Parliamentary Q&A for July 2019 Sitting

RISKS TO SINGAPORE ECONOMY GIVEN PRESENT EXTERNAL UNCERTAINTY

Pritam Singh asked for the Government’s assessment of the US-China trade war on Singapore, and measures to be undertaken to support Singaporeans in affected sectors.

Sylvia Lim asked for an assessment of the risk of global trade war, and Singapore’s strategies to manage.

Chan Chun Sing replied that prolonged US-China tensions would likely further undermine global business and consumer confidence. He added that the multilateral trading system under siege, disruptive flows in data, talent and trade, as well as the increasingly protectionist global environment could affect Singapore significantly.
He shared that Singapore was focused on strengthening economic fundamentals, creating new opportunities for businesses and investors, and promoting a conducive business environment with like-minded countries and companies to manage the economic challenges.

Read the full exchange here.


SUSTAINABILITY OF RAIL RELIABILITY LEVELS

Part 1

On transport performance reliability, Dennis Tan asked if service quality could be introduced as a factor in the Fare Review Formula, and whether LTA monitored delays shorter than five minutes.

Khaw Boon Wan replied that all delays were tracked, logged, and analysed. On service quality, he said that that was tracked by the Mean Kilometre Between Failure metric, as well as by the Network Capacity Factor.

Part 2

Pritam Singh asked if there were concerns regarding staff morale and system performance as a result of the string of high-level resignations from SMRT in the past year.

While he noted the recent change in leadership at SMRT in recent years, Khaw Boon Wan said there was a “good team of people” at the helm now, and that sometimes “some attrition [was] useful”.

Read the full exchange here.


PRESENCE OF DRONES NEAR CHANGI AIRPORT AND DELAYS CAUSED TO FLIGHTS

Part 1

On the recent disruptions to flights at Changi Airport due to a drone incursion, Dennis Tan enquired if the Government had uncovered the persons behind the incursion, and how the Government planned to minimise future drone disruptions.

Lam Pin Min shared that police investigations were still on-going, and that the identification of the perpetrators could be challenging and thus required some time. The Government would be introducing a mandatory drone registration regime, stepping up enforcement actions against errant drone operators, and strengthening counter-drone capabilities at the airports.

Part 2

Dennis Tan further asked if there were any geo-fencing solutions at Changi Airport as at June 2019, and if CAAS or Changi Airport Group intended to set up a specialist anti-drone unit to deal with drones.

Lam Pin Min replied that in the particular case, such geo-fencing capability on the incursive drone had been disabled, thus geo-fencing solutions would not have been able to prevent the intrusion. He shared that CAAS and CAG would be developing their own internal capabilities to detect and counter drones on an expedited basis soon.

Read the full exchange here.


MONITORING RECENT POLLUTION IN PASIR GUDANG

Part 1

Pritam Singh asked how the air quality in northeast Singapore compared with other parts of Singapore from 2008 to 2018 during monsoon seasons, in light of the Pasir Gudang incidents, and if there were contingency plans in the event of an environmental disaster in Johor.

Masagos Zulkifli replied that from 2008 to 2018, air and water quality in the northeast region were comparable to the rest of Singapore, including during the northeast monsoon period. He added that the air and water quality in Singapore had not been affected by the recent pollution incidents in Pasir Gudang, and ambient levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the northeast region were also well within safe limits. In addition, Singapore agencies have precautionary measures in place in the event of any potential pollution impacts arising from chemical incidents, including of the transboundary variety.

Part 2

In addition, Pritam Singh asked if the deployment of chemical gas detectors in the northeast would be made permanent, and if the Government was studying the impact of low, constant exposure to VOCs.

Masagos Zulkifli replied that the five national air quality monitoring stations (across North, South, East, West, and Central Singapore) were now permanent deployments. As to low, constant VOC exposure, he shared that there were few available studies to advise on.

Read the full exchange here.


CASES OF PARENTS HARASSING OR ABUSING TEACHERS

Leon Perera requested information on cases of parents harassing or abusing teachers from 2015 to 2018, and of measures in place to ensure teachers had a safe working environment and access to channels for counselling and redress.

Ong Ye Kung replied that there had been few cases of harassment or abuse of teachers by parents, and both sides worked together to support children’s holistic development. If needed, teachers can inform School Leaders or the MOE to follow up with the parents, or make a police report for safety-related cases.

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IMPACT OF HUAWEI BAN ON SINGAPORE’S 5G DEPLOYMENT

Noting the US’ Huawei ban, Leon Perera asked if there would be an impact on Singapore’s 5G deployment.

S Iswaran shared that the Government was closely monitoring developments as well as consulting and evaluating views towards piloting use cases for 5G. He added that as of now, Singapore was expected to continue the 5G deployment as planned.

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INDIVIDUALS DISQUALIFIED FROM INTEGRATED SHIELD PLANS DUE TO IMPLEMENTATION OF MEDISHIELD PLANS

Png Eng Huat asked if residents disqualified from buying Integrated Shield Plans (IPs) due to MediShield Life (coverage of pre-existing conditions) were tracked, and if the Government was working to assist such residents.

In reply, Gan Kim Yong said that IPs were optional plans by private insurers to provide additional coverage, beyond those under MediShield Life. Generally, MOH does not intervene in the underwriting process for IPs, but worked closely with private insurers on public education and financial counselling for the public.

Read the full exchange here.


INITIATIVES FOR NEXT GENERAL ELECTION

Png Eng Huat requested for an update on the initiatives planned for the next General Election, including on e-registration of voters, the new prototype booth design, and other changes to the voting process being planned.

Chan Chun Sing said that the Election Department (ELD) intended to implement e-registration ready for the next General Election. The design of polling booths was being finalised, and would be piloted at the next General Elections. Self-inking pens that require minimum pressure to use would also be introduced to ease the voting process further. He shared that the ELD would show these initiatives to political parties later this year to solicit feedback, before conducting roadshows to familiarise voters.

Read the full exchange here.


TAKE-UP RATE BY EMPLOYERS FOR MINDEF’S DIRECT REIMBURSEMENT CLAIMS SYSTEM

Dennis Tan asked for the percentage of serving NSmen whose employers were enrolled in the Direct Reimbursement to Employers of Claims for NS Training (DIRECT) scheme, the challenges discouraging a higher take-up rate, and how the Government intended to boost said rate.

Ng Eng Hen shared that about 45% of employers were on the DIRECT scheme, up 7% from three years. MINDEF would continue to encourage employers to register with the DIRECT scheme using NS Portal, to help streamline pay processes further for NSmen.

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INFLATION IN PREMIUMS FOR PRIVATE HOSPITALISATION INSURANCE PLANS

Daniel Goh asked for the trend in premium inflation for private hospitalisation insurance plans over the past five years, and measures being undertaken to regulate over-charging and over-consumption in the private medical sector.

Gan Kim Yong replied that the premiums for the private insurance component of private hospital Integrated Shield Plans had increased by 7% annually on average for the past five years. He cautioned that such premiums had been rising between 2016 and 2019, and were not sustainable in the long term.
MOH had introduced initiatives to address concerns over over-charging and over-consumption of private healthcare services. These measures included issuing the Agency of Care Effectiveness on appropriate care and drug guidance, and publishing fee benchmarks for private sector health professionals.

Read the full exchange here.


ADOPTION OF FAIR TENANCY FRAMEWORK BY LANDLORDS IN RETAIL

Daniel Goh asked if the Fair Tenancy Framework by landlords in the retail sector was widely adopted, and whether the Government had taken steps to boost its adoption.

Chan Chun Sing replied that since the launch of the Framework by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) in 2015, the organisation had been actively promoting its adoption. The SBF did not collect statistics on the Framework’s adoption, but Government landlords were broadly aligned with the Framework.

Read the full exchange here.


REVIEW OF SMART NATION INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE REACH AND ACCESS TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Leon Perera asked if there would be regular reviews of Smart Nation initiatives on improving reach and access to people with disabilities.

S Iswaran replied that the Government had ensured vulnerable segments of society were included in Singapore’s digital transformation journey over the years. He added that the Government regularly refined and updated its initiatives, and were ready to tap opportunities to deliver better outcomes. The Government was also working with people across the public and private sectors to continually ensure the Smart Nation journey was inclusive to all Singaporeans.

Read the full exchange here.


PAYMENT OF CPF CONTRIBUTIONS BY COMPANIES THAT EMPLOY INTERNS FROM PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES

Daniel Goh queried why employers were required to pay CPF contributions for interns from private universities, but not for those from public universities.

In reply, Josephine Teo said that generally CPF contributions were mandatory for all local employees, including interns. MOM in consultation with MOE, do exempt employers from making CPF contributions for interns if the interns were students (i) enrolled in an institution or programme subsidised by the MOE and (ii) employed for training approved by their educational institution.

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APPROVAL TO OPERATE COMMERCIAL SHARED PMD SERVICES

Dennis Tan asked if there were companies already awarded licenses to operate commercial shared PMD services, and if so, which companies were licensed. And if not, when such licenses were expected to be awarded.

Khaw Boon Wan informed that the award of PMD-sharing licenses would be deferred till later this year, to allow the LTA more time to review the imposition of more safety requirements for users and the general public.

Read the full exchange here.


IMPACT ON SINGAPORE’S ECONOMY FROM US TREASURY ADDING SINGAPORE TO WATCH-LIST OF CURRENCY MANIPULATORS

Pritam Singh asked for an assessment of Singapore’s listing on the US’ watch-list of currency manipulators.

Tharman Shanmugaratnam shared that the US Treasury used a generic set of criteria to determine which countries to add to the Monitoring List. He added that Singapore’s inclusion did not affect MAS’ conduct of monetary policy. MAS continued to be in dialogue with the US Treasury to ensure Singapore’s monetary policy framework was well understood.

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UPDATE ON FORMATION OF ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES REVIEW COMMITTEE

Pritam Singh asked if the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee had been formed, or when the Prime Minister intended to do so.

Chan Chun Sing replied that the Prime Minister had not yet appointed the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee.

Read the full exchange here.


TIMEFRAME FROM FINAL APPELLATE COURT DECISION TO DATE OF HANGING, AND TIMING OF NOTIFICATION OF CLEMENCY OUTCOME AND EXECUTION DATE TO PETITIONER

Sylvia Lim sought information on the median and average time frame from the final appellate court decision to the date of hanging in death penalty cases, and the guidelines on reply in clemency petitions to the President’s Office.

K Shanmugam replied that the median and average time from the final appellate court decision to the date of execution was around one year for executions in recent years. He added that there was no expressly stipulated timeline by which Cabinet’s advice should be rendered to the President, or by which the President’s Office should reply to the petitioner.

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STATISTICS ON PERMANENT RESIDENCY APPLICATIONS BY NON-SINGAPOREAN SPOUSES OVER LAST 10 YEARS

Pritam Singh asked how many non-Singaporean spouses had applied for permanent residency (PR) annually over the past decade, how many were approved, and the percentage of Asian/non-Asian countries successful applicants.

K Shanmugam said that an average of 8,600 PR applications were received annually from 2009 to 2018, of which an average of 49% or 4,200 PRs were granted. 45% successful applicants came from Southeast Asian countries, 45% came from other Asian countries, with applicants from non-Asian countries making up the rest.

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AMOUNT BUDGETED FOR COST OF HOME IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME FOR HOUGANG SMC FOR COMPLETED AND UPCOMING WORKS

Png Eng Huat requested for the cost of the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) budgeted for Hougang SMC for completed and upcoming works, and when Town Councils would be invited to nominate flats built between 1987 and 1997 for the enhanced HIP announced in August 2018.

Lawrence Wong said that Hougang SMC had been budgeted $160 million for the selected HIP flats. Flats built between 1987 and 1997 would be selected for HIP form next year onwards, and Town Councils would be invited to submit nominations in due course.

Read the full exchange here.


TOTAL GOVERNMENT SPENDING ON SCHOLARSHIPS AND OTHER FINANCIAL AID TO FOREIGN STUDENTS IN SINGAPORE SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES IN PAST FIVE YEARS

Leon Perera requested for information on total Government spending on scholarships and other forms of financial aid given to foreign students studying in Singapore schools and universities annually over the past five years.

Ong Ye Kung said that the Government gave out a small number of scholarships for international students in local schools and Autonomous Universities, with total Government spending about $130 million annually, or 1% of MOE’s annual budget.

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NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF SINGAPOREANS IN LATEST 10 COHORTS WITH BACHELOR’S DEGREES FROM LOCAL AND OVERSEAS UNIVERSITIES

Daniel Goh asked for the number and percentage of Singaporeans tracked in the last ten cohorts who obtained bachelor’s degrees from public universities, private universities, and overseas universities.

Ong Ye Kung replied that between 2010 and 2019, the Cohort Participation Rate in the autonomous universities rose from 26% to 40%. Between 2014 and 2018, the annual number of Singaporeans admitted into full-time External Degree Programmes at Private Education Institutes had decreased from about 8,200 to 6,100. MOE was unable to track the number of Singaporeans who obtained bachelor’s degrees from overseas.

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PROGRAMMES TO HELP AT-RISK YOUTHS

Leon Perera asked about programmes to help youths at risk of under-performing academically, or transitioning successfully into adulthood due to socio-economic/familial circumstances.

Desmond Lee said that since 2018, MSF had appointed nine Social Service Agencies to run a suite of programmes to help address different at-risk behaviours. Outreach programmes, engagement efforts, and internet-based activities were also done to help youths constructively. Broader family issues were also assisted by Family Service Centres to help address a range of service.

Read the full exchange here.