Dr Sudha Nair, Organising Chairman of this Seminar, Co-Director of the Centre for Social Development (Asia), and Assistant Professor and Deputy Head at the Department of Social Work, NUS
Dr S Vasoo, Associate Professorial Fellow and Advisor to the Centre for Social Development (Asia)
Prof Michael Sherraden, Benjamin Youndahl Professor of Social Development, Director, Centre for Social Development, Washington University in St Louis
Distinguished Speakers and Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. Good morning to all of you. It is my pleasure to be invited to today’s seminar on social policies, co-organised by the Centre for Social Development (Asia) under the Department of Social Work at NUS, and her sister organisation – the Centre for Social Development at Washington University in St Louis.
2. The Centre for Social Development (Asia) in Singapore, or the CSDA, was launched three years ago, to conduct applied research and pioneer social development programmes with a focus on Asia. This seminar is a timely opportunity for policy makers, academics, researchers and practitioners to come together to reflect and share about the progress of our social policies as well as to brainstorm innovative solutions to address the challenges ahead.
Social Policy Challenges in Singapore
3. Singapore’s development from a fishing village to a thriving city-state is a result of the hard work of Singaporeans, but also of sound economic and social policies. Underpinning our development philosophy are principles of “self-reliance”, “meritocracy” and the “family as the foundation of society”. While these principles remain sound, our landscape has changed. Let me briefly highlight some of the challenges that we will have to consider in formulating Singapore’s social policy :
a. First, the economy. While the economy is recovering from the recent recession, Singapore will continue to experience shocks. As a global city and an open economy, we will have a more volatile growth path than most. Our policies must therefore prepare Singaporeans to respond quickly to these shocks when they come, get out of it quickly and get out of it stronger. Singaporeans, as individuals and as a community, need to be increasingly resilient and adaptable to change and uncertainty. Some segments of the population may require additional help and their needs may change. Our policies must respond in a timely manner to these groups so that they are not left behind.
b. Second, the ageing population and low birth rates. Singapore’s old-age support ratio is declining. Singaporeans are delaying marriage, and more and more are opting to remain single. Our birth rates are decreasing, and the population of elderly singles in the future will grow. With possibly fewer working adults to support each elderly person in the future, we have to ensure that each generation earns and saves enough for its entire lifecycle. The Government has already introduced various CPF reforms to strengthen our main social security system. CPF LIFE, the Lease Buyback Scheme and the recent announcement to restore CPF employer contribution rates are all measures to help Singaporeans achieve financial security even after retirement.
c. Third, the family institution. I said earlier that the key institution underlying our social policies is the “family”. While Singaporeans still value the family, some worrying trends have persisted – low birth rates, later marriages, and increasing number of divorces, just to name a few. These developments raise questions about whether the family institution can be relied on as the main provider of material and emotional support to its members in the future.
d. Fourth, Singapore as an increasingly cosmopolitan city. As an attractive destination to live and work in, we play host to people from varied backgrounds, origins and beliefs. Many of these people contribute their skills and manpower to Singapore’s growth. We will have to ensure that they integrate well with our local population and maintain the levels of inter-communal relations we enjoy.
Closing Remarks
4. I have briefly highlighted some of the challenges that I think will significantly impact the development of our social policies. There might be others that you might come up with in your discussion during the conference. I hope you will have a good time discussing them and sharing your responses to these issues with one another over the next two days.
5. On this note, I wish you a fruitful and successful Seminar. Thank you.
