Inflow of foreigners ‘must benefit citizens’

Source : Straits Times – 6 Nov 2009

SINGAPORE must manage the inflow of foreign talent and other immigrants to ensure Singaporeans do not lose out but rather benefit from their presence, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said yesterday.

He said the Republic, which is already a cultural melting pot, will become even more diverse in the years to come.

‘Locals must accommodate the different habits, beliefs and practices of foreigners, and foreigners working and living here must respect local ways and habits and make an effort to integrate,’ he said.

‘Then, Singapore will be an oasis of harmony with a rich diversity of people, culture and ideas.’

Foreigners living and working here, however, must contribute to Singapore, said Mr Goh.

‘Those who come to drink from the oasis must add to our ability to replenish the water, and not just consume and deplete the stock,’ he said.

‘By this I mean that we must manage the inflow of talent and new immigrants to ensure that Singaporeans do not lose out and in fact benefit from their presence. Only then can we create a harmonious, cosmopolitan society.’

Mr Goh was speaking as the guest of honour at the gala dinner to mark the 50th anniversary of the Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore (Redas), held at the Shangri-La Hotel.

He was outlining his vision for Singapore over the next 25 to 50 years, as the nation competes with other emerging cities which are acquiring similar attributes.

‘To stand out among cities and countries, Singapore must go beyond being clean, green and safe,’ said Mr Goh.

‘It must be a vibrant place which boldly embraces talents and ideas and most importantly, it must hold special meaning as home for its citizens.’

He added that to remain a leading global city, Singapore could offer both the liveability of a garden city and the conveniences of a compact city.

‘More than just an aesthetically pleasing city with striking architecture, we can transform Singapore into a delightful city of gardens and water, with green and blue spaces integrated within the places where we live, work and play,’ he said.

The Republic could also be a green hub, originating and exporting future technologies that can make high density living even more eco-friendly such as making the use of public transport more pervasive and getting 80 per cent or more buildings certified with the Green Mark.

While sharing his vision for Singapore to be ‘A Distinctive City, A Harmonious Home’ at the event yesterday, Mr Goh also took time to assure Singaporeans that homes will remain affordable.

He said that there can be no harmony if home prices are beyond the reach of Singaporeans.

‘Even as we aspire to benchmark ourselves against the best, we must not price ourselves out,’ said Mr Goh.

‘Therefore, we must ensure that we remain a competitive location for businesses, and that Singaporeans can own their own homes.’

He said Housing Board (HDB) flats will remain the foundation of the Government’s home ownership policy and that the Government will continue to ensure that public housing remains affordable for most Singaporeans.

‘The current household income ceiling of $8,000 for public home ownership means that about eight in every 10 families remain eligible for HDB subsidies,’ he added.

‘I know that with the recent recovery of the property market after the lows of the financial crisis, many Singaporeans are concerned that they will be priced out. This anxiety is understandable.

‘But our public housing policy, based on affordability, will ensure that they will be able to. This pledge had been kept in the past and it will be kept in the future.’

Mr Goh also said the Government remains committed to releasing more land through the Government Land Sales Programme to ensure that property prices ‘do not fall out of sync with economic fundamentals’.