Keynote Address by Minister Josephine Teo at the Launch of SingPost’s Automated Sorting Facility

Ms Teo Swee Lian, Chairman, SingPost;

Mr Mark Chong, CEO, SingPost;

SingPost Board members and staff;

Brother Thuvinder Singh, General Secretary, UTES, and friends from the Union;

Colleagues and Friends.

1. Good morning.

2. Thank you for inviting me to join you in marking an important milestone in SingPost’s journey.

3. SingPost has been part of the Singapore story for about 168 years. Generations of Singaporeans have grown up with SingPost as a familiar and trusted presence in their daily lives. There are very few organisations in Singapore that can say this, so kudos to SingPost!

4. If we think back, a few familiar milestones come to mind:

   1. In the 1970s, as new HDB towns sprang up across the island and Singapore became increasingly connected to the world, SingPost introduced the now-familiar rectangular posting boxes, with separate slots for “Singapore” and “Other Countries”.

   2. I remember, as a younger person, putting something into the slot that says ‘Other Countries’, and feeling a sense of casting my horizons wider. You know it means that you are being connected to someone outside of this country, who may have a completely different life.

   3. In that generation, some of us had pen pals, and especially when there were people who were fortunate enough to study overseas, keeping in touch with the Singaporeans back home, was mainly through this thing called the aerogram. I particularly remember learning how to write very small words on the aerogram, as you had to squeeze as many words as you can in order to say a lot to your friends.

   4. In the late 1990s, SingPost introduced Self-Service Automated Machines (SAM), allowing Singaporeans to print postage labels and pay bills even outside post office operating hours. Today, SingPost’s network of 39 POPDrops serve this role.

   5. Then in the 2010s, our lives completely changed, as eCommerce and online shopping became part of everyday life. POPStations offered a practical solution for parcel collection and delivery, for people who may not always have someone at home.

5. To bring greater convenience to the public, SingPost has also worked with other third-party agents such as supermarkets and convenience stores to offer SingPost’s parcel services.

6. All of this came about because of the strong spirit of service, resilience and reinvention that continues today.

7. Around the world, postal operators are facing major shifts. Traditional mail volumes are declining, while parcel deliveries are growing rapidly. Customers also expect faster deliveries, better visibility and greater convenience.

8. In such an environment, it goes without saying that standing still is not an option. SingPost knows this too.

9. I would therefore like to congratulate SingPost for the launch of its new automated sortation facility, which is the result of a S$30 million investment in the Regional eCommerce Logistics Hub here in Tampines.

10. The significant increase in capacity and efficiency of parcel sortation operations, which you heard Mr Mark Chong describe earlier, will enhance SingPost’s role as a key logistics player in Singapore.

11. I was also heartened by Mr Mark Chong’s announcement that the new SingPost@MyBlock initiative will be extended islandwide. On behalf of my residents in Jalan Besar GRC, many of whom are elderly — thank you, and we look forward to it.

12. SingPost@MyBlock exemplifies your continuous innovation to better meet the needs of your customers, using the assets you have available. It also helps your workforce do their jobs more effectively and efficiently.

13. When we think of all the innovations and initiatives together, they reflect SingPost’s unwavering commitment to serving Singaporeans and making sure that we have supply chain resilience in Singapore.

14. As the postal landscape and business environment continue to evolve, my hope is that these investments enable SingPost to remain steadfast in its role as a postal and logistics delivery provider.

15. Technology has always been a cornerstone of SingPost’s transformation journey. This will be increasingly important as AI fundamentally changes the way businesses operate.

16. Your commitment to harnessing AI – not only to boost productivity and service delivery, but also to empower your workforce – is very encouraging.

17. I saw this in your collaboration with Google Cloud in 2023, to empower SingPost employees with easy-to-use AI-powered tools, help them boost productivity, streamline repetitive tasks, and foster seamless collaboration.

18. And today, Mark has further reinforced this commitment through his speech earlier.

19. SingPost has recognised that when companies invest in their workers, workers gain the confidence to adapt and grow. And when workers grow together with the company, everyone benefits – businesses become stronger, workers enjoy better opportunities, and Singapore becomes a lot more resilient.

20. Partnerships between management and unions are key to facilitating this, and I hope that the good work of the Company Training Committee within SingPost will extend its reach even more.

21. In closing, I want to thank the management, staff and union partners of SingPost for your dedication and commitment over the years.

22. The Government recognises the important role SingPost plays, and we will continue working closely with SingPost to ensure postal services remain accessible and financially sustainable in the long term.

23. I wish SingPost every success as you embark on this next chapter of transformation and growth, and I look forward to touring your new facility later.

24. Thank you.