8/02/2014

VEP- Trying to understand the decisions




The VEP and Toll fees hike is turning into another mini crisis or pain among the transport operators and travelers on both sides of the causeway. When one hiked the other party also wants to hike. It can be Singapore first or Malaysia first, doesn’t matter. If Malaysia does it, Singapore’s standard reaction will be, we will match the hike.

For the party who made the first move, one can quite safely deduce that they must have done some homework, some analysis on the numbers and the reasons for hike. Let’s hazard a guess on the reasons why LTA decided on the fee hike. The first point is likely that the govt needs money and someone was told to look for more revenue sources. Can the CPF issue be a factor where some changes will take place to return some money to the people to appease them? A second reason is to relate the cost of driving on our roads with comparatively higher COEs that the Singaporeans are paying. A third reason, too many vehicles on the road and a need to limit foreign vehicles coming in. But this third reason is contrary to the need for economic growth, to have more economic activities, more people and vehicles in the island. Raising fees would definitely lead to lesser vehicles coming here if they could avoid it, lesser Malaysians driving in for leisure, and lesser Malaysians shopping here and thus affecting the Great Singapore Sale. Oh, GSS is over already I think.

A fourth reason, would this affect those Singaporeans buying properties or setting up factories at Iskandar? What kind of impact? Likely to be negative, but is it good or bad for Singapore?
LTA must have played with the different combinations on what would be the desired fee hike and the acceptable consequences. So lesser vehicles, lesser people coming in are acceptable trade offs for the increased in revenue. And if the Malaysians retaliate by raising fees on their side, even lesser vehicles and people coming in, but with a corresponding match in toll fee hike, the increased in revenue is good.

What would be the motivating factors for the Malaysians to do so? The first is political. KNN anyhow raise VEP to make Malaysian vehicles pay more. Must hit back to show them we cannot be makan or bullied. Another reason, well, using the political excuse will be popular with the people, but better still, can raise revenue also. This is like killing two birds with one stone. Can tekan the Singapore govt and appease the Malaysians. Got balls!. The third reason, or haven’t thought of, what if this leads to lesser Singaporeans coming into Malaysia? Would it affect the tourist dollar, would it affect the sales of properties at Iskandar and the bigger plan of turning Iskandar into a shining pearl? What about the ordinary Malaysians crossing over to work and the children taking public transport to schools? This last question going to be susah.

What both sides must have thought through would be the likely effect of choking up the causeway and the second link. People, goods and money will not flow so smoothly through these two links. It would definitely affect the economy the wrong way. It is like throwing a spanner in the works by both sides.
Why would the two govts want to do these things? In Singapore’s case, boh lui is a likely to be a big factor. For the Malaysians, it is like trying to fight a battle only to lose a war.

Kopi Level - Green

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rb: // VEP- Trying to understand the decisions //


In salesman talk, they call it " 见人说人话,见鬼说鬼话 ".

In labour market, prostitutes need open leg big big cos globalization, otherwise other people eat our lunch, dinner, supper blah blah blah .....

Now need close leg tight tight to minimize vehicles coming in?

What free trade? What globalization?

人话 or 鬼话, ALL 话 lead to $$$$$?

Open leg big big, "one shot one kill", so each "cunt" and each "cork" levies total after 5 to 20 years working here how much huh?

Multiply by 2 millions foreigners here after 5 to 20 years how much huh?

VEP same same lah?

讲来讲去都是脱裤子放屁的话?

这是什么世道?

Reminiscent of the ending era of many past fallen dynasties?

Anonymous said...

"In Singapore’s case, boh lui is a likely to be a big factor."
RB

Boh lui? PAP govt, and also a lot of Sinkies, is much richer than u think. Majority Sinkies also support PAP stronger than u think. Or rather what a lot of bloggers think.

Anonymous said...

I think the Sinkie opposition, not only boh lui, but also boh lang (no enough Sinkies) to contest 100% seats next election.

That's why they are not ready to be govt lah. This one the strongest Sinkie opposition party leader also say one OK, not only I say hoh.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

My mother used to say, it is now how much you earned, how much you have. It is how much you spent. If you spend more than what you earned or have, everyday is money not enough.

Just watch how they spend. Good times are here! Don't worry, be happy.

Anonymous said...

Who says Singapore " bo lui "? The national reserve runs into hundreds of billion. This idea that Singapore is broke because of bad investment is nonsense. We all know that the PAP government manages the national reserve very well. Singaporeans need not fear about their CPF. It is safe. When the time comes for the government to dish out the CPF for you, you will get your money, and until then your CPF will earn lots of interest. Never fear. The PAP government knows exactly what is good for you. So RB, please do not provoke fear and disillusion.

Anonymous said...

In financial terms, they call it "higher highs ".

The mass is getting higher in each cycle.

In the 80s, it was about 35% in 1984.

The 90s, about 38% in 1991.

The 2010s, about 40% in 2011.

In 2015/2016/ Jan 2017 ( latest date ), could it be 42-50%?

The point of reversal? 拐点?

Anonymous said...

"I think the Sinkie opposition, not only boh lui, but also boh lang ..."
Anon 11:17 am

No lah. Money is not the problem lah. Smart Sinkies sure have a lot of money what, tio bo?

But smart Sinkies will never join opposition, so opposition "boh lui" and "boh lang" lor.

Wu lang (got daft but poor Sinkies) but boh lui also no use, tio bo?

Anonymous said...

In Chinese, it is called " 劫贫济富"

"ROB THE POOR TO GIVE THE RICH"?

Have social justice?

Anonymous said...

Agree with RB. Don''t worry, be happy.

Anonymous said...

" 天塌下来当被盖 "?

" NUN WHORERY, PEE PAPPY"?

PIMP AND PIMP ALL THE WAY?

Awe Gui Tao?

老龟公?

Anonymous said...

Must agree that the govt has a lot of money. So many years to budget surpluses in billions every year. So many hundreds of billions in the reserves.

Only strange thing, why cannot return CPF money. Why keep on increasing taxes, charges, and fees?

Collected so much, have so much in the reserves, still need to collect and collect? liat boh kew.

Anonymous said...

"Liat bo BALL-LA "?

Ask ball-la king, ah Song la?

Sure " goal "?

Unless " chau Kar "?

Goal posts also "chau kar "?

Like that don't say ball-la king ah Song!

"Leg of God " also cannot "goal"

Cos "leg of god " no match for "leg of chau " aka "chau kar "?

Anonymous said...

It is not that bad as 'rob the poor to give the rich', however, they do make the poor work very hard to enrich the powerful and wealthy. In simple term; exploiting the poor and weak to maximun. This is the Opposite of good care and welfare that political leaders have to provide for their subjects, a noble duty that all political leaders are expected to fulfill. Yet, the Opposite is true in Sin.

Well, it is also true that Alternative Political Parties in Sin are fragmented. And the Chief of Workers Party did indeed said that the Incumbent Rulers are competent. Wonder if he has any doubt about their(Rulers) integrities.

One commenter here is especially impressed with the Declaration by WP Chief that his Party is not yet ready to form the Government. Me too finds it peculiar and difficult to understand the Statement. More so why such a declaration was needed.

Anyway, imho, it is the People that elect or choose the Government. And majority of the Voters had agreed with WP Chief.

Will Sinkies' fear of rocking the Boat persist in the Next General Election? Personally, I hope with more younger Singaporeans like Han Hui Hui, Roy Ngerng, Ariffin Sha and others leading the Way, the Older Sinkies could at least help to make the Change our youngs are wishing for.

patriot

Anonymous said...

What are the official reasons to raise VEP? Reduce traffic on our roads and to level the fees paid by Sporeans and Malaysians. Ok, fair enough.

Then why the need to match when Malaysia raised tolls? Would that not help our objectives of lesser traffic and as well without undermining the equalisation of the fees paid by all motorists?

Why like dat huh?

Veritas said...

It could be that Malaysia is being greedy as well as hoodwink by PAP.

Malaysia need monies.

What does PAP want? PAP want Singaporeans to keep shopping in this island and prevent us from price arbitration across the causeway.

We shop here, to support the retailer, to support the property price. We do not shop here. Property price crash.

So PAP raise the exit/entry tax. Malaysia wants monies and tit-for-tat follows.

The best strategy for Malaysia is to scrap all exit/entry tax because Singaporeans shopping in JB will be creating more values.

You will be assured PAP is the winner in this game. The losers are the Malaysia Singapore citizens.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Remember the early years up to the 80s, we were shoppers paradise. Everything was cheaper and better because of our free port status. The Malaysians and Indonesians flocked here for shopping. Ringgit/dollar were at parity. Our causeway checkpoints were fully opened, letting Malaysians coming in at ease, free flowing.

The table has turned. We are flocking to JB and other parts of Malaysian. Unfortunately the Malaysians could not see the money coming in and made things difficult.

Now they did the unthinkable, to close their borders by raising toll fees and VEP to compete with Sin.

You tell them it is a mistake they will get angry with you. So? Why want to build Iskander region if they want to close the border?

Anonymous said...

Some people take a life time to learn a simple trick.

Anonymous said...

DODO SONG?July 30, 2014 12:13 pm

Rb, here's a song in the future that may be sung in commemoration of sinkies existence:

There was a time people said it won't happen but it did.

There was a time we could not have let it happen but we did.

We build a cuntry, clean and rich.

Reaching out together for 3rd world fake FTs.

Chorus:

This is 3rd world cuntry. This is foreign land.

This is aliens' future. This is Sinkies life.

This is Dodo extinction. These are the aliens.

Narration:

SINKIELAND the foreign land, belongs to aliens all.

Foreigners United marching together as One.

We have come and gone, our common destiny.

SukaSukaLand forever, a cuntry for ALIENS FREE.

Chorus:

This is 3rd world cuntry. This is foreign land.

This is aliens' future. This is Sinkies life.

This is Dodo extinction. These are the aliens.

Anonymous said...

12.59 :" One commenter here is especially impressed with the Declaration by WP Chief that his Party is not yet ready to form the Government. "


Impressive indeed.

"瞒天过海"?

"上屋抽梯"?

Anonymous said...

In the end, "鹿死谁手"?

Anonymous said...

Rb/The first point is likely that the govt needs money and someone was told to look for more revenue sources/

Sources?

What sources other than "legally robbing the poor "?

No?

Anonymous said...

Rb / Let’s hazard a guess on the reasons why LTA decided on the fee hike. /

Property?

Anonymous said...

With such LUI-DERSHIP, how can old man not worry forever eternally even in HELL?

Yes, AMERICA, ARSETRAILA will be around 100 years time.

SIN-KA-POK, how to even contemplate beyond TOMORROW, much less 100 years time?

Happy DODO Day!

Goooooooood LUI-DERSHIP!

MO TAK TENG!

THE BESTEST IN THE UNIVERSE!

Anonymous said...

fuck lah ....

nah beh ... early morning, cock already itchy must stand up 4 stinkapore b4 9th august oredi

hormat senjata ... HORMAT

raise toll so veri the good, well done hsien loong .. u fucking bastard .. i promise to vote for papigs not u ... unless u carve up moi are to teck ghee

btw why u call it teck ghee? u apply ghee ?

proud supporker of papigs ... u all join me lah ... vote for papigs

moi ..will be modern day messiah, leading all back to the promised land of wooden hean goh cheok tong

govt kolet money n distribute to dafts ... u all not happy ha? fucking ungrateful pricks!!

vote papigs ... huat ah ...

Anonymous said...

LEE-DERSHIP + LUI-DERSHIP = LEE-LUI-TIONSHIP?

CRONY CAPITA-LEE-ISM COL-LUI-SION?

ROB THE POOR, FATTEN THE RICH?

HAPPY DODO DAY!

Well done!

LEGS OPEN NOT WIDE ENOUGH!

OPEN WIDE WIDE MORE LOOSE LOOSE

CAN PROSTITUTE AND PROSTITUTE

EVERYTHING LUMBER 1

PROSTITUTION THE BESTEST IN THE WORLD

NO?