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During this year’s National Day Rally, PM Lee Hsien Loong mentioned a range of incoming changes that would affect Singapore. There was a lot to take in, because the NDR provides an annual forecast on major developments, making it one of the most important messages for Singaporeans. If you didn’t have the time to catch PM Lee Hsien Loong’s NDR on 20 Aug 2023, here’s a TLDR of the key points he had made about our challenges and future plans, with links to articles that then followed up with the details -- all gathered in one place for you.
“We will introduce a package to help Young Seniors meet your retirement needs – let us name it the Majulah Package. This will be for Singaporeans who are 50 and above this year – born in 1973 or earlier.
…besides Young Seniors, we also want to encourage older seniors to continue working for as long as you can. Hence the Majulah Package also covers the Pioneer and Merdeka Generations.”
More on retirement packages: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/ndr-2023-14-million-singaporeans-aged-50-and-up-to-get-more-help-meeting-retirement-needs
“…It will be a temporary safety net to help you meet immediate needs, to free you to upskill and train, as you prepare yourself for a good long-term job. So long as you are willing to make the effort, the Government will go the extra mile to help you.”
More on help for retrenched workers: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/ndr-2023-retrenched-workers-to-get-interim-financial-support-while-reskilling-for-better-jobs
“…Healthier SG aims to get each of us to take more responsibility for our own health, supported by family doctors and community partners. When you enrol, you will get a personalised health plan, including when to go for screenings and vaccinations.
…a new national programme called “Age Well SG”, will complement Healthier SG in improving the health of our seniors. The Ministries will share more about this in the coming months.”
More on active aging: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/ndr-2023-active-ageing-centres-to-be-expanded-to-help-seniors-stay-active-and-healthy
“…the framework of Mature and Non-Mature Estates will no longer work and we need a new framework. This framework has to achieve three important objectives: One, it has to keep home ownership affordable to all income groups. Two, it has to maintain a good social mix in every town and every region. And three, it has to keep the system fair for everyone. …Our solution is to introduce a new “Plus” model for selling HDB flats at choicer locations, with stricter sale conditions so that we can moderate the prices.
…Standard flats are good flats built all over Singapore, and will have HDB’s standard subsidies and standard restrictions. Plus flats are in the choicer locations within a region, and will have more subsidies and tighter restrictions than Standard flats. And Prime flats are in the choicest and most central locations in the whole of Singapore, and they will have the most subsidies and tightest restrictions.
…When we roll out the new framework, singles will be allowed to buy 2-room Flexi flats across all types of BTO projects – Standard, Plus, and Prime. HDB will tell you the details soon.
More on new housing framework: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/ndr-2023-new-public-housing-framework-needed-to-ensure-affordability-fairness-and-good-social-mix
“…our forefathers built more than a nation of bricks and mortar, skyscrapers and a thriving economy. They created a nation founded on ideals: justice and equality; religious freedom and racial harmony; a commitment to excellence; a fair system of meritocracy; and an uncompromising insistence on honest, clean government.
…Let us hold fast to: our values, which anchor us and guide our way; our mutual trust, which is the bedrock of our success; and our dreams, which drive us ever forward. Let us come together with a renewed spirit and vigour, a semangat yang baru, to build a better, brighter Singapore for generations to come. Majulah Singapura!
More on our compass: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/pm-lee-succession-lawrence-wong-leadership-controversies-no-delay-national-day-rally-3711331