Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

On Money Matters' Budget 2026 Conversation, Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian speak to Harvey Koenig, Partner, Co-Head of BEPS COE, KPMG, Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University and former Nominated Member of Parliament, and Dr Clara Lee, Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Social Lab, National University of Singapore, for their final thoughts on this year's Budget announcement, the hits and misses, and what to expect in the next couple of months as the Budget measures are being implement. 

Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to overcome structural constraints and turning AI adoption into a strategic advantage for the country. That’s the goal for Singapore in Budget 2026 plans laid out by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong.  On Money Matters' Budget 2026 Conversation, Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian looked at Singapore's plans to realise its AI ambitions with Harvey Koenig, Partner, Co-Head of BEPS COE, KPMG, Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University and former Nominated Member of Parliament, and Dr Clara Lee, Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Social Lab, National University of Singapore. Among the measures discussed - a new set of national AI Missions targeted at driving AI transformation in key sectors of the economy, and a new National AI Council to be chaired by PM Wong to drive coordinated efforts.

A major theme of Budget 2026 was to support businesses negotiating a changing global operating environment, where economic flows are becoming more selective, partnerships are being more strategic, and where resilience now matters as much as efficiency.  On Money Matters' Budget 2026 Conversation, Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian unpacked the suite of measures aimed at helping businesses capture growth opportunities and mitigate short-term challenges with Harvey Koenig, Partner, Co-Head of BEPS COE, KPMG, Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University and former Nominated Member of Parliament, and Dr Clara Lee, Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Social Lab, National University of Singapore. These measures ranged from tax rebates and deductions to the enhanced Market Readiness Assistance grant to help companies internationalise.  The team also dived into the expansion of the Startup SG Equity scheme along with the launch of the second $1.5 billion tranche of the Anchor Fund to attract and anchor high quality public listings in Singapore.

Budget 2026 is putting a spotlight on helping workers navigate the shifts brought forward by AI and automation, with support for reskilling, career transitions and manpower planning. This includes government plans to expand the TechSkills Accelerator to help workers build more practical capabilities.  Meanwhile, more support will be given to lower income workers, with the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme has been extended for 2 more years, to 2028, while co-funding support for 2026 has been raised from 20% to 30%. Budget 2026 has also included updates to Singapore’s foreign worker policies.  What does this all mean for our Singapore workforce? How do the new measures aim to equip Singaporeans for the future of work? On Money Matters' Budget 2026 Conversation, Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian speak to Harvey Koenig, Partner, Co-Head of BEPS COE, KPMG, Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University and former Nominated Member of Parliament, and Dr Clara Lee, Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Social Lab, National University of Singapore, to find out more. 

About 1.4 million Singaporean households will each get $500 in CDC vouchers. There will also be additional U-Save rebates to help households with their utilities expenses.  On top of this, 2.4 million eligible adult Singaporeans will receive a $200-$400 Cost-of-Living Special Payment in September 2026 to ease expenses. But are these all enough for Singaporeans to tide through the rising cost of living?  And what more support are given to families with children, lower income families and our ageing population? On Money Matters' Budget 2026 Conversation, Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian speak to Harvey Koenig, Partner, Co-Head of BEPS COE, KPMG, Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University and former Nominated Member of Parliament, and Dr Clara Lee, Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Social Lab, National University of Singapore, to find out more.   

The theme of Budget 2026 is "Securing our future together in a changed world," with key themes including, advancing our refreshed economic strategy, harnessing AI, budding a resilient and skilled workforce, giving families more support and greater assurance, protecting our security and sustainability and renewing and strengthening our Singapore spirit. So what was the tone of this year's budget? On top of this, the annual Budget is also about revising government revenue and expenditure projections for the current financial year, as well as planning ahead for the new financial year. The estimated size of this year’s budget is $154.7 billion, higher than $143.3 billion previously. On Money Matters' Budget 2026 Conversation, Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian speak to Harvey Koenig, Partner, Co-Head of BEPS COE, KPMG, Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University and former Nominated Member of Parliament, and Dr Clara Lee, Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Social Lab, National University of Singapore, for a first look at this year's budget and to take a broader look in terms of Singapore’s economic direction and fiscal stance.    

On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada dive into China’s “doll mummy” craze where young women treat cotton dolls like real babies, celebrating birthdays, dressing them in designer outfits, and even taking them on holidays. And for football fans, would you refuse a haircut until your team won five games in a row? Manchester United fan Frank Ilett has been doing exactly that for 493 days, turning a viral joke into millions of followers, brand deals, and a fundraising campaign for children with cancer.

Do you invest in what you know - the brands you recognise, the markets you’ve followed for years, the sectors that feel safe? You’re not alone. But today, we’re asking: does familiarity actually make your portfolio safer… or riskier? And how can investors tell when diversification is only superficial? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Jason Tan, Portfolio Manager at PhillipCapital, for the latest.

Singapore shares inched higher today to track movements in the region. The Straits Times Index was up 0.39% at 4,983.73 points at 2.21pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$1.44B seen in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch today, we have CapitaLand Investment, after the real asset manager sank into the red with a net loss of S$142 million for its second half ended Dec 31, 2025, reversing from net profit of S$148 million in the previous corresponding period.  Elsewhere, from a lookahead to Singapore Budget 2026 Statement, to how China’s factory deflation eased more than expected in January, more economic headlines remained in focus.    On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Dan Chang, Investment Specialist and Trading Representative, PhillipCapital.

All eyes will be on Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as he delivers the Budget 2026 statement on Feb 12, a roadmap that could shape Singapore’s next phase of growth and support. This year’s Budget is expected to zero in on six key areas: accelerating AI adoption, manpower adjustments, smaller CDC payouts, helping businesses internationalise, clarifying carbon tax plans, and even the possibility of wealth taxes. But which of these will matter most to Singaporeans right now? How different will Budget 2026 look compared to last year’s package? And will it go far enough to tackle long-standing pressures, from cost of living concerns to global economic uncertainty? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Chan Kok Hoe, Senior Lecturer, National University of Singapore, to find out more.