• MOT, MND and MSE listed their plans on how to fulfil their priorities for the new parliamentary term
• MOT will work to secure Singapore’s status as an air and sea hub
• MND will aim to build a more inclusive and liveable city for Singaporeans
• MSE will push for sustainability efforts across the Government 

SINGAPORE — Three more ministries were among those to respond on Thursday (Aug 27) to President Halimah Yacob’s speech for the new term of Parliament, by laying out their plans to continue developing Singapore as an inclusive home and liveable future city that places sustainability at its core.

The Ministry of Transport (MOT), Ministry of National Development (MND) and Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) issued their addenda to the President’s Address, joining a slew of other ministries that have done so following Mdm Halimah’s speech on Monday. 

These addenda set out how each ministry intends to fulfil the priorities for the new parliamentary term, which Mdm Halimah listed down at the opening of the 14th Parliament.

On Aug 31, Parliament will sit to debate the President's Address in a Motion of Thanks.

Here is a closer look at each of the ministry’s addenda:

MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT

To secure Singapore’s status as a connected and competitive hub, MOT will: 

• Revive the city-state’s air hub status, after its battering by Covid-19, and improve its aviation infrastructure

• Secure Singapore’s status as a top transshipment hub and international maritime centre with the completion of the Tuas Port, targeted to be sometime in the 2040s

• Restart travel between Singapore and Malaysia, and embark on the Rapid Transit System project between Singapore and Johor Baru

To develop an inclusive home and liveable city in the future, MOT will: 

• Deliver reliable and affordable public transport

• Aim to fulfil its vision of all residents being able to reach the city centre within 45 minutes, and their town centres within 20 minutes by walking, cycling or riding on public transport 

• Improve support for commuters who are disabled

To ensure long-term sustainability and resilience of Singapore’s resources, MOT will:

• Expand cycling paths to a total of 1,320km by 2030 

• Try to phase out private vehicles with internal combustion engines by 2040

• Promote the adoption of electric vehicles by deploying charging infrastructure islandwide

• Purchase only cleaner energy buses.

In the ministry’s addendum, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said: “Covid-19 has inflicted severe damage on the transport sector. The Ministry of Transport will work with the industry to tide over the Covid-19 pandemic, revive the Changi air hub, strengthen our status as a global hub port, and deliver sustainable and inclusive land transport for our home of the future.” 

MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

To develop an inclusive home and liveable city in the future, MND will: 

• Transform Singapore into a city in nature by integrating nature into urban areas and extending the network of nature parks

• Ensure public housing remains accessible and affordable 

• Cater to the diverse housing needs of Singaporeans

• Rejuvenate public housing estates though upgrading works

• Plan and design public housing estates to better support the physical, social and mental well-being of residents at different life stages

• Lay the groundwork for longer-term infrastructure projects such as the Greater Southern Waterfront and the redevelopment of the Paya Lebar airbase site

To ensure long-term sustainability and resilience of Singapore’s resources, MND will:

• Design new precincts for greater environmental sustainability and liveability, such as building a car-free town centre in Tengah estate and planning Jurong Lake District to be a sustainable mixed-use development 

• Continue greening Singapore’s urban infrastructure by raising building sustainability standards 

• Drive research, innovation and digitalisation across the built environment industry to improve productivity and sustainability, as well as to create new and better jobs

National Development Minister Desmond Lee said: “We recognise that Covid-19 has significantly impacted our lives and our livelihoods as well as the way we live, work and play. Some of these changes are short-term, while others may be permanent structural shifts. Most importantly, we seek to be responsive and agile in tackling these challenges together.”

MINISTRY OF SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 

To ensure long-term sustainability and resilience of Singapore’s resources, MSE will:

• Push for a green recovery from Covid-19 that supports a competitive transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient future

• Drive and coordinate public sector sustainability efforts across the Government

• Develop Tuas Nexus to harness synergies between solid waste and water treatment processes, and generate sufficient solar energy to power all local waterworks by 2021

• Ensure water security by expanding Changi NEWater Factory

• Invest in technology such as the rolling out of smart meters in 300,000 premises by 2023

• Meet the goal of providing 30 per cent of Singapore’s nutritional needs with locally produced food by 2030 by unlocking more spaces for land and sea-based farming, masterplanning Lim Chu Kang and developing the Agri-Food Innovation Park

• Push boundaries to realise a circular economy by transforming waste treatment residue into construction materials (known as NEWSand) and discarded plastics into an alternative fuel (known as NEWOil)

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said: “The challenges of Covid-19 and climate change, together with other trade and environmental pressures, pose a threat to Singapore’s supply of critical resources like food and water. We will ensure that Singapore’s critical resources remain uncompromised for both present and future generations.”