Good Practices and Innovations in Public Governance 2003-2011

2007 Category 1: Singapore
ident Fund account. Many lower-income Singaporeans were not able to make contributions;
thus to benefit from these programmes. Previous programmes were also less
targeted in terms of their distribution of funds to Singaporeans. Allotments tended to
depend on single-dimensional proxies of wealth, e.g., the rental value of one’s place
of residence, leading to a rather crude assessment of one’s financial situation. Based
on this feedback, the government decided that a more refined means-test system
would benefit lower income Singaporeans.
The Solution
In view of the problems with the previous programmes, the government set out to
fundamentally re-design the surplus sharing initiative in a way that would address
and redefine the way monies are to be shared with citizens. The main priorities were
to: (i) introduce a new concept of surplus sharing: one that rewards work, promotes
equity and ensures that lower-income Singaporeans receive more from this exercise,
(ii) transform the administration: simplify the sign-up process and find more efficient
means of distributing monies to Singaporeans, (iii) promote social inclusion and equity:
provide targeted help to underprivileged Singaporeans so that they would be
able to sign-up for their benefits and (iv) promote accountability: provide appeal
channels for Singaporeans.
The Progress Package, which is a surplus sharing initiative that benefits all adult
Singaporeans, with more for lower-income and older Singaporeans, was established
to seamlessly deliver government services as one package despite having different
programmes, each with a different agency in charge. It reaches out to Singaporeans,
especially those in the lower income groups and the elderly, through a partnership
between the government, unions, grassroots organisations, Voluntary Welfare Organisations
(VWOs) and other volunteers. It is a demonstration of Singapore’s social
compact at work and is made up of six different programmes: Growth Dividends;
Workfare Bonus Programme; Utilities-Save, Service & Conservancy and Rental Rebates;
Special/Retirement and Medisave Accounts; Opportunity Funds to MOE
schools and self-help groups; and the 40th Anniversary National Service (NS) Bonus.
Through consolidating the different programmes into a single package and providing
a common government touch point (website, email address, phone services
and letters), Singaporeans could easily access information on their benefits and sign
up for their Progress Package.
To reach out to elderly and low-income Singaporeans to help them sign up for their
Progress Package and Workfare Bonus, the Ministry of Finance (MOF), the Ministry
of Manpower (MOM) and the Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB) worked closely
with the People’s Association, nursing homes, welfare homes, and the Singapore
Prisons Service. The successful outreach resulted in 9% of all eligible Singaporeans
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