Relocation of MSF and MEWR among govt projects deferred

SINGAPORE — The relocation of two Ministries — the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources — are among the government projects that have been deferred to manage construction demand, said the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of National Development in a joint reply on Thursday (May 29).

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had said in Parliament that the Government has deferred about S$2 billion worth of projects, such as the extension to Gardens by the Bay, the new Science Centre and some new ministry and statutory board offices, to manage the number of foreign construction workers here.

In response to queries, the ministries said the Public Sector Projects Reprioritisation Exercise is ongoing and seeks to manage and spread out construction demand and the numbers of construction Work Permit holders.

The affected projects are generally developments “with less urgent need to proceed in the next three years”, and their deferment do not have a significant impact on Singaporeans, they said, adding that adjustments to the deferment period would be made if necessary.