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| 27/02/2008 |
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Rising Costs
By FZ @ 8:11 PM :: 541 Views ::
0 Comments :: General
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I am not the only one who is feeling the heat of the rising costs in Singapore. The latest budget revealed dvidends to be received this year. How much is it? Dividends range from $150 up to $550, the latter for the more needy citizens. In the media, Singaporeans are advised not to perceive the Budget as a Hongbao/ red packet giveaway. We need to voice out to our finance minister that the minute $450 will not last a year for the needy, will not last a day for the middle and low-income people. Pay the SP Services bill and go to the Supermarket, and that's about it! So what's the big hoo-hah about the Dividends? Neither am I asking for more dividends. We should all ask the government to take action to amend the current living costs to help its people, its nation, its businesses.
I appreciate the various MPs who represent a majority of the nation, seeking government help for the people and companies ... some even questioned the government's action last year to hike up the GST and allowed a chain of price increases.
A debate on past action is pointless now. I hope the MPs will push further for ACTION to review the GST, living costs, housing costs .. why not review the GST? Did the companies and businessworld benefit from the hike, as claimed by the Finance Minister that it is benefitting for our economy? Or do we already know that the pinch is passed down to direct consumers.
If we could increase the GST, we could also revert it back. Why am I suggesting this? Yesterday, my spouse commented, "Oh no! A barrel of oil is now over US$100.." This translates to higher transportation costs worldwide, and this means all our vegetables from Malaysia, milk and meat air-flewn from Australia etc will all increase in price. So if a majority of the nation is already struggling to have ends meet, they will soon be skipping meals too. Yes, we enjoy a high standard of living, we did well last year, but hello, our employers are still stingy on that payrise, and you are wondering why they won't give you that rise? They have higher business costs too.
Don't forget the ultimate effect of this economy swirl: the widening income gap. I saw on TV news how a local, reputable university personnel mentioned that "to have quality education, we need to have the top faculty members and to attract them we need higher university fees." Firstly, quality education should not be coupled with costs. Take Germany for example. It is reputable for its Engineering faculties. Its population enjoy highly-subsidised education for instance semester fees are about S$1500 on average. Did the students pay alot for their education? No. Did they create a world-class education? Yes, and with a branding too - Come across a German engineer, and you have no doubt he is an expert. Secondly, education is about passion, so does teaching. Singapore universities and the government should not have risen the school fees further. The less well-to-do students are less likely to take on a university education, leaving only the rich students. Are these the ones who will be more than great? The poor simply gives up on higher education because of the fees. Stop this income gap factor now then later. Everyone, rich or poor, old or young, need to be given a fair and equal opportunity to pursue education without worrying about their finances. The Finance Minister has revealed a 40% subsidy for the adult learners, for which I am grateful. The government needs to take a closer look at the universities, and not let their fees increase further in order to stop the income gap from widening further.
I should be a political correspondent .. enough about me. It's about my fellow friends, neighbours, relatives. It's about strategic thinking. It's about not giving excuses, but taking action. People's Action Party...the time has come again for some action.
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