Building a better and more sustainable future for everyone

Building a better and more sustainable future for everyone, while assiduously defending our way of life and what we have built over the years...

DPM Heng Swee Keat said:

COVID-19 is a clear and present danger, but it will fade at some point. On the other hand, the threat of climate change is existential, and will be with us for generations.

So even as we fight the virus, we are also building for the future.

And we must also defend what we have built up and our way of life. These efforts are highlighted in MINDEF’s and MHA’s Addenda.

But even as we build for tomorrow, we must help our people get through today, especially in sectors which are hardest-hit such as aviation and construction. We had earlier announced additional targeted measures to help these sectors through these difficult times.

Together, we can overcome this crisis and emerge to a brighter, greener and more resilient future.

The mission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is to uphold Singapore’s independence and sovereignty

The mission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is to uphold Singapore’s independence and sovereignty while advancing the interests of Singapore overseas and providing consular services to Singaporeans.

Even as we deal with the massive health, economic, and social impact of the pandemic, we need to maintain our engagement on the global stage.

COVID-19 has reinforced how important it is for Singapore to continue to play an active role internationally and deepen our interactions with key stakeholders and at multilateral fora.

The fight against COVID-19 is a global one and we cannot win it alone.

MFA's Addendum to the President's Address

Our ability to turn our economy around will depend on the strength of our tripartite partnerships

The close and unique tripartite relationship between government, employers and unions is our strength during a crisis. It has proven so in past crisis and in this current crisis of a generation, this tripartite relationship will stand us in good stead.

Instead of hostilities, the government work closely with unions and employers to protect jobs, create new jobs, create training opportunities and attachments. 👍👍💪💪

DPM Heng Swee Keat said:

We are doing all that we can to encourage job creation and provide training opportunities for jobseekers through the #SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package. In all, we have committed about $100 billion in the fight against COVID-19.

We are also redoubling our efforts to transform and grow our economy.

Doing so requires us to pull together a few critical pieces — from rejuvenating our industries through Industry Transformation Maps, to creating new value through innovation and R&D, and pathfinding the post-COVID world through the Emerging Stronger Taskforce.

This will be my key focus as Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies.

Our ability to turn our economy around will depend on the strength of our tripartite partnerships, and I am grateful for the strong support of our Labour Movement, businesses and all stakeholders.

The journey ahead will not be easy, but our collective strength and our determination to build back better will see us through this crisis and enable us to emerge stronger.

Singapore continues to attract investments

Singapore continues to attract investments (like the recent ones from Kajima and Shell) because the PAP Government has over the years, built competitive advantages through a strong regulatory environment, an emphasis on skills training to build a skilled workforce, and deep connectivity.

Minister Chan Chun Sing assured Singaporeans that the government will continue to build on these advantages and get our fundamentals right so that Singapore continues to attract new investments creating good jobs for Singaporeans.

20 years' worth of surpluses burned to manage this crisis!

Imagine, if we didn't have a prudent government that does not squander surpluses away to make themselves popular.

Imagine if the government had given in to populist pressure from the opposition in Parliament to spend the reserves for recurrent needs.

Imagine if the government thought it was more important to do the popular thing than the prudent thing.

Last December, no one thought the world we have known for over 50 years would change.

No one expected a crisis to wipe out much of the progress we had made in the last 50 years.

No one knows when the next crisis will hit us. Or how many years' worth of budget surpluses we will need to burn to handle it.

But one thing is for sure.

Prudence will stand us in good stead and saving can only happen in good times.

In good times, we make small sacrifices and save for rainy days and raging storms.

Chan Chun Sing on raising the salary criteria for EP and S Pass holders: We want quality

The new rules to limit foreign worker visas won’t affect Singapore’s status as a business hub, Mr Chan said Friday in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s Haslinda Amin.

In another interview with CNA on Saturday, Mr Chan said: “The way to interpret the recent changes is this, we are making a move towards quality, rather than quantity … and this is what we have done progressively over the years.

“Whenever the economic conditions require it, we will progressively adjust the qualifying salaries for the foreign employees coming into Singapore because 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬, 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝.”

He added: in doing this, we raise the headroom for Singaporeans to compete while at the same time, it doesn’t affect the really top tier of talent that we want to attract from the world.

A strong defence is necessary for economic development to take place in peace and stability.

A strong defence is necessary for economic development to take place in peace and stability. That's the simple truth.

What we cannot defend is not ours.