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2nd Reading
Ministry of Finance

Pioneer Generation Fund (Amendment) Bill

Bill Summary

  • Purpose: To make technical amendments to the Pioneer Generation Fund Act 2014 to clarify that a Pioneer’s financial means should not be considered when allocating benefits from the Pioneer Generation Fund.

  • Key Concerns raised by MPs: There were no speakers for this Bill; however, Senior Minister of State for Finance Ms Sim Ann noted a previous suggestion from former Nominated Member of Parliament Ms Chia Yong Yong to ensure the Act does not imply that the fund is restricted only to those requiring financial relief.

  • Responses: Senior Minister of State for Finance Ms Sim Ann stated that the amendments to sections 3 and 27 affirm the intent to honor the contributions of all Pioneers regardless of their wealth, ensuring they receive benefits such as Medisave top-ups, MediShield Life premium subsidies, and healthcare cost subsidies.

Reading Status 2nd Reading
1st Reading Tue, 26 January 2016
Introduction — no debate
2nd Reading Tue, 1 March 2016

Bills proceed through first reading, second reading, committee stage, third reading, and presidential assent before becoming law.

How a bill becomes law ↗

Members Involved

Sim Ann (Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and Finance and Deputy Government Whip)

Transcripts

First Reading (26 January 2016)

"to amend the Pioneer Generation Fund Act 2014 (Act 43 of 2014)",

presented by the Senior Minister of State (Ms Sim Ann); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.

Second Reading (1 March 2016)

Order for Second Reading read.

3.01 pm

The Senior Minister of State for Finance (Ms Sim Ann) (for the Minister for Finance): Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Mdm Speaker, the Pioneer Generation Fund (Amendment) Bill 2016 before the House seeks to propose two technical amendments to the Pioneer Generation Fund Act 2014.

The intent of the Pioneer Generation Package is to honour and recognise the contributions of all Pioneers in nation building, regardless of their financial status. As such, they receive similar benefits on top of existing healthcare subsidies which the Government already provides for all Singaporeans.

We have taken in former Nominated Member of Parliament Ms Chia Yong Yong's suggestion during the Second Reading of the Pioneer Generation Fund Bill in November 2014 for an amendment to better convey the intent of the Pioneer Generation Package and avoid any doubt that the fund could be restricted to providing relief to only those needing financial help. I thank Ms Chia for raising this suggestion and for helping to make clear the intent of the Bill.

Hence, the technical amendments to section 3 and section 27 of the Pioneer Generation Fund Act are proposed to make clear that the financial means of a Pioneer must not be taken into account when allocating the Pioneer Generation Package benefits, which are met from the Pioneer Generation Fund.

These benefits include the Pioneer Generation Medisave top-ups, maximum subsidy for MediShield Life premiums and healthcare costs, for example, additional subsidies at polyclinics, subsidised Specialist Outpatient Clinics and Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) clinics and the Pioneer Generation Disability Assistance Scheme. Mdm Speaker, I beg to move.

Mdm Speaker: There are no speakers for this Bill.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Ms Sim Ann].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.