At another post-budget dialogue session held in Fuchun Community Centre yesterday, Khaw Boon Wan responded to grassroots leaders’ questions that the Budget this year is already very generous “by any measure”.
He had been asked whether more could have been done for various groups such as parents and NS men to which he responded that in every situation more could be done but it is still important to be prudent.
He said that Singapore is in a very good position and the people should reflect more on what they have.
For example, he said that Singapore consistently has a budget surplus and this allows for the government to give out additional benefits. He compared this to the situation in America and Japan where the government is cutting down a lot of public spending to address its severe budget deficits.
Other questions raised at the dialogue included why the extra 1% CPF contribution had to go into Medisave and couldn’t be used for housing.
To this, he explained that there is already enough CPF for housing as affordability is “not an issue” and we needed to concentrate on healthcare costs.
(See full story here: Khaw Boon Wan: CPF is ‘more than enough’ for housing)
Khaw also said that dialogue sessions about the benefits of the budget should be held in dialects at the grassroots level so that all Singaporeans can learn of the various new schemes and benefits.
He also explained that neighbours have a role to play in spreading the message.
Overall, he said that the response to the budget has been largely positive.
Related: Khaw Boon Wan: Healthcare is affordable!