REACH » Blog Us

New Features - Facebook Connect and Recommend

31 Dec 9999

Dear Friends and REACH members,

We have introduced Facebook Connect to facilitate easy login using your Facebook account. When you use your Facebook ID to log into the REACH website, you may now recommend your favourite discussion threads to your Facebook friends and network, just by clicking on the new "Recommend" button! Image appended is for your reference, please.

Already a REACH member? Bridge your REACH account with your Facebook account. New to REACH? Create a REACH account now.

Please visit our page for more details and updates.

Regards
REACH Administrator

The Post-Materialist Desires of the New Generation

28 Feb 2012

In many ways, the 2012 Budget represents a shift towards a new compact between the PAP government and the people. It recognises the desire of a younger generation to go beyond a naked drive towards material well-being and accumulation of wealth. The old compact with our parents' generation was a simple one – give the PAP a popular mandate and they will make sure that we are materially better-off year after year. Most attention was given to GDP growth, which by definition focuses on the welfare

Round-up of National Day Rally 2011

26 Sep 2011

Thank you for sharing your invaluable views with us on this year’s National Day Rally (NDR)! During the NDR, Prime Minister highlighted several measures to put Singaporeans first and strengthen our social safety net so that no one is left behind even as the country stays open and connected to the world.

All your feedback have been read by REACH and sent to the respective agencies for their information and attention. Some agencies have also posted their response on the REACH Facebook and Discussion Forum, and responded to your feedback via email.

We would now like to share with you some highlights of the public forum chaired by DPM Teo Chee Hean (snapshots and videos), the three hottest NDR themes that were most actively discussed across our various platforms, and some great quotes from you, our contributors.

(i)   Singaporeans First for Housing, Jobs and Education

Housing
The discussion on housing centred on the measures to increase the supply of Build-to-Order (BTO) flats and raise the income ceiling eligibility criteria. While some contributors welcome the initiative, others commented that the measures are long overdue and unlikely to sufficiently address demand. Some also question if the higher income ceiling will adversely affect affordability of public housing, by increasing the pool of eligible buyers. A few contributors also welcome the measures to help singles buy resale flats.

In response to public feedback, including calls by REACH contributors during the NDR Feedback Exercise, the Ministry of National Development has announced that it would extend the revised income ceiling of $12,000 to all Executive Condominium (EC) projects. The revised income ceiling was previously applicable only for projects launched for public sale from 15 August 2011.

Jobs
Measures to safeguard employment were greeted with differing sentiments. While some acknowledged the need to bring in foreigners and grow the economy, several wondered if the measures to manage foreigner inflow, such as tightening the criteria for Employment Pass applications, would be effective, especially if employers find ways to get around them. Many contributors also feel that the quality and English language proficiency of foreign workers should be raised, and that the quality of foreign talents brought into Singapore should be closely scrutinised.

Education
Many welcome the move to increase the number of university places for locals. However, some feel that even more can be done, such as by increasing scholarship opportunities and subsidising more part-time tertiary programmes for locals, and lowering the number of places for foreign students.

(ii)   Caring for One Another

Contributors generally welcome the enhanced outpatient subsidies, with a few opining that the income criteria for the Primary Care Partnership Scheme (PCPS) should be increased further. The measures to enhance social safety net for low-income Singaporeans are also welcomed, with some contributors lauding the expansion of Special Education Schools and providing more assistance to families with special needs children. Some suggest that more can also be done for special needs adults.

(iii)   One Nation Together

Contributors generally agree that the Government must be more adept in engaging Singaporeans online and that there must be sites where people can have open and balanced discussions. They also offered a slew of suggestions to enhance citizen engagement, including having more regular Townhall meetings and online Meet-the-People sessions, recognising citizens who provide constructive feedback and assuring citizens that their feedback is heard.

Public consultation not a populist measure

1 Jul 2011

I REFER to last Saturday's report ('Getting all on board in steering S'pore'). The debate on how to resolve policy dilemmas is a tremendously challenging one, primarily because no single decision can please everyone.

Socio-economic policy direction and discussion should not be perceived as being mutually exclusive.

Policymakers must customise their methodologies based on the characteristics of the concerns, their level of urgency and the groups of Singaporeans involved.
Clearly, the actual decision-making process should continue to be managed by parliamentarians, who have been given the mandate to do so, and who will ensure that efficiency is not compromised. However, prior to that, they have to proactively solicit feedback from their constituents, so that different perspectives can be taken into consideration.

This particular role of the politician has remained largely unchanged throughout the years, but varying local circumstances - especially after the recent general election - have presented a significantly new landscape for our ministers and MPs.

First, there has been greater diversity in the stakeholders involved. Traditionally, feedback and opinions have been gathered from a select group of professionals - from academics to private-sector experts - through policy study workgroups and various feedback sessions. Now, given the rapid dissemination of information and the better-educated population, more individuals are desirous of having a say through engagement platforms.

Second, there has been a rise in the number of platforms and corresponding responses offered by their users. Most notably, communication through the Internet has evolved to become more of a necessity than an option. Even though new media channels per se are not the most productive avenues to articulate public policies, their administrators should have the ability to sieve out constructive criticisms and raise consultation rates.

The trick is to develop a diverse range of feedback forums to cater to different groups of Singaporeans: Facebook pages, spontaneous e-mail messages and blogs would appeal to on-the-go professionals who simply want to give their two cents' worth, while carefully crafted online policy workgroups would attract serious-minded Singaporeans who wish to engage in sustainable conversations, and simultaneously develop recommendations or resolutions to the host of observations.
Public consultation cannot be casually dismissed as being populist appeasement.

The proliferation of personal views has gathered pace even in the previous absence of government involvement; it would be a pity if the authorities refuse to acknowledge their value.

Kwan Jin Yao
This letter was penned by Kwan Jin Yao, a Junior REACH Ambassador from Hwa Chong Institution from 2008-2010. The letter was first published in the Straits Times on 29 Jun 2011 and is reproduced here courtesy of The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reprinted with permission.

Reflections on Budget 2011

21 Feb 2011

Expectations were high leading up to this past Friday’s budget speech. In 2010, strong economic
growth boosted government revenues. So there was naturally a strong expectation (perhaps too strong) that this year’s budget would contain goodies for the general public, particularly to help address the threat of inflation for lower-income households. Given these high expectations, how did the budget measure
up? Here are some of my own thoughts.

First, for private sector firms and businesses, I would describe this budget as one of “give-and-take”. On
the “give” side, some very strong tax incentives have been put in place to encourage firms to invest in
innovation and productivity improvements. However, on the “take” side, employer CPF contributions
are set to increase, while foreign worker levies will also go up progressively. On the whole, the message to businesses is a clear one: “Let’s become an economy where growth is driven by productivity gains,
rather than by simply expanding the workforce with foreign labor.” These new budget measures provide a strong inducement to firms to restructure themselves, to rely less on foreign unskilled workers and instead invest in labor-saving productivity enhancements.

If these measures are successful, it would truly set the stage for Singapore to transform itself into a first-rate modern economy in all industries, becoming one where workers can reap the benefits of steadily rising real wages through a constant flow of productivity improvements. Of course, whether this materializes will depend on the details of the implementation. Productivity improvements don’t simply drop from the sky, and we will need to do a lot to develop a culture of innovation in the workplace. Some firms, particularly SMEs, may also struggle in the interim to cope with some of these rising costs. But this year is probably as good a time as any to start this long-term process, from a position of economic strength after a good year of growth.

Second, for Singaporean households, this budget did not disappoint. The total amount of funds that will be put back into the public’s hands is one of the largest on record, and there was “something for everyone”. The budget featured a balanced mix of short-term transfers and medium-to-long term measures. The short-term measures– such as the Workfare Special Bonus, Growth Dividends, and public utilities rebates – will help Singaporeans, especially in the lower and lower-middle income groups to cope with the challenge posed by inflation this year. On the other hand, the middle and higher-income households can look forward to the income tax rebates for this year. There were also measures with a
longer-term outlook, such as the Child Development Credits, higher education bursary funds and top-ups to various education-related and eldercare-related funds. These may in time actually prove to be more
important because of the key investments that they help us make in the human capital and social infrastructure of our country.

While I would thus give the “Grow and Share” package an overall thumbs-up, might there be some areas where more could have been done? I still have some concerns for lower-income households. While they will receive a generous boost over the next three years from the Workfare bonus, these are ultimately one-off payments that may not help to solve the difficulties they might face with recurring expenses, such as HDB loans and childcare/eldercare costs. It is always a tightrope for the government to walk between trying to give a helping hand, while avoiding a dependency culture. And we should of course be realistic about how much the annual budget for any single year can do to systematically assist lower-income
Singaporeans. Suffice to say however that the government will have to continue to be vigilant about the needs of this group of Singaporeans in future years.

Last but not least, I especially liked the decision to put back into our official reserves the S$4 billion that had been drawn down to tide Singaporeans over the global financial crisis. This clearly reaffirms the government’s commitment to long-term fiscal prudence. And it sets an important precedent for future
leaders to follow with regard to the use of our hard-earned reserves. Let us hope that ordinary Singaporeans will be just as prudent with how they use the additional transfers and top-ups that we will receive in the year ahead.

Davin Chor
Assistant Professor of Economics
Singapore Management University

Insights (Budget 2011)

18 Feb 2011

A new REACH initiative featuring views on Budget 2011 from the expert. Read what some experts are saying about this year's Budget initiatives. Watch this space from 20 February and share with us your thoughts.

Administrator Note: As this “Insights” section was created to host discussions threads initiated by the experts on key points raised at Budget Announcement, please note that we will be shifting any members/public initiated thread to the “Our Common Space” section of Blog Us.

Announcement on Contribution System

10 Jan 2011

Dear Friends and REACH members,

We are pleased to inform you that we will be re-introducing the ranking system to recognise the active contributions and participation of our members in the discussion forum. The ranking system will take effect from 10 Jan 2011. Titles will be conferred on our members once you attain a certain number of postings, as per the table below:

Title	Number of Posting
Newbie	1-20
Freshman	21-40
Senior	41-99
Master	100-199
Guru	200 and above

Non-members who wish to be conferred the titles are encouraged to register as a REACH member and to login to join in the discussions.

We look forward to your continued support and active participation on the REACH Discussion Forums.

Thank you.

New Features - Sorting Discussion Thread

3 Jan 2011

Dear Contributors,

In our Blog, you may now sort discussion threads according to your preference, displaying them chronologically or based on other available options such as the number of postings, number of views, and number of “likes”. Image appended is for your reference, please.

Please visit our page for more details and updates.

Regards
REACH Administrator

Notice on reserving section - "Welcome and Announcements" for administrative use

28 Dec 2010

Dear Friends and People's Forum members,

With effect from 28 Dec 2010, please note that the “Welcome and Announcements” section of our "Blog Us" will be reserved for posting of administrative notices by REACH only. Existing contributor-initiated threads that are currently in this section, will be shifted to “Our Common Space” section of the discussion forum.

For feedback pertaining to the website, you may wish to contact us via reach@reach.gov.sg or our feedback form. We thank you for your understanding in this matter and apologise for any inconvenience caused. We look forward to your continued support and active participation on the REACH Discussion Forums.

Regards,
REACH Administrator

Brand new website, Bold new features

27 Aug 2010

Welcome to the new REACH website!

We’ve listened to your feedback and packed our revamped REACH website with a slew of new features to enhance its usability for you, our valued contributors. Besides enhanced visuals and more prominent feedback channels, we have improved familiar favourites to better facilitate citizen-to-citizen and government-to-citizen engagement, such as

Discussion Forum
Talk Abuzz
Blog

For the above favourites, you can now click on a “Like” button on the posting or any contributors' comments that you feel to be relevant and well thought out. Postings that attract the highest number of “Like” votes will be placed prominently on top of all comments so you, the contributors, can now have the say on who occupies the “prime” space on each article, thread or discussion.

“Your Discussion Corner” and “REACH’s Discussion Corner” have been combined into a single “Discussion Forum” so you can initiate new threads, post comments and engage one another on this new discussion forum. For better readability, replies to comments in the discussion threads will be presented in an indented format.

With the growing popularity of our new media channels, you can now access our Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Youtube accounts at all pages. Come and join us for real-time webchats during major feedback exercises, using our improved webchat interface.

We’re excited by all these changes and hope you like them as much as we do. We look forward to more lively, thoughtful and engaging discussions. Do stay tuned as we progressively unveil more groundbreaking changes in this new website in the months ahead!

Regards,
The REACH Team