Singaporeans are concerned about the high cost of living here, fearing that it could prevent young people from starting a family or owning a big family.
In a slower economy, work safety is also in their minds.
These are the results of an annual survey conducted by Reach, a government response unit, before the budget announcement this year.
“We hear Singaporeans’ concerns about supporting their families, employability, skills upgrading and job security,” said Sam Tan, chairman and prime minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, on the results of yesterday’s survey.
He added that the Government had launched a number of programs in the 2016 Budget to assist families and workers and would “build on it to study how best to continue to assist and support Singaporeans in these different areas.”
Nearly 8,000 Singaporeans took part in the survey, mostly face-to-face December 5 last year and January 13 this year, by Reach and Treasury.
Only about 4% of the feedback obtained through the online platform.
Respondents who mentioned the cost of living generally agreed that the government was helping a lot, but many said they wanted parents and people who wanted to start a family to do more, Reach said.
They suggested several options, such as the provision of a central provident fund to a woman after childbirth and the easier implementation of home ownership by reviewing fixed prices and obtaining a family.
Many also called for more financial assistance to low-income families and the elderly, such as public utilities and tax rebates.
Others urge the government not to forget the sandwich middle class.
At work, there are various concerns. Workers 45 and older need more help to stay in employment.
“Some people point out that they are healthy and still able to work, but some employers prefer to hire young foreigners,” Reach said.
Young Singaporeans were stressed after graduation to get a job because of the bleak economic outlook.
Some also say that there is a job and skill mismatch, especially in the IT department.
Some argue that Singaporeans are just “picky” and need to be more realistic; some argue that the education system emphasizes learning and lack of technical skills is the cause of the gap, “Reach said.
Many Singaporeans also praised the SkillsFuture program, but recommended increasing the diversity and quality of existing courses.
Some would also like to get more credits from the government, giving each Singaporean $ 500 credit to subsidize course fees.
“We are pleased to see that Singaporeans are willing to share their views and actively participate in the formulation of national budgets and policies,” Mr Chan said.
Finance Minister Zhou Ruiji will deliver the budget at 3.30 pm next Monday.
ziliang@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on Feb 14, 2017.
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