This is a special Straits Times resource for pre-university students as part of The Straits Times-Ministry of Education News Outreach Programme.
The team behind the ST-MOE News Outreach Programme has compiled a series of news resources for you. This week, we look at Budget 2026
Singapore is among a growing pack of nations jostling to get ahead in AI diffusion.
The Straits Times
The late American economist Nathan Rosenberg notably argued that the most important question about technological progress is not “Who did it first?”.
Instead, it is the diffusion process – the rate at which a new technology is adopted and the extent to which it is embedded in an economy’s processes – which marks the true impact of an invention.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong touched on this point when he spoke about artificial intelligence (AI) at a conference co-organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) in 2025.
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PM Lawrence Wong laid out how Singapore will invest in AI in his Budget 2026 speech.
The Straits Times
Describing artificial intelligence (AI) as a strategic advantage for Singapore in his Budget 2026 speech, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong laid out how the country would invest in the field.
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Even though the cost of living rose, the wages of lower-wage workers rose even more.
The Straits Times
The salaries of lower-wage workers here have risen at a quicker pace compared with those of the workforce as a whole, signalling recent measures to uplift this segment could have brought about tangible results.
Lower-wage workers may include cleaners, security officers and retail assistants.
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The new inter-ministerial council will launch and drive AI missions in four key sectors at a national level to unlock its competitive advantage in a changed world.
The Straits Times
A National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Council chaired by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will be created to help Singapore harness AI as a strategic advantage.
Announced by PM Wong on Feb 12 in his Budget 2026 speech, the new inter-ministerial council will launch and drive AI missions in four key sectors at a national level to unlock Singapore’s competitive advantage in a changed world.
PM Wong devoted over 10 minutes of his 90-minute speech to AI.
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The move aims to create a more integrated ecosystem for jobs and skills, and one that can better respond as the economy faces rapid structural shifts.
The Straits Times
Workforce Singapore (WSG) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) will be merged into a new statutory board overseeing both jobs and skills, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
This move, announced in PM Wong’s Budget speech on Feb 12, aims to create a more integrated ecosystem for jobs and skills, and one that can better respond as the economy faces rapid structural shifts.
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