If Mr Ong Ye Kung's briefing (ST, 25 Jan 2017) on the soon-to-be-released Committee of Future Economy (CFE) report is anything to go by, it looks like another one thick on tired rhetoric. He said:
One, Singapore has to identify areas of future growth like trade, its airport and seaport, and the digital economy.
(Haven't we been doing these all this time - yet losing ground?)
Two, deepen the skills base of workers.
(Again, we've been talking about this since the '70s?)
Three, companies must be encouraged to tap and enter regional and global markets.
(Remember 'growing the Second Wing' of our economy in the '80s? Suzhou Industrial Project? What happened to those?)
Four, venture out for an enterprising spirit.
(How is this different from 3?)
If you cobble together a bunch of establishment folks and usher them into an echo-chamber, you're not going to hear anything new.
On the other hand, the three key reforms that we really need: revamping the education system, scrapping GLCs, and stopping the control of the media are not on the table. We're headed deeper into trouble.
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