IPS Update Issue August 2014

The Debate on CPF and Retirement Adequacy and the IPS Forum

The Central Provident Fund (CPF) system has been keenly discussed of late, as Singaporeans question how CPF monies are managed and if they will have sufficient funds for retirement. Such interest stems partly from the fact that the CPF system has evolved tremendously since its inception 59 years ago, and partly from a lack of detailed explanation on how the system actually functions. The Institute of Policy Studies decided to organise a day-long forum to listen to and discuss the views of academics, researchers and some private sector experts on how the CPF system can be improved. […]

IPS Corporate Associates Breakfast: Why Nudge?

“Nudges” are a tool to direct people towards making better-informed decisions, but critics say they smack of soft paternalism. At a well-attended IPS Corporate Associates event, Harvard professor Cass Sunstein explained how nudges are not coercion and can make people’s lives better. […]

IPS Corporate Associates Lunch: The Road Ahead for Indonesia

The July presidential election in Indonesia was closely-watched and closely-fought. Author and strategic adviser Adam Schwarz spoke to IPS Corporate Associates on the likely challenges that President-elect Joko Widodo will face in achieving Indonesia’s economic and social policy goals. […]

Financing for SME Development in Singapore

The availability of financing is imperative for the development, survival and expansion of a company. For SMEs, they are additionally subjected to higher levels of capital rationing due to the existence of informational asymmetries and risks associated to small businesses. Given the current economic restructuring in Singapore, does the country’s SME financing landscape possess the qualities to help SMEs, in particular small and micro businesses, restructure and remain competitive? […]

Tommy Koh: Ten Years, Over 100 Trips and Millions of Miles

Under Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s stewardship, Singapore enjoyed a decade of safety in an increasingly turbulent world. He helped strengthen ties between Singapore and the world, enhancing the country’s international standing. IPS Special Adviser Professor Tommy Koh evaluates the 10-year career of PM Lee, and how the leader has promoted Singapore’s national interests across the world. […]

Mathew Mathews: Whose “Community Norms” are Policies Based on?

When “community norms” are referenced as the arbiter of public morality, it is worth asking whose community norms are being referred to: the young, the middle-aged, or the seniors? Local public institutions should not operate as if there is one set of “community norms”. Instead, they must engage in dialogue with stakeholders and members of the public. […]

Zhou Rongchen: Local Names for Local MRT Stations

The station names of the upcoming Thomson MRT Line have largely been taken from English names, and this does not reflect Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-cultural identity. Is it worth considering naming stations in our vernacular languages and dialects, to help convey a sense of familiarity and strengthen our local identity? […]

Tommy Koh: Reflections of a Special Envoy

Unlike an ambassador, a special envoy is entrusted with a specific assignment, with the roles ranging from being a mere messenger to a mediator or conciliator. Considering the important roles special envoys play in international diplomacy, governments should enlist them to mediate in contentious situations that prevail the world over. […]