More Government is not always better Government, and greater social spending does not automatically mean better results, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday.
The United States, for instance, spends 18 per cent of GDP on healthcare, which is four times more than Singapore's, but has lower life expectancy and higher infant mortality rates.
PM Lee also cited how the European model of welfare, with governments making up half or more of the economy, is in "serious trouble".
So even as Singapore strengthens social safety nets, the ultimate test of success is not how much the Government does or spends, but the programmes' outcomes, he said at a dinner to mark St Andrew's Mission Hospital (SAMH)'s centenary.
The United States, for instance, spends 18 per cent of GDP on healthcare, which is four times more than Singapore's, but has lower life expectancy and higher infant mortality rates.
PM Lee also cited how the European model of welfare, with governments making up half or more of the economy, is in "serious trouble".
So even as Singapore strengthens social safety nets, the ultimate test of success is not how much the Government does or spends, but the programmes' outcomes, he said at a dinner to mark St Andrew's Mission Hospital (SAMH)'s centenary.