From bus fares, flats for young families to the latest tourist attraction, The Straits Times looks at what is coming up in the year ahead
by Daryl Chin, Rachel Chang, Maria Almenoar, Royston Sim, Irene Tham, Janice Heng and Ng Kai Ling, 1 Jan 2013
HOUSING:
New flats a-plenty
What: Bountiful supply of housing
When: 2013
Why it matters: House-hunters are going to be spoilt for choice, given the bumper supply expected to hit the market.
The Government has promised to roll out at least 20,000 new Housing Board flats this year to meet demand from newly-wed couples, and to cool the red-hot resale market.
It has also earmarked sites that could yield 14,000 private homes in the first six months alone.
This includes 3,100 units of increasingly popular executive condominiums, some of which have hogged headlines recently for their ritzy offerings, including a $2.05 million penthouse in a Tampines project which was sold within two hours after bookings began.
This generous infusion comes on the back of a strong supply last year, when both the number of new HDB flats (27,084) and overall private homes in the pipeline (more than 93,000) reached record highs.
PropNex chief executive Mohamed Ismail said the market will likely be able to absorb the supply on both fronts despite a plethora of choices.
"The public-housing supply of subsidised new flats is meant to stabilise demand. But this will not dampen the resale market that has surged in recent years simply because new flats will only come on-stream later," he noted.
HDB's resale price index, which tracks price movements of resale flats, stood at 197.9 in the third quarter of last year. This is almost double the 104.9 registered in the first quarter of 2007.
Demand will also persist for private homes should the climate of low-interest rates continue.
"But expect prices to go up, maybe 10 per cent in the case of mass-market condos, due to developers being overly aggressive in bidding for land," he said.
Singles can buy new HDB flats
What: Singles will be allowed to buy new Housing Board flats for the first time.
When: It is likely to happen in the first half of the year.
Why it matters: In last year's National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong promised to address the problem of limited housing options for single Singaporeans.
Currently, they are allowed to buy only a resale flat - and only if they are older than 35.
While those earning $5,000 or less are eligible for a cash grant of $15,000 and a loan from the HDB, the rise in resale prices in the past few years has put a flat out of reach for many singles.
New flats from the HDB can be up to 40 per cent cheaper than resale flats in the same area.
But National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said last September that some restrictions would still apply to singles buying new flats because the HDB's priority is to meet the needs of couples and families.
For example, they will likely be eligible to buy only smaller flats. To prevent profiteering, it is likely that they will not be allowed to sub-let their flats, even after a minimum occupation period.
Still, Singaporean singles are awaiting the change with bated breath. IT engineer David Tan, 36, lives with his parents in Toa Payoh because he cannot afford private property on his own or the cash-over-valuation payment that resale flats command.
"A flat from the HDB would be subsidised and brand new. I understand that the Government has to be family-oriented, but singles are also Singaporeans and should be entitled to some benefits."
Young families come first
What: Young families will get priority in the queue for new HDB flats.
When: Early 2013.
Why it matters: As part of the Government's push to stem declining birth rates, the Housing Board will act to help families with young children get a new flat more quickly.
This is also to encourage young couples not to delay starting a family out of housing concerns.
The HDB is likely to enact the new policy as part of the Government's revamped Marriage and Parenthood package early this year.
This is also set to include a slew of measures to boost the total fertility rate, which currently stands at just 1.2.
Property analysts say the new HDB measure could come in the form of reserving a percentage of flats in new build-to-order launches specifically for couples with young children.
Another idea is for "balance flats" - completed units left over from previous launches - to be sold exclusively to such families.
This is so that they will be able to move into a new home immediately.
TRANSPORT:
Bus and train fare review
What: A 13-member panel will give suggestions on how the current fare formula should be tweaked. This formula is used to calculate the maximum increment that public transport operators can apply for if they want to raise fares.
Fares for trains and buses were last raised in August 2011.
When: Early 2013
Why it matters: The head of the review committee, Mr Richard Magnus, has hinted that fare changes might be more closely pegged to changes in operating costs in the future.
This is to help operators deal with rising costs, with the Government chipping in under a $1.1 billion programme to buy and operate 550 new buses.
Parameters now taken into account include the consumer price index, national average wage increase and operators' productivity.
Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew has said fares may have to go up to pay higher salaries to bus drivers, though overall service also has to improve.
For commuters, the new fare formula is likely to mean higher expenses.
Mr Ronnie Soh, 68, urged the committee to take commuters into consideration when revising the fare formula.
He felt the transport operators should plough back their profits to pay for operational costs.
Said the retiree: "The Government has told us to give up our vehicles for public transport but taxis are quite difficult to get these days... we should let fares stay as they are."
In previous remarks on his blog, Mr Magnus said affordability of fares will remain a key consideration when revising the fare formula. He added that more can be done to help lower-income commuters cope with fare increases.
Downtown Line, new expressway
What: Passengers can look forward to greater and faster mobility with the opening of stage one of the three-stage Downtown Line. Drivers will also be able to use the new Marina Coastal Expressway.
When: End of 2013
Why it matters: The new Downtown Line, when fully opened in 2017, will link neighbourhoods along the western and eastern corridors of Singapore.
The first 4.3km section, which spans six stations from Bugis to Chinatown, will allow passengers to get to locations such as Cross Street and the Marina Bay Financial Centre.
Commuters can use this section to transfer to other MRT lines at certain stops. For instance, Chinatown station also serves the North-East Line.
Drivers can also look forward to the 5km Marina Coastal Expressway, which will have a 420m undersea tunnel - the first of its kind in Singapore.
The $4.3 billion, dual five-lane expressway is expected to give motorists a smooth ride to the Marina Bay area by linking the East Coast Parkway and Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway with the Ayer Rajah Expressway in the west.
It will also allow motorists to avoid the congested Marina Bay area when travelling between the east and the west of the country.
Land transport masterplan
What: The Transport Ministry will map out the land transport landscape over the next 10 to 15 years in an updated masterplan.
It will cover all aspects of the system from buses and trains to private cars and bicycles.
The last masterplan was unveiled in 2008.
When: First quarter of the year
Why it matters: The masterplan will include information on proposed new train lines and bus services as well as any other plans for new infrastructure or policy changes.
It will also spell out measures to improve public transport, such as introducing schemes to give buses priority on the roads, and could offer glimpses of how transport needs in the new towns are met.
Earlier last year, the Land Transport Authority had said it was time to review the masterplan.
The average daily public transport ridership had grown from 4.87 million in 2008 to 5.79 million in 2011.
Private car ownership had increased by 7 per cent from 894,682 in 2008 to 956,704 in 2011.
Transport infrastructure will have to keep pace with the rising population, which is now about 5.3 million.
The ministry sought feedback from the public, industry players and academics between June and September last year, and also conducted in-depth focus group discussions.
Fewer COEs
What: The annual vehicle growth rate of 0.5 per cent will kick in, resulting in fewer certificates of entitlement (COEs) for bidding.
When: February 2013
Why it matters: The 0.5 per cent rate is the smallest quota that car buyers have had to contend with since the vehicle quota system started in 1990.
The COE supply is also driven by the number of cars scrapped but fewer drivers are getting new cars because of record-high COE premiums.
With fewer COEs and strong demand, COE prices are likely to continue rising.
Already, COE prices in the small-car category have hit a new high of $81,889.
MANPOWER:
Review of labour laws
What: Singapore's main labour law, the Employment Act, is up for review.
The Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA), which was tightened to tackle errant employers, will also see a second round of changes.
When: Changes to both Acts are likely to be announced during the Budget debate in March.
Why it matters: The Employment Act covers all workers, local or foreign, except for maids, public servants, seamen, and professionals, managers and executives (PMEs).
But PMEs, who form almost a third of the workforce - and whose numbers are growing - might soon be covered too.
One proposal is to give them more protection under the Act, for instance, against unfair dismissal.
A special part of the Act on rest days and work hours now applies to manual workers earning up to $4,500 a month and other workers earning up to $2,000.
But these salary ceilings may be raised so more workers can be covered.
Though it is good news for workers, it could mean higher overtime costs for firms - which may also face more paperwork.
Meanwhile, the second round of EFMA changes will consider issues such as requiring bosses to pay work pass holders electronically, and employers' obligations for medical and repatriation costs under certain circumstances.
Bosses are also bracing themselves for heavier burdens with foreign worker levies rising further.
The first round of increases starts today, with companies having to pay $20 to $70 more a month for each worker. A second round on top of that, effective from July 1, ranges from $20 to $60 a worker.
The increases apply to work permit holders and S-Pass holders. They are the last in a series of half-yearly levy hikes which began in July 2011 to reduce foreign worker inflows.
Meanwhile, foreign maids will be entitled to one rest day a week, or get compensated if they agree to forgo the day off.
This applies to maids who have their work permits issued or renewed from today.
Fall prevention at worksites
What: New safety regulations for working at height.
When: The regulations will come into effect in April for factories only. They will be extended to all workplaces from April next year.
Why it matters: Falls from height are the biggest cause of workplace deaths, accounting for more than 100 cases - over a third of total deaths - in the last five years.
The new guidelines include the need for a proper fall prevention plan for working-at-height activities in factories with 50 or more workers. They also require designers of any industrial rope access system to ensure that it can be installed safely.
CPF top-ups for parents-in-law
What: Central Provident Fund members can top up the Special or Retirement Accounts of their spouse's parents and grandparents.
When: From today
Why it matters: CPF members can add to the accounts of spouses, siblings, parents, grandparents, and now also the parents and grandparents of their spouses, under the Minimum Sum Topping-Up scheme.
The scheme was extended in response to suggestions from the public and allows
CPF members to help their loved ones boost their retirement savings.
TECHNOLOGY:
Data protection law
What: The Personal Data Protection Act takes effect.
A key part of the new law is the national Do-Not-Call registry that will allow people to opt out of getting marketing messages.
When: The Act will kick in tomorrow, while the registry will come into effect early next year.
Why it matters: The Act is aimed at safeguarding personal information from being stolen or indiscriminately collected and used for marketing purposes.
Companies - even overseas ones - must also reveal to consumers how they plan to use their contact details at the point of collection.
They must also get consumers' explicit consent before they can call or text them to market products or services.
Law enforcement is slated to begin 18 months later, to give companies time to adjust.
Key exceptions include personal data cited in court documents and photographs of people taken for personal use and published online.
Government agencies and statutory boards are excluded from the law as they are governed by internal rules, most of which have not been made public.
And when the Do-Not-Call registry comes into effect, consumers annoyed by pesky telemarketers may finally get a respite.
All telemarketers will have to check against names in the registry before they make that cold call or send an SMS.
If an individual has put his name on the registry, and still gets an unsolicited call, he can make a complaint to the newly formed Personal Data Protection Commission.
It will investigate complaints, and offenders can be fined up to $1 million.
Faster Wireless@SG
What: Faster surfing on Wireless@SG, Singapore's free public Wi-Fi network
When: From March to 2017
Why it matters: The slowness of the network has been a major bugbear among users since its launch six years ago. At present, surfing speeds are capped at 1Mbps.
The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) is looking to double the surfing speed under plans to further develop the network.
It is also looking at a new system that automatically recognises users by the identification details in their 3G SIM cards - without requiring registration and signing in to access Wireless@SG.
That will mean that users stuck with slow surfing speeds on their 3G smartphones will be able to easily switch to the free network.
Better 3G coverage in tall buildings
What: All three mobile operators - SingTel, StarHub and M1 - will have to ensure that customers can make or receive calls in more than 85 per cent of all floors in tall buildings.
When: April 1
Why it matters: Mobile phone users can finally say goodbye to dropped calls and poor coverage inside buildings, which have become more common as the number of new, high-rise structures soars.
Mobile signals become weaker when there is more concrete. Hence, telcos have to reconfigure and optimise their networks by installing new equipment in these buildings.
The move follows growing complaints over dropped calls and poor coverage.
Parenthood, pre-school education and plans to ban junk food ads
By Grace Chua, Feng Zengkun, Leslie Kay Lim, Lim Yan Liang, Melissa Pang, Janice Tai and Kezia Toh, The Straits Times, 2 Jan 2013
HEALTH:
MediShield boost
What: MediShield enhancements and review of public health-care costs
When: This year
Why it matters: Premiums and payouts for MediShield, a basic insurance plan that protects against unexpected medical costs, will go up from March. Coverage will also be extended.
The elderly will be insured up to age 90, up from the current 85 years old.
There will be greater coverage for in-patients. Patients can also claim more from MediShield. The maximum yearly payout will increase from $50,000 to $70,000. The lifetime payout will go up to $300,000, from $200,000.
But deductibles - the amount to be paid before the insurance kicks in - will go up by $500. Annual premiums will rise by $17 to $251, depending on a person's age. To help, one-off Medisave top-ups of $50 to $400 will be given to MediShield holders. In addition, 85 per cent of Singaporeans from age 66 will get an annual Medisave top-up of $250 to $450 under the GST Voucher scheme.
A major review to keep health care more affordable may lead to more of patients' bills being covered by the Government. It will begin this year and may take over a year to complete.
Curbs on junk food adverts
What: Ban on advertisements for unhealthy food that target children
When: This year
Why it matters: Singapore's fight against obesity continues. The target this time: ads that make junk food appealing to children.
Shortly after the Health Minister announced plans to ban such ads, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) called for public feedback. The consultation ended last Friday. Fourteen major food and beverage firms, including Coca-Cola and McDonald's, have pledged to cut back on advertising to children from yesterday to support efforts to tackle obesity here.
They have also committed not to market products in primary schools unless there has been a request from or an agreement with the school to do so for educational purposes, or to promote active, healthy living.
About 9 per cent of children here are obese. Evidence shows ads influence children's food preferences, purchase requests and consumption patterns.
The Health Ministry and HPB are reviewing the need to boost standards for advertising of unhealthy food and drinks.
ENVIRONMENT:
Old graves to make way for new road
What: Public exhumation of the Bukit Brown cemetery
When: Early this year
Why it matters: Exhumation of the cemetery is set to begin to make way for a dual four-lane expressway meant to ease congestion in Lornie Road. It is due to be completed in 2016.
The historic cemetery, closed to new burials in the 1970s, is the resting place of pioneers like Tan Lark Sye, a co-founder of Nanyang University.
Of the 100,000 graves there, 3,746 must be exhumed for the new road, which heritage and environment groups have spoken out against. The 86ha site is also earmarked for a housing estate.
Dr Hui Yew-Foong of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies said all the affected graves have been documented.
Stricter energy rules for large industrial users
What: The new Energy Conservation Act, which will mandate more stringent practices for large industrial energy users
When: Later this year
Why it matters: Companies that use more than 15 gigawatt hours each year - enough to power 3,000 four-room flats - will have to appoint an energy manager, submit yearly reports and explain how they will improve their energy efficiency.
The new law affects mainly companies in the manufacturing, transport and energy supply sectors such as oil refiners, shipping companies and semiconductor manufacturers.
Companies can be fined up to $10,000 for first-time offences.
Eco-link for wildlife
What: Eco-bridge linking Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Central Catchment Area
When: End of the year
Why it matters: The two nature areas have been separated by the Bukit Timah Expressway since 1986, cutting off the cross-pollination of plants and movement of wildlife.
The National Parks Board and Land Transport Authority first announced plans to build the 50m-wide eco-link in 2009 and work began in July 2011.
The $17 million bridge is likely to be completed by the end of this year. The authorities hope that it will allow animals like the banded leaf monkey to cross over and breed with their counterparts on the other side, and help disperse plants in both areas.
Humans' access to the bridge will be restricted for the first few years as ecologists monitor the benefits to plant and animal life.
SOCIAL:
Falling birth rate and immigration issues
What: White Paper on population
When: January
Why it matters: The paper, to be released this month, documents public feedback on population issues - such as the falling birth rate and immigration - gathered over three months.
Said Dr Mathew Mathews, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies: "Most people are clear that we need migrants to ensure a growing economy but at the same time we don't want the number of migrants admitted into Singapore to be too large so as to affect social cohesion here." The paper will come ahead of a new marriage and parenthood package to encourage Singaporeans to marry and have children.
Newly married couples such as engineer Jeffrey Toh, 34, and his medical technologist wife Pearly, 32, are likely targets of the package.
The couple, who tied the knot last October, said that they would wait a year before planning to have children.
Although Mr Toh said he believes that "having children completes your family", he worried about rising education, transport and food costs, saying "it would be good if things were cheaper".
Cap on casino visits for vulnerable
What: Casino visit limits take effect
When: By June
Why it matters: As many as 6,000 financially vulnerable Singaporeans and permanent residents may face a cap on the number of times they are allowed to visit casinos here.
The "visit limit" is one of several key amendments made to the Casino Control Act that was passed in Parliament in November last year.
Individuals or families can voluntarily apply to have limits set on them, while the
National Council on Problem Gambling will be allowed to appoint a committee to determine if a third-party visit limit can be imposed on someone.
The visit limit could differ from person to person, with the authorities considering factors such as the frequency of casino visits and personal credit record.
The two casino operators, Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands, will also face harsher financial penalties if they flout rules.
If found guilty of serious regulatory breaches, casino operators may face a fine amounting to 10 per cent of the casino's annual gross gaming revenue, which would be higher than the current maximum fine of $1 million.
CRIME:
Drug law strengthened to fight spread of 'legal highs'
What: New "legal highs" can now be temporarily listed for up to 12 months under the Misuse of Drugs Act, even before they are permanently outlawed
When: Before the end of this year
Why it matters: The beefed up law has been designed to fight the glut of new psychoactive substances, which have outpaced the Government's attempts to outlaw them.
Before the change, a substance had to be carefully studied and put out for industry consultation to identify possible legitimate uses before it could be listed as a controlled drug.
These new psychoactive substances mimic the effects of controlled drugs. Examples include synthetic cannabinoids, which mimic the effects of cannabis; methylone, which gives a high similar to Ecstasy; and "bath salts", which produce effects similar to amphetamines and cocaine.
The amendment empowers the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) to seize these drugs and remove them from circulation while scientific analysis and industry consultation are conducted. But offences such as trafficking and possession will apply only after the substances have been listed in the relevant permanent schedule.
Meanwhile, the CNB is also planning to use hair analysis as a supplementary tool to urine testing to detect the presence of illicit drugs in abusers.
Drugs can be detected in a person's urine a week after consumption, but hair retains traces of illicit drugs for as long as three months.
EDUCATION:
Push to raise standards of pre-school education
What: Review of pre-school education
When: Report likely early this year
What: Parents can expect more details on a comprehensive kindergarten curriculum, which will include the latest research in early childhood education and a guide for teachers.
They can also look forward to more details on a pilot project of government-run pre-schools, and updates on a plan to rope in more operators to provide affordable education.
A new statutory board will also be set up to oversee the pre-school sector but no date has been given.
Why it matters: These moves will spearhead the big push to raise the standards of pre-school education and ensure quality across the sector, while keeping it affordable. With two sons - a four-year-old in K1 and a two-year-old due to start pre-school at Bethany Kindergarten - Mr Daryl Chew, 29, is watching the moves closely.
The pilot of government-run pre-schools is not a bad idea, said the IT consultant, as long as it gives children a good foundation from which they would be able to pick up on the academic subjects from Primary1. But it must not give children too much of an information overload, he said.
Mr Chew also hopes for a conducive environment, with plenty of outdoor space for play.
He said: "Children should be children - they like to play - and besides, they have 15 to 18 more years of their lives to be students and focus on academia."
Liberal arts college and third medical school
What: Yale-NUS College and Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine open
When: August
Why it matters: Yale-NUS, the first liberal arts school here, will take in its pioneer batch of 150 undergraduates.
They can choose between 14 majors such as anthropology, urban studies and life sciences. But they will study the same subjects - across social sciences, humanities and natural sciences - for the first two years.
The opening of the college has been shadowed by fierce criticism, with some academics in the United States arguing that it goes against the American university's principles of civil liberty and political freedom.
The college has defended itself by saying there would be no curbs on classroom discussions. Its president Pericles Lewis said students will also be allowed to create or join groups that represent different political ideologies, as long as these groups are not linked to current political parties in Singapore.
Meanwhile, the pioneer batch of 50 doctors-to-be will start school at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, the third medical school here. It is jointly run by Imperial College London and Nanyang Technological University.
The school - headed by Irish academic Dermot Kelleher, a leading immunology and infectious diseases expert - will pump up Singapore's pool of doctors. The National University of Singapore's (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School now take in a total of 350 students a year.
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