By Leong Sze Hian
I refer to the article “$2m fund to help 24,000 needy residents” (ST, Feb 18).
It states that “More than 24,000 needy residents from the North East District stand to benefit from a $2 million community partnership between the North East Community Development Council (CDC) and religious society Zhi Zhen Tan Dao Xue Hui”.
If there are 24,000 needy residents served by just one CDC, how many in total are there in Singapore, since there are five CDCs?
With 24,000 needy residents benefiting from $2m, does it mean that on the average, each needy resident may get only about $7 a month ($2 million divided by 24,000 residents divided by 12 months)?
I also refer to media reports (“33,000 turn to ComCare”, ST, Jan 27) stating that a record 33,000 households were successful applicants for ComCare schemes last year, an increase of 47 per cent compared to 2008.
As the ComCare budget was $63.7 million in 2008, with an increase of 47 per cent, on a proportional basis for the first nine months of the current financial year, the amount disbursed should be about $70.2 million ($63.7 million 2008 budget x 1.47 x 9/12 months).
So, why is it that only $51.3 million of this year’s $77 million budget has been used?
Does it mean that on the average, each needy household received about $173 monthly ($51.3 million divided by 33,000 households divided by 9 months)?
Using the same methodology, the average assistance per household per month in 2008 was $236 ($63.7 million divided by 22,449 households (33,000 divided by 1.47) divided by 12 months).
Why is it that the average monthly assistance appears to have declined by 27 per cent from 2008 to 2009 ($173 out of $236)?
The above is a very rough analysis based on the statistics publicly available.
Of course, applicants will be approved on a rolling basis in the course of a year, and assistance for some existing needy households will terminate when they are deemed to be no longer requiring help.
So, what we need to know is the average assistance per month per household for these 33,000 households, instead of just the total figure of $51.3 million used to-date.
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What is 2million? There increase school fee for ite and poly by $50. 4poly + ite about 40,000 students x 50 = $2millions.
Asiaone online comments
This is pure rubbish. They should reduce all charges..education, medical,transportations, etc for all Singaporeans whilst they increase those for PRs and foreigners. According to the ESC report, Singapore’s productivity rate has been around 1% for the last 10 years. What has happened? Shouldn’t the PAP govt take responsibility for it by reducing their salaries for the same period by at least 50% retrospect. Can some top political leaders explain why nothing was done during the same period to raise our productivity rate.
How come less assistance? Easy lah… Great financial crisis what … Lost over $100+ Billion of our reserves by the Forecaster Extraordinaire and by Mrs “No Regrets”. Common people must also share the pain. No pain no gain.
YOU DIE YOUR BUSINESS.
NS FOR SINGAPOREANS, JOBS & SCHOLARSHIPS FOR PRS AND FOREIGNERS.
TIME FOR CHANGE. VOTE OPPOSITION.
10-millions bucks
to throw party for foreigners.
2-million bucks
to help needy/poor Native Singaporeans.
INDEED
No One Will Be Left Behind [ JUST LEFT ASIDE TO DIE ]http://news.asiaone.com/News/NDP+Rally+2007/NDP+Rally+2007.html
Singaporeans Comes First For Govt [ FIRST TO BE LEFT BEHIND ]http://news.asiaone.com/News/the%2BStraits%2BTimes/Story/A1Story20100101-189132.html
They like to quote large figures, making it look all so substantial.
Why not someone conduct a survey & go ask all those whom they have ‘helped’ how much they were ACTUALLY ‘helped’??
With the PAP, if your house is on fire & you run to them for water to put out the fire, they will hand you a cup of water and say; “We cannot give you too much, otherwise our water reserve will dry up.”
24,000 Needy? Two Massive Billion-Dollar Intergrated Resorts including Big ‘Las Vegas’ Casinos but there is such thing as 24,000 Needy in First-World Singapore? For god sake, what on Earth have PAP being doing for the past few decades? Smoking marijuana?!
$2 million freaking dollars for 24,000 helpless needy, is this a joke? How on earth they going to survive with $7 a month? Buy candy sweets?
oh wait $2 million is enough to feed useless PAP’s minister’s pocket. How interesting…..
laulee says already..economy slow down no SERs no free money you pay MORE..laulee earned more…so he needs HIS $24,000,000..you poor peasants eat less lark…i also chia teochew muay with peanut nia…ok ok i steal the soya sauce bottle from the porrige stall….
We desparately need people like you, Mr. Leong, Andrew, Alex, members of
opposition parties and those with passion to serve the people, to sit in Parliament
to voice and check the PAP.
We need to vote in members of the opposition to represent the people, to see justice
done!
The future of our children will be at the mercy of the evil LEE and PAP!
VOTE OUT PAP!
that is the magic of pap money - a little bit of it goes a long way towards helping the poor.
whereas the elites demand the fat of the land for themselves.
vote wisely. don’t blow it (again).
In the complicated world we live in, it’s good to find simple soluitnos.