Growth of workforce a key challenge for Singapore: Lim Swee Say
Fengshan SMC candidate Cheryl chan (centre) with (from left) East Coast GRC candidates Ms Jessica Tan and Mr Lim Swee Say, Mr Raymond Lim, who is not contesting, and East Coast GRC candidate Lee Yi Shyan. Photo: Raj Nadarajan
SINGAPORE — Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say yesterday (Sept 4) highlighted three “peak” challenges Singapore is facing with its workforce, birthrate, and elderly during a speech he made as a guest speaker at the People’s Action Party‘s Fengshan Single Member Constituency rally.
“As a manpower minister, one thing I worry about is the growth of our workforce. In fact, it will come a point in time where the Singapore workforce may stop growing, so every year, with the new Singaporean workers (joining) the workforce, at the same time, you have the not-so-young Singaporeans retiring from the workforce,” said Mr Lim, who is also contesting in East Coast Group Representative Constituency.
Apart from that, the local population may become stagnant, where the newborns will be offset by the deaths of Singaporeans each year, he said. In a few years, Singapore’s ageing population will also reach a peak, added Mr Lim.
But he said that other countries face the same challenges and if Singapore can overcome them more effectively, there is “no reason” why Singapore cannot have “50 more good years”.
“But will we be able to run faster, to run better than other countries? I think it depends a lot on what kind of Singaporeans we have here in Singapore, what kind of Singaporean leaders we have here in Singapore,” he said.
Mr Lim added that there is “no doubt” in his mind that the quality of the national leadership is as important as the spirit of Singaporeans.
He said voters needed to choose wisely on who the elected representatives taking up the 89 seats in Parliament will be. “Every seat counts… Every one extra passenger in Parliament means one less driver, one less person working for you.”
“So you have to decide, of the 89, do you want all the 89 to be working for you, using all their heads, using all their hearts, to do the very best for you, to do the very best for your children, to do the very best for your grandchildren? You decide, because the votes are in your hands,” Mr Lim said.
