Workers’ Party MP calls for a national poverty line to better address and evaluate poverty in Singapore.
SINGAPORE: In a Facebook post on May 23, Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) reiterated his call for the establishment of an official poverty line in Singapore. He argued that having a poverty line would provide a vital tool for assessing the extent of poverty and ensuring those in need receive adequate support.
“How can we say we’re successful in targeting poverty or not if we don’t have the most basic of indicators for evaluating it?” he wrote.
In Parliament last month, the MP, who is also an associate professor of economics at ESSEC Business School, highlighted the necessity of a national poverty line, emphasizing that it should extend beyond just the basic needs of housing, food, and clothing. He recalled his time at the World Bank, where he worked on poverty reduction strategies for both low-income and wealthy countries like Singapore, which, despite its wealth, still faces issues related to poverty.
“Singapore has vaulted up in the league table of per capita incomes worldwide, and as of this year, is expected to come in between 3rd and 5th. For a small city-state with no discernible natural resources, we’ve done incredibly well,” he wrote.
However, Lim noted that Singapore’s welfare system still lags behind its economic achievements. He called the state support for the poor “remarkably limited,” adding that the rationale behind curbing welfare is to prevent a dependency mindset. While some argue that living in Singapore is affordable, Lim pointed out that asset ownership plays a significant role in financial comfort, with those who lack capital facing much more hardship.
“The struggle is especially harder at the lower end. This may have worsened after the pandemic, with high inflation eroding incomes’ purchasing power. Unless you have money saved in special savings accounts, CPF rates haven’t kept up, making you permanently poorer,” he explained.
Assoc Prof Lim argued that beyond economics, supporting the poor is a moral imperative. He questioned the meritocratic ethos that rewards those with more resources, suggesting that a truly just society must be willing to share with those less fortunate.
He stressed the importance of a national poverty line to define those who need further assistance, stating, “I find it crazy that we don’t have one. Such a line is standard worldwide, in countries rich and poor.”
While some suggest setting the poverty line at $2,500 a month, Lim acknowledged that it could go as high as $6,400 to reflect what many would consider necessary in a modern economy. He argued that true living requires more than mere survival—people need opportunities to thrive.
Lim also criticized the government’s key anti-poverty programs, Comcare and Workfare, pointing out their weaknesses and concluding, “In a rich, advanced economy, it is unconscionable that we haven’t fully eradicated poverty, and folks are still scrapping to make a hard living.”
