This is for NParks to verify that the species have been legally exported and will be accepted by the country of import.
To ensure that NParks receives the information it needs for such verification, clause 4 makes it clear that the permits, certificates, or any other similar documents submitted must contain information that will be prescribed in subsidiary legislation. Where the countries of export, re-export or import are CITES Parties, traders should continue to present valid CITES permits or certificates containing the prescribed information to NParks. Where these countries are not CITES Parties, traders will be required to present valid permits, certificates or any other similar document containing the prescribed information to NParks. The prescribed information will include details of the competent authorities approving the export, re-export or import of the CITES species, as well as the scientific names, source and quantity of the specimens traded.
With these amendments, we aim to provide greater clarity on the requirements for the transit of CITES species in Singapore. Traders will not have to make significant changes to their existing business operations. But following these amendments, we will be better able to differentiate between CITES species which are meant for import into Singapore and species which are meant for transit. NParks can then take appropriate enforcement action against those who illegally import or transit these CITES species.
Let me now move on to the second area of the Bill, on how our amendments will align ESA more closely with CITES Resolutions. The amendments will strengthen Singapore's existing strict stance against illegal trade in CITES species. CITES Resolutions provide guidance and recommendations on how CITES Parties should interpret and implement CITES rules and regulations on wildlife trade.
As a responsible CITES Party, we follow the CITES Resolutions closely, where they apply to us. At the same time, we continue to ensure that trade can flow freely and easily, so that we maintain our status as a global trade hub. For example, NParks issues CITES permits for CITES species exported, re-exported or imported in Singapore in accordance with the permit requirements set out in the relevant CITES Resolution. This ensures that our permits are recognised and accepted by other CITES authorities.
We are now amending ESA to ensure that our laws are even more closely aligned with these CITES Resolutions. Clause 2 amends ESA to make clear that our regulations apply to hybrid animals of CITES species, as though they are full species. These are animals whose recent lineage include species listed in CITES Appendices I or II, including species that are either threatened with extinction and species for which trade is regulated for their continued survival.
Taking the Bengal cat as an example, the Bengal cat is a cross between the wild Asian Leopard Cat, a CITES-listed species, and the domestic cat. CITES permits are required for the trade in Bengal cats, which have a wild Asian Leopard Cat ancestor in their lineages, up to four generations that precede it. Although ESA does not currently explicitly require this, our traders have been producing such permits when trading Bengal cats.
Clause 2 also makes clear that urine, faeces or ambergris are not regulated under ESA. As these are waste products that are naturally excreted, their collection does not threaten the survival of any CITES species in the wild. That brings our regulations on the trade in animal parts or derivatives more in line with CITES's recommendations in this area.
Lastly, clauses 4 and 5 make clear that permits, certificates or any other similar documents issued retrospectively after the date of the export or re-export of the CITES species, or that contain unauthorised alterations, are not accepted for the trade of CITES species in Singapore. Retrospectively issued documents can only be accepted if the documents are for trade in CITES Appendix II or III species and the circumstances that led to the retrospective issuance were not caused or contributed to by the trader. This amendment will strengthen enforcement against those who trade in CITES species without valid permits or other documents.
Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will now touch on the third key area of the Bill, which is to introduce stiffer penalties for endangered wildlife trade offences under the Act. We last enhanced the penalties under the Act in 2006.
However, the value of smuggled endangered wildlife has continued to rise over the years. For example, in 2019, we seized a shipment of around 12 tonnes of pangolin scales that were worth over $48 million, as well as around nine tonnes of elephant ivory worth over $17 million.
Thus, after careful review and consultation with stakeholders and the public, and considering the latest domestic and international laws on endangered species, we will enhance our penalties further to keep pace with the times and to increase deterrence against illegal wildlife trade.
We will increase the fines and jail terms that can be meted out for individuals who illegally trade in CITES species. Clause 4 increases the maximum fine for illegal trade in Appendix I species, from $50,000 to $100,000, and the maximum imprisonment term, from two years to six years. Clause 4 also increases the maximum imprisonment term for the illegal trade in Appendix II and III species, from two years to four years. Wildlife trade offences in relation to Appendix I species have stiffer penalties as these species are threatened with extinction and the impact of illegal trade on their survival is much more severe.
We will also increase our penalties for the domestic trade in CITES species to align with that for international trade. This means that individuals who illegally sell CITES species, such as rhino horns, tiger parts and elephant ivory in Singapore, will be subject to the same higher penalties. This is to enhance deterrence and reflect a similarly strict stance against the illegal domestic trade of endangered species.
Offenders that are corporations, unincorporated associations or partnerships who illegally trade CITES species will also be subject to higher penalties than individual offenders. This is because such entities generally have more resources and the means to move larger quantities of illegally traded CITES species, compared to individuals. Clause 4 will also amend ESA to increase the maximum fine for corporate offenders who illegally trade in CITES species, up to $200,000 for each specimen of an Appendix I species and up to $100,000 for each specimen of an Appendix II or III species.
We will also introduce higher maximum imprisonment terms of eight years for Appendix I species and six years for Appendix II or III species, to penalise individuals within corporate offenders, such as directors or managers, more strictly.
We will also raise the maximum aggregate fine further across the board, for both individual and corporate offenders, to match the market value of all illegally traded CITES species comprised in the offence. This ensures that the penalties are proportionate to the potential gains from the illegal trade of such CITES species, which have risen over time. The maximum aggregate fines for individual offenders will be set at $500,000 or $1,000,000 for individual and corporate offenders respectively, or the market value of the CITES species at the material time of the offence, whichever is higher.
For example, in 2020, a South African trader was sentenced to 17 months of jail for transiting through Singapore, from South Africa to Vietnam, with 22 kilograms of rhinoceros horns without a valid CITES permit. As rhinoceros horns are worth over $30,000 per kilogramme, the offender could face a maximum aggregate fine of $760,000, if he had been subject to the stiffer penalties in the Bill, instead of the $500,000 today.
At the same time, clause 10 will amend section 17 to penalise any person who misleads the authorities. Today, ESA only penalises false, but not misleading statements or documents. For example, a trader applying for an import permit may deliberately mislead NParks officers by providing once-legitimate supporting documents that have since been revoked by the document issuer. These changes will enhance our ability to take enforcement action under the Act against individuals or entities who mislead the authorities.
Apart from these enhancements, the Bill also provides greater clarity to existing penalties in the Act. Currently, the Act provides for fines for illegal trade offences to be issued for each CITES species. This is currently defined to mean any animal or plant specified in the Schedule of the Act. Clause 4 does not change the current position, but makes it clear that that the fines are levied on a per specimen basis. In other words, the offender would be fined on the basis of each specimen of the CITES species, such as each piece of rhinoceros horn or elephant ivory, comprised in the offence.
Taken together, these revisions to the penalties will serve as a strong deterrent and enforcement against illegal trade in wildlife.
Lastly, the Bill will also make other changes to clarify and strengthen NParks' enforcement powers, and facilitate investigations on illegal wildlife trade offences.
First, the amendments will enhance NParks' powers to seize items under the Act. For example, if NParks seizes a shipment of non-CITES timber planks, with illegally traded elephant ivory concealed beneath those planks, the current ESA only allows NParks to seize the elephant ivory. Clause 6 makes clear that NParks may also seize items that are used to conceal CITES species, in this case, the timber planks.
In addition, under clause 9, conveyances, such as cars and vans, that were used to commit a wildlife trade offence may also be seized. These changes will further deter against illegal wildlife trade as would-be smugglers would stand to lose their vehicles, as well as any additional cargo that was used to commit the offence.
Nonetheless, we recognise that there must be safeguards to the expanded powers in respect of conveyances. Under clause 9, large conveyances of more than 200 tonnes net and aircraft and trains used for regular passenger service to and from Singapore, as well as conveyances that were used unlawfully without the owner's consent, may not be forfeited. In addition, the Courts may only order the forfeiture of other conveyances, if a person was convicted of an offence under the Act and the conveyance was used in the commission of the offence.
Clause 9 also introduces amendments to the forfeiture framework in ESA.
Currently, ESA allows the mandatory forfeiture of CITES species and other items upon conviction for illegal wildlife trade offences under sections 4 or 5 of the Act today. Clause 9 replaces such mandatory forfeiture with Court ordered forfeiture in criminal proceedings. This will also apply to any offence under the Act.
The Bill also updates provisions to align the Act with other recent legislation, including the Wildlife Act, which came into force in 2020.
For example, clause 12 will introduce protections against liability for NParks' authorised officers, if they have acted in good faith and with reasonable care in the execution of any power or performance of any function, under the Act.
At the same time, the amendments will enhance NParks' operational efficiency and investigative capabilities, as well as facilitate its prosecutions.
For example, clause 8 will allow NParks' authorised officers to be accompanied or assisted by persons, such as Auxiliary Police Officers, in their inspections, searches and seizures of premises or shipments of goods.
NParks' authorised officers will also be allowed to dispose of perishable seized items, such as turtle eggs, under clause 6, to avoid incurring unnecessary storage and maintenance costs.
Relatedly, clause 12 allows for documents produced by authorised NParks officers, to be admissible as evidence and taken as factual unless proven otherwise.
Lastly, clause 12 will insert new protection for informers by allowing for non-disclosure of information during the Court proceedings that might lead to the identification of an informer.
This is to encourage persons to provide information regarding illegal wildlife trade, given that NParks often relies on tip-offs to enforce against illegal wildlife trade and smuggling.
In conclusion, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Bill is important as it strengthens Singapore's regulatory and enforcement regime for the trade in endangered species. It reflects our firm commitment to tackle the global issue of illegal wildlife trade, as a Party to CITES. The amendments will enable us to continue taking effective action against illegal wildlife trade, as it evolves over time, for example, from brick-and-mortar to virtual markets.
In 2021, NParks seized more than 90 animals that were being sold online as exotic pets, in an island-wide raid. This included several CITES species, such as the Burmese Python and tarantulas that had been illegally imported. Thirteen individuals are currently under investigation for the sale of these animals. We will continue to monitor and enforce against the sale of illegally imported CITES species, which will in future be subject to heavier penalties under the Bill.
The amendments are also largely aimed at strengthening NParks' enforcement against illegal wildlife trade – the smugglers and errant traders. And, any offence made out under the Act will depend on the investigation findings of each case.
For the large majority of the industry, who have been responsibly following the requirements in the trade of CITES species, the amendments will have minimal impact on the existing processes or business operations. And, we thank you for your cooperation and for doing your part to safeguard our earth's natural heritage and environment.
Everyone can play a part in combating illegal trade in wildlife and in protecting our planet's biodiversity.
For example, when buying a pet, do patronise licensed pet shops, ask the sellers for a CITES permit if you are buying a CITES species, such as dragonfish or sulphur-crested cockatoo. Do also refrain from buying items which may contain endangered animal or plant parts, or illegal wildlife products, such as elephant ivory.
Together, we can reduce the demand for endangered wildlife and contribute towards stopping illegal wildlife trade.
Let me round up by emphasising again that Singapore is resolved in our fight against illegal wildlife trade. This is a continuous effort. And in partnership with the international community, we will continue to play our part to safeguard earth's natural heritage – not just for ourselves, but also for our future generations. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Sir, today's Bill aims to strengthen Singapore's efforts against the illegal wildlife trade. I have had the privilege to be involved since the first draft of this Bill. I know that MND has made many changes to reflect feedback from NGOs and other stakeholders. I thank both MND and NParks for their consultation and positive engagement. There is no doubt that today's Bill helps. As the public consultation found, there is consensus that harsher, broader penalties does deter the illegal wildlife trade. That said, this Bill does not do enough to tackle the problem. There is a need to rethink the broader policy approach towards tackling this illegal wildlife trade.
Let me start by clarifying what the illegal wildlife trade is all about. In its first undercover investigation conducted back in 2001, ACRES found that 73.5% of shops surveyed in Singapore were illegally selling bear bile and bear gall bladders. Some may say this is just the sale of goods to willing buyers. But I hope we will look closer. I have seen the suffering that fuels this market. The first bear I met lived her life in a cage not bigger than herself. She was stabbed into her gall bladder so that they could drain the bile from her every single day. The first bear I met in a bear farm is also the first bear that I watch passed away. She took her last breath before my very eyes.
Over the past 20 years, I’ve seen many other animals in similar conditions. I have seen monkeys restrained with chains so tight that it bit into the flesh of their neck, chains that were never loosened as the animals grew over the years.
Many people think Singapore has little to do with this suffering. The reality is they could not be more wrong. Singapore is a critical nexus in the illegal wildlife trade. In the past decade, we have seized illegal shipments of animal parts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Elephants, rhinoceroses, pangolins – these are just a few animals whose dead, dissected bodies are smuggled through Singapore's world-class port.
In April 2019, we broke the record by finding 12.9 tonnes of pangolin scales being smuggled in a shipment from Nigeria. This was worth over $50 million and cost the lives of over 17,000 pangolins. Just a week later, we seized another 12.7 tonnes of pangolin scales. Three months after that, we seized a shipment of 8.8 tonnes of ivory, estimated to come from nearly 300 African elephants. Just a few weeks ago, a man was arrested in South Africa for attempting to carry 26 kilogrammes of rhinoceros horns into Singapore in his hand luggage. Such seizures are just the tip of the iceberg. Smugglers have found ways to circumvent our border security and bring these animals and their body parts onto our soil.
Singapore can and needs to do much more. I would like to raise four specific proposals.
My first proposal is that we categorise wildlife trafficking as serious offences under the Organised Crime Act (or OCA). In practice, this means amending OCA so that it considers offences under sections 4, 5 and 19 of ESA and sections 8 and 9 of the Wildlife Act as serious offences. The impact of this would be massive. For so long, our policy framework on the illegal wildlife trade has targeted the runners, the low-level criminals carrying the goods. But my proposal attacks the heart of the problem: the syndicate leaders, the masterminds making everything happen. Including wildlife trade offences in OCA gives the authorities more tools to investigate and punish these kingpins, who today may evade punishment under the ESA framework. As we debated in this House previously, a lot of the people we prosecute under ESA are the runners, not the kingpins.
Just as important, it lets us follow and cut off the money. Under OCA, our officers can issue financial reporting orders to get information and then use civil confiscation regime to deprive syndicates of their financial gains.
The Minister for Home Affairs has said that to classify an offence under OCA, the offence must meet two criteria. It must pose a serious threat to public safety and security in Singapore, and it must be associated with organised crime in Singapore.
Wildlife trafficking clearly meets the first requirement: it poses a significant threat to our public safety and security. The first threat is to public health. Wildlife traffickers operate outside the scrutiny of our health officials. This makes the animals they transport more likely to spread zoonotic diseases to humans. COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease and so is monkeypox. I do not think I need to dwell further on how dangerous zoonotic diseases are.
The second threat is to our ecology. Animals brought into Singapore in an unregulated way may become invasive species that threaten our native wildlife. The Javan myna we see every day is an excellent example. Brought in via the caged bird trade, they have been threatening the survival of native birds like the oriental magpie-robin and the common myna who is not so common anymore.
The third threat is to economic stability. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) reports that wildlife crime cases have been connected with offences, such as corruption, drug trafficking and money laundering. Failing to effectively tackle illegal wildlife trade in Singapore may also increase our risk of our financial institutions and trade systems being abused to facilitate other serious crimes.
Does wildlife trafficking meet the second requirement of being associated with organised crime in Singapore? The answer has to be yes. When you look at the size and value of the animal-part seizures at our borders, we are talking about operations that must, by logic, involve financing, coordinating and operations on a large, organised scale. A $50 million shipment of pangolin scales is not the work of isolated individuals. Indeed, the FATF describes the illegal wildlife trade as a \"major transnational organised crime\", run by highly organised criminal syndicates that engage in complex fraud.
The Minister for Home Affairs has said that the 18 cases of wildlife crime we prosecuted have not been found to be associated with organised crime in Singapore or overseas. But absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. The statistic merely points to the need for greater investigative powers, particularly those provided under OCA, which will help connect instances of wildlife trafficking to their kingpins.
Let us remember that OCA was enacted not only to combat existing threats of organised crime. As described by Minister Iswaran when passing OCA, it is meant to \"prevent organised crime from taking root in Singapore.\"
Let us not wait until we prosecute a confirmed syndicate member and when illegal wildlife trade syndicates are deeply rooted in Singapore before we strengthen our laws.
Beyond the direct benefits of catching criminals, there is a reputational benefit for including the ESA offences under OCA.
Singapore has always prided itself as a global financial hub. But it has come under criticism by FATF, which has said Singapore is insufficiently focused on complex, transnational cases of money laundering. Separately, FATF has called for countries to provide their agencies with the mandate and tools to conduct financial investigations into the illegal wildlife trade. Including ESA under OCA would thus benefit us by addressing FATF's concerns, allowing us to meet international standards to combat money laundering and improving our reputation both as a financial hub and a key fighter against wildlife crime.
From the start of this month, FATF will have its first Singaporean President, Mr T Raja Kumar. With the first Singapore presidency of FATF, I hope we can build on FATF's focus on tackling the financial trails of illegal wildlife trade internationally.
On the national level, we can do better in strengthening our organised crime laws to tackle illegal wildlife trade.
Recently, Hong Kong also amended its \"Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance\" to include wildlife crime as an organised and serious crime. This move was widely reported and globally praised, with many organisations affirming the amendment as the \"most appropriate route to effectively combat wildlife crime\".
On behalf of NGOs and law professors in Singapore, I have submitted a position paper on including illegal wildlife trade offences under ESA and the Wildlife Act to the Organised Crime Act to Senior Minister of State Mr Tan Kiat How. The paper was prepared together with the NGOs, lawyers and law professors. I look forward to working together with Senior Minister Tan and MHA to see how we can move forward on this proposal.
Sir, my second proposal is to include a reward for informers under ESA.
I am glad the Bill recognises the importance of informers in policing wildlife crimes by granting them protection under the new section 22B. Wildlife crimes are difficult to detect. Smugglers use creative strategies, complicated trade routes and fraudulent documents to avoid detection. For example, one of the shipments of pangolin scales was caught and was packed and declared as frozen beef. I imagine it cannot be possible for us to fully scrutinise every single shipment of frozen beef passing through Singapore. Informers are thus an important asset to assist our enforcement agents in their work.
But providing protection is not enough. We need to incentivise informers to come forward and make reports. We can do this by allowing informers to be rewarded by our fines imposed under ESA. This is similar to what is done under section 13 of the Wildlife Act.
My third proposal is to increase the maximum aggregate fine for offences under ESA. This Bill does make a progressive step of increasing the limits of fine to the market value of the specimens involved. This is still not enough. The illegal wildlife trade is a hugely profitable enterprise. Successfully smuggling pangolin scales or elephant ivory earns these criminals millions of dollars. We need penalties that really hurt the profits of the syndicates or it would not be enough to deter them from using Singapore for their operations.
Instead, I propose that the fines be increased to three times the market value of the specimens involved. This would make the fines in a genuine penalty similar to the civil penalty for insider trading, tax evasion or illegal customs drawback claims.
My last proposal is that we make buying scheduled species an offence. As long as there is a domestic market, smugglers will always try to bring in animals illegally.
In 2019, when I asked about our efforts to deter the pangolin trade in Singapore, Minister of State Sun Xueling acknowledged that tackling the illegal wildlife trade requires buyers to reduce their demand. It is nice that she just stepped in. I wholeheartedly agree with her. I know buying is currently already an offence but it is not explicitly stated in the Bill. We should be explicit by stating clearly in the Bill that it is an offence to buy scheduled species. We would be following in the footsteps of many other countries. Legislation in the US, EU, Brunei, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam already include “purchasing” as an offence.
Sir, I will end with an extract from one of the most powerful speeches I have heard on fighting the illegal wildlife trade. This was a speech by HRH Prince William at the 2018 Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London which I had the privilege to attend. HRH shared how, on his visit to Africa, he saw rhinos under such threat that they had more bodyguards than him. He said, quote: “It is heart-breaking to think that by the time my children George, Charlotte and Louis are in their twenties, elephants, rhinos and tigers might well be extinct in the wild. I, for one, am not willing to look my children in the eye and say that we were the generation that let this happen on our watch. It is time to treat the illegal wildlife trade as the serious organised crime that it is. It is carried out by ruthless cross-border criminal networks. It is fueled by corruption. It damages economic growth and sustainable development. It undermines governance and the rule of law. It robs communities today of their future sources of income. And it exploits the poorest people in some of the most vulnerable countries on earth.
Organised criminal networks are adding to their profits through involvement in wildlife crime. They see it as a lucrative and relatively low-risk activity. They are the very same groups who move drugs, people and weapons. These networks are sophisticated, coordinated, adaptable and professional. They innovate faster than we can and they exploit weaknesses in our systems.
Let me be clear; I am not asking anyone in this room to prioritise efforts to fight the illegal wildlife trade above drug trafficking or violent crimes. I know very well that law enforcement resources and judicial systems are stretched.
But I am asking you to see the connections. To acknowledge that the steps you take to tackle illegal wildlife crime could make it easier to halt the shipments of guns and drugs passing through your borders. And to recognise that this is a transnational crime that you cannot leave to your passionate, but thinly stretched, wildlife crime officers to tackle alone.
You might find it easier to arrest a kingpin or a middleman for trafficking illegal wildlife products than to catch him red-handed smuggling heroin. Remember – \"Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion, not murder.\"
I hope we will remember this powerful speech by HRH Prince William as we increase our efforts in tackling this cruel and wasteful illegal wildlife trade. Sir, notwithstanding my suggestions, I stand in support of the Bill.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 5.00 pm.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 4.35 pm until 5.00 pm.
Sitting resumed at 5.00 pm.
[Deputy Speaker (Mr Christopher de Souza) in the Chair]
[(proc text) Debate resumed. (proc text)]
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Leon Perera.
Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the illegal trade in wildlife and endangered species is a major driver of biodiversity loss and species extinction throughout the world. The depletion of biodiversity at commercial scales is contributing to the deterioration of biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, posing a long-term threat to the well-being of humanity, as noted in the 2019 report of the Inter-governmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
There is broad international consensus about the widespread harm caused by the illegal wildlife trade. Governments must do what they can to deter such crimes. Developed nations like Singapore have an even greater responsibility in this regard. We owe it to the world to crack down hard on these criminal enterprises. Rightfully, Singapore has been a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since 1986.
Sir, as an important trade hub and global middleman, Singapore, along with other cities, is one node in a vast network of illegal wildlife trade. This region is also an entryway into China, reportedly the world’s largest consumer market for illegal wildlife products. Our highly developed trade infrastructure and global connectivity are prone to exploitation to facilitate illicit activities.
The ESA Bill was read for the first time on 9 May this year and was initiated to amend the 2006 Act. I support this Bill as a step in the right direction, but in my speech I shall raise a number of suggestions on how the regulatory regime applicable to the wildlife trade can be further strengthened with a view to stamping out the trade in endangered species.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to note that the Bill before the House today has addressed several issues and loopholes inherent to the 2006 Act. The amendments acknowledge updates to CITES protocols and definitions and, concurrently, update the law. Definitions pertaining to import/export, the items being traded, as well as the documentation required to validate this trade, have been clarified.
In addition, the Bill grants improved powers of enforcement to the National Parks Board or NParks, the agency responsible for implementing CITES regulations. It closes loopholes by explicitly not recognising retrospective CITES trade permits, granted, with certain exceptions.
These are positive changes. Singapore’s import/export laws must adapt to ensure that the wildlife trade is regulated sustainably and that the illegal wildlife trade, which is driven by organised crime, be dealt a body blow.
Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, although CITES offers an accredited framework to build our legislation on, it is not all-encapsulating. Sir, I hope to see the Endangered Species Act move beyond CITES. I offer the following suggestions for future changes that could be made via legislation or perhaps subsidiary legislation.
In line with CITES regulations, exceptions to the import/export rules have been made for naturally excreted urine, faeces and ambergris. Nevertheless, in a regional context, they represent exploitable loopholes that can allow unsustainable practices to persist.
For example, Kopi Luwak, or civet coffee, is typically sold as coffee beans excreted by civets from many Southeast Asian nations. In truth, this industry sometimes relies on inhumane wild-capture and forced feeding of civets, although I am not claiming that every Kopi Luwak producer engages in inhumane practices. It is often difficult to identify if the resultant product is “naturally excreted\" or not. As a result of these exceptions, the amended law does not afford these animals the protection they need.
Before I move on from this example, let me note that I am using the example of Kopi Luwak as an illustration. The Asian palm civet is not currently an endangered species and the issue I alluded to is related to cruelty towards animals. Nevertheless, the example illustrates a problem that may arise with endangered animal-derived products.
Next, let me talk about hybrids. I will take the example of leopard cats and I believe Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How also referred to this example. Let me expand.
Sir, leopard cats are the last remaining wild cats in Singapore and there are fewer than 50 individuals left. They are classified under CITES Appendix II, which requires their trade to be controlled. Their hybrids, with domestic cats, are known as Bengal cats.
The Bill, as it stands, would allow a fifth-generation Bengal cat to be freely traded in Singapore, without requiring any documentation on when, where or how the original leopard cat was purveyed. My understanding of the comments made by Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How earlier is that, currently, traders do voluntarily submit such documentation but it is my understanding that the Bill does not require such documentation to be submitted. So, that is a loophole that can perhaps be plugged. Such exceptions can allow local demand to drive poaching and captive breeding in other parts of the world.
We should consider tweaks to the regulations that would require the spirit of CITES to be applied to hybrids in a reasonable manner, so as to deter such activities.
Next, Sir, in this Bill, penalties for infringements of the Bill have been increased. This will, laudably, increase the deterrence against infringements of the law.
Nevertheless, there is room for stiffer penalties. Singapore’s maximum jail term for wildlife trafficking is still, to my understanding, the lowest penalty in ASEAN. In order to position Singapore as a regional leader in the fight against illegal wildlife trade, a harsher jail term of seven years can be considered.
Next, one significant gap in the ESA Bill as it stands would appear to be the online wildlife trade. An overwhelming share of the illegal wildlife trade is now carried out online. A 2020 study found that more than a third of all reptile species were traded online. Almost 90% of those species were caught from the wild, with many being rare and endangered. There are recent reports of exotic wildlife being sold as pets on social media in Singapore.
These examples demonstrate the extent to which the Internet is used as a tool in conducting such deplorable trades.
I propose that advertising endangered wildlife or wildlife products on these online platforms should also be treated as an offence if those transactions would be illegal under the law. We should require online platforms to self-police the transactions they facilitate in this regard.
Sir, the CITES regulations operate under a blacklisting model. The trade of species which are listed in the various appendices are regulated. At present, almost 6,000 animal and 33,000 plant species are protected against over-exploitation. Nevertheless, this still represents a small fraction of animals and plants on earth. Larger, more charismatic animals are disproportionately represented in these appendices. Species that are identified by experts and NGOs as being threatened by trade take many years to make it into CITES listings. Without such a listing, unregulated trade in wildlife is the default.
Sir, I suggest that Singapore show leadership regionally and globally and move beyond CITES by considering a new approach to regulating the trade in wildlife – reverse listing.
The current model of direct listing relies on customs agents to verify shipments. It places the burden of proof of trade sustainability onto the Government and on NGO watchdogs, while businesses profit from the trade. Newly described species, those that have just been discovered and have just become known to science, newly discovered species which are usually unlisted, are left completely vulnerable to trade.
Why not, then, use a reverse-listing model which would make \"no-trade\" the default?
Such a system would require the traders themselves to produce proof of sustainable trade. Such a system could also incorporate a default ban on newly discovered species for a certain period of time, so as to allow time for that species to be listed, if the facts so warrant.
In conclusion, Sir, given the scale of biodiversity loss, unrestricted trade in wildlife is simply no longer acceptable. What some scientists have dubbed the Anthropocene era – the era in earth’s history when human actions drive change in global climate and biological conditions – must not become the era of another mass extinction.
Rare and endangered species have a key role to play in keeping ecosystems in balance. Their bodies may contain keys to biopharmaceutical and other scientific breakthroughs. And they form part of the earth’s magnificent diversity, of which we are stewards and which should not be denied to future generations of human beings – and when I say that, I look up at the Gallery and I see many young students – very heartening to see that.
In Asia, the problem is acute, as Asia is home to many endangered species while also being a major global centre of demand for endangered wildlife and wildlife products. While public awareness of the plight of iconic species, such as the African Elephant and the Black Rhino, for example, is relatively high, many other less high-profile species are also prey to illegal wildlife markets. In Southeast Asia, the Asian Elephant population has declined by 50% over the past century. The four species of Asian pangolins are now among most poached animals in the world, by some reports.
Sir, this Bill is a step in the right direction. But going forward, Singapore can go further and can do more to demonstrate forward thinking and leadership on this issue by going beyond CITES.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Yip Hon Weng.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, Singapore is a major transhipment hub. Post-pandemic, we expect the volume of imports and exports to increase substantially. This will correspondingly apply to the illegal wildlife trade. Southeast Asia is a hotspot for illegal wildlife trade. As such, we must stay vigilant and come down hard on illegal wildlife traders. The Bill amendments are laudable improvements. However, I seek clarifications in several areas.
First, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, illegal wildlife trade should be recognised as serious organised crime. Member Louis Ng raised this earlier as well. According to INTERPOL, wildlife crime is a part of serious organised crime, which feeds into money laundering, tax evasion and corruption. Many other countries, including Hong Kong and the European Union, have also treated illegal wildlife trade as such. In doing so, the relevant authorities are accorded greater enforcement powers to investigate the illegal wildlife trade. This enables them to effectively track down the heads of the syndicates through the money flows.
Following the amendments, persons prosecuted under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) would receive a maximum of four years' prison sentence and a fine of up to $500,000. This is paltry, compared to $66 million, the value of a single shipment of elephant ivory and pangolin scales intercepted in Singapore in 2019. I propose that the prison sentence should be raised to no less than five years for deterrence. The aggregate fine should be three times the market value of the goods, aligning it with the Customs Act.
Second, Mr Deputy Speaker, we must do more to investigate and conduct enforcement of illegal wildlife trade happening in the digital realm. The problem is getting more widespread. Only a week ago, we read in the media of local Telegram groups being blatantly used to buy and sell exotic pets. Are our Police, NParks or Customs closely monitoring such groups? What is the possibility of identifying and arresting the perpetrators? Would the buyers be penalised, if they transacted with the seller but do not yet have the animal in possession? Would sellers be prosecuted as a business or commercial entity, even if they are not registered as a business? It would also be pertinent to find out how such traders could still bring in these exotic wildlife.
In recent years, INTERPOL updated its training syllabus to address ways to tackle digitally-enabled wildlife trafficking. With increasing amounts of digital evidence recovered during wildlife crime investigations, digital forensics is high on the training agenda.
The emphasis that INTERPOL places on such skills among their crime investigative professionals is a testament to how widespread and severe the online wildlife trade problem is. Besides social media platforms and messaging apps like Telegram, the dark web has also become an increasingly popular platform for wildlife trafficking syndicates to conduct their operations. Do our local NGOs and agencies have the capabilities, training and resources to effectively track down these criminals in the digital realm?
Third, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we need to hold online technology companies accountable for exposing wildlife crime and thwarting the sale of exotic pets online. The Digital Services Act by the European Parliament was recently amended to introduce new transparency requirements for companies that will make the detection of illegal wildlife products and law enforcement easier. It makes explicit reference to the illegal trade of animals in the definition of \"illegal content\". In addition, it requires that service providers take quick and effective measures to remove illegal content from their services. This is to ensure that \"what is illegal offline is illegal online\". Would the Ministry look into adopting similar measures?
Fourth, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the legislative treatment with regards to wildlife management and relevant laws should be more holistic.
Presently, there are two acts covering wildlife, namely, the Wildlife Act and ESA. ESA only covers animals listed under the CITES Convention. I believe there is scope to combine the two acts to remove existing overlaps, if any, and to streamline the clauses. Moreover, can we have ESA expanded to cover more than just CITES animals?
Lastly, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we must deter consumers from contributing to illegal wildlife trade. This should be done through public education and effective enforcement and heavier penalties for offenders. Government regulations prohibit the ownership of most species of wild animals as pets. Yet, as mentioned earlier, we have local Telegram channels with people selling and seeking out exotic pets. Even though NParks can enforce on buyers who have such wildlife in possession, we should perhaps consider indicating \"buying or looking to buy\" as an offence under the Act. This will deter consumption and widespread queries in these Telegram chat groups.
Last month, a video of a woman carrying an endangered African Crown Crane in Singapore went viral. It was thought to be a runaway pet. These make me question the severity of current penalties. Under the Wildlife Act, there is a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to six months for first time offenders keeping prohibited wildlife as pets. Can the Minister share more about the enforcement of this law? How many were convicted? What were the penalties? How were they caught? Are there routine checks conducted for signs of illegally kept wildlife in potential areas such as around landed estates? Are there people keeping certain exotic pets under a permit? If so, are routine visits conducted to ensure that the animal is still being responsibly housed and not used for breeding? Are vets required to make a report if they come across an exotic pet that is illegal or suspected to be procured through illegal means?
Public education is imperative. We need to educate people on why they should not keep wildlife as pets. There have been several cases of wildlife being discreetly abandoned and released into our nature reserves. To create an effective public education programme, we should obtain an understanding of the degree of public awareness about owning exotic pets in Singapore. Is it due to ignorance and assumption that they make easy pets? Are consumers aware that releasing non-native wildlife into our forests and nature reserves upset our biodiversity and have adverse consequences on our ecosystem?
The adverse consequences of wildlife trade on public health deserves more prominence. Illegal wildlife trade fuels the spread of zoonotic diseases and pandemics. Some of the most common and deadliest human diseases are caused by bacteria and viruses of animal origin, including COVID-19. We have experienced first-hand the terrible consequences of a pandemic on lives and livelihoods. We must do everything within our means to stop or at least slow down the next one.
In conclusion, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, Singapore must take firm action to abide by our international commitments and do right by international laws. The illegal wildlife trade is the fourth largest trade behind drugs, human trafficking and counterfeiting. It also raises concerns about future pandemics. I am glad to know that we actively contributing to CITES and the INTERPOL Wildlife Crime Working Group. I am confident that we can do more to utilise our capabilities in this area.
Ultimately, exotic pets and their by-products are non-essential luxuries. Yet the market for such pointless indulgences is built at the expense of needless immense suffering of living creatures. As Singapore moves towards a more compassionate and kinder society, we should not only encourage mutual care and concern amongst the people but also speak up and do more for the voiceless. I support the amendments. Thank you.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How.
Mr Tan Kiat How: Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Members who have spoken for their views and support of this Bill. Let me first address the points they have raised on ESA, followed by briefly addressing the other suggestions they have made to tackle illegal wildlife trade that go beyond the Act.
First, on the proposed penalties for illegal wildlife trade in ESA.
Members, Mr Louis Ng, Mr Leon Perera and Mr Yip Hon Weng all have observed that that the illegal wildlife trade can make for very lucrative business and asked if the penalties for illegal wildlife trade could therefore be further enhanced to increase deterrence. For example, by raising the proposed imprisonment term for individuals who illegally trade Appendix II or III species from four to five years, as suggested by Mr Yip Hong Weng, and increasing the maximum aggregate fine further across the board to three times the market value of the goods.
First, I agree with Members on the need for adequate penalties. That is why we have further enhanced our penalty framework, following feedback from the public consultation exercise we went through earlier.
We will increase the fines and jail terms that can be meted out for individuals who illegally trade in CITES species as well as penalties for the domestic trade in CITES species to align with that for international trade. We will also introduce stiffer penalties for corporate offenders who illegally trade CITES species. These are corporations, unincorporated associations or partnerships. In addition, the maximum aggregate fine will be raised across the board to match the market value of all illegally traded CITES species comprised in the offence, where the market value is higher than the maximum aggregate fine of $500,000 or $1,000,000 for individual and corporate offenders respectively.
So, you can see that we are taking significant steps in raising the penalties from the current Act, while also providing greater clarity to existing penalties such as specifying that the offender will be fined on the basis of each specimen of the CITES species comprised in the offence.
At the same time, we need to strike the right balance, by ensuring that the penalties meted out are proportionate to the offence and consistent with our domestic legislation.
For example, we have proposed higher penalties in this Act as compared to the Wildlife Act that Mr Yip Hon Weng mentioned which covers common wildlife. This is in view that illegal trade in CITES species has a significantly higher impact on the survival of these endangered species in the wild.
In addition to pegging the maximum aggregate fine to the market value of the goods, we have also proposed a maximum aggregate fine of $1,000,000 for corporate offenders.\tThis allows the Courts the flexibility to consider other aggravating factors and to impose much heavier penalties in cases where the market value of the goods is low.
This cap for the maximum aggregate fine for corporate offenders is proportionate to other serious offences in our domestic legislation, for example, the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act, where corporate offenders may be subject to a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the value of the benefits reaped from offences such as drug dealing.
Moreover, it is not just about consistency with our domestic legislation. Importantly, ESA gives effect to our commitment as a CITES party. It touches on Singapore's obligation as a CITES party to combat illegal wildlife trade.
As cited by Mr Leon Perera, we have indeed benchmarked our proposed penalty framework against neighbouring jurisdictions in the region.
I would like to clarify with Mr Perera that we are not the lowest in the region in terms of penalty. Our penalties will be roughly on par with our neighbours. For example, the proposed range of four to eight years for the maximum imprisonment terms for illegal wildlife trade offences is comparable to Malaysia, whose maximum imprisonment is up to seven years. It also places Singapore on the middle end of the spectrum regionally.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar impose a maximum imprisonment term of up to 10 to 15 years, albeit with a significantly much lower monetary fine compared to our framework. Meanwhile, in Cambodia, Laos and Indonesia, the maximum imprisonment terms are up to five years. So, we are not the lowest – compared with our neighbouring jurisdictions.
We have introduced differentiated heavier penalties for offences involving CITES Appendix I species, which is also aligned to jurisdictions such as Brunei, the Philippines and Hong Kong.
In addition, the Bill will introduce provisions to allow for the seizure or forfeiture of items used to conceal CITES species as well as their conveyances. This will serve to further deter illegal wildlife trade as would-be smugglers would face the prospect of losing their vehicles as well as any additional cargo that was used to commit the offence.
In a nutshell, we are taking steps to significantly raise the penalties. At the same time, we are mindful that the penalties need to be proportionate to the offence and are broadly consistent with other domestic legislation as well as comparable with our neighbours.
I would like to assure Members that we will continue to review our penalty framework to ensure that they serve as a sufficient deterrent against illegal wildlife trade.
Members have also pointed out that it would be important to reduce consumer demand for illegally traded CITES species by targeting buyers.
Although buyers of illegally traded CITES species can already be penalised under the Act, Members such as Mr Louis Ng suggested to explicitly include the act of buying as an offence in the Act. This was also a suggestion raised during our public consultation exercise, which we have considered carefully.
Although \"buying\" is not explicitly set out as an offence in our legislation, Mr Yip Hon Weng has also pointed out there are other levers that penalise buyers of illegally traded CITES species. And NParks has taken enforcement action using these levers.
For example, under section 4 of ESA, any person in possession of a CITES species that has been illegally imported is guilty of an offence. This includes possession of such a species purchased from a seller.
Under section 19 of ESA, any persons who abets the commission of any offence under ESA is also guilty of an offence. This means that buyers can be penalised for facilitating the sale of illegally traded CITES species, including CITES species that cannot be sold, such as elephant ivory and rhinoceros horns.
Over the last five years, NParks has used these provisions to charge eight persons for the possession of illegally traded CITES species and three persons for facilitating the sale of such species.
I would like to assure Members that NParks will continue to be vigilant on this front and exercise these levers to tackle this issue.
At the same time, we are mindful that there may also be persons who are unsuspecting purchasers of illegally traded CITES species.
Most of the general public might not be able to differentiate between CITES species and non-CITES species, much less be able to verify if the species was traded legally.
Hence, we aim to tackle this issue upstream. NParks conducts regular checks on businesses and individuals who sell CITES species to ensure that they have the relevant permits for the species.
Just last year, NParks carried out two island-wide operations and seized more than 90 wildlife specimens, including some CITES species, from sellers who had listed them on social media and e-commerce platforms. These online sellers did not have the relevant permits for the CITES species.
So, I would like to assure Members that we are paying close attention to such illegally traded CITES species on online platforms, including e-commerce platforms.
Mr Yip Hon Weng asked if online sellers would be prosecuted as a business or commercial entity even if they did not have a business registration.
In the case that I just mentioned, based on NParks' investigations, the online sellers were persons who were keeping the wildlife as pets or breeding them at home for sale. They are individuals with no registered businesses and will be dealt with accordingly under ESA.
Also, in response to Mr Yip's comments, I would like to clarify that there are CITES species that can be kept as pets in Singapore but only with permission and the relevant permits from NParks.
Whether CITES species can be kept as pets is based on several factors, including the potential impact to animal and public health, animal welfare, environmental impact and public safety. NParks regularly reviews the suitability of these wildlife species as pets. So, apart from regulating the wildlife trade in Singapore, we also regulate the keeping of wildlife as pets to safeguard animal health and welfare.
We also aim to maintain a balanced ecosystem, which can be disrupted when non-native wildlife is illegally abandoned or released into our green and blue spaces.
NParks receives tip-offs and monitors online and social media platforms for cases of illegally kept wildlife and will not hesitate to take strict action.
For example, in 2020, NParks charged an individual for the illegal possession and sale of a boa constrictor, which is listed in CITES Appendix II, on the online messaging service, Telegram. The individual was later fined $1,000.
With the amendments proposed in this Bill, such offenders will be subject to stiffer penalties, including a monetary fine of up to $100,000 and a maximum imprisonment term of up to six years for the sale and advertisement of illegally traded CITES species. This is in addition to our work with enforcement agencies and the industry to ensure that all CITES species are legally traded in Singapore.
Our partnerships also play an important role to enhance our measures to combat illegal wildlife trade, including to bolster our capabilities to effectively tackle new forms of illegal wildlife trade, such as the recent shift of the trade on to online platforms, as Mr Yip Hon Weng highlighted.
Let me just touch on this item as part of our investigation and enforcement regime under ESA.
Today, NParks works closely with the industry, such as e-commerce platforms and online auction houses, to combat the illegal trade of CITES species online. Mr Yip Hon Weng suggested we hold the digital platforms accountable for removing content advertising and facilitating the sale of illegally traded CITES species. We regularly engage these platforms to raise awareness on the impacts of illegal wildlife trade and educate these stakeholders on how they can contribute to our efforts to prevent the online trade of these products. Thus far, the industry has been cooperative and committed to prevent the illegal sale of these products on their platforms.
Mr Yip referenced the Digital Services Act. The European Parliament and Council reached an agreement on this set of new rules only earlier this year and from what we understand, it has not been formally approved. We will continue to monitor this space.
NParks also works closely with enforcement agencies and international organisations, tapping on their expertise and experience, to complement its capabilities and resources in tracking down illegal wildlife traders online. For example, NParks works with the Singapore Police Force to extract information from digital devices that may be helpful in our investigations.
NParks also has a group of well-trained enforcement officers to tackle illegal wildlife trade. These officers are trained in the implementation of CITES provisions, the identification of CITES species, investigative methods and the use of technology to aid enforcement. Their officers also attend international conferences and workshops, including those organised by INTERPOL on combatting cyber-enabled wildlife crime, to keep up with developments in this field, as well as to share best practices with one another.
Mr Louis Ng asked if we could include a reward to incentivise informers to make reports, drawn from fines imposed under ESA. I thank Mr Louis Ng for his suggestion. Indeed, NParks will receive tip-offs from time to time to enforce against illegal wildlife trafficking and that is why we have made amendments to protect the identity of these informers, which may encourage more persons to provide information about such illegal activities.
We are in the midst of exploring the feasibility of a reward programme, to further encourage informers to step forward. We are reviewing the approaches taken by other agencies, such as the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore. We will continue to explore the implementation of such a programme administratively.
Let me also take the chance to clarify a few points that were raised by Mr Leon Perera, one of which regarding the Bengal Cat. Mr Leon Perera, I think, may have misinterpreted or heard my earlier speech wrongly. The Bengal Cat is a cross between the wild Asian Leopard Cat, a CITES-listed species, and a domestic cat. Today, traders are not required to produce a permit in the ESA when trading Bengal Cats, but traders have been cooperative and are doing so. Moving forward, when the amendments to the Act come into force, it will be a requirement in the ESA for traders to provide these permits for the trade of such Bengal Cats. So, just to clarify the point that Mr Leon Perera raised just now.
The second point that Mr Leon Perera also raised was about going beyond the CITES agreement to have, for example, reverse listings, and to include different species that are not currently listed in the CITES appendices. Allow me just to clarify with Mr Leon Perera, that CITES currently, in the world, is the only international agreement under the United Nations framework that regulates the trade of endangered species. It is the international body, to which almost all countries have signed up, to enforce regulations for sustainable trade in these endangered species. So, CITES is the main vehicle in which these rules and regulations are enforced and implemented across the world. The intent of ESA is to give effect to Singapore's obligations as a CITES Party, and to enforce these rules as a responsible member of CITES.
On his point about taking leadership in ASEAN, I am very glad to share with Mr Leon Perera, that indeed, we are taking leadership as far as we can within the region. For example, earlier in my speech, I said that we set up the Centre for Wildlife Forensics, which became a CITES reference laboratory. In March earlier this year, NParks' youth stewards, under the Youth Stewards for Nature programme, also organised a World Wildlife Day Regional Youth Symposium, bringing youths from across the region, come together to discuss these issues, think about solutions and work together as one community. So, indeed, we are playing our part in the region and taking our leadership role as well as we can with our members in our region and I welcome all the young people sitting up there too to join our programmes.
Let me just touch on the last part of the questions that were raised by the various Members, which were on the overall scope of ESA.
Mr Yip Hon Weng asked if the scope of ESA could be expanded to include non-CITES species, or streamlined with the Wildlife Act, to regulate all wildlife matters in Singapore.
Today, NParks oversees various Acts which deal with different aspects of animal-related policies. ESA regulates the trade of animal and plant species listed under the CITES in Singapore. This primarily tackles the international trade in the species and affirms our international commitment as a Party to CITES. The Wildlife Act, on the other hand, ensures the protection, preservation and management of Singapore's wildlife. So, these pieces of legislation have different but complementary functions and they come together to support our efforts to safeguard animal health and welfare.
It is important that we have a strong and robust legislative framework underpinning our efforts to tackle wildlife crime. This is why we continue to review and update our legislation. The Wildlife Act, previously named the Wild Animals and Birds Act, was amended and came into force in June 2020. And now, we are also amending ESA, to keep pace with the times and ensure that we can continue to effectively combat all forms of illegal wildlife trade in Singapore.
Let me now move on to other issues that were raised on tackling illegal wildlife trade beyond ESA's scope.
To enhance our levers to combat illegal wildlife trade, Mr Yip Hon Weng and Mr Louis Ng asked for illegal wildlife trade to be recognised as a serious organised crime in Singapore. I thank the Members for their suggestions.
The Organised Crime Act provides law enforcement agencies powers to act against organised crime and is focused on criminalising activities that are of greatest concern to Singapore.
I note Mr Louis Ng's points on the potential threats of illegal wildlife trade to public health, wildlife ecology and its use in international money laundering. These are valid considerations. I also thank Mr Louis Ng for sharing with us your position paper that you have put together with academics and NGOs and I have shared that with my fellow colleagues. We will review and assess these with the relevant agencies.
Beyond legislation and enforcement, we agree with Mr Yip Hon Weng that public education and outreach is key in combating illegal wildlife trade and in safeguarding animal health and welfare in Singapore.
We will continue to engage the community to raise awareness on Singapore's role on this front, and in turn, reduce demand for illegally sourced wildlife products in Singapore, including those sold on virtual platforms. For example, we have embarked on webinars and exhibitions to educate the public on the best practices as consumers, such as how they can identify and purchase legal CITES products.
NParks and the World Wide Fund for Nature-Singapore have jointly organised roundtable discussions with the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online, which includes digital platforms such as Facebook, or Meta, TikTok, Lazada and Carousell, to raise awareness on the illegal sale of exotic pets online.
In January this year, they also jointly engaged over 80 representatives from the shipping industry, to share best practices for tackling the illegal trade in wildlife.
Last but not least, NParks involves youths in efforts to tackle illegal wildlife trade as part of its Youth Stewards for Nature programme, which I mentioned earlier.
Mr Deputy Speaker sir, let me conclude by thanking the Members once again for their support and suggestions, and our partners and stakeholders for their feedback and support in our review of ESA.
Overall, the amendments will help to strengthen our regulations for the trade of CITES species and to enhance our penalties and enforcement powers against such illegal trade. Weeding out illegal trade in CITES-listed species requires the concerted effort of all stakeholders. The fight also goes beyond Singapore and requires strong cooperation at the bilateral, regional and international levels. We will continue to partner with the international community and with local stakeholders and the community, to combat illegal wildlife trade and safeguard our planet's natural heritage.
Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I believe I have answered and addressed all the questions and suggestions from Members. I beg to move.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Firstly, any clarifications? Yes, Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Thank you, Sir. I thank the Senior Minister of State for a very detailed response. But could I just have two clarifications? One, on making buying an offence. I know that it is currently covered under ESA, but the call from the NGOs really is to make it specific. So, section 4 of ESA already states many words – import, export, re-export, sell, advertise. Why not just add that one word: buy? If we could understand what are the concerns from the Government of just adding that one word.
Second, on the reward for informers, I did it through a private Member's Bill to introduce section 13 into the Wildlife Act, which does provide reward to informers for people who are in possession or trading of less endangered species. So, it would be a bit strange now. We provide you a reward if you give us a tip-off for less protected animals, but we do not legislate it and give you a reward for if you give us tip-offs for more protected or endangered animals. I really hope we can close that loophole. Thank you.
Mr Tan Kiat How: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think Mr Louis Ng raised two points, one about the insertion of the explicit mention of buying as an offence under the Act. As I explained earlier, it is an offence to possess or facilitate the sale of illegally-traded CITES species. And we have actually enforced these levers, previously under the existing Act, even today. On the other hand, I think we are also mindful of sending a signal that actually there are many people in the general public who may not be able to recognise what is a CITES listed species, what is a non-CITES listed species, what was illegally traded or not, and we do not want to send the wrong signal to those members of the public as well.
So, I just want to assure the Member that we have considered this carefully, as part of the public consultation feedback that I personally had with many of the NGOs and many of the focus groups. I understand the concerns and I think if there is an issue about signalling to consumers and buyers that they have to be careful and be mindful of what they purchase and where they purchase from, that I agree. And we continue do public education and awareness and consumer awareness campaigns. We will continue to work on those issues.
The second point that he raised was around the reward for the informers. I mentioned in my clarification that we are exploring and reviewing this framework and we are not closed to this idea. So, give us some time, we are looking into this. It is an important area and that is why we have moved in this Act, in this amendment, to protect the identity of such informers because we rely on tip-offs and many of these informants to give us the tip-offs and the information for us to do our operations and enforcement. So, to Mr Louis Ng's second clarification, just to assure him, we are looking into this area.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Tan Kiat How]. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Adjournment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Resolved, \"That at its rising today, Parliament do stand adjourned to 1.30 pm tomorrow.\" – [Ms Indranee Rajah]. (proc text)]
The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\"
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in Mandarin, for my residents, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Since the announcement of SERS in April, I have spoken with a number of residents about the effect of SERS on their lives.
I have a total of 606 households affected by SERS. Each of these units tell different stories – a single mother who worked hard to move out of a rental unit into a resale flat after her divorce; an elderly uncle who hopes to continue to live in a same sized flat so that his grandchildren can continue to come over and stay; a resident who recently used her life savings to renovate because they had no choice due to spalling concrete of their old flat.
Two elderly sisters bought flats adjacent to each other in the hopes of being able to look after each other in their old age. The older sister told me that her salary earned her barely enough to get by and she had just paid off her loan. Now she doesn’t know what to do; when she was talking to me, she almost broke into tears.
I would like to share the concerns of my residents. They wrote to me, \"Upon hearing the news on SERS, we are constantly worrying over our housing issue.\" My residents are worried; I am also very worried because most of them are senior citizens and retirees.
Despite that, they still say that they will work together with the Government to achieve a win-win situation so that the residents can retire in a stress-free environment, and that the land can be better utilised for our future generations.
(In English): First, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to sincerely thank our residents in Cheng San-Seletar for their trust in sharing their worries and concerns with my team and I, as well as the HDB team, who have been willing to listen to these concerns and also have taken steps to propose options for residents. It has been many sleepless nights on either side.
Since the announcement in April, I have had the opportunity to speak with my residents who live in the four blocks been identified for the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS). I have spoken to some residents during my house visits, at the Meet-the-People Sessions, on the phone, via email and other means.
In past SERS exercises, words, such as \"windfall\", or \"the lucky ones\" were used. But SERS can be seen as a bane. It depends on the circumstances of each individual household and the sites which have been identified.
I have encountered different reactions. Some look at it as an opportunity to replace an old flat with a new one that will likely appreciate in value. Meanwhile, for others, it is a destabilising event. Beyond financial reasons, some are reluctant to move as they saw themselves growing old for the rest of their lives in the current unit.
These perspectives are informed by factors like age of the home owners, health, employment status, ability to take on debt and the financial implications of the large difference in market value between their old flats and the price of the new ones.
This Adjournment Motion is motivated by the Ang Mo Kio SERS exercise in the constituency that I serve. However, as redevelopment is a fact of life in land scarce Singapore, I hope that the context of the issues raised and potential solutions proposed will be given consideration in the broader pursuit of achieving equitable outcomes in housing redevelopment.
Sir, with more than 80% of our population today living in HDB flats, home ownership continues to be a cornerstone of our public housing system. As our flats continue to age creeping towards year 99, redevelopment has become an even more important part of being able to fulfil the housing needs of future generations.
I would like to take a moment to briefly look at the rationale for the 99-year lease.
In the 1950s, living conditions were a far cry in the settlements than what they are today. And to remedy this, in the 1960s, the HDB was established. From its formation, it was clear that in land scarce Singapore, the constant development of new towns, further and further out from the core, was not going to be tenable. And, as explained in National Day Rally 2018 by Prime Minister, the 99-year lease was introduced to be fair to future generations too. At the crux of this is the ability to be able to, upon the end of the 99-year lease, reclaim the land and build new flats for the next generation of home owners.
This makes sense. Demand for new public housing is steep as earmarked by the oversubscriptions generally each time HDB releases a new BTO project from the many Meet-the-People Sessions appeals that my fellow hon colleagues face every week.
Redevelopment programmes like SERS were introduced as part of a broader strategy to meet this demand by ensuring that land is used more effectively. SERS is a selective scheme limited to precincts with high redevelopment potential. We have heard that this applies to only approximately 5% of all HDB estates and that most projects have already been selected.
I ask that we consider how best to mitigate the chasm between the needs of the future and the needs of the present. SERS is blunt in its application affecting all residents of the identified estates, but given the variety of the home owners and complexity of the housing schemes, the solutions offered cannot be based on a one-size-fits-all approach. In this regard, HDB has over the years introduced new policies to cater to a diverse customer base, sensitive to needs and refined provisions to suit changing circumstances.
The implementation of redevelopment programmes like SERS faces inherent challenges, exasperated by factors like an ageing population and the financial burden inherent to a decaying lease.
To illustrate this, the SERS flats in this Ang Mo Kio are approximately 43 years old, with around 56 years left on the lease as of the date of the announcement. At the same time, more than half of my residents are over the age of 55.
Take the case of Mr S, a retiree who shared that he has lived there for over 40 years – he is the original owner. He has paid off the loan for his flat and has been living on his savings since he first retired. His daughters and grandchildren visit frequently and they see this time and space together as a retreat.
He is in his 70s and so, can no longer take out a new loan, which means that he will need to use his savings to pay for the replacement flat. Due to the difference in lease values of the old and new flat, according to him, HDB's conservative estimates were that he might have to pay $135,000 if he chooses a comparable unit of the same size.
And many residents who showed me their estimated financial plans were worried that just to maintain a flat of the same size at the replacement site, could involve a top-up of $70,000, $80,000 or $90,000, which meant dipping into their retirement savings, or trying to find a new loan. In the alternative, they could move to an area where houses are cheaper, or accept a smaller unit. But given that they did not ask to be rehomed, or that they were interested in a unit with a a new lease in the first place, these outcomes are, to put it plainly, shocking to them.
For this reason, I do welcome the recent announcements by HDB to offer alternative lease options and I sincerely thank those involved in bringing this to fruition as I know that such shifts in policy require much deliberation.
But even with these options, there are still gaps to cross as needs vary greatly across our resident demographics.
While I understand that it is improbable in policy making that every single circumstance gets accounted for, I think Members of this House will agree that the goal is to strive towards making sure that home owners do not get disadvantaged by redevelopment programmes like SERS. And since value will be unlocked, I hope that this can be shared with residents
I have some clarifications. I will begin with rehousing options, focusing on the options for a new replacement flat.
Two days ago, HDB announced some bold additions to the rehousing options available, which also meant changes in my speech.
In the discussions I have had with residents, a significant number indicated that they did not need or want to buy a new 99-year lease. They just want to live out their retiring years in peace. I am glad that residents now have this option of a 50-year lease. During house visits on Saturday, Mdm Loh and Mr Cang, in their 60s and 70s, were appreciative that this option was now available, allowing them to move to a brand new flat of a similar size, for roughly the same number of years left on their current lease by the time the replacement site is completed.
But there may still be barriers standing in the way of achieving the intended positive effects.
Notably, the Bala Curve: the financial value of leases decay in an accelerated fashion towards the end of the lease.
In simple terms, what this might mean for SERS residents is this: 50% of the lease does not mean the 50% of the listing price. Every 99-year leasehold land in Singapore is pegged to 96% of freehold land's value. As the lease starts to be used up, the value of the land as a percentage of the freehold land decreases.
Estimates drawn up by HDB naturally make certain assumptions. Residents will be able to use all their CPF refunded sums to buy a new flat, they are eligible for a SERS grant of $30,000 and there is no outstanding loan for their current home.
Based on these assumptions, I understand that residents who decide to purchase homes on a 50-year lease will generally see positive proceeds from the sale of their flats.
In the same examples provided by HDB, should the current home owner pick the 99-year lease option for a replacement 4-room flat, they could be $55,000 out-of-pocket, as an estimate.
But what percentage of residents actually meet all these assumptions?
I seek the Ministry's assurance that no resident will have to top up further funds should they choose this proposed 50-year lease option. And if it is not the case, then what will HDB's approach be to ensure no resident is disadvantaged?
As a part of HDB's homes for life strategy, this option is only granted to home owners over the age of 55. And I ask if the HDB will consider extending this option to younger home owners on a case-by-case basis, if they find it more affordable.
I also note that home owners who purchase this 50-year lease will be able to sell or rent out their flats in the future. And given the young age that this applies to, I think this is a good idea. However, I seek some clarity.
For example, a 46-year-old resident who may go through a medical emergency in 10 years after moving into the new home which causes a lot of financial strain, to the point where her family may need to downsize their house to receive cash on hand for treatment.
I understand that it is not possible for HDB to know what the housing market will be like in the future, but I wonder if the market for such shorter-lease homes will be a ready and favourable one for sellers. How will they be priced and what will happen once the full 50 years run out given that the rest of the estate will have until 99 years? In the future, this estate may pose a curious mix of flats with varying leases, potentially creating price distortion in the market and I would like to ask if HDB has considered these implications.
Sir, one other change which HDB has proposed is to permit eligible residents to participate in the Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) with their existing flat. Previously, flat owners could no longer apply for the LBS after their flat has been announced for SERS and would have to fulfil a five-year minimum occupancy period (MOP) on their replacement flat.
Given that many living in these SERS blocks are seniors, a significant portion will qualify for this. However, the take-up rate of LBS is low, is fairly small – 1,636 households in 2019 and 1,528 households in 2020.
There are both emotional and financial reasons given for this. Some wish to hand their homes down to children, some prefer to sublet as rental income, some would rather the cash be realised on hand rather than going into CPF and some feel there is uncertainty if they outlive the length of the lease.
Through this SERS exercise, I fully empathise with the concerns of our residents. As LBS requires careful consideration, I would like to ask if HDB will be able to consider either dialogues or individual sessions with seniors who wish to consider this.
One other rehousing option is a 10% priority in new sales exercises if the delivery possession date of such flats is before that of the SERS replacement site. Some residents see this as a good opportunity to move nearer to their children or grandchildren, or nearer to schools of their school-going children's choice.
But I have two points here. Some residents have also expressed hopes of applying and receiving the 10% priority allocation for another upcoming Ang Mo Kio BTO launched in August 2022, consisting of 2-room Flexi, 4-room, 5-room and 3Gen flats, in particular highlighting that this would be nearer the MRT station. For inter-generational families or young families who wish to take this chance to buy a bigger home, the 5-room option here, which is not available in the SERS replacement site, is an attractive and important one. Some are eagerly awaiting to hear the delivery possession date.
Priority allocation would allow them some certainty, as the largest flat type in the previous Ang Mo Kio BTO in November 2019 was oversubscribed by more than 13 times. I would like to also ask, based on past SERS exercises, how many exercises have SERS affected residents been able to choose from, on average, which allowed them this 10% priority allocation? Knowing these estimates will allow residents to plan accordingly.
Out of the 606 resident households, there are approximately a quarter of residents who are required to pay a resale levy. I understand the principle of this is building a pot of monies that will be redistributed from sellers who have benefited from subsidised housing in the past, to buyers whose turn it is now to benefit from said subsidy. The resale levy payable is determined at the point you book your second subsidised flat and payment must be made, using your flat sale proceeds and/or cash. Housing loans are not to be extended.
In 2019, hon Member Ms Tin Pei Ling had asked, \"Given that SERS is involuntary, whether the Government would consider waiving the resale levy for households affected by SERS\". This is an ask by many who do not have this cash and I would like to ask if MND can consider waiving or deferring the payment of this levy.
I appreciated the HDB SERS team who have taken great pains to walk through the SERS timeline in detail with residents. I understand that the valuation of the homes will be released sometime in Q42022. Many have felt the uncertainty, with some already putting their flats on the open market for prices as high as $700,000.
The rehousing decision has to be made by Q12023. I ask for the Ministry's assurance that the residents will be given ample time to consider their options and many have shared that three months are not enough. They hope that valuation will be carefully considered and released as soon as possible so that they can make plans.
And finally, on valuation. Many have expressed disappointment on the estimations, highlighting the number of bus services currently running at the SERS blocks versus the new site, access to wet markets and in particular, proximity to the future Tavistock MRT station. Works for this station has started, and they will be putting up with the dust and the noise, but not be able to reap the benefits.
Could the Ministry clarify if these such conveniences are being considered in the independent valuer's valuation and also that the new site will be improved along the way to include amenities, given that this estate will be home to at least 1,000 households?
I also understand that the new SERS replacement area has been marked for further residential use. Could the Ministry please elaborate what the residents can expect in the future and what will become of the old site?
On pricing, the range of a 4-room flat in the replacement site is up to $563,000 and with BTO prices rising, I would be grateful if the Ministry could share what the breakdown of the components that make up this price?
Finally, one other concern I have is on the number of new replacement flats available. The projected total number of flats is 1,065 up to level 25, whereas the current SERS flats only have 606 units up to level 13. So, based on my estimation, this means that there is only 530 flats in the new site that level 13 and below. This implies that if all current residents select the new site, some residents will have to buy higher floor, meaning at a higher flat price, or may have to choose a different flat type, depending on the mix.
I will be grateful if HDB could please revisit the flat mix and ensure that there is a comparable flat? Mr Deputy Speaker, in Malay, please.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] As we have already seen, the ability to own a house is one of the main concerns of every Singaporean.
For young couples who have just started working, they are worried that their savings and CPF funds will not be sufficient to buy a new flat in view of the rising cost of housing. For those who have retired like many Cheng San – Seletar residents who were selected to undergo SERS, they are worried that they cannot afford a replacement home.
Therefore, subsidies and grants of $30,000, and a $10,000 removal allowance for reasonable expenses are most welcome. I hope the Government can review the subsidies and assistance given because I understand that it was last revised in 2014.
(In English): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am committed to bringing my residents' appeal to Parliament. We are 606 affected households – hardworking Singaporeans who have worked for most of their lives to pay off their housing loans. And many have been looking forward to living out their older years, debt free. Each of these units tell different stories and many of them are close neighbours and even hope to ballot together to continue staying along the same corridors.
I am grateful that we have written a successful housing story over the past few decades and while there are no easy answers in redevelopment, whether SERS or VERS, as our leases decay, we must write a new chapter, assure and bring along our people, so they know that they will always have a fair and concrete stake in our country. [Applause.]
Mr Deputy Speaker: Minister Desmond Lee.
The Minister for National Development (Mr Desmond Lee): Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the Member for her passionate speech. The Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme, or SERS, allows us to provide new homes for residents in ageing estates, while redeveloping these sites to build more flats for Singaporeans in need of housing.
By intensifying the land early, the Government shares the gains with residents through a package that compensates them for their existing flats at market value. This is determined by a private valuer who will take reference from recent transactions of comparable resale flats, the remaining lease duration and flat attributes, including the condition and extent of renovation works.
So, to answer the Member's query, the valuation would factor in public information on existing, as well as new amenities and infrastructure coming onstream in the area.
If residents have concerns about the valuation of their flats, they can present their valuation alongside the valuation provided by HDB to the Appeals Board, provided for under the Land Acquisition Act, for the neutral tribunal's assessment. And we can guide them through the process, if necessary.
On top of the market compensation, eligible households will receive a SERS grant of up to $30,000 and a $10,000 removal allowance to cover the cost of moving. We will also provide residents a sum, for the stamp and legal fees that they incur.
In terms of rehousing options, they can choose to buy a new replacement flat at the designated replacement site, at a subsidised price with a fresh 99-year ownership duration. Like all other BTO flats, these replacement flats are priced with a significant subsidy below market value, to ensure affordability.
Alternatively, residents can apply for BTO or sale-of-balance flats at other locations and receive priority, with up to 10% of flats set aside for allocation. These SERS policies have been consistently applied across exercises, including the recent Ang Mo Kio SERS exercise and the Marsiling relocation exercise.
In April, we announced that Blocks 562 to 565 at Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 will be undergoing SERS. The site comprises 606 units, with a balance lease of about 57 years. Eligible flat owners will be offered new replacement flats at Ang Mo Kio Drive nearby. And by the time the flat owners collect the keys to their new replacement flats at nearby Ang Mo Kio Drive in around 2027, their current flats would have a balance lease of around 51 to 52 years.
Holding size, location and other attributes constant, an older flat will have a lower market value than a younger one with a longer ownership duration. For past SERS exercises, the flats were generally younger at the point of SERS announcement, with around 70 years of lease remaining. The market value of these flats was, therefore, generally sufficient for the flat owners to purchase a new replacement flat of a similar type or size, on a fresh 99-year ownership lease.
In comparison, the flats for the Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 SERS exercise are older. So, this is the key difference here. The basis of determining the compensation for the Ang Mo Kio SERS flats is the same as past exercises.
Based on the estimated compensation amounts and estimated selling prices of the replacement flats, the Ang Mo Kio SERS flat owners are generally able to purchase a replacement flat of a similar flat type with the compensation provided, that is, a 3-room flat owner will be able to purchase a 3-room new replacement flat that comes with a full 99-year lease. But that is generally smaller than their existing older flats. Those looking for a flat of similar size or with better attributes may have to top up the amount for a fresh 99-year lease.
I met some residents affected by the Ang Mo Kio SERS exercise over the weekend together with my HDB colleagues. We visited a few households and also spoke to residents who had gathered and wanted to meet us. Some residents, particularly seniors, had shared with us that they could not afford to top up to continue living in their replacement flat of similar size as their existing flat and in familiar surroundings. Some said that did not need a fresh 99-year lease for their new flat.
We recognise these concerns of the older residents and will provide additional options for them to meet their needs.
First, HDB will offer residents an option to purchase a similar flat type at the replacement site on a 50-year term. Second, flat owners who are seniors will have an additional option of taking up the Lease Buyback Scheme, or LBS, on their existing flat and then buying a new replacement flat of the same flat type on a short lease. Seniors can monetise their flat further and enjoy an LBS bonus of up to $30,000 when they top up their CPF Retirement Account to prepare for retirement.
Why are we introducing these additional options now? First, we recognise the challenges faced by older residents living in older flats. To some of them, a brand new 99-year lease may be less important than a similar sized flat in a familiar locality. Looking ahead, the flats involved in future SERS exercises are also likely to be older, with shorter remaining terms and these needs may arise too.
A 50-year lease flat would be more affordable and the lease term is about the same as the balance lease of their current flat. For the 540 or so residents aged 45 and above in this SERS exercise, they can consider this 50-year lease option which provides them with a home of life until the age of 95. They should not need to top up for a replacement flat of the same type. Nearly all will even be able to move replacement flat of the same size, with no top-up.
Second, these shorter lease options are an extension of the approaches we have adopted to better meet the needs of our seniors over the years, such as the 2-room Flexi scheme and the LBS. In fact, we had been studying variations of shorter-term ownership options for older home owners involved in SERS exercises and have decided to offer this option now to better address the needs of older residents from this SERS exercise onwards.
Third, the short lease options are consistent with the key principle that the length of the remaining term of a flat has an effect on its market value. As the Member had pointed out, the 50-year lease is not half the price of the 99-year lease, as the market value of a flat does not follow a straight line down. The value of assets, in general, is calculated based on the time value of money, or the concept that a dollar today is worth more than a dollar in the future. This applies to most financial assets, including leasehold properties in Singapore.
Adopting this principle, the value of the first 50 years of the lease is expected to be worth more than the value of its last 50 years. But a shorter lease flat would be more affordable than a longer lease flat, all things equal.
For younger residents, we know that some of them want to buy the new replacement flats on fresh 99-year leases. So, they give up their flats of almost half a century and replace with one with almost double the lease left. Or to buy resale flats, which can be their home-for-life. HDB will continue to help them in other ways, including with housing loans, if necessary.
HDB is prepared to engage and advise the SERS residents individually. For those who do not meet the home-for-life criterion and face extenuating circumstances, we will consider availing them of the 50-year lease option on a case-by-case basis, if they are open to this option.
These additional options will not be limited to the Ang Mo Kio exercise. They will also apply to the ongoing Marsiling acquisition exercise and to future SERS exercises too.
Sir, in carrying out the SERS programme, we seek to strike a good balance between meeting the needs of existing residents, by providing them with a new flat and giving them other options, while redeveloping the site to provide for future housing needs of Singaporeans. There has been no change to our approach on the compensation to residents.
But with the SERS flats being older, we have now introduced a wider range of rehousing options and choices for residents who can then decide which one best meets their needs. The replacement flats at Ang Mo Kio Drive are nearby and will have their own range of amenities when the development is complete.
However, we recognise that residents have different expectations and needs. For instance, some residents shared that they want to continue to live in their flats and not make way for SERS, regardless of the benefits. Others would like to exchange their flat with a flat of the same size but with double the length of lease, without paying for the longer lease, or to be provided with replacement flats in more prime locations. HDB will look at each of these residents' needs. But while they will try their best, they may not be able to meet everyone's expectations perfectly.
Having personally met and spoken to some of the residents and heard feedback provided to me by my colleagues from HDB, I better understand their concerns. With the range of options available, we should be able to address their key concerns. Our HDB journey managers will continue to make door-to-door house visits to explain the additional rehousing options to residents, address any queries that they may have, and gather more feedback and concerns from individual residents.
We understand that this is a big decision and HDB will also provide ample time for residents to decide.
Finally, let me also thank the Member for her hard work and personal effort to represent her residents' concerns, and working closely with us to address their worries. Thank you, Sir.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. The time allowed for the proceedings has expired. I adjourn the House pursuant to the Standing Order. Order. Order.
[(proc text) The Question having been proposed at 5.46 pm and the Debate having continued for half an hour, Mr Deputy Speaker adjourned the House without question put, pursuant to the Standing Order. (proc text)]
Adjourned accordingly at 6.18 pm.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":"Matter Raised On Adjournment Motion","questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cases of Renovation Contractors Failing to Carry Out Works after Collecting Deposits","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"39 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) since January 2022, whether there is an increase in criminal cases involving renovation contractors taking deposits for renovation works without any intent to carry out such works; (b) what is the aggregate subject matter value for these reported cases between January 2022 to date; (c) what steps have been taken by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to deal with this problem; and (d) in particular, how much monies have SPF recovered from the perpetrators for the corresponding period.
Mr K Shanmugam: Renovation fraud generally involves renovation contractors inducing victims to make payment for promised renovation works, which are either partially completed, or not carried out at all. In most of these cases, the contractors become uncontactable after collecting payment, or provide excuses to explain why they were unable to complete the promised works.
Contractors who deceive victims into placing deposits for renovation works without any intent to carry out such works can be charged for cheating offences under section 420 of the Penal Code.
Between 2019 and 2021, Police investigated 100 cases involving errant renovation contractors. So far, 72% of these cases have been prosecuted in Court. For cases that occurred this year, we are unable to provide details at this juncture, as investigations are ongoing.
In some cases there could be genuine business distress, and the contractor may not have been able to do the work. Further, where the economic situation changes suddenly, for example during the COVID-19 pandemic, some contractors might find themselves unable to fulfill their contracts. In each case the question is whether there was fraudulent intent.
Some other cases may involve fraudulent intent, but it may be very difficult to prove that in Court. I have asked my Ministry to study if there is scope to amend the law to make it easier to establish fraud in such cases.
Recovery of monies can also be difficult. The culprit may no longer have the money. Then, while he could go to jail, his customers may not get the money.
Homeowners who intend to carry out renovation works can consider engaging contractors with a good track record, such as those accredited under the joint accreditation between the Consumer Association of Singapore and Singapore Renovation Contractors.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Risk Factors of Transmission and Being Infected by Monkeypox Virus","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"42 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry has any data on the risk factors of transmitting or being infected by the monkeypox virus, such as age, demographics or lifestyle choice.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: This will collectively address the PQs for oral answer No. 41 and 42 in the order paper, and also oral PQs filed by Dr Lim Wee Kiak, Ms Joan Pereira and Dr Wan Rizal for the sitting on and after 5 July.
On 22 June 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that since 1 January 2022, over 3,400 laboratory confirmed cases of monkeypox had been detected from 49 countries globally, including one imported case in Singapore. This global spread of monkeypox is driven mainly by person to person transmission. However monkeypox is unlikely to become a global pandemic like COVID-19, as transmission requires close or prolonged physical contact with infectious persons or contaminated material. WHO had also determined that this outbreak does not constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) as of 23 June 2022.
Monkeypox is typically a self-limiting illness where patients recover within 2 to 4 weeks. A small percentage of those infected can fall seriously ill or even die. Those particularly vulnerable to complications are young children, pregnant women or immunocompromised individuals. Data from the current multi-country outbreak indicated that in Europe, where the majority of recent cases were reported, 99% of the cases were men, and many have self-identified as men who have sex with men. Given that sexual contact with infected individuals appeared to be the main driver of the current monkeypox outbreak, and that transmission requires close physical or prolonged contact, the risk to the general public remains low.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has developed protocols and processes to manage monkeypox. These have been applied to the recent imported case reported on 21 June. Similar to the management of other emerging infectious diseases, the key to controlling the spread of monkeypox is early diagnosis and isolation of the case, contact tracing and monitoring of close contacts, and if necessary placing them in quarantine.
We require travellers to declare relevant symptoms using the electronic Health Declaration Card on arrival for early detection of cases. Individuals with symptoms will be referred for further assessment. We have also disseminated information on monkeypox, including symptoms and precautionary measures for the public to adopt. We urge individuals to see a doctor promptly when they develop symptoms, and to isolate themselves from others.
To reduce spread, cases are isolated in hospital, and their close contacts quarantined for up to 21 days from the last date of exposure, for monitoring, and offered smallpox vaccines as post-exposure prophylaxis to reduce their risk of infection or severe symptoms. MOH has also provided regular updates to all medical practitioners and healthcare institutions on the monkeypox situation, including guidance and protocols on the criteria for identifying suspect cases as well as the subsequent management of confirmed cases.
Unlike COVID-19 vaccination, mass population-wide vaccination with the smallpox vaccine is not recommended as a preventive strategy for monkeypox, in line with international recommendations and the global response thus far. Although the smallpox vaccine is up to 85% effective at preventing monkeypox, it has potentially severe side effects. For the general population, the risks of complications outweigh the benefits, because they are at low risk of being infected. Exercising personal responsibility to avoid high risk activities, especially when symptomatic, and practicing good personal hygiene remain effective at reducing the risk of transmission in the general population.
For certain healthcare and laboratory personnel who are at higher risk of occupational exposure, such as those who will directly and frequently work with infectious monkeypox cases or specimens, the proper use of personal protective equipment, and infection control practices, are effective at reducing risk of transmission. For this group, MOH is also evaluating vaccination for protection before potential exposures on a case by case basis.
MOH will continue to monitor the monkeypox situation closely and calibrate our preparedness and response measures as needed. Members of the public are encouraged to keep up to date with the Government’s advisories. They should exercise personal responsibility to monitor their personal health and maintain good hygiene, especially during travel. They should also avoid close contact with other individuals known or suspected to be ill with monkeypox infection.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reasons and Countermeasures for Recent Rise in Workplace Incidents","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"43 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how many reports have the reporting channels for unsafe workplace acts, such as SNAP@MOM and the Occupational Safety and Health Hotline, received in the last 12 months; (b) what recourse is there for vulnerable foreign workers who are made to work without safety protection by recalcitrant employers; and (c) whether a fundamental workplace safety review will be carried out.
44 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Manpower (a) over the past five years, what is the annual number of complaints lodged with the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) reporting hotline, broken down by those lodged by (i) employees (ii) employers and (iii) members of the public; and (b) whether the data reveals any relationship between the number of complaints received and the number of enforcement checks conducted, and potential WSH lapses discovered.
45 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether there are common contributing factors that lead to the workplace accidents; (b) whether there has been an increase in workplace accidents following the easing of COVID-19 safe management measures at the workplace; and (c) whether the Ministry plans to enhance workplace safety at all high-risk worksites and, if so, how.
Dr Tan See Leng: In the first six months of 2022, there has been a worrying spate of 28 workplace fatalities, compared to 17 during the same period in pre-COVID 2019.
Falls from heights and vehicular incidents alone accounted for half of these fatalities. Based on the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) preliminary investigations, most of these accidents were due to preventable safety lapses such as inadequate control measures or lack of adherence to safe work procedures. 80% of fatalities this year occurred in industries with higher-risk work settings, with 10 fatalities in Construction, five in Transport and Storage (T&S), and four each in Marine and Manufacturing respectively. While these accidents happened across companies of different sizes, majority had occurred in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
All of the accidents involved workers with at least two years of working experience and therefore inexperience is unlikely to be a contributory factor. For cases where other co-workers were involved, all of the co-workers had at least three years of working experience.
Over the past five years, MOM received around 2,400 to 3,800 reports a year on unsafe acts in workplace from various channels such as the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) hotline, eFeedback on MOM’s website and referrals from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and unions. These reports were mainly made by members of the public and complainants who chose to remain anonymous. MOM takes every report seriously. MOM assesses each feedback, inspects the workplace where needed, and ensures that the company makes the required rectifications. Where egregious lapses are found, MOM takes enforcement actions against the company. Around 84% of inspections conducted following reports of unsafe acts in the past 12 months resulted in enforcement actions taken, including fines and stop work orders.
All workers, including migrant workers, are strongly encouraged to report unsafe workplace conditions or acts to their supervisors or employers, or directly to MOM. Workers may also approach union leaders or NGOs such as the Migrant Workers Centre, who will work with their employers to make the appropriate rectifications or direct the feedback to MOM for follow up. The identities of whistle blowers are kept confidential. Employers are also not permitted to dismiss or threaten to dismiss workers who have reported workplace safety and health issues and MOM will take action if they are reported to have done so.
Employers must do their part, as required under the law. MOM has been taking stronger enforcement actions and has introduced stiffer penalties against errant employers, which includes fines and/or imprisonment for company leaders. For example, earlier this year, Leedon National Oxygen Ltd was fined $340,000 for failing to take measures to ensure the safety and health of its employees at work, while its CEO and its former director in charge of safety were each fined $45,000.
To strengthen WSH ownership and accountability of company leaders, MOM is developing a new Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for Company Directors’ WSH Duties, to provide clarity and practical guidance on how to fulfil their legal obligations. Companies’ compliance to the ACOP or lack thereof can be used by the Courts to take action against company leaders and its board of directors in the event of a WSH Act offence.
The Government takes a strong position on safety in its procurement. Today, safety is part of the evaluation criteria for public sector’s construction tenders and some public sector developers also disqualify contractors with poor work practices. We are developing a harmonised disqualification criteria across all public sector’s construction tenders to disqualify contractors with poor work practices. We are also reviewing the current demerit points system to take a tougher stand on breaches under the WSH Act or Regulations to debar errant contractors from participating in public sector contracts and from hiring foreign employees. I encourage the private sector and members of the public to also shape your procurement policies to hire firms with strong safety track records, by checking firms’ WSH performance on CheckSafe on MOM’s website.
MOM will continue to step up its inspections at worksites and impose harsher penalties on companies with poor workplace safety and health performance. Between January and June 2022, MOM conducted more than 3,500 inspections in the higher-risk sectors such as Construction, Marine and Manufacturing, 35% more than the same period last year.
MOM took enforcement action for more than 9,000 breaches under the WSH Act and Regulations, and issued more than 50 Stop Work Orders, a two-fold increase compared to the same period last year. Since 14 June 2022, MOM has introduced stiffer penalties such as doubling the composition fine quantum, and requiring companies that have been issued Stop Work Orders or have had major injuries to engage external auditors to conduct a thorough review of their WSH processes.
To strengthen WSH practices on the ground and improve WSH oversight, MOM is reviewing the coverage of WSH personnel such as WSH Auditors, Officers and Coordinators. MOM is also looking to institutionalise pre-start assessments, such as weekly site coordination meetings and daily toolbox meetings to coordinate works across sub-contractors, eliminate incompatible works, highlight potential hazards and implement control measures. Given that technology is an enabler to detect and prevent workplace accidents, MOM has been working with Government Procurement Entities to include suitable WSH technologies as part of the specifications for some public sector’s construction tenders. Companies are strongly encouraged to implement WSH technologies, such as surveillance cameras or closed-circuit television.
Ensuring workplace safety and health requires the concerted effort of all company leaders and workers. MOM, together with the WSH Council, National Trade Union Congress and industry partners had earlier called for an industry Safety Time-Out for companies to review their WSH management systems, including risk assessments, risk control measures, and relevant WSH training, and for companies and workers to learn from the recent fatal accidents.
The WSH Council also works closely with industry associations and companies, particularly SMEs, to strengthen their risk management processes through the bizSAFE programme. To date, more than 40,000 SMEs have benefited from the programme. MOM and the WSH Council will do more to engage SMEs to build up their WSH capabilities.
We have made good progress on WSH from a decade ago, reducing workplace fatal injury rate from 2.1 per 100,000 workers in 2012 to 1.1 per 100,000 workers in 2021. As at end 2021, we were on track to meeting our WSH 2028 workplace fatal injury rate of less than 1.0 per 100,000 workers, achieved by only four OECD countries. These are high standards that we set for ourselves. We are committed to strengthening our WSH framework to make managements and boards more accountable for WSH safety, enhancing our training and capability support, and tightening our enforcement regime including stronger penalties and debarment for unsafe companies.
I urge all companies to take time to review your WSH processes, use the WSH Alerts on the learning points from recent fatalities to reinforce the importance of safety to your workers, and implement the necessary control measures. MOM together with the WSH Council, will continue to work closely with industry associations, employers and workers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of US' Proposal to Put Natural Gas Industry \"On Notice\" on Singapore's Supply of Natural Gas","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"50 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the proposal by the United States to put the natural gas industry \"on notice\" (a) whether this may have an impact on Singapore’s supply of natural gas within the decade; and (b) if so, whether there will be further changes to Singapore’s energy transition plans by 2050.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: To recap, the US Climate Envoy, John Kerry commented at a Bloomberg interview on 21 April 20221, that the natural gas industry should develop a means to capture greenhouse gas emissions, without which alternative sources of energy must be deployed. He subsequently published a letter to the Wall Street Journal on 25 April 20222, stating that \"natural gas is central to a smart and achievable policy to cut greenhouse-gas emissions today\", and that innovation in technologies to reduce or capture such emissions in the production and use of natural gas is necessary to support global climate goals. He also highlighted efforts by the industry to produce emission-free electricity with gas, including innovation in technologies like hydrogen which the natural gas sector can lead.
Indeed, natural gas will continue to play an important role in the global energy transition. It plays the role of a 'bridging fuel' for countries shifting away from more pollutive fossil fuels like coal. There remain challenges in deploying renewable energy in many parts of the world, including intermittency of supply, and difficulties in transporting renewable energy over long distances. Promising new technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), will take time to become cost-viable.
Singapore does not have significant renewable energy resources and has to import most of our energy supply for power generation. Currently, around 95% of our electricity is generated using natural gas, imported as Piped Natural Gas (PNG) from Malaysia and Indonesia, and as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from a variety of sources, including Australia, Qatar, and also, to a small extent, the US. Singapore has and will continue to diversify our natural gas import sources, to ensure that we safeguard our energy security and resilience.
Besides diversifying our sources of natural gas, we are also transiting to a higher mix of renewable energy, both to decarbonise the power grid and to enhance our energy security. This includes accelerating the deployment of solar power, working with our neighbours to develop a regional energy grid and importing up to around four Gigawatts (GW) of electricity by 2035. We are also working with our partners and the industry and academia to develop emerging low-carbon technologies such as hydrogen and CCUS, and have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with various countries, including Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and others, to further our energy cooperation in regional power grid development and low-emission technologies.
The transition to a regional grid and low-carbon technologies will need to be paced to avoid incurring excessive costs for consumers. We will monitor the situation and review our energy transition plans periodically to ensure that our transition is well-paced, to achieve decarbonisation while safeguarding our energy security and cost-competitiveness.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : \"U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry Puts Natural Gas on Notice\", Bloomberg, 21 April 2022.","2 : \"John Kerry Responds on the Future of Natural Gas\", Wall Street Journal, 25 April 2022."],"footNoteQuestions":["50"],"questionNo":"50"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of Malaysia’s Renewable Energy Exports Ban on Singapore's Energy Security Strategies","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"51 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether Malaysia’s ban on renewable energy exports will prevent Singapore from importing renewable energy from other countries in the region like Thailand and Laos through existing powerlines in Malaysia; and (b) whether Singapore is in talks with Malaysia to consider joint renewable energy projects that will help secure energy supplies.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Malaysia and Singapore have been working closely at bilateral and multilateral platforms on our decarbonisation efforts. Malaysia’s decision to disallow the export of renewable energy to Singapore does not extend to the passage of electricity from other countries, through Malaysia, to Singapore. The Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project or the LTMS-PIP, which commenced on 23 June 2022, is one such example. Under the LTMS-PIP, we are importing up to 100 megawatts (MW) of renewable hydropower from Lao PDR through Thailand and Malaysia via existing interconnections for a two-year period. The Project serves as a pathfinder to complement efforts on the ASEAN Power Grid by creating opportunities for multilateral electricity trading. We look forward to the continued success of the Project, which reaffirms and deepens the strong energy cooperation between the four countries.
We believe that collaboration with regional partners to develop renewable energy resources and advance cross-border electricity trade is a win-win proposition for all involved. There is significant benefit for all countries involved, as cross-border electricity trade will encourage investments in renewable energy production as it can serve a broader regional market. A collective regional and global effort is needed for the energy transition to be successful. We are having collaborative discussions with regional and global partners, including Malaysia, to advance our mutual and collective interests.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Prevent Disruption to Singapore’s Electricity Supply Given Global Energy Crunch","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"52 Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) as the global energy crunch protracts, whether there are (i) additional measures to prevent disruption to Singapore’s electricity supply and (ii) additional schemes being considered to help businesses cushion the impact of volatile wholesale electricity markets; and (b) whether the Ministry is prepared to consider putting a demand cap on energy consumption by energy-intensive industries.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: I previously shared with the House measures that MTI and EMA have put in place to secure our electricity supply and maintain the orderly functioning of the wider energy sector. We have established a standby LNG facility (SLF), which generation companies (gencos) can draw from to generate electricity in the event of disruptions to their natural gas supplies. We also required gencos to bolster their own stockpile of fuel and empowered EMA to direct the gencos to generate electricity using gas from the SLF, if there are potential shortages. These measures have secured our electricity supply and helped stabilise the Uniform Singapore Energy Price (USEP) from around $440/MWh in the fourth quarter of 2021 to around $300/MWh in the second quarter of 2022.
In December 2021, EMA introduced the Temporary Electricity Contracting Support (TRECS) Scheme to offer one month fully or partially fixed price plans to businesses. For businesses who want greater certainty, EMA has been working with electricity retailers and gencos since January 2022 to offer longer-term fixed price plans of up to three years.
In view of ongoing volatility in the global energy market and the war in Ukraine, EMA has extended these measures until 31 March 2023. In addition, EMA had invited interested parties to each submit an expression of interest (EOI) to build, own and operate 200MW/200MWh of energy storage systems, which will enhance the resilience of our energy supply and power grid. EMA received and assessed six proposals, and appointed SembCorp Utilities to put in place the energy storage systems. EMA will continue to monitor the situation and consider if further extensions or measures are needed.
As electricity prices are expected to stay elevated in this global energy situation, companies should become more energy efficient to manage business costs. However, instead of capping energy demand on energy-intensive industries, which will disrupt company operations, Government agencies have worked with the industry to put in place several measures to help businesses improve their energy efficiency, and to tide over this period:
(a) First, companies can monitor their half-hourly electricity usage on the SP Utilities Portal or Open Electricity Market e-services portal to manage and reduce their electricity consumption.
(b)\tSecond, companies can tap on the various energy efficiency support measures. These include the recently announced Energy Efficiency Grant for the food manufacturing, food services, and retail sectors, NEA's Energy Efficiency Fund, BCA's Green Mark Incentive Scheme and EnterpriseSG's Enterprise Sustainability Programme.
(c) Third, businesses which need financing support can also tap on EnterpriseSG’s programmes such as the Enterprise Financing Scheme and the Temporary Bridging Loan. The Small Business Recovery Grant will also help eligible firms in sectors most badly affected by COVID-19 cope with overall higher costs of doing business.
The Government is committed to safeguarding the security of our energy supplies and maintaining the orderly functioning of our domestic energy markets. We encourage businesses to take the opportunity to transform your operations and become more resource efficient.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Key Takeaways from Recent Shangri-La Dialogue Regarding Geopolitical Dynamics and Maintenance of Peaceful Relations in Asia","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"53 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Defence what are the key takeaways from the recent Shangri-La Dialogue in relation to geopolitical dynamics and the maintenance of peaceful relations in Asia and globally.
Dr Ng Eng Hen: As Singapore and MINDEF are host and facilitator, an assessment of the value of the SLD to the international community should probably be more objectively performed by third parties. That said, MINDEF will give its views and leave Members and the general public to assess their validity.
After a hiatus of two years, the resumption of an in-person SLD this year reaffirmed the importance of face-to-face engagements for defence diplomacy. That the international community found value in the SLD was reflected in Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida accepting the Keynote Speaker invitation and using it to share Japan’s vision (a) for a rules-based international order built through dialogue, and the need for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific; (b) the importance of denuclearisation; and (c) the need for increased maritime cooperation. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky also requested to address the SLD through a Special Address which proved timely and relevant, given the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
SLD22 garnered more than 1,600 local and international reports. The widespread media coverage by international and domestic outlets and keen interest in SLD22 by the international and domestic community affirm that the SLD remains as a premier defence and security conference in the region. Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe and United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III’s plenary speeches garnered more than 350 and 150 local and international reports respectively. Both Prime Minister Kishida’s Keynote Address and President Zelensky’s Special Address were also extensively reported and each garnered more than a hundred local and international reports.
With 37 Ministerial-level delegates and 42 countries represented, SLD22 saw strong governmental participation comparable to that of pre-COVID editions. SLD22 also saw the attendance of many non-governmental delegates, including prominent local and foreign-based academics. The ability to draw such diverse participation underscores the international significance of the SLD.
Many countries, including Singapore, now regularly leverage the SLD to conduct sideline bilateral and multilateral engagements. The US convened the informal Southeast Asia-US Defence Ministers (DMs)’ meeting and a trilateral meeting between the DMs of Japan, Republic of Korea, and the US was held. Like previous years, the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) Ministers and Representatives also met on the sidelines and updated the media on the directions of this grouping moving forward.
It is also notable that both US SecDef and Chinese DM chose to meet for the first time physically in Singapore, as did Australia Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and DM Richard Marles and General Wei. This is significant given that these were the first face-to-face meetings between the Chinese DM and US SecDef, as well as the first meeting between any Australian and Chinese DMs in close to three years.
This strong participation at SLD22 itself affirms the role that Singapore through the SLD can play in international diplomacy to keep the peace. Many delegates have also given positive feedback about the SLD. Many DMs, particularly the new ones, related that SLD22 was an efficient platform for them to engage with their counterparts. I believe that Australia DPM and DM Richard Marles, Brunei Deputy DM Brigadier General (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Abdul Razak Bin Haji Abdul Kadir, France Minister of the Armed Force Sébastien Lecornu, and Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-Sup, who were recently appointed in the last two months, found SLD22 a useful opportunity to have in-person engagements with their counterparts for the first time. Many Chiefs of Defence Force also related a similar positive experience.
We joke that this is like “speed-dating” for DMs and officials but that mirth should not obscure nor diminish the value that the SLD provides in allowing concentrated meetings within a weekend. On my part, I met 16 of my counterparts bilaterally. We also had good responses to the two Ministerial Roundtables that I hosted where we engaged in frank and candid conversations.
Apart from the presence of key defence leaders, there was also positive feedback that the topics and Question & Answer sessions did address key security challenges – both traditional and non-traditional. Difficult questions ranging from traditional topics such as US-China and cross-strait relations, to newer developments such as Cambodia’s modernisation plans for the Ream Naval Base and climate change were extensively discussed.
It would be unrealistic to expect that solutions to longstanding and deeply rooted security challenges can be easily solved with one or even many meetings like the SLD. But the SLD has provided an open, neutral and regular platform for countries to exchange views on regional security issues, challenges and opportunities, as well as differences. At the end of it, I believe SLD did make a difference, and the vast majority, if not all who attended, left the meeting feeling that they had given or obtained something useful to promote defence ties with another country and contributed to regional stability.
For Singapore, the SLD enhances our small role internationally to provide an open and inclusive meeting place for all countries to resolve their differences, and to affirm common values and mutually beneficial principles that promote stability for our region and beyond.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reasons for Recent Spate of Fires at Residential Dwelling and Measures to Proactively Deal With Fire Hazards","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"55 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) in the past three years, what is the number of fire cases in HDB estates; (b) what are the top three reasons for these fire incidents; and (c) whether cluttered homes filled with combustible materials is a key risk factor.
56 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the current legislation is adequate to proactively deal with fire hazard risks within residential homes; and (b) whether there is the need to expand enforcement powers to reduce risk of fire in cluttered homes.
Mr K Shanmugam: This will address Oral Question Numbers 55 and 56, Written Question Number 9, and the question filed by Mr Edward Chia for a future Sitting.
The number of fire cases in Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates has been steadily decreasing over the past five years, from 1,260 cases in 2017 to 898 cases in 2021. We assess that the general fire situation in residential premises is stable, and the current legislation as well as enforcement powers are adequate.
In the past five years, the main causes of fires in HDB estates were unattended cooking, indiscriminate disposal of lighted materials such as cigarette butts, and fires of electrical origin which could be caused by faulty wirings and electrical appliances. Cluttered homes have not been a key fire risk.
Most household items such as furniture and electrical appliances are made of plastic, wood or metal, which do not catch fire easily. Hence, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) does not regulate them, regardless of quantity.
On the other hand, flammable materials are more tightly regulated by SCDF. The flammable materials regulated by SCDF are listed in the Fourth Schedule of the Fire Safety (Petroleum and Flammable Materials) Regulations. This list is reviewed periodically and SCDF has assessed that there is no need to expand the list for now.
The most common flammable material found in residential units is liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in cylinders, which is used for domestic cooking. However, based on past records, LPG has not been a common cause of residential fires. In any case, the storage of regulated flammable materials beyond the allowable quantities without a valid licence is an offence under the Fire Safety Act, and SCDF will issue a Notice of Offence (NOO) for such cases.
On average, 11 NOOs were issued annually, to occupiers or owners of residential premises used for housing workers, over the last five years. There was no infringement observed for other residential types, including HDB flats, over the same period.
SCDF, in partnership with the People’s Association, the National Fire and Emergency Preparedness Council (NFEC) and Community Emergency and Engagement Committees, has been organising a series of Community Resilience Days in residential heartlands to impart lifesaving skills and to raise fire safety awareness. SCDF has also been working with the NFEC and HDB to educate new homeowners on fire safety and emergency preparedness through the MyNiceHome Roadshows. SCDF and the NFEC will continue with efforts to increase public awareness on fire prevention and staying safe in the event of a fire at home.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rent Control Measures on Coffee Shop Stalls in HDB Estates to Prevent Transfer of Cost Increases to Consumers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"60 Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for National Development whether there are any plans for rent control measures on coffee shop stalls in HDB estates in order to curb and prevent high costs of rental from being transferred to consumers.
Mr Desmond Lee: There are presently over 770 HDB coffeeshops in Singapore. Some of these coffeeshops are sold and are hence privately-owned, while the rest are rented out by HDB.
We are mindful of the need to ensure that residents have access to affordable cooked food options, and of the potential impact of resale transactions, and have therefore put in place various measures over the years. One key measure is to ensure a good supply of coffeeshops in every HDB estate and town, so that there is healthy competition. These coffeeshops can also be run by social enterprises, for example NTUC Foodfare, to help keep food prices low. The market for F&B is highly competitive, especially in our heartlands. For example, the two coffeeshops at Tampines and Yishun are within neighbourhood centres that have five and seven coffeeshops respectively within a 400-metre radius, and residents hence have a choice of affordable food options there.
HDB completed 34 new coffeeshops in the last four years, and continues to build new ones to serve new HDB developments. Another 30 coffeeshops will be completed in the next four years. Aside from coffeeshops, we also have over a hundred hawker centres in Singapore, and the Government is building more. Four new centres will begin operations this year, with another seven being planned or under construction.
Since 1998, HDB no longer sells coffeeshops, and only rents them out. In addition, HDB has introduced new measures to ensure quality and affordability of food in these coffee shops that are rented out. In 2018, HDB introduced Price-Quality tenders, with 50% of points assigned to the Quality of the operator, which includes aspects such as the availability of budget meals, good track record and community initiatives. Operators who successfully tender for HDB coffeeshops typically provide budget food options at every stall, with these priced at around $3. The rentals under Price-Quality tenders are also lower and more sustainable than under pure price bidding tenders.
We note the suggestion from the Member on possible rent control measures. We will need to guard against unintended impacts. For example, by controlling rent, we could end up reducing the incentive for coffeeshop owners to invest in improving their coffeeshops to provide better services and facilities to customers.
Coffeeshops and food centres play an important social role in our HDB towns and estates, as they not only provide a convenient option for cooked food and drinks for residents, but also serve as key community hubs for families and friends to bond and connect over food and drinks. As such, HDB regularly monitors the resale market for HDB coffeeshops, as well as the prices of food sold in both sold and rental coffeeshops, and will not hesitate to review its policies to address affordability concerns where necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Monitoring of Long COVID and Post-COVID-19 Health Issues Experienced by Patients","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"61 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the number of vaccinated COVID-19 cases which have developed long COVID symptoms; and (b) among these cases, how many has developed further complications or has difficulty with daily routine for a prolonged period of time.
62 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Health (a) how many healthcare institutions have a post-COVID-19 evaluation programme; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider referring certain high-risk groups for post-COVID-19 evaluation by default such as those who are at risk of blood clots.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: For Parliamentary Question 61, Members should refer to the combined oral reply to Parliamentary Questions 46 to 49 taken on the 4th of April 2022.
Dr Lim asked a second PQ on the evaluation, referral and management of patients after COVID. These patients’ issues have a wide variety of symptoms. The clinical follow-up and referral for further evaluation and treatment, are specific to their individual medical issues and risk factors. The clinicians involved will make these decisions taking into account relevant risk factors.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Deal With Consecutive Increases in HDB Resale Flat Prices","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"63 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for National Development as HDB resale prices have risen for 23 months in a row in June 2022 (a) whether ramping up the supply of HDB BTO flats coupled with the recently implemented property cooling measures are sufficient to rein in the cost of purchasing HDB resale flats; and (b) whether the Government will take additional steps to moderate HDB resale prices.
Mr Desmond Lee: In December 2021, the Government announced a set of measures to cool the private residential and HDB resale markets. Specific to HDB flat buyers, the Loan-to-Value (LTV) limit for housing loans from HDB was reduced from 90% to 85%. For those taking housing loans from the financial institutions, the Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR) threshold was also reduced from 60% to 55%. These measures are intended to encourage greater financial prudence among homebuyers, providing an additional buffer against potential income reductions or interest rate increases.
To meet the strong demand for public housing, alongside these cooling measures, the Government also announced that we will ramp up the HDB Build-to-Order (BTO) flat supply and launch up to 23,000 flats per year in 2022 and 2023, an increase of 35% from the 17,000 flats launched in 2021. We are prepared to launch up to 100,000 flats in total from 2021 to 2025, if needed, subject to prevailing demand.
Notwithstanding recent media reports of a few HDB flats that have transacted at prices which exceed the norm, there are early signs that the measures may have moderated the pace of price increase in the housing market. For the public housing market, the HDB Resale Price Index reflected a lower price increase of 2.4% in 1Q2022 and 2.6% in 2Q2022 based on flash estimates, compared to 3.4% in 4Q2021. Nevertheless, given the on-going ramp-up in BTO supply, and the evolving market and economic situation, more time is needed to assess the extent of the impact of these measures.
The Government will continue to monitor housing market conditions closely and make changes where necessary to ensure that housing remains affordable and accessible for all Singaporeans, especially for those planning to purchase their first home.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans to Permanently Implement Flexible Work Arrangements for Public Sector","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"64 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Prime Minister whether there are plans to permanently implement flexible work arrangements for the public sector such as three days in the office and two days at home.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): Many public agencies have adopted the Tripartite Standard on Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past two years, the Public Service widely adopted telecommuting, which is one form of FWA, as part of safe management measures during the pandemic.
Telecommuting has helped to enhance productivity, such as by removing the need for officers to travel for meetings, and can support those with caregiving responsibilities to achieve a better balance between work and their caregiving duties. However, there were also downsides. Working virtually for prolonged periods of time could weaken team cohesion and make the inculcation of Public Service values more difficult.
With the recent Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) announcement that 100% of employees can return to workplace from 26 April 2022, the Public Service has taken the lead and transited to a new working arrangement. For officers whose work allows for telecommuting, officers can do so for an average of two out of five days per work week. Public Service agencies can decide how best to implement this, in line with their operational considerations. As of now, we assess that up to half of the jobs in the Public Service can be suitable for telecommuting.
Other than telecommuting, the Public Service also allows officers to stagger their work hours where the nature of work permits. Officers can start work before or later than the usual start time, and correspondingly finish work earlier or later. Such flexibility would be useful for those with caregiving duties at home. Staggered work hours, if implemented more widely, can also help to reduce peak hour traffic congestion and time spent travelling to and from work.
For jobs where telecommuting or staggered work hours are not practical, where operationally feasible, Public Service agencies can exercise flexibility and discuss other forms of FWAs with officers who need it. Such arrangements include part-time work, which can support officers in balancing their work and personal circumstances. We encourage officers that require such FWAs to proactively discuss the possibilities with their supervisors and HR departments.
The Public Service’s stance recognises that the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we live and work, and supports the tripartite efforts by the Ministry of Manpower, National Trades Union Congress and Singapore National Employers Federation to boost the adoption of FWAs.
To ensure that the Public Service continues to deliver high standards in this new work environment, PSD had also issued guidelines to reinforce the expectations of work standards and to promote good supervisory practices such as outcome-based performance management.
The Public Service seeks to uphold its service standards, effectiveness and productivity while enhancing the well-being of our officers. As an agile organisation, we will continue to review and improve the way we work as our operating landscape changes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Aedes Mosquitoes Breeding Sites Found at Construction Sites and Stop Work Orders Issued over Past Two Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"65 Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) for each year in the past two years, what proportion of Aedes mosquitoes breeding sites are found at construction sites and how many Stop Work Orders have been issued; (b) how does NEA proactively ensure that construction sites do not become key breeding spots; and (c) besides summons issued to construction contractors for harbouring mosquito breeding, how can these contractors be held responsible for people staying in the dengue cluster who become infected.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: In 2020, 2021 and 2022 to-date, about 9%, 8% and 13% of construction sites inspected were found with mosquito breeding respectively. The National Environment Agency (NEA) regularly inspects construction sites as part of its preventive regime. Stringent enforcement action is taken against contractors whose sites are found with mosquito breeding. They may face a fine of up to $20,000, imprisonment for a term of up to three months, or both. Repeat offenders face a fine of up to $50,000, imprisonment for a term of up to six months, or both. Sites with poor housekeeping and conditions favourable to mosquito breeding may be issued with Stop Work Orders, with the requirement for the site operator to undertake specified remedial measures. These measures have to be implemented and verified by NEA before the Stop Work Orders can be lifted. As of 13 June 2022, 65 Stop Work Orders have been issued to construction sites this year. This is more than the 43 Stop Work Orders issued in the whole of 2021 and the 37 Stop Work Orders issued in 2020.
NEA works closely with Singapore Contractors Association Ltd and agencies with significant construction projects such as the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA), to ensure that the construction industry keeps construction sites free from mosquito breeding.
The majority of mosquito breeding sites continue to be found in residential homes, while construction sites contributed less than 5% of mosquito breeding habitats detected in all premises types in the past two years. Residents should stay vigilant against mosquito breeding in their homes and take measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites. Collective effort by all, including construction contractors, building managers and households, is crucial to prevent further escalation of dengue cases in Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Childcare and Infant Care Spaces with Existing Capacity but Face Shortage of Teachers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"66 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for Social and Family Development what is the current number of childcare and infant care spaces with existing capacity but are unable to be filled due to the lack of teachers.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Through various efforts to step up hiring and improve the career proposition of the early childhood sector, the number of early childhood educators nationally has grown by more than 30% in the past five years. This has helped to support expansion of overall preschool capacity, which has grown about 17% in the same time period, in line with the increasing demand for preschools.
To ensure that preschool demand can be met, ECDA monitors the licensed preschool capacity, enrolments, and waitlists in each Planning Area. In some Planning Areas, there are mismatches between demand and supply for preschool. This could be due to various reasons, depending on the context of each preschool. Manpower is one reason, especially for new preschools that have to ramp up their operations and manpower over a period of time before they can operate at full capacity. Some preschools may also set aside places for children who will be progressing from the younger classes within the centres and incoming children who have registered to be enrolled in the next few months. Finally, preschools could choose to pace new enrolments to help children settle into a new environment, cater time for their staff to be trained, or establish the necessary processes and learning environment in accordance with licensing requirements.
To address localised mismatches, ECDA works closely with the Anchor Operators (or AOPs) to meet preschool needs in areas with high preschool demand, including the hiring of early childhood educators. Over the years, ECDA has actively worked with the AOPs and other preschool operators to step up recruitment through local as well as online job fairs. The AOPs are also looking into diverting manpower internally so that their preschools can be more responsive to local demand.
We will continue to require more educators to support sector expansion in the coming years. To attract more to join the growing early childhood sector and better retain our educators, ECDA will continue to enhance initiatives to improve the professional development and career progression of early childhood educators.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Annual Preschool Enrolment of Children Aged Three as a Percentage of Each Cohort Size and Socio-economic Background in Last Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"67 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in the last five years, what is the annual pre-school enrolment of children aged three years as a percentage of each cohort size; (b) what is the socio-economic breakdown of children aged 3 – 4 years who are enrolled in pre-schools; and (c) whether the Government will review its stance on making pre-school education mandatory for children.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Over the past five years, more children aged 3 to 4 years have enrolled in preschool. In 2021, about nine in 10 Singapore Citizen children aged 3 to 4 years were enrolled in preschools, up from around eight in 10 in 2017. The children enrolled in preschools generally reflect the national profile in terms of household income. However, the preschool participation rate of children aged 3 to 4 years from lower-income families is lower than the national average. Among children aged 3 to 4 years residing in public rental flats, the preschool participation rate is about eight in 10, compared to nine in 10 nationally.
The early years are important to a child’s development, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. ECDA works closely with the community to help lower-income families through KidSTART and the Preschool Outreach programme. We have also enhanced our preschool subsidies such that families under HDB’s Public Rental Scheme and MSF’s ComCare schemes are automatically eligible for maximum preschool subsidies, regardless of the mother’s working status. Lower-income families pay $3 per month for full-day childcare and $1 per month for half-day kindergarten at Anchor Operator preschools.
Rather than a broad policy of compulsory education at the preschool years, our approach is to ensure the provision of accessible, affordable and good quality preschool services across the board. Together with proactive outreach and targeted assistance to facilitate preschool enrolment of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, we are addressing the practical barriers to preschool education that lower-income families face, rather than to impose a legal duty on them to send their children to preschool. ECDA will do more in the coming years to raise preschool participation among lower-income families, such as via the nationwide roll out of KidSTART.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal for National Cancer Care Appeals Board to Consider Appeals from Doctors of Patients with Complex Cancers on Non-standard Therapies","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"71 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry has plans to establish and fund a National Cancer Care Appeals Board consisting of doctors from different specialties to consider appeals from doctors on behalf of individual patients with complex cancers for whom standard therapies may be inappropriate or ineffective, review real world evidence and make timely decisions on whether to allow insurance coverage and MediSave use for off-label drugs or drugs not on the Cancer Drug List.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: This question will be addressed in my reply to Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Yip Hon Weng on 5 July 2022.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal to Change Lease Term of Replacement Flats under Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme to Increase Affordability for Some Residents","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"72 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will consider changing the lease term of replacement flats for residents with difficulty financing the replacement flats offered under HDB’s Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS).
Mr Desmond Lee: The Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) was introduced in 1995 as part of our estate renewal strategy for older HDB estates. It allows us to renew older estates, optimise land-use, and provide better homes for residents.
On top of compensation for the SERS flat which is based on the prevailing market value of the flat as at SERS announcement, and additional benefits such as a SERS grant of $30,000 and a removal allowance of $10,000, flat owners are offered new replacement flats that come with fresh 99-year leases. These are priced with a generous subsidy, making their prices considerably lower than comparable resale flats in the vicinity. Alternatively, SERS residents can apply for new flats elsewhere under the Build-To-Order (BTO) or Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercises, and enjoy a 10% priority allocation. They can also choose to purchase a resale flat, and will receive an additional amount of $30,000 on top of the SERS grant. Residents aged 55 and above also have the option to purchase a 2-room Flexi flat with a short lease.
Holding size, location and other attributes constant, an older flat with a shorter remaining lease will have a lower market value than a younger one with a longer lease. For past SERS exercises, the flats had been younger, and the market compensation for flat owners had generally been sufficient for the residents to choose a new replacement flat of a similar type or size on a fresh 99-year lease.
For the latest SERS exercise at Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, based on the estimated compensation amounts and estimated selling prices of the replacement flats, flat owners will generally be able to purchase a replacement flat of a similar flat type with the compensation provided, with a fresh 99-year lease, albeit possibly a smaller floor area. Nonetheless, we understand the concerns of flat owners, especially the seniors who have expressed that they do not wish to top up the payment for an equivalent flat on a 99-year lease as they have no need for such a long lease. Their priority is to secure a replacement flat of similar size, in surroundings familiar to them.
Taking into consideration the views and feedback from the residents, MND and HDB have provided two additional housing options to meet the different rehousing needs of SERS flat owners. First, we will offer 3-room or larger flats on a 50-year lease at the designated replacement site, if this is able to last the flat owner till at least age 95. For the flat owners at Ang Mo Kio, a 50-year lease would be similar to the balance lease of their flats by the time they move to their replacement flats in 2027. In addition, we will also offer the seniors at the SERS site the option to take up the Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) for their existing flat even though SERS has been announced. These seniors can then buy a short-lease replacement flat thereafter.
These additional options will be offered to eligible flat owners in SERS sites, starting from the SERS site at Blocks 562 to 565 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 which was announced on 7 April 2022.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Assistance for Residents Facing Difficulty Financing Replacement Flats Offered under Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"73 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for National Development what options and assistance are available to HDB residents with difficulty financing the replacement flats offered under HDB’s Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS).
Mr Desmond Lee: The Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) was introduced in 1995 as part of our estate renewal strategy for older HDB estates. It allows us to renew older estates, optimise land-use, and provide better homes for residents.
On top of compensation for the SERS flat which is based on the prevailing market value of the flat as at SERS announcement, and additional benefits such as a SERS grant of $30,000 and a removal allowance of $10,000, flat owners are offered new replacement flats that come with fresh 99-year leases. These are priced with a generous subsidy, making their prices considerably lower than comparable resale flats in the vicinity. Alternatively, SERS residents can apply for new flats elsewhere under the Build-To-Order (BTO) or Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercises, and enjoy a 10% priority allocation. They can also choose to purchase a resale flat, and will receive an additional amount of $30,000 on top of the SERS grant. Residents aged 55 and above also have the option to purchase a 2-room Flexi flat with a short lease.
Holding size, location and other attributes constant, an older flat with a shorter remaining lease will have a lower market value than a younger one with a longer lease. For past SERS exercises, the flats had been younger, and the market compensation for flat owners had generally been sufficient for the residents to choose a new replacement flat of a similar type or size on a fresh 99-year lease.
For the latest SERS exercise at Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, based on the estimated compensation amounts and estimated selling prices of the replacement flats, flat owners will generally be able to purchase a replacement flat of a similar flat type with the compensation provided, with a fresh 99-year lease, albeit possibly a smaller floor area. Nonetheless, we understand the concerns of flat owners, especially the seniors who have expressed that they do not wish to top up the payment for an equivalent flat on a 99-year lease as they have no need for such a long lease. Their priority is to secure a replacement flat of similar size, in surroundings familiar to them.
Taking into consideration the views and feedback from the residents, MND and HDB have provided two additional housing options to meet the different rehousing needs of SERS flat owners. First, we will offer 3-room or larger flats on a 50-year lease at the designated replacement site, if this is able to last the flat owner till at least age 95. For the flat owners at Ang Mo Kio, a 50-year lease would be similar to the balance lease of their flats by the time they move to their replacement flats in 2027. In addition, we will also offer the seniors at the SERS site the option to take up the Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) for their existing flat even though SERS has been announced. These seniors can then buy a short-lease replacement flat thereafter.
These additional options will be offered to eligible flat owners in SERS sites, starting from the SERS site at Blocks 562 to 565 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 which was announced on 7 April 2022.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Difference in Calculation for Compensation for HDB Flats Acquired under Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"74 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for National Development whether there is any difference in the way compensation is calculated for HDB flats acquired under the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) now, and since it was implemented in 1995.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) was introduced in 1995 as part of our estate renewal strategy for older HDB estates. It allows us to renew older estates, optimise land-use, and provide better homes for residents.
In line with the Land Acquisition Act, flat owners are compensated for the SERS flats based on the prevailing market value at the time of the SERS announcement. This approach has been applied consistently across all SERS exercises, including the most recent exercise at Ang Mo Kio Ave 3. The market compensation is assessed by a professional private valuer, and takes into account the transacted prices of comparable resale flats, the remaining lease, as well as the flat attributes (e.g. type and size of flat, storey height, and extent of renovations done).
On top of the market value compensation, flat owners will receive a SERS grant of $30,000, a removal allowance of $10,000 to defray the relocation cost, and payment of stamp and legal fees for the purchase of a replacement flat equivalent in value to their SERS flat.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Flexible Leases and Payment Methods for Replacement Flats Offered under Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"75 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development in relation to residents affected by HDB’s Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS), whether the Government will consider (i) allocating replacement flats with flexible leases and the Lease Buyback Scheme to them, particularly the elderly (ii) a wider range and priority allocation of rehousing options set aside to ensure they are not disadvantaged and (iii) any other financial support including grants, waivers or deferred loan repayments for residents facing financial difficulties.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) was introduced in 1995 as part of our estate renewal strategy for older HDB estates. It allows us to renew older estates, optimise land-use, and provide better homes for residents.
On top of compensation for the SERS flat which is based on the prevailing market value of the flat as at SERS announcement, and additional benefits such as a SERS grant of $30,000 and a removal allowance of $10,000, flat owners are offered new replacement flats that come with fresh 99-year leases. These are priced with a generous subsidy, making their prices considerably lower than comparable resale flats in the vicinity. Alternatively, SERS residents can apply for new flats elsewhere under the Build-To-Order (BTO) or Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercises, and enjoy a 10% priority allocation. They can also choose to purchase a resale flat, and will receive an additional amount of $30,000 on top of the SERS grant. Residents aged 55 and above also have the option to purchase a 2-room Flexi flat with a short lease.
Holding size, location and other attributes constant, an older flat with a shorter remaining lease will have a lower market value than a younger one with a longer lease. For past SERS exercises, the flats had been younger, and the market compensation for flat owners had generally been sufficient for the residents to choose a new replacement flat of a similar type or size on a fresh 99-year lease.
For the latest SERS exercise at Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, based on the estimated compensation amounts and estimated selling prices of the replacement flats, flat owners will generally be able to purchase a replacement flat of a similar flat type with the compensation provided, with a fresh 99-year lease, albeit possibly a smaller floor area. Nonetheless, we understand the concerns of flat owners, especially the seniors who have expressed that they do not wish to top up the payment for an equivalent flat on a 99-year lease as they have no need for such a long lease. Their priority is to secure a replacement flat of similar size, in surroundings familiar to them.
Taking into consideration the views and feedback from the residents, MND and HDB have provided two additional housing options to meet the different rehousing needs of SERS flat owners. First, we will offer 3-room or larger flats on a 50-year lease at the designated replacement site, if this is able to last the flat owner till at least age 95. For the flat owners at Ang Mo Kio, a 50-year lease would be similar to the balance lease of their flats by the time they move to their replacement flats in 2027. In addition, we will also offer the seniors at the SERS site the option to take up the Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) for their existing flat even though SERS has been announced. These seniors can then buy a short-lease replacement flat thereafter.
These additional options will be offered to eligible flat owners in SERS sites, starting from the SERS site at Blocks 562 to 565 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 which was announced on 7 April 2022.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Wider Range of Accommodation Options for Residents Affected by Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"76 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for National Development with regard to residents who are affected by HDB's Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) (a) whether the Government will consider providing a wider range of re-accommodation options in order to reduce or eliminate any cash outlay for those impacted, and for retirees in particular; and (b) what are the options currently being contemplated by the HDB, if any.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) was introduced in 1995 as part of our estate renewal strategy for older HDB estates. It allows us to renew older estates, optimise land-use, and provide better homes for residents.
On top of compensation for the SERS flat which is based on the prevailing market value of the flat as at SERS announcement, and additional benefits such as a SERS grant of $30,000 and a removal allowance of $10,000, flat owners are offered new replacement flats that come with fresh 99-year leases. These are priced with a generous subsidy, making their prices considerably lower than comparable resale flats in the vicinity. Alternatively, SERS residents can apply for new flats elsewhere under the Build-To-Order (BTO) or Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercises, and enjoy a 10% priority allocation. They can also choose to purchase a resale flat, and will receive an additional amount of $30,000 on top of the SERS grant. Residents aged 55 and above also have the option to purchase a 2-room Flexi flat with a short lease.
Holding size, location and other attributes constant, an older flat with a shorter remaining lease will have a lower market value than a younger one with a longer lease. For past SERS exercises, the flats had been younger, and the market compensation for flat owners had generally been sufficient for the residents to choose a new replacement flat of a similar type or size on a fresh 99-year lease.
For the latest SERS exercise at Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, based on the estimated compensation amounts and estimated selling prices of the replacement flats, flat owners will generally be able to purchase a replacement flat of a similar flat type with the compensation provided, with a fresh 99-year lease, albeit possibly a smaller floor area. Nonetheless, we understand the concerns of flat owners, especially the seniors who have expressed that they do not wish to top up the payment for an equivalent flat on a 99-year lease as they have no need for such a long lease. Their priority is to secure a replacement flat of similar size, in surroundings familiar to them.
Taking into consideration the views and feedback from the residents, MND and HDB have provided two additional housing options to meet the different rehousing needs of SERS flat owners. First, we will offer 3-room or larger flats on a 50-year lease at the designated replacement site, if this is able to last the flat owner till at least age 95. For the flat owners at Ang Mo Kio, a 50-year lease would be similar to the balance lease of their flats by the time they move to their replacement flats in 2027. In addition, we will also offer the seniors at the SERS site the option to take up the Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) for their existing flat even though SERS has been announced. These seniors can then buy a short-lease replacement flat thereafter.
These additional options will be offered to eligible flat owners in SERS sites, starting from the SERS site at Blocks 562 to 565 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 which was announced on 7 April 2022.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Average and Range of Increase in Development Intensity for Sites Acquired under Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"77 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for National Development with regard to projects that have been announced under the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) to date, what has been the average and range of increase in development intensity or plot ratios for sites that are acquired.
Mr Desmond Lee: Sites which have been announced for the Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) are identified after careful site-by-site evaluation of various factors, including the redevelopment potential of the site, the availability of suitable replacement sites to rehouse the flat owners involved, and the Government’s financial resources. The SERS sites will be redeveloped based on the planning intention set out in URA’s prevailing Master Plan.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Flexible Lease Options for Replacement Flats Offered to Older Residents under Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"78 Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB will consider allowing seniors affected by the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) to buy their replacement flats of similar size on shorter flexible leases.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) was introduced in 1995 as part of our estate renewal strategy for older HDB estates. It allows us to renew older estates, optimise land-use, and provide better homes for residents.
On top of compensation for the SERS flat which is based on the prevailing market value of the flat as at SERS announcement, and additional benefits such as a SERS grant of $30,000 and a removal allowance of $10,000, flat owners are offered new replacement flats that come with fresh 99-year leases. These are priced with a generous subsidy, making their prices considerably lower than comparable resale flats in the vicinity. Alternatively, SERS residents can apply for new flats elsewhere under the Build-To-Order (BTO) or Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercises, and enjoy a 10% priority allocation. They can also choose to purchase a resale flat, and will receive an additional amount of $30,000 on top of the SERS grant. Residents aged 55 and above also have the option to purchase a 2-room Flexi flat with a short lease.
Holding size, location and other attributes constant, an older flat with a shorter remaining lease will have a lower market value than a younger one with a longer lease. For past SERS exercises, the flats had been younger, and the market compensation for flat owners had generally been sufficient for the residents to choose a new replacement flat of a similar type or size on a fresh 99-year lease.
For the latest SERS exercise at Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, based on the estimated compensation amounts and estimated selling prices of the replacement flats, flat owners will generally be able to purchase a replacement flat of a similar flat type with the compensation provided, with a fresh 99-year lease, albeit possibly a smaller floor area. Nonetheless, we understand the concerns of flat owners, especially the seniors who have expressed that they do not wish to top up the payment for an equivalent flat on a 99-year lease as they have no need for such a long lease. Their priority is to secure a replacement flat of similar size, in surroundings familiar to them.
Taking into consideration the views and feedback from the residents, MND and HDB have provided two additional housing options to meet the different rehousing needs of SERS flat owners. First, we will offer 3-room or larger flats on a 50-year lease at the designated replacement site, if this is able to last the flat owner till at least age 95. For the flat owners at Ang Mo Kio, a 50-year lease would be similar to the balance lease of their flats by the time they move to their replacement flats in 2027. In addition, we will also offer the seniors at the SERS site the option to take up the Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) for their existing flat even though SERS has been announced. These seniors can then buy a short-lease replacement flat thereafter.
These additional options will be offered to eligible flat owners in SERS sites, starting from the SERS site at Blocks 562 to 565 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 which was announced on 7 April 2022.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Use of Seat Belts and Other Measures for Safety of Personnel Seated at Back of SAF Tonners","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"79 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Defence (a) when did the SAF introduce the use of seat belts for personnel seated at the back of the tonners; (b) what other safety measures are in place for personnel seated at the back of the tonners; and (c) what led to the SAF making these safety improvements.
Dr Ng Eng Hen: Since 2011, all SAF tonners have been equipped with safety lap belts for passengers seated at the rear.
Other safety measures introduced since 1985 include protective side boards, railings, and canopies, while rear safety straps were introduced in 2000 for the vehicles. Limits have also been imposed on seating capacity and vehicular speed. SAF’s transport operators are trained and entrusted to enforce safety measures, and accorded the right to halt the vehicle, in a safe manner, if needed.
The SAF periodically reviews and update safety measures in training and operations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Hiring of More Staff to Reduce Administrative Workload of Teachers and in Planning of Events","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"81 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry will consider reducing the administrative workload of teachers by hiring more members of staff to do administrative work and plan events; and (b) if not, why.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: All schools have a School Administration Team that performs administrative and operational functions. Schools are also given additional posts and funding which they can use flexibly to meet their needs by hiring more staff, including on an adjunct and casual basis, to help with administrative duties. However, there are natural limits to expanding schools’ administrative workforce, given national manpower constraints.
MOE has increased our support for schools in recent years in a number of ways to better manage the administrative workload. First, we have reduced administrative work by strengthening centralised services provided by HQ to schools where possible, such as providing one-stop support for more complex procurement and finance issues. Second, we have provided better support for our teachers in some of the administrative duties that they have to perform such as taking attendance or organising learning journeys and overseeing outdoor adventure camps. For example, teachers can use Parents’ Gateway, an IT system, to collect consent forms and disseminate information to parents. MOE also provides funding for schools to engage vendors to help with event planning and conducting after-school enrichment activities and camps, though teachers will still need to exercise oversight and provide the duty of care for their students. While these activities extend beyond classroom teaching, these are an important part of a teacher’s responsibility and should not be totally outsourced, as they contribute to the holistic development of our students.
We will continue efforts to keep administrative workload manageable for our teachers, including through the use of technology and streamlining of processes. We will also equip school administrative staff with the necessary skills and support them centrally from HQ where possible.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Bus and Train Ridership Numbers Since Relaxation of Workplace and Safe Management Measures","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"82 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the ridership for buses and trains have increased since the relaxation of workplace and safe management measures; and (b) whether there are plans to step up frequencies and capacities of the public transport services.
Mr S Iswaran: With the relaxation of workplace and safe management measures, ridership on public transport has increased but remains lower than pre-COVID levels in January 2020. In the week of 20 to 24 June 2022, morning peak ridership on public transport reached 70% of pre-COVID levels, while the whole-day average ridership was about 74% of pre-COVID levels.
LTA works closely with the Public Transport Operators (PTOs) to align service capacity to ridership changes. We will continue to monitor the ridership levels closely to ensure that the capacity on public transport services remains adequate.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Flexibility of Primary and Secondary Schools to Stagger Start and End Times of Different Cohorts","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"84 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education whether primary and secondary schools currently have the flexibility to stagger school start and end times for different cohorts within the school.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Primary and secondary schools have the autonomy to stagger school start and end times for different cohorts within the school, based on their student profiles, after-school and inter-school programmes, transport provisions and the local transport situation. For instance, some schools have staggered their dismissal times for different levels so as to improve traffic flow outside their schools.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Special Select Committee to Review University Cohort Participation Rate and Adult Education","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"85 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry will consider convening a Special Select Committee to review Singapore’s current university cohort participation rate and adult education.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The provision of subsidised university places and pathways for skills upgrading are key policies which the Ministry of Education reviews regularly. As mentioned at the Committee of Supply in March, we are reviewing the lifetime cohort participation rate in university education to give working adults more opportunities in subsidised degree programmes. We are also studying ways to enhance structural support for Singaporeans in their 40s and 50s who may need significant reskilling to provide a second wind in their careers.
Our approach involves working with economic agencies to study the quantity and mix of the increase in university places, as this depends on the economy’s medium-term demand for manpower, and where the growth areas are. We do not plan to convene a select committee, but are engaging relevant stakeholders, and members of the public who wish to share their views may also write to MOE.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Average Waiting Time for Singaporeans who Applied for International Passports and Measures to Alleviate Queues","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"87 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the average waiting time for Singaporeans who applied for their international passports (both fresh applications and renewals) in the months of April, May and June 2022 respectively; (b) for each of these three months, how many Singaporeans attended at the ICA Building to request for faster processing of their passport applications or to collect their passports; and (c) what further steps will be taken to deal with foreseeable surges in international passport applications by Singaporeans in the future.
Mr K Shanmugam: There was an increase in processing time, earlier this year, when travel restrictions were eased, arising from a large number of people applying for passports at the same time.
ICA’s longstanding practice has been to advise Singaporeans to renew their passport nine months before their passport expires. Reminders are sent via the SingPass app, through SMS, or via email.
When travel restrictions were eased, a very substantial number applied for passports online. Since 2002, ICA has made it possible for passport applications to be made online through the ICA website.
ICA has received over 500,000 passport applications since April 2022. This is an average of about 6,000 passport applications per day, compared to 2,000 per day in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. The larger volume led to a delay in processing time.
Many of those who submitted applications had passport that was expiring, or had already expired. Some had also made travel plans. They were anxious to get their passport and visited ICA Building physically to request that their application be expedited, leading to long queues and waiting times.
There are also other issues that caused delays: for example, applicants submitting photos that did not meet ICA’s requirements.
Since early April 2022, ICA has been updating the public of the passport processing time, when it increased to at least a month, and subsequently to at least six weeks as demand continued to spike.
To reduce the queuing time for passport collection at ICA Building, ICA had worked with SingPost to offer passport collection at no additional fee since October 2021, to encourage eligible Singaporeans to collect their passport at any of 27 designated post offices. Two more post offices will offer passport collection services from July. Some post offices will add more passport collection counters to cater to the demand.
To deal with the surge in passport applications, ICA has also re-deployed officers from other work units to process passports on a 24/7 basis. Officers have been working extended hours. Those on day-offs have been recalled, while applications for block leave have not been allowed. There is however a limit to how sustainable this is.
To prioritise its resources on the processing and issuance of passports, since 13 June, ICA has restricted walk-ins for passport-related matters to those who are collecting their passport and those who need help submitting their appeals or documents.
88 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether the Ministry is able to share any insights on the anonymised data of the Community Development Council (CDC) digital voucher usage from the CDCs; (b) how do the CDCs intend to use these data insights to provide further targeted support for lower-income households; and (c) how will this data and system be used to support the voucher schemes of social agency partners.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: The $130 million CDC Vouchers Scheme 2021 using digital vouchers was launched on 13 December 2021 to thank Singaporeans for their solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to support heartland merchants and hawkers. On 11 May 2022, the CDCs rolled out another tranche of vouchers under the CDC Vouchers Scheme 2022, to support Singaporean households in their daily expenses. As the Scheme is open to all Singaporean households regardless of their household income, there is no need for the collection of such data.
As of 30 June 2022, about 1.17million households, or 96% of 1.22 million eligible households, have claimed their 2021 CDC Vouchers. Out of the $122 million under CDC Voucher Scheme 2021, over $98 million (or 80.3%) has been spent. For the 2022 tranche of CDC Vouchers, about 1.02 million households or 83% have claimed their 2022 CDC Vouchers since the launch in less than two months; of which over $49 million (or 40.2% of the total amount claimable) was spent in more than 17,500 participating hawkers and heartland merchants.
We are encouraged by the positive feedback received on the Scheme from Singaporeans, many of whom found the digital vouchers easy to use. The digital CDC Vouchers Scheme uses the RedeemSG platform developed by GovTech, which is a general voucher system that serves various government schemes. Government agencies which are interested to use the system can approach GovTech for further discussion.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Inclusion of SEA Games Silver and Bronze Medallists in Major Games Award Programme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"89 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether the Major Games Award Programme can be enhanced to include SEA Games Silver and Bronze medallists.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: The Major Games Award Programme (MAP) is a private award scheme managed by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC). The Council decides on the categories of awarded medallists and the monetary rewards offered to each of them, in consultation with the programme’s sponsors.
The MAP award structure takes into account the level of competition and the frequency of the Major Games. The Olympic, Commonwealth and Asian Games have more competitive fields and take place every four years, compared to the SEA Games that takes place every two years.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Speeding Up Process of Getting Rental Housing Ready to Meet Demand More Quickly","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"90 Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether any updates can be provided to the sprucing up efforts to get rental housing ready to meet the demand more quickly; and (b) whether the Ministry is looking into other sources of housing units to meet the demand and backlog of rental housing needs.
Mr Desmond Lee: The sprucing of rental flats had been affected by manpower shortages in the construction industry over the past two years. It was also exacerbated by the large number of rental flats that were temporarily used to support the COVID-19 response – while these flats have since been returned to the public rental flat supply, they also had to be spruced up before they could be let out to new tenants.
To expedite sprucing works, HDB engaged additional contractors in late 2021 to supplement its existing contractors. Coupled with the improving manpower situation, HDB is now able to spruce up twice as many rental flats each month compared to a year ago, and is on track to clear the COVID-19 related backlog of flats which require sprucing by the third quarter of this year.
The total supply of rental flats is currently sufficient to meet the aggregate demand. Nonetheless, the demand for rental housing has increased since the start of the pandemic. HDB is therefore also studying various options to augment the supply of rental flats, such as converting existing buildings. We will share more when the plans are ready.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Requests and Average Waiting Time for Interim Rental Housing and Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme Units","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"91 Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for National Development (a) in the last five years, how many requests are made annually for Interim Rental Housing (IRH); (b) upon approval for allocation, what is the average waiting time to move in for (i) IRH and (ii) under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme, respectively; and (c) what is the average occupancy duration of tenants under the respective schemes over the last five years.
Mr Desmond Lee: HDB offers Interim Rental Housing (IRH) on a case-by-case basis, to help needy families who are in transit between longer-term housing options. In 2021, HDB assisted 870 households with IRH. As IRH is not open for public application, HDB does not track the number of requests made. The time taken to allocate a flat under IRH varies, depending on the family’s locational preferences.
As for the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS), this provides an additional temporary housing option for households awaiting the completion of their new flats. It is open for application once every two months, and eligible applicants are put through a ballot. Those shortlisted via the ballot are invited to select a PPHS flat in the month following their application, and can move in immediately thereafter. Those who were not shortlisted via the ballot can apply again in subsequent rounds.
For both IRH and PPHS, the median occupancy period is between one to two years.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Interim Rental Fee Subsidy for Families in Financial Hardship who have to Rent Accommodation in Open Market","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"92 Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry will consider an interim rental fee subsidy to be administered by the Social Service Offices (SSOs) for families in financial hardship who have to rent accommodation in the open market due to the long waiting time for HDB to allocate a rental unit to them.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: To assist families facing financial hardship that we come across and are waiting for their rental flat allocation, Social Service Offices (SSOs) work with Family Service Centres to identify suitable options for their shelter. These include temporary accommodation with other family members or relatives, rental units from the open market, or shelters. If the only feasible option for the family is rental from the open market, SSOs will exercise flexibility to assist them with the rental expenses or refer them to community assistance.
If the family is in urgent need of a rental flat due to exceptional circumstances, such as medical conditions, the Housing Development Board will assess and expedite their rental flat allocation.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Spit Guards Instead of Masks for Hawkers and Food and Beverage Handlers Working at Stalls at Coffee Shops and Hawker Centres","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"93 Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry will consider allowing hawkers and food and beverage handlers to use spit guards instead of masks when operating in stalls at coffee shops and hawker centres.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) requires all personnel engaged in the preparation and sale of food and drinks to wear a mask or spit guard while working, to prevent them from coughing or sneezing onto and contaminating the food.
While SFA has allowed the use of spit guards since April 2020, this was superseded by the national mask-wearing mandate under the COVID-19 (Control Order) Regulations. Currently, it is a requirement for all individuals to wear masks in indoor settings, and this applies to most food handlers, as they usually prepare food and drinks within an enclosed environment. Mask wearing is mandatory in hawker centres unless the individual is drinking or eating. Mask-wearing remains vital in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and we encourage everyone to continue to exercise social responsibility by masking up in all indoor settings for their own safety. Should the national indoor mask-wearing mandate be lifted in future, SFA will allow food and beverage handlers operating indoors, including in hawker centres and coffeeshops, to have the flexibility of wearing either spit guards or masks as was the case pre-COVID.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Littering Offences in First Half of 2022","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"94 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the number of littering offences in the first half of 2022; and (b) whether there has been an increase in the number of littering offences as compared to the first half of 2021.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: From 1 January to 31 May 2021, the National Environment Agency carried out enforcement actions on around 7,400 cases of littering. In the same period in 2022, there were around 7,800 cases.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Annual Amount Disbursed from One-off Baby Support Grant and Proposal for Further Support Given Rising Cost of Living","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"95 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Prime Minister (a) for each year that the $3,000 one-off Baby Support Grant was in effect, how much was paid out under the grant; and (b) whether further support will be granted to Singaporeans who aspire to start families given the current concerns surrounding the rising cost of living and inflation.
Ms Indranee Rajah (for the Prime Minister): The Baby Support Grant (BSG) was introduced for parents of Singaporean children born from 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2022. We disbursed $92 million in the first year from 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021, and $69 million thus far in the ongoing second year.
The BSG is a one-off measure to signal our support for families during the COVID-19 pandemic and encourage couples to proceed with their parenthood plans. Apart from the BSG, parents continue to benefit from comprehensive support under the Marriage and Parenthood package, which we have enhanced over the years. Among other benefits, the Baby Bonus Cash Gift, contributions to the Child Development Account, and Medisave Grant for Newborns provide parents with up to $18,000 in financial support for their firstborn, and more for higher birth orders.
We recognise that Singaporeans are concerned about the rising cost of living. At Budget 2022, we announced a comprehensive set of measures to help cushion the impact of higher prices for Singaporean households. This includes a $100 CDC Voucher for each household, additional U-Save Rebates, and a $200 top-up to the Child Development Account, Edusave account or Post-Secondary Education Account of each Singaporean child.
Last month, the Government further announced a $1.5 billion Support Package to provide additional targeted help, especially for the lower-income and more vulnerable groups. This package includes a GST Voucher – Cash Special Payment of up to $300 for existing GST Voucher – Cash recipients, and a $100 Household Utilities Credit disbursed to every Singaporean household to help offset utilities bills. This is on top of the earlier announced GST Voucher – U-Save rebates that our HDB households will be receiving. With this, an average household living in a 4-room HDB flat will receive utilities rebates covering about five months’ worth of their utilities bills.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and assess whether further help is needed. The Government remains committed to supporting Singaporeans who want to get married and have children, and will continue to review our measures to build a Singapore that is Made for Families.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Inclusion of Headcount as Criterion in Determining Support for Large Families Residing in Private Estate Homes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"97 Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance when determining taxes and financial support, whether the Government can consider factoring in the number of people residing within a private estate home so as to better support very large families residing together.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Our social support schemes are generally means-tested. Various criteria are used for the means tests, and several of them do take into account family sizes.
For example, we use Per Capita Household Income (PCHI) for certain schemes. This considers the overall financial resources of a household and the number of household members supported by that income.
With regard to taxes, taxpayers staying with their parents can claim a higher Parent Relief of $9,000 per dependent parent, compared to $5,500 for parents living apart from them. Taxpayers with more children can also claim a higher total amount of Qualifying Child Relief.
More broadly, the Government provides generous support for the healthcare and education needs of all Singaporeans, including those living in private properties. Our education and healthcare subsidies are given on an individual basis, so larger families receive correspondingly more help.
The Government will continue to review the criteria used for its social support schemes to ensure that assistance is appropriately targeted at those with greater needs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Inclusion of More Singapore Institutes of Higher Learning in UK's High Potential Individual Visa Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"98 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs with regard to the United Kingdom's High Potential Individual (HPI) visa (a) whether the Ministry has requested the British government to consider including graduates from other autonomous institutes of higher learning in Singapore to be included in the list of eligible universities under the HPI visa; and (b) if not, whether there are plans to do so.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: MFA has not made such a request, and has no plans to do so. All countries have immigration criteria that address their own specific needs. The Singapore Government does not intervene in other countries’ immigration criteria.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Steps to Protect Singapore's Critical Infrastructure from Malware Threat","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"99 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Communications and Information in view of malware tools such as Pipedream or Incontroller which can seize control of critical infrastructure (a) what is the threat that such malware poses to Singapore’s critical infrastructure; (b) what steps have been taken to protect Singapore from such threats; and (c) how can the Government help companies in Singapore to be aware of such threats and take the necessary precaution.
Mrs Josephine Teo: The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) monitors threats to Singapore’s cyberspace closely, especially those that threaten Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) that support essential services.
The strain of malware discovered in April, referred to as Pipedream or Incontroller, is designed to target equipment found in industrial control systems, which are core to the proper functioning and control of operational systems and processes. This malware enables the attacker to manipulate and disrupt industrial processes, allowing them to remotely collect information from these systems, shut down operations, sabotage industrial processes, and potentially cause physical harm and destruction.
When reports of this malware surfaced in April, CSA issued an advisory to our CII sector leads and owners to take precautions against this threat and make timely incident reports. To date, we have not found any evidence of Pipedream being used against our CII. Beyond CIIs, SingCERT also publishes public advisories on protecting industrial control systems, most recently in March, to advise enterprises on how they may bolster their cybersecurity measures against threats that target these systems.
It is important that CII owners and other enterprises remain vigilant against cyber threats and adopt the necessary cybersecurity practices to safeguard the systems and networks. CII owners are required by the Cybersecurity Act to put in place measures to meet cybersecurity standards set by CSA. For enterprises, CSA launched the SG Cyber Safe Programme in 2021 to encourage and help companies strengthen their cybersecurity posture. This includes a cybersecurity certification programme for enterprises – comprising the Cyber Essentials and Cyber Trust marks – to recognise enterprises that have implemented good cybersecurity practices.
CSA also developed cybersecurity toolkits for companies of various profiles to guide enterprise leaders and their employees on cybersecurity best practices. I encourage companies to apply for these cyber marks and take advantage of the resources and toolkits available on CSA’s website.
Mr Speaker, cyber threats are constantly evolving. Pipedream will not be the last strain of malware to threaten us. I urge everyone to stay vigilant, take cybersecurity seriously and practice good cyber hygiene.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Avenues of Recourse when Social Media Organisations Do Not Comply with Government's Directions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"100 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) whether the Government has avenues of recourse in the event a social media organisation does not comply with directions to (i) disable access to harmful content (ii) disallow accounts that have such content or (iii) remove specified types of egregious content; and (b) if so, what are they.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Last month, MCI announced details of two proposed Codes of Practice to strengthen safety for users of social media services. The first Code of Practice on Online Safety will require designated social media services in Singapore to implement upstream system-wide processes to enhance online safety for their users, particularly the young. Where egregious harmful content remains available despite the social media services’ content moderation systems, a second Content Code for Social Media Services will allow IMDA to direct service providers to disable access to such content for end users in Singapore; this will also apply to social media services not covered by the first Code.
Like many governments around the world, Singapore is looking at ways to effectively regulate social media services. As with all forms of regulations, non-compliance must result in enforcement actions. MCI has studied relevant international regulatory models and provisions under existing local laws. We will provide details of the enforcement framework in due course.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number and Percentage of Doctors Resigning from Public Hospitals Within Their Bond Periods in Past Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"101 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health for each year in the past five years, what is the number and percentage of doctors who resign from public hospitals (i) within one year of completing their bonds (ii) within two years of completing their bonds and (iii) within three years of completing their bonds respectively.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: MOH only has data on attrition of doctors by their age. Over the past five years:
Among 29 year olds, attrition rate went up from 4% in 2018 to 6% in 2019, then dropped to 2% in 2020 and 2021;
Among the 30 year olds, it was 8% in 2018 to 10% in 2019, then 5% to 6% in the last two years; and
Among the 31 year olds, it was from 6% in 2017, 9% in 2018, then 3% to 4% in the last two years.
There are many factors that affect attrition, including morale, job satisfaction, work conditions, and most importantly, a sense of mission. This explains why during the COVID-19 pandemic during the past two years, attrition rate generally dropped for doctors. We will continue to monitor these factors closely, and engage with staff to improve them, and address any issues.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Average Duration to Investigate Scam-related Case and Resolution and Release of Bank Accounts Frozen and Proportion of Funds Lost Recovered","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"102 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the average duration taken to investigate a scam-related case; (b) how are cases which involve freezing of bank accounts resolved and the freeze eventually released; and (c) on average for a scam case, what proportion of funds lost will typically be recovered.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Police do not track the time they take to complete scam investigations. It depends on many factors, including the type of scam and how well the scammer covers his tracks. In cases where the scammer is based outside Singapore, which is the case for most scams here, investigations can take much longer. Every case could differ significantly.
Bank accounts suspected to be involved in scam operations will be frozen by the Police, with monies seized as proceeds of crime. Upon completion of investigations, the investigation officer will apply for a disposal order from the courts to return the monies to person(s) entitled to them. The time taken for the monies to be returned to the victims will depend on the facts and circumstances of the case. For example, whether there are multiple claimants and whether the monies are still relevant for the purposes of investigation or trial or other court proceeding. The freeze on the bank accounts will be lifted upon completion of investigations.
In June 2019, the Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) was set up with a focus on mitigating victims’ losses through interdiction of the proceeds of the scam. Since then, the ASC has received scam reports with losses amounting to more than $822 million. Of this, the ASC has recovered more than $200 million to date, or about 25% of the amount lost.
Where the monies have been transferred outside Singapore, recovery is even more difficult. The ASC works with the Monetary Association of Singapore and financial institutions to swiftly freeze bank accounts suspected to be involved in scams, so as to enhance the chances of recovery.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of People Who Have Renounced Permanent Resident Status in Singapore over Last Three Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"103 Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Home Affairs with regard to people who have renounced their permanent resident (PR) status (a) what are the numbers in 2019, 2020 and 2021 respectively; (b) whether the numbers of these three years are higher than those in the years before; and (c) what are the numbers and percentages of those who renounced their PR status after one year and five years, respectively.
Mr K Shanmugam: Consistently, the number of Permanent Residents (PRs) who renounced their PR status annually has constituted less than 1% of the PR population. Between 2019 and 2021, an average of 2,590 PRs renounced their PR status annually. This was lower than the average of 4,270 PRs who renounced annually between 2016 and 2018.
Of those who renounced their PR status between 2019 and 2021, less than 10% did so within the first five years of being a PR, and less than 0.5% did so within the first year of being a PR.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Consequence of Raising Minimum Salary Requirements for Work Passes and Preventive Measures in Place","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"105 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether companies are allowed to increase the working hours for foreign employees in order to meet the new minimum salary requirements for work passes, and reducing the working hours of local employees to counter the higher wage cost; (b) whether this is the intended consequence of raising the minimum salary requirements for work passes; and (c) if not, what can the Ministry do to prevent this.
Dr Tan See Leng: Companies should not increase the working hours for foreign employees in order to meet the new minimum salary requirements for work passes, and reduce the working hours and thus wages of local employees to counter the higher total wage cost.
Such behaviour is absolutely not the intended outcome of MOM’s updates to the qualifying salary. The updates to the qualifying salary are to ensure that EP and S Pass holders are not hired simply because they are cheaper than locals, but because they bring in skills, networks and expertise that complement our local workforce. The result is to strengthen the complementarity of our foreign workforce.
Thus far, we have not come across any such cases as described by the Member, where EP or S Pass holders were forced to put in more hours with a corresponding reduction in work hours for local workers when updates to qualifying salary were made. And if we look at the historical data, local wages have continued to grow, including in years when EP and S Pass qualifying salaries were raised.
Fundamentally, it does not make good business sense to unfairly reduce locals’ working hours and salary. Employees who are unfairly treated will leave the company. Besides losing talent, the company may also find that it does not have enough quota to retain its S Pass holders at the next renewal. The vast majority of our employers understand that when it comes to setting wages, what matters are the job scope, responsibilities and performance of the worker, rather than the hours worked. This is particularly so for the professionals, managers, executives and technicians, or PMET, job roles that we are talking about here.
Nevertheless, if an employer engages in such unfair practices, as I stated in MOM’s Committee of Supply this year, the workers can take their grievances to the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP). TAFEP will engage the firm to conduct a proper salary review, because unfair remuneration practices run counter to the Tripartite Guidelines for Fair Employment Practices.
106 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has set any targets on the number of workers trained as mental health first responder; (b) if so, what are they; (c) what is the rationale for these targets; and (d) what is the timeline towards achieving these targets.
Dr Tan See Leng: Mental health first responders are equipped to spot signs of mental distress and common mental health conditions, provide initial support to their co-workers, and subsequently guide the person in distress to seek relevant professional help. Today, organisations can already tap on the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council’s Total WSH Programme, which provides free mental well-being workshops to equip workers with basic mental health first aid competencies. Since January this year where Total WSH providers have started to offer mental health first responder courses, around 60 participants have attended the training. We will continue to promote the adoption of this course, especially with the easing of COVID-19 measures in the year ahead.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not set specific targets on the number of workers trained as mental health first responders. Instead, we encourage and guide companies to adopt mental well-being initiatives that are most suited for their organisation’s needs, including the provision of mental well-being training.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Work Injury Claims under Work Injury Compensation Act","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"107 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower from October 2021 to June 2022, what is the number of work injury claims under the Work Injury Compensation Act that were (i) filed (ii) assessed and (iii) compensated, where the employee sustained the injury whilst working from home.
Dr Tan See Leng: From October 2021 to June 2022, 12 work injury compensation claims have been filed for injuries sustained by employees while working from home. Nine have been admitted as work injuries and two are being assessed. One claim was rejected as it was assessed not to be work-related.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Consolidation in Tech Sector and Impact on Singaporeans' Tech Jobs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"108 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how many Singaporeans are currently employed in the tech industry in Singapore; (b) how many Singaporeans in this industry have been made redundant in the last six months; and (c) what is the impact of the industry’s current \"consolidation\" in jobs expected to be on the overall job market in Singapore.
Dr Tan See Leng: The use of technology has intensified across all sectors of the economy, most notably in manufacturing and financial services. While there are no clearly defined boundaries, the tech sector generally refers to the Information and Communications (I&C) sector. There were 128,900 residents employed in the I&C sector in Singapore as of March 2022.
The Government is monitoring the recent global trend of tech restructuring and layoffs. Thus far, retrenchments in our I&C sector have remained low. 260 residents were retrenched in the last two quarters, i.e. 4Q 2021 to 1Q 2022, which is comparable to the number of residents retrenched in 4Q 2019 to 1Q 2020, prior to the Circuit Breaker. Over the same period, the number of residents employed in the sector continued to increase, and grew by 6,800. Hiring demand has also remained strong, with job vacancies in the I&C sector having risen from 8,400 in September 2021 to 10,800 in March 2022.
We are mindful that hiring demand and employment growth in the I&C sector may moderate given the increasing challenges in the macro-economic environment, with tech firms making layoffs globally. Nonetheless, as businesses continue to digitalise, there will still be demand for workers with digital skills across the economy. We will continue to invest in our I&C workforce to ensure we remain nimble to seize new opportunities. The Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation led by Workforce Singapore (WSG) will proactively reach out to retrenching firms to offer employment assistance to affected workers. This includes provision of information and career resources, and career coaching services offered by WSG and NTUC’s e2i.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Monitoring of Bulk Purchases of Private Property by Non-Singaporeans","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"109 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry monitors bulk purchases of non-restricted private property by non-Singaporeans; and (b) whether the Ministry will introduce measures to assure Singaporeans who aspire to purchase private property that they will be able to do so without worrying about being priced out by the property market.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Government monitors the property market closely, as part of our efforts to promote a stable and sustainable property market.
In general, foreigners account for a small proportion of private housing transactions. Foreigners accounted for around 3% of transactions so far this year, and only 0.4% of transactions involve foreigners purchasing more than one unit within a development.
Given the upward market momentum in prices and transaction volumes in the property market last year, we had introduced a suite of demand and supply measures to cool the property market in December 2021. These included raising the Additional Buyers’ Stamp Duty, tightening the Total Debt Servicing Ratio and increasing the supply of private housing through the Government Land Sales programme. We are monitoring the impact of these cooling measures and will make further adjustments to our property market policies as necessary, to promote a stable and sustainable property market.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Support from HDB to Ensure Every Town Council is Served by Managing Agent","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"110 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB is required to provide support to ensure that every Town Council is served by a managing agent.
Mr Desmond Lee: Town Councils were formed in 1989 to give elected MPs the autonomy and latitude to run their own towns and decide on local estate management matters.
As such, Town Councils can choose how best to manage their respective Towns, for example by (i) appointing managing agents, (ii) adopting a self-management model (i.e. hire their own employees) or (iii) using a hybrid model. HDB is not required to ensure that every Town Council is served by a managing agent.
Currently, 13 Town Councils are managed by managing agents, three Town Councils are self-managed, and one Town Council adopts a hybrid model.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Current and Future Efforts in Pulau Ubin Conservation Project","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"111 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are the current measures of success for the ongoing Ubin Project to conserve and sensitively enhance the island; and (b) what are the future plans to conserve and preserve the island.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Ubin Project was initiated in 2014 to preserve the island’s rustic charm, natural environment, biodiversity and heritage. To support this, the Friends of Ubin Network (FUN) was formed the same year, comprising a diverse group of stakeholders including villagers, researchers, and members from the heritage and nature communities who are passionate about Ubin.
Over the years, to conserve and sensitively enhance the island, we have worked closely with FUN on various ground-up initiatives that support The Ubin Project’s key thrusts. For example, in the area of biodiversity conservation, we have intensified our habitat enhancement and species recovery efforts. In particular, NParks collaborated with the National University of Singapore to adopt a science-based ecological mangrove restoration approach that enhances the regeneration of Ubin’s mangroves. Many areas on Ubin have also been planted with native trees and shrubs, providing important habitats for biodiversity. These efforts have led to an increase in the population of many native species, and we will press on with these efforts. In 2020, our first Comprehensive Ubin Biodiversity Survey also recorded twenty new species of fauna, including a spider species that was new to science.
In addition, we have worked with heritage experts and the FUN community to sensitively restore kampong houses on Ubin. The community has also been inspired to actively organise and lead initiatives, such as the annual Pesta Ubin, Ubin Day, as well as festival gatherings for villagers and their families. We have also been heartened by the community’s efforts to document Ubin’s cultural heritage, such as through an archaeological survey, and a cultural mapping project of the island’s living heritage. These efforts have contributed greatly towards preserving the cultural heritage and the way of life on Ubin.
Going forward, we will continue to partner FUN, Ubin villagers, and community stakeholders on future plans to conserve the island. We will continue to keep Pulau Ubin as a rustic and natural island for as long as possible, so that future generations can continue to enjoy its cultural and natural heritage.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal for Mandatory Counselling for Singaporean Men who Intend to Marry Foreigners","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"112 Ms Ng Ling Ling asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry will consider mandatory counselling for Singaporean men who intend to marry foreigners on the implications about obtaining their partners' long-term immigration facilities, such as long-term visit passes, permanent residence and Singapore citizenship, before allowing them to register their marriage in Singapore.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: We recognise that marriages between Singaporeans and foreigners may face unique circumstances, such as cultural differences and the need to obtain their partners’ long-term immigration facilities. Therefore, MSF introduced the Marriage Preparation Programme (MPP) and Marriage Support Programme (MSP) in 2014. The MPP, which takes place prior to marriage, focuses on building a strong marriage foundation within a cross-cultural context and provides practical information on immigration issues and processes. The MSP supports couples post marriage and provides information on living in Singapore to help foreign spouses adapt to life in Singapore. Singaporean-foreigner couples whose Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) application are approved may be required to attend the MPP and MSP before they are issued the LTVP.
To provide greater clarity on whether the foreign spouse can qualify for long-term stay in Singapore, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) implemented the Pre-Marriage LTVP Assessment (PMLA) in 2015. Prospective Singaporean-foreigner couples are strongly encouraged to undergo the PMLA before marriage to help them better understand each other and plan for their future. The Registry of Marriages (ROM) has also set up specific onsite kiosks to provide Singaporean-foreigner couples with greater clarity on the PMLA and its benefits, and to highly encourage couples to complete the PMLA.
We will continue to explore ways to better equip Singaporean-foreigner couples with sufficient knowledge on the process of applying for long-term immigration facilities for their foreign partners, before registering their marriage in Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Average Waiting Times for Various Assessments of Special Needs Children","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"113 Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for Social and Family Development what is the current average waiting time for an undiagnosed special needs child (i) to be screened for developmental needs under the Development Support and Learning Support programme and (ii) to be assessed by early intervention professionals and paediatricians at the Child Development Programme at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and National University Hospital.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: In preschools, educators may refer children with suspected developmental needs for screening by a Learning Support Educator (LSEd). A LSEd is an Early Intervention (EI) professional with Early Childhood (EC) experience, who has been trained to deliver the Development Support – Learning Support (DS-LS) programme by working closely with the EC educators and parents/ caregivers. The screening is conducted by the LSEd in the child’s preschool. The LSEd will assess the child’s needs and suitability for the DS-LS programme, which serves children requiring low levels of EI support. At present, children are generally screened within four weeks from the point of referral by the educator.
Following the screening by LSEd, children assessed to require intervention by an Allied Health Professional (e.g. therapists, psychologists) will be referred to the Child Development Programme (CDP) at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and National University Hospital (NUH) for medical evaluation. The average waiting time for the first medical consultation at KKH or NUH is between three to four weeks from the point of referral.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance Revisions on Number of Families Receiving Help and Proposal for Simplified Process in Determining Assistance Amount","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"114 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the number of families on ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) that will not be due for renewal by September 2022; (b) whether the revision of assistance rates for ComCare SMTA can be extended to families already on assistance instead of only for new or renewal applicants in order to be more responsive to families’ immediate challenges; and (c) how will the Government ensure that the criteria and process for determining the amount of assistance to be provided can be simplified and expedited.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) provides temporary assistance to lower-income households that need financial support to meet basic needs. The assistance for about 1,800 households, or 12% of all households currently on SMTA, will end after September 2022. Some of these households will return to renew their assistance. Others will not, if their circumstances have improved and do not need more support. Reassessing the household’s circumstances when SMTA has ended ensures that ComCare resources are directed to where current needs are.
In April this year, to tackle the rising cost of living, MSF introduced temporary measures to provide existing ComCare clients with a longer period of assistance at a higher quantum. These levels of assistance are similar to the revised rates. On a related note, SMTA clients whose circumstances changed and need more support than what they are receiving can approach their nearest Social Service Office (SSO). The SSO will reassess their financial situation, and adjust the quantum and duration of SMTA, if needed.
MSF recognises the importance of making ComCare applications simpler and more convenient. Starting May 2022, applications for SMTA can be made more conveniently via the SupportGoWhere portal. Applicants can tap on “MyInfo” to fill in their personal information automatically and submit their documents and keep track of their application status online. Applicants who are unable to make online applications can continue to make their applications in person at the SSOs.
The community plays an important role in partnering the Government to help those in need. Other than helping on their own, members of the community can also refer someone in need of assistance to call the ComCare hotline at 1800-222-0000, or approach their nearest SSO or Family Service Centre for assistance.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Approach to Concept of Personalised Health Diagnostics and Precision Treatment for Better Outcomes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"115 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Health (a) with regard to preventive healthcare, how is the Ministry approaching the concept of personalised health diagnostics and precision treatment for better outcomes; and (b) what implication will this have on existing policy guidelines and insurance coverage.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Precision Health technology is advancing rapidly, and has the potential to transform how we manage our health and improve healthcare. This includes identifying groups who are at higher risk of disease or its progression, to allow for early screening and preventive action. To harness its benefits and mitigate risks and downsides, there are three things that MOH is doing.
First, continue to develop our capabilities in this area. The Precision Health Research, Singapore (PRECISE) programme is a key research initiative, to develop breakthrough and cost-effective clinical applications of companion diagnostics for precise health prevention and treatment. For example, it is studying whether familial hypercholesterolemia, an inherited condition that results in very high cholesterol levels, can be identified and treated early.
Second, to ensure that the activities surrounding Precision Health is guided by ethics and a code of conduct. In anticipation of the increasing use of genetic testing, MOH had developed in 2018 the 'Code of Practice on the Standards for the Provision of Clinical Genetic/Genomic Testing Services and Clinical Laboratory Genetic/Genomic Testing Services'. The Code of Practice will be translated into standards and requirements under the new Clinical Genetics and Genomics Services Regulations under the Healthcare Services Act in 2023.
Third, continue to ensure inclusivity in our healthcare support and safety net. With genetic testing, it has become possible to deny individuals’ insurance coverage due to their higher propensity to contract certain diseases. Precision in diagnosis and treatment does not necessarily have to lead to precision in insurance coverage, which can be socially undesirable. MOH and the Life Insurance Association (LIA) has therefore introduced the 'Moratorium on Genetic Testing and Insurance' in 2021. Under the moratorium, genetic test results from biomedical research will not be used in insurance underwriting. Life insurers are also generally not allowed to use predictive genetic test results in assessing or deciding the outcome of insurance applications.
MOH will continue to review the international developments in Precision Health, and to conduct our own research and studies, to inform our health policy guidelines and improve healthcare outcomes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Common Reasons for Rejecting Admission Requests at Restructured Hospitals","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"116 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Health (a) what are the circumstances and common reasons for rejecting inpatient admission requests by patients or patients’ family members at restructured hospitals during (i) 2020 to date and (ii) 2017 to 2020; and (b) whether there are sufficient capacity at the current restructured hospitals to cope with the needs of an aging population.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Hospital admissions are only for patients assessed to require inpatient treatment because of their medical needs. All patients, regardless of their age, who are assessed to require hospitalization will not be denied treatment.
\tMOH is actively increasing our acute hospital capacity to meet the growing demand of our ageing population. In addition, MOH has also increased the capacity of our community hospitals, community and home care services, as well as primary care services, to support the healthcare needs of our seniors.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Haj Places and Concessions for Singaporean Pilgrims","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"117 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) whether an update can be provided on the haj pilgrimage for 2022; (b) how will MUIS allocate the haj places to the pilgrims; (c) whether there will be concessions for those registered in the system but are turning 65 years old; and (d) how will MUIS handle appeal cases for the allocation of places for the pilgrimage.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced that Haj 2022 will be opened to one million pilgrims, comprising 850,000 international pilgrims. Singapore has been granted a Haj quota of 900 places, after being allocated with additional places in June 2022. Singapore was initially granted a Haj quota of 407 places, but with the additional quota, Singapore’s quota this year is similar to the official quota of 900 in previous years before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Saudi Arabia also announced that this year’s haj pilgrims must be below 65 years old. In compliance with this age limit, there will be no concessions for those who are turning 65 years old this year. Pilgrims must be COVID-19 vaccinated with a Saudi-approved vaccine, and must submit a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test within 72 hours from the time of departure to Saudi Arabia.
Given the deferment of Haj for Singaporean pilgrims in 2020 and 2021, MUIS will allocate the limited Haj quota to pilgrims who were supposed to perform their haj in 2020 and meet the conditions and requirements for Haj 2022. MUIS has allocated pilgrims on a first-come-first-serve basis, based on their Haj registration dates. Given the short timeframe and the need to ensure timely allocation of the limited Haj places, MUIS could not accept any appeals for Haj this year.
All other pilgrims who are in the Advance Haj Registration System will be automatically moved up in the queue to perform Haj in subsequent years. Pilgrims’ eligibility to perform the Haj will continue to be subject to conditions and requirements mandated by the relevant Saudi authorities.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on MUIS' Investigation into Australian Abattoir's Products for Compliance with Halal Certification Requirements","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"118 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs whether the Ministry can provide more details on MUIS' investigation processes and findings on Thomas Foods International Lobethal, which resulted in the cessation of the use and import of meat products from them.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: MUIS ensures that imported halal certified products used by its halal certificate holders adopt halal standards that are similar or comparable to the Singapore MUIS Halal Standards (SMHS) through the Foreign Halal Certification Bodies (FHCB) recognition scheme.
MUIS has been working closely with local and foreign authorities on the import of meat products from Thomas Foods International Lobethal (TFIL).
On 16 May 2022, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment of Australia (DAWE) replied to Singapore Food Agency (SFA) that TFIL’s operations are in compliance with Australia’s food safety regulations and standards. This is aligned with Singapore’s food safety requirements. SFA shared this information with MUIS.
In parallel, MUIS sought inputs from the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (JAKIM) which had convened its own investigations into TFIL through its appointed representative based in Canberra.
MUIS also sought verification from the halal certifier of TFIL, Supreme Islamic Council of Halal Meat in Australia (SICHMA), which acknowledged lapses of halal slaughtering protocols by TFIL as reported in the media on 28 May 2022.
When it became clear that halal integrity at TFIL was compromised, MUIS instructed its halal-certified establishments to cease the use of meat products from TFIL with immediate effect on 30 May 2022. MUIS continues to closely monitor the import of halal meat products into Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Outcome of MUIS-directed Review of Financial Transactions between Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah and Irsyad Trust Limited","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"119 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) what is the outcome of the MUIS-directed review of the financial transactions between Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah and Irsyad Trust Limited; and (b) what follow-up actions have been taken as a result of the review.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: In April 2021, MUIS initiated an audit on Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah to examine the financial transactions and relationship between the Madrasah and Irsyad Trust Limited (ITL) from 2013, to determine if there were any fraudulent or illegal transactions or activities.
In July 2021, MUIS lodged a Police report based on its preliminary findings from the audit. The MUIS audit is still ongoing. As Police investigations are underway, I am unable to disclose further details at this juncture.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Take-up Rates among Smaller businesses and Building Owners for Energy Efficiency Fund and Green Mark Incentives Compared with Larger Businesses","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"120 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how do the take-up rates among smaller businesses and owners of small buildings for the Energy Efficiency Fund and Green Mark incentives compare with those for larger companies; and (b) whether the Government has studied the possibility of creating an additional grant tier to further incentivise such small businesses and owners of small buildings to take up these schemes.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The Industry Energy Efficiency Package for the adoption of energy efficiency technologies was launched in 2019 to help companies become more energy efficient. Under this package, the Energy Efficiency Fund (E2F) supports smaller manufacturing companies with annual group sales turnover of less than S$500 million. To date, 24 applications have been approved under the E2F.
The Green Mark Incentive Scheme for Existing Buildings & Premises (GMIS-EBP) was a five-year $50 million incentive scheme that has been fully committed and expired in 2019. The scheme provided grants to both building owners and tenants to undertake energy efficiency works. Under this scheme, more than one-third of the approved applicants were small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The remaining grants were awarded to building owners where at least 10% of their tenants were SMEs.
To provide stronger support for the smaller companies, a number of enhancements have been made to the E2F grant. First, from 1 April 2022, the maximum E2F grant support cap for adoption of energy efficient technologies has been raised from 50 to 70 per cent of the qualifying costs per project. Second, the E2F grant application and disbursement processes have been streamlined and improved to help smaller companies save time and cost. Third, we are working with the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) to strengthen the Energy Efficiency Technology Centre (EETC), which supports SMEs with low-cost energy assessments to identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency.
In addition, the recently-announced Energy Efficiency Grant will also provide support for local SMEs in the Food Services, Food Manufacturing and Retail sectors looking to adopt energy-efficient equipment in pre-approved categories.
The incentive schemes will continue to be reviewed from time to time to broaden take-up by companies. The industry is encouraged to take advantage of these schemes to raise their energy efficiency levels, reduce energy consumption and reduce their cost of doing business.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Appeal to Delay Introduction of Sea Space Leases to Give Smaller Fish Farms Time to Review Business Models","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"121 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry will consider pausing the introduction of sea space leases for next year to give smaller fish farms time to review their business models.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: To grow our aquaculture industry, we encourage farms to adopt sustainable, high productivity farm management methods and leverage technology to optimise the use of sea space. As with land-based farms, sea-based farms have also given feedback that longer lease tenures would provide the certainty they need to invest in productive and sustainable farming technologies. This would also give them the necessary runway and enhance their access to financing needed to undertake long-term business planning and investments in farming technologies. We hence introduced sea space leases to support the industry’s needs.
All farms, small or large, play a role in the transformation of our aquaculture industry. In line with the announcement at the Ministry for Sustainability and the Environment’s Committee of Supplies Debate earlier this year, there is a transition period of ten years, to ease existing farmers onto the new lease mechanism and give them time to review their business models. During this period, farmers can choose to continue using their current sea spaces under a Temporary Occupation Licences (TOLs) arrangement with annual renewals. The TOL fees will be phased in over four years to mitigate the cost impact to farms, and in line with Government’s commitment to not increase Government fees in 2023, fees for next year will also be waived. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) will support all farms through the transition regardless of whether they choose to remain and invest in their existing sea spaces or exit the industry.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proposal to Regulate Practices to Encourage Bulk Buying ahead of GST Rate Increase","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"122 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Trade and Industry given the announcement that the GST hike will proceed as scheduled (a) whether there is an increase in the number of complaints received on businesses encouraging customers to make advance, leveraged purchases to lock in the 7% GST rate; and (b) whether the Government intends to regulate such practices, for example by mandating a cooling-off period during which consumers may cancel their orders without penalty.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Agencies and the Consumers of Association of Singapore (CASE) have not received any complaints of businesses taking advantage of the GST increase to encourage customers to make advanced leveraged purchases beyond their means. Furthermore, payment and delivery schedules are commercial and personal decisions that are best left to businesses and their customers who know best what their needs are. MTI does not intend to impose any new regulations, such as a cooling-off period.
The Government has engaged major retailers that offer in-house credit schemes to encourage them to improve their business practices, such as enhancing their transparency standards and the disclosure of their terms and conditions, employing responsible marketing practices, and incorporating credit bureau reports as part of their credit assessment. MTI and agencies will continue to keep a close watch on market practices.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Investigation into Individual who Allegedly Promulgated Deviant Teachings","subTitle":"Probe due to MUIS' Police report","sectionType":"WANA","content":"123 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether he can provide an update on the status of the investigation into an individual allegedly promulgating deviant teachings which MUIS had previously filed a Police report on.
Mr K Shanmugam: On 9 November 2020, the Straits Times reported the case of an individual who allegedly promulgated deviant teachings. Following internal investigations, MUIS lodged a police report. As Police investigations are ongoing, it is inappropriate to comment on the case at this point in time.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on Completion and Commencement of Operations for Phase 3 of Thomson East Coast Line and Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit Link","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"124 Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry asked the Minister for Transport whether an update can be provided on the completion time and when operations will commence for Phase Three of the Thomson East Coast Line and the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit (RTS) Link.
Mr S Iswaran: Under stage 3 of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), 11 stations are slated to commence passenger service in 2H 2022. This will connect residents in the north directly to many destinations in the city and significantly shorten travel times.
The RTS Link project is progressing well and on track for service commencement by end 2026. When the RTS Link service commences, it will ease congestion along the Causeway and make cross-border travel between the two countries more convenient and efficient.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans for Better Transportation Access for Seniors Living in Private Estates","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"125 Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry has plans to help seniors living within private estates to have better transportation access, such as encouraging the private sector to offer mini-bus services for private estate routes or trialing autonomous private hire vehicles for the private estates.
Mr S Iswaran: Ensuring that our public transport is inclusive and accessible for all commuters, including seniors, is one of the key thrusts of the Land Transport Masterplan 2040. To this end, we have been expanding our rail and bus network and have also been introducing enhancements such as lifts at pedestrian overhead bridges to make it easier for seniors to access transportation options. However, this has to be done in a financially sustainable manner while balancing other national needs including the healthcare needs of an ageing population.
Residents of private estates can access public bus services along the main roads in their vicinity. In addition, LTA is open to collaborating with private bus operators and the community to serve residents in private estates, subject to commercial assessment of such an arrangement. This is in view that private operators have a role to play as they operate with different fleets that are more navigable in private estates, such as smaller buses, whether on a fixed route or on demand basis. As for the trialling of autonomous vehicles, these are still in very early stages, and we must ascertain that the technology is ready and safe before deployment.
126 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Prime Minister whether the CPIB has considered any steps to enhance anti-corruption education, especially among Singaporean youths, to ensure that Singaporeans across all generations will continue to reject corruption and strive to keep Singapore a corrupt-free society.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): Incorruptibility is an integral part of Singapore’s DNA. This national value was ingrained in our society by our founding fathers. Our system of clean governance, and the way we conduct our business honestly and with integrity are well-regarded internationally. We have been ranked in the top ten least corrupt countries since 1995 by Transparency International, and is the only Asian country that has achieved this accolade.
While the corruption situation in Singapore is firmly under control, we should never take this for granted. CPIB will continue to invest in capabilities to keep corruption at bay. We are also mindful that fighting corruption is not solely the responsibility of CPIB. CPIB needs the support of the community to combat corruption with zeal and tenacity, and without fear or favour.
To this end, CPIB has taken the fight upstream through targeted corruption prevention and education efforts with the community. CPIB’s work in preventive education covers a full spectrum, from those meant for the general public, to those aimed at private sector companies and employees, as well as public officers and students. There are specific corruption prevention initiatives targeted at younger Singaporeans from different age groups. These included picture books and animated video series designed for pre-schoolers to emphasise important values like honesty and integrity, an Anti-Corruption Badge Programme for Uniformed Groups such as the National Police Cadet Corps, an Anti-Corruption Web Game and e-Book for teenagers to learn about the serious consequences of corruption.
These preventive education resources were co-created with youths including students from St Joseph’s Institution, Nanyang Polytechnic and Yale-NUS College to leverage their insights on what may interest younger Singaporeans as well as promote greater ownership amongst our youths. CPIB will continue to work with schools and the community, including the media, to enhance the relevance and reach of its corruption prevention work to ensure that corruption in Singapore is kept at bay.
Finally, Members would be aware that CPIB is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. This is a significant milestone. May I ask Members to join me in acknowledging the good work and devotion to duty of CPIB officers, both past and present, in keeping Singapore clean and corruption-free. Thank you.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Completion of Review of Use of SMS and Clickable Links for Government Agencies by Smart Nation Digital Government Group","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"1 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Prime Minister when will the Smart Nation Digital Government Group (SNDGG) complete its review of the use of SMS and clickable links for government agencies.
Mr Teo Chee Hean (for the Prime Minister): The SNDGG has reviewed the use of links by Government agencies. Removal of links in SMSes, emails or other messaging platforms does not eliminate the risks of users falling prey to phishing attempts, e.g. phone numbers that members of the public are asked to call or continued attempts by scammers to use phishing links. Instead, we will implement prevention, detection and mitigation measures at the backend, and continue with user education to better protect citizens from scams perpetrated through the use of links.
SMS is a core text messaging component of most mobile devices. Because SMS is based on open standards, its main advantage is its widespread reach. SMS can reach anyone with a mobile phone, even if they do not use a smart phone or email, with nearly 100% coverage. Hence, SMS is widely used for many services, including communications and marketing. For example, the Government has attached links in SMSes to mobilise citizens to get vaccinated during COVID-19.
However, there are deficiencies in the open SMS standards that allow spoofing. Scammers can impersonate legitimate senders, such as Government agencies, to send SMSes with links to illegitimate websites to trick users to give up their user credentials and transfer monies.
Given the above tradeoffs between reach and vulnerability to spoofing, the Government will implement a number of measures in order to have safeguards and give users confidence when interacting with SMSes.
When sending SMSes with links, the Government will only use domains1 ending with \".gov.sg\". Any logins to Government services (e.g. keying in Singpass credentials or scanning the Singpass QR code) should only be done at genuine Government websites with domains ending with \".gov.sg\". There are some exceptions such as websites that are collaborations between Government agencies and non-government entities. Such legitimate websites are listed on www.gov.sg/trusted-sites which users are encouraged to check if they are asked to transact on unfamiliar website domains.
The Government will also regularly remind the public that its links will always have domains1 ending with \".gov.sg\", which users should confirm before clicking to transact with public agencies. For messages delivered to citizens through SMSes, the Government will also only use links where it is important to mobilise large numbers quickly and where we assess other channels to be less effective. We will not ask users to provide their credentials, such as passwords, through websites directly accessed through SMS links.
In addition to these preventive and protective measures by the Government and users when interacting via SMS, the Government is implementing backend prevention, detection and mitigation measures to address attempts to conduct scams by impersonating legitimate senders.
First, we are reducing the possibility of SMS sender IDs from being spoofed. The Singapore SMS Sender ID Registry (SSIR) was established in March 2022 to block SMSes that spoof the sender IDs of participants, which includes Government agencies and banks. To date, more than 50 organisations have onboarded the SSIR, with all Government agencies progressively onboarding. We are also studying the requirement for all users of alphanumeric sender IDs to be onboarded to prevent scammers from sending SMSes using alphanumeric sender IDs.
Second, we will implement measures to screen out scam messages and calls upstream. We are working with the telcos to build up in-network capabilities to block scam messages and calls, including robocalls and those spoofing numbers of local Government agencies and emergency services. We have developed the ScamShield mobile application to filter out scam SMSes and calls. We are also running various public education campaigns to alert citizens to different types of emerging scams.
Third, we are strengthening our detection of scams in our Government transactions with citizens. For Government services, we have implemented multi-factor authentication on Singpass, including use of biometrics, to provide added layers of protection to Singpass accounts and to prevent them from being easily taken over by scammers. Like other major technology companies, we are also using and continuously improving our fraud analytics to detect and notify users of suspicious logins, such as logins from a new device or browser. For major transactions with citizens, Government agencies also conduct checks to ensure that payments are made to bank accounts owned by the correct person. This will complement similar measures that the banks are taking to mitigate the risk of fraudulent transactions, such as enhancing fraud monitoring systems to facilitate timely detection and blocking of suspicious transactions and alerting customers of outgoing transactions that exceed established risk thresholds so that they can report unauthorised transactions as soon as possible.
Fourth, we are speeding up our response to scams. The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) will be launching a WhatsApp channel by 3Q2022 for citizens to quickly and conveniently report suspected scams, so that we can rapidly crowdsource information and respond to scam websites and messages. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) also work together to identify and block suspected scam websites. In 2021, 12,000 suspected scam websites were blocked. In addition, the SPF works with financial institutions to swiftly freeze bank accounts suspected to be involved in scams.
Combating scams will be a constant battle as scammers' tactics will keep changing. The Government will continue to implement backend measures to better protect citizens and we also need everyone's help to remain vigilant.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : A domain is a unique address used to access websites such as ‘www.smartnation.gov.sg’."],"footNoteQuestions":["1"],"questionNo":"1"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Implementation of Further Restrictions on Cryptocurrency Trading Platforms to Protect Members of Public","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"2 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Prime Minister whether MAS intends to implement further restrictions on cryptocurrency trading platforms with a view to protect unsophisticated persons from entering into such trades which are considered highly risky.
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam (for the Prime Minister): Since 2017, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has consistently warned that cryptocurrencies are not suitable investments for the retail public. Most cryptocurrencies are subject to sharp speculative price swings. Recent events have vividly demonstrated the risks, with prices of several cryptocurrencies falling drastically.
In January this year, MAS went further than most other regulators, to restrict the marketing and advertising of cryptocurrency services in public areas, and disallow cryptocurrency trading being portrayed in a manner that trivialises its risks. All entities dealing in cryptocurrencies (termed digital payment token or DPT service providers) in Singapore are expected to comply with the MAS guidelines. Since then, DPT service providers have taken actions to meet these rules, such as removing cryptocurrency ATMs from public areas and taking down advertisements from public transport venues.
DPT service providers are currently regulated under the Payment Services Act (PS Act) primarily for money laundering and terrorism financing risks. But the PS Act also empowers MAS to impose additional measures on DPT service providers to ensure better consumer protection, and to maintain financial stability and safeguard the efficacy of monetary policy.
MAS has been carefully considering the introduction of additional consumer protection safeguards. These may include placing limits on retail participation, and rules on the use of leverage when transacting in cryptocurrencies. Given the borderless nature of cryptocurrency markets, however, there is a need for regulatory coordination and cooperation globally. These issues are being discussed at various international standard setting bodies where MAS actively participates.
MAS reiterates its warning: cryptocurrencies are highly risky and are not suitable for the retail public. People can lose most of the money they have invested, or more if they borrow to purchase cryptocurrencies.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Incentives or Regulations to Promote and Achieve Basic Competency Standards in Green Financing Amongst Financial Institutions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"3 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Prime Minister whether the Government intends to spur the adoption of sustainable finance amongst financial institutions with incentives or regulations to encourage active promotion of green financing and achieve basic competency standards in green financing.
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam (for the Prime Minister): MAS has taken a multi-pronged approach to promoting sustainable finance, namely to: (i) strengthen the financial sector's resilience to environmental risks; (ii) enhance climate-related disclosures and data; (iii) support sustainable finance market development; and (iv) build sustainable finance knowledge and capabilities.
First, MAS has issued guidelines on how environmental risks are to be managed by financial institutions. These guidelines were recently complemented by a set of information papers highlighting good practices by financial institutions and identifying areas where further work is needed. MAS will be conducting stress tests this year on financial institutions' resilience against a range of long-term climate scenarios.
Second, MAS is putting in place enablers to enhance sustainability disclosures and address data challenges faced by market participants.
(a) MAS will consult on introducing mandatory disclosure requirements for financial institutions, as soon as a global baseline sustainability reporting standard is established by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), as expected by the end of this year.
(b) SGX has set out a roadmap for mandatory climate-related financial disclosures by listed entities. Listed companies in sectors where climate-related disclosures are the most relevant will be required to provide these disclosures for the financial year commencing 1 January 2023. More sectors will be added to the mandatory disclosure list for the financial year commencing 1 January 20241. SGX has indicated its intention to work towards aligning its reporting requirements with the ISSB standards after they are finalised2.
(c) SGX and ACRA have also convened a Sustainability Reporting Advisory Committee to advise on a sustainability reporting roadmap for all Singapore-incorporated companies.
(d) An industry task force convened by MAS3 is developing a taxonomy to help financial institutions in Singapore classify activities as environmentally sustainable, harmful, or in transition.
(e) MAS' Project Greenprint4 will leverage technology-based solutions to enhance access to trusted and high-quality ESG data for decision-making.
Third, to encourage firms to invest in sustainable projects and assets and adopt sustainable business practices, MAS has introduced the Sustainable Bond Grant Scheme (SBGS) and Green and Sustainability-Linked Loan Grant Scheme (GSLS) to help corporates defray the additional costs incurred in conducting external reviews aligned with internationally-recognised principles. The GSLS also encourages banks to develop green and sustainability-linked loan frameworks to make such financing more accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises.
Finally, MAS and the Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF) launched the Sustainable Finance Technical Skills and Competencies (TSCs) earlier this year to support the financial industry, businesses and individuals in deepening their sustainable finance capabilities. The TSCs set out robust, common standards of proficiency and knowledge that are needed to perform various job roles in sustainable finance. MAS is also developing a strong sustainable finance research and talent development ecosystem, comprising centres of excellence in our universities, reputable training providers, and Asia Pacific sustainability hubs established by financial institutions. This will deepen and expand Asia-focused climate research and training and develop a strong pipeline of local sustainable finance talents.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : (i) Agriculture, food and forest products, (ii) energy and (iii) the financial industry will have mandatory reporting as of FY2023. (iv) Materials and buildings industry and (v) transportation industry will have mandatory reporting as of FY2024. These five industries are likely to be most affected by climate change and the transition to a lower-carbon economy. Listed companies not in these industries will have to provide climate reporting on a 'comply-or-explain' basis.","2 : The ISSB targets to finalise its standards by year-end 2022.","3 : The Green Finance Industry Taskforce (GFIT) comprises representatives from financial institutions, corporates, non-governmental organisations, and financial industry associations. Its mandate is to help accelerate the development of green finance through four key initiatives: (i) develop a taxonomy, (ii) enhance environmental risk management practices of financial institutions, (iii) improve disclosures, and (iv) foster green finance solutions.","4 : Project Greenprint is a collection of initiatives that aims to harness technology and data to enable a more transparent, trusted and efficient ESG ecosystem to enable green and sustainable finance. It consists of four common utility platforms: (i) Common Disclosure Portal, (ii) Data Orchestrator, (iii) ESG Registry, and (iv) Greenprint Marketplace, that will aggregate new and existing sustainability data across multiple sectoral platforms and industry players; and enable sharing of data across different stakeholders."],"footNoteQuestions":["3"],"questionNo":"3"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Family Offices Registered in Singapore, Aggregate Business Spending, Amount of Assets under Management and Invested Locally in Last Five Years and Year-to-date","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"4 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Prime Minister in each of the last five years and year-to-date, what is (i) the number of family offices registered in Singapore (ii) their aggregate business spending (iii) the amount of assets under management (AUM) held and (iv) the amount of their AUM invested locally.
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam (for the Prime Minister): As Single Family Offices (SFOs) do not manage third party monies, they are not required to be registered or licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). As such, MAS does not have authoritative data on the number of SFOs or the scale of their operations in Singapore.
Based on MAS’ estimates, there were about 400 SFOs as at end-2020 and 700 SFOs as at end-2021. MAS does not have estimates on aggregate business spending, aggregate AUM held and the amount invested locally by SFOs.
For SFOs seeking tax incentives on income derived from their investments managed in Singapore1, they are required to meet criteria on business spending, assets under management, and investment professionals hired. With effect from April this year, the requirements under each of these criteria were increased, and a new requirement stipulating that SFOs must make a certain amount of local investments was introduced. Besides these direct contributions, SFOs also generate indirect employment when they work with external finance, tax and legal professionals on wealth planning and operational matters. In addition, they expand the potential pool of capital for purposeful causes such as ESG investments and philanthropic activities. These will increase the positive spillovers to the Singapore economy and enhance the professionalism of the family offices in Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : These are commonly known as Section 13O and 13U schemes under the Income Tax Act."],"footNoteQuestions":["4"],"questionNo":"4"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Households with GST Voucher-U-Save Net Balances of More Than $20 by HDB Flat Type","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"5 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance what is the current number of households with GST Voucher-U-Save net balances of more than $20 broken down by (i) HDB flat types and (ii) percentage of total number of dwelling units per flat type.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The GST Voucher (GSTV) – U-Save provides HDB households with quarterly rebates to offset their utilities bills.
As at 31 March 2022, about 6% of HDB households (60,673 households in total) have GSTV – U-Save balances above $20 (see Table 1 for breakdown by HDB flat type). A higher proportion of 1- and 2-room HDB households have GSTV – U-Save balances above $20, as such households receive more U-Save rebates and tend to have lower monthly utilities bills. $20 corresponds to around a quarter of their average monthly utilities bills.
HDB households with U-Save balances can continue tapping on the rebates to defray their utilities expenses.
Table 1: Number of HDB Households with GSTV – U-Save Balances above $20 (as at 31 March 2022)
6 Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Home Affairs from 2012 to 2021, how many of those who have renounced their Singapore citizenship subsequently requested for it to be reinstated.
Mr K Shanmugam: We do not track the number of people who asked to reinstate their citizenship after renunciation.
Under the Singapore Constitution, individuals who have renounced their Singapore citizenship cannot appeal to have it reinstated. If they wish to become Singapore citizens again, they have to put in a new citizenship application.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Operation Date of Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"7 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether there is any delay in the operation date of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021; and (b) if so, what are the reasons.
Mr K Shanmugam: There is no delay in the operationalisation of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021 (FICA). It will be progressively operationalised from this year.
FICA was passed in Parliament on 4 October 2021. As with all new legislation, further work needs to be done to bring it into force. This includes drafting subsidiary legislation to set out processes, for example, the procedures governing the work of the Reviewing Tribunal, and how Directions would be issued and served. It also includes the appointment of experts to the Reviewing Tribunal and Advisory Body for the handling of appeals, as well as setting up the IT systems to receive reports from Politically Significant Persons.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Efforts to Speed Up Processing of Increased Passport Applications in Past Few Months","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"8 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Home Affairs in view of the spike in the number of Singaporeans applying for new passports in the past few months, what efforts are being made by ICA to speed up the current processing of passport applications.
Mr K Shanmugam: There was an increase in processing time, earlier this year, when travel restrictions were eased, arising from a large number of people applying for passports at the same time.
ICA’s longstanding practice has been to advise Singaporeans to renew their passport nine months before their passport expires. Reminders are sent via the SingPass app, through SMS, or via email.
When travel restrictions were eased, a very substantial number applied for passports online. Since 2002, ICA has made it possible for passport applications to be made online through the ICA website.
ICA has received over 500,000 passport applications since April 2022. This is an average of about 6,000 passport applications per day, compared to 2,000 per day in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. The larger volume led to a delay in processing time.
Many of those who submitted applications had passport that was expiring, or had already expired. Some had also made travel plans. They were anxious to get their passport and visited ICA Building physically to request that their application be expedited, leading to long queues and waiting times.
There are also other issues that caused delays: for example, applicants submitting photos that did not meet ICA's requirements.
Since early April 2022, ICA has been updating the public of the passport processing time, when it increased to at least a month, and subsequently to at least six weeks as demand continued to spike.
To reduce the queuing time for passport collection at ICA Building, ICA had worked with SingPost to offer passport collection at no additional fee since October 2021, to encourage eligible Singaporeans to collect their passport at any of 27 designated post offices. Two more post offices will offer passport collection services from July. Some post offices will add more passport collection counters to cater to the demand.
To deal with the surge in passport applications, ICA has also re-deployed officers from other work units to process passports on a 24/7 basis. Officers have been working extended hours. Those on day-offs have been recalled, while applications for block leave have not been allowed. There is however a limit to how sustainable this is.
To prioritise its resources on the processing and issuance of passports, since 13 June, ICA has restricted walk-ins for passport-related matters to those who are collecting their passport and those who need help submitting their appeals or documents.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Main Causes of Fires in HDB Flats Resulting in Fatalities Over Last Five Years and Plans for Specific Fire-safety Campaign for Flat Dwellers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"9 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) over the last five years, what have been the main causes of fires in HDB flats that resulted in fatalities; and (b) whether SCDF has plans to launch a specific fire-safety campaign for HDB flat dwellers.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Member’s question on fires in HDB flats has been addressed by Question Nos. 55 and 56, as published in the Circular for Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Reached by End of Question Time on 4 July 2022.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Renunciation and Reinstatement of Singapore Citizenship, Success Rate and Reasons for Rejection in Last 10 Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"10 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) in the last 10 years, what is the number of applicants who have renounced and subsequently reapplied for Singapore citizenship; (b) of these applicants, what is the proportion of those who are successful; and (c) what are the primary reasons for the unsuccessful applications.
Mr K Shanmugam: None of the individuals who had renounced their Singapore Citizenship (SC) from 2012 to 2021 have reapplied for SC, to the best of our knowledge.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Outcome of Cases of Disputed Rental Waiver under COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 Rental Waiver Framework","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"11 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Law to date, under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 Rental Waiver Framework (a) how many cases of disputed rental waiver are on record; (b) how many cases were (i) referred to an assessor and (ii) ruled in favour of the tenant; and (c) of the cases ruled in favour of the tenant, how many landlords have not complied; and (d) what recourse is available to affected sole proprietor micro SME tenants with limited means and bargaining power.
Mr K Shanmugam: As of 15 June 2022, 111 applications were received from landlords seeking an assessment of the tenant-occupier's eligibility under the Rental Waiver Framework (RWF), or if their tenant had complied with the necessary steps to enjoy the rental waiver, in accordance with the service requirements as set out in the Act. The Rental Waiver Assessors had made 46 determinations in favor of the tenant. In the other cases, the tenant was either found to have been ineligible for the waiver or had failed to comply with the service requirements.
Another 115 applications were received from landlords seeking a reversal or reduction of their rental waiver obligations, either on the grounds of financial hardship, or on just and equitable grounds given the circumstances of the case. For example, an Assessor would consider if significant prior assistance had been provided by the landlord to the tenant. In 85 cases, the Rental Waiver Assessors had made determinations in favor of the tenant, in that the rental waiver obligations were not reduced.
The determinations made by the Rental Waiver Assessors are binding on all parties to an application and are non-appealable.
For eligible tenants, the rental waiver will apply automatically by operation of law if they meet the criteria and fulfil the service requirements as set out in the Act. This means that the tenant does not have to pay the rent that has been waived under the Act. If rent was already paid, then the waiver will apply to the next most immediate month. This mechanism allows tenants to effect the rental waiver without the need for the landlord’s agreement, including in cases where an assessment is made in their favor.
In a small proportion of cases where the tenants are unable to apply the waiver automatically, for example, where the lease has ended or is ending, then the RWF provides that the landlord must refund the two weeks of rent to the tenant, and this is deemed as a debt due to the tenant. The tenant can commence legal proceedings to recover that amount. If a SME tenant meets the eligibility criteria to qualify for legal aid, they can approach the Legal Aid Bureau to seek legal advice on the recovery.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Legal Powers to Set Shorter Deadlines for Death Row Convicts to Appeal against Death Sentence to Prevent Abuse of Court Processes and Unwarranted Delays in Finality of Capital Punishments","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"12 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Law whether the Courts can be given the legal powers to set shorter deadlines for death row convicts who wish to appeal against their death sentence to prevent the abuse of Court processes and unwarranted delays in the finality of capital punishments.
Mr K Shanmugam: There have been several unsuccessful last minute legal challenges by prisoners awaiting capital punishment, which were found by the Courts to be completely unmeritorious and amounting to abuses of process.
We are considering legislative changes to deal with such abuses.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Consideration on Reprocessing Spent Nuclear Fuel","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"13 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether there has been any consideration on re-processing spent nuclear fuel; and (b) whether there is currently any consideration of a threshold purity target for such re-processing.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Government has no plans to process nor re-process spent nuclear fuel, nor are such plans currently being considered. One must not put the cart before the horse. The processing or re-processing of nuclear fuel is undertaken only in some of the countries which generate nuclear power, or which have a nuclear industry. Singapore is neither.
MTI is monitoring developments related to nuclear technologies, and is training personnel and undertaking research in nuclear power and safety. Until such time when we are ready to consider deciding on the use of nuclear power, it will be inappropriate and premature to consider nuclear fuel processing, let alone any purity targets for such fuel.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Comparative Costs of Renewables and Nuclear Power","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"14 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the decision to embark on nuclear power may be precluded by the much more rapid decline of costs per megawatt hour for renewables relative to the much slower decline in nuclear power; and (b) if so, whether resources directed towards nuclear plant construction may be better deployed towards renewables.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Singapore has been exploring various solutions to decarbonise the grid as part of our commitment to achieving a low-carbon energy future under the Singapore Green Plan 2030, and our Long-term Low Emissions Development Strategy.
Singapore has limited potential to deploy renewable energy. At present, solar energy remains the most viable renewable energy option for Singapore. However, we have limited land for the large-scale deployment of solar panels. In addition, the presence of high cloud cover across Singapore and urban shading pose challenges such as intermittency.
Given these limitations, we are looking into importing energy to Singapore. We are also looking at developing the infrastructure and policies for low carbon alternatives like hydrogen, which can be used to transport renewable energy to Singapore. However, low carbon technologies such as hydrogen are currently nascent, and uncertainties remain on whether and when they can become cost-viable for large-scale deployment. We are also monitoring the developments in nuclear energy, as well as building capabilities to better understand and assess their safety, security and environmental implications.
It is against this context that the Energy 2050 Committee developed the three pathways that Singapore could take to achieve net-zero by 2050, one of which included the option of nuclear energy. Our future energy mix will depend on various factors, including the advances in various low-carbon technologies, as well as collaboration and trading of low-carbon energy across borders. Any decision to deploy new energy technologies will need to weigh carefully their safety, reliability, affordability and environmental sustainability. In the meantime, we will continue to enhance energy efficiency across all sectors and encourage consumers to play their part to conserve energy, to reduce our overall demand and reliance on energy.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Setting up an Alliance for Action for JTC, LTA, URA, HDB and Major Logistics Companies to Look into Shortage of Heavy Vehicle Parking Lots","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"15 Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for Trade and Industry whether Enterprise Singapore can consider setting up an Alliance for Action involving JTC, LTA, URA, HDB and major logistics companies to look into the shortage of heavy vehicle parking lots by optimising some premises, such as JTC flatted factories which are located near to the HDB estates that are lowly utilised at night.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: As of December 2021, there are about 42,100 heavy vehicle (HV) lots islandwide, more than the approximately 32,400 HVs registered under LTA’s Vehicle Parking Certificate (VPC) scheme. While HV drivers may prefer to park near where they reside, locating HV parks (HVPs) in or near residential areas comes at a high opportunity cost, as the land could otherwise cater to housing or community needs. Government agencies are working closely together to ensure that there remains sufficient HV lots islandwide, which are accessible to drivers. As part of this process, we are engaging various industry stakeholders, like HVP operators and HV-operating businesses, including the logistics sector. We will also discuss with them the usefulness of forming an Alliance for Action.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reasons for JTC Charging Building Premiums for Properties under Management","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"16 Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for Trade and Industry regarding the waiver of building premium collections for extensions of state leases, what are the reasons for JTC to charge building premiums for the properties under its management.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: JTC leases land to industrialists either as a bare land or with existing buildings. If the land is empty without buildings, which is usually the case for the industrialists to develop its own buildings, the lessee is required to pay a land premium only. No building premium is charged. This approach also applies to the renewal of the lease.
If JTC leases land with existing buildings to a lessee, the lessee is required to pay a building premium for those buildings based on the lease tenure. When the lease is renewed or extended, the lessee will continue to be charged a building premium for the lease renewal, based on valuation of the building in the renewed tenure.
17 Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether Singapore is at risk of experiencing a stagflation or recession within the next 24 months; and (b) what are the pre-emptive measures taken to reduce the impact on businesses and Singaporean livelihoods.
18 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the increase in interest rates globally, how will lending and mortgage rates, as well as economic growth, be affected.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: This has been addressed in MTI's combined oral reply to Questions 21, 22, and 23 on the Order Paper for 4 July 2022.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Renovation Contractors Registered with Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, Accredited with CaseTrust and Complaints Received in Past Three Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"19 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Trade and Industry for the past three years (a) what is the number of renovation contractors that are registered with Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA); (b) of which, how many renovation contractors are accredited with CaseTrust; and (c) what is the number of complaints that the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) has received involving renovation contractors.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: As of June 2022, there are 6,758 renovation contractors registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA). From 2019 to 2021, CASE received an average of 1,100 complaints involving renovation contractors each year. In particular, complaints against the industry saw a spike in 2021 against the backdrop of manpower and raw material shortages due to the pandemic, and pent-up demand for home renovation services.
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) recently published a Guide on Fair Trading Practices for the Renovation industry. This aims to raise contractors' awareness of the good practices they should adopt to enable consumers to make well-informed decisions. The guide also highlights what constitutes unfair practices under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (CPFTA). Consumers can visit the CASE website for guidelines on what to look out for when engaging a renovation contractor - from negotiations on progressive payments based on project milestones to dealing with outstanding renovation defects. Consumers can also consider engaging one of the 139 CaseTrust-accredited contractors as these businesses are committed to fair trading practices and consumer-friendly policies, such as using the CaseTrust Standard Renovation Contract to ensure cost transparency and accountability in renovation projects.
Consumers who encounter unfair practices can always approach CASE for assistance. CASE will not hesitate to refer errant contractors to CCCS for investigation under the CPFTA.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Level of Stockpile Across Key Food Items in Government's Inventory","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"20 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the level of stockpile across key food items which are currently held in the Government's inventory as compared to the stockpile that is required to be held by supply chain partners; (b) how has the number of months of stockpile changed over the past five years; and (c) what is the target level of stockpile in the future.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Government works closely with industry partners to maintain adequate stockpiles of essential food items, in order to mitigate the impact of any unforeseen disruptions to our food supply. For example, under the Rice Stockpile Scheme, rice importers are required to hold an inventory buffer equivalent to two times of their average monthly imports. The Rice Stockpile Scheme helps to ensure an adequate supply of rice in the market and to maintain stability of prices during periods of uncertainty and supply shortages.
Since the start of COVID-19 in 2020, when we began to experience greater disruptions in food supply chains, the Government has expanded and built up our food stockpiles to a higher level. The items and target amounts for our food stockpiles are assessed and re-calibrated periodically, to ensure that they remain relevant and sufficient to address the anticipated risks in an increasingly uncertain environment. As part of Singapore’s multi-pronged strategy to ensure food resilience, we will also continue to diversify our import sources and strengthen our local food production capabilities.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Projected Take-up Rate of Energy Efficiency Grant for Local SMEs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"21 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the projected take-up rate of the Energy Efficiency Grant for local SMEs in the food services, food manufacturing, and retail sectors considering the dampened investment appetite due to inflationary pressures and the uncertain economic outlook; and (b) whether the Ministry has been supporting local SMEs in such sectors to take up energy efficient equipment and, if so, how.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Amidst global inflationary pressures and the more challenging business environment, the Government introduced a slew of measures to help enterprises tide over these challenging times and adapt to the new operating environment. This includes the Energy Efficiency Grant that supports local SMEs in the Food Services, Food Manufacturing and Retail sectors to invest in energy efficient equipment as businesses in these sectors tend to have a larger electricity component in their overall business costs. We do not have specific projections of the levels of take-up. However, we hope that the substantial support of up to 70% will persuade more companies to kickstart their transition towards greater energy efficiency and longer-term financial and environmental sustainability.
The Energy Efficiency Grant complements other Government efforts to help SMEs be more energy efficient. For example, the National Environment Agency (NEA)'s Energy Efficiency Fund supports SMEs in the Manufacturing sector to adopt energy efficient technologies. The Energy Efficiency Technology Centre (EETC), which is a collaboration between NEA and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), also helps to build up energy efficiency capabilities among local industrial SMEs and upskill engineers or energy efficiency practitioners. Building owners including SMEs are also eligible for co-funding support to retrofit and raise the energy performance of their existing buildings under the Building and Construction Authority (BCA)'s Green Mark Incentive Scheme for Existing Buildings 2.0 (GMIS-EB 2.0).
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Further Measures to Detect, Prevent or Reduce Risk of Monkeypox Virus Transmission on Inbound Flights or Travel into Singapore and Safeguards in Place at Checkpoints","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"22 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Transport (a) what further measures will be taken to detect, prevent or reduce the risk of monkeypox virus transmission on inbound flights or travel into Singapore; and (b) what are the safeguards in place at our checkpoints to protect users and officers stationed there against infection.
Mr S Iswaran: The Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) work closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to ensure sufficient safeguards to protect the health of travellers and our aviation workers.
To mitigate the risk of infections on flights, the cabin air filtration systems on aircraft are equipped with High Efficiency Particulate Air filters, which are very effective at trapping microscopic particles as small as bacteria and viruses. All travellers over age six are also required to wear a mask except when eating or drinking, or if prescribed medical and safety exemptions apply.
All inbound travellers are required to submit a health declaration before immigration clearance. Unwell travellers will be referred to the Health Screening Station for further assessment on arrival. There is also Health Alert information provided to travellers to raise awareness of the monkeypox outbreak and encourage precautionary measures; these include maintaining a high standard of personal hygiene, avoiding direct contact with skin lesions of infected living or dead persons or animals, and avoiding contact with wild animals and consumption of bush meat.
All frontline airport workers interacting with passengers are required to wear a surgical mask. Workers in a high risk environment, such as when interacting with symptomatic travellers, don additional personal protective equipment (PPE). Airport workers have been reminded to be vigilant and there are procedures in place to perform contact tracing if an infected case is detected.
We will continue to work closely with MOH to monitor the evolving public health situation and review our measures at Changi Airport and Seletar Airport where necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Piloting Non-commingled and Separate System for Recycling Different Types of Recycled Items to Reduce Contamination","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"23 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry will consider (i) piloting a non-commingled and separate system for recycling different types of recycled items with an aim to reduce the contamination of recyclables and (ii) educating residents on the appropriate recycling bins for various types of items.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and the National Environment Agency (NEA) have carried out two concurrent pilots on the use of transparent recycling bins at Hong Kah North SMC and East Coast GRC. One of the pilots involved the use of separate compartments for glass, paper, metal, and plastic recyclables. These pilots arose from the #RecycleRight Citizens’ Workgroup, where participants had suggested the idea of transparent recycling bins to serve as a deterrence against contamination and encourage the right recycling behaviour, including the use of tailored deposit holes for different types of recyclables. Findings from the pilots will be released when ready.
We are also developing a beverage container return scheme, which was another proposal from the Citizens' Workgroup. This is a form of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), where producers are responsible for the end-of-life treatment of the products they supply to the market. Under such a scheme, a refundable deposit is included in the price of the pre-packaged beverages. This encourages consumers to return empty beverage containers to designated return points, which will aggregate a clean stream of recyclables that can be more easily recycled.
Improving household recycling requires everyone to play their part. NEA launched the Recycle Right campaign in 2019 to help Singaporeans understand how to recycle correctly. Refreshed recycling labels were placed on all blue recycling bins and recycling chutes to help residents identify recyclable items. In January 2022, NEA launched another round of the Recycle Right campaign and introduced a recycling mascot, Bloobin. Educational and user-friendly content have been developed to encourage the public to cultivate good recycling practices. This includes a portal with a search engine to help residents identify what can be recycled (www.go.gov.sg/recycleright).
In addition to encouraging recycling in neighbourhoods, NEA has been partnering the Ministry of Education to integrate sustainability education in schools. NEA also engages schools directly through the Environmental Education Advisers to organise campus-wide initiatives, such as recycling programmes and the appointment of recycling ambassadors. An inter-Institute of Higher Learning challenge, \"Ready, Set, Recycle!\" was recently organised under the Recycle Right campaign to mobilise youths to recycle.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Resident Cleaners Attaining Minimum Progressive Wage Model Training Requirements and Planned Enforcement Actions against Cleaning Businesses for Non-compliance","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"24 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is the total number of resident cleaners who have attained the minimum two Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) certificates as required by the training requirements under the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for the cleaning sector; and (b) what enforcement actions will be taken against the cleaning businesses and companies that failed to ensure that their cleaners meet the PWM training requirements by 31 December 2022.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: In June 2021, the Government accepted the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners’ (TCC) recommendation to enhance the mandatory training requirements for cleaners under the Progressive Wage Model. Following the announcement on 7 June 2021, all licensed cleaning businesses were given 18 months, until 31 December 2022, to ensure that their cleaners attain one Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) module on Workplace Safety and Health and one other WSQ module related to environmental cleaning. As of end February 2022, around 14,500 cleaners, or about 35% of the resident cleaning workforce, have fully met the enhanced training requirements. Another 21,200 or about 51% of resident cleaners have completed one of the two required modules.
Any cleaning business not in compliance will face a financial penalty of up to $5,000 and repeat offenders may have their cleaning business licences revoked. The National Environment Agency, together with SkillsFuture Singapore, has been actively engaging licensed cleaning businesses to send their cleaners for training early.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Existing Number of Vertical Farms Built and Expected Number in Operation by 2030","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"25 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how many vertical farms have been built in Singapore so far; and (b) how many of such farms are expected to operate by 2030.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) licenses farms for their farming activity and not on the type of farming system deployed. As such, SFA does not track vertical farms as a distinct category. Today, we have about 260 food farms in our agri-food ecosystem, and the progressive ones are increasingly harnessing technologies that are productive, innovative and sustainable. We also see a good pipeline of local farms that are developing and piloting urban food solutions.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Schools Offering Flexible Work Arrangements and Staggered Working Hours for Teachers in Past Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"26 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Education (a) for each year in the past five years, what is the number and percentage of schools that offered (i) flexible work arrangements for their teachers and (ii) staggered working hours for their teachers respectively; and (b) whether the Ministry intends to collect this data if such data is not available.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: MOE offers part-time work options to teachers in all schools to help them manage their work and personal commitments. Teachers can discuss with their school and agree on a part-time work arrangement which meets both the school’s and officer’s needs. On average, about 3.6% of our teachers in schools were on a part-time work arrangement between 2017 and 2021.
School Leaders also have the autonomy to implement other types of flexible work arrangements where operationally feasible. These include allowing teachers to report or leave at staggered hours if they have no lessons or duties at the start or end of the school day; or to work from home on a day where they have no in-person classes or other duties requiring their presence in school. Schools can determine how to implement such arrangements based on their specific needs, and do not need to keep MOE HQ informed.
MOE is committed to supporting our teachers’ well-being while fulfilling our responsibility to students, including through flexible work arrangements.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Primary 4 Students Failing One, Two or More Subjects or Passing All Subjects and Living in Public Rental Flats","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"27 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Education (a) for each year in the past five years, of the Primary 4 students who (i) fail one subject (ii) fail two or more subjects and (iii) pass all subjects, what percentage of these students live in public rental flats respectively; and (b) whether the Ministry intends to collect this data if such data is not available.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: At Primary 4, schools report subject performance as Achievement Bands 1 to 4, with Band 4 corresponding to below 50 marks. Over the past five years, on average,
Among Primary 4 students who scored Band 4 in only one subject, 4.5% live in public rental flats.
Among Primary 4 students who scored Band 4 in two or more subjects, 12.6% live in public rental flats.
Among Primary 4 students who scored better than Band 4 in all four subjects, 0.8% live in public rental flats.
Where appropriate, schools support students through subject-specific remediation. Students can also take subjects at Foundation level at Primary 5 and 6 so that they can focus on building strong fundamentals for secondary school.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reclassifying Training Officers in Day Activity Centres as Instructors Instead of Nurse Aides/Care Staff Given Nature of Job Scope","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"28 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether training officers from the day activity centres will fall under the bracket of 'instructors' instead of 'nurse aides/care staff' given the nature of their job scope so as to allow for greater remuneration according to the salary guidelines for the social service sector.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: MSF-funded disability programmes, including Day Activity Centres (DACs), are resourced according to client profile and the required manpower to serve each profile.
DACs support persons with disabilities who have care needs, and engage them through social, recreational and community-based activities. DAC staff thus fall under the category of \"social service assistant and care staff\" under the salary guidelines for the social service sector published by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). The category of \"workshop instructors\" refers to staff in MSF-funded Sheltered Workshops, who provide work skills training for persons with disabilities who are not yet ready for or are unable to take up open employment.
The salary norms provided in the social service sector salary guidelines are derived from wages of comparable jobs in the labour market. MSF and NCSS regularly review the guidelines, to enable the sector to keep pace with salary growth in the broader labour market.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cases of Breach of Personal Protection Orders, Expedited Orders and Domestic Exclusion Orders under Women's Charter and Profile of Applicants in Past Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"29 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in the past five years, how many cases are there of breach of Personal Protection Orders, Expedited Orders and Domestic Exclusion Orders under the Women's Charter annually; (b) in how many of those cases involved a repeat offender; and (c) in how many of those cases was the offender penalised with imprisonment and what is the average duration of the prison sentence.
30 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) for the past five years, what is the proportion of applications that have been filed by male applicants for (i) Personal Protection Orders (ii) Expedited Orders and (iii) Domestic Exclusion Orders; and (b) whether the Ministry keeps track of the age group of such applicants.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Over the past five years, male applicants made up about one in four fresh Personal Protection Order (PPO) applications under the Women’s Charter (see annual breakdown in Table 1). Of these, 11% of male applicants were aged between 18 and 30 years, 52% between 31 and 50, and 37% were 51 and above.
When applying for a PPO, an applicant may request for a Domestic Exclusion Order (DEO). The annual breakdown of applicants who apply for a DEO by gender is in Table 1. There is no application process for an Expedited Order (EO), which is issued by the Court if it is satisfied that there is imminent danger of family violence being committed against the applicant.
The annual breakdown of criminal breaches of a PPO, EO or DEO is in Table 2.
Slightly more than 10% of the offenders were convicted of criminal breaches of a PPO, EO or DEO more than once between 2017 and 2021. Over the last five years, in about 80% of the criminal convictions under the Women’s Charter for the breach of a PPO, EO or DEO, the offenders were sentenced to an average of two months' imprisonment.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Domestic, Family or Sexual Violence Cases Reported Annually Involving Boys Above 18 and Below 21 Years Old in Past Five Years and Assistance or Interim Shelters Available for Them","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"31 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in the past five years, how many domestic, family or sexual violence cases have been reported annually involving boys above the age of 18 years but below 21 years old; and (b) what are the current assistance or interim shelters available for the protection of boys in such an age group.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: There has been an average of about 65 Police reports on family violence (from 2020 to 2021) and 15 Police reports on sexual violence (from 2017 to 2021) per year involving a male victim between 18 and 20 years old. The annual breakdown is in Table 1.
MSF funds some shelters to provide alternative accommodation to such victim-survivors. They may also be eligible for financial assistance through the Social Service Office. They may also approach a Family Service Centre or Family Violence Specialist Centre if they require further support such as counselling.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proportion of ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance Applicants Rejected in Last Three Months and Adjustment of Threshold Eligibility Criteria","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"32 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in the last three months, what proportion of applicants for ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) have been rejected; and (b) in light of higher costs of living, whether the Ministry will consider adjusting the threshold criteria for household eligibility for ComCare SMTA.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: ComCare provides assistance to low-income households for their basic living expenses. Households that need help to tide over temporary financial difficulty are provided with ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA).
The rejection rate for SMTA applications made in the most recent three months was about 35%, based on latest available figures. This is similar to the rejection rate of 34% for SMTA applications made in 2021.
ComCare’s eligibility criteria is based on income, not on expenditure. The income eligibility criterion for ComCare SMTA is not a hard threshold to qualify for assistance. Rather, our Social Service Offices assess the ComCare applicants’ needs holistically, and exercise flexibility where needed, to provide the necessary assistance. Furthermore, MSF reviews the ComCare income criteria regularly, and will be reviewing it again later this year.
The Government has been rolling out the Household Support Package announced at Budget 2022. These include the $100 Community Development Council Vouchers and the additional GST Voucher - U-Save rebates, which will help all households manage cost of living pressures.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Proportion of Children Aged Four Enrolled in Preschool, Target Enrolment and Plans to Include Them in MOE Kindergartens","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"33 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what proportion of children aged four years old are currently enrolled in preschool, broken down by lower-, middle- and higher-income family levels; (b) whether the Government has a target enrolment rate for each class in the near to mid term; and (c) whether the Government has plans to expand MOE kindergartens to take in four-year-old children as a new grade to support transition from pre-school to kindergarten.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: In 2021, the preschool participation rate of Singaporean children aged three to four years residing in public rental flats was about 80%, slightly lower than the national average of about 88%. In comparison, the rate for children aged five to six years residing in public rental flats was comparable to the national average of 95%.
Instead of setting specific targets for preschool participation at each level, our approach is to ensure every child has access to affordable and quality preschools. We recognise that the early years are important to a child's development, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. For children from lower-income families, ECDA facilitates preschool enrolment from age three onwards through KidSTART and the Preschool Outreach programme. We also ensure families under HDB's Public Rental Scheme and MSF's ComCare schemes are automatically eligible for maximum preschool subsidies.
MOE Kindergartens (MKs) are part of the Government's overall approach to catalyse improvements in kindergarten education. There are no plans to expand the provision of preschool education in MKs to four-year-olds. Instead, MOE has partnered with Anchor Operators to pilot the MK-Early Years Centre (EYC) model, which provides quality and affordable preschool education for children aged two months to six years.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Regulation of Unaccredited Social Workers and Resolution of Five Complaints Made Between 2017 and 2021","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"34 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) how does the Ministry regulate unaccredited social workers; (b) of the five complaints made against unaccredited social workers between 2017 and 2021, whether there has been any egregious cases; and (c) if so, how have these cases been resolved.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) appoints the Social Work Accreditation and Advisory Board (SWAAB) to uphold standards of professional conduct and code of ethics of the social work profession. A complaint lodged to SWAAB against an unaccredited social worker employed by a Government or Social Service Agency will be referred to the social worker's employer to investigate into the complaint and for appropriate action to be taken. In egregious cases, the social worker can be dismissed from service.
The five complaints against unaccredited Social Workers received by SWAAB between 2017 and 2021 were not established to be egregious cases. They were in relation to social workers' management of confidentiality issues and service quality. These complaints were referred to the Social Workers' employers to be investigated and appropriate actions had been taken.
MSF will continue to uphold standards of professional conduct and code of ethics of the social work profession in the sector through SWAAB.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Transport Subsidy Applications to SGEnable and Success Rate between 2018 and 2021","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"35 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) between 2018 and 2021, how many applications has SGEnable received for the (i) VWO Transport Subsidy Scheme and (ii) Taxi Subsidy Scheme; (b) how many applications have been successful for each of these schemes; and (c) among the unsuccessful applications, what are the reasons for such outcomes.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The means-tested Taxi Subsidy Scheme (TSS) helps defray the cost of taxis and private hire vehicles for persons with disabilities who are unable to take public transport to go to school, work or employment-related training.
From 2018 to 2021, SG Enable processed an average of 20 applications a year for the TSS. On average, more than 13 applications were successful and more than six applications were rejected a year. The reasons for rejection were because the applicants (i) were able to take public transport, (ii) wanted to use the subsidies for other purposes beyond what the scheme covers, (iii) did not meet the means-test, or (iv) were already receiving support for their transport.
The Voluntary Welfare Organisation Transport Subsidy (VWOTS) subsidises persons with disabilities taking dedicated transport to Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children, Special Education Schools, Day Activity Centres, Sheltered Workshops and Special Student Care Centres. Persons with disabilities are offered the subsidies through the Social Service Agencies if they meet the means-test criteria. We do not track the number of VWOTS applications submitted to Social Service Agencies.
On average, about 5,000 persons with disabilities per year benefitted from the scheme between 2018 and 2021. To better support persons with disabilities and their caregivers, subsidies under the VWOTS have been increased from 1 July 2022. This will help to reduce the transport cost for persons with disabilities who take dedicated transport to attend Special Education Schools and community-based programmes. These increases are expected to benefit more than 3,000 persons with disabilities. The scheme has also been renamed the Enabling Transport Subsidy.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enhancing Availability and Affordability of Seamless Wheelchair-accessible Travel Options and Expanding List of Eligible Destinations Beyond Hospitals","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"36 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Health in view of Singapore’s ageing population and increasing number of residents who require wheelchair accessibility, whether the Ministry will work with all private-hire transport platforms to (i) increase and regulate the availability and affordability of seamless wheelchair-accessible travel options and (ii) expand the list of eligible destinations for such services beyond just hospitals.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Government supports seniors and residents who require wheelchair-accessible transport through various schemes including the Medical Escort and Transport service under the Ministry of Health (MOH).
MOH and MSF also subsidise the cost of transport for seniors, including those on wheelchairs, to attend Government-funded senior and disability programmes through the Voluntary Welfare Organisation (VWO) Centre Based Transport services and VWO Transport Subsidy schemes.
Beyond means-tested transport services, there are private transport operators that provide point-to-point services for wheelchair users. Availability and cost of these services may be subject to private operators’ business decisions.
MOH will continue to monitor the range of accessible transport options for seniors on wheelchairs, to ensure that they can receive appropriate care and services.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans to Enhance EMBRACE Programme to Mitigate Ante- and Post-natal Mental Health Depression for Mothers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"37 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Child and Maternal Health and Well-being Taskforce has plans to enhance the EMBRACE programme to mitigate ante-natal and post-natal mental health depression for mothers; and (b) if so, what are they.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The EMBRACE programme, which was piloted at Yishun Polyclinic since September 2020, offers integrated services for the mother and child dyad during the same visit to the polyclinic. This includes vaccination and childhood developmental screening for the child, and maternal health services which include post-natal depression screenings and management of gestational diabetes mellitus.
\tIn view of the good results and positive feedback received on the mother-child dyad service model, the Child and Maternal Health and Well-being Taskforce has recommended that the mother-child dyad services be scaled up to 12 more polyclinics. In particular, the EMBRACE programme will be expanded to all existing NHGP Polyclinics to allow more mothers and their children to benefit from the programme.
\tIn addition, we are also scaling up ante-natal and post-natal mental health screening for mothers and mothers-to-be at other relevant touchpoints like at KKH and NUH. Through these programmes, women who are at-risk of mental health depression could be identified early, and provided with early intervention and support during their pregnancy and transition to motherhood.
38 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Health what training and assistance are provided to polyclinics and general practitioners to equip them to see patients who have intellectual disability for basic healthcare treatment such as for flu, fever and coughs.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: As part of local undergraduate training, medical students are equipped to provide care for persons with intellectual disability (PWID). MOH is also collaborating with the College of Family Physicians Singapore to provide a Family Practice Skills Course to further strengthen our medical practitioners’ skills in this area. This helps to ensure that primary care doctors have a good understanding of the physical health issues and behavioural concerns of PWID, and can better manage them in primary care.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Possibility of Differentiated Subsidies for Healthcare for Expecting Foreign Spouses of Singapore Citizens","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"39 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Health whether differentiated subsidies can be provided to expecting foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens seeking gynaecological care for their pregnancy in Singapore.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Today, healthcare subsidies are generally extended to the patients based on their own citizenship status, and not that of their spouses.
To support Singaporeans with dependents who have not obtained permanent residence or Singapore citizenship, the Government had extended healthcare subsidies at the same level as PRs since 2012 for inpatient services to Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus (LTVP+) holders. This includes Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) services. SCs and PRs can also tap on their MediSave to pay for the pre-delivery and delivery expenses of their foreign spouses, up to the prevailing withdrawal limits.
Patients who are facing financial difficulties may approach the medical social workers for assistance. Our public healthcare institutions may provide some assistance using their own hospital charity funds, or offer instalment plans for payment where required, based on their medical social workers’ assessment.
40 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider increasing the MediSave Additional Withdrawal Limits (AWLs) for the private insurance premiums of the Integrated Shield Plan (IP) particularly for CPF members who have ample MediSave savings.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The current Additional Withdrawal Limits (AWLs) range from $300 to $900, with higher limits for older policyholders in their 70's, whose premiums for the private insurance component could be up to four times that of the MediShield Life premiums.
We need AWLs to strike a balance between helping Singapore Residents pay for IPs, which are optional and often premium products beyond MediShield Life, and conserving MediSave savings for other healthcare needs especially in old age, as IP premiums can rise very quickly which policyholders may not expect.
Notwithstanding, MOH is constantly reviewing our healthcare financing policies, including usage of MediSave, as new data and evidence emerge.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"New Limits on Insurance Coverage and MediSave Usage for Cancer Drugs and Impact on Doctors' Treatment Decisions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"41 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has assessed the extent to which the new limitations on insurance coverage and MediSave use for cancer drug treatments will impact doctors' treatment decisions for their patients based on their clinical judgement; and (b) how will it affect patient care for those suffering from less common cancers.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: This question will be addressed in my reply to Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Yip Hon Weng on 5 July 2022.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Current Supply of Urgent Respite Care Services and Possibility for Increase to Capacity","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"42 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the current supply of urgent respite care services meets the demand; and (b) whether the capacity can be increased.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Respite care services tap on the existing capacity of long-term care services, and providers activate places in response to demand. Providers are generally able to meet the demand for respite care, with the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) working with providers to prioritise clients with urgent care needs. The Ministry of Health (MOH) is reviewing the respite care landscape, including how to improve the availability and accessibility of respite options.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Government Spending on Subsidising COVID-19 Patients for Various Treatments since Start of Pandemic","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"43 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Health since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (a) how much has been spent on subsidising COVID-19 patients for (i) in-patient treatments and (ii) outpatient treatments; and (b) whether there are plans to cut down the number of Public Health Preparedness Clinics.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: This question will be addressed in my reply to Mr Ang Wei Neng and Mr Yip Hon Weng on 5 July 2022.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Median, Lower and Upper Quartile Actual Waiting Time for HDB BTO Flats in Past 10 Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"44 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for National Development what is the median, lower and upper quartile actual waiting time for HDB BTO flats each year based on those who collected their keys in the past 10 years.
Mr Desmond Lee: There are various factors that affect the construction time of each Build-To-Order (BTO) project, including site conditions and the height of the buildings. Projects with difficult site conditions or with very high storey-heights will require more construction time, and consequently, a longer waiting time for buyers.
The median, lower and upper quartile actual waiting time for flat buyers who collected the keys to their BTO flats in the past decade are set out in Table 1.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the actual waiting time for BTO projects was about three to four years. The pandemic has affected the construction industry and BTO waiting times. On average, there was a delay of about six to nine months in the flat completion, which resulted in longer waiting times in the past two years. Besides the significant delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and supply chain disruptions over the last two years caused by both the pandemic and current geopolitical uncertainties, the longer median waiting time now can also be partly attributed to higher-rise HDB developments as HDB intensifies housing yield to meet the strong housing demand.
With the improving COVID-19 situation and a more positive outlook in the construction industry, construction projects are gradually regaining momentum. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we expect construction progress to improve going forward. HDB will continue to work hard to further minimise delays and deliver new BTO flats to buyers as soon as possible, while ensuring that the safety and quality of our projects are not compromised.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Average HDB Flat Size for Each Flat Type Completed in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"45 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for National Development what is the average HDB flat size for each flat type completed in the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020.
Mr Desmond Lee: HDB flat sizes have remained unchanged since 1997 but average household sizes have decreased.
The average size of HDB flats and typical range of flat sizes completed in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 are in Table 1 below.
46 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development (a) in which month of 2022 will escalator maintenance workers start to be covered under the Progressive Wage Model; (b) what is the number of new entrants who have joined the sector as escalator and lift technicians in the past two years; and (c) whether these new entrants are fresh ITE and polytechnic graduates or mid-career individuals.
Mr Desmond Lee: Since May 2019, lift and escalator (L&E) contractors that tender to undertake Government contracts for lift maintenance have been required to adopt the progressive wage model (PWM) for local lift maintenance technicians. These firms have also been required to extend the PWM to local escalator maintenance technicians from 1 July 2022.
More than 40 L&E contractors, maintaining more than 90% of the L&E in Singapore, have adopted the L&E PWM. We intend to mandate the L&E PWM for all L&E contractors, and will provide more details when ready.
BCA estimates that the number of local technicians in the L&E maintenance industry grew by about 150 between 2020 and 2021. Based on available information, the majority of the new entrants are likely to be mid-career individuals.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Applications and Quantum of Cash Bonus Disbursed under Silver Housing Bonus Scheme in Past Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"47 Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for National Development in each of the past five years, what is the number of applications and quantum of cash bonus disbursed under the Silver Housing Bonus scheme.
Mr Desmond Lee: The number of households that took up the Silver Housing Bonus (SHB) scheme, and the total cash bonuses disbursed under the SHB scheme in each of the past five years is in Table 1.
48 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development what is the percentage increase of HDB resale flats that have been sold for over $1 million in the past five years.
Mr Desmond Lee: The number of HDB resale flats that have been sold for $1 million or more increased by 4.6 times from 46 flats in 2017 to 259 flats in 2021, largely due to the small base in 2017. These flats still form the small minority, at only 0.4% of all HDB resale transactions in the past five years. Flats that are transacted at high prices tend to be in very favourable locations or come with larger floor areas.
In Dec 2021, the Government announced more measures to promote continued housing affordability. For example, the Loan-to-Value (LTV) limit for HDB housing loans has been reduced from 90% to 85% to encourage financial prudence amongst home buyers. HDB will also ramp up the supply of new Build-To-Order (BTO) flats to meet the strong housing demand from Singaporean households, by launching up to 23,000 flats per year in 2022 and 2023, and up to 100,000 flats in total from 2021 to 2025, if needed.
We will continue to monitor the resale market closely to ensure that public housing remains affordable, accessible and inclusive for Singaporeans.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Support for Stallholders Facing Steep Rental Hikes in Heartland Coffee Shops and Policy Measures to Manage Rising Valuations and Rental Rates","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"49 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development whether any support, such as rent control, is being considered for stallholders who face steep rental hikes in light of the recent high transaction prices of heartland coffee shops and which will also ensure the continued affordability of food for end consumers.
50 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the recent record transaction price of the coffeeshop located at Blk 201 Tampines Street 21 will fuel further rental increases for stallholders across other heartland coffeeshops; (b) how can rental rates of heartland coffeeshops be moderated or reduced; and (c) what policy measures are available to manage rising coffeeshop valuations and rental rates.
Mr Desmond Lee: There are presently over 770 HDB coffeeshops in Singapore. Some of these coffeeshops are sold and are hence privately-owned, while the rest are rented out by HDB.
We are mindful of the need to ensure that residents have access to affordable cooked food options, and of the potential impact of resale transactions, and have therefore put in place various measures over the years. One key measure is to ensure a good supply of coffeeshops in every HDB estate and town, so that there is healthy competition. These coffeeshops can also be run by social enterprises, for example NTUC Foodfare, to help keep food prices low. The market for F&B is highly competitive, especially in our heartlands. For example, the two coffeeshops at Tampines and Yishun are within neighbourhood centres that have five and seven coffeeshops respectively within a 400m radius, and residents hence have a choice of affordable food options there.
HDB completed 34 new coffeeshops in the last four years, and continues to build new ones to serve new HDB developments. Another 30 coffeeshops will be completed in the next four years. Aside from coffeeshops, we also have over a hundred hawker centres in Singapore, and the Government is building more. Four new centres will begin operations this year, with another seven being planned or under construction.
Since 1998, HDB no longer sells coffeeshops, and only rents them out. In addition, HDB has introduced new measures to ensure quality and affordability of food in these coffee shops that are rented out. In 2018, HDB introduced Price-Quality tenders, with 50% of points assigned to the Quality of the operator, which includes aspects such as the availability of budget meals, good track record and community initiatives. Operators who successfully tender for HDB coffeeshops typically provide budget food options at every stall, with these priced at around $3. The rentals under Price-Quality tenders are also lower and more sustainable than under pure price bidding tenders.
We note the suggestion from the Member on possible rent control measures. We will need to guard against unintended impacts. For example, by controlling rent, we could end up reducing the incentive for coffeeshop owners to invest in improving their coffeeshops to provide better services and facilities to customers.
Coffeeshops and food centres play an important social role in our HDB towns and estates, as they not only provide a convenient option for cooked food and drinks for residents, but also serve as key community hubs for families and friends to bond and connect over food and drinks. As such, HDB regularly monitors the resale market for HDB coffeeshops, as well as the prices of food sold in both sold and rental coffeeshops, and will not hesitate to review its policies to address affordability concerns where necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Benefits of Smart Car Park System Developed by ST Engineering and NTU and Plans for More Such Barrier-free Access","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"51 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry is studying the benefits of the Smart Car Park System developed by ST Engineering and NTU Singapore; and (b) whether there are plans to have more barrier-free smart car parks in Singapore.
Mr Desmond Lee: Car park operators can adopt various technologies to suit their operational needs.
For HDB car parks, HDB has developed a barrier-free smart parking system, Parking@HDB and installed the system at four HDB precincts in Punggol Northshore. These carparks have no barriers, and motorists can just park and go. Cameras will detect vehicle plate numbers, and parking charges will be automatically calculated. Motorists can pay using their credit or debit cards via the Parking@HDB mobile application, and do not need to worry about insufficient funds in their CashCards.
HDB is currently evaluating and finetuning these pilots at Punggol Northshore, before progressively scaling up to other HDB car parks.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Senior Citizens Affected by HDB's Recent Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme in Ang Mo Kio and Help Available with New Housing Loan If Needed","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"52 Mr Raj Joshua Thomas asked the Minister for National Development with regard to the HDB's recent Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) at Ang Mo Kio (a) what is the number of affected owners who are senior citizens and have finished paying their housing loan for their flats; (b) how many of such owners will be required to take a new housing loan to secure their replacement flat under SERS; and (c) whether any assistance will be provided to such owners who are not able to secure a new housing loan.
Mr Desmond Lee: For the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) exercise at Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, there are about 350 flat owners who are currently 55 years old and above. A large majority of these seniors either did not take a loan for their existing flat or have fully paid up their HDB loan.
Based on the estimated compensation amounts and estimated selling prices of the replacement flats at Ang Mo Kio Drive, flat owners will generally be able to purchase a replacement flat of a similar flat type on a fresh 99-year lease with the compensation provided. Seniors can also buy a 2-room Flexi flat with a short lease ranging from 15 to 45 years.
Nonetheless, we understand the concerns of flat owners, especially seniors, who have indicated that their priority is to move to a replacement flat of similar size and in familiar surroundings, and that they do not need a full 99-year lease given their age.
Taking into consideration the views and feedback from the residents, MND and HDB have provided two additional housing options to meet the different rehousing needs of SERS flat owners. Seniors will now also have the option to buy a 3-room or larger new replacement flat at the designated replacement site on a 50-year lease, or take up the Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) for their SERS flat and buy a short-lease replacement flat thereafter. Those who take up these options should not require any loan for the purchase.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Programmes to Train Seniors to Adopt Digital Services Including Making Online Purchases and Using Digital Banking Services","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"53 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Communications and Information whether an update can be provided on the Mobile Access for Seniors Scheme as well as the Seniors Go Digital Programmes in assisting seniors to purchasing and learning how to use the latest smartphones.
54 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Communications and Information what schemes are in place for support and assistance provided to seniors looking to transit into digital services such as digital Government services, banking services and payment of medical bills.
Mrs Josephine Teo: The SG Digital Office (SDO) was established in June 2020 to equip less digitally savvy individuals including seniors, hawkers and heartland merchants, with basic digital tools and skills. SDO's Digital Ambassadors (DAs) have engaged over 130,000 seniors under the Seniors Go Digital (SGD) Programme.
The programme takes many forms, depending on the content. Engagements could be one-to-one and/or in small groups at the SG Digital Community Hubs, located island wide. Thematic Learning Journeys and step-by-step guides are available in the four official languages at the Seniors Go Digital website. Seniors are trained to access digital government services, and communicate and transact online. Interested seniors can learn how to use mobile banking services, and pay their medical bills through the HealthHub app. They are also taught about cyber risks and threats and how to keep themselves safe. In a survey conducted in 2021 with seniors one month after their engagement with the SDO, about nine in ten seniors reflected that they continued to apply the digital skills they learnt in their daily lives.
The Smart Nation Digital Government Office (SNDGO) also engages citizens on digital government services such as the Singpass app. SNDGO's #SmartNationTogether online platform offers resources for seniors to pick up digital skills.
Lower-income seniors who are unable to afford mobile digital access can apply for the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)'s Mobile Access for Seniors (MAS) scheme, which supports eligible seniors with device and mobile connectivity at subsidised rates. Since its launch in June 2020 to April 2022, more than 9,000 seniors have benefited from the MAS.
Beyond these efforts, partnerships with other agencies are critical to ensure that seniors receive the support they need. The Tech Connect programme is a collaboration between MCI, IMDA and the People's Association, to provide one-to-one assistance to seniors at 38 community centres (CCs) on the use of digital devices and services. Seniors who require assistance in digital government services can approach the Public Service Division (PSD) ServiceSG Centres, which are 'first stop' integrated government service centres, located at Our Tampines Hub, Kampong Chai Chee CC, Nee Soon Central CC and The Frontier CC.
Complementing the Government's initiatives, the Digital for Life (DfL) movement galvanises partners from the people, private and public sectors to help Singaporeans obtain the necessary tools and skills for a digital future. For example, at the Majestic Smart Seniors Applied Centre, managed by RSVP Singapore, seniors can learn how to identify and avoid scams, and protect their digital identity through curated modules and webinars, provided in partnership with Google. Together, these efforts have contributed to building a digitally ready and inclusive society in Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Take-up Rates for Various Digital Support Programmes and Ensuring Availability of Digital Learning Devices for Students","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"55 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) what percentage of students under the age of 21 living in rental flats still do not have a digital learning device or access to Internet at home; and (b) despite programmes such as NEU PC Plus, what more can be done to ensure that the students have access to both digital learning devices and Internet at home.
56 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) in the past five years, what has been the annual take-up rate of IMDA's Home Access Programme amongst pre-qualified households who receive assistance from the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s ComCare Public Assistance Schemes; and (b) what steps have been or will be taken to improve the take-up rate.
57 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) with current IMDA programmes such Home Access, NEU PC Plus and Mobile Access for Seniors, what is the Ministry's projected outreach timeline to vulnerable households without adequate digital access; and (b) whether and what enhancements to the available programmes and inter-Ministry efforts can be made to reduce the digital divide across different income brackets.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Based on the Annual Survey on Infocomm Usage in Households in 2021, about 90% of households with monthly household income below $2,000 and with school-going children have access to a computer.
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)’s NEU PC Plus and Home Access programmes provide a subsidised device and broadband connectivity to low-income households, including those with school-going children. These are complemented by the Ministry of Education (MOE)'s provisions for students to support Home-Based Learning. For example, under the National Digital Literacy Programme, MOE has provisioned all secondary school students with personal learning devices as at end-2021.
From January 2020 to April 2022, the NEU PC Plus and Home Access programmes supported 39,000 low-income households. The annual average number supported over 2020 to 2021 is more than double that of the preceding two years. Almost six out of 10 beneficiaries are pre-qualified households.
Besides these programmes, the Mobile Access for Seniors (MAS) programme provides subsidised mobile plans and smartphones to low-income seniors. Since the launch of the MAS in June 2020, more than 9,000 seniors, all pre-qualified, have benefited from the programme.
To benefit more needy households, IMDA has been working with the Housing and Development Board (HDB), MOE and Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to pre-qualify recipients of various government assistance schemes, such as the HDB Public Rental Scheme (PRS), MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) and MSF ComCare assistance. At the same time, IMDA has been collaborating with social service partners to promote awareness of its schemes and encourage sign-ups among eligible households and seniors. Since April 2021, it has also worked with HDB to conduct engagement sessions during the HDB Rental Flat Selection Exercise. By the end of the year, ComCare applicants who indicate their need for subsidised broadband and devices will no longer need to make separate applications; MSF will link up with IMDA at the back end to enable seamless processing.
Given the increasing necessity of digital access, the Government is committed to constantly refine our policies and programmes to meet the needs of the most vulnerable and provide affordable digital access more conveniently. In addition, IMDA regularly enhances its schemes, such as by offering faster broadband speeds and more bundled device options.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Penalties for Internet Service Providers for Fault Repairs Taking Longer than 24 Hours","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"58 Mr Raj Joshua Thomas asked the Minister for Communications and Information in view of how critical Internet access is to work and life in Singapore, whether the Infocomm Media Development Authority will consider introducing penalties on service providers for Internet fault repairs taking longer than 24 hours.
Mrs Josephine Teo: MCI and IMDA recognise that Internet connectivity is essential to the public and businesses, and we take service disruptions seriously. Existing standards are already more stringent than suggested by the member. Service outages exceeding one hour with widespread service disruptions are investigated by IMDA. Penalties are meted out to service providers if they are found to be at fault, or had not restored the affected services expeditiously. In the past two years, IMDA has imposed financial penalties ranging from $30,000 to $400,000 for each episode of service disruption lasting over an hour.
Besides financial penalties, IMDA has put in place additional measures, such as requiring key telecom service providers to conduct regular audits to ensure network resilience, on par with international best practices. There are also measures to ensure prompt service restoration when disruptions occur.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Update on PA's Further Checks on AGO Report for FY2020/2021 and Findings of External Consultant on PA's Governance System and Oversight Functions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"59 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether an update can be provided on (i) the further checks conducted by PA, with respect to the AGO Report for FY2020/2021 (ii) the findings from the external consultant who was appointed to examine PA’s governance system and oversight functions relating to development projects and contract management for maintenance operations and (iii) the further measures implemented by PA to rectify the lapses and irregularities surfaced in the AGO Report for FY2020/2021.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: In its FY2020/2021 Report, the AGO made several audit observations on the development and facility maintenance (FM) phases of two of the People’s Association’s (PA) development projects, namely, Our Tampines Hub (OTH) and Heartbeat @ Bedok (HBB).
Following these observations, PA took immediate remedial actions. Some of these actions included the following: (a) inserting provisions in development contracts as standard form, to ensure greater clarity and compliance on price fluctuation adjustments for government projects; (b) undertaking a thorough check on all contract variation (CV) cases flagged by AGO; and (c) introducing several additional measures to improve the oversight and management of CVs.
PA also carried out a full audit of all CVs under OTH and HBB’s main development contracts, going beyond those sampled by AGO, and undertaking a review of the overpayments reported by AGO for CVs and price fluctuations at HBB and OTH.
Beyond this, PA also appointed an external consultant, Ernst & Young (EY), to undertake a comprehensive, independent review, and to make appropriate recommendations to PA to strengthen its overall governance and oversight systems. EY’s scope of work extended to transactions at OTH and HBB beyond those flagged by AGO as well as to development projects apart from OTH and HBB.
Both PA and EY have concluded their checks and reviews.
Their findings suggest that one of the root causes for the lapses was due to human oversight and lapses, such as the non-adherence to the required systems and circumvention of established processes. PA is following up on this finding and has initiated disciplinary proceedings against the relevant officers after completing its internal investigations.
PA had also previously made a police report on this matter, and have been regularly providing relevant information to the police to assist in their investigations.
On AGO’s findings on the management and oversight of CVs at OTH and HBB, PA’s review showed that there was a lapse in obtaining documented approvals for such variations. Whilst this is a breach of process, the audit also found that, in these transactions, the variations were in fact contemporaneously supported by the Superintending Officer’s instructions administered according to the conditions of contract, and that all the variation works had been completed on-site. Covering approvals have since been sought to regularise these CVs.
EY was also instructed to review PA’s contract management process for several development and FM projects, apart from OTH and HBB, undertaken in the period April 2016 to July 2021. EY did not find evidence of similar contract management lapses outside of OTH and HBB.
As to the overpayments arising from the above lapses, PA worked with project consultants to review and determine the amounts of overpayment and have recovered these amounts in respect of HBB. In respect of OTH, PA has finalised the computation of the overpaid amounts with its consultants and are working to recover them.
In the course of the above review, several other outstanding additional claims from the contractors were surfaced, in respect of works carried out at OTH under the FM contract. PA is working with the relevant parties to review and settle verified claims.
EY’s review of PA’s management and operations of its development projects beyond AGO’s scope shows that AGO’s findings were not systemic, outside of HBB and OTH. Notwithstanding this, PA has accepted and agreed to implement additional measures recommended by EY to improve its business processes and systems. These include enhancing processes and systems in respect of the procurement and contract management of development and facilities management in the Inter-Agency Planning and Operations Groups (IPOGs), as well as stepping up on the supervision of the managing agent to administer and verify FM work.
PA will progressively implement the remaining recommendations by EY which require more in-depth review and structural changes, such as reviewing the organisational structure of IPOGs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Appropriateness of People's Association Making Donations to Charities","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"60 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether the People’s Association makes donations to charities and, if so, whether it is appropriate to make such donations.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: \tPeople’s Association does not make donations to charities using government funding. However, PA works with corporate and community partners to raise funds for community and charitable causes which are aligned with our objectives.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Singaporeans Approaching Credit Counselling Singapore for Assistance in Past Three Years and Adequacy of Resources and Capabilities Available","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"61 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether there has been an increase in Singaporeans seeking credit counselling assistance via Credit Counselling Singapore over the past three years; and (b) whether the resources and capabilities of credit counselling services can be enhanced.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: Credit Counselling Singapore (\"CCS\"), a charity registered under the Charities Act, seeks to promote responsible use of credit and provide help to debt-distressed individuals. Between 2019 to 2021, CCS has not seen any observable increase in borrowers seeking assistance. The following table shows the number of borrowers counselled by CCS over the last three years:
As the charity regulator, the Commissioner of Charities provides broad support to charities via the Charities Capability Fund (CCF) to enhance their productivity, operational efficiency, as well as governance and management capabilities. Grants under the CCF include, among others, the Shared Services Grant and Info-Communications Technology (ICT) Grant. These grants help charities enhance productivity and operational efficiency by providing support in the outsourcing of corporate functions and the adopting of digital solutions. This will allow charities, including CCS, to direct more resources towards carrying out their charitable activities and serving the public.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Utilisation of First Tranche of $100 CDC Vouchers by Elderly Households","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"62 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth what percentage of elderly households, where the head of the household is more than 65 years of age, has (i) claimed and (ii) utilised the first tranche of $100 Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: The first tranche of the digital CDC Vouchers was launched on 13 December 2021 under the CDC Vouchers Scheme 2021 to thank Singaporeans for their sense of solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic and to support heartland merchants and hawkers.
As of 30 June 2022, about 1.17 million or 96% of 1.22 million Singaporean households have claimed their vouchers under the CDC Vouchers Scheme 2021. Out of the $122 million under CDC Vouchers Scheme 2021, about over $98 million (or 80.3%) has been spent.
We are encouraged by the positive response as well as feedback received on the Scheme from Singaporeans, many of whom found the digital vouchers easy to use and helpful in offsetting their daily expenses. The Scheme also provides support to our participating heartland merchants and hawkers who have seen a boost in their businesses.
In respect of these vouchers, the CDCs do not gather information on the households or age of the heads of households.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Claims Made Under Work Injury Compensation Act in Past Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"63 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Manpower in each of the past five years, under the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019 (a) how many claims have arisen for (i) any form of personal injury (ii) permanent incapacity and (iii) death arising from accidents, in the course of employment as delivery riders; (b) how many of these claims are for persons on part-time or flexi-work arrangements of employment; and (c) what are the respective median compensation benefits awarded.
Dr Tan See Leng: Table 1 shows the number of work injury compensation claims in the past five years made by delivery employees, who are entitled to work injury compensation from their employer under the Work Injury Compensation Act. The figures do not include delivery riders who work as self-employed persons.
There was a change in reporting methodology in 2020 and so the claims numbers before 2020 cannot be directly compared with those after. We have shown two sets of numbers in Table 1. The first applies the pre-2020 methodology across all the years, where no significant trend is observed. The second presents the numbers as reported from 2020 based on the new methodology.
The Workplace Safety and Health Council is working with delivery companies, which includes delivery employers and platform operators, to review work processes to enhance the safety of delivery workers on the road to prevent accidents, including employees and self-employed persons. In addition, the Advisory Committee on Platform Workers is looking at strengthening financial protection in case of work injury for platform workers, including delivery persons who are self-employed. More details will be shared when ready.
The Ministry only tracks the lump sum compensation for work injury cases resulting in Permanent Incapacity and fatality. The median lump sum compensation awarded to delivery employees for Permanent Incapacity, which includes fractures, sprains and cuts, are at Table 2 below. There were no work injuries resulting in fatality, as indicated in Table 1.
The Ministry does not track claimants’ work arrangements (e.g. part-time or on flexi-work arrangements).
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on CPF Account Holders Who Have Not Made a CPF Nomination","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"64 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower (a) to date, what is the number of CPF account holders who have not made a CPF nomination; (b) what percentage out of all CPF account holders does this number translate into; and (c) what are the profiles in terms of age, gender and race.
Dr Tan See Leng: Making a CPF nomination allows members' monies to be distributed more promptly and to beneficiaries in accordance with members’ wishes upon their demise. 21% of the 23,500 members who passed away in 2021 had not made a CPF nomination.
\t Among members who are alive, older members are understandably more likely to have made a nomination. Only about 25% of members aged 65 and above have not made a CPF nomination compared to about 65% among those aged between 16 and 64. Of the members aged between 16 and 64 who have not made a nomination, the majority of them are below 44 years old. Unlike for age, we do not observe sharp differentiations in nomination rates by gender and ethnicity.
The CPF Board will continue their efforts to encourage members to make their CPF nominations. These include raising members’ awareness through public education and making the nomination process more convenient by allowing members to do so online.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Migrant Domestic Workers Suffering Injuries in Course of Work and Average Compensation Given in Last Five Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"65 Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Manpower for each year over the last five years (a) how many migrant domestic workers have suffered injuries in the course of their work; and (b) what is the average compensation given to each of these migrant domestic workers.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not collect data on the number of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) who suffered work-related injuries. The nature of domestic work makes it difficult to determine whether an injury sustained in the household was due to work-related activities.
However, under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, employers are responsible for the basic well-being of their MDWs who work and live in their households. This includes paying for the medical expenses that their MDWs incurred in Singapore, regardless of whether the illness or injury arises from work. Employers of MDWs are also required to purchase a personal accident insurance (PAI) plan for their MDWs with a sum assured of at least $60,000 per year. The PAI provides compensation to the MDW or her family if she suffers from permanent disability or passes away due to an accident, regardless of whether it is work or non-work related.
MOM does not have claims data on the payouts to MDWs as employers purchase the PAI from insurers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Letters of Consent for Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) Holders Approved in Each of Past 12 Months, Priorities Given, Measures to Prevent Exploitation and Recourse Available","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"66 Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for Manpower (a) in the past 12 months, how many Letters of Consent (LOC) for Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) holders are approved in each month; (b) whether LOC applications to work in certain industries are given priority and, if so, what are these industries; (c) whether the Ministry has any measures to prevent exploitation of LTVP holders by employers who hire them informally without contract; and (d) what recourse do LTVP holders have if they fall prey to exploitative employers.
Dr Tan See Leng: Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) and LTVP+ holders who are foreign spouses or unmarried children (under 21 years old) of Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents are eligible for Letters of Consent (LOCs) or Pre-Approved LOCs (PLOCs) to work in Singapore. LOC applications are made by the employer and LOC holders can only work for the employer specified in the LOC. PLOC holders can work in most jobs and the employer only needs to notify MOM at the start of employment. From June 2021 to May 2022, there were about 1,500 PLOC notifications and approved LOC applications on average each month. The LOC applications are assessed on their own merits and are not prioritised based on industry.
LTVP PLOC/LOC holders enjoy the same rights and protection as other employees under the Employment Act, including timely payment of salaries, paid annual leave, and paid sick leave. Employers are also required to issue them with key employment terms (KETs) which would clearly set out items such as the employees' job title, main duties and responsibilities, start date, duration of employment if on fixed-term contract, working arrangements such as working hours, salary details, leave entitlements, medical benefits, probation period and notice period. Employees hired without formal contracts or KETs are still protected under the Employment Act. To raise awareness and to ensure that employees do not hesitate to report mistreatment by employers, MOM and partner organisations have stepped up efforts via digital and social media platforms to educate the public to understand their rights and the available avenues for recourse, including when to file a report with MOM. More information, such as the channels of reporting and the \"Guide on Employment Laws\", can be found on the MOM website.
Any employee, local or foreign, who feels that he or she has been mistreated or exploited should approach MOM for assistance.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Disbursement of Workcare Grant and Plans to Increase Take-up Rate","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"67 Mr Raj Joshua Thomas asked the Minister for Manpower (a) to date, how many companies have taken up the Workcare Grant; (b) how much has been disbursed under the Grant; and (c) whether there any plans to increase the take-up of the Grant.
Dr Tan See Leng: Since the launch of the Workcare Grant in May 2021, there have been 26 applications, of which five have been approved and the remaining are being assessed. A total of $46,000 were committed to support the five applications to set up or improve seven rest areas, at $3,000 to $8,000 for each rest area. These projects would benefit around 120 outsourced essential services workers.
Most of the grant applications were made from the start of 2022, as some building owners had to delay plans to set up or improve rest areas due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2021, and hence are still being assessed.
NTUC U Care Centre, which administers the Workcare Grant, has conducted engagement sessions, sent direct mailers, and advertised in the media to reach out to more building owners, service buyers and employers of outsourced essential services workers to apply for the Workcare Grant.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Study on Impact of Living Conditions on Sleep Quality and Quantity Among Migrant Workers and Workplace Safety","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"68 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has studied the impact of living conditions on sleep quality and quantity among migrant workers, and, in turn, the impact of sleep quality on workplace safety; (b) if so, what have the findings of such studies been; (c) whether there are efforts in the pipeline aimed at alleviating heat in migrant worker dormitories, where necessary; and (d) whether the Ministry has studied feedback from workers living in dormitories on possible ways to alleviate the heat problem faced by migrant workers.
Dr Tan See Leng: Migrant worker dormitories are required to satisfy the requirement on ventilation provision as prescribed in the Building Control Regulations, administered by the Building and Construction Authority, during the construction of the dormitories. Under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act, dormitory operators are also required to provide adequate fans to achieve good air circulation and ventilation in the dormitory rooms. As part of the improved standards for new migrant worker dormitories announced by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in September 2021, the number of migrant workers residing in each dormitory room has been reduced to 12 or fewer per room with more space per worker. With more space in each dormitory room, adequate fans and windows can be installed for improved ventilation.
Migrant workers can approach MOM’s Forward Assurance and Support Teams (FAST) who are deployed to the dormitories to engage workers on their overall well-being, if they face any heat issues in their dormitory rooms. Based on previous feedback, FAST had worked with dormitory operators, employers and residents to resolve this, such as through providing more fans. Migrant workers with sleep-related or heat-related concerns can visit MOM’s medical centres for migrant workers for primary care consultation, treatment and support if required. A small number have reported heat or sleep related complaints at the medical centres in 2022, comprising less than 0.1% of the migrant workers in dormitories.