SINGAPORE - From vulnerable segments of the population to the middle class and women, different groups of Singaporeans have been affected in different ways by the pandemic, and the Government has taken a customised approach to help them, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Friday (Feb 26).
There are the broad-based, permanent schemes that provide a safety net for all Singaporeans.
On top of these are temporary assistance schemes, such as initiatives like the Solidarity Payments, Temporary Relief Fund and Covid-19 Support Grant, to provide additional support, especially for vulnerable groups.
Addressing MPs concerns about those hit hard by the pandemic-fuelled downturn, Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, said: We cushioned the vulnerable against the worst of the crisis and mitigated social inequality.
A greater nudge is required for Singapore to become a more innovation-driven economy, MPs said yesterday. On the second day of the Budget debate, they highlighted the importance of innovation efforts for Singapore's firms to be competitive in the global economy.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
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SINGAPORE - A Workers Party MP has suggested applying a basic wage floor of $1,300 to many sectors at once so that the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) can be rolled out more quickly, instead of sector by sector.
This fundamental reordering of the framework will help to hasten the pace of reaching the Government s goal of having progressive wages in every sector, said Mr Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) on Thursday (Feb 25). Since the PWM is a minimum wage plus , we should focus on implementing the minimum wage portion of the PWM across all industry sectors as soon as possible, then roll out the plus portion only later where practical, he added, in reference to training requirements and career progression ladders.