Vulnerable communities, sustainable businesses, women, and minority groups should be included on a task force formed to guide Singapore through its COVID-19 economic recovery, an open letter signed by nearly 40 organizations urges.
The Open Letter for Diverse Voices on Emerging Stronger Taskforce, recently penned to government officials, asked that the body tasked with devising strategies to make Singapore’s economy more resilient better represent society.
“The taskforce should include members of the people sector, economic players that are most vulnerable, as well as businesses focused on bringing a climate-safe future. It should also seek to achieve the cultural, gender and demographic diversity of our nation, including representation from the disability community,” it said.
The letter was published over a month after the Trade and Industry Ministry unveiled the 17 task force members, mostly elite heads of major corporations.
The task force is led by Social and Family Development Minister Desmond Lee and members include DBS Group CEO Piyush Gupta and Changi Airport Group CEO Lee Seow Hiang. The only two women on the task force are Ernst & Young’s Dilys Boey and Pontiac Land Group President Kwee Wei-Lin.
The letter urged the task force to adopt a more inclusive approach by including representatives from nonprofit organizations, charities, vulnerable groups such as small to medium enterprises, social enterprises, and green businesses. It also called on more representation for women, youths, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
The open letter was signed by 49 individuals who are also leaders and key members of 37 nonprofit organizations and social enterprises including the Association of Women for Action and Research, migrant worker advocacy group Its Raining Raincoats, and the SG Climate Rally.
“The COVID-19 crisis has shone a light on the vulnerabilities in our society and economy. Our efforts to rebuild for a stronger Singapore that can better withstand future shocks will be strengthened by having in this taskforce, those who have been most affected, ensuring our nation integrates the learnings of social resilience as we reimagine our future,” the letter said.
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat announced in April that a new task force, Emerging Stronger Task Force, would be set up to help Singapore’s economy recover from the Global Financial Crisis. It is headed by Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee and CEO of PSA International Tan Chong Meng.
“We are facing an unprecedented level of uncertainty in the road ahead, much more than what we encountered during the Global Financial Crisis and earlier crises. This global crisis is manifesting on many fronts — healthcare, economy, society — at a time when the global leadership is divided,” he wrote in an online post.
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