19.

Overall, as in the past years, the largest share of Government's expenditure budget goes to the Social & Community Services sector. It accounts for 39.6 per cent of total expenditure. In absolute terms, the sector's allocation of $11.5 billion is an increase of $856 million over FY99. Education, Community Development & Sports, and Health will all get substantial increases in their budget allocations.

20.

Spending on educating our young continues to take up the lion's share within the Social & Community Services sector, with $6.0 billion or 52 per cent going to MOE. This represents an increase of $881 million or 17 per cent compared to FY99. Within MOE, the General Education Programme undertaken by the Government, Government-aided, special education and independent schools account for $3.1 billion or 53 per cent of its total budget. The three universities take up $1.2 billion or 19 per cent while the four polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) account for $585 million (or 10 per cent) and $167 million (or 3 per cent) respectively. The balance of $915 million is for the remaining programmes of MOE. In terms of development expenditure, the bulk of the $2.0 billion allocated will be used to build new schools, rebuild and improve existing schools, as well as to expand the teaching facilities in the tertiary institutions.

21.

Public Housing takes up the next largest slice of $2.3 billion of the budget allocated to the Social & Community Services sector. Funds for Public Housing will be used to pay the subsidy for HDB's bottom-line financing, the Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme, as well as the various HDB upgrading programmes. MOH (with $1.2 billion), ENV (with $972 million), MCDS (with $610 million), and MITA (with $379 million) round up the budget for this sector. MCDS and MOH will get substantial increases of 38 per cent and 10 per cent respectively in their FY2000 budgets. Within MCDS, the Elderly Development Programme will have its allocation increased by 55 per cent to $12.3 million. Expenditure on this programme will increase further when more of the recommendations put forward by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Ageing Population are implemented.

22.

The second largest sector is Security & Defence, which takes up $9.6 billion or 33 per cent of total Government expenditure. Of the $9.6 billion, $7.4 billion will go to MINDEF to fund defence programmes. The remaining $2.2 billion will be for MHA and Civil Defence programmes. MINDEF's budget will make up 4.5 per cent of GDP, well within the ceiling of 6 per cent of GDP set for MINDEF.

23.

Of the $2.2 billion allocated to MHA (including Civil Defence), $1.0 billion or 47 per cent will be for the Police Programme while $351 million or 16 per cent will go to Civil Defence. Development expenditure will be mainly for the MHA Complex, Cantonment Complex, Civil Defence Shelters Programme, redevelopment of the Gurkha Cantonment, SCDF HQ Complex and Neighbourhood Police Centres.