預算辯論 · 2019-02-28 · 屆國會 13

公共服務數字化轉型

AI 經濟與產業 AI 與就業 AI 與公共部門 爭議度 2 · 溫和質詢

質詢聚焦公共服務如何利用AI和資料分析提升效率，整合服務，滿足市民需求。強調技術應以市民為中心，避免機械執法。政府需推動公共部門高科技、高觸感和高適應性轉型，提升生產力和服務質量。

關鍵要點

  • • 公共服務需數字化轉型
  • • 技術應以市民需求為本
  • • AI助力提升服務效率
質詢立場

推動公共服務智慧化轉型

政策訊號

推動公共部門智慧化升級

“Technology is a potential game changer that can allow us to overcome our resource constraints and embark on a new S curve in our growth trajectory.”

參與人員 (36)

完整譯文（中文）

Hansard 原始記錄 · 2026-05-02

公共部門轉型

鄭德源先生（西海岸選區）：主席先生，我提議將預算中U項的總撥款減少100元。

全球運營環境正在迅速變化。亞洲有許多增長機會，但經濟競爭也在加劇，技術變革正在重塑各經濟體的競爭優勢。在國內，我們面臨著本地勞動力老齡化的問題，這可能限制我們的增長。但如果我們能夠讓人民學會學習、忘記舊知並重新學習，以保持更長職業生涯的就業能力，這就不會成為障礙。事實上，技術是一個潛在的變革者，可以幫助我們克服資源限制，開啟新的增長曲線。為了保持競爭力，我們需要能夠創新並利用技術，以更少的資源做更多的事，聰明地工作。

公共服務部門同樣如此。公共服務必須具備能力、敏捷性和適應性。能夠站在技術進步的前沿，靈活地與私營部門和民間團體合作，建設有競爭力的經濟；並且適應性強，擁抱成為智慧國的旅程。這意味著公共服務必須能夠利用技術提高運營效率，包括利用技術轉變服務交付方式。

如今，公民習慣了像FoodPanda或Grab這樣的服務，這些服務通過眾包方式將不同供應商聚合，以高科技方式觸手可及。許多公司，如零售業，也在使用人工智慧（AI）和資料分析來分析甚至預測客戶需求。公共部門如何利用技術類似地轉變其職能——從執行監管職能到執法，再到向公民提供服務？如何將相關服務整合，幫助公民或企業，而不是讓他們跑不同政府機構去獲取所需？公共服務如何利用技術提高服務效率，節省公民和企業與公共部門交易時的時間和精力？

實際上，公共服務如何利用人工智慧和資料分析更好地預測公民需求，並利用機器人技術補充其勞動力？當然，這不僅僅是技術推動。最終，公共服務的交付必須以公民需求為核心。除了高效、公正地提供服務外，公共服務還必須建立系統和流程，確保公務員不僅機械地執行規則，而是始終將公民置於公共服務交付的核心。

他們必須能夠識別公民需求的變化，並及時更新政策、專案和服務。簡言之，三高：不僅是高科技，還要高觸感；不僅高觸感，還要高信任。因此，轉變公共服務需要公務員掌握新技能，以便以不同且有效的方式履行職責。在可以自動化的工作中，公務員也應掌握新技能，承擔新工作。

簡而言之，技能未來（SkillsFuture）應同樣適用於公共服務。公共服務在提升公務員數字技能方面取得了哪些進展？公共服務是否設立了再培訓專案，幫助公務員隨著技術改變工作方式，在公共部門內部轉崗？公共服務應與公共部門工會及勞工運動密切合作，鼓勵所有公務員不斷再技能化和再裝備，以保持相關性和就業能力。

一個良好的開端是與公共部門工會及工會領導共同成立專門的培訓委員會。除了技能，公共服務精神是公共服務的核心。雖然工作和技能會變化，但服務、誠信和卓越的價值觀應始終保持。公共服務如何培養公務員，確保他們保持腳踏實地，緊密聯絡而非脫離公民和企業的需求、願望及關切？如何培養能夠用心服務、與公民建立聯絡並與民間及私營部門共同創造新解決方案的公務員？

[（程式文本）提案已提出。（程式文本）]

公共服務的顛覆

法蒂瑪·拉蒂夫教授（海洋坊選區）：主席先生，新加坡擁有全球最具活力和高效的公共服務部門之一。公務員從年輕到資深經驗豐富，服務於各部委、文官機構、法定機構及其他眾多組織，為新加坡人服務。

隨著全球化和世界日益互聯，我們的公共服務必須富有資源、富有創造力且反應迅速。他們必須保持靈活，緊跟當今及未來世界的變化和顛覆。他們必須與最先進技術保持一致，在政策制定和治理的某些方面保持適應性和靈活性，同時堅持新加坡所代表的原則。資訊科技（IT）及其他技術驅動的流程、通訊和監控必須一流且穩健。同時，安全和保障必須得到維護。新加坡公共服務如何協助公務員提供充分培訓、能力建設、必要軟體獲取、技術採用以及培養和管理公務員心態，確保適應、對齊和認同？這也是學習、忘記和重新學習過程的一部分。

公共服務的另一個非常重要的關鍵詞是協調。面對今天的諸多顛覆和干預，公共服務如何確保資訊、資料和細節在服務內部安全協調和整合，同時保持機密性？

以公民為中心的政府服務

傅志堅先生（先鋒選區）：主席先生，我今天的削減是討論我們的公共服務是否能採用以公民為中心的方法來提供政府服務。向公民提供服務是政府機構的核心工作。

[副議長（林標泉先生）主持]

不幸的是，許多服務基於多年來已存在的流程和技術，且許多設計基於各機構的個別需求和要求。因此，這些服務並非以提升公民與政府互動或交易的便利性和滿意度為目標設計。

公民可能需要親自訪問不同機構，電話聯絡多個部門，或瀏覽多個政府機構的網站來查詢或完成交易。公民常常需要填寫許多表格，並重復提供之前已向其他政府部門提供過的資訊。政府機構則面臨公民滿意度下降及因跨機構多次接觸而增加的成本。

以公民為中心的政府應作為一個整體單位，採用整體政府方法向公民提供服務。這需要一個跨越部委、法定機構和部門等壁壘的協調單位，並在後臺自由共享所有機構的資料。

如今，隨著技術和連線性的進步，政府可以滿足不斷提升的公民期望。通過人工智慧、機器學習和資料分析的數字化轉型，政府甚至可以預測和預見公民需求。排隊和填寫表格可能成為過去。我想請教部長，公共服務如何組織自身，確保服務以公民為中心交付？

公共服務與公民福祉

黃麗明女士（提名議員）：信任如同水滴積累，卻可能一瀉千里。近期一系列服務失誤加劇了公眾對公共服務穩健性的擔憂。

黃循財部長回應《聯合早報》有關自滿指控時表示，“每當出現失誤，我們都會毫不退縮地嚴肅審視自己，採取一切必要措施糾正問題。”

我對黃部長的信念和承諾感到欣慰。事實上，如此重大事件接連發生，暴露了系統內可能存在的裂痕，不僅限於個別部委或公務員。開放討論這些裂痕是否有助於恢復信任？政府採取了哪些具體措施恢復公眾信心？

此外，公共服務部（PSD）如何確保問責、透明和同理心的文化？面對日益嚴格的公眾監督和期望，公務員學院（CSC）如何培訓公務員理解超越物質的主觀福祉，並如何培訓他們制定更好政策，既提升公民福祉，也增強公眾對公共機構的信任？

最後，2019年預算中宣佈的“公共服務關懷”如何不僅僅是公務員的志願服務專案，而是成為一種精神？

儘管我有上述澄清，我仍藉此機會感謝每一位真誠全心服務的公共服務人員。

主席：李毅賢先生不在。林秀儀女士。

下午1時30分

憲制機關任命

林秀儀女士（亞歷山大選區）：先生，憲法下設有某些公務員，肩負維護公共利益的職能和職責。這些任命由總理推薦，並須經總統酌情批准。

例如，檢察總長。根據憲法第35條，檢察總長有權自行決定提起、進行或終止任何刑事訴訟。

另一個例子是審計總長，根據憲法第148(F)條，審計總長負有審計並報告政府所有部門和辦公室、公共服務委員會、法律服務委員會、最高法院或下級法院及議會賬目的憲制職責。

先生，我們都熟悉審計總長辦公室（AGO）的年度審計報告。報告中常含令人尷尬的發現，可能揭露不當行為。AGO報告是政府問責和謹慎使用公共資金的重要衡量標準。

主席，今天我想請教總理，關於選拔審計總長的程式和標準。

憲法未明確規定審計總長的資格標準。

近年，我們的審計總長多來自資深公務員，今年也任命了新的審計總長。我不認識現任審計總長，亦無理由懷疑她的廉正。事實上，我願意相信她會盡職盡責。

但總理能否確認現任審計總長是否為一位資深國務部長的配偶？如果是，總理是否考慮過任命資深國務部長配偶會如何影響公眾對審計總長辦公室獨立性的看法？

MediShield Life下的退休人員

黃永發先生（後港選區）：先生，我曾在2014年和2015年本院辯論強制醫療保險計劃MediShield Life引入時，談及其對退休人員的影響。

據我瞭解，一些退休人員繼續享有原有的醫療福利，正如本院所保證，雖然不是通過MediShield Life，而是通過他們原有的退休醫療計劃。實際上，這些退休人員名義上被納入MediShield Life，但並不需要該保障。我瞭解到他們的MediShield Life保費由政府支付，並通過MediSave補貼過渡。

MediShield Life計劃已近五年。雖然退休人員的醫療福利沒有變差，我想問政府是否有研究或調查，評估這項冗餘的MediShield Life保障對退休人員的財政影響？扣除各種MediSave補貼後，這些補貼是否幫助退休人員全額支付了自己及配偶的MediShield Life保費，無需自掏腰包？這很重要，因為政府曾在本院保證退休人員在MediShield Life下不會變得更差。這也應意味著他們不會因被納入強制但未使用的醫療計劃而增加經濟負擔。

其次，副總理張志賢表示，退休人員在MediShield Life下有一項重要福利是之前沒有的。他說退休人員去世後，其配偶將不再享有醫療福利，但在MediShield Life下，配偶將繼續被覆蓋。

先生，這項重要福利令人安心，但它本質上是預設的，因為MediShield Life對所有人強制執行。每個人依法必須支付醫療保障費，無論身份如何。因此，部長提到的這項重要福利，只有在政府繼續為退休人員去世後其配偶支付保費時才更有意義。否則，配偶依法必須加入MediShield Life，沒有選擇餘地。

先生，我想請政府澄清，是否會繼續為退休人員去世後其配偶支付MediShield Life保費，作為福利？

提升公務員技能

張浩斌醫生（武吉班讓選區）：主席先生，李顯龍總理2014年在倫敦發表的“兩個城市的故事”演講中，闡述了新加坡的全球城市抱負。去年，我們在全球城市展望榜單中排名第五。為了維持這一地位，必須有世界級的文官支援我們的世界級城市。

我想了解政府採取了哪些措施，確保並提升公共服務人員的服務交付技能。

先生，正如政府呼籲私營部門提高生產力和服務質量，也應督促公共部門主動樹立榜樣，帶動新加坡其他部門跟進。

此外，我建議政府以服務交付速度和公共服務質量作為衡量打造世界級文官進展的指標。

然而，必須指出，採用一刀切的方式服務公眾是不夠的。我們的文官機構應更深刻反思。我們往往過於關注數字，忽視治理的人文方面。

雖然自動化提升了生產力，但導航預錄語音選單或線上填寫嚴格格式的表格，可能無法滿足公眾需求。

先生，我相信如果文官機構提供更多考慮自動化限制的公共服務渠道，將更好地服務新加坡人。

在追求人員數量和生產力關鍵績效指標（KPI）時，公共部門採用外包，影響了公共服務質量。先生，外包不利於文官人力資本發展，可能導致公務員失去提供優質服務的學習機會。

我建議採用設計思維方法轉變公共服務交付，同時重新聚焦培訓和深化公共服務人員技能。

先生，我們的全球城市應擁有一支有心服務公眾的世界級文官隊伍。

公務員準備情況

洪興基先生（宏茂橋選區）：主席先生，政府積極創新，改善政府與公眾之間的交易便利性。

隨著技術顛覆加快轉型步伐，我想了解公共部門員工如何準備以保持相關性。同時，公共部門的工作如何轉變，未來還會有哪些變化？

在這些變化中，我希望政府帶頭確保所有公共部門員工都能獲得相關培訓、再技能培訓和重新部署機會。

各部委和機構是否瞭解那些在培訓中可能遇到困難的員工，尤其是較年長員工，他們可能更難掌握新技能？我們是否能夠將這些員工重新部署到不同部門、機構或部委？

最近，我會見了來自多個法定機構的約80名工會成員，他們與我分享了他們的經歷以及為幫助我們的公共部門工作人員做好未來準備、適應轉型工作場所所提供的援助。

公共服務部（PSD）是否瞭解各機構在這條轉型道路上的進展情況，以及各自的努力是否有效，特別是在幫助年長員工適應新崗位或升級崗位甚至重新部署崗位所需的培訓節奏方面？

去年，公共服務委員會（CSC）宣佈與12所高等院校（IHLs）合作，支援公共部門的轉型以及部門內學習的轉型。公務員將可以訪問一個數字學習平臺。請問有關部門能否更新一下新學習門戶上這些課程的參與率？

主席：Louis Ng先生，您有兩個發言點，可以一起發言嗎？

學術資格與職業脫鉤

Louis Ng Kok Kwang先生（義順）：主席先生，去年我曾談到需要更好地認可公務員的貢獻和技能，而不僅僅是他們的正式學術資格。

翁業強部長分享了一個舉措，即合併現有的文憑和學位持有者方案。在招聘之後，公務員的晉升更多地依據其在職表現，而非教育資格。這一做法已在教育部（MOE）、公務員通用管理執行方案以及空中交通管制員方案中實施。

翁業強部長表示，公共服務部將與其他公共機構合作，識別更多可實施此舉的領域。

[議長主持]

部長能否更新哪些其他公共機構已取消文憑和學位持有者的不同薪酬等級和晉升結構？我們是否也可以將此擴充套件到工藝教育學院（ITE）畢業生，而不僅限於文憑和學位持有者？

公共機構內部質量服務經理（QSM）

主席先生，去年我還提出需要為公務員提供向高層管理反饋的平臺。此外，我們需要閉合反饋環，讓公務員知道他們的意見被重視，並能在強化公共服務方面產生影響。

我建議在各部委和法定機構內部設立質量服務經理。翁業強部長回應說，所有公共機構都會定期進行員工參與調查。

但我仍遇到一些公務員表示，他們提供了反饋，卻不知道是否有人關注，也未收到關於反饋的回覆。

部長是否考慮在公共服務中採用統一的原則和指導方針來開展員工參與調查？是否也考慮要求公共機構跟蹤收到的反饋及其對應採取的行動？

主席：陳振聲部長。

貿易與工業部長（陳振聲先生）：主席先生，首先感謝所有發言支援維護一支有能力且敬業的公共服務隊伍的重要性的議員們。

我同意各位議員的觀點。我們公共服務的同事和我決心建設一支令新加坡和新加坡人引以為傲的公共服務。我們的公共服務一直是新加坡生存和成功的堅強支柱，過去如此，未來也將如此。

我們的運營環境正在迅速變化。內部來看，新一代新加坡人在不同環境中成長，擁有不同的抱負和期望。新加坡人期望服務圍繞他們組織，並以整合和及時的方式提供。他們期望系統和組織適應他們的需求，而非相反。新加坡人也期望隨時隨地獲取服務和資訊，對複雜官僚體系的耐心大大減少。

外部來看，我們的地緣政治形勢變得更加不確定和充滿挑戰。包括網路空間在內的新安全威脅出現，威脅國家安全。大國競爭和地區國家的國內政治相結合，可能會擠壓我們，縮小我們的經濟和外交政策選擇空間。但情況並非全然悲觀。

連線性和技術為我們克服地理和勞動力限制提供了機會。如果善加利用，它們能帶領我們達到更高水平。我們的勞動力也更加受教育和技能更高。我們可以更好地以質量而非數量競爭。

為了繼續建設一個充滿活力和成功的未來新加坡，我們的公共服務必須不斷挑戰自我，提出新想法，採用新的工作方法，重新組織自身，發展新技能。

我們的公共服務通常能高效提供服務，但這還不夠。除了全政府協作外，我們的公共服務必須實現全民族成果。與新加坡人和私營部門合作交付成果必須成為我們的第二天性，而非事後考慮。這不僅是為公眾提供良好服務，更是與公眾共同提供更好的服務。

然而，公共服務和私營部門必須在這一新夥伴關係中各司其職，共同推動新加坡邁向更高峰。雙方都必須成熟，理解考慮多方反饋、利益衝突和不同期望的複雜性。如果經過共同努力後個人建議未被採納，並不意味著意見未被考慮，而是構成了達成最終方案的過程一部分。

下午1時45分

我同意張浩斌博士關於以設計思維方法提供公共服務的觀點。公共服務將逐步圍繞人和問題設計許多服務，而非僅僅期望人們適應現有結構和工作方式。

去年6月推出的“人生時刻”應用是公共服務與公民及私營部門合作，創新服務公民的一個小例子。團隊希望簡化新生兒父母的生活，減少行政繁瑣，讓父母專注於迎接和照顧寶寶。他們首先採訪了許多新父母，瞭解出生時需要做什麼，什麼讓他們感到沮喪，並收集父母對如何更好更快提供公共服務的好建議。結果是一個應用程式，允許父母一次性完成孩子出生登記、申請嬰兒獎金和兒童圖書館會員資格，無需多次前往多個機構反覆提交相同的紙質檔案。該應用不到一年下載量超過2萬次，我很高興地說，除了公立醫院，我們今年初已開始在私立醫院（從湯申醫療中心開始）提供此服務，未來幾個月其他私立醫院也將陸續加入。

公共服務將擴大這一努力。此後已啟動更多專案，圍繞孕期、學齡兒童養育、國民服役和進入銀髮年華等關鍵時刻重新設計服務。我們還將針對不同公民群體設計服務，特別是那些通過常規渠道難以獲得服務的人。例如，新加坡稅務局（IRAS）在報稅季為老人和行動不便者設立優先登記佇列，安排他們坐席並快速服務。建屋發展局（HDB）在銷售啟動時也設立優先佇列，協助老人、殘疾人士和孕婦。中央公積金局（CPF）服務中心有退休公民擔任流動CPF大使，幫助55歲以上的公積金成員。

公共服務正與各界人士及私營組織緊密合作，擴大圍繞公民重新設計服務的努力。未來幾個月我們將分享更多進展。

在公共服務內部，我們也需要跨部委和機構以不同方式組織工作。我們當前的結構是為解決過去問題而最佳化的。隨著問題演變和目標變化，我們也必須大膽調整結構和組織，以服務未來目標，正如議員Cedric Foo所建議。氣候變化、網路威脅、無人系統等新挑戰都要求我們發展新的組織結構來應對。

Cedric Foo議員還問如何持續確保服務以公民為中心。確實，公共服務必須重組自身，做到以公民而非機構為中心地工作。

位於Our Tampines Hub的公共服務中心就是一個例子。它通過將不同機構共址，方便公民在一個地點獲得服務。今年，六個機構將聯合交叉培訓櫃檯員工，每位員工將能提供六個政府機構約70項服務。公民可以向任何櫃檯求助，無需等待“正確”的櫃檯開放。

社會服務辦公室（SSO）是另一個將不同服務整合以幫助有需要公民的例子。例如，Taman Jurong、Kreta Ayer、義順、蔡厝港和惹蘭勿剎的SSO正在試點同一名SSO官員既提供失業居民的經濟援助，也幫助他們找工作。銀髮世代辦公室（SGO）也與Taman Jurong和芽籠實萊的SSO共址，工作人員緊密合作，更綜合地滿足老年人的社會和健康需求。

正如多位議員所建議，公共服務要以不同方式組織和運作以更好服務公民，離不開新技能。翁安達女士、張浩斌博士和洪興基先生說得對，我們必須幫助公務員以新思維看待工作，賦予他們新技能。

首先，我們需要公務員改變思維。他們必須超越當前任務，與其他部委或機構同事協作，更好地服務公民。這不僅靠課堂培訓。公共服務部將擴大崗位輪換制度，覆蓋更廣泛的公務員群體，使他們獲得更廣視野，培養跨機構及與私營和民間部門合作的本能。

其次，公務員不僅要制定好政策，還必須能有效執行。為此，公務員必須更好理解公民和企業需求，瞭解政策執行中的限制和挑戰，洞察實施細節。

公共服務部與文化、社區及青年部（MCCY）去年推出了領導者參與沉浸計劃。主任級及以上領導被派往不同一線工作環境服務公民，獲得如何更好實施政策和專案的新見解。今年，我們將推行“公共服務關懷”計劃，鼓勵所有公務員志願服務社群，藉此學習更好地與公民溝通，培養更強的服務精神和文化。包括高階公務員在內的官員定期輪換參與人民協會（PA）、社會服務辦公室（SSO）及反饋單位“全民參與@家”（REACH）的外展活動，親身體驗服務新加坡人的工作。

第三，我們需要公務員與民間和私營部門建立良好人際聯絡。公共服務將努力實現公務員與民間及私營部門人才的更大流動性和雙向流動。一個方式是派遣公務員到私營部門實習。例如，去年通過首屆服務交付人才實習計劃，我們派遣10名公務員到星展銀行（DBS）、新電信（Singtel）和Grab等公司實習。他們帶回新知識和見解，提升公共服務交付。我們將擴大此類機會，加強公共服務及其外部聯絡。

第四，公務員需更好了解本地區，與區域同行建立更緊密聯絡。為持續拓展新加坡的經濟和國際空間，公務員必須融入各類國際網路，瞭解區域及主要市場國家的經濟、政治和社會體系。公共服務領導層必須能隨時與同行通話，討論問題並開展新合作。因此，我們將繼續鼓勵公共服務委員會（PSC）獎學金獲得者及中年公務員赴不同國家培訓。我們還將創造更多機會，讓不同國家官員通過聯合課程、論壇和討論分享最佳實踐並建立網路。正如私營部門一樣，我們應期待未來公共服務領導者擁有國際工作經驗。

最後，所有級別的公務員——從領導到基層員工——必須精通技術，利用技術提升公共服務質量和公共服務效率。公共服務目標是實現100%數字素養。每位公務員都必須懂得在數字世界中操作並茁壯成長。公共服務委員會已推出LEARN移動平臺，使公務員隨時隨地學習。自平臺上線三個月內，已啟用超過34,000個賬戶，完成近10,000門課程。智慧國與數字政府辦公室（SNDGO）將隨後詳細介紹其他智慧國計劃。

我同意多位議員關於打造更具多樣性的公共服務領導層的觀點。我們需要一支擁有不同才能、能展現多元視角的領導團隊。未來，公共服務在選拔領導團隊時，將更加註重運營、溝通、動員和國際經驗的結合，而不僅僅是純粹的政策制定能力。更具多樣性的公共服務將更具韌性，應對未來不確定性。

我們必須系統地選拔、招聘和培養公務員，實現這種多樣性。教育資格仍是評估候選人某些技能和能力的有效指標，我們不會忽視這一點。但僅憑教育資格水平是不夠的。公共服務在招聘新公務員時，也將關注其他技能、能力和特質。除了智力，我們還希望公務員具備主動性和創造性思維，以及良好的人際交往能力和團隊合作精神。在資訊與通訊技術（ICT）領域，公共服務將根據技術技能而非僅憑教育資格選拔人才。

Louis Ng先生詢問關於工藝教育學院畢業生、文憑和學位持有者的統一結構。自2015年以來，公共服務已合併薪酬方案，使ITE畢業生、文憑和學位持有者在同一結構下招聘和晉升。對於需要特定資格的崗位，如醫生、會計師和工程師，我們會明確要求。如今，幾乎所有公共機構都採用單一結構方案。

我已詳細闡述公共服務需要變革的方面，但同樣重要的是那些不會改變的東西：我們的價值觀、對新加坡的期望以及對自身的高標準。

我們的卓越價值觀意味著我們不會自滿。公共服務將繼續為新加坡設定高遠目標。這意味著始終未雨綢繆，採取行動擴大新加坡的機會，或預防未來問題。例如，為保持競爭力，新加坡必須成為創新樞紐。因此，教育部、企業新加坡（ESG）和經濟發展局（EDB）共同開發了全球創新聯盟（GIA）計劃，連線新加坡與全球主要創新生態系統。GIA擴充套件了本地高等院校現有的海外實習專案，將學生派往初創企業或有創新精神的公司實習。公共服務也利用這些實習機會，供獎學金獲得者和在職公務員拓寬培訓和視野。GIA將為學生、創業者和企業主創造更多機會，與海外同行交流合作。

同樣地，我們積極推動更多自由貿易協定（FTA），以幫助我們的企業拓展海外市場，並降低國內消費者進口商品和服務的價格。這些自由貿易協定必須提前規劃，因為它們涉及與外國對手的長期談判。最近達成的歐盟-新加坡自由貿易協定（EUSFTA）幾乎是在十年前開始規劃的，並通過包括貿易與工業部（MTI）、總檢察長辦公室（AGC）、法律部（MinLaw）、新加坡智慧財產權局（IPOS）、人力部（MOM）和環境與水資源部（MEWR）在內的多個機構的密切協調實現。他們共同努力，並通過不同的官員團隊持續推動談判程序。我們現在正在提前規劃我們的自由貿易協定，以涵蓋新經濟中的數字貿易。

在城市發展方面，我們也著眼長遠。近十年前，經濟策略委員會提出了長期將集裝箱港口活動整合到大士的構想。這將使我們的港口實現更大的規模經濟，同時釋放出優質的南部濱水區，用於改造成為一個比濱海灣更令人興奮的新濱水城市。如今，擬建的大士碼頭已初具規模，預計將在2040年代逐步完工。大士碼頭的面積將是宏茂橋鎮的兩倍，預計將成為世界上最大的集裝箱碼頭。我們的大士碼頭將幫助新加坡鞏固在海事領域的地位。

這並非我們唯一規劃的長期跨數十年的專案。我們還在推進其他雄心勃勃的專案，這些專案歷時多年，甚至數十年，無論是開發新加坡最深的電纜隧道系統用於電力傳輸，還是規劃包括新航站樓5號航站樓的樟宜東部，或是規劃裕廊創新區和榜鵝數字區。這些專案有助於打造一個更加充滿活力的新加坡，為未來幾代新加坡人創造更好的家園。我們的公共服務不能僅僅採取防禦態度來維護現有體系。我們期望公共服務不斷思考如何開創新局面，推動國家前進，面對激烈的競爭。

儘管我們提前規劃，但有時事情不會按計劃進行。當出現問題時，公共服務將努力糾正錯誤，尋求改進。公務員局局長最近提醒所有高階公共領導人，要將近期的事件和失誤視為重要的學習時刻，思考如何做得更好。

下午2時

我支援他的呼籲，並感謝公共服務認真對待其使命。然而，誠信意味著我們需要在每個層面對出現的問題承擔責任和問責。如果我們不在相應層面正面解決錯誤，而是每次出現問題時不加區分地解僱員工和領導，那麼隨著時間推移，我們的體系將變得更弱。我們也會阻礙公共服務嘗試新事物，因為避免犯錯的最可靠方法就是不做任何新嘗試。這將是對國家最大的錯誤和不公。

誠信和卓越的價值觀同樣適用於任命程式。林秀雅女士詢問了總理在確定關鍵憲法任命人選時所採用的選拔程式和標準。任何憲法任命的人員任命程式均載於憲法中。憲法還規定了某些職位候選人的資格要求，以及應當被諮詢或建議的職務持有人。一般而言，確定候選人的關鍵考慮因素包括其勝任工作的能力、資格和經驗、業績記錄、誠信以及公共服務意識。

林秀雅女士詢問我們是否知曉新任審計長吳順寶女士是資政恆志豪高階部長的妻子。是的，我們知道。審計長由總統根據總理的建議任命。候選人在諮詢公共服務委員會主席後被提請總統同意。總統還將諮詢總統顧問委員會，提供額外的審查和建議。吳順寶女士擁有超過30年的公共部門經驗，曾在多個政府部委工作。她以卓越的表現、極高的誠信和對卓越的承諾服務。她曾擔任教育部和內政部兩個最大部委的副秘書長職位，也曾在財政部和公共服務部等兩個中央部委工作，熟悉與財政、採購和人力資源相關的治理事務。吳順寶女士的公共部門經驗對審計長職位非常有用。

審計長的職責是審計並向總統和議會報告公共資源的適當會計和使用情況，以增強公共問責。審計署的審計意見傳達給高階公務員，即各部委的常任秘書，他們是各自部委的會計官，負責管理相關事務。這些高階公務員負責處理審計發現並向審計署報告。審計過程通常不涉及政治職務持有人。審計署與其審計的部委之間通常不存在利益衝突。如存在潛在利益衝突，有專門程式加以管理，正如任何專業機構一樣。

我們的公共服務關心人民。黃振輝先生詢問員工參與情況。公共服務部目前與公共部門機構合作，在各公共機構中實施統一的員工參與調查。該調查使機構領導更好地瞭解機構表現良好的領域以及可以改進的方面。領導者應對反饋作出回應並採取適當行動。

方榮發先生詢問退休人員的醫療保險（MediShield Life）情況。與所有新加坡公民和永久居民一樣，政府退休人員自2015年11月1日起已納入醫療保險覆蓋範圍。醫療保險為他們享有的退休醫療福利提供額外幫助。尤其當有人不幸患上重病併產生鉅額醫療費用時，這非常有用。例如，一位參加綜合共付計劃（CCS）的退休人員患肺炎，賬單金額為29,000新元。她的退休後醫療福利覆蓋了85%的費用，醫療保險幫助支付了剩餘的15%，她無需自掏腰包。另一位參加CCS的退休人員患淋巴瘤，賬單約為14,000新元，扣除退休後醫療福利和醫療保險後，他僅需自付300新元。

主席先生，尊敬的主席，我們的公務員加入公共服務是出於使命感，即為所有新加坡人建設更好的家園、更好的國家和更好的未來。我們的未來掌握在這一代領導人手中——來自公共、私營和人民部門。正如近54年前一樣，我們必須再次且永遠成為開拓者。如果我們齊心協力，作為一個新加坡團隊，我相信我們能夠克服挑戰，新加坡將保持充滿活力和成功。我們的公共服務將領導並支援新加坡人實現這一目標。

可持續人口策略

林偉傑博士（森巴旺）：主席先生，儘管我們有全面的策略鼓勵新加坡人結婚生子，但我們的出生率依然偏低，人口持續老齡化。事實上，這是全球發達和發展中經濟體的普遍趨勢，找到可持續的解決方案以緩解這一狀況肯定需要時間。

我們的現有觀念是什麼？女性應當既有事業又是好母親；男性應當既有事業又是好父親。我們為他們提供了良好的支援，如產假、陪產假、育兒假、嬰兒獎金及一整套激勵措施。但情況並不理想。為什麼？因為難以兼顧辦公室工作和照顧孩子，從照顧生病的孩子到輔導他們成長。我們是否考慮過一種更激進或新的制度，讓有孩子的女性可以離開職場三到六年專心撫養孩子？這也將促進家庭紐帶的牢固，併為我們的孩子奠定堅實基礎。我們可以制定法律，保障這些男女在離開職場期間不受歧視。

作為回報，我們可以允許更多合格的年長者留在勞動力市場，暫時填補他們留下的空缺。

在繼續實施有利於生育和家庭的政策時，我們必須繼續識別和管理人口老齡化帶來的其他問題。我們已經實施了許多策略，鼓勵老年人保持健康並積極參與工作。或許我們可以激勵老年人照顧孫輩。類似於擬議中的老年照顧者津貼，我們是否可以考慮為照顧孫輩的老年人提供孫輩照顧者津貼？

我們面臨著有限人力資源池以維持充滿活力經濟的更大挑戰。政府如何指導其人口策略以支援持續增長的經濟？根據《商業內幕》2018年的報告，我們在吸引、培養和留住人才方面排名第13位。如果我們無法通過新加坡人的自然出生維持人口，那麼補充人口的唯一途徑就是通過移民。屆時，我們將面臨融合問題以及塑造國家認同和凝聚力的挑戰。我們為移民設定的上限是多少，以免影響我們的社會契約？

作為一個年輕國家，我們仍在努力尋求國家認同。我們沒有共同的奮鬥歷史將我們緊密聯絡在一起。我們的總統和總理可以分享他們的經驗，成為激勵下一代的寶貴資源。或許，政府可以分享其計劃，如何在新加坡人中培養強烈的國家認同感，同時保持健康的人口結構。

主席：顏添寶先生，請將兩段發言合併。

人口策略

顏添寶先生（宏茂橋）：人口快速老齡化和持續低生育率（TFR），是全球最低之一，給我們的未來帶來嚴重挑戰。這對我們的社會結構、民族遺產、經濟和國防等方面都有深遠影響。我們必須優先且緊急地審視我們的人口策略。

我們需要一支核心的年輕新加坡人群體，確保國家保持凝聚力、活力和生機。政府有哪些措施振興人口策略，保持本地人與移民的平衡？政府如何看待新家庭結構態度及其對家庭和生育的影響？此外，我們如何防止照顧老齡人口的財政負擔落到未來幾代人身上？

總生育率

在黃循財部長的預算演講中，他敦促我們發揚新加坡人的DNA繼續進步。不幸的是，我們的總生育率僅為1.16，是全球最低之一，我們的DNA未來面臨風險。

現代新加坡始於移民國家，未來仍將接受並融合移民。但重要的是，我們必須擁有一支土生土長的新加坡人核心群體。

政府已實施多項措施和激勵支援婚姻和生育。我們需要緊急審視為何這些措施未見成效。無論是措施不足還是需加強，我們必須解決問題根源。請問部委是否會分享扭轉總生育率的計劃？

新公民——任命與融合

法蒂瑪·拉蒂夫教授：各國移民法因國情、人口因素及國家發展需求而異。

沒有一刀切的政策。新加坡因國土面積小且人口快速老齡化，面臨更大挑戰。我們的指導方針和政策必須承認多樣性，維護團結，並且務實可行。新公民能為國家建設和社會融合作出積極貢獻。

招募新公民的指導方針必須穩健且動態，同時符合我們的目標。我們如何審視移民政策？

我們是否能實施更有結構的社群參與機制，讓潛在新公民候選人更好地融入本地社群和活動？或許可以引入資深社群領袖的意見，作為認可者，提供寶貴建議。

年輕人面臨的挑戰

維克拉姆·奈爾先生（森巴旺）：主席，2015年新加坡迎來了嬰兒高峰期，總生育率有所上升。但自那以後，2018年新加坡總生育率降至歷史最低1.16。儘管政府推出了多種激勵措施鼓勵結婚生子，情況依然如此。

根據新加坡人口資料局，我們有大量育齡及將育齡人口，但越來越多人選擇不結婚生子。是否有研究探討原因？

我從以往的財政預算辯論中瞭解到，許多年輕人有結婚生子的願望，但似乎未付諸行動。年輕人在婚姻和育兒方面面臨哪些挑戰？我們能做些什麼來應對這些挑戰？

家庭——重申我們的價值觀

任耀明先生（馬西嶺-裕廊西）：主席先生，作為一個國家，我們力求卓越。但有時，我們必須冷靜審視自己，進行反思。

我們是花園城市，但我們真的綠色嗎？我們正快速邁向智慧國，但這個國家能否繼續擁有一顆有溫度的心？我們擁有高效的勞動力，但我們真正生產的是什麼？我們可以在許多方面名列前茅，但如果我們最基本的構建單元開始崩解和弱化，我們還能堅持多久？

主席，隨著新加坡經濟持續發展，我們似乎像其他發達國家一樣，開始面臨一個日益後家庭主義的未來，家庭這一基本構建單元正被邊緣化和威脅。

單身、無子女和家庭制度的不穩定在許多國家日益增長，新加坡也未能倖免。雖然情況尚未極端，但一些反生育宣傳最近也出現在我們這裡。

2017年，我們的總生育率僅為1.16，創七年新低，是歷史第二低。儘管我們多年來投入數十億資金促進婚姻和生育，情況依然如此。

調查顯示，超過80%的年輕新加坡人有結婚生子的意願，但這一意願似乎未反映在實際結婚和生育人數上。或許我們應再次自問，我們在哪些方面做得還不夠？

我認為敘事中缺失的是對文化緩慢且不幸變化及其對家庭威脅的關注。

如今，我們生活在一個壓力巨大的世界。我們必須承認這一點——節奏快得驚人。我們都想努力工作，取得更好成績，爭取職業晉升。這本身無可厚非。但不幸的是，這已成為我們新文化的關鍵部分。

這讓年輕新加坡人喘不過氣來。這種工作倫理潛意識裡讓我們在辦公室待得更久，甚至常常無實際理由。對公司有利，但對社會代價如何？我們最終沒有時間約會、沒有時間外出、沒有時間照顧自己、沒有時間結婚、沒有時間生育。

作為社會，我們不能對這一問題漠不關心。國家的基本結構依賴於家庭核心。家庭在決定兒童福利、滿足我們對意義和團結的深層需求以及塑造國家經濟和政治命運方面發揮著關鍵作用。當家庭不再繁榮，不再作為社會的核心組織特徵時，國家便開始失去其基本單元。

下午2時15分

所以，這不僅僅是關於金錢的問題。我們投入的問題資金越多，這個最自然的構建基石就變得越貨幣化和商業化，強化了家庭是商品的日益增長的刻板印象。我們今天需要做的是強化以家庭為中心的文化。從我們童年時期起，就應該向年輕人灌輸家庭的重要性，鼓勵他們與自己的家庭共度高質量的時光。讓這一代的父母重新調整我們文化的節奏和步調。

部分原因是由技術引起的我們自我崇敬的文化。我們許多人都能證明，當我們在家時，雖然可能在一起，但實際上並不真正陪伴彼此，而是在陪伴手機。我們假裝彼此交流，但實際上忽視了對方。我們以為自己與許多人交談，但實際上只是自言自語。

在工作方面，這種情況也存在。旨在讓工作更輕鬆的技術，實際上把我們綁在辦公桌前，即使我們不在辦公室。因此，僱主也必須越來越重視家庭在擁有幸福勞動力中的作用。純粹的交易關係只會產生壓力，父母甚至害怕為家庭請假。我們需要做更多工作來鼓勵工作文化的改變，而不僅僅是通過增強工作與生活平衡補助等激勵措施。文化層面還可以做更多。

儘管我們的婚姻與生育禮包非常慷慨，但也必須解決全社會層面的問題，如生活成本和期望。我們如何確保作為一個社會，繼續重視家庭，並願意幫助家庭實現他們的期望？這不僅僅需要政策、專案或補助，而是需要整個社會和對我們文化的重新審視。

我們必須盡力避免一些人所稱的對家庭角色的“系統性羞辱、引發冷漠的忽視和扼殺靈魂的殘酷”。

提升家庭友好文化

Saktiandi Supaat議員（碧山-大巴窯）：如今，夫婦在計劃生育時有許多合理的擔憂。事實上，某些個人犧牲是必要的。但更廣泛的社會，包括社群團體、僱主和家庭，可以做更多妥協，擁抱一個家庭友好的新加坡。有些夫婦非常樂意同時撫養四個孩子。這些人通常得到社群、大家庭和工作場所的良好支援。他們可能也做出了一些個人犧牲以優先考慮家庭。其他人僅有一個孩子就感到壓力重重。

今天的祖父母與上世紀60、70年代的祖父母不同。今天的祖父母規劃退休並頻繁度假，我對此不持批評態度。他們應當享受休息。那麼，我們如何平衡祖父母的需求與正在組建家庭的年輕孩子的需求？新加坡正在做些什麼來幫助灌輸支援婚姻和生育的家庭友好文化？我們需要在應對這一環境問題時轉變思維方式。

我和妻子都是職場人士，有三個孩子，經常會遇到學校緊急通知或孩子生病等情況，需要我們一方或雙方照顧孩子。我們可以進一步改善家庭文化環境的一個例子是，看看是否能在企業或私營及公共機構中提供綜合的後備照護服務，配合國家級的軟體匹配平臺，幫助員工在常規安排失效時找到臨時的兒童或老人照護。在英國，有類似的公司，如My FamilyCare。但我們可以做更多，建立這些私營機構，幫助這類公司成長，打造更好、更豐富的支援網路，營造家庭友好環境。

家庭友好工作場所

Rahayu Mahzam議員（裕廊）：有人曾與我分享一個故事。一名男子回家時看到他的幫傭帶著孩子在遊樂場玩耍。他們玩得很開心，他感到嫉妒。那天工作很累，他當時覺得自己這麼努力工作，只是為了付錢給幫傭，讓幫傭過上他想要的生活。雖然這只是轉瞬即逝的想法，但反映了他多麼希望能多陪陪孩子。

我們都有期望，希望為家人創造更好的生活。我們也有很多可以為經濟貢獻的地方，有意義的工作給我們帶來目標感和動力。然而，許多人也渴望工作與生活的平衡，以便能陪伴家人。僱主在支援新加坡人管理工作與生活平衡方面扮演重要角色，包括提供靈活工作安排（FWA）或支援在家中扮演更積極角色的在職父親。

政府將如何鼓勵僱主發揮作用？我注意到有一些計劃，如增強工作與生活平衡補助。這些措施有效嗎？還能做些什麼來鼓勵僱主營造更家庭友好的工作場所文化？

支援在職父母

Desmond Choo議員（淡濱尼）：我們的年輕新加坡人夾在照顧幼兒和年邁父母之間。政府一直在為這些家庭提供支援。部長能否更新最新進展以及部委將採取哪些進一步措施？

人口趨勢要求改變對年輕家庭在職場的支援方式。首先，隨著家庭規模縮小，年輕新加坡人需要同時照顧子女和父母。帶年邁父母去體檢很容易就要請超過一天假，孩子生病也是如此。

因此，家庭照顧假對我們的員工尤其重要，特別是那些孩子超過七歲的員工。假期的靈活使用為員工提供了更多彈性。政府能否考慮讓公共服務部門率先為所有公務員提供家庭照顧假？

其次，我們需要幫助年輕新加坡父母更好地管理嬰幼兒照護和全天托兒的費用。夫婦平均每月在全天嬰幼兒照護上花費1,495新元。即使符合600新元補貼資格，仍需自付約900新元。這負擔相當沉重。同樣，新加坡公民每月可獲得最高300新元的托兒基本補貼，該補貼自2008年實施。自2001年以來，托兒機構的中位數費用上漲了22%。

最後，靈活工作安排對支援家庭至關重要。雖然許多公司如今提供FWA，但它尚未像北歐國家那樣成為社會規範。我們需要採取果斷行動，使FWA普及。能否引入FWA權利？這將使員工更容易開啟FWA對話。我們可以從大型企業開始。這將為推廣FWA和更好支援家庭，尤其是女性員工，提供真正動力。

主席：Louis Ng議員，您可以將您的兩次發言合併。

延長托兒假

Louis Ng Kok Kwang議員：先生，年輕夫婦理所當然地擔心是否有能力撫養孩子。現在不僅是“錢不夠”，還有“時間和假期不夠”。目前六天的托兒假和無薪嬰兒照護假是不夠的。孩子越多，假期不增加是不合理的。四個孩子的父母顯然比一個孩子的父母需要更多假期。手足口病（HFMD）現在很常見，六天托兒假根本不夠。我去年經歷過，我的三個孩子連續得了手足口病。我的四歲孩子不得不缺課兩週。

我甚至不確定有兩個或以上孩子的父母在用完托兒假後是否還有足夠的年假。能否考慮按孩子數量發放托兒假？對於有兩個或以上孩子的父母，部長是否也考慮允許父母在孩子生病時使用病假？父母可提供孩子的醫療證明（MC）作為請假的憑證。

延長育兒假

先生，距離我提交關於為多胞胎或早產嬰兒父母爭取更多育兒假的休會動議已近兩年。轉眼間，我的雙胞胎Katie和Poppy已經兩歲了。從與死神搏鬥，到現在爭搶玩具。打嗝變成了放屁，哭泣變成了微笑和美妙的笑聲。這段育兒旅程無價，我很高興我們有三個健康快樂的女孩。

休會動議的發言讓我回憶起Katie和Poppy早產、幾乎失去生命的痛苦經歷。我希望沒有父母必須經歷這種事，也希望通過我的分享，我們的政策會改變，且確實在改變。去年宣佈將推出三方標準，鼓勵僱主為多胞胎或早產嬰兒的父母提供四周無薪假。

部長能否更新有多少僱主提供此假期？我瞭解到教育部也提供此假。部長能否確認整個公共服務部門是否已提供此無薪假？

議長：秩序。我建議現在休息。我宣佈休會，下午2點45分繼續主持會議。

會議於下午2點25分休會，至下午2點45分。

會議於下午2點45分恢復。

[議長主持]

[（程式文本）供應委員會辯論繼續。]

[議長主持]

U項（續）–

人力部兼內政部第二部長（Josephine Teo女士）：主席先生，感謝發言的議員們。他們的觀點和建議非常寶貴。在我的回應中，我將更新我們的人口策略和支援婚姻與生育的措施。

Lim Wee Kiak博士問我們如何在面對人口挑戰時建設一個可持續且充滿活力的全民新加坡。我們通過三大戰略來實現。

我們管理人口的首要策略是確保始終有新一代新加坡人傳承我們的遺產。我們希望新加坡成為“家庭的美好樂土”，讓年輕夫婦感受到社會和國家對婚姻與生育的強力支援。

我們在這方面的表現如何？回答這個問題時，回顧較長時間的發展趨勢是有益的。

過去五年公民出生的平均數高於之前的五年期。2014年至2018年，公民出生平均每年33,000人。2009年至2013年，平均每年31,400人。再往前看，2004年至2008年，平均每年32,000人。因此，最近五年平均每年33,000公民出生，之前五年31,400，再之前五年32,000，明顯更高。

此外，許多新加坡人居住海外，過去五年我們每年約歡迎1,500名海外出生的公民嬰兒。這個平均數也高於之前的五年期。2009年至2013年，海外公民出生平均約1,400人。2004年至2008年，平均約1,000人。

近期結婚人數也保持高位。事實上，過去五年結婚平均數顯著高於過去十年。

與這些發展並列的是另一組力量。大多數年輕新加坡人仍希望結婚生子，Vikram Nair先生會很高興知道這一點。根據2016年婚姻與生育調查，超過八成單身千禧一代表示有結婚意願，超過九成已婚夫婦希望有兩個或以上孩子。然而，他們也花更長時間尋找合適伴侶，晚些開始組建家庭。年輕新加坡人進入生育黃金期人數激增，可能會帶來出生率激增，但在較晚階段。我們認為這解釋了新加坡總和生育率（TFR）2017年降至1.16，去年降至1.14的現象。但鑑於積極的婚姻趨勢，我仍然樂觀，認為當嬰兒潮一代的子女開始生育時，TFR可能會回升。

為了讓家庭繼續成為社會基石，正如Alex Yam先生熱情表達的，我們必須積極逆風而行，使婚姻和生育變得可實現、愉快且受慶祝。

新加坡仍有許多有利於養育孩子的條件。去年，新加坡在世界銀行首屆人力資本指數中排名第一。這意味著在世界銀行調查的157個國家中，新加坡是孩子人力資本潛力最有可能得到最佳化的地方。同年，國際非政府組織“救助兒童會”也將新加坡評為兒童成長的最佳國家。

政府也逐步加強了我們的婚姻與生育禮包。Gan Thiam Poh先生和Desmond Choo先生詢問了當前措施的進展和充分性。

主席先生，能否允許我分發一張表格，展示年輕夫婦今天可獲得的主要婚姻與生育福利，與五年前相比的變化？

主席：可以。[向尊敬的議員們分發了資料。]

Josephine Teo女士：謝謝您，主席。首先，夫婦現在可以更早擁有第一套住房。等待時間較短的組屋——約兩到三年，相較於典型的建屋發展局（BTO）組屋的三到四年——現已向他們開放。首批於2018年11月推出。那些有緊急住房需求或地點偏好的人，可以選擇購買轉售組屋，並獲得最高12萬新元的住房補貼，比2014年多4萬新元。首次購房者購買非成熟區新組屋時，住房貸款月供通常不到他們合併月收入的四分之一，且因動用公積金儲蓄，往往幾乎無需現金支付。

第二，父母現在在育兒費用方面獲得更多支援。第一胎出生時，他們通過新生兒醫療儲蓄補助、嬰兒獎金現金禮和兒童發展賬戶（CDA）可獲得最高1.8萬新元，比2014年多3,000新元。政府還會直接存入3,000新元的CDA首筆款項，無需父母先存款，減輕他們育兒初期的負擔。

第三，在孩子學前階段，夫婦更容易讓孩子入讀價格合理且質量良好的學前班。自2014年以來，早期兒童發展局（ECDA）已將全日制學前班名額增加超過50%。目前有17萬個全日制學前名額。到2023年，將增至約20萬個，三分之二的學前兒童將入讀政府支援的學前班。

第四，在整個育兒過程中，隨著家庭責任增加，夫婦現在有更強的支援來平衡工作與家庭責任。他們享有更優的育兒假規定，使父親能更積極參與。父親在孩子第一年可享有最多八週假期，是五年前的兩倍。陪產假使用率令人鼓舞，從2014年的37%升至最近一批的53%。

我們也逐年增加帶薪托兒假。目前，每位有七歲以下子女的父母每年有六天托兒假，子女在小學期間還有兩天托兒假。

Louis Ng先生提出了進一步增加父母照顧子女假期的建議，Desmond Choo先生建議立法保障靈活工作安排。我們將持續審視擴大假期範圍的可能性，但正如Douglas Foo先生提醒的，我們應謹慎強制企業承擔更多責任，以免影響企業生存和就業。鑑於近期的改進，我希望議員們同意給予企業一些調整時間，再做進一步措施。

與此同時，推廣工作應繼續。這就是為什麼我們去年推出三方標準，鼓勵僱主在員工有突發照護需求時提供無薪假，包括多胞胎或早產嬰兒，或家庭成員或子女住院。我必須感謝Louis Ng先生給我們這個想法。約450家僱主，合計超過224,000名員工，已採納該標準。這包括擁有70多個機構的公共服務部門。我們將繼續鼓勵採納該標準。

我還應該補充一點，父母更有可能從靈活工作安排（FWA）中受益。我們於2017年10月推出了三方靈活工作安排標準，並於去年7月推出了增強版工作與生活補貼，以更好地支援靈活工作安排的採用。該補貼在短短五個月內已收到超過340份申請。現在越來越多的工作場所支援靈活工作安排。大約53%的僱主現在至少提供一種正式的靈活工作安排，這可以是彈性工作時間、彈性工作地點或彈性工作量，而2014年這一比例為47%。事實上，這是我一直期待的一個重要轉折點。潮流正在轉變，我希望靈活工作安排今後會變得更加普遍。

然而，我也意識到年輕的新加坡人仍然有一些擔憂，正如朱德明先生也提到的。

父母們提出了關於經濟負擔的擔憂，比如學前教育費用。早期兒童發展局（ECDA）正在審查學前補貼框架，以使優質學前教育對父母更負擔得起。社會及家庭發展部（MSF）將在其預算辯論中對此進行更新。

父母們可能還覺得需要跟上其他父母在教育上的高強度努力。例如，教育部（MOE）也對此表示關注。為了幫助我們的學生髮現更多學習的樂趣並培養更強的內在學習動力，教育部正在減少校本評估的頻率和重要性。學生的班級和年級排名將不會反映在成績報告冊中，以減少學生之間基於學業表現的不健康比較。

社會及家庭發展部還啟動了“嬰兒獎金育兒資源門戶”，通過專家分享養育快樂健康孩子的技巧，增強育兒信心。

接下來，正如拉哈尤·馬哈贊女士指出的，職場環境至關重要。人力部高階議會秘書劉燕玲將在人力部預算辯論中分享更多內容。

下午3點

總體而言，我感到鼓舞的是，越來越多的公司正在採取積極措施支援員工的照顧需求。一個例子是M Tech，這是一家專注於網路安全和網路效能解決方案的中小企業（SME）。我本週訪問了M Tech。由於他們的許多員工是年輕父母，可能還需要照顧家中的長輩，M Tech決定為需要的員工提供靈活工作安排。這得益於資訊科技工具，使員工能夠遠端工作且仍然高效。我見到了產品經理佩特琳，她在孩子患水痘和母親住院期間能夠遠端辦公。M Tech最初擔心實現移動辦公所需的投資，但後來發現收益非常值得。例如，它更能吸引和留住像佩特琳這樣既高效又敬業的員工，佩特琳已在M Tech工作了11年。

除了工作靈活性之外，職場文化還有更深層次的問題。一些新加坡人確實工作時間很長，幾乎沒有時間約會或陪伴家人。休息和充電時間減少不僅影響員工的健康和福祉，也影響他們與親人相處的時間。

隨著工作的性質演變，組織採用新的工作方式以實現良好的業務成果，同時給予員工足夠的休息時間充電，是有價值的。

例如，M Tech的員工可能會提前下班，去參加課程或接孩子放學。但他們會在晚上重新連線，完成一些時間敏感的任務，比如確認其他時區的銷售訂單，他們對此毫不介意，因為所需時間不長。

因此，我們希望更多僱主努力推廣更可持續的工作實踐，為了員工的利益，也為了企業的長期生存能力。

最後，隨著晚婚晚育趨勢，政府將審視對面臨生育困難並希望接受輔助生殖技術治療的夫婦的援助。

包括王廷坤先生、薩克提安迪·蘇帕特先生和維克拉姆·奈爾先生在內的議員提出了加強婚姻和育兒支援的進一步措施建議。

我同意我們可以做得更多。然而，完全照搬其他國家的做法可能不會達到預期效果。例如，韓國投入大量資源模仿北歐國家，但其總和生育率並未改善，去年降至0.98。我認為這是韓國有記錄以來的最低水平。

過去五年的努力雖顯著，但可能需要更長時間才能見效。我們還需要更深層次的觀念轉變，以減輕育兒壓力。

歸根結底，婚姻和育兒是個人決定，受個人珍視的價值觀影響，但也在很大程度上受社會規範、家庭、僱主和更廣泛社會的影響。文化和社會因素起著重要作用。正如薩克提安迪·蘇帕特先生和亞歷克斯·嚴先生指出的，沒有任何單一利益相關者能獨自完全解決這些問題。

在這方面，我很高興看到各社群利益相關者積極參與。

例如，“家庭為生活理事會”在工作場所和社群接觸點提供一系列教育專案，還組織活動鼓勵新加坡人將家庭生活置於優先位置。

在文禮選區，一群年輕父母在人民協會舉辦的“擁抱父母身份”社群慶典上相識後，成立了家長支援小組。該小組每季度聚會一次，分享兒童發展、嬰兒營養及其他育兒技巧。

這些大小不一的努力在讓育兒變得愉快和受歡迎方面發揮了重要作用。我們歡迎更多此類舉措。

未來幾個月，國家人口與人才司（NPTD）將啟動諮詢程式，傾聽新加坡人關於組建家庭的需求和關切，以及政府和社群如何更好地支援他們的願望。我也感謝議員們的建議，其中有許多很好的例子。薩克提安迪·蘇帕特先生建議設立備用照護服務。因此，我邀請所有利益相關者加入我們，共同創造和塑造政策。我們將很快公佈諮詢程式的更多細節。

主席先生，我花了一些時間重申我們支援婚姻和育兒的承諾。我們管理人口的第二大戰略是保持移民流動的謹慎平衡。我們的移民政策核心目標是維持穩定的公民人口，保持經濟活力和社會凝聚力。

與過去幾年類似，2018年我們授予了約22,600個新加坡公民身份，其中1,600個是海外出生的新加坡公民子女。去年授予了32,700個永久居民身份，永久居民人口保持在約52萬人左右。

正如林偉傑博士和顏添寶先生提到的，公民應有強烈的身份認同感和歸屬感。我們也同意法蒂瑪·拉蒂夫教授的觀點，選擇新公民的標準很重要。

為此，我們定期審查移民框架。我們在授予永久居民和公民身份時保持高度選擇性。在所有情況下，我們都會考慮申請人的年齡、家庭狀況、經濟貢獻以及融入能力等因素。我們尋找與新加坡生活方式、價值觀和規範的根植性和認同感的標誌。

家庭關係和居住時間是強有力的指標。因此，近年來獲得公民身份的成年人中，有四分之一與新加坡人有家庭關係；六成以上在新加坡居住至少10年；每年大多數新公民處於年輕和黃金工作年齡。我們將繼續謹慎管理移民。

主席先生，我們建設可持續人口的第三大戰略同樣重要，即讓新加坡人優雅且有意義地老去。

聯合國（UN）將人口老齡化描述為我們時代的一個決定性特徵。在亞洲，日本是首個快速老齡化的國家。新加坡與韓國、香港和臺灣不相上下。如今，我們的預期壽命位居世界第三。幸運的是，更多的壽命是在健康狀態下度過的。

我們並非對這一發展無動於衷，而是採取多種方式幫助新加坡人享受有成效的長壽。這始於能夠保持活躍，有機會工作（如果長者願意），並加強退休保障支援。

自20世紀80年代以來，我們已採取措施為老齡社會做準備。公積金（CPF）多年來不斷完善。除了住房擁有權外，它現在還幫助新加坡人儲蓄醫療需求，並在退休時獲得終身支付。

除了CPF終身計劃，政府還推出了社群健康援助計劃（CHAS）、銀髮支援計劃、醫療保險終身計劃（MediShield Life）以及現在的護理終身計劃（CareShield Life），幫助家庭更好照顧長者。對於醫療儲蓄較少的年長新加坡人，我們提供了先驅和獨立世代計劃，重點是保持優質醫療服務的可負擔性。此外，還有定期補充以增強退休儲蓄。

正如最近關於有意義老齡化的議會動議所確認的，我們應繼續完善政策以支援長者不斷變化的需求。例如，越來越多長者希望延長工作時間。55至64歲年齡段的就業率已是全球最高之一，且仍在上升。作為人力部長，我成立了三方老年員工工作組。稍後辯論中，我將更新工作組的討論情況，以回應顏添寶先生關於支援長者就業的關切。

在社群層面，我們也在更新照顧長者的方式，例如通過創新且獲獎的解決方案如“甘榜阿德米拉蒂”。我的衛生部同事將在其預算辯論中分享更多內容。主席先生，若獲允許，我想用中文結束髮言。

（中文發言）：[請參閱方言發言稿。] 主席先生，我們將繼續加強努力，使新加坡成為家庭的理想之地。

過去五年，婚姻和公民出生趨勢令人鼓舞。2014年至2018年間，公民出生平均每年約33,000例。此前兩個五年期的年均數較低，2009年至2013年為31,400，2004年至2008年為32,000。結婚人數也在上升。

近年來，我們在住房、育兒成本、學前教育以及平衡工作與家庭責任等方面顯著加強了對婚姻和育兒的支援。與五年前相比，年輕父母獲得的支援大大提升。

政府加強支援的同時，我們也需要全社會共同努力，使新加坡成為家庭的理想之地。例如，僱主和同事可以通過滿足父母對靈活工作安排的需求來提供幫助。社群組織也可以慶祝育兒並在同伴間建立支援網路。

未來幾個月，我們將啟動諮詢程式，傾聽新加坡人關於組建家庭的需求和關切。我們希望各利益相關者繼續反饋意見，並加入我們，共同打造真正的家庭理想之地。

主席：達里爾·大衛先生。

數字國家惠及新加坡人

達里爾·大衛先生（宏茂橋）：主席先生，智慧國計劃於2014年底啟動，旨在應用數字和智慧解決方案，為居民和企業提供更優質的服務。

自啟動以來，智慧國計劃開展了眾多試點專案和試驗，其中一些，如公共交通的非接觸式支付和遠端醫療，已開始見效。儘管如此，這些舉措似乎多為獨立專案，政府機構和法定機構各自推出自己的計劃。

請問總理辦公室能否詳細說明指導智慧國計劃的更大國家敘事，以及該計劃如何為公民和企業帶來切實利益？

此外，是否有意開展公私合作，將現有舉措商業化，以便私營部門為終端使用者帶來更多利益？

以人為本的智慧國

田佩玲女士（麥波申）：以人為本是智慧國努力的核心。解決方案應針對現代問題，使城市生活更便捷。這些問題可能包括交通、能源效率、公共安全、公共衛生、公民參與、隱私和網路安全。智慧國必須成功。我們需要爭取公民和企業的支援。利益必須真實，才能讓他們信服。因此，設計以公民或使用者為中心的解決方案至關重要。

在愛沙尼亞，政府使用X-Road為公民帶來了諸多便利，使生活在各個層面更輕鬆，並促進了對智慧政府的支援和信任。據估計，X-Road每年為國家和公民節省超過820年工作時間。安全的數字身份（ID）還使愛沙尼亞人能夠高效且安全地完成交易。例如，孩子出生時，醫院將資訊錄入與國家人口登記處相連的資料庫。資訊自動共享給各政府系統，確保孩子獲得醫療和教育等社會福利。

鑑於我們的願景和其他國家的經驗，政府將如何確保服務以公民為中心？雖然政府計劃使服務更加資料驅動和前瞻性，公民和企業還能期待從智慧國努力中獲得哪些更多利益？

下午3點15分

公共機構的個人資料

林秀玉女士：數字防禦現已成為全面防禦的第六支柱，所有人包括政府都承擔責任。

今年2月12日，通訊及資訊部長向議會表示，政府科技局（GovTech）全面負責資料的安全和保障系統，負責進行多項審查，確保政府機構遵守操作手冊及其他規定。

我想問，GovTech是否具體監督公共機構內公民個人資料的保護，防止濫用、駭客攻擊或洩露。例如，GovTech是否審計公共機構的資料和隱私保護措施？鑑於已發生的風險和洩露事件，政府是否考慮釋出公共機構網路安全準備情況的年度報告，以向公民提供一定的保障，並鼓勵達到高標準？

其次，雖然有法規懲罰不遵守保密義務的公務員，但對於資料被洩露的無辜者，政府的立場如何？例如，最近有報道稱一名站長非法訪問警方計算機系統，檢視一名男子的電話記錄，懷疑其與其妻子有外遇。在此類情況下，是否有指導方針規定是否應告知受影響者及告知的時間框架？此類資訊對受害者保護自身和及時尋求救濟至關重要。

最後，在最近關於艾滋病毒（HIV）登記冊洩露的辯論中，政府告訴議會，資料洩露者可起訴衛生部。除了對政府提起昂貴訴訟外，受害者還能通過何種方式獲得賠償？

智慧國計劃

傅誌慶先生：主席先生，我的發言聚焦於我們的智慧國願景和計劃。我們的智慧國願景很好。數字政府將實現政府一體化和無縫運作，帶來更好的政策和運營。數字經濟將提升企業生產力，創造未來的新工作和機會。數字社會將讓人民享受更大便利、更多機會和更高生活質量。

自2014年底智慧國計劃啟動以來，在應用數字和智慧解決方案為公民和企業提供更好服務方面取得了良好進展。

推出的幾個優秀專案值得稱讚。“生命時刻”計劃就是一個好例子——一個一站式應用，幫助新加坡人迎接新生兒並養育幼兒。新父母可以通過單一申請註冊新生兒出生並申請嬰兒獎金激勵。對於學齡前兒童，家長可以搜尋幼兒園，檢視孩子的醫療資料。對於許多進入激動人心且忙碌育兒旅程的父母來說，一站式應用的便利性相比需要瀏覽多個機構和網站，帶來了切實利益。

另一個好專案是推出了MyInfo Business，允許中小企業訪問129項政府電子服務和143項私營部門電子服務。

然而，這些舉措只是實現智慧國目標的一小步。技術發展迅速，過去不可能的事情現在已成為可能。

我想請部長提供一個關於我們未來幾年將實施的專案的最新情況，以便我們實現智慧國願景。

為未來做準備

主席先生，我接下來的發言是關於為未來做準備。儘管缺乏傳統的生產要素，如土地、勞動力和資本，新加坡仍然能夠在從第三世界國家轉變為今天的第一世界國家的過程中戰勝困難。我們的成功歸功於強有力且誠實的領導、包容的多種族社會以及自力更生和相互支援的文化。

今天，我們面臨一系列新的挑戰——人口老齡化、更加嚴峻的基礎設施和人力資源限制，僅舉幾例。

在全球數字革命的背景下，新加坡必須加快社會和經濟的轉型，以保持競爭力，否則將面臨被淘汰的風險。數字經濟帶來了許多好處：更高的生產力、更好的生活質量、更好的就業機會、降低企業運營成本，等等。由於這些對公民和企業的顯著益處，世界上許多城市和國家也在開展類似的數字化努力。讓我舉一個例子。

2018年10月，阿聯酋在迪拜國際機場啟動了全球首個生物識別通道試點。這允許通過智慧移民通道使用生物識別技術，旅客無需在櫃檯停留即可通過移民檢查。通過採用這些技術，阿聯酋計劃在2020年前逐步取消機場移民官員。

隨著其他國家開展類似的數字化努力，政府在智慧國方面做了哪些工作，以確保我們保持相關性和全球競爭力？

主席：張世樂先生。您可以將您的兩段發言合併。

智慧國中的企業

智慧國合作伙伴關係

張世樂先生（巴西立-榜鵝）：我們已經分享了成為智慧國的願景，並且已經有相關的公告和專案實施。通過智慧國，我們有許多機會幫助活躍所有初創企業和本地企業。智慧國專案被寄予厚望，希望為企業帶來效率、效能以及商業機會，特別是在科技商業社群中。

然而，到目前為止，興趣似乎有所減弱，許多人認為他們預期的機會並未出現。那麼，我想知道，相關部委或總理辦公室（PMO）能否更新智慧國專案迄今為止對企業在機會和經營方面的影響？

私營部門，尤其是科技企業，已經啟動了許多專案。我們應該能夠利用這些初創企業或開發這些技術的公司，特別是當他們在人工智慧、機器學習或自動化方面開發了先進的尖端技術時。GovTech無需再設立另一個小組或委員會來重新開發或重新發明輪子。它可以與這些公司合作，進行試點和測試過程。許多技術已經經過市場驗證。在GovTech或政府內部設立另一個重大專案之前，請考慮這些公司。他們可以提供良好且更有效的幫助。

請總理辦公室向商業界更新智慧國專案中有哪些可用的舉措，以及未來將有哪些機會。

主席：翁丁坤先生不在。維克拉姆·奈爾先生。

智慧國

維克拉姆·奈爾先生：主席先生，新加坡政府在推動新加坡成為智慧國方面走在前列。GovTech確保越來越多的政府服務可以線上提供，並且易於線上使用。這值得稱讚。

然而，智慧國雖然由智慧政府領導，但也需要“智慧”的私營部門充分利用這些進展。

在這方面，政府如何讓私營部門和科技社群參與智慧國的推動？我們在來年可以期待哪些新舉措？

智慧國與數字包容

拉哈尤·馬哈贊女士：智慧國的努力值得稱讚。我們必須跟上全球變化的發展，確保公民能夠受益於最新技術，從而享有更好的生活質量。智慧技術也可以用來使社會更加包容。例如，陸路交通管理局（LTA）正在試用一款新的移動應用，使有特殊需要的人士出行更便捷。

不過，有些人擔心我們變革過快，社群中存在一些弱勢群體可能無法跟上變化。有些人擔心老年人數字技能不足，難以適應變化。還有人擔心低收入家庭可能無法獲得新裝置甚至網際網路。我們需要確保這些群體不會被排除在外，實際上能夠從智慧國舉措中受益。

請問相關部委能否更新迄今為止所採取的努力，並詳細說明智慧國如何惠及上述弱勢群體？

主席：外交部長維文·巴拉克裡希南。

外交部長（維文·巴拉克裡希南博士）：主席先生，我代表政府的首席極客——李顯龍總理發言。

我們在利用最新數字技術方面取得了重大進展，首先是創造新就業崗位；其次是為工人提供新崗位的再培訓；第三是重組經濟以提升競爭力；第四是改善日常生活質量；第五，當然是提升以公民為中心的政府服務整合交付。

我要感謝傅建業先生、陳佩玲女士和維克拉姆·奈爾先生，他們正確地強調了關鍵不在於技術本身，而在於我們如何利用技術以及技術如何惠及我們的日常生活。

主席先生，允許我展示一張資訊圖，介紹我們的智慧國專案及其里程碑，並請書記員分發列印件。

主席：請展示。[向尊敬的議員們分發了資料。]

維文·巴拉克裡希南博士：謝謝。首先，我們專注於提升日常生活的便利性。MyInfo專案允許您線上開設銀行賬戶或申請信用卡，並通過安全共享資料幾乎即時獲得批准。SingPass Mobile是一款應用，允許公民通過生物識別認證登入政府服務，無需密碼。我很高興地報告，自四個月前推出以來，已有20萬人使用該系統。PayNow註冊使用者達到230萬。事實上，鮮為人知的是，您如果將身份證號碼繫結到PayNow，可以快速甚至幾乎即時收到新加坡獎金、教育儲蓄獎，甚至更具政治意義的公積金一次性付款，而無需等待支票郵寄。

Moments of Life應用幫助家長管理孩子的早期成長階段。迄今已有2000個出生通過一份自動填寫的電子表格完成註冊。我忘了確認陳佩玲女士是否使用了該應用。還沒有。那下次吧。這是陳振聲部長剛才描述的服務交付方式的一部分。經過我和張玉清女士的呼籲，陳佩玲女士應該會使用下一次。我們相信這些改進將幫助我們節省時間、降低交易成本並提高效率。

第二，智慧國還努力營造更安全的生活環境。我們正在試用一款新的個人警報按鈕，供老年人在跌倒後呼救，尤其是在他們無法動彈時。卡文溫部長最近描述他跌倒併骨折手臂時的劇痛讓我深刻體會到這一點。正如您昨天在他的Facebook帖子中看到的，這種情況並非個例。許多老年人在家中遇到緊急情況時無法動彈，需要呼救。這是一個直接改善個人生活的例子。

另一個例子是溺水檢測系統幫助我們的救生員保障社群游泳池安全。國家環境局（NEA）已安裝5萬個智慧Gravitrap陷阱，用於監測和消滅傳播登革熱的埃及伊蚊繁殖地。

MyResponder應用迄今已幫助至少13名心臟病發作患者獲救。但比應用和技術更重要的是，這體現了技術使我們能夠表達彼此關懷的能力。

第三，我們的舉措使做生意更容易。我們持續提供更多選擇和更好的電子支付互操作性。去年，智慧國與數字政府集團（SNDGG）、新加坡金融管理局（MAS）和信息通信媒體發展局（IMDA）共同推出了統一的新加坡二維碼（SGQR）標準，電子轉賬網路（NETS）已在全國部署了5萬個統一銷售點終端。這些舉措幫助商戶為消費者提供更大便利，減少現金使用。在智慧國，我們必須始終以資料為驅動。因此，我詢問後獲悉，電子支付金額已增至自動櫃員機（ATM）現金取款的三倍以上。我們正朝著正確方向前進。

下午3時30分

NETS還被指定統一小販中心和咖啡店的電子支付環境。這將整合不同的電子支付方式，更重要的是加快小販的結算速度，使他們能在次日收到款項。

自去年8月推出以來，已有超過8萬家企業註冊使用PayNow企業版。與個人一樣，企業現在可以即時傳送和接收付款。PayNow舉措促使支票使用量降至銀行間轉賬量的20%。這也是朝著正確方向的進展。

MyInfo Business允許多達22萬家中小企業輕鬆快速地開設銀行賬戶和申請貸款。稅務局（IRAS）已試點通過國家數字身份（API）實現從企業會計軟體直接提交商品及服務稅（GST）申報，並計劃推廣至所有註冊GST企業。網路貿易平臺縮短了貿易許可證申請時間，從幾天縮短至一小時。這減輕了行政負擔，使創業者能專注於業務增長，而非應對繁瑣手續。

張世樂先生和維克拉姆·奈爾先生詢問了我們的未來舉措。我們將繼續提升數字服務的可訪問性和整合性。我們將增強SingPass Mobile，使其可用於安全登入部分私營部門應用。安全當然是我們的核心關注。高階國務部長賈尼爾·普圖切裡將回答林淑儀女士關於安全的問題，因為沒有安全，許多智慧國舉措將面臨風險。

我們將擴充套件Moments of Life服務，幫助公民應對人生重大轉折點，如出生、入學、結婚，甚至包括生命終結事宜。我們將賦能老年人過更積極的生活。衛生部將在其環節中分享更多。我們將繼續提升日常生活便利性。

Parking.SG已被超過60%的車主使用，我們希望不僅讓支付停車費更便捷，還能幫助他們更容易找到停車位。今年，GovTech、城市重建局（URA）和市政服務辦公室（MSO）將試點安裝智慧感測器，即時向尋找車位的人提供路邊停車位的可用資訊。

建屋發展局（HDB）正致力於打造更智慧的城鎮，以最佳化土地、基礎設施和公用設施，並利用數字工具促進居民互動和社群形成。這將使我們的心臟地帶更宜居、高效、可持續且安全。

企業可以期待更多數字工具，提升新加坡境內及跨境的連線性。信息通信媒體發展局（IMDA）推出新的國家電子發票標準，將加快企業開票和付款速度。做生意的人都知道，現金流速度對企業至關重要。

我們正在簡化政府交易。財政部長提到一個試點入口網站，幫助多達1.8萬家餐飲服務公司簡化許可證申請流程。任何嘗試開餐廳的人都知道需要提交許多申請。我們將努力簡化流程，消除重複申請，減少繁文縟節，加快審批速度。未來我們希望將此舉推廣至其他行業。

我們的目標是整合所有這些服務，幫助企業開拓與消費者及其他企業的新連線方式，並與政府進行交易。SNDGG並非獨自完成此任務。我們不是一個部委，而是視自己為整個政府的共享平臺。數字政府藍圖要求政府在2023年前實現數字化核心。許多機構已實施或正在實施新的數字舉措，以實現這一目標。

讓我再舉一個例子。衛生部推出了Healthy 365，過去四年保持了170萬用戶的活躍度。許多人告訴我他們喜歡國家步數挑戰賽，我尤其感興趣地看到許多非技術人員佩戴活動追蹤器。這不僅因為健康促進局（HPB）免費贈送，更因為社群活動和健康積分及折扣的結合。當然，新加坡人對健康的追求也起了作用。重點是我們利用技術每天改善健康。

文化、社區及青年部（MCCY）最近推出了中央志願者管理系統，以深化志願者參與和招募。六個公共機構現使用volunteer.sg管理超過2萬名活躍志願者。MCCY將在其環節中分享更多。

我已經描述了智慧國為公民帶來的一系列現有和即將到來的好處。但我也同意陳佩玲女士的觀點，我們必須繼續以公民為中心，提供整合的服務。在未來幾年，隨著我們數字基礎設施的擴充套件產生的資料，我們可以期待服務變得更加個性化，更加貼合公民的個人需求，更加響應迅速。當人們線上購物、線上互動，尤其是與私營部門互動時，期望值提高，他們也期望政府能夠以同樣個性化、響應迅速的方式回應。

我們將通過更好地利用人工智慧來實現這一目標，我們相信這將極大改善我們的生活和經濟。讓我花些時間與議員們分享我們在人工智慧領域的工作。人工智慧，特別是深度機器學習，近年來徹底改變了局面。人工智慧已經開始影響我們的日常生活。如果我們停下來想想，手機中的語音助手、語言翻譯、全球定位系統（GPS）最佳化、信用卡欺詐警報，所有這些都在過去兩年內受益於人工智慧的進步。

我剛才提到政府已在游泳池溺水檢測中使用人工智慧。我們還將其用於SkillsFuture的欺詐檢測和本地語音識別。事實上，今年人工智慧語音識別已用於輔助轉錄內閣部長演講稿，因此準確度應有所提高。即使您指出錯誤，也將幫助我們改進系統。

傅建業先生問智慧國如何保持我們的相關性。人工智慧、資料分析、機器人技術和自動化是我們重組經濟的關鍵要素。我們需要通過創造新的增長引擎實現生產力的飛躍。政府需要升級我們的技術架構，以更好地響應公民需求和日益激烈的市場競爭。我們相信新加坡在人工智慧方面有良好基礎，這得益於SNDGG、通訊及信息部（MCI）和經濟機構的多機構合作。

國家研究基金會（NRF）成立了AI Singapore，將所有相關研究機構和人工智慧初創企業聚集在一起。GovTech將設立資料科學和人工智慧卓越中心，幫助其他機構部署這些人工智慧解決方案和技術。最後，通訊及信息部正在制定指導方針，鼓勵負責任和安全地使用人工智慧，例如伊斯瓦蘭部長最近宣佈的《人工智慧治理模型框架》。

我們需要加倍努力。今年，一個跨部門工作組將研究新加坡如何將人工智慧（AI）發展為戰略能力，併成為一個值得信賴的全球測試平臺，特別是在像我們這樣高度城市化的城市環境中，推動和擴大AI解決方案的應用。對市民來說，這意味著無論是政府還是私營部門，都將提供新的、更好的服務。前景非常樂觀。麥肯錫已經確定了160個可以利用AI實現社會公益的用例。例如，AI可以“根據學生過去的成功和對材料的參與情況推薦內容”，並且“及早發現學生的困擾”。基本上，這意味著我們談論的分流和學科分組仍然相關。但要真正為個體定製教育旅程，有時甚至將其遊戲化，將為我們的學生提供更有幫助的教育體驗。

我們還預見AI將在城市場景中實現最佳化，例如最佳化我們的交通訊號燈網路和預測性維護公共基礎設施。換句話說，就是確保設施不發生故障，或在潛在問題導致故障之前識別出來。我們預見AI將在金融、物流和網路安全領域的應用。事實上，已經有許多本地公司活躍在這些及其他領域。這是回應張世樂議員的提問。我們希望與這些公司共同開發新的AI解決方案。

為了擴大AI的發展規模，我們正致力於普及資料和AI工具的訪問，使每個人都能學習和嘗試AI解決方案。我們希望支援中小企業採用AI，並與政府合作開展相關用例。我們將擴大政府與私營部門的合作。一個例子是AI新加坡的“100個實驗”計劃，幫助企業與AI專家一起解決自身的實際業務問題。該計劃還將引入AI學徒與業界共同培訓。換句話說，我們正在將企業與主要專家以及希望學習並進入該行業的人才連線起來。

最後，我們將培養本地AI專業知識，並裝備每個人以受益於AI能力。這意味著在學校教授計算思維和資料素養，並培訓成人掌握資料科學和AI技能。在這聽起來太嚇人之前，我想說，我們並不期望每個人都成為AI專家。但請將未來的AI視為你今天看待文書處理的方式。它是一種通用技術，我們希望我們的勞動力能夠使用AI工具，有意義地參與未來由AI驅動的經濟，確保獲得好工作，提高生產力並增加工資。

所以，讓我以重申顯而易見的事實來結束。智慧國最終是為了改善生活和生計。到目前為止，我們做得相當不錯。新加坡在2018年巴塞羅那世界智慧城市獎中獲得城市獎，這證明了智慧國為新加坡人帶來的切實利益以及我們獲得的國際認可。儘管如此，我們不能自滿，因為技術變革的速度極其迅猛。政府將繼續通過“Scale-Up SG”、“企業融資計劃”和“中小企業數字化”等舉措支援本地企業，正如許文強部長在預算演講中提到的。我也認同拉哈尤·馬哈贊女士關於數字準備和包容性的關切，資深國務部長賈尼爾·普圖切裡將詳細介紹我們將開展的特殊包容性舉措，確保沒有公民被落下。

但這些挑戰和所有這些變革也為新加坡帶來了許多機遇，尤其是對於一個擁有勤奮、有紀律、高學歷人口的城市國家來說。在這樣的世界中，我們擁有不成比例的機會。我們呼籲公民和企業與我們同行，充分利用我們的比較優勢，利用我們已建立的資源和基礎設施，共同創造未來的解決方案。如果我們這樣做，主席先生，我們都能在未來數年乃至數十年中共享智慧國的成果。

下午3時45分

主席：資深國務部長賈尼爾·普圖切裡。

通訊及資訊部和交通部資深國務部長（賈尼爾·普圖切裡博士）：主席先生，如果我可以接著范文芳部長的號召，呼籲我們所有人參與新加坡的智慧國願景。政府無法單獨實現這一目標，不能僅憑意志力、願望或演講來實現。我們需要人民和企業的創意與能力。作為一個國家，每個人都需要成為智慧國旅程的一部分。

我們並不壟斷最佳創意和人才。我們需要為公民、社群夥伴和企業創造機會，讓他們有意義地參與智慧國。

張世樂議員和維克拉姆·奈爾議員詢問了政府、企業和科技社群之間的合作。我們促進企業更大參與的方式之一是建立名為CODEX的系統，即核心運營、開發環境和交換平臺，這是一個共享的數字骨幹，其中一部分是新加坡政府技術堆疊。該平臺可用於構建應用程式和數字服務。CODEX將是模組化、可互操作的，未來將允許與政府外部各方介面。

作為CODEX的一部分，我們正與公共機構合作，將其資訊通訊技術系統遷移至商業雲。也就是說，政府及公共機構的系統將執行在商業雲上，這將使我們能夠利用領先的私營部門能力，更好地為市民構建產品和服務。

我們也積極吸納科技社群參與。一個例子是名為“Kill The Queue”的手機應用，允許購物者通過手機掃描並支付商品，從而節省排隊時間。該應用由GovTech工程師團隊構思，隨後與淡馬錫理工學院學生合作，作為學生的畢業設計專案開發原型。這種合作也讓學生通過解決現實挑戰提升技能。因此，通過企業合作，政府構建的平臺和產品實現互操作性，為企業創造機會，與學生和學術界分享創意，推動他們開發現實解決方案。

議員們可能聽說過“開發者大會”或DevCon。這些通常由蘋果、谷歌或臉書等科技公司舉辦，旨在吸引工程師和科技商業社群利用該公司擁有的產品或平臺。例如，蘋果iPhone作業系統（iOS）開發者大會或臉書開發者大會，軟體開發者和企業利用這些時間思考如何更好地利用產品服務自身業務，並通過反饋改進產品。

為了促進與社群的更大合作，並展望私營部門如何構建疊加或介面於智慧國平臺的產品，我們舉辦了首屆開發者大會——GovTech STACK DevCon 2018。據我所知（尚未完全核實），這是迄今為止唯一由政府主導的開發者大會。該活動吸引了來自私營部門、政府、公共部門和科技社群的1200多名參與者。

此外，我們還支援駭客馬拉松。議員們可能聽說過駭客馬拉松。那麼，開發者大會和駭客馬拉松有什麼區別？開發者大會由擁有產品、解決方案或平臺的組織者舉辦，目的是詢問社群如何利用該產品更好地完成任務，如何改進產品。而駭客馬拉松則是參與者提出創意，解決他們關心的問題，政府也支援此類活動。這為科技社群提供了聚集、相互學習、構思和構建產品的平臺。我們支援的駭客馬拉松包括“Startup Weekend Singapore Mega 2018”和由星展銀行、GovTech及新加坡科技設計大學（SUTD）聯合舉辦的“智慧城市挑戰賽”。

我們的推廣工作也超越了科技社群，因為我們需要一個惠及各行各業公民的智慧國。

我們通過名為“與人民共創智慧國”（SCOPE）的專案積極與公民互動。SCOPE是一個平臺，讓我們向市民展示數字產品或創意的早期原型。例如，范文芳部長提到的警報按鈕，在設計和構思的早期階段，只要有實體產品，我們就鼓勵參與者試用、測試，並利用他們的反饋改進產品開發流程。這在私營部門很常見，但現在我們開始在公共部門的智慧國解決方案開發中採用這些方法。

我們在四個月內在長者活動中心、基層活動和全國職工總會（NTUC）活動中開展了一系列互動，覆蓋了3500多名公民，收集了許多有用的見解和建議。

其中一個例子是長者對“生命時刻”應用中積極老齡化服務的接受度。初步調查顯示，大多數60歲及以上長者擁有智慧手機，並願意使用數字服務。他們還反饋瞭如何設計易用的應用，以及如何為長者提供支援和輔導，使他們能夠使用這些應用並受益。這些都將幫助我們開發和提供更好的產品、服務和體驗。

我們將繼續擴大這些努力。為了讓更多來自不同背景的新加坡人參與智慧國，我們將與全國職工總會簽署諒解備忘錄，進一步吸引工人及其家庭，幫助他們充分利用新工作和機會。

我同意拉哈尤·馬哈贊女士的觀點，即在推進智慧國建設的同時，我們必須確保智慧國包容並惠及所有新加坡人。

我們致力於數字包容和數字準備，確保每個人都能獲得技術帶來的機會。我將在通訊及資訊部部長的答問環節中詳細介紹更廣泛的數字準備工作。但智慧國與數字政府集團將確保政府的數字服務設計惠及所有人。

作為政府改善網站可用性努力的一部分，我們制定了一套政府機構的數字服務標準（DSS）。

例如，建屋發展局（HDB）的“MyNiceHome”網站是一個為首次置業者提供購房和裝修資訊的入口網站，已全面重新設計。該網站實現了移動響應式設計，增加了多種搜尋和輔助功能，內容也對殘障人士更為友好。結果，網站流量顯著增加。

西爾維婭·林議員詢問了公共部門的資料保護。政府確實應對其收集的資料承擔高標準保護責任。在智慧國與數字政府集團，我們的職責不僅是交付優質產品，還包括為公共部門制定和維護高標準的資料保護。

政府逐步加強了安全措施以保護敏感資料。2016年推出了網際網路衝浪隔離政策，2017年禁止未經授權裝置訪問USB埠。我們還增加了內部IT審計的數量和型別，以檢查機構的資料訪問和保護措施。作為慣例，機構僅在必要時使用可識別資料，例如提供個性化服務。

我們將持續審查標準和措施，吸取經驗教訓並採納行業最佳實踐。例如，我們將逐步實現使用者賬戶管理自動化，確保嚴格且穩健的訪問控制。

如果市民懷疑其資料被濫用或遭駭客攻擊，可以向相關機構投訴，如有犯罪嫌疑，也可向警方報案。他們也可以直接聯絡GovTech。我們有資料處理指南和應有的協議。投訴將被徹底調查並採取適當行動。除此之外，還有其他相關問題和後果，我們願意探討如何幫助和支援他們。

為了構建智慧國平臺和產品，吸引科技社群和企業參與，制定並執行公共部門的嚴格標準，以及為新加坡人創造就業和機會，我們需要培養強大的工程技術核心。我們一直在尋找工程人才加入。我們尋找頭腦聰明、具備計算設計眼光並有志為社會貢獻的人才。政府為工程師提供了令人興奮的機會。

我想舉一個具體例子，勞拉·李女士。議員們可能熟悉或不熟悉李女士的第一任僱主King.com，這是一家軟體開發商。我猜有些議員可能更熟悉他們的產品之一——《糖果傳奇》。李女士在King.com工作期間，幫助《糖果傳奇》成為史上最暢銷遊戲之一。她讀到GovTech工程師如何利用資料解決2016年環線地鐵神秘故障的報道。看到資料科學家解決現實問題的努力，李女士受到啟發，回國加入我們。她目前是GovTech的資料科學家，致力於改善政府數字服務，如交通路線規劃和就業匹配。像許多工程師一樣，她還參與團隊內的其他專案，作為個人職業發展的一部分。目前，她參與一個團隊，嘗試利用技術、機器學習和智慧國平臺鼓勵更多回收。這是她在參加駭客馬拉松時發起的專案，利用技能追求她關心的事。

李女士並非電腦科學專業畢業。她的專業是數學、經濟學和統計學。在大學期間，為了修讀某門課程，她學習了R語言（一種專注於統計的程式語言），她利用R解決問題並將解決方案應用於工作，激發了她對編碼和資料科學的興趣。如今，她熟悉多種程式語言——Python、CSS、Javascript和HTML——這些都是她工作後自學的。最近，她作為內部駭客馬拉松專案開發了一個全棧網頁應用。

我要強調的是：李女士的故事，以及許多類似她的人的經歷，證明智慧國創造的機會不僅僅屬於少數人，而是希望儘可能廣泛，包括創造的就業機會。這不僅僅是為目前攻讀電腦科學課程或參與機器人課外活動的學生準備的。順便說一句，李女士的課外活動是曲棍球和學生會。離校前不必掌握所有程式設計技能，重要的是擁有動力、好奇心和終身學習新技能的意願。

智慧國是全國性的努力，我們智慧國與數字政府集團將盡力與公民和企業緊密合作，為新一代新加坡人創造就業、機會以及轉型和樂觀的氛圍。

主席：普里塔姆·辛格先生。

改進選舉流程

普里坦·辛格議員（阿裕尼選區）：主席先生，2015年，工人黨非選區議員易仁忠指出，選舉區劃審查委員會（EBRC）報告的完整性多年來一直在縮減，並要求公佈委員會報告的會議記錄。對此，首相回應說，關於報告和會議記錄的完整性，“我把這個交給委員會決定”。儘管首相表示他不贊成公佈會議記錄中反映的每一個細節變化，但對於是否釋出更完整的報告，首相併未明確表態。看來，如果政府決定，這種情況是可以改變的，因為EBRC的職權範圍是由首相本人確定的。我希望我們能擺脫這些迴圈往復的辯解，未來能向公眾提供一份詳細說明為何在每個選區中，組屋代表選區（GRC）和單一選區（SMC）的特定選區被移動或交換的報告。

此外，政府為何不將EBRC的成立作為慣例進行宣佈？如果議員在選舉即將來臨的傳聞中不得不向首相提出同樣的國會質詢，這不僅浪費國會時間，甚至有近乎濫用程式之嫌。藉此機會，我想詢問EBRC是否已經成立？

2013年，副總理張志賢表示，首相肯定會保持開放態度，並在必要時考慮對程式進行改進。我希望關於委員會報告更詳盡內容以及成立委員會時的公告建議能被採納。

下午4時

最後，宣佈選舉部將舉辦巡迴講座，教育選民瞭解議會選舉制度的變更，特別是選民的電子登記。首相能否向議會更新此事，以及將為此舉辦多少場巡迴講座，地點和時間安排如何？

主席：陳振聲部長。

陳振聲部長：主席先生，我代表首相發言。首相歷來慣例是在大選前任命EBRC，審查選區的數量、名稱和邊界。委員會由熟悉人口變動和統計的高階公務員組成。審查報告作為白皮書提交國會，並在政府接受後向公眾釋出。

在制定建議時，委員會遵循首相制定的職權範圍。委員會獨立考慮和決定選區的劃分、規模和配置，以及議員總數。審查選區邊界時，委員會會考慮技術因素，如人口增長和遷移及其他相關引數。

作為慣例，我們應讓委員會專注於其專業工作，避免不必要的媒體關注或公眾壓力。與以往選舉一樣，從委員會審查報告公開到選舉舉行之間有充足時間，供候選人和政黨做準備。

關於普里坦·辛格議員的第二個問題，EBRC是否已成立，答案是否定的。至於巡迴講座的數量，我們在上次總統選舉前已舉辦過，並將在下一次大選前繼續舉辦。

主席：吳佩孝副教授。

補貼股市

吳佩孝副教授（非選區議員）：主席先生，新加坡金融管理局（MAS）最近宣佈了一項7500萬新元計劃，以促進股票研究和股票上市。新加坡股票市場資助計劃（GEMS）將共同承擔公司上市費用和股票研究人員薪資的50%至70%。

批評者認為這只是向問題投入資金，卻未解決股市低迷的根本問題。

對於中小市值股，主要問題似乎是缺乏企業治理的專業知識和經驗。在談論投資者熱情之前，我們應先解決散戶對中小市值股的信心問題。首次上市時常有熱情，往往受到分析師積極報道的鼓勵，但這種熱情很容易因企業治理問題導致股價崩潰。

近期例子包括電商初創公司Y Ventures和餐飲公司Kimly，這些事件影響了散戶信心。諾博集團的重組未獲允許重新上市，海峽集團（Hyflux）目前的重組以避免清盤，也進一步影響了信心。

對於諾博和海峽集團，分析師報告對教育散戶瞭解其現金流問題影響甚微。股東維權和學術審查更能揭示潛在問題，但往往對散戶來說為時已晚。新加坡股票市場資助計劃（GEMS）是否更適合資助專案，指導中小市值公司改善企業治理和提升表現？

企業治理問題

陳立豐議員（非選區議員）：主席先生，去年國會討論了吉寶海洋與海事集團的貪腐案。許多人疑惑為何如此鉅額的賄賂支付未受到最高管理層或董事會的監督。與Swiber案類似，我們仍在等待吉寶案的結果。

海峽集團持續出現的問題提醒我們，企業治理問題依然複雜且根深蒂固，可能影響整個市場。這反過來會影響股東價值和投資者信心。

此類問題的影響波及許多小規模散戶投資者。60歲的吳女士向《亞洲新聞臺》表達了對無法收回海峽集團投資的擔憂。這種擔憂並非無的放矢，因為海峽集團近期公告顯示，如果重組方案通過，像她這樣的投資者將不得不承受投資損失。

在許多其他案例中，少數股東往往缺乏保護，當多數股東和董事利用法規漏洞進行交易時，監管機構和法律未能提供幫助。

此類企業不當行為還可能影響公司聲譽，進而影響新加坡的聲譽。一些國際評論者對新加坡監管制度和執法的健全性提出了不利評價。

我注意到MAS已成立企業治理諮詢委員會（CGAC），這是2018年成立的企業治理理事會的建議之一，理事會負責審查企業治理守則。

儘管有這些努力，我們或許應承認，企業治理的自我監管和內部驅動流程不能單靠依賴。現有的監督流程和制度顯然不足。在某些案例中，報告的問題似乎未被審計師發現，或審計師未對此發表評論。

當公司執行管理層或董事會知曉嚴重不當行為或應知而不知時，責任絕不應止於執行管理層以下。

監管機構應更積極追究失職或疏忽的董事責任。

新加坡交易所監管公司（SGX RegCo）或會計與企業監管局（ACRA）難道不能做得更多嗎？

政府應加強企業治理制度。我建議成立獨立工作組，評估是否需要政府機構監督企業治理標準並提升審計質量。此類審查及時且必要，以確保保護股東價值，維護新加坡企業聲譽不受失職者影響。

金融作為善的力量

黃安妮議員：主席先生，我欣慰2019年預算案承認氣候變化是新加坡的戰略挑戰。金融部門在為跨代氣候安全未來配置資本方面扮演重要角色，我們必須將其納入氣候行動戰略規劃。

作為領先金融中心，新加坡的銀行和資產管理業必須迎接這一挑戰。我們的貸款方式反映我們的價值觀和原則。例如，民間社會最近批評我們的銀行繼續資助燃煤電廠。截至2018年9月，已有17家銀行承諾停止資助燃煤電廠。英格蘭銀行行長據報願意加強對“棕色”投資的監管要求。

新加坡正在開發哪些監管和監督機制，使銀行能夠：

（a）積極將新加坡銀行公會（ABS）的《霧霾診斷工具包》等現有綠色標準納入貸款政策框架；

（b）主動與民間社會和專家合作，識別其他關鍵行業（如能源），制定並實施綠色標準？

我們的資產管理業目前管理著2.4萬億美元資金。我們能否撥款支援資產管理業制定更強的託管原則，並利用市場工具幫助保障氣候安全的未來？

例如，日本政府養老投資基金將近10%的投資配置於使用可持續發展指數的基金。韓國兩家養老基金更進一步，停止未來的煤炭投資。

主席：王乙康部長。

教育部長（王乙康先生）：主席先生，首先回應吳佩孝副教授關於GEMS的問題。讓我先解釋一下。

GEMS計劃由金融業發展基金（FSDF）資助，該基金於1999年新加坡交易所（SGX）改制上市後設立。因此，資金並非來自納稅人。該計劃是根據業界反饋設計的，業界認為一個充滿活力的股票市場不僅需要新上市公司，還需要上市後的持續投資者興趣。因此，GEMS是業界為回應業界反饋而設立的基金。其主要目標是加強成長型企業，特別是中小企業的公共融資渠道。正如吳副教授所提，GEMS通過分擔上市相關費用和促進更好的行業研究覆蓋及商業模式研究來實現這一目標。

某些行業的上市吸引力有待提升，高成長行業即為例子。GEMS旨在促進這些行業發展。中小市值上市企業和新商業模式的投資覆蓋存在空白，因此該計劃包括上市補助和研究相關補助，以改善股票研究生態系統。

上市補助金額分層，優先支援高成長領域，如科技行業。成熟行業如房地產投資信託和商業信託不符合補助資格。研究補助申請者需覆蓋中小市值上市企業。該計劃尚處於起步階段，我相信相關機構會監測效果，吸納反饋並不斷改進，以實現目標。

陳立豐議員問及企業治理是否應僅靠內部驅動流程，以及SGX RegCo和ACRA能否做更多。他建議成立獨立工作組審查企業治理框架，並設立政府機構監督企業治理標準和提升審計質量。

實際上，許多此類機制已存在。MAS作為新加坡資本市場法定監管機構，SGX作為證券市場前線監管機構，監督上市公司企業治理標準，載於《企業治理守則》。SGX上市規則要求公司披露其做法如何符合守則原則。ACRA負責維護財務報告和審計質量，檢查公共會計師執行的法定審計。

關於獨立工作組審查企業治理框架，正如陳議員所提，MAS於2017年召集了業界主導的企業治理理事會。該理事會為臨時機構，提出多項建議。MAS於去年8月接受了所有建議，隨後對守則和SGX上市規則進行了修訂以落實建議。

根據理事會的關鍵建議之一，MAS本月初成立了常設的企業治理諮詢委員會（CGAC）。CGAC由業界資深領導組成，倡導良好企業治理實踐，識別當前及潛在風險，並向監管機構提供建議。

高標準企業治理有助於維持長期良好企業績效，確保評估投資、風險管理、保護股東利益、領導層繼任等關鍵流程的良好制度和結構。

然而，投資本身存在風險。監管的主要目標之一是確保投資者獲得最新的重要資訊，如上市公司的財務狀況和前景，以做出明智投資決策。投資者也需關注披露內容，超越潛在回報，評估是否能接受相關風險。

監管機構包括ACRA、MAS、SGX RegCo將繼續調整規則，與CGAC等利益相關者合作，加強新加坡企業治理標準和實踐。同時，我們將通過MoneySENSE計劃繼續教育投資公眾，瞭解風險與回報的權衡。

最後，黃安妮議員問及可持續融資。MAS致力推動可持續金融議程。作為綠色金融系統網路成員，MAS與國際同行緊密合作，制定金融機構管理氣候風險和機遇的最佳實踐。讓我簡述MAS在三大領域的努力。

首先，本地銀行已實施符合新加坡銀行公會發布的《負責任融資指南》的政策，評估借款人的環境、社會和治理（ESG）風險，協助借款人提升可持續發展表現。為此，本地銀行承諾停止為效率低下的燃煤電廠提供新融資。MAS也要求保險公司在風險評估中考慮環境風險，並在行業壓力測試中引入氣候情景。

下午4時15分

其次，金融業推動綠色融資，如綠色債券。自MAS綠色債券補助計劃推出以來，已發行超過20億新元綠色債券。該計劃最近擴充套件至涵蓋社會和可持續債券。

事實上，在資產管理領域，新加坡80%的大型資產管理公司已簽署聯合國負責任投資原則，將環境、社會和治理風險納入投資流程。MAS自身投資組合也積極與基金經理合作，確保納入ESG考量。

最後，為增強區域金融抗災能力並彌補保障缺口，東南亞災害風險保險基金今年將在新加坡成立，作為東盟首個區域災害風險池，更好覆蓋災害後的緊急響應費用。MAS將繼續與金融業關鍵利益相關者合作，推動可持續發展議程。

主席：請澄清，維克拉姆·奈爾先生。

維克拉姆·奈爾先生：問題請教張玉娟部長。部長對國家人口與人才組的各項舉措做了詳盡介紹，但我好奇，儘管有這些舉措，過去三年總生育率下降的根本原因是什麼？

張玉娟女士：主席先生，感謝維克拉姆·奈爾先生的問題。這是一個重要問題。我忍不住聽到同事們的輕笑。事實上，我研究這個問題已有數年，如果議員們允許，我願分享我的一些思考。

當我們想到出生率時，我們會想到總和生育率（TFR）。我的觀察和反思是，實際上有兩組關鍵的驅動力。一組關鍵的驅動力是長期性質的。從長期角度看，出生率實際上與價值觀和社會規範有關。這包括對單身與婚姻、夫妻關係與為人父母的態度。在為人父母方面，還涉及父親與母親所扮演的角色。這還包括社會對理想子女數量的規範，以及人們如何在為人父母與其他追求之間進行優先排序，比如事業、照顧長輩、社群服務，當然還有個人生活方式的興趣。

育兒規範也非常重要，比如在斯堪的納維亞國家，育兒態度較為寬鬆；而在東亞背景下，通常是非常密集的育兒方式。這些影響成本——人們在孩子身上的花費，以及由此產生的可負擔性認知。進而影響父母最終會有多少孩子，因為他們會根據自己認為能負擔多少來決定。因此，這些是長期的驅動力，一整套作用力。也就是根本原因。

但從短期來看，出生率也會受到其他因素影響。例如，經濟不確定性。如果就業形勢不明朗，人們會感到焦慮。你會看到這會導致出生率下降，正如韓國在過去幾年經歷的那樣。事實上，常被稱為高出生率“明星”的芬蘭，自2010年以來也出現了出生率下降。2010年前，芬蘭的出生率約為1.9，現在已降至1.5以下。如果我們看農村與城市地區的TFR，實際上是普遍下降。芬蘭的農村和城市地區出生率均下降。我認為這與人們的萎靡感和缺乏信心有關。

所以，這是一種短期效應，如果可以這麼說的話。

還有另一種短期因素會導致TFR波動，那是數學上的。因為TFR是一個比率，取決於分子和分母的數值。我這裡不詳細展開。但我認為這些是短期因素，因為當信心恢復時，推遲生育的人可能會決定現在是時候了。好吧，我們一直在推遲。然後你可能會看到TFR的回升。所以，長期因素與短期因素。

對我們來說，重要的是不要過分被TFR的年度波動所分心。我們會關注它們，觀察它們，問自己為什麼會這樣。但不要過於專注。我們真正應該關注的是價值觀和社會規範，許多議員都談到了這一點。

首先，我們必須記住要加強基礎。基礎是你需要有經濟活力，需要有社會凝聚力。這些是基礎。在這些基礎之上，我們必須盡最大努力支援婚姻和為人父母的願望，意味著我們必須盡力使婚姻和為人父母變得可實現、愉快且受到慶祝。這些是我們必須關注的。我們應該堅持方向。

主席：Patrick Tay先生。

Patrick Tay Teck Guan先生：在我關於公共部門轉型的發言中，我問部長，在我們推動公共服務的技能提升和再培訓過程中，公共服務是否可以與勞工運動以及公共部門工會合作，成立培訓委員會，推動跨部委和法定機構的培訓工作。我希望陳部長能回應。

陳振聲部長：主席先生，這是一個很好的建議。作為前任全國職工總會（NTUC）秘書長，我會特別注意這點。事實上，我已指示公共服務部（PSD）在轉型過程中，特別關注那些需要更多幫助以轉崗的人。我想說，我們不會設立一個大型的總體委員會與公共僱員聯合工會（AUPE）整合，但重要的是，我們從各個崗位層面開始。例如，環境與水資源部（MEWR）中有一些低技能工人需要新的技能，我們優先關注他們，優先在轉型工作中支援他們。

同樣，公共服務委員會（CSC）也會聯絡並與勞工運動密切合作，確保模組化培訓系統能惠及儘可能多的公務員。我們都知道，公務員和其他全職工作者一樣，很難抽出一兩週時間進行培訓。因此，我們需要與勞工運動合作，設計模組化、可疊加的課程，讓公務員能夠獲得新技能，尤其是數字素養方面。我們歡迎勞工運動的這一舉措和提議，並將與AUPE密切合作推動落實。

主席：Sylvia Lim女士。

Sylvia Lim女士：主席先生，我想就我關於公共機構個人資料保護的發言向高階國務部長Janil Puthucheary求證。我想確認政府是否明確政策規定，個人資料在公共機構管理期間被洩露時，相關人員有權知曉資料洩露事件，並有權及時獲知。

Janil Puthucheary博士：主席先生，我們在上次會議中已討論過相關內容。關於公共部門官員如何處理涉及公民個人資料的資料洩露，有相關指導方針。沒有絕對的強制要求。我們需要逐案審視，考慮訪問了哪些資訊、具體情況以及對公民可能產生的影響。我們也聽到了本議院中關於最近洩露事件後續的例子。簡短回答是，沒有統一明確的立場。處理方式有指導方針，如何接觸公民也有指導方針，情況需要逐案分析，考慮所有相關因素。

主席：Anthea Ong女士。

Anthea Ong女士：主席先生，我能否請陳部長進一步闡述政府採取了哪些具體措施或步驟來恢復公眾對公共服務的信心？

陳振聲部長：主席先生，每當公共服務出現問題，無論哪個機構，第一步是由相關機構徹底調查，找出教訓，確保內部整改。

第二步是確保這些教訓在所有其他機構間共享，因為一個機構發生的問題對其他機構也有重要借鑑意義。

第三步，我總是要求公共服務在事後反思，是否可以在事件初期預防或預見到問題。因此，我常與同事分享，糾正錯誤是必要但不夠，我們更重要的是建立系統，預防問題發生。

當然，公共服務很難說我做了這些就完全避免了問題，因為問題根本沒有顯現出來。但這是我們的挑戰，也是我們作為新加坡公共服務應設定的高標準，如果我們希望成為新加坡和新加坡人引以為傲的公共服務。

事實上，正如我所說，我們已經做了許多值得驕傲的事情，這使新加坡在許多方面處於領先地位，預防和避免了許多問題。但無論如何，我們絕不能自滿。

恢復公眾信心的方法是，第一，徹底調查問題；如果有人負責，我們會確保糾正；同時，我們也會反思是否可以更好地培訓相關人員，或調整流程，考慮人為因素，防止錯誤發生。

這些是我們作為公共服務必須做到的，確保事情做對，防止問題發生。我們不以快速從錯誤中恢復為榮，而是希望根本不犯錯。

主席：Louis Ng Kok Kwang先生。

Louis Ng Kok Kwang先生：我認為陳振聲部長已回應我關於幾乎所有公共機構現在都有統一的公務員職業晉升結構的發言。我想問還有多少百分比的機構沒有這種統一結構？我們如何彌補這一差距？

其次，部長也回應了我的發言，提到領導者應回應反饋。但我真正關心的是如何確保他們真的這麼做，是否可以設立內部的質量服務管理（QSM）機構來承擔此角色，確保反饋被認真處理並閉環？

對於張玉娟部長，我很感謝部長宣佈已有450家僱主提供無薪假期，我記得您提到有70個公共機構。請問整個公共服務是否可以為多胞胎或早產嬰兒的父母提供無薪假期，以便我們言行一致，帶頭解決這個問題？

最後，關於育兒假，我想請部長再考慮是否允許員工使用現有的病假，不僅限於自己生病，也可用於照顧生病的孩子。為防止濫用，員工需提供孩子的醫療證明作為請假憑證。

陳振聲部長：主席先生，首先澄清，我們的目標不是合併所有可能的方案。因為有些方案是針對專業人士的，比如醫生、工程師、會計師。公共服務的目標不是合併所有方案，而是合併那些可以合併的方案。根據我最後的瞭解，50多個機構中，幾乎有50個已經合併了；剩下未合併的，是因為有合理的專業原因。

即使是已經合併的，我們也會不斷自我挑戰。是否能更早合併方案，更早階段考慮個人表現，而不僅僅是學術成績？

未來，我們會看到以下趨勢。學術成績仍作為能力的一個指標，但正如我提到的，我們會考慮更多技能，進行全面評估。除了專業方案如工程師和醫生，我們會盡可能合併其他方案。這回答了第一個問題。

第二個問題是領導如何跟進反饋？有幾種方式。首先，收到反饋後，我期望他們自行採取行動。當然，所有機構的反饋都會傳到我這裡，必要時我會與相關常任秘書或機構執行長討論。他們知道我們對此非常重視，也知道我期望他們認真對待，必要時我會直接告知。

主席：張玉娟部長。

張玉娟部長：主席先生，關於第一個問題，原則上所有公共機構都應如此。如果議員知道有任何機構不在那70個名單中，請告訴我，我們會核查。

關於父母假是否可用於照顧子女，我想提醒一下。幾年前我還在勞工運動時，國家職工培訓局（NPTD）曾就是否應提高產假福利進行諮詢。令我驚訝的是，在與女性工會成員交流時，她們非常明智地告訴我，“姐姐，要小心我們要求什麼，因為每次提高假期福利，僱主對我們的看法都會改變，他們開始把我們看作負擔和義務。”因此，並非所有人都熱衷於擴大假期福利。這是一次非常有益的經歷，我一直記在心裡。

議員的建議實際上是擴大父母的假期福利。不是說不能做，但我們必須考慮僱主的看法。從對個人員工的義務，變成對整個家庭的義務，福利擴充套件到整個家庭，這非常廣泛。我對此會非常謹慎，因為假期福利主要是為保護個人在生病時設計的。如果我們認為社會可以承擔更多針對父母的假期福利，我們必須公開、透明地進行，並誠實告知僱主，這樣他們在招聘時不會猜測是否有額外的隱性義務。

主席：洪興基先生。

洪興基先生：給陳振聲部長一個澄清和一個建議。部長之前提到公共部門轉型時，會讓官員與AUPE合作，確保公務員得到培訓和輔導。我認為部長也提到法定機構工會和其他非AUPE的工會，為了澄清，避免其他工會領導和成員覺得他們的領域被忽視。

其次，建議。我與許多工會成員交談，他們提到很多培訓集中在工人本人，尤其是低技能或年長者。但他們發現主管可能更年輕，30多歲或20多歲，有時主管不了解工人面臨的轉型情況，需要同理心、幫助、指導和輔導。因此建議，主管也應接受培訓，學習如何輔導和引導員工，使轉型和適應能力成為員工和主管共同承擔的責任，從而營造更具包容性的工作環境。

陳振聲部長：主席先生，感謝洪興基先生提醒我澄清。是的，正如我提到的，公共服務轉型和技能獲取不僅限於AUPE層面，而是在各機構層面與各自工會合作。這包括法定機構僱員聯合工會（AUSBE）、新加坡城市重建局工會（SURAWU）等。因為我們經驗發現，最有效的培訓是針對具體機構的，而非泛泛的技能培訓。泛泛的技能培訓有其位置，但針對機構的定向干預也很重要。

關於第二點培訓，確實，公共服務部（PSD）與公共服務委員會（CSC）已制定不同層級的培訓框架，針對不同層級的公務員提供培訓。所有人都會接受基礎數字技能培訓，低薪和低技能工人會獲得特定技能培訓以幫助提升。但議員說得對，我們也為中層和高層管理者提供不同的培訓，因為不同層級的管理者需要不同的技能。

例如，在該議員的具體情況下，確實，對於中層管理人員來說，他們必須知道如何利用一些這些技術；不僅僅是使用它，還要懂得如何開發這項技術，如何使用，如何幫助他們的同事採用並適應這些技術。然而，在更高層次，即更高階管理層，我們期望他們不僅要親自操作，還要了解利用一些新技術的潛力，以重組和改變他們當前工作中的流程。

因此，議員們可以看到，在整體數字總體規劃或數字技能總體規劃中，我們針對不同層級的不同管理人員，關注不同的技能組合。這確實是我們將在公務員委員會培訓中實施的內容，隨著培訓在整個公務員系統的推廣。

主席：澄清環節結束。我想鼓勵各位議員，你們在時間控制方面做得很好。我們能比預期更早結束，這也可能有助於我們的議事效率。我們將在明年的預算中再做檢查。Patrick Tay議員，您是否願意撤回您的修正案？

Patrick Tay Teck Guan議員：主席先生，我感謝陳振聲部長關於建設卓越公共服務的回應；張玉娟部長分享我們如何支援家庭、育兒和婚姻；維文·巴拉克裡希南博士部長和資深國務部長詹尼爾·普圖切裡博士不僅致力於建設更智慧的國家，更致力於改善生活和生計；王乙康部長關於加強我們的金融市場和監管體系的發言；公務員委員會主任及公共服務部團隊，以及所有公務員，他們把我們放在工作核心，努力確保我們是頂尖和一流的。基於此，我請求撤回我的修正案。

[(程式文本) 修正案，經許可，撤回。 (程式文本)]

[(程式文本) 頭U項下827,594,400元被列為主要預算的一部分。 (程式文本)]

[(程式文本) 頭U項下196,666,600元被列為發展預算的一部分。 (程式文本)]

英文原文

SPRS Hansard · Fetched: 2026-05-02

Public Sector Transformation

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (West Coast) : Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head U of the Estimates be reduced by $100."

The global operating environment is evolving rapidly. There are many growth opportunities in Asia, but economic competition is also intensifying and technological changes are reshaping competitive advantages across economies. Domestically, we are faced with an ageing local workforce which can pose constraints on our growth. But not if we can enable our people to learn, unlearn and relearn to stay employable over a longer career span. Indeed, technology is a potential game changer that can allow us to overcome our resource constraints and embark on a new S curve in our growth trajectory. To stay competitive, we need to be able to innovate and leverage on technology, to do more with less, and to work smart.

The same applies to the Public Service. The Public Service must be able, agile and adaptable. Able to stay at the forefront of technological advancement, agile to be able to work with the private and people sectors to build a competitive economy; and adaptable, as we embrace the journey towards being a Smart Nation. This means that the Public Service must be able to use technology to become more productive in its operations. This includes using technology to transform the way it delivers services.

Citizens today are used to services like FoodPanda or Grab that crowdsource and bring different providers together to be accessible at the fingertips of customers in a high-tech way. Many companies, such as those in the retail sector, are also using artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to analyse and, in fact, anticipate customers' needs. How is the public sector using technology to similarly transform the way it functions – from performing regulatory functions to enforcement, to delivering services to citizens? How can it bring related services together to help citizens or businesses, rather than have citizens or businesses go to different Government agencies to get what they need? How is the Public Service using technology to make service delivery more efficient and save time and effort on the part of citizens and businesses in transacting with the public sector?

In fact, how is the Public Service using AI and data analytics to better anticipate citizens' needs and using robotics to complement its workforce? Of course, it is not and must not be just a tech push. Ultimately, Public Service delivery must be anchored on citizens' needs. Beyond delivering services efficiently and impartially, the Public Service must be able to put in place systems and processes to ensure that public officers do not just apply rules mechanically but always put citizens at the heart of Public Service delivery.

They must be able to identify changes in the needs of citizens and be able to update policies, programmes and services in a timely manner. In short, the three "highs": not just high-tech but also high touch; and not just high touch but also high trust. To transform public services, therefore, requires public officers to take on new skills so that they can perform their jobs differently and effectively. Where work can be automated, it is also important for public officers to be able to take on new skills to perform new jobs.

In short, SkillsFuture should apply equally to the Public Service. What is the progress of the Public Service in upgrading the digital skills of our public officers? Does the Public Service put in place reskilling programmes to help retrain officers to move from one job to another within the public sector as technology changes the way work is done? The Public Service should work closely with our public sector unions and the Labour Movement to encourage all officers to constantly reskill and retool in order to keep themselves relevant and employable.

A good start will be forming dedicated training committees jointly with our public sector unions and union leaders. Beyond skills, the Public Service ethos lies at the heart of Public Service. While jobs and skills will change, the values of service, integrity and excellence should always remain. How is the Public Service developing its officers to ensure that they continue to remain grounded, that they are in touch rather than lose touch with the needs, aspirations and concerns of citizens and businesses? How do we develop public officers who are able to serve with heart, be able to connect with citizens and co-create new solutions with both the people and private sectors?

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

Disruption in the Public Service

Prof Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade) : Mr Chairman, Singapore has one of the most dynamic and high performance public service sector globally. With a spectrum of younger officers to the very senior and experienced ones, they serve Singaporeans through our Ministries, Civil Service, Statutory Boards and many other organisations.

With globalisation and a more connected world, our Public Service must be resourceful, creative and rapid thinking. They must remain nimble and keep abreast of the changes and disruption in the world of today and tomorrow. They must align with the state of the art, be adaptable and flexible in certain aspects of policymaking and governance, but yet uphold the principles that Singapore stands for. The adoption of information technology (IT) and other technology-driven processes, communications as well as surveillance must be top-notch and robust. Yet at the same time, maintenance of safety and security must be upheld. How is the Singapore Public Service assisting the officers in providing adequate training, building of capabilities, acquisition of the necessary software, technology adoption as well as nurturing and managing the mindsets of officers to ensure adaptation, alignment and buy-in? And this is also part of the learn, unlearn and relearn process.

Another very important tagline with the Public Service must be coordination. With the amount of disruptions and interventions that we face today, how will the Public Service ensure safe coordination and integration of information, data and details across the service whilst, at the same time, maintaining confidentiality?

Citizen-centric Government Services

Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng (Pioneer) : Mr Chairman, my cut today is to discuss whether our Public Service can adopt a citizen-centric approach to delivering Government services. Delivering services to citizens is at the core of what Government agencies do.

[Deputy Speaker (Mr Lim Biow Chuan) in the Chair]

Unfortunately, many of these services are based on processes and technologies that have been in place for many years and many of these were designed based on each agency's individual needs and requirements. Therefore, such services were not designed with the objective of improving the ease and satisfaction when a citizen interacts or transacts with the Government.

To make an enquiry or to complete a transaction, citizens may have to physically visit different agencies, speak on the phone with multiple parties or browse the websites of various Government agencies. Often times, citizens have to fill up many forms and repeat information that were previously provided albeit to a different Government department. Government agencies, in turn, face both declining citizen satisfaction and also incur higher costs from repeated touchpoints across agencies.

A citizen-centric Government should function as an integral unit adopting a whole-of-Government approach when delivering services to citizens. This calls for a coordinating unit that cuts across silos like, Ministries, Statutory Boards and departments, and sharing data freely at the backend across all agencies.

Today, with advances in technology and connectivity, Governments can meet these rising citizen expectations. Digital transformation with AI, machine-learning and data analytics, a Government could even predict and anticipate what a citizen needs. Queuing at counters and filling up forms could be a thing of the past. I would like to ask the Minister about how the Public Service is organising itself to ensure that services are delivered in a citizen-centric manner.

Public Service and Citizen Well-being

Ms Anthea Ong (Nominated Member) : Trust, as they say, is built in drops and lost in buckets. The recent spate of service lapses has contributed to an increasing sense of uncertainty about the robustness of the Public Service.

Minister Heng Swee Keat, in response to the Zaobao commentary that alleged complacency, said "We would not flinch from taking a hard look at ourselves each time there is a failure and doing whatever is necessary to put things right."

I am heartened by Minister Heng's conviction and commitment. Indeed, a string of events of such significance happening so fast and furiously offers more than a glimpse of possible fault lines within the system, not just in isolated Ministries or with certain officers. Might having an open conversation on these fault lines restore trust? What specific steps are being taken by the Government to restore public confidence?

Additionally, how does the Public Service Division (PSD) ensure a culture of accountability, transparency and empathy? With increased public scrutiny and expectations, how is the Civil Service College (CSC) training public officers to understand subjective well-being beyond material well-being and how are they trained to formulate better policies that address citizens' well-being in ways that also increase public trust in public institutions?

Lastly, how can Public Service Cares, announced in Budget 2019, be more than just a volunteering programme for public officers, but be embodied as an ethos?

Notwithstanding my clarifications, I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for every Public Service officer in the service who serves sincerely and wholeheartedly.

The Chairman : Mr Lee Yi Shyan; not here. Ms Sylvia Lim.

1.30 pm

Appointments to Constitutional Office

Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied) : Sir, there are certain public officers created under the Constitution with functions and duties to safeguard the public interest. These appointments are recommended by the Prime Minister and subject to the discretionary approval of the President.

One example is the Attorney-General. Under Article 35, the Attorney-General shall have power, exercisable at his discretion, to institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for any offence.

Another example is the Auditor-General, who, under Article 148(F) is entrusted with the constitutional duty to audit and report on the accounts of all departments and offices of the Government, the Public Service Commission, the Legal Service Commission, the Supreme Court or Subordinate Courts and Parliament.

Sir, we are all familiar with the annual audit reports of the Auditor-General's Office (AGO). It often contains embarrassing findings and may uncover misconduct. The AGO reports are a key measure by the Government towards accountability and the prudent use of public funds.

Chairman, today, I would like to ask for clarification about the selection process and criteria used by the Prime Minister in selecting the Auditor-General.

The Constitution does not spell out any qualifying criteria for being the Auditor-General.

In recent history, our Auditor-Generals have been drawn from senior civil servants and there has been an appointment of a new Auditor-General this year. I do not know the current appointee personally and I have no reason to doubt her integrity. Indeed, I am prepared to assume that she will do her best to do her work honourably.

However, can the Prime Minister confirm that the current appointee is the spouse of a Senior Minister of State? And if this is so, did the Prime Minister consider how appointing the spouse of a Senior Minister of State would affect the public perception of the independence of the AGO?

Pensioners under MediShield Life

Mr Png Eng Huat (Hougang) : Sir, I had spoken on the impact of MediShield Life on pensioners when the compulsory health insurance scheme was introduced and debated in this House in 2014 and 2015.

As I understood from some pensioners, they have continued to receive the same medical benefit as before, as assured in this House, although not under MediShield Life but under their original pension medical scheme. As it is, these pensioners are insured under MediShield Life in name only even though they do not need the coverage. I understand their MediShield Life premiums are paid for by the Government and transitional subsidies through MediSave top-ups.

The MediShield Life scheme is almost five years now. While pensioners are not worse off, in terms of their medical benefits, I wish to ask the Government if there is any study or survey done to ascertain the financial impact of the redundant MediShield Life coverage on pensioners. After factoring in the various MediSave top-ups, did the subsidies help pensioners pay for their MediShield Life premiums as well as for their spouses' premium in full without the need to incur any out-of-pocket expenses? This is important because this Government has assured pensioners in this House that they would not be worse off under MediShield Life. By that, it should also mean that they would not be financially burdened when they are put under the compulsory but never used medical scheme.

Next, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said that pensioners have one important benefit with MediShield Life that they did not have previously. He said that the spouse of a pensioner will cease to have medical benefits when the pensioner passes away. But under MediShield Life, the spouse will be covered by MediShield when the pensioner is no longer around.

Sir, this important benefit is assuring but it is also a benefit by default to begin with, since MediShield Life is made compulsory for all. Everyone has to pay for medical coverage by law, regardless of who you are. So, this important MediShield Life benefit, as mentioned by the Minister, only makes more sense for pensioners if the Government continues to pay the premium for their spouses when they are no longer around. Otherwise, the spouses will have to come under MediShield Life by law as they do not have a choice.

Sir, I would like to ask the Government to clarify if it would continue to pay the MediShield Life premiums for the spouse of pensioners as a benefit when the old medical coverage ceases with the passing of a pensioner.

Deepening Skills of Officers

Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang) : Mr Chairman, Sir, in Prime Minister Lee's "A Tale of Two Cities" speech in London in 2014, he espoused Singapore's global city aspirations. To this end, we achieved 5th place in the Global Cities Outlook List last year. To sustain this, it is imperative that our world-class city is supported by a world-class Civil Service.

I would like to know the measures which the Government has undertaken to ensure and upgrade the service delivery skills of our Public Service officers.

Sir, just as the Government has called upon the private sector to increase productivity and the quality of their services, it should urge the public sector to take the initiative in setting an example for the rest of Singapore to follow.

In addition, I would like to suggest that the Government use the speed of delivery and the quality of Public Services as metrics by which it assesses the progress of its push to build a world-class Civil Service.

However, it should be noted that the employment of a one-size-fits-all approach in serving the public will not suffice. There must be greater introspection on the part of our Civil Service. Far too often, we focus too much on the numbers and neglect the human aspect of governance.

While automation has allowed for gains in productivity, navigating a pre-recorded voice menu or filling up a form adhering to a strict format online, may not satisfy the needs of the public.

Sir, I believe that if the Civil Service provides more channels of access to public services which take into consideration the limitations of automated processes, it can serve Singaporeans better.

In the pursuit of headcount and productivity key performance indicators (KPIs), the public sector has resorted to outsourcing, which has affected the quality of public services. Sir, outsourcing does not contribute to the development of human capital in the civil service and may result in public officers losing out on learning opportunities in providing quality services.

I would like to propose that we adopt a design-thinking approach to transforming the delivery of public services. At the same time, we should refocus our efforts to train and deepen the skills of our Public Service officers.

Sir, our global city deserves a world-class Civil Service with the heart to serve the public.

Readiness of Public Officers

Mr Ang Hin Kee (Ang Mo Kio) : Mr Chairman, Sir, the Government has been active in its efforts to innovate and improve the ease of transactions between the Government and the public.

As the pace of transformation quickens with technological disruptions, I would like to know how well public sector workers are being prepared to stay relevant. At the same time, how have jobs in the public sector been transformed and what other changes will be coming soon?

In the midst of such changes, I hope the Government can take the lead in ensuring that all public sector workers have access to relevant training, reskilling and redeployment opportunities.

Are the various Ministries and agencies aware of the challenges faced by those who may struggle in their training efforts, especially the older workers, who may find it more challenging to acquire new skillsets? Have we been able to redeploy these workers across different departments, agencies or Ministries?

Recently, I met about 80 unionised staff from various Statutory Boards and they shared with me their experiences and the assistance given to help our public sector workers to be future-ready and to be prepared for a transformed workplace.

Is PSD aware of how each agency is progressing in this journey and whether their respective efforts have been effective, especially to help the older ones adjust to the pace of training required for their new or enhanced job roles or even redeployed roles?

Last year, the CSC announced that it is partnering the 12 Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to support public sector transformation, as well as the transformation of learning within the sector. Public officers will have access to one digital learning platform. Would the Ministry have an update on the take-up rate of these courses on the new learning portal?

The Chairman : Mr Louis Ng, you have two cuts. Can you take both together?

Delinking Academics and Careers

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon) : Sir, last year, I spoke about the need to better recognise public servants' contributions and skills beyond their formal academic qualifications.

Minister Ong Ye Kung shared that one initiative was to merge existing schemes for diploma and degree holders. Beyond the point of recruitment, an officer's progression is pegged to their on-the-job performance rather than their educational qualification. This has been done for the Ministry of Education (MOE), the generic Management Executive Scheme in the Civil Service, and the Air Traffic Control Officer Scheme.

Minister Ong Ye Kung indicated that PSD will work with other public agencies to identify more areas where this can be implemented.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Can the Minister provide an update on which other public agencies no longer have different salary scales and progression structures for diploma and degree holders? Can we also extend this to the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates and not just diploma and degree holders?

Internal Quality Service Managers (QSMs) for Public Agencies

Sir, last year, I also spoke up about the need to provide platforms for public servants to provide feedback to upper management. Further, we need to close the feedback loop so that public servants know that their views are valued and can make a difference in strengthening the Public Service.

I suggested implementing internal QSMs within Ministries and Statutory Boards. Minister Ong Ye Kung responded that all public agencies do conduct staff engagement surveys periodically.

I still meet some public servants who say that they have provided feedback but have no idea if anyone is looking into it and have not received the reply with regard to the feedback that was provided.

Will the Minister consider adopting common principles and guidelines for the conduct of staff engagement surveys across the Public Service? Will the Minister also consider requiring public agencies to track the feedback received and actions taken in response to the feedback?

The Chairman : Minister Chan Chun Sing.

The Minister for Trade and Industry (Mr Chan Chun Sing) : Mr Chairman, Sir, let me first thank all Members who have spoken up in support of the importance of maintaining an able and committed Public Service.

I agree with all Members. Our Public Service colleagues and I are determined to build a Public Service that is the pride of Singapore and Singaporeans. Our Public Service has been a pillar of strength for Singapore's survival and success. It has been so, and it will continue to be so.

Our operating environment is changing rapidly. Internally, new generations of Singaporeans are growing up in different circumstances, with different aspirations and expectations. Singaporeans expect services to be organised around them and delivered in an integrated and timely manner. They expect systems and organisations to fit their needs and not the other way round. Singaporeans also expect services and information at their fingertips and have much less patience to navigate complex bureaucracies.

Externally, our geopolitical situation has become more uncertain and challenging. New security threats, including the cyberspace, have emerged and which threaten our national security. The contest of big powers and the domestic politics of regional players combined, can potentially squeeze us and shrink our economic and foreign policy options. But all is not gloom and doom.

Connectivity and technology allow us the opportunities to overcome our geographical and labour constraints. If used well, they can bring us to greater heights. Our workforce is also more educated and more skilled. We can better compete on quality rather than quantity.

To continue to build a vibrant and successful Singapore for the future, our Public Service must constantly challenge ourselves to come up with new ideas, adopt fresh approaches to working, organise ourselves differently and develop new skills.

Our Public Service generally delivers services efficiently, but this is not enough. Beyond working the whole-of-Government, our Public Service must achieve whole-of-Nation outcomes. Partnering Singaporeans and the private sector to deliver results must become second nature to our Public Service, and not as an afterthought. It is not just about delivering good service for the public but also delivering better services with the public.

However, the Public Service and private sector must play our respective parts well in this new partnership to take Singapore to greater heights. Both must be mature to know the complexities of taking into account many sources of feedback, competing interests and differing aspirations. And if our individual suggestion is not accepted after working the process together, it does not mean that the ideas and inputs are not considered. Instead, it has formed part of the process to arrive at the final solution.

1.45 pm

I agree with Dr Teo Ho Pin on a design-thinking approach to the delivery of public services. The Public Service will progressively approach the design of many of our services around people and issues, rather than just expect people to adjust to our existing structures and ways of working.

The Moments of Life app for families, launched last June, is a small example of how the Public Service can come up with new ways of serving citizens better, by working with citizens and the private sector, as partners. The team wanted to make life easier for parents of newborn babies. They want to reduce the administrative hassle so that mums and dads can focus on welcoming baby and caring for baby. So, they started by interviewing many new parents to understand what needs to be done at the point of baby’s birth, what frustrates them and to get good ideas from parents how public services can be delivered better and faster services for them. The outcome was an app that allows parents to register their child’s birth, apply for Baby Bonus and child library membership, all at one go. They do not need to approach multiple agencies and produce the same physical documents for verification again and again. This app has been downloaded over 20,000 times in less than a year and I am happy to say that, beyond public hospitals, we have begun offering this service at private hospitals, starting with Thomson Medical Centre earlier this year. Other private hospitals will progressively come on board in the coming months.

The Public Service will expand this effort. It has since started more projects to redesign services around more key moments, including pregnancy, parenting a school-going child, National Service, and entering one's silver years. We will also design services with different segments of citizens in mind, especially those who may not find it easy to access our services through the usual channels. For instance, at the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), a priority registration queue is created for the elderly and those with mobility constraints during the tax filing season. They will be ushered to a sitting area and attended to quickly. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) also sets up a priority queue during sales launches to assist the elderly, persons with disabilities and expectant mothers. At the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board's service centres, there are retired citizens who serve as roving CPF Ambassadors to help post-55 CPF members.

The Public Service is working closely with various people and private sector organisations in this expanded effort to redesign services around citizens. We will share more about these developments in the coming months.

Within the Public Service, we also need to organise work differently across Ministries and agencies. Our current structures were optimised to solve previous problems. When problems evolved and goals changed, we must similarly be bold to evolve our structures and organisations to serve the objectives of tomorrow, as Member Mr Cedric Foo suggested. Climate change, cyber threats, unmanned systems are but some new challenges that require us to evolve new organisational structures to manage them.

Mr Cedric Foo also asked how we can continue to ensure that our services are citizen-centric. Indeed, the Public Service must reorganise itself to be citizen-centric, not agency-centric, in the way we work.

The Public Service Centre at Our Tampines Hub is one example. It started by co-locating different agencies together to serve citizens in one physical location. This year, the six agencies are coming together to cross-train counter staff, and each staff will be able to provide a range of some 70 services across the six Government agencies. Citizens will be able to approach any counter for help, instead of having to wait for the "right" counter to become available.

The Social Service Office (SSO) is yet another example of how we are bringing different services together to help citizens in need. For instance, the SSOs at Taman Jurong, Kreta Ayer, Yishun, Chua Chu Kang and Jalan Besar are piloting an effort for the same SSO officer who provides financial assistance to unemployed residents to also help them find jobs. The Silver Generation Office (SGO) is also co-located with the SSOs in Taman Jurong and Geylang Serai, and the officers work closely to address the social and health needs of seniors in a more integrated manner.

As many have suggested, it is not easy for the Public Service to organise itself differently and operate differently to serve citizens better without new skills. Ms Anthea Ong, Dr Teo Ho Pin and Mr Ang Hin Kee are right that we have to help our public officers approach their work with new mindsets and give them new skills.

First, we need our public officers to think differently. They must be able to see beyond the current task that they are doing, and work with their colleagues in other Ministries or agencies to serve citizens better. This does not come from classroom training alone. PSD will expand the system of job postings to apply to a wider group of officers, so that our officers will gain wider perspectives, and grow a stronger instinct to work across agencies and with the private and people sectors.

Second, our public officers cannot just develop good policies but must be able to execute them well. To do this, public officers must be able to understand the needs of citizens and businesses better, know what are the constraints and challenges on the ground in implementing policies, and be able to see through the implementation details.

PSD and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) launched a new Engagement Immersion for Leaders programme last year. Leaders at Director-level and above were attached to different frontline work environments to serve citizens so that they can gain new insights on how policies and programmes can be implemented better on the ground. This year, we will implement Public Service Cares. This is a new initiative to encourage all officers to volunteer and serve the community and, in the process, learn how to better communicate with citizens. It seeks to develop a stronger service ethos and a culture among public servants to walk and know the ground needs even better. Officers, senior ones including, are regularly rotated to join the People's Association (PA), SSOs and the feedback unit Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home (REACH) outreach efforts on the ground for them to get a first-hand feel of serving Singaporeans.

Third, we need our public officers to have good interpersonal linkages with the people and private sectors. In particular, the Public Service will work towards achieving greater porosity and two-way flow of talents between the public and the people and private sectors. One way is through sending officers to work attachments in the private sector. For example, we sent 10 officers for attachments to various companies, such as the Development Bank of Singapore (DBS), Singtel and Grab, through the inaugural Service Delivery Talent Attachment Programme last year. They are bringing back new knowledge and insights to improve the delivery of public services. We will expand such opportunities to strengthen our Public Service and our links beyond the Public Service.

Fourth, public officers need to understand our region much better and develop stronger ties with their peers in the region. To continue to expand the economic and international space for Singapore, our officers must be able to be plugged into various international networks and understand the economic, political and social systems of countries in the region and in our key markets. Our Public Service leadership must be able to pick up a phone and call their peers to discuss issues and to engage in new collaboration. Therefore, we will continue to encourage both Public Service Commission (PSC) scholars as well as mid-career officers to be trained in different countries. We will also create many more opportunities for officials across different countries to come together in joint courses, forums and discussions to share best practices and network together. Just as in the private sector, we should expect future Public Service leaders to have experiences working beyond the domestic context.

Finally, our public officers at all levels – leaders to officers – must be savvy in using technology, so that we can use technology to make public services better and make the Public Service more productive. The Public Service is aiming for 100% digital literacy. Every public officer, from leaders to counter staff, must know how to operate in a digital world and to thrive in it. The CSC has launched LEARN, a mobile platform to enable officers to learn anytime, anywhere. In the last three months since the launch, over 34,000 accounts have been activated and almost 10,000 courses have been completed on this platform. The Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) will elaborate more on other Smart Nation Initiatives subsequently.

I agree with several Members who spoke on the need to create a more diverse Public Service leadership. We need a Public Service leadership team that has different talents and is able to surface different perspectives. Going forward, when our Public Service selects future leadership teams, we will increasingly look for a combination of operations, communications, mobilisation and international exposure, beyond pure policymaking skills. A more diverse Public Service is a more resilient Public Service for the uncertainties ahead.

We must systematically select, recruit and develop officers to achieve this diversity. Educational qualifications remain a valid proxy for certain skills and capabilities of candidates we recruit into the Public Service, and we will not disregard that. But the level of educational qualification alone is necessary but not sufficient. The Public Service will also have to look out for other skills, competencies and traits when we recruit new officers. Beyond intellect, we also want officers who have initiative and creative ideas, and those who have strong interpersonal skills and work well with others. In the areas of information and communications technology (ICT), the Public Service will be selecting recruits based on the technical skills they possess, beyond educational qualifications.

Mr Louis Ng asked about single structures for ITE graduates, diploma and degree holders. Since 2015, the Public Service has been merging salary schemes such that the ITE graduates, diploma and degree holders are recruited and progressed on the same structure. Where schemes require particular qualifications, for example, doctors, accountants and engineers, we will specify these. Today, almost all public agencies have single structure schemes.

I have spoken at length about how the Public Service needs to change. But just as important are things that will not change: our values, our aspirations for Singapore and the high standards for ourselves.

Our values of excellence mean that we will not rest on our laurels. Our Public Service continues to work towards high aspirations for Singapore. This means always thinking ahead and acting to expand opportunities for Singapore or pre-empting problems in future. For instance, for Singapore to remain competitive, we must be a hub for innovation. So, MOE, Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and the Economic Development Board (EDB) came together to develop the Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) initiative to connect Singapore to major innovation ecosystems around the world. The GIA expands on existing overseas internship programmes offered by our local institutes of higher education that place students on overseas internships in startups or enterprising and innovative companies. The Public Service is leveraging these internships for scholarship holders and in-service officers as well for them to broaden their training and exposure. GIA will create more opportunities for students, entrepreneurs and business owners to gain experience, connect and collaborate with their overseas counterparts.

Similarly, we have proactively pushed for more Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to help our businesses expand overseas and lower prices of imported goods and services for domestic consumers. Such FTAs have to be planned way ahead, as they entail long negotiations with foreign counterparts. The recently concluded European Union (EU)-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) was planned almost a decade ago and was achieved through close coordination among many agencies, including the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), the Ministry of Law (MinLaw), the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR). They worked together and sustained the momentum of the negotiations through time across different teams of officers. We are now planning ahead for our FTAs to embrace digital trade in the new economy.

We also think long term when it comes to developing our city. Almost 10 years ago, the Economic Strategies Committee mooted the idea of consolidating our container port activities at Tuas in the long term. This will allow our port to achieve greater economies of scale while freeing up the prime Southern Waterfront for redevelopment into a new waterfront city that will be even more exciting than Marina Bay. Today, the proposed new Tuas Terminal is already taking shape and will be progressively completed by the 2040s. The Tuas Terminal, which will be twice the size of Ang Mo Kio town, is expected to be the largest container terminal in the world. Our Tuas Terminal will help Singapore strengthen our position in the maritime sector.

This is not the only long-term multi-decade projects we have planned for. We are pursuing other ambitious projects that span many years, in fact, decades, whether it is developing Singapore's deepest cable tunnel system for electricity transmission or planning for Changi East which includes the new Terminal 5, or planning for the Jurong Innovation District or Punggol Digital District. These projects help to create an even more vibrant Singapore and a better home for future generations of Singaporeans. Our Public Service cannot just try to play defensive to uphold the existing system. We expect more from our Public Service constantly thinking of breaking new ground to take the country forward amidst the stiff competition.

Even though we plan ahead, sometimes things will not go as planned. When things do go wrong, the Public Service will work hard to fix the mistakes and seek to do better. Head (Civil Service) recently reminded all senior public leaders to use the recent incidents and lapses as an important learning moment to see how we can do better.

2.00 pm

I support his call and appreciate that the Public Service is taking its mission very seriously. However, integrity means that we need to take responsibility and be accountable at every level for what went wrong. If we do not address the mistake head-on at the respective levels, but instead choose to indiscriminately sack staff and leaders every time something went wrong, then we will have a weaker system over time. We will also discourage the Public Service from trying new things because the surest way not to make a mistake, is not to do anything novel. That will be the biggest mistake and disservice to our nation.

The values of integrity and excellence apply equally to the appointment processes. Ms Sylvia Lim asked for clarification on the selection process and criteria used by the Prime Minister in identifying persons to fill key constitutional appointments. The process to appoint individuals to any constitutional appointments is set out in the Constitution. The Constitution also sets out the requirements of candidates for certain roles, as well as the officeholders who should be advised or to be consulted on the appointment. In general, the key considerations when identifying candidates include their ability to do the job well, their qualifications and experience, track record, integrity and sense of Public Service.

Ms Sylvia Lim asked if we are aware that Ms Goh Soon Poh, the new Auditor-General, is the wife of Senior Minister of State Mr Heng Chee How. Yes, we are aware. The Auditor-General is appointed by the President in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister. The candidate was proposed to the President for his concurrence after consulting the Chairman of the Public Service Commission. The President will consult the Council of Presidential Advisors which provides an additional level of scrutiny and advice. Ms Goh Soon Poh has more than 30 years of public sector experience and worked in a range of Government Ministries. She has served with distinction, with utmost integrity and commitment to excellence. She has helmed Deputy Secretary roles in two of the largest Ministries, MOE and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and also spent time in two central Ministries, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and PSD, and will be familiar with governance matters related to finance, procurement and human resources. Ms Goh Soon Poh also has public sector experience that will be useful for the Auditor-General role.

The role of the Auditor-General is to audit and report to the President and Parliament on the proper accounting and use of public resources to enhance public accountability. AGO's audit observations are conveyed to senior public officers, namely, Permanent Secretaries of Ministries who are Accounting Officers for their respective Ministries and, hence, responsible for managing that. These senior public officers are responsible for addressing the findings and reporting back to the AGO. The audit process generally does not involve political officeholders. There is no conflict of interest generally between AGO and the Ministries it audits. Where there is a potential conflict of interest, there are specific processes to manage these, just as in any professional organisation.

Our Public Service cares for our people. Mr Louis Ng asked about staff engagement. PSD currently works with Public Sector agencies to administer a common staff engagement survey across public agencies. The survey enables agency leaders to better understand the areas that the agency is doing well in and what it can do better to help officers. Leaders are expected to respond to the feedback and take appropriate action.

Mr Png Eng Huat asked about MediShield Life for pensioners. Like all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, Government pensioners have been covered under MediShield Life from 1 November 2015. MediShield Life provides additional help on top of the retirement medical benefits that they enjoy as Government pensioners. This is very useful, especially if someone is unfortunate enough to get a severe illness with a huge medical bill. For example, one pensioner on the Comprehensive Co-payment Scheme (CCS) had pneumonia with a bill size of $29,000. She had 85% of the bill covered by her post-retirement medical benefits. MediShield Life helped to pay for the remaining 15%. She did not have to pay anything out of pocket. Another pensioner on the CCS had lymphoma with a bill size of about $14,000. He only had to pay out-of-pocket expenses of $300, after taking into account his post-retirement medical benefits and MediShield Life.

Mr Chairman, Sir, our public officers joined our Public Service because of a calling. And that is to build a better home, a better nation and a better future for all Singaporeans. Our future is in the hands of this generation of leaders – from the public, private and the people sectors. Like it was almost 54 years ago, we must all be pioneers once more and always. If we put our hearts, minds and hands together as one Singapore team, I am confident that we can prevail against the challenges and Singapore will remain vibrant and successful. Our Public Service will lead and support fellow Singaporeans in achieving this.

Sustainable Population Strategies

Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang) : Mr Chairman, despite a comprehensive strategy to encourage Singaporeans to marry and have children, our birth rates remain low as our population continues to age. In fact, this is a global trend among developed and developing economies around the world, and it will certainly take time to find sustainable solutions to alleviate the situation.

What is our current concept? That a woman should have a career and also be a good mother; that a man should have a career and also be a good father. We give them good support with maternity leave, paternity leave, childcare leave, Baby Bonus and a whole suite of incentives. But things are not quite working out. Why? Difficulty in juggling office work and care for children, from tending to them when they are sick, to coaching them as they grow up. Have we looked into a more radical or new system whereby women with children may take three to six years off the workforce to bring up their children? This will also foster strong family ties and give our children a strong foundation, too. We can make laws where these women and men would not be discriminated against for the years out of the job market.

In return, we can allow more qualified older people in our workforce to stay on to fill the vacant slots temporarily left behind by them.

As we continue to implement baby-friendly policies as well as family-friendly policies, we must continue to identify and manage other problems stemming from an ageing population. We already have in place many strategies. We are encouraging senior citizens to stay healthy and active in the workforce through a lot of initiatives. Perhaps we can incentivise our senior citizens to look after their grandchildren. Similar to the proposed caregiver allowance for seniors, can we look into a grandchildren caregiver allowance for seniors looking after their grandchildren?

We face greater challenges with our limited pool of human resources to maintain a vibrant economy. How has the Government directed its population strategies to support an economy that will continue to grow? We rank 13 among countries best at attracting, developing and retaining talent in 2018, according to a report by Business Insider. If we cannot sustain our population by Singaporeans' natural births, then the only way to top up our population is through immigration. We will then face the issue of integration and challenges in forging a national identity and cohesion. What is the upper limit we set for immigration so as not to affect our social compact ?

As a young nation, we continue to grapple with seeking our national identity. We do not have a shared history of struggles that binds us together. Our PG and MG can share their experience and be a valued resource to inspire the next. Perhaps, the Government can share its plans to foster a strong sense of national identity among Singaporeans, and yet maintain a healthy population profile.

The Chairman : Mr Gan Thiam Poh, take the two cuts together.

Population Strategy

Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio) : A rapidly ageing population and a persistently low Total Fertility Rate (TFR), which is among the lowest in the world, pose serious challenges for our future. There are severe implications for our social fabric, national heritage, economy and defence, just to name a few. We must make it a matter of priority and urgency to review our population strategies.

We need a core group of young Singaporeans to ensure that our country remains cohesive, dynamic and vibrant. What measures does the Government have to invigorate our population strategies and keep a balanced mix of locals and immigrants? What is the Ministry’s view on the effect of new attitudes to family structures and their impact on families and procreation? In addition, how would we prevent the financial burden of caring for our ageing population from falling on our future generations?

Total Fertility Rate

In Minister Heng Swee Keat's Budget speech, he urged us to draw on our Singaporean DNA to continue to progress. Unfortunately, with our low TFR at 1.16, one of the lowest rates in the world, the future of our DNA is at risk.

Modern Singapore had started as an immigrant country and will continue to accept and integrate immigrants in the future. However, it is important that we have a core group of Singaporeans born and bred here.

The Government had implemented various measures and incentives to support marriage and procreation. We need an urgent review to understand why they have not been effective. Whether these are inadequate or require enhancements, we must address the roots of the problems. Will the Ministry share its plans to reverse our TFR?

New Citizens – Appointment and Integration

Prof Fatimah Lateef : Immigration laws vary from country to country and change according to the needs, factors affecting population as well as growth and development of the nation.

There is really no one-rule-fits-all policy. Singapore is challenged even further due to our sheer small size, and more so due to our rapidly ageing populace. Our guidelines and policies must acknowledge our diversity, uphold unity and be realistic and practical. New citizens can have a positive contribution towards nation-building and social integration.

The guidelines for recruiting new citizens must be robust and dynamic and at the same time meet our objectives. How are we reviewing our immigration policies?

Are we able to implement a more structured community involvement of potential new citizen candidates, perhaps even with the provision of inputs from senior and experienced community leaders? This is with a view to having them immersed and better integrated in the local community and activities. The community leaders can act as assenters and provide valuable inputs in this respect.

Challenges Faced by Young Adults

Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang) : Chairman, in 2015, we had a bumper year in terms of babies in Singapore and a rise in our TFR. However, since then, Singapore's TFR seems to have dropped to an all-time low of 1.16 in 2018. This is despite the fact that the Government has put in place a wide variety of incentives for people to marry and have children.

According to Singapore's population data bureau, we have a large number of people of childbearing age and coming to childbearing age, yet more are choosing not to get married and have children. Have any studies been done on why this is so?

I understand from previous COS debates that many young people have a desire to settle down and get married. Yet, it appears they are not doing so. What are the challenges faced, particularly by young adults, in marriage and parenthood? Is there anything that may be done to address these challenges?

Family – Reaffirming our Values

Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee) : Mr Chairman, as a nation, we strive to be the best. But, sometimes, we have to take a cold hard look at ourselves to take stock.

We are a city in a garden, but are we truly green? We are fast becoming a Smart Nation, but can this nation also continue to grow a heart? We have a highly productive workforce, but what are we truly producing? We can be No 1 on many fronts, but if we allow our most basic of building blocks to start to crumble and weaken, how long more can we keep it up?

Chairman, as Singapore continues to progress economically, it also seems that, like the rest of the developed world, we are beginning to face what is an increasingly post-familist future, one where that basic building block, the family, is becoming more sidelined and threatened.

Singlehood, childlessness and instability of the institution of the family are growing in many countries around the world and Singapore has not been spared. And while not in the extreme, some anti-natalist propaganda has also recently appeared on our shores.

In 2017, our TFR was a dismal 1.16. It was a seven-year low and the second lowest on record. This is despite the billions that we have committed to promoting marriage and parenthood over the years.

Surveys tell us that over 80% of young Singaporeans intend to get married and have children, but that intention seems not to be reflected in the actual numbers getting married and also having children. Perhaps it is opportune for us to ask ourselves again what is it that we are not doing enough of?

What I feel is missing from the narrative is addressing the slow unfortunate change in culture and its threat to the family.

Today, we live in a stressful world. We can always admit that – one whose pace is breakneck. We all want to work hard, produce better results and aim for the next rung up in our careers. That is not inherently wrong. But it has unfortunately become a key part of our new culture today.

This leaves young Singaporeans breathless. This work ethic subconsciously makes us stay longer in the office and often even when there is no real reason to do so. Great for the companies, but at what cost to society? We end up having no time to date, no time to go out, no time for ourselves, no time to get married, no time to have children.

We cannot be indifferent to this problem as a society. Our very fabric as a nation depends of the family nucleus. Families play a vital role in determining the welfare of children, in meeting our deepest needs for meaning and solidarity with one another, and in shaping the economic and political fortunes of nations. When the family is not flourishing and no longer serves as the central organising feature of society, the nation begins to lose its basic unit.

2.15 pm

So, it is not just about the money. The more money we throw at the problem, the more monetised and mercantile this most natural of building blocks becomes, reinforcing the growing stereotype that families are commodities. What we need to do today is to reinforce a culture that is centred around the family. From our very childhood, we should imbue in our young the importance of family, encouraging them to have quality time with their own families. For parents of this generation to reset the pace and reset the tempo of our culture.

Part of it is our auto-reverential culture caused by technology. Many of us can attest to the fact that when we are at home, we may be with one another but we are really not with one another, we are with your phones. We pretend to engage with one another, but actually we ignore one another. We think we speak to many people but, actually, we are just talking to ourselves.

On the work front, this happens as well. Technology meant to make work easier, literally ties us to our desk, even if we are away from the office. So, employers must also see more and more the importance that family plays in having a happy workforce. A purely transactional relationship only engenders stress, where parents fear even taking time off for family. We need to do more to encourage a change in work culture and not just through incentives like the Enhanced Work-Life Grant. More can be done at the cultural level.

For all the generosity of our Marriage and Parenthood Package, there must also be whole-of-society issues that need to be addressed like cost of living and aspirations. How can we ensure that, as a society, we continue to value the family and will be willing to help families achieve their aspirations? These take more than just policy, programmes or grants, but the whole society and a relook of our culture.

We must do what we can to avoid what some called the "systematic humiliation, apathy-inducing neglect and soul-killing cruelty" against the role of families in our society.

Enhancing Family-friendly Culture

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh) : Couples these days have many valid concerns when planning to embark on parenthood. In truth, some personal sacrifices are necessary. But the broader society, encompassing community groups, employers and families, can do more to compromise and embrace a family-friendly Singapore. There are couples who are perfectly happy juggling four children. These are the ones with good support from the community, their extended families and their workplace. They probably made some personal sacrifices to prioritise their family as well. Others are stressed out just with one.

Today's grandparents are not like those of the 1960s and 1970s. Today's grandparents plan their retirement and go on frequent holidays, and I do not fault them. They deserve the break. So, how do we balance between the needs of the grandparents and their young children who are setting up families? What is being done to help instil a family-friendly culture in Singapore which is supportive of marriage and parenthood? We need a mindset shift in our approach to address the issues in this environment.

Many a time, my wife and I, who are both working and have three kids, will face emergency calls from the school or kids falling ill, among other things, requiring one or both of us to attend to a child. One example of how we can further improve a family culture environment is to see if we can offer some comprehensive back-up care in corporates or private and public agencies with a national software matching platform to help employees find last-minute childcare or eldercare when the usual arrangements breakdown. In the United Kingdom (UK), there are such companies doing it, such as My FamilyCare. But more can be done to create these private set-ups and help these types of companies grow to create a better and more diverse support network in a family-friendly environment.

Family-friendly Workplace

Ms Rahayu Mahzam (Jurong) : Someone shared a story with me once. A man came home and saw his helper at the playground with his children. They were having so much fun and he was jealous. It had been a long day at work and, at that moment, he felt like he was working so hard so that he could pay his domestic helper to have the life that he wants. It was a fleeting thought, but it reflected on how much he wished he could spend more time with his children.

We all have aspirations and we want a better life for our families. We also have much to contribute to the economy and a meaningful job gives us a sense of purpose and drive. However, many of us also yearn for a work-life balance so we can spend time with our families. Employers play an important role in supporting Singaporeans in managing their work-life balance, including providing flexible work arrangements (FWAs) or supporting working fathers in playing more active roles at home.

How will the Government encourage employers to play their part? I note there are schemes, such as the Enhanced Work-Life Grant. Have the measures been effective and what more could be done to encourage employers to foster a more family-friendly workplace culture?

Supporting Working Parents

Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines) : Our young Singaporeans are sandwiched in caring for young children and elderly parents. The Government has been providing support to such families. Can the Minister update on further progress and what more will the Ministry be doing?

Demographic trends necessitate changes to how young families are supported at the workplaces. One, with smaller family sizes, our younger Singaporeans need to care for both their children and parents. It is common to easily spend more than a day away from work to bring an older parent for medical check-up. The same applies for an ill child.

Thus, Family Care Leave is important to our workers, especially those whose children are older than seven. The fungibility in using the leave provides more flexibility for workers. Can the Government consider having the Public Service to take the lead in providing family care leave for all public servants as a start?

Second, we need to help our young Singaporean parents better manage the cost of infant care and full-day childcare. Couples are spending, on average, $1,495 on full-day infant care monthly. Those who qualify for $600 subsidy still need to fork out about $900 a month for infant care. This can be quite taxing. Similarly, Singapore Citizens are eligible for a basic subsidy of up to $300 for childcare per month. This was implemented in 2008. Since 2001, the childcare operators have raised their median fees by 22%.

Lastly, FWAs are crucial to support families. While many companies today offer FWAs, it has not been socialised into a societal norm like the Nordic countries. We need to take decisive action to make FWA pervasive. Can we introduce the right to FWA? This makes starting FWA conversations easier for workers. We can start with the larger companies. This can provide real impetus in socialising FWA and better support our families, especially our women workers.

The Chairman : Mr Louis Ng, you can take your two cuts together.

Extending Childcare Leave

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang : Sir, young couples are rightly concerned about whether they have the means to bring up a child. It is now not just "money not enough", but also "time and leave not enough". The current six days of childcare leave and unpaid infant care leave are insufficient. It does not make sense that the amount of leave does not increase as well when you have more kids. Parents with four kids clearly need more leave than parents with one child. With Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) so common now, six days of childcare leave are just not enough. I experienced this last year when all three of my kids had HFMD consecutively. My four-year-old had to be out of school for two weeks.

I am not even sure if parents who have two or more kids will have sufficient annual leave once their childcare leave has been used. Can we consider giving childcare leave on a per child basis? For parents with two or more kids, can the Minister also consider allowing parents to use their sick leave entitlements also when their child is sick? Parents can provide their child's medical certificate (MC) as proof when using this leave.

Extending Parental Leave

Sir, it has been almost two years since I delivered my Adjournment Motion calling for more parental leave for parents of multiples or preterm babies. In the blink of an eye, my twins, Katie and Poppy, are now two years old. From fighting for their lives, they are now fighting for their toys. The burps have been replaced by farts. Their crying has been replaced by smiles and the beautiful sound of laughter. This parenthood journey has been priceless, and I am so happy we have three healthy, happy girls.

The Adjournment Motion speech brought back many painful memories of Katie and Poppy being born premature and almost losing their lives. It is an experience that I hope no parent has to go through and I hope that, through my sharing, our policies will change and they are changing. It was announced last year that we will introduce a Tripartite Standard to encourage employers to provide four weeks of unpaid leave for parents of multiples or preterm babies.

Can the Minister provide an update on how many employers are providing this leave? I understand that MOE is providing this. Can the Minister confirm if the entire Public Service is now providing this unpaid leave?

Mr Speaker : Order. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 2.45 pm.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 2.25 pm until 2.45 pm.

Sitting resumed at 2.45 pm

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

[(proc text) Debate in Committee of Supply resumed. (proc text)]

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Head U (cont) –

The Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Home Affairs (Mrs Josephine Teo) : Mr Chairman, I thank the Members who have spoken. Their views and suggestions are well appreciated. In my response, I will provide an update of our population strategies and measures to support Marriage and Parenthood.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked how we will build a sustainable and vibrant Singapore for all ages in light of our demographic challenges. We are doing so through three broad strategies.

Our first and foremost strategy in managing the population is to ensure that there is always a new generation of Singaporeans to carry our legacy forward. We want Singapore to be a Great Place for Families, where young couples sense the strong support for marriage and parenthood from society and the state.

How are we doing on this front? In addressing this question, it is useful to take a step back. When we consider developments over longer time periods, there are some reasons to be optimistic.

The average number of citizen births in the last five years is higher than the previous five-year periods. From 2014 to 2018, the average was 33,000 citizen births annually. From 2009 to 2013, the average was lower at 31,400 citizen births annually. If we go back to an even earlier period, between 2004 and 2008, the annual average was 32,000 births. So, for the most recent five-year period, we are talking about 33,000 citizen births on average annually. The five years before that, it was 31,400; and the five years before that, it was 32,000. So, it is clearly higher.

On top of this, many Singaporeans are living overseas, so we welcomed about 1,500 citizen babies born overseas annually over the past five years. This average is also higher than that of the previous five-year periods. From 2009 to 2013, there was an average of about 1,400 overseas citizen births annually. And between 2004 and 2008, this average was 1,000 overseas citizen births.

Recent marriage numbers have also remained high. In fact, the average number of marriages in the past five years was significantly higher than the past decade.

Juxtaposed against these developments is another set of forces at play. Most young Singaporeans still want to marry and have children, which Mr Vikram Nair would be glad to know. From our 2016 Marriage and Parenthood Survey, more than eight in 10 single millennials indicated they intended to marry, and more than nine in 10 married couples said they wanted two or more children. However, they are also taking longer to find the right partner and starting families later. The surge in the number of young Singaporeans entering the prime child-bearing age may be followed by a surge in births, but at a later stage. We believe this explains recent drops in Singapore's TFR to 1.16 in 2017 and 1.14 last year. But, given the positive marriage trends, I remain hopeful that there could be an uptick in TFR when the children of the Baby Boomers start having babies themselves.

For family to remain the bedrock of society, which Mr Alex Yam spoke passionately about, we must actively lean against the wind to make marriage and parenthood achievable, enjoyable and celebrated.

There are still many things in Singapore that are favourable to child-raising. Last year, Singapore was ranked first in the World Bank's inaugural Human Capital Index. And what that means is that as far as the World Bank is concerned, for a child born in any of the 157 countries that they surveyed, Singapore would be where their human capital potential is most likely to be optimised. In the same year, an international non-governmental organisation, "Save The Children", also ranked Singapore as the best country for children to grow up in.

The Government has also progressively enhanced our Marriage and Parenthood Package. Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Mr Desmond Choo had asked about the progress and adequacy of our current measures.

Mr Chairman, Sir, may I have your permission to distribute a table showing the key marriage and parenthood benefits that a young couple can receive today, compared to five years ago?

The Chairman : Yes, please. [ A handout was distributed to hon Members. ]

Mrs Josephine Teo : Thank you. Mr Chairman, firstly, a couple can now own their first home sooner. Flats with shorter waiting times – about two to three years, compared to three to four years for typical Build-To-Order flats – are now available to them. The first batch was launched in November 2018. Those who may have urgent housing needs or location preferences, can choose to buy a resale flat and receive up to $120,000 in housing grants, which is $40,000 more than what a couple would have received in 2014. First-timers buying a new flat in non-mature estates can service their housing loans using less than a quarter of their combined monthly incomes, often with little or no cash because they draw on their CPF savings instead.

Second, parents now benefit from greater support for child-raising costs. When their first child is born, they receive up to $18,000 through the MediSave Grant for Newborns, Baby Bonus Cash Gift, and the Child Development Account (CDA). This is $3,000 more than the maximum a couple would get in 2014. They will also receive a CDA First Step of $3,000 deposited by the Government, without having to save into the CDA first, which helps to lighten their load at the start of their parenthood journey.

Third, in their child's preschool years, the couple would find it easier to enrol their child in an affordable and good quality preschool. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has increased the number of full-day preschool places nationwide by over 50% since 2014. There are 170,000 full-day preschool places today. By 2023, this will increase to about 200,000, and two-thirds of preschoolers will be enrolled in Government-supported preschools.

Fourth, throughout their parenthood journey and as their family commitments increase, the couple now has stronger support to manage their work and family responsibilities today. They enjoy enhanced parental leave provisions, which enable fathers to play a more active role. With up to eight weeks of leave, a father now has access to double the amount of leave in his child’s first year, compared to just five years ago. The take-up of Paternity Leave has been encouraging, increasing from 37% in 2014 to 53% for recent cohorts.

We have also increased paid childcare leave over the years. Today, each parent with children below age seven has six days of childcare leave per year, and two days of childcare leave per year while their children are still in primary school.

Mr Louis Ng gave suggestions on further increasing leave for parents to care for their children, while Mr Desmond Choo suggested legislating FWAs. We will keep reviewing the scope to expand leave provisions but, as Mr Douglas Foo reminded us, we should be careful about mandating businesses to do more as it would impact business viability and put jobs at risk. Given the recent enhancements, I hope Members will agree to give companies some time to adjust before further moves.

In the meantime, promotional efforts should continue. That is why we introduced a Tripartite Standard last year to encourage employers to provide unpaid leave when their employees have unexpected care needs, including multiple or preterm births, or family members or children who are hospitalised. I must thank Mr Louis Ng for giving us the idea. About 450 employers with over 224,000 staff combined, have adopted this Standard. This includes the Public Service with over 70 agencies. We will continue to encourage adoption of the Standard.

I should also add that parents would be more likely to benefit from FWAs. We introduced the Tripartite Standard on FWAs in October 2017, and also launched the enhanced Work-Life Grant last July, to better support the adoption of FWAs. The grant has received more than 340 applications in just five months. More workplaces are now supportive of FWAs. Around 53% of employers now offer at least one formal FWA. This could be flexi-time, flexi-place, flexi-load, and this is up from 47% in 2014. This is, in fact, a significant turning point I have been waiting for. The tide is shifting and I am hopeful FWAs will become much more commonplace henceforth.

Nevertheless, I am aware that young Singaporeans still have concerns, which Mr Desmond Choo also raised.

Parents have raised concerns about financial costs, such as preschool fees. ECDA is reviewing the preschool subsidy framework, to make quality preschool more affordable for parents. The Ministry for Social and Family Development (MSF) will provide an update on this during its COS debate.

Parents may also feel the need to keep up with other parents’ intensive efforts in education, for example. MOE, too, is concerned. To help our students discover more joy and develop stronger intrinsic motivation to learn, MOE is reducing the frequency and stakes of school-based assessments. Students' class and level positions will not be reflected in report books to minimise unhealthy comparisons among students based on their academic performance.

MSF has also started the Baby Bonus Parenting Resources Portal to boost confidence in parenting through sharing of tips by experts on raising happy and healthy children.

Next, as Ms Rahayu Mahzam pointed out, the workplace environment is critical. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Low Yen Ling will share more at MOM's COS debate.

3.00 pm

But overall, I am encouraged that more companies are taking progressive steps to support their employees' caregiving needs. One such example is M Tech, a small and medium enterprise (SME) which specialises in cybersecurity and network performance solutions. I visited M Tech this week. As many of their employees are young parents who may also be caring for elders in the family, M Tech decided to offer FWAs to staff who need them. This was made possible by IT tools which enable staff to work remotely and still be effective. I met Petrine, a product manager who was able to telecommute when her children were down with chickenpox, and when her mother was hospitalised. M Tech was initially concerned about the investment needed to enable mobile working but later found that the benefits were well worth it. For example, it is better able to attract and retain employees who are productive and committed to their work, such as Petrine, who has been with M Tech for 11 years.

Beyond workplace flexibility, there are deeper issues of workplace culture. Some Singaporeans, indeed, work very long hours, leaving little time for dating or family life. Having fewer hours to rest and recharge not only affects employees' health and well-being, but also the time that they have with their loved ones.

As the nature of work evolves, there is value for organisations to adopt new ways of working that achieve good business outcomes while giving staff enough downtime to recharge.

M Tech employees, for example, may get off work early, whether to attend courses or to pick up their children from childcare. But they would reconnect later in the evening to complete time-sensitive tasks, such as confirming sales orders taken in other time zones, and they do not mind doing it at all because it does not take very long.

So, we hope many more employers will make the effort to promote more sustainable work practices, for the sake of their employees and for their own business viability in the longer run.

Finally, with the trend of later marriages and births, the Government will be reviewing our assistance to couples who face difficulties conceiving and who wish to undergo assisted reproduction technology treatments.

Members, including Mr Ong Teng Koon, Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Vikram Nair, have given suggestions on further measures to strengthen support for marriage and parenthood.

I agree we can do more. However, porting over practices in other countries wholesale may not yield the desired results. South Korea, for example, poured much resources to emulate the Nordic countries. But its TFR has not improved and fell to 0.98 last year. I think for South Korea, this is the lowest they have on record.

Our efforts over the last five years are significant, even if they may take more time to bear fruit. We also need deeper changes of mindsets to reduce stresses in parenting.

Ultimately, marriage and parenthood are personal decisions, shaped by the values that each person holds dear, but they are also influenced in no small part by social norms, our families, employers and the wider society. There are strong cultural and societal factors at play. Like Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Alex Yam have pointed out, no single stakeholder can fully address these on its own.

In this regard, I am encouraged to see how various community stakeholders have stepped up.

The Families for Life Council, for example, offers a suite of education programmes at workplaces and community touchpoints. It also organises events to encourage Singaporeans to make family life a priority.

In Boon Lay Constituency, a Parents' Support Group was formed after a group of young parents met at the PA's Embracing PArenthood community celebrations. The group meets quarterly to share tips about child development, infant nutrition, and other parenting pointers.

Such efforts, big or small, go a long way in making parenthood enjoyable and celebrated. We welcome more of them.

In the coming months, the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) will embark on a consultation process to listen to the needs and concerns of Singaporeans around forming families, and how the Government and the community can better support their aspirations. I also appreciate the Members' suggestions and there are many good examples. Mr Saktiandi Supaat suggested Back-Up care. So, I would like to invite all stakeholders to join us in co-creating and shaping policies. We will give more details about the consultation process soon.

Mr Chairman, I have taken some time to reaffirm our commitment to supporting marriage and parenthood. Our second strategy in managing the population is to maintain a careful balance in immigrant flows. At its heart, the aim of our immigration policy is to sustain a stable citizen population that keeps our economy vibrant and our society cohesive.

Similar to the past few years, we granted around 22,600 Singapore Citizenships in 2018, of which 1,600 were to children born overseas to Singaporean parents. With 32,700 Permanent Residencies granted last year, the Permanent Resident (PR) population remains stable at around 520,000.

As Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Gan Thiam Poh mentioned, it is important that citizens share a strong sense of identity and belonging to Singapore. We also agree with Prof Fatimah Lateef that it matters how we select new citizens.

To this end, we conduct regular reviews of our immigration framework. We remain highly selective in granting permanent residencies and citizenships. In all cases, we consider the applicants' age, family profile, economic contributions, as well as their ability to integrate, among other factors. We look for markers of rootedness and identification with Singapore's way of life, values and norms.

Family ties and length of stay provide a strong indication of this. As a result, one in four adults granted citizenship in recent years have family ties with Singaporeans; three in five have lived in Singapore for at least 10 years; and the majority of our new citizens each year are in their younger and prime working ages. We will continue to maintain a careful balance in managing immigration.

Mr Chairman, our third and equally important strategy in building a sustainable population is to enable Singaporeans to age with grace and purpose.

The United Nations (UN) has described population ageing as one of the defining features of our time. In Asia, Japan was the first country to age rapidly. Singapore, together with South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan, is not far behind. Today, our life expectancy is the third highest in the world. Fortunately, more of these years are enjoyed in good health than before.

Far from being resigned to this development, our approach is to help Singaporeans enjoy productive longevity, in many varied ways. It starts with being able to stay active, having the opportunity to work if seniors wish to, and strengthening support for retirement adequacy.

Since the 1980s, we have been putting in place measures to prepare for an ageing society. CPF has been enhanced over the years. Besides home ownership, it now helps Singaporeans save for healthcare needs and receive payouts for life in their retirement.

Beyond CPF Life, the Government also introduced the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), Silver Support, MediShield Life and now, CareShield Life, to help families take better care of their seniors. For older Singaporeans who may have less in MediSave, we have provided the Pioneer and Merdeka Generation Packages with a focus on keeping quality healthcare affordable to seniors. This is in addition to regular top-ups to boost retirement savings.

As the recent Parliamentary Motion on Ageing with Purpose affirmed, we should continue to improve our policies to support the changing profile of seniors. For example, more seniors wish to work longer. Our employment rate of those aged 55 to 64 is already among the highest in the world and still going up. In my capacity as Manpower Minister, I set up a Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers. Later in the debate, I will provide an update on the Workgroup's deliberations that will address Mr Gan Thiam Poh's concerns about supporting senior employment.

Within our communities, we are also updating the way we care for seniors, for example, through innovative, award-winning solutions like Kampung Admiralty. My colleagues at the Ministry of Health (MOH) will share more during their COS debate. With your permission, Mr Chairman, I would like to conclude in Mandarin.

( In Mandarin ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] Mr Chairman, we will continue to strengthen our efforts to make Singapore a Great Place for Families.

In the last five years, trends in marriages and citizen births are encouraging. There were on average 33,000 citizen births each year between 2014 and 2018. In the earlier five-year periods, the annual average was lower, at 31,400 from 2009 to 2013 and 32,000 from 2004 to 2008. Marriages are also on the rise.

We have significantly strengthened support for marriage and parenthood in recent years, for example, in the areas of housing, child-raising costs, preschool, and managing their work and family responsibilities. Compared to even five years ago, young parents are much better supported.

While the Government strengthens its support, we also need the whole of society to make Singapore a Great Place for Families. For example, employers and co-workers can help by accommodating parents’ needs for FWAs. Community organisations can also celebrate parenthood and build networks of support among peers.

We will embark on a consultation process in the coming months to listen to the needs and concerns of Singaporeans over forming families. We hope that various stakeholders will continue giving feedback and join us in making Singapore a truly Great Place for Families.

The Chairman : Mr Darryl David.

Digital Nation Benefits for Singaporeans

Mr Darryl David (Ang Mo Kio) : Mr Chairman, the Smart Nation initiative was launched in late 2014 with the aim of applying digital and smart solutions to provide better services to our residents and businesses.

Since its inception, the Smart Nation Initiative has gone on to embark on numerous pilot projects and trials, some of which, like contactless payment for public transport and TeleHealth, are starting to bear fruit. That said, some of these initiatives seem to have been started as standalone programmes, with Government agencies and Statutory Boards launching their own initiatives.

Can the Prime Minister's Office elaborate more on the larger national narrative guiding the Smart Nation Initiative and how it has delivered tangible benefits to citizens and businesses?

Also, are there intentions to embark on a public-private partnership to commercialise current initiatives so that more benefits can be delivered to end users by private sector players?

People at the Heart of Smart Nation

Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson) : People must be at the heart of our Smart Nation efforts. Solution should deal with only modern problems to make urban living easier for our people. These could include transportation, energy efficiency, public safety, public health, citizen engagement, privacy and cybersecurity. A Smart Nation needs to succeed. We need to solicit citizens' and businesses' buy-in. Benefits have to be real for them to believe in it. Hence, designing solutions to be citizen- or user-centric is imperative.

In Estonia, the use of X-Road by its government offered much benefit to its citizens making life easier at every level and at engendering support for and trust towards its smart government. It is estimated that X-Road saves more than 820 years of working time for the state and its citizens annually. Secure digital identity (ID) also enables Estonians to complete transactions efficiently and securely. When a child is born, for example, the hospital enters the information in its database that is linked to the National Population Register. The information is shared automatically with various government systems that then ensure the child receives social benefits, such as healthcare and education.

Given our aspirations and the experiences of other countries, how would the Government ensure that services are citizen-centric? While it is the Government's plan to make its services more data-driven and anticipatory, what more can citizens and businesses expect to benefit from our Smart Nation efforts?

3.15 pm

Personal Data with Public Agencies

Ms Sylvia Lim : Digital Defence is now our sixth pillar of Total Defence, and all, including the Government, play a role in this.

On 12 February this year, the Minister for Communications and Information told the House that GovTech is overall in charge of the security and safeguards systems for data and that Government Technology Agency (GovTech) is the agency that does many of the reviews, ensures the Government agencies are in compliance with the Instruction Manuals and other provisions.

I would like to ask whether GovTech specifically oversees that citizens' personal data stored within public agencies is safeguarded from misuse, hacking or leak. For instance, does GovTech audit the data and privacy protection practices of public agencies? In view of the risks and breaches that had occurred, would the Government look into publishing an annual report on the cybersecurity readiness of public agencies to give some reassurance to citizens and to encourage the achievement of high standards?

Next, while there are regulations to punish public officers who do not comply with confidentiality obligations, what is the position of the innocent persons whose data has been compromised? For instance, it was recently reported that a station inspector had illegally accessed the Police's computer system to screen the telephone records of a man he suspected of having an affair with his wife. In such a case, are there guidelines about whether the affected person should be told and within a certain timeframe? Such information is crucial for victims to protect themselves and to seek recourse in a timely manner.

Finally, during the recent debate on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) registry leak, the Government told the House that a person whose data had been leaked, had the recourse of suing MOH. Besides commencing an expensive lawsuit against the Government, how else can an aggrieved person get compensation?

Smart Nation Programmes

Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng : Mr Chairman, my cut is on our Smart Nation vision and programmes. Our Smart Nation vision is a good one. A digital Government will allow for an integrated and seamless Government, resulting in better policies and operations. A digital economy will increase productivity for businesses, will create new jobs and opportunities right into the future. A digital society will allow our people to enjoy greater conveniences, increased opportunities and a higher quality of life.

Since the inception of the Smart Nation initiative in late 2014, good progress has been made in applying digital and smart solutions to provide better services for our citizens and businesses.

Several good programmes that have been introduced should be applauded. The Moments of Life initiative is a good example – a one-stop application to help Singaporeans navigate the journey of welcoming a newborn and raise a young child. New parents can register the birth of their newborn and apply for Baby Bonus incentives at one go, through a single application. For preschoolers, parents can search for preschools, retrieve and view medical data of their child on the Moments of Life application. For many parents entering the exciting and busy journey of parenthood, the conveniences of a one-stop application versus a need to navigate various agencies and websites provide a real and tangible benefit.

Another good programme is the launch of MyInfo Business, which allows SMEs to interact and access 129 Government e-services and 143 private sector e-services.

However, these initiatives are but a small step towards our Smart Nation goals. The technology curve has moved very rapidly and what was not possible is now possible.

I would like to ask the Minister to provide an update on the programmes that we are implementing over the next few years so as to allow us to achieve our Smart Nation vision.

Preparing for the Future

Chairman, my next cut is on preparing for the future. Despite lacking in traditional factors of production like land, labour and capital, Singapore was able to beat the odds in our transformation from a Third-World country to a First-World country today. Our success can be attributed to strong and honest leadership, a tolerant multiracial society and a culture of self-reliance and mutual support.

Today, we face a fresh set of challenges – an ageing society, sharper infrastructure and manpower constraints, just to name a few.

Amidst a global digital revolution, Singapore has to accelerate the transformation of our society and economy in order to remain competitive or risk being left behind. There are many benefits to a digital economy. Higher productivity, better quality of life, better jobs, reduced business operating costs and the list goes on. Because of the significant benefits to citizens and businesses, other cities and nations around the world are also embarking on similar digitalisation efforts. Let me give just one example.

In October 2018, Emirates launched trials of the world's first biometric pathways at Dubai International Airport. This allows the use of biometric technology through Smart immigration tunnels, with passengers walking through immigration without a need to stop at a counter. Through adoption of these technologies, the United Arab Emirates has plans to gradually phase out airport immigration officers by 2020.

As other countries embark on similar digitalisation efforts, what is the Government doing on the Smart Nation front to ensure that we remain relevant and globally competitive?

The Chairman : Mr Teo Ser Luck. You can take your two cuts together.

Businesses in Smart Nation

Partnership on Smart Nation

Mr Teo Ser Luck (Pasir Ris-Punggol) : We have shared our vision to become a Smart Nation and there have been announcements and programmes implemented. And through Smart Nation, there are many opportunities we can help to liven all the startups and also local businesses. There is a high expectation for a Smart Nation project to bring to businesses efficiency, effectiveness as well as business opportunities, especially in the tech business community.

However, instead of a growing interest thus far, there seems to be a lesser anticipation and excitement now about the projects and many have seen that the opportunities that they anticipated were not coming through. So, may I know whether the Ministry or the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) could update on what is the impact on the businesses so far in terms of opportunities as well as in doing business within the Smart Nation project?

There are many projects that the private sector has embarked on, especially the tech businesses. We should be able to tap on these startups or companies that develop these technologies, and especially when they have developed advanced state-of-the-art developments in AI, machine learning or automation. GovTech does not need to set up another group or another committee to redevelop or reinvent the wheel. It could partner these companies to go into a trial and test process. And many of these technologies have been tested by the market. Do consider them before setting up another major project within GovTech or within the Government. Work with these companies out there. They can offer good help and better help.

Could PMO update the business community what are the initiatives available through the Smart Nation project and what are the opportunities that will be available in future.

The Chairman : Mr Ong Teng Koon; not here. Mr Vikram Nair.

Smart Nation

Mr Vikram Nair : Mr Chairman, the Singapore Government is leading the way in making Singapore a Smart Nation. GovTech is ensuring that more and more Government services are available online and are easy to use online. This is commendable.

However, a Smart Nation may be led by a smart Government, but it will also need a "smart" private sector to take full advantage of the progress.

In this respect, how is the Government involving the private sector and the tech community in this Smart Nation drive? What new initiatives can we expect in the coming year?

Smart Nation and Digital Inclusion

Ms Rahayu Mahzam : The Smart Nation effort is a commendable one. It is necessary to keep up with the changing global developments and ensure that our citizens can benefit from updated technology, so that we can all enjoy a better quality of life. Smart technology can also be used to make society more inclusive. For example, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is now trialing a new mobile app that makes it easier for people with special needs to travel.

Still, some have expressed concern that we may be changing too fast and that there are vulnerable groups in our community who may not be able to keep up with the change. Some are concerned that the elderly may not be digitally savvy and will have difficulties adjusting to the changes. Others are concerned that low-income families may have limited access to new devices or even the Internet. We need to ensure that these groups are not left out and can, in fact, benefit from the Smart Nation initiatives.

Could the Ministry give an update on the efforts taken so far and elaborate on how the Smart Nation can benefit the vulnerable groups mentioned above?

The Chairman : Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan) : Mr Chairman, on behalf of the prime geek in Government, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

We have made significant strides in our use of the latest digital technologies, first, to generate new jobs; second, to reskill our workers for these new jobs; third, to restructure our economy in order to sharpen our competitiveness; fourth, to improve the quality of life on a daily basis; and, fifth, of course, to enhance the integrated delivery of Government services on a citizen-centric level.

I want to thank Mr Cedric Foo, Ms Tin Pei Ling, Mr Vikram Nair who have quite rightly emphasised that what matters is not technology for its own sake, but people, that is, what we do with the technology and how it benefits us in our daily lives.

With your permission, Mr Chairman, may I display an infographic to show our Smart Nation projects and their milestones, and also request that the Clerks to distribute the printout.

The Chairman : Please do so. [ A handout was distributed to hon Members. ]

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan : Thank you. First, we have focused on increasing convenience in our daily lives. The MyInfo project allows you to open a bank account or apply for credit cards online and get approval almost instantly through carefully secured shared data. SingPass Mobile is an app that allows citizens to log in to Government services using biometric authentication instead of passwords. I am glad to report that 200,000 people have used the system since we launched it four months ago. PayNow has seen 2.3 million registrations. And, in fact, a lesser known fact that those of you who have linked your National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) number to PayNow can receive your SG Bonus, Edusave awards and, even more pertinent politically, can even receive your CPF lump-sum payments quickly, almost instantly, instead of waiting for cheques to arrive in the mail.

The Moments of Life app helps parents manage their child's early years. So far, 2,000 births have been electronically registered through a single auto-filled form. I forgot to check whether Ms Tin Pei Ling used the app. Not yet. For the next one, then. This is part of the service delivery approach that Minister Chan Chun Sing described just now. After my appeal and Mrs Josephine Teo's appeal, Ms Tin Pei Ling should have the next one. Together, we believe that these improvements will allow all of us to save time, reduce transaction costs and increase efficiency.

Second, Smart Nation has also tried to facilitate a safer living environment. We are trialing a new Personal Alert Button for the elderly to call for help, especially after a fall, when they may be immobilised. This was brought home to me even more starkly recently when Minister Khaw Boon Wan described when he had his fall and he fractured his arm and the intense agony that immobilised him. And as you would have seen in his Facebook post yesterday, this is not unique to him. Many elderly people have faced emergencies at home alone, immobilised and they need to call for help. So, this is one example in trying to make a difference at a direct personal level.

Another example, drowning detection systems have helped our lifeguards keep community swimming pools safer. The National Environment Agency (NEA) has installed 50,000 Smart Gravitraps to help monitor and destroy breeding sites for dengue-spreading Aedes mosquitoes.

The MyResponder app has helped to save the lives of at least 13 heart attack victims so far. But more important than the apps and the technology is the fact that this is an example where technology has enabled us to express our mutual care for one another.

Third, our initiatives have helped made it easier to do business. We are continuing to provide more choice and better interoperability in e-payments. Last year, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG), the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) together launched the common Singapore Quick Response Code (SGQR) standard, and the Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS) has rolled out 50,000 Unified Point-of-Sales terminals across the country. These initiatives have helped merchants to offer greater convenience for consumers and reduced cash usage. In Smart Nation, we must always be data-driven. So, I asked and I have been informed that e-payment values have increased to more than three times that of automated teller machine (ATM) cash withdrawals. So, we are moving in the right direction.

3.30 pm

NETS was also appointed to unify the e-payment landscape at hawker centres and coffee shops. This will allow the consolidation of different e-payment methods and, more importantly, faster settlement for hawkers. So, they receive their money the next day.

More than 80,000 businesses have registered for PayNow Corporate since its launch last August. Like individuals, businesses can now send and receive payments instantly. The PayNow initiative has contributed to cheque usage falling to 20% of inter-bank transfer volumes. Again, making progress in the right direction.

MyInfo Business allows up to 220,000 SMEs to open bank accounts and apply for loans easily and quickly. IRAS has piloted direct submission of Goods and Services Tax (GST) returns from businesses’ accounting software, enabled by National Digital Identity (APIs), and will look to extend this to all GST-registered businesses. The Networked Trade Platform has reduced application time for trade permits. It used to take several days, now it takes one hour. This reduces the burden of administrative processes and enables our entrepreneurs to focus on growing their businesses instead of navigating red tape.

Mr Teo Ser Luck and Mr Vikram Nair asked about our upcoming initiatives. We will continue to make our digital services more accessible, more integrated. We will enhance the SingPass Mobile so that it can be used for secure logins to selected private sector applications as well. Security will, of course, remain our central preoccupation. Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary will address Ms Sylvia Lim's question on security, because without security at the core of our Smart Nation, many of these initiatives will be at risk.

We will expand the slew of services under Moments of Life to help citizens deal with all the significant turning points in our life, birth, school, marriage, even including end-of-life matters. And we will empower seniors to lead more active lives. MOH will share more of this in their session. We will continue to enhance convenience in daily life.

Parking.SG is already used by over 60% of car owners, and we want to make it even easier not just to pay for parking but to find their parking lots. This year, GovTech, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Municipal Services Office (MSO) will be trialing the installation of smart sensors so that we can provide real-time availability of kerbside parking lots to people who are looking for a lot.

HDB is looking to create smarter towns so that we can optimise land, infrastructure and utilities, and allow people to engage and form communities using these digital tools. This will make our heartlands more liveable, efficient, sustainable and safe.

Businesses can look forward to more digital tools to increase connectivity both within Singapore and beyond our borders. IMDA's new national e-invoicing standard will speed up corporate invoicing and payments. And those of you in business will know that the velocity of cash flow is crucial in business.

We are streamlining Government transactions. The Minister for Finance mentioned a pilot portal to help up to 18,000 food service companies cut red tape in their licence applications. Anyone who has tried to open a restaurant would have known it takes many applications. We will try to streamline all these in the process, remove duplicate applications, reduce red tape and to give approvals faster. We hope to expand this effort to other industries in future.

Our goal is to integrate all these services to help firms unlock new ways of connecting with consumers and other businesses and transacting with the Government. SNDGG is not doing this on our own. We are not a Ministry but we view ourselves as a shared platform for the whole of Government. The Digital Government Blueprint calls for the Government to be digital to the core by 2023. Many agencies have, therefore, implemented or are in the process of implementing new digital initiatives in order for us to achieve this.

Let me give Members another example. MOH launched Healthy 365, which has kept 1.7 million users active over the past four years. Many people have told me that they enjoy the National Steps Challenge and I am especially intrigued to see so many non-techy people wearing activity trackers. It is not just because the Health Promotion Board (HPB) is giving it away free, but the combination of community and activity and, of course, the usual Singapore pursuit of health points and discounts helps. But the point is that we have used technology to make a difference and to improve health on a daily basis.

MCCY recently launched a central volunteer management system to deepen volunteer engagement and recruitment. Six public agencies now use volunteer.sg to manage over 20,000 active volunteers. MCCY will share more during their session.

I have described a whole slew of existing and upcoming benefits to citizens from the Smart Nation. But I also agree with Ms Tin Pei Ling that we must continue to our citizen-centric focused and delivering services in an integrated way. In the coming years, with the data generated from our expanding digital infrastructure, we can expect the services to become more personalised, more tailor-made to the individual needs of citizens and be more responsive. When people shop online, when people engage online, especially with the private sector, expectations are raised and they expect the Government to also be able to respond in such a personalised, responsive manner.

One way which we are going to do this is also to make better use of AI which, we believe, will greatly improve our lives and our economy. Let me spend some time then to share with Members what we are doing in this AI space. AI and, in particular, deep machine learning, have revolutionised the scene in recent years. AI has already begun to make an impact in our daily lives. If we just stop to think about it, the voice assistants in our handphone, the language translations, the global positioning system (GPS) optimisation, the credit card fraud alerts, all these have benefited from advances in AI just within the last two years.

I have mentioned just now that the Government has been using AI for drowning detection in our swimming pools. We have also used it for SkillsFuture's fraud detection, and for local speech recognition. In fact, AI speech recognition has been used to augment the transcription of COS speeches this year. So, it should make it more accurate. And even if you point out mistakes, you will help us improve the system.

Mr Cedric Foo asked how Smart Nation will keep us relevant. AI, data analytics, robotics and automation are crucial ingredients for us to restructure of our economy. We need to achieve a quantum leap in productivity by creating new engines of growth. The Government needs to upgrade our technology stack so that we can be more responsive to citizens’ needs and to the demands of an increasingly competitive marketplace. We believe that Singapore has a good foundation for AI, through a multi-agency effort from SNDGG, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and our economic agencies.

The National Research Foundation (NRF) set up AI Singapore to bring all relevant research institutions and AI startups together. GovTech will set up a centre of excellence in data science and AI to help other agencies deploy these AI solutions and technologies. Finally, MCI is developing guidelines to encourage responsible and safe use of AI, such as the Model AI Governance Framework which Minister Iswaran announced recently.

We need to double down on these efforts. This year, an interagency taskforce will study how Singapore will develop AI as a strategic capability and become a trusted global hub for test-bedding, for deploying and scaling up AI solutions, especially in the context of a highly urbanised city like ours. For citizens, this means new and better services, whether from the Government or private sector. The possibilities are promising. McKinsey has identified 160 use cases where AI can be used for social good. For example, AI can "recommend content to students based on past successes and engagement with the material" and "detect student distress early". Basically, what it means is that we talk about streams and subject banding. All that is still relevant. But to really be able to customise that educational journey for that individual, sometimes maybe even to gamify it, will provide a more helpful educational experience for our students.

We also foresee AI optimising urban scenarios, for instance, in optimising our traffic light networks and to predictively maintain public infrastructure. In other words, make sure things do not break down or to identify potential problems, before they lead to a breakdown. We foresee AI applications in finance, in logistics and cybersecurity. In fact, there are already many local companies in these and other domains. This is to answer Mr Teo Ser Luck. We hope to co-create with these companies the development of these new AI solutions.

To scale up AI development, we are looking to democratise access to data and AI tools so that everyone can learn and experiment with AI solutions. We want to support SMEs to adopt AI and to work with the Government on relevant use cases. We will expand Government and private sector collaboration. One example is AI Singapore's 100 Experiments programme for companies to solve their own real-world business problems, together with AI experts. This programme will also bring AI apprentices to co-train with industry. So, in other words, we are linking businesses to main experts and people who want to learn and enter this industry.

Lastly, we will build up local know-how in AI, and we will equip everyone to benefit from AI capabilities. This means teaching computational thinking and data literacy in schools, and training adults in data science and AI skills. Before that sounds too scary, I want to say that we do not expect everyone to become an AI expert. But think of AI in the future in the same way which you think of word processing today. It is a general-purpose technology, and we want our workforce to be able to use AI tools to participate meaningfully in the future AI-driven economy to secure good jobs, improve productivity and raise wages.

So, let me conclude by restating the obvious. Smart Nation is ultimately about improving lives and livelihoods. We have done reasonably well so far. Singapore won the City Award at the 2018 World Smart City Awards in Barcelona, which testifies to the concrete benefits that Smart Nation brings to Singaporeans and the recognition which we have from the rest of the world. Still, we cannot be complacent because the pace of technological change is so unrelentingly quick. The Government will continue supporting our local firms in this mercurial environment through initiatives, such as Scale-Up SG, the Enterprise Financing Scheme and SMEs Go Digital, which Members have heard about from Minister Heng Swee Keat in the Budget speech. And I share Ms Rahayu Mahzam's concerns on digital readiness and inclusion, and Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary will elaborate on the special inclusion initiatives that we will embark on to make sure no citizen is left behind.

But these challenges and all these disruptions also bring many opportunities for Singapore, especially a city-state with hardworking, disciplined, highly educated people. We have disproportionate opportunities in such a world. We call on citizens and businesses to journey with us, to fully exploit our comparative advantage, take advantage of the resources and the infrastructure that we have put in place, and to co-create solutions for the future. If we do this, Mr Chairman, we can all reap the benefits of our Smart Nation for years and decades to come.

3.45 pm

The Chairman : Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary.

The Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and Transport (Dr Janil Puthucheary) : Mr Chairman, if I may follow on from Minister Vivian Balakrishnan's rallying cry for all of us to become involved in Singapore's Smart Nation ambition. The Government cannot make this happen alone, cannot make this happen through force of will, by wishing it, by making speeches. We need the ideas and capabilities of our people and our businesses. As a nation, everyone needs to be part of our Smart Nation journey.

We do not have a monopoly on the best ideas and talent. We will need to create opportunities for citizens, community partners and businesses to contribute meaningfully to Smart Nation.

Members Mr Teo Ser Luck and Mr Vikram Nair have asked about partnerships between the Government, businesses and the tech community. One of the ways we are facilitating greater participation from businesses is through building something we call CODEX which stands for Core Operations, Development Environment and Exchange, which is a shared digital backbone, part of which is the Singapore Government Tech Stack. This can be used to build applications and digital services. CODEX will be modular, interoperable and will, in future, allow an interface to parties outside the Government.

As part of CODEX, we are working with public agencies to shift their ICT systems towards the commercial cloud. So, Government, systems, public agency systems on the commercial cloud, and this will allow us to benefit from leading edge private sector capabilities to build products and services better for our citizens.

We are also actively involving the tech community. One example is a mobile application called “Kill The Queue”, which allows shoppers to save time by scanning and paying for items through their mobile phones as they shop. The app was conceptualised by a team of GovTech engineers. They then partnered students from Temasek Polytechnic to build a prototype, as part of the students' final year project. This partnership also allows students to improve their skills through solving real-world challenges. So, partnerships through businesses by looking at how Government build platforms and products can be interoperable and can create opportunities for businesses to interface with ideas that we can seed out into the students and the academic community so that they can run with and try to develop real-world solutions.

Members may have heard of "Developers Conferences" or DevCons. These are usually organised by tech companies, such as Apple, Google or Facebook, and they are done to engage engineers and the tech business communities to leverage upon the product or the platform owned by that company. So, we might have an Apple on iPhone operating system (iOS) Developers Conference, for example, or Facebook Developers Conference, where the time is given for software developers and businesses to think how they can utilise that product better for their own business purposes and how their feedback then improves the product of the person running the Developers Conference.

To facilitate greater collaboration with the community, and to look ahead to how the private sector can build products that layer onto or interface with our Smart Nation platforms, we organised our first ever Developers Conference, GovTech STACK DevCon 2018. I have yet to comprehensively verify this. So, a bit of a caveat that I have not received evidence to the contrary, but I believe so far, this is the first and only Government-driven Developer's Conference. And this event attracted over 1,200 attendees from the private sector, the Government, public sector and tech community.

Separately, we also support hackathons. Members may have heard about hackathons. So, what is the difference between a Developers Conference and a hackathon? A Developers Conference, the person organising it has a product, has a solution, has a platform and wants to ask the community how to do things better using this product, how to make the product better for you. In a hackathon, the participants are generating ideas to solve the problems that they are concerned about and the Government also supports this. This provides platforms for the tech community to come together, learn from one another, ideate and build products. We support the hackathons, such as the Startup Weekend Singapore Mega 2018 and the "Smart City Challenge", which was jointly organised by DBS, GovTech and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

We are extending our outreach efforts beyond the tech community because we need a Smart Nation which benefits all citizens from all walks of life.

We are actively engaging citizens on Smart Nation initiatives through a project called Smart Nation Co-Creating with our People Everywhere (SCOPE). SCOPE is a platform for us to bring out early prototypes of our digital products or ideas to citizens. So, one example that Minister Vivian Balakrishnan quoted was the alert button. Very earlier on in its design phase and its conceptualisation phase, just as soon as we have something physical, we encourage participants to play with these products, to try them out, to test them and their feedback then is used to improve our product development process. This is something very common in the private sector. But now we are starting to use these techniques in developing our public sector's Smart Nation solutions.

We have had a series of engagements over four months, at Senior Activity Centres, grassroots events and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) events, reaching in this way to over 3,500 citizens. We have collected many useful insights and suggestions.

One example of these insights is how receptive seniors are to active ageing services within the Moments of Life application. On our preliminary findings, the majority of seniors aged 60 and above have smartphones, and are open to the idea of using digital services. They also gave feedback about how to design the application in an easy-to-use manner, and how to provide support and coaching to seniors so that they can use these apps and benefit from these services. All of this will help us to develop and deliver a better product, better services and better experience.

We will continue to scale up these efforts. To enable more Singaporeans from different walks of life to contribute to Smart Nation, we will be signing a memorandum of understanding with NTUC to further engage workers and their families to help them make the most of new jobs and opportunities.

I agree with Mdm Rahayu Mahzam that even as we move ahead in building Smart Nation, we need to ensure that this Smart Nation includes and benefits all Singaporeans.

We are committed to Digital Inclusion and Digital Readiness, so that everyone is able to access the opportunities that technology creates. I will speak more about these broader Digital Readiness efforts in the MCI COS. But SNDGG will play our part by ensuring that the Government's digital services are designed to benefit all.

As part of these efforts by the Government to improve the useability of our websites, we have developed a set of Digital Service Standards (DSS) for Government agencies.

For example, HDB's website MyNiceHome is a portal that provides first-time home owners with useful information about buying and renovating a flat and this has been completely redesigned. The site was made mobile-responsive, different forms of search and assistance had been added, and the content had been made accessible to people with disabilities. And as a result, the site traffic has increased significantly.

Ms Sylvia Lim has asked about data protection within the public sector. The Government should, indeed, be held to high standards for the protection of the data it collects. In SNDGG, our role is not just about delivering good products, but also in setting and maintaining high standards of data protection for the public sector.

The Government has progressively enhanced security measures to safeguard sensitive data. We introduced the Internet Surfing Separation policy in 2016 and the disabling of Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports from being accessed by unauthorised devices in 2017. We have also increased the number and types of internal IT audits to check on agencies’ data access and data protection measures. As a matter of practice, agencies will use identifiable data only when necessary, such as for providing personalised services.

We will continuously review our standards and measures and incorporate lessons learnt and industry best practices. For example, we will be progressively automating user account management to ensure tight and robust access control.

Where citizens suspect that their data have been misused or hacked, they can lodge a complaint with the agency and, if there is any suspicion of a crime, they can make a report to the Police. They can contact GovTech directly. We have guidelines for the handling of data and protocols that should be in place. Complaints will be thoroughly investigated and appropriate action taken. On top of that, there are other issues and consequences as a result of that, and we would like to discuss the ways we can help and support them.

To build our Smart Nation platforms and products, to engage the tech community and businesses, to develop and enforce rigorous standards across the public sector, and to create jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans, we will need to build up a strong core of engineering skills. We have been searching for engineering talent to join us. We are looking for people with bright minds, an eye for computational design and the drive to contribute to society. There are exciting opportunities for engineers in the Government.

And I would like to cite a particular example, Ms Laura Lee. Members may or may not be familiar with Ms Lee's first employer King.com which is a software developer. I suspect some Members may be more familiar with one of their products which is Candy Crush. While Ms Lee was working at King.com, helping Candy Crush to become one of the bestselling games of all time, she read about how data was used by GovTech engineers to resolve the spate of mysterious disruptions to the Circle Line in 2016. So, reading about that effort by our data scientists to solve these real-world problems, Ms Lee was inspired to come back home to Singapore and join us. And now she is currently a Data Scientist with GovTech working to improve the Government’s digital services, such as transport route planning and jobs matching. Like many of our engineers, she also pursues other projects as part of her personal professional development within the team. Currently, she is part of a team that is trying to find ways to use technology, machine learning and our Smart Nation platforms to encourage more recycling. This is something that she initiated as part of a hackathon she participated in, using her skills to pursue something that matters to her.

Ms Lee did not graduate with a computer science degree. Her training was in Mathematics, Economics and Statistics. While at university, in order to pursue one of the courses that she had, she had to learn R which is a programming language focused on Statistics and her ability to use R to solve the problems and apply those solutions to what she was working on sparked her interest in coding and data science. So, today, she is familiar with a variety of coding languages – Python, CSS, Javascript and HTML – and all of these she picked up after starting work. Recently, she had developed a full-stack web application as part of an internal hackathon project.

And the point I want to make with this: what Ms Lee’s story demonstrates, and there are many others like her, the experience that they have, this demonstrates that the opportunities that are created in Smart Nation are not just for a handful of people, not just for a few. We are hoping to make them as widespread as possible, including the jobs that are created. It is not just for those students who are currently pursuing a Computer Science course or participating in Robotics as a co-curricular activity (CCA). Ms Lee's CCAs, by the way, were hockey and Student Council. It is not necessary to have picked up all the programming skills before leaving school. What is important is to have the drive, curiosity and willingness to pick up new skills throughout our lives.

Smart Nation is a national effort, and we in the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group will do our part to work closely with citizens and businesses to create jobs, opportunities and a sense of transformation and optimism for the next generation of Singaporeans.

The Chairman: Mr Pritam Singh.

Improving Election Processes

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied) : Sir, in 2015, Workers' Party Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Yee Jenn Jong noted that the completeness of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) report had been shrinking over the years and asked for the meeting minutes of the Committee's report to be released. In response, the Prime Minister replied that on the completeness of the report and the minutes, "I leave that to the Committee". Even though the Prime Minister said that he was not in favour of publishing every twist and turn that would be reflected in the minutes, the Prime Minister was noncommittal on the prospect of a more complete report. It would appear that this can change should the Government decide to do so since the EBRC's Terms of Reference are determined by the Prime Minister himself. I hope we can move from the circular nature of these justifications and provide a report for the public that details why specific precincts in Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) are moved or swapped for each and every constituency in future.

In addition, why does the Government not announce the formation of the EBRC as a matter of practice? It would be a waste of Parliament's time and even bordering on an abuse of process if a Member of Parliament had to file the same Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister when rumours of an imminent election are in the air. In making the point, can I enquire if the EBRC has been formed?

In 2013, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean stated that the Prime Minister will certainly remain open to and consider making refinements to its procedures when necessary. I hope these suggestions on greater detail in the Committee’s report and announcing when the Committee is formed will be taken on board.

4.00 pm

Finally, it was announced that the Elections Department will conduct roadshows to educate voters on changes to the Parliamentary elections system, specifically, the electronic registration for voters. Can the Prime Minister update the House on this matter and the number of roadshows that will be organised for this purpose, where and when they will be held in the months to come?

The Chairman : Minister Chan Chun Sing.

Mr Chan Chun Sing : Mr Chairman, on behalf of the Prime Minister. It has been the practice for the Prime Minister to appoint an EBRC to review the number, names and boundaries of electoral divisions ahead of a General Election. The Committee is made up of senior civil servants who are knowledgeable in demographic shifts and population statistics. The review report is presented as a White Paper to Parliament and released to the public once it is accepted by the Government.

In drawing up its recommendations, the Committee is guided by the terms of reference laid out by the Prime Minister. The Committee independently considers and determines how the constituencies are delineated, the size and configuration of the constituencies, as well as the total number of Members of Parliament to be returned. When reviewing the electoral boundaries, the Committee takes into account technical factors, such as population growth and shifts and other relevant parameters.

As a matter of practice, we should allow the Committee to focus on its work professionally, away from unnecessary media attention or public pressures. As with past elections, there will be sufficient time, from when the Committee’s review report is made public to the time of the election, for candidates and political parties to make their preparations.

On Mr Pritam Singh's second question as to whether the EBRC has been formed yet, the answer is no. And for the number of roadshows, we have done that in preparation for the last Presidential Election and will continue to do that as we move towards the next General Election.

The Chairman : Assoc Prof Daniel Goh.

Subsidising the Stock Market

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong (Non-Constituency Member) : Mr Chairman, MAS recently announced a $75 million plan to boost equities research and equity listings. The Grant for Equity Market Singapore (GEMS) will co-fund listing costs of companies and the salaries of equity research hires by 50% to 70%.

Critics have argued that this is throwing money at the problem without addressing the fundamental issues of stock market malaise.

For small to mid-size caps, the main problem seems to be the lack of expertise and experience on corporate governance. Even before we can talk about investor excitement, we should address the confidence of retail investors in small and mid-caps. There is often excitement in initial listings, many times encouraged by enthusiastic analyst coverage, but this excitement very easily gives way to collapsing stock prices due to corporate governance issues.

Recent examples include e-commerce startup Y Ventures and food and beverage (F&B) company Kimly. These have affected retail investor confidence. The restructuring of Noble Group, which has not been allowed to relist, and the current restructuring of Hyflux to save it from liquidation, have further affected confidence.

For both Noble and Hyflux, analyst reports have had little impact in educating retail investors about their cash flow problems. Shareholder activism and academic scrutiny have done more to highlight potential issues, but often too late for retail investors. Would not the Grant for Equity Market Singapore (GEMS) do better to fund programmes to advise small and mid-caps on corporate governance and improve their performance in this aspect?

Corporate Governance in Companies

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Non-Constituency Member) : Mr Chairman, last year, the Keppel Offshore and Marine corruption case was discussed in this House. Many people have wondered how sizeable bribe payments were made without oversight from the highest level of management or its Board. Like the Swiber case, we are still waiting for the outcome of the Keppel case.

The ongoing problems plaguing Hyflux that have since surfaced remind us that corporate governance issues remain complex and entrenched, with potential market-wide implications. This, in turn, can affect shareholder value and investor confidence.

The repercussions of such problems affect many small-scale retail investors. Sixty-year-old Mrs Goh shared with Channel NewsAsia her worries of not being able to recoup her investment in Hyflux. Such worries are not unfounded as recent announcements by Hyflux have indicated that investors like her will have to suffer losses on their investments if a proposed restructuring plan proceeds.

In many other cases, it is often the minority investors that lack protection and do not get any help from the regulators or the law when majority shareholders and directors make use of loopholes in regulations to effect transactions at the expense of minority shareholders.

Another worry arising from such corporate malfeasance is the impact such incidents can have on the companies' reputation and, by extension, on Singapore’s. Some international commentators have made unflattering remarks on the robustness of Singapore’s regulatory regime and enforcement.

I note that MAS has set up a Corporate Governance Advisory Committee (CGAC) as part of the recommendations by the Corporate Governance Council, itself set up in 2018 to review the Code of Corporate Governance.

Despite such efforts, it may be time for us to acknowledge that self-regulation and internally-driven processes on corporate governance cannot be relied upon solely. The present oversight processes and regime are surely not adequate. In some of these cases, the problems reported seemed to have escaped the attention of their auditors or the problems have not been commented upon by their auditors.

In cases where the executive management of a company or its board is aware of serious malfeasance or malpractices or is not aware of such malfeasance but ought to be aware, the buck should never stop anywhere below executive management and its Board.

Regulators should be more proactive in taking errant or neglectful directors to account when they fail in their duties and obligations.

Can Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) or the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) not do more?

The Government should do more to improve the corporate governance regime of our companies. I would like to propose that an independent task force be convened to evaluate the need for a Government agency to provide oversight on corporate governance standards and to improve audit quality. Such a review is timely and necessary to ensure that safeguards are in place to protect shareholder value and to ensure that the reputation of Singapore companies is not adversely affected by those who have fallen short.

Finance as a Force for Good

Ms Anthea Ong : Mr Chairman, I am heartened that Budget 2019 acknowledges climate change as a strategic challenge for Singapore. The financial sector’s role in allocating capital for a climate-safe future across generations is a significant one that we must include in our strategic plan for climate change action.

As a leading financial hub, Singapore’s banking and asset management industry must rise to this challenge. How we lend is a reflection of our values and principles. For example, civil society recently called out our banks for continuing to fund coal-fired power. As of September 2018, 17 banks have committed to stop financing coal-fired power. The Governor of the Bank of England is reported to be open to increased regulatory requirements for "brown" investments.

What regulatory and supervisory mechanisms are being developed so that banks in Singapore will:

(a) actively implement existing green standards, like the Association of Banks in Singapore's (ABS’) Haze Diagnostic Kit, into their lending policy frameworks; and

(b) proactively work with civil society and experts to identify other critical industries, like energy, where green standards should be developed and implemented?

Our asset management industry currently manages US$2.4 trillion. Can we allocate funds to support our asset management industry to develop stronger stewardship principles and use the tools available in the market to help us safeguard our future, one that is climate-safe?

For example, the Government Pension Investment Fund of Japan allocates close to 10% of its investments into funds using sustainability indices. Two pension funds in Korea have gone even further and stepped away from future coal investments.

The Chairman : Minister Ong Ye Kung.

The Minister for Education (Mr Ong Ye Kung) : Mr Chairman, let me first start by addressing Assoc Prof Daniel Goh's question on GEMS. Let me first explain.

GEMS, as a scheme, is funded by the Financial Sector Development Fund (FSDF) which was set up in 1999 following the demutualisation and listing of the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX). So, it is not funded from taxpayers' money. The scheme was then designed in response to feedback from the industry that a vibrant equity market requires not only new listings but also sustained investor interest post-listing. So, it is really a fund started from the industry to address feedback from the industry and you design GEMS. And the primary aim is to strengthen public financing channels for growth enterprises, in particular, SMEs. So, GEMS does so, as Assoc Prof Goh mentioned, by defraying listing-related expenses and promoting better research coverage of the sectors they are in, as well as their business models.

There are certain sectors that we can do better in attracting listings; high growth sectors being one example. And GEMS is designed to promote those sectors. There are also gaps in investment coverage for small and mid-cap listed enterprises and new business models. This is why the scheme comprises a listing grant and research-related grants to improve the equity research ecosystem.

The quantum of listing grant has thus been also tiered to favour high growth areas, such as the technology sectors. Well-developed sectors, such as Real Estate Investment Trusts and Business Trusts, do not qualify for the grant. Applicants for the research grant are also required to provide coverage for small and mid-cap listed enterprises. It is a young scheme. I am sure different agencies will monitor the effectiveness, take in further feedback and inputs and try to improve the scheme over time in order to serve its objectives.

Mr Dennis Tan asked about corporate governance and whether it should just be left as an internally driven process, and whether SGX RegCo, ACRA can do more. He called for an independent task force to review the corporate governance framework and a Government agency to provide oversight on corporate governance standards and improve audit quality.

Actually, many of these features already exist within our current system. MAS, as the statutory regulator of Singapore's capital markets, and SGX, as the frontline securities market regulator, oversee the corporate governance standards of listed companies, set out in the Code of Corporate Governance. The SGX Listing Rules, in turn, require companies to disclose how the companies' practices conform to the principles in the Code. ACRA is responsible for upholding financial reporting and audit quality by inspecting the statutory audits performed by public accountants.

As for an independent task force to review the corporate governance framework, as Mr Dennis Tan has alluded to, MAS has convened an industry-led Corporate Governance Council in 2017. That was an ad hoc Council. It had a list of recommendations. MAS accepted all the recommendations that the Council submitted last year in August. Consequently, changes were made to the Code and the SGX Listing Rules to implement the recommendations.

In line with one of the key recommendations of the Council, MAS established now a permanent CGAC earlier this month. The CGAC comprises prominent industry leaders with stature and corporate experience to advocate good corporate governance practices. It will identify current and potential risks to the quality of corporate governance in Singapore and advise the regulators on corporate governance issues.

High standards of corporate governance do help sustain good corporate performance for the long term. It ensures good systems and structures to evaluate investments, manage risks, safeguard all shareholders’ interests, conduct leadership succession and other key processes in the company.

However, risks are inherent in investment. One of the key aims of regulation is to require that investors have access to up-to-date material information, such as a listed company’s financial condition and prospects, in order to make informed investment decisions. Investors, on their part, also need to pay close attention to what is disclosed, look beyond potential returns and assess if they can also accept the risks that come with specific investments.

The regulators, namely, ACRA, MAS, SGX RegCo, will continue to calibrate rules and work with stakeholders, such as the new CGAC, to strengthen the corporate governance standards and practices in Singapore. At the same time, we will continue to educate the investing public on the tradeoffs between risks and returns, through the MoneySENSE programme.

Lastly, Ms Anthea Ong asked about sustainable financing. MAS is committed to advance the agenda for sustainable finance. As a member of the Network for Greening the Financial System, MAS works closely with our international counterparts to develop best practices for financial institutions to manage climate risks and opportunities. Let me outline MAS' efforts in three key areas.

First, our local banks have implemented policies aligned with the Guidelines on Responsible Financing issued by the Association of Banks in Singapore, to evaluate their borrowers’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks, and help borrowers improve their sustainability profiles. In this regard, the local banks have also committed to stop new financing of inefficient coal plants. MAS also expects insurers to consider environmental risks in their risk assessments and has introduced a climate scenario in our industry-wide stress tests.

4.15 pm

Second, the financial industry is promoting green financing, such as green bonds. Over $2 billion of green bonds have been issued to date, following the introduction of the MAS Green Bond Grant Scheme. Recently, the Scheme was expanded to cover social and sustainability bonds.

Indeed, within the asset management sector, the large majority or 80% of sizeable asset managers in Singapore are signatories to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment, and take on board environmental, social and governance risks considerations in their investment processes. In MAS’ own investment portfolio, we have been actively working with our fund managers to ensure that ESG considerations are incorporated.

Finally, to strengthen the region’s financial resilience to disaster risks and address protection gaps, the Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Insurance Facility will be set up in Singapore this year as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN’s) first regional catastrophe risk pool. It will better cover emergency response costs in the aftermath of catastrophes. MAS will continue to work with key stakeholders in the financial industry to promote the sustainability agenda.

The Chairman : Clarifications, please. Mr Vikram Nair.

Mr Vikram Nair : The question is for Minister Josephine Teo. The Minister has prepared a good discussion on all the different initiatives by the National Population and Talent Division. But I am just curious. What is the root cause of the fall in TFR over the last three years despite all these initiatives?

Mrs Josephine Teo : Mr Chairman, I thank Mr Vikram Nair for his question. This is an important question. I could not help but overhear my colleagues' chuckle. In fact, I have been studying this for some years and perhaps, if Members allow, I could share my own reflection on this.

When we think of births, we think of TFR. My observation and my reflection would be that there are really two key sets of driving forces. One key set of driving forces is longer term in nature. Births, when looked at from a longer-term perspective, really have to do with values and social norms. And these would include attitudes towards singlehood versus marriage, couplehood versus parenthood. And then within parenthood, the role played by fathers versus mothers. It would also include norms as to how many children is considered ideal in any society. And also how people prioritise parenthood versus other pursuits, such as career, caring for elders, service to the community and, very importantly of course, personal lifestyle interests.

Parenting norms also matter a great deal, such as whether, like in the Scandinavian countries, it tends to be quite a relaxed attitude; or whether in an East Asian context, generally a very intensive form of parenting. These impact costs – how much people spend on children and, of course, as a result the perception of affordability. And then, as a result, for the parents, how many children they will eventually actually have because of how much they think they can afford. So, these are the longer-term driving forces, a whole set of forces at play. So, root causes.

But in the shorter term, births can also be affected by other things. For example, economic uncertainty. So, if the job situation is not clear, people are anxious. Then, you could see that translates into a dip, as what Korea experienced in the last couple of years. And in fact, one of the "stars", if we could put it that way, of high births, Finland, often touted. In fact, since 2010, Finland has also seen a decline in the birth rates. So, before 2010, Finland's birth rate was around 1.9. By now, it has gone to below 1.5. And if we look at the TFR by rural areas versus city areas, actually it is quite across the board. In Finland's rural as well as city areas, births have declined. I think it has something to do with the sense of malaise and people feeling not confident.

So, that is one type of short-term effects, if you could put it that way.

There is also another factor in the short term how TFR could fluctuate. It is mathematical. Because TFR is a ratio, so it depends on what you have in the numerator and what you have in the denominator. So, I will not go too much into that. But I would say that these are short-term factors because when confidence returns, it is entirely possible that people who have put off parenthood in Finland could then decide that this is the time. Okay, we have been putting it off. And then you might see an uptick in their TFR. So, the long-term factors versus the shorter-term factors.

What would be important for us is really not to be overly distracted by the year-to-year ups and downs in TFR. We pay attention to them, we look at them, and we ask ourselves why it is happening this way. But do not be overly focused on it. What we should really focus on would be the values and our societal norms, which many Members spoke about.

It is important for us to firstly remember we have to strengthen the fundamentals. And the fundamentals are that you need to have economic vibrancy, you need to have societal cohesion. These are fundamentals. And then, on top of these fundamentals, we must do our utmost to support marriage and parenthood aspirations, meaning we have to try as best as we can to make marriage and parenthood achievable, enjoyable and celebrated. Those are the things we have to focus on. We should stay the course.

The Chairman: Mr Patrick Tay.

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan : In one of my cuts on public sector transformation, I asked the Minister, in our drive towards upskilling and reskilling in the Public Service, whether the Public Service can partner the Labour Movement as well as the public sector unions in forming training committees to drive some of these training efforts that cross our Ministries and Statutory Boards. I wanted a response from Minister Chan.

Mr Chan Chun Sing : Mr Chairman, that is definitely a good suggestion. As the former immediate past Secretary-General of NTUC, I would certainly take note of that. Indeed, I have instructed PSD, in our transformation, to pay extra attention to those who require a bit more assistance to transit to new jobs. And I would say that we are not setting up a big overall committee to integrate with the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE) at that level, but importantly, we are starting at the respective job levels. So, for example, there are lower-skilled workers in the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) who require new skillsets and we are focusing our attention on them, prioritising them in our transformation effort first.

Likewise, the CSC will also contact and work closely with the Labour Movement to make sure that the modular system of training is made available to as many of the public servants as possible. We all know public servants, just like any other people, who are in full-time jobs, it is always difficult for them to take time out from their jobs to do training for one or two weeks. So, we need to work together with the Labour Movement to design modular courses, stackable modules, to be accessible to our public servants in order for them to acquire the new skills, especially in the area of digital literacy. We welcome this move by the Labour Movement and the offer by the Labour Movement and will certainly work closely with AUPE to bring this about.

The Chairman: Ms Sylvia Lim.

Ms Sylvia Lim : Mr Chairman, I have a clarification for Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary on my cut on personal data protection in the public agencies. I would like a clarification from him as to whether it is the expressed Government policy that persons whose data has been compromised, while in the care of public agencies, that such persons have a right to know that there has been a breach and that they have the right to know in a timely manner.

Dr Janil Puthucheary : Mr Chairman, we addressed some of these in the discussion recently in the previous Sitting. There are guidelines about how public sector officials should handle the matter of a data breach involving citizens' particulars. There is no absolute requirement. We do need to look at every case, and we do need to look at the issue at hand as to what has been accessed, what are the circumstances, what the potential impact would be on the citizen to be involved in that process thereafter. We have heard about the examples cited in this Chamber about what has happened after the recent breach. So, the short answer to Ms Sylvia Lim's question is no. There is no single expressed position on this. There are guidelines about how the matter should be handled. There are guidelines about how citizens should be approached. The situation needs to be taken on a case-by-case basis and all the factors that are relevant need to be taken into account.

The Chairman: Ms Anthea Ong.

Ms Anthea Ong : Mr Chairman, can I kindly request for Minister Chan to further expand on my question on how or what specific measures or steps is the Government taking to restore confidence in the Public Service?

Mr Chan Chun Sing : Mr Chairman, every time when something goes wrong in the Public Service, regardless of which agency, the first thing to do is to get to the bottom of it by the respective agency to see what are the lessons learnt that the agencies must do internally to make sure that they get to the bottom of it and put things right.

The second step that we always will do is to make sure that these lessons are shared across all the other agencies because things that happen in one agency can offer important lessons to other agencies.

There is a third step that I would always ask the Public Service to do, which is that when we do our debrief, to ask ourselves if we could have prevented or pre-empted this incident right at the beginning. And that is why I always discuss and share with my fellow colleagues in the Public Service that it is necessary but not sufficient just to put things right. Actually, more important than playing defensive, we need to make sure that our systems are in place to pre-empt problems from arising in the first place.

Of course, it is very difficult for the Public Service to say that I have done this and, therefore, I have prevented these problems because the problems never even manifest themselves. But that is our challenge. That is the high benchmark that we need to set for ourselves as the Singapore Public Service if we aspire to be a Public Service that Singapore and Singaporeans can be proud of.

And, indeed, as I shared, we have done many things that I think we can be proud of because that has put Singapore at the forefront of many of these views so that we have prevented and pre-empted many of these issues. Be that as it may, we should never be complacent.

So, the way to restore public confidence is to make sure, one, we get to the bottom of the issue; and if there are people who are responsible, we will make sure that we rectify that; even as we take the responsibility at that level, we would ask ourselves could we have trained that person better, could we have changed our process to take into account the human factors to prevent those mistakes from happening in the first place?

So, these are things that we owe it to ourselves in the Public Service to get things right and to prevent things from going wrong in the first place because it gives us no joy to say that we are able to recover from our mistakes fast. In fact, I would like to see ourselves not getting into those mistakes in the first place.

The Chairman : Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang : I think Minister Chan Chun Sing has responded to my cut in saying that almost all public agencies have now a single structure scheme in terms of career progressions for a public servant. Could I just ask what percentage do not have this single structure scheme and what are we doing to close this gap?

4.30 pm

Secondly, I think in response to my cut as well, the Minister said that leaders should respond to that feedback provided. But my cut really was about how are we going to ensure that they do and whether we can have internal QSMs to take that role instead, to take that feedback given, it is actually looked into and the loop is closed?

For Minister Josephine Teo, I am very thankful that the Minister has announced that 450 employers are now offering unpaid leave and I think you mentioned 70 public agencies. Could I ask whether the entire Public Service can offer this unpaid leave for parents with multiple or preterm babies so that we can walk the talk and we can take the lead on this issue?

Lastly, with regard to childcare leave, could I ask the Minister to consider again whether we can allow people to use their current sick leave entitlements, not just when they are sick, but again when their children are sick and, to avoid people from misusing this, they have to provide the child's MC as proof when they take this kind of sick leave?

Mr Chan Chun Sing : Mr Chairman, let me first clarify that our aim is not to merge every scheme possible. You cannot do that because there are schemes that are for professionals – doctors, engineers, accountants. So, our aim in the Public Service is not to merge every scheme. Our aim is to merge the schemes where it is possible to do so. And the last I checked, for the 50 over agencies, I would say almost 50 of them have done so; and the rest who are not able to do so, it was because they have good professional reasons.

Now, even for those who have done so, we will constantly challenge ourselves. Are we able to merge those schemes even earlier, at an earlier stage whereby we take into account an individual's performance rather than just the academic grades?

So, going forward, we will see the following things. Yes, academic grades will be taken into account as one of the signs as a proxy of what the person is capable of, but increasingly, as I mentioned, there will be other skillsets that we are required to take into account for a holistic assessment of the individual. To what extent we can, I think beyond those professional schemes and engineers, qualified engineers and doctors, we will try to that extent possible. So, that answers the first question.

The Member's second question is about how do the leaders follow up on their respective agencies when they get the feedback? Well, there are few ways. First, when they get the feedback, I expect them to take actions on their own. And, of course, all the respective agencies' feedback comes to me and, if necessary, I will have a discussion with the respective Permanent Secretaries or the Chief Executives of the various agencies. They know that we take this seriously, they know that I expect them to take this seriously and, if need be, I will let them know.

The Chairman : Minister Josephine Teo.

Mrs Josephine Teo : Mr Chairman, to the first question as to whether all public agencies, in principle, yes. But if the Member knows of any which somehow is not in that list of 70, feel free to let me know. We will check up on it.

On the question on whether parents' leave entitlements can be used for their children, here I want to just have a word of caution. I remember some years ago when I was still in the Labour Movement, NPTD at that time was doing consultation on whether we should raise the Maternity Leave benefits. So, it surprised me, but when we did the engagement with our women unionists, they were very wise and they said to me, "Sister, be careful about what we ask for because whenever we increase these leave benefits, we look different to the employers. They start seeing us differently, because they start seeing us in terms of the liability and obligations that they have towards us." So, not all of them were so keen to expand the leave benefits. So, that was a very useful exercise and I keep bearing it in mind.

What the Member has asked for, I think amounts to that; you are really going to expand the leave provisions for people who are parents. Not that you cannot do that, but, by doing so, we have to ask ourselves what the employers will think of it. From having obligations to the individual as an employee, now they have obligations to the entire family. The same benefits can extend to the whole family. I think that is very expansive. And I will be very careful about this because, primarily, the leave provisions were designed to protect the individual in the event of illness. If we think that society can bear more leave provisions for those who are going to be parents, I think we do it openly, we do it in a transparent fashion, we do it in a way that is honest with the employers so that they do not have to second-guess when they take on an employee whether there are these other hidden obligations that they have to fulfil.

The Chairman : Mr Ang Hin Kee.

Mr Ang Hin Kee : For Minister Chan Chun Sing, just one clarification and one suggestion. When the Minister earlier mentioned about public sector transformation, he will have his officer work with AUPE to ensure that public sector servants are assisted and well-coached as far as training is concerned. I think the Minister also referred to the Statutory Board unions and those who are House unions, not just those that are belonging to AUPE, just for clarification, so that the other union leaders and members will not feel left out that their areas are not looked after.

Secondly, a suggestion. I had a conversation with many of them and they have mentioned that a lot of the trainings are centred on the workers themselves – on the lower-skilled or the older ones. Then, they realised that their supervisor could be much younger, could be somebody who is in their 30s or 20s. And they realised that, sometimes, the supervisors do not quite understand that this transition, this situation that they face, require some level of empathy, some assistance and some mentoring and coaching from the supervisors. So, the suggestion is that, can supervisors that oversee some of these workers also go through a system of training whereby they are able to coach and guide these officers along so that the entire transformation and the ability to adapt will be something that is owned by both the staff as well as the supervisors and, therefore, make the workplace more inclusive?

Mr Chan Chun Sing : Mr Chairman, I thank Mr Ang Hin Kee for reminding me to clarify this. Yes, indeed, that is why I mentioned that when we talk about the Public Service transformation, when we talk about acquiring new skills, it is not just at the AUPE level, it is beyond that, actually at every of the agencies' level with the respective unions. This would include the Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees (AUSBE) for the Statutory Boards, it would also include agencies like the Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority Workers' Union (SURAWU) and so forth. So, that it is at the respective agencies' level because we find through our experience that the most impactful training is when it is focused on the respective agencies rather than the generic skillsets. There is a place for generic skillsets. But there is also a place for very focused, targeted intervention at the respective agencies' level. So, that is the first thing.

On the second point about the training, indeed, PSD, together with CSC, has worked out a framework for different levels of training to be given to different levels of our Public Service officers. There are basic levels of skills that are given to everybody, the basic digital skills, and there are specific skillsets given to the workers at the lower-wage level and the lower-skill level to help them upgrade. But the Member is right that we also have other forms of training that include the intermediate managers and even the higher managers because different levels of managers require different skillsets.

For example, in the Member's particular situation, indeed, for the middle managers, they must know how to make use of some of these technologies; besides using it, how to exploit this technology, how to use, how to help their fellow workers to adopt and adapt to such technologies. Yet, at the higher level, at the more senior management level, we expect them not to just be hands on, but also to know the potential to use some of these new technologies to restructure and change the processes which they are doing at their job at the current point in time.

So, Members can see that in this overall digital masterplan or the digital skills masterplan, we are looking at different skillsets for different managers at different levels. So, that is, indeed, what we are going to do at the training at CSC as they roll out across the Civil Service.

The Chairman : End of clarifications. I would just like to encourage Members, you have been doing well in time-keeping. We get to go home earlier than expected, it might help our TFR as well. We will check back on next year's Budget. Mr Patrick Tay, do you wish to withdraw your amendment?

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan : Mr Chairman, I would like to thank the responses from Minister Chan Chun Sing on building a great Public Service; Minister Josephine Teo for sharing on how we are going to support families, parenthood and marriage; Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and Senior Minister of State Dr Janil Puthucheary on not just building a smarter nation, but really one on improving lives and livelihoods; Minister Ong Ye Kung on strengthening our financial markets and our regulatory system; Head (Civil Service) and the PSD team, as well as all our public servants, for putting us all at the heart of what they do and working hard to ensure we are top-notch and first-class. On that note, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]

[(proc text) The sum of $827,594,400 for Head U ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]

[(proc text) The sum of $196,666,600 for Head U ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]

Hansard 原始記錄