Government may dip into reserves, says SM

With Singapore staring at what might be its worst recession ever, the Singapore government has unveiled a massive S$20.5 billion plan to help Singaporeans keep jobs and viable companies stay afloat in its budget for this year.

This is the first time the government will be dipping into its reserves and step up its social programmes to help Singaporeans tide over this economic crisis.

Firstly, the government should expand recruitment across the public sector and also encourage people to take up extra courses or training programmes to upgrade their skills, keeping them competitive in the society. The cost of such courses could also be subsidized to meet the needs of those in the lower income group.

In addition, to encourage low income workers to stay employed, the eligibility criteria should also be relaxed to ensure that they do not give up hope but work together in this time of crisis.