Keeping the headcount up

THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: In your view, how much of a concern is the decline in births for Singapore? To what extent should the country turn to immigration policy in response to the trend?

Seah Kian Peng CEO NTUC FairPrice

Our total fertility rate (TFR) statistics and trends are worrying. It is a sombre reminder that as we take care of our ageing population, we need a fair share of young talents to keep our country and economy growing, exciting and relevant. There is no silver bullet to solve this situation. So, we need to work on both fronts and strike a balance between encouraging Singaporeans to first and foremost start a family, then grow their family, while at the same time, supplementing our population with immigrants who can integrate quickly into our community. For the longer term, we must think about how population growth affects the planet - and how going forward, each man and woman must count for more. We must find new ways to thrive and prosper.