Heng Swee Keat has been appointed the additional role of Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies, on top of his existing roles as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on July 25.
This is due to Heng chairing the Future Economy Council as well as the National Research Foundation.
The Coordinating Minister appointment has been held by three highly experienced Ministers, Senior Ministers Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Teo Chee Hean, and retired transport minister Khaw Boon Wan.
In addition, Heng will continue to oversee the Strategy Group within the Prime Minister’s Office, which coordinates policies and plans across the government.
Subsequently, Heng put up a Facebook post in which he stated that he had agreed with PM Lee that there was a need for a balance of continuity, exposure and renewal.
Heng added that the cabinet line-up is a "good complement" of experienced Ministers, younger political office-holders and new MPs who have taken up political office.
Heng: Top priority is to support workers
Heng elaborated that the top priority was to support workers in Singapore by helping them to retain their jobs, take on new ones and acquire new skills.
As such, Heng will work on bringing together Singapore's economic agencies, to focus on employment and industry transformation, in his new capacity as Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies.
Heng then highlighted that he will continue to work with the Secretary-General of NTUC, Ng Chee Meng, on such an effort and added that he had already met Ng and ministers in the economic sector earlier in the week, to discuss further measures for supporting workers and firms.
Heng also pointed out that he will work on integrating the work of the Jobs Council with that of the Future Economy Council, as an advisor to the National Jobs Council, so as to ensure that the measures are properly targeted at companies and workers.
The DPM also referenced the earlier establishment of the Emerging Stronger Taskforce under Desmond Lee and Tan Chong Meng, and added that the initiatives of this Taskforce will support the work of the Future Economy Council, so as to help workers be better prepared for the changing structure of both the local and global economy.
Social division also a challenge to be tackled
Social division was also brought up by Heng as another challenge that had to be tackled.
Here, he noted that Covid-19 had deepened social divisions in many societies and that it was crucial for Singapore to have a deepened sense of solidarity and unity, and to take better care of the vulnerable.
Heng brought up the Singapore Together movement, explaining:
"Under the Singapore Together movement, headed by Indranee and Desmond Lee, we will rally people from different parts of our society, to take action in causes that they care about. We must look at how we can better support one another, so that no one will be left to walk alone."
Thanking Khaw Boon Wan
Heng concluded his post by thanking Khaw and acknowledging his status as his boss when both of them were in the Civil Service within the Ministry of Trade and Industry in 2000.
Heng added that he had learnt much from Khaw when he took over from him, after Khaw entered politics.
Heng learnt that Khaw has been discharged from the hospital and wished him a speedy recovery from dengue.