As a Singapore Permanent Residence, we (my family and I) are treated like any other foreigners, despite we paying the same amt of taxes, contributing same amt of CPF, etc, as the citizens. When it comes to benefits, PRs are not getting any. Even if there are, they have been taken away. Maybe the government thinks that the PRs are not important. Or maybe not. They know that PRs and foreigners are important to Singapore. It is just that, they think the PRs are foreigners are stupid and dumb to realize that. But they are wrong

I have 2 kids attending childcare center. I am paying $570++ for each child. The citizens are paying ($570 – $300) = $270 ! This is cheaper than hiring a maid.

it is time to stop participating in all charity activities. If the citizenry helps to solve much of the financial problems of other fellow countrymen, the Government will never get to understand the severity of the problems the people face.

There is a need to let the situation develops without the interventions of self-helps within the population for those in the Ivory Towers to come out with solutions to the problems they created.

Think about it, neither Prettyplace or me are having hearts of stones, it is the Leadership that lacks conscience.

Costs must be contain, rentals must come down, otherwise things
will remain expensive. The government must help to contain costs and regulate,
otherwise how do you expect people to cope, with lower salaries and job uncertainty?

The childcare subsidy given to both working and non-working
mothers should be the same. In the current job climate, working mothers
can become non-working mothers due to job loss. It makes their situation worse by making them pay higher childcare fees due to lower subsidy which is both unhelpful and unfair.

For non-working mothers, it is even harder for them to find appropriate employment in the current job climate and having to cope with higher childcare fees with only single family income.

How can our social policy be so discriminative and insensitive? It is meant to encourage more women back to work but surely it needs to be reviewed and changed effectively taking into consideration the current state of economy and job climate where there are so few jobs available.

I for one feel that more people need to suffer like this so that they realise that things aren’t excatly right here. Perhaps more oppositions in parliment will get some things changed….till then i hope more suffers..I am bad..i know …for the greater good…..

Guess what, the govt will come out to prove their case with mighty economics…it’s all bull…mostly tough….not all…there are ways other countries are making a fantastic way of living…look at Sweden…doesn’t squezze it’s people…..

this is happening in Singapore becaue people like it…i belief …in fact most people enjoy it… Stokholm syndrome….they claw their way up somehow..not realising their powers….and some do break….and at times when the strain gets too tough the govt loosens it with a gift…wah lah…everything is forgotten…then back on the treadmill….that’s why I say more should suffer…..untl the noose breaks….

They need the FT’s lah..they are buying all your houses and HDB flats…do you know how much of credit creation is taking place and how do you expect the govt to keep prices as high and steady…if they are not invited…then who or how is the property prices going to remain steady. You think it’s just jobs …arh arhhh…nope…govt doesn’t care who gets the job…or even if you are under employed..as long as you work..you can pay..mmmm. FT works they pay…

That’s bullshit……it’s just a convenient excuse. We don’t need aircon, so remove them. In fact, it is better for a childcare centre not to have aircon

And government agency like the MCYS have a social responsibility to regulate and provide a guideline for childcare operators as pre-school education is something that cannot be interrupted by a fee revision and most of the time, parents are only informed about the fee revision probably 2-3 months before they implement the fees increase. At this state of the economy,
fees revision should be hold back till the economy gets better.

The government should play an active role by looking into lowering the rentals of childcare premises so that childcare operators do not have to always turn to parents to cope with rising costs. Dr Balakrishnan explanation that fees increase due to air-conditioned premises for PAP education centres that I can understand.

But it doesn’t apply to other cases which I see not much changes after fee revision, the service level remains, i.e. my son is in the Little Skool House,
a premiun childcare managed by NTUC Childcare. They had a fee increase
last July and now I heard they are going to have another fee increase this July.
I felt they must be kidding, we are in a recession, can’t they ask the landlord for a decrease in rental instead of taxing the parents all the time?

The official ratio permitted is 1 “teacher” to 5 infant ( most claimed that they r working on a 1:3 ratio. And most worker except the principals/supervisors are FT or FW (i really dun know how to differiential them now because whole s’pore is flooded with them!)

There is a clear shortage of infant care centre to cater for the population !!

Yes, subsidary has increased from $400 to $600 but guess wht ? do a search & it will not be surprising that infant care cost has went up more substaintially too.

I am not say here that our govt shld help us to raise our children. What I am advocating that COST of Living has to be moderated !

These are issues that directy affect the decision whether we Singaporean (those born and grow here) will decide whether we want to have kid;

Answer these questions and the problem

1) Job Security – Any? I doubt , even you upgrade that doesn’t mean u will get a job. Even you get a job, that doen’t mean you will get a reasonable pay because you are always competing with FT !

2) Cost of living – even raising. It is near immpossible now to raise a family within both partners working! Anyone of the partner lost their job, the family will be in “trouble”

3) Medical cost – means testing tell it all !

4) Don’t forget about your parents you have to take care of too!

Unless and util all these basic questions can be answered , otherwise I guess the ‘short-cut” way to increase population is thru “import” of FT.

That why it reallly puzzled me when i heard questio n like why s’poren choose not to have babies! To me, that is a no brainer question.