Most people assume public finance is all about numbers. For Vera Lim, it has always been about people.
Growing up, Vera often joined her family and friends in community activities. She delivered meals to families living in rental flats, used sign language to perform at public events alongside members of the deaf community, and helped organise programmes for children of incarcerated parents.
These experiences gave her a glimpse into the social disparities that exist within the community, and the importance of support systems to catch those who fall or need a little help to bounce back and move up in life.
Today, the 26-year-old associate works in the Ministry of Finance’s Social Programmes Directorate, which shapes how resources are allocated across areas such as healthcare, housing, retirement adequacy and education.
Many of the social issues she works on today are similar to the ones she first encountered through years of community involvement.
“Over time, I became increasingly aware of the challenges some people face and how the right support can make a difference,” she says.
That awareness deepened when Vera interned at the Ministry of Education after completing junior college. There, she observed efforts to support students from diverse backgrounds, including those with special educational needs and others from less-advantaged households.
These students often draw support from a wider network – schools, Family Service Centres, community organisations and government agencies – each playing a part in making sure no one falls through the cracks.
“Seeing how these different forms of assistance work together showed me how policies can collectively shape a person’s opportunities, stability and daily life,” she says.
The experience also sharpened her understanding of how difficult policymaking can be. “Many well-intentioned policies require continual refinement, careful balancing of competing considerations and, at times, difficult trade-offs,” she says.
It was an insight that would eventually lead her to a career in public service, reinforcing her belief that policy could make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
“I was quite certain this was what I wanted to do,” she says, “partly because of the range of opportunities the public service sector offers, but more importantly, because that is where my heart lies – in serving the public and contributing to outcomes that can make a difference.”
Having decided on entering public service, Vera began exploring where she could make the greatest impact. When she learnt about the Public Service Commission (PSC) (Public Finance) Scholarship at school, she was drawn to the opportunity to contribute to policymaking through public finance – an area where decisions on resources could shape outcomes across society.
The scholarship allowed her to acquire a bachelor’s degree in business administration (accountancy) at the National University of Singapore in 2023, followed by a master’s degree in public policy at the University of Oxford in Britain the following year.
“At the Ministry of Finance, we don’t just look at money,” she explains. “We also think about manpower and resource allocation – and these decisions do not happen in isolation; they are shaped by priorities and developments across different sectors.”
Vera joined the Accountant-General’s Department (AGD) in September 2024. There, she had a hand in projects that helped government agencies manage and account for public funds more effectively.
This included enabling public sector agencies to pool their investment funds and engage fund managers through the AGD Demand Aggregation Programme, as well as supporting governance work for nationally significant infrastructure projects financed under the Significant Infrastructure Government Loan Act 2021.
While the work may seem distant from daily life, its impact is far-reaching. Whether it is sustaining investments in healthcare, housing and education or responding to crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic, Singapore’s success and survival depend on sound financial management behind the scenes.
“Seeing how these different forms of assistance work together showed me how policies can collectively shape a person’s opportunities, stability and daily life.”
– Vera Lim, recipient of the PSC (Public Finance) Scholarship
What often surprises people, says Vera, is that the job is not simply about numbers. “More often than not, we are dealing with people,” she says. “Stakeholder management is important.”
Her work involves working closely with statutory boards, external fund managers and other agencies to balance differing needs and perspectives.
In July, Vera moved to the Social Programmes Directorate, where she now works on uplifting those who are in the lower-wage bracket, supporting productive longevity by encouraging employment among senior workers, and strengthening social support systems so Singapore’s workforce can stay resilient and mobile amid disruptions such as artificial intelligence.
Before deciding on her posting, she spoke to officers across multiple directorates to better understand which avenue would best align with her interests and strengths.
“It wasn’t as if I came in with a social mindset and only wanted to go to social programmes. I wanted to be deliberate about my choice,” she says.
“Knowing that my team and I can play an instrumental role in improving people’s welfare gives me a sense of purpose. Hopefully, that intention also translates into tangible benefits that people feel in their daily lives.”
