NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say urges MPs to seek common ground and work together to maximise the upsides and minimise the downsides of a growing population.
Speaking in Mandarin on the fourth day of the Parliamentary debate on the Population White Paper on 7 February 2013, SG Lim highlighted three peaks which Singapore would face as long as the Total Fertility Rate is below 2.1.
The first is the "employment" peak which occurs when new job entrants are unable to exceed the number of retirees, thus causing the workforce to dwindle.
The next is the "population" peak which happens when the number of babies born does not replace the number of people dying each year.
Last but not least is the "ageing" peak which sees a severe drop in the ratio of working age people who can provide support for the elderly.
SG Lim reflected the ground concerns in the Labour Movement and grassroots movement. He said the Government has to assure the public that it will continue to improve on areas that bother them, and do even better in areas it has already done well. This came as a result of people’s concerns that living standard might worsen as the population grows.
He also mentioned other concerns which union and grassroots leaders had raised. This included the need to have good jobs and good wages. Using a "soft-landing approach", SG Lim explained that Singapore's workforce can avoid structural unemployment and wage stagnation as we restructure the economy.
Acknowledging that the White Paper on Population has attracted much discussion, SG Lim emphasised the need to work together regardless of political affiliation or idealism. Throughout the debate, he identified three points of common position between the ruling party and the Opposition: Having more babies is better than more new citizens, a smaller total population is better than a larger one, and living conditions and public infrastructure for Singaporeans have to improve.
SG Lim urged everyone to work together on the key priority areas and speak in one voice, act in one heart, and serve Singapore as one Parliament.
"Together, we can overcome the crises of the three peaks so that Singaporeans can live better in the year 2020, 2030 and beyond," he concluded.
