Govt seeks public views on population issues
By Tan Qiuyi | Posted: 26 July 2012 1406 hrs
SINGAPORE: The National Population and
Talent Division (NPTD) has released an Issues Paper to ramp up its
public engagement on Singapore’s population challenges going
forward.
The paper, which is available online, aims to help Singaporeans
understand the choices and trade-offs the country has to make.
NPTD said it’s important that Singaporeans
develop a shared understanding of these issues, which can go
towards finding the right balance to build a sustainable
population.
Director of Policy & Planning at National Population &
Talent Division, Ngiam Siew Ying, said: “We are engaging the public
extensively this year to hear their views, because we think it’s an
important issue that affects all of us. We have to look at the
issue comprehensively, to achieve a population that is strong and
cohesive, living in a good quality environment, with an economy
that provides for good jobs and opportunities for all of us.”
Labour economist Associate Professor Randolph Tan, head of
UniSIM Business Programme, said the release of the Issues Paper is
timely.
“It’s good that we’re getting this process of public
consultation about population policy started now. But I don’t think
the public should be hasty in trying to come to a determination on
what policies we should fix, until we have actually gone through a
whole process of analysing the different possible scenarios. That
could be a few years down the road, but it’s not too early to start
now,” he said.
The paper is part of an ongoing consultation as NPTD prepares a White Paper on Population, scheduled for
release at the end of the year.
The NPTD paper, entitled “Our Population,
Our Future”, lays out Singapore’s demographic challenges in the
face of declining birth rates, a shrinking workforce, and an ageing
population.
As at December 2011, Singapore had 3.27 million Singapore
citizens (SCs), and 0.54 million Permanent Residents (PRs).
Together, they made up the resident population of 3.81 million.
Singapore also had a non-resident population of 1.46 million who
are working, studying or living in Singapore on a non-permanent
basis.
Singapore’s total population was 5.26 million as at December
2011.
Of the non-resident population, the majority (46 per cent) are
work permit holders (excluding foreign domestic workers) and 14 per
cent are foreign domestic workers.
The others are: dependants of citizens and PRs as well as work
pass holders (15 per cent); students (6 per cent); Employment Pass
holders (12 per cent); S Pass holders (8 per cent).
The majority 43 per cent of foreign manpower work in services
while 30 per cent work in construction.
Manufacturing takes 27 per cent and a minority 0.4 per cent work
in other sectors.
The paper spells out the future implications of a shrinking and
ageing workforce – fewer working people to support every elderly
person; a less vibrant, less innovative economy; and eventually, a
hollowing out of the population as young people leave for more
exciting cities.
Associate Professor Randolph Tan said: “One of the things that
we’ve learnt about demographic projections this far into the future
is that they’re notoriously unreliable. In fact over the last 15
years or so, Singapore and Hong Kong have had a remarkably similar
experience in this regard. Total fertility rate has actually gone
up in times of economic downturns, and has gone down when there is
strong economic revival.
“You can’t actually say that this is stylised fact that you can
apply to all countries, but on a case-by-case basis, economists
have actually observed that there is a counter-cyclical attribute
between the total fertility rate and the economic growth
cycle.”
It’s also possible that high immigration is depressing the
fertility rate, Professor Tan said, so future population studies
could look at the relationship between the two.
Authorities are reviewing existing policies to encourage more
Singaporeans to get married and have children.
The authorities are also looking at the number of new citizens
Singapore takes in, as well as the make-up of its non-resident
workforce to support its needs.
Experts said there is a key difference between meeting
short-term economic needs like manpower and answering Singapore’s
demographic challenges.
Professor Tan said: “Short-term economic priorities have to do
with, for instance, the manpower shortages that we meet at a time
when we need to take advantage of certain growth opportunities.
“Long-term demographic challenges have to do with whether you
are actually setting up families that could give rise to a
nurturing environment, so that you don’t necessarily get a
productive workforce out of it immediately, but at least you get a
healthy, happy nation out of it.”
The discussion continues as Singapore reaches a demographic
turning point. More than 900,000 post-war baby boomers will hit 65
– the retirement age – from this year onward. That’s over a quarter
of the current citizen population.
NPTD is seeking public feedback through
its newly launched population website at www.population.sg.
The public can also send their feedback by email: [email protected],
fax: 6325-3240, or post.
The mailing address is:
The National Population and Talent Division,
Prime Minister’s Office, 5 Maxwell Road #13-00
Tower Block MND Complex, Singapore 069110
The consultation runs till 31 October 2012.
- CNA/ck
