Panel urges Govt to exercise prudence as spending on seniors increases

Parliamentary committee calls for Age Well SG initiatives to be reviewed to avoid duplication

- Goh Yan Han

As the Government ramps up spending to support the growing number of senior citizens, it should remain prudent and avoid wastefulness in its initiatives, said a parliamentary committee.

The Estimates Committee, which examines government spending, also suggested that the authorities review initiatives under the Age Well SG programme when there is sufficient data to do so, to reduce any duplication.

An estimated $3.5 billion has been set aside for Age Well SG to support seniors in their homes and communities.

Noting that the Government had said it would review the cost-effectiveness of Age Well SG programmes, the committee called for the outcomes of these reviews to be shared when ready.

The eight-member committee had made these recommendations in a 42-page report presented to Parliament on Nov 4.

It is chaired by Mr Ang Wei Neng (West Coast GRC) and consists of six other People's Action Party MPs as well as Workers' Party MP Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC).

They had three meetings in April, August and October and looked into various matters from Budget 2024 - the Age Well SG initiative, the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2.0 and the financing of statutory boards.