Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Sir, this is a Budget about building our shared future together. A shared future that has been built on the work by all of us and our migrant workers over the past few decades. As we talk about being an inclusive society, we must not forget our migrant workers. Yet, our policies at times, show that there is an “us” and “them”. In the past eight years as an MP,....
A Greener and More Sustainable Singapore Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Mr Chairman, I beg to move, “That the total sum to be allocated for Head L of the Estimates be reduced by $100”. When I stand up to speak in this House, I am often raising questions or asking the Ministry for things. This time, I am standing to thank the Ministry for the phenomenal job it has done on our climate policies. ....
Fair Treatment for Migrant Workers Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): In my Budget speech, I shared about how our policies on migrant workers differentiate between “us” Singaporeans and “them” migrant workers. First, many workers do not have enough space. Our current dormitory standards require at least 3.5 square metre per resident. We are asking dormitories to only increase this by 0.1 square metre within the next six years. By contrast, our full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) have at least seven square metre per resident.....
Mandate Extra Paternity Leave Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Sir, last year, we celebrated the announcement of the extra two weeks of paternity leave. A year later, unfortunately, we are still waiting for these two weeks of paternity leave to be mandated. The sad reality is that – as reported in the media – some companies are waiting for the paternity leave to be mandated before they give it. Fathers are losing precious time with their babies – precious family time.....
Mr Speaker, I note that many of my hon colleagues have raised concerns about the sustainability of our fiscal health, given the generous support schemes that Deputy Prime Minister Wong announced, which Singaporeans are getting used to and some are starting to expect as a given. In view of such concerns, I speak to the House again on well-being and emphasise its role as a critical success factor to continued growth, to sustained growth. In my Budget speech last year,....
Ms Carrie Tan (Nee Soon): Mr Chairman, I would like to bring up an area of work called Caregiver Equipping and seek a review on whether MOH or the Ministry of Social Family Development (MSF) should be the lead agency in charge of this. While MOH rightly takes care of healthcare, the support and enabling of caregivers should be a community effort with the national strategy of ageing-in-place and, hence, should fall within MSF’s purview. Given the rapidly ageing population,....
Mr Derrick Goh (Nee Soon): Mdm Chairman, Singapore has been steadfast in its zero-tolerance approach towards drugs amid more permissive attitudes globally. Worryingly, CNB reported new drug abusers arrested have increased 18% last year and even more concerning is that more than half of new drug abusers are aged well below 30, with the youngest being 14. The situation is compounded by the continued emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) as well as the increasingly rampant use of vaporisers. ....
Mr Derrick Goh (Nee Soon): Chairman, one way to support local businesses and SMEs to build up their capabilities and track record is through Government tenders. Industry groups have shared during my engagement with them that SMEs appreciate such opportunities, not just to increase revenues but also the chance to partner larger companies to sharpen their experience and learning. While the Government has taken steps to reduce the administrative burden with new functions in GeBiz, such as an online repository,....
Mr Derrick Goh (Nee Soon): Mr Speaker, Sir, Budget 2024 is significant. It is the first Budget dedicated towards the goals of ForwardSG, where Singaporeans collectively shape the next chapters on the way forward for our country. Although the world we live in is more complex and uncertain, I am confident that we can forge ahead with resilience and optimism. To this end, there are four key themes on this year’s Budget and plans that I wish to highlight.....