30 AUGUST 2015 Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, National Day Rally 2015
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30 AUGUST 2015 60 CENTS MCI (P) 044/12/2014 Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, National Day Rally 2015 2 NATIONAL DAY RALLY NTUC This Week 30 AUGUST 2015 Improving Housing Policies Singaporeans can look forward to new and enhanced housing schemes that will help them afford homes more easily. Here are the details. By Ryan Chan MORE Enhanced FOR ALL Family Support PM Lee outlines a slew of worker- Families now have more help friendly initiatives. at hand with the newly- By Ryan Chan announced pro-family here was much to cheer for on the Labour initiatives. We list them Movement’s side, as Prime Minister (PM) Lee here. T Hsien Loong made a number of announcements to better the lives of Singaporeans in his National Day Rally By Fawwaz Baktee speech on 23 August 2015. The Labour Movement’s call to raise the re-employment age has been answered – in a nutshell, a worker can be re- employed till the age 67 from 65 previously. (See page 4 for the Labour Movement’s response). MORE FOR FAMILIES Changes made to housing policies will see the additions of the Proximity Housing Grant and Fresh Start Housing Scheme. The Special CPF Housing Grant will also be extended to more families. These new policies will see Housing Development Board (HDB) flats becoming more affordable for Singaporeans. Families will stand to benefit from the Baby Bonus Scheme now extended to every child, instead of just the first four children. Newborns will also receive more funds in their Medisave accounts, enough to cover their MediShield Life premiums until the age of 21. Fathers will also get more time to spend with their newborns. Paternity leave will be increased one extra week, bringing the total to two weeks, with the Government paying for the additional week. For more details of the announcements, take a look at our breakdown in the following pages. NTUC This Week 30 AUGUST 2015 NATIONAL DAY RALLY 3 INCOME CEILING FOR COUPLES BUYING NEW FLATS This is good for members of all collars ✔ Increased from $10,000 to $12,000 for HDB flats. who need to buy HDB flats. The ✔ Increased from $12,000 to $14,000 for Executive improvement to the Special CPF Housing Condominiums (ECs). Grant is beneficial to everyone. The raising of the income ceiling is good for PMEs (Professionals, Managers and Executives) who wish to buy HDB SPECIAL CPF HOUSING GRANT flats or ECs. The new Proximity Housing Grant ✔ Only first-time buyers are eligible. facilitates those who wish to stay near their parents ✔ Households with incomes of $8,500 and below will qualify. or children and can lead to better family support The previous ceiling was set at $6,500. and bonding. The new Fresh Start Housing Scheme ✔ Maximum grant amount doubled from $20,000 to $40,000. delivers on the promise to help those who fall between the cracks (of society).” PROXIMITY HOUSING GRANT Yeo Chun Fing, General Secretary of the ✔ Introduced to support families to live together or closer to each Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE) other. ✔ Married couples aged 21 and above and singles aged 35 and above will be eligible. ✔ Every Singaporean household will be eligible, whether first- time buyer or not. ✔ Grant of $20,000 for families and $10,000 for singles applying I’m happy that the Fresh Start for resale flat with parents. Housing Scheme to help low-wage workers living in rental flats is being ✔ No household income ceiling. introduced. I raised this during the last COS (Committee of Supply) Debate in March 2015, FRESH START HOUSING SCHEME where I made the call for special provision to ✔ Aimed at helping the group of people who may have previously be made to help low-income families staying purchased a flat, but are rental tenants now. in HDB rental flats. I am indeed very happy that ✔ The scheme will help make two-room flats more affordable something is being done because I believe it will indeed give them a fresh start to a new life.” through a shorter lease and stricter resale conditions. ✔ The Government will also provide counselling support, NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Zainal Sapari and these families have to show they are “determined to get back on their feet and committed to putting their children through school” for the grant to be justified. INCREASED The enhancements to the family Making The MEDISAVE GRANT initiatives are encouraging. We Every Singapore citizen newborn want to encourage everyone, including First Move will have an enhanced Medisave employers, to do their part in helping DBS Bank becomes one of Grant of $4,000 automatically employees bring up their children. These credited into their newly-opened children are the future of our nation.” the first organisations in CPF Medisave account. NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Singapore to introduce two Yeo Guat Kwang weeks paternity leave. By Fawwaz Baktee EXTENSION OF PATERNITY LEAVE here’s good news for dads-to-be working Currently, all working fathers are at DBS Bank! The bank announced on eligible for one week of paternity Amidst a tight labour market 26 August 2015 that it will implement today, companies are operating T leave. This has been enhanced the enhanced Paternity Leave scheme with by a week, paid for by the on a leaner structure and it would retrospective effect from January 2015. Government. To give employers be challenging to meet all workers’ DBS Group Head of Rewards Cheong Meng time to adjust, the Government needs. However, we hope employers Foong said: “At DBS, people are our most will first implement it on a see the extension of paternity leave important resource and we have always sought to voluntarily basis for companies. as a necessity for working parents. We support them in various ways.” also hope unionised companies will The implementation comes hot on the heels take the lead to extend their paternity of the bank’s existing pro-family initiatives leave on a voluntary basis. We are also – flexible work arrangements, and a flexible BABY BONUS happy that there is more help in terms spending account which employees can use to For babies born on or after 1 of Baby Bonus and Medishield grants fund health and wellness-related expenses for January 2015, the Baby Bonus for babies, providing some short-term the entire family. Cash Gift will be enhanced relief for parents.” The management has also worked closely with an additional $2,000. The with DBS Staff Union (DBSSU) over the years enhanced Baby Bonus Cash Gift NTUC U Family Director Toh Hwee Tin to enhance staff benefits and to build a better will also be extended to a couple’s workplace environment. fifth and subsequent child. “The union is glad that DBS is able to introduce the enhanced paternity leave scheme in such a short time. By being an early adopter At a quick glance, here’s what in store for the new arrivals. of this national scheme, DBS shows itself as leading the way in staff welfare. We hope this Birth Order Baby Bonus Cash Baby Bonus Plus Total After Enhancement Gift (new) will encourage more companies to step up 1st and 2nd $6,000 $2,000 $8,000 in support of national efforts to strengthen 3rd and 4th $8,000 $2,000 $10,000 family-friendly work environments,” said 5th and higher $8,000 (new) $2,000 $10,000 DBSSU President Nora Kang. 4 NATIONAL DAY RALLY NTUC This Week 30 AUGUST 2015 Re-employment Age Upped To 67 Efforts over the past years to raise re-employment age from 65 to 67 have paid off, says NTUC Deputy Secretary- General Heng Chee How. By Ramesh Subbaraman ature and older workers in Singapore received a special announcement from M Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong. Singapore will legislate to raise the re- employment age from the current 65 to 67, announced PM Lee at the 2015 National Day Rally at the ITE College Central on 23 August 2015. This will be done by 2017. WORKING LONGER Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who heads the Ministerial Committee on Ageing, will announce an Action Plan soon which will make Singapore a model for successful ageing. However, PM Lee said he wanted to give Singaporeans a “sneak preview” of the Action Plan Report during the Rally. He said many people in their 60s wanted to work longer. PM Lee noted that the Government raised the re-employment age to 65 three years ago and that unions and workers were happy. Employers too have accepted it, are adjusting and starting to benefit. He said while it is still too early to judge, so far it seems to be working well. Every mature worker can be an evergreen worker. TOO EARLY TO STOP WORK From the workers’ point of view, PM Lee NTUC’S EFFORTS PAYS OFF workers to management, and their hard work is noted that 65 may be too early to stop work. Responding to PM Lee’s announcement was greatly appreciated. Workers want the Government to raise the NTUC’s Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) Heng “The tripartite partners have been re-employment age and they want to keep Chee How. He has been at the forefront of collaborative in this process and do working for as long as they are healthy. PM Lee championing the raising of the re-employment acknowledge that mature workers are able to said he hears this every time he attends a union age together with other union leaders. continue contributing their experience to the function. Responding to queries from NTUC This companies.