ESSAY FODDER—the
hindu
SUCCESS SECRETS OF
SINGAPORE—GOOD GOVERNANCE::
The present day prosperity, freedom
and efficiency in the modern city state find their roots in Lee Kuan Yew’s
vision and legacy
Lee Kuan Yew is no more. But the city state
will be there to tell the story of his work — the transformation of Singapore
from a Third world country to a First world nation. There are several pillars
that have promoted the transformation.
PILLARS TO TRANSFORMATION::
#PILLAR 1:
CORRUPTION ERADICATED:
Eradicating corruption, which was the key
ingredient in effective governance. Singapore stands at rank 7 on the
Corruption Perceptions Index 2014; there are 167 countries below it on the
index. India is ranked 85.
HOW WAS CORRUPTION REMOVED??
It was done not via endless litigation, but by
demonstrating that corruption will not tolerated, come what may.[ A
STRONG RESOLUTION TO ATTACK CORRUPTION.]
#PILLAR 2: DISCIPLINED WORKFORCE:: WELFARE OF
THE WORKERS
The second pillar holding the prosperity fort
has been a workforce that has the discipline of adhering to productivity-linked
wages and bonuses. Non-performers seldom get away in Singapore under the guise
of workers’ solidarity.
Singapore’s National Trades Union Congress is a
shining example of a centre that is truly working for the welfare of workers.
The provident fund system that assures decent retirement benefits also helps in
times of an economic crisis. The contribution rates are toned down to assure
that overall wage costs ensure competitiveness.
#PILAAR 3: ECONOMIC POLICIES::
The third pillar has been economic policies
favouring a strong Singapore Dollar. It helped in keeping the domestic
inflation rate as low as it was feasible, while orderly wage rises combined
with skill development and productivity growth have helped in maintaining
competitiveness.
#PILLAR 4: SECURITY::
The fourth pillar is internal security. No
young woman feels insecure while standing at a bus stop at night in Singapore.
#PILLAR 5: EQUALITY:: EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES+ GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE:
The fifth — which is, for many reasons, the
most crucial pillar — is equality of educational opportunity: excellent
government schools catering to the first 12 years of education, and Cambridge
A-level exams that effectively eradicated the need for sundry entrance tests.
The high calibre of students entering the undergraduate programmes, and the
implicit demand for excellent professors is what has helped the country climb
world rankings for higher education. The National University of Singapore ranks
25 while the relatively younger Nanyang Technological University ranks 61 in
the World University Rankings, 2014-2015.
#PILLAR 6: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM::
Singapore’s respect for individual freedom to
pursue one’s religion on the understating that politics is kept far away from
religious discourse.
The list of pillars supporting the nation can
go on — the development of excellent infrastructure, a work culture that
discourages more talk and less work, a no free lunch philosophy. It’s because
of believing in pragmatism as the ideology in policymaking that Singapore
capitalised on foreign direct investment and trade, when practically the entire
developing world was inimical to both.
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