Public Service Division
- Immerse officers involved in policy-making more in day-to-day issues and ground operations by providing them with more operational postings and attachments
- Coordinate municipal services better across the whole of the Government so citizens have a smoother experience
- Build specialist expertise among public service officers and a broader leadership development programme
- Appoint a chief human resources officer to upgrade human resource capabilities across the public services
- Civil Service College to develop new training programmes in areas like human resource, public communications and engagement
Ministry of Finance & Monetary Authority of Singapore
- Continue to judiciously manage the Singapore Dollar exchange rate to stay vigilant against inflation
- Maintain a strong fiscal position to meet future spending needs; continue to tap the Net Investment Returns Contribution to supplement the annual Budget
- Promote online and mobile e-services and make data available to the public so more can use it to create useful applications
- Continue to strengthen internal controls, procurement and internal audit
- Draw up recovery and resolution plans for the systematically important banks in Singapore, and require important foreign banks to incorporate their retail banking businesses locally, to better protect depositors
- Safeguard the interests of retail investors by improving the regulatory framework for financial advice for life insurance and investment products, and giving them the option to buy basic insurance products directly from insurers more cheaply
- Review the regulation of collective investment schemes and raise financial literacy
Ministry of Law
- Review the family court structure and improve access to family justice
- Implement the new Protection from Harassment Act and more strongly enforce civil orders
- Review the Criminal Procedure Code and develop a plea bargaining framework for criminal cases to be resolved early
- Rationalise offences relating to homicide and bodily hurt in the Penal Code
- Review interest rates and fees charged by licensed moneylenders, and establish a moneylenders' credit bureau and a universal loan quantum cap, to protect vulnerable borrowers
- Unify the individual bankruptcy and corporate insolvency regimes, and introduce a regime that allows bankrupts to be discharged with clear time frames
Ministry of Communications and Information
- Review the Media Market Competition Code, including anti-siphoning provisions
- Ensure content classification standards are continually aligned with community values and expand co-regulation into more areas like film and arts entertainment
- Amend the Broadcasting Act to promote a single legislative framework for converged media services
- Promote information literacy, media literacy and safe and responsible online behaviour
- Improve public engagement, through the feedback unit Reach, in public areas and on social media
Source: Addenda to the President's Address
This article was first published on May 24, 2014.
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