Commentary

Singapore Budget 2019: Something for everyone amid a challenging environment

Handouts aside, other measures also stand out for their foresight and compassion

Enterprise Editor
Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat arriving at Parliament House to deliver his 2019 Budget statement on Feb 18, 2019. In his two-hour speech, Mr Heng called for Singaporeans to be united in the face of challenges. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
  • Published
    Feb 19, 2019, 5:00 am SGT
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Budget 2019 was not an easy one to deliver. Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat presented it in an environment that was not the most congenial to the Government.

First, it came in the wake of a series of incidents that has raised the political temperature - the HIV and SingHealth data breaches and the national service training deaths, to name a few. Just over the weekend, another lapse came to light: 7,700 people received the wrong amount of healthcare subsidies due to an IT glitch.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 19, 2019, with the headline 'Something for everyone amid a challenging environment'. Print Edition | Subscribe
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