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Today (Apr. 11), various government ministries released their respective addenda to Monday's address by President Halimah Yacob, reaffirming their commitment to building a fairer and more inclusive society in Singapore.
Here's a summary of the key initiatives each ministry is working on.
Ministry of National Development (MND)
MND said that it will "work to keep public housing affordable and accessible, and meet the housing demands of a diverse group of Singaporeans".
MND will maintain a steady supply of housing by completing 100,000 homes by 2025.
Proactive social support will be provided to uplift lower-income families and help them move towards home ownership.
MND will also develop a range of housing options for singles, seniors, and persons with disabilities.
For instance, senior-friendly housing options such as Community Care Apartments will be provided.
Ministry of Health (MOH)
MOH said that it will "focus on improving the health of Singapore's population through effective preventive care that spans the entire life of an individual".
The ministry added that it will enhance mental health screening and psycho-emotional support for expecting parents.
It will also work with other ministries to incorporate health education in schools and preschools.
Adults can enrol in Healthier SG from July 2023 onwards, which will connect them to a family doctor, help them access community health programmes and provide other subsidised health services.
Expanding care capacity
Seniors will be able to live out their golden years in community, as the health ministry expands its network of Active Ageing Centres, and strengthens support for palliative care.
To expand its care capacity, MOH will add 1,900 public hospital beds (up from 11,000) in the next few years.
It will also build 10 more polyclinics (up from 32) and add more than 15,000 nursing home beds (up from 16,000) by 2030.
Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF)
MSF said that it "seeks to give every child a good start, and help every family achieve stability, self-reliance and social mobility".
It added that it will continue to invest in the early childhood sector, so that 80 per cent of pre-schoolers can have a place in a government-supported preschool by 2025.
To strengthen families, the Families for Life movement will be established in all towns by 2025.
This will provide families access to a range of services such as peer support groups, marriage preparation, parenting and grand parenting programmes.
Family-centric interventions, such as marriage support for minors, divorce support, and family counselling, will be provided through the Strengthening Families Programme. This is offered by a network of 10 Family Service Centres across Singapore.
MSF will also strengthen social safety nets for lower-income families through ComLink, which will coordinate social services to get them the help they need.
Additionally, KidSTART will be scaled up to provide nation-wide coverage by 2026 to facilitate early childhood development for children from lower-income families.
MSF will also support persons with disabilities and their caregivers by establishing regional Enabling Business Hubs and Enabling Services Hubs.
Ministry of Education (MOE)
MOE is moving beyond the pursuit of paper qualifications and embracing a broader definition of success.
MOE will implement full Subject-Based Banding in secondary schools by 2024 to cater to the strengths and learning needs of students.
The ministry will expand admission routes to schools and Institutes of Higher Learning to recognise the different strengths and abilities of students.
Additionally, MOE will strengthen support for students with Special Educational Needs, and work with Social Service Agencies to improve their career prospects.
For adult learners, MOE will strengthen support for upskilling and reskilling through the SkillsFuture movement.
MOE will also make training more accessible for adult learners, work with stakeholders to make sure workers' training meets business needs and reduce the opportunity cost for training.
Ministry of Manpower (MOM)
MOM said that it will "expand opportunities, strengthen support and assurance, and foster fair, inclusive, and safe workplaces for Singaporeans".
In particular, the ministry will support Singaporeans in skilled trades or "hands-on work", by working with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) to offer better salaries, and chart clearer progression ladders.
Additionally, MOM will uplift lower-wage workers by expanding the coverage of Progressive Wages and the Workfare Income Supplement scheme.
Photo via NEA/Facebook
The ministry will encourage employers to retain seniors who want to continue working, by providing wage offsets through the Senior Employment Credit and Part-time Re-employment Grant, which has been extended until 2025.
Furthermore, more protection will be provided for platform workers, such as through work injury compensation, and Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions.
Lastly, MOM will enact workplace fairness legislation to provide stronger protection against workplace discrimination and enable workers to seek redress for harm done.
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Top image via Families For Life.