Comments on: Don’t focus solely on GDP growth, NMP says

By: StrangeTimes

StrangeTimes — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:48:53 +0000

A lot of Singapore’s GDP growth is construction. And if they stop construction, you’ll see GDP growth go negative quickly. That’s not going to happen because in Singapore, people are rewarded at almost every level of government for making their economic growth numbers. The easiest way to do this: put up another building. So Singapore is really hooked on this sort of heroin of real estate development.

The perception seems to be that Singapore will grow itself out of this situation. But the problem with that argument is most real estate being built is not for the masses. This is not affordable housing for the middle class.

By: Weekly Roundup: Week 30 « The Singapore Daily

Weekly Roundup: Week 30 « The Singapore Daily — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 02:52:51 +0000

[...] Yesterday… – The Temasek Review: Time for Singaporeans to find a long term solution – TOC: Don’t focus solely on GDP growth, NMP says – NYT: Rethinking the Measure of Growth – Yawning Bread on WordPress: Use a broader range of [...]

By: Brainstomer

Brainstomer — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:52:44 +0000

Mr Viswa Sadasivan, well said.
Not only ministers, shd also include those highly paid civil servants in all the govt agencies, stat boards n ministries.
Many of these top civil servant & ministers r getting complacent, lose touch with the ground.
Some of them r not performing their roles well. Performance shd be taken into consideration during allocating salaries. Some r more interested in playing golf n receiving pays, leaving their subordinates to manage.
Waiting for incidents to happen before they jump from their seats, start asking why n scramble for solns. Just look at the recent incidents that happened in SG eg. Flood, tree fall, police handcuffed reporter, SMRT, HDB, …

By: Gree at All Cos

Gree at All Cos — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:12:43 +0000

Everything is debatable.
One can also say singaporeans help to generate jobs.

Remember, this is why people can sue one another. It depends on your pocket size.

By: Forkinator

Forkinator — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:49:38 +0000

What is GDP to an average JOE like me struggling to survive in singapore?

Wat I care about are :

1. Quality of Life : dense population is not healthy.

2. Job Security : like the good old days in the 80′s – 90′s.

3. Sense of Belonging to this country as a citizen. Pride.

4. Retirement.

5. Affordability of a roof over my head and for my family.

By: theforgottongeneration

theforgottongeneration — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:19:07 +0000

Someone commented that foreigners help generate jobs for Singaporeans.
.
Then Pinoys/Blangas need not come to SG; can stay at home, import foreigners instead and jobs should come to them.
.
In SG context, thinkin’ all nite to find rationale for such profound wisdom. Then, of course:
.
1) many FWs need getting around on back of pickups. Rental & sales of pickups then increased. Those in auto industry very happy.
2) talented FT painter helped security sector. More CCTV need to be installed around sensitive installations, more foot patrols by police. Hurray more jobs!
3) FW pickup driver and crane operator cause unfortunate and unnecessary deaths. The upside? — undertakers gets a boost in business.
4) More FW means more processing of work permits, levies collection, rental of living quarters, eating expenses, etc. MOM then needs to hire more ppl with increased workload.
5) Foreigner labour boosts GDP. Ministers (all are S’poreans) get their bonus – ‘Singaporeans’ (all are ministers) very happy.
6) One foreigner (MKS) also showed that the employment & deployment of 1000′s of our servicemen/police can be justified.
7) Construction industry require more safety officers due to low-skill of increased workforce.
8) Language proficiency training centers got a $10m boost from MCYS to help integrate foreigners with English skills.
.
Yes, more jobs indeed for S’poreans…? WTF.

By: LIONS ROAR

LIONS ROAR — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:35:08 +0000

dig a road,fill it up;dig again,fill it once more!
repeat procedures a hnudred times over and you balloon your gdp!
bravo!bravo!
there are so many ways the miws apply to increase gdp but all of no value-add in actuality.
what is gdp to the common citizens when he is jobless and penniless?
what are these supposedly responsible smart people babbling about?
tiem for them to learn how to do some straight talking instead of side-stepping.

By: Dr Amy Lee

Dr Amy Lee — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:22:43 +0000

guys, i have a surprising finding.

since about 10 years ago, i told myself, my decision is made. I will vote for opposition.

Till now, today, i am still just as determined.

wow, does that not speak volumes?

By: NoFuture

NoFuture — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:21:59 +0000

People please wake up! this is all a BIG DRAMA for the coming GE…..

By: popcorn

popcorn — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 07:37:11 +0000

This pursuit of GDP growth is like taking opium, like a marathorn race, you have to keep going at a pace, and once you stop, you just collapse on a heap.
I do not want to collapse with a stroke or a heart attack.
Anyway, the Ministers are obsessed as their pay increase is directed linked to it. I do not want to be fool to be made used of to increase other peoples’ pay.
My health and mental wellbeing are priceless.

By: Amanecer

Amanecer — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:38:10 +0000

Why is anyone surprised by the obsession with GDP? it’s just a natural progression from the nationwide obsession with grades. and GDP, is pretty much the ministers’ grades.

By: Kanna squeeze

Kanna squeeze — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 02:26:28 +0000

To talk about pay, the President of America only get a fraction of what our ministers get and yet he got tonnes of responsibilties to solve, no time for leisure.

http://theweek.com/article/index/205136/obama-master-of-the-speed-vacation

Even on vacation with his family, he works non-stop. He is worth every penny of $3m in salary per year. Some americans will even complain that he is not doing his job well. then wtf are the old man and his son? He is damn lucky that s’poreans are timid, selfish and totally not vocal. The monkeys will never last more than 6 months in politics if set in an american society. btw obama’s salary is US$400k per yr or less than S$700k.

By: PeterC

PeterC — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:14:07 +0000

Singapore’s GDP was built gradually with the team of 65 and its people.A fair and just distribution was implemented across the board with ministers and key players retiring humbly with enough to sustain them for the rest of their lives.
Three exemplary ministers in the likes of Raja,Hon,and GDP architect GKS not forgetting others.
Todays ministers peg themselves to the GDP for their humongous salaries and bonuses and still seeking for more to maintain their lifestyles at home and abroad while the ordinary are struggling to make ends meet and the poor and less fortunate are left to their fate.What shit is Amy talking about????

By: theforgottongeneration

theforgottongeneration — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:02:56 +0000

Stop dreaming everyone, the overriding aim is to grow GDP by 3-5% each year. So what there’s flooding in Orchard road, TFR are hitting rock-bottom, there is growing underemployment of PMETs, etc…?
.
Don’t believe the shit Amy Khor sprouted, or the ‘overheating’ froggy-style tale by LHL. The reason is actually very simple:
.
– Adding 100,000 workers each year means a 2% rise in our population. It doesn’t matter whether foreigners or locals.
– Since SG wages is about 44% of GDP, so injecting additional 2% labor/wages means 4.55% GDP growth.
– Note the 100,000 are working adults, not population of which some does not generate GDP. So expected GDP growth would potentially be higher than 4.55%.
.
So how to ensure KPI of 3-5% GDP growth (& bonus in pocket)? Need a monkey to solve this? Which part of “Singaporeans First” is in the equation? Where is the part of helping Singaporeans achieved life balance (& hopefully have more babies, and be filial children to grumpy old parents?) Why they foretold us that overcrowding in SMRT/SBS ‘can’t be helped’?
.
PS: Can someone provide another source for the wages% of GDP in Japan and USA? I thought they were above 60%.

By: Mai Hum

Mai Hum — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:52:54 +0000

20 yrs ago when i first started work, my situation as follows, and I can afford it without any problem.
Salary, $2000
Brand new Honda Accord, $38000
HDB Exec Apmt in Hougang, $148000.

Now:
Salary, $2850 (dont know why)
Parallel Import Honda Stream, $100000
HDB 4 Room flat in Punggol, $400000.

See the disparity? Who gets to benefit? Definitely no you or me, but the multi-million dollars ministers.

By: Fugazzi

Fugazzi — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:36:17 +0000

Singaporeans are paying a very heavy price for having opted to have a one-party sytem where the is lack of trasnparency, lack of responsibility, lack of equity and lack of sense of justice.

Besides the claims of GDP in the past as well as now and the futurizing – till today there has never been independent verification to these statistics or what-have-you. Extrapolate to HDB,CPF, Transportation and Health – the same bullshitting! A conniving main stream media is of no help n better to label it as lame media.
I doubt it would have regressed to such a state of sorry affairs if it had been otherwise – a two-party/proportional representation or multi-party.
We can cajole, complain, whine but nothing doing lah. The damage is done and the only solution is for the masses to summon courage with conviction to end this tale of tyranny and greed for power n $$$.
As long as one single individual votes for PAP – it is adding to the misery and suffering and also perpetuating the ‘tyranny’ of this self-serving lot.

By: Dr Amy Kock

Dr Amy Kock — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:50:45 +0000

Dr Amy Khor – ““Government policy-making must instead be anchored in a clear understanding of reality, and cannot be driven by short term measurement of indicators.”

What reality is she talking about ? Get a reality check, please. The present govt has clearly no inkling of ground sentiments. To continue mass influx of 100,000 foreigners despite native already suffering from depressed wages, cramp living environment and increased competition for even lower wages is just killing everyone.

By: ACACIA

ACACIA — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:58:52 +0000

Didn’t the MP Mr Inderjit Singh also spoke about this at a parliment session?
There will be no more good years as all the figures are drummed up.
Was at a eating place at Race Course Road for lunch today and Enviroment Minister, Yakob Ibrahim and 3 other men turned up. Then it rained cats and dogs for about 45 minutes. Guess what he stayed until the rain ended. I was hoping for it to flood and would have asked him for a boat to get back to office!!!

By: Jeremy Au Kor Kian aka Sumiko Lee

Jeremy Au Kor Kian aka Sumiko Lee — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:23:59 +0000

I agree with some here.
GDP is not as meaningful to me as :

1. Quality of Life,
2. Affordability of Living
3. Job Security

Congestion, noise and pollution and job insecurity. Whats the use?

I prefer the good old days of the 80′s-90′s.
I am sure many of you know what i mean.

More good years?

My decision is made.

By: rubbish in rubbish out

rubbish in rubbish out — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:50:42 +0000

I don’t think you will see much of NMP Viswa soon…Look like he step on quite a few toes by bringing up the Golden Goose…GDP…and questioning it.
I sincerely hope more than 1 decent MP will be on his side, but I think blood money$$$ is thicker than water.