HIDDEN_ADDENDA, MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: MR MAH BOW TAN
Minister for National Development

1 MND will contribute to making Singapore a land of opportunity. We will enhance Singapore’s position as an exciting, attractive and modern metropolis, a hub for talent and enterprise, and a home for our people. We will guide Singapore’s continued development as a city of distinction, characterised by its architectural and urban design excellence and a high quality living environment. We will continue to ensure affordable quality public housing to meet the diverse needs of our people.

AN EXCITING, ATTRACTIVE AND MODERN METROPOLIS: 2 Our land use policies and development efforts will be geared towards making Singapore an attractive destination for businesses and new investments. We will adopt a pro-business approach and ensure flexibility in land use to accommodate changing trends and new needs. Besides the timely release of land for businesses, we will introduce new

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land sale mechanisms to facilitate innovative and exciting concepts that create value. Shorter leases and other measures to reduce upfront land costs for businesses will also be explored.

3 Downtown at Marina Bay will be a key focus of our development efforts. The development of the Business and Financial Centre, along with the redevelopment of the existing Central Business District, will enhance Singapore’s position as a business and financial hub. The development of the waterfront promenade and the connecting bridge to Marina Centre will create a vibrant and exciting continuous loop of recreational and lifestyle activities around the Marina Bay.

4 The rejuvenation of Orchard Road will ensure it retains its status as a premier shopping district. We will review our development guidelines for the area and encourage property owners to upgrade and enhance their properties.

5 We will promote architectural and urban design excellence. A distinctive city, where a quality built environment is the hallmark, will enable Singapore to distinguish itself from other cities.

A HIGH QUALITY LIVING ENVIRONMENT: 6 MND will continue to ensure a high quality living environment for our residents. We have a well-deserved reputation as a premier Garden City, appreciated by visitors and residents alike. We will establish a second national botanical gardens at the Downtown at Marina Bay. A showcase of horticultural displays, it will feature an iconic conservatory of cool tropical as well as temperate plants. We will also organise a world-class biennial horticultural show at the new botanical gardens.

7 We will continue to expand and upgrade the network of parks and park connectors. Together with our corporate and community partners we will upgrade and build new recreational facilities and attractions, and promote activities and edutainment programmes in the parks. We will also encourage local communities to participate in the management of the gardens in order to foster a greater sense of belonging and care for the environment.

8 We will review and strengthen the code and regulatory framework for building and construction, to ensure that our buildings are of good quality, safe and elder-friendly. In particular, with an ageing population, MND will work closely with other agencies to ensure that the accessibility in and between buildings and public areas will be barrier-free as far as possible.

9 Despite our high dependency on food imports, Singapore is a paradise for food lovers with the wide variety and quality of food available. MND will continue to strengthen our food safety management regime by improving our testing capabilities for food-borne hazards. We will work with major traders and diversify our food sources to ensure resilience in the food supply.

AFFORDABLE QUALITY PUBLIC HOUSING: 10 Public housing has played a critical role in promoting rootedness and social cohesion among Singaporeans. It has given our people a tangible stake in the country and facilitated upward social mobility.

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11 MND will continue to provide affordable and quality public housing that meets the needs and aspirations of Singaporeans. We will continue to promote home ownership for the vast majority who can afford it. The Government will gradually liberalise the public housing market to promote greater private sector participation in the design and development of public housing. This will give greater housing choice and variety for flat buyers. Subsidised rental housing will be provided for the needy who cannot afford home ownership flats.

12 MND will free up rules and regulations on public housing to encourage HDB lessees to be more self-reliant, responsible and entrepreneurial. We will give HDB residents more opportunities to participate in the management of their estates to foster greater ownership and a sense of belonging.

13 Rejuvenation of our older HDB towns and estates will continue, through upgrading programmes and the Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS), within the resources available. In view of our rapidly ageing population, we will step up the pace of lift upgrading in HDB estates.