CNA – The Singapore government will review housing policies and paid leave measures to better support Singaporeans in starting families, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said yesterday.
Speaking at a Forward Singapore conversation for social service practitioners, Wong set out the direction for social policies on strengthening families, supporting seniors and improving social mobility in Singapore.
On the issue of encouraging young families to have more children, Wong noted that long wait times for new HDB flats and rising resale home prices are key concerns for young Singaporeans.
“This is partly due to the disruptions in the building programme brought about by COVID-19 and the pandemic in the two-and-a-half years. But HDB has been ramping up the supply of new flats and will be able to launch more flats to meet the demand soon,” said Wong.
“In addition, we will also review our housing policies to see how we can help first-time home buyers secure a flat quickly and affordably.”
To help parents better balance work and family commitments, the government will also encourage flexible work arrangements and review paid leave measures.
“This is under review,” Wong said. “It does not mean that we will do everything – because we have to take into consideration all the constraints and needs of different stakeholders.”
In addition, Singapore will consider how financial support schemes for parents can be enhanced, and review and adjust existing marriage and parenthood measures, said Wong.
