SINGAPORE — Before the national Budget for this year is rolled out on Tuesday (Feb 14), The Workers’ Party posted a recap of ten of the key policy suggestions it recently advanced, including those concerning a national minimum wage, and strengthening the Singapore dollar, and pausing the increase in the Good & Services Tax (GST).

Notably, the suggestions also include forming the Office of an Ombudsman to investigate potential misconduct by public servants as well as a suggestion to create a “viable and expanded public rental scheme,” which is in line with many Singaporeans’ challenge with acquiring accessible and affordable housing discussed in Parliament last week.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong is scheduled to unveil Singapore’s Budget for the coming year on Tuesday, beginning at 3:30 pm. The theme for the Budget this year is “moving forward in a new era” Mr Wong said on Monday (Feb 13).

“The Budget sets out how we will secure our prospects in a troubled world — to help Singaporeans seize new opportunities, to strengthen our social compact and give assurance for families, while we build our collective resilience as one people,” he said in a Facebook post.

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The proposals from WP are as follows:

  1. 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗦𝗧 𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟴% 𝘁𝗼 𝟵% 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗦𝗧 𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀” due to inflation and the struggles of many families to make ends meet, as shared to the WP by residents.

2. “𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗣𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲” which will protect the most vulnerable Singaporean workers through a safety net, a redundancy insurance proposal.

3. “𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿” to reduce the cost of imported goods and help ease inflation.

4. “𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲” increasing the number of HDB flats for rental as an alternative to homeownership.

5. “𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻” to impose penalties against employment discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, and age, particularly for vulnerable middle-aged to older workers.

6. “𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗮 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝘄𝗮𝗴𝗲” across the board, which the WP has long called for.

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7. “𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵.” Imposing a tax of 0.5 to 2 per cent on net wealth in excess of $10 million to address inequality, and add to state revenue.

8. “𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗺𝗯𝘂𝗱𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻,” allowing ordinary citizens to lodge concerns of potential misconduct by public servants.

9. “𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁”. Higher quantums for older Singaporeans, “conditional on their commitments to positive behaviours such as going for health screenings.”

10. “𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗮 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻” to accelerate the electrification of transport in recognition of the current climate emergency. /TISG

Resident talks to Jamus Lim about challenges of households led by singles in Singapore