By A J Jennevieve and Misaki Tan posted in theindependent.sg
Singapore — Has CECA, the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between Singapore and India, benefited the island nation?
This was one of the poll questions at the Progress Singapore Party
web seminar on Thursday (June 4) which featured a panel of nine party
leaders and members, led by PSP Secretary-General Dr Tan Cheng Bock. The
two-hour discussion also touched on the Covid-19 crisis, HDB leases,
the performance of Malays in school, CPF funds, retirement adequacy and
healthcare costs.
The CECA poll showed that an overwhelming number of the respondents felt that the pact had not been beneficial to Singapore.
CECA guarantees Singapore and India
access to each other’s markets and reduces or eliminates tariffs on
imports into either country. This lowers the barrier of entry for
Singaporean businesses to enter the Indian market and allows
Singaporeans to purchase Indian products for cheaper.
However, another dimension of CECA
is the increase in foreign workforce numbers, especially employment pass
and S pass holders. A part of this number are Indian nationals who fill
jobs as professionals, managers, executives, and technicians (PMETs).
The Singapore government has given
the assurance that CECA has been generating wealth for Singaporeans but
there is uncertainty about this.
CECA guarantees Singapore and India
access to each other’s markets and reduces or eliminates tariffs on
imports into either country. This lowers the barrier of entry for
Singaporean businesses to enter the Indian market and allows
Singaporeans to purchase Indian products for cheaper.
However, another dimension of CECA
is the increase in foreign workforce numbers, especially employment pass
and S pass holders. A part of this number are Indian nationals who fill
jobs as professionals, managers, executives, and technicians (PMETs).
The Singapore government has given
the assurance that CECA has been generating wealth for Singaporeans but
there is uncertainty about this....
The above contains a list of questions that Singaporeans are very unhappy about with the CECA. What Singaporeans have been hearing are all the good things about CECA including creating good jobs for Singaporeans. On the ground everyone knows how many Singaporeans especially the PMETs were sacked and replaced by Indian nationals that are flooding the job markets here. And this is the main reason why Singaporeans are so angry with the CECA. And there is the very serious issues of pollution and harming the environment, a very heavy price to pay. And not to forget, the damages to our social fabric and losing our country to foreigners.
The govt sings one song, the people's chorus did not complement the song, in fact opposes the lyrics of the govt's song. How can the mismatch in perception be explained and for the people to know the true picture? Simple, just provide some statistics that this govt is so clever in doing. Statistics don't lie, so we hope the govt can show the people some statistics like how many Singapore businesses were set up in India and vice versa, and how many Singaporeans have gone to work in India and how many Indians are working in Singapore and how many jobs have the Indian businesses in Singapore created for Singaporeans, never mind, drivers and cleaners also can count. And also how many Indian nationals are employed by the govt, ministries, GLCs and Singaporean companies.
Make these data available and no one can then talk through their asses or be allowed to lie or make false allegations. The data must surely tell the truth and angry Singaporeans can then rest their cases if their perceptions are wrong. Hope these data are not official secrets that cannot be divulged or would take 56 man years to produce.
Boh how siow boh kong. Would the truth of how good this CECA is to Singapore and Singaporeans be told as it is so that no one needs to be guessing and getting angry for the right or wrong reasons? Or should Singaporeans continue to listen to motherhood statements without facts?
Free Markets in India?
ReplyDeleteYou must be kidding..they the most protectionist country.
Singaporeans goes there to be in the
Running for COVID infections and DEATHS chasing after Brazil, Italy and UAssA.?
Which foolish Sinkies want to work down there?
Except for our SMART investors who invested billions there and kena conned by them.
Lau Goh Loved them.
They accused China of conning Sinkieland of what's many projects.
The Talents here even their construction workers had experienced lifes in Cruise Ships Emperor Suites with free food awaiting for them than Sinkies who thru their whole life had not even stay in a four walled state room.
Sinkies goes there to live in their slums and became Slum Dog Millionaires?
So, you think Sinkies had advantage in this CECA?
Wake up Sinkies
When 'clever' people that earn more than $500k a year said so, it must be true. Do not question people that earn more than you.
ReplyDeleteHeard of rich bloody fools?
I want to throw every time that OCBC opens his mouth.
ReplyDeleteWho in Singapore really benefited from CECA?
ReplyDeleteSingapore entities like Singtel and GIC are able to invest in India with less restrictions. As part of CECA, investments into India are not required to seek foreign investment approval generally. Also, investors are allowed to freely transfer funds related to their investments, such as capital, profits, dividends and royalties. Temasek and GIC are formally recognised as distinct entities, and they are allowed to each own up to 10% of a listed Indian company.
For that, CECA must allow India nationals to work in Singapore more easily. The 2 countries must recognise each other’s education and professional qualifications so that Indian professionals would be able to practise in Singapore.
PAP may propagate that CECA also benefit Singaporeans wanting to work in India but the question is – how many Singaporeans would want/dare to work there?
How can a job in India pay enough for a Singaporean to buy an HDB flat ???
Delete- I got no stroke or cancer ... so I can still think clearly.
The PAP needed there Indian Migrant construction workers to build the HDB pigeon holes for big MONIES.
DeleteThat's why by hook or crooks they needed them here.
Even at the extent of fishing out enormous sums of tax payers MONIES to resettle and feed them.
Even supporting their cronies Dorm operators.
Why they also allowed their PEMETs to be here..bcecause the Indians Modis strangled their balls on order to allow their construction workers here.
Why they so generous?
Because big MONIES to be made from these cheap labours and also at cost of one unit pigeon hole at 20K sold to you at 200K to 800K.
Prefab structural building parts at Matland at RM costings.
But sell you at SIN $$$$$$$.
If India is so good;
ReplyDelete- please send our SAF scholars to Indian universities
Only silly cunts would exchange Singapore dollars for rupees and say it is a good deal.
ReplyDeleteAnd only OCBC would want to live in India instead of Singapore.
Vote Opposition to cancel CECA.
ReplyDeleteA vote for PAP in GE 2020 will mean CECA will continue for another 5 years.
Everywhere is the same.
ReplyDeleteThe people suffer and the rulers gaining most of the wealth.
Been like that for thousands of years.
Thats life.
Cest la vie.
CCECA is a blunder. It is the greatest stupidity that cannot be cured.
ReplyDeleteIt is caused by greed from wanting to benefit Temasek Holdings. Probably, one woman was behind this?
Hey bro be careful lar on what u posted. U don't wNt kena invite to meet the tuakee then kena sodomized jialat jialat by them
DeleteIt is good that Tan Cheng Bock and his party will raise this issue in the GE. Hope every opposition party will tear this CECA to pieces. It is a traitorous agreement that favours only India and little benefit to Singapore.
ReplyDeleteOnly recalcitrant idiots would stick to it and refuse to admit how bad it is and how much harm it has done to Singapore and Singaporeans.
It looks like Singapore has at least one traitor in the Filing Cabinet and many skeletons in the Cupboard.
ReplyDeleteIn the future, when the PAP is ousted, it should be banned as a political party.
In addition, a series of inquiries should be launched to investigate into any serious violation of the Constitution, as well as to look into probable white-collar crimes committed, if any. No stones should be left unturned.
India thot it can do another CECA on the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership), but the rest of the RCEP countries, except Singapore, are not so stupid as to give in to India's CECA-like terms for its joining the RCEP.
ReplyDeleteThat's why the RCEP, due to India, has still not been concluded after endless discussions so many years.
CECA is India's way of exporting its unemployed nationals to other countries to alleviate its dire unemployment situation at home.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteVERY very very sorry anonymous 9.59am!
You will be greatly greatly greatly disappointed.
Opposition....no use lah!
Said many many many times before, PAP smelly smelly likely to get at least 8o%! 1oo% seats at the next GE!
Don't believe? We shall see....
At the meantime, watch the live drama.......
Hahahahahaha.........
India is the only country to opt out of the RCEP agreement once it discovered that the country needed to be more open to trade but also not getting demand on free movement of labour to member countries.
ReplyDeleteIndia would have rejected CECA if it didn't think the benefits was overwhelmingly in its favours.
Ie, Singapore had been suckered for its greed for its GLCs at the expense of the local labour force.
It would be nice if PSP would make revoking the CECA as their main agenda for the GE.
ReplyDeleteThis CECA is such a pain the arse for Singaporeans esp the PMETs. Many are now retired prematurely or under employed, or become taxi drivers or security guards.
Not only they suffered, their families also suffered. And many young graduates too suffered for not being able to get a job and ended up either jobless or underemployed or become temp staff.
Only silly boys and girls would think CECA is good thing.
ReplyDeleteCECA negotiated by Goldfish Eyes and team?
ReplyDeleteCECA is not good for Singaporeans.
ReplyDeletePAP is also not good for Singaporeans
How on earth could people negotiate and sign such a silly agreement?
ReplyDeleteIt is so unbelieveable. Even primary school kids would not do it.
Primary school kids will not sign the CECA agreement.
Delete- But PAP will sign because PAP does not care about Singaporeans.
Dumb cunt Singaporeans do not deserve any Opposition politicians to speak out for us.
DeleteWe deserve the bastard PAP because we are dumb cunts for voting for PAP
Why did the other ASEAN countries, Japan, China and Australia reject CECA?
ReplyDeleteAnd the smart scholars of Singapore agreed and signed it and now got stuck, and cannot revoke? Really smart?
That shows paying $millions to those self-praising and self-enriching minions is not justified. Obviously, they are not even as smart as the old and aging Indian PM Modi. Therefore, they do not deserve the exorbitant salaries paid to them.
The handling of the Covid19 Pandemic is another clear indication that they are not worthy of the obscene salaries and bonuses.
Singaporeans have been taken for a long ride down the slippery slope of unsustainability of triple whammy: taxes and cost of living keep going up speedily while standard of living and quality of life keep going down, and job security and social equality also keep going down.
Teo Chee Hean praised them Sky High.
DeleteSelling hai kow yew?
Self glorification like Dotard TRUMP.
The World turn upside down with these pompous, deceit beans.
Sad indeed.
Sinking Land gonna be in real shits this time round.
Has LKY rise from his grave
CECA allows Indians to come Sinkapore via intra company transfers not
ReplyDeleteonly their workers but their families,parents,grand parents,brothers, sisters, relatives and these people have the right to be considered
for employment too. Which foreigner wouldn't want to come here when the
process is so convenient and so easy?
Without Lee Kuan Yew, no one can handle the Indians. The Indians would put them in their pockets without them knowing.
ReplyDelete