SINGAPORE: In a hyper competitive society, what unites
Singaporeans is a spirit that no one is left behind, Minister in
the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing said on Tuesday (Sep
8).
In a video posted on the People’s Action Party’s Facebook page,
Mr Chan, who was the Social and Family Development Minister from
November 2012 to May 2015, explained how the Government has
structured the social spending system in Singapore to help
individuals according to their needs.
Drawing a simple graph of the rich and poor gap, he explained
how taxes from the rich are used to help the lower-income segment.
But because the amount taken from the rich is not enough, the
Government tops up the difference using 50 per cent of the earnings
from the national reserves to add to the Budget, which in turn goes
to help the poor and the middle-income.
Resources are distributed with three basic needs in mind –
education, healthcare and housing, he said.
“Every child that goes to our national school system has access
to the same opportunities. Every Singaporean has access to
affordable healthcare. And for the 80 per cent of Singaporeans who
stay in Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats, they, too, will
get some form of housing subsidies at various stages of their
lives,” Mr Chan said.
Beyond these three basic needs, the Government also has targeted
schemes to help families with young children and those with special
needs, he said. On top of that, there is the Workfare scheme for
low-income workers, ComCare to provide temporary help for those who
need it and the Public Assistance scheme for those who are no
longer able to work or take care of themselves, he added.
“We try to provide something for all Singaporeans regardless of
their socio-economic background. But what we have done is reserve
the most help for those who need it the most, and that is the
people who are the poorest,” he said.
Mr Chan also said he has seen many Singaporeans stepping forward
to volunteer their time to help others.
“I think this is something commendable and reflects our
Singapore spirit,” he said. “We all have neighbours and if we see
our neighbours in need – whether it’s financial or emotional or
other forms of need – if we are attentive, we can link them up with
the agencies that are there to provide help.”
- CNA/cy
