Singapore Perspectives 2018 "Together"

The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) will hold its annual flagship Singapore Perspectives (SP) conference on 22 January 2018. The theme of SP2018 is “Together” and it will consider how Singaporeans are living longer lives, and examine the intergenerational compact and the potential to capture longevity dividends.
 
Singaporeans enjoy one of the longest lifespans in the world today. Concurrently, we are one of the most rapidly ageing societies in the world. With this rapid demographic transition over the past five decades, businesses and workers, individuals and their families will experience significant change to how themayy live, work and play. SP2018 will invite speakers and participants to examine Singapore’s institutions, policies and values in the context of its dynamic and evolving population mix, and how they can be adapted to enable Singaporeans to live longer lives successfully.

Please click here to view the Programme.

Highlights:

• Singapore Perspectives 2018: Opening Remarks by Mr Janadas Devan
  Kicking off SP2018, IPS Director Janadas Devan framed the demographic scenarios to be discussed in the conference in the context of Singapore being a city-state. Noting the bifurcation of Singapore’s identity between the global and the local, he cautioned against the possibility of emerging divisions in Singapore, along age, class, or racial lines and emphasied the role of politics and policy in keeping us together.
  
  • • Opening remarks of Mr Janadas Devan

• Singapore Perspectives 2018: Presentation on Conference Background Paper 
  This presentation seeks to elucidate the opportunities for further demographic dividends and policy adjustments and innovations, to ensure that Singapore remains an open and vibrant city-state with a productive population, and a stable, cohesive and inclusive society.
  • • Executive Summary of Singapore Perspectives 2018 conference background paper
    • Singapore Perspectives 2018 conference background paper
    • Presentation slides of Mr Christopher Gee

• Singapore Perspectives 2018: Panel I - The Singapore Economy: Ageing yet Dynamic?
  Panel 1 considered how Singapore’s ageing economy can continue to thrive in a globalised world and how job redesign can be successfully carried out to keep seniors employed
  • • Presentation slides of Mr Ravi Menon
    • Presentation slides of Mr Sean Tan
  
  

• Singapore Perspectives 2018: Panel II - The Singapore Community: Solidarity not Contention
  Panel II considered the possible fault lines that could emerge in an ageing society, in areas such as taxation, immigration and jobs. Panellists also urged society to consider the economic potential of the silver industry and discussed whether we should aspire to be an “age-less” society – where age is irrelevant – or an “age-friendly” society – where we confront and address issues that come with an ageing society.
  • • Presentation slides of Professor Chan Heng Chee
    • Presentation slides of Mr Laurence Lien

• Singapore Perspectives 2018: Lunch Dialogue with Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean
  Acknowledging the inevitable process of ageing and Singapore’s ageing phenomenon, DPM Teo highlighted in his speech the importance of ageing with vigour. He also added that owing to the strong foundations laid down by our pioneers, Singaporeans are now better prepared for ageing compared to many other countries. Notwithstanding, Singaporeans need to remain committed at the individual, familial, communal, occupational, and national levels to stay prepared for ageing.

• Singapore Perspectives 2018: Panel III - Singaporeans Living Longer: Asset or Liability?
  The third panel considered the need to prioritise measuring and maximising human welfare over GDP per capita and challenged common misconceptions of aged persons as liabilities to society.
  • • Presentation slides of Professor David Canning
    • Presentation slides of Dr Kanwaljit Soin

• Singapore Perspectives 2018: Panel IV Dialogue with Minister Heng Swee Keat
  In harmony with this year’s theme of ‘Together’, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat emphasised how various issues such as healthcare, ageing and finance come intertwined, the need to approach these issues “in a more cross-disciplinary way”, and the importance of various organisations, both private and public, to come together to devise policy solutions.
  

Media Coverage:

• Population.sg. 2018. 5 must-knows from Singapore Perspectives 2018. 20 February
  
• The Straits Times. 2018. Reframing the debate on ageing and immigration. 31 January
• TODAY. 2018. How Singapore overcomes its demographic challenges will be a test of national character. 29 January
• The Straits Times. 2018. Talking succession: Passing remarks on PM front runners spark discussion. 28 January
• HRD Asia. 2018. What is the answer to Singapore’s HR “trilemma". 25 January
• NUS News. 2018. Solidarity in an ageing society. 24 January
• The Straits Times. 2018. Sustaining economic dynamism not just a numbers game. 24 January
• The Straits Times. 2018. Call to relook limit of working age amid new reality of ageing. 23 January
• The New Paper. 2018. Urgent moves required to meet seniors’ need: Heng. 23 January
• Mothership.sg. 2018. Ambassador-at-large Chan Heng Chee warns of potential conflicts between young & old S’poreans. 23 January 
  
• The New Paper. 2018. Gap in meeting needs of older Singaporeans: Heng. 23 January
• Mothership.sg. 2018. DPM Teo on international surrogacy: a sensitive issue to consider “very, very” carefully & slowly. 23 January
• Mothership.sg. 2018. What’s more important, GDP or society’s welfare? A student puts Heng Swee Keat on the spot. 23 January
• Mothership.sg. 2018. Heng Swee Keat enjoys working with everyone in the 4G leadership team. 23 January
• Mothership.sg. 2018. Heng Swee Keat: I am neither Santa Claus nor Robin Hood. 23 January
• The Straits Times. 2018. 4G ministers are a serious-minded and cohesive team. 23 January
• The Business Times. 2018. Foreign workforce: take into account economic cycles. 23 January
• The Straits Times. 2018. More can be done to meet needs of older Singaporeans: Heng Swee Keat. 23 January
• Prime Minister’s Office. 2018. DPM Teo Chee Hean at the Lunch Dialogue Session for the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Singapore Perspectives 2018 Conference. 22 January
• Mothership.sg. 2018. S’porean women in 40s, 50s, need to re-enter workforce to cope with declining numbers: MAS chief Ravi Menon. 22 January
• TODAY. 2018. S’pore needs to rethink foreign manpower issue: MAS chief. 22 January
• The Edge Singapore. 2018. Should Singapore accept a lower rate of economic growth?. 22 January
• Bloomberg. 2018. Singapore should stay open to adjusting foreign worker levels, central bank head says. 22 January
• TODAY. 2018. ‘Lots of room’ to raise educational levels of S’poreans. 22 January
• Singapore Business Review. 2018. Slow workforce growth can’t be stopped: MAS chief Menon. 22 January
• Mothership.sg. 2018. DPM Teo Chee Hean hopes 4G cabinet will include senior ministers & ex-PMs. 22 January
• Reuters. 2018. Singapore must accept slower labor growth: Central bank head. 22 January
• TODAY. 2018. 4G leadership team ‘very cohesive, serious-minded’: Heng Swee Keat. 22 January
• Channel NewsAsia. 2018. 4G ministers a team of serious-minded people: Heng Swee Keat. 22 January
• TODAY. 2018. The nation may be ageing, but its leadership cannot be aged: DPM Teo. 22 January
• TODAY. 2018. Keeping Singapore’s economy dynamic despite nation’s demographic challenges. 22 January
• TODAY. 2018. Singapore must accept slower rate of labour growth, says MAS chief. 22 January
• TODAY. 2018. Budget is more than giving ‘goodies’, raising taxes: Heng Swee Keat. 22 January
  
• The Straits Times. 2018. Leadership of Singapore must not become aged, and renewal is key: DPM Teo Chee Hean. 22 January
• The Business Times. 2018. Willingness to pay taxes key to dynamic and inclusive economy: MAS chief. 22 January
• Channel NewsAsia. 2018. Singapore’s leadership ‘must not become aged’, renewal needed: DPM Teo. 22 January
• Mothership.sg. 2018. Heng Swee Keat has spoken at the Singapore Perspectives conference more than other ministers. 22 January
• Channel NewsAsia. 2018. Singaporeans divided on how to fund social spending for elderly: IPS survey. 18 January
• Reuters. 2018. Singaporeans against higher taxes to support elderly, survey finds. 18 January
• The Straits Times. 2018. How to fund spending on elderly – higher taxes or tap national reserves? Singaporeans divided. 18 January 
  
• TODAY. 2018. Ageing population to drag down S’pore’s annual GDP per capita growth for decades: IPS study. 18 January 

Additional Information: 

• Photos from the conference are on Flickr. Please credit the Institute of Policy Studies when publishing the photos.
•  Conference updates on Twitter @IPS_sg

Acknowledgements:

IPS is grateful to the following organisations for their generous support of Singapore Perspectives 2018