Committee of Supply 2024 debate, Day 4: Koh Poh Koon on enhancing coastal protection and food security

Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Koh Poh Koon said a new Food Safety and Security Bill will be introduced to better protect consumers and safeguard Singapore’s food supply resilience. The Bill will consolidate all food safety and security legislation. In Parliament on Monday (Mar 4), Dr Koh said the Government will also continue to facilitate food imports from new sources by working closely with industry and governments globally. He said the Government is also working closely with agencies to increase and optimise aquaculture spaces to encourage better farming practices. To support local produce, a pilot will be launched by the second half of this year for dedicated retail shelves for local produce. Dr Koh also spoke on climate change and rising sea levels. He said data from the Third National Climate Change Study (V3) released in January showed extreme rainfall is projected to increase. Mean sea levels around Singapore will also go up and these will be higher than previously projected. Dr Koh said data from the V3 study will be progressively shared with regional and local partners. The data will also be incorporated into research. On hawkers, Dr Koh said the National Environment Agency provides a conducive environment for hawkers to operate. Hawker stalls are let out through monthly tender exercises. There is no minimum bid and sub-letting is not allowed.