SINGAPORE - The House approved the Supply Bill on Friday (March 6), after MPs debated the Budget statement and ministries' spending plans over eight days.
Members of Parliament (MPs) filed more than 500 "cuts", or questions, for the 16 ministries - matching the record set in 2018, which had been the longest debate in the five years preceding. This did not include the 2½-day debate on Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat's Budget statement.
Here are nine highlights of this year's debate.
1. Covid-19: Immediate measures
A comprehensive set of relief measures was announced as part of the $4 billion Stabilisation and Support Package this year to help businesses badly hit by the coronavirus outbreak.
Among these, the Enterprise Financing Scheme's Working Capital Loan, which helps small and medium-sized enterprises access financing for working capital needs, will be enhanced from March.
A $1.3 billion Jobs Support Scheme will offset 8 per cent of wages for every local workers for three months.
MPs Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC), Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC) and Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio GRC) called for the scheme to be brought forward from end-July. The recommendation was accepted, with payments moved to end-May.
Under a $1.1 billion enhancement to the Wage Credit Scheme, where the Government co-funds wage increases, the monthly wage ceiling will be raised to $5,000, up from $4,000 for qualifying wage increases last year and this year.
Co-funding levels will be increased by 5 percentage points to 20 per cent for last year and 15 per cent for this year.
2. Beyond Covid-19: Transforming the economy
Taking a longer-term perspective, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing focused on two long-term drivers of change: global shifts and technology.
With supply chains disrupted by the Covid-19 epidemic, he said companies have to fundamentally re-examine the diversity and resilience of their supply chains.
Grant and tax schemes have been expanded to help companies venture abroad. Third-party consultancy costs will now qualify for tax breaks under the Double Tax Deduction Scheme for Internationalisation, while the Grow Digital initiative will help SMEs grow their business overseas via digital channels.
This emphasis on technology and transformation extended to debates on areas such as foreign affairs, defence, education, social policy and the environment.
3. A device for every student
To boost digital literacy, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung announced that by 2024, all Secondary 1 students will own personal learning devices such as a laptop or tablet. Lower-income students will get such devices for free after subsidies.
To help them better handle new pressures stemming from the popularity of social media and smart devices, a new Character and Citizenship Education curriculum will place more emphasis on cyber wellness and mental health education.
Schools will spend about 50 per cent more time discussing cyber-wellness issues with students.
4. Climate change - investments and incentives
Climate resilience was a hot topic. The Centre for Climate Research Singapore has projected that by 2100, the mean sea level around Singapore will rise by up to 1m.
To ensure better flood protection, a $5 billion coastal and flood protection fund will be set up in the PUB.
To encourage the use of electric vehicles (EVs), more charging infrastructure will be provided, starting with public carparks. There will be up to 28,000 public charging points by 2030.
An EV Early Adoption Incentive will narrow the upfront cost difference between an EV and an equivalent internal combustion engine vehicle by up to $20,000.
To "green the fleet", all new public bus purchases will be cleaner energy buses, including electric or hybrid buses.
5. Focus on mature workers
A group of workers came in for special attention this year.
For those in their 40s to 50s - who shoulder heavy family commitments and risk being retrenched - the Government will incentivise employers to hire them through reskilling programmes such as Place-and-Train.
From April 1, it will boost salary support for all workers aged 40 and above enrolled in such programmes, from 70 per cent to 90 per cent.
Through programmes like TechSkills Accelerator Mid-Career Advance, Singaporeans aged 40 and above can enter emerging technology sectors while being trained and receiving a salary.
6. Help for vulnerable workers
Freelancers, whose earnings have been badly hit, will welcome a $36 million scheme to help them upgrade their skills. They will get a training allowance of $7.50 an hour when they attend SkillsFuture courses.
Mr Louis Ng (Nee Soo GRC) noted that the public service already has childcare sick leave and paid parent-care leave, and pushed for these schemes to be made available to all workers in the private sector.
Persons with disabilities were highlighted by MPs such as Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar (Ang Mo Kio GRC), Ms Rahayu Mahzam (Jurong GRC) and Ms Cheryl Chan (Fengshan).
Training course fee subsidies for this group will be raised. Their employers will also get help with salary offsets, capped at $400 a month in the form of a new Enabling Employment Credit.
Fee subsidies for special student care centres have been raised, so most families that qualify will pay 30 to 80 per cent less on average. For disability services, SG Enable will be the single touchpoint.
Single unwed parents can now buy three-room build-to-order (BTO) flats in non-mature estates, on top of the previous two-room and resale options.
Social inclusion extends to transport too. The Mobility Assistance for the Visually Impaired and Selected Users (Mavis), which alerts bus drivers to visually impaired commuters boarding and alighting, will be expanded to bus services that serve institutions such as the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped.
7. Spotlight on mental wellness
Schools will devote more attention to mental wellness and peer support, as part of curriculum changes to teach students when and how to seek help, as well as develop empathy and care towards those with mental health issues.
Similarly, polytechnics and the Institute for Technical Education have worked with the Health Promotion Board to develop mental health resources for students.
Employers can soon turn to a Tripartite Advisory on mental well-being to learn how to access anonymised external counselling service for their staff, or train supervisors to identify mental health symptoms early.
Caregivers of people with mental health conditions will get more support under a programme that involves hospitals and community partners like social service agencies. Details are being worked out.
They will receive information such as disease progression and expected care needs, and be linked up with relevant health, financial and social support services.
A Youth Mental Well-being Network will also be set up to bring together people who are keen to help those with mental health issues.
Responding to Nominated MP Anthea Ong and Workers' Party Non-Constituency MP Daniel Goh's questions on long wait times, affordability and the vulnerabilities of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) persons, Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor assured that there will be a whole-of-government review of Singapore's mental healthcare system.
8. Labels - IoT devices, sugary drinks
A cyber-security label similar to the energy-efficiency labels on home appliances will be rolled out, to help buyers of smart devices better judge how exposed they are to cyber risks.
This label will be stuck on Wi-Fi routers and smart home hubs for a start. The labelling scheme will be extended to more Internet of Things (IoT) or connected devices.
As part of the war on diabetes, from end-2021, pre-packaged drinks with high sugar or saturated fat content will have to be labelled with grades ranging from A to D, with D being the unhealthiest. Retailers will also be banned from advertising D-grade drinks on all media platforms.
The same measures will be applied to freshly prepared drinks, such as those from bubble tea chains.
Charities are not spared - work is afoot to grade them using a regulatory compliance indicator.
Each charity's profile on an online portal will show whether it has met the minimum 80 per cent compliance prescribed in the Code of Governance for Charities and Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs), and whether the audit opinion in the independent auditor's report on the charity's financial statements has been qualified.
9. Partnership under Singapore Together
In this year's "Unity Budget", partnership under the Singapore Together movement - where the Government and Singaporeans co-create policy solutions - was the buzzword of the day.
Almost every speech stressed the need for collaboration.
Even as the Health Ministry rolled out new nutrition labelling and advertising restrictions for sugary drinks, MPs stressed the need for citizens to take ownership of their exercise and diet.
The Government is also putting money where its mouth is, setting aside $250 million to work with citizens on community projects.
A $50 million SG Eco Fund will also be launched to boost sustainability efforts among people and companies.
As Leader of the House Grace Fu said on the final day of debate: "The momentum is clear. Singaporeans can and want to play a bigger role in shaping Singapore.
"Government agencies will be opening up many more opportunities for Singaporeans from all walks of life, all segments of the society, to co- create and co-deliver initiatives to make Singapore a resilient nation, a city of possibilities, a society with opportunities for all, and a caring and cohesive community."
