SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean has presented in Parliament the White Paper on Population, a roadmap to address Singapore's demographic challenges.
The Land Use Plan was presented along with the White Paper.
The White Paper comes on the back of a shrinking and greying population in Singapore.
The minister's speech delved straight into addressing the concerns Singaporens have raised over the past week following the White Paper's release.
First, the projected population of 6.9 million by 2030.
Mr Teo said the White Paper in fact is proposing a major shift - a significant slowdown in Singapore's rate of workforce and population growth.
For example, population growth rate is in fact projected to drop to about half the historical growth rate.
He added the government is not deciding on a population of 6.9 million by 2030.
The figure, he stressed, is only to prepare infrastructure plans.
What the population will be like in 2030, he said, will depend on the needs of Singaporeans.
"It is the ability to meet the needs of Singaporeans and provide a good quality of life that is the drive, that's our objective. It's not the numbers per se. If we are able to achieve all that with a smaller population, whether 6.5 million or lower, there is no reason to go higher, but it's prudent to plan our infrastructure at the upper end of the range so we don't get caught up," said Mr Teo.
- CNA/ir
Population White Paper for benefit of all Singaporeans: DPM Teo
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Population White Paper for benefit of all Singaporeans: DPM Teo
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Population White Paper for benefit of all Singaporeans: DPM Teo
