PM Wong convenes Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee to coordinate S'pore's national response to global energy crunch

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong released a video on social media on Apr. 2, 2026, to help inform and reassure Singaporeans about the situation in the Middle East and the dire energy crisis the stoppages in the Strait of Hormuz are likely to engender.

PM Wong said that he has convened the Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee to coordinate the national response to the crisis in the Middle East, particularly as it pertains to an expected prolonged global energy crunch.

PM Wong warned that the economy might face a prolonged period of falling economic output but with rising prices, otherwise known as stagflation.

“Once that takes hold, it is deeply damaging and very hard to bring under control.”

Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee

The Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee is chaired by Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam, with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong as adviser.

PM Wong said that the team had already begun work, updating existing contingency plans and developing new ones in light of the unprecedented developments in the Middle East.

Energy and supply chain resilience

First of all, Singapore is taking active steps to strengthen energy and supply chain resilience.

PM Wong said that Singapore had thus far been able to manage immediate disruptions, with refineries and chemical companies adjusting by scaling back production, as well as sourcing crude oil and feedstock from sources beyond the Middle East.

Singapore’s LNG importers are also securing alternative supplies from other global producers.

PM Wong said Singapore is working with trusted partners such as Australia and New Zealand.

Australia is a key supplier of Singapore’s LNG, accounting for more than a third of Singapore’s supply, and Singapore intends to “deepen this cooperation.

With New Zealand, Singapore is working to ensure supply lines for essential goods and food remain open.

PM Wong said that both partnerships are “long-term security” and that he had spoken to both countries’ PMs in recent days to strengthen "coordination and ensure these arrangements remain robust."

Government assistance

Secondly, PM Wong said that the government would cushion the immediate impact on households and businesses.

Support measures previously announced in the 2026 Budget were being rolled out, such as additional U-Save rebates to “help households cope with higher electricity costs”.

PM Wong said the government intended to do more by enhancing existing measures, bringing some of them forward to provide earlier relief.

Targeted support for more severely affected sectors would also be provided, with more details to be revealed in Parliament in the upcoming weeks.

National resilience

Thirdly, PM Wong called on Singaporeans to stand together, saying that Singapore’s "strength lies in our unity".

“National resilience does not depend only on the government. It depends on all of us.”

PM Wong urged households and businesses to take practical steps, conserving energy and reducing unnecessary consumption and waste.

Businesses should review operations and improve energy efficiency, while households should be mindful of daily energy use.

“These may seem like small steps, but taken together, they make a real difference.”

He reassured Singaporeans that while Singapore cannot isolate itself from global upheavals, the government has the "plans, the capabilities, and resilience to navigate this together".

“Whatever comes our way, we will face it, as one people, one nation. And we will get through this - together.”

Top image via MDDI