NTUC Income Worrying Expenses

Someone investigated into NTUC income expenses. It seems that our seemingly frugal NTUC income, is splurging on exotic holidays and many other expenses…

See: http://kiasee123.blogspot.com/

Yes. #36) a singaporean in foreign land has cited one example, which i also knew of but in a slightly different aspect from…..

“when i was in ntu, i saw prc prof and researchers buying research stuff from only prc companies. our public money not only goes into profitting prcs workers but also prc companies who will then take the money back to prc. in the long run, this would bankrupt our mother land!”

In the cases I knew, the foreign research prof (99% of our local uni research prof are foreigners) would hire foreign research assistants instead of hiring locals (now u know why our local qualified workers r out of jobs). Some even use part of our tax-payers research fund (billions of $$$) for personal projects (embedded).

In addition, these so called “researchers” do not carry out the research themselves yet put their names on the research papers written by their assistants. How reliable are their “research findings” is anybody’s guess.

Concerns sg policy makers need to address:

1. Can we trust the “research findings” presented and use them for education or scientific development in sg?

2. When these foreign researchers return to their own countries after the projects are over, where do you think the real findings will be used, or who will benefit the most without spending a cent, but rather at the expanse of our local tax-payers’ fund?

3. Since foreigners will tend to hire foreigners (statistically shown), especially those from their own countries, how can the locals learn from these “talents”?

4. Who are doing the checks and balances to ensure that the funds are not being abused or misused for personal gain?

5. What kind of cultures are we bringing into sg with such influx of “brilliant” people who do not have a sense of belonging to sg?

6. Why are our policy makers not grooming our own local researchers, but instead giving away our fund to foreigners who will beget even more foreigners, and forcing our own potential researchers to seek opportunities elsewhere?

7. Is academic excellence more important than the sense of belonging to your own country? Or are “brilliant” people who use sg as a “transit lounge” more valued than locals who may not be as “brilliant”, but who truly want to contribute to their own country, sg?

There may be more concerns to address than those mentioned above.

More about the NRF at:
http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_getdata.pl?actno=2006-ACT-17-N&doctitle=NATIONAL%20RESEARCH%20FUND%20ACT%202006&date=latest&method=part&sl=1&segid=1141267123-000108

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/420120/1/.html

http://www.nrf.gov.sg/NRF/otherProgrammes.aspx?id=142 (these “talents” are foreigners)

If every company’s 3 quote system is the same, the one company who applies the system in the real sense of getting the best quote is the one to survive in the competitive market place. Lower cost = higher profit or maintaining profit if price has to be slashed.

Private companies cannot afford to be laid back like civil service, they have competitions (unless the company is monopoly in the business). Civil service and monopoly businesses can abuse the 3-quote system because the money is guaranteed.

Just about every company’s 3 quote system is the same lah. The system is based on integrity of the Employees and short of getting procurement to check up on the background on all the 3 companies, this isn’t a easy issue to resolve.

But thankfully, 3 quotes is only up to a certain level. Most big projects should have been called under public tenders.

how many centuries could this last?

Why is the Canadian company charging so high for design fee? and getting the contract some more. Run a check. Don’t distract from the main issues.

Whistle blowers yes we need them.

kekekekeke

left to right and right to left….