IPS Update Issue March 2014

Budget 2014 and Singapore’s Priorities

Four days after Budget 2014 was announced, IPS held a Corporate Associates Breakfast with Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport Mrs Josephine Teo. An overarching point of concern for the attendees was how Singapore could retain its economic competitiveness as it navigates an increasingly unpredictable global landscape and responds to the needs of its less well-off citizens. Read the summary report here. […]

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IPS Lunch Forum: Remote Gambling – Risk and Regulation

The Singapore Government intends to regulate remote gambling that takes place on mobile devices and over the Internet. Given the borderless nature of the Internet, a strong regulatory framework, appropriate authority and robust international co-ordination are necessary to implement regulation successfully. […]

IPS Closed-Door Discussion: The Costs and Benefits of Landlord Institutionalisation

High rental has been cited as a burden for local companies, especially SMEs, as they grapple with rising business cost. Does the trend of growing rental rates along with the increasing presence of institutional landlords suggest that organised landlords have asymmetric bargaining power over their tenants? […]

Christopher Gee and Yap Mui Teng: Caring for Singaporeans in the Long Term

With Singapore’s rapidly ageing population, greater attention needs to be given to intermediate and long-term care services to cope with projected changes in old-age dependency and more chronic long-term diseases. This necessitates looking into the financing system for long-term care services. The ElderShield scheme could be a potentially beneficial instrument, although concerns like coverage and the duration of payouts have to be addressed. […]

Faizal Bin Yahya: Budget 2014 and Economic Restructuring in Singapore

While social spending features high in Budget 2014, there are several programmes and measures aimed to keep Singapore on the course of economic restructuring. This year, more help is given to SMEs, while less productive parts of the economy like the construction industry will face more stringent policies. Has the budget delivered sufficiently on the economic front? […]

Leong Chan-Hoong: Singapore’s Unsung Pioneer Schools Should be More than Just Footnotes

The recent closures and mergers of neighbourhood primary schools should take into account considerations beyond optimal resource allocation. Despite their humble beginnings, these institutions’ rich histories are built on the cherished values of resilience, philanthropy and perseverance —essential building blocks of the Singapore narrative. Hence, the closures of these schools spell implications for the wider issues of citizenship, sense of place and identity. […]

Chiang Wai Fong: Consensus: Consultation or Contestation?

In today’s information age and globalised climate, is consultation or open contestation a better way of achieving consensus in governance? Should we adhere to the proven method of the elite engaging with citizens in consultations? Or should we have faith in the critical thinking and problem-solving abilities of citizens, and not equate contestation with crisis? […]