2/24/2015
A handout budget but something missing
Call it an election budget or whatever you like, it is a handout budget, full of handouts for the people. Everyone is going to collect an angpow somewhere along the line. The biggest and most welcome package would be the Silver Support Scheme. Remisiers would be happy to know that this scheme will be most appreciated as many will join the ranks for this handout. I doubt there would be many criticisms about the money handing out by the Govt other than some minor complaints of people missing out or not getting enough. I would leave the nitty gritty to the social scientists and statisticians to delve into the fine details.
I was looking for something else, the future of Singapore. This is what the Govt called this budget, a budget for the future of Singapore. I can see a lot going to education and technical training and some piece meal crumbs for middle management as an after thought that would not result in anything meaningful or substantive. We will be producing a lot of quality technicians and foot soldiers and also an appeased middle management.
The issue of PMEs is left blank. Nothing mentioned and very likely many will continue to join this rank and be beneficiaries of the Silver Support Scheme when they join the Silver Brigade. The other important and critical structuring that was left untouched or unsaid is top management. The technical schemes and support given to students would result in a lot of good technicians, a lot of little Indians.
What about the Indian Chiefs? Would Singaporeans be good enough only to be little Indians and the Indian Chiefs would still come from non Singaporeans, the so called foreign talents? Is our top world class education system and tertiary institutions real or just hogwash? Why is it that our graduates from these world class universities not making it to the top but being replaced by wild oats from God knows where and definitely not world class universities except those from the North? Do we believe in the quality of our education system, that our graduates should fill the top positions in govt and in the private sector?
Apart from the fetish craze that angmohs and foreigners are the best, and the colonial mentality that we are daft remnants or descendants of the British colonial regime, the leftovers, what is wrong with our people that they cannot become Indian Chiefs in their own country while most of these positions have to be filled by foreigners from banking and finance to sports and recreation? Many of these top positions do not require geniuses to do the job and many of the foreigners are not genius either but the average Joe in their country. Why are our top talents found wanting and being discarded?
Many years back, the finance industry was filled by our own local talents when there were govt initiatives and policies to ensure that. What is missing today? If we could do it then, we must be able to do better with our world class universities and top grade students. Where is the political will and decision to ensure that our own talents become the Indian Chiefs and not some unknown wild oats given a pink IC or not necessary even?
The budget did not mention anything about creating more true blue Indian Chiefs. The policy of bringing in more foreign Indian Chiefs and allowing govt and private sectors to fill the Indian Chief positions as they like is unchanged. The restructuring has left this out completely. Would the future Singapore be controlled and run by foreign Indian Chiefs with Singaporeans providing the little Indians and running around like little Indians and be happy with the situation as long as there are cheap handouts from the Govt?
Maybe the Govt would be addressing this restructuring to allow more Singaporeans to rise to the top in a separate White Paper. Do you really need the angmohs to run the parks and the zoos and the aquariums? Do we continuously have to rely on foreigners to train our sportsmen at international level? When are we going to produce our own top coaches? Is there something missing in the budget? What is the missing link?
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14 comments:
All I know is that before we receive any "goodies", I have to pay higher patrol already. WTF
You are right. Many of the angpows will only be effective in 2016 and can only credit to you in 2017. And many credit into your CPF, can see cannot touch.
Yes, yes, a futuristic budget for the future.
YES! A Budget Full Of HANDOUTS!
Indeed, an election budget!
Indeed, an election budget!
BUT, we have to be very careful.
Don't the govt "HANDOUTS" and
businesses "TAKEBACK" with rising
prices of goods and services.
Then it will be very sad!
Cheers.
I call this budget "cautious welfarism", tipping my hat to Tharman's "calibrated move".
I wish we had this guy in Australia. Australia had over 20 years of sustained boom---and yet today still can managed to have a 44 billion AUD budget deficit, compared to Singapore's puny 100 million SGD. Aust top tax rate 45%. Singapore now 22%, up 2% (i.e. 10 % increase).
The most disturbing fact: every Aussie budget is a "Robin Hood" budget...and the motherfuckers still cannot balance their books!
When most of the world in in financial shambles, Singapore can still deliver such a budget. Impressive work lah.
Well done Tharman!
Had my first experience of the handout budget when I filled my petrol tank today...
Effective from year 2016 after you people knows what to do huh??
VOTE US IN or the dreams KAPUT!!!
Same time announcement the Election Register is ready for inspection. Just checked mine to buy 4D- nice number!
Also, these education funds- most oldies got no strength to go and study liao lah!!
Every time upgrading, upgrading, never end! Wants some increase salaries- go for upgrading.
Why their MPs so mediocre- NO GO FOR UPGRADING??
Budget for the Future? Where is the Future? Giving a bit here and a bit there for students concessions and for Oldies to go for "up-grading" or "re-education" in order to survive in an increasingly competitive and unfriendly-to-locals private and public sectors.
Where is the Vision down the road?
Must excuse him. He has lost a lot of hair. His HAIR Qualities have been depleted tremendously.
Basically, as most people have perceived, this is nothing but an Enticement Budget to advantage PAP in the imminent GE that is going to take place this year, most probably after 1st May.
PM is recovering from Prostate Cancer surgery. He may or may not get a relapse. His father LKY is in intensive care unit, already for 18 days. These TWO factors alone will influence the PM to decide to go ahead with the GE as early as possible.
Time is very short for all the Alternative/Opposition Parties. They had better start full swing in their preparations for the coming GE.
May the Year of the Goat make the goats use their horns and be a little bit aggressive, instead of continuing to be timid and get bullied every time?
What Goodies and Ang Pows?
Basically, Left Hand is Giving to the Right Hand.
If they credit the ang pows into your CPF, ask yourself: Who use my CPF money? Where does the CPF money go?
They go to GIC and Temasek. Who are the Head Honchos in GIC and Temasek?
GIC's Chairman is none other than the PM himself and His Deputy is none other than the Finance Minister himself.
Temasek is controlled by none other than the PM's wife, Ho Ching.
So, they give you some money, and this money goes to your CPF, and from CPF this money goes to GIC and Temasek for them to use immediately. While you have to wait until Age 67 or when you fall sick and hospitalised.
Very Clever (or Cunning?), is it not? KNNBCCB!
Btw..what's wrong with budget deficits n high personal tax rates for the super earners. Singapore with all its prudent measures still is one of the costliest countries in the world..while Australia with all its so called economic mismanagement still has some of the most livable cities in the world..so much so that MS decide to call it home..what empirical evidence are there that high personal tax rates for the super income earner serves as a deterrent to industry'n people...I would argue that taxing tycoons like wee cho yaw or ministers whether at 22% or 50% would not make one bit of difference to their personal motivation.. I would argue for punitive tax rates for super wealthy so that they can stop their resources swallowing ambitions n allow others in the lower tax brackets to compete..Every year we have this budget brouhaha that purports to hand out billions...look at the bottom line..net cash collection for iras is always positive..what does it say ah!!
Top management and PMEs are educated elite people who have been earning very good salary, who are the top income earners.
If anything, the govt should not be giving them any help at all. Why should the govt be subsidizing them with handouts ? These people are more than capable to take care of themselves and stand on their own two feet. Even if they have lost their job, they had the high incomes they earned to cushion them. They cannot expect to always earn the same high income unless they get promoted to do higher responsibility things.
Hi Visions, welcome to the blog.
The Buddhist will tell you what is important is now, this very moment. Tomorrow one could be dead. The future may not come in time. They just kick the can further down the road or place a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Since Darkness (insert year) left your site. I noticed there is a general lack of intelligent commentators.
Do you have any idea what Darkness and lot are doing? They seem to be like in their own world.
I really have no idea except that he is a farmer. BTW he is still here, reading, and posting when he cannot tahan watching: )
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