On Monday, May 21, Minister of Finance Heng Swee Keat posted on his Facebook account about a recent visit he had made to the PSA. His post contained many of the recent positive developments at the port operating group. He praised PSA for its forward-looking and innovative moves.
In his post, Mr. Heng acknowledged that the PSA is vital to Singapore’s future and economy, since trade and connectivity play a big role in keeping the country robust and healthy.
He expressed how glad he was that PSA has made investments in innovation and that the port it is building for future generations is “more intelligent, efficient, secure and sustainable.”
The Finance Minister also wrote that he was excited to see PSA’s test beds. These are platforms for performing rigorous tests on new technologies or scientific theories. Test bedding includes innovative research and development.
The specific PSA testing Mr. Heng was referring to were the trials for using Automated Guided Vehicles, which he believed was an important tool for upscaling skills and global competitiveness.
Mr. Heng also noted the PSA’s collaboration with the Institutes of Higher Learning, which enables them to upskill and reskill the workers of PSA. He used crane operators as an example, who have received training for working with new operating systems. These operators no longer need to be on their cranes in order to operate the machinery, but are able to control them from their offices.
The Finance Minister ended his post with an admonition for Singapore to develop in all levels of the economy, and to make sure that citizens are well-trained to take advantage of available opportunities as the economy grows.