Taxes must rise for social spending to increase: Ng Eng Hen
Yahoo News 31 Aug. 12
The money needed for increased social spending can only come from higher taxes, says Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, reiterating a point made recently by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Speaking on the sidelines of a forum on the prime minister’s National Day Rally speech on Thursday evening, Ng said Singapore’s ageing population necessitates higher social spending by the government.
He noted that by 2025, there will be roughly two to three working adults for every elderly person in Singapore. The Ministry for Community Development, Youth and Sports also estimates that by 2030, elderly people aged 65 and above will form almost one-quarter of Singapore's citizen population.
“Our society is ageing, we will have more aged people, and we want to take better care of the disadvantaged and disabled,” he told reporters. “Just by numbers alone, even if you spend the same amount, social spending has to increase.”
Responding to a question posed in the forum and addressing an audience of about 200, Ng said, “If you want more social spending, you have to find the money only from taxes.”
Lee had said in his speech on Sunday that taxes would have to be raised within the next two decades to fund higher social spending. He also explained that, though people have said the government could rely on reserves to finance the increase, it has already in a way been doing so through the use of returns from investing the reserves.
When asked by a forum participant about the possibility of using budget surpluses to fund the nation’s increments in social spending, Ng pointed out that the government does not have surpluses, noting that PM Lee had even mentioned in his rally that it took out S$8 billion from Singapore’s reserves in the last financial year.
“If our economy grows, if the size of the economy grows and revenues come in, then perhaps we don’t. But as you know, we have some limits of growth in terms of labour and our land, so our economy is projected to grow one to three per cent,” Ng added.
“But these are issues I think that are best dealt with when we need to, it’s just that we first have to determine the national conversation — how do we better take care of the disadvantaged groups... and then decide from there how much, what we need, what we can afford and how (we can) husband our resources to take better care of them. I think that’s a better conversation."
This guy is nut! I wonder how he became a Minister but again history has proven that you don’t really need one to be in the Cabinet.
Ok I agreed with him that we need money for “social spending” and raising taxes is just one way of generate the fund.
First we must look at who you are taxing to fund your social spending and the money needs to be really given to those who really need help. Are you taxing all Singaporean to buy a gold taps or fund a Singer career?
I have a few suggestions on how to increase fund for social spending.
First cut the Minister’s pays, after all they are public servant and already have all the benefit of transports, medical and pensions.
Tax should increase only for the top earners in the country and reduced for the rest. This is so because the rich must have social responsibilities to the society since they earn their wealth from the people.
Although our population are ageing but technology is improving, so why should taxes be increased for the next 20 years? In fact it should remain the same if not cut due to advancement of science.
Finally what is happening to our reserve and country investment? If GIC earns from its investment, which it claims, then these profits should be used to fund social spending and not just for the government to play with. These are money belong to Singaporean.
Eng Hen scenario above is like:
You give your father 20% of you salary as an allowance. But on top of this you need to pay rental and utilities. Your father wants to rent his flats to an expat and he reduces the size of your room but increase the rent yearly. Meanwhile he used the money he earn from your allowance and the rental fees to gamble in the casino and claims he won every time but now he is asking you to give him more allowance for the next 20years so he can take care of you when you stop working.
Face palmed!
Showing posts with label Cock up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cock up. Show all posts
Friday, August 31, 2012
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Why SPF Commissioner should be sacked.
After 27 years on the run, the law caught up with him
TODAY Nov 29, 2011
SINGAPORE - Over the past two decades, Lee Hong Mun involved himself in charitable acts, such as providing free haircuts and spiritual advice through his dual trade as a barber and a medium.
The law, however, caught up with the 57-year-old, who had been on the run for the past 27 years over a fatal slashing incident.
In the High Court yesterday, Lee was convicted and jailed seven years for manslaughter.
The incident took place in November 1983, when Lee and his childhood friend, Chan Whye Keong, fought with stall assistant Ng Tian Soo over a mahjong debt.
Court papers showed that Mr Ng had owed money belonging to one of Chan's friends and that Lee was roped in to help to recover the debt. Lee had used a kitchen knife to slash Mr Ng, who was then 37 years old, several times, while Chan used his belt to strike the victim.
Chan was subsequently arrested and jailed for seven years but Lee fled to Hong Kong that same year.
Lee returned to Singapore from Malaysia five years later by hiding in a car boot.
However, he did not turn himself in to the authorities and continued to live his life normally - operating his King George's Avenue hair salon and raising two sons.
It was only in April last year that the police eventually arrested Lee during a routine check at a betting outlet.
In the High Court yesterday, defence lawyer Josephus Tan argued in mitigation that, although Lee was armed with a knife at that time, it was for self-defence. He also pointed out that Lee had no criminal record and "led a useful and opened life".
Justice Lee Seiu Kin, who presided over the case, acknowledged that Lee lived his life productively but agreed with prosecutors that he should be jailed not less than seven years. "A life was lost ... (and) society must exact penalty," he said.
This show how “efficient” the Singapore Police Force is.
A man committed a serous offence can hide in tiny Singapore for 22 years and live a normal live. In out custom did a good job by allowing him to enter Singapore in a car boot.
In fact this guy is just unlucky that he was being caught during a routine check which imply the police is not actively look for him, in fact I think they stop looking for him 27 years ago.
Meanwhile they probably are using their man power to do this and this.
TODAY Nov 29, 2011
SINGAPORE - Over the past two decades, Lee Hong Mun involved himself in charitable acts, such as providing free haircuts and spiritual advice through his dual trade as a barber and a medium.
The law, however, caught up with the 57-year-old, who had been on the run for the past 27 years over a fatal slashing incident.
In the High Court yesterday, Lee was convicted and jailed seven years for manslaughter.
The incident took place in November 1983, when Lee and his childhood friend, Chan Whye Keong, fought with stall assistant Ng Tian Soo over a mahjong debt.
Court papers showed that Mr Ng had owed money belonging to one of Chan's friends and that Lee was roped in to help to recover the debt. Lee had used a kitchen knife to slash Mr Ng, who was then 37 years old, several times, while Chan used his belt to strike the victim.
Chan was subsequently arrested and jailed for seven years but Lee fled to Hong Kong that same year.
Lee returned to Singapore from Malaysia five years later by hiding in a car boot.
However, he did not turn himself in to the authorities and continued to live his life normally - operating his King George's Avenue hair salon and raising two sons.
It was only in April last year that the police eventually arrested Lee during a routine check at a betting outlet.
In the High Court yesterday, defence lawyer Josephus Tan argued in mitigation that, although Lee was armed with a knife at that time, it was for self-defence. He also pointed out that Lee had no criminal record and "led a useful and opened life".
Justice Lee Seiu Kin, who presided over the case, acknowledged that Lee lived his life productively but agreed with prosecutors that he should be jailed not less than seven years. "A life was lost ... (and) society must exact penalty," he said.
This show how “efficient” the Singapore Police Force is.
A man committed a serous offence can hide in tiny Singapore for 22 years and live a normal live. In out custom did a good job by allowing him to enter Singapore in a car boot.
In fact this guy is just unlucky that he was being caught during a routine check which imply the police is not actively look for him, in fact I think they stop looking for him 27 years ago.
Meanwhile they probably are using their man power to do this and this.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
YOG joke.
YOG: Last-minute ticket sales for empty seats at sold-out venues
18 August 2010
SINGAPORE : Organisers of the Youth Olympics Games are making it possible for more people to catch the action.
From Thursday, if there are empty seats at sold-out venues, officials will be flexible in allowing last-minute fans to purchase tickets.
Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said venue managers will use their discretion to manage the situation. He was speaking to reporters after watching swimmer Rainer Ng clinch Singapore's first silver medal at the Games.
He said: "It will have to be first-come-first-served basis, and it will have to depend very much on the physical situation on the ground. "That's why I cannot have a uniform rule across all venues.
The venue manager will be authorised to make these decisions at a local level." - CNA/al
The question is – Why is there empty seats at sold out venues?
I think it is a know fact by now that these “sold out” tickets are actually bought by MOE (with tax payers money) to be given to their students.
Being teenager I definitely will not go for something that I am not interested in.
So why must our government do thing this way? Trying to make things look like what they are not really is.
If there is no crowd in an events then so be it. You should either make it free entry or reduce the cost of the tickets to pull in the crowd rather the let this shit happened.
I guess they are quite good at generating false statistic in this country.
18 August 2010
SINGAPORE : Organisers of the Youth Olympics Games are making it possible for more people to catch the action.
From Thursday, if there are empty seats at sold-out venues, officials will be flexible in allowing last-minute fans to purchase tickets.
Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said venue managers will use their discretion to manage the situation. He was speaking to reporters after watching swimmer Rainer Ng clinch Singapore's first silver medal at the Games.
He said: "It will have to be first-come-first-served basis, and it will have to depend very much on the physical situation on the ground. "That's why I cannot have a uniform rule across all venues.
The venue manager will be authorised to make these decisions at a local level." - CNA/al
The question is – Why is there empty seats at sold out venues?
I think it is a know fact by now that these “sold out” tickets are actually bought by MOE (with tax payers money) to be given to their students.
Being teenager I definitely will not go for something that I am not interested in.
So why must our government do thing this way? Trying to make things look like what they are not really is.
If there is no crowd in an events then so be it. You should either make it free entry or reduce the cost of the tickets to pull in the crowd rather the let this shit happened.
I guess they are quite good at generating false statistic in this country.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Bad day at work.
Somali pirates attack French military flagship
Yahoo News Wed Oct 7, 11:10 am ET
NAIROBI (AFP) – Somali pirates attempted to storm the French navy's 18,000 tonne flagship in the Indian Ocean after mistaking it for a cargo vessel, the French military said on Wednesday.
The crew of La Somme, a 160-metre (525-foot) command vessel and fuel tanker, easily saw off the brazen night-time assault by lightly armed fighters on two lightweight skiffs and captured five pirates, a spokesman said.
"The pirates, who because of the darkness took the French ship for a commercial vessel, were on board two vessels and opened fire with Kalashnikovs," Admiral Christophe Prazuck said in Paris.
La Somme is the French command vessel in the Indian Ocean, overseeing French air, sea and land forces fighting Somali pirates and hunting terrorists under the banner of the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom.
Officers on the ship have directed commando operations to free French hostages in the hands of Somali pirates.
The pirates tried to flee when they realised their mistake but were pursued by French forces who, after an hour-long chase, caught one of the skiffs, Prazuck said.
On it they found five men but no weapons, water or food as the pirates had apparently thrown all of the boat's contents overboard, the spokesman said……………
This is hilarious!
Talk about total screwed up….haha…
Yahoo News Wed Oct 7, 11:10 am ET
NAIROBI (AFP) – Somali pirates attempted to storm the French navy's 18,000 tonne flagship in the Indian Ocean after mistaking it for a cargo vessel, the French military said on Wednesday.
The crew of La Somme, a 160-metre (525-foot) command vessel and fuel tanker, easily saw off the brazen night-time assault by lightly armed fighters on two lightweight skiffs and captured five pirates, a spokesman said.
"The pirates, who because of the darkness took the French ship for a commercial vessel, were on board two vessels and opened fire with Kalashnikovs," Admiral Christophe Prazuck said in Paris.
La Somme is the French command vessel in the Indian Ocean, overseeing French air, sea and land forces fighting Somali pirates and hunting terrorists under the banner of the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom.
Officers on the ship have directed commando operations to free French hostages in the hands of Somali pirates.
The pirates tried to flee when they realised their mistake but were pursued by French forces who, after an hour-long chase, caught one of the skiffs, Prazuck said.
On it they found five men but no weapons, water or food as the pirates had apparently thrown all of the boat's contents overboard, the spokesman said……………
This is hilarious!
Talk about total screwed up….haha…
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