Chan Chun Sing: Managing public expectations is challenging

Need for consensus on who to help

By Goh Chin Lian, The Straits Times, 8 Sep 2012

A NEW group of people who want more government help has emerged in Singapore, according to Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing.

They are middle-income earners who feel unsettled about the future and wonder if they could be shielded from the intense global competition, he said.

But their expectations may need to be managed, he added.

As social needs increase, society must reach a consensus on how much help should be given to this and other groups with varying levels of need, he told about 800 students, faculty and guests of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy yesterday.

Mr Chan was speaking at a public lecture to mark the school's eighth anniversary.

In his 30-minute speech titled Reflections On Making Social Policies: Negotiating Tensions And Dilemmas, Mr Chan cited managing expectations and building consensus as one of four key issues.

The other three are: doing better at pre-empting challenges, asking the right questions to define issues correctly, and to beware of unintended consequences of social policies.

He set them in the context of two forces: globalisation that has widened the income gap; and changing demographics with an ageing population and a smaller base of family support.

For now, a progressive tax system coupled with subsidies and social transfers through housing, education, health care and Workfare ensure that the majority of people receive more than they give.

As always, the focus of aid is on those who need help most, "starting from the left end of the bell curve", Mr Chan stressed.

They are the lowest income earners, the disadvantaged and people with special needs, as well as those who may be able to cope now but are at risk of falling into hard times in a crisis.

But for now, even the middle-income group is getting help and some schemes cover the upper middle-income as well, he said.

Singapore's healthy fiscal position makes such transfers possible, but Mr Chan warned that as social needs grow, sustaining social programmes without burdening future generations will be a challenge.

"As a society, we must come to a consensus about who we should help, given our finite resources.

"For some, we need to manage their expectations. We need to help each other understand that there are others who need help more than some of us.

"As beneficiaries of opportunities that the system created, we too have a responsibility to help others who are less fortunate.

"While we cannot shield our people entirely from intense global competition, we can and will certainly prepare our people to stand up to it," he said.

Mr Chan revisited these themes in his dialogue with those present.

Sixteen questions were raised, ranging from the influx of migrants and raising the fertility rate to changing mindsets towards the elderly and voluntarism among youth.

He also sounded a note of caution, urging people not to impose their solutions on the needy.

He cited a news report of an almost-blind elderly woman who sold newspapers to care for her young grandson.

Some suggested sending the seven-year-old or the woman to a home. But both wanted to stay together and make a living for themselves.

"They value dignity and independence... Let us build on the capabilities of even the needy and never assume the needy have no capability whatsoever."







Beware 'unintended consequences'

POLICIES to look after people's social needs may have "unintended consequences", warned Mr Chan Chun Sing.

So the goal is to anticipate some of them, minimise them and adjust along the way. He cited several examples:

Childcare subsidies: Making subsidies for childcare universal may not make the services more affordable or improve their quality. If the supply of quality teachers and childcare spaces does not increase in tandem with higher demand, the mismatch could spell higher prices and more angst.

More people may also go for pricier providers, believing them to be of higher quality. The subsidies will then end up being used to pay for more expensive providers, rather than to offset costs.

This could in turn encourage popular providers to raise their fees and widen the gap between "quality" providers and the rest - and possibly compound the problem of social segregation.

Homes for elderly: Pumping all resources into building more institutional homes for the elderly and putting every challenging case into them could push up the cost of such care, given the limited space and manpower.

It also neglects the role of the community and the family, and deprives the elderly of a familiar environment. But insisting that all elderly be cared for in their own homes could be hard if a case is complex and families cannot give proper care. The answer: a mix of institutional, community- and home-based care that society has to decide on.

Define the issues right

MANY of us have been taught to find the "correct answers". But actually, framing the "correct question" is perhaps even more important. Otherwise, applying the "correct answer" to the "wrong question" will be much ado about nothing at best. Worse, it can even do more harm than good.

Recently, someone highlighted in the media the plight of a visually challenged elderly lady selling newspapers to take care of her grandson. Life was tough for this family.

Many well-intentioned people asked the Government to "solve the problem". Some suggested placing the child in a children's home for "better care". Others suggested that the elderly lady be placed in a home for the aged. Yet others came forward to donate varying amounts of money to help the elderly lady and her grandson.

But before we impose our "solutions" on their challenges, if we can take a step back and listen to the elderly grandmother and her grandson, we may get another perspective on the issue.

Yes, they may be poor by society's standards. But they value dignity and independence. They choose to make a living with their own abilities. While they may be lacking in material terms, they possess inner strength and spirit. They want to be responsible for their future. They want to stay together.

The grandson, despite his tender age of seven, has learnt to save $1.50 out of every $2 he gets so that he would be able to afford his grandmother's medical fees. I dare say not many of our older and more privileged children have learnt such touching values in life.

Also heartening in this case are the efforts of the community partners - CDAC, Singapore Press Holdings, the News Vendors' Association and Care Corner Family Service Centre. Together with officers from the Central Community Development Council, they stepped in to lend a hand and keep an eye on their situation.

In helping the needy, the question is not just what help we can give, but what help they want to receive. Not just what we must change, but also what we must retain. Not just what gaps to plug, but also what strengths to build on. Let us build on the capabilities of even the needy and never assume the needy have no capability whatsoever. - excerpt of speech.