Working longer. Higher retirement age. All these point to one thing, and that is Singapore is having a greying population. In the recent National Day rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had stressed the need to give more opportunities to the aged, and securing a better, safer and happier twilight life for them. Indeed, this is a pressing issue that Singapore needs to face in order to progress as our population is ageing at a rather rapid speed and for one, I complete agree that there should be much more things done to ensure that the older population is not left behind.
Our Government plans to do a few things, and the first being to double the payout for Workfare, “an income supplement scheme for less-skilled workers who earn lesser”, to older workers. By doing so, the Government had made a very clear stand in wanting to give an opportunity for people to work longer. Even though I am not in the working force now and may not completely understand the constraints of hiring older workers, but if I were an employer, I would definitely reconsider before wanting to hire younger or foreign workers to replace the older ones because firstly, they have become more competitive in terms of hiring price and secondly, they definitely have a greater wealth of experience to tap on.
Secondly, the Government seeks to raise the draw-down age for one’s CPF from 62 now, to 65 by 2018, so as to ensure that the older workers will have enough savings to last them through their golden years. In my opinion, there is absolutely a need for the Government to put in place schemes to protect Singaporeans, who are living longer lives, or else repercussions will be aplenty. Yes, I could imagine all the tedious and tiring work hours that I would have to endure till 65 before being able to get a good sum of money for my retirement, but I believe that this “painful” move is definitely essential to secure a better life for myself when I become old.
In my opinion, Government seeks to encourage more Singaporeans to work longer so as to have a more fulfilling life, and to play a more active role in contributing to the society. Putting myself in the elderly shoes, I understand that many might think that the Government wants them to work like a horse for Singapore for their entire life. Although I am not old now, and may not fully understanding the troubles of being physically less active, I believe that many people would still want to play a part for Singapore in whatever way they can, regardless of age differences, and understand the Government’s efforts in making Singapore a more inclusive society.
In conclusion, I understand that there are limitations to my complete understanding of the current ageing situation and the effectiveness of these policies proposed by the Government due to my tender age and lack of experienced, but I believe I can gain more insights by asking and listening to people who have gone through more than me. It may be true that not all policies will make everybody happy, but I strongly believe that our Government is doing its best to make Singapore a great home to call, and a City of Possibilities for all.
Labels: English Blog Article
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8:15 AM
