Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021

Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [Allotted Day].

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

The Chairman: Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, contained in Paper Cmd 27 of 2020.

I shall deal first with the Heads of Expenditure in respect of which amendments stand on the Order Paper Supplement.

Head S – Ministry of Manpower

The Chairman: Head S, Ministry of Manpower. Minister Indranee.

Grants, Subventions and Capital Injections to Organisations

The Second Minister for Finance (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated to Head S of the Main Estimates be increased by $500,000,000."

The increase is to provide employers with a Foreign Worker Levy Rebate as announced in the Deputy Prime Minister's Ministerial Statement on 6 April 2020, to temporarily ease the labour costs of affected firms.

Question, "That the total sum to be allocated to Head S of the Main Estimates be increased by $500,000,000", put and agreed to.

The increased sum of $1,551,840,000 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Supplementary Main Estimates.

Head V – Ministry of Trade and Industry

The Chairman: Head V, Ministry of Trade and Industry. Minister Indranee.

Development Expenditure

Ms Indranee Rajah: Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated to Head V of the Development Estimates be increased by $200,000,000."

The increase is for further enhancements to the Temporary Bridging Loan Programme, Enterprise Financing Scheme, or EFS – SME Working Capital Loan, and EFS – Trade Loan, as announced in Deputy Prime Minister's Ministerial Statement on 6 April 2020.

Question, "That the total sum to be allocated to Head V of the Development Estimates be increased by $200,000,000", put and agreed to.

The sum of $591,980,000 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Supplementary Main Estimates.

The increased sum of $2,298,555,000 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Supplementary Development Estimates.

Head Z – Financial Transfers

The Chairman: Head Z. Minister Indranee.

Special Transfers

Ms Indranee Rajah: Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated to Head Z of the Main Estimates be increased by $4,000,000,000."

The increase is for additional Special Transfers as announced in Deputy Prime Minister's Ministerial Statement on 6 April 2020. Of the increase, $2.9 billion is for the enhancements to the Jobs Support Scheme; and $1.1 billion is for the one-off Solidarity Payment to households during this period.

Question, "That the total sum to be allocated to Head Z of the Main Estimates be increased by $4,000,000,000", put and agreed to.

The increased sum of $21,592,925,000 for Head Z ordered to stand part of the Supplementary Main Estimates.

The Chairman: I shall now deal with the remaining Heads of Expenditure in respect of which no amendment stands on the Order Paper Supplement. In respect of the Main Estimates, they are Heads I, K, L, M, O, Q, T, W and X of the Supplementary Main Estimates. I propose to take those Heads of Expenditure en bloc.

Question, "That the sums stated for Heads I, K, L, M, O, Q, T, W and X as shown on page 8 of Paper Cmd 27 of 2020 stand part of the Supplementary Main Estimates", put and agreed to.

The Chairman: I will now take the Supplementary Development Estimates. In respect of the Supplementary Development Estimates, it is Head L.

Question, "That the sum stated for Head L as shown on page 10 of Paper Cmd 27 of 2020 stand part of the Supplementary Development Estimates", put and agreed to.

Question, "That the sum of $45,437,344,500 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Supplementary Main Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, as amended, contained in Paper Cmd 27 of 2020", put and agreed to.

Question, "That the sum of $2,328,555,000 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Supplementary Development Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, as amended, contained in Paper Cmd 27 of 2020", put and agreed to.

Resolutions to be reported

Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.

The Chairman: Minister Indranee.

Ms Indranee Rajah: Mr Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has come to certain resolutions.

First resolution to be reported,

"That the sum of $45,437,344,500 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Supplementary Main Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, as amended, contained in Paper Cmd 27 of 2020."

Second resolution to be reported,

"That the sum of $2,328,555,000 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Supplementary Development Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, as amended, contained in Paper Cmd 27 of 2020.”

Ms Indranee Rajah: Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolutions."

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolutions accordingly agreed to.