16 LUMEN | PROGRAMMES
REACHing out
Through
Dialogue
By Justine Koy and Chong Hao-Chun Gareth
On 21 February 2019 , seven Year 6 students attended the REACH Budget 2019 Dialogue Session which was aimed at providing citizens with a platform from which to voice their opinions about government policies . The dialogue session comprised an introduction of the 2019 Budget , followed by a dialogue with Second Minister for Finance and Education Ms Indranee Rajah and REACH Chairman Mr Sam Tan .
The Singapore government releases the Budget annually , which includes current and projected government expenditures and revenues for the upcoming financial year . This year ’ s budget includes Bicentennial Bonuses , the Merdeka Generation package and the tightened quota for foreign workers . The employability of mature workers , as well as the importance of keeping up with economic transitions ( eg . towards the digital sector ), were also addressed at the dialogue .
The audience ’ s main concern was the employability of Singaporeans . With the paradigm shift towards a digital and technologydriven economy , certain skill sets and occupations will inevitably become obsolete .