SINGAPORE – This year’s Budget will focus on moving forward post-Covid-19, said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Monday.
In a Facebook post, Mr Wong, who is also Finance Minister, said the Budget’s theme will be “Moving forward in a new era”, and set out how Singapore will secure its prospects in a troubled world.
The Budget will be delivered in Parliament on Tuesday at 3.30pm.
It is meant to help Singaporeans seize new opportunities, strengthen the social compact and give assurance to families, while building a collective resilience as one people, said Mr Wong.
He noted that Monday also marked the end of Singapore’s Covid-19 restrictions, as announced in a press conference on Feb 9 by the multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19.
This includes the lifting of mask restrictions on public transport, as well as border measures, among other things.
“We have pulled together to weather the crisis of a generation. While we have emerged stronger together from the pandemic, we now have to prepare for a new post-pandemic future,” said Mr Wong.
“The road ahead will not be easy. But through our collective efforts, and the trust we have in each other, I am confident that we will strive and secure a better tomorrow for all, and for our future generations.”
This Budget will include details of enhancements to the Assurance Package, as announced in November 2022.
The $8 billion support package, meant to offset the effects of the goods and services tax hike, will be updated to take into account higher-than-expected inflation.
It is also expected to include updates to government policies based on the feedback and ideas given in the Forward Singapore nationwide consultation exercise.
The Straits Times will be offering live coverage of this year’s Budget announcements as they are delivered in Parliament from 3.30pm on Tuesday.
Real-time updates
Watch the live stream of Mr Wong’s speech and get instant bite-size updates from our special live coverage on the ST website.
There will also be video highlights of the speech, and in-depth analyses on what the Budget means.
Stay updated through our Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as our Telegram channel, and visit our microsite for more reports.
Special-edition newsletter
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Readers can also look out for Budget special reports in the print edition of ST on Wednesday.
Round-table discussion
A round-table discussion, organised by ST and UOB, will be held on Wednesday, the day after the Budget.
The discussion will cover how Budget 2023’s initiatives can help households, workers and businesses navigate new challenges and opportunities as the world moves on from Covid-19.
The panel will be moderated by ST associate editor Vikram Khanna. The panellists are UOB head of research Suan Teck Kin, KPMG managing partner in Singapore Ong Pang Thye, Professor Annie Koh from Singapore Management University, and NTUC assistant secretary-general Patrick Tay.
Highlights will be broadcast on The Straits Times Budget 2023 microsite after the discussion.
