SINGAPORE — Members of Parliament (MPs) lauded the Pioneer Generation package today (March 3), the first day of the Budget Debate in parliament.
They called it a symbol of gratitude to the first generation of Singaporeans, even as the nation looks to the future.
But there was also a reminder that the needs of the elderly go beyond healthcare.
A total of 25 MPs took turns to speak, calling this year’s Budget generous, caring and extraordinary, while Minister for Finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam listened intently.
The star was the Pioneer Generation Package — S$8 billion set aside by the Singapore Government — to give some 450,000 elderly Singaporeans special benefits for life.
“Many Singaporeans may not yet appreciate how extraordinary a feat this is for any government to be able to pull off. How many governments in the world can deliver such a commitment to its people and still maintain fiscal balance?” said West Coast GRC MP Foo Mee Har.
Aljunied GRC MP Slyvia Lim said: “I agree that it should not be means-tested, unlike most other Government schemes. This universality of entitlement is a very important recognition of all our pioneers, regardless of where they live now or how much they have earned over the years.”
While MPs lauded the package, which is focused on healthcare benefits, they also stressed the need to look into other areas that concern the elderly to ensure that those who are able can still participate meaningfully in society.
“While the Government has worked hard to remove the monetary obstacles in healthcare affordability, we need to ensure that in other areas, the elderly can still participate meaningfully in society. This includes the areas of employment, and access to knowledge, especially infocomm technology,” said Sengkang West MP Lam Pin Min.
“We can and should do more to ensure that older persons, including the pioneer generation, continue to have the opportunities to lead their lives they want to, to work in the jobs they want to and to access the information they need. The non-monetary aspects of growing old must not be neglected and the government can do more to help them.
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