Budget 2023 debate: Yeo Wan Ling on co-creating a new social compact
Budget 2023 is especially important as it is Singapore's first post-COVID-19 Budget, presenting an opportunity to co-create the new norms that will impact lives and livelihoods, said MP Yeo Wan Ling. Speaking in Parliament on Thursday (Feb 23), she noted its keen focus on balancing inequalities, opening up new livelihood opportunities and building safety nets for the vulnerable. But as Singapore adjusts and settles into a new equilibrium, it needs to pay particular attention to social, economic and livelihood inequalities that may have bubbled to the surface during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said. She highlighted the need to focus on the rise of self-employed persons (SEPs) and urged the Government to do more to help them improve their productivity and mitigate costs. One way is to expand the training allowance for self-sponsored trainees to include SEPs, so that they can afford to take a few days off to upskill. Another way is to give GST rebates for SEPs who are not GST-registered to buffer the increase in costs. Turning to support for workers with caregiving responsibilities, she stressed the urgency to make jobs more inclusive by adopting more family-friendly practices, especially flexible work arrangements.
Budget 2023 is especially important as it is Singapore's first post-COVID-19 Budget, presenting an opportunity to co-create the new norms that will impact lives and livelihoods, said MP Yeo Wan Ling. Speaking in Parliament on Thursday (Feb 23), she noted its keen focus on balancing inequalities, opening up new livelihood opportunities and building safety nets for the vulnerable. But as Singapore adjusts and settles into a new equilibrium, it needs to pay particular attention to social, economic and livelihood inequalities that may have bubbled to the surface during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said. She highlighted the need to focus on the rise of self-employed persons (SEPs) and urged the Government to do more to help them improve their productivity and mitigate costs. One way is to expand the training allowance for self-sponsored trainees to include SEPs, so that they can afford to take a few days off to upskill. Another way is to give GST rebates for SEPs who are not GST-registered to buffer the increase in costs. Turning to support for workers with caregiving responsibilities, she stressed the urgency to make jobs more inclusive by adopting more family-friendly practices, especially flexible work arrangements.
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