Supporting vulnerable groups, ensuring safe reopening top two issues youths want addressed at Budget 2021

SINGAPORE — Supporting vulnerable groups of Singaporeans and ensuring a safe reopening from the pandemic top the list of issues that young people here want addressed at Budget 2021.

Other priorities include preparing for climate change, enhancing employability and fostering social inclusion.

A total of 170 participants aged between 15 and 35 were polled at the end of a virtual dialogue on Wednesday evening (Jan 13), where they exchanged views on the five key themes of Budget 2021.

The dialogue, as part of the Emerging Stronger Conversations convened by the Government since June last year, was hosted by the National Youth Council in partnership with the Ministry of Finance. It provides young people with a platform to better understand economic priorities for Singapore.

Joining the session was Ms Indranee Rajah, Second Minister for Finance and National Development, who noticed that young Singaporeans placed less importance on boosting employment, providing support to the workforce and driving economic growth.

“This is a good example of how we, at the Ministry of Finance and the Government, have to work through the various trade-offs because in truth and in fact, all of these are linked,” she said in her closing remarks.

Ms Indranee added that when the Government focused on economic growth, many might think that it is putting money over the welfare of its people.

“But in order to help the vulnerable groups, it takes money, and the money has to come from somewhere. And there're only two sources — either it comes from the revenue that we're generating from the economy, or it comes from our savings,” she said.

Also present at the session was Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, who noted that the three areas where the youth have shown the most interest in were environment and sustainability, looking after those adversely impacted by Covid-19, as well as the pandemic’s effect on their mental wellbeing.

Jobs and the economy were also a top concern, he added, because many of them are graduating, looking for work or making decisions about their future.

Mr Poh Yong Shun, 24, a sociology undergraduate at the Singapore Institute of Management – University of Buffalo, said: “I think many younger people care about issues out there… and overall ,in terms of the economy and Singapore’s approach to building the future and dealing with crises, it is doing pretty well.

“So what they hope to really see in the Budget is (for the Government) to look at other areas such as how to better support vulnerable groups, beyond just financially.”