The Ministry of National Development (MND; ms, Kementerian Pembangunan Negara; zh, 国家发展部; ta, தேசிய வளர்ச்சி அமைச்சு) is a ministry of the

Government of Singapore The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of Singapore to mean the executive branch of the state, which is made up of the president and the Cabinet. Although the president acts in their personal discretion in the exercis ...

responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies related to the

land-use planning Land use planning is the process of regulating the use of land by a central authority. Usually, this is done to promote more desirable social and environmental outcomes as well as a more efficient use of resources. More specifically, the goals ...

and infrastructure development in

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

History

The ministry was established after the 1959 legislative assembly

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...

. It was originally composed of departments previously under the Ministry of Local Government, Land and Housing, Ministry of Communications and Works, the

City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural coun ...

and Rural Board (Architectural and Buildings Surveyors Section), and Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Fisheries, Veterinary Services and Rural Development).

Responsibilities

MND's key responsibilities include the planning, management and redevelopment of land resources and the development of

public housing Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, de ...

. The promotion of the construction,

real estate Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more genera ...

and agrotechnology industries, as well as the management and improvement of industry standards in the real estate agent industry also come under the purview of the ministry. The MND is also tasked with the development and management of green spaces, recreational infrastructure and the conservation of nature areas. It is also the ministry in charge of

food safety Food safety (or food hygiene) is used as a scientific method/discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food-borne illness. The occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illness resulting from ...

, animal and plant health.

Organisational structure

The MND is made up of nine divisions: Strategic Planning Division, Housing Division, Infrastructure Division, Research & Strategy Management Division, Corporate Development Division, Corporate Communications Division, the Eco-City Project Office, the Centre for Liveable Cities and the Internal Audit Unit. On 1 October 2014, the Municipal Services Office was set up under the Ministry of National Development, with the aim to improve the Government's overall coordination and delivery of municipal services.

Strategic Planning

The Strategic Planning Division works with the

Urban Redevelopment Authority The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is the national urban planning authority of Singapore, and a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Government of Singapore. Mission The authority was established on 1 April ...

to help Singapore meet its land use needs with respect to the economy and living environment. It also comes up with policies relating to land use sales / planning, development control and the private property market.

Housing

The Housing Division works with the Housing Development Board to plan and develop public housing towns that provide Singaporeans with affordable homes. The division's aims include community cohesion (by providing community spaces for interaction) and policies that support social objectives, such as racial harmony (Ethnic Integration Policy) and stronger family ties (CPF Housing Grant for those who live near their parents). The Housing Division is responsible for policies on home ownership, public rental housing for low income families and the rejuvenation of older estates, amongst others.

Infrastructure

The Infrastructure Division works with the Building and Construction Authority to shape the built environment for Singapore via building safety, construction quality, sustainability of buildings and construction, and the usability of the built environment. The Infrastructure Division also develops policies on the construction industry, sustainable development, accessibility, and building safety and quality. The Infrastructure Division also partners the National Parks Board to integrate Singapore's urban infrastructure and garden environments. Together, they develop policies on enhancing greenery infrastructure, encouraging community participation in greening, and developing the horticultural industry. They also take care of veterinary issues too after the disbandment of Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority

Planning and Research

The Planning and Research Department undertakes policy reviews, and research and economic analyses. It also carries out international relations work by liaising with foreign counterparts to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expanding international outreach efforts.

Eco-City Project Office

The Eco-City Project Office spearheads the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, which seeks to address the challenges of sustainable development in a holistic and balanced manner.

Centre for Liveable Cities

The Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) was set up in 2008 by the MND and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. It is a research

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-govern ...

that focuses on sustainable urban development. It seeks to understand Singapore's transformation in the last five decades, and to create and share knowledge and urban solutions for "current and future challenges relevant to Singapore and other cities".

Statutory Boards

The ministry oversees five statutory boards and three professional committees. These are: * Building and Construction Authority (BCA) * Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) * Housing Development Board (HDB) * National Parks Board (NParks) *

(URA)

Ministers

The Ministry is headed by the Minister for National Development, who is appointed as part of the Cabinet of Singapore. The incumbent minister is Desmond Lee from the People's Action Party.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry Of National Development (Singapore) National Development

1959 establishments in Singapore