- Joined
- Dec 30, 2010
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- 12,730
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- 113
■What are the specific trade-offs that would happen with zero population? The paper tries to tells us that Singaporeans will be in a world of hurt with zero population. But it doesn’t tell us what this “hurt” means in dollar and cents. If for example, the paper said that each working adult would have to pay a few thousand dollars more in taxes per year to support the elderly in future, that will help readers decide if the trade-off between zero immigration and some immigration makes sense.
■Give a breakdown of the type and number of jobs that the foreigners/PRs are expected to take up. Most foreigners are working in the low skilled or social service sectors that locals do not want to work in because we are going for the higher-skilled jobs. But it is insufficient to say that you will need 2.3 million foreigners in 2030. The paper should give a ballpark breakdown of how many maids, construction workers and service staff (at restaurants/shopping centres) will be needed in future. These low-skilled jobs should number in the millions, and the message to locals is that these foreigners are necessary to help you get the conveniences and services that you want.
■When PMET foreigners are imported to work with dwindling Singaporean numbers, how do we know for sure that locals’ jobs are not being stolen? The message should be that “there are enough jobs for everyone”. Where are the numbers to prove this?
■Why is there a need to have 1.3% population growth? Why not zero, since you acknowledge that we have infrastructure constraints? The answer is probably an amalgamation in the earlier 3 questions. If readers can see that the government is forced to make a trade-off between higher taxes (which are quantified) versus immigration, it is easier to be sympathetic to the white paper’s message.
In this day and age of instant soundbites, the PAP government should double-check all its public communications. The white paper, as it stands, is vulnerable to all sorts of misinterpretation because it lacks the details that are needed to reassure voters that the PAP has its best interests at heart. For a better idea of how the PAP’s soundbite could have been more reassuring, try reading this blog instead.
- http://sgthinker.wordpress.com/2013...deafpopulation-white-paper-and-how-to-fix-it/
■Give a breakdown of the type and number of jobs that the foreigners/PRs are expected to take up. Most foreigners are working in the low skilled or social service sectors that locals do not want to work in because we are going for the higher-skilled jobs. But it is insufficient to say that you will need 2.3 million foreigners in 2030. The paper should give a ballpark breakdown of how many maids, construction workers and service staff (at restaurants/shopping centres) will be needed in future. These low-skilled jobs should number in the millions, and the message to locals is that these foreigners are necessary to help you get the conveniences and services that you want.
■When PMET foreigners are imported to work with dwindling Singaporean numbers, how do we know for sure that locals’ jobs are not being stolen? The message should be that “there are enough jobs for everyone”. Where are the numbers to prove this?
■Why is there a need to have 1.3% population growth? Why not zero, since you acknowledge that we have infrastructure constraints? The answer is probably an amalgamation in the earlier 3 questions. If readers can see that the government is forced to make a trade-off between higher taxes (which are quantified) versus immigration, it is easier to be sympathetic to the white paper’s message.
In this day and age of instant soundbites, the PAP government should double-check all its public communications. The white paper, as it stands, is vulnerable to all sorts of misinterpretation because it lacks the details that are needed to reassure voters that the PAP has its best interests at heart. For a better idea of how the PAP’s soundbite could have been more reassuring, try reading this blog instead.
- http://sgthinker.wordpress.com/2013...deafpopulation-white-paper-and-how-to-fix-it/
