Heart of the Matter Podcast: Do high cost of living concerns in Singapore affect everyone the same way?

[LaksaNews]

From groceries to electricity and water prices, many Singaporeans are feeling the pinch as inflation stays stubbornly high. Is the sandwiched generation hit as hard as those in the lower-income group? And how far can government support go?

Otelli Edwards gets answers from Ong EeCheng, senior lecturer at the National University of Singapore, Ava Gao, a parenting coach and mum, and Loh Yong Cheng, lead of the advisory team at Providend.

(From left): CNA presenter Otelli Edwards, NUS senior economics lecturer Ong EeCheng, Loh Yong Cheng, lead of advisory team at Providend and Ava Gao, parenting coach and mother of two. (Photo: CNA/Tiffany Ang)
Loh Yong Cheng on how he lowers his household expenditure:

We might not be able to control our bosses (in) giving us a salary increase, but when we look at our expenses, we can manage some expenses through our budgeting effort.

Ong EeCheng on why prices are increasing:

It is true there are macroeconomic factors, socio political events, but you (also) have firms setting ... excessive profits. I call it a paradox of capitalism.

Jump to these key moments:

• 2:05 What is causing prices to rise
• 6:18 The role big businesses play in setting price
• 10:00 Wage increases not matching inflation
• 11:45 How much do government handouts help?
• 16:28 Personal choices matter
• 20:45 Wish list for more help

Find more episodes of Heart of the Matter here.

A new episode of Heart of the Matter drops every Friday. Follow the podcast on Apple or Spotify for the latest updates.

Have a great topic for us? Drop the team an email at cnapodcasts [at] mediacorp.com.sg

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