‘Reward competence, not just paper qualifications’ — President Halimah in year-end message

In her year-end message, President Halimah Yacob hoped for three things for the coming year, one of which was a stronger commitment to rewarding competence and not just paper qualifications.

“We still attach low value to work that may be highly skilled and important to the economy but does not require a degree.” She called on employers to do much more, change the hiring practices, and provide better training and career progression pathways for such work.

She also urged Singaporeans to continue supporting those with mental health issues and persons with disabilities. “We should also do more for our caregivers, who silently carry a heavy burden in caring for their loved ones. Many also worry about their own sustenance as they grow old and have no savings or other family members to support them,” she said, noting that they should not carry the burden alone.

As the country ushers in 2023, President Halimah hoped Singaporeans to remain united despite the extreme polarisations occurring in many parts of the world, tearing societies apart or even leading to violence.

“We have worked very hard to maintain our diversity and stay cohesive through mutual respect and understanding of each other. Let’s focus on what we have in common rather than on what can divide us,” she said.

Her speech, uploaded to her official Facebook account on Thursday (Dec 29), started with a recap of the “very eventful” 2022, including defining events like the war in Ukraine, high inflation, the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change.

“With a highly successful vaccination programme, we could open our borders and ease almost all the Covid-19 restrictions, a move which is welcomed by both Singaporeans and businesses,” she said. “This helped our economy to grow by around 3.5 per cent this year, driven in part by the recovery in our tourism, aviation and consumer-facing sectors.”

However, significant uncertainties and downside risks in the global economy remain, including further escalations in the Ukrainian war geopolitical tensions among major global powers. With this weaker external economic environment, the Singapore economy is expected to grow by a slower 0.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent next year, she noted.

In closing her speech, President Halimah encouraged everyone to stay safe and cautious as the Covid-19 virus remains infectious. /TISG

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