Budget quiz returns for the 8th time

The Budget Quiz to inform people on the Budget process and key national policies. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM WWW.SINGAPOREBUDGET.GOV.SG

SINGAPORE - The Budget Quiz returns this year for its eighth iteration.

Organised by the Finance Ministry, it aims to inform people on the Budget process and key national policies.

It started on Friday (Jan 19) and will run until Feb 1, ahead of this year's Budget Statement, to be delivered on Feb 19 by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat.

Participants must answer eight multiple-choice questions in the quiz, which can be found at www.singaporebudget.gov.sg

The questions include: "What is the approval process for government spending in each financial year (FY)?" and "As of FY2017, to what does the Government allocate the bulk of its expenditure on?"

Participants will fall under four categories: An open category, and three inter-school challenges for secondary schools, junior colleges/centralised institutes, and Institute of Technical Education/polytechnics.

All who take part stand to win vouchers, while winning schools will get trophies.

Last year's quiz had 2,660 participants from 96 schools, of which 66 are secondary schools.

The winners were Methodist Girls' School, Temasek Junior College and ITE College West for the three inter-school categories.

Student Khor Kiat Siong, 18, from National Junior College, believes taking part in the quiz will keep him up to date on policies the Government will implement to address current national concerns and future challenges the country may face.

"It is a very effective way of assessing my knowledge of the Singapore Budget," he said, adding that he is taking part in it for the second year in a row.

Millennia Institute's vice-principal Valerie Tng said students are keen to find out more when they can see the relevance of the Budget to their lives.

"Policies that address the future of work or social and educational issues usually attract more interest," she added.

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