IPS Update Issue January 2023

The Institute of Policy Studies held its flagship annual conference, Singapore Perspectives 2023, on 5, 9 and 16 January 2023, on the theme “Work”. Given the disruptions taking place across industries, the conference looked at how Singapore can be better prepared for this labour landscape. Each panel looks to explore how employers, workers and the government plays a role to ensure that the workforce is resilient in the face of the relentless pace of change in Singapore. 

The first two days of the conference, which were held online, featured prominent speakers such as Education Minister Chan Chun Sing, National Trades Union Congress Secretary-General Mr Ng Chee Meng, SkillsFuture Chief Skills Officer Dr Gog Soon Joo and Institute of Technical Education Chief Executive Officer Ms Low Khah Gek, among others. Some themes discussed over the two days include the place of education and upskilling at different points in life, the role of unions in Singapore, and how we can ensure that vulnerable segments of our society are given access to decent work. 

The final day of the conference on 16 January 2023 featured three panels and a dialogue session with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Mr Lawrence Wong. Other notable speakers at the final day of the conference include Professor Hoon Hian Teck, Dean of School of Economics at the Singapore Management University, and Mr David Chua, Chief Executive Officer at the National Youth Council.

Find out more about SP2023 here, and watch the introductory videos on the conference themes here.

Commentary — By now, Singapore has plenty of experience in ensuring COVID-safe travel
(CNA)
By Faizal Yahya
• 4-min read

Transport Minister S Iswaran outlined how Singapore plans on restoring flights with China in a "safe and orderly" way in Parliament on 9 January earlier this year.
 
In this piece for CNA, IPS' Faizal Yahya examines how Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries are dealing with China's opening up, and explains the importance of Singapore's connectivity with China for economic recovery, as well as the reinstating of links with the global community.

Commentary — My journey as a peace-maker
(IPS Commons)
By Tommy Koh
• 6-min read

In this piece, Prof Tommy Koh, Special Adviser to IPS, reflects on the idea of peace, and how it has featured in his life. 
 
In particular, he writes about three instances in which he was asked to make peace: in the family, country, as well as in the world.

Commentary — Resolved to earn more money in 2023? Richer doesn’t mean happier
(The Straits Times)
By Mathew Mathews and Melvin Tay 
• 7-min read

How important is money for our long-term happiness? 
 
IPS' Mathew Mathews and Melvin Tay write that although money provides us with certain comforts, unhealthy social comparisons and the never-ending pursuit of wealth will inevitably lead to disappointment.
 
Instead, focusing inwardly on non-material resources and practising gratitude could help contribute to the happiness and contentment in our lives.

Commentary — Why Singapore is giving some firms a higher foreign manpower quota
(The Straits Times)
By Faizal Yahya
• 6-min read

It has recently been announced that firms which advance Singapore's key economic priorities will temporarily be allowed to hire more foreign workers. 
 
IPS' Faizal Yahya writes for The Straits Times, analysing the reasons for this policy shift, and how it will work in tandem with other manpower policies to support Singapore's economy.

Commentary — Singapore public spaces should be safe. But they should also feel like home
(The Straits Times)
By Woo Jun Jie
• 7-min read

In this piece for The Straits Times, IPS' Woo Jun Jie explores how cities can be planned to ensure both safety and liveability for its people. 
 
He gives examples such as making sure public spaces can accommodate crowds and increasing the "walkability" of streets in Singapore to improve the well-being of citizens.

Event Summary — 12th IPS-Nathan Lecture Series: Lecture I “Cultures and Civilisations”
• 8-min read

In his first lecture on 22 November 2022, titled "Cultures and Civilisations", Prof Wang distinguished the crucial differences between the two often used terms, before explicating on how Southeast Asia had been influenced by nearby civilisations in the development of its diverse cultures.

Professor Kwok Kian Woon, Vice-Chancellor at University of the Arts Singapore, moderated the Question-and-Answer session. The session featured questions across a range of areas, from the uniqueness of Java, as seen in its lasting influence, to the cultural role of language in the region.

Event Summary — 12th IPS-Nathan Lecture Series: Lecture II “Opening to the Global Maritime”
• 6-min read

The second lecture of the 12th IPS-Nathan Lecture Series took place on 1 December 2022. Titled "Opening to the Global Maritime", Prof Wang examined the developments that had stemmed from the region's interaction with Christian European civilisation and the subsequent rise of industrial capitalism.

Dr Norshahril Saat, Senior Fellow at ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, moderated the Question-and-Answer session. The discussion spanned a range of areas, namely, the transformative role of young people in society, the cultural implications of China's recent initiatives to Asia and the influence of Taoism and Confucianism in the region.

Report on Asia Voices: Perspectives on Tax Policy Seminar 2022

The Governance & Economy department of the IPS held its inaugural “Asia Voices: Perspectives on Tax Policy” seminar on 7 December 2022. The online event focused on the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) plan and the impacts of Global Anti-Base Erosion Model Rules (GloBE or BEPS Pillar Two) on Asia.

The seminar comprised of three paper presentations and a panel discussion. Academics, business leaders, and policymakers from public and private sectors in the region participated to discuss the impacts of a global minimum tax rate on Asia.  

Report on the 37th Singapore Economic Roundtable

On 5 December 2022, the Institute of Policy Studies held its 37th Singapore Economic Roundtable. The biannual meeting comprised two segments. The first involved a speech by Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport Mr Chee Hong Tat, followed by a panel discussion with economists and analysts from the public and private sectors on several topics such as the macro-economic outlook, China’s economic reopening, and an impending recession in the Eurozone. The second segment was a special session on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) 2.0, in which government and industry experts discussed tax rates and legislation for multinational corporations, enterprises, and companies.

IPS Working Paper No. 49 — NUS Research on Ageing-Related Policies

Rapidly-ageing Singapore will have to ensure that policies related to healthcare, caregiving, retirement adequacy, housing, and transport to name a few, make it a place to age well. Improved support in these areas raise the question of how they will be funded at the individual and national level. 

This working paper presents findings from two one-day deliberative workshops with 82 participants that reveal their priorities, how prepared they are to draw more resources from family and personal savings but also from the state through taxation and the national reserves. In addition, the paper includes seven sets of recommendations that the participants proposed for policy-making, and the insights the researchers gleaned for theories on the politics of income redistribution and social welfare.

The findings from the paper were also featured in a commentary on The Straits Times. Read it here.

IPS On Diversity Podcast S3E8 — Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination

Working mothers and pregnant women are still facing discrimination, in spite of guidelines that were introduced to prevent this. What are the reasons behind the continued discrimination? Can legislation better ensure fair treatment of these women in society?

In this episode, host and Associate Director at IPS Liang Kaixin chats with Sher-li Torrey, founder of Mums@Work, and Kalpana Vignehsa, Senior Research Fellow at IPS, about making childcare more gender-equal, the impact of career breaks and having maternity covers that could help mothers go on maternity leave with a peace of mind.

IPS On Diversity Podcast S3E9 — Being Biracial in Singapore

In Singapore, race is closely tied to identity, and racial categories are commonly used in policymaking. With the rising number of inter-racial marriages in the country, is there a need to better represent and account for those with mixed race heritage?
 
In the final episode of the season, host and Associate Director at IPS Liang Kaixin chats with Shane Pereira, Research Associate at IPS Social Lab and Dave Parkash, an F&B business owner who was at the centre of a viral racist incident involving a polytechnic lecturer in 2021. They reflect on the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Others (CMIO) categorisation in Singapore, the difficulties they face as biracial individuals, and how they think Singaporeans could be more racially inclusive.