Photo: AFP
A study by the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Social Work Department reveals the “working poor” or anyone earning less than SGD1,500 (half of the average monthly income here), don’t earn enough to sustain themselves.
In the study conducted among 383 Singaporeans and Permanent Residents of different races and income levels, 66.4% of respondents acknowledged there are jobs available for aid recipients, but 85% think these jobs are not paying enough for these recipients to make ends meet.
60% felt more financial assistance could be given to the poor and at least half were willing to pay more taxes to encourage greater government spending.
At a forum on building an inclusive society, nominated MP Laurence Lien and Assoc. Prof. Hui Weg Tat of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy highlighted the urgency of addressing the rising income inequality and stagnating wages of the less fortunate.
Laurence Lien said efforts for increasing productivity are not effective because companies are not obliged to upgrade their systems or send their workers for training. It was also discussed that the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) may be ineffective because it only looks at an individual’s income and not at his or her family or household circumstances collectively.
Suggestions have been made to raise the bar for minimum wage; this is expected to help increase company productivity, as well as lighten the load of the working poor.
