National Day Rally 2026: 10 key announcements from PM Lawrence Wong’s speech

Families will get greater support and confidence for the future, while Singapore will harness the power of new technology on its own terms.

These are not separate agendas, but part of one larger mission to keep the Republic trusted, relevant and resilient in a rapidly changing world, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in his National Day Rally speech on Aug 23 at the ITE College Central in Ang Mo Kio.

The Republic will also keep planning and building for the long term, the Prime Minister said as he sketched out horizon plans for Singapore’s outer islands.

Here are 10 highlights from his speech in English, Malay and Mandarin:

1. More sustained financial support for each S’porean child

A new SG Child Support Package will replace the existing baby bonus scheme, and will give every Singaporean child more support throughout the years, regardless of birth order.

Under the new package, each child will receive $2,000 in child credits every year from age 1 to 16, alongside Edusave top-ups every year in primary and secondary school. At 17 years old, $10,000 will be topped-up into a child’s post-secondary education account.

The new package means every Singaporean child will receive around $70,000 of direct financial support by the time they turn 17. Parents currently receive between $27,500 and $56,500 per child in financial support, depending on birth order.

Singaporean children born on or after April 1, 2027 will come fully under the new package. Those born in or turning 1 to 17 in 2026 will receive benefits based on their corresponding age in 2026 and in subsequent years.

2. More childcare leave until children turn 12

Every working parent will be eligible for eight, 10 or 12 days of childcare leave per calendar year, depending on whether they have one, two, or three or more Singaporean children aged 12 and below.

Currently, working parents are entitled to six days of childcare leave if their youngest child is six years old or younger, and two days’ leave if their youngest child is between seven and 12 years old.

The Government will also cover the cost of all statutory child-related leave up to the reimbursement limit, a change from the current arrangement where costs are shared between the Government and employers.

The start date of the new childcare leave scheme will be announced subsequently.

3. Childcare and infant care fees to be reduced as more centres receive govt support

Full-day childcare fees will be reduced to $150 per month and infant care fees will be lowered to $300 per month at government-supported preschool centres in a few years’ time, with the lower fees to apply to every Singaporean child regardless of household income.

While there are already significant subsidies, PM Wong noted that families above a certain income level today pay nearly $600 per month for full-day childcare and more than $1,000 each month for infant care.

Such fees will be progressively reduced as the Government expands its network of anchor and partner operators, with the target fee levels to be achieved by 2030. Lower-income families will continue to receive additional subsidies.

4. BTO income ceiling raised

The income ceiling for Build-To-Order (BTO) flats will be raised from $14,000 to $16,000, and for executive condominiums (EC) from $16,000 to $18,000.

For HDB buyers, this will take effect for those applying for an HDB Flat Eligibility letter from Aug 24, while the new EC income ceiling will apply to developments with land sale tender closing dates from the same date. It will not apply to balance units in existing ECs.

The revision comes as Singaporeans are marrying later, with more young couples crossing the current income ceilings by the time they settle down, said PM Wong.

From the February 2027 sales exercise, those looking to own their first BTO or Sale of Balance flat will also receive one additional ballot chance for every child they have or are expecting.

5. Social media platforms to more strictly enforce age restrictions

Singapore will require social media platforms to put in place robust and reliable checks – and to enforce them – so that children here are genuinely protected.

While most social media platforms have a minimum age of 13, they largely rely on users to declare their own ages and “we know this is not working well”, said PM Wong. The Republic will also prioritise making social media safer by design, and will consider additional restrictions on platforms if it deems their safeguards inadequate, he added.

More details about the updated requirements will be shared in the coming days.

6. Singapore to build coalitions for safer AI use

Singapore will do its part in bringing countries and companies together and build coalitions around practical artificial intelligence safeguards. Citing an example of an OpenAI agent going beyond its test environment to attack a company, PM Wong said developments like this bring enormous possibilities but very serious consequences when things go wrong.

The Republic will not embrace new technologies blindly, he added. It will instead anticipate the risks, put appropriate safeguards in place, and always ensure that people remain in control.

7. AVs to be scaled up when tech is proven

Singapore intends to expand the use of autonomous vehicles (AVs) to meet its growing transport needs once the technology is proven. PM Wong said the response to trials in Punggol has been very encouraging, and that residents want more routes, more pick-up points, and even 24-hour service. Recruiting bus captains has also become harder, while the taxi workforce is ageing.

But the country will proceed step by step, building confidence in the technology and with safety as the first priority. Adoption will also not run ahead of Singapore’s ability to support affected drivers, he added.

8. Cap on dialect films to be lifted

Films with dialect content will no longer be subject to screening limits, so long as Chinese subtitles are shown and a Mandarin-dubbed version of the same film is also made available. The updated dialect guidelines will take effect in September.

PM Wong said he agreed with the view that dialects are a cultural heritage worth preserving.

At the same time, Mandarin connects Singapore with Chinese communities worldwide, and the Republic’s bilingual policy and efforts to promote Mandarin must continue, he added.

9. New island to be formed by merging islands south of Jurong Island

A new western island will be formed in the coming decades by merging several islands lying to the south of Jurong Island.

This cluster of islands comprises Pulau Semakau, which houses Singapore’s offshore landfill; Pulau Bukom, where Singapore’s first refinery still operates; Pulau Sudong and a few other smaller islands.

Besides petrochemicals, the new island can support a new generation of industries and can accommodate new power-generation infrastructure to meet Singapore’s future needs, said PM Wong.

Separately, Sentosa’s beaches and waterfront will be enhanced, while NTUC will build its new Downtown South resort on Pulau Brani. Land will also be reclaimed to better connect Sentosa and Brani.

10. Undersea tunnels between Tekong and mainland being studied

Singapore is studying the feasibility of building undersea tunnels to connect Pulau Tekong, its largest outlying island, to the mainland.

There are also further plans to reclaim the southern part of Tekong, which will create more training space for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), said PM Wong. Even after meeting the SAF’s needs, there will still be around 500ha available for future civilian use.

Noting that the pioneers had built Jurong Island long before anyone could see what it could become, PM Wong said this generation will likewise plan and build for those to come.

Watch PM Wong’s National Day Rally speech here:

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This article was originally published in The Straits Times.