By Shukry Rashid
Budget 2016 is Singapore’s first step towards SG100. Even though “it will be bumpy” and “full of unknowns,” Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said: “I hope our spirit of enterprise and caring will run strong.”
He was speaking to the House in Parliament as he rounded up the Budget debate on 6 April 2016.
“We have sought in Budget 2016 to strengthen our resilience, and to bring out the natural instinct for care and partnership in all of us. Keep our eyes on the road. Keep our eyes on the horizon. Keep our eyes out for one another,” added Mr Heng.
Issues Addressed
He also addressed the issues brought up by Labour Members of Parliament (MP) over the course of the two-day debate.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) Ang Hin Kee called for more support for small and medium-sized enterprises.
In response, Mr Heng said: “One way of supporting this spirit of enterprise is to make sure that viable firms can survive this period of cyclical weakness.” Without which, Singapore would lose precious capabilities that are difficult to rebuild later.
On NTUC Secretary-General (SG) Chan Chun Sing’s issue about how e-commerce is changing the face of retail, Mr Heng said that while retail shops are feeling the heat, some in the sector are already looking ahead. One such example is Funan DigitaLife Mall, which is closing to revamp itself into “an experiential creative hub”.
Changing Work Landscape
SG Chan was also concerned whether workers will have the skills to secure good jobs, while NTUC Industrial Relations Department Director (Field) Melvin Yong asked what could be done to help retrenched workers or new entrants into the workforce find the right jobs.
In reply, Mr Heng said that workers around the world are concerned with job security as major economies grapple with job losses and structural unemployment. But he said that Singapore, however, is in a better position as it has invested in creating jobs and enabled its workers to acquire relevant skills.
NTUC Central Committee Member K Thanaletchimi cautioned that Government support should not be a crutch. Mr Heng said that these supports are to help firms through a period of weakness, and that they should rely on their “own engine to go the distance.”
The Labour Market
Several Labour MPs also gave suggestions on how to improveme the labour market and skills development.
NTUC Industrial Relations Department Director (Progressive Wage Model) Desmond Choo suggested broadening the apprenticeship system and partnering the Labour Movement on career guidance for young people, while NTUC ASG Zainal Sapari suggested further ways to help low wage workers. NTUC ASG Patrick Tay also suggested enhancements to the Career Support Programme and setting up a support network for unemployed PMETs.
Addressing these, Mr Heng said that the Government will study these proposals carefully as caution must be exercised on how the labour market is intervened.
Mr Heng added: “We cannot simply copy one bit from one country and another piece from another, and hope to make sense of it. There has to be a clear philosophy and the various measures must cohere to be effective over the long term. We must not undermine the sense of independence and efficacy, and the spirit of self-reliance and resilience of our people.”
Right Jobs, Skills and Match
Mr Heng also reiterated that employers play an important role in not just creating jobs but also developing their workers.
As ASG Ang and Mr Yong pointed out during the debate how important it is for firms to automate, redesign jobs and train their staff in an integrated way, Mr Heng said that there are companies which have already shown that investing in their workers can start a virtuous cycle of higher skills, productivity, and higher profits. These, in turn, can then be reinvested to further develop the firm and its workers.
Source: NTUC This Week
