"Infrastructure development is not just about building, but also benefitting people and improving their quality of life," said President of Singapore Halimah Yacob at the Asia Competitiveness Institute Annual Conference.
Urging developers to keep the interest of the public in mind, she said, “As countries work on developing infrastructure, it must be done in a way to ensure that people’s interests are taken care of.
“We are witnessing how globalisation presents more opportunities and challenges for all of us. Amidst these challenges, we need to continue to pay attention to the role of infrastructure development in facilitating economic activities, job creation and improvement in quality of life,” said Halimah Yacob.
The President of Singapore emphasised putting people at the centre of infrastructure development which can guide decision-making in this area.
“Singapore has worked closely with the World Bank and other multilateral development banks in building strong regional networks to support growth of infrastructure,” she said.
“Singapore itself continues to invest in building new infrastructure and upgrading existing ones. This includes building new airport terminals to handle more air traffic, and new ports to consolidate the country’s maritime infrastructure and free up land,” she added.
Urging developing infrastructure in a responsible manner, she said, “Even as we enhance our infrastructure to drive up vibrancy in economies, it is important that infrastructure development is conducted in a responsible and sustainable manner. We must take care not to force unnecessary deterioration of natural environments.”
