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Straits Times
25-04-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Iras Board to welcome new chairman on May 1
Mr Lai Chung Han (left) will take over from Mrs Tan Ching Yee (right) from May 1. PHOTO: PUBLIC SERVICE DIVISION Iras Board to welcome new chairman on May 1 SINGAPORE - The Board of Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras Board) will welcome Mr Lai Chung Han as its new chairman on May 1 . Appointed by the Minister for Finance , Mr Lai, 52 , will take over from Mrs Tan Ching Yee , according to a media statement from the Ministry. Mr Lai, who is also the incoming permanent secretary (finance) , was previously appointed as the p ermanent secretary (development), Ministry of Finance in July 2024. In 2022 , he was awarded the Public Administration Medal ( G old) by the President of Singapore. Mr Lai has also held various command staff appointments throughout his military career, serving as d eputy secretary (policy), Ministry of Defence from 2012 , and as c hief of Navy from 2014. He was appointed second permanent secretary (education) and second permanent secretary (home affairs) in 2017 , and later served as permanent secretary (education) from 2019. Serving as the board's chairman since May 1, 2016 , Mrs Tan, who is 60 , has led Iras in strengthening its international standing to better serve the R epublic. Iras represented Singapore on the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Forum on Tax Administration as a b ureau member. Iras has also administered national grants schemes such as the Uplifting Employment Credit, the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme, and the Rental Support Scheme, to support businesses and workers alike. With Mrs Tan helming the board, Iras upgraded its digital infrastructure to serve taxpayers better and enhance compliance efforts. This include d successful generational upgrade in the information technology system for property tax, stamp duties and individual income tax, among other improvements. 'The Ministry of Finance and the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore welcome Mr Lai to the board and would like to express our deep appreciation to outgoing chairman, Mrs Tan Ching Yee, for her significant contributions to the Iras Board,' the statement read. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
CNA
24-04-2025
- Business
- CNA
GE2025: How the main political parties address economic concerns in their manifestos
SINGAPORE: As global uncertainties persist, concerns over the economy and job security have emerged as key issues in the upcoming General Election. The International Monetary Fund this week lowered its global growth forecast for this year to 3.3 per cent from 2.8 per cent amid rising trade tensions. Singapore, on its part, has also downgraded its growth forecast for 2025 to 0 per cent to 2 per cent. This has largely been due to the impact of US President Donald Trump's tariff measures on all countries and his ongoing trade war with China. Against this backdrop, political parties contesting GE2025 have laid out a range of proposals in their manifestos to strengthen economic resilience and support businesses and workers. CNA takes a look at some of the key proposals of the five parties fielding the largest number of candidates and which have also released their manifestos. The People's Alliance for Reform (PAR), which is contesting the joint-fourth highest number of seats, has not published its manifesto. PEOPLE'S ACTION PARTY (PAP) Help businesses manage rising costs through tax rebates and schemes like the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme, while enhancing Workfare for lower-wage workers and expanding Progressive Wages to more sectors. Provide more support for PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) and adopt new technology - such as artificial intelligence - faster, and help companies expand into new markets. Raise the re-employment age for seniors, increase senior worker CPF contribution rates and co-fund wages to encourage employers to hire and retain seniors. Help Singaporeans reskill and upskill and provide support for those who have lost their jobs through the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme. WORKERS' PARTY (WP) Recognise, measure and value unpaid labour in households, as excluding this in national income statistics gives the wrong perception that these workers are less valuable than those who undertake paid work. Provide better support to build up leadership in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and help these companies better attract talent. Abolish the statutory retirement age to let older workers continue working if they choose to do so. Refine Central Provident Fund (CPF) policies, such as by enabling the co-investing of CPF savings with GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund. RED DOT UNITED (RDU) Support SMEs by ensuring fairer procurement policies, tackling late payments, moderating rents and making grants more accessible. Provide a 'Citizen's Dividend' or an 'unconditional cash transfer' to serve as a financial safety net for Singaporeans and ensure "a reliable income floor" for everyone. Provide financial support to workers in times of job scarcity and underemployment. PROGRESS SINGAPORE PARTY (PSP) Exempt retrenched employees from non-compete clauses that make it difficult for them to find new jobs and be entitled to legally binding retrenchment benefits. Give Singaporeans more work-life balance by reducing the statutory working hours, increasing minimum paid annual leave and having more public holidays. Provide equal parental leave for fathers and mothers. SINGAPORE DEMOCRATIC PARTY (SDP) Legislate a national minimum wage to reduce income inequality. Provide involuntarily unemployed workers with retrenchment insurance, paid out of their CPF savings while they look for re-employment. Abolish the CPF Minimum Sum Scheme and return members' savings to them when they retire, allowing retirees to pay for their living expenses. Have an alternative indicator of economic progress other than gross domestic product (GDP) growth, such as one that draws on the genuine progress indicator methodology. GE2025 tariffs economy People's Action Party
