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IN ANOTHER sign of its increasing prominence, the rising cost of living dominated a dialogue on Sunday between Simei residents and Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan.
From the first person to stand up - who asked how the Government would help the lower income deal with rising costs - questions on inflation came thick and fast.
By the end of the one and a half hour session, nine of the 16 questions and comments raised were on the topic.
A resident told of self-employed drivers who had difficulty maintaining their livelihood, and of young couples who could not afford flats.
A second wanted the goods and services tax on essential items removed; a third wanted a minimum wage scheme, while a fourth asked if the public transportation concession for senior citizens could be extended to include peak hours.
Dr Balakrishnan responded to the questions with the guarantee: 'No Singaporean will go hungry, no matter what happens to inflation.'
Inflation hit a 16-year record of 3.6 per cent in October, according to official figures, and is projected to rise further to as much as 5 per cent next year. Food prices, in particular, are set to rise further as supply prices soar.
Addressing residents' concerns, Mr Balakrishnan pointed out that 'external factors' such as political stability in the Middle East and a drought in Australia had driven up the prices of fuel and food.
What Singapore needed to do was to make sure the economy grows, that jobs are created and wages go up, he said. The Government was also letting the Singapore dollar strengthen to fight imported inflation.
He also pledged to make more money available to Citizens' Consultative Committees, the umbrella body for constituency level grassroots organisations that now receive on average of $42,000 a year from MCYS.
He urged these to come up with 'more innovative' schemes to help the needy and to be more flexible in their approach.
'If we can do it this way, we can have a system in which we don't waste and we don't promote abuse. But at the same time, we can respond flexibly and quickly to urgent needs on the ground,' he said.
He pointed out that a 24-hour hotline has been set up on 1800-222-0000 to tell people where and how to get financial help.
Read the full report in Monday's edition of The Straits Times.
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