Hansard, Monday, 6 April 2020

Hon Members, our fathers lived through years of deprivation and suffering during the Second World War. But they emerged hardened and determined to throw off the shackles of not only the Japanese, but also of British colonial rule. From these tribulations began the journey to Independence, to build a new and sovereign home we call Singapore.

Through the years, we have faced numerous setbacks and grave challenges. We have weathered them all and have emerged stronger.

COVID-19 will be a challenge like no other we have experienced in our lifetime and possibly in the short 55 years as a nation. COVID-19 will define our generation.

Years from now, people will ask, where were you? What did you do? Did we hoard – again? Did we reach out to someone in need? Did we rail against the inconvenience of staying at home? Did we gather at malls and clubs for one last party? Or did we hunker down and make the most of it to contribute and comfort where we could online? Work out new solutions. Learn and stay curious. Or just to spend more time with our family and loved ones.

Did we rise to the call to be, really, one united people? Did we gripe and be gripped by fear, or did we choose to learn and grow as a person? As a people.

What new journeys will these tribulations set us on?

Will COVID-19 make us a better and stronger Singapore? Or is this that pivotal moment, where we begin to be relegated to be a footnote in history?

All of us here are balancing at this very point. In the space of one and a half months, we are meeting again to discuss yet another Budget. It is upon us Parliamentarians to lead in this critical time both within this Chamber, and outside in our community. We must robustly debate and properly pass the laws and any supplementary funds the Government requires to act in protecting our fellow Singaporeans. It is therefore essential that Parliament Sittings continue.

We are sitting during extraordinary times. We are also sitting physically farther apart from one another than ever before, literally rising to the occasion, all the way up the rafters in the public galleries. But we must remember that even as we safe-distance ourselves, we need to be nationally closer, to be of one heart and one mind in dealing with the challenges at hand.

We also need to be socially closer to our citizens, to hear and speak their voices here, to provide them comfort, hope and confidence.

I echo our President in saying this to all of us here and to all our fellow Singaporeans.

What we choose to say and do now will define us for the tomorrows to come. As individuals. As a society. As a nation.

Who we choose to stand with, and walk with today, will define us for the ages. As a people. As Singaporeans.

Together, let us walk this journey and write this chapter of our story to the very best of our ability.

So that years from now, in better times – and those times will come – we can look back at this epic period and share our tales of strife, of struggle and triumph with our little ones. Majulah Singapura!

Order. Questions for Oral Answer. Assoc Prof Walter Theseira.

1 Assoc Prof Walter Theseira asked the Minister for Education (a) how many students currently benefit from the School Meals Programme; (b) whether equivalent financial assistance will be provided to students in lieu of the School Meals Programme subsidy if schools are closed or students are required to stay at home during the COVID-19 outbreak; and (c) whether the Ministry will study expanding the School Meals Programme to provide financial assistance for students during school holidays to avoid "holiday hunger".

2 Assoc Prof Walter Theseira asked the Minister for Education what plans have been made to ensure that all students, particularly those on the Ministry's Financial Assistance Scheme and Independent School Bursary Scheme, have the computer and broadband Internet resources to access online learning from their homes in the event of school closure or stay-at-home requirements due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Mr Speaker, can I take the first and second questions together, please?

Yes, please.

The Member first asked about School Meals. In 2019, about 49,000 Primary and Secondary school students on Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) benefited from Schools Meals programme.

As the School Meals Programme provides subsidies for meals purchased from the school canteen, the students will not be able to benefit from it if they are not in school. When schools move to full home-based learning on 8 April 2020, this Wednesday, two things will happen for us to continue to assist them.

First, some of the students will continue to come to schools. Last week, we had already done that. But today and tomorrow, schools will reach out to these students to see who would still need to come to school because they do not have support at home to do home-based learning. We will register them and continue to let them come to school during this circuit breaker period.

Secondly, MOE will work with MSF and through our community partners, such as the Social Service Offices (SSOs), to provide financial and other support for their families. This is what we currently do for low-income households facing financial difficulty throughout the year, but the SSOs will do more to help needy families access financial assistance schemes rolled out as part of COVID-19 support measures. I should also add that other than the SSOs, there are also other community partners such as the Community Development Councils (CDCs), donors who are coming forward to try to support these students, often through food vouchers for example, so that they continue to get their meals. The CDCs are studying this and once the details are worked out, they will announce the new measures.

On Assoc Prof Walter Theseira's second question on home-based learning and the availability of devices and Internet resources, let me first clarify that home-based learning is not solely done through online learning. The two are not similar. A substantial part of home-based learning is also in the form of readings or assignments to be done offline. Schools will plan and implement a home-based learning programme that best suits the context of their curriculum and the profiles of their students.

But the Member is rightfully concerned about the availability of devices and Internet access. This is an issue that MOE has been very preoccupied with, ever since we were planning home-based learning. Based on a 2018 survey by IMDA, fortunately, 98% of our households with school-going children have access to a computer, and almost 100% have home Internet and broadband. Of course, this is a national survey. When you go to the community, to the households, many of them still encounter challenges.

So, most students are reasonably equipped, but there will always be a minority that we must take care of as we move to home-based learning. We have a few responses.

One, for the students without computer and Internet access at home, schools will loan devices to these students. As of last Friday, we have loaned out about 3,300 devices, tablets as well as laptops; and over 200 dongles loaned out to students without Internet access at home. Today and tomorrow, we expect more students and parents to come forward, and we will loan them more if need be, so that everyone is properly equipped. This is why we are starting out home-based learning on Wednesday and not immediately. It is one day later than the companies, because we need to get this done properly.

We are also thankful to corporate sponsors who have stepped forward to provide free dongles and Internet subscriptions to many of these students. In addition, our schools can also provide students with safe spaces within the school premises so that they can come to school to use computers and the Internet in school, doing their home-based learning with supervision from the teachers.

Those from low-income families can also apply for a subsidised computer and free broadband through IMDA’s NEU PC Plus programme. I think they have recently enhanced it.

There is no doubt – as the Member has pointed out or implied in his questions – that when schools move to home-based learning, students from the lower income group will be the most adversely affected. And that is why we are moving to full home-based learning only now, and not earlier, because we know it creates a lot of disruption to people's lives. Children from lower income families, from vulnerable families are most affected.

But we are doing it now in support of the circuit breaker measures that will come into force this week. This is really part of our psychological unity – students, teachers, parents, all being part of it. And as the Speaker just said, we all rise to the call as one united people in tackling this crisis.

As it is, we are seeing long-term absenteeism starting to creep up in schools because of all the restrictions that have been implemented over the past weeks and due to the COVID-19 measures at schools as well. But now that we have taken the decision to move to full home-based learning, let us now make the best out of the situation. MOE will mobilise the necessary resources to support this group of vulnerable students.

Assoc Prof Walter Theseira.

Mr Speaker, thank you. I thank the Minister for Education. I think we are all reassured that the Ministry is monitoring the situation closely, especially how to help low-income families and students transit to home-based learning.

This clarification may not be within his purview, but I wish to ask it anyway. I would like to have an assurance that family support funds will be provided to top up for those children from low-resource families who are now going to lose their School Meals subsidies and now have to study at home, because it is a considerable sum for their families. It is $50-plus a month in subsidy, and of course, if they eat at home, then that is going to cost the family more expense. I understand it is not within his purview, necessarily, but I think it is important to have that assurance given by Government.

Actually, it is within our purview. In fact, for financial assistance schemes today that the schools administer, we do give the students allowances and they typically use their EZ-Link cards to purchase meals in the canteens. Of course, now, some will still go to school and continue to purchase in the same way as it is today. But those who do not and are at home, that is what I mentioned earlier, we are working with MSF and the SSOs to provide additional financial cash assistance, given to the families so that they can continue to purchase the meals.

3 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what are the current plans in place for crises in terms of preparing for an adequate national stockpile and whether they are sufficiently robust; (b) how can the Government and the community work hand-in-hand to assure the public of adequate stockpiles; and (c) whether there are any lessons derived from the hoarding behaviour in the aftermath of raising the DORSCON level in February 2020.

4 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the lockdown of countries during the current COVID-19 outbreak (a) how do the travel restrictions affect Singapore; (b) how will our economy be affected by the slowdown in movement of goods and supplies especially with the lockdown of Malaysia; and (c) what measures are in the pipeline to help affected businesses tide through this challenging period.

Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 3 and 4 together, please?

Please do.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely diminished global production capacities and disrupted global supply chains as countries take stringent measures such as restricting movement, shutting down businesses and factories to contain the outbreak.

Restrictions on air travel have considerably diminished global air cargo capacity and connectivity. This has impacted the availability, cost, and timeliness of a connected air freight network. Seaport capacities are also increasingly under stress. Ports and vessels are not able to continue with usual operational and cost efficiencies as the worsening outbreak hampers logistics chains within countries.

In Singapore, we have adopted a multi-pronged strategy to deal with this unprecedented disruption to global supply chains.

For food, we have a strategy developed over many years that entails a combination of stockpiling, import diversification and local production. The size of our stockpile is determined by a range of factors such as our consumption rate, the supply chain reliability, resupply rate and frequency, shelf life of the products and the cost of storage, the duration of possible disruptions and our local production surge capacities.

Maintaining the necessary stockpile for each and every item is a dynamic task that requires constant watch over the fluid global supply situation. Beyond the factors mentioned, we must also watch the rising protectionist measures by countries to secure their own supplies which compound the global supply chain disruptions. Panic buying will also further distort our usual consumption rate and planning assumptions.

As the lockdowns in exporting countries persist, the ability of countries to produce and export will come under increasing strain. For instance, while the Government has worked with Malaysia to ensure that goods, especially food and essentials, continue to flow between our countries following the implementation of Malaysia's Movement Control Order, we cannot be certain how long this will last as the global COVID-19 outbreak continues to escalate. But we must certainly plan and be ready for further disruptions.

Miss Cheng asked about the key lessons from this episode. There are several learning points for all of us, be it in the Government, business or at the individual level.

First, panic buying severely disrupts the usual consumption rate and our stockpile efforts. No amount of stockpile will ever be sufficient if individuals hoard. To fear is human. However, in order for us to not succumb to such fears, we must remind ourselves and each other that collective defence is our strongest defence. We can take comfort in the fact that we are not in this battle alone which will help us guard against individual fears and irrational behaviour. Another way to overcome our individual fears is for us to remember the more vulnerable amongst us. To remember that we all have a responsibility to care for one another, especially in times of crisis. For example, we can all play our part by purchasing responsibly and help calm those who are fearful.

Second, our domestic last mile logistics from the warehouses to the retailers can be disrupted by panic buying. We have a finite number of delivery slots, vehicles and drivers. In the event of a run on supplies, a vicious cycle is created. We have to mobilise logistic players from other sources to help restock our supplies, in turn impacting those supply chains and creating a cascading effect. The compounding disruptions further increase fear and heighten the possibilities of more irrational behaviours. If we are not careful, it becomes a self-fulfilling and self-feeding frenzy.

Third, we can adapt and adjust our consumption choices. For example, we can switch to frozen or canned options when fresh ones are not available. We can also switch to alternative brands if our preferred ones are not available. If we are adaptable, it strengthens our bargaining position and avoids us being held ransom to price escalation by a few.

Fourth, diversification entails our discipline to open up multiple sources of supplies in peacetime, even if it results in slightly higher prices. Otherwise, in a crisis, we will find that we lack alternative supply lines to keep us going. We will then be at the mercy of profiteers.

Meanwhile, Singapore is working hard with like-minded partners to ensure that trade continues to flow unimpeded and that critical infrastructure such as the air and seaports remain open to support supply chains globally. Just two weeks ago, Singapore, together with Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Myanmar and New Zealand, issued a Joint Ministerial Statement affirming our collective commitment to ensuring supply chain connectivity to facilitate the flow of goods including essential supplies amidst the COVID-19 situation. This initiative has since gained momentum, with Lao People's Democratic Republic and Uruguay having since come on board. At the same time, we have also kept our trading lines with other countries, such as China and South Korea open. At last week's G20 Trade Ministers Meeting held via video-conference, the participating Ministers agreed that the world must work together to maintain global productions systems and trade links, there by engendering long-term confidence in investors, businesses and consumers.

The outbreak will weigh significantly on global growth, with several major economies expected to go into recession this year. Singapore is unlikely to be an exception. The sharp fall in external demand, along with the plunge in tourist arrivals and cutback in domestic consumption are all expected to severely affect our economy. Hence, the Government has so far put forth about S$55 billion through the Unity and Resilience Budgets to help Singaporeans, businesses and workers tide through this difficult period. In particular, the Resilience Budget has introduced and enhanced measures to protect jobs, help enterprises overcome immediate challenges and strengthen resilience for our economy and society to emerge stronger.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng will soon deliver a Ministerial Statement in Parliament on additional support for businesses and their workers, households and vulnerable groups, to better cope with the upcoming circuit breaker measures.

Throughout this crisis, the Government, along with our economic agencies, essential firms, suppliers and logistics providers – both in Singapore and around the world – have been working tirelessly to ensure Singapore continues to function and our shelves remain stocked. They have shown tremendous ingenuity and tenacity during these unprecedented circumstances, helping secure supplies for us from wherever possible. The best way to show our appreciation to them is to treasure what we have been able to obtain despite the circumstances, and never waste any food and materials that they have been able to secure for us.

All of us must do our part to support their efforts. We must remain calm and consume responsibly. Do not panic as our markets, supermarkets and food establishments will continue to operate in spite of the additional precautionary measures from tomorrow. Going forward, even when the outbreak recedes, we must continue to pursue our multi-pronged strategy of stockpiling, import diversification and local production to remain resilient. We must also be psychologically prepared that all of us will need to make adjustments in a crisis.

I thank the Minister. I have a few supplementary questions. There is another stockpile that people are concerned about which is actually about the mask. Many people read articles that suggested that other countries could be trying to hijack certain goods and products such as N95 masks from Singapore to their countries. Can the Minister share what are we doing to ensure there is sufficient Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers? We know that there is a stockpile, but COVID-19 can be here for a long time and what are we doing to protect our healthcare, Police and SCDF personnel?

There is a report of mask production lines that were brought back to Singapore. Have they been located back? Have they started production? If so, what is the type of masks being produced and the capacity a day, and how self-sufficient are we?

For chronic illness patients as well, such as cancer patients, some face difficulties buying masks or they worry about the quality and source. So, can they get a prescription and buy from public hospitals' pharmacies?

Fourth, thanks for reassuring us on food supply, but what are the measures that you have in place to keep the cost of basic goods stable? And lastly, what impact with the circuit breaker have on our Singapore economy?

Mr Speaker, Sir, let me address the five supplementary questions in turn. To Miss Cheng's first question about some countries trying to hijack the production of masks, our position to everyone, every country is this: it makes more sense for all of us to work together to keep the supply chains open. It benefits not just us, it benefits everybody. But when every country starts to shut down their own production system only for themselves, actually it reduces the entire global capacity. So, if I may give an example, one particular country thought that they would keep the intermediate products to themselves and to increase their production capacity. But unfortunately, for that particular country, they do not have the processes for the other intermediate products and in the end they will not able to increase the capacities for everyone or even for themselves.

So, this is a good lesson for all of us. In order for us to have sufficient for everyone across the entire world, it is essential for every one of us to make sure that we uphold the integrity of the global supply chains, because today, very few of us produce everything ourselves. Many of us produce parts of it; the intermediate products, before they go onto the final product. So, this is how we have approached the issue and this is why we have worked with like-minded partners to make the Joint Ministerial Statement to uphold the integrity of the global supply chains.

The second point, in response to Miss Cheng's question, is that yes, we will continue to prioritise the surgical masks and the hospital-grade equipment for our frontline workers. This has been our stance from the beginning and we will continue to do so. This is also the reason why we have issued the reusable cloth mask for the general public because the needs for the general public are quite different from the needs of the frontline healthcare workers, and we will continue to preserve our stockpile of hospital-grade PPE for our healthcare workers.

Miss Cheng asked another question about our domestic mask production capacity. I would just like to say that, yes, we are building up our own capacity but at this point in time, it will not be appropriate for us to talk about this capacity at this point in time, because we are working with partners to secure the materials, the lines. But suffice to say that this is something that we have been looking at for some time.

Miss Cheng also had a question about vulnerable patients, vulnerable patients who need medical supplies including surgical masks will be able to obtain them from the medical professionals.

Miss Cheng's other supplementary question on the cost of goods – how do we keep it stable? As I have mentioned, the best ways for us to keep our goods stable are as follows.

One, continue to diversify our sources to make sure that we are not held ransom by any one particular source, and this is something that we must do conscientiously even during peacetime, even though it may cause us a bit more during peacetime, because we need to open up multiple channels, as many channels as possible to get our products.

Two, we must make sure that we have some domestic production capability to tide us through difficult moments when we are looking for alternative suppliers; and that applies to keeping the necessary stockpile to buy us time to open up new sources of supply as well.

Three, we must make sure that we do not panic and give reason for others to hold us ransom because we are unable to share what we have domestically.

The final supplementary question from Miss Cheng is on the impact of the circuit breaker measures. It will have a very serious impact on our economy but at this point in time, we must understand why we need to do this. If we all remain united, if we all take the measures seriously, and if we are successful in controlling the spread in the next one month, then we will be able to progressively resume normalcy and to reduce the impact of the measures. On the other hand, if we do not take the measures seriously and if in the next one month, we are unable to control the situation, then that might require us to extend the period which such measures are necessary and that will inflict even greater than damage to our economy.

So, it is in our collective interest to try our best to work together, bear with the inconveniences in the coming month, but let us get over this part together. If we can do that, then we can limit further damage to the economy. Otherwise, it becomes recurring waves of infections that we have to deal with and it will be very difficult for us to gradually, progressively attain normalcy.

5 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Home Affairs in light of the COVID-19 related travel restrictions for foreigners entering Singapore, whether the foreign spouses of Singapore citizens will be allowed entry into Singapore.

Mr Speaker, Sir, as announced previously, in view of the heightened risk of importation of COVID-19 into Singapore, we are disallowing all short-term visitors from entering or transiting through Singapore. All Long-Term Pass holders are required to seek prior approval before returning to Singapore, so that we can regulate the rate of return to a number which our resources, in particular, healthcare resources, can cope with. Those who arrive in Singapore without having obtained prior approval will not be allowed to clear immigration and will be asked to fly out of Singapore immediately at their own cost.

Foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens, who are holding Long-Term Passes, are also required to comply with this requirement. They will be given high priority in the queue. If they are short-term visitors who need to visit Singapore due to extenuating circumstances, ICA will assess their applications on a case-by-case basis.

6 Ms Anthea Ong asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) how has COVID-19 affected low-income Singaporean and transnational families, low-income seniors, the differently-abled, and persons with mental health conditions; (b) how does the Ministry monitor and assess the COVID-19 impact on these Singaporeans; (c) what measures, including multi-Ministry efforts, are being put in place to support them comprehensively; and (d) how has the COVID-19 crisis illuminated opportunities to review existing social support policies for these groups in terms of food security, job security and personal resources for "rainy" days.

Mr Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our economy and disrupted livelihoods, just as it has affected other countries.

Some groups inadvertently feel the impact more immediately and more acutely. For example, low-income workers with little savings may need additional financial help if their work is affected. Others with unique care needs, such as persons with limited mobility or disabilities, may worry if services such as meal delivery or home nursing would be disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Let me highlight a few key efforts to help those affected by COVID-19.

First, I would like to assure Members that the essential services such as the Social Service Offices (SSOs), selected senior care centres, residential and home-based care services, and community mental health services will continue to provide support for their clients, with precautionary measures in place. Though we have temporarily halted activities at Senior Activity Centres as added precaution for our seniors, the centres’ staff continue to watch over the seniors within their service boundaries and check in on them remotely where necessary.

Second, MSF and other Government agencies have stepped up measures to address various needs arising from COVID-19.

Our SSOs proactively contact past and present ComCare clients who have been issued Quarantine Orders or Stay-Home Notices to see if they require any financial assistance, and facilitate their applications where needed. We have made the application process more convenient by allowing them to submit their documents electronically. We also work with the People’s Association to provide other forms of help, such as assistance buying food and groceries, if the person under quarantine or Stay-Home Notice does not have any such support from their families, neighbours, or other parties.

The Silver Generation Office reaches out to vulnerable seniors such as those living alone or who are frail. Since February 2020, Silver Generation Ambassadors have started visiting these seniors in their homes to communicate COVID-19 precautionary measures, such as hygiene tips and social distancing. They also identify seniors who require additional assistance during this period, and link them up with the appropriate social service agencies and service providers to ensure that their needs are met. During the upcoming circuit breaker, these agencies will continue to reach out to our seniors through the various forms.

Third, the Finance Minister recently announced our second care and support package to help Singaporeans tide over the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who require more help this period will benefit more. This includes the new COVID-19 Support Grant for those who have lost their jobs due to the crisis, relief for self-employed persons and additional flexibility for ComCare, such as providing a longer duration of assistance to lower income workers. For individuals who require employment assistance, Workforce Singapore (WSG) and NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) offer a range of employment facilitation services and programmes under the Adapt and Grow initiative.

We are also continuing our efforts to make social services and help more convenient, comprehensive and coordinated. For example, in the area of food insecurity, we have convened a multi-sector workgroup comprising food organisations, volunteer groups and Government agencies to address issues of food waste and distribution inefficiencies. Members of the workgroup are supporting one another, especially during this period, to keep their operations going, highlighting the spirit of partnership that serves us well in times like this. Such partnerships complement ongoing efforts and schemes such as ComCare that assist low-income households with daily living expenses including food, and MOE’s Financial Assistance Scheme for school-going children in lower income families.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also underscored the importance of a whole-of-society approach to tackling crisis. We see an outpouring of support from corporates, unions, volunteer groups, grassroots and religious groups to support the vulnerable. Many have also donated generously to The Courage Fund to support our healthcare and frontline workers, and lower income families affected by COVID-19. The NTUC Care Fund has announced a scheme to provide up to $300 in one-off cash relief for their union members who have lost income due to the outbreak. These are just some of the examples of many instances of the community rallying to support one another.

And this is especially important, because caring for one another, especially the vulnerable, is not simply a collective responsibility, but a national imperative during crisis. Beyond cushioning the economic impact, it is also about sustaining relationships and strengthening our social capital as a collective. COVID-19 may have brought challenges for us, but this is also an opportunity for us to strengthen our bonds and build a stronger society.

Ms Anthea Ong.

Thank you, Sir. I thank the Minister for the assuring response. I have three supplementary questions, if you do not mind.

With the new circuit breaker measures, given the closure of Family Violence Specialist Centres and Child Protection Specialist Centres, with limited provision of services, what is the Ministry's plan to ensure that individuals in need of support for such issues continue to receive adequate and timely support, especially given that these centres serve as essential safe spaces for these individuals?

The second one is do the MSF services for this issue, such as Adult Protection Services and Child Protection Services, have adequate resources to deal with the potential increase in abuse, violence cases that may increase as individuals now spend a significant amount of time at home and have less access to other possible safe spaces? And will the Minister actually have these services introduce measures to allow individuals in distress to walk in to a safe space?

The last supplementary question is I think this crisis, which has caught us off guard, also shown a spotlight on the frontline role of social service agencies (SSAs) and ground-ups who know the needs of the affected communities better and also get to them better. I just want to ask the Minister, I understand there is a lot of anxiety amongst these SSAs and ground-ups, especially the smaller ones, particularly in terms of donations drying up, so could the Minister share with the House what are some of the support measures that we will have for them?

Sir, I thank the Member for her deep concern about vulnerable Singaporeans, especially those hit very hard by this crisis. First, during the circuit breaker, we have looked at what is happening in other countries which have imposed these kinds of measures to keep people indoors. There is a trend we are observing of higher rates of domestic violence and quarrels, and friction in the family. So, we are extremely mindful of that. As announced yesterday, we are going to set a National CARE hotline where anybody can call in to be supported by psychologists, counsellors and other people, and we then refer these people to specialist services to enable them to get the help they need and to get it early.

The Family Violence Specialist Centres, the Child Protection Specialist Centres, these are essential services. Whilst we want to put in place safe distancing measures for the protection of the vulnerable individuals as well as our social sector professionals, these social service agencies, together with Adult Protective Service and Child Protective Service, they continue to function as essential services; and we will make sure that they are adequately resourced during this time.

In terms of the social sector, we entirely recognise the concerns they have had. In fact, both MSF and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) have been having dialogue sessions and town halls, both in person and digitally, electronically with the SSAs, to understand their specific concerns and to help them through this period.

Early on in this crisis, we had announced the funding for each SSA to help them with BCP, help them with cleaning and sanitation support, and to help them in other areas. We are bringing to the fore many of the existing schemes, such as the VWOs-Charities Capability Fund (VCF) as well as other schemes, that enable our SSAs to put in place the mechanisms, to bring in the technology and the skills, to be able to continue to support vulnerable Singaporeans during this crisis, but in the climate where safe distancing needs to be respected.

The concern about donations is well recognised. We extended the Bicentennial Fund co-matching beyond the March timeline to enable SSAs to continue to benefit from co-funding. And, of course, subsequently, in this Budget debate, we will be announcing further measures to support our SSAs.

7 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how many micro and small enterprises, including sole proprietors, have successfully taken up the SME working capital loan since the implementation of the Support and Stabilisation Package; and (b) how else can the Government help to enhance their cash flow.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the enhanced Enterprise Financing Scheme – SME Working Capital Loan (WCL) Programme was announced at Budget 2020 and commenced on 2 March 2020.

As at 31 March, 662 enterprises have taken up loans with Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs). Of these, 575 enterprises, or almost 90% are micro and small enterprises. As part of the $48 billion Resilience Budget announced by the Deputy Prime Minister, we will provide further support for enterprises to meet their working capital needs.

Enterprises from all sectors are now eligible for the Temporary Bridging Loan or TBL where PFIs' lending rates are capped at 5% per annum. The maximum loan quantum supported under the TBL and the enhanced WCL has also been raised to $5 million and $1 million respectively.

Borrowers under the TBL and the enhanced WCL can also request to pay only interest on their loans for the first year. Approval will be subject to PFIs' assessment and the purpose is to help enterprises to reduce their monthly cash outflow.

Sir, there are other measures in the Unity Budget and Resilience Budget, and also what the Deputy Prime Minister is going to talk about later today, to help enterprises manage their cash flow. These include corporate income tax rebate and payment deferment; rental waiver for Government properties, which will benefit micro and small enterprises such as hawker stalls and HDB heartland shops, and the enhanced Jobs Support Scheme where the Government will pay part of the salaries for local employees to help enterprises with their cash flow and to save jobs.

The Government has also introduced additional measures to help our businesses. MAS, together with banks, finance companies and insurers announced a package of measures last week to help enterprises with their cash flow. The new COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Bill being tabled will also provide much needed relief for SMEs which have been impacted by the crisis.

8 Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the outcome of the investigation into the alleged bullying case in Mee Toh School; and (b) whether there will be a review of the standard operating procedures in place or specific training for school staff to respond to such bullying cases.

Mr Speaker, schools will always take a serious view on bullying. Mee Toh School has investigated the incident and the few students responsible for the acts have been counselled and disciplined.

Our primary approach is to help children understand their mistakes and restore relationships. In this case, the Principal made them revisit the incident, with them standing in the shoes of the victim. This made the wrongdoers truly regret their actions. They had to apologise in person to the victim. The students were also disciplined, but MOE prefers not to disclose the details here.

The school also engaged the parents of the wrongdoers. They all understood the seriousness of their children's actions and supported the school's action. The school has observed that the students have interacted well after the school-facilitated reconciliation sessions.

MOE's assessment is that the school has Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place to deal with bullying incidents. In this case, the Form Teacher and school had acted without delay, and the follow-up actions were appropriate.

MOE will further strengthen our efforts to educate our students against bullying in our schools. The 2021 revised Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) Curriculum will teach pro-social behaviours, respect, care and empathy. It will encourage those adversely affected by bullying to seek out help without fear of stigma. MOE will also support all schools in establishing a peer support culture so that every student understands that bullying is wrong and learns how to extend help and support to those who have been bullied.

Ms Rahayu Mahzam.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for her response. I am happy to learn that the school has taken this seriously and some efforts have been made to address the actions that these students have done.

I am just curious though, because, based on the news report, the sister of the victim indicated that this was not the first time that the victim had been bullied. So, my first supplementary question is, do we know how long this has been going on? I am asking because, if this has been going on for some time, then, it is of concern if the teachers and the people in the school had not noticed and taken any action.

My second question relates to the similar issue of the sister raising the matter on Twitter. What is the formal channel in which the parents or family members of victims can raise their concerns? I understand based on the report in the news, that the sister had said that she had raised it to the school, but no action had been taken. So, I just wanted to know what was the background to these circumstances and whether there is a need to actually review the process?

I do not have the specific timeline for this case in question. However, what I can reassure the Member is this – the schools and teachers take such allegations very seriously. Parents would be encouraged to speak to the teachers and the schools to highlight such cases. In this particular instance, when MOE looked into it, we were satisfied that the school had acted appropriately.

So, I think at the end of the day, the key thing is this – to bring it to the attention of the teachers in the schools as soon as possible. From the MOE side of the house, we want to make sure that the schools respond appropriately and quickly and in time, and also to make sure that we have the appropriate peer support culture. So, in this particular instance as we have said, measures were taken and the matter has been resolved. But, we will also continue to make sure that going forward, for this particular case as well as for other students in other schools, any allegations of bullying would be addressed appropriately and in a timely fashion.

9 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what plans does the Ministry have to tackle the transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in our prisons; and (b) whether the Ministry can ensure that all inmates are vaccinated for Hepatitis B.

There are no known instances of inmates contracting HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C while they are in prisons. Prison officers and medical personnel comply strictly with national healthcare standards and protocols when managing inmates. The prison medical service provider also conducts regular health talks for inmates to promote a healthy lifestyle, including education on personal hygiene and not engaging in risky behaviour.

On the Member's question about whether all inmates can be vaccinated for Hepatitis B, MHA takes reference from the National Adult Immunisation Schedule (NAIS). Under the NAIS, vaccination for Hepatitis B is not mandatory.

MHA will continue to regularly review the healthcare approach in our prisons through its Medical Advisory Panel.

Mr Louis Ng.

Thank you, Sir. I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the reply. Could I also just take this chance to ask what the Singapore Prison Service is doing to protect our inmates against COVID-19 as well as the prison officers? As I am aware that in prisons in other countries, there has been an outbreak of COVID-19 and some of the inmates have actually died from it.

Our prisons have remained COVID-19 free thus far. The Prison Service has taken precautionary measures to protect our staff and inmates. Prisons is closely monitoring the health and well-being of staff and inmates, and they are regularly reminded on the need to practise good personal hygiene and be socially responsible. All newly admitted inmates are housed separately from the general population and monitored for 14 days with their temperatures taken twice daily.

Since 23 March 2020, inmates who fulfil the MOH case definitions or have chest x-ray findings suggestive of respiratory infection would be tested for COVID-19. Frontline prison officers are issued Personal Protective Equipment, which includes disposable masks and gloves for use when they interact with all new admissions and any suspected case of COVID-19 in the inmate population. Prisons has also implemented compulsory temperature screening for all staff and visitors at all access points into prisons facilities.

From 7 April 2020 to 4 May 2020, Prisons will suspend all programmes involving external partners such as work programmes and family programmes. Essential services such as the bakery, kitchen and laundry will continue. Workshops considered essential services under MTI's guidelines will also continue.

And from 7 April 2020 to 4 May 2020, Prisons will suspend family visits. This covers both face-to-face visits and tele-visits. Visits scheduled on 6 April 2020 will be allowed to continue. In lieu of visits, Prisons will allow inmates to make local phone calls to keep in touch with their families. Overseas phone calls will not be allowed. Inmates can also continue to send letters, including e-letters to their families.

Order. End of Question Time. I propose to take a short break now, before the Ministerial Statement. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 2.00 pm. Order, order.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 1.53 pm until 2.00 pm.

Sitting resumed at 2.00 pm.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Order. Ministerial Statement. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance.

Mr Speaker, Sir, we are sailing in uncharted waters. Since I delivered my Ministerial Statement on 26 March, 11 days ago, the pandemic has exploded.

As of 5 April 2020, COVID-19 has spread to more than 200 countries and territories, infecting over 1 million people and taken more than 60,000 lives.

Today, to control the spread of the virus, more than 3.9 billion people, or half of humanity, are on lockdown.

In Singapore, we have progressively ratcheted up our measures, as the situation develops and the medical evidence comes in.

To minimise the risk of import of cases, we have severely restricted incoming flights and Singapore Airlines mounted dedicated flights to bring back Singaporeans who were overseas.

To limit local transmission, we have implemented comprehensive and complementary measures – safe-distancing, early identification and isolation of cases, and quarantine of close contacts.

These have kept the number of infections manageable, but in recent days, the numbers have been rising.

Local transmission has increased, and continues to grow. As of yesterday, we have a total of 1,309 infection cases. Six have succumbed to the virus.

These individuals mostly became infected when they were in close contact with infected persons at the social, workplace and family settings. Some clusters have emerged in our foreign worker dormitories.

To stay on top of the situation, the Government has taken a decisive step to pre-empt escalating infections. It is critical that every one of us keeps physical contact with others to a minimum.

The Prime Minister addressed the nation last Friday. The Multi-Ministry Task Force announced an elevated set of safe distancing measures immediately after that. These circuit breaker measures begin tomorrow and will last for four weeks.

The circuit breaker is essential, but we are acutely aware that it will be painful. It will disrupt businesses and impact workers severely. We will miss face-to-face interactions with our friends and family. Familiar routines will be put on hold. Many will be anxious about their jobs and families.

As the pandemic sweeps through the world, restrictions put in place in our trading partners will reduce demand for our exports even more. We must expect our overall GDP growth to take a further hit.

But we must take these hard decisions, make the difficult adjustments, and do all that we can in the next few months, to protect the lives of our people. Otherwise, if the outbreak escalates, the impact on lives and livelihood will be even worse. We must take short-term pains, to avoid even sharper pain later. Let us all bear these immediate pains with fortitude and stay strong.

In the Resilience Budget, the Government committed $48 billion to support workers, protect livelihoods, and help enterprises overcome immediate challenges. We obtained the President’s in-principle support for a draw of up to $17 billion from our past reserves towards this.

To further support our people and businesses during these extraordinary four weeks, when the circuit breaker measures are in place, I will bolster the Resilience Budget with a supplementary Solidarity Budget. The Unity, Resilience and Solidarity Budgets all build upon and reinforce each other. Together, they represent our strong and decisive response to the economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 crisis.

I thank the Labour Movement, the Singapore Business Federation, as well as citizens from all walks of life for your valuable feedback. Your inputs matter. They have helped us to better understand the situation and quickly shape the support we now need.

The primary aim of this Solidarity Budget is to take further steps to save jobs and protect the livelihoods of our people during this temporary period of heightened measures. We will also help businesses preserve their capacity and capabilities, to resume activities when the circuit breaker is lifted.

I will also provide direct cash in hand for households, to help tide families through this difficult period.

All of us will be affected by these necessary circuit breaker measures – some more than others. To reach as many as we can, as fast as possible, the enhanced measures in the Solidarity Budget are broad-based.

First, we will support our businesses to retain their workers and to stay viable. In my Ministerial Statement on 26 March in this House, I mentioned the three Cs of support for firms’ immediate needs – cash, cost and credit. I will increase support in all three areas.

Many firms cannot operate at all, or can only operate at a much reduced level in the coming weeks. But they should still retain and pay their workers. I will enhance the Jobs Support Scheme to support them in doing so. This will help our workers keep their jobs and enable businesses to resume operations quickly when the circuit breaker is lifted.

I announced earlier in the Resilience Budget that the Jobs Support Scheme will subsidise 25% of the first $4,600 of gross monthly wages for all local employees. I provided higher levels of wage subsidy for sectors that are more directly hit by the outbreak – 50% for firms in the food services sector and 75% for the aviation and tourism sectors.

With the latest developments, almost every business and worker will be directly affected in the coming weeks.

I will therefore enhance the Jobs Support Scheme for the month of April. In this Solidarity Budget, I will raise the wage subsidy for all firms to 75% of gross monthly wages, for the first $4,600 of wages paid in April 2020, for each local employee. [Please refer to Annex B-1.]

Let me take this opportunity to clarify that for this, and for the earlier Resilience Budget, the wage cap of $4,600 does not mean that workers earning more than $4,600 do not qualify.

Rather, it means that this wage subsidy applies to every one of our over 1.9 million local employees.

But regardless of how much they earn, the maximum subsidy to the firms will be 75% of $4,600 per person, which is $3,450.

The salary limit of $4,600 is based on our median wage level of full-time employed residents.

I understand the cash needs of businesses are very pressing in this difficult period. Hence, our agencies have been working very hard, to now bring forward the first Jobs Support Scheme payout from May to April 2020. The enhanced payout for April wages will be paid in this tranche.

Firms on GIRO and PayNow will start receiving the first Jobs Support Scheme payout next week. Firms which are not on GIRO or PayNow will receive their payouts by cheque, starting about a week later.

The aim of this strong support is to directly reduce firms’ wage costs, to help them retain their workers. I expect firms to make use of this Job Support Scheme to continue paying your workers and refrain from putting workers on no-pay leave during this period, or worse, retrenching them. We will monitor the situation carefully together with our tripartite partners and take action where needed.

Many employers also hire foreign workers on work permits and S Passes. In the same spirit, employers should take care of these workers who will also face difficulties during this circuit breaker period. By taking care of their workers, our firms can resume operations quickly once the heightened measures are lifted.

To ease the labour costs of such firms during these four weeks I will waive the monthly Foreign Worker Levy due in April. This will reduce their cost, and relieve the pressures on their cash flow.

To help them preserve their business structure and quickly resume operations, we will also provide employers with a Foreign Worker Levy Rebate of $750 for each work permit or S Pass holder, based on previous levies paid in 2020. This will help employers pay and take care of the upkeep of their workers, and prepare their workforce to restart when the circuit breaker is lifted. Employers will receive the rebate as early as 21 April 2020.

The Government recognises that firms have been paying Foreign Worker Levies in normal times. So, in these exceptional times, we are temporarily redirecting resources back to the firms, to enable them to provide support for their foreign workers. The Minister for Manpower will share more details.

To further support businesses with costs, we are taking additional steps to make sure that our measures flow down to businesses.

I earlier announced a Property Tax Rebate of up to 100% for non-residential properties, for the tax payable in 2020. This rebate is to help businesses deal with the impact of COVID-19. For most properties, the 100% Property Tax Rebate works out to slightly more than one month of rent.

The Minister for Law will introduce a Bill tomorrow to let businesses and individuals defer certain contractual obligations, such as paying rent, repaying loans, or completing work, for a period. This Bill will also ensure that property owners pass on the Property Tax Rebate in full, to tenants, as the Prime Minister mentioned in his address.

The Government will also continue to lead by example in supporting tenants. I will increase the rental waiver for industrial, office and agricultural tenants of Government agencies to one month, up from the 0.5 month’s rental waiver I announced at the Resilience Budget.

Stallholders in hawker centres managed by NEA or NEA-appointed operators will continue to enjoy three months of rental waivers, while commercial tenants will continue to receive two months of rental waivers.

I have touched on the first two Cs – cost and cash flow. The third C is credit. To provide additional support on credit, I will further enhance financing support for enterprises so that viable businesses can continue to have access to credit despite the uncertainty.

I will increase Government’s risk share of loans made under the Temporary Bridging Loan Programme; the Enterprise Financing Scheme – SME Working Capital Loan; and Enterprise Financing Scheme – Trade Loan from 80% to 90% for loans initiated from 8 April 2020 till 31 March 2021.

Last week, MAS, together with the financial institutions, also introduced a package of measures to help SMEs with temporary cashflow difficulties. For example, SMEs can now opt to defer principal payments on their secured term loans till the end of the year. More than $40 billion of SMEs’ existing loans are likely to qualify for this relief.

Banks and finance companies may also apply for low-cost funding through a new MAS Singapore Dollar facility, for new loans granted under the Enterprise Financing Scheme SME Working Capital Loan and Temporary Bridging Loan Programme. If they do so, they must commit to pass on the savings to their borrowers.

The economy needs support and intervention in many different forms to go through this rough patch. I urge all businesses, landlords, financial institutions and industry players to do your part, in channelling the Government’s support measures to firms, workers and households.

The enhancements I have just announced are to help workers who are employed by businesses to stay employed.

For self-employed persons, we have put in place the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme, or SIRS, to provide direct cash assistance.

This is the first time that we are providing direct cash support to self-employed persons on such a large scale. They are a very diverse group, with different working hours and work arrangements. Some do this as full-time jobs, while others do this as part-time, to supplement their income. Some have been contributing CPF, while others have not.

Since the announcement on 26 March, the Minister for Manpower, NTUC Secretary-General and I, as well as our Government agencies, have received feedback from various self-employed persons whose livelihoods have been affected. During this circuit breaker period, more will see a further drop in income.

For instance, there are self-employed persons who are engaged in some employment work to supplement their incomes.

Another group of self-employed persons bought an Executive Condominium some years ago. Their income is now severely affected by the pandemic and they still have to support multiple family members' daily needs or medical bills.

After considering the appeals, we will broaden the support for self-employed persons. I will make two enhancements.

First, I will extend SIRS to automatically include self-employed persons who also earn a small income from employment work.

Second, I will raise the current Annual Value threshold up from $13,000 to up to $21,000, to include those who live in some condominiums and other private properties. The other criteria remain unchanged.

With these enhancements, a total of about 100,000 self-employed persons will automatically be eligible for the scheme and will receive three payments of $3,000 each, starting from May 2020.

On the other hand, many have shared their views that SIRS is overly generous. Some have asked – why do we allow self-employed persons with annual Net Trade Income of up to $100,000 to qualify.

As I explained earlier, self-employed persons are a very diverse group. Some are own account workers, like taxi drivers, who engage in a trade or business but do not employ any paid workers. Others are sole proprietors, who own small businesses that have employees and a network of business relations.

In these extraordinary times, many such self-employed persons are hard-hit. I hope that by our helping them, they too can help others in their networks and their workers, and we keep the spirit of enterprise alive.

In the spirit of tripartism, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng has also agreed to step up and help administer the application and appeals for SIRS and support self-employed persons in need.

Our approach now is to build up a network of support for as many as possible, as quickly as possible.

Let me reiterate that those who do not need this and do not qualify, should not come forward to appeal for and abuse the support – otherwise, you will undermine public confidence and take up unnecessary resources.

But done right, together, we can help many self-employed persons who are hard-hit. MOM will work closely with NTUC, to start processing appeals for SIRS as soon as possible.

I have spoken about our support for firms and workers. I will also provide timely support for households to ensure that no household stands alone during this difficult period.

All adult Singaporeans will receive a one-off Solidarity Payment of $600 in cash. I will bring forward $300 from the Care and Support – Cash payout that I announced earlier. On top of this, I will provide an additional $300, bringing the total to $600 for every adult Singaporean, aged 21 and above.

For the majority of Singaporeans who have provided their bank account details to the Government, the Solidarity Payment will be credited directly into their bank accounts by 14 April 2020. The rest will receive the payment by cheque, to be issued in stages later, starting from 30 April 2020.

Other cash payouts under the Care and Support Package, which were earlier announced, will be brought forward to June 2020, instead of August 2020. These include the remaining $300 or $600 from the higher tiers of the Care and Support – Cash payout; the additional $300 payout for each parent with at least one child aged 20 and below, and the $100 PAssion Card top-up, which will be given in cash, for Singaporeans aged 50 and above. [Please refer to Annex B-2.]

Not everyone will need these cash payouts. I am very encouraged that many have written to me, my Ministerial colleagues and Members of Parliament, that they do not need the cash payouts and suggest that we give these to those who need the cash more. I thank fellow Singaporeans for your thoughtfulness.

I urge those who can, to donate to charities on the Giving.sg website or the Community Chest's Courage Fund, or to directly share it with others.

For those who still need more support, please approach our Social Service Offices and Community Centres to apply for new schemes such as the Temporary Relief Fund and the upcoming COVID-19 Support Grant, which is available from May 2020, as well as existing ComCare schemes.

Some Singaporeans will also be emotionally affected or distressed in this period. So, besides financial support, let us provide emotional and mental health support to our people. Our community mental health support services will continue to provide care and support for clients through phone consultations, or home visits for those who may need more support.

Over the weekend, MSF announced that we will set up a 24/7 National Care Hotline. In this time of need, I am glad that mental health professionals and trained volunteers have stepped forward to offer their help in setting up the new hotline. Thank you.

These additional measures will cost $5.1 billion, with $4 billion for the additional support for businesses and workers, and $1.1 billion for the Solidarity Payment.

The President had earlier given her in-principle support for the Government to draw up to $17 billion from past reserves to fund some of the measures in the Resilience Budget, to save jobs and businesses.

I also told Members then that I was prepared to propose to the President further draws on past reserves should it be necessary.

With the significantly stricter pre-emptive measures needed to protect Singaporeans and our families, it is now necessary for us to propose a further draw on past reserves. These measures will impact our workers and businesses severely; additional support will be required to save jobs, preserve capabilities and provide immediate direct assistance to Singaporeans to help them tide through this exceptional and difficult period.

Therefore, I have sought and obtained the President's in-principle support to draw on an additional $4 billion from past reserves.

Specifically, this will be used to fund the enhanced Job Support Scheme, the Temporary Bridging Loan Programme and Enterprise Financing Scheme, and the Solidarity Payment to Singaporeans. Details are in the Annex. [Please refer to Annex C-1.]

The remaining $1.1 billion will be funded from the fiscal space of this term of Government.

To effect the additional spending for the measures that I have announced today, I intend to seek Parliament's approval at the Committee of Supply to increase the supplementary estimates that were presented to Parliament on 26 March this year. I will subsequently seek Parliament's approval to introduce a Revised Supplementary Supply Bill, on a Certificate of Urgency, that caters for the additional sums required.

Taken together, the Government's response to COVID-19 will total $59.9 billion, or about 12% of GDP. The Overall Budget Deficit for FY2020 will increase to $44.3 billion or 8.9% of GDP. Details are in the Annex. [Please refer to Annex C-2.]

This is an unprecedented Budget, for extraordinary times. The situation remains highly fluid and uncertain. The Government stands ready to provide further support, should it become necessary.

Mr Speaker, Sir, before I conclude, allow me to say a few words in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In order to stop the spread of the virus, we will adopt enhanced safe distancing measures for one month. Apart from those providing essential services and industries in the key economic sectors, all other workplaces will be closed starting from tomorrow.

With rising local transmission cases, if we do not further enhance our precautionary measures, the situation will quickly worsen, causing our healthcare system to be overwhelmed.

Our immediate task is to protect the safety of our people. Money lost can be earned later on. However, if we lose our health or even our lives, what remains will only be regrets.

As such, to protect the safety and health of Singaporeans, everyone must strictly observe these precautionary measures.

These measures will seriously impact the operations of our enterprises and people’s daily lives. In order to provide more assistance to our people, apart from the previously announced two Budgets, I will present a $5.1 billion Solidarity Budget. This is the third Budget announced by the Government within a short span of two months. It is unprecedented. The main purpose is to keep enterprises afloat, help them retain their workers’, so that everyone can tide over this extraordinary period and persevere.

For this, I will raise the wage subsidy of the Job Support Scheme in April from 25% to 75%. This revision will cover all sectors.

We will also legislate that the property owners must pass on the property tax rebate in full to their tenants.

We will increase the rental waiver for industrial, office and agricultural tenants of Government agencies, from half month to one month.

In addition, we will take further steps to help businesses obtain credit through the Enterprise Financing Scheme and Temporary Bridging Loan Programme so that they can continue to operate.

We will also broaden the eligibility criteria for the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme to include self-employed persons who earn some salary from part-time employment and those who reside in property with Annual Value not more than $21,000.

During this period, many businesses who employ foreign workers are not able to operate. To help these businesses cope with labour cost and make sure that they continue to look after their foreign workers, we will waive the Foreign Worker Levy for the month of April, and provide additional Foreign Worker Levy Rebate. For each work permit or S pass holder, the employer will receive a rebate of $750.

At the same time, in order to lighten the burden for families, all adult Singaporeans will receive a one-off Solidarity Payment of $600.

I announced earlier that Singaporeans would receive a cash payout under the Care and Support Package. Now, under the Solidarity Payment, I will first disburse $300 from the Care and Support Package and add an additional $300. In other words, every adult Singaporean will receive a Solidarity payment of $600 in cash early.

I mentioned before that, if necessary, we would draw more from the past reserves to fund new measures. I have received in-principle support from President Halimah to draw on past reserves to fund the new measures announced today.

To many businesses, this coming month will be very difficult. I hope that these new measures will help them tide over this difficult period.

In these extraordinary times, we must continue to care for one another, particularly the elderly and the vulnerable. We must pay attention to our health, personal hygiene and cultivate good habits. So long as we stay united, stay healthy, while continuing to protect jobs, enterprises and secure our future, Singapore will eventually come out of the difficult situation, overcome the pandemic and emerge stronger.

(In English): Mr Speaker, Sir, I will now conclude in English.

This is a generational crisis with no precedent. We have brought all our resources and administrative capacity to bear, to mount a national effort for our workers, businesses and families, to protect both lives and livelihoods.

We have the plans and the financial resources to carry out these plans without burdening future generations with the bill. We are grateful to our founding generation for their foresight and discipline. The key now is how we can pull together, in solidarity, as a nation, to implement these plans and make adjustments as the situation continues to evolve.

COVID-19 is testing nations worldwide and revealing more about government, about each society, our identity and the values that hold us together.

Though the pandemic is global, the impact on each country depends greatly on the different actions and responses of each government and their people. Trust and confidence of our people in the government are critical.

Our people must understand what we are facing and support what we are doing. This is why we have been forthcoming and transparent with Singaporeans. We are honest about the uncertainties and challenges ahead and honest about the price we need to pay for what we need to do. We have been able to take bold and swift actions because we have the trust of Singaporeans, painstakingly built up over the years by delivering for Singaporeans.

With the circuit breaker in place for the next one month, everyone will have to adjust and adapt not just our physical routines, but our mindsets and habits. As Minister Lawrence Wong said, every person is, in fact, on the frontline. Every Singaporean can make a difference in slowing down the spread of the virus today.

To keep out the virus, every one of us must play our part. Be socially responsible by staying home, staying safe and staying healthy. Each and every one of us must do our best to stem the escalating infections to prevent our healthcare system from being overwhelmed.

As we do so, we must keep our spirits up and look out for each other, especially our seniors and the more vulnerable. Our Government agencies as well as many volunteers are contributing their best to care for our vulnerable groups. We may not be able to physically visit our extended families and close friends but we can stay in touch and connect through phone or video.

I am confident that we can and will pull close together as a nation even as we physically distance ourselves to save lives.

Let us unite, demonstrate our resilience, stay united and press on in solidarity. Together, we will emerge stronger from this! [Applause.]

I suggest that should there be clarifications, I will fold them into the debate subsequently. There will be time for clarifications. Order. End of Ministerial Statement. The Clerk will now proceed to read the order of the day.

[(proc text) Order read for Resumption of Debate on Question [26 March 2020], (proc text)]

[(proc text) "That the Ministerial Statement made by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance on Additional Support Measures in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic be considered by Parliament." − [Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance] (proc text)]

[(proc text) Question again proposed. (proc text)]

Mr Speaker, Sir, it has been more than two months since the first case of COVID-19 hit Singapore. Since then, almost on a daily basis, we hear of grim updates of worsening situations about the number of cases spiking up, more lockdowns and restrictions around us, around the world, and economies and markets in a near meltdown state. More than one million people around the world have now been infected with the virus.

In Singapore, we have progressively stepped up measures – restricting travels, raised to DORSCON Orange, working from home, safety distancing and others – the latest being the stepped-up measures to apply a one-month circuit breaker to quell the recent sharp rises in cases.

The next one month will be critical in our fight. The health and well-being of Singaporeans must come first. Hence, the necessary and painful further measures added on, which would understandably impact our lives and also further disrupt businesses.

Sir, our economy is being hit on both ends – external and the domestic front, and also in both the supply and the demand side of the value chain. I fear the worst is yet to come, with more businesses at risk of failing and more jobs at risk of being lost.

We must do our best to stem this economic contraction, if not, slow that economic shrinkage.

The latest MTI forecast downgraded Singapore's GDP growth to -4% to -1%. In other words, 2020 will be a year of recession.

GDP growth essentially is computed by aggregating the outputs in consumption or C, I for investment or I, the trade export less import or X minus I, and finally, Government spending or G.

Given the still deteriorating situation, the unprecedented restrictive measures as well as uncertainties ahead, we can expect consumption, investments and exports to decrease sharply, contracting the overall GDP. This is a given. The only component that can shore up the economy now is G – Government spending.

And since February, we have seen the Government introducing three heavy doses of Budget support measures, including today's announcement of further expansions of measures to prop up the GDP.

We have to utilise a combination of both the current reserves from this term of Government and a draw from the past reserves to fund the various packages. Having this financial strength and capacity to inject massive spending into the economy in this time of need, yet without straining our fiscal balance sheet, is most reassuring. It instills confidence and puts us in good stead to continue attracting investments and trade.

It also reassures Singaporeans that the Government has the financial capacity to fight the COVID outbreak and take care of Singaporeans so that our people are not in a state of fear, which could otherwise result in further cut back in consumption and other social consequences.

Also, importantly, our strong accumulated past reserves guarantee us the resource to stabilise and rebuild our economy and thereafter, engineer new growth areas again when the crisis is over.

Thanks to the decades of careful financial management, today, we are able to deal with this crisis in a position of financial strength.

I have been in the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Finance and Trade and Industry since I became a Member of Parliament in 2006. The reason I choose to serve in this GPC is because I truly believe that financial prudence and discipline will safeguard Singapore, and I want to do my part in Parliament to uphold this key foundational principle. The GPC for Finance must be the guardian of financial prudence and discipline.

To me, financial prudence and discipline are not just ideological beliefs but real and necessary adherence so as to ensure our continuing existence as a country.

Over the years of Budget debates and speaking about financial prudence in this House, I often do get critiques or even ridicules from some quarters that say that I am too conservative in my views and that the Government is already building too much buffer in our financial management.

I actually think it is always good to err on the safe side when it comes to the country's finances. Even if we did indeed over-save, the investment returns of our excess savings will still be ploughed back to fund the current Budget through our Net Investment Returns Contribution (NIRC). In Singapore's context, we actually need a higher factor of safety financially, so to speak, just so that we have the financial capacity to rebuild and restore our entire economy again should a catastrophic event happen in Singapore.

Sir, the three Budget Packages, though announced in short successions, mirrored the fast escalating COVID-19 situation that we face.

Of course, the key focus must be still to save livelihoods and to support businesses. I am very glad that the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance has further expanded the Job Support Scheme to cover 75% of all workers in Singapore for the first $4,600 of their monthly salary and the payout will be made in April – as soon as next week, if they have PayNow and Giro.

I think that this is important. The direct cash wage subsidies are still the most practical way to save jobs and to help companies with their cash flow problems. It has worked for us before during the financial crisis and helped us save jobs. Given the deteriorating situation, the timeliness of the assistance packages and the measures becomes more crucial. We need to have it sooner rather than later, as has been expressed in the Resilience Budget as well as today's Solidarity Budget.

The substantially increased support to the most badly affected sectors like aviation and tourism in the Resilience Package are most necessary to help save jobs as they are really being directly hit by the impact of COVID-19. Although, very sadly, some workers may inevitably be laid off or see their incomes significantly reduced.

To help those who lost their jobs or have seen significant drops in income due to COVID-19, the COVID-19 Support Grant (CSG) is introduced. The CSG provides cash grant of $800 a month for three months for lower and middle income Singaporeans who lost their jobs due to the virus.

As the scheme can only be ready for application from May 2020 onwards, those who need immediate assistance in April can apply for the Temporary Relief Fund (TRF). Kudos to the Government for going that extra mile to ensure that assistance is paid out in the month of April.

I have been following Minister Desmond Lee's Facebook page very closely in the last one week. He has given very reassuring and timely updates on how Singaporeans can apply for the TRF and thereafter, the COVID-19 Support Grant, among the many schemes.

I am also heartened that MSF has agreed to be flexible and to be sympathetic in approving the applications and also to expedite the $500 payout, such as by using PayNow.

Just at my Community Centre alone, we have received more than 1,500 TRF applications in the last one week. Many of residents have been badly impacted by the crisis in the last two months and are in need of immediate relief.

Sir, with the recessionary environment that we are in now, it is unlikely that we can see net positive job creation from the business sectors in the coming months. Therefore, the visible hand of the Government or G will have to come in again, and I am glad we are committing to creating 10,000 jobs, primarily in the public sector over the next one year under the SGUnited Jobs Initiative. With most workplaces shut down and distancing measures in place, I hope that the job placement efforts would not be severely curtailed and I hope that the agencies continue to work on helping workers find jobs.

I am also glad that the Government has not forgotten the self-employed Singaporeans who are also badly affected by the crisis and has extended assistance them, and as of today, we have extended the package as well. The Self-Employment Person Income Relief Scheme is a good start. It is always difficult to devise a new scheme from scratch and all in a short span of time. Self-employed persons come from a wide range of circumstances, and hence whatever is the criteria set, there will be some who do not meet the criteria or fall through the gaps.

I must say I received the most queries on this scheme from my residents since the scheme was announcement on 26 March. While I am glad the scheme has been further improved and enhanced, I hope that MOF and MOM can continue to fine-tune this scheme with the aim to include more self-employed Singaporeans who are in need of the assistance.

Sir, to help businesses overcome the immediate challenges, all three Budget packages address the three concerns foremost in the minds – cash flow, costs and credit. In particular, cash flow is the most critical and immediate concern. The various cash flow support assistance whether is via the JSS, Wage Credit Scheme or the deferment of income tax payments can help ease the pain.

I appreciate that MOF is now doing their best to flow the payouts to companies sooner, as soon as in the month of April. I hope the MOF can also fast-track the later tranches of the JSS earlier, if possible to July and August instead of paying the final tranches in October. The sectors that are severely affected like aviation and tourism would badly need the cash assistance sooner rather later.

Sir, on the availability of credit, the Finance Minister also enhanced the various financing schemes as well as introduced the new Temporary Bridging Loan Programme for companies in the tourism sector. Of significance is also the $20 billion loan capital set aside to catalyse the private sector loan capital to support promising companies with strong capabilities. Such public-private partnership to avail credit can have a multiplying effect and move the needle in providing risk capital which can be used to develop opportunistic and new-to-economy capabilities. Having such forward-looking investments, even during a crisis, bodes well when the recovery does come. I hope more details can be shared.

I will conclude with a few questions for the Deputy Prime Minister.

Firstly, we have taken extraordinary measures to deal with the extraordinary crisis, in the process setting new precedence, new benchmarks for references. Therefore, it is also important in this debate that we articulate and establish the basis and the justification of our strong actions and also the proportionality of it. So, I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he can set out the basis and rationale for our fiscal responses so far, and how is this crisis different from past crises?

The Government has implemented a series of measures since January and many Singaporeans are trying hard to adapt, to adjust to the new restrictions and measures. There are still plenty of uncertainties ahead. The outbreak may actually get worse before it gets better. And there is no certainty how long this will take. Financial assistance aside, how could we help Singaporeans cope with this crisis better, especially with the circuit breaker we put in place and enforced? How can we help Singapore cope and respond better to this crisis?

We now have the Unity Budget, the Resilient Budget and the Solidarity Budget. There may well be further Budget packages depending on how the COVID-19 situation develops, but I believe we will eventually have a Victory Budget in time to come where we position ourselves for a strong recovery and to emerge stronger. So, I would like to hear from the Deputy Prime Minister how he sees Singapore emerging from this crisis once the storm passes. Sir, with that, I support all three Budgets.

Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on the Additional Support Measures in response to COVID-19.

As we speak, the situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve rapidly in Singapore and in every country around the world. The impact of COVID-19 on individuals and businesses is unprecedented. In just a short span of 10 weeks since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Singapore, all our lives have changed dramatically. How we work, interact, eat and even greet each other has changed. Even standing-in-line has required us to practise safe distancing.

The outbreak of COVID-19 and the various measures across countries to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is causing severe economic impact on businesses as channels for the demand for goods and services as well as supply chains have been disrupted and individuals have suffered loss of income, and for some, even their jobs. The Supplementary or Resilience Budget and now the Solidarity Budget are much needed as the individual lives, families, communities and businesses are hurting.

The primary focus of the Resilience Budget and the Solidarity Budget is the health and safety of every Singaporean and protecting livelihoods, supporting viable businesses, manage the immediate challenges of cash flow, cost and credit given the drastic and sudden impact on business demand and supply. While helping our people and business deal with immediate pain, I am glad that the Resilience Budget does also invest in ensuring that Singapore stays resilient and emerges stronger.

The $15.1 billion which Deputy Prime Minister Heng had outlined out of the $48 billion Resilience Budget for the Job Support Scheme (JSS) and now with the additional enhanced Job Support Scheme with the Solidarity Budget will pay 25% of monthly wages for every Singaporean worker in employment, capped at an income level of $4,600, for nine months until the end of 2020.

Given the sharp drop in business demand and the disruptions to supply chains, the challenge is that businesses may not be able to afford to continue at the same capacity and cost and hence will and may still have some of the jobs impacted and retrenchments may not be avoidable for some of their workers.

Can the Deputy Prime Minister also share how we ensure that businesses get this wage support will continue to hire these workers? What support will be given to workers if retrenchment is still inevitable? The Temporary Relief Fund as well as the COVID-Support Grant which provide three months of partial income support would go some way to help those whose income has been impacted or jobs have been lost. But as the Deputy Prime Minister has pointed out, the key is helping people keep their jobs so that livelihoods are not impacted.

How do we help people find jobs,especially in today's environment as businesses are shrinking and jobs are going away? As it is likely that the COVID-19 situation will continue for some time, what is crucial is that the economy does not come to a standstill.

It is timely that the Resilience package and the Solidarity Budget are providing training and income support for also the self-employed persons (SEPs) as they too have been impacted quite severely.

For the Self-Employed Persons Income Relief Scheme (SIRS) and the COVID-19 Support Grant (CSG), while means testing is necessary for their eligibility, I do hope that even with the enhanced eligibility criteria so-called the increase of the annual value of eligibility criteria for the household type, I do hope that there will still be flexibility in cases where self-employed persons do need help in qualifying for this support.

Ultimately, though, we must still work together to keep the economy going. While we are fortunate to have strong past reserves that we can draw on to provide the needed relief as well as to prepare workers and businesses for the recovery, unless there is business and economic growth, over the long term, this will not be sustainable. Therefore, we should all pull together to work to contain this spread so that we can shorten the period and return to normalcy as soon as possible, although the timeline looks like it is going to drag on.

MOM’s call and measures to support people to work from home and now with the latest circuit breakers, most people will be working from home except for those in essential services. There could be, however, individuals and some companies that may not have the resource or be enabled to do so, as they do not have access to capabilities to telecommute. What help can be extended to both individuals and businesses to help them with this transition and to enable them to work effectively from home?

For the worker, even if he or she is resourced to work from home, because all of use are working from home on a mass scale, a family’s resources may not be sufficient to meet the needs of everyone all at once. As an example, the family may have a notebook, but now that all family members are working from home, they will all be vying for the same resource at the same time. The other consideration would be how conducive the environment at home is for everyone. Just imagine several adults at a home teleconferencing at the same time and then having children trying to do their home-based learning also at the same time in a small space. All these will add stress to any home environment.

While funding is important and necessary, given how quickly things are changing, it takes more than funding and policy to ensure that Singaporeans impacted get the support needed. Equally important is having the right capability and the process to pull together resources to ensure that needs can be met.

To illustrate the point, there are people who because they are either vulnerable or have family circumstances that make it difficult for them to get essential services they need. How do we ensure that products and services can reach them? With the surge of demand also for essential services, even if people have the ability to get online for those services, it may be very difficult because now online orders are also overwhelmed. Providing these services is quite a challenge. So, how can we provide a way to broker and get resources better connected so that both businesses and individuals who need these services will be able to access them in a timely manner? For example, could we have a portal for people to be able to know what needs are, to sign up and to be able to be activated if their resources or their capabilities are required.

I am personally concerned for the overall well-being of Singaporeans caused by the anxiety of the COVID-19 outbreak and infection. Added to this is the stress brought about with safe distancing. We are social beings and interaction and relationships are important to us.

To some extent, I do see a silver lining as technology today – while it cannot completely substitute a face-to-face interaction – has allowed us to continue to engage despite the need for safe distancing. Video-calls and teleconferencing have allowed people to continue to "see" each other as well as to "work with each other" across different locations.

Just last weekend, while we had to avoid large group meetings to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19, I was glad that I was still able to brief almost 70 of our volunteers at the same time, using digital technology to be able to ensure that we were able to distribute the re-usable masks over the weekend.

So, while it is painful, this crisis is also accelerating the need for and driving transformation and change at all levels. Individuals and businesses are adopting and adapting to digital technologies and platforms to help them address current constraints and circumstances.

With COVID-19, many Singaporeans now have experienced and have first-hand understanding of the impact of Singapore’s dependency of imports for our food supply. Many Singaporeans are now aware of and appreciate the importance of Singapore’s target of producing 30% of Singapore’s nutritional needs by 2030.

Beyond investing in research and technology to achieve productivity in farming and unlocking physical land for farming, we must also mobilise Singaporeans, both young and old, to develop our local talent to understand urban food production processes and business models to accelerate our efforts to achieve our ambitious target. This is an excellent unifying platform to rally Singaporeans for a resilient Singapore.

How and when COVID-19 will end is not clear. What is clear is that beyond the Resilience and Solidarity Budgets which are much needed, it will take each and every one of us, as well as businesses and the Government to work together in this fight against COVID-19. I support the Budget.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the COVID-19 outbreak has ground the world economy to a halt and put many health systems all over the globe under significant strain. The Singapore Government has responded in a timely manner and has sought to contain the spread of the virus locally. Its actions have mitigated and kept the situation largely under control. Years of preparation, exercises and training in the healthcare realm, in particular, have borne fruit. However, a second phase of infections marked by, first, returning Singaporeans and now – by the increased community spread of the disease – has proved more challenging and difficult to manage.

Our workers fighting in the trenches and workers supporting the fight – from nurses to cleaners, from GP doctors to infectious disease specialists, from medical researchers to delivery persons, and those Singaporeans driving our people to hospitals and quarantine facilities – are our heroes. We should not forget our public officers, too. From civil servants and teachers to those guarding our borders and public spaces, namely, our men and women in uniform, we must honour them for trying to allow Singaporeans to live our lives as normally as possible while keeping us safe. The same goes for every Singaporean involved in this fight. Thank you for your efforts and for the hard work.

With the world economy practically shut down, the Government – like many others around the world over the last two to three weeks – has responded swiftly with financial support for its citizenry. To that end, it is mind-boggling that this House is debating a supplementary Budget that draws on the reserves just about one month after we have approved the annual Budget which included a first package of COVID-19 support measures. It was a Budget which Deputy Prime Minister Heng, with some pride announced, did not draw down past reserves. And since then, yet another package of measures in the shape of the Solidarity Budget has also been introduced. The situation has, indeed, turned quickly.

Sir, these supplementary Budgets are anything but supplementary. For the moment, they are a comprehensive response that will save businesses and jobs and help lower and middle income households tide over the difficult short-term effects of the global economic shutdown. It is good that the assistance quantum and timeframes for the various schemes are calibrated according to the different degrees of vulnerability faced by the target groups. For example, heavily impacted industries crucial for our open economy receive higher co-funding under the Jobs Support Scheme until the end of 2020. Self-employed Singaporeans, who are amongst the worst impacted by this crisis, receive nine months of assistance.

I acknowledge the support to a group of workers – private-hire bus drivers for whom some specific support and relief was announced by the Resilience Budget. Such measures do play an important part in mitigating cost-of-living concerns. I also wish to acknowledge the diligence of public officers, such as those at Enterprise SG, who have sought to engage financial institutions and banks to withhold the repossession of vehicles that our workers need for their livelihood. The challenge of much of this work – seeking the cooperation of large enterprises and businesses to exercise goodwill can be back-breaking and easily underestimated.

Nonetheless, Sir, it is very likely that some businesses will close, more workers will lose their jobs, and many Singaporeans will face or are already facing pay cuts. As Deputy Prime Minister Heng said, the economic effects of the pandemic are likely to be long lasting.

The financial assistance measures in the Resilience Budget, in the main, will be effective for three to nine months. The questions I have are for the longer term. I am of the view that this is rightly called a Resilience Budget, because resilience is about being able to take a hit and recovering to continue like before. But if the pandemic is likely to take at least one year to be resolved, how long would the economic effects last? What is the Government’s assessment of future scenarios?

This gives much food for thought, not just on questions the Workers’ Party asked in the past, such as the size and usage of our reserves. These questions will come to the fore again, and I am grateful for the many Singaporeans who have called for the Workers’ Party to keep pressing for a greater discussion of Singapore’s reserves. This remains an eminently reasonable call and embodies the spirit of SG Together with our people seeking information and taking ownership of our society and collective future.

Sir, we are already experiencing the prospects of a recession in Singapore, and the world is facing a prolonged recession. A bifurcation of the world between the US and China that this House was warned about may well accelerate as the world remembers the supply chain effects of COVID-19 on their economies. Separately, consumption in the US and Europe, which drive the world economy to a large extent, has dwindled and many remain hopeful for the pandemic to reach its peak and ease off quickly. The rest of the developing world are in a lockdown mode.

I believe this mighty storm that we are experiencing is not just something we need to keep safe from by staying at home. The storm shakes up the very structure of our open economy and threatens its foundation, especially our hub status. Looking ahead, it could derail and damage our aspiration to be a Global-Asia node of technology, innovation and enterprise.

NUS Business School Professor Lawrence Loh wrote in a recent commentary that the Resilience Budget is like the New Deal implemented by President Franklin D Roosevelt to rebuild the American economy and society during the Great Depression. The New Deal took more than six years and secured the US as a welfare state with a strong federal government and a perennial national debt problem. The comparison with the New Deal is nonetheless thought-provoking.

Indeed, the Resilience and Solidarity Budgets have the features of a New Deal for Singapore. Through the Resilience Budget, we now have a taxpayer-funded unemployment insurance, income support for lower income families, food vouchers for the poor, and protection for the self-employed – albeit temporary.

Given the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our economy and society, will these schemes represent a new normal, akin to a multi-year New Deal to help Singaporeans cope and bounce back from economic hardship? For Singaporeans who will continue to see disruption and technology reduce their job prospects, can we expect continued support for them in the nine months after this package expires, particularly for training and wage support, for example? If so, what considerations would determine the Government’s thinking on this matter?

To this end, Sir, COVID-19 has thrown up some useful lessons, like all crises do. For example, the implications of a COVID-19 type pandemic must have implications on our population and economic plans and strategies. COVID-19 has also exposed sectors of the economy that could perhaps be manned by more Singaporean workers in future for better resilience and national outcomes. A thorough review of what a living wage in Singapore ought to be for Singaporeans who man our critical infrastructure and keep the country’s heart beating would also be appropriate and timely, the same way strengthening our food security and critical supply chains are.

And what about our army of cleaners, both local and foreign, and the local SMEs and cleaning companies that operate in this space? Singapore owes them a debt of gratitude in this difficult period and it is time our workers who keep Singapore clean are paid far more respectable wages, with Singaporeans ready to play their part, too. I do not think many of us truly appreciate how much more work they are doing trying to keep our HDB estates clean while continuing to clear garbage and bulky items, and keeping to their daily routines. But that is not all. It is the respect all of us must extend to them and all those who earn an honest living that matters so much in shaping the type of progressive society we aspire to be. Only then can we say we are a people who leave no one behind.

After Singapore defeats COVID-19 – and defeat it we will – let us turn our attention, more acutely than ever, back on the Singaporean worker and their families, the reality of inequality and job competition. How can we improve their lot? How can they be better protected and not hamstrung by the insecurity to raise a family in the socio-economic context of Singapore? Sir, the answers to these objectives, I firmly believe, will not erode the Singaporean work ethic but enhance it and enhance our solidarity as Singaporeans.

And, of course, the disturbing news many of us read this morning in The Straits Times on the living conditions of some foreign workers is a stain on Singapore and Singaporeans. And unless we act decisively in the days, months and years ahead, this stain will not go away and it will eat at our collective conscience, damaging our sense of national unity and solidarity.

Sir, a parallel question I have is the timing of the COVID-19 crisis on our fiscal policy and annual Budget exercises. We are nearing the end of the term of Government, and the accumulated surpluses have come in handy to meet public needs. Even so, we are now needing to draw on the reserves, and I support this.

But if resilience is going to be a longer term issue lasting perhaps even up to five years, and a major restructuring of the economy and society is required, how is the Government going to balance the Budget in the next term of Government? Would we need to adopt belt-tightening austerity measures to balance the Budget? Can we afford to tighten the belt? And do we need to adopt a different stance towards the reserves, debt financing and deficits?

All these considerations are going to affect the lives of Singaporeans and our political system as well. A PAP Government with a fresh five-year mandate given by Singaporeans before the next annual Budget will face an unprecedented problem in recent memory. The initial period of the term of Government would require extra fiscal prudence and it will also mean less fiscal firepower to deal with the mighty storm of the pandemic and its aftermath. A government drawing on the reserves in its first year of the new term is unprecedented, but this may be the case if we are looking at additional support in the coming months.

Mr Speaker, Sir, rather than focus on the timing of the General Elections, I think public debate will be better focused on the choices before us: whether the Resilience and Solidarity Budgets are the shape of a New Deal for Singapore; a new social compact for Singapore; how are we going to renew, rebuild and reinvigorate our economy and society after the storm has passed and the dust settles.

To conclude, Mr Speaker, in 1971, in a speech to his grassroots leaders, the late Foreign Minister S Rajaratnam spoke of a Democracy of Deeds, where our actions ought to speak louder than our words. Mr Rajaratnam was wise enough to share with his grassroots leaders that he was not saying that a one-party Parliament was a good thing. In this likely prolonged state of economic recession, Parliament will have to focus on a Democracy of Needs. Today, we are witnessing the threats of a pandemic to both livelihood and life itself. So, we must question its long-term impacts on the economic and even psycho-social needs of our citizens. Tomorrow, after we defeat COVID-19 – and defeat it we will – we must address the long-term needs of our people in a sustainable and equitable manner. To this end, our reserves and the prospect of taxes should continue to be robustly debated and considered in a detailed manner. The Workers’ Party will play its role in these debates, which is not just a function of talk, but a key purpose of this House – to determine what is best for this country we call home and our fellow Singaporeans. Sir, I support the Resilience and Solidarity Budgets.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the COVID-19 pandemic is clearly a shock to everyone. This is the global catastrophe of our times. Singapore and the rest of the world were so different just four months ago. Today, the world – or rather, more correctly, humanity – is facing the biggest challenge of our generation. Today, the world is so interconnected with all countries so interdependent on one another for free flow of services, goods and resources. COVID-19 is not just another rainy day.

It is also not just another thunderstorm, which was just described by Mr Pritam Singh. But it is like an Ice Age descending upon the world, suddenly freezing everything in its way – all transportation, human movements and activities. The impact is not just medical but we can see a larger social and economic and fallout, as the Ice Age recedes later. We can expect a tsunami of flood waters to follow.

Nature has its unique ways to handle external shocks. We should learn from nature. During the seasonal change from autumn to winter, many animals and plants have adapted and developed coping mechanisms. Many animals such rodents and polar bears go into hibernation mode during winter. Hibernation functions to conserve energy when sufficient food is not available and when external conditions are hash and unfavourable. The animals are able to lower their metabolic rate, lower their temperature, slow down breathing and heart rate to conserve energy. Hibernation may last for weeks or months. During this COVID global crisis, how I wish Singapore can just go into a hibernation mode and emerge only later when the global contagion is over.

Sir, we need to find ways to hibernate our economy, conserve our energy during this viral long winter period so that we can all emerge alive and well later on. When this winter gives way to spring – as it would ultimately – then we are ready to take off and rebuild our economy and our lives again.

During this period, what are the main worries on most peoples' minds? We are worried for our safety and health. We are worried about how the containment measures will disrupt our lives and livelihoods. How our jobs are being affected, how are we going to pay for our daily bills, our mortgages, loans, insurance premiums, utility bills, service and conservancy fees and food? And for many employers, they are facing the largest and biggest challenge with revenue plunging sharply and their supply chains disrupted. With both supply and demand evaporating suddenly in a short duration of two months, many viable and good businesses may not survive this winter.

I applaud the Government for the quick rescue actions to help the individuals and the businesses with the Unity and Resilient and now the Solidarity Budgets. These are targeted to address many of the these concerns. We are immensely grateful to our Pioneers and Merdeka Generations for diligently building up our national reserves which now serves as our hibernation, emergency and survival fuel. As this is an unprecedented times, I would like to present a few suggestions to Deputy Prime Minister and our Government to consider.

Yes, I am not asking us to dip into our CPF, but I would like to ask the Government to consider whether is it possible to temporarily cease both employer and employee CPF contributions.

To reduce the manpower cost of the employers and to increase the monthly take home pay of our salaried workers, can we temporarily stop CPF contributions for the next three to six months? This will also include stopping the mandatory MediSave contributions of self-employed persons (SEPs) including taxi drivers and many others. Together with the enhanced Job Support Scheme, this will further cushion our employers from manpower cost. For the employees and SEPs, it will ease their cash flow.

I understand the importance and significance of our CPF as it serves as our retirement nest eggs. But this is an unprecedented time. Even the Government has to dip into our national reserves to tie us through this crisis. We can always save again when the crisis is over and when spring is back.

Two, one of the major concerns of stopping CPF contributions is the payment of the HDB housing loans, which many depends on. Just like the recent announcements for deferment of housing loans under MAS and the banks, and the announcement in the Budget regarding deferment of study loans repayments, can HDB consider deferring all HDB mortgages repayment for the next three to six months? In addition, I hope this deferment can be interest free so that HDB mortgagees loans repayment period need not be lengthened too much.

If HDB can grant such an interest free deferment, then CPF Board will be at the losing end. So, I would like to suggest the CPF Board to consider a freeze in interest payment to all CPF accounts for the same period.

Last of all, bringing forward the S&CC rebates as well as U Save.

To further ease the households expenses, Government has announced 1.5 to 3.5 months of S&CC rebates and U Save in Budget 2020. I would suggest these rebates be brought forward to the next three months instead of spacing out throughout the year. This will certainly help many HDB households to ease their cash flow.

Mr Speaker, I would like to thank Deputy Prime Minister and also all the Ministers who are leading the COVID-19 task force for their tireless work to overcome this severe winter. Our hearts go to all those who have been severely affected by this virus. And our prayers and thanks also go to our healthcare workers and other support agencies staff. To those whose jobs are on the line, we stand with you and we are here with you. We are fighting a war; this is worse than a guerrilla war. The enemy is invisible but not invincible.

Only by staying together, following the Government's guidelines on social distancing, exercise personal hygiene and stay at home, complying with quarantine orders, then we can overcome this long winter together faster and emerge stronger as a nation. Everyone of us is on the frontline now and we must play our part. Our founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had once spoken about Singaporeans as people with physical and spiritual ruggedness. This is the time that we prove him right. We will prevail. Yes! Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.

Mr Speaker, Sir, Deputy Prime Minister Heng has announced three rounds of Budget measures in three months to help Singaporeans overcome COVID-19. These measures have made a huge difference in assuring Singaporeans that our Government is taking take care of all of us.

In living with COVID-19, as individuals and businesses, we all have to make huge changes which are often uncomfortable and unprecedented. But even as we make these huge changes overnight – and these are changes which would in better times have taken months or years of study and discussion, the devil is always in the details.

Let me give one example which I am personally involved with. Before I carry on my speech, I will like to declare my interest as the CEO of ComfortDelGro Taxi business. Minister Khaw Boon Wan recently announced that taxi and private-hire car drivers can now help to make grocery and food deliveries. This is a classic solution of killing two birds with one stone, addressing the ramped-up demand for grocery and food deliveries, and giving our affected drivers an alternative source of income.

As the taxi Head, I am all for the idea. We have 10,000 taxis and 25,000 cabbies who are experiencing a deep drop in their income from the lack of passengers. Cabbies' income will continue to drop even we have waived their taxi rental completely for the next 28 days. Thus, I am open to all ways that can help our cabbies survive. However, the puzzle pieces do not automatically click into place.

One much overlooked barrier is parking fee. For example, cabbies making food deliveries need to park the car in a carpark, wait for the food to be ready which take some time, and drive to a destination which might also charge parking fees. The key difference between car drivers and delivery people using bicycles or motorcycles, is the parking fees, and the need to find carpark slots which may be unavailable or very far away.

The issue of parking is quite small still as compared to other issues, but I would still like to appeal to HDB to waive the parking charges for delivery vehicles in this trying period.

I would like to address the next more important issue. Many of my residents, friends and colleagues are complaining that they cannot find a slot for the online grocery companies to deliver their groceries in a timely manner. Many think that these online firms cannot cope with their delivery schedules due to the lack of delivery vehicles. Thus, urging me to send 10,000 taxis to the rescue. This is so that they can get their groceries ordered online to be delivered on time.

Things are not so simple, however. There is a market failure. Maybe it is time for Government intervention. As industries are thrown into states of ramped-up demand versus no demand, there are other situations where "perfect matches" might exist. Coming back to the topic of online grocery shopping. I understand that the long waiting time, of up to a week or two, may not necessarily be due to the lack of delivery personnel, but the lack of people to pick and pack the groceries. We probably need thousands of them.

Can we find labour? What about the people in the tourism industry that are without jobs due to almost zero tourist arrival? Can they be given the opportunity to step up and earn some money? We understand that MOM has already allowed workers, especially those employed in sectors which are badly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, to take on other jobs while they are on paid leave or unpaid leave, including airport ground handling staff, hotel chambermaid, waiter and waitress and so on. We need e2i and other job agencies, to leverage on existing job portals so that down-and-out Singaporeans can refer to and sign up for temporary jobs which are currently in huge demand.

COVID-19 is forcing us to make rapid changes. This need for swift changes can be seen in a good light.

For example, COVID-19 is accelerating digital transformation and completely overturning the way things may have been done, things which might have taken a far longer period to change otherwise. Many people, for instance, have to work from home, which bosses might not have liked in the past including myself but there is no choice now. If a blend of home and office work becomes a more accepted norm, this will improve work-life balance and also traffic congestion in the long run, including easing the public transport on the train or the bus.

This also presents an opportunity for the Government to spend wisely. Not only as a fiscal stimulus to keep the economy going or put money in citizen's pockets, now $600, but to build up Singapore's future capabilities.

One of these major areas is in digitisation, which has become critical at a time when the only thing that could link us when you are at home for the next one month to the outside world, is our Internet connection.

Take home-based learning. The learning curve is extremely steep and drastic, yes, but thousands of teachers all over Singapore have no choice but to teach onscreen. This goes beyond school teachers to those who give tuition, teach musical instruments, even corporate trainers. We urge them to organise themselves to learn different online learning platforms so that they can use these to survive and perhaps with a nudge from the Government with some funding. They need these digital skills now, and they can use these skills even after the COVID-19 threat is over.

Similarly, our fellow Singaporeans selling food at the hawker centres or eating places have to adapt to a new reality come tomorrow, 7 April. To better survive, they need to establish an online presence so they can sell to Singapore residents who order through platforms like of Food Panda and others. Likewise, for the cashless movement. Physical dollars and coins are not the cleanest items to carry around and now is the time to accelerate our cashless push.

The other is in food supplies. The vulnerability of Singapore's food supplies has never been clearer. While we have always diversified our food supplies, to obtain food from as many countries as possible, but COVID-19 is affecting every country. And while I hope another COVID-19 will not happen for the next century, it would be wise for us to think of how to invest in homegrown food.

We could encourage the growth of urban farming, the creation of farm plots around office buildings which staff can use to grow vegetables for not just for own consumption, but also for the mental well-being. This is what I have observed in my recent trip to Israel late last year. We have to put deep thoughts into making urban farming scalable and sustainable. In Mandarin, please, Mr Speaker.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] These are extraordinary times as we fight the COVID-19 outbreak. Take washing hands, for example. These days, we wash our hands often to reduce the chance of infection. After the outbreak, this habit will make us healthier.

Similarly, our hawkers are not used to selling food online. But after 7 April, they must learn to use online platforms to sell food to make up for the loss of no dining-in. Before, people like to use cash in the form of notes and coins that are good conduits for bacteria. Therefore, we have to popularise cashless transactions as much as possible. In the old days, to change a habit may take years, but now, we must change within a few months. If we do not change, we will not survive.

It is often said that a crisis also presents opportunities. This COVID-19 outbreak will eventually pass. As long as we stay united with the Government during the outbreak, learn digital technology and embrace the digital economy, the sky will become bluer after the rain.

(In English): In the long battle against COVID-19, it is not just a whole-of-Government effort that matter; it is a whole-of-nation effort. This is wartime. This is not a war against another human race but a war against an invisible virus. In war time, we must do what we may not like, change in the way we never thought we would, and do whatever we can to help everyone survive. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Resilience and Solidarity Budgets.

Mr Speaker, to say that the COVID-19 outbreak has been a curve ball for the world must be the understatement of the century. In a span of two months, the viral outbreak has seen countries, rich and poor, scrambling to come to terms with understanding the health impacts of the disease and how to effectively contain its spread.

Social distancing measures have upturned economic and social activity. Today, 6 April, is a milestone in Singapore as most businesses prepare to shutter their premises in line with Government directives, something that has not happened in my lifetime.

What is enough to deal with the impacts of the virus? At one level, the health consequences on most people are manageable, with serious consequences falling on mainly the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. As such, it was recently pointed out by Harvard Prof Michael Sandel that one could theoretically make a choice that economic and social activity should be kept up as only a minority of people would become seriously ill. However, he warns that making that choice would be a purely utilitarian calculation that is detrimental to the common good, as there is a moral dimension that is immutable. We are all members of society and the key question is: "What do we owe one another?"

There is also the concern that the healthcare system should not be overwhelmed. With our own rising caseload from local transmissions, I agree that the circuit breaker directive announced last Friday is necessary.

To ease the economic pain caused by COVID-19, G20 leaders have agreed that governments should utilise available tools to minimise the economic and social impact. To this end, many governments have announced support packages to help businesses and households. The Resilience Budget before this House had a price tag of $48 billion. Together with the first package announced in the Unity Budget in February, the total of about $55 billion amounts to about 11% of our GDP. This is within the GDP range of the packages previously announced by some other governments. I also note the further support measures just announced in the Solidarity Budget, which bring the total package to about 12% of GDP.

As mentioned by Workers' Party Secretary-General Mr Pritam Singh earlier, we will vote in support of the proposed Government measures. That said, we have some questions about how the sums add up and whether some of the monies will go towards achieving their intended purposes. We are also concerned that large corporations who receive taxpayer help do not engage in irresponsible behaviour once recovery resumes. My other colleagues will speak on some of these aspects.

My speech today will focus on seeking some clarifications on the measures to soothe employment and income disruptions.

First, the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS). In the Resilience Budget, the Government announced wage support for local employees to cover nine months of wages. This is to be paid to the employers, set at a base support level of 25%, with 50% support for food services and 75% for aviation and tourism-related sectors.

There have been calls for the Government to widen the definitions of qualifying businesses in the various sectors as each sector has an eco-system of suppliers of goods and services that will rise and fall with the industry.

As an example, the industry for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) is listed in the Budget for enhanced wage support at 75% but only for operators of purpose-built MICE venues. However, it was pointed out in a Business Times article on 3 April that contractors who provided MICE-specific products and services to those venues, would only get the 25% base level wage support. Such an anomaly should be reviewed as each industry has a supply chain and eco-system that will be similarly impacted. The situation is even more acute with the circuit-breaker policy in place.

It would also be opportune for the Government to clarify how the JSS will directly benefit workers since the wage offsets are paid to employers rather than to the employees. Deputy Prime Minister Heng has urged employers who receive the JSS to hold on to their workers. However, prior to the Resilience Budget, many employers had already initiated their own cost management schemes by asking employees to take salary cuts. For instance, some airline staff have been asked to go on no-pay leave for varying periods. With airlines now getting 75% wage offset from the taxpayer, is there any obligation on employers to review these no-pay leave arrangements reached earlier, to see if they are still justified after the wage offsets?

To take another example, retail shops have had minimal sales and some employers have asked staff to work reduced hours and accept pay cuts. Over the weekend, after the circuit-breaker policy was announced, employers in non-essential services have told staff that their job situation was not assured.

To be sure, employers without revenue have to make tough choices and I understand that. To that end, I note that Deputy Prime Minister Heng's speech included a hope that those who receive support will use the resources wisely and responsibly, and that the Government will not hesitate to take action against any abuse. In the context of the Jobs Support Scheme, could the Minister clarify what would constitute abuse by an employer?

Next, I move on to assisting retrenched and unemployed workers. To assist retrenched and unemployed workers, the Resilience Budget offers the Temporary Relief Fund and the COVID-19 Support Grant. The Temporary Relief Fund has been announced to be a one-time $500 cash payout in the month of April while the COVID-19 Support Grant gives three months of support at $800 per month for three months. The intention behind these measures is to put cash into the hands of households where jobs have disappeared, and I agree with that.

I have a clarification on these schemes. It is stated that to qualify for the payments, the job loss must be due to COVID-19. Does the applicant have to prove the causal connection between COVID-19 and the job loss? For instance, take an employee of a company which had been incurring losses even before COVID-19 broke. If he is terminated by the company now, will his application for assistance be rejected because it is arguable that his job loss was not caused by the virus outbreak? If that is the case, it would seem very harsh as it is going to be very difficult for him to find a new job in the current environment.

Sir, in early March, I met a man who was in his 40s wearing the ubiquitous bright green t-shirt of GrabFood delivery workers. I assumed he had been doing such assignments for some time and asked him how it was going. To my surprise, he said that he had just started with Grab that very day and narrated the turbulence he faced since the start of the year. In January, he was working as a restaurant manager but, due to poor business, the restaurant had to close. He then tried switching to be a mini-bus driver but due to the lack of tourists, he had to abandon that idea. To make matters worse, his wife had concurrently lost her job, too, as she worked in the travel industry. And to top it off, they have two children aged 14 and 12 to raise.

This family's experience is, unfortunately, becoming more common and affecting more industries. For instance, we know of a tentage contractor who has recently had to fold as there have been no temple dinners for months.

Mr Speaker, there is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked economic havoc globally and governments need extraordinary measures to cushion citizens through it. We will support the Government's proposed measures and I look forward to the Government's clarifications on the queries I have raised about the Jobs Support Scheme and the measures to assist displaced workers.

Finally, as we enter into a month of circuit breaker and possibly beyond, we shall surely miss the time spent together with our extended families, friends, colleagues and others we hold dear. This is also a time for reflection and appreciating what we may have taken for granted all this while.

Mr Speaker, these past few months have been surreal. It feels as though we are living in a science fiction film, and not a particularly believable one. Globally, the first 100,000 cases of COVID took three months to be discovered. The next 100,000 cases – one month, and then it was one week. Now, we are adding more than 100,000 cases in a single day.

We are fighting a war, not a conventional war but, nonetheless, a war. This might be the biggest crisis the world has ever faced in modern times. It is global, it is unrelenting. It knows no borders nor nationalities nor social classes, none of the traditional lines that divide society.

The Government has rolled out two unprecedented Supplementary Budgets – the Resilience Budget and the Solidarity Budget. The central theme running through these two Budgets is the need to protect our people, people who have been financially devastated by this crisis. It also sends a very powerful message of the need to prevent inequality to be a societal fault line.

We seem to inhabit parallel universes. Rich parents are clamouring for schools to be shut in order to protect their children while poor parents are appealing for schools to be open, because they cannot stay at home. For them, no job means no food. They cannot work from home or WFH, as the new acronym goes.

Either way, the Government is holding a very difficult line. It has to decide to protect lives or to protect livelihoods. It is truly an unenviable task trying to balance such conflicting goals. But the role of the Government, especially in a crisis, is to hold the fabric of society together. Failure to do so will result in voter rebellion. Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Central, French Revolution; the pitchforks are just one crisis away.

Our fates are linked. We are one Singapore. We must help each other. Self-serving behaviour will only make the crisis much more dangerous than it needs to be. The neighbour who chooses to go out, not because he needs to but because he wants to, represents a failure of our society to inculcate the right values.

Mr Speaker, this pandemic has shown us that doctors, nurses, pharmacists, teachers, care-givers, utility workers, cleaners, delivery workers – these are the real heroes; not the management consultant nor the investment banker nor the high-powered lawyer who earn millions of dollars.

A market-based economy has its limitations. It can fail and it can fail spectacularly. And, today, it has done so once again.

Mr Speaker, perhaps, it is time we think of how to reward our true heroes with their real worth, instead of what companies say they are worth. In my mind, there is only one entity that can act as the buyer and seller of last resort for goods and services, and that is the Government. When the challenge is truly existential, only the state can offer a solution that is impactful and equitable for everyone.

As a buyer of last resort, the state, the Government needs make sure that businesses stay afloat and workers have jobs. When hotels are running at 20% occupancy, the Government can step in and utilise their beds as quarantine facilities. When the store owner is facing bankruptcy, the Government can step in and offer rental rebates and other reliefs. When the delivery worker, the gig worker, the restaurant staff cannot make a living by working from home, the Government can step in and offer unemployment benefits.

As a seller of last resort, the Government needs to continue to make sustained investment in our infrastructure and strategic industries, especially in public utilities and essential services – health, water, food, electricity, masks and even weapons for our national defence – because this pandemic has shown that our survival is too important to be left to the invisible hand of the market. It needs the strong hand of the Government.

Having a buffer for productive resources in our strategic industries might be inefficient, but it is not a cost. It is simply the premium we pay for insurance because one day – such as today – when we need to ramp up the productive capacities of our strategic industries, there would be no price too high for us to pay.

But, while the case might be strong for us to strengthen our domestic supply chain, we cannot turn out backs on globalisation and free trade. This pandemic will change the rules of international engagement. It will increase nationalism and experts have predicted a retreat from globalisation. It will increase anti-immigration sentiments. It will shift power from West to East.

Already, we have seen countries banning the exports of masks, a Singapore student getting beaten up in London, China exercising its soft power by delivering aid to Western countries in a total reversal of roles.

But, paradoxically, this pandemic has also shown that the world is a global village. We all got sick together and, to overcome this, we all must stick together. We need to continue to participate in international forums, especially the World Health Organization, because that remains critical for us to find a vaccine in order to defeat the virus.

Singapore must also use this opportunity to enhance our strategic position. We have shown the world that we can lead in many ways. We have first-class contact tracing protocols. Our engineers have put together the world's first contact tracing app, TraceTogether. We have a high level of trust between the Government and the people. And we must continue to allow the world to be confident that we can be relevant and contribute to the international society of states. Because all of us know that, if we are not at the table, we are on the table.

Mr Speaker, this pandemic has shown the importance of trust in our public institutions and in our Government. Tough choices need to be made and everyone has to make sacrifices in order to preserve our way of life. But they need to know that these decisions are made based on science and fact, not politics nor personal advantage. Because to solve big problems, we need big trust between the people and the Government. Not opportunism, not populism, not ideologies, not slogans. Trust depends on telling the truth. For the Government to retain the public's trust, it cannot distort facts nor try to manipulate the public with misleading headlines, as we have seen in many countries – so-called "first world countries" – trying to do this and they are suffering the consequences of it. This must not happen here.

The way that the Government has pulled out all the stops and mobilised society in such a way that makes me proud to call myself a Singaporean. I am proud of our Prime Minister, our Deputy Prime Minister, our Ministers, our public servants, our frontline workers and all manners of Singaporeans who have stepped up to be counted. We need leadership at this critical juncture and I am proud to say that our Government has unequivocally provided this.

But it is not the time to pat ourselves on the back. Because, like a goalkeeper, who can make 20 great saves but he makes a single error and lets in a single goal and people will suffer. And in this case, the price for error of judgement is death. So, we got to keep our eyes on the ball and continue to have the courage and conviction to make the right call.

Mr Speaker, politics is a serious business. The leaders that we elect can mean life and death for our people. Some nations and their leaders have reacted decisively by recognising the initial signs of danger. Others have prevaricated and brought disaster upon their citizens.

Mr Speaker, this crisis and this pandemic will inspire a generation of young people to come forward to serve the community and to serve humanity because there is no greater calling than the calling of public service. It is, indeed, a privilege and an honour to be of service to one's nation and one's people. I urge all Singaporeans to come forward and join the fight of our lifetime.

To quote my immensely courageous and respected friend and mentor, Mr Lim Swee Say, "Singapore together, Majullah forever". Mr Speaker, I wish our fine nation a thousand more years of unity, resilience, solidarity, peace, prosperity and good health. I support the Budget. [Applause.]

Mr Speaker, I rise in support of this Budget. The situation in relation to COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving one. We get daily reports of the numbers of cases being detected, both in Singapore and around the world. Even if we take a snapshot of the situation each time we debated this Budget, we see a different world.

When the original Budget Statement was announced in February and debated in March, Singapore had just over 100 cases. However, at least locally, we looked like we have turned a corner. At the time when I made my speech, there were more people making recoveries and only a small number of additional cases. At the same time, the situation in China appeared to be getting under control.

And at that time, there was the beginning of cases starting in other parts of the world and there were some concerns that we may have a second wave. The Budget provided for what seemed to be a very generous provision of $6.4 billion to deal with the impact of COVID-19.

Barely a few weeks later, the world had changed. There was a surge of cases all around the world and the second wave of COVID-19 became very real as the numbers of locally transmitted cases began to rise. This led to additional restrictive measures being implemented to prevent the spread and a further Resilience Budget being announced on 26 March 2020 to help mitigate the impact of these further measures.

The additional restrictions, already felt serious at that time, included the closing of bars and nightclubs, prohibiting large gatherings of more than 250 people, and many religious gatherings were also called off around that time. Safe distancing measures were also put into place, workplaces were required to implement Business Continuity Plans – all of these were intended to help us carry on with life.

Although the Resilience Budget was only two weeks ago, the latest restrictive measures, the circuit breakers that have been announced, made even those measures seem like indulgent luxuries. Now, with the latest measures, we will no longer be able to eat out or gather for any reasons outside of work. The only exception to this are those providing essential services. For the rest of us, the message is clear: stay home as much as possible. That is the best contribution that we can make.

In my own family, my wife, my daughter and I are all going to be at home together for a long time. But I think this is the message that we all have to understand and live with. It is going to be a different world for us, but only for one month, if we do things right.

All these strict controls and measures mean that the social norms will change as well. It will no longer be socially acceptable to meet up with friends outside of work and even meeting extended family members is not encouraged. So, what this means is we have to find new ways to connect with people who are close and dear to us.

Most Singaporeans fully understand the need for these measures. On Sunday, I walked around to just talk to a few of the hawkers in our area to find out how many of them would be operating. And most of them said they would continue to operate but probably for shorter hours. So, please, continue to get your daily necessities that you need from them. The markets and supermarkets will remain open, so there is no need for panic buying, but please make fewer trips and just go there to buy what you need and then go back.

One of the things that I think we all have to be conscious about is that the situation is, indeed, very serious. Just yesterday, there were a 120 new cases, the majority being locally transmitted. Yet, new clusters were found in workers' dormitories. So, there is yet another flank that has opened up. Our contact tracing teams are working incredibly hard. And while there is community spread, this is not yet widespread. The circuit breaker is our last chance to prevent going where many other countries have gone. So, there is a little bit of pain for all of us to put up with in the month ahead.

And in that respect, I think the Solidarity Budget is welcome. But it also tells us the steep price we have to pay for these measures. It is just under $6 billion and a further addition to the Budget and this is the price we pay for going on circuit breaker mode for one month. If things turn the corner, then we may face a better future after that. If not, especially if people do not take the circuit breaker measures seriously, then we may end up in a much more dire situation and maybe even deeper drawdowns may have to be made.

Like many colleagues, I also dropped by the community centres where the temporary relief schemes were being administered and spoke to the residents there to find out how they were coping, and these were many of the people who have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis. These include Grab and taxi drivers, retail assistants and promoters, workers in the entertainment industry and food and beverage industry. Many, particularly the vulnerable ones who were not on full-time contracts, had their hours or working times reduced.

All of them were clearly in pain. One of the things that struck me was that, under their pain, were resilience and gratitude. They understood the measures were necessary and were grateful for the help provided to ride through the storm. In these times of great crisis, we sometimes see the best in people. One of our local hawkers in the Admiralty area, Ah Lock, told me he intended to stay open and to provide free meals for needy residents. This was both to help those in need as well as to keep his workers employed. It is definitely not going to be rosy for him financially, but he feels that this is the right thing to do.

Another person who has actually come out in an extraordinary way was my local provision shop owner in the Vista Point Market. At that time when DORSCON Orange was announced and many places were running out of rice, he carried on with an initiative to give out about 2,000 kg of brown rice to those who needed it. This was an initiative that he came up with before COVID-19 and which he carried through.

And it is little efforts like this that show the common humanity in all of us that no matter what we are running through, there is still something we can do for other people.

In many of the efforts that have come forward to distribute masks, volunteers have come forward to help, the hand sanitiser distribution likewise. And every time we asked for help, people come forward to help.

Now, as we go forward, the next biggest help we need to ask from everyone is to stay at home, look after your health and look after the health of your loved ones.

The Budget provides support for many of the most difficult pain points we will face in this coming month. Employers were concerned about wages to be paid to their workers. There is going to be substantial support for that, particularly for the large base of workers. Businesses were concerned about rentals. There is going to be support for that as well. So, the main aim of the Government is to cushion the financial and economic impact in the next month for a very large part of the country. And if we all do our part, this will, hopefully, not be too long drawn. Mr Speaker, a few words in Tamil.

(In Tamil): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] This is probably one of the most difficult challenges we have faced as a country since our Independence. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we have had to take measures that will make many parts of our economy ground to a halt.

For those of you working in areas like aviation, tourism, food and beverage or driving Grab or taxis, you will likely have seen your income drop significantly. If you have not sought help already, do drop by your Community Centres where the assistance schemes are being administered for those economically impacted by these measures. Likewise, do let your family and friends who have been affected know as well.

You will also realise that the latest outbreak has taken place in workers’ dormitories and some 20,000 workers have now been quarantined. For those whose businesses may be affected by the crunch in workers, please understand that measures are being taken to keep the workers in dormitories safe as well.

The next one month will be difficult, both economically and emotionally for all of us. Many of us will feel the economic pinch, either directly or indirectly, as work is disrupted on a large scale. Our children are going to be at home as well, and many parents will feel the challenge of having to assist with home-based learning for their children while they themselves try to work from home as well. At the same time, we will not be able to visit extended family members who do not live with us. Indeed, personally, my family will also be going through all of this.

However, we must understand that if we all do our part and get this right, the pain may be temporary and, after one month, we may be able to ease the restrictions a little. On the other hand, if it gets worse, our country may have no choice but to move towards a total lockdown like many other countries have if the spread of the disease becomes widespread. For this to work, we must all do our part.

Mr Speaker, Sir, please allow me to declare my interest as Chairman of Sakae Holdings Limited, President of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF), Vice-Chairman of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and Vice-President of the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF).

I rise to affirm my support for the recently delivered Singapore Supplementary Budget Statement 2020 and to provide a response from the manufacturing and business community.

The general sentiment from the manufacturing and business community is largely one of relief and pleasant surprise. Before Deputy Prime Minister Heng's announcement on 26 March 2020, I recall The Straits Times carrying an article on 22 March 2020, with the prediction of several financial institutions that the stimulus package "might be in the region of $15 billion".

That the measures announced by Deputy Prime Minister Heng on 26 March 2020 were expected to be more than three times that estimate at about $48 billion, have left many in no doubt that this Government is prepared to stand together with its citizens in times of difficulty, especially with today's Solidarity Budget of even more enhanced support measures.

Mr Speaker, Sir, if I may quote unedited in a mix of English and Mandarin from one of our members in SMF: "Regarding yesterday's budget, first time it gave me an impactful feeling that Singapore Government reserves are solid. No doubt, our cost of manufacturing here is high. However, it set a precedent for existing businesses and potential MNC investors that, in times of crisis, Singapore Government is willing to stretch its hands and walk through the crisis with us. 感恩政府的借助，关关难过，关关过 ." I believe that after today, he will be very comforted that his trust is really well-placed.

In this regard, following the lead of the Government, as one of the larger local Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs), the SMF will continue to stand united and work with our other TACs and Government agencies to provide assistance for our businesses through the current challenging times.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I will now seek to provide further feedback on the business stabilising measures, the continued need to build capabilities in the current challenging climate and, finally, to call for the increased use of the tripartite partnership to position our workforce and industries for the next upturn.

Only three months have passed from the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Singapore. Many Members have spoken about that. However, it probably feels way longer than that to most Singaporeans. The way of life, as many knew before, has been disrupted. For example, we see more alcohol everywhere today than rice available for sale in supermarkets. The former, of course, in hand sanitisers and, the latter, due to the irrational panic buying sentiments of some.

Unprecedented in both scale and depth, this second round or third round of stimulus measures demonstrates a calculated, prudent and progressive approach by the Government to address the wide-ranging effects of the COVID-19 outbreak which is widespread globally.

Apart from the targeted support to the different industries most directly affected by the current global pandemic, the Supplementary Budget sets out broad-based support for businesses and reflects an understanding by the Government of the difficulties that companies are facing on the ground. The 3Cs of cost, cash and credit, indeed, represent the most immediate challenges many businesses face.

The Supplementary Budget expands and deepens a wide range of instruments to provide support for businesses, with a focus on tax and wage support to assist with these three Cs. Although there were no specific measures for the manufacturing sector, the support measures cut across all businesses and the manufacturing sector will, therefore, benefit from the same.

As a TAC, we are committed to helping our members gain access to this support framework. However, in fulfilling this role of "connector", I have received some feedback which I hope the Government can take into consideration.

Firstly, the cost of foreign worker levies still weighs heavily in the minds of employers. There are some additional measures in today's Solidarity Budget. So, can the Government please consider reducing or waiving the cost of such, during these times so as to allow for even more manoeuvrability for our SMEs during the difficult times ahead?

Secondly, while assistance is given to taxi drivers and private car hires, can there be consideration for those generally employed as drivers in manufacturing firms with their own logistics fleet? Can such firms also be given some assistance in the form of road tax relief or even diesel tax relief from the reduced use of such vehicles in these difficult times?

Thirdly, while our members appreciate the measures in improving the working capital loans, our members have also provided feedback that financial institutions have turned them away as they have been unable to find shareholders who are below 60 years old to act as guarantors.

Mr Speaker, Sir, while the above are undoubtedly the concern of many on the ground, on the other hand, I have been actively reminding our members that it is important for businesses to continue to use resources carefully and work hand-in-hand with their employees and the Government during this critical period.

I take and share the unwavering stand that the support rendered in the Supplementary Budget cannot be taken for granted, and businesses cannot just sit around and wait for Government assistance. It is, therefore, essential that companies and businesses relook their business models, train and upskill their workers and look to digitalisation as the new norm for doing business.

It is, therefore, more crucial than ever for businesses to develop capabilities to be future-ready. If our businesses had been further along the digitalisation curve prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the current transition to remote work arrangements and moving business operations into the online space would be less painful and probably better executed.

The economy and business landscape after we emerge from this crisis will be vastly different. In the here-and-now, to limit physical interaction, we are faced with the reality of a leaner physical workforce and the necessity for many business operations and processes to take place in a virtual environment.

The Supplementary Budget includes the expanding of the SMEs Go Digital – Digital Project Management Services programme to include more solutions for business continuity and expanded support under the Enterprise Development Grant and Productivity Solutions Grant. At this point, we need to leap towards these solutions to accelerate the capability building process to be future-ready.

Companies have to realise with increasing urgency that digitalisation is no longer just a want or a good-to-have. It is now a necessity, and business owners must snap out of the haze of apathy and really use this opportunity for change.

Next, I move on to the final part of my speech – Singapore's strong labour tripartite partnership. In particular, I would like to focus on two aspects of this partnership.

Firstly, how each stakeholder in this partnership has a role to play and how reciprocity must be encouraged from one party to the other; and, secondly, how this partnership can be a viable flexible companion to the rigidity of law.

The Government has taken the extraordinary move in this Supplementary Budget to tap into our reserves. We are very fortunate that our current Government is efficient and one that takes a consultative attitude. However, it is also not by chance that most of our factories are able to continue running and that we are able to go about with our lives with relative normalcy despite this "perfect storm". As a community, we have worked hard for this.

In this spirit of reciprocity of good intent and measures, it is only right that a reciprocal commitment is required on the part of businesses to strive to retain as many jobs as possible, plan ahead for the economic rebound and ensure that this drawdown from the reserves, accumulated over decades of a sound and prudent financial policy, are well accounted for by this generation of Singaporeans to the next.

However, from the US-China trade conflict to the civil unrests in Hong Kong and now COVID-19, employers have had to bravely plod through these overlapping hurricanes which have since merged into one perfect storm. Employers not only have to deal with the numerous ongoing demands of the business, take care of employee welfare and livelihood, but employers, too, have families and dependants to account to.

I would, therefore, like to sound a call to employees and to worker unions that when COVID-19 blows over and this dust has settled, do not forget the employer that has fought hard and made sacrifices for you to keep your job or the employer that has sent you for training to increase your knowledge and keep you updated in the evolving workforce. Stay and help your employer. The spirit of reciprocity also applies to employees.

Mr Speaker, Sir, it is, indeed, laudable that, here in Singapore, we can speak of the Government, employers and employees in the soft languages of cooperation, reciprocity, respect and so on. Quite apart from the rigidity of laws and regulations, the existing relations within the tripartite partnership can be utilised to prod and cajole employers to pass on relief measures to employees, especially with the critical aim of retaining jobs and upskilling the workforce.

The benefits of voluntary buy-in are many. Better understanding of policy leads to less resistance and people willing to go beyond the minimum standards that law mandates. More importantly, it is in this difficult time that morale is not further beaten down by what can easily be perceived as draconian measures.

For clarity, I am not saying that the use of law and penalties is not required but there should be greater engagement through the tripartite partnership which can run complementary to legal provisions and reduce the necessity of the use of penal deterrence.

Mr Speaker, Sir, in conclusion, the Supplementary Budget 2020, with its wide-ranging measures and size on the enhanced support measures for resilience and solidarity, comes with the grateful backing of the business community. I firmly support the Supplementary Budget Statement 2020.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan.

Sir, when I took on the MOT portfolio in 2015, my team and I had to deal with the frequent MRT breakdowns. We focused on that and we improved MRT and bus services. We also pushed hard for a car-lite Singapore, rolling out major extensions to the MRT network and cycling paths. We also worked hard to enhance Singapore as an air and sea hub.

Last December, my family got me to take a short break. My third grandchild was born on my birthday in December the year before and the family gave us a joint birthday celebration in Melbourne. While there, I reflected with some satisfaction how everything was coming along nicely. Tuas mega port, Terminal 5 (T5) and several MRT projects were on track.

Then, all of a sudden, hell broke loose! How the world changed in four short months. COVID-19 is spreading around the globe. Half the world is under lockdown. Here in Singapore, we are seeing community spread and we have to apply a circuit breaker.

COVID-19 is destroying both lives and livelihoods. As countries try to protect lives through isolating them, the global economy grinds to a standstill. The impact on Changi air hub is severe. Changi Airport is deserted. Airlines, ground handlers, airport shops and restaurants have all experienced a sharp fall in business. Their workers have seen huge pay cuts. I met them often, face to face, at the airport, over the weeks. As the virus grew into a global pandemic, I saw increasing fear in their eyes. The last time I experienced this was during SARS. This time, it is even more serious.

The Government is responding robustly. For aviation, we will help the companies so that they can retain their workers. They will get substantial cash grants to cover the bulk of their local workers' payroll. We are providing other cost relief through generous rebates, deferments and rental relief.

The Government will also waive the Airport Development Levy (ADL) until the end of March next year.

The Changi community knows it is not business as usual – far from it. The companies are reviewing their operations to reduce cash burn. For example, Changi Airport has four terminals. Right now, one terminal is enough to handle the current volume of demand. We can close down one or two terminals. But we must think about post-pandemic recovery. While full recovery this year is unlikely, partial recovery next year is probable. We must be ready to lead and to ride the recovery when it happens.

After much deliberation, we have decided to suspend operations at Terminal 2 (T2) for 18 months from 1 May next month. We will save on running costs for the airport operator, retail tenants, airlines and ground handlers. Importantly, it also allows us to speed up the current upgrading works at T2 and shorten the project time by up to one year.

With the suspension of T2 operations, we will reallocate airlines across the remaining terminals. Singapore Airlines (SIA) will consolidate its operations in Terminal 3 (T3). Other airlines will also be affected. We will ensure sufficient capacity for all airlines to grow when passenger traffic recovers.

In managing this crisis, we are mindful that global connectivity is of fundamental importance to Singapore. It links us to the rest of the world. It defines us as a global city and indeed, as a people. Domestically, the Changi air hub is crucial to Singapore's role as a business, manufacturing and research and development (R&D) hub. In this eco-system, SIA is the anchor. If it were to collapse, it will undermine our ability to recover from the crisis. Many Singaporeans depend on Changi Airport for a living.

That is why we took swift action to support the air hub to prevent the loss of strategic capabilities and our hard-earned position as a reliable air hub. Prompt action by Temasek to back SIA's fundraising efforts and the Government's Resilience Budget have been viewed positively by many industry analysts. Their conclusion is that SIA "looks well positioned to emerge from the coronavirus crisis as an industry leader".

Meanwhile, SIA, SilkAir, Scoot and their crew have not been sitting idle. They are actively engaged in our national battle against COVID-19.

First, they continue to mount around 40 return passenger flights a week to ASEAN capitals and the economic hubs in Asia, Australia, Europe and the US. They take precautionary measures to protect the crew. For short haul flights, the crew do not leave the plane during turnaround. For long haul flights, the crew stay at airport hotels during the layover and do not leave their rooms. On board flights, the serving crew wear masks and minimise contact with passengers. That was how we were able to evacuate two batches of Singaporeans from Wuhan in February. That was also how we flew our students back from the UK and the US last month.

Second, in addition to its passenger flights and freighter services, SIA is deploying some of its passenger aircraft to carry only cargo. Together, these services fly in essential goods amidst the global supply disruptions, such as medical supplies, food and other useful cargoes.

Third, their crew are volunteering to help, using their skills in many useful ways. To-date, about 800 crew and ground staff from our aviation companies including SIA have come forward to help out at our hospitals as care ambassadors, at Social Service Offices (SSOs) to help process applications for social support and at NTUC as customer service associates. Many more are coming forward.

I came across one WhatsApp text from an SIA stewardess: "I am a flight attendant. I am writing to volunteer. Now that I no longer have flights to operate, I thought it would be best if I could render some kind of help to the community. Apart from queue management, temperature taking and other tasks, I can also help the elderly and other individuals who require assistance." I find that a touching message!

Apart from aviation, the pandemic has also affected taxi, Grab and Gojek drivers. Their incomes have plunged. As one taxi driver put it starkly, "There's no work. I cannot live like this."

I met some of them when they came to apply for the Temporary Relief Fund. Many have experienced SARS but unlike SARS, they know a speedy recovery is unlikely this time round.

Mr Lim Jit Poh chaired ComfortDelGro during SARS. He saw the hardship coming as soon as the outbreak worsened in February. His many suggestions to me helped us shape the Point-to-Point Support Package and ComfortDelGro contributed more than its share. When we suggested the Transport Ambassador scheme to help taxi drivers earn extra allowance, ComfortDelGro chipped in readily. SMRT too.

Meanwhile, we accept the fall in demand for buses and trains. It means that Singaporeans are staying at home more and doing what they need to do around their immediate neighbourhood. This is not the time to use our public transport to get to the other side of Singapore for your favourite hawker dish. When the Minister for Transport has to suspend ERP, COE and discourage the use of public transport, you know the situation is serious. With the circuit breaker measures, we can now enforce safe distancing on public transport. And we are deploying transport ambassadors to remind commuters of these measures.

To tackle the pandemic, countries must work together. Critically, trade flows must continue. It does not make sense for traditional food exporters to ban exports. It only hurts their farmers as their harvests rot in the field. It is critical to keep global supply chains intact so that goods can get to countries and the people who need them.

Unlike others, we kept our sea port open throughout this crisis and we are committed to keeping it open. From my office, I can see Pasir Panjang Terminal. It is busy with cargo activities. We had put in place precautionary measures to ensure a safe working environment for our staff and our crew. With this, our port continues to service the world and at the same time, safeguard our essential supplies.

Nearer home, with bilateral cooperation, our land link with Johor remains open for essential goods despite the Movement Control Order (MCO). We thank the many countries that have worked with us to ensure that trade flows continue during this difficult time.

Working tirelessly behind the scenes to keep Singapore moving and connected are our transport workers – our train and bus captains, taxi and private hire car drivers, seafarers, shore-based staff, pilots, cabin crew, airport ground staff. They are our unsung heroes. I would like to convey my deepest appreciation to them.

I am also heartened by how our transport operators, the National Trade Workers Union (NTWU) and LTA, had rallied together to stand by our bus captains from Malaysia when the MCO was suddenly imposed. Our bus operators worked through the night, got the drivers checked into accommodation and updated their duty rosters to replace those drivers who stayed back in Johor. And the next day, our bus services functioned normally. Our amazing One Transport family came together to support their colleagues in their hour of need and ensured the continuity of our public bus service.

Nobody knows how long the pandemic will last, but recover, we will. It will, however, not be a simple return to status quo ante. For instance, supply chain resilience will become even more important. So, expect more local production to improve resilience. This will have implications for Singapore's transshipment hub. As global trade flows shift, we must still secure and strengthen our role as a major node in global supply chains. The efficiency and connectivity of our sea port and airport will become even more critical.

Just as 9/11 changed aviation security forever, expect COVID-19 to impact air travel and airport operations. This will have implications for our T5 planning and timeline. I strongly believe air travel growth will return, although a quick rebound is unlikely. Fortunately, T5 was designed to be modular so that its construction can be scaled up or down as necessary.

Meanwhile, we have to revive air transport links. This will be crucial to reviving the global economy and trade flows, and rebuilding people to people exchanges. When the situation improves, we will see how to bring the relevant stakeholders to work on sustainable recovery. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have a leading role to play and we will support them.

We will need to develop new global rules and guidelines to take into account the lessons learnt from the pandemic. We also have to think about how to enhance capability across all regions because the connectivity network is only as strong as its weakest link.

Sir, we have much to do to prepare Singapore for recovery. The transport sector plays a crucial role in the survival and prosperity of Singapore. For me, during this crisis, I will focus on three areas: (a) keeping our air and sea ports operational so that we continue to play our pivotal role in the global supply chain. Even in crisis mode, we must work to enhance our reputation as among the most reliable hubs in the world; (b) protecting the health of our transport workers and ensuring the safety of the commuters; and (c) enlisting the help of every Singaporean to get us through this difficult time to emerge stronger than before. This will strengthen our social bonds as one people.

The coming months will be very challenging and hard for all of us. But the world is not coming to an end. Better times will surely return.

Last month, my fourth grandchild was born. [Applause.] Thank you. With the circuit breaker in place, my wife and I cannot get near him. And you know how difficult that is. My daughters are not visiting us like before. Fortunately, we have two grandkids staying with us. Yesterday, when my wife was about to pick up some items from the neighbourhood sundry shop, I heard my granddaughter yelling out her instruction: “Remember to wear your mask; if there is a crowd, stand one metre apart; ask Auntie Frances to do the same!” Frances is our domestic helper. Obviously, her teachers have taught her well. She is in Primary 2.

COVID-19 will pass. Over my 42 years in Government service, I have seen how Singaporeans came together to confront and overcome a crisis. Many years from now, I am sure our children and our grandchildren will look back at 2020 as our finest moment – when Singaporeans will again come together to defeat COVID-19 and emerge stronger. [Applause.]

Mr Speaker, Sir, first of all before I start my speech, I would like to say a big thank you to Prime Minister Lee, Deputy Prime Minister Heng, Cabinet Ministers for coming up with decisive and quick actions over the past few months and past few weeks.

But most importantly, as I go around my estate in Toa Payoh, I think we should also give a lot of thanks to our resilient Singaporeans.

The day before Singaporeans were informed to actually maintain social distancing, the day after when I passed by seeing Singaporeans actually maintaining the gap at hawker centres, highlighted how resilient our Singaporeans and citizens are. And I think most importantly we need to thank our Singaporeans for being resilient and for riding through this fight against this COVID.

So, once again, thank you, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister Heng and team for rolling out the Resilience Budget.

Just about a month ago, we were debating about the annual Budget. Since then, the COVID-19 situation around the world and in Singapore has seen some very rapid developments. In spite of that, our Government has maintained a level-headed response to comprehensively manage the situation, winning the admiration of national bodies and citizens from around the world. Now, in a highly reassuring move for all, a Supplementary Budget has been introduced to enhance help for businesses and individuals in this prolonged war against the COVID-19, and today we have the Solidarity Budget. Besides saving jobs and healthcare help, the focus on resilience and making sure we emerge from this crisis stronger for Singapore is also key.

Since then, further details on the measures to support Singaporeans affected by COVID-19 has come out such as the Temporary Relief Fund, COVID-19 Support Grant, the Self Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS) and Workfare Special Payment. These have been timely just as Singaporeans are increasingly being affected by the crisis.

I have a few questions, clarifications and suggestions as a follow-up to the Supplementary Budget and hope the Deputy Prime Minister would consider them. They are for three segments, namely companies and workers, vulnerable residents and Singaporeans in general.

First, for companies and their workers. My first broad question is, given our unprecedented measures, what is the nature of this current crisis we are having now which is unprecedented and how different it is from past crises Singapore has faced. The Government has implemented an elevated set of safe distancing measures as a circuit breaker. The negative impact on the economy and jobs will be significant. Some analysts and economists estimate the shutting down of non-essential services for a month could cost from about $5 to $10 billion or 2% of GDP. Non-essential services cover roughly about 30% of GDP, including a large proportion of sectors such as retail, gaming, construction of residential and office projects, hospitality and business services. Some transactions like these can be deferred or shifted forward like property purchase or purchase of a washing machine or online laptop or clothing. Some transactions cannot be and will represent a permanent loss – a Michelin dining experience, yoga class or hotel stay. Some business services can be operated from home and still function despite a lockdown. Some businesses have already seen a sharp drop such as hotels, even before the additional measures.

So, it is possible that non-essential services cover about a third of total employment more than their share of GDP. This is because many of the sectors such as retail, F&B and construction are more labour-intensive than essential services such as financial services or electronics manufacturing. So, roughly 1.3 million workers may be in cold storage for a month albeit productive, possibly, out of the 3.78 million employed at end of 2019.

The question to the Deputy Prime Minister is, the short-circuit measures may affect businesses and thus unemployment rates or jobs if it is prolonged and would have been even larger without any Government financial support. Is this going to be a deeper recession than even during the Asian Financial Crisis or the Global Financial Crisis? And whether we need further financial measures to actually enhance or support the economy.

The Job Support Scheme (JSS) is a crucial part of the Budget, as I go on to my next question on workers, to help employees stay employed, and to help employers retain their trusted employees. Sir, I am pleased hear just now when the Deputy Prime Minister mentioned that the Government is enhance the JSS under Resilience and Solidarity Budget to have employers pay 25% and now up to 75% for all local employees in April. The question I have is, can we have this higher tier wage support extended to the retail sector beyond April. The impact of the Enhanced Property Tax Rebate is quite small relative to the JSS and then landlords may not pass the savings to retail tenants.

I am glad that the total amount of rental waivers has been increased to $334 million to tide over eligible properties for three months. But if we are still in a recession by the fourth quarter of the year, a third relief package and an extension of rental waiver will be necessary. Can the Government provide further waiver if the situation necessitates it?

I also note that JSS has been extended to cover nine months, up from three months previously. In my Budget response, I shared my concerns on the duration of which eligible employers will receive the pay-out. So, I am also pleased when the Deputy Prime Minister mentioned just now that enhancements will be brought forward to April, earlier, and it will be delivered as fast as possible. But with the new enhancements what will be done to ensure the employees will get the grant short support in the shortest duration possible?

The other measure that the Deputy Prime Minister mentioned earlier was the Foreign Worker Levy. Firms do get a rebate of $650 for each of the work permit or S Pass holders. So, I am pleased that the foreign worker level will be waived in the month of April. However, we expect the COVID-19 situation to persist for for possibly over a year and these sectors are significant key node of the Singapore economy. Right now priority should be helping businesses stay afloat. We cannot let them adversely be affected by creative destruction. So, will the Government consider extending the waiver beyond April if we manage to get out of the circuit-breaker period.

Next, if we step back, and take a more macro view of our measures to help the economy. In other countries facing major economic disruptions due to city or nationwide lockdowns, speculations are flying over whether governments would nationalise or bail out some of their key private services and businesses. In our circumstance, we are blessed to have reserves and well managed sovereign institutions such as Temasek, GIC and Statutory Boards such as MAS. However, no matter how large the size of our reserves, it is still limited and we need to optimise its usage. Broadly, my question is conceptually, how and when does the Singapore Government decide to bail out a particular company? Would it be based on the national security angle and the number of jobs they provide? It would be useful to share the broader factors that are taken into consideration in a transparent manner.

Next for individuals and small businesses hit by the COVID-19 impact, there are a few issues I would like to suggest and seek clarification.

First, in terms of relaxing macro-prudential measures temporarily to help small business and individuals. Under the Enhanced Temporary Bridging Loan programme, the Government will shoulder 80% of default risk and now 90% re-sharing until March 2021. This, hopefully, will help access to credit. The latest MAS and financial institutions support measures such as deferring of repayment for residential property loans and lower interest on personal unsecured credit is largely welcome.

However, according to the statistics from MAS, housing and bridging loans have been declining since May 2019. Yet outstanding pawnshop loans have picked up by 3.4% in the fourth quarter of 2019, the fastest pace since the year before in 2018. The concern is that under current crisis and with the above trend continuing, people may be resorting to alternative forms of credit, including the more expensive and higher interest rate loans from money lenders and even loan sharks. Even though interest rates have fallen, access to bank credit remains tight because of TDSR and prudential measures.

So, I urge the Government to conduct a further review on the macro-prudential measures and consider easing on macro-prudential measures in totality, especially the Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR) and Loan-to-Value (LTV) limits. The intention is to relax access to cheaper loans and credit from banks for sole proprietors and small SMEs, which often rely on personal credit and cash flow to keep their businesses running.

With self-employed workers losing their gigs, as well as job losses and wage cuts all round, many will see the TDSR curbing their eligibility for loans. The monetary policy transmission channel is broken from easier monetary policy. When you cannot borrow, it will be difficult for monetary policy to work. Consumers cannot access credit because of TDSR and prudential measures. Companies cannot access credit because banks will be wary of defaults – even with the enhanced risk co-sharing scheme that supports eligible SME loans and the other above support measures. I am also concerned that some parties and individuals may take advantage of the current crisis to make super normal borrowing rates, and I urge the Government to be on the watch for evidence of such behaviour.

Next, I have a question on CPF contribution rates. Recently, a resident asked me if it is true that CPF contribution requirement from employers has been reduced. Her employer said it is a cost-saving measure to help businesses. Of course, I told her it was not, and to speak to me or MOM if her boss denies her full CPF payment. However, this brings to mind that in times like this, some businesses may resort to illegal measures to cut their losses. It is fortunate that this resident sought clarification. Some others would have believed and accepted it, especially with so many jobs on the line now. I am sure any employer who resorts to cheating their employees out of their CPF will be duly punished. But I hope the Government will consider the soft approach and help out companies with genuine difficulties.

The third segment I have and the final one is on building food, social and psychological resilience as we position ourselves for recovery. One broad question I have the Deputy Prime Minister is how can Singapore citizens and the whole country emerge stronger once the dust has settled. One example is how we can become stronger in terms of food resilience.

COVID-19 has also emphasised the importance of having resilient supplies of food and other essential items. Indeed, it is good to know that Singapore is building up our national stockpile of health supplies, including masks and hand sanitisers, so that we will continue to be well-stocked and we have in place a robust, multi-pronged strategy, to ensure that we continue to have a stable supply of safe food. And we are strengthening our food resilience for the long term. But instead of a 30 by 30 vision, can we aim to produce 50% or more of our nutritional needs by 2030, up from less than 10% today?

While the supply of food is functioning well in most countries and Singapore at present, problems could start to be seen within weeks and intensify over the following two months as key fruits and vegetables come into season. These types of produce often have short ripening times and are highly perishable and need skilled pickers to work quickly and at the right time.

In addition, as governments impose lockdowns in countries across the world, recruiting seasonal workers will become impossible unless measures are taken to ensure vital workers can still move around, while preventing the virus from spreading.

In these challenging times, the poor and vulnerable are the hardest hit. Charities have reported receiving less donations, as in times of an impending economic crisis, people have understandably tightened their purse strings. Manpower too has become hard to come by due to COVID-19. I would like to request for more financial aid to organisations serving the orphanages, nursing homes, disabled and homeless. Social workers too will be overwhelmed with the new schemes and with more people seeking help in these times. I hope the whole process can be streamlined so that eligible parties need not be put through a long wait for help.

In conclusion, I have heard so much feedback from both Singaporeans and foreigners that in a pandemic crisis like this, Singapore is the best place to be. Because we have an excellent healthcare system, a Government who cares for the citizens and great people who are going above and beyond to keep our country safe. I am proud to be Singaporean and this crisis makes me feel prouder and more patriotic than ever.

I support the Resilience and Solidarity Budgets and I pledge to do my best for my fellow citizens so that we can all get through this crisis together.

Minister Ng Chee Meng.

Mr Speaker, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat has announced a robust Supplementary Budget to meet the challenges of COVID-19. These challenges are fast evolving, not only in the world but also in Singapore.

In many ways, we have managed the impact of the first wave of COVID-19. But the second wave has come upon us and the Government has taken more measures to combat the spread.

Protecting lives is of utmost importance and urgency. But this can clash painfully with sustaining livelihoods. It is a difficult and delicate balance.

I have spoken to many on the ground – Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), workers from all walks of life and freelancers. All of them are struggling.

The new circuit breaker measures, while protecting lives, will only make things harder for them. But all of them tell me that while things are difficult, they appreciate what the Singapore Government and Singaporeans are doing together. And I am sure many will also appreciate the extra help that Deputy Prime Minister announced today, on top of the two Budgets, especially the enhanced Job Support Scheme of up to 75% subsidy. I am also personally reassured that the Government is prepared to do more if and when necessary. They know that these circumstances are challenging, and they are willing to do their part.

However, they want me to help them relay one key feedback. They would like to see an increase in the speed of Government assistance.

The Government has pushed out a lot of budgetary help over the past weeks. Money is on the table. The key now is to put this help directly into the pockets of ordinary workers and Singaporeans.

The economic impact of COVID-19, as many in this House have said, is unprecedented and the situation has escalated faster than any of us expected. Through this, we must remain agile and adaptable in responding to the increasing challenges.

Over the last few days, I saw many queuing up for the Temporary Relief Fund – over 3,000 in my division. For many, it is the first time that they are applying for aid, not something they ever thought they would have to do. They tell me they are more than willing to work to support their families. But now, many of them have little choice. And the worry in their voices was frankly heart-breaking. So, I am glad to hear Deputy Prime Minister say today that this money provided for in the different Budgets will be paid out quickly. This will help the ground significantly.

Our financial muscle today in Singapore is not insignificant – thanks to the foresight of our founding leaders. The Government is rolling out other cash support for the months ahead, such as the COVID-19 Support Grant and the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme, or SIRS. Though the support is generous, some freelancers and self-employed have told me they are worried. Why? Because they do not meet the criteria for SIRS. So, again, I am happy to hear a broadening of criteria for these people where the Annual Value (AV) is raised from $13,000 to $21,000.

I have also spoken to Deputy Prime Minister Heng and Mrs Josephine Teo, our Manpower Minister, to see how we can help this group of self-employed and freelancers. NTUC will step up to administer the applications and appeals for SIRS. We will try our very best to push for inclusion and make this process as straightforward as possible. I know that many freelancers and self-employed are going through hard times and as such, we, in NTUC and the Labour Movement will work to facilitate appeals starting no later than 20 April. We will do our best in this aspect.

But I also hope more will apply for the NTUC Care Fund for COVID-19 in the interim. While this is not a large amount, $200-$300, but every little bit counts. And we, in the Labour Movement, want to chip in and help out our fellow workers and put cash directly into workers' and freelancers' hands.

More than cash, we must help Singaporeans with their jobs. Earning a decent wage is crucial for survival and paying bills.

The Government is helping companies to stay liquid and keep their workers. But again, if I may just reinforce my feedback, this help must be pushed out quickly, as the revenue has dried up for many companies.

As Labour Chief, I have vested interests in companies' survival and success because our workers can only succeed when companies succeed and do well.

NTUC, therefore, has been engaging CEOs to understand their concerns and see how we in NTUC and the Labour Movement can assist, whether it is about cutting costs to save jobs, accessing Government assistance or job matching their excess workers through our Job Security Council.

I also recently spoke to leaders in the local aviation and aerospace sectors to see how they are and see what we can do together. I found the conversations insightful.

Despite the aviation and aerospace sectors suffering huge losses, the CEOs are trying their best to keep their workers. For example, as Minister Khaw has also mentioned, cabin crew from SIA are being trained and redeployed for meaningful work as SG Care and Safe Distancing Ambassadors. This means they can earn some income and, at the same time, help in our national COVID-19 efforts.

Also, despite these difficult times, the CEOs are keeping an eye on the future. They are making use of Government support to send their workers for training so that when the upturn eventually comes, our air sectors will be poised and ready for those new opportunities.

I hope other employers do their part too, because their actions will greatly impact how Singapore emerges from this crisis. Companies must keep their workers employed and make use of the support to send workers for training.

In whatever ways NTUC can help, we want to do so. Our objectives across the tripartite partners are the same: sustain our companies; sustaining our jobs and securing our future. Mr Speaker, in Mandarin, please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] This year's Budget was first boosted and further enhanced. This is unprecedented. It shows the Government's resolute determination to help our people and businesses tide over these difficult times.

In my conversations with residents, workers, union leaders and employers, they all said that this Budget can help them. However, they hope that the measures will be implemented earlier – relief and subsidies be disbursed sooner. As the Chinese proverb says, “distant water cannot help to put out a fire close at hand”.

In NTUC, we have also stepped up our efforts to help employers and workers understand the various schemes introduced by the Government and, more importantly, help them benefit from the schemes as soon as possible.

The income of self-employed persons was greatly impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Some of them are not eligible for the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS). I have discussed this with Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and Manpower Minister Josephine Teo. From 20 April, NTUC will help the self-employed persons who are not eligible for SIRS to appeal to the Government so that they can benefit from this scheme as well.

Both NTUC and the Government share the same goal – the support packages must sustain our companies, sustain our jobs and secure our future. In these difficult times, I believe that if we stay united, with concerted efforts to overcome all challenges, we will be able to ride this out together and move towards a brighter future.

(In English): Mr Speaker, let me conclude. I spoke to a tour guide recently. She thanked me profusely for all the different assistance given to her, whether Government or NTUC. But in this conversation, what caught my attention was the story she told about her daughter. She told me her daughter had just returned from overseas. Her daughter saw the big difference between Singapore's way of dealing with COVID-19 through a whole-of-nation approach in tackling the crisis versus what she experienced overseas. She saw the help that was given to her mother. She saw how Singaporeans came together to help one another. She says now she realised what it means to be Singaporean and that she is proud to be Singaporean – coming from a 20-something year old who, I believe, has matured tremendously over the last four months.

Mr Speaker, this is a value-shaping moment for Singapore. COVID-19 is one of the biggest challenges we have faced to date. The Government, the Labour Movement and employers are working with Singaporeans, to overcome this together.

Let us show who we are, that we are a resilient nation, that we respond to facts, we trust our Government and importantly, we have compassion for our neighbours. Mr Speaker, we are prepared for this fight and we will pull through this crisis together. I support the Budget. [Applause.]

Mr Seah Kian Peng.

Mr Speaker, Sir, let me declare my interest as the Group CEO of both NTUC Enterprise and NTUC Fairprice Group.

First, I would like to assure everyone in the House and Singaporeans outside, that our warehouses are quite full. We have rice, canned food, toilet paper, cooking oil, instant noodles. We have fruits and vegetable. We have meats – fresh and frozen.

Yes, prices of certain items have gone up in recent weeks due to higher demand worldwide, increases in production costs, increases in shipping/freight charges and so on. But be assured that we will continue to do our best to moderate these price increases and make it affordable to all.

In March last year, 2019, we had announced we would freeze the prices of the top 100 Fairprice Housebrand essential products for 15 months regardless of changes in supply and external factors. This price guarantee could not be more timely under the current situation.

Ordinarily, I would not have made such a promotional statement. But these are not ordinary times and we are not an ordinary people.

We are a hard Government. In good times, some critics here call us stingy. We are a House known for discipline, fiscal prudence, saving for rainy days.

At NTUC Enterprise, we too have to marshal our capital resources to ensure our entities – from NTUC Income, to Mercatus, to the FairPrice Group, to NTUC First Campus, to our NTUC Learning Hub, to our NTUC Health – that we are able to withstand the shocks and disruptions caused to our businesses.

As a group, we provide jobs to over 21,000 people and we serve over two million people everyday. We have a strong local core and close to 80% of our team are Singaporeans.

We have Malaysian colleagues who form slightly over half of our non-local workforce. We have staff from other nationalities as well and, as what NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng just said, every worker matters. Every one of my colleagues plays a part to keep our many essential services running smoothly – our childcare centres, our nursing homes, our senior care centres, our food courts, our malls, our supermarkets, our online platforms and so on.

And in a different but equally important function, our NTUC Learning Hub is pivoting towards being a digital learning hub and they have been busy working closely with employers and unions to train thousands of workers, digital where possible, so that when our economy recovers, workers, both local and foreign, and companies will be all ready from the word go.

There is no them and no us. We are inter-connected and we are interdependent – manpower, skills, supply lines. Supply lines are especially vital now. Our teams have been working as part of our diversification strategy to ensure our supply chains remain strong.