From The Backbench

MR SAKTIANDI SUPAAT (BISHAN-TOA PAYOH GRC)

More help for the middle-income

Middle-income households require more help to manage rising living costs, and the salaries of front-line workers could be raised across the board, Mr Saktiandi suggested. They include healthcare workers as well as adult educators, many of whom are aged 35 and older, and were among the first to return to their workplaces as the pandemic dragged on.

"Increased remuneration would recognise their invaluable societal contributions in this pandemic and extend our appreciation to them like how we did for our nurses last year," he said.

DR TAN WU MENG (JURONG GRC)

Consider hydrogen, nuclear power

Singapore should explore hydrogen and nuclear energy as part of efforts to diversify its energy sources and reduce the country's carbon footprint, Dr Tan said. He asked if Singapore has the potential to build capabilities to become a hub for hydrogen ahead of growing global demand, so the country will not be "left behind".

Singapore should also keep an eye on nuclear energy developments, making sure it understands these evolving technologies so it can make an informed decision when the time comes, he added.

MR LOUIS CHUA (SENGKANG GRC)

Tax net wealth

Consider implementing a net wealth tax, which would go further towards mitigating wealth inequality than existing measures that focus on income or residential address, Mr Chua said.

He gave the hypothetical example of a retired billionaire who collects dividends from time to time, and may be renting multiple luxury apartments. "Would this person even be paying income or wealth taxes at all?" he asked. "If we think about the Forbes 50 richest list in Singapore, just how much of their wealth is in their residential address and the cars they drive?"

MS CHERYL CHAN (EAST COAST GRC)

Micro jobs for seniors, caregivers

Expand the scale of micro jobs - tasks that can be completed in a short span of time, or casually - to let senior workers and women who are caregivers engage in part-time work more easily, Ms Chan said.

Doing so will help them stay active, and contribute to financial adequacy, she said. She spoke of how senior executives take on advisory roles in retirement, and suggested that such a practice be expanded to a greater proportion of the workforce. It would mean a transfer of knowledge from one generation to the next, she said.