MONITORING OF CLEAN ELECTRICITY IMPORTS FROM INDONESIA AND SAFEGUARDS AGAINST PRICE RENEGOTIATIONS AND POLICY CHANGES
Ms He Ting Ru asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the projected cost differential between importing clean electricity from Indonesia as compared to alternative sources; (b) how many of the seven conditionally approved Indonesian import projects have achieved financial close; and (c) what safeguards are in place to prevent the renegotiation of agreed pricing terms after infrastructure investments are made.
Ms He Ting Ru asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether there are contingency plans for any reduction in Indonesia’s planned clean electricity exports below the 3.4 GW committed for 2030; (b) what amount of Singapore’s 2035 low-carbon electricity import target of 6 GW is currently backed by binding government-to-government agreements; and (c) what mechanisms exist in the current conditional import licences to protect Singapore’s interests in situations where source countries modify their export policies.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Energy Market Authority has issued Conditional Approvals to seven importers to import 3.4 gigawatts (GW) of low-carbon electricity from Indonesia. Of these, five importers have been awarded Conditional Licenses as their projects have made more progress. We will continue to work closely with the Indonesian government to support the progress of these projects. This includes aligning approval processes within both governments before projects progress to the next stage of development.
The importers aim to achieve financial close from 2025. If successful, they plan to begin commercial operations from 2028. The importers are currently negotiating Power Purchase Agreements with large scale electricity consumers. It is in the interest of both importers and consumers to come to mutually acceptable commercial terms, especially on the pricing and length of the contracts, so that the consumers can secure access to low carbon electricity to meet their decarbonisation needs and importers can improve the viability of their projects.
Aside from the projects in Indonesia, we are also working with project developers to import low-carbon electricity from other countries in the region. This will give us a diverse portfolio of projects that can help us collectively meet our imports target of six GW by 2035, and potentially import more electricity beyond 2035.
We will ensure our energy security as we embark on the energy transition. Natural gas will continue to underpin our energy portfolio for the foreseeable future, even as we scale up electricity imports, maximise domestic solar deployment, and potentially introduce new low-carbon energy sources such as hydrogen in the future. We will also have sufficient local backup generation capacity to meet our needs if there are disruptions to the electricity imports.
LENGTH OF STAY IN TRANSITIONAL CARE FACILITIES AND CAPACITY EXPANSION OF MOBILE INPATIENT CARE @ HOME PROGRAMME
Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Health (a) in each year from 2022 to 2024, what is the average length of stay for patients in transitional care facilities; (b) whether the Ministry has expanded the capacity of the Mobile Inpatient Care @ Home (MIC@Home) programme to the planned 300 beds in 2024; and (c) what is the current average length of stay for patients under the MIC@Home programme.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The average length of stay (ALOS) for patients in Transitional Care Facilities (TCFs) was 32 days and 37 days in 2023 and 2024 respectively. As of December 2024, the Mobile Inpatient Care at Home (MIC@Home) bed capacity is about 185 beds. The ALOS for patients under MIC@Home is six days.
PROVISION OF SEATING AREAS IN RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS FOR ELDERLY AND INDIVIDUALS WITH MOBILITY CHALLENGES
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether URA will mandate a minimum number of seating areas in shopping malls to support the elderly and individuals with mobility challenges; (b) what guidelines currently govern the provision of such amenities in commercial developments; and (c) how does the Ministry ensure that the needs of these vulnerable groups are addressed in the planning and approval of new retail spaces.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) requires that all new buildings and existing buildings undergoing major addition and alteration (A&A) works comply with the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment (Code). Under the Code, resting areas with seats must be provided along long paths of travel around and within buildings. The distance between each of these resting areas should be no greater than 50 metres. The Code also recommends that these seats be designed with armrests at an appropriate height to assist older persons or persons with disabilities to get up from the seats.
In addition, BCA has published Universal Design Guides, which provides industry with guidelines and good practices for accessibility features beyond the mandatory requirements, including the design of resting areas with seats.
BCA regularly reviews the Code to ensure that its standards meet the changing needs of the population. For instance, in the Draft Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment 2025 that is currently undergoing public consultation, the Code Review Committee has proposed to require at least one passenger alighting and boarding point to be equipped with seats. We encourage members of the public to provide feedback on the Draft Code, which is available for public consultation until 27 January 2025.
RETROFITTING MULTISTOREY CAR PARKS IN NEW ESTATES TO ACCOMMODATE TALLER VEHICLES
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for National Development in newer estates such as Sengkang and Punggol where surface carparks are scarce (a) whether HDB has considered retrofitting existing multistorey carparks to accommodate taller vehicles; and (b) if not, what are the main constraints to doing so.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) multi-storey car parks (MSCPs) are provided primarily to serve the parking needs of residents. They are built in compliance with the Land Transport Authority’s Code of Practice on Vehicle Parking Provision, with height limits sufficient for access by passenger cars and most
light goods vehicles. Larger commercial vehicles are generally not allowed to park in HDB MSCPs due to safety concerns and potential disamenities to residents. Vehicles that are unable to park in HDB MSCPs can park at public surface car parks, commercial and industrial car parks, as well as purpose-built heavy vehicle parks instead. For temporary parking needs such as to facilitate loading and unloading activities, they may also use the loading and unloading bays which do not have height limits. HDB has no plans to retrofit existing MSCPs to accommodate taller commercial vehicles. Such retrofitting works would require major additional and alteration works or reconstruction of the building, affecting all existing car park users.
HARMONISING WORKFORCE REGULATIONS ACROSS REGIONS UNDER JOHOR-SINGAPORE SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Manpower whether workforce regulations will be harmonised across the two regions under the Johor Singapore Special Economic Zone, including procedures for obtaining work permits and the ability to work in the other country, to enhance cross-border flows of people.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone will strengthen economic cooperation and connectivity, including facilitating the cross-border movement of people and goods, to bring mutual benefit to the businesses and people of both countries.
However, there is no intent to harmonise workforce regulations between Singapore and Malaysia. Singaporeans who wish to work in Malaysia, and vice versa, must meet the requirements of the respective work pass frameworks.
REVIEW OF CPF CONTRIBUTION THRESHOLD FOR SILVER SUPPORT SCHEME AMID INFLATION
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the CPF Board has reviewed the adequacy of the $140,000 total CPF contribution threshold for the Silver Support Scheme in light of inflation trends since 2021; (b) what economic indicators guide decisions on the timing and extent of adjustments to this threshold; and (c) whether a systematic review process will be implemented to keep the threshold aligned with the cost of living.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Silver Support Scheme is targeted at seniors who had lower incomes during their working years and now have little or no family support and resources in their retirement.
We review the Silver Support Scheme periodically to target support at seniors who need it the most and consider factors such as inflation, while ensuring that the scheme remains fiscally sustainable. From January 2025, the qualifying per capita household income threshold has been raised from $1,800 to $2,300, and the quarterly payments are increased by 20 per cent. The Total Central Provident Fund Contribution is indicative of the incomes that seniors earned during their working years. The contribution threshold is reviewed periodically, and was raised significantly in the last review, doubling in 2021 from $70,000 to $140,000.
The Government has rolled out additional measures to support all Singaporeans with cost-of-living pressures, by enhancing the Assurance Package to more than $10 billion. This includes measures such as the Budget 2024 Cost-of-Living Special Payment that was disbursed in September 2024, Community Development Council Vouchers, and additional U-Save and service and conservancy charges rebates. Seniors who need more assistance can also tap on Comcare assistance.
STATISTICS ON GROSS MONTHLY INCOMES OF FULL-TIME SELF EMPLOYED TAXI AND PRIVATE HIRE CAR DRIVERS
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Manpower for each year between 2016 and 2023, what are the (i) 25th, 50th and 75th percentile and (ii) mean, gross monthly incomes of residents who are full-time self-employed taxi drivers and private hire car drivers.
Dr Tan See Leng: The (i) 25th, (ii) 50th, and (iii) 75th percentile, as well as (iv) mean of the gross monthly incomes of residents who are full-time self-employed taxi drivers and private hire car drivers are in Table 1 below.
PRIORITISATION OF CHILDCARE CENTRE SLOTS FOR HOUSEHOLDS LOCATED WITHIN ONE KILOMETRE OF CENTRE
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Early Childhood Development Agency takes into consideration the distance between the home and childcare centre such as within a one kilometre radius, for the prioritisation of childcare slots in the event that a childcare centre reaches maximum capacity; and (b) if not, why not.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) plans for preschool places to meet anticipated enrolment demand. It considers various factors including demographic trends, projected resident birth rates, enrolment patterns, and availability of preschool places within each Planning Area. From 2018 to 2024, we have added more than 40,000 full-day preschool places, or a 25 per cent increase. Today, there are over 200,000 full-day preschool places, which is more than sufficient to meet demand at both the national and Planning Area levels.
Nevertheless, demand can exceed supply in a small number of districts due to varying parental preferences and the lead-time needed to set up new centres or expand existing centres. ECDA prioritises the expansion of capacity in such districts.
Preschool operators, including those under the Anchor Operator and Partner Operator schemes, generally manage enrolment on a first-come, first-served basis. When a preschool approaches its maximum capacity, the operator will prioritise new enrolment by considering factors such as whether the child has a sibling already enrolled in the centre and the distance from the child’s home to the preschool.
ECDA also encourages parents to broaden their choices by considering centres with available vacancies in adjacent neighbourhoods, near their workplaces or the grandparents’ homes. To better assist parents in this effort, ECDA has designed a new preschool search function on LifeSG, which allows parents to look for preschools with available vacancy in a given locale and directly liaise with preschools on enrolment matters.
PROJECTED EXPENDITURE FOR NEW NEXT GENERATION ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD SYSTEM AND IMPACT ON HEALTHCARE COSTS
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the total projected expenditure for implementing the Next Generation Electronic Medical Record (NGEMR) system to provide a single patient record across all public healthcare clusters; (b) how does the Ministry assess its impact on overall public healthcare costs; and what measures are implemented to ensure that the NGEMR system (i) delivers value for money and (ii) does not increase overall healthcare costs for patients.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The phased rollout of the Next Generation Electronic Medical Record (NGEMR) at the National University Health System and the National Healthcare Group (NHG) was completed in July 2024, while that for SingHealth will take place from late 2026 to 2028. In total, the Government would have invested $1.5 billion over 10 years to develop and implement NGEMR for the whole public healthcare sector. NGEMR is a strategic investment with very significant benefits. More than 100 legacy Information Technology (IT) systems, and the associated costs, will be phased out. For patients who receive care at different public healthcare institutions, detailed medical records and doctors’ notes on their care will be readily accessible by their doctors in the different institutions which will improve the coordination of care for the patient. This benefit is now already realised for patients that seek care from both the National University Hospital Singapore and NHG clusters. NGEMR will also enable public healthcare institutions to utilise various analytical and operational IT tools in the system, that is available currently and in future, to enhance workflow, raise efficiency, and improve health outcomes.
USE OF BUS BOARDING RAMPS FOR WHEELCHAIRS AND BABY PUSHCHAIRS
Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Transport (a) what operational considerations underpin the current differentiation in the deployment of bus boarding ramps for wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs; and (b) what are the specific targets and resources allocated to improve public transport accessibility for families with young children.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Parents or caregivers have the flexibility to board from either the front or rear doors, and to decide whether they wish to leave their child in the stroller as they board. Parents or caregivers who prefer to use the ramp at the rear door can ask the bus captains for assistance. For passengers in wheelchairs who require the use of the ramp to board from the rear door, bus captains will deploy the ramp as a standard procedure. There is a difference for passengers in wheelchairs as many of them may be by themselves, unlike the case for children, and it may not be easy for someone in the wheelchair to alert the bus captain.
Stroller restraints have been installed in the wheelchair bays of buses for families who prefer to keep their strollers open. Since 2014, all new bus interchanges are equipped with family-friendly features, such as baby care rooms and child-friendly facilities in toilets. For existing bus interchanges, we will include these family-friendly facilities during upgrading works where feasible. All stations along the Thomson-East Coast Line, and the upcoming Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line are also equipped with similar features.
APPROVAL FOR COURSES UNDER SKILLSFUTURE MID-CAREER SUPPORT PROGRAMMES
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education why are certain SkillsFuture-approved courses not included under the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Support programmes.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) supports mid career Singaporeans aged 40 and above to pursue substantive upskilling and reskilling to stay relevant and competitive. Today, it can be used on over 7,000 courses with better employability outcomes, including academic full qualifications and industry-specific courses. SkillsFuture Singapore will work closely with sector agencies, industry and training providers to refresh these courses and ensure that they support our economic and manpower needs.
DETERMINING FACTORS IN SECONDARY ONE POSTING EXERCISES GIVEN LESS DIFFERENTIATED PSLE SCORING SYSTEM
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry continues to maintain finer distinctions internally in determining secondary school assignments despite the ostensibly less-differentiated PSLE scoring system introduced in 2021; and (b) if so, how frequently has (i) the choice order of schools and (ii) computerised balloting, respectively, been a determining factor in school assignments.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The Ministry of Education (MOE) conducts the Secondary One Posting Exercise in accordance with a clearly defined set of criteria. This is publicly available on the MOE website. The first posting criterion is determined by the student’s Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) score, which is the sum of the Achievement Levels of their four PSLE subjects. If there are more students with the same PSLE score vying for the remaining vacancies in a school, MOE will apply tiebreakers: first, based on the students’ citizenship, then their choice order of schools, and, if there is still a tie, computerised balloting.
Students whose school choice required tie-breaking had their posting mostly determined by citizenship and school choice order. Over the past three years, the proportion of students who underwent computerised balloting has remained at around one in 10.
TIMELINE FOR REPORT BY EQUITIES MARKET REVIEW GROUP
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what is the projected timeline for the Equities Market Review Group to provide its phased recommendations to the Government; (b) what is the projected timeline for the Government to review these recommendations and subsequently the phased announcement of the recommendations; and (c) what is the expected implementation date for these recommendations.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): The Review Group is targeting to complete its report by August 2025. It may provide updates and announce its recommendations in phases before August.
REPORTS OF INCIDENTS INVOLVING INTOXICATED PASSENGERS ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport (a) for each year over the past three years, how many incidents involving intoxicated passengers on public transport have been reported; (b) how many individuals have faced enforcement actions in connection with these incidents; (c) how are public transport staff trained to manage intoxicated passengers including deciding whether to admit them onboard; and (d) whether new measures are being considered to prevent intoxicated behaviours on public transport and enhance commuter safety and comfort.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Passengers who are intoxicated and in an unsuitable condition to travel are prohibited from boarding public transport. An intoxicated passenger who exhibits disruptive behaviour may be asked to alight from the bus or train. Should the passenger be uncooperative, rowdy or aggressive, the Police will be activated. These passengers may also be issued with a Notification of Offence by the operators, and could be liable to a fine.
Over the past three years, there has been an average of around 34 reported incidents each month involving intoxicated passengers on public transport. Most of these cases did not require enforcement action by the rail operators, the Land Transport Authority, or the Police, as the individuals were cooperative.
Public transport staff are trained to manage situations involving intoxicated passengers. This includes identifying signs of intoxication, such as the smell of alcohol, slurred speech, and difficulty in walking or standing, to determine if they are fit to travel on public transport. They are also trained on procedures for handling intoxicated passengers who are causing nuisance or danger to others.
DATA ON HOUSING GRANTS DISBURSED AFTER REVISION OF ENHANCED CPF HOUSING GRANT AMOUNT FOR FIRST-TIMER HOME BUYERS
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for National Development since the revision of the maximum amount of Enhanced CPF Housing Grant for first-timer buyers of HDB flats, what has been (i) the increase in total housing grants disbursed and (ii) the increase in housing grants per HDB flat across BTO flats and resale flats, as compared to the same had the quantum not been revised.
Mr Desmond Lee: In September 2019, the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) was introduced as a means-tested grant to provide additional support for lower-to-middle income first-timer households buying new or resale flats. On 20 August 2024, the EHG was increased to a maximum of $120,000 for families and $60,000 for singles, with higher increases for lower-income households.
For Build-to-Order (BTO) flats, the Housing and Development Board disburses the EHG before eligible buyers sign the Agreement for Lease for their booked unit, so that they can use the EHG for downpayment. The first BTO exercise after the EHG enhancement was in October 2024, for which flat booking has yet to commence. As such, there is no data at this juncture on the EHG disbursed for BTO flats under the enhanced EHG framework.
For resale flats, the total increase in EHG disbursement for resale applications registered from 20 August 2024 to 30 November 2024 is about $12 million. On a per flat basis, the EHG increase ranged from $2,500 to $40,000 for households with household incomes below $8,000.
COMPLAINTS ABOUT AGGRESSIVE OR JERKY BUS DRIVING
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport (a) how many complaints about aggressive or jerky bus driving have been received by LTA and public transport operators in the past year; (b) how does LTA monitor and assess the prevalence of such behaviours; (c) what factors contribute to such driving behaviours including bus
schedules and driver demographics; and (d) what measures are in place to reduce such driving behaviours to improve commuter safety and comfort.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: Bus operators are required to submit details of public feedback received to the Land Transport Authority every month. In the first 11 months of 2024, out of close to 4 million daily bus trips by commuters, there was an average of around 10 pieces of public feedback per day relating to the driving behaviour of bus captains (“BCs”), including feedback on jerky driving. Based on investigations, the majority of such feedback were attributed to BCs reacting to other roads users, for example BCs had to suddenly apply the brakes when other vehicles cut into the path of their buses.
Bus operators regularly review the runtime of buses to allow BCs to keep to their schedule, while driving safely at a reasonable speed and within speed limits. BCs are not asked to speed up in order to regulate the intervals between buses. All newly-licensed BCs undergo a 5-day Enhanced Vocational Licence Training Programme, which includes a module on safe driving techniques, followed by an additional 5-6 weeks of on-the-road
training before they are deployed to drive public buses. BCs also attend regular safety briefings and go through refresher courses on safe driving techniques, such as the BC Drive Safe course, which incorporate techniques on smooth driving.
Bus operators have also equipped their vehicles with telematics systems to monitor driving behaviour. BCs with good driving behaviour will be rewarded with additional incentives, while BCs with persistent driving issues will be sent for additional training and may be subject to disciplinary action.
The Bus Safety Tripartite Taskforce (“Taskforce”) was formed on 1 July 2024 to review how road safety may be enhanced for bus commuters, bus captains and other road users in their interactions with public buses. One area that the Taskforce is looking into is how we can further enhance the situational awareness of BCs in their interactions with other motorists. The Taskforce aims to complete its review by the first half of 2025.