More shared parental leave, financial aid for unemployed: 6 takeaways from NDR 2024

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered his maiden National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 18), announcing measures as part of what he described as a “reset” of policies to realise a “refreshed Singapore Dream”.
In Singapore’s most important political speech of the year, Mr Wong, who became Prime Minister on May 15, outlined plans that would affect companies, workers, families, students and singles. 
Here are six key takeaways: 
The government will introduce 10 extra weeks of shared leave, with either mothers or fathers able to apply for them. 
This will be implemented progressively, starting with six weeks’ leave for babies born from Apr 1, 2025. The full 10 weeks will apply a year later. 
The 10 weeks will be paid for by the government and comes on top of current paternity and maternity leave arrangements.
Fathers currently have two weeks of paternity leave, with another two weeks offered by employers on a voluntary basis. From Apr 1 next year, this additional two weeks will be mandatory. 
Mothers have 16 weeks of maternity leave. 
With the add-ons, parents will have a total of 30 weeks or about 7.5 months of paid leave.
A new scheme to support families having a third child, or families who already have three or more young children, is also in the works. Details are expected at next year’s Budget.
The Gifted Education Programme (GEP) will be replaced with a new approach for high-ability learners in primary schools.
The GEP was started in 1984. Students are identified for it through a two-stage exercise in Primary 3, and those selected are invited to join from Primary 4. 
Mr Wong said it was time to update the GEP, with its current form – where students are placed into nine primary schools – to be discontinued.
Instead, each primary school will have its own programmes to “stretch” students in their areas of strength and interest, and these students will remain in the school. 
Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing will announce details on the new approach.  
Currently, couples can get an enhanced Central Provident Fund (CPF) housing grant of up to S$80,000 (US$60,698). This will be increased, especially for lower-income groups, Mr Wong announced. 
He said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee will announce more details soon.
Mr Wong also announced new priority access for singles who intend to buy Build-to-Order (BTO) flats near their parents, effective from the middle of next year. Singles can buy certain models of BTO flats after they turn 35. 
Such priority access was previously available only to married children and their parents buying new flats to live with or near one other.
The Kallang area will be rejuvenated with a view to consolidating sports facilities for both high-performance athletes and regular Singaporeans. 
National training centres will be moved to Kallang, along with the Singapore Sports School which is currently at Woodlands. New sports science and sports medicine facilities will be built there as well. 
A main road running through the Sports Hub will be converted into a pedestrian community boulevard with sports facilities and programmes.
Earlier this year, the government announced a new indoor arena to replace the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The new facility will have a capacity of 18,000, up from the current 12,000.
A new SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme will be introduced to give lower- and middle-income workers who involuntarily lose their jobs temporary financial support of up to S$6,000 for over up to six months. 
But these workers must do their part too, said Mr Wong, calling on them to go for training, career coaching, and job matching services.
Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng will provide more details.
As previously announced, Singaporeans aged 40 and above will also get an allowance of up to S$3,000 a month when they take time off from work to study full time.
Some of this training allowance will be extended to those who attend part-time courses as well, said Mr Wong. The Ministry of Education will announce more details. 
To ensure a “business-friendly environment”, the government will look to further reduce the regulatory burden for companies, said Mr Wong, noting that Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong will oversee this process. 
Mr Wong said agencies know the importance of minimising regulations, but that rules grow over time. 
The government will actively review rules and processes, “pruning” them where possible and helping businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, he added.