Speech by MOS Alvin Tan On The Taskforce To Seize Opportunities From The Rapid Transit System Link, At The Merchant Dollar Deal$ @ Woodlands

Good morning to all of you.

1.             By the end of next year, the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link is targeted to be completed. As Minister Ong Ye Kung mentioned, we went to Woodlands North MRT station. It is very convenient. From Woodlands North MRT station, you can clear the joint checkpoint and take the RTS to Bukit Chagar station. It takes just five minutes and is very convenient.

2.             The Taskforce is very important. The Taskforce’s objective is to see how we can seize opportunities and reap the benefits from the RTS Link, so that all of us, our heartland shops and residents, can benefit from the RTS and make our heartlands even more vibrant and attractive.

3.             The Taskforce has done some preliminary work. Since last November, we have had various different meetings with my colleagues, grassroots leaders, HDB and Enterprise Singapore, who have all come together. I am chairing the Taskforce, and we want to listen to all of you, including the Merchants’ Associations, so that we can put together a plan to make sure all of us can reap the benefits of the RTS Link. I would like to ask all of you to help me, by letting me know what you want to see around here and what type of programmes you would like.

4.             The Government has put in place a lot of programmes. Earlier, Ms Mariam Jaafar talked about the CDC Vouchers and SG60 vouchers. To date, Singaporeans have spent more than $1 billion at heartland shops and hawker centres. The CDC vouchers benefit residents, as well as hawker centres and heartland shops.

5.             We also have two new programmes for our heartlands. The first is the Enhanced Visual Merchandising Programme, which Enterprise Singapore is working with our shops to refresh their stores and attract more customers. The second is the new Vibrant Heartlands Programme for Merchants’ Associations. We are working very closely to make sure that our heartlands, including the Woodlands area with Ms Mariam Jaafar and Minister Ong, become more vibrant and livelier.

6.             王乙康部长和Mariam Jaafar议员所讲的新柔地铁系统（RTS Link）将在明年, 2026 年底开始营运。 这会使我们新加坡跟新山之间的交通比较方便 -从新加坡到新山只需要五分钟。我们也要确保新加坡的邻里商店和商联，保持活力, 加强新鲜感，吸引力。因此，我和贸工部会成立一个工作小组，让我们的居民们和邻里商店和商联会一起配合，想办法怎样把我们这边的邻里社区和商店弄得更好， 更有吸引力，更有活力。工作小组将在明年公布建议。 让我们一起跟新加坡企业发展局（Enterprise Singapore）和商会们合作，把我们的这一区弄得更好，更活跃。

谢谢大家。Thank you very much.