MEDICAL BENEFITS FOR DEPENDANTS OF FEMALE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

Mr S. Vasoo asked the Minister for Finance whether he will reconsider the extension of medical benefits to children of female government employees.

Dr Hu Tsu Tau: The Ministry of Finance has always maintained that the guiding principle in providing medical benefits is whether the dependants are truly dependent on the civil servants. Therefore, a female officer is accorded medical benefits in respect of her dependants if she has children solely dependent on her as in the case of a widow, divorcee or a married woman who has been granted a decree of judicial separation. In following this principle, it is assumed that the male officer is the head of the household in our society and has to shoulder the responsibility of providing for the family.

The issue of whether medical benefits should be extended to the children of female officers who are not widows or divorcees was reviewed by Ministry of Finance in mid-1985. The review noted that the most cogent reason for extending medical benefits to children of female officer is the principle of equal treatment for the sexes which is especially important in our meritocratic system. However, while this principle of equal treatment per se is acceptable, the implications on the private sector companies and the financial implications cannot be overlooked. If the dependants of female officers are provided with medical benefits, there may be pressure on the private sector companies which do not provide such benefits (even to the dependants of male employees) to provide medical benefits to dependants of their employees. Moreover, extension of medical benefits to children of female civil servants would have substantial financial implications and this would not be consistent with other measures taken by the Government to trim public sector cost.

As the present economic situation weighs against any move which may be interpreted as setting a trend and leading to additional cost, the Ministry is of the view that a decision on the extension of medical benefits to children of female officers should be deferred to a later date.