Marissa Lee. 2019. Young and not so upwardly mobile, why it’s increasingly challenging to sustain inter-generational mobility in Singapore. https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/brunch/young-and-not-so-upwardly-mobile
Oxfam. 2018. The Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index 2018. https://www.oxfam.org/en/research/commitment-reducing-inequality-index-2018
Aarthi Raghavan, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. 2018. Income inequality in Singapore can be solved with multi-pronged social policies that are prudent and on time. https://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/gia/article/income-inequality-can-be-solved-with-multi-thronged-social-policies-that-are-prudent-and-on-time
William Hofmann, ValueChampion. 2018. How big of a problem is income
inequality in Singapore?.
https://www.valuechampion.sg/2018/07/how-big-problem-income-inequality-singapore
Credit Suisse. 2018. Global Wealth Databook.
https://www.credit-suisse.com/about-us/en/reports-research/global-wealth-report.html
Joanna Seow, The Straits Times. 2018. Spotlight on calculation of
income inequality.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/spotlight-on-calculation-of-income-inequality
Reuters/CNA. 2018. Singapore in bottom 10 of Oxfam index on efforts to tackle inequality.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-inequality-oxfam-index-10806026
The PAP-led government tells us it is committed to fighting social inequality.
We say reality speaks louder than words.
And the reality is shameful.
For a country that tops global academic scores, we rank in the bottom 10 in the global inequality index.
The reasons Singapore is doing so badly on a global scale when it comes to tackling social inequality?
Harmful tax practices and our relatively low level of public spending.
Incomes of middle-class Singaporeans have remained stagnant, even as Singapore climbs the ranks of the world’s wealthiest nations.
Working class Singaporeans have seen their wages getting pushed down because of irresponsible opening of the floodgates to low-cost foreign workers.
A lot of wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few, according to Credit Suisse’s 2018 Global Wealth Report.
And as for the rich millionaire-ministers in Singapore? They sit in their ivory towers and craft policies that deepen inequality!
The PAP-led government either refuses to, or is clueless as to how it should address the problem of social inequality.
That can be seen in their policy decisions, starting with budget expenditure
Our people are our greatest resources.
At present, Singaporean youth from disadvantaged families struggle to even reach the starting line of the “level” playing field.
The odds are stacked against them, and a vast majority are trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty and struggle.
The SDA proposes that an extra 1 to 5 percent of the government’s annual net returns on investments are channelled towards helping youth from disadvantaged families.
To put things in a broader perspective, the government’s returns on investments totalled S$17bn last year, and are projected to hit S$18.6bn this year.
A fraction of this would go a long way to helping over 100,000 disadvantaged Singaporean families break the poverty cycle.
The youth, especially, have a chance to achieve success when given the right tools and environment:
• Modern technological equipment
• Conducive after-school care in dedicated centres near their homes
• Caregiver-tutors to motivate and coach them
Marissa Lee. 2019. Young and not so upwardly mobile, why it’s increasingly challenging to sustain inter-generational mobility in Singapore. https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/brunch/young-and-not-so-upwardly-mobile
Oxfam. 2018. The Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index 2018. https://www.oxfam.org/en/research/commitment-reducing-inequality-index-2018
Aarthi Raghavan, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. 2018. Income inequality in Singapore can be solved with multi-pronged social policies that are prudent and on time. https://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/gia/article/income-inequality-can-be-solved-with-multi-thronged-social-policies-that-are-prudent-and-on-time
William Hofmann, ValueChampion. 2018. How big of a problem is income
inequality in Singapore?.
https://www.valuechampion.sg/2018/07/how-big-problem-income-inequality-singapore
Credit Suisse. 2018. Global Wealth Databook.
https://www.credit-suisse.com/about-us/en/reports-research/global-wealth-report.html
Joanna Seow, The Straits Times. 2018. Spotlight on calculation of
income inequality.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/spotlight-on-calculation-of-income-inequality
Reuters/CNA. 2018. Singapore in bottom 10 of Oxfam index on efforts to tackle inequality.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-inequality-oxfam-index-10806026
Copyright 2020