PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 18, 2013
THIS WEEK'S TOPIC
Not just a numbers game
What key messages and insights can we take from the ongoing debate on the Population White Paper? What are the areas most in need of urgent action, and what specific actions/policies do you hope to see implemented?
- PHOTO: AFP
Ho Meng Kit
CEO
Singapore Business Federation
FOR businesses, the key insight is that the path to the future will be completely different from the path taken in the last 30 years. The future path will require businesses to develop Singaporeans as their core workforce, be less reliant on foreign manpower and to put a much greater emphasis on productivity and innovation to drive operational excellence to create value. The most important task is to get this message of economic restructuring to all companies. The short transition time makes this particularly urgent for our small companies. I urge companies to make these changes now when Asia is still growing and the competition from the region is less strong. I hope to see a paradigm shift in the government's efforts to develop small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as the co-drivers of growth for our economy. The debate has exposed a xenophobic dimension among many Singaporeans. Multinational corporations (MNCs) in Singapore are concerned enough to raise this publicly. This must be addressed to avoid damaging our reputation as an open and competitive city where businesses can bring good investments and jobs for Singaporeans.
Patrick Liew
CEO
HSR Global Ltd
MY concern is that many people have been overly focused on the planning parameter of 6.9 million and not paying closer attention to questioning and challenging the assumptions supporting it. For example, it is not just the number of people that will help us improve the quality of life but also whether we can improve our economic, social and environmental infrastructure and programmes to support the overall well-being of our people. The outcomes should be addressed on a holistic basis and should include improving happiness levels, social well-being, work-life balance, and life satisfaction. We should not only work on improving productivity but also on how we can create and develop higher value-added industries and enterprises, innovate and export future technologies and services, develop game-changing business architectures, and become market-makers rather than market-takers in order to strengthen our economic growth.
To do so, we need to start improving our educational systems to produce the next generation of professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and also human resource policies to attract, develop and retain not just the appropriate quantity but also the quality of foreign talents. Instead of taking a town planner's top-down approach to housing higher densities of population, we need to actively find out residents' real and perceived concerns and respond to them in the most palatable way. It bodes well to remember that whatever motion that has been passed in Parliament, currently and in the future, will not work if there is no strong buy-in and support from the people. We need to improve our ways of communicating policies and harnessing talents, energies and contributions of the people so as to promote and execute policies effectively and achieve positive and sustainable results.
Liu Chunlin
CEO
K&C Protective Technologies Pte Ltd
IF the Population White Paper (PWP) was set out to get the participation of our society, then it certainly has accomplished its goal. Incidentally, the publishing of the PWP has also increased the level of transparency of the decision-making process of our government and that alone is a great achievement. Nonetheless, we can still learn a lesson from this case about communication breakdown. The public in general didn't get the message that the proposed population for 2030 was not meant to be a target but simply a benchmark to measure how well-prepared our infrastructure would be by then. Any misunderstanding of a similar nature should be avoided in the future.
After all, the most important issue to be addressed is that a nation needs sufficient population growth for its economy to progress. Without fresh blood, an ageing nation will not be able to provide sufficient care to their elderly. We are fortunate to have a government that is willing to engage its people in the participation of decision-making process. With this increased transparency, it will definitely have the support of the majority, if not all, of its people.
David Leong
Managing Director
PeopleWorldwide Consulting Pte Ltd
WITH slower growth and a diminishing and ageing population, it is almost a death knell for a resource-less Singapore if the government does not realistically deal with the population issue in the White Paper. Whether it is organic growth of the Singaporean core or through immigration substitution, we must have a build-up and replacement strategy to sustain the vitality and vibrancy of our country. Otherwise, we are likely to die young as a country with an aged population.
In the geopolitical part of the equation, Singapore is weak with the lack of resources. Not enough land, not enough Singaporeans, not enough workers, not enough of many things. Apart from the strengths of our strategic location and having built a trusted brand name, these things will not last without the vibrancy of people. We need to attract flows through Singapore and people attraction is one of them. Positioned as a strong transport and financial hub, Singapore needs to have the constant flow of people, capital, goods and services and without the volume of throughput, Singapore will be seriously disadvantaged.
Singapore works, not by accident, but by the planning and execution efforts of the government. I hope when the government sets its policies on the inflow of people, it should not be reactionary but based on the strength of its belief that this is one core reason for the sustainability of our economy. I agree we cannot be on the same growth trajectory for manpower as the ballooning effect causes strains. We cannot grow at all costs but to purposely shift to a lower gear for lower growth can be detrimental and irreversible. Growth in the economy is really not at the disposal of the government to control. It is easy to run an economy aground like many developed countries but to build growth is not easy. We cannot take our growth in Singapore for granted. We have to be realistic about this.
This time, the government is doing it right - planning and building capacities for 2030. The question is not 5.8 million, 6.5 million or 6.9 million. The numbers have no magic. The magic is in the execution of the plan. Let's hope we can outdo ourselves again and build a better Singapore by 2030.
Tan Tiong Cheng
Chairman
Knight Frank Pte Ltd
PUBLIC reactions to the government's population policy have contributed little to what is essentially a well-meaning document. The policy has invoked a lively debate, ranging from the fear of overcrowding, to the dilution of Singapore's identity to Ponzi demography. With the rising cost of living and immigration as hot-button issues, the top-end planning parameter of 6.9 million population in the next 17 years has no doubt evoked great concern among the citizenry.
Despite the White Paper's emphasis of an ageing population with falling birth rates, the question is whether 6.9 million - with almost half foreigners - is really necessary for Singapore given our land constraints and the declining proportion of the Singaporean core. The Paper touched on the need to have a complementary workforce of Singaporeans and foreigners to create a dynamic economy, which I think is important in order to ensure Singapore's relevance in the global stage and indeed our long-term survival.
The economic and demographic challenges are increasingly real, so it is timely for us to debate and think of ways to solve these issues. Following this Paper, there is an urgent need for the government to design a sustainable economic model with comprehensive strategies that can address the rationale for a larger population. This should include a long-term plan to provide employment opportunities for Singaporeans, against the backdrop of economic growth rates at sustainable levels.
Growing a young population rooted in Singapore should be given top priority so as to strengthen our Singaporean identity. So, a more innovative and encompassing scheme to promote family building and to improve our birth rates ought to be implemented with exigency, rather than what appears to be the easier solution of bringing in more foreigners. I believe the government can do better in this area and in so doing may find the consensus it needs.
Harish Nim
Chief Executive
Emerio Corporation Pte Ltd
SINGAPORE needs foreign talent for growth and prosperity of the nation. This is a fact. Singapore by itself will find it very hard to succeed in the future if we have to depend upon our indigenous workforce.
The government ought to do more to distribute the country's wealth, in meaningful ways, to its citizens so that we are not left behind to struggle while the nation progresses. There is no joy in being one of the richest nations in the world and still expect our seniors and elderly folk to work in order to support themselves. They have contributed all they could meaningfully to our country.
Our ministers in charge of urban development, namely transport and housing, need to admit their failure to the people in their duty to ensure that the influx of foreigners lagged behind the infrastructure that needed to be in place prior to the population increase. They need to promise us that the population growth will trail the infrastructure growth and when the population reaches 6.9 million, we will be better off.
The People's Action Party (PAP) is the only party in my mind that can steer Singapore to greater heights, but they need to show very clearly that they care for its citizens in ways that cannot be questioned by the fledgling opposition members. My request to the PAP is to deal with all issues with equal amounts of intelligence quotient (IQ) and emotional quotient (EQ). Using either one will not work.
I am shocked at some of the suggestions the opposition has made and these comments lead me to believe that they do not know the ABC of how to plan for a country's future. While I am not against housewives and seniors rejoining the workforce, I doubt if even the opposition thinks that these people can run global banks or complex IT systems or MNCs.
Philippe HJ Huinck
Regional Managing Director, South and South East Asia
International SOS
FOR me, the Population White Paper raises broader questions around the impact of a growing population - foreign or local - on our healthcare infrastructure. As the Singaporean population increases, so does the need for increased healthcare - public and private.
Singapore is renowned for its efficient and widespread system of healthcare, and I am certain the government will continue to prioritise this sector as we move forward, both to accommodate the already ageing population, as well as the results of encouraging more Singaporeans to marry and have children, supplemented by an adjusted pace of immigration to prevent the citizen population from shrinking. Many Singaporeans already have supplemental private health insurance, often provided by employers, for services not covered by the government's programme and this will play an increasingly important role as demands on the healthcare system increase. Proficient universal healthcare will be fundamental to the government's vision of ''a sustainable population for a dynamic Singapore''.
Lim Soon Hock
Managing Director
PLAN-B ICAG Pte Ltd
THERE was a clear divide between government and businesses and people on the issues of population, growth, total fertility rate (TFR), workforce and foreigners. Businesses and people wanted short-term issues to be solved before addressing the longer-term challenges of our population.
A major issue is the increased dependency on foreigners to solve our population challenges and the concomitant declining indigenous workforce. People are not objecting to the inflow of low-skilled workers such as those from the construction, hospitality, and food and beverage industries as well as maids, as these are jobs which Singaporeans shun. The government should not belabour this point, but instead should focus more on helping PMETs compete, going forward.
PMETs will face a greater threat of competition from foreigners, as they now do, because businesses find the latter more affordable, for the same skill and expertise, if not better in many instances. I think this group, which is planned to be at least 55 per cent of the workforce, will want to know how the government can help them compete, not on salary or costs, but through other means.
I think more can also be done to promote and increase TFR. People are seeing actions taken by the government falling short of the rhetoric. The recent Marriage and Parenthood Package, taken as a whole, was more parenthood-centric than marriage-centric. It does not address fully the issue of rising singlehood. It is this tentative step that is being taken rather than going all out to solve the TFR problem that is at the heart of unhappiness and disappointment of the people and businesses. We are at an inflexion point. The government therefore ought to demonstrate more seriousness in wanting to tackle the declining TFR. The government should only resort to complementing our population with more foreigners as a contingency. The government did the right thing to clarify. Unfortunately, the White Paper inadvertently left an unfavourable impression on businesses and people that past planning had not been up to par; it was under-planning, if not bad planning, so businesses and people have good reasons to doubt the efficacy and intended outcomes of the plans contained in the White Paper.
Han Fook Kwang, the managing editor (English and Malay Newspaper Division) of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), was right to point out in a recent article that the government has much to do to restore the trust of the people and businesses. I agree with him wholeheartedly. Because the issues are of such great import, it is vital that the government taps the collective wisdom of as many key stakeholders as possible, not limited to chambers of commerce, WP, NMPs, etc. Partisan politics should be set aside. A diversity of views will not only help to shape and refine policies and initiatives, but in the current circumstances, will go a long way to regaining the trust people and other key stakeholders have in the government.
Lynne Ng
Regional Director, Adecco SEA
Adecco Personnel Pte Ltd
THE intense public discussion on the Population White Paper has served as a reminder that this is a very important area for both locals and foreigners. The opinions expressed by many show that Singaporeans and other residents take very seriously the direction that our country is heading, from both its population size going forward, as well as the structure and composition of the workforce. Areas which require urgent action include an understanding of how we benefit from foreign talent in many areas of commerce and industry and ensuring that as a country we have the balance of local and foreign talent required to ensure our continued competitiveness. How we plan for our workforce of the future is an area of great importance.
Ray Ferguson
CEO, Singapore
Standard Chartered Bank
IN the short term, maintaining a delicate balance between developing a core pool of Singapore talent and integrating existing non-Singaporean employees is key. At Standard Chartered, while our diverse workforce gives us global perspectives and insights, building a Singaporean core is absolutely an integral part of our talent strategy. We believe in grooming a sustainable pipeline of local talent and we place great emphasis on the training and development of our people. Each year, we actively recruit from local universities and have an excellent management trainee programme which gives our trainees exposure to different business areas as well as international work experience.
In integrating non-Singaporeans, employee volunteering is the most direct way to help newcomers understand and interact with locals while helping the community. The bank has built a robust employee volunteering programme including three days of paid leave for volunteering activities; a one-hour interactive online cultural awareness training resource and the ''International Network'', where foreigners can learn first-hand about the country from local employees. In the long term, we believe that companies can do more to create a pro-family environment and help to boost the total fertility rate in Singapore.
Standard Chartered has introduced a number of flexible working arrangements - from flexi-time, part-time to working from home - to help employees with the pressing challenge of balancing work and personal commitments. We offer employees leave ranging from two days to 16 weeks for marriage, family care, childcare, paternity, maternity and adoption purposes. Currently we already provide adoption leave of 16 weeks for our staff. Employees who wish to take a longer break can take sabbatical leave for three to 12 months for reasons including pursuing family responsibilities. We also provide an online resource centre for expectant mothers and managers of those going on maternity leave; and nursing rooms at our Changi Business Park and Marina Bay offices for the use of mothers who return to work.
Zaheer Merchant
Regional Director (Singapore and Europe)
QI Group of Companies
ONE insight is evidently the widening rift between policymakers and the people, with polarised views as a consequence of the Population White Paper. This resulted in concessions as to its ''presentation'' needing to be better. Singaporeans cite increased competition for jobs, housing shortages, traffic jams or social tension as reasons against the Paper, aside from the debate whether we are at core, truly ''Singaporean''. Singapore's net density is lower than Hong Kong, New York and London. Analysts project it is possible to house 6.9 million people with smart urban planning, as detailed in the Land Use Plan released by URA to mitigate overcrowding.
The message of concern leading to need for action will be on policies touching on infrastructure, transport, housing, education, health, cost and quality of life. These should not suffer and must be better than adequate to serve Singapore's ''growing'' population. The government needs to enhance Singaporeans' sense of security in every form and encourage social cohesion and integration. Gentler public engagement rather than a parochial top-down approach is required. Clarity on migrants that the government is attracting will be helpful, including to businesses affected by tighter inflows of foreign labour. Ultimately Singaporeans want to see a Singapore for all Singaporeans first perhaps, as opposed to a Singapore free-for-all.