15. The Government has been rebalancing our economic and social strategies to promote growth while mitigating inequality and giving our citizens greater assurance at each stage of their lives. Decisive policy shifts were introduced in the last decade in response to domestic feedback as well as external developments such as more intense global competition, and the impact of technology on job security and wage growth.
16. Since the last review, the Government has introduced progressive new policies to enhance social protection for our citizens, in particular the elderly and the low- and middle-income. Substantial investments were also made to improve the quality of education, healthcare and housing. However, we did so in fiscally sustainable ways that do not burden future generations, and reinforce individual and collective responsibilities.
1. Support for lower income Singaporeans (Recommendations 94.7 and 94.10)
17. Singapore supported Recommendations 94.7 and 94.10 because promoting social mobility is a key policy goal. We target our support at the low- and middle-income groups, and in areas which will help them most, particularly education, housing and healthcare.
18. Workfare Income Supplement. The Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme tops up the salary and retirement savings of low-wage workers aged 35 and above. This scheme encourages them to work regularly and boosts their retirement adequacy.
19. We enhanced the WIS in 2013 to increase the payouts and to benefit a larger pool of lower-wage workers. To complement the WIS, the Government provides incentives for self-initiated training and encourages employers to send their workers, including older workers, for training and skills upgrading. This includes a 95% course fee subsidy.
20. Progressive Wage Model. The Progressive Wage Model (PWM) is a wage-skill ladder that ties wages to training and improvements in productivity. This means workers can get higher wages as they become better skilled, more productive and take on more responsibilities. Since June 2012, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has led the development of PWMs in various sectors. For the cleaning, security and landscape sectors in particular, the Government enforces the PWMs, which are negotiated among unions, employers and the Government. This approach is important as low-wage workers in these sectors have limited bargaining power to improve their wages. Since September 2015, all cleaning companies in Singapore have to adopt the PWM while the landscaping and security sectors will do so in June and September 2016 respectively.
21. Bringing social assistance closer to the needy. The Community Care Endowment Fund (ComCare) is the main source of social assistance for low-income Singaporeans.
Through ComCare, the Government provides support such as cash assistance or subsidies on a discretionary basis, depending on the circumstances of the individual or family.
22. To bring such social assistance closer to the needy, the Government began establishing a network of Social Service Offices (SSOs) in targeted neighbourhoods across Singapore in 2013. More than 95% of Singaporeans who benefit from social assistance now live within 2km of an SSO. Besides financial aid, the SSOs also help these Singaporeans look for work and training opportunities, and connect them to other social agencies and community partners for other forms of assistance. The SSOs, being closer to the vulnerable groups, also provide valuable feedback to the Government so that it can tweak its social policies to match evolving needs on the ground and ensure services are delivered effectively to those in need. To date, the Government has set up 23 SSOs.
2. Education (Recommendations 94.1, 94.2, 94.3, 94.4, 94.6)
23. With no natural resources, Singapore has always invested heavily in our people to stay competitive. Education is also a social leveller that enables all Singaporeans, regardless of their background, to realise their potential and achieve their aspirations, thus building an inclusive society.
24. Singapore supported Recommendations 94.1, 94.2, 94.3, 94.4 and 94.6 because we remain committed to providing good education for every Singaporean and creating an environment that fosters lifelong learning. We aim to develop our children in all aspects – moral, cognitive, physical, and social – to enable them to discover their talents, realise their potential, and develop a lifelong passion for learning. We invest significantly in education by providing our schools with the best teachers possible and the most effective learning tools. We have increased our annual expenditure on education from S$10.9 billion in financial year (FY) 2011 to S$11.5 billion in FY 2014, which is about 20% of the Government’s annual expenditure.
25. Creating more education pathways. We have multiple education pathways to cater to the different talents, strengths and interests of our students, and to equip them with skills to meet the needs of our evolving economy. In 2014, the Government commissioned the Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review (ASPIRE) to recommend ways to strengthen our applied education. Based on the review, our polytechnics and vocational training institutes will strengthen their linkages to industry to provide enhanced training for students and enhance their career prospects.
26. Lifelong Learning through SkillsFuture Movement. To prepare Singaporeans for a more competitive and dynamic economic landscape, we are transforming our learning culture to emphasise the mastery of skills and lifelong learning. The Government launched the SkillsFuture movement in 2015. We will spend over S$1 billion per year from 2015 to 2020 on initiatives to support lifelong learning. This will start in schools where students will receive enhanced education and career guidance. At work, there will be training subsidies to help Singaporeans stay relevant in their jobs. Other initiatives include more structured on-the-job training for new job entrants, and SkillsFuture study awards and fellowships for more experienced professionals seeking mastery in their fields.
Each Singaporean aged 25 and above will have a personal SkillsFuture Credit account, to which the Government will make periodic financial top-ups. Singaporeans can use this account to fund training courses for their professional development.
27. Ensuring access to education for all. We have schemes and financial aid programmes to support children with a weaker start so that they have a good chance to succeed in life. Early intervention is the key to improving the prospects of a less
advantaged child. At the pre-school level, the Kindergarten Fee Assistance Scheme was extended in 2014 to provide more means-tested fee assistance. A Pre-school Opportunity Fund was set up in 2013 to support projects that promote the holistic development of children from less advantaged or at-risk backgrounds. This allows children from poor families to benefit from programmes such as Learning Journeys.
28. Students from needy families have their school fees waived and those at the primary and secondary levels also receive free textbooks and uniforms. For higher education institutions, bursaries are available. The Government raised the qualifying monthly household income threshold to S$1,900 in 2014, which makes the bursaries available to children from two-thirds of Singaporean households.
29. Some Muslim students prefer an education that incorporates teachings of their religion. They can do so at any of the six privately-run full-time madrasahs, which offer curricula that include both religious and secular subjects at the primary, secondary and pre-university levels. Less advantaged students in the madrasahs also receive assistance which covers not only school fees but also allowances for transport, meals, textbooks and school uniforms.
3. Healthcare (Recommendations 94.1, 94.2, 94.3, 94.5, 95.1, 94.4)
30. Singapore’s public healthcare system is designed to provide quality and affordable medical services for all Singaporeans. We want all Singaporeans to live long, live well and live with peace of mind. Our national Medisave, Medishield, Eldershield, Medifund schemes help Singaporeans co-pay their medical expenses. Means-testing helps to ensure that subsidies are better targeted across income groups.
31. Singapore supported Recommendations 94.1–3, 94.5, 95.1 and 94.4 because we are committed to providing universal healthcare coverage to citizens, so that no Singaporean will be denied public healthcare because of financial limitations. Since the last review, we have also expanded our subsidies for elderly care services to cover two-thirds of Singaporean households and increased the subsidies to up to 80%.
32. Launch of universal healthcare scheme “MediShield Life”. The Government launched MediShield Life in 2015 to provide basic health insurance protection for life for all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents, including the very old and those with pre-existing illnesses. The Government will bear most of the cost for this policy. To be covered by MediShield Life, Singaporeans will need to pay only a small increase from their current premiums for their existing national health schemes. The Government will provide subsidies and financial support to the needy to cover them.
4. An ageing society (Recommendations 94.12, 94.13)
33. Singapore is one of the fastest-ageing societies in the world. By 2030, about 1 in 5 Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above, up from around 1 in 9 today. Singapore supported Recommendations 94.12–13 because we want all Singaporeans to age well and lead fulfilling lives. We recognise the need for a comprehensive response to an ageing population. We will provide quality and affordable care for elderly persons and help them maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. We are putting in place programmes and infrastructure to benefit the elderly today and prepare for the future when more of our citizens will be elderly. We have also extended an invitation to the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons Ms Rosa Kornfeld-Matte to visit Singapore in 2016.
34. Comprehensive action plan for elderly Singaporeans. In August 2015, the Ministerial Committee on Ageing announced a S$3 billion national action plan to help Singaporeans age confidently and lead active lives. The plan includes about 60 initiatives
covering areas such as health and wellness, learning, employment, housing, transport, public spaces, retirement adequacy, healthcare and aged care, protection of vulnerable seniors and research. For example, a new National Silver Academy will be set up to offer a wide range of learning opportunities for seniors to stay active.
35. Pioneer Generation Package. The Government launched a S$8 billion Pioneer Generation Package in February 2014 to help more than 450,000 senior citizens (called the Pioneer Generation, born on or before 31 December 1949) to defray basic medical expenses through more subsidies, giving them peace of mind over medical costs. This one-off, fully funded package recognises the contributions of the first generation of Singaporeans to our nation-building.
36. Since September 2014, the Pioneer Generation has enjoyed additional medical subsidies for treatment at public Specialist Outpatient Clinics and polyclinics under the Community Health Assist Scheme. They also receive a special subsidy for their premiums for MediShield Life. The Government will cover 40% to 60% of their premiums for life, according to their age.
37. Providing High Quality and Affordable Care Facilities. We are building more nursing homes, and upgrading public infrastructure and services to cater to the needs of the growing number of seniors with physical impairments. We are gradually increasing the number of nursing home beds from 9,700 today to 17,000 by 2020 to meet the needs of seniors who do not have family support. These new nursing home beds will be housed in eldercare facilities, many of which will also be hubs providing care services to the local community. Senior care centres will provide both health and social services so that seniors and caregivers can access them under one roof. To ensure a high quality of care in nursing homes, the Government will introduce the Enhanced Nursing Home Standards from 2016 onwards.
38. We want our senior citizens to receive medical care in the comfort of their homes or within their community. We are therefore expanding our home care services. We will increase the number of home care places from 6,500 today to 10,000 by 2020, and the number of centre-based care places from 2,800 to 6,200 in the same period. Our agencies are developing guidelines for these providers to ensure better care for our seniors.
39. Home Modifications for Seniors. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) launched the Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) programme in 2012 to make flats safer and more elder-friendly. Home improvements such as slip-resistant treatment for bathroom floor tiles, installation of “grab bars” in the bathrooms, and wheelchair ramps will be provided at subsidised rates. Depending on their flat type, households can enjoy up to 95% subsidy of the cost for these home modifications.
40. Employment for the elderly. We want to help our senior citizens remain gainfully employed so that they can age with dignity, enjoy income security and continue to contribute to the community. The Prime Minister announced in August 2015 that the Government will raise the re-employment age from 65 to 67 by 2017.
41. Special schemes were also introduced since the last review to incentivise employers to hire older Singaporeans. A key initiative is the Special Employment Credit (SEC) scheme launched in 2011. Under the SEC, employers who hire Singaporeans above 50 years of age and earning up to S$4,000 a month will be reimbursed up to 8.5% of the employee’s monthly wages in 2015. Recognising that companies may need to redesign jobs and provide on-the-job training for older workers, we introduced the WorkPro programme in 2013 to provide financial support to companies for such activities.
42. Universal retirement savings scheme. Singapore’s Central Provident Fund (CPF) is a compulsory savings scheme for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents. Employees
contribute a proportion of their monthly salary into their CPF account, while their employers also contribute a percentage. Through the CPF LIFE, a national annuity scheme, Singaporeans receive payouts from their retirement savings for as long as they live. We continually review CPF policies including CPF contribution rates and CPF interest rates to ensure retirement adequacy for our citizens.
43. Silver Support Scheme. To take care of elderly with lesser means in their retirement years, the Government announced the Silver Support Scheme in 2015 to supplement the incomes of the bottom 20 to 30% of elderly Singaporeans. This scheme provides between S$300 to S$750 every quarter to eligible Singaporean senior citizens aged 65 and above.
Some 150,000 senior citizens are expected to benefit from this scheme.
44. Protection of vulnerable adults. With more frail elderly and ageing persons with disabilities, the Government will be enacting new legislation – the Vulnerable Adults Act – in 2016 to provide for early intervention and better protect vulnerable adults from abuse and harm due to neglect and self-neglect. This Act will be supported by community efforts to help family members cope with their caregiving duties, to better detect and report cases of abuse, neglect and self-neglect, as well as to befriend and support vulnerable adults and their families.
5. Housing (Recommendations 94.1, 94.7)
45. Home ownership is a key social pillar of Singapore. 90.3% of Singaporeans own their homes in 2014. Of these, 80.4% of Singapore citizens live in flats built by HDB, which are sold to them at subsidised rates on 99-year leases. Home ownership in Singapore promotes social stability, community integration and capital accumulation. The Government has various financial grants and support schemes to help Singaporeans in varying circumstances buy flats so that every Singaporean has a stake in our country. Since the last review, we have enhanced some housing policies and subsidies.
46. Subsidies to buy flats and subsidised rental flats. In 2011, the HDB introduced a generous Special CPF Housing Grant of up to S$20,000 (raised to S$40,000 in 2015), in addition to the regular housing subsidies and grants, to help more low and middle-income families own their first flat. An additional Step-Up CPF Housing Grant of S$15,000 was introduced in August 2013 to help low-income families in two-room flats upgrade to three-room flats.
47. Since 2013, low-income single citizens can also buy certain categories of new flats either jointly or individually. Citizens who are currently unable to afford flats can rent smaller flats at subsidised rates.
48. Design of HDB estates. Social equity is not just about individual home ownership.
It is also about fostering inclusiveness for all Singaporeans, regardless of social background, throughout our HDB neighbourhoods. All HDB estates are designed to give all residents full access to transport, commercial, recreational, medical, educational and religious facilities. Apart from their utility, these are also common spaces that bring residents together and improve social integration. In addition, the Government has made existing public housing estates more friendly for persons with disabilities by retrofitting the estates with barrier-free features, such as ramps, railings and levelling of steps. We have improved accessibility for almost all buildings frequently used by the public as well, such as community clubs, government offices, hospitals, polyclinics and libraries.
49. Under the Greenprint initiative, HDB will bring green and sustainable lifestyles into neighbourhoods and individual flats. HDB has launched a S$1 million Greenprint Fund for communities to develop and test-bed innovative green solutions in HDB estates.
50. Upgrading programmes. Older HDB flats and estates are also rejuvenated through continuous upgrading programmes to ensure that the amenities meet the needs of their inhabitants as they move through different phases of their lives. We have set aside more spaces for pre-school childcare centres in newer estates with more young families and installed more elderly-friendly features in the older estates since the last review.
6. Rights of women (Recommendations 94.13, 94.23, 94.24, 95.7, 95.8, 95.9, 95.10)
51. Singapore supported Recommendations 94.13, 94.23–24 and 95.7–10 because we are fully committed to ensure that women and girls are protected, supported and empowered. Equal opportunities are available to all citizens, irrespective of their gender.
Singapore is ranked 15th out of 152 countries on the Gender Inequality Index in the 2014 UN Human Development Report. We are also ranked 14th out of 179 countries in the 2015 State of the World’s Mothers Report.
52. Singapore commemorates the 20th anniversary of its accession to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 2015. The Inter-Ministry Committee on CEDAW monitors progress on the implementation of our CEDAW obligations, and other measures taken to protect the needs of women. Women in Singapore are able to live in and travel to any part of the city alone at any time of the day or night without fear of harassment, attacks or abuse. Sexual offences against women are dealt with seriously and punished severely.
53. Women’s participation in public life. Women are better represented and occupy important positions in the public, corporate and civil society sectors today, although representation at the higher corporate levels can be further improved. The Public Service tries to lead the way on this front. As of 2014, women constituted 56.7% of the Civil Service. 6 of the 23 Permanent Secretaries and 9 of the 32 Deputy Secretaries were women.
Women made up 23% of the judges in the Supreme Court, and 48%, 69% and 48% of the total number of judicial officers in the State Courts, Family Justice Courts and Supreme Court respectively. Half of the officers in the Foreign Service are women. We now have many inspiring examples of women in leadership positions in public life. Singapore’s first female Speaker of Parliament, Madam Halimah Yacob, was appointed in January 2013.
There are currently one female Minister, four female Senior Ministers of State, and one female Parliamentary Secretary in the Government. 2 out of our 5 mayors are women.
54. Enhancing support for women. Women tend to shoulder disproportionate responsibility for care of the family. We are therefore doing more to reduce the
54. Enhancing support for women. Women tend to shoulder disproportionate responsibility for care of the family. We are therefore doing more to reduce the