Committee of Supply 2025 debate, Day 1: Jean See on embedding social value in government procurement

In parliament on Friday (Feb 28), NMP Jean See asked if the Finance Minister would consider strengthening the government’s positive impact by embedding social value objectives such as supporting the hiring of locals, upskilling and training into the government procurement framework. She stated that under such arrangements, public sector agencies would have the discretion to determine their social value commitments alongside the core contract deliverables, giving an example of how embedding local workforce upskilling as a social value objective ensures that Singaporean creative freelancers have a safe space to unlearn and re-learn new skills and technology. She added that embedding social value in government procurement can be a game changer to strengthen the employability of Singaporean freelancers who are less resource-endowed.