The kind of excuses and lame reasons given is what make our venerable ex-president angst over PAP government when he uncovered something wrong on the accounting and he demand more power to president.

Does most of annual surplus actually quickly go into Temasek and GLC’s fund so that a budget deficit can be quickly announced to create more surplus ? Remember what goes into those investment fund is government’s secret. If the government ever get dismantled, we can find how ‘honest’ and ‘credible’ our so-called ‘esteem’ government is. Definitely smell a scandal even larger than Edison Chen.

So how is the hell that such a important terrorist can escape given that he is limp ? Does that not coincide with commotion by the public asking for accountability on the GST hike ? Is this merely distraction to ‘move on’ to the topics of capturing the terrorist ?

We can’t help but smell a dead rat.

Back then, my folks asked me how come you never vote for PM Lee, i replied that parliament has been dissolved and Lee Hisen Loong is NOT Prime Minister until his party wins the majority and forms the next government.

It was MADE CLEAR that it was not necessary. “We have to increase the GST when the economy is doing well rather than wait till bad times. The increase was meant to help the lower income group.”

Therefore, in order to help the lower income group, govt must tax Singaporeans unnecessarily to fund the welfare programmes?

Surpluses from previous years cannot be touched because they can only be used for investments?

Returns from investments are used for further investments perpetually and therefore, non-returnable?

For which generation of Singaporeans are these investments suppose to cater for?

Accumulate more surpluses at Singaporeans’ expense in order to make the govt look good, justify the ministers’ astronomical pay and at the same time, rewarding them with fat bonuses for the “unexpected” collections?

Freeze govt fees till end of 2008 when most if not all have been increased?

Those MPs who were full of praises are simply gunning for higher office. If ever any of them gets promoted, Singaporeans will really have to dig their own graves.

Govt’s help policy is to help lower income Singaporeans to their graves earlier.

Imagine a helpless man struggling in the water. A nearby lifeguard saw him but stay put in his position. The man shouted, “Help! Help! I can’t swim! Help……………..” The lifeguard replied, “Learn to swim! I’ll come to you only when you really can’t!”

“人快饿死了才问人饿吗！”
(To ask whether one is hungry when one is dying from hunger!)

For me – I admit that I am too scared to protest. But I know that Chee Soon Juan has the guts…so he has my vote !

HK just announced its budget yesterday. even during the buildup, the HK govt admitted that they miscalculated their budget, and had a surplus. They immediately talked about what they will do to spend the surplus – on welfare, on public works, schools, etc…and the public (such as unions, NGOs etc) were called to comment and give feedback.

And yesterday’s final budget was welcomed by everyone – from businesses, to the working class. Because the govt has a lot of money, it is giving tax breaks on nearly every sector (eg hotels), more welfare checks, SMB funds, electricity subsidies, one-off income tax rebates. They are even eliminating alcohol tax except for spirits!!

The most important thing – i like the way the HK govt owns up to its mistake in underestimating their income, and prepared to spend it back into the city, and how they consult NGOs, academics, unions, etc, on where they should spend.

This is a very reasonable suggestion, Andrew. :)

When you talked about that WP by Ng, my temper flared because LHL said those items, government can’t control, so the statement by Ng and LHL contradicts.

Million dollar ministers like LHL and Ng talked without using brain. If this year is the GE, I think PAP will get 54% down from 66.6%, Our opposition parties should be more proactive like the opposition in our neighbour Malaysia.

When you are so off the mark in your estimates, it speaks of a couple of possible things:
1) You are a bunch of dirty filthy liars
2) You are not lying but incompetent
3) Both

It is precisely of people like you that there is an exodus of talented singaporeans from the country every year. I say good luck to such people, people who dig themselves a hole and fall into it while the rest of us laugh.

by Dr Ng Eng Hen
3rd May 2006, Channel NewsAsia
————————————————————

Can Dr Ng please bring down the price of oil, bring down the price of rice, bring down the price of a loaf of bread, and bring down the price of a cup of coffee NOW???

As I said in the article, no one expects the govt – or anyone – to be perfect in their forecasts. But as I also said, when forecasts are so way off the mark, as in this case, the govt should admit their shortcoming and accept their responsibility. Note that the budget deficit/surplus forecast is not the only forecast which is way off the mark.

Indeed, Mr Tharman in Parliament today has given the undertaking that his ministry will be more accurate in its projections in future.

As for Temasek and GIC’s investments, in my view, it is a matter of priorities. It is no use spending so much – more than $34 billion within a single year – on so-called investments when citizens are struggling.

Further, the success of such investments are doubtful and even if they are to reap profits, it will take a long time. Didn’t both Temasek and the GIC say that these are “long term” investments? What happens to the poor and struggling in the meantime? More GST hikes so that they can be helped?

FYI: Shin profits plummet by 72% for 2007

by this agenda, the person who is of value add to economic growth policies, will survive and prosper whereas the person who is of little or no value to economic growth policies will suffer and wither.

singaporeans obviously know this but do not care much at the ballot. that is why the government can undertake any form of risky or painful or radical or extreme economic growth policies. stop blaming the PAP for this. what singaporeans care when they vote for PAP is that beyond whatever ills that PAP’s policies may bring, they believe there is an eventual goodness for themselves and the country.

as long as Singaporeans have this faith, they will continue to vote for PAP and PAP itself will continue its neo-classical economic programs which will include uncontrolled price increases, instability in wages, inequalities in income, adverse income redistribution, minimal labour protection etc

Is government stupid to reveal such figure knowing that it will create commotion ? Nope, they probably need to but play it conservatively. Until all their accounts are subjected to public scrutiny, none of coffers, especially self-elected audit body can be trusted to tell the truth.

In the past, figure such as taxi salary can be quoted publicly by minister and exaggerated without deducting the expense, so how trustworthy can the government’s statistic and figures be behind closed doors and walls ?

Just moment ago, I am totally appalled too by the news on how the Hong Kong government return the surplus to the people of Hong Kong, and setup scheme to really help the poor without increasing GST or any cost. I hope that someone will post what the Hong Kong government has done to help the poor. One thing is very sure. The HK government neither say that giving too much wellfare will bleed crude mentality nor did they say the surplus should reserved for sovereign wealth fund to help ailing bank and rainy day. That a different between a true democratic country and a fake one.

Contrast and compare to that of HK government to Singapore government is akin to comparing harvested mango to a long-rotten apple. We really need to compare that to shame our very expensive and arrogant government.

And I don’t think that calculating the revenues for these kind of things is easy either. If change in consumption patterns from the rise in GST do not fit that of the government’s expectations, does that mean they’re DIRTY FILTHY LIARS? How often are these estimates, even in other countries, correct anyway?

Thirdly, go back to economics. A surplus is a withdrawal from the flow of the economy. This means there is a disinflationary effect.

“One last note: I find it really insensitive for the prime minister to be asking Singaporeans to, effectively, scrimp and save by buying non-branded bread and cheaper frozen food, while the government’s investment arms of Temasek and the GIC spend billions on bailing out ailing foreign banks.”

And aren’t these investment banks working to contribute to our country’s capital/reserves? So what, because some Singaporeans are having trouble coping with the rising gst/prices, these two investment arms should stop all their normal investment activity? No link, sir.

Good job!!

I like reading political news from around the world, and I’ve never heard a head of government tell his citizens what bread to eat. This is pathetic. Beyond pathetic.

The just-announced freeze on govt fees this year also repeats what they said last year:

“Mr Tharman, who was wrapping up the debate on the Budget Statement, said regulatory charges such as those in the transport sector and the development charges in the property market will not be frozen.

He explained this is because they have to make their own decisions on whether or not they will raise fees.” (CNA)

So, it’s the same thing – essentials and necessities’ fees are not freezed.

Best part is this:

“However, Mr Tharman acknowledged the concerns many Singaporeans continue to have on rising costs, and he urged the town councils to consider holding their Service and Conservancy Charges unchanged for this year.”

I am truly appalled that the PAP town councils would even contemplate raising S&C charges. Didn’t we just learned that they have OVER ONE BILLION DOLLARS IN RESERVES ???

Looks like helping Singaporeans is all a wayang. I am very very disappointed.

Fees not set by the government are excluded from the list as any changes are determined by market or other forces.

These include utilities charges, polyclinic and hospital charges, phone bills, university fees , HDB flat prices, foreign maid levy, vehicle and road taxes, and service and conservancy fees .

I find it somewhat puzzling that the excluded list includes polyclinic and hospital fees , foreign maid levy, vehicle and road taxes, and HDB flat prices.

Are these not under the ministries of health, manpower, transport and national development, respectively?

Have these fees not always been set by the ministries concerned?

How have ‘market forces’ ever been the determinant of such fees ?

Can we have some elaboration as to what are the ‘other forces’ that determine these fees ?

I find it quite disappointing that most of the fees that will be frozen are not those for basic amenities, and those not frozen are mainly basic necessities which may impact the lower and middle-income more, like polyclinic and hospital charges, university fees , public transport cost, water and electricity bills, telecoms bills, foreign maid levy, etc.

The explanation that service and conservancy fees are not frozen because these are decided by town councils, is a somewhat weak rationalisation, because aren’t town councils, particularly the GRCs, headed by several Members of Parliament?

Since there are only two opposition MPs, isn’t all the rest part of the government? LeongSzeHian Singapore

Overall, I find Tharman among the better ministers who still contributes greatly to society of Singapore, and I did see improvement in education when he is still education minister. Unfortunately, it obviously, in this case, he is made as scrapegoat by the former Finance Minister aka PM.

Tharman is only been appointed finance minister in December 2007, so before that, LHL had already approved GST hike, and minister’s pay, and hike is underway.
http://www.pmo.gov.sg/News/Appointment+of+Minister+Tharman+as+Finance+Minister.htm

As usual, LHL should be responsible and not just throw his own inflicted problem to his ’successor’ to escape the responsibility and accountability.

It is not the first time this PM get away, and with many a time asking his own surbordinates to resolve and speak on his behalf. As usual, I won’t be surprised to see the grand-daddy of Singapore,LKY, defending the hike for his son and says ‘Let’s move on’.
It is the standard Operation Procedure for government that every Singaporean get used to.