10 challenges for Singapore

IN A National Day dinner speech yesterday, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong listed 10 challenges arising from Singapore's success, and which the next generation will have to face:

1 Maintaining high rates of economic growth
Singapore's economy has grown from $2 billion 50 years ago to $250 billion.
Mr Goh warned: "Just remember, the world is a very competitive place and our economy has matured."

2 Improving living standards which are already high
More than 90 per cent of Singaporeans own their homes, which are equipped with electricity and modern sanitation facilities.
This is an improvement by leaps and bounds over the housing situation 50 years ago, when thousands of Singaporeans lived in slums and squalor.

3 Providing better transport at affordable prices
Students now travel in air-conditioned cars, buses or trains, unlike in the past.
In the future, the Government would have to satisfy people's higher expectations of comfort, convenience and congestion-free travel along with providing affordable fares, Mr Goh said.

4 Stamping out diseases of affluence at affordable health-care rates
People live longer now and more develop diseases linked to an affluent lifestyle, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and kidney failure, instead of infectious diseases.
Such illnesses are also more expensive to treat, said Mr Goh.

5 Helping to keep workers employed till age 75
In 50 years, Singaporeans' life expectancy has risen from 60 to 80 years of age, and the retirement age has been raised from 55 to 62.
With advances in health care, life expectancy will probably increase to 90 years in the future and people would have to work till the age of 75 to have enough savings "for a cosy retirement of 15 years", Mr Goh said.

The challenge would be to motivate and train older people to continue working, he said.

6 Getting young people to marry and have children
Development has led to a plunge in birth rates here.
Fewer women are getting married, and those who do are giving birth to fewer babies.

7 Supporting an ageing population
This will be a problem as an increasing number of old people will live longer, while fewer young people will be around to work and support them, Mr Goh said.
Now, 9 per cent of the population is aged above 65. By 2030, this will double to 20 per cent.

8 Getting more land
In the last 50 years, Singapore's land area has expanded by more than 20 per cent through reclamation.
As the population and economy continue to grow, more land would be needed, and its use balanced between the economy, housing and recreation.

9 Preventing a brain drain
Hundreds of students go overseas to study and more are not returning home.
Singapore needs to find ways to bond them to Singapore, so that most will return home and contribute, Mr Goh said.

10 Keeping a multi-religious society cohesive
Singaporeans are getting more religious, Mr Goh noted.
They have to guard against forming religious enclaves and mix with those of other faiths to prevent society from becoming divided, he said.

To work till 75... poor Sinkies...