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Singapore appointed 2 idiots to lead the task force.
- Thread starter LaoTze
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Lawrence signs MOU with Indonesia on behalf of Singapore. 
Happy to reconnect with Sri Mulyani Indrawati yesterday since our meeting in Rome last year. We signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Financial and Economic Cooperation which formalises the long-standing and multi-faceted finance cooperation between both Finance Ministries. It also allows for future partnership in emerging areas such as financial services, climate finance and the digital economy.
Am honoured that this MOU is one of the deliverables for the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat today. Look forward to working closely with Sri Mulyani Indrawati to deepen finance cooperation for the benefit of both countries and our peoples.
Lawrence Wong
7 hrs ·Happy to reconnect with Sri Mulyani Indrawati yesterday since our meeting in Rome last year. We signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Financial and Economic Cooperation which formalises the long-standing and multi-faceted finance cooperation between both Finance Ministries. It also allows for future partnership in emerging areas such as financial services, climate finance and the digital economy.
Am honoured that this MOU is one of the deliverables for the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat today. Look forward to working closely with Sri Mulyani Indrawati to deepen finance cooperation for the benefit of both countries and our peoples.
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Lawrence thanks social service reps.
Follow
Our social services have done a lot of important work to support and uplift our community.
And the priorities and concerns of our social services leaders and researchers go a long way in helping us to shape our measures for the national Budget.
Thanks to the social services reps for sharing your views with me yesterday. Helping our vulnerable will be a key part of our Budget and for many more years to come.
More will be announced in my #SGBudget2022 speech on 18 Feb. Stay tuned.
Lawrence Wong
1 hr ·Follow
Our social services have done a lot of important work to support and uplift our community.
And the priorities and concerns of our social services leaders and researchers go a long way in helping us to shape our measures for the national Budget.
Thanks to the social services reps for sharing your views with me yesterday. Helping our vulnerable will be a key part of our Budget and for many more years to come.
More will be announced in my #SGBudget2022 speech on 18 Feb. Stay tuned.
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Lawrence visits NYP.
School visits were a highlight of my time at Ministry of Education, Singapore.
Glad to step into a school again - this time, at Nanyang Polytechnic's Centre of Innovation, to see how our students and academic staff are innovating with our SMEs.
As we looked at the various tech solutions, I thought about how tech is transforming nearly every sector of the economy. And each of us has something to build up and contribute, whether we are an SME with a challenge to solve, a researcher with a solution to offer, or a student with ideas and skills. So when we partner together, we can create something meaningful and empowering - just like our Centres of Innovation at the polytechnics.
I will talk more about our efforts to support such partnerships and innovation at the coming Budget.
(Pic 1 and 4;
: Nanyang Polytechnic)
Lawrence Wong
3 hrs ·School visits were a highlight of my time at Ministry of Education, Singapore.
Glad to step into a school again - this time, at Nanyang Polytechnic's Centre of Innovation, to see how our students and academic staff are innovating with our SMEs.
As we looked at the various tech solutions, I thought about how tech is transforming nearly every sector of the economy. And each of us has something to build up and contribute, whether we are an SME with a challenge to solve, a researcher with a solution to offer, or a student with ideas and skills. So when we partner together, we can create something meaningful and empowering - just like our Centres of Innovation at the polytechnics.
I will talk more about our efforts to support such partnerships and innovation at the coming Budget.
(Pic 1 and 4;
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Lawrence Wong
4 hrs ·Sanwa Intec (Asia) Pte Ltd
NYP Alumni Ms Alysia Ong, current Automation Engineer at Sanwa, presenting on the Digital Manufacturing Transformation Industry 4.0
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Lawrence Wong
4 hrs ·Cyclect Electrical Enginerring Pte Ltd
A joint project by the COI for Electronics & IoT and Autonomous Technology Innovation Centre on the Autonomous Banquet Carriage System for Hotel Industry
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from straitstimes.com:
SINGAPORE - For the past 10 years, Mr Tan Eng Hwa, 82, has cared for his wife, who uses a wheelchair and has three types of cancer.
Every day, Mr Tan bathes and cooks for Madam Li Geok, 80, and changes her diapers.
"It's my way of paying her back for everything she has done for me, especially since I went astray during the early years of our marriage," he told The Straits Times in Mandarin. "Sometimes life gets very tough, but this is love."
On Saturday (Jan 22), the couple of more than 60 years was among about 300 households living in public rental units in Limbang that received festive packs from the North West Community Development Council, as part of its WeCare @ North West - Service Weeks.
Since 2014, the annual distribution drive by the council and its partners takes place ahead of Chinese New Year. This year, more than 1,200 volunteers from corporate and community agencies participated in the exercise.
Each pack contains about $90 worth of food items, largely funded by North West CDC's philanthropic group, Club-100 @ North West and Guardian.
While receiving the pack that includes vitamins and a 5kg packet of rice, Mr Tan said: "It might be small, but every bit helps."
This year, one of the council's corporate partners, City Development Limited (CDL), has also chipped in with new home improvement items for nine households.
Mr Tan was among the beneficiaries, receiving a rice cooker and a bed to replace the one he picked up from the rubbish dump.
CDL senior vice-president Foo Chui Mui said the real estate development company has a culture of giving back to society and has supported the CDC's efforts in helping vulnerable residents living in the Limbang neighbourhood since 2016.
The enthusiasm shown by its employees to volunteer to distribute the festive packs this year has been overwhelming, she said.
She said: "Within half an hour of putting up the event on our intranet, we had a long list of people on the waiting list."
On Saturday, 33 employees joined the distribution of festive packs to residents in Limbang.
Up to 7,300 households living in public rental units in 14 divisions, including Admiralty, Canberra and Woodgrove, are expected to benefit from the exercise.
Joining the distribution exercise on Saturday was Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, an MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.
He said: "We think it's something very meaningful, particularly during this pandemic when so many residents are going through difficult times.
"So over the past few years, we've been stepping up our efforts, whether it's through grocery distribution or providing financial assistance to needy residents, but it does make a difference when there is a human touch."
Next weekend, which will be the last weekend of the food drive, residents from Woodlands will get to select food items from a pop-up community store.
About 300 needy households in Limbang get festive packs ahead of CNY
SINGAPORE - For the past 10 years, Mr Tan Eng Hwa, 82, has cared for his wife, who uses a wheelchair and has three types of cancer.
Every day, Mr Tan bathes and cooks for Madam Li Geok, 80, and changes her diapers.
"It's my way of paying her back for everything she has done for me, especially since I went astray during the early years of our marriage," he told The Straits Times in Mandarin. "Sometimes life gets very tough, but this is love."
On Saturday (Jan 22), the couple of more than 60 years was among about 300 households living in public rental units in Limbang that received festive packs from the North West Community Development Council, as part of its WeCare @ North West - Service Weeks.
Since 2014, the annual distribution drive by the council and its partners takes place ahead of Chinese New Year. This year, more than 1,200 volunteers from corporate and community agencies participated in the exercise.
Each pack contains about $90 worth of food items, largely funded by North West CDC's philanthropic group, Club-100 @ North West and Guardian.
While receiving the pack that includes vitamins and a 5kg packet of rice, Mr Tan said: "It might be small, but every bit helps."
This year, one of the council's corporate partners, City Development Limited (CDL), has also chipped in with new home improvement items for nine households.
Mr Tan was among the beneficiaries, receiving a rice cooker and a bed to replace the one he picked up from the rubbish dump.
CDL senior vice-president Foo Chui Mui said the real estate development company has a culture of giving back to society and has supported the CDC's efforts in helping vulnerable residents living in the Limbang neighbourhood since 2016.
The enthusiasm shown by its employees to volunteer to distribute the festive packs this year has been overwhelming, she said.
She said: "Within half an hour of putting up the event on our intranet, we had a long list of people on the waiting list."
On Saturday, 33 employees joined the distribution of festive packs to residents in Limbang.
Up to 7,300 households living in public rental units in 14 divisions, including Admiralty, Canberra and Woodgrove, are expected to benefit from the exercise.
Joining the distribution exercise on Saturday was Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, an MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.
He said: "We think it's something very meaningful, particularly during this pandemic when so many residents are going through difficult times.
"So over the past few years, we've been stepping up our efforts, whether it's through grocery distribution or providing financial assistance to needy residents, but it does make a difference when there is a human touch."
Next weekend, which will be the last weekend of the food drive, residents from Woodlands will get to select food items from a pop-up community store.
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Lawrence and OYK give CNY greetings.
The year of the Tiger symbolises strength and courage. As we usher in a roaring new year, let’s also remember to take the necessary precautions and exercise personal responsibility to keep our family and loved ones safe.
祝大家新春愉快, 五福(
)临门。
新年快乐！
Lawrence Wong
9 hrs ·The year of the Tiger symbolises strength and courage. As we usher in a roaring new year, let’s also remember to take the necessary precautions and exercise personal responsibility to keep our family and loved ones safe.
祝大家新春愉快, 五福(
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from straitstimes.com:
SINGAPORE - A gradual realisation that too much confidence had been placed in the ability of vaccines to bring down infection numbers was one factor in Singapore's switch in approach from "zero-Covid" to "living with Covid-19".
At one low point last year amid this change of plans, the Government was also presented with a stark choice: Accept an uptick in infections as the country moved towards a situation in which the virus was endemic, or re-introduce restrictions to try to avoid a potential situation in which a number of elderly people would be hospitalised and dying of the virus.
The latter route was chosen - to "a collective national groan" - but Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the country's multi-ministry task force on Covid-19, believes it was the right call.
His and other insights into the Government's handling of the pandemic are in a new book chronicling Singapore's experience with the pandemic. In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story went on sale on Thursday (Jan 20).
Interviews with Mr Wong and Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, also a co-chair of the task force, reveal how discussions on accepting and planning for Covid-19 as endemic started as early as in 2020.
The idea was raised with the public by Mr Wong only on May 28 last year. In that same month, Mr Ong discussed the matter at a closed-door seminar with clinicians and doctors. Their positive response prompted Mr Wong, Mr Ong and the third co-chair, Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, to jointly write an op-ed to "signal a change in strategy".
Published in The Straits Times on June 24, it outlined a "new normal" of living with Covid-19 involving self-testing, home recovery and resumption of travel.
But a raging Delta variant had other ideas. About a fortnight after the op-ed, large infection clusters saw Singapore retreat to the tighter curbs it had loosened only in June, with eating out banned again and gathering sizes capped at two.
Mr Wong acknowledges in the book that many Singaporeans were "understandably" frustrated.
But the decision was not taken lightly. A major consideration was the vaccination rate of just 50 per cent at the time, with a significant proportion of seniors - about 200,000 - not inoculated. Many of these older people frequented hawker centres and wet markets where infections had spread from a cluster at Jurong Fishery Port.
"The concern was, look, if you just ride it through, you will end up potentially with more seniors in hospital and quite a number of them succumbing to the illness," said Mr Wong.
Asked if the authorities had "jumped the gun" with their earlier messaging on living with Covid-19 and raising hopes that the worst was over, Mr Wong acknowledged that they had counted on high vaccination rates to bring case numbers down and help Singaporeans "start to live more normal lives".
But this view shifted as more evidence pointed to breakthrough infections in vaccinated people, along with documented waning vaccine immunity. The task force realised expectations of vaccines had been too high, the book's writers said, noting "the harsh reality was that even if everyone were vaccinated, case numbers would rise as long as society continued to open up".
Recognising this meant accepting periodic controls to stop large surges of cases from leading to more hospitalisations and deaths, which could overwhelm the healthcare system, said Mr Wong. "That is why we realised we have to be very controlled in our reopening. We have to continue with some sensible measures."
Over the next few months, public discontent snowballed as tens of thousands caught Covid-19 and a home recovery scheme ran into serious logistical hiccups. Much angst was levelled at the task force, with some demanding to know why the authorities seemed to be falling back on strict measures, thereby abandoning the endemic scenario they had laid out.
It was left to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to step in to "steady the ship", according to the book.
In a speech in October, he reassured Singaporeans that the strategy remained to live with Covid-19, and predicted a runway of up to six months to reach a "new normal". This was a state where infection numbers would remain stable at perhaps hundreds a day, hospitals would go back to business as usual, some curbs would be eased, and people could resume activities while feeling comfortable in crowds.
Since then, headway has been made with the launch of several quarantine-free vaccinated travel lanes and relaxed social limits. But the Omicron variant now poses more uncertainty for the future - a future in which Disease X lurks, an as-yet-unknown virus that could be even deadlier.
In an interview for the book, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, a medical doctor, noted that in the last 20 years, there have been five major epidemics or pandemics - Sars, H1N1, Ebola, Mers and now Covid-19.
The next one is a question of not if but when, he said. "This is a wake-up call for us to improve, to tighten and to constantly pivot to make sure (that) contingency plans are in place."
Navigating the bumps in Singapore's road to living with Covid-19
SINGAPORE - A gradual realisation that too much confidence had been placed in the ability of vaccines to bring down infection numbers was one factor in Singapore's switch in approach from "zero-Covid" to "living with Covid-19".
At one low point last year amid this change of plans, the Government was also presented with a stark choice: Accept an uptick in infections as the country moved towards a situation in which the virus was endemic, or re-introduce restrictions to try to avoid a potential situation in which a number of elderly people would be hospitalised and dying of the virus.
The latter route was chosen - to "a collective national groan" - but Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the country's multi-ministry task force on Covid-19, believes it was the right call.
His and other insights into the Government's handling of the pandemic are in a new book chronicling Singapore's experience with the pandemic. In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story went on sale on Thursday (Jan 20).
Interviews with Mr Wong and Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, also a co-chair of the task force, reveal how discussions on accepting and planning for Covid-19 as endemic started as early as in 2020.
The idea was raised with the public by Mr Wong only on May 28 last year. In that same month, Mr Ong discussed the matter at a closed-door seminar with clinicians and doctors. Their positive response prompted Mr Wong, Mr Ong and the third co-chair, Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, to jointly write an op-ed to "signal a change in strategy".
Published in The Straits Times on June 24, it outlined a "new normal" of living with Covid-19 involving self-testing, home recovery and resumption of travel.
But a raging Delta variant had other ideas. About a fortnight after the op-ed, large infection clusters saw Singapore retreat to the tighter curbs it had loosened only in June, with eating out banned again and gathering sizes capped at two.
Mr Wong acknowledges in the book that many Singaporeans were "understandably" frustrated.
But the decision was not taken lightly. A major consideration was the vaccination rate of just 50 per cent at the time, with a significant proportion of seniors - about 200,000 - not inoculated. Many of these older people frequented hawker centres and wet markets where infections had spread from a cluster at Jurong Fishery Port.
"The concern was, look, if you just ride it through, you will end up potentially with more seniors in hospital and quite a number of them succumbing to the illness," said Mr Wong.
Asked if the authorities had "jumped the gun" with their earlier messaging on living with Covid-19 and raising hopes that the worst was over, Mr Wong acknowledged that they had counted on high vaccination rates to bring case numbers down and help Singaporeans "start to live more normal lives".
But this view shifted as more evidence pointed to breakthrough infections in vaccinated people, along with documented waning vaccine immunity. The task force realised expectations of vaccines had been too high, the book's writers said, noting "the harsh reality was that even if everyone were vaccinated, case numbers would rise as long as society continued to open up".
Recognising this meant accepting periodic controls to stop large surges of cases from leading to more hospitalisations and deaths, which could overwhelm the healthcare system, said Mr Wong. "That is why we realised we have to be very controlled in our reopening. We have to continue with some sensible measures."
Over the next few months, public discontent snowballed as tens of thousands caught Covid-19 and a home recovery scheme ran into serious logistical hiccups. Much angst was levelled at the task force, with some demanding to know why the authorities seemed to be falling back on strict measures, thereby abandoning the endemic scenario they had laid out.
It was left to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to step in to "steady the ship", according to the book.
In a speech in October, he reassured Singaporeans that the strategy remained to live with Covid-19, and predicted a runway of up to six months to reach a "new normal". This was a state where infection numbers would remain stable at perhaps hundreds a day, hospitals would go back to business as usual, some curbs would be eased, and people could resume activities while feeling comfortable in crowds.
Since then, headway has been made with the launch of several quarantine-free vaccinated travel lanes and relaxed social limits. But the Omicron variant now poses more uncertainty for the future - a future in which Disease X lurks, an as-yet-unknown virus that could be even deadlier.
In an interview for the book, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, a medical doctor, noted that in the last 20 years, there have been five major epidemics or pandemics - Sars, H1N1, Ebola, Mers and now Covid-19.
The next one is a question of not if but when, he said. "This is a wake-up call for us to improve, to tighten and to constantly pivot to make sure (that) contingency plans are in place."
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Lawrence wishes everyone Happy Chinese New Year.
Happy Chinese New Year and best wishes for the Year of the Tiger! Enjoy the holidays everyone!
新年快乐，身体健康，心想事成，万事如意!
Lawrence Wong
11 hrs · Instagram ·Happy Chinese New Year and best wishes for the Year of the Tiger! Enjoy the holidays everyone!
新年快乐，身体健康，心想事成，万事如意!
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from straitstimes.com:
SINGAPORE - The Singapore Budget, to be announced on Feb 18, will continue to provide support for sectors that face difficulties amid the Covid-19 pandemic and help Singaporeans manage concerns over the cost of living, said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday (Feb 3).
At the same time, it will also focus on measures that will put Singapore in a stronger position after the pandemic, he said.
The measures include building new capabilities for the future, growing and transforming Singapore's economy to create good jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans, and strengthening the country's social support system to help Singaporeans cope with life's uncertainties.
The Government also aims to forge a fairer, more inclusive and greener home for present and future generations, said Mr Wong.
He was speaking at the Spring Reception virtual event organised by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) and Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA).
He also noted that Singapore is in a much better position today than two years ago, when the Covid-19 virus first emerged.
Singapore's economy shrank by more than 5 per cent - the worst decline since independence - when the circuit breaker was implemented in 2020.
Last year, the Delta variant wave prompted Singapore to go into heightened alert and tighten restrictions. This year, the country is experiencing the Omicron wave, but there is no tightening of existing measures and the vast majority of vaccinated people in Singapore have only mild symptoms.
"With each wave, we have strengthened our defences and become more resilient. So I am confident that in this Year of the Tiger, we will be able to make further progress in our journey towards living with Covid-19," Mr Wong said.
Mr Thomas Pek, the immediate past president and honorary life president of the Singapore Food Manufacturers' Association, was at the virtual event and welcomed the news on the Budget.
He said that many businesses continue to be hit by rising operational costs because of increased utilities, supply chain and freight charges.
"Though the Covid-19 pandemic is under control, it is a long battle. I hope and believe that the Budget can help businesses and citizens breathe a little easier."
At the same event, Mr Wong thanked the SFCCA and SCCC for their continuous efforts in promoting Chinese culture and heritage, helping the needy, and grooming a new generation of bilingual and bicultural talent during the pandemic.
SFCCA president Thomas Chua, in his address, said that the federation conducted a survey in the fourth quarter of 2021 to better understand the needs of its member associations. Based on the findings, only 39 per cent of the participating member associations have a youth committee, and 27 per cent have a women's group.
He said: "Our youth are the successors of the clan associations, while women form the core of family and are an important pillar of social cohesion. With the work-from-home arrangement, many... have become accustomed to browsing the Web and utilising it for communication."
He added that establishing youth committees and women's groups will allow the associations to better organise activities suited for these two segments.
He also encouraged the member associations to leverage digital technology during the pandemic, including setting up their official websites, organising virtual activities, preserving valuable historical materials and tapping SFCCA's customer relationship management system.
Apart from digital transformation, SFCCA will also engage in philanthropic and charitable projects to strengthen social cohesion and interracial cooperation. It will be organising a large-scale event later this year, where member associations and community partners from different ethnic groups can come together to help protect Singapore's ecosystem.
Mr Chua Thian Poh, chairman of SCCC and honorary president of SFCCA, said that to celebrate its fifth anniversary, the SCCC will be organising a variety of programmes and making them more inclusive. It will also be upgrading its barrier-free facilities to improve accessibility for patrons with disabilities.
S'poreans to get help to manage cost of living, more Covid-19 support in Budget 2022: Lawrence Wong
SINGAPORE - The Singapore Budget, to be announced on Feb 18, will continue to provide support for sectors that face difficulties amid the Covid-19 pandemic and help Singaporeans manage concerns over the cost of living, said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday (Feb 3).
At the same time, it will also focus on measures that will put Singapore in a stronger position after the pandemic, he said.
The measures include building new capabilities for the future, growing and transforming Singapore's economy to create good jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans, and strengthening the country's social support system to help Singaporeans cope with life's uncertainties.
The Government also aims to forge a fairer, more inclusive and greener home for present and future generations, said Mr Wong.
He was speaking at the Spring Reception virtual event organised by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) and Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA).
He also noted that Singapore is in a much better position today than two years ago, when the Covid-19 virus first emerged.
Singapore's economy shrank by more than 5 per cent - the worst decline since independence - when the circuit breaker was implemented in 2020.
Last year, the Delta variant wave prompted Singapore to go into heightened alert and tighten restrictions. This year, the country is experiencing the Omicron wave, but there is no tightening of existing measures and the vast majority of vaccinated people in Singapore have only mild symptoms.
"With each wave, we have strengthened our defences and become more resilient. So I am confident that in this Year of the Tiger, we will be able to make further progress in our journey towards living with Covid-19," Mr Wong said.
Mr Thomas Pek, the immediate past president and honorary life president of the Singapore Food Manufacturers' Association, was at the virtual event and welcomed the news on the Budget.
He said that many businesses continue to be hit by rising operational costs because of increased utilities, supply chain and freight charges.
"Though the Covid-19 pandemic is under control, it is a long battle. I hope and believe that the Budget can help businesses and citizens breathe a little easier."
At the same event, Mr Wong thanked the SFCCA and SCCC for their continuous efforts in promoting Chinese culture and heritage, helping the needy, and grooming a new generation of bilingual and bicultural talent during the pandemic.
SFCCA president Thomas Chua, in his address, said that the federation conducted a survey in the fourth quarter of 2021 to better understand the needs of its member associations. Based on the findings, only 39 per cent of the participating member associations have a youth committee, and 27 per cent have a women's group.
He said: "Our youth are the successors of the clan associations, while women form the core of family and are an important pillar of social cohesion. With the work-from-home arrangement, many... have become accustomed to browsing the Web and utilising it for communication."
He added that establishing youth committees and women's groups will allow the associations to better organise activities suited for these two segments.
He also encouraged the member associations to leverage digital technology during the pandemic, including setting up their official websites, organising virtual activities, preserving valuable historical materials and tapping SFCCA's customer relationship management system.
Apart from digital transformation, SFCCA will also engage in philanthropic and charitable projects to strengthen social cohesion and interracial cooperation. It will be organising a large-scale event later this year, where member associations and community partners from different ethnic groups can come together to help protect Singapore's ecosystem.
Mr Chua Thian Poh, chairman of SCCC and honorary president of SFCCA, said that to celebrate its fifth anniversary, the SCCC will be organising a variety of programmes and making them more inclusive. It will also be upgrading its barrier-free facilities to improve accessibility for patrons with disabilities.
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Lawrence went to Spring Reception. 
初三大吉!
Met many familiar faces at the virtual Spring Reception 2022 and exchanged our well-wishes to one another.
While the road ahead may be filled with uncertainties, I am confident that this year — Year of the Tiger, we will make good progress together.
在新的一年里，我祝大家虎虎生威，事事顺利。新年快乐！
Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre 新加坡华族文化中心
新加坡宗乡会馆联合总会 Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations
Lawrence Wong
47 mins ·初三大吉!
While the road ahead may be filled with uncertainties, I am confident that this year — Year of the Tiger, we will make good progress together.
在新的一年里，我祝大家虎虎生威，事事顺利。新年快乐！
Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre 新加坡华族文化中心
新加坡宗乡会馆联合总会 Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations
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from msn.com:
Singapore — The Big Day is still a couple of weeks away but on Thursday (Feb 3) Mr Lawrence Wong gave a sneak preview of the very first Budget he will roll out as Finance Minister on Feb 18.
He dropped a big clue: It will help people cope with the rising cost of living, and also provide support for sectors facing difficulties.
The minister offered this hint at a virtual event organised by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) and Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA), The Straits Times reports.
Mr Wong noted that despite the current surge of Omicron infections, restrictions on socialising had not been tightened.
This is despite fresh cases topping the 5,000 mark for the first time on Oct 27 last year, and almost reaching 6,000 on Jan 25, when 5,996 new cases were reported. Compare this with the Dec 31 total of 344.
Mr Wong added: “With each wave, we have strengthened our defences and become more resilient. So I am confident that in this Year of the Tiger, we will be able to make further progress in our journey towards living with Covid-19.”
But will the aid that the Government plans on extending be enough for households grappling with substantially higher costs of living?
Last December saw the highest rate (4 per cent) of inflation, or how much more expensive goods and services have become, in almost nine years.
The overall inflation rate for 2021 was 3.8 per cent, nearly double the 2 per cent historical average. Simply put, this hurts people’s purchasing power.
It doesn’t help that in Singapore, where over 90 per cent of food is imported, has been hit harder than other countries because of several global factors, from supply chain disruptions because of pandemic restrictions in other countries, to bad weather events that affected agriculture in neighbouring Malaysia.
Higher oil and gas prices all over the world have also affected the prices of, well, nearly everything, including food, transportation, and utilities.
A recent BBC report quotes the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as saying that food prices around the world increased by 28 per cent in 2021, although according to a Feb 3 Channel News Asia report, food inflation in Singapore was said to be only 1.4 per cent last year.
But any type of inflation is felt more acutely in lower-income households.
Mr Paul Teng, an expert on food security from the Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies at Nanyang Technological University was quoted in a Jan 28 South China Morning Post report as saying that an increase in food prices affects households that earn less since it means they’ll need to allocate more money toward their food budget from their other needs.
The same report quotes CIMB Private Banking’s Song Seng Wun, an economist, as saying that he expects this year’s budget to include vouchers and tax rebates to help mitigate the rise in food prices.
On the ground, organisations that address hunger have found themselves helping more people.
The charity Food from the Heart saw a 59 per cent increase of food packs delivered in 2021 in comparison with 2019.
Ms Nichol Ng, who co-founded Food Bank Singapore, told the BBC that the percentage of the population that has needed help has, in her estimation, “slowly crept to maybe 20% of the population including middle income families that might not even know where to get help in the first place.”
“What we have seen when we make the door-to-door deliveries is that young families [with] both husband and wife working a part-time job or in the gig economy – these were the families that got impacted when Covid hit and all the part-time work dried up,” she said.
Lawrence Wong says #SGBudget2022 will help with rising costs but will that be enough for the neediest?
Singapore — The Big Day is still a couple of weeks away but on Thursday (Feb 3) Mr Lawrence Wong gave a sneak preview of the very first Budget he will roll out as Finance Minister on Feb 18.
He dropped a big clue: It will help people cope with the rising cost of living, and also provide support for sectors facing difficulties.
The minister offered this hint at a virtual event organised by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) and Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA), The Straits Times reports.
Mr Wong noted that despite the current surge of Omicron infections, restrictions on socialising had not been tightened.
This is despite fresh cases topping the 5,000 mark for the first time on Oct 27 last year, and almost reaching 6,000 on Jan 25, when 5,996 new cases were reported. Compare this with the Dec 31 total of 344.
Mr Wong added: “With each wave, we have strengthened our defences and become more resilient. So I am confident that in this Year of the Tiger, we will be able to make further progress in our journey towards living with Covid-19.”
But will the aid that the Government plans on extending be enough for households grappling with substantially higher costs of living?
Last December saw the highest rate (4 per cent) of inflation, or how much more expensive goods and services have become, in almost nine years.
The overall inflation rate for 2021 was 3.8 per cent, nearly double the 2 per cent historical average. Simply put, this hurts people’s purchasing power.
It doesn’t help that in Singapore, where over 90 per cent of food is imported, has been hit harder than other countries because of several global factors, from supply chain disruptions because of pandemic restrictions in other countries, to bad weather events that affected agriculture in neighbouring Malaysia.
Higher oil and gas prices all over the world have also affected the prices of, well, nearly everything, including food, transportation, and utilities.
A recent BBC report quotes the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as saying that food prices around the world increased by 28 per cent in 2021, although according to a Feb 3 Channel News Asia report, food inflation in Singapore was said to be only 1.4 per cent last year.
But any type of inflation is felt more acutely in lower-income households.
Mr Paul Teng, an expert on food security from the Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies at Nanyang Technological University was quoted in a Jan 28 South China Morning Post report as saying that an increase in food prices affects households that earn less since it means they’ll need to allocate more money toward their food budget from their other needs.
The same report quotes CIMB Private Banking’s Song Seng Wun, an economist, as saying that he expects this year’s budget to include vouchers and tax rebates to help mitigate the rise in food prices.
On the ground, organisations that address hunger have found themselves helping more people.
The charity Food from the Heart saw a 59 per cent increase of food packs delivered in 2021 in comparison with 2019.
Ms Nichol Ng, who co-founded Food Bank Singapore, told the BBC that the percentage of the population that has needed help has, in her estimation, “slowly crept to maybe 20% of the population including middle income families that might not even know where to get help in the first place.”
“What we have seen when we make the door-to-door deliveries is that young families [with] both husband and wife working a part-time job or in the gig economy – these were the families that got impacted when Covid hit and all the part-time work dried up,” she said.
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