Why is
governance important?
Policy Process:
Formulation and Implementation
• Meeting the needs of the people and nation, using the transport
policy as an example to examine:
- principles of governance
- roles and responsibilities of the legislature, executive and
judiciary
- role of media and feedback channels in the policy process
• Case study of Singapore
- population policies from the 1970s to the 21st century
- challenges of and responses to ageing population and declining
birth rate
Similar
Problems, Different Approaches
• A comparative study of public health care policies in Singapore United Kingdom
- how policies work in different countries
- impact of policies on society and nation
Factors for sustaining good governance in Singapore
- Anticipate Change and Staying
Relevant
A good government also needs to be
forward-looking. A forward-looking mindset anticipates future challenges and
needs. This prepares the country for changing times and helps Singapore Singapore Singapore Malaysia Malaysia Singapore Malaysia Malaysia Singapore
Another example of how the government
anticipates change and stays relevant is the implementation of the Electronic
Road Pricing (ERP) System. Although the Area Licensing Scheme (ALS) had been
effective in controlling traffic flow in designated areas, the government anticipated
future needs and took a step further in looking for improvements to the system.
The labour-intensive ALS was replaced by the ERP system. Although both serve
the same purpose, the ERP which uses up-to-date technology to monitor and
regulate traffic flow was more efficient and effective.
Another example of how the
government anticipates change and stays relevant is the decision to build two
integrated resorts at Marina
Bay Singapore
Thus
being forward-looking has helped the government to secure long-term commitment
that will ensure that Singapore’s development can continue unhindered and help Singapore to stay
competitive in the global economy.
- Leadership is Key
Good leadership in the
government is also a key principle of good governance in Singapore Singapore
An
example was in 1985, as a result of its open economy, Singapore
Another example is the
introduction of the Vehicle Quota system (VQS). Although the VQS was unpopular
with some of the people, the government went ahead to implement it as it needed
to control the growth of the car population.
The government thus needs
to select its leaders very carefully, grooming them to take on leadership
roles. Leaders who proved to be capable were given senior positions to test
their ability through their rotation of duties in different government
departments.
Good
leadership ensures that Singapore
- Reward for Work and Work for
Reward
Meritocracy is a key part of the
principle “Reward for Work and Work for Reward”. It refers to a system that
rewards hard work and talent. Meritocracy helps to give everybody in society an
equal opportunity to achieve their best and be rewarded for their performance,
regardless of race, religion and socio-economic background. Rewarding hard work
and talent would encourage more
people to do well and so provide Singapore
Meritocracy ensures that the best and
talented people are available for the government. This would ensure and sustain
good governance as we will have capable leaders who can bring the country
forward. This is
important as it ensures that talented and capable people in Singapore Singapore
Possible conclusion:
There is no doubt that
‘reward for work and work for reward’ gives rise to good governance but it just
encourage people to do well and provide Singapore with a pool of committed and
hardworking people who can continue to contribute positively towards the
country’s progress.
However,
without good leadership in the government, there will be no one for the masses
to look to for directions. Good leaders are not only capable, honest and able
to anticipate future challenges and needs, but they also have the moral courage
to do what is right and not what is popular. Without such good leaders, the
policies which are pragmatic, encourage meritocracy and forward-looking may not
even be there. Only good leaders can ensure that such policies are in place to
prepare the country for changing times and helps Singapore Singapore Singapore
Measures
to keep traffic smooth in Singapore
- Vehicle Quota System (VQS)
The Vehicle Quota System is a system which controls
the number of new motor vehicles allowed for registration by the number of
quota set by the LTA which is dependent on how many older vehicles were expected
to be taken off the road. The COEs for new cars would be like a replacement of
an older vehicle taken off the road. Aspiring buyers of new cars must bid for
the limited number of Certificate of Entitlement (COE). Successful bidders will
pay the quota premium to obtain the COE. The COE must be renewed after 10
years. The system ensures that the traffic flow is better managed with fewer
new cars on the road and older cars are taken off the road unless owners are
willing to pay for new COEs. The
growth of the car population is better controlled and
thus,
managing traffic flow is better.
- Area Licensing Scheme (ALS) and Electronic
Road Pricing (ERP)
The Area Licensing Scheme which was started in the
1970s is a scheme whereby motorists had to pay for the use of certain roads in Singapore
- Park and
Ride Scheme
The Park and Ride Scheme was introduced in the 1970s
also. It is a scheme whereby motorists could park their vehicles at specific
car parks which were outside the city area. The motorists who parked here could
then use the public transport to enter the city areas. The scheme was not as
effective as many motorists were not keen about leaving their cars at
designated car parks only to
have to continue their journey using a public transport. For eg, of the
7700 additional parking lots created at 9sites just outside the Restricted
Zones only 585 lots were taken up. Thus
effectively, it means that not many motorists
supported the
scheme. As such the system is not effective.
The Vehicle Quota system
must first be implemented before the ERP system can be implemented smoothly.
The curbing of car population complements measures like the ERP to control
specific road usage. Without the VQS to control the car population, the ERP
might still work on its own, as users would still be discouraged to use certain
roads, but the level of effectiveness would definitely be lower, since the car
population might grow to a level which cannot be supported by the roads
available.
Reasons for Singapore
- Late Marriages
- Previous population policies
- High costs of raising children
In
recent years, the government has introduced the Baby Bonus Scheme in which
parents are given cash incentives when they have children so as to help reduce
the financial burden on parents taking care of their children. However, this
has not helped to raise the birth rates significantly. Many Singaporeans still
find it expensive to raise a child. The childcare cost has become too expensive
for some Singaporeans due to the increased foreign maid levy, increase in
school fees, childcare costs and medical costs. These parents who want to give
their children the best will find it expensive to bring up a child. Hence, they
chose to have only one child. Moreover, some adults today feel that having
children will be a financial burden. Hence there is little incentive to have
more children or even to have a child.
- Improved educational status of
women
Since
1970s, the educational status of women has improved. More women received formal
education compared to the past. Education allowed women a place in the
workforce and the satisfaction of a career. Women are no longer content with
being confined to traditional, subservient roles. They desire to advance their
careers, be leaders in society, enjoy life and see the world. The monetary
incentive of the baby bonus schemes are not an attractive enough stimulant to
the modern educated women. As a result, there was a trend of women marrying at
a later age or not at all. Motherhood was also delayed. This delayed in
marriage and motherhood resulted in the declining birth rate.
In
conclusion, previous population control policies were effective in contributing
the declining birth rate. The measures made people realised the advantages of
having smaller families and provided ways in which people can have small
families. However, the improved education status of women contributed more to
the declining birth rates as it brought about a change in attitude and mindsets
of young Singaporeans.
Measures taken by the Singapore
- The Graduate Mothers Scheme
Based
on research, it was felt that the education level of the parents had a direct
impact of their children in schools. The research showed that parents who were
university graduates were more likely to have children who performed better in
schools. As a result, the Prime Minister felt that female graduates should be
encouraged to have more children so that there would be a higher chance of the
new generation workforce being more educated. Thus, in 1984 the Graduate
Mothers Scheme was started to encourage marriages among graduates and to
encourage them to have more children.
- Pro-family policy
The government ‘Have 3 or More if you can afford it’ policy allowed
couples can use their Medisave to pay for the delivery charges of the first 3
children. This scheme was slightly successful and led to a slight
increase in population between 1986 and 1988, from 1.48 in 1986 to 1.96 in
1988. Part of this was due to 1988 being the Dragon Year which Chinese consider
as an auspicious year for having babies. However, this was still below our
replacement target of 2.1. So, pro-family incentives in 2004 such as income tax
relief, working mother subsidy to families with up to 4 children and a 5 day
working week, were introduced to attract some couples to have more babies. In
2004, Singapore
- The
other pro-family measures 2004
In that year the Prime
Minister introduced a package of new marriage and parenthood measures that were
aimed at boosting population figures. These measures came about as a result of
public feedback. The new measures included equalized medical benefits for both
parents which meant that mothers too could make medical claims from their
employers (and not just fathers ). Another measure was the grandparent
caregiver relief by which a couple could claim $3,000 in income tax relief if a
grandparent was helping them to take care of their child. A third measure is
the 5-day work week for the Civil Service. This is to allow for a better
work-life balance. Finally, there is the extended maternity leave which was an
extension from 8 weeks to 12 weeks. Through these various measures, there is
sufficient reason for married couples to have more children as the high cost of
raising children and the lack of suitable childcare arrangements (concerns
which the public raised) were addressed.
- Attracting foreign
talent
The foreign talent policy was slightly more successful, with foreigners
contributing to 1% of the 2.8% population growth in 2000. Relaxing immigration
policy and providing subsidised housing and education package made it easier
for foreign talents to live and work in Singapore Singapore Singapore
The government measures to increase population after 1980s were largely
unsuccessful. After 1988, the number of babies per woman fell steadily to 1.59
in 2000. Despite public campaigns on the joys of parenthood, married couples
opted to have not more than 2 children. These resulted in fewer babies being
born despite the pro-family incentives given after 1980s. So, the policy was
largely unsuccessful as it failed to have any lasting impact on the population
growth rate until today. Birth rates continue to dip. Even the baby bonus
scheme of 2001 that gives monetary incentives for giving birth to more children
failed to promote population growth. So, attracting foreign talent is at
present the more effective strategy for Singapore
Ways in which Singapore
- Government
The
government
has made laws and introduced measures to protect the interests of the senior
citizens. The first law is the Tribunal
for the Maintenance of Parents where parents can obtain the help of the court
to seek financial support from their children who are capable of supporting
them but are not fulfilling their responsibilities. Another law is under the Public Housing
Scheme which allows first time buyers of government’s flats to obtain a housing
grant if they buy a flat in the vicinity where their parents live so that they
can look after their elderly parents.
- Community
The
community
can also play an important role in enhancing the well-being of senior
citizens. It can give social and
emotional support and provide healthcare and social services. The government provides subsidies to
voluntary welfare organizations that run community-based services for senior
citizens. An example of such an organization
is the Home Nursing Foundation for Elders.
Most of such organizations involved members of the community such as
housewives, students and retirees to help look after the needs of senior
citizens. Some community organizations
also offer free health checks and organize recreational activities for senior
citizens. These services and activities
are means to help senior citizens to remain physically, mentally and socially
active.
- Individual
Maintaining a healthy
lifestyle is the responsibility of the
individual in preparing for their old age.
He should watch his diet and exercise regularly. He should also plan early and be financially
prepared for old age. At the same time,
family support is also important to bring about social stability and harmony. To strengthen family bonds, Grandparent’s day
is also celebrated to bring families together to show their appreciation for
the elderly.
The most important factor
is the role of the individual as he is ultimately liable for his own health and
therefore life. The government support
is primarily aid to sustaining one’s health while the community helps doubles
as reinforcements. At the end of the day, the community and the government
cannot determine nor intervene entirely where the individual’s health or wealth
and therefore standard of lifestyle are concerned.
Ways to
meet the healthcare needs of the people in Singapore
- Promoting a healthy
lifestyle
Promoting a healthy lifestyle ensures that people of all ages remain
healthy. Schools, workplaces and community centres have programmes to emphasise
the need to maintain good health. For example, regular physical exercises and a
well-balanced diet are encouraged and given active support. If more people were
to follow a healthy lifestyle, there would be less people seeking medical treatment.
This would mean a savings, not only for the individual, but also for the government
which would then not have to invest heavily in healthcare. The funds could
instead be channeled to other areas which require more funding such as education.
- Encouraging Self
Reliance
Encouraging self-reliance is the best way of meeting the healthcare
needs of Singaporeans as this involves people sharing the costs of healthcare
with the government. This is done through two schemes – the Medisave and
MediShield schemes. Under Medisave, 6-8% from every workers central provident
fund contributions every month is channeled into their Medisave accounts,. This
money can be used to pay hospital bills and certain medical treatments, including
expensive ones, when needed such as chemotherapy. Medisave can be complemented
by MediShield, a national healthcare insurance scheme which makes it possible
for patients to claim for large medical bills which Medisave does not cover.
Making workers self-reliant through such schemes lightens the government’s
burden of paying for healthcare services. This means the government does not
need to raise taxes to pay for rising healthcare costs, as would happen in a
welfare state.
- Means-testing
Means-testing is an effective
way to keep healthcare cost affordable as it would mean subsidies that are
provided by the government would benefit patients who need them most. Resources
would be more fairly distributed if those who cannot afford to pay for
healthcare get the most subsidies. In the same way, those who are more
well-to-do would benefit less from subsidies. This would ensure that healthcare
cost does not become expensive as it would ensure that limited resources are
given to those who need it more, etc
- Government
Subsidies
In Singapore
This is especially so for patients who choose to stay in Class ‘C’ wards
where the subsidy is 80% of the hospital bill for the patient. People who
cannot afford to pay for extra facilities during their hospital stays can
choose to be treated in Class ‘C’ wards. In this way, healthcare cost is kept
manageable for the lower income group, etc. To ensure that healthcare remains
affordable for most Singaporeans, means-testing was introduced in Jan 2009.
Under the means-testing, patients whose income is $3200 and below would receive
subsidies of 65% for Class B2 and 80% for Class C. Those whose income are $5201
and above would receive 50% subside for Class Bs and 65% for Class C. Patients whose income falls between $3201 and
$5200 would receive graduated subsidies between 50 and 65% for Class B2 and
between 65-80% for Class C. Government
subsidies helps to meet the needs of the people as it ensures that whoever
cannot afford to pay for healthcare get the most subsidies.
- Support services/
Working with organisations
The community plays a supportive role in helping the government manage
healthcare. It is not possible for the government to run all healthcare
services. Some patients who are discharged from hospitals may still need
medical care. Voluntary welfare organizations and some private organizations
are given grants to run community hospitals, nursing homes and day
rehabilitation centres for this group of patients. Organisations also cater to
the needs of specific groups of people such as the poor or those with a
particular illness like the Home Nursing Foundation, which provides quality and
affordable home nursing services for the needy and elderly sick in Singapore
Aims of healthcare policies
- Social equality
The healthcare policies
must ensure that the lower-income group is not deprived of healthcare. No
person must be deprived of healthcare because he can’t afford it. Some lower income groups are not able to afford
medical expenses in spite of Medisave, Medishield and government subsidies,
thus Medifund was set up & the interest earned is given to public hospitals
to provide help for needy patients. The government also gives direct subsidies to government’s hospitals,
polyclinic and some nursing homes for elderly to ensure healthcare services are
available to all. More subsidies for different classes of wards e.g. Class C
gets the most subsidies. It provides good basic medical care at an
affordable rate. Government has given assurance that sufficient wards would be
built to cater to lower-income Singaporeans. Under means testing, the system of pegging how much person
pays to his income, well-to-do will get fewer subsidies than lower income.
This is
essential as it is unhealthy for social cohesion if lower income feel their
needs are not taken care of and there’s no scheme to help them level up.
- Economic consideration
It
is necessary to reduce healthcare cost in view of rising health cost or the
government has to increase taxes. This
can be done through for e.g. Many
Helping Hands approach – which involve the community. Healthcare policies must also be able to sustain
economic growth. Singapore
Reducing healthcare cost means there
will be more fund for other sectors e.g. education, defence. By diversifying
into services e.g. healthcare, we sustain our economic growth better. Good
healthcare services will attract patients from other countries to engage our
services.
- Inculcate self-reliance: Social/Shared
responsibility
With rising health costs
due to use of more expensive equipment and latest technology and increased
wages of medical profession, government cannot give very generous health
subsidies to the public as it had no wish to raise funds through taxes. Self-reliance
must be inculcated – give people good incentives to stay healthy and not use
medical services he or she does not really need by making them pay part of
their medical expenses through Medisave and Medishield. Medisave scheme is a
compulsory savings scheme to help Singaporeans pay for their family members and
their hospitalization fees, especially after retirement. It constitutes 6%-8%
of a worker’s salary. Medshield scheme is a voluntary insurance scheme to help
pay medical fees incurred by serious or prolonged illnesses such as cancer and
kidney failure.
Health education is also
necessary to help people make informed choices, educate them on importance of
regular physical exercises and a well-balanced diet. An example is the launch of the National
Healthy Lifestyle Campaign in 1992 which includes screening programmes for
early detection of diseases like hypertension, diabetes and heart diseases.
Encouraging self-reliance will reduce
abuse of the healthcare system and also make more effective use of resources.
Ways in
which NHS manage healthcare in Britain
- Providing quality
service
Providing quality service is important. Increasing demand for free care
led to long waiting queues, making it difficult for the NHS to continue to
provide efficient service. The NHS Plan (2000) provided for increase in
government spending till 2004. It also made use of private hospitals so that there
were enough resources to provide faster and more convenient services for the
patients. The NHS Improvement Plan (2004) gave patients more choices of free
healthcare providers and access to their own personal HealthSpace on the
internet to see their care records. So, patients now could decide on the care
they needed and did not need to crowd to limited NHS providers as before. They
therefore could get treated faster at their own convenient location. The NHS
Direct also provided telephone medical advice so that they can save a visit to
the doctor. This would reduce the burden on the NHS to provide more resources
such as doctors for many patients.
- Increasing efficiency
There is an increasing demand for healthcare, especially with an
increasing ageing population and less taxpayers. Yet, the people expected more
and better treatments. Although the NHS had expanded, it did not have enough
resources such as doctors, nurses and facilities to meet the demands of the
people. To overcome this, privatization within the NHS was introduced to reduce
government subsidies, save costs and make the NHS more efficient. To make
profits, private companies had to be efficient. Hospitals have to improve their
services as people had more choices now and hospitals had to compete to stay
viable. So, the system encourages hospitals to increase efficiency to attract
business and save cost. The government would thus be able to move away from
welfare towards self reliance of the companies. Sub-contracting non-medical
services to private contractors to provide services such as laundry, cleaning
and catering would allow hospitals to concentrate on providing medical
services. In this way, they can look at providing more efficient services.
Streamlining free medical services encouraged citizens to take responsibility
for their own welfare and health. Certain services such as medicines, dental
and optical services were no longer free except for a few groups of people.
Now, more people will be motivated to work as they no longer can depend on free
benefits. The government thus could use the money saved to improve the NHS and
the welfare state.
- Managing government
spending
As demand for free healthcare increase, the government has to collect
more taxes. This would make the country less attractive to business which would
make it more difficult for the government to get more revenue to improve the
country. The government therefore wanted to reduce government spending on the
NHS but at the same time continue to provide free and quality healthcare. The
government therefore increased the citizens’ National Insurance contributions
in 2003. In this way, it can ensure that it had the funds to sustain the NHS.
Managing government spending was the most important aspect of managing
the NHS as this will ensure that the government has the funds to provide
resources so that it can provide quality service and increase efficiency. If
not for government spending, then the other two aspects could not be carried
out as the government would not have the funds too do so.
http://libguides.nl.sg/SingaporeNation
http://libguides.nl.sg/SingaporeGovernance
http://libguides.nl.sg/conflictandharmony
http://libguides.nl.sg/managingIR
http://libguides.nl.sg/globalization
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