PM Lee announces new initiatives on housing, education & jobs SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday announced new initiatives on housing, healthcare, education and jobs, as he pledged to put Singaporeans first. These measures include raising the qualifying income ceiling for HDB home buyers, increasing the number of places for Singaporeans at local universities, making healthcare more affordable and tightening the hiring of foreign workers. In his first National Day Rally speech since the General Election in May, Mr Lee said the thrust of the government’s policies will be a Singaporean-first approach, even as the country stays open to the world. He noted concerns over rising home prices, healthcare costs and the inflow of foreigners – all hot button issues at the recent elections. Mr Lee said: “I can fully understand and empathise with concerns because it has been a difficult ride, bumpy, stormy and causing anxiety from time to time but we are tackling these problems – building more flats, improving public transport, managing inflow of foreign workers and immigrants. “It will take a while to solve these problems because they are big and complicated issues, but we are heading in the right direction and things will get better. So please be patient.” On housing, the prime minister made the commitment to keep housing available and affordable for Singaporeans. The government will raise the qualifying income ceilings of households for HDB’s Build-To-Order (BTO <b>…</b>
Excerpt from: Singapore National Day Rally 2011 Pt4/4 – 14Aug2011
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