This comes after a three-month long consultation with various stakeholders such as non-governmental agencies and foreign governments.
This is the first time the country is taking a whole-of-government approach to tackle the issue.
An inter-agency task force made up of officials from agencies like the Manpower Ministry, the Home Affairs Ministry and the Community Development, Youth and Sports Ministry was set up in 2010 to address this.
The plan seeks to provide a common definition for trafficking to enhance the processes in victim identification and protection.
While human trafficking is not a severe problem in Singapore, authorities here do agree that because of the country's high people flows, it is an "attractive platform for traffickers".
A lot of the time, the problem is with sex and labour trafficking.
"What does this National Plan of Action mean for us? It signals that the Singapore government is committed towards fighting trafficking in persons more holistically, more strategically and more effectively," said Minister of State for Manpower, Tan Chuan-Jin.
One of the first tasks is to train some 10,000 front line officers so they can identify victims, know what to do, and how to help them.
Standard operating procedures will be altered in the way cases are referred and investigations carried out.
This means victims of trafficking should get immunity from other offences, for example, being charged with overstaying or prostitution.
"So that the people who are trafficked get the message very, very clearly that they are not treated mainly as violators of Singapore law but as people who deserve support and help," said Mr John Gee, Immediate Past President, Transient Workers Count Too.
There will be specialised enforcement teams to combat sex and labour trafficking by end 2013.
Current rules are also being reviewed to see if Singapore needs a dedicated human trafficking law, which NGOs argue will plug current gaps in prosecution.
Singapore does not have a specific human trafficking law, but the Penal Code and Women's Charter criminalises various aspects of sex trafficking. The Children and Young Persons Act specifically prohibits trafficking in children.
Ms Saleemah Ismail, Head, UN Women Singapore, Trafficking Committee, said: "We need a comprehensive legislation, an anti-trafficking legislation to fully cover the victims of trafficking, to fully prosecute the offenders. We don't have that. Very importantly, victims of trafficking will not come forward if there is no law to protect them."
Authorities will also adopt a more victim-centric approach and enhance care services.
For example, there will be a review of the adequacy of current shelter facilities for victims.
"These victims of trafficking... they're someone's sister, daughter, mother... they have a family to support. So every month of delay, is a month too long for them," said Ms Saleemah Ismail.
NGOs said education is key.
Ms Laura Hwang, President, Singapore Council of Women's Organisation, said: "We are defined as a destination country. That means there are Singaporeans who are end-users of something along the supply chain... sometimes unwittingly. I think education needs to go out so we are no longer blind to what ends up on our tables and in our shops as consumers."
The government has also heard strong calls to speed up certain initiatives like the accession to the United Nations TIP Protocol. But it's not ready yet to do so. It said there's a need to conduct a thorough review and ensure Singapore is able to fulfil its obligations in an international agreement first.
Authorities said the plan is not a static one, and it is prepared to take in new ideas.
The Plan of Action is a roadmap for concerted action from 2012 to 2015.
- CNA/cc
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