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Ethos Issue 4, Apr 2008
The Changing Face of Government
The ETHOS Roundtable
PALAI: What I see in Singapore is that you were careful not to make too many tradeoffs on economic growth for the sake of social ideals. You chose to solve the question of poverty and inequality through growth, which does not undermine self-reliance. The thing is, governments have to help, but help in a different way, one that does not undermine society and culture. We have to help people to grow out of their own poverty.
From your time in Singapore at the Leaders in Governance Programme (LGP), is there anything else that you have observed to be useful?
ASHRAF: I think your social schemes such as housing and CPF (Central Provident Fund) are very important, because it helps social cohesion. Egypt has a pension scheme, but it doesn’t cover housing, for example. So, why don’t we consider housing as a tool to motivate people? I have a house; I work to pay for instalments with a CPF account. We may be able to adapt this to our environment.
FENG: I have the same feeling about public housing and also the public transport system. It’s very impressive, actually. In Beijing, we are now beginning to build more lines. We have a larger population and it is more difficult, but I think some of the policies you have adopted to promote public transport, to limit private cars, are very helpful.
Also, your emphasis on recycling water is also quite impressive. Beijing is a city in shortage of water, so I think it is something from which we can draw some experiences.
PALAI: For me, it is a matter of your leadership and execution, the will to stand up and make it work and get results. You go out and look for opportunities, and create things that are not there yet, at a very high level. I feel sometimes governments talk and plan forever, they over-consult. They spend too much time thinking through things and they miss opportunities when they could have leveraged on what they have got. We have to be prepared to make mistakes; if we think there’s an opportunity, let’s go for it.
The ETHOS Roundtable was conducted by ETHOS Editor Alvin Pang in January 2008.
Dr Ashraf, Mr Palai and Mr Feng were participants in the inaugural Leaders in Governance Programme (LGP), organised by the Singapore Civil Service College from 13 to 23 January 2008 in Singapore. Drawing from Singapore's development experience, the LGP offered practical insights into the fundamentals of good governance and effective policy implementation for sustainable economic development and social cohesion. Over the eight-day Programme, participants interacted with senior government officials and thought leaders, and visited key government agencies to understand their operating philosophies and systems.
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