FINANCE Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said this year's Budget is about creating new advantages and fresh opportunities for Singapore in a competitive world.

'The way we will do it is to be a top quality economy. This means top quality people, and top quality enterprises. The Budget is also about keeping all our people together as we grow and ensuring that no one is left behind,' he told Parliament on Friday.

The Budget this year is centred on four key thrusts:

• To provide a full range of education and training opportunities for people to find and stretch their potential, in school and in their post-secondary education, as well as throughout their working years. The government will enhance assistance for needy students to ensure that a top-rate tertiary education is affordable to all.
• To spur the growth of innovative enterprises, by significantly enhancing the incentives for enterprises big and small to create new ideas and products.
• To adjust our tax policies stay competitive, support the growth of SMEs, encourage risk-taking as well as strengthen Singapore's role as a financial and business hub.
• To continue to build a resilient community.

'We will strengthen financial security for retirement, and help the less well-off members in our society. We will also share surpluses with Singaporeans, with particular focus on the lower and middle-income groups who are more affected by rising prices,' said the minister.