Keep Singapore a land of opportunity, inclusiveness: PM Lee in May Day message
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
By Rahimah Rashith | Yahoo! Newsroom – Wed, May 1, 2013
Singapore must continue to create opportunities even when the
increasingly mature economy faces slower growth, Prime Minister Lee
Hsien Loong said
Tuesday night.
“Our economy is maturing, and we are reducing the inflow of foreign
workers. But we must continue to create opportunities for
ourselves, develop new capabilities and improve the lives of
Singaporeans,” Lee said in his
May Day message.
The economy, he noted, is entering a new phase and not expanding
rapidly as before. Singapore posted economic growth of 1.3 per cent
last year and this year government expects growth to range between
1 per cent and 3 per cent this year.
Lee cited measures that have been put in place to help make the
economic transition more smooth, one of which is the $5.3
billion Transition
Support Package to
help businesses, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs), raise productivity and rely less on foreign
workers.
The improved Wage
Credit Scheme will
help businesses manage rising wage costs in a tight labour
market.
For the older and lower-wage workers, the
improved Workfare
scheme will
raise incomes.
Social policies are also being reviewed to allow more help for
seniors and less fortunate, especially in healthcare and housing,
he shared.
The measures were announced amid increased public dissatisfaction
over the growing number of foreigners working in the country which
many citizens blame for pushing up cost of living and straining
infrastructure.
Lee stressed, however, that all parties need to be equally involved
and workers cannot depend on the government alone.
“Companies must value their workers and nurture a strong
Singaporean core. They should share the fruits of success with
their workers and the community, and strengthen the social
compact,” he said.
He urged workers to raise productivity in the midst of tightening
foreign labour.
“We are redoubling efforts to raise productivity,” he says. “The
new Continuing
Education and Training (CET) campuses
will be ready this year, and we have worked out Productivity
Roadmaps to help specific industries upgrade
themselves.”
He also pointed out that workers must value their jobs, and strive
to upgrade and adapt to changing conditions.
Unions on the other hand, Mr Lee said, must help their members
adjust to the new landscape, and cooperate with employers to
upgrade businesses, jobs and wages.
“Let us work together to keep Singapore a land of opportunity and
an inclusive society for many years to come,” he
ended.
Workers’ Party notes labour progress
The opposition Workers’ Party for its part acknowledged that
the government has responded more positively to its calls and the
needs of Singaporean workers through measures to improve the
standing of Singaporeans in the job market and to raise the incomes
of lower-wage workers.
Adding, however, that more needed to be done, it urged businesses
and employers to make full use of new measures announced in the
Budget to improve efficiency of their businesses and upgrade the
skills of their workers.
It also urged the government, particularly the Ministry of
Manpower, to assist SMEs to work through the difficult transition
period as Singapore’s economy faces restructuring.
tok rot only