In Parliament

Introduction

1.     Madam Chairman, I thank Members for their questions and suggestions.

2.     I also wish to thank Singaporeans for sharing valuable views and feedback during MOT’s Forward Singapore engagements, and helping to shape our vision for Singapore’s land, air and sea transport together.

3.     MOT is focusing on 3 areas for this year’s COS: Enhancing our Liveability, Living Environment and Livelihoods, by putting people at the heart of what we do.

4.     Transport is about connectivity – connecting Singapore with the world, and our people and businesses with one another within Singapore.

5.     We are also preparing for future challenges such as climate change and technological developments, and to overcome our land, labour and carbon constraints.

Liveability

6.      Let me start with how we are making Singapore more liveable through better connectivity and convenience for our people.

7.     Core to this vision is our car-lite strategy, where Walk-Cycle-Ride are the main modes of transport. During the Forward SG exercise, many participants agreed this was the right direction to take in land-scarce Singapore, to meet our connectivity needs in a sustainable manner.

a.     We have increased our Walk-Cycle-Ride mode share for peak period journeys, from 71% in 2016 to 74% in 2022, while the proportion who drove decreased from 29% to 26% over the same period.

b.     Singaporeans also shared their desire for a more inclusive and accessible public transport system, with good first-mile and last-mile infrastructure to support walking and active mobility, and to prepare for an ageing society.

Public Transport

8.     Our rail network is the backbone of Singapore’s public transport system.

a.      Over the past decade, we have grown our rail network by 40%, with the opening of Downtown Line and the earlier stages of Thomson-East Coast Line, or TEL.

b.     Many are looking forward to the fourth stage of TEL. The seven new TEL stations from Tanjong Rhu to Bayshore will improve connectivity and shorten travel times for residents in the east, such as those staying in Marine Parade and East Coast.

c.     Travelling from Marine Parade to Shenton Way will take 20 minutes via TEL, compared to about 40 minutes today.

d.     TEL4 is currently going through rigorous testing to ensure system resilience and reliability before commencing operations.

e.     I am happy to announce that TEL4 will open for passenger service on 23 June this year. Commuters can enjoy free rides on TEL4 during the preview on 21 June.

f.     Besides TEL, the North-East Line will be extended with the opening of Punggol Coast Station by end of this year.

g.     This station will provide a new link for residents in Punggol North, and enable convenient access to the Punggol Digital District and Singapore Institute of Technology Punggol campus.

h.     We had earlier introduced six new trains, which will reduce wait times for commuters along the entire NEL.

i.     MOS Low Yen Ling and her residents will also be happy to know we will open Hume station on the Downtown Line next year.

9.     We will bring the MRT closer to more residents over the next few years, but our task is not without challenges as many projects were delayed by the pandemic.

a.    This includes the TEL Stage 5 and Downtown Line Stage 3 Extension, which will link these two lines.

b.     We have tried our best to catch up, and to overcome the construction challenges of tunnelling in close proximity to existing critical infrastructure. We will open Bedok South, Sungei Bedok, and Xilin stations in 2026.

c.     LTA will also “close the loop” of the Circle Line and open three new stations in 2026 – Keppel, Cantonment, and Prince Edward – between the existing HarbourFront and Marina Bay stations.

i.     To facilitate integration works, we are temporarily closing one platform each at Telok Blangah and HarbourFront stations from January to May this year.

ii.    When we complete the full circle, commuters can enjoy more direct routes to the city centre.

10.    Altogether, these expansion efforts up to 2026 will add 16 stations to our rail network. To Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Gan Thiam Poh’s questions, these will benefit 90,000 more households across the east, northeast and central areas, bringing us closer to our target for eight in ten households to be within a 10-minute walk of a train station by the 2030s.

11.    Besides connectivity, the rail network must continue to provide reliable service.

a.      Last year, we completed major renewal works on the North-South and East-West Lines. This project took more than a decade, through close partnership between LTA, SMRT, manufacturers, and contractors.

b.     The Bukit Panjang LRT, or BPLRT, is also undergoing a major renewal programme, to be completed by 2026.

c.     Renewal works are progressing well and we will be putting new trains into service.

d.     To facilitate testing of these new trains, we will implement Early Closures on Fridays and weekends, from late March to June this year.

e.     BPLRT has also been running on a single-loop service during off-peak hours and weekends since 2019.

f.     I thank residents for your understanding and patience. Starting later this month, we will gradually resume double-loop service during more time periods.

12.    Besides major renewal projects, a strong daily operations and maintenance regime is key to rail reliability.

a.     Through Government investment and the dedicated efforts of our rail operators and workers, the MRT network has maintained a Mean Kilometres Between Failure, or MKBF, of over 1 million train-km since 2019.

b.     This is comparable to the some of the world’s best metro systems.

13.    While reliability has improved, operators’ maintenance costs have increased. Our next goal is to work closely with operators to achieve high reliability while keeping costs sustainable.

14.    This includes developing our workforce and improving productivity. Mr Melvin Yong asked about the Rail Manpower Development Package. Through RMDP, rail operators have worked closely with the unions to train around 3,300 workers to pick up technical skills such as data analytics and condition-based monitoring. Another 700 workers will undergo similar training this year.

15.    I want to assure Brother Melvin and our workers that building a future-ready rail workforce will remain a priority. From 2024 to 2028, the Government will provide a Rail Reliability and Performance Incentive to the operators, to incentivise them to keep up rail reliability standards, invest in workers and improve manpower productivity.

16.    Mr Saktiandi asked how we will keep public transport affordable. We have explained this previously; let me recap the key points:

a.     The Government currently provides over $2 billion of subsidies for public transport every year. To keep fares affordable for commuters, the Public Transport Council did not grant the maximum allowable fare increase in the past two years. So the Government provided additional subsidies of about $200 million and $300 million in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

b.     Two million commuters, including seniors, students, and Workfare recipients, enjoy concession fares. We also provide Public Transport Vouchers to help lower-income households.

c.     Through these measures, we have kept public transport affordable for Singaporeans. Among lower-income households, spending on public transport as a proportion of household income has reduced from 3.1% in 2013 to 2.4% in 2022.

17.    Keeping fares affordable without over-burdening taxpayers requires us to optimise our resources.

a.     In some cases, this means redeploying buses and bus captains from trunk routes running parallel to new MRT lines which have experienced substantial drops in ridership, to new feeder services for residents in new estates.

b.     We will continue to balance evolving transport needs across different estates, to serve more commuters while being financially prudent and keeping overall costs sustainable.

Walk/Cycle

18.    To complement our rail and bus network, we will make it more convenient to walk or cycle to transport nodes. As announced at this year’s Budget, the Government will invest $3.5 billion in Age Well SG.

19.    This includes $1 billion over the next decade to improve first-mile and last-mile connectivity in our neighbourhoods, by expanding the Friendly Streets initiative and enhancing commuter infrastructure for residents. SMS Khor will elaborate on this.

20.    We also want to promote safe usage of footpaths, which will become more important with an ageing population. We accept the recommendations from the Active Mobility Advisory Panel on the use of Personal Mobility Aids, or PMAs.

21.    The Panel had recommended certifying those who want to use mobility scooters, reducing the speed limit from 10km/h to 6km/h, and imposing size limits for PMAs on paths.

22.    Madam, I agree with AMAP’s recommendations, because they will help to enhance safety. There are trade-offs involved, and we expect push-back from some PMA users, but we must be clear that between ensuring safety for residents and providing convenience for PMA users, safety must come first.

23.    The Straits Times had an article on PMAs over the weekend. It quoted the views of pedestrians, including seniors, and also PMA retailers. Many agree that the lower speed limit will make it “much safer” for the community. This is also the feedback that AMAP received from its focus group discussions, and I believe many Honourable Members in this house would have heard similar views from our residents.

24.    Demand for PMAs will increase as our population ages. This is why we must take action now, so that we can give users and retailers sufficient time to adjust. SPS Baey Yam Keng will elaborate further.

25.    Many MPs had spoken on this matter: Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Mr Gerald Giam, Mr Lim Biow Chuan, Ms Poh Li San, Mr Dennis Tan, and Ms Yeo Wan Ling. I am glad that Members from both sides of the House agree with our position that safety must come first, and that enforcement is important to complement the engagement and education efforts.

26.    Public paths are used by many pedestrians, including seniors and young children. Cyclists and PMA users should be considerate, slow down, and give way to pedestrians. It is not right to jeopardise public safety for personal convenience. Safety must come first.

27.    The large majority of cyclists and PMA users do pay attention to safety, and I thank them for doing their part. For the minority who endanger the safety of other path users, we will take enforcement action against them. Those who ride recklessly on paths can be fined up to $10,000 and/or imprisoned for up to 12 months.

28.    I would like to express my appreciation to our enforcement officers, or “path protectors”, for their hard work to engage and educate path users, and to enforce against errant individuals. Your job is not easy, but it is an important mission to protect the safety of all path users. So please continue to do it well, without fear or favour. We will support you and back you up. 

Point-to-point (P2P)

29.    Madam, complementing trains and buses is point-to-point transport, which includes street-hail taxis and ride-hail services. These provide the convenience of direct journeys for commuters who do not own cars. SMS Khor will provide an update in her speech, including how we are making taxis more viable to improve street-hail services for commuters, such as our seniors.

Private Vehicles

30.    On private vehicles, Mr Saktiandi asked if introducing distance-based charging would allow us to increase the total vehicle population by a certain percentage, while still achieving our car-lite vision. Some commentators have made similar suggestions.

31.    This idea is not new. In 2002, the Economic Review Committee recommended (quote) “a gradual lowering of car ownership taxes accompanied by an increase in COE [supply] and shifting towards a better balance between ownership charges and usage charges” (unquote).

32.    With the ERP system in place in 1998, vehicle ownership taxes were reduced during the 2000s. In 2002 and 2003, the Government released an additional 5,000 Cat E COEs on top of the allowable vehicle growth rate, or VGR.

33.    However, it is not feasible to only rely on usage-based charges to prevent traffic congestion, as these would have to be set at very high rates which might not be acceptable to many car owners.

34.    Usage-based charges need to work in tandem with ownership controls and other measures like parking charges, to achieve a more balanced and sustainable outcome for all stakeholders, while ensuring smooth traffic on our roads.

35.    Madam Chair, MOT is open to reviewing the idea of having a one-off increase in our total vehicle population, spread over a few years, which is accompanied by higher usage-based charges to prevent traffic congestion.

36.    This includes location and time-based charges like our current ERP system, as well as the possibility of having distance-based charging in future which some commentators have suggested.

37.    But I hope Members recognise that the trade-offs are not straightforward, and need to be studied carefully before a decision is made.

38.    For example, some stakeholders such as taxi, PHC, and delivery drivers will likely pay higher usage-based charges as they drive longer distances. We will need to examine the impact on these groups, though usage-based charging is in principle a fair approach.  

Living Environment

39.    Let me turn to our living environment. As we expand our transport network, we must continue to reduce its carbon footprint so that our transport system becomes more sustainable.

40.    There are some “no-regrets” initiatives that reduce both emissions and costs, these we will pursue. However, other measures require us to balance our climate goals with cost and competitiveness considerations, while we move in tandem with global developments.

Aviation Sustainability

41.    We launched the Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint at the Changi Aviation Summit last month, an important step in our journey to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

42.    MOT announced a target of 1% Sustainable Aviation Fuels, or SAF, uplift in Singapore from 2026. Our goal is to raise the SAF target beyond 1% in 2026 to between 3% and 5% by 2030, subject to global developments and the wider availability and adoption of SAF.

43.    As Ms Poh Li San noted, our approach differs from the volumetric mandates imposed in Europe or the incentives-based approach in the USA. What we collect with our SAF levy from 2026 will be used to centrally procure SAF on behalf of airlines operating at Changi Airport.

44.    This provides cost certainty to airlines and passengers when there is volatility in SAF prices, and ensures a level playing field for all airlines operating out of Singapore.

45.    Importantly, we hope it will encourage fuel producers to invest further in SAF production facilities in Singapore and the region.

Maritime Sustainability

46.    For maritime, we will introduce a new Sustainability pillar under the Maritime Cluster Fund to catalyse first-mover adoption of sustainable solutions.

a.     MPA will set aside $15 million till 2030 to co-fund qualifying costs of adopting pre-approved sustainability solutions.

b.     SMEs can receive 50% co-funding, while non-SMEs can receive 30% co-funding, up to $30,000 per solution.

47.    In his Budget speech, DPM Wong announced two other schemes to support sustainability initiatives in the maritime sector:

a.     First, maritime companies can tap on the Energy Efficiency Grant by end-2024, which will provide two tiers of support for energy-efficient equipment.

b.     Under the base tier, they can receive up to 70% co-funding for pre-approved energy efficient domestic port and harbour craft equipment until March 2026.

c.     Across both tiers, they can receive up to $350,000 per company.

d.     Second, from April 2024, harbourcraft owners and operators may apply for loans through the Enterprise Financing Scheme – Green. This provides enhanced risk-share of 70% for loans by participating Financial Institutions for green solutions.

48.    On Ms Poh Li San’s question on green maritime solutions, we are preparing Singapore for a multi-fuel future that will include hydrogen and its carriers like ammonia and methanol.

a.     MPA successfully conducted the world’s first ship-to-containership methanol bunkering operation last year. We are developing a national standard on methanol bunkering to support commercial-scale operations.

b.     Last December, MPA issued an EOI for interested parties to submit proposals for the supply of methanol as a marine bunker fuel in Singapore.

c.     The Energy Market Authority (EMA) and MPA have shortlisted six consortiums whose proposals will be further developed to provide low- or zero-carbon ammonia solutions for power generation and bunkering on Jurong Island.

d.     As the world’s leading bunkering port, these are crucial steps to prepare Singapore for the transition to cleaner maritime fuels.

Electrification of land transport sector

49.    I spoke earlier on enhancing Walk-Cycle-Ride as a key pillar of greening our land transport sector. The other is electrification of our vehicle fleet.

50.    Ms Poh Li San asked about the take-up of cleaner-energy vehicles. In 2023, more than 18% of new cars registered were electric vehicles, or EVs. This is a 50% increase from 2022.

a.     Hybrid car registrations have increased from 39% in 2022 to 47% in 2023. Together, nearly two-thirds of cars registered in 2023 were cleaner-energy models.

b.     n the first two months of this year, 30% of cars registered were EVs and almost 50% were hybrids. So altogether about 80% of new cars are now cleaner-energy vehicles.  

51.    The efforts to expand our charging network in HDB carparks are key to support a growing EV population. Over 1 in 3 HDB carparks are now equipped with EV chargers. By end of 2025, every HDB carpark will be equipped with EV chargers.

52.    These will support overnight slow charging, which remains the main strategy of our charging network. This is adequate for most drivers.

53.    However, as Mr Ang Wei Neng and Mr Lim Biow Chuan noted, high mileage fleet vehicles, such as taxis, private-hire vehicles, or light goods vehicles, often need a mid-day top-up. They require high-powered fast chargers, which are now mostly located at commercial spaces such as shopping malls. But these are not the usual rest spots for many fleet drivers.

54.    The Government will kickstart the deployment of fast chargers at HDB Town Centres and JTC’s premises, which are frequented by fleet drivers during their breaks and close to amenities such as hawker centres and coffeeshops.

55.    We recently launched the first fast charging points at Toa Payoh HDB Hub and Oasis Terraces in Punggol in January, and will deploy fast chargers at Boon Lay, Redhill, Kallang Bahru, Tampines, Woodlands and other areas.

56.    In total, there will be 120 fast chargers installed at about 60 carparks under this initiative.

Livelihoods

57.    Finally, let me speak about how the transport sector improves the livelihoods of our people.

Creating New Opportunities – Building Capacity

58.    Our aviation and maritime sectors are important sources of good jobs for Singaporeans. They are also key enablers for many other sectors in our economy, including manufacturing, finance, and tourism.

59.    Asia-Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing region for air travel over the next two decades. Changi is well-placed to ride on this growth.

a.     We reopened the expanded Terminal 2 in November last year. This increased Changi’s annual capacity to 90 million passengers across all four terminals.

b.     We are on track to break ground on Terminal 5’s construction next year. When completed in the mid-2030s, T5 will add another 50 million passengers to Changi’s annual capacity and further strengthen Singapore’s aviation connectivity.

c.     Works have also resumed on the Changi East Industrial Zone, to be completed in the mid-2030s. This will double Singapore’s air cargo handling capacity from about 3 million tonnes per annum today to more than 5 million tonnes per annum.

60.    Our seaport also broke several records last year. Annual vessel arrival tonnage crossed three billion Gross Tonnage, and Singapore’s container throughput reached 39 million twenty-foot equivalent units. We are currently the second largest container port in the world, and the world’s largest transhipment hub port. Our maritime sector’s growth has remained robust going into 2024 – in January, our Singapore Registry of Ships surpassed 100 million gross tonnage for the first time and our container volumes have further increased compared to the strong performance in 2023.

61.    Tuas Port now has eight berths.

a.     We can look forward to three additional berths commencing operations at Tuas Port by end-2024.

b.     There are currently 800 workers at Tuas Port; this number will grow as operations ramp up. Mr Ang Wei Neng and Mr Melvin Yong asked about connectivity for our workers to Tuas Port.

c.     This work is on-going and we have been making progress.  We will continue to work closely with tripartite partners and agencies to improve the transport options for our workers.

d.     For example, we have improved road conditions in Tuas, and extended the operating hours of Bus Service 248M.

e.     For the Tuas Road Viaduct, LTA will expedite the construction timeline and we will manage traffic demand during the construction.

Creating New Opportunities – Strengthening Singapore’s Supply Chain Hub

62.    Beyond increasing our capacity, we need to preserve our trusted position as global aviation and maritime hubs, as companies respond to shifts in international supply chains and trade networks. Mr Neil Parekh spoke about this earlier.

63.    Given our trusted reputation and strong connectivity, Singapore is well-placed to capture opportunities arising from these trends. MOT is working with other government agencies and industry partners to further strengthen Singapore’s position as a node for international trade and as a leading global supply chain hub. This will be a priority for our Ministry over the next few years. 

64.    Through regular engagements with industry, we have identified collaboration opportunities to optimise inter-modal connectivity through our seaport and airport. Just to give one example.

a.     Currently, the time taken for an air-sea inter-modal transhipment may exceed five days. There are two main reasons for this.

b.     First, logistics providers face uncertainty in arrival and departure times, and to be prudent they factor in buffer periods between arrival and departure of goods.

c.     Second, for smaller logistics providers, especially our SMEs, booking of flights and preparation of permits are still largely manual, and last-minute changes in vessel or flight schedules, especially in the current environment, will add to the duration.

d.     Madam, we want to at least halve the dwell time. I have told my colleagues that our stretched target is to enable the goods to depart Singapore on a connecting flight or vessel within 24 hours of its arrival.

e.     This will reduce time and costs for logistics providers and their customers and importantly, it will allow Singapore to differentiate ourselves from the competition as a trusted and efficient multi-modal logistics hub. We do what other people cannot do.

f.     I am pleased to announce that DB Schenker, PSA, Cargo Community Network, SATS, Singapore Airlines Cargo, and the Singapore Aircargo Agents Association have decided to come together to form an Alliance for Action (AfA), together with MOT, to co-develop solutions that can overcome the current bottlenecks and achieve our shared targets. There are many entities involved because there are many moving parts in this operation. But that is also why we have to bring them together and work closely. This is one of the strengths of Singapore - the ability to work beyond government; with our Ministry, and with our unions through the AfA, or Alliance for Action, to deliver results and get things done.

g.     We will also continue to engage industry players to identify more collaboration opportunities to review our rules and enhance our processes, which can support new business models and innovations.

Investments in Manpower - Recruitment

65.    Next, we will lower barriers for workers to upskill, reskill, and transition to new roles into and within our transport sectors. Mr Melvin Yong spoke about this earlier.

66.    We expect demand for aviation professionals to increase steadily given the growth in air traffic and opening of Terminal 5.

a.    To Ms Poh Li San’s question on our recruitment and training plans, we have intensified our talent attraction efforts, showcasing the variety of exciting careers available at the OneAviation Careers Fair and roadshows.

b.     Last year, we launched the Work-Study Diploma in Customer Experience Management in Aviation, adding to the 1,800 graduates from our aviation and aerospace-related programmes every year.

c.     Aviation employers like SATS and dnata continue to expand their targeted intake of ITE Work-Study Diploma students to 90 this year, which is more than double that of 2023.

67.    Ms Poh asked about the plans to encourage more women to join the industry. Madam, there are many talented women in the aviation industry, including Ms Poh, and they are handling important roles across fields like engineering, customer service, and air traffic control.

a.     In fact, about 40% of our 500 air traffic controllers are women.

b.     CAAS will continue to work with partners such as the Women in Aviation Singapore Chapter to encourage more ladies to join the sector.

68.    Ms Yeo Wan Ling and Mr Melvin Yong asked how we ensure a strong pipeline of skilled maritime workers. Our Career Conversion Programme lowers barriers for employees seeking to move to new or enhanced roles by equipping them with new skills, as their companies undergo business transformation.

a.     The programme was expanded to cover functions in the maritime digitalisation, decarbonisation, and cybersecurity spaces.

b.     It has also been enhanced to allow 100% on-the-job training, based on industry partners’ and employees’ feedback.

Investments in Manpower – Up-skilling, re-skilling

69.    Beyond recruitment, we are working with our tripartite partners to develop our workers’ capabilities and skillsets to seize new opportunities.

70.    For maritime, The Tripartite Advisory Panel, convened by the Singapore Maritime Foundation and supported by MPA, has completed its year-long review with industry partners and IHLs to prepare Maritime Singapore’s workforce to upskill and transform alongside industry developments.

a.     A key success factor will be our strong tripartite process to identify skills relevant for employers and employees, and develop courses providing workers with these in-demand skills.

b.     This is important to achieve a win-win post-training outcome for employers and workers. 

c.     MPA and SMF have established a Joint Office for Talent and Skills to drive this effort.

d.     To Mr Neil Parekh’s question, as we press on with maritime decarbonisation and digitalisation, we must equip workers with skills to work efficiently and safely onboard vessels powered by green fuels, and MPA will work closely with our tripartite partners to provide the training infrastructure.

e.     Singapore can also play a part in training the international maritime community in selected key capabilities, to grow the maritime ecosystem of talent, ideas, and companies here.

71.    For aviation, we launched the Air Transport Industry Transformation Map 2025 last year.

72.    CAAS, in partnership with Workforce Singapore, has launched a year-long sector-wide manpower study to plan for the future of the aviation workforce.

a.     CAAS is working with the IHLs to incorporate emerging areas such as automation, artificial intelligence, and sustainability into their courses.

b.     We are expanding the adoption of automation and assistive tools for workers at scale across the airport, making jobs more age-friendly and reducing barriers to entry. We hope this can help us attract and retain more workers.

Reducing business costs

73.    Next, we recognise that business costs have increased due to global inflation and a tightening labour market. We have been reviewing our rules and processes to help businesses reduce avoidable costs and save time.

74.    Members may recall I shared some cost-saving measures for businesses during the MOF COS last week, and also during the Singapore Maritime Foundation New Year event earlier this year.

75.    I believe it is important for Government agencies to be pro-business and to continually improve our rules and processes, to help our businesses innovate new ideas, and enable them to save time, save money, and save effort.

76.     It also provides useful opportunities for the public, private, and people sectors to work in partnership and to tackle challenges together, which is what we want to encourage under Forward Singapore.

77.    Coming back to supply chain connectivity, we will streamline land transhipment procedures so that, instead of two permits – one for import and one for export – companies transhipping goods via land checkpoints will only require one permit.

78.    This will be implemented in 1Q 2025 because we need to make system changes and legislative amendments. It will help companies save cost and time.

a.     Aggregated across the industry, we estimate potential savings of up to $2 million per year.

b.     There will be even higher savings if the volume of goods transhipped via our land checkpoints increase in future.

79.    Additionally, we are allowing Malaysian trucks and drivers that meet relevant safety, security, and operational requirements to directly access our container terminals to handle cross-border containers. So there’s no need for double-handling.

a.     PSA commenced a pilot with one company last year, and has now expanded it to all eligible companies.

b.     More than 300 containers have been handled under this arrangement so far, and I expect the volume to grow over time.

c.      It has helped to reduce manpower and business costs for logistics companies, which translates to savings for their customers.

80.    At our seaport, Singapore rolled out Phase 2 of digitalPort@SG last year. This includes a Just-In-Time Planning and Coordination Platform, which provides incoming vessels with their estimated time of berthing, allowing them to route their journey more efficiently and save on fuel costs and time. Marine services providers can optimise their resources to minimise waiting times for customers. Again, we want to do something that will differentiate us from other ports, and this is one potential area. Through the use of technology and data sharing amongst players in the ecosystem, we are able to do this. Whereas in many other ports, they find difficulties in implementing something like this.

a.     We are also going to complete the 5G coverage of our port waters by mid-2025, which will allow for more seamless provision of marine services.

b.     All of these can help vessels come to Singapore to “catch up” on delays, and if they experience some route disruptions elsewhere, they can turn to Singapore as a trusted and reliable hub.

Conclusion

81.    Madam, we envision a home – our home –

a.     where Singaporeans enjoy a range of accessible, reliable and affordable transport options in a very liveable city;

b.     where we are proud of our clean and green living environment; and

c.      where our businesses create good jobs that improve the livelihoods of our people.

82.    Singapore has some key strengths that allow us to achieve these aspirations:

a.     our ability to plan long-term and prepare ahead of time;

b.     our strong tripartite partnership with industry and unions that has been built on a high degree of trust over the years; and

c.      our openness to investment, ideas, and talent from around the world to complement our Singapore core.

83.    Together, I am confident that we can chart a brighter future for Singapore and all Singaporeans for many years to come. Thank you.