The relentless rising cost of living in Singapore

[kuasimi]

http://www.theindependent.sg/did-kep...to-the-public/


Did Keppel management lie to the public?

December 29, 2017





By: Vincent Low/

In the Brazilian bribery case involving Keppel Offshore & Marine, some US$55 million were reported to have been paid by a Keppel agent to Brazilian govt officials in order to secure deals for Keppel in Brazil. These “improper payments” were made over a period from 2001 to 2014, and they were carried out with the knowledge or approval of former Keppel senior executives.

Bloomberg broke the news in last Aug, reporting on how the Brazilian agent, Zwi Skornicki, testified in a Brazilian court naming 5 of the Keppel senior executives, including then Keppel Offshore & Marine CEO Chow Yew Yuen, who had authorized him to bribe the officials.

Keppel’s management at first denies bribery involvement

When Bloomberg broke the news, Keppel’s management immediately responded on the same day, denying its involvement in the bribery case. Keppel issued a public statement stating (3 Aug 2016):



“Keppel strongly denies the allegations reportedly made that Keppel executives authorised Mr Skornicki to pay bribes on its behalf. None of the individuals named in the article, including the current CEO of Keppel Offshore and Marine Mr Chow Yew Yuen, have ever authorised Mr Skornicki to make any payments as bribes.”

The public statement was also made via SGXNET, where Singapore listed companies make their corporate announcements to inform the market with regard to their corporate development and activities.

Seven months later in March this year, Keppel issued a statement saying that Keppel Offshore & Marine CEO Chow Yew Yuen would “retire” with effect from 31 March 2017.

Keppel now acknowledges its bribery involvement

Last week (23 Dec 2017), Keppel issued a new statement finally acknowledging that the corrupt payments made by their agent to Brazilian officials were “made with knowledge or approval” of former senior executives of Keppel.

“As announced in October 2016, Keppel undertook a thorough internal investigation, identified certain suspicious transactions involving Mr Skornicki, and cooperated fully and extensively with the authorities to resolve the issues arising from or in connection with those transactions,” Keppel said.

“The authorities recognise Keppel’s cooperation in the investigations and its extensive remedial measures, which involved significant enhancements to compliance and internal controls systems across the Keppel Group, and disciplinary action against individuals involved in the misconduct.”

Dr Lee Boon Yang, Keppel Chairman, apologized, “We regret and are deeply disappointed by the actions that we now know to have taken place at the Group’s offshore and marine business in Brazil from around 2001 to 2014.”

He assured the public that “such unacceptable behavior will not be repeated” in Keppel.

Mr Loh Chin Hua, CEO of Keppel Corp which is the parent company of Keppel Offshore & Marine, added, “We have zero tolerance for corruption… Given Keppel’s strong track record and capabilities, I am confident that we will emerge as a more disciplined and sustainable company, better able to pursue our growth plans.”

Both Dr Lee’s and Mr Loh’s names did not appear among the 5 names mentioned by the agent in the Brazilian court.

In any case, it appears that the statement made by Keppel’s management on 3 Aug 2016 that they didn’t authorize its agent to make bribery payments was false.

[kuasimi]

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/workers-pa...063003284.html


Workers' Party MPs to raise Keppel corruption case in Parliament

Yahoo News Singapore
December 29, 2017





Aljunied GRC Member of Parliament Pritam Singh says the opposition party will raise questions about the Keppel Offshore & Marine corruption case at the next sitting of Parliament on 8 January.

In a Facebook note, Singh said that he and his colleagues had filed Parliamentary Questions for the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister.

For example, Hougang MP Png Eng Huat is enquiring how much more time the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) will need to complete the investigations in respect of the Singaporeans involved in the case, and how far back in time it will go.

Singh will also ask how many Singapore Government-Linked Companies (GLCs) or their subsidiaries locally or overseas have been investigated or continue to be investigated by local or overseas authorities for corrupt practices over the last 30 years.

Last Thursday, US officials said that Keppel has agreed to pay US$422 million (S$564 million) in fines to the US, Brazil and Singapore to settle bribery cases involving Brazilian contracts. Court documents also showed that former Keppel lawyer Jeffrey Chow had cut a deal to help US prosecutors in their probe.

“Amidst the shocking revelation of what must be one of the largest corruption scandals in the history of Singapore’s Government Linked Companies, I was most surprised to see the virtual absence of any substantive information on this scandal on the AGC or CPIB websites except a brief media statement on the conditional warning given to Keppel, something made even more curious in view of Keppel’s denial over a year ago that its top executives were even involved in giving out bribes for contracts,” said Singh.

He added, “This corruption scandal invites many other angles to consider too, so I was rather surprised to see no question on the matter filed by any PAP MP, suggesting that a Ministerial Statement may well be made.”

“But then again, the Speaker has the power to allow questions to be admitted after 26 Dec 2017, if he determines to allow so.”

Related stories:

Singapore firm Keppel Offshore to pay $422 mn in corruption fines

Ex-Keppel lawyer cooperated with U.S. in Brazil bribery probe: documents

Keppel bribery fine shines spotlight on peer Sembcorp, shares slide‍​


https://www.facebook.com/pritam.euno...74792965876343

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/ex-keppel-...092238577.html


https://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-...--finance.html

[kuasimi]

http://forums.$$$$$$$$$$$$.com.sg/current-affairs-lounge-17/gerald-giam-how-pap-uses-taxpayer-funded-grassroots-political-gain-3097742.html

http://geraldgiam.sg/2009/10/how-pap...olitical-gain/



How PAP uses taxpayer-funded grassroots for political gain

Not many Singaporeans are aware of how much the taxpayer-funded grassroots have been used by the PAP for political gain.


By Gerald Giam
10 October 2009 | 4,299 Reads | 12 Comments


Last week, Mr Eric Low and Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, the PAP MP-aspirants who lost to Workers’ Party’s Low Thia Khiang and SDA’s Chiam See Tong respectively in the last election, grabbed the limelight for themselves by announcing HDB’s decision to upgrade lifts in Potong Pasir and Hougang.


I had written an article questioning why HDB had informed the losing candidates in opposition wards of the upgrading plans.


A Straits Times forum letter writer, Mr Muhammad Yusuf Osman, said it best when he called for the mandate that the residents gave to the elected MPs to be respected.

He asked: “Under what authority did both Mr (Eric) Low and Mr Sitoh (Yih Pin) act as advisers to the grassroots organisations, given that the People’s Association is a government statutory board and should work with the elected MPs of the constituencies?”


In response, HDB and People’s Association replied that “it is the Government’s practice to implement its national programmes for residents through advisers to grassroots organisations who are appointed by the Government to gather feedback from residents.”


They forgot to mention that these “advisers” are always PAP men, whether or not they won the election.


Not many Singaporeans are aware of how much the taxpayer-funded grassroots have been used by the PAP for political gain.
Here’s a quick run down:

The People’s Association (PA), a statutory board under the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, was set up in 1960 to counter the influence of Chinese clan associations and unions on working class Singaporeans.


Like all other stat boards, it receives a yearly grant from the government to run its programmes and cover operational costs. In FY2008, PA received $280 million from taxpayers, and another $23 million in “operating income”. It spent a total of $320 million last year.


However unlike most stat boards, whose chairmen are usually the permanent secretary of the parent ministry or some other senior civil servant, PA’s chairman is none other than the Prime Minister.

The deputy chairman and two other board members are PAP ministers, together with a PAP minister of state, two other PAP office holders and a PAP backbencher. Eight out of the 14 board members are PAP MPs.

No other public sector board in Singapore has so many “Men in White” on it.


The PA oversees all the official “grassroots organisations”, namely the Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCC), Community Club Management Committees (CCMC), Residents’ Committees (RC), Neighbourhood Committees (NC) and the Community Development Councils (CDC).

PA also runs the National Youth Council (NYC) and the People’s Association Youth Movement (PAYM), which reach out to young people.


The de facto leader of all the CCCs, CCMCs, RCs and NCs in each constituency is known as the “adviser to the grassroots organisations (GROs)”.

This adviser is appointed by PA, presumably with the nod of its chairman, the Prime Minister.

In PAP constituencies, PA always appoints the elected MP as the adviser. But in opposition wards, PA appoints the PAP candidate who lost in the last election, not the opposition MP.


The same anomaly is repeated in the CDCs. CDCs have a whole panel of advisers, who are by default the GRO advisers. In South West CDC, where all the component constituencies are under the PAP, it is not surprising that all the advisers are PAP MPs.

But in South East CDC, there is one grinning adviser who is not an MP — Sitoh Yih Pin, the man who lost to Mr Chiam See Tong (SDA) in Potong Pasir. North East CDC also has a non-MP — Eric Low — sitting as adviser.

He lost to Mr Low Thia Khiang (WP) in the last two elections, garnering just 37% of the popular vote in 2006.


Mr Low Thia Khiang and Mr Chiam See Tong are completely excluded from the CDCs.


CDCs, Community Clubs and other GROs often organise events which involve a large number of residents. Most of the time, the guest-of-honour at such events is — you guessed it — the PAP grassroots adviser.


All this effectively denies the opposition MPs access to the whole array of grassroots resources that PAP MPs have easy access to. The opposition MP has to build up his own grassroot network from scratch, while PAP MPs simply inherit the control of the RCs, CCCs and CCMCs.


Most HDB dwellers will be familiar with the notice boards next to the lifts.


These are managed by the RCs, which ensure that residents always aware of who their PAP MPs are by featuring their names and photos prominently on the notice boards.


But in Hougang and Potong Pasir, instead of the elected MP, residents will see the losing PAP candidate’s face on the notice board every day when they go home.


Around the neighbourhood, they will also see huge banners sponsored by PA or the CCC, featuring the losing PAP candidate wishing residents during festive occasions. The Opposition is given no such banner space in PAP wards.







To round it off, the GROs are often the recruiting ground for the PAP during elections.


Many grassroots volunteers are also loyal PAP men and women, who shed their supposed neutrality to don PAP all-whites during the election campaign, serving as supporters, election agents and counting agents for the PAP candidates.


The best thing of all for the PAP is that all these grassroots resources come at zero cost to the party, since it is all paid for by taxpayers — yes including those who voted for the Opposition.


Unlike in other countries where political parties — just like the Opposition here — have to fund their own grassroots activities, the PAP can save its funds to be used during the election campaign.


With all these factors stacked against the Opposition, it is indeed commendable that Mr Chiam See Tong and Mr Low Thia Khiang have managed to hold on to their seats for the past 20 years. The residents of Potong Pasir and Hougang have proven that sincerity and pure hard work on the ground will be rewarded.



Technorati Tags: grassroots, Hougang, People's Association, Potong Pasir


Related Posts:
Grassroots advisers are not accountable either
Low Thia Khiang: PAP is playing politics
Straits Times questions Ministry’s stand on LUP
Govt concedes argument with WP and Singaporeans

[kuasimi]

http://www.theindependent.sg/pa-braz...-organisation/

PA brazenly advertises perks to entice residents to join grassroots organisation


March 17, 2017





Former Non Constituency Member of Parliament, Gerald Giam, shared a picture of door-hanger leaflet from the People’s Association (PA), advertising perks to entice residents to join the grassroots organisation. The advertisement from the PA’s Fengshan Crystal Residents’ Committee (RC) was targeted at residents living in Blocks 119 to 129 of Bedok North Road.

Mr Giam noted that the PA sees no need to be subtle about the perks its volunteers received.





Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and the Deputy Chairman of the People’s Association revealed in October 2016 that the People’s Association (PA) Grassroots Leaders and Advisers receive the following perks for the services they render.

Apply for special parking label to park at designated car parks up to 11 pm in the constituency they serve. (Minister did not say if these labels were issued at a cost, but said that they would get this concession only if they had first purchased a a HDB season parking coupon.

Apply for P1 registration for their children under Phase 2B in schools within the constituency they reside in.

Apply for BTO flats and ECs under a HDB scheme. (source: http://$$$$$$$/2cTSbve)

The Workers’ Party Chairman Sylvia Lim had earlier last year charged that the PA was not impartial. Ms Lim cited a personal incident to ask if PA had deviated from its objectives of “fostering cohesion and bonding, and <…>promoting group participation that transcends sectional loyalties”, to advancing the ruling party politically and undermining the work of Opposition MPs. (http://theindependent.sg/chan-chun-s...es-association).


The opposition Member of Parliament (MP) had on one occasion, sought information from the Ministry of National Development on its plans for private-estate upgrading projects in her constituency. “The ministry referred me to the CCC (Citizens’ Consultative Committee). I then wrote several times to the CCC, but it seems that my letters do not even merit a reply,” she revealed.

The MP also pointed to the mobilisation of PA activists to campaign for the ruling People’s Action Party’s candidates during elections as another example of its partiality.

Replying to the opposition MP in Parliament, Minister Chan Chun Sing said that based on his personal experience, he has seen participants of PA activities supporting both the People’s Action Party (PAP) as well as the Opposition during the General Election.

“When I see my own residents, participants of my PA activities, supporting the Opposition, I can only ask myself: ‘How can I work harder to win them over?’” he said.

“The PA is a statutory board. It executes the directions for the Government of the day, as per any statutory board. The PA does not allow any political activity or canvassing on our premises or in our activities. And we certainly do not mobilise anyone for any political party,” Mr Chan explained.

“If Ms Lim has any such evidence of wrongdoing, you can let me know, and I guarantee you I will follow up. I will be the last person to ever allow the PA to be politicised,” Mr Chan reassured.

[NotMyPresident]

You seemed to dislike the PAP government a lot .

[kuasimi]

Originally Posted by NotMyPresident

You seemed to dislike the PAP government a lot .

Nothing wrong with not liking PAP. Everyone have their own reasons.

Same as why PAP supporters, Grassroots, PAP IBs, NTUC, GLCs, Civil Service, PAP MPs hate WP so much.

It goes both ways. Besides, what I posted are facts from Media and what had already happened in reality.

[kuasimi]

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapor...1-as-fees-rise

It'll cost more to say 'I do' from July 1 as fees rise


Marriage registration fees will go up from Saturday. Foreigners will be the most affected by the hike, with their fees increasing by nearly three times.

The Registry of Marriages (ROM) announced on its website that couples where at least one party is a Singapore citizen or a permanent resident (PR) will have to pay $42 for registration, compared with the $26 they pay now.

Foreigners who now pay $128 on weekdays, $198 on weekends and $298 on popular days will pay a flat $380 from July 1.

An ROM spokesman said the increase was to keep up with rising operational costs, and to ensure that service quality is maintained.

The last review of prices was done in 2005.

When asked about the steeper price increase for foreigners, the spokesman said the priority for ROM is to ensure that marriage fees remain affordable for Singapore citizens and PRs.


Most Singaporean couples The Straits Times approached were not overly perturbed by the price increase.


Registered nurse Samantha Jacob, 26, who is set to solemnise her marriage on Sept 3, said she does not understand why the prices have risen by a significant amount, but would pay the higher price anyway.

She said: "I don't really get why it is such a big jump, but it is not outside my budget, so I would just pay it."

Web developer Stanley Lim, 28, whose solemnisation was in February, said the price seems reasonable, considering inflation.

He said: "My spouse and I feel that it is jus- tifiable as the cost of $26 has been like this for at least 10 years."

Dr Mu Zheng, an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at the National University of Singapore, said that the price increase is unlikely to have any significant long-term effect.

She said: "For people who already intend to get married, they will unlikely change their minds because of a $20 or a $100 increase in marriage fees. But it might affect the decisions of those where marriage is not a certainty. They may instead choose to co-habit or have other living arrangements."

Marriage rates of Singaporeans have decreased since the 1990s - 41.1 females out of 1,000 unmarried female residents aged 15 to 49 got married in 2015 compared with the 59.2 in 1990, while for males, the figure went down to 44.2 from 52.2.

The ROM spokesman said it has in place measures to assist couples who have financial difficulties, and is prepared to waive fees on a case-by-case basis.

[jacky43]

Born locals who married foreigners must be rich. Above average. The foreign spouses will never work hard and live among locals. It is pointless for the born locals to brain wash themselves. What I mean?

Local guys with Malaysian wives love to shown off to her Malaysian families that the man known alot of this red dot. Actually he only teach them to be lazy, and in office politics walkaway whenever there are tons of works.

Again, local guys with PRC wives has a weakness for foreigners in this red dot. So much so as telling you off if you told him ang mo cant do a good job. He said reduce your voices, ang mo heard it he is angry and return home. We lose a good man. I don't think so. Rather this group for employees draw beautifully WIP to con their employers. After a perid of times his boss saw thru it because nothing has started.

[Tedesco]

Look left ; look right ; look up ; look down ; look front ; look back . Every where is foreigner .

[Jay Chou]

Originally Posted by Tedesco

Look left ; look right ; look up ; look down ; look front ; look back . Every where is foreigner .

Up u bro. 😊

[kuasimi]

Originally Posted by kuasimi

Increase in GST is good news because ex-Transport Minister Raymond Lim say public transport will be free if GST is 8.5%.


Raymond Lim once proposed a way for “completely free” public transport




http://geraldgiam.sg/2010/03/raymond...lic-transport/



“The money still must come from somewhere, right? It is about 1.5 percentage point increase in your GST. So now it’s 7 (per cent), you want it to be free? You want the GST to go up to 8.5 per cent, to run a completely free bus and MRT system?”


Increase in taxes is good so that expensive civil servants like Perm Sec of Environment can boast about going expensive cooking class holidays in France while Orchard Road got flooded. Taxpayers need to feed the luxuries and expensive lifestyles of civil servants.




http://singaporemind.blogspot.sg/200...yong-soon.html



Don't be harsh on Tan Yong Soon....

Did you notice that I don't have a single article on our most famous French chef cum civil servant on my blog? I believe Tan Yong Soon is not to be blamed. He is after all just a product of the system.
.
Singaporeans please be understanding. Tan Yong Soon and our top civil servants make about $1.54M a year (after the pay cut!). $46.5K for a vacation is merely 3% of his salary or just a fraction of the interest on his savings account. The misunderstanding is the other way round - Singaporeans should have a sense of proportion and be more understanding why Mr. Tan cannot possibly comprehend that you find his vacation so extravagant because it is not extravagant at all to him.

".... My colleagues and I feel very bad about this episode, because it stands in contrast to the values and ethos of the service. " - Peter Ho, Head of Civil Service
.
"Gee...ethos and values? Tan Yong Soon has merely exposed the truth about our civil service!"
- Lucky Tan.
.
At about the same time I received my "A" Levels exam results, I received a pile of scholarship applications form from various govt bodies. I took the whole pile and threw them into the waste paper basket. I wasn't sure what I've done to deserve one of these scholarships and what I'll being signing away if I accepted them. I did pay a heavy price ..... I had to take up a loan to pay for my school fees and gave tuition on weekends to earn an allowance so that I didn't have to burden ageing parents. So while my friends on overseas scholarships were enjoying skiing lessons on weekends, I travelled all over the island to give tuition to primary and secondary school kids.

No hard feelings...it was a decision I made and I accepted the outcome. A few months ago one of my cousins called up and told me that he had won a scholarship to study in London, he asked me if I can be his guarantor. I agreed and having supported myself through university, I thought it would be a good idea for him to have a "easier life". I arranged to meet him at the scholarship office to sign the documents. When I got there, the walls of the office was filled with posters of smiling scholars diving, skiing, ...and experiencing the good life around the world. I sat down and the public servant did an outstanding job of explaining the T&Cs of the document I was signing.

However, when it came to the bond quantum, I almost had a heart attack - the amount I was asked to guarantee was just short of 7 figures (one reason was my cousin has been with the organisation for a few years and will receive full salary while he is studying). I had a chat with my cousin afterwards and among other things make him promise not to break his bond and get me into trouble.
.
You see the starting point of our top civil servants are all the same - fully paid education with generous allowance even before they put in a single day of work. After that a well paid recession proof job - they can afford a car and say goodbye to public transport the day they start their working life. If they are as successful Tan Yong Soon and climb the ladder in this elitist system all the way to the top, the pay is $1.5M....entitlements aplenty - free medical care, pension etc.

We cannot blame Tan Yong Soon for the lack of empathy because it is impossible for him to understand the struggles of ordinary Singaporeans. He cannot possibly understand what it is like to stay up at night to worry about mortgage payments or having your electricity cut off because you can't pay for your electricity bills. Peter Ho and Teo Chee Hean are completely wrong to expect humility, the "ethos and values of the service" when the entire system breeds nothing but a oversized sense of entitlement and importance.

When the civil service pay for top civil servants was hiked to astronomical levels, we are told that they are men of rare talents and their leadership is a scarce commodity....it is only scarce because of the elitist system in place that narrows the selection of good men...with rigid beliefs about what makes a man a good public servant. What is so difficult about about the formulation of public policy? The ordinary citizen cannot understand the tradeoffs and what is good for himself?
.
What will bring about the empathy, humility, ethos and values are the things the PAP govt continue to resist - the freedom for ordinary men to express their views and demands democratically. The freedom of ordinary citizens to access information....so that there will be accountability, transparency and competition of ideas. Many of us don't understand why Tan Yong Soon deserves his $1+M salary ...we also don't understand why our leaders are paid so much higher than those of all other countries. But it is not Mr. Tan's fault that he paid whatever he is paid, he is just part of a system ....a system that the PAP govt wants to preserve.
.
."Maybe it made lesser mortals envious and they thought maybe he was a bit boastful. Would people have taken offence if his wife (a senior investment counsellor at a bank) had paid for everything ?” - Charles Chong
.

Tax increase by PAP can spin until it is Good News. Singapore Media really deserve its 154th ranking in the world. No credibility.



http://www.straitstimes.com/business...nomists-polled




Singapore poised for first GST hike in more than a decade, say economists polled



SINGAPORE (REUTERS) - Singapore, a city-state famed for the low-tax model that helped transform it from a gritty port town to an Asian Manhattan, is expected to put something unusual in this year's government budget announcement: a tax hike.

Nine of 10 economists polled by Reuters think the authorities on Monday (Feb 19) will unveil the first rise in the goods and services tax (GST) since 2007. Policymakers have flagged the need to increase revenue to meet future social spending needs of a rapidly ageing population.

Economists say Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat might also make tweaks to taxes on e-commerce retailers such as Amazon.com. Inc, wealth and sugar when he presents the budget at 3.30pm on Monday, for the year starting April 1.


Any tax measures would come after Singapore in 2017 had its fastest economic growth in three years, estimated at 3.5 per cent.

"Strong economic growth is a good pull factor supporting the tax hike," said Francis Tan, an economist for Singapore's United Overseas Bank.

He expects GST to be increased by 1 percentage point this year to 8 per cent, followed by another 1 percentage point hike next year.

Tan added that there's an "urgent need" to shift more towards indirect taxes, as the tax base for personal income tax could become smaller over the longer term given Singapore's demographic challenge.


While the rate for Singapore's consumption tax is one of the world's lowest, GST is still the government's second largest source of tax revenue, behind corporate tax.

Singapore introduced its GST in 1994, with a 3 per cent rate. This was raised to 4 per cent in 2003 and 5 per cent in 2004, then to 7 per cent in 2007.

Some economists including HSBC's Jingyang Chen, who expects a 2 percentage point hike to be announced on Monday, said a higher GST could be accompanied by measures to ease the burden for lower-income families, such as cash transfers and vouchers.

Eight of the 10 economists polled also expect the Government to widen the net on e-commerce transactions subject to the GST.

Currently, Singapore consumers pay 7 per cent GST on their purchases from Singapore-based online retailers. In contrast, they pay no GST on goods purchased from overseas suppliers if the value of the imported goods is below S$400.

Several economists also suggested there could additional taxes on wealth, such as an increase in annual property taxes, as well as higher rates on alcohol and tobacco products or even a new tax on sugar consumption.

Michael Wan, an economist at Credit Suisse, estimates that a 2 percentage point increase to the GST would add around 0.6 per cent of GDP to net government revenues annually, after taking into account possible offsetting measures to cushion the impact on lower-income households.

Economists estimate a 2 percentage point rise in GST could boost Singapore's headline inflation rate by 1.0-1.5 percentage points and core inflation - the measure closely watched by policymakers - by even more.

"If the MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore) sees longer-term inflation risks after GST is implemented, then it would factor that into its policy decisions," said HSBC's Chen.

[kuasimi]

Originally Posted by kuasimi

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/gove...21-2025-period


Singapore Budget 2018: GST to be hiked to 9% in "earlier" part of 2021-2025 period


THE government plans to raise the goods and services tax (GST) by two percentage points to 9 per cent from 7 per cent, sometime in the period from 2021 to 2025, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said on Monday.

"The exact timing will depend on the state of the economy, how much our expenditures grow, and how buoyant our existing taxes are," said Mr Heng.

"But I expect that we will need to do so earlier rather than later in the period."

The increase in revenue in the government coffers from the GST hike will translate to almost 0.7 per cent of GDP per year.

"This GST increase is necessary because even after exploring various options to manage our future expenditures through prudent spending, saving and borrowing for infrastructure, there is still a gap," said Mr Heng.

SEE ALSO: Singapore Budget 2018: Strengthening the foundations
Singapore will continue to absorb GST on publicly subsidised education and healthcare. It will also enhance the permanent GST Voucher (GSTV) scheme when the GST is increased.

The government will make a S$2 billion top-up to the GSTV Fund to support these payments. Currently, the government disburses about S$800 million per year from the GSTV Fund.

The government will also implement an offset package for a period for help Singaporeans adjust to the GST hike. Lower and middle-income households will receive more support, said Mr Heng.

[kuasimi]

Originally Posted by kuasimi

Reminder : No Tax Increase at GE2015.

[kuasimi]

Originally Posted by kuasimi

https://samsforum.com/showthrea...=669727&page=3

Please do not belittle MDA staff. MDA staff are well paid and expect same salaries as Disney executives even though MDA has zero media innovations past 60 years compare to Disney staff. MDA staff is good in copying and paste media innovations though. Hard work.

https://www.sammyboy.com/threads/mda...-condo.153621/


https://everythingalsocomplain.com/2...-corals-condo/


MDA CEO buying $10 million Corals condo

Posted on June 2, 2013 by gdy2shoez

From ‘2 Corals at Keppel Bay units sold for over $10m each’, 30 May 2013, article by Melissa Tan, ST Money

DESPITE flat demand in the luxury market so far this year, at least two condominium units with a price tag of over $10 million each were sold over the past fortnight. Keppel Land told the Singapore Exchange on Tuesday that family members of Mrs Koh-Lim Wen Gin, a former Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) chief planner, bought the units at its upcoming project Corals at Keppel Bay. Mrs Koh has been an independent director of Keppel Land since January 2010.

One of the buyers is her daughter, Ms Koh Lin-Net, the chief executive of the Media Development Authority. Ms Koh took office last November and prior to that was deputy secretary of trade at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Ms Koh and her husband Lawrence Low bought a 3,477 sq ft four-bedder at Corals for slightly below $10.1 million, which works out to around $2,901 per sq ft for the second-floor unit.

The option to purchase is dated May 19.
There’s nothing wrong with stat board senior management buying expensive property, of course. What’s interesting about this piece of news is the sheer timing of it and how surprisingly informative it is, in light of MDA’s licensing scheme which requires news sites to fork out $50k performance bonds. That’s $500k in total for 10 websites, just enough for a 4-room HDB flat (but not a condo).

While there are angry bloggers out there complaining about MDA’s rules and how it would impede internet freedom via the #FreeMyInternet movement, it’s ironic how it’s in fact the mainstream media itself which leaked the possibility that the MDA CEO is a multi-millionaire, though the article was tucked quietly in the ‘Money’ section. With such earning power, I’m surprised they didn’t do a better job with the Senior Management rap some years back, like hiring Jay-Z to write and produce it. It could have been called ‘Empire State of MDA’.
According to the Online Citizen, ‘the BLOGGING community – COLLECTIVELY called #FreeMyInternet’, will be organising a protest at Hong Lim Park and an online ‘blackout’ for 24 hours on 8 June where you’re supposed to blanket your website in darkness and make Malaysian protesters wonder if they’re missing out on something. Not ALL bloggers or netizens feel that strongly nor are they pissing their pants about this imminent threat of Internet Panopticon Armageddon, so I’m not sure why TOC decided to drag the whole blogosphere into it.

Unless, of course, I’m not considered part of that ‘community’ but merely a fringe keyboard radical who needs to post tasteful homemade erotica pictures in order to generate enough hits to qualify for MDA licensing.

Mr Brown has become a part of it, naturally. With his musical talent, the #FreeMyInternet cause could at least turn from shouty media activism to funding poor families without Internet and even climb the pop charts like Band Aid’s ‘Do they Know It’s Christmas’ in the event that the outdoor protest or blackout fails. I’m actually hoping for that song to happen nonetheless *fingers crossed*.


I would support #FreetheWorld, #FreetheAnimals, #FreeMyCPF and #FreeBreakfastDay but I’m not sure if our Internet desperately needs ‘freeing’ like how one needs to emancipate a tortured slave. It’s not like I have to key in my Singpass whenever I google ‘How to Create a Homemade Landmine’ (A #FreeMyInternet supporter would whisper in a gloomy tone with slow wagging finger ‘Not yet…’).


It doesn’t seem that urgent for a nobody in the ‘community’ like myself to waste a good weekend protesting when I could be at the World Street Food Festival eating instead, and even if I DID go there and toss some slogans about, I would STILL get lawyers’ letters accusing me of defamation if I blogged drunk, with or without MDA’s crappy rules.


But just to show how ‘free’ the internet already is as we speak, I did some online background checks on CEO Koh Lin-Net for the benefit of anyone thinking of signing the petition because they’re concerned that there will come a day when everytime they open a browser, they’re instantly redirected to a mandatory login homepage with the PAP/MDA logo on it and some ominous marching music in the background which you’re forced to listen to for 20 seconds before you can do anything. Like those Youtube ads.


Koh, an alumni of CHIJ St Nicholas, confessed to ‘skipping classes’ and helping smuggle BEER into school while in Hwa Chong JC. She was also formerly a member of the Computer Club, a head prefect, and Deputy Secretary (Trade) of MTI.

We also know that just before she took over the reins at MDA, Deputy CEO Michael Yap unexpectedly resigned for reasons unknown. An IT guy and adjunct professor of Engineering, Yap was the ‘key driver’ behind the SingaporeONE initiative which made our country the FIRST in the WORLD to have national broadband access.

He also spoke at a TEDxUSC conference in 2010 and strikes me as the progressive, visionary tech-evangelist type. Reminds me of super-pastor Kong Hee too. In the MDA rap video he’s the one in the hip-hop garb and slickest moves. This is one officer who put the ‘Development’ in MDA, unlike what’s happening now, whereby the title ‘Media Restriction and Sanitation Authority’ would be more appropriate. Or MRSA (snigger away med nerds!)


For someone who spent $10 million on an apartment, Koh is well versed of the impermanence of material possessions. In a 2007 review of Herman Hesse’s ‘Siddhartha’, she says:
Now that I’m the midst of the journey, I think it’s a good reminder not to get caught up in material things; that material things at the end of the day will not help fulfill you.

Lee Wei Ling would concur. Such insight really explains buying a humble Corals unit then. She could afford a $300 million house for all you know.

Is our government overpaid? It seems a lot of problems these days are settled by ourselves and not using government services.

[NotMyPresident]

Originally Posted by kuasimi

Is our government overpaid? It seems a lot of problems these days are settled by ourselves and not using government services.

Why are you talking to yourself ? Of course the government is overpaid . But then that is to prevent corruption. Why aren't you highlighting the latest budget 2018 ?