Hansard, Monday, 10 April 2023

[(proc text) The President (accompanied by two ADCs) entered the Chamber, accompanied by Mr Speaker, who was preceded by the Serjeant-at-Arms (without the Mace), the Deputy Clerk, the Principal Clerk and the Senior Assistant Clerk. (proc text)]

[(proc text) On the Clerk announcing "The President", the President delivered her Opening Address. (proc text)]

Hon Members, please be seated. Parliament is reopening at an important milestone in our history.

We have spent the last three years fighting the crisis of our generation. Together, we found our way through the uncertainties and fears of the pandemic.

Because everyone played their part, we emerged stronger and more united than before. Social capital amongst Singaporeans has deepened, trust in Government has strengthened and our global reputation has been enhanced.

These strengths will prove crucial on the road ahead.

The worst of COVID-19 is now hopefully behind us. But there are new challenges ahead, as we enter an increasingly dangerous and troubled world.

The war in Ukraine rages on and is unlikely to end soon. How the crisis unfolds will have major implications for the security of countries everywhere.

The rivalry between US and China continues to intensify, and has recently taken a turn for the worse. Near-miss encounters are happening more frequently around the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. Neither side wants to go to war, but events have their own momentum and accidents can easily spiral out of control in ways no one can predict.

The global order is also being reshaped by strategic geopolitical rivalry. The major powers are focused more on unilaterally securing their own advantage, than on promoting mutual interdependence or strengthening the multilateral system. The international norms that underpin peace and prosperity in the world are under severe strain.

These are realities we have to adapt to. As a small nation, we must take the world as it is, not as we wish it to be. But we are far from powerless on the international stage by acting together with like-minded partners, both big and small. We remain vigilant and proactive in defending ourselves against external threats. We will continue to build a network of friends to advance our shared interests. We will strive to preserve our sovereignty and the right to determine our own future, as we have done since Independence.

Against the backdrop of great power rivalry, smaller countries like Singapore are experiencing growing pressures to take sides. We will be subject to foreign influences and disinformation campaigns, aimed at shaping our domestic public opinion and pressing the Government to adopt certain positions.

We must do our utmost to resist such pressures. We have to close ranks and stay united, regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation, especially when it comes to core national interests. We must never allow external parties to divide us and should always stand together as one people to uphold Singapore’s vital interests.

Unity will also be important as we push forward against the economic headwinds. Global trade and investment flows are facing growing obstacles. Governments in the major economies are providing substantial fiscal support to develop strategic industries and strengthen their own industrial bases. This creates a more unlevel playing field and tougher competition for us.

We will adapt to these new circumstances and find opportunities amidst the challenges. We cannot compete headto-head with big powers seeking to control key technologies and industries in the global economy. But we can be more agile and nimble than others, and respond more quickly and effectively to new challenges and opportunities.

We will run up against more binding constraints in land, labour and carbon over the coming years, and will have to do our best to manage them. But even as we adjust and adapt, a few fundamental imperatives will not change.

We must stay connected to the world, strengthen our connectivity infrastructure and entrench our position as a trusted and reliable business hub.

We must develop talents and skills of our people throughout their careers and continue to attract foreigners with entrepreneurial networks and expertise to help grow opportunities for Singaporeans.

We must invest in innovation to unlock new areas of growth, including in digitalisation and sustainability.

Importantly, we must nurture the strong tripartite partnership between Government, businesses and workers.

If we are adaptable and resourceful, we can strengthen our competitive advantage, and position ourselves best to prosper and thrive in this new environment.

To do well in this troubled world and remain one united people, we will need to strengthen our social fabric. Every Singaporean must feel that they have a stake in our country. The fruits of our progress must be shared fairly and no one should feel left behind.

This is the main purpose of the Forward Singapore exercise: to renew and update our social compact even as we refresh our goals and strategies. Collectively, the 4G team have engaged more than 14,000 Singaporeans over the past six months and are continuing to deepen these engagements.

This exercise reaffirms the core values that we hold dear as Singaporeans: fairness, inclusivity, mutual support and the desire to give back to society. We want every person to be treated equally with dignity and respect. We want a Singapore where everyone belongs, and every citizen has the chance to achieve his or her fullest potential. We want a society that values and supports families; where we care for and help one another and pitch in to make a difference to our community.

These values will shape the Government’s agenda. We will expand opportunities throughout life for every citizen, regardless of their starting points. We will strengthen social safety nets so that in every stage of life, Singaporeans can better cope with uncertainties and look forward with confidence. We will build a smart and liveable city – a green, connected and thriving metropolis that we are all proud to call home. We will deepen Singaporeans’ sense of shared identity and mutual responsibility towards one another.

These will be the key priorities for the remainder of this term of Government.

First, we will expand opportunities throughout life for all, regardless of individual backgrounds and circumstances.

Meritocracy has long been the organising principle of our society. It has provided opportunities to countless Singaporeans with the drive and ability to excel. But as we prosper as a society, those who have already done well will naturally seek to pass on their advantages to their children. This is why absent major upheavals, all societies tend to become more stratified and less socially mobile over time.

We will do our utmost to combat this tendency. We must not allow advantages and privileges to become entrenched and persist over generations. This would weaken and fracture our society. We must ensure a broader and more open meritocracy that works well for all Singaporeans. This means rethinking our approach to education and work.

We will continue to prepare our children for the future, starting from their early years. We will provide more resources to support those who start out with less. At the same time, we recognise the competitive stresses that have built up in our education system, especially amongst certain segments of society. We will provide everyone with access to a good education, and many chances in life to learn and improve. But let us not be unwittingly drawn into an educational arms race and end up worse off as a society.

We must also re-examine how society rewards different skills and talents and recognises the full range of pathways to success. We should accord greater value to those who are skilled with their hands and contribute through their technical and practical abilities, as well as those with the social and empathetic traits to excel in jobs, such as caregiving or community service. Every Singaporean must have the opportunity to take on work they find fulfilling and meaningful, build on their talents, give of their best and be rewarded fairly for it.

At the same time, we will step up support for the disadvantaged and vulnerable segments in our society. We will uplift lower-income workers and families, and empower them to take the initiative to improve their own lives. We will enhance support for persons with disabilities, so they can pursue their aspirations and participate fully as contributing members of society. We will ensure that Singapore remains an open and inclusive society, where we uplift everyone with opportunities throughout their lives and where we interact with one another as equals, regardless of our backgrounds.

Second, in a world of rapid change, the Government will improve social safety nets to help Singaporeans better cope with disruptions and setbacks in life.

With more uncertainty in the world economy and faster technological change, workers, especially those in their 40s and 50s, are at higher risk of skills obsolescence and unemployment. During the pandemic, we implemented the COVID-19 Recovery Grant and the SGUnited Jobs and Skills programme to support those who had lost their jobs. We will study how we should extend similar support beyond the pandemic.

Beyond helping displaced workers, we will further strengthen our SkillsFuture ecosystem to bring everyone along on our digitalisation and industry transformation journey. We will enable every citizen to do a significant skills reboot in the course of their working lives. This will help to keep them employable, whether they progress further in their respective fields, or transit across to jobs in new areas of growth.

We will also strengthen the sense of assurance in other ways.

We will take better care of our growing number of seniors. Through HealthierSG, we are stepping up preventive care and empowering citizens to manage their own health, and go for regular screenings and check-ups.

We will help Singaporeans enjoy their golden years with greater peace of mind, by enhancing retirement adequacy, and expanding care and living options. We will enable more seniors to age in place, in the comfort of their own homes, with their families and friends close by.

We will also keep public housing affordable and accessible for Singaporeans. Close to 100,000 private and public homes are expected to be completed between now and 2025. We are giving priority to young married couples and families with children to purchase their first homes.

Third, we will press on with longer-term efforts to build a city that is green, connected and highly liveable.

We will continue to renew and transform our urban landscape. New centres and districts will be developed outside of the Central Business District (CBD), to pilot creative urban solutions that transform the way our people live, work and play. Technology will be a key enabler; our urban plans will be integrated with our Smart Nation vision.

Our built environment is not just about better hardware and infrastructure. The city should also become more people-friendly. We will strengthen the distinctive cultures and heritages of different neighbourhoods. We will have better-connected streets and green spaces that are conducive for walking and cycling, where people can meet, interact and connect with one another. We will make our housing estates more vibrant spaces where children grow up together, where shared memories are formed and where we nurture our unique identity as a multi-racial and multi-religious nation.

Fourth, we will strengthen our collective responsibility to shape our new compact. More government action should not result in a greater sense of dependency and entitlement. Instead, the Government will, through its actions, reinforce individual and family efforts, and bring forth contributions from other stakeholders.

For instance, employers must do their part to invest in their workers. Community partners must complement government efforts to support vulnerable families, just as we rallied to support one another through the pandemic. Those who have done well must pay it forward and give others a hand, so that we help one another stand tall with dignity and pride.

To tackle the complex challenges ahead, Singapore will need a stronger network of stakeholders to participate in nation building. Committed businesses that champion socially responsible and sustainable practices. A passionate civil society that advocates for their visions of a better society. An active citizenry that takes ownership of issues. The Government will do more to mobilise and involve all stakeholders. In particular, our youths show strong interest to take action and initiate change on issues they care about, like mental well-being and sustainability. We will engage the ideas, dynamism and energy of our young Singaporeans.

Ultimately, our refreshed social compact is about a shared understanding of how we relate to and support one another in our next phase of nationhood. By pooling our individual expertise, experiences and resources, we can achieve better outcomes for ourselves, our fellow citizens and our nation, Singapore.

Even as we focus on our present needs, we must also plan for the future and think on behalf of generations to come.

We are here today only because of what previous generations of Singaporeans did. They were willing to work hard and make sacrifices, to give us – their children and grandchildren – a better life. We must uphold these same values and leave behind a Singapore that is better than the one today, for the sake of future generations.

Climate change poses an existential threat to our island state. We have committed to decisive action to reduce carbon emissions and are taking resolute steps towards meeting our net-zero commitments. We also need to protect ourselves against global warming, especially rising sea levels. We are developing plans for more extensive coastal protection measures and will dove-tail these plans with our urban renewal strategies.

All this requires responsible use of our fiscal resources and husbanding of our accumulated reserves. We must therefore continue to uphold our longstanding principles of fiscal prudence and discipline, so that future generations too will have the means to weather major storms and the wherewithal to build the Singapore of their dreams.

Throughout our nation building journey, we have repeatedly faced challenges and setbacks. We survived when few believed we would. When we started out in 1965, the journey looked so daunting, with so many problems to solve. But with courage and determination, our founding leaders and pioneer generations tackled challenges head-on, one by one, and built this thriving metropolis.

We are now in a much stronger position – better poised to overcome our vulnerabilities and armed with crucial resources to push forward with confidence, however stormy the weather.

Our collective experiences have strengthened the mutual trust between Singaporeans and their confidence in our system of government. This virtuous circle relies on us partnering one another and working together to make the impossible, possible.

The leadership transition to the 4G team is well underway. They have worked well together and proven their ability and grit through their handling of the COVID-19 crisis. They have also been engaging citizens widely through the Forward Singapore exercise. They must continue to strengthen their bonds with Singaporeans, and work closely with them to write the next chapter of our Singapore Story.

The trust between our political leadership and people, and between Singaporeans themselves, is a key strength we must continue to nurture and cherish. In so many societies, this has gone wrong. These societies face deep divides that are difficult to bridge. Instead of bringing people together, political parties aggravate rifts by divisive appeals for support from competing groups. Their political systems are stuck in gridlock. Consequently, trust in government and its institutions plummets, making recovery even harder.

We cannot afford to let this happen in Singapore. In an open, diverse society, people will always have different views. We must debate them honestly and robustly. But our conversations also must be constructive, respectful and responsible, based on facts and sound analysis. Our interactions with one another must be anchored on mutual respect and trust, and a shared goal of advancing the larger public interest. In this way, we can work through our differences, enlarge our common ground and draw strength from our diverse perspectives.

So far, we have done well. Out of our diversity, we have built a deep reservoir of social capital and trust. As we commemorate the centenary of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s birth, we should reflect on the values and principles of the founding generation of leaders. We should reaffirm and uphold our shared values, while re-examining what needs to be updated and possessing the courage to break new ground. Only then can we forge ahead confidently, firm in our footing and sure of our destination.

The COVID-19 experience shows what Singaporeans are capable of when we come together as a nation, and gives us quiet confidence and strength as we face the future together. Let us learn from this experience to work together to improve the lives of today’s Singaporeans, keep faith with future generations yet unborn and build a Singapore that thrives and endures for many years to come.

Adjourned accordingly at 8.56 pm.

ADDENDA TO THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS AT THE OPENING OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE FOURTEENTH PARLIAMENT ON MONDAY, 10 APRIL 2023

The Ministry of Health (MOH) will continue to deliver good health outcomes for Singaporeans, while keeping costs affordable for individuals and sustainable for Singapore. We have been able to achieve these objectives through the delivery of high-quality care, supported by a dedicated healthcare workforce and resilient infrastructure built up over the years, and a S+3M (subsidies, MediSave, MediShield Life, and MediFund) system that instils financial discipline while providing a safety net for patients who need it.

The COVID-19 crisis has given us new perspectives on our pandemic preparedness plans and public health capabilities. Furthermore, our population is ageing rapidly. Medical advancements are not only opening up new possibilities but also major challenges and dilemmas. Singapore’s healthcare system is therefore at a pivotal phase of its transformation journey.

MOH will strengthen our capabilities and structures by setting up a Communicable Diseases Agency to oversee disease preparedness, prevention and control, surveillance, risk assessment, and outbreak response. MOH will set up a permanent Crisis Strategy and Operations Group, to maintain surge readiness for mid-sized outbreaks and other health emergencies, and to prepare healthcare institutions to be crisis-ready. We will also maintain a healthcare reserve force, to expand surge capacity if necessary.

MOH will continue to make progress on PREPARE, the Programme for Research in Epidemic Preparedness and Response, to develop our capabilities in global surveillance so we may better understand new and dangerous pathogens. We will implement our vaccine strategy, to secure an early supply of efficacious vaccines when another pandemic breaks out.

We will also review the Infectious Diseases Act (IDA) to deal with a wider range of public health situations, and better manage crisis communications.

We will continue to invest in healthcare infrastructure and expand our care capacity. This includes the Woodlands Health Campus, the Tan Tock Seng Hospital Integrated Care Hub, the Eastern Integrated Health Campus, and the redevelopment of Alexandra Hospital. In the next few years, we will add 1,900 (or about 20%) more public hospital beds, from 11,000 beds today. By 2030, we will build 10 more polyclinics, making a total of 32 polyclinics. We will also expand the capacity of our nursing homes from 16,000 beds in 2020 to more than 31,000 beds in 2030.

We will invest heavily in IT, focusing on mission-critical national systems for hospital billing, drug ordering and dispensation, and the maintenance of national medical databases.

We will continue to develop our healthcare workforce. We plan to increase our nursing and support care manpower by 40%, from 49,000 now to 69,000 by 2030, by building a stronger local pipeline through pre-employment training and mid-career conversions, and complementing our local core with foreign healthcare workers. With good training opportunities and career prospects, Singapore will remain competitive in attracting foreign healthcare manpower.

More opportunities will be made available for doctors to become Family Physicians and develop their competencies, such as through postgraduate family medicine training. We will continue to upgrade the skills and knowledge of nurses and Allied Health Professionals, so that they can assume greater responsibilities, including in leading more clinical community care initiatives.

While ageing and changes to our demography are inexorable, we can improve the health of our population through effective preventive care that spans the entire life of an individual. This will be a major focus in the coming years.

Good health starts from the womb. We will enhance mental health screening and psycho-emotional support for pregnant women and their spouses, and support families in cultivating healthy lifestyle habits from young. As the child gets older, schools and preschools are important platforms to foster and sustain healthy habits. We will partner MOE and MSF closely, to incorporate health education in the school experience, and lay a strong foundation of health for our younger generation.

For adults, Healthier SG will be the key strategy to encourage healthy living and deliver preventive care. Enrolment into Healthier SG will start in July 2023, and this will kickstart the development of strong and dedicated patient-doctor relationships throughout society. Family doctors play an integral role in inculcating and strengthening good health habits, such a good diet, regular exercise, and routine health screenings and vaccinations.

To support this effort, we are marshalling community resources and partners to organise physical activities in the community, and to reach out to residents and encourage them to enrol. Through the Health Promotion Board, we will continue to drive efforts to reduce sugar and sodium intake, equip consumers with information to make healthier eating choices, manage the consumption of tobacco and nicotine, and promote smoking cessation.

By emphasising preventive care, Healthier SG brings healthcare out of hospitals and clinics, and into the community. We are therefore updating the Healthcare Services Act, to make regulations services-centric, instead of focusing on the premise where care is delivered. Similarly, we need to review our healthcare financing policies to make them more premise-neutral, and ensure support is available regardless of where care is sought.

For our seniors we need to make ageing in community the default, because it is the best way for them to stay socially engaged and active, and hence healthy. As part of the Forward Singapore exercise, we are studying the specific measures to enable this. Broadly, our built environment must be made more senior-friendly, with new housing options such as Community Care Apartments, and existing common spaces such as void decks, parks, and coffee shops transformed into conducive environments for seniors. Our network of Active Ageing Centres will need to be expanded, and their operations remodelled, so that they can become nodes for seniors to make friends, volunteer, participate in active ageing programmes, and receive support for maintaining good health.

As seniors approach end-of-life, we will seek to fulfil the wishes of the great majority to pass on in the comfort of their homes, surrounded by their loved ones. We will therefore strengthen support for palliative care by enhancing clinical protocols in hospitals to enable more seamless care transitions, upskilling healthcare workers, and engaging Singaporeans in conversations on their preferences. We will also enhance financial support for palliative care and ensure sufficient capacity across all settings to meet growing needs.

We are in a period of major breakthroughs in medical science, especially in areas like precision medicine, gene editing, and artificial intelligence. For instance, with precision medicine, we can consider individual variations in genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors when predicting the health risks of individuals, and determine the most effective prevention and treatment strategies for them. At the same time, there will likely be a proliferation of experimental treatments, such as genetic therapies.

We need to support and embrace technological advances but remain aware of the risks and pitfalls. Experimental treatments tend to work only on a small minority, so mass deployment of new treatments must be subject to evidence-based clinical development and evaluation of cost and medical effectiveness. Even as new medical technology becomes established, it will likely be costly and deployed only in specific circumstances. This would require a rethink of our healthcare financing policies, especially the role of medical insurance and MediShield Life. We may also need new legislation to safeguard moral and ethical standards in the practice of new medical technology such as precision medicine.

MOH will undertake this long-term effort in partnership with researchers, physicians, economists, bioethicists, regulatory bodies, and the public, to reap the benefits of these new solutions.

The Ministry of National Development (MND) will continue to ensure that we develop sustainably, build an endearing home and a distinctive global city, and meet the diverse aspirations of Singaporeans.

Through the Long-Term Plan Review and the Forward Singapore exercise, we engaged over 30,000 Singaporeans to understand their values, hopes, and concerns for the future, including what a refreshed social compact for public housing should look like.

We will update our housing and planning strategies to reflect the concerns and aspirations of our time. These strategies will be translated into detailed land use and development plans for the next ten to fifteen years in the upcoming Master Plan review.

While the construction sector was severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made good progress to get back on track. Across the Housing and Development Board (HDB)’s Build-To-Order programme and private residential developments, there will be almost 40,000 home completions in 2023, and close to 100,000 by 2025. We will continue to maintain a steady pipeline to meet housing demand, and adjust our policies as necessary to keep the property market stable and sustainable.

Our public housing programme has enabled eight in 10 Singaporean households to live in HDB flats today. We must continue to update our public housing programmes and policies as our city develops and society matures. Nearly one in four Singaporeans will be 65 years and older by 2030. We also have more singles and caregivers in our society, and more young Singaporeans aspire to live independently. In addition, our public housing estates and HDB flats are ageing. Many non-mature estates have also become much more well-developed over time.

We will refresh our social compact on housing, so that housing continues to be affordable and accessible, and our estates remain inclusive, cohesive and sustainable.

We are committed to supporting families. We will help young married couples and families with children buy their very first home.

We will keep public housing inclusive, including in our prime areas. We will continue to launch flats under the Prime Location Public Housing model.

We will pair housing with proactive social support to uplift lower income families and help them move towards home ownership.

We will develop a range of housing options and provide stronger support for singles, seniors, as well as persons with disabilities.

We will design and build estates to forge strong communities, bring Singaporeans closer together, and integrate how we live, work and play.

We will rejuvenate and upgrade existing housing estates to improve the quality of our living environment.

We will work together with Singaporeans to promote social norms in our neighbourhoods that reflect our values of mutual respect and care for one another.

Ultimately, our new social compact on housing represents a consensus among Singaporeans on our priorities as a nation and how we should allocate finite land and limited resources to meet growing aspirations. We must also set aside enough land and resources for future generations, to meet their aspirations and needs.

MND will continue to plan boldly for the long-term, carefully balancing different needs and executing detailed plans to keep our city-state green, vibrant, and inclusive. We will embark on big moves and create more space by transforming the Greater Southern Waterfront and relocating Paya Lebar Airbase so that new and sustainable towns can be built.

We will continue to make concerted efforts to retain and weave in our uniquely Singaporean identity as we develop Singapore. We have evolved from a “Garden City” to a “City in a Garden”, and now aspire to be a City in Nature, where native flora and fauna thrive amid a flourishing, urban metropolis. We will secure and extend our natural capital for generations to enjoy, and continue to build a productive and vibrant city, while strengthening the distinctive character and heritage of our towns and neighbourhoods. We will design our districts to connect with our shared memories of the area, which amplifies our Singaporean identity and provides residents with a sense of belonging, ownership, and community.

We will plan for a range of possibilities as far ahead as possible, and introduce greater flexibility and optionality in our land use plans, so we can respond nimbly to crises and challenges. By carefully pacing out development plans, we can also better respond to changes in land use needs. To protect our city from the effects of climate change, we will deploy both infrastructure and nature-based solutions.

These plans need to be supported by a strong and progressive built environment sector. The refreshed Built Environment Industry Transformation Map reflects our resolve to design, construct, and maintain our buildings in a more productive and sustainable manner, while strengthening our resilience against future challenges. We will support the growth of stronger firms with deeper capabilities, reduce our reliance on foreign manpower, and streamline regulatory processes. We will also ramp up efforts to reduce building emissions as we move towards our national climate target of net zero emissions by 2050.

We will continue to partner Singaporeans to ensure that Singapore remains a distinctive and thriving city, with inclusive neighbourhoods and endearing homes for all Singaporeans.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) will strengthen families as the bedrock of our society. We will build a more caring and inclusive society, drawing on the strengths of individuals and families, the social capital within our communities, and resources from the public, people and private sectors, to provide a tapestry of support to uplift those in need.

We will implement the Singapore Made For Families 2025 plan, which outlines the efforts of the Government, community partners, and businesses to create a Singapore where all families are valued and supported.

We will strengthen the Families For Life (FFL) movement. FFL will establish a presence in all towns by 2025 in partnership with Family Service Centres (FSCs). This will provide families more convenient access to peer support groups, marriage preparation, parenting and grandparenting programmes at the local community level.

For families that face more challenges, we will provide timely family-centric interventions such as marriage support for minor and young marriages, divorce support, and family counselling. We will do this through the nationwide network of 10 FSCs offering the Strengthening Families Programme.

We will continue to invest heavily in the early childhood sector to provide all children access to affordable and quality preschools. By 2025, 80% of pre-schoolers can have a place in a Government-supported preschool with affordable fees. We will enhance training and career progression for early childhood educators, keep salaries and working conditions competitive, and maintain the high quality of preschool education.

In our Forward Singapore conversations, parents expressed their desire for more options to care for their young children, especially infants. We will study new care options apart from infant care facilities, to meet varying preferences and needs.

We will continue working towards our shared vision where men and women partner each other as equals. One key area is to encourage greater women’s representation in leadership roles, building on the good progress made in raising the proportion of women on boards.

We will enable persons with disabilities (PwDs) to live independent and fulfilling lives, through the Enabling Masterplan 2030. SG Enable will launch regional Enabling Business and Enabling Services hubs to provide employment support to, and bring social support services closer to PwDs and their caregivers. MSF will also expand capacity in early intervention services and make preschools more inclusive to support children with developmental needs. To foster a more caring and inclusive society, we will work with corporates and the community to shift mindsets and enhance support for families with PwDs in areas such as cost of care and post-school life.

We will strengthen our social safety nets for lower-income families and enable them to bounce back stronger. ComCare will be regularly updated to reflect basic expenditure patterns of lower-income families.

Early childhood development for children from lower-income families will start them on the right path. We will close the gap in preschool participation rates of children from lower-income families with their peers. We will scale up KidSTART nation-wide by 2026 and facilitate priority enrolment for children from lower-income families in Anchor Operator Preschools and MOE Kindergartens by age three.

We will also ensure that social services are comprehensive, convenient, and coordinated so that vulnerable families can get the help they need quickly and easily. To this end, Community Link (ComLink) officers and volunteer befrienders have adopted a family-centric approach in supporting families with children living in rental housing. MSF will also be integrating social programmes under ComLink, such as KidSTART, UPLIFT Community Network, and Project Dian@M3.

We are studying how to empower ComLink families to take further action to improve their circumstances and that of their children, by augmenting and supplementing their efforts to uplift themselves. Through Forward Singapore, we will strengthen partnerships with volunteers, the community, and corporates to help these families achieve stability, self-reliance, and social mobility.

We will take a family-based approach to rehabilitate youth offenders, so that they can turn their lives around. We will also work with the community to protect families at risk of domestic violence. We have made it easier and more convenient for those experiencing or witnessing domestic violence to make reports, so that survivors can get help from social service professionals. We will amend the Women’s Charter to better protect survivors and hold perpetrators accountable even as we support their rehabilitation.

Twenty twenty-three is the Year of Celebrating Social Service Partners for the good work of social service agencies (SSAs), businesses, and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs). We will accord similar recognition to social service professionals and volunteers.

We will continue to partner SSAs in their transformation and extend more support through the Community Capability Trust, so that their digitalisation processes, people practices, and volunteer management capabilities are future-ready.

To ensure effective service delivery, we will prioritise funding for outcomes and improve data sharing and integrated case management through platforms such as Case Connect and One Client View. We will also reduce administrative and regulatory burden and streamline reporting requirements while still ensuring good governance.

To grow the attractiveness of social service sector jobs, we will enhance skills training, guide SSAs to pay competitively through the updated NCSS Sector Salary Guidelines, and improve working conditions.

Businesses and organisations have assets, expertise and networks they can creatively leverage to support their philanthropic efforts and create sustained social impact. MSF will partner businesses to strengthen the social impact in their Environmental, Social, and Governance policies. We will also strengthen collaborations with IHLs and academics to train social service professionals, and to undertake research to inform our policies and practices.

We will create a Singapore made for families, give every child a good start, and help every family achieve stability, self-reliance and social mobility. Together, we can secure a better future for ourselves and our children.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) strives to enable all Singaporeans to realise their potential. We have been engaging our stakeholders as part of the Forward Singapore exercise. We will strengthen our partnerships with families, communities, and industry to refresh our system of meritocracy, so that all can thrive and contribute to Singapore in their own ways.

MOE is committed to providing a quality education and a strong foundation for every child. In a complex and fast-changing world, our students will require diverse skillsets to stay resilient, and diverse perspectives to connect and collaborate with others in Singapore and elsewhere. MOE will thus continue to encourage holistic development and cultivate 21st Century Competencies. To meet the wider and more complex needs of our students, we will support our educators by giving them opportunities to broaden their perspectives and skillsets. We will also partner families and the community to provide holistic support for our children’s socio-emotional development.

We have moved away from a one-size-fits-all approach to education, and from using a single metric to evaluate the diverse dimensions of our students’ abilities. Full Subject-Based Banding will be fully implemented in secondary schools next year and will allow every student to learn subjects at a level that caters to their strengths and learning needs. Our schools are building partnerships with their stakeholders to offer niche areas of excellence to cater to students’ diverse interests. We will also continue to expand admission routes to schools and Institutes of Higher Learning to recognise the different strengths and abilities of our students.

Every child should have access to quality education, according to their needs, regardless of their starting point in life. We will continue to invest more in preschool education, especially for children from disadvantaged families. We will also step up our efforts to provide opportunities for learners of different backgrounds to interact, empathise with, and support one another.

At the same time, to adapt to a changing global landscape, we will need to break new ground.

First, amidst economic transformation and labour market disruptions, we must evolve our practices to create new value and stay ahead of the competition. To enable Singaporeans to seize new opportunities and stay employable, we will strengthen our SkillsFuture movement to better support continual upskilling and reskilling across an individual’s lifetime. This includes making training accessible for adult learners, developing new andragogical approaches, and working closely with companies, unions, and training institutions to tighten the nexus between business needs, workers’ skills and training. We will provide stronger support for mid-career workers, in particular, to reduce their opportunity cost for training should they require a substantial skills reboot. At the same time, our people will need to make full use of these opportunities by developing a growth mindset and passion for lifelong learning.

Second, we will strengthen support for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN). We will continue to strengthen the educational experience for students with SEN in mainstream and Special Education (SPED) schools. MOE will work with Social Service Agencies to improve remuneration and career progression in the SPED sector. This will improve the quality of SPED and better enable our students to lead independent and meaningful lives.

Third, we will leverage technology to better customise teaching and learning for students of different abilities. We will continue to invest in education technologies to bring out the best in each child. For example, adaptive learning platforms, powered by Artificial Intelligence, will allow more advanced learners to stretch themselves, while freeing up time for our teachers to focus on students with greater learning needs.

All of us have a part to play in shaping and strengthening our social compact. Those who have done well in life should pay it forward, and support those who have less. Success must be defined not just by one’s achievements, but also by how we contribute to the common good. By moving beyond the pursuit of paper qualifications and embracing a broader definition of success, our education system can bring out the best in every child and strengthen our resilience as a nation through our diversity of strengths.

As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, economic and geopolitical uncertainties are expected to weigh on the labour market. To tackle these challenges, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will redouble our efforts to expand opportunities, strengthen support and assurance, and foster fair, inclusive, and safe workplaces for Singaporeans.

As part of the Forward Singapore exercise, MOM and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) have been engaging Singaporeans from all walks of life. Many are concerned about staying relevant and competitive, and having job opportunities that match their aspirations.

As our economy transforms, MOM will empower Singaporean workers to take charge of their careers and improve their career prospects and resilience. MOM has launched Jobs Transformation Maps to provide individuals with insights on how technology will affect their jobs and how they can proactively take measures to remain competitive and relevant. Singaporeans can also tap on employment facilitation programmes by Workforce Singapore to chart out their career paths. We will be launching CareersFinder, a feature on the MyCareersFuture portal, to help workers plan for their next career move using data and artificial intelligence. For workers who face displacement, we will help them in their job search.

For those inclined towards “hands-on” work, MOM will work with NTUC to professionalise skilled trades, to attract and retain more Singaporeans in such jobs through better salaries and clearer progression ladders. We have made headway in uplifting the image and attractiveness of skilled professions that work with the “heart”, such as nursing and early childhood education. We must do likewise for trades that emphasise craft and skills mastery.

MOM also aims to build up a stronger local pipeline for corporate leadership positions. We want to see more Singaporeans becoming specialists and leaders in their chosen fields of our economy and growing their careers in Singapore and on the global stage.

MOM will also support employers to grow and transform. Only with strong companies can we have a vibrant economy and good job opportunities. To this end, we will support our local workforce to constantly improve, even as Singapore remains open to foreign manpower that complements locals.

From September 2023, we will roll out the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) for new Employment Pass (EP) applications. Through COMPASS, we will encourage companies to build strong and diverse teams, with Singaporeans and skilled EP holders working alongside and learning from one another. The COMPASS Shortage Occupation List allows firms to access applicants with highly specialised skills, while the Strategic Economic Priorities bonus facilitates applications from firms that support Singapore’s strategic priorities. We will also support businesses that contribute to our strategic priorities with additional Work Permit and S Pass quotas via the Manpower for Strategic Economic Priorities scheme.

Our growth has been and must continue to be inclusive. We have made progress in looking after vulnerable workers and will press on with our efforts.

We will invest heavily to uplift the salaries and skills of lower-wage workers, and help them progress in their careers. By July 2023, up to nine in ten lower-wage workers will benefit from Progressive Wages (PWs). We have also enhanced the Workfare Income Supplement scheme to increase maximum payments and expand coverage to half a million lower-wage workers. With the recently launched PW Mark, consumers and corporate buyers can play their part to support firms that pay progressive wages.

Seniors who want and are able to continue working should have maximum access to employment opportunities. We have been raising the retirement and re-employment ages progressively, and have extended the Senior Employment Credit and Part-time Re-employment Grant until 2025 to provide employers with wage offsets. In addition, we have enhanced the Enabling Employment Credit to raise wage offsets to employers who hire unemployed persons with disabilities. We have also introduced a new Uplifting Employment Credit to incentivise firms to hire ex-offenders.

A substantial group of workers provide services, such as deliveries and vehicle rides, via digital platforms. They need better protection. We have accepted the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Platform Workers and will require platform companies to provide platform workers with work injury compensation and Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions. Platform workers will also be able to seek formal representation and negotiate for their collective interests.

A decade ago, about five in ten active CPF members were able to attain their cohort Basic Retirement Sum at age 55. This has improved to almost seven in ten today and is expected to reach about eight in ten in 2027.

We are undertaking a fundamental review of our policies for retirement adequacy under the Forward Singapore exercise. We will bolster retirement adequacy and make sure the CPF system continues to work for the broad majority of Singaporeans. We will raise the CPF monthly salary ceiling to keep pace with rising incomes, which will help middle-income workers save more during their working years.

Ultimately, we seek to assure all Singaporeans that as long as they work and contribute consistently to their CPF, they will be able to meet their basic retirement needs. We will also find ways to look after those who are unable to work consistently or who have a shorter runway of working years.

MOM will continue to foster fair, inclusive, and safe workplaces, shape workplace norms, and ensure an even playing field for all.

Employers must pay attention to fair consideration when hiring. We will require employers, by law, to advertise jobs on MyCareersFuture and fairly consider all candidates, before applying for an EP or S Pass. We will enact workplace fairness legislation to provide stronger protection against workplace discrimination and enable workers to seek redress for harm done. We will also continue to shape the right norms to help make our workplace practices more flexible. By 2024, we will introduce Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) to help employers and employees adopt FWAs in a win-win manner.

Even one workplace death is one too many. We remain committed to advancing workplace safety and health, and will strive towards our 2028 target to reduce the workplace fatal injury rate to below 1.0 per 100,000 workers.

MOM must continue to be both pro-worker and pro-business. We will build on the strong foundation of tripartism to journey hand-in-hand, step-by-step with all workers and businesses towards a better future.

The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) seeks to enhance opportunities, sustain trust and strengthen our communities to reap the full benefits of digital and technological advances, while mitigating the potential harms.

MCI will work with partners to develop a new Digital Connectivity Blueprint for strategic, sustainable, and future-ready digital infrastructure. We will also continue investing in research and innovation, including in quantum technologies and artificial intelligence, as part of Singapore’s Research, Innovation, and Enterprise 2025 Plan. These efforts to enhance digital infrastructure and encourage innovation are the foundation for our businesses and people to thrive in a digital age.

MCI will continue to support digital transformation of our businesses, particularly to help Small-Medium Enterprises improve their productivity and access new markets. MCI will scale adoption of digital utilities that support core business functions, such as e-payment and e-invoicing. MCI will also refresh the schemes to help firms improve their cybersecurity posture and raise their overall digital maturity. These will be brought together under the new Digital Enterprise Blueprint, a comprehensive guide to the Government’s support for enterprise digitalisation. We will also work with partners to shape international rules, benchmarks, and norms, through Digital Economy Agreements and other initiatives.

MCI will continue to help Singaporeans raise their digital proficiencies, both to access digital services and navigate confidently online, as well as to access good opportunities in tech. Initiatives under the Information and Communications Jobs Transformation Map will equip tech workers with the tools to stay competitive. We will also help workers, both within the information and communications sector and across the economy, upskill and deepen their proficiencies in high-demand areas such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. As part of the Forward Singapore exercise, we will work with the Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Education, as well as industry partners, to ensure that good opportunities remain accessible to all, through initiatives such as the TechSkills Accelerator for ITE and Polytechnics Alliance.

Trust among our people, and in our institutions and systems, is essential to the continued vitality and resilience of our society and economy. MCI takes a comprehensive approach to building and strengthening trust.

MCI will continue to protect users from harmful online content, with codes of practice for social media services and app stores, and advisory guidelines for the protection of personal data. Through the Singapore Cybersecurity Strategy 2021, MCI and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore will also enhance efforts to protect our critical information infrastructure and other important systems and entities from cyber threats, and raise the cybersecurity posture of companies and individuals through the Cybersecurity Labelling Scheme and Cybersecurity Trust and Essentials Mark certification programmes.

MCI, together with partners from industry, academia, and the community, will grow the digital, information, and media literacy of Singaporeans, and promote better social cohesion, wellness, and health outcomes. MCI will continue to coordinate Whole-of-Government public communications on major national issues to ensure that the public receives timely and accurate information. MCI will also support efforts to protect public interest and trust by providing the public with a reliable source for facts, addressing misperceptions, and alerting the public to scams and other threats.

MCI is committed to building and strengthening our Singapore communities in both offline and online spaces. We will continue to provide timely, accessible, and inclusive Government communications, through in-person engagements as well as traditional and digital media platforms, to reach Singaporeans from all walks of life. We will also engage the community through REACH, to better understand stakeholders’ views, needs, and aspirations.

All Singaporeans should be able to participate meaningfully in society and reap the benefits of digital technologies, regardless of ability or personal circumstances. MCI will expand its digital inclusion efforts by:

providing subsidised devices and internet access under the DigitalAccess@Home and Mobile Access for Seniors schemes;

offering tailored training and assistance for the elderly and other groups through the Info-communications Media Development Authority’s SG Digital Office;

organising outreach efforts under the National Library Board’s Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025; and

mounting people, private and public partnerships under the Digital for Life movement.

Access to credible sources of information and content that reflect our Singapore voice and values is vital to our social cohesion, cultural heritage, and national identity. MCI will support the creation and delivery of high-quality news and content across various media platforms and languages to the public. We will also continue efforts to implement subtitling or sign language interpretations for more free-to-air television programmes.

MCI is committed to doing our part, alongside the public and our partners, to meet the challenges ahead and build a thriving digital future for all.

Even as Singapore’s economy emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, new challenges have surfaced. In the near-term, persistent global inflation and a weak global demand outlook will weigh on Singapore’s growth. We will also need to respond to major structural shifts, including an increasingly fragmented geopolitical landscape, accelerating disruptions from emerging technologies, and the global momentum on climate change. Domestically, we will need to pursue economic growth amidst tighter manpower, land and carbon constraints.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) will step up efforts to grow Singapore’s economy, create good jobs and support businesses and workers in seizing new opportunities.

We can turn the challenges ahead into opportunities. Through the way we managed the pandemic, we have proven to businesses and investors that we are reliable partners. The Government will continue to build on our strong fundamentals of efficient infrastructure, extensive connectivity, a highly skilled workforce, and an enabling policy environment, to capture growth opportunities.

MTI will press on with our journey towards the Singapore Economy 2030 vision to achieve longer-term, sustainable growth, by expanding our trade, capturing opportunities in the manufacturing and services sectors, and uplifting our enterprises and workers. We will also implement the plans under the Industry Transformation Maps 2025 to strengthen our industries and workforce capabilities.

Singapore must continue to remain open, expand our economic space and stay connected to global growth opportunities. Even as other countries adopt more protectionist measures, Singapore will expand and diversify our trading activities and markets, capture more re-exports and transhipments, and embed Singapore deeper into global supply chains. This strengthens our relevance as a global business hub and anchors high-value economic activities and good jobs here. We will also strengthen our international partnerships to capture new opportunities, arising from Asia’s growth and global trends in digital trade and sustainability.

Our growth strategies must be coupled with efforts to secure economic resilience amid heightened risk of global supply chain disruptions. MTI will coordinate supply chain resilience efforts across government to secure critical supplies for Singapore.

MTI will help our industries capture opportunities in growth areas and support them in their transformation journey to become more productive and competitive.

We will build a strong base of advanced manufacturing industries, including by leveraging technologies such as biotechnology and robotics. Capitalising on global sustainability and digitalisation trends, we will strengthen Singapore’s position as a leading international green hub and seize opportunities in the digital economy. We will also strengthen the nexus between research, innovation and commercialisation to enhance Singapore’s competitive advantage.

At the same time, we will address our carbon, land, and manpower resource constraints. We will secure alternative forms of low-carbon energy and support enterprises to improve energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint. We will maximise the economic value from the use of industrial land and continue to attract global talent and rainmakers with skills that are complementary to our workforce.

Thriving enterprises and an agile workforce are crucial to our next phase of growth. MTI will work closely with industry stakeholders to empower businesses to transform and workers to upskill to seize opportunities.

We will deepen enterprises’ research and development capabilities and capacity for market-oriented innovation so they can respond more effectively to the changing operating context. We will lower barriers to entry by streamlining regulations and improving service delivery. We will, through a bespoke approach, help promising enterprises internationalise and grow into future Singapore Global Enterprises. Enterprises will also receive support to develop capabilities in sustainability.

Our people are the core of our economy. MTI will work with the Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Education to equip our people with industry-relevant skillsets and ensure better alignment of training to industry needs.

MTI will focus our efforts to drive economic growth and create good jobs. We will work with stakeholders to uplift enterprises and workers to capture opportunities and chart the path towards a prosperous and vibrant Singapore.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) seeks to secure sustained non-inflationary economic growth, a robust and resilient financial sector, and Singapore’s position as a leading international financial centre in Asia.

Major central banks have increased interest rates at an unprecedented pace amid persistent inflationary pressures. Tighter financial conditions globally are helping to dampen inflation, at the cost of slower economic growth and increased financial market stresses. Downside risks to global growth have increased, even as continuing labour market pressures keep inflation elevated. Against this backdrop, the Singapore economy will expand at a slower pace in 2023. Inflation is expected to moderate during the year but will remain higher than the historical norm.

MAS has steadily tightened monetary policy since October 2021. This has helped to dampen inflation and anchor inflation expectations. MAS will continue to focus on ensuring medium-term price stability as the basis for sustained economic growth.

Amid volatile international financial markets and stresses in global banking, MAS will seek to safeguard the safety and resilience of Singapore’s financial sector. Through regular risk assessments and close supervisory monitoring, MAS ensures that banks in Singapore are well-capitalised, keep healthy liquidity positions, and are underpinned by a stable and diversified funding base. In addition, MAS reviews banks’ regular internal stress tests against interest rate, credit and other risks. MAS also conducts an annual industry-wide stress test of key financial institutions in Singapore.

MAS stands ready to provide liquidity through a range of facilities to ensure that Singapore’s financial system remains stable and financial markets continue to function in an orderly manner at times of global stress.

MAS has partnered the financial industry to develop the Industry Transformation Map (ITM) 2025. It sets out five key growth strategies for the financial sector for 2021 to 2025: enhance asset class strengths, digitalise financial infrastructure, catalyse Asia’s net-zero transition, shape the future of financial networks, and foster a skilled and adaptable workforce. The ITM aims to achieve growth of 4%-5% and net job creation of 3,000 to 4,000 per year for the financial services sector, over the five-year period. The financial sector is on track to achieving these targets, growing by an average 4.8% per year and adding an average 7,300 jobs per year during 2021 to 2022.

MAS will catalyse insurance risk advisory and alternative risk transfer solutions for Asia. We will position Singapore as Asia’s centre for philanthropy by building philanthropy advisory competencies and solutions. We will develop private credit to complement private equity and venture capital funding. MAS will anchor promising FinTech start-ups in Web 3.0, artificial intelligence, and green FinTech. We will also continue to work with the financial industry to broaden and deepen the electronic foreign exchange trading ecosystem in Singapore.

We will help develop an ecosystem of stakeholders to mobilise capital and support Asia’s transition to a net-zero emissions future. We will develop clear taxonomy criteria to identify green and transition activities for eight key sectors in 2023. We will promote the scaling up of blended and transition finance, to facilitate the decarbonisation of key sectors of the economy. We will also enhance sustainability disclosures and develop data utilities which will facilitate corporate disclosures and investors’ access to companies’ Environmental, Social, and Governance data.

From the angle of financial stability, MAS will also work with the industry to enhance its resilience to the risks posed by climate change.

Together with industry partners, MAS will accelerate efforts to develop new digital infrastructure and platforms to enhance industry efficiency, access new markets, and promote new models in digital finance. In bond markets, we will develop infrastructure to facilitate more seamless end-to-end issuance, listing and settlement for Asian securities transactions. In the funds industry, we will work with industry participants to pilot digital utilities to reduce settlement time, enhance the efficiency and transparency of post-trade funds settlement for fund managers.

MAS will continue to enhance cross-border payment connectivity with key partner jurisdictions. We have established bilateral real-time cross-border payment linkages with Thailand and India, and are currently working with Malaysia on a similar linkage. MAS is also working with the Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub on a multilateral solution to link fast payment systems within ASEAN. Through these linkages, users in Singapore and our partner jurisdictions are now able to transfer funds directly to one another’s bank accounts or e-wallets almost instantly using a mobile number or Quick Response code.

Together with the industry, MAS will help evolve an innovative and responsible digital asset ecosystem. We are exploring the potential of distributed ledger technology in promising use cases, particularly in cross-border payment and settlement, trade finance, and pre- and post-trade capital market activities. We are also working with the industry to explore the potential of tokenisation of financial and real economy assets.

MAS and the Institute of Banking & Finance will work closely with the industry and tripartite partners to continuously upskill the financial sector workforce and develop deep capabilities for the future of finance.

We will build competencies in growth areas, provide training support for finance professionals at different stages of their careers, develop specialist talent in areas, such as sustainability and technology, and groom future leaders in finance through opportunities to gain international exposure and build valuable networks.

The National Research Foundation (NRF) seeks to build a thriving Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) ecosystem that drives an innovation economy and addresses Singapore’s national imperatives.

Over the years, our RIE investments have benefited Singapore and Singaporeans. Investments in biomedical sciences and medical technology since the 1990s have set the foundation for the flourishing sectors they are today. As of 2020, Singapore hosts more than 30 regional headquarters (HQs) in the sector, many of which are from the world’s top pharmaceutical and med-tech firms. The biomedical sector supports 25,000 jobs and makes up almost 4% of our GDP.

We will support the next bound of Singapore’s economic transformation by advancing Singapore’s capabilities in strategic technology areas. This will unlock new opportunities for growth and create good jobs for Singaporeans. For example, in the area of semiconductors, our public research institutes and universities are collaborating with industry through corporate laboratories and joint projects, to work on new materials, designs, and manufacturing techniques that can drive the next generation of more efficient and powerful chips. These innovations will enable advances in wide-ranging applications such as wearables, communications equipment and vehicles, and expand the base of semiconductor manufacturing activities and jobs in Singapore. Artificial intelligence (AI) is another technology with transformative potential. We will continue to attract top AI talent and spur the development of innovative AI solutions that generate value for businesses and society.

We will continue to support transformation efforts of businesses across industry sectors by creating new and improved solutions that leverage science and technology. We are scaling up platforms that bring together our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), public research institutes and industry, so that technological advancements in areas, such as medical diagnostics and additive manufacturing, are more quickly commercialised. Companies can also establish corporate laboratories with our public research performers to address their industry challenges or tap on Centres of Innovation for technical and business advisory to support their journey to become product builders.

We will also strengthen Singapore's position as an attractive Global-Asia node for businesses to conduct research and development (R&D) and innovation, tapping on our diverse workforce, vibrant RIE ecosystem, and connections to fast-growing markets.

This will build on the growth in Singapore's Business Expenditure on Research & Development, which has risen from about S$1.9 billion in 2000 to about S$6.6 billion in 2020. Many large corporations and multinationals have anchored their R&D centres in Singapore. Small-Medium Enterprises are also growing their innovation ambition and capabilities by tapping on capabilities in the IHLs and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and on platforms, such as the Global Innovation Alliance, which provide access to enterprise partners, talent and markets in international innovation hubs.

Our startup ecosystem continues to grow, with a more than 20-fold increase in venture capital funding raised in Singapore, from about S$500 million in 2011 to about S$11 billion in 2022. This includes promising deep-tech startups. In the next phase, as part of the Singapore Global Enterprises Initiative to build more locally-grown, high-growth and globally competitive companies, we will provide customised financial support for promising enterprises to build sustained R&D and innovation capacity.

In addition to its economic importance, RIE has been critical in addressing Singapore’s challenges in areas, such as public health and resource resilience. Our R&D capabilities in biomedical sciences and infectious diseases enabled us to respond to COVID-19 quickly. Singapore was one of the first countries to successfully culture the SARS-CoV-2 virus. We also developed several diagnostic test-kits that were rapidly deployed for use both locally and overseas. Our early investments to diversify our water sources, such as creating and adapting technologies for NEWater and desalination, have also helped make our water supply more secure and resilient.

We will continue to invest in R&D to tackle ongoing and future challenges, for instance, to improve our pandemic preparedness by bolstering our vaccine development capabilities. To respond to the existential threat of climate change, we are deepening our investments in low carbon energy research and strengthening our climate adaptation R&D efforts, including by investing in coastal protection and flood management research. Food resilience is another pressing area. We are investing in food R&D particularly in aquaculture, urban agriculture, alternative proteins, and food safety, to strengthen our food security while reaping economic benefits.

A robust talent pool is a key enabler for good RIE investment outcomes. The number of public and industry researchers in Singapore more than doubled from 20,000 in 2000 to 46,000 in 2020. We will continue to build a strong core of local research talent by nurturing our youths’ interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, and providing diverse pathways for those who wish to take up research careers.

As a small nation and global city, we must remain open to top international talent. We are expanding our global collaborations in research and innovation to address complex problems that cannot be solved by one country alone, including through the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), a collaborative research hub with foreign universities and international research organisations.

We will also continue to enhance the porosity of research talent across academia, public research institutes and industry, for instance, by seconding public researchers to local enterprises. We are working with industry to enhance their research capacity, through initiatives such as the Industrial Postgraduate Programme which provide opportunities for postgraduate students to undertake industrial R&D projects with companies. To grow the pool of deep-tech talent with Innovation & Enterprise and technology commercialisation skills, we also have on-the-job training programmes, which are accessible to mid-career professionals.

Our RIE investments have created a strong foundation for Singapore to remain competitive amidst rapid technological changes. We must continue to leverage and build Singapore’s science and technology capabilities to meet imminent needs and challenges, capture new economic opportunities and support our businesses and workforce.

A strong defence safeguards Singapore’s sovereignty and ensures peace and security for Singaporeans’ pursuit of economic and social progress.

The geopolitical and security landscape Singapore faces is becoming more volatile and complex. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising contestation between the United States and China have reduced trust among countries. Divisions are rising in different spheres, while the multilateral rules-based order that has underpinned cross-border cooperation and conflict resolution is unravelling. Access to a growing range of sophisticated technologies has enabled malicious actors to pose significant security threats, including terrorist acts, hostile information campaigns, and cyberattacks on critical infrastructure.

Amidst these turbulent times, steady and long-term investment in a strong defence is critical. The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and SAF are transforming to deter and defend against emerging and evolving threats in multiple domains, across the spectrum from peace to war. New and more advanced aerial, maritime, and land platforms will be introduced. These include a new fleet of twelve F-35B Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and four Invincible-class submarines by the early 2030s, as well as next-generation Howitzers and Armoured Tracked Carriers. The newly formed Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) will expand the SAF’s digital capabilities and play a critical role in Singapore’s national defence against cyber and information threats.

Technology remains a key force multiplier for the SAF. We will employ more unmanned platforms to extend the reach and survivability of our forces. For more timely and accurate operational decision-making, the SAF will build up its digital capabilities and deploy data analytics and artificial intelligence in future command and control information systems. The DIS will develop a digital range to train our forces under realistic cyberattack scenarios and set up a Digital Ops-Tech Centre to enable our operational and defence technology workforces to collaborate on new digital solutions. Beyond utilising military technologies, we will expand our use of “dual-use” technologies and collaborate with a wider range of technology partners.

We are also enhancing our training infrastructure to maintain the SAF’s edge. Phase 1 of SAFTI City will be operationalised from 2024 to support training in complex urban environments. By the end of this year, the SAF’s new Instrumented Battle Circuits will provide more realistic training under simulated artillery bombardment and air strikes, allowing our soldiers to hone operational instincts and tactical fundamentals. Our investments in overseas facilities such as the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Australia will allow the SAF to conduct large-scale exercises that cannot be replicated locally.

Even as it enhances training effectiveness, the SAF will not compromise on the safety of our servicemen. The SAF’s adoption of an enterprise Safety Information System will enable important safety reminders and lessons to reach its service personnel quickly. Through the newly launched Heat Resilience and Performance Centre, we will conduct research to better prevent heat injury and boost our soldiers’ resilience against heat stress amid rising global temperatures.

NS is the bedrock of Singapore’s defence. We will continue to strengthen the NS system. We will maximise the contributions of our national servicemen by reviewing our medical classification system, expanding work-learn schemes for our Full-Time National Servicemen, and redesigning vocational roles. Operationally Ready National Servicemen will also see expanded opportunities to apply their civilian expertise in operational contexts.

We will also improve the NS experience, by reviewing policies and procedures and deploying technology to make NS processes and services more efficient and convenient, so that national servicemen can focus on training to remain operationally ready. We will also continue to enhance support and recognition for our national servicemen.

As a small nation state, we must uphold a global order and regional security architecture that is based on openness, inclusivity, and adherence to international law and norms. We will build trust, facilitate constructive dialogue, and encourage practical cooperation through multilateral platforms including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus, Shangri-La Dialogue, and Singapore Defence Technology Summit. We have launched the ADMM Cybersecurity and Information Centre of Excellence to promote research and information sharing on emerging cybersecurity and information threats.

Bilaterally, we will continue to strengthen defence relations with our neighbours, Malaysia and Indonesia. We will also expand cooperation with partners such as Australia, China, India, and the United States, through high-level dialogue, military-to-military exchanges, and joint training.

Every Singaporean has a part to play in keeping our home peaceful, safe, and secure. We will pursue new ways to encourage Singaporeans to participate actively in Total Defence. Building on the 2023 Total Defence Community Exercise, we will partner more communities to enhance individual and collective emergency preparedness and resilience in the face of potential crises. We will encourage more ground-up initiatives from Singaporeans to put Total Defence into action. Our defence and military museums are being revamped, and a new NS Gallery will open by 2027 to bring our defence story to life for Singaporeans.

By working together and remaining committed to the defence of our nation, we will continue to safeguard our security, sovereignty and way of life.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) upholds Singapore’s sovereignty, while advancing the interests of Singapore internationally and providing consular services to Singaporeans. Our mission remains constant, even as the world has become more complex and dangerous. Russia’s invasion of its neighbour Ukraine is a striking reminder that we must never take our independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity for granted.

The rules-based multilateral order, which has underpinned global peace and prosperity, is under severe strain. Even as we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, we see a perfect storm of multiple overlapping and interrelated crises in the security, economic, public health, climate, technological, and socio-political domains. Superpower rivalry between the United States (US) and China continues to sharpen, with increasing risks of mishaps and geopolitical miscalculations. To navigate this increasingly fractured global order while seizing new opportunities for Singaporeans, Singapore’s foreign policy must continue to be guided by our long-term national interests that are well understood and supported by our people.

Our relations with our immediate neighbours remain important. We continue to work closely with them to deepen ties and expand cooperation in emerging areas.

With Malaysia, the priority is to enhance our peoples’ lives and livelihoods through projects like the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link. At the same time, we will manage our differences pragmatically and constructively.

Having ratified the agreements under the Expanded Framework between Singapore and Indonesia, we are exploring opportunities to collaborate on future-oriented issues with Indonesia, such as the digital economy, sustainable development, and human resource development, and the green economy including the energy transition. Singapore has also worked closely with Indonesia in the multilateral arena, including supporting its successful G20 Presidency last year, and its ASEAN Chairmanship this year to advance ASEAN integration.

Singapore has a special and unique relationship with Brunei, with whom we are also expanding cooperation in education, the green economy, and supply chain resilience.

MFA forges overlapping circles of friends as embodied in the open, inclusive, and ASEAN-centred regional architecture. The innermost circle comprises our immediate neighbours and ASEAN, which remains a cornerstone of our foreign policy. ASEAN-led mechanisms like the East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN Plus-Three, and the Plus-One summits bring all major powers and regional players, including the US, China, and India, to the same table. We welcome the interest of major powers to engage ASEAN on our own merits, and to take clear stakes in the peace, stability, and development of our region, which will create a stable balance of power in the Asia Pacific.

Beyond our immediate neighbourhood, we work with other partners around the world to advance our shared interests and address common challenges. We continue to champion common causes with the other 107 members of the Forum of Small States. Our Singapore Cooperation Programme, which has seen the participation of close to 150,000 foreign officials, continues to evolve to meet the needs of fellow developing countries. For instance, we launched our new Sustainability Action Package to support developing countries’ priorities in sustainability and climate change.

An inclusive and rules-based multilateral system is key to Singapore’s survival and prosperity as a small island city-state with unique vulnerabilities. We will continue to advocate adherence to, and strengthening of, multilateralism and international law. We will also continue making constructive contributions to emerging rules and norms governing the global commons, including in climate change and sustainability, cyberspace and outer space. For example, we have just successfully concluded negotiations under Singapore’s Presidency on a new United Nations Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.

Amidst the pushback against globalisation and free trade, we must continue to press ahead with global economic integration and seize opportunities in emerging areas. Singapore has been working with like-minded partners such as Australia, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Chile, on pathfinding initiatives, such as the modular and project-based Digital Economy Agreements and Green Economy Agreements. We encourage plurilateral initiatives, such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which facilitate trade cooperation and promote a forward-looking economic agenda.

With the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions worldwide, we expect greater demand for consular services as more Singaporeans resume travelling, and some may encounter problems or difficulties overseas. MFA will meet this increased demand and deliver consular services to all Singaporeans promptly and effectively, by harnessing technology as well as through a new corps of professional first responders trained to provide 24/7 consular response and assistance to Singaporeans.

National unity is essential for Singapore’s survival. Heightened geopolitical tensions have exacerbated the risk of foreign interference in our public discourse and shaping of opinions on global and domestic policies. We will continue to engage fellow Singaporeans on our foreign policy principles, so that they have a clear-eyed understanding of Singapore’s long-term national interests and vulnerabilities. With understanding, trust, and support from our citizens, Singapore will be on a stronger footing to chart our own course and act in our best interests.

Despite the fraught external environment, we have invaluable strengths, including our reputation for stability and policy consistency, as well as high levels of public trust and support — which we do not take for granted. We will continue to safeguard and shore up our resilience and unity as Singaporeans, in Singapore or overseas, to navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities ahead.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and its Departments work as one Home Team to keep Singapore safe and secure. To fulfil our mission, we regularly update our laws, leverage technology extensively to enhance operational effectiveness, train and develop our officers for emerging challenges, and build partnerships with the public and international community.

Singapore remains one of the safest countries in the world. In 2022, we were ranked first in Gallup’s Global Law and Order Report, for the seventh time since 2015.

To continue keeping Singapore safe and secure, we need to address significant and emerging threats. First, terrorism continues to be a pressing and real threat. Second, criminal syndicates are making sophisticated use of technology to operate across national boundaries, resulting in notable increases in online scams and cybercrimes. Third, psychoactive substances and more liberal attitudes internationally towards drug use pose challenges to our efforts to keep Singapore drug-free. Furthermore, we must continue to safeguard Singapore’s social cohesion, in particular our racial and religious harmony, which has anchored our country’s peace and progress.

We will update our laws to deal with emerging threats. We have consolidated gambling-related legislation under the Gambling Control Act, and formed the new Gambling Regulatory Authority, to enable a more holistic and coherent approach to gambling regulation. We have amended the Misuse of Drugs Act to introduce a new legislative framework for psychoactive substances.

In the near term, we will introduce new legislation to better protect Singaporeans from online criminal activity, including scams and malicious cyber activity. We will strengthen the ability of our law enforcement agencies to deal with money mules who assist in the laundering of scam proceeds and to curb abuse of Singpass credentials to perpetrate scams. We will also introduce the Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act, to encourage moderation and tolerance among different racial groups, and to signal the overriding importance of racial harmony to Singapore.

The Home Team will continue to leverage technology such as data analytics, robotics, and unmanned systems to increase operational effectiveness, reduce operational risks, and enable Home Team officers to focus on higher value tasks.

The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority’s New Clearance Concept (NCC) automates passenger, conveyance, and cargo clearance. In the near future, all residents, long-term pass holders, and departing visitors will be able to clear immigration without needing to present their passport. NCC will leverage data analytics and artificial intelligence to enhance detection of anomalies and security-sensitive items in conveyance and cargo clearance.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is planning to expand camera coverage across Singapore and leverage video analytics to enhance sense-making.

The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) is trialling a first-of-its-kind system – Prison Automated Screening System (PASS) – to automate urine sample collection and testing. This improves efficiency and accuracy, and also requires fewer officers for supervision.

SPF and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) are already deploying unmanned systems in various operational settings. SPF uses robots to augment Police patrols and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for crowd management and search operations. SCDF has been enhancing its firefighting operations with its fleet of unmanned ground vehicles. We are also trialling UAVs which can be operated remotely from a central command and control centre. This way, SPF and SCDF commanders can receive visuals of the scene even before officers arrive, allowing them to better plan their response.

Advancements in technology will change the way the Home Team operates. To prepare our officers for evolving job roles, we will continue to invest heavily in their training, particularly in the area of digital technologies. The Home Team Academy will strengthen the Home Team’s training and learning ecosystem, such as by further developing and deploying systems for effective and realistic simulation training.

Home Team officers deal with stressful situations as part of their work. We will continue to strengthen resilience and stress management, and foster a culture of support for the mental health and well-being of officers in the Home Team.

The spread of radical ideology online has fuelled the self-radicalisation threat in Singapore, especially for susceptible young individuals. Public vigilance and preparedness through the SGSecure movement continues to be a key pillar of our defence. We will continue to engage neighbourhoods, workplaces, and schools to sensitise, train and mobilise our community to play a part to prevent and deal with any terrorist attacks.

A vigilant and discerning public is our best defence against scams. MHA has launched a new national anti-scam campaign to encourage the public to act against scams. We will launch a Scam Public Education Office to drive and expand our outreach and communication efforts.

Our networks of volunteers and advocates are critical to amplifying the Home Team’s effectiveness. SCDF is enhancing the Community First Response framework through leveraging technology to improve response to cases via SCDF’s myResponder App, and will be installing fire extinguishers at HDB lift lobbies to equip the community to respond to minor fires. SPF has rolled out the Community Watch Scheme, which seeks to build an informed and vigilant community. The Central Narcotics Bureau, together with the National Council Against Drug Abuse, has broadened its community outreach through collaborations with various organisations and enhanced training for volunteers and advocates under the A3 (Anti-Drug Abuse Advocacy) Network.

SPS and Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG) will better support the rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-offenders by expanding collaborations with community partners to help ex-offenders through training and employment assistance. To enhance ex-offenders’ career prospects, YRSG has shifted from a training and job placement model to one that emphasises skills for long-term career development, through career coaching, partnerships with stakeholders, and enhanced access to career resources.

Given the rising volume and complexity of transnational crimes and security threats, including scams and terrorism, it is imperative we work more closely with the international community. We will strengthen our bilateral relationships, and work constructively with and through multilateral organisations such as the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the United Nations.

With the support of Singaporeans, the Home Team will strive to keep Singapore a safe and secure home for all.

Sustainability has always been part of Singapore’s development journey as we set out to create a clean, green, and liveable environment amid Singapore’s urban transformation. Through the Singapore Green Plan 2030, we renewed our commitment to put sustainability and resilience at the heart of our plans, to build a future-ready Singapore that continues to thrive in a world characterised by climate change, resource constraints, and growing uncertainties.

The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) will continue working with Singaporeans to steward a sustainable and resilient Singapore for future generations, in line with aspirations conveyed through the Forward Singapore exercise.

The Singapore Green Plan charts out concrete policies and actions for Singapore to decarbonise and achieve our net-zero ambition, and how the Government, businesses, community, and individuals can work together towards a greener future. The Government will enable this green transition by working with all segments of society to change our mindsets, habits, and behaviours, and supporting the creation of new sustainable business models and green jobs.

To accelerate our low-carbon transition, the carbon tax will be raised progressively from $5 per tonne now to $50 – $80 per tonne by 2030. To ensure an inclusive transition, we will continue supporting enterprises and households to become more energy-efficient and reduce their carbon footprint, through schemes like the Energy Efficiency Fund and Climate Friendly Households Programme. We will continue to advance effective international collaboration to support our decarbonisation efforts, such as in carbon markets, carbon capture usage and storage, a regional power grid, and renewable energy.

Through GreenGov.SG, MSE will drive public sector efforts to achieve net-zero emissions around 2045, five years ahead of our national target. The Government will publish an annual GreenGov.SG report and Statutory Boards will disclose their environmental sustainability efforts, progress, and plans. The public sector will reduce its electricity and water consumption and waste generation, and further enhance its green procurement policies.

Environmental stewardship means shifting away from a make-use-throw mindset, and embracing a circular economy and zero-waste culture. The Extended Producer Responsibility framework is an important enabler to encourage sustainable production upstream by requiring producers to be responsible for the collection and proper treatment of their products at end-of-life. Manufacturers and importers will need to reframe their thinking, redesign their business processes and products, and consider environmental externalities throughout the life cycle of their products.

As a low-lying and densely built island nation, Singapore is vulnerable to rising sea levels and rising temperatures. To adapt to increased flood risk, we will continue to enhance the effectiveness of our drainage network, and put in place multi-functional adaptation infrastructure for Singapore’s coastlines. To preserve liveability amidst rising temperatures, the Government will expand our urban heat mitigation measures by increasing greenery and using cool paints. We will develop solutions collaboratively through public consultations and dialogue sessions.

We will increase our food resilience by diversifying our food import sources and continuing to ramp up local food production capabilities and capacity to produce 30% of our nutritional needs by 2030. This includes increasing the adoption of productive technologies and sustainable farming practices, making better use of land and sea spaces for agriculture and aquaculture, and encouraging demand for local produce.

Climate change will also raise the risk of vector-borne diseases like dengue and pose challenges to public health. We will continue to safeguard Singapore’s public health through vector control and risk surveillance. We will continue to pilot, evaluate and scale new innovative solutions, such as Project Wolbachia.

We will invest in new capabilities to realise our sustainability ambitions and raise our national resilience. We have introduced or stepped-up research and development programmes in areas such as decarbonisation, agri-food production, urban heat mitigation, coastal protection, and vector control, in partnership with both local and foreign companies and Institutes of Higher Learning. We will test-bed and implement innovative technologies, such as solar panels on reservoirs, and synergistic waste-to-energy at the Tuas Nexus. These efforts will be supported and sustained by a pipeline of local talent.

The Singapore Green Plan is supported by a growing movement of individuals, community groups and businesses wishing to build a more sustainable and resilient Singapore. Through Forward Singapore, the community, public, and private sectors have discussed how we can, as a society, foster a more sustainable way of life, and steward our environmental resources responsibly for future generations. For example, the Green Action for Communities movement brings together community leaders and residents to co-create and co-implement sustainability initiatives that impact their communities directly. We will also continue to support community-led environmental sustainability projects through the SG Eco Fund.

Building a sustainable, resilient, and future-ready Singapore requires everyone to play a part. Our convictions must translate to tangible action. We must change our mindsets, lifestyles and habits to build a more resilient and sustainable Singapore.

Our air, sea and land transport sectors have weathered the worst of the pandemic and emerged stronger, due to the close cooperation between the Government, workers, unions, and industry partners. In the next phase, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) will focus on gearing up for growth. We will enhance the competitiveness of our global aviation and maritime hubs by strengthening capabilities and sustainability efforts, and creating opportunities for our enterprises and people. We will build a sustainable, resilient and inclusive land transport system as part of a liveable city for Singaporeans.

Changi Airport’s passenger traffic has recovered to about 80% of pre-COVID levels; passenger traffic is expected to recover fully by 2024. As our anticipated activities return, the Government will work with aviation stakeholders to build up Changi Airport’s operational capacity ahead of demand, and readiness to deal with new threats.

Singapore’s maritime hub stayed resilient and performed well through the pandemic, maintaining our position as the world’s busiest transhipment hub. We must build on our strengths to respond adroitly to changes in the global economic landscape and disruptions to supply chains.

The Government has planned major expansions in our aviation and maritime infrastructure over the next two decades. We have restarted the Changi Airport Terminal 5 (T5) project, which is targeted to be operational in the mid-2030s. MOT is working with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Changi Airport Group to update the design of T5 to be pandemic-resilient, with greater modularity for flexibility in scaling operations. The new terminal will also be designed for sustainability with energy-efficient features. Tuas Port opened as planned despite the pandemic and is on track to be completed by the 2040s, with an annual handling capacity of 65 million twenty-foot equivalent units.

Beyond upgrading our infrastructure, MOT will strengthen capabilities in the aviation and maritime sectors through digitalisation and other innovations. To build up our aviation and maritime workforce, we are collaborating with industry partners to reach out to more students, develop work-study programmes, and support job conversions and skills upgrading for mid-career workers. We will also invest in our people by redesigning jobs and deepening skillsets.

Sustainability is central to the next phase of growth for our aviation and maritime hubs. Both sectors will contribute towards the national target to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. MOT will aim for all airside vehicles at Changi Airport to run on cleaner energy by 2040, and will require all new airside light vehicles, forklifts, and tractors to be electric from 2025 as part of the transition. We will also require all new harbour craft operating in our port waters to be fully electric, capable of using B100 biofuels or compatible with net-zero fuels such as hydrogen from 2030. MOT will also work with the aviation and maritime ecosystems to put the regulatory frameworks, pilots, incentives, and infrastructure in place to facilitate a smooth transition.

On the global stage, MOT actively supports the efforts of the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization to reduce emissions from international transport. We also work with partners to develop sustainable international aviation and maritime ecosystems, such as "green lanes" for flights powered by sustainable aviation fuels as well as green and digital shipping corridors.

Public transport remains at the heart of our land transport system. Many participants in our Forward Singapore engagements recognised and appreciated the improvements to our public transport system over the last decade, which have made it more accessible, reliable, and inclusive.

The Government will significantly expand our land transport network over the next decade. We are on course to expand our rail network by a further 100 kilometres; when completed, eight in ten homes will be within a ten-minute walk of an MRT station. Increasing the density of our rail network will make journeys more convenient for commuters, enhance the resilience of the overall system, and contribute significantly towards our net-zero emissions target by encouraging more people to opt for public transport over private vehicles.

We must also ensure fiscal sustainability, as we invest in building a high-quality, world-class public transport system. Financing public transport is a shared responsibility across the Government, operators, and commuters. We are heartened that participants in our Forward Singapore engagements acknowledged the need for this, while emphasising the importance of affordable public transport fares, especially for the vulnerable and lower-income groups. The Public Transport Council is reviewing the fare adjustment formula and mechanism, to achieve equitable cost distribution across all stakeholders.

MOT will further encourage the adoption of cleaner-energy vehicles through regulation, incentives, and infrastructure. We have established clear regulatory milestones: to disallow registration of diesel cars and taxis from 2025, and Internal Combustion Engine cars and taxis from 2030. We will review financial incentives to encourage the adoption of electric cars, and monitor related developments in other vehicle segments, such as motorcycles and goods vehicles. We have brought forward the island-wide deployment of Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers, and one in three public housing carparks will have EV charging points by the end of this year, with full coverage by 2025. We remain on track to deploy 60,000 charging points by 2030.

A central theme that emerged from our Forward Singapore engagements was for our transport system to be more inclusive, especially for seniors and persons with disabilities.

To make our streets more conducive for pedestrians, we will expand pedestrian-friendly initiatives, such as retrofitting lifts at pedestrian overhead bridges, providing covered linkways, and traffic-calming schemes such as Silver Zones and School Zones. We will work with local stakeholders to pilot Friendly Streets in five neighbourhoods, in areas near key amenities with high pedestrian flow. Features, such as wider footpaths, more greenery, barrier-free crossings and road markings, will inform road users that they are in a Friendly Streets zone. Where necessary, we will also implement more direct crossings for pedestrians and reduce waiting times for pedestrians at traffic crossings.

Friendly Streets will complement the expansion of our network of cycling paths to about 1,300 kilometres by 2030. Every town will have cycling paths by 2024; these intra-town paths will aid first and last mile connectivity to the major public transport nodes and key amenities.

We will drive the next bound of growth across our air, sea and land transport sectors. Together, we will continue to build a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive transport system for all Singaporeans.

Security and resilience are critical to Singapore’s continued survival and success. Even as we face established security threats, such as terrorism, foreign subversion and espionage, new risks are emerging, driven by trends, such as growing geopolitical contestation, climate change and accelerating digitalisation. These risks include disruptions in supply chains and resources, extreme weather events that jeopardise critical infrastructure and lives, and the rapid and widespread digital transmission of disinformation that can exploit fissures in our society.

The National Security Coordination Secretariat (NSCS) works with government agencies to identify, assess, and address cross-cutting medium-term national security risks. NSCS focuses on risks where a whole-of-Government response is needed. These include growing security risks in the economic and social domains.

Growing geopolitical contestation has made the global environment more uncertain and inhospitable, especially for a small country like Singapore. For example, the Russia-Ukraine conflict upended global supply chains and energy supplies, even as the world was still reeling from COVID-19 disruptions. NSCS will work with agencies to mitigate risks to the flow of essential supplies, and to strengthen our resilience against global supply disruptions.

Climate change affects, among others, food, water, and energy supplies. It can also cause extreme weather events that knock out critical infrastructure and pose risk to lives. This risk is exacerbated by the interdependencies across our critical infrastructure and essential services. For example, disruptions to power can affect internet connectivity and trigger a cascading impact on services provided over the Internet. NSCS will work with government agencies to study these interdependencies and develop mitigation plans for such risks.

Strengthening social resilience is critical for a diverse, multi-racial, and multi-religious country like Singapore. We must continue to strengthen our foundation of unity and trust in peace time, so that we will stay united as one Singapore in times of crisis.

Accelerating digitalisation poses new and enhanced risks to our social resilience and cohesion. While digital connectivity benefits businesses and citizens, it can also make us more susceptible to foreign influence and misinformation. Opportunistic actors can leverage digital connectivity to exploit societal tensions and fault lines. NSCS will work with government agencies to develop strategies to address these risks and strengthen social resilience.

As security risks become more multi-faceted and inter-linked, government agencies must build the capacity and capability to collectively address them. NSCS will support agencies’ capability development with resources and funding, including for national security research.

Singapore must remain vigilant and proactive in tackling traditional and emerging risks to our security and resilience. NSCS will continue to work closely with other Ministries to maintain a coherent and co-ordinated Whole-of-Government approach to protect Singapore and Singaporeans.

The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth’s (MCCY) mission is to build a caring, cohesive and confident nation, where everyone feels they belong and is inspired to work towards a common future. Through the Forward Singapore exercise, Singaporeans came up with ideas to strengthen our solidarity and mutual responsibility as one united people. MCCY will partner Singaporeans to act on these ideas to build a better and stronger Singapore for all and generations to come.

MCCY will continue to develop our arts, heritage, and sports facilities and programmes as common spaces for people to come together to build shared memories. The Peranakan Museum and Children’s Museum recently opened with refreshed and interactive exhibits that tell the Singapore story. Our festivals, such as the Singapore International Festival of Arts, Singapore Art Week, and Singapore Heritage Festival, bring Singaporeans together to celebrate our arts achievements and heritage. Singaporeans will enjoy greater access to world-class sports facilities and marquee sports, lifestyle and entertainment events with the Government taking over ownership of the Sports Hub and rejuvenating the Kallang Alive precinct.

MCCY is committed to growing a vibrant arts, heritage, and sports sector, that reinforces our shared identity as Singaporeans, instils national pride and confidence in our achievements and people, and fosters an inclusive society where individuals’ skills and talent, especially in the arts and sports domains, are valued. We are unlocking new opportunities with the next iteration of Our SG Arts Plan and Our SG Heritage Plan. We are also updating the Disability Sports Master Plan to set out pathways for aspiring para-athletes, and to enable persons of different abilities to participate in sport. MCCY will continue to support artists and athletes, including through new and enhanced facilities, greater support for self-employed practitioners to grow and innovate, and uplifting sector capabilities.

We must continue to build a deep reserve of social capital and trust and nurture the “gotong royong” spirit. MCCY will continue to facilitate opportunities for Singaporeans to donate or volunteer for causes they are passionate about, through platforms such as Youth Corps Singapore, Team Nila, and our network of SG Cares Volunteer Centres across 24 towns. Through partners like the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), Community Foundation of Singapore, and Singapore Kindness Movement, we will promote care for each other as an integral part of Singapore culture and everyday life. The People’s Association will increase opportunities for citizens to be involved in community service and improvement projects in their local neighbourhoods.

Schools remain an important common space to develop cross-cultural understanding and friendships from an early age. Programmes, such as Strategic Partnership Co-Curricular Activities, allow students from different schools to participate in activities, such as athletics, water polo and ethnic dance. We are also topping up the accounts of ActiveSG members aged four to 12 years with an additional $100 of ActiveSG credits, so children can interact and bond outside of school. Across ages, our arts and sports programmes, such as the Children’s Season, Children’s Biennale, and Active Parents, encourage family bonding, while our Active Silver Hubs promote intergenerational bonding and help seniors stay active.

Demographic and societal shifts require us to continually reforge the bonds of trust among our diverse communities. Together with community partners, such as our Self-Help Groups, MCCY will facilitate mutual support across ethnic communities to ensure that the fruits of growth and progress are shared by all. We have refreshed existing platforms such as our Racial and Religious Harmony Circles so that they remain relevant in fostering social harmony and enhanced the Community Dispute Management Framework to promote pro-social behaviour and good neighbourliness.

MCCY will continue to build a resilient society where the Government and other stakeholders, including businesses, communities and individual Singaporeans, tackle challenges together.

Businesses have a role to play in strengthening our social fabric. MCCY is supporting the NVPC and the Singapore Business Federation to grow the number of businesses that generate value for society at large. MCCY is also extending and enhancing the Corporate Volunteer Scheme (previously known as the Business and IPC Partnership Scheme) so businesses can continue to enjoy tax deductions when their employees volunteer at an Institution of a Public Character. Businesses can also contribute through mentoring. The Mentoring SG office has been set up to grow awareness of mentoring, match individuals and organisations to suitable mentoring opportunities, and build capabilities to grow the mentoring movement at the national level. Corporate bodies can step up to provide volunteer mentors or opportunities for their employees to be mentored.

Every individual contributes to society in their roles as family member, citizen and worker. We encourage all Singaporeans to partner the Government in refreshing our social compact through the Forward Singapore exercise. In our engagements, many Singaporeans were enthusiastic about playing a bigger role in shaping our future, including by contributing ideas, shaping policy and participating in new forms of engagement and partnership. They also agreed that closer collaboration and partnership between the Government and other stakeholders in society was essential in the next phase of nation-building. MCCY, together with the rest of the Government, will offer opportunities for Singaporeans to co-develop policies and solutions on salient national-level issues through platforms, such as Citizens’ Panels and Alliances for Action (AfAs). At least 35 AfAs have been formed since 2019.

We see healthy, sustained youth interest in policy making. MCCY will encourage more youths to engage in constructive civic discourse, take action to make change, and contribute to policy co-creation through platforms such as the Youth Circles and programmes such as the Youth Action Challenge. Somerset Belt will be a refreshed and vibrant precinct for youths, with youths, and by youths. Young people can lend their voices to shape Somerset Belt into a space to experiment in and call their own. We will continue to create new platforms to give our youth opportunities to shape Singapore.

Through the Forward Singapore engagements, Singaporeans have shared that they care about deepening inclusiveness, promoting fairness and growing a culture of giving back. MCCY will rally and support Singaporeans in achieving these ideals and aspirations, to build a stronger and better society.

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) seeks to advance the well-being and development of Singapore through sustainable and forward-looking fiscal policies. We aim to enable an innovative, resilient and efficient Government that delivers strong outcomes and value for money for Singaporeans.

MOF will work with Government agencies to deploy resources in support of our national priorities, including initiatives being developed in the Forward Singapore exercise.

We will allocate our resources in a prudent and responsible manner and continue to adjust our fiscal strategies to support the aspirations of present and future generations of Singaporeans.

We will continue to steward our reserves as a crisis fund and an endowment fund, to take care of present and future generations. We will also continue to ensure good governance and accountability in the use of public funds.

Our fiscal space is now tighter than before. Looking to the medium-term, we expect annual Government spending to increase to around 19% – 20% of GDP in Financial Year (FY)2026 – FY2030, and possibly exceed 20% of GDP by FY2030. The key drivers of growing expenditure are healthcare and social spending, such as moves to uplift lower-wage workers and strengthen early childhood education.

To close the funding gap, MOF has taken steps to strengthen our revenue position at Budget 2022 and Budget 2023, so that rising Government spending can be balanced by total revenue in the coming years. We have also enhanced the progressivity of our system of taxes and transfers.

Beyond what we have factored into our projections, the Government may need to spend more, for example, to enhance Singapore’s economic competitiveness, social inclusion and mobility, or national resilience. If this were to happen, we would require more revenue, or a reallocation of existing funds to the new priority areas.

MOF will continue to ensure sound and stable public finances for Singapore, through a sustainable mix of taxes on income, consumption and assets. We will uphold a fiscal system that is fair and progressive, where everyone contributes, but those who are better off will contribute more; where everyone benefits from Government spending, and those with greater needs will benefit more.

MOF will also ensure that public sector manpower grows in a disciplined manner, to avoid taking up an out-sized share of the resident labour force at the expense of the private sector. As our resident labour force growth continues to slow, MOF will put in place additional measures to manage and reallocate limited manpower resources to meet future needs.

MOF will continue with efforts to ensure good governance and enable a high-performing Government, to meet the needs and expectations of Singaporeans.

MOF will work closely with Government agencies to ensure the effectiveness of Government spending. Our Government procurement will continue to be open and competitive, to achieve value-for-money and cost-effective outcomes. We will work with businesses, especially small-medium enterprises, to improve access to procurement opportunities, and to ensure a healthy pipeline of suppliers that are competitive, innovative and capable of meeting our future needs.

MOF will work with Ministries to implement structured frameworks for programme evaluation and strengthen evaluation capabilities in support of better decision-making and resource allocation. This will be accompanied by efforts in enterprise risk management and internal audit to strengthen our system of governance. MOF will continue to publish the Singapore Public Sector Outcomes Review biennially.

MOF will press on with digital transformation efforts. This includes integrating budgeting, procurement and payment systems for better whole-of-Government financial management. We will step up the use of data analytics to monitor resource utilisation, track spending outcomes and shape policy development. Digitalisation will also simplify Government processes and lower costs for businesses when they transact with the Government. Examples include the adoption of e-guarantees to replace paper guarantees, and direct e-invoice submissions through InvoiceNow to eliminate the need for manual processing.

MOF will support public sector manpower capability development, by raising competencies in finance, procurement, internal audit, grants governance and the deployment of shared services.

MOF will harness our fiscal resources prudently and responsibly, working closely with Government agencies and partners from the industry and community, so that we can move forward together with confidence and strength.

Amidst intensifying geopolitical tensions and increased economic uncertainty, Singapore must maintain a high level of trust in our Rule of Law and our legal institutions. The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) will work closely with our partners, stakeholders and the public to strengthen our legal system, enhance access to justice, optimise the use of our limited land resources and support Singapore’s economic development.

A strong Rule of Law is a fundamental pillar of a trusted government. We will press on with efforts to enhance trust and relevance, and improve accessibility of our legal system. We will proactively steward legal reforms to meet evolving societal needs, while ensuring that our processes are up-to-date, efficient, and effective, such as by becoming a Party to the Hague Service Convention, which can help Singapore litigants with the effective service abroad of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil and commercial matters. We will also uphold multilateralism and a rules-based international order by deepening engagements with international organisations. Singapore recently joined the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, a leading intergovernmental organisation that develops international treaties and standards in commercial law.

We passed the Courts (Civil and Criminal Justice) Reform Act 2021, which empowered the Courts to conduct remote, asynchronous and paper hearings in a flexible manner. This reduced the costs of litigation and improved convenience for Court users.

In the area of family justice, we are working with key partners, such as the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Family Justice Courts, to make family legal proceedings simpler and more efficient. These efforts aim to reduce acrimony in family proceedings, promote healing in family relationships, and safeguard the welfare of children.

The establishment of the Public Defender’s Office (PDO) in end-2022, together with the expansion of coverage for criminal defence aid to the bottom 35% of households and covering most offences, was a significant milestone in our legal landscape. More Singaporeans and Permanent Residents can now have access to criminal defence aid. The decision to establish the PDO, which institutionalises public defence within the criminal justice system, was done after extensive consultations with the Law Society of Singapore and the Criminal Bar.

We will continue to improve access to justice and legal services for all Singaporeans. We are working with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the Ministry of National Development to enhance the Community Dispute Management Framework. We will be mandating mediation for certain types of disputes between neighbours and enhancing the effectiveness of proceedings in the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals. We will also continue to partner key stakeholders like Pro Bono SG on initiatives to improve access to justice, such as the set-up of a one-stop portal, for the public to access legal information.

Singapore must continue to remain open to the world and find new ways to stay relevant and maintain trust.

We are working with the Law Society of Singapore to explore industry-wide secondment and exchange programmes to provide our law practices and lawyers with opportunities to gain experience and expertise in growth domains and in key markets. To prepare our legal workforce for the future, the Steering Committee on the Reform of Legal Education and Training is reviewing the legal education and training required to develop our legal manpower. This will ensure that law students and lawyers continue to be well-equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for practice in the future economy.

We will continue to strengthen Singapore’s position as a hub for legal and dispute resolution services, and harness the growth of the legal services sector across the world. We will build on our dispute resolution ecosystem and encourage foreign dispute resolution institutions to broaden and deepen their presence in Singapore. We will continue to establish and deepen relations with markets of interest, to capture opportunities for our Singapore institutions, law practices and lawyers. We will also build on the Singapore Convention Week and United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Academy to increase our mindshare and build connections to Singapore.

We will also continue to build a forward-looking IP hub that creates value for the economy and provides good jobs for Singaporeans. To ensure that our IP regime remains relevant and continues to support innovative and creative enterprises, we have updated relevant IP legislation, such as the Copyright Act 2021 and the IP (Amendment) Act 2022. To support the development and use of Intangible Assets (IA) to create economic and business value, we will introduce the Intangibles Disclosure Framework to provide a consistent basis for businesses to disclose and communicate details of their intangibles and set up an enterprise-centric online platform to provide companies with better access to professional IA/IP services.

We will continue to support law firms and lawyers’ efforts to leverage technology to improve the delivery of their services and better meet their stakeholders’ needs. We will further enhance the Legal Technology Platform to integrate it with public systems like eLitigation, LawNet, ACRA, and Sign with Singpass, and bring greater seamlessness to a lawyer’s day-to-day workflow.

We will continue to maximise the potential and unlock the value of state properties, to meet Singapore’s social and economic objectives. We will pursue partnerships with stakeholders, experts and the public, such as the rejuvenation of Gillman Barracks, Yarrow Gardens, and Dempsey, to harness innovative ideas and business models and realise the potential value of our limited land and space.

The Singapore Land Authority is developing the Digital Conveyancing Portal (DCP), following engagements with multiple stakeholders, including the Housing and Development Board, Urban Redevelopment Authority and other stakeholders involved in the conveyancing process, like real estate developers, conveyancing lawyers and law clerks. It aims to transform the current paper-based conveyancing process into a fully integrated and paperless one. We will continue engaging stakeholders and taking in feedback across the development phases to co-deliver a DCP that best meets the needs of the public and industry.

MinLaw has been strengthening our legal system, developing our legal industry and improving access to justice. We will continue to engage our key stakeholders, strengthen the partnerships and trust built up over the years, and ensure that our policies remain relevant, to better realise our vision of "A Trusted Legal System; A Trusted Singapore".

The Public Service Division is committed to advancing a Public Service that can always be trusted to deliver excellent service and a better future for Singapore, by building future-ready organisations, new and more agile capabilities, and a strong and diverse leadership with development opportunities for all our officers.

We are reorganising our service delivery across different service delivery platforms, including physical centres, call centres and digital platforms, around citizens rather than only around agencies.

We are also streamlining and redesigning regulatory processes to make it easier for businesses. We are organising information on GoBusiness so enterprises can access services and resources in an integrated and business-centred way. For example, first-time prospective business owners can now register their business through a step-by-step guided journey on the GoBusiness platform.

In a fast-changing environment, the Public Service needs to develop a workforce that can learn, unlearn and relearn, so as to continue serving Singapore better. We are shifting our HR system so that it is anchored on competencies and skills, with more emphasis placed on competency development for officers, and with the use of competencies to guide how we recruit, reward and recognise officers. We are also instilling a mindset of continuous growth among public officers, to support their longer-term employability and contribution.

We are concurrently helping officers build new skills and experiences throughout their careers, through training and development opportunities that take the form of structured job rotations, attachments to the private sector, cross-agency projects and short-term immersions with other Government agencies. This will ensure skills diversity and more career mobility for all public officers.

The Public Service will also need to build capabilities in science, technology and engineering. The Public Service is reorganising itself to leverage Science and Technology (S&T) advancements to overcome manpower, fiscal, land and carbon constraints. The Science and Technology Policy and Plans Office coordinates the development of S&T capabilities across the Government in areas like robotics and automation, modelling and simulation, and low-carbon and sustainability solutions, with experts residing in Centres of Excellence that support technology adoption and demand aggregation in these areas across the Public Service. For example, the Land Transport Authority supports the public sector’s shift to clean energy vehicles; the Urban Redevelopment Authority supports urban operations and service delivery through urban modelling and simulation platforms.

Strong leadership is critical to the Public Service’s effectiveness in an increasingly complex environment. We will continue to invest in developing our pipeline of leaders, ensuring that there is diversity of skills and experiences. We are diversifying our selection and sourcing process for scholarship holders and direct recruits, beyond traditional talent pools.

We are also transforming our leadership development approaches to better prepare in-service leaders to lead their teams and organisations. These initiatives, which include the introduction of leadership competencies, 360-degree feedback exercises, job rotations and a stronger mentoring culture, are being extended to more leaders in the Public Service, including professional and specialist leaders and middle managers.

Even as we reinvent, reorganise and reskill the Public Service to serve our people and nation better, the values and ethos of the Public Service must remain. The Public Service will continue to reinforce the sense of purpose in our officers and leaders, and maintain the trust of Singaporeans.

The Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG) aims to harness technology to secure opportunities for all, build trust and safety, and foster an inclusive Singapore community. We work closely with other Government agencies to ensure technology bolsters Singapore’s resilience and improves the lives of Singaporeans.

Digital technology offers significant opportunities for businesses, people and Government agencies. SNDGG will enable all to seize these benefits through close partnerships with Government agencies, industries and research players, and with robust digital and cyber-physical infrastructure anchored by a strong Digital Government.

First, SNDGG will leverage technology to facilitate the business activity, growth and innovation of Singapore-based enterprises. Together with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, we will enhance the one-stop GoBusiness digital platform to support firms’ day-to-day transactions and longer-term investments, such as in equipping workers with future skills. We will work with the Ministry of Communications and Information to support the digital economy through initiatives like the SG Financial Data Exchange. We will make it easier for businesses to tap on the expertise of public research players for innovation, such as through the JTC-Singapore Institute of Technology Living Lab testbed, and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)-Smart Nation and Digital Government Office Jurong Lake District Innovation Challenge.

Second, SNDGG will use technology to transform the lived experiences of citizens. We will improve the convenience of digital services and transactions through applications, such as Singpass and LifeSG. We will also drive advancements in Singapore’s cyber-physical infrastructure with URA, including scaling innovative solutions in estate management from Punggol Smart Town to other districts.

Finally, SNDGG will refresh the Digital Government Blueprint in end-2023 and strive towards more discoverable, personalised and seamless Government services. We will work closely with ServiceSG to redesign whole-of-Government service delivery. This includes promoting the use of common digital platforms across Government and building up the Government’s data sharing and data usage architecture.

As more of our lives and Government services move to the digital space, it is essential to maintain trust in public institutions and secure the digital platforms hosting these services, so people feel safe and protected against scams. This will set Singapore apart from other world-leading digital hubs.

First, SNDGG will roll out the CheckWho product in end-2023 to help the public verify the legitimacy of calls from public officers.

Second, SNDGG will ensure that transactions on Government platforms are secure and resilient with tools to better detect phishing sites that pose as Government agency websites, and fraud analytics solutions for Singpass. We will also continue to move more eligible Government systems to Cloud to improve resilience, security monitoring and threat detection.

Finally, SNDGG will work with the community to bolster digital trust and safety. We will support the National Crime Prevention Council and the Singapore Police Force to foster a culture of vigilance and contribution to scam prevention through applications like ScamShield.

Even as SNDGG aims to enable Singaporeans to reap economic benefits and productivity gains in the digital age, our fundamental aspiration is to build an inclusive, united and caring society that is “Digital First but not Digital-Only".

Together with ServiceSG, SNDGG will ensure that citizen services offered by public agencies remain accessible for less digitally adept Singaporeans, such as seniors and people with disabilities. Non-digital touchpoints and assistance will be made available to these groups of Singaporeans, wherever possible and necessary.

SNDGG will also empower our people to use digital tools to participate fully in society. We will support efforts by MCI to promote digital skills and literacy in our people, such as the Digital for Life movement led by the Infocomm Media Development Authority, which galvanises the community to help citizens of all ages and from all walks of life embrace lifelong digital learning.

Digital technologies will empower Singapore to discover new opportunities and make our mark on the world. With our people, private and public sector partners, SNDGG is committed to building a Smart Nation where everyone has a place.

The Strategy Group will continue to lead the Public Service to develop and implement strategic priorities, tackle long-term national challenges and build a better Singapore for all.

We see fraying social compacts in many countries around the world, where people feel excluded from their nation’s progress and cannot find a common way forward on important national issues. This is why we are embarking on the Forward Singapore exercise – to bring Singaporeans together to examine our shared values and responsibilities towards one another, and to refresh our social compact. During our engagements, many shared their desire to build a fairer, more inclusive and more caring society. The Strategy Group will work with Government agencies to refresh our strategies and develop new policy responses, so that Singaporeans will have opportunities to progress throughout life, stronger assurances to tide over difficult times and a renewed sense of solidarity for the future.

Beyond Forward Singapore, the Strategy Group will continue to strengthen whole-of-Government planning and execution to effectively tackle increasingly complex and cross-cutting challenges. These include a fragmented global order amid rising geopolitical tensions, new challenges brought about by technology, and the ongoing need to help Singaporeans cope with greater disruption and change.

In response to this rapidly changing environment, the Strategy Group will review and refresh Singapore’s medium- to long-term national priorities, and work with Government agencies to strengthen the resilience of our economy, society and nation.

Amidst growing resource constraints, we will also support agencies by centrally developing capabilities and coordinating structures across the Public Service. We will organise cross-agency work on policy development and implementation, to better manage trade-offs and achieve our desired outcomes across both economic and social domains.

Like other advanced economies, Singapore faces a declining total fertility rate and an ageing population. Our local workforce growth will continue to slow. Caregiving needs will intensify as family sizes shrink and more Singaporeans face dual pressures of raising young children while caring for their elderly parents. Our society is also becoming more diverse and our multicultural identify will continue to evolve.

We will update our population strategies to tackle these challenges. First, we will do more to harness longevity as a strength, so that individuals can reap the benefits of longer and healthier lives. Second, the Government will continue to carefully manage our foreign worker and immigration flows, to ensure that these translate to tangible benefits for Singaporeans, and to help newcomers integrate better into our society. Third, we will strengthen efforts to build a society where families matter and are well supported.

We will do more to support the marriage and parenthood aspirations of Singaporeans. The Government has announced a package of pro-family measures at Budget 2023. The Strategy Group will continue to review and update our policies, including ways to extend more help to parents caring for their infants, and to those seeking to better manage their work and family commitments.

Beyond Government measures, the whole of society has to come together to develop an environment that supports families and values family well-being. The Government will continue to work with the community, employers and other stakeholders to build a Singapore Made For Families.

Amid the rising urgency to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, we will push ahead with efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. All stakeholders must work together as we transition to a more resilient and sustainable society.

Last year, Singapore raised our national climate target – to reduce our emissions to around 60 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2030, after peaking our emissions earlier, and to get to net-zero emissions by 2050. To achieve these targets, the Government plans to raise the carbon tax to a range of $50 to $80 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030.

We will diversify our energy mix with greener alternatives, such as hydrogen and regional renewable energy. We will work with industry and other stakeholders to research, develop and deploy low-carbon climate technologies, such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage. We will build a pipeline of high-quality carbon credit projects to help meet our climate goals. We will also support Singapore’s industries to embrace green opportunities and develop a workforce ready for the green economy of the future.

At the same time, we must be prepared for the worst. The Strategy Group is concurrently working with Government agencies to prepare Singapore for the effects of global warming, such as rising sea levels and temperatures, and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events.

The Government will also continue to participate actively at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and other international platforms to help shape the global climate regime, build partnerships and share expertise and climate solutions with the international community.

The Government’s ability to think ahead and plan for the long term is key in ensuring Singapore’s continued survival and success. We will continue to strengthen forward planning capabilities across the Government. We will work with Singaporeans to achieve a better Singapore that will endure and thrive for generations to come.