Debate on President’s Address: Lawrence Wong on key shifts in refreshed social compact to keep Singapore Story going

Singapore will chart its own way forward and stay true to its core values, said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong. Speaking in Parliament on Monday (Apr 17), he said while Singapore will do more to strengthen social safety nets, it will move with prudence and discipline, and not end up inflicting heavy tax burdens on everyone. He pointed out that Singapore’s overall tax burden for the middle-income group is now far lower than that of other advanced nations and it will strive to keep it that way. The Government will ensure that its programmes achieve better outcomes for its people, he added. Mr Wong said Singapore is already doing better than many other countries in areas like healthcare, education and housing, and it can keep doing better. That is the spirit and intent behind the shifts the Government is considering, be it skills and continuous learning, social empowerment, active ageing and retirement adequacy, or housing assurances, he said. Mr Wong said the changes will benefit Singaporeans from every walk of life, uplift the vulnerable and advance the well-being of the broad middle group. Mr Wong stressed that the Government will, and must, always be pro-growth and pro-inclusivity. Securing economic competitiveness will become more important in the next phase of Singapore to create good jobs and a good future for all Singaporeans, he said. “Underlining our governing approach is the core ethic of individual effort, and personal and family responsibility. We want Government actions to reinforce, not negate, individual and collective responsibility. We want Government actions to catalyse more involvement by other members of society - employers, unions, community groups and non-governmental organisations. Then we can all chip in and do our part collectively to tackle inequality, rekindle social mobility and move forward together,” he said. Mr Wong highlighted five key shifts in Singapore's refreshed social compact. These are a new approach to skills, a new definition of success, a new approach for social support, a new approach to caring for seniors and a renewed commitment to one another. "If we succeed in effecting these shifts, we can secure a stronger social compact - and not just among ourselves, but between this generation and future generations to come," he said. Mr Wong noted that Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh and his Workers’ Party broadly agree with and support the policy directions the Government is moving in. But there is one fundamental difference, he said. When it plans to spend more, the People’s Action Party (PAP) Government will always say plainly how it proposes to raise revenues and ensure that the Budget remains balanced over the medium term. The opposition has offered some revenue alternatives, but its sums do not add up, said Mr Wong. “In this debate and over the course of the remaining term of Government, I look forward to hearing concrete alternatives from the opposition - not just opportunistic or populist ideas to chip away, bit by bit, at trust in Government - but a serious alternative agenda for an alternative Government. That is how politics in a First World Parliament should work,” said Mr Wong. “I have said this before: I do not assume that the PAP will win the next General Election or that I will inevitably take over as Prime Minister. Every General Election from now on will be about who forms the Government, not just what percentage of the votes the PAP receives and how many seats the opposition wins. As we develop into a mature democracy, we must have not just a serious Government, but also a serious opposition that thinks carefully about what it will do as Government,” he said. He urged the opposition to be upfront about the realities and trade-offs Singapore faces and be honest about its plans, policies and intentions. Mr Wong said as the world changes, so too must Singapore’s way of doing things. He said Singapore’s refreshed social compact will be its “compass” for the road ahead. He said the more Singaporeans put into this new social compact, the more they will receive in return. “There is no challenge we cannot overcome, no obstacle we cannot deal with. Singapore can remain exceptional. We can keep the Singapore Story going and we can move forward together as one people,” he said.