$2b

A YEAR FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD SECTOR

The increase, from $1 billion in 2018, will happen over the next few years and aims to make pre-school education more accessible.

Pre-university students from lower-income families will also get $1,000 under the Education Ministry's Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), a rise of $100. It will cost the Government $9 million more each year, bringing the annual total to $52 million.

As for subsidies, all MOE FAS recipients will get more for transport, while those in secondary school will get more for school meals as well.

Full-time Institute of Technical Education students from the lowest-income families will no longer have to pay tuition fees from academic year 2020.

Also, the bursary for students from low-and middle-income families will go up by up to $200 a year.

Funding bursaries for higher education will rise from $148 million to $198 million each year.

The Government aims to give overseas experience to seven out of 10 local graduates from institutes of higher learning. Of this pool, it wants 70 per cent exposed to Asean, China or India.

$500

SKILLSFUTURE CREDIT TOP-UP

Every Singaporean aged 25 and older in 2020 will get a one-off $500 SkillsFuture Credit top-up, which they can start using from Oct 1.

But they must use it by Dec 31, 2025.

The reason for the expiry date is to coax people to use it early and learn new skills in the current economic slowdown.

An additional $500 will be given to those aged 40 to 60, and with the same expiry date.

Workers in this age group also stand to gain from a new SkillsFuture Mid-Career Support Package.

Its aim is to double the annual job placement of such workers to around 5,500 by 2025.

Employers who hire new locals aged 40 and older through select re-skilling programmes will get salary support: The Government will take on 20 per cent of the worker's salary for six months, up to a maximum of $6,000.

Another form of support for employers is a new SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit scheme.

It will help defray up to 90 per cent - capped at $10,000 - of their out-of-pocket costs for business transformation, job redesign and skills training.

It will help about 39,000 companies.

435,000

NUMBER WHO QUALIFY FOR NEW RETIREMENT SAVINGS SCHEME

The scheme will be introduced for lower-and middle-income Singaporeans, aged 55 to 70, who were not able to set aside the prevailing Basic Retirement Sum in their Central Provident Fund (CPF).

From next year, the Government will match every dollar of cash top-up to their Retirement Account, up to an annual cap of $600. It will do so for five years.

The Silver Support Scheme will be enhanced from the start of next year to give more help to about 250,000 Singaporeans aged 65 and older. Its quarterly payouts will go up by 20 per cent.

Also, more can qualify for the scheme. The CPF Board will notify eligible seniors, who will get their payouts from December this year.

Two schemes will be merged to form the Senior Employment Credit next year to give wage support to employers who hire Singaporeans aged 55 and older.

Also, a new Senior Worker Early Adopter Grant will reward companies that raise their retirement and re-employment ages before legislated changes.

Another new grant will help companies formalise provisions for part-time re-employment.

Next year, the Government will offset half of the higher CPF contributions employers must make for senior workers.

2040

TARGET YEAR FOR GREEN VEHICLES

All vehicles with internal combustion engines are set to be phased out by 2040.

To get motorists to switch to electric vehicles, buyers of fully electric cars and taxis will get a rebate of up to 45 per cent on the Additional Registration Fee (ARF), capped at $20,000.

This will be given for three years, starting January next year.

Tax on electric vehicles and some hybrid ones will also be lower, as the tax methodology for cars will be revised from next January.

By 2030, the Government aims to deploy up to 28,000 public charging points for electric vehicles, up from the current 1,600.

Also, a lump sum tax will be built into the road tax schedule for such vehicles while the technology to tax by distance is being developed.

A coastal and flood protection fund will be set up with an initial $5 billion to tackle rising sea levels. It will be topped up when possible.

A new Green Towns Programme will be introduced to help Housing Board estates reduce energy consumption, recycle rainwater and cool the towns.