There were 30,168 resident births in the first 10 months of 2007. According to the National Population Secretariat, this was just 1 percent higher compared to the same period the year before.
However, the shortfall in resident births is being compensated by a record number of foreigners who are calling Singapore home. The whole of last year saw 13,209 foreigners taking up Singapore citizenship and 57,310 taking up permanent residency.
In the first 10 months of this year, Singapore attracted 13,969 new citizens - much higher than the average of 9,600 in the past five years - and 53,011 new permanent residents (PRs), a 21 percent rise compared to the average of 43,600 in the last five years.
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"A City of Possibilities" was the theme of the 2007 National Day Parade.
By witnessing the events performed on the world's largest floating platform at Marina for the first time, Singaporeans got a glimpse of the sea of possibilities that lie ahead.
On August 19, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had said, "Over the next decade, we have a unique opportunity to transform Singapore. Together, let us make this truly a City of Possibilities and a home for all of us!"
That includes more foreigners; about 14,000 of them took up the invitation to call Singapore home.
At the first-ever national ceremony on August 17, 155 foreigners swore allegiance to Singapore as they received their citizenship from Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng.
The National Population Secretariat told Channel NewsAsia that it does not set targets on new PRs and citizens.
Source : Channel NewsAsia, 25 December 2007
It added that "the high number of new PRs and SCs (Singapore citizenship) granted could be due to the broadening of the criteria for citizenship applications in 2004, as well as the many economic opportunities that Singapore offers".
This influx of immigrants is likely to continue in the coming years.
So there is no let up in efforts to integrate them into the community.
Favourable economic conditions have been cited for the increase in the number of foreigners here.
The economy has been on an upswing, unemployment has fallen to record lows, and many employees - including those in the public service sector - have been rewarded with a pay rise and record bonuses.
Meanwhile, perhaps buoyed by the upbeat mood, Singaporeans gave generously.
Some fundraising events pulled in record donations.
Charities which had been taken to task for poor book-keeping and management practices are getting back on their feet.
Youth Challenge spent months tightening operations and got the all clear from the Commissioner of Charities.
The new National Kidney Foundation raked in S$270million in reserves and it has promised to plough it back to help the needy.
However, just as public confidence was slowly being restored in some organisations, suspicion was raised about a few big charities.
In June, the superintendent at St John's Home for Elderly Persons went missing, along with almost S$4 million from the Home's bank accounts.
Five months later, RenCi Hospital and Medical Centre was probed by the Health Ministry for financial irregularities.
According to the Charity Council, RenCi's former Chairman and CEO Venerable Shi Ming Yi ran foul of three guidelines in the finalised Code of Governance, when he made interest-free loans to external parties.
But as pointed out by veteran in the charity scene, Gerard Ee, even with clearly spelt out practices, there is no guarantee that the charity sector, which is worth billions of dollars, will be scandal-free.
Mr Ee, who is the Chairman of the National Kidney Foundation, said, "You'll continue to have scandals from time to time. It is the human factor - so things can go wrong. But if (you) don't have corporate governance, rules and regulations, things can (get) worse...I think it's to minimise the risk of things going wrong - a combination of educating your stakeholders, your donors, of how to look for facts, of how to discern...who to support - as well as basic environment where there basic checks and balances that are put in place."
The Code of Governance will serve as a good checklist for charities big and small, on areas where they have met industry standards, and where they need to improve management and controls.
For donors, the checklist makes it transparent which are the charities worthy of support.
These requirements are meant to help the charity sector to grow, using many helping hands, to make sure that no one is left behind in what should be a city of possibilities. - CNA/ms
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