GE 2020: Here's A Breakdown Of The Reform Party's Manifesto

Basia Chow

June 29, 2020

The Reform Party (RP) published their manifesto last Friday on June 26.

This year, its manifesto is centred around the party’s campaign slogan “Build Back Better, Fairer”.

While the party recognises that Singapore is facing an unprecedented global economic and health crisis due to COVID-19, it feels that the Government’s efforts so far are “still not enough” to protect Singaporeans’ jobs and livelihoods.

“Reform Party has long campaigned for a better deal for Singaporeans. In particular we want to replace the PAP deal of austerity for the ordinary Singaporean but opulent and in many cases secret salaries and riches for the PM and his wife, PAP Ministers and their spouses and their supporters,” said the party.

“It is vital that after this pandemic is over we build a better and fairer society for Singaporeans,” it added.

Key Proposals Of The RP Manifesto:

Suspension of GST for the next two years, eliminating GST on essential categories of spending like food, utilities, and medicines.
Unemployment benefits of up to six months based on 75% of the last drawn salary with a cap of $2,500 per month.
Seniors over the age of 65 would receive benefits of $500 a month.
Children whose families are “at or below 1.5 median incomes” would receive $300 a month.
Universal healthcare and free university education for those who have served National Service.
Minimum wage of $10 an hour to “ensure more jobs go to Singaporeans and better wages for foreign workers”.
Minimum salary for the employment pass to be raised to $5,000 from the current $3,900.
Those who have not done National Service should pay additional tax.

RP said that these proposals would build a fairer and better society not just for an elite few, but for all Singaporeans.

Sustainable Spending Is Feasible With Government Surplus

The party said that it is challenging for Singapore to prosper as “we are already over-reliant on global trade and the Government’s economic model of over-saving and running huge Budget and current account surpluses.”

Justifying their advocacy for increased government spending, the Reform Party used back-of-letter calculations to assess the feasibility of such a venture.

Referencing Singapore’s surplus, the manifesto surmised that the government could afford to spend at least 4% of the $1.5 trillion reserves per year.

Calculations came up to the final estimate of an additional $60 billion in spending every year.

The party referenced the pension funds in Norwegian states as real-life examples of successful implementations.

You can read RP’s manifesto in full here.