This year's National Day Rally will be held on Aug 18 at the Institute of Technical Education in Ang Mo Kio, said the Prime Minister's Office in a statement yesterday.

The annual rally is typically held on the second Sunday after National Day on Aug 9, and is viewed as the most important political speech of the year. During the rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks in Malay, Mandarin and English and outlines the Government's upcoming plans and priorities.

Last year, he unveiled the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme, which would allow residents in selected precincts to vote on whether to take up the Government's offer to buy back their flats.

He also announced the multi-billion-dollar Merdeka Generation Package to subsidise healthcare costs for 500,000 Singaporeans born in the 1950s.

This year's will be Mr Lee's 16th National Day Rally speech.