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Business Times
a day ago
- Business
- Business Times
PM Wong delivers National Day Rally: 8 things to know, from job-matching to vaping
[SINGAPORE] Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Sunday (Aug 17) delivered his second National Day Rally since taking office last year. In the most important political address of the year, he said that all Singaporeans had to work together to carry forward what has been inherited from older generations, and write the next chapter of the Singapore story as one. Here are eight key points from the rally: 1. 'Little comfort' from baseline tariff The US has maintained its 10 per cent tariff rate on Singapore, which is the lowest that any country can get. Still, this 'gives us little comfort' , said PM Wong, because no one knows if or when the US might raise the baseline, or set higher tariffs on specific industries such as pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. 'What we do know is that there will be more trade barriers in the world. That means small and open economies like us will feel the squeeze,' he said. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 2. Overarching priority of innovation and technology The government will maintain a strong focus on innovation and technology because this is the way to sustainably raise productivity and improve the lives of citizens, said PM Wong. The government invested heavily in research and development (R&D) over the last two decades, including in biomedical sciences, he noted. It is now applying the same long-term approach to other frontier technologies such as quantum computing. Besides cutting-edge R&D, what is of equal, if not greater, importance is how quickly new technologies are adopted across the entire economy. He assured citizens that even as Singapore embraces artificial intelligence and technology, they will remain at the centre of everything the government does. 3. New job-matching initiative at the town level With Singapore's top economic priority being jobs, the government will launch a new job-matching initiative led by the Community Development Councils. The mayors will share more details soon. Separately, the SkillsFuture Level Up programme will see two enhancements. First, a portion of training allowances can be claimed for part-time courses; and second, the course offerings will be expanded. 4. Tougher penalties for vaping The government will treat vaping as a drug issue and impose much stiffer penalties, said PM Wong. This means jail sentences and more severe punishments for those who sell vapes with harmful substances. There will be supervision and rehabilitation provided to help people quit. A major public education drive is being planned, to be led by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health. 5. New government-funded traineeships The government will fund a new traineeship programme for fresh graduates from the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics and universities. PM Wong said the programme will be scaled up if the economy worsens, and that the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce will share more details soon. 6. Roll-out of 'Age Well Neighbourhoods' for seniors Singapore can expand on existing care arrangements for seniors to build 'Age Well Neighbourhoods' that support them where they are. The first such neighbourhoods will be in Toa Payoh and 'one or two other areas with a high concentration of seniors', said PM Wong. Older estates can be made more senior-friendly by increasing their spaces and facilities; expanding home-based services; and bringing healthcare services closer to them. 7. Bringing vibrancy to towns in the north PM Wong devoted a sizeable chunk of his speech to highlight plans for three towns in the northern part of Singapore : Woodlands, Kranji and Sembawang. He shared about upcoming projects such as an expanded Woodlands Checkpoint; the upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link; a new public housing estate in Kranji; and redevelopment of the Sembawang Shipyard area. 8. A 'Singapore Spirit' that binds the nation together PM Wong spoke of the importance of the collective will of Singaporeans, as he described a 'Singapore Spirit' that will bind the nation together and propel it forward. 'We must believe in one another. We must have the conviction that our best days lie ahead,' he said. He noted how the Covid-19 pandemic was the crisis of this current generation, and how Singaporeans stood together at that moment of need. 'We got through the pandemic not only because of government measures, but because of our Singapore Spirit,' he said. 'The spirit we summoned then must not fade. It shouldn't be something that emerges only during a crisis. We must keep this spirit alive, through good times and bad, and make it part of how we live and relate to one another every day.'
Business Times
a day ago
- Business
- Business Times
National Day Rally: More help for jobseekers with CDC job-matching, SkillsFuture tweaks
[SINGAPORE] Community-based job matching and improvements to a SkillsFuture scheme for mid-career workers are among efforts to help workers seize opportunities, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 17). Even as Singapore looks to technology and innovation for growth, workers remain the focus, he said. 'Ultimately, our economic strategy is about jobs, jobs and jobs – that's our number one priority.' To that end, the government is stepping up job-matching services, such as by having more career fairs in tertiary institutions. A new job-matching initiative will be introduced 'at the town level', led by the Community Development Councils (CDCs), announced PM Wong. As the CDCs have strong networks with local businesses and community partners, they are 'well-placed' to match jobseekers – particularly those who prefer working closer to home – with vacancies, he said. Details will be shared by respective mayors soon. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Levelling up the SkillsFuture Level Up programme The SkillsFuture Level Up programme for mid-career workers will also see two key enhancements. This provides S$4,000 in SkillsFuture credits as well as training allowances of up to S$3,000 a month, for up to 24 months, for full-time studies. Now, workers will be able to claim a portion of the training allowance for part-time courses. Eligible courses will also be expanded to include more that are conducted by industry leaders and private training providers. These moves are needed as Singapore enters the era of artificial intelligence (AI), said PM Wong. Noting that AI is already being used in everyday life and in the civil service, he added: 'The real game changer lies in using AI to raise productivity and create new value through every part of the economy.' Singapore will help companies big and small to harness AI and automation to stay competitive, he said. But the government also recognises that technology will disrupt jobs. 'Even as we embrace artificial intelligence and technology, we will not lose sight of our key priority,' he said. 'Singaporeans will always be at the centre of everything we do. So we won't just rush headlong to adopt new technology.' The government will work with the NTUC, unions and workers to redesign jobs, and retrain workers, he said. Technological innovation disrupts, but also creates opportunities, he noted. Some jobs will disappear, but new roles – that require higher skills but fetch better pay – will emerge.
