Govt to tackle living costs, secure better jobs as part of full agenda this term: PM Wong

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speaking at the PAP Awards and Conference 2026 on Oct 25, 2026.

ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI

Published Oct 25, 2026, 10:50 AM

Updated Oct 25, 2026, 10:50 AM

SINGAPORE — Cost of living, jobs and support for Singaporeans from education to retirement remain key government priorities for the coming years, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Oct 25.

There is “much more to come” and his team has a full agenda for the rest of this term of government, he added.

“We will continue tackling cost of living pressures and helping Singapore secure better jobs. We will strengthen support at different life stages – from education to retirement,” he told about 3,000 party activists at the biennial party conference held at the Singapore Expo.

This also includes helping Singaporeans who face setbacks in life.

He gave this assurance while acknowledging feedback from Singaporeans who had asked about support for groups beyond families with children, following a major package catered to them that he announced at the National Day Rally in August.

“People asked: what about those without children? What about singles? What about seniors?” said PM Wong, who is the PAP’s secretary-general.

“So I said, don’t worry: we have not forgotten anyone,” he added. “We are here to serve all Singaporeans. But I cannot announce everything in one speech!”

Singaporeans had given his party a strong mandate to govern for another term, he noted. In the 2025 general election, the PAP won with 65.57% of the vote.

“But we must always remember: a mandate is not an entitlement. It is a responsibility – to deliver what we promised; tackle the difficult issues facing our country; and prepare our country for what lies ahead,” he said.

These efforts to deliver come as Singapore continues to face an increasingly dangerous and troubled world, he noted.

But the city-state comes from a position of strength, as it remains a trusted partner and an attractive destination for businesses and investors.

Over the past month, he said he had met chief executive officers of major semiconductor firms who are keen to expand their operations here, as well as founders of technology start-ups from around the world.

Leading artificial intelligence companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic have also established offices in Singapore, he noted.

Singapore is also proactively reaching out to strengthen partnerships across different parts of the world, and office-holders now travel more frequently to build relationships and deepen cooperation, he added.

The country’s reputation helps to attract investments that support economic growth, create jobs and enable incomes to rise, he said.

But PM Wong cautioned that headline economic figures do not tell the whole story.

“Some sectors are doing well. But others are facing pressures. Some workers are benefiting from new opportunities. Others are struggling to keep up,” he said.

Lower-wage workers are worried about keeping pace with rising costs, while Singaporeans in their 40s and 50s who lost their jobs are concerned if they can find employment again.

“Our task is not just to keep the economy growing. It is to make sure that growth translates into better lives for all Singaporeans,” he said.

PM Wong said the Government understood these concerns and will respond to them.

The Government will also continue working closely with the National Trades Union Congress to help workers adapt to economic changes and recover from setbacks, he said.

He cited the experience of Fajar Shah Salim, 45, who lost his job in the food and beverage industry in early 2025 after more than two decades working as a restaurant manager.

As his family’s sole breadwinner, Fajar was worried about paying the bills and starting over in his mid-40s.

He received about $2,800 over two months through the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme, while he underwent training. Fajar eventually switched industries and is now an IT operations specialist with ST Engineering.

PM Wong said his experience illustrates how government support and individual effort have to go hand in hand.

“The Government stepped in with support when he needed it. But Fajar himself made the effort to retrain and switch to a new career,” he said.

The Government will continue creating opportunities and supporting workers through change, but workers must also be prepared to learn and adapt, he added.

Likewise, while the Government will reduce the emphasis on examinations and broaden education pathways, parents must give their children space to grow at their own pace.

And even as support for families and seniors was strengthened, Singaporeans must also look out for one another.

“Government, businesses, unions, workers, families and the community – everyone has a role to play,” PM Wong said.

“The Singapore we want cannot be simply delivered by the Government to Singaporeans. It has to be built with Singaporeans.”

The partnership that a PAP government strives for is one that listens, acts and delivers, he added. “Comrades, that’s how we build a better Singapore together,” he said.

Politics and government

2026年10月25日，总理黄循财在人民行动党2026年颁奖典礼暨大会上发表讲话。

ST 摄影：AZMI ATHNI

发布于2026年10月25日上午10:50

更新于2026年10月25日上午10:50

新加坡——总理黄循财10月25日表示，生活成本、就业以及对新加坡人从教育到退休的支持，仍然是未来几年政府的重点优先事项。

他还补充说，“还有更多事情要做”，他的团队在本届政府剩余任期内制定了完整的计划。

“我们将继续应对生活成本压力，帮助新加坡获得更好的就业机会。我们将加强对不同人生阶段的支持——从教育到退休，”他在新加坡博览中心举行的两年一度的党代会上对约3000名党员积极分子说道。

这还包括帮助在生活中遭遇挫折的新加坡人。

在8月份的国庆群众大会上，他宣布了一项针对除有子女家庭以外的其他群体的重大援助计划。随后，他回应了新加坡民众的反馈，询问政府是否会为这些群体提供支持。

“人们问：没有孩子的人怎么办？单身人士怎么办？老年人怎么办？”人民行动党秘书长黄英贤总理说道。

“所以我说，别担心，我们没有忘记任何人，”他补充道。“我们在这里是为了服务所有新加坡人。但我不可能在一次演讲中宣布所有事情！”

他指出，新加坡民众赋予了他的政党强有力的授权，使其能够连任。在2025年大选中，人民行动党以65.57%的得票率获胜。

“但我们必须始终牢记：授权不是一种权利，而是一种责任——履行我们的承诺；解决我们国家面临的难题；并为国家的未来做好准备，”他说道。

他指出，新加坡在努力实现这些目标的同时，也继续面临着一个日益危险和动荡的世界。

但这座城市国家拥有强大的实力，因为它仍然是值得信赖的合作伙伴，也是企业和投资者的理想目的地。

他表示，过去一个月里，他会见了多家大型半导体公司的首席执行官，这些公司都渴望扩大在华业务，他还与来自世界各地的科技创业公司的创始人进行了会面。

他还指出，OpenAI 和 Anthropic 等领先的人工智能公司也在新加坡设立了办事处。

他还补充说，新加坡也在积极主动地加强与世界各地的伙伴关系，官员们现在更频繁地出访，以建立关系并深化合作。

他表示，该国的声誉有助于吸引投资，从而促进经济增长、创造就业机会并提高收入。

但黄循财总理提醒说，经济数据并不能反映全部情况。

他说：“有些行业发展良好，但有些行业面临压力。一些劳动者受益于新的机遇，而另一些劳动者则在努力跟上步伐。”

低收入工人担心收入无法跟上不断上涨的生活成本，而40多岁和50多岁失业的新加坡人则担心自己是否还能再次找到工作。

他说：“我们的任务不仅仅是保持经济增长，还要确保经济增长能够转化为所有新加坡人更美好的生活。”

黄总理表示，政府理解这些担忧，并将予以回应。

他还表示，政府将继续与全国职工总会密切合作，帮助工人适应经济变化并从挫折中恢复过来。

他引用了 45 岁的 Fajar Shah Salim 的经历，他在餐饮业担任餐厅经理二十多年后，于 2025 年初失去了工作。

作为家里的唯一经济支柱，法贾尔在 40 多岁时担心如何支付账单，以及如何重新开始。

在接受培训的两个月里，他通过“技能创前程求职者支持计划”获得了约2800美元的补助。法贾尔最终转行，现在是新加坡科技工程公司的一名IT运维专员。

黄总理表示，他的经历表明政府支持和个人努力必须齐头并进。

他说：“政府在他需要帮助的时候伸出了援手。但法贾尔本人也努力重新接受培训，转行从事新的职业。”

他还补充说，政府将继续创造机会，并在变革中支持劳动者，但劳动者也必须做好学习和适应的准备。

同样，虽然政府将减少对考试的重视，拓宽教育途径，但家长必须给孩子留出空间，让他们按照自己的节奏成长。

在加强对家庭和老年人的支持的同时，新加坡人也必须互相帮助。

黄循财总理表示：“政府、企业、工会、工人、家庭和社区——每个人都应发挥作用。”

“我们想要的新加坡不能仅仅由政府交付给新加坡人，它必须由新加坡人自己建设。”

他补充说，人民行动党政府力求建立的伙伴关系是倾听、行动和兑现承诺的。“同志们，这才是我们共同建设更美好新加坡的方式。”他说。

政治与政府