COS 2024: Developing our maritime sector

FY2024 MOT COS — “DEVELOPING OUR MARITIME SECTOR” BY MELVIN YONG (RADIN MAS SMC) ON 5 MAR 2024

1. Mr Chairman, our maritime sector has been growing from strength to strength. In 2023, Singapore’s annual vessel arrival tonnage crossed the 3 billion gross tonnage milestone. Our container throughput also reached a new high of 39.01 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

2. What are MOT’s plans to ensure a strong pipeline of skilled workforce to support the industry’s continued growth? How does MOT plan to lower the training barriers for so that our existing maritime workforce can upskill and re-skill to meet the changing needs of the sector?

3. The continued growth in our maritime sector will be underpinned by the construction of the Tuas Mega Port, which will be the world’s largest fully automated port when it is completed. Can MOT provide an update on the development of the Tuas Mega Port? Are we on track for the target completion date?

4. We started Phase 1 of port operations at Tuas in September 2022. Today, we have some 800 workers working there, and this is expected to grow to 1,400 workers by end-2024. Understandably, there have been some teething transport issues, particularly in terms of public transport accessibility. In response, a working committee was set up last year to look into the transportation challenges. Can MOT provide an update on the plans to improve public transport accessibility at Tuas Port? Can we expedite the construction of the viaduct leading to Tuas South before container traffic is expected to surge due to the operational start date of the Port Plus Hub in 2028?

5. How does MOT plan to make the area around Tuas Port a better place to work, so that workers will be attracted to join our maritime companies based there, and help our maritime sector continue its growth story?