Singapore Budget 2012 - Initiatives Relating to CPF

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Dear CPF Member

Singapore Budget 2012 - Initiatives Relating to CPF
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced the following initiatives relating to CPF during the FY2012 Budget Statement in Parliament on 17 February 2012:

• Increase in CPF Contribution Rates for Older Workers

Lower CPF contribution rates for older workers were introduced to help improve the employability of older workers when seniority-based wage structures were prevalent. Since then, older workers have become more employable and progress has been made in reducing seniority-based wage rigidities. This positive trend is expected to continue. After consultation with its tripartite partners, the Government has reached a consensus to maintain in the long term the same CPF contribution rates for all workers up till age 55, rather than age 50.

The changes to CPF contribution rates for older workers will be introduced gradually to moderate the cost impact on employers and to take into account the subdued global economic outlook in the near term. The following increases as shown in the table below will be introduced as a first step with effect from 1 Sep 2012.

Increase in CPF older worker contribution rate

Age group	Increase in employer contribution	Increase in employee contribution	Total increase in contribution	Allocation of increase
				OA	SA	MA
50-55	2%	0.5%	2.5%	0.5%	1.5%	0.5%
55-60	1.5%	0.5%	2%	0.5%	1%	0.5%
60-65	0.5%	-	0.5%	-	0.5%	-

• Enhancement to SEC

The Special Employment Credit (SEC) was introduced as a 2011 Budget Initiative to support employers as well as to raise the employability of older low-wage Singaporeans. It will be enhanced in 2012 to provide employers with continuing support to hire older Singaporean workers.

With the 2012 enhancements, about 73,000 employers employing 350,000 older Singaporeans are expected to benefit from the SEC. This will cost the Government about $470m per year over the next five years. Employers may qualify for the SEC for workers employed from 1 January 2012 onwards. Payments will be made twice a year, with the first payment of the enhanced SEC to be made in September 2012.


• One-off Medisave Top-up

To offset the expected increase in MediShield premiums in 2012, all Singapore Citizens insured under MediShield will receive a one-off Medisave top-up. Older Singaporeans will receive a larger top-up as they face higher premiums.

Age as at next birthday	Medisave Top-up
1-40	$50
41-50	$100
51-60	$200
61-75	$300
76 and above	$400

• Silver Housing Bonus and Enhanced Lease Buyback Scheme

MOF has announced the introduction of the Silver Housing Bonus and Enhanced Lease Buyback Scheme.

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More details on the schemes will be released during the Committee of Supply Debate of Ministry of Manpower/ Ministry of Health/ Ministry of National Development in March 2012.

Visit the CPF website for the latest information on the CPF changes.


Yours faithfully
CPF Board