Hansard, Tuesday, 4 July 2023

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care 1 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Health what safeguards exist to ensure access to polyclinic care for seniors aged 65 years and above who (i) cannot go online to book appointments and (ii) repeatedly find that online slots are already fully booked.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care 2 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Health whether it is possible to release polyclinic next-day appointment slots in a few fixed tranches each day rather than have a single release of time slots at 10.00 pm.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Mdm Deputy Speaker, may I have your permission to answer Question Nos 1 and 2 on today's Order Paper?

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Please go ahead.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care My response will also cover the matters raised in the written questions by Dr Tan Wu Meng.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Our healthcare system is facing increasing demands, as our people age and need more healthcare, including primary care. At the same time, the completion of new polyclinics that were planned had been delayed due to the pandemic.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care As a result, some polyclinics have greater demand and less easy availability of appointments. Pending the development of new polyclinics, they are putting in place short-term measures to address this.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care The polyclinics will set aside some slots for walk-in patients with urgent medical needs, as well as for elderly patients, particularly those who are frail and who have mobility issues. To do so, non-urgent cases may be given an appointment for another day or advised to seek treatment at a nearby Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) general practitioner (GP) clinic. Polyclinics will also try to leverage telemedicine as much as possible and contract private GPs to help deliver the service.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Some polyclinics already adopted the practice of releasing polyclinic appointments in tranches. However, this does not solve the issue of capacity constraint and in fact may frustrate patients more if they are repeatedly unable to book appointments.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care The Ministry of Health (MOH) does not have the data requested by Member Dr Tan Wu Meng.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Dr Tan Wu Meng.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care I thank the Senior Minister of State for his answer. I have two supplementary questions. I have Clementi residents, especially seniors who are worried about the experience of the polyclinic booking system. One resident tried to make an online booking for her elderly mother – four days in a row, logged in at the booking time, could not get a slot. Another senior, not IT-savvy, cannot go online, went to a polyclinic, was told to book online. He cannot go online.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Can I ask the Senior Minister of State two supplementary questions? Firstly, can the Ministry and the polyclinics explore the role of a hotline, so that seniors who cannot log in with smart phones and computers can still have a chance at the online booking process? Secondly, can we try to further improve the subsidy for consultations at CHAS GP clinics so that a visit to a CHAS GP clinic can receive comparable subsidy to a visit at a polyclinic?

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Madam, I thank Dr Tan for the questions. We will continue to explore the role of things like hotlines and other ways to improve our processes so that the appointments and the services available at the polyclinics are indeed more accessible and more user-friendly, especially to seniors. I thank him for his suggestion and I will take that up with the teams that our running our polyclinic systems.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care The question of subsidies at the CHAS GP clinics and how they relate to the charges and the costs at the polyclinics is an important one. As Dr Tan knows and as Members know, this is something we are constantly reviewing, on an ongoing basis. We will have to constantly review the conditions as well as the level of subsidy that we provide for the CHAS GP clinics and indeed, taking into account the relationship with what happens on the polyclinics. I thank him for the reminder that we have to keep doing this.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Mr Liang Eng Hwa.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Thank you, Madam. I want to echo what Dr Tan Wu Meng has said. I do continue to receive feedback from our seniors who have said it is almost impossible to make an online appointment at the polyclinic run by National University Health System (NUHS) at Bukit Panjang. Can I ask the Senior Minister of State whether we are able to set aside some walk-in appointment slots, especially for the seniors so that they do not have to go through that online booking? Not everyone is able to do that.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Secondly, I feel it is puzzling. Notwithstanding MOH having built new polyclinics with increased capacity, why is it the case that we are still not able to meet the demand?

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Madam, I thank Mr Liang for his questions. We do indeed set aside a proportion of the slots for walk-in appointments. So, not all the appointment slots at a given polyclinic, on a given day, are only for online appointments. There are slots that are set aside for walk-in patients. The potential walk-in patients are assessed and so, sometimes, they will be given advice to come back on another day or to seek help at a GP clinic, depending on what it is they present with.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Sorry, I did not quite catch the second question. Oh, the capacity. Indeed, the capacity is constrained. There is a combination of factors: there has been a delay in the building and operationalisation of polyclinics as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; some of them delayed by up to two years. Recently, in the news, we had the Khatib and Sembawang Polyclinics' timings talked about. But there is also an increasing demand as our population ages and the aged have increasing frailty and co-morbidities that will require further care. So, it is a combination of growing demand and the projected supply having been constrained by the pandemic. We are trying our best to catch up and provide more services to increase our capacity.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Leader of the Opposition.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Just to the Senior Minister of State on this point again, is it possible to increase the number of walk-in slots at the polyclinics in view of the feedback that many Members of this House are receiving from seniors who have difficulties in accessing the online system and making a booking? Can the Senior Minister of State also give us an indication of the percentage of these slots which are walk-in slots?

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care The other supplementary question pertains to the number of feedback MOH has received on complaints of not being able to book a slot through the online system. Does the Senior Minister of State have some numbers for us, so we can understand the extent of the problem?

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Madam, I thank Mr Pritam Singh for the questions. I do not have the data to answer his second question; that was not part of the Parliamentary Question that was filed. For his first question, yes, there is the possibility to increase the proportion of walk-in slots. I would point out that that does not change the overall capacity available at the polyclinics. That is actually the heart of the issue.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care I understand there is frustration with the online system for seniors, but there are also people who are able to use the online system and as a result, the availability of the resources and the capacity for the services at the polyclinics are better matched to those patients. It means that the clinical notes are available ahead of time, preparations can be made ahead of time for investigations, tests and the allied health services that support, given the instance of someone coming down to the polyclinic.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care So, I think we have to have a balance. If we went to a fully walk-in system, that would have an implication on the ability for the care teams to deliver the service that they are used to delivering. If we went to a fully online system, indeed, the frustrations that Members in this House have highlighted will become worse.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care So, we need a balance: we need some walk-in slots and some pre-booked slots. The question then is, what is the best way of determining that balance. This is left to the operational teams running the polyclinic to take into account their capacity, the services that they deliver, the demographics of their population. And it can vary over time.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care So, I take the feedback from the Leader of the Opposition and other Members of the House, and will continue to work with our cluster management and operational teams that run the polyclinics and see how we can optimise the correct balance of online appointments made ahead of time, same-day appointments and walk-ins.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Mr Yip Hon Weng.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care I thank the Senior Minister of State for his reply. I have two supplementary questions. As a result of the difficulties in booking polyclinic slots, how many senior patients have gone to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Departments at the hospitals for non-emergency cases?

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Secondly, will MOH consider training Active Ageing Centre (AAC) staff to help seniors book polyclinic appointments, since AACs are located within the community and the neighbourhood?

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Madam, I thank Mr Yip for his questions. I do not have the data for the first question that he has asked. It is possible that we are unable to get the data because what he is asking for is those who have not booked, how to track them. I would be happy to try and fulfil but I do not have the data with me today.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care The second question is a good suggestion. We are happy to explore how we can leverage on other types of resources to be able to help people have better access and utilisation of services. I will work with the teams to explore the use of that suggestion.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker. Like many others who have shared in this House, Sengkang residents have had significant difficulties getting online. To a Parliamentary Question that was filed in March earlier this year, some of our residents are waiting as much as 2.5 hours on the long tail. One question that I wonder in terms of increasing the number of walk-in slots – what the Leader of the Opposition said earlier – is if we could channel more of those that are currently booking online toward telemedicine options. The reason behind that is, of course, those who are sophisticated enough to book online, may be also much more comfortable with addressing a telemedicine option.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Related to this, one reason why many younger and more Internet-savvy patients tend to go toward the polyclinics is because there is still a discrepancy between for some employers what is recognised to be a valid medical certificate (MC) – whether you need a polyclinic MC versus a regular GP MC. I understand this falls a little bit beyond the remit of the MOH and more on the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Nevertheless, I wonder if this is something that can be explored a little further in terms of guidelines that the Government offers toward allowing for MCs that are across a wider range of providers.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Madam, I thank Assoc Prof Lim for his suggestions and questions, and the acknowledgement that I am not going to comment on MOM's remit.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Indeed, we are exploring the use of telemedicine to improve the delivery of services from the polyclinics. I think we leave it to the professional teams in terms of how they assess the referral information, the patient demographic, as well as the presenting problems as to which patients can be dealt with an online consultation and which patients will need an in-person appointment. I think that is something for a clinical judgement, rather than a policy position. But we will support the teams so that we can optimise the use of telemedicine and make sure that we improve the capacity available at the polyclinics.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Dr Tan Wu Meng.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Mdm Deputy Speaker, just two more supplementary questions to the Senior Minister of State. I also declare that I am a medical doctor at a public hospital. My first additional supplementary question relates to Mr Yip Hon Weng's query about patients who could not make a booking but later on sought A&E care. May I suggest to the Senior Minister of State that my written Parliamentary Question filed yesterday may provide a way to analyse this by looking at persons who logged in the day before a next day appointment, but did not eventually make a booking? It is not the full data set but that could be a way to analyse this.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Secondly, can I also ask the Senior Minister of State what is being done to support our healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, allied health professionals working at our polyclinics? Because the polyclinics are very busy, our healthcare brothers and sisters are at the front lines; and we have to support them to do their best as well, for the patients and for the community.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Madam, I thank Dr Tan for his suggestions and his questions. Indeed, we will continue to explore how we can track the data to inform our decisions on resourcing the polyclinics and have a balance between online appointments, walk-in appointments, and the behavourial incentives for patients to choose between them. But as I have explained, I do not have that data with me.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Dr Tan's question about supporting healthcare workers in polyclinics is important. They have been working very hard. They continue to deal with an increase in demand, both through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, and I do want to record our thanks for the work that our primary care practitioners and the teams that they work with, have put in to support our residents and citizens and we are trying to make sure that they are as much as possible provided with access to the resources within primary care. We continue to try to support them by expanding the role of GPs, by expanding the role of CHAS clinics, by helping to make sure that we right site care within the primary care space, by providing training and staff and resources to be able to support the very important role that primary care plays in our health ecosystem. And we will continue to do so.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Mr Melvin Yong.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Madam Speaker, can I just take this opportunity because I raised my hand? I wanted to answer Assoc Prof Jamus Lim's point.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Oh, I am so sorry. I did not see it.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care All medical certificates, medical leave of absence, so long as they are issued by a licensed medical practitioner in Singapore, will be recognised. So, I hope that answers the Member's earlier point. I will move on to answer the hon Member of Parliament Mr Melvin Yong's question.

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Parliamentary Question No 3?

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care Yes.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams 3 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Manpower with regard to the recent cases of Android users losing close to $100,000 of CPF savings through malware-related scams (a) how many similar malware-related scams has the Ministry detected in the past three years; (b) what are the safeguards that the Ministry intends to implement to prevent CPF savings being lost to scammers; and (c) what recourse will the victims have with regard to their lost CPF savings.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams Mdm Deputy Speaker, my response to this Parliamentary Question will also address the Parliamentary Question filed by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim as a written Parliamentary Question for yesterday's Sitting.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams Since January 2023, the Police received more than 700 reports of victims having downloaded malware onto their phones, with more than $8 million worth of savings lost through unauthorised withdrawals from the victims' bank accounts and so on. Based on the investigations thus far, nine of these cases involved unauthorised Central Provident Fund (CPF) withdrawals, amounting to a net loss of $124,000 in CPF savings. I would like to add that the ninth case did not result in loss of CPF savings. So, even though nine involved unauthorised CPF withdrawals, the ninth case itself did not result in the loss of CPF savings because the Singapore Police Force (SPF) managed to stop the transfer out from the bank account of the CPF member.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams CPF monies were paid from members' CPF accounts to their own bank accounts and then they were subsequently withdrawn from these bank accounts by the scammers.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams The modus operandi of these malware-related scams has been extensively covered in an earlier joint advisory from the Police, Government Technology Agency (GovTech) and CPF Board on 29 June 2023. In gist, the victims downloaded malware-infected Android Package Kits, or APK, from unauthorised sites and they subsequently turned on accessibility services when told by the scammer to purportedly facilitate the purchase of items at a steep discount. Doing so allowed the scammer to take full control of the phone, steal banking and Singpass credentials stored in the phone and perform unauthorised CPF log-ins and withdrawals.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams I urge all Singaporeans to stay vigilant. We should update our phones regularly with the latest security patches and we should only download apps from official app stores and exercise the greatest of caution when we are prompted to turn on accessibility services. These accessibility services are mainly meant to assist users with disabilities to use their devices, such as by allowing apps to read and control your screen.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams As a further precaution, CPF Board and GovTech have introduced additional authentication measures since 22 June 2023 to increase the protection for CPF members. Members may be asked to perform Singpass Face Verification (SFV) or other checks when accessing CPF e-services. This provides additional security in addition to the existing two-factor Singpass authentication required for accessing CPF e-services. Members who require assistance on CPF services and the SFV can visit the CPF service centres and Singpass counters respectively. They may also call the Singpass helpdesk.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams These additional safeguards may make it slightly less convenient for members to perform certain CPF e-services but I think members would agree that it is better to be safe than sorry. This is especially so in light of new threats. The Government will continue to review and monitor these threats closely and work closely alongside the banks to introduce more precautionary measures where necessary.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams The Police will spare no effort in tracking down those responsible for such malware incidents and will take tough action against them. I urge anyone with information on such crimes to contact the Police immediately.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams Mr Melvin Yong.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams Madam, I thank the Minister for his reply. I am heartened that the Government has placed this additional precaution to require CPF members who log in to their accounts using their Singpass to go through face verification. I believe this will go some way in patching one of the vulnerabilities inherent in the Android platform that allows scammers to install malware on the users' phone.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams I would like to ask what is the demographic profile of the victims who have suffered losses from these malware-related scams. My constituency, Radin Mas, has a large proportion of seniors aged 60 and above. So, while we actively encourage our seniors to embrace digitisation, I am also well aware that they will also become vulnerable to such scams. So, what is the Ministry's estimate or projection on the proportion of such malware scams that can be prevented or thwarted with the implementation of such face verification? I think the Minister earlier mentioned a ninth case was successfully prevented by the Police. So, how is the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) or CPF Board working with SPF to better detect and prevent unauthorised transfers of CPF monies?

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams I thank the Member for his supplementary question. For the demographics of the victims – the victims are between the ages of 55 and 80. Based on investigations, the net loss of CPF savings amounts to $124,000.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams From the CPF safeguards, there are the additional precautionary measures that we have now undertaken, even though we constantly monitor many of these scams because they get very creative. Thus far, we think that it is sufficient to effectively limit the convenience in terms of the withdrawal of monies from the CPF accounts to their own bank accounts.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams I understand that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) – with GovTech, the banks and also SPF – are separately working on a parallel initiative to see how to protect banking customers from allowing unauthorised withdrawals from their bank accounts. So, there are two parallel tracks here. From the CPF Board's perspective, the additional steps that we have put in as a precautionary measure, allowing the member to separately require Singpass Face Verification, is an added step.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams And some members would inevitably say that that has resulted in a lot more inconvenience for them to withdraw their amount. But we think that this is actually necessary to protect their hard-earned monies.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams For the separate track, that would probably require a separate Parliamentary Question with regard to the banking relationships with the account holders; how the steps have been effective in limiting withdrawal or unauthorised withdrawal from these banking accounts.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams I am wondering if the Minister can share a little bit about whether the Government has also considered initiatives along the lines of insurance. I mention this, in part, because as I am sure his is aware, in usual banking related frauds, insurance plays a big part in helping to recover fraudulent monies and in this case, CPF is both mandatory savings scheme but is also a very, very big supplier. So, it may be possible to secure a fairly competitive insurance rate for the purposes of doing this kind of additional protection.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams I thank Assoc Prof Lim for his question. Indeed, we are considering that part of it. This is under the Shared Responsibility Framework, which involves the financial institutions, the telcos and many other participating entities. Currently, the Government is engaging very closely with all the different industry stakeholders and we will continue to do so. There is a plan for a public consultation paper to come out in the third quarter of this year. So, I suggest that perhaps, at that particular point in time, we can delve deeper into the details. [Please refer to "Clarification by Minister for Manpower", Official Report, 4 July 2023, Vol 95, Issue 106, Correction By Written Statement section.]

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams Mr Gerald Giam.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams Madam, just now I heard the Minister said that the scammers were able to obtain the victims' Singpass credentials from their phones after they managed to install the app on their phone. Is MOM working with GovTech to patch this vulnerability if it, indeed, is about the vulnerability?

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams I thank Mr Gerald Giam for his question. Perhaps, Mr Giam may not have an appreciation of the different steps that these scammers sort of would navigate to actually get the CPF members to download these apps. Today, the vulnerability appears to be in the Android phones and generally our members may have just gone online, whether it is on Facebook or some other form of social media, and come across some particular app which purportedly gives him a steep discount; a very, very good deal, in which they have to download that particular app. And once they download the app, they will, more often than not, get phone calls from someone helping them to navigate and to use the app.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams And they then hand over some of the navigational options to this and turn on the accessibility services on their Android phone itself. That then exposes themselves to all these scammers to then undertake and take over their information.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams So, the added precautionary measure that we have put up is that for vulnerable members, they would need an additional step of using the Singpass Face Verification. We have these identities stored, because the NRICs, the passports, we have that. Based on our records, we can then ensure that the person who is logging in and making these withdrawals actually corresponds to the actual member and not through some scam account.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams So, we believe that, today, that added step, which to some members cause a lot of inconvenience, is sufficient as a precautionary measure. I hope that addresses your concern.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams Mr Gerald Giam.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams To clarify, I understand the process in which the scammers use to access the phone. But just now the Minister said that once the accessibility is enabled, the scammers are able to read the passwords that are stored in Singpass. Typically, these passwords should not be stored at all inside the phone. So, I just want to understand whether or not this is something that is being looked into, as to why is it that passwords are stored inside the phone for that reason?

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams I think there are a myriad of reasons why people store their passwords on the phones, in their notepads and so on. There are also members who write it down somewhere in a booklet and they put it at home.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams I cannot tell you how members will want to store their passwords to remind themselves. But I think the added measure today, first of constantly educating our public to not download any form of innocuous-looking apps from unauthorised stores, unauthorised sites and also to not just switch on the accessibility services; and at the same time, not release details to someone who is unknown over the phone and at the same time adding on the additional security verification through the Singpass Face Verification step, I think it is sufficient for us to prevent, today, unauthorised withdrawals from the CPF account. Of course, I said that there are also parallel initiatives to deal with what happens after the money goes into the banking account.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams So, there are all these measures that we are doing.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams I would not want to be in a position of hubris where we say that we have got it all figured out. Because today, cybersecurity constantly evolves – scammers and hackers are getting more and more creative. So, we have to constantly work at nudging our people, working with one another to keep reminding all of our members, all of our citizens to always be vigilant. At the same time, the Government will also constantly find new ways to step up our precaution to protect our members. I hope that gives you the reassurance.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams Senior Minister of State Janil.

Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker. I raised my hand, but I think Minister Tan had already made the point. The information is being taken from other parts of the phone, not as Mr Giam had asked about. But the point has been made by Dr Tan already.

Strengthening ActiveSG's Booking Software System 4 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth regarding the use of bots to book sports facilities through ActiveSG accounts (a) what measures has ActiveSG taken to strengthen their software system to reduce such instances of public bookings; and (b) whether more stringent deterrents can be used besides suspending or terminating the user accounts of repeat offenders.

Strengthening ActiveSG's Booking Software System Culture, Community and Youth): Madam, the Government takes a serious view of the use of bots to book sports facilities and on-selling activities. Sport Singapore (SportSG) has adopted a number of enhanced measures to combat these practices.

Strengthening ActiveSG's Booking Software System First, SportSG has enhanced its online booking system, including using a web application firewall and upgrading its reCAPTCHA software to better identify bots and prevent them from making bookings.

Strengthening ActiveSG's Booking Software System Second, SportSG has increased its efforts to identify and take action against ActiveSG members who abuse the booking system via scripting and on-selling. Daily booking records, social platforms and activity logs are scanned regularly and enforcement measures put in place at the sports centres to ensure that facility hirers are present throughout their booking period.

Strengthening ActiveSG's Booking Software System Third, SportSG has suspended more than 270 scripters and 180 on-seller accounts over the past two years. To further deter these activities, harsher penalties have been introduced from 1 July this year. First-time offenders will now have their accounts suspended for up to six months, an increase from the previous three months, while a second infringement will result in a permanent termination of the account, rather than a six-month suspension. All members have since been informed and this has also been reported in the media.

Strengthening ActiveSG's Booking Software System With the measures that SportSG has put in place, the volume of feedback regarding the use of bots and on-selling has reduced significantly. Offenders may use improved bot technologies to try to circumvent the safeguards but we will continue to enhance our systems and adopt best practices for better detection and prevention. We will also not hesitate to employ even stronger penalties against offenders if warranted.

Strengthening ActiveSG's Booking Software System Lastly, we would like to urge all members of public to refrain from purchasing any sports facilities bookings from on-sellers.

Regulatory Sandboxes for Small-Scale Carbon Offsetting Projects 6 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Government is considering or implementing regulatory sandboxes for small-scale carbon offsetting projects to identify and resolve the gaps including those around verification standards and the interface with the mainstream financial system; and (b) whether she can provide an update on the efforts to develop Singapore into a hub for carbon trading.

Regulatory Sandboxes for Small-Scale Carbon Offsetting Projects Since 2021, the Government has been implementing regulatory sandboxes for carbon credit projects to support the development of regulatory processes and infrastructure that are integral to carbon markets and the broader green finance ecosystem. We conduct such sandboxes in collaboration with like-minded countries and/or private sector partners in accordance with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on international carbon credits.

Regulatory Sandboxes for Small-Scale Carbon Offsetting Projects Singapore is catalysing the development of credible carbon markets. Singapore actively co-facilitated Article 6 negotiations at COP26 and COP27, and participates in platforms such as the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative to drive the harmonisation of rules and standards. We supported the World Bank and the International Emissions Trading Association to anchor the Climate Action Data Trust in Singapore, which connects registries to promote transparency and market confidence.