总理以水电费为例，探讨了物价上涨的问题。总理解释政府一直以来都尽力抑制通货膨胀以稳定物价，却不能完全避免物价上涨。总理表示了解人民为生活费担忧，政府会竭力帮助大家减轻压力。所有住在政府组屋的家庭，都能获得U-Save水电费回扣,帮助他们支付水电费。总理也鼓励大家“照顾好自己的钱包”，省水、省电，同时做个精明的消费者。

总理通过手机、奶粉和小贩中心三方面，说明生活方式的改变如何影响开销，并谈到政府如何协助国人减轻生活费负担。第一，华社自助理事会办了一些理财课程，包括教导低收入家庭如何节省电信服务的费用。第二，政府成立了特别调查小组，小组多管齐下，抑制奶粉价格的上涨。第三，过去几年，政府兴建了7个新的小贩中心，另外13个小贩中心也会陆续落成。在为新的小贩中心招标时，政府也规定竞标业者必须提供经济实惠的选择。

总理宣布，继新加坡植物园列入“世界文化遗产名录”之后，我国将再次“申遗”。这一次的目标，是申请将我国的小贩文化列入联合国教科文组织（UNESCO）的“非物质文化遗产名录”中。小贩文化的申遗将有助保留和发扬新加坡这个独特的文化，让更多美食传承下去。同时，如果申遗成功，全世界也会更加了解新加坡的各种美食，以及独特且丰富的多元文化。总理希望大家踊跃支持小贩文化申遗，让小贩文化登上世界舞台。

PM Lee Hsien Loong is now delivering his English speech at the National Day Rally 2018. You can watch the speech live on the PMO YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/hzfxqXUzFlE.

Postcards from a P2 class from Methodist Girls’ Primary School. They wrote to thank Singapore for having “lighted the world” by successfully hosting the DPRK-US Summit in June.

In an uncertain world, ASEAN is all the more important. We must work to strengthen ASEAN & work on our relationships with all ASEAN partners, especially our 2 closest neighbours, Indonesia & Malaysia.

Indonesia will hold elections next year. I have worked well with President Jokowi. We have wide-ranging cooperation with Indonesia, and I hope this will continue.

Malaysia’s new PM is not new to us. We have completed several impt projects with Malaysia under him. I told him I wanted to work with him to take our bilateral relationship forward, and he agreed.

How has the Govt kept healthcare spending affordable? Our 3M framework – MediSave, MediShield & MediFund. Govt also provides heavy subsidies – up to 80% in hospitals.

In recent years the Govt has upgraded MediShield to MediShield Life & also introduced the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), which provides generous subsidies to help with outpatient expenses.

As we grow older, more will have chronic conditions. Currently, CHAS covers middle & lower income Singaporeans. The Govt will now extend CHAS to all with chronic conditions, regardless of income.

MOH has been building & upgrading several polyclinics & medical centres – in Punggol & Kampung Admiralty, among others.

The Govt is building more polyclinics across Singapore – in Sembawang, Eunos, Kallang, & Bukit Panjang by 2020; and in Nee Soon Central and Tampines North by 2023. #ndrsg

ElderShield will be revamped into CareShield Life in 2020, & cover those born 1980 & younger. It will pay out at least $600 a month for life if you cannot do 3 Activities of Daily Living.

Some of the big changes we have made over the last few yrs so that Sporeans have access to affordable, high quality healthcare. No one will be deprived of medical care because they cannot afford it.

We are taking special care of elderly Sporeans. We launched the Pioneer Generation Package to help them. So far, 450,000 have benefited, and we have spent more than $1.3b of the $8b we set aside.

The Govt will work out a “Merdeka Package” for Singaporeans born in the 1950s. It will cover similar areas as the Pioneer Generation Package and help meet their medical expenses.

Singapore’s housing policies have been uniquely successful. We are the only major city in the world where nearly every young couple getting married can afford to buy their first home immediately.

3 FUTURE PLANS FOR HOUSING

1. Expand HIP to upgrade flats built btwn 1987-1997.

2. HIP II to upgrade flats a 2nd time when they reach 60-70yrs.

3. VERS to progressively redevelop precincts, fr abt the 70th yr.