Reply by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen to Parliamentary Question on Expenditure on NDP 2016

Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Defence (a) how much is the Government paying for the extra days of National Day Parade (NDP) rehearsals at the Sports Hub; and (b) whether the Government expects to pay similar amounts for future years when the Sports Hub is chosen as the NDP venue again.

Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Defence

(a) what is the current estimated total cost for National Day Parade (NDP) 2016 after including the cost of rental for the extra days of rehearsals; and (b) how does this compare to the NDP costs of the previous five years.

Dr Ng Eng Hen: Madam, I'll also like to inform members that my reply will address the written question by Mr Vikram Nair.

Madam Speaker, this year we celebrate the National Day Parade (NDP) at the National Stadium after a hiatus of ten years. When compared to other NDP sites at the Padang and the Marina Bay Floating Platform, the new setting calls for a different format. For example, what members here particularly like and what Singaporeans like, the Red Lions parachuting down into the site will not be possible for obvious safety reasons. And we will also not be able to have a mobile column or aerial displays - we just cannot see them.

However, the new National Stadium also provides advantages for a different type of show, utilising the larger confined space and central pitch as a large stage. The NDP 2016 Executive Committee - the EXCO - is excited about the possibilities that the new setting provides and has been hard at work preparing for NDP 2016 so that all Singaporeans can enjoy it and be proud of it.

Another distinct advantage of the new National Stadium, because it has a seating capacity of 55,000, almost twice that of the number of Singaporeans that can watch it either at the Padang or the Marina Bay Floating Platform, is exactly this: there will be many more Singaporeans who will be able to watch the rehearsals and the NDP physically at the site compared to the Marina Bay Floating Platform and the Padang. Both of these have capacities of about 25,000. So in all, in the new site, we expect about 275,000 Singaporeans to be able to watch the National Education shows, Preview show and NDP 2016 physically at the site. As with previous NDPs, live telecast will also allow Singaporeans to watch the show at home.

Let me address the questions which have been posed regarding costs of NDP at the National Stadium, and compare it, as asked, with NDPs held at the Marina Bay Floating Platform or the Padang. Previous NDPs at the Marina Bay Floating Platform cost between $15.7 million to $17.9 million. The cost of NDP at the Padang in 2010 was $20.6 million and in 2015, $40.5 million. The cost of NDP at the National Stadium this year is expected to be about $39.4 million.

There have been questions asked about itemised cost. Itemised cost comparisons between the three different sites are sometimes difficult and not meaningful, as the venue conditions vary considerably for each site. So for example, among these factors, the number of live spectators in the main venue and surrounding areas, the costs for added security in some sites more than the others, and also the collateral impact of opportunity costs on surrounding businesses and retails shops. Be that as it may, I will still give some figures and some comparisons. The cost of the show segment, for example, for all three sites is similar, about half of total costs. But the cost to build infrastructure varies considerably. So for example, each time we hold it at the Padang we have to build all the spectator stands and that costs about 22% of the total cost, as you can well imagine. But it is negligible at the Marina Bay Floating Platform because it is already built, neither at the National Stadium. Venue costs, which was the question asked, are as expected to be very low for public sites at the Marina Bay Floating Platform and the Padang - about 4% of total costs - because the Padang and the Marina Bay Floating Platform are public sites. For NDP 2016 at the National Stadium, the venue cost is about 15% of total costs, similar to other national events held at private venues.

The Executive Committee is aware that after the Golden Jubilee NDP and SG50 celebrations, expectations of this year's show, NDP 2016, are high and I think that they have resigned themselves to the fact that comparisons will be inevitable. However, I believe that ultimately the NDP is a show with Singaporeans, for Singaporeans, and by Singaporeans. The committee will do their best to live up to expectations, but I ask that Singaporeans support the EXCO so that they can put up a really good NDP this year for all of us to celebrate together. Thank you.