S'pore PM to deliver national broadcasts on post-COVID-19 future

Singapore, June 6 (IANS) Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and four other Ministers will deliver a series of national broadcasts, starting from Sunday, on what a post-coronavirus future looks like and their plans to see the country through the challenges.

In a statement on Saturday announcing the series of broadcasts, which will end on June 20, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said: "With the Fortitude Budget on May 26, the Singapore government has committed almost S$100 billion to support workers and businesses to fight against COVID-19.

"But the longer-term economic challenges remain formidable. COVID-19 has severely disrupted the global economy. Singapore must respond quickly to these global shifts and prepare for the difficult times ahead."

The Prime Minister is slated to speak on Sunday on "overcoming the crisis of a generation", The Straits Times quoted the PMO as saying.

All the speeches will be televised in the four official languages -- English, Malay, Tamil and Mandarin.

Singaporeans can also tune in on various government online platforms including, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

In addition, the speeches by Lee and Heng will be published on their Facebook pages as well as the PMO YouTube channel.

As of Saturday, Singapore has recorded 37,527 COVID-19 cases, with 24 deaths.