Govt handouts - How much is enough not to eat into the savings of the 'no income' savings of the seniors

 The unstoppable and continuous hikes in taxes, fees and fares have one painful result, eating into the litle savings, CPF of the seniors that have retired or not working, no more income. Whatever savings they have is all they have, to keep them alive, fed, clothed and housed for the remaining days of their lives.

For the younger Singaporeans, the economically active with an income, taxes, fees and fare hikes, high cost of everything, can always be mitigated and taken care of by their rising income, by pay increments. Many would in many ways ride along and still feeling comfortable and richer, with little or no worries for the high cost of living.

The seniors and the retired are caught in a very rough patch that needs financial assistance from somewhere to cope with their expenditure in the most expensive city in the world. There is nothing to cover them for the increasing cost of living. The real value of their little savings, if any, is diminishing every day, with every tax hike, fare hike or fee increase. The last thing the govt should be concerned is to protect their little savings, not to rob from it, not to decrease their buying power. Offering some financial assistance to top up their savings to ameliorate the taxes and hikes is the the least the govt can do to help this hapless lot.

The govt has started to roll out some assistance schemes to lower the financial burden of the seniors, subsidised fares and fees, here and there. And now the annual cost of living subsidies, Medisave contributions, subsidies for conservancy charges, essential services etc etc. The big question, are these enough? Are they enough just to cover for all the hikes in taxes and fees? Or should the govt give a little more to the seniors, a little more than all the hikes and taxes and high cost of everything?

Life can be very difficult to the no money seniors without external assistance. A cup of kopi in the kopitiam, a plate of chap chye png, are increasingly out of reach of many no income seniors. And these are really the basic necessities just to stay alive.

Are the govt handouts sufficient to cover the taxes and high cost of living with a little extra? Or the handouts may not even be enough to cover them and eating fiercely into the little savings or no savings of the seniors? There must be a cut off age to stop taxing and making the seniors to pay,... like Medisave Insurance and transport fares etc etc. Singapore is expensive, and many things have to be paid even if one does not eat, drink or get out of the flat. And better not get sick. But what to do when ageing cannot be avoided and sickness is part and parcel of growing old?

What do you think? Are the govt handout and subsidies enough to get by? The least the govt should do is to return, not compensate, for all the taxes and hikes that the seniors are affected. It is morally not right to rob or tax the no income seniors when the govt should be offering some assistance. Is this asking too much?

EU demanding transfer of Chinese technology to them?

 EU to demand technology transfers from Chinese companies

Brussels is planning to force Chinese companies to transfer intellectual property to European businesses in return for EU subsidies.

New criteria requiring Chinese businesses to have factories in Europe and share technological knowhow will be first introduced into a tender for €1bn worth of grants to develop batteries in December, according to two senior EU officials. The pilot could be rolled out to other EU subsidy schemes, they said.

The requirements, while at much smaller scale, echo China’s own regime, which pressures foreign companies into sharing their intellectual property in exchange for access to the Chinese market.

Anonymous

PS. Why would they demand transfer of Chinese technology? Aren't their western technology more superior to Chinese technology?

China Initiative is an anti Chinese racist law...bananas to the hillbillies are also Chinese and would not be spared

 ANTI-CHINA, pro-Washington people of Chinese origin are going to get a shock – they will be first to be sent home by Donald Trump.
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The mass deportation program will begin by deporting Chinese illegal immigrants of military age, NBC News reported, quoting sources from the incoming administration.
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The decision is hugely ironic. A significant number of these are the China-hating people the western mainstream media love to feature, as they are guaranteed to provide anti-China quotes to back the Pentagon's "west good, east bad" narrative.

The move is in line with the deep racism of United States policies towards ethnic Chinese in multiple areas, including education, science and government. 

Anonymous

Housing problems - Overcapacity in China, homelessness in USA

 The USA Government is one designed to favor the 1%, by the 1% and for the 1%. The whole USA homelessness problem stems from the exorbitant housing rental market that are beyond the ability of street squatters to afford. Isn't it ridiculous that the USA, with such a vast land area, has such a problem. If it is Red Dot, I have nothing say. The super rich in the USA are the owners of all the real estate in big cities and ripping off the poor in the process. The top 10% ripping off the bottom 90% and the Government unable or not wanting to do anything.

China on the other hand has a problem in reverse - more housing than demand. It is an overcapacity that the USA is not harping upon. The USA is just harping on the real estate downsizing in China, which is a priority that the Chinese Government is actively looking into. China has seen the problem in proper perspective, knowing what Japan went through in the late 1990s. China is not encouraging real estate development but is shifting resources to stimulate manufacturing of growth sectors like semiconductors, communication equipment, space exploration and encouraging domestic consumer demands to counter external dip in demand for Chinese goods through sanctions. 

Anonymous

China dumping soya beans and corn purchases

 China dumping soya beans and corn purchases after Trump's trade war in 2018 during his first term already sent a signal to Trump that trade wars are not as easy to win as he thinks.

And more than six years ago, China had by then already found alternatives to compensate for the supplies from the USA. That lesson did not sink in and now Trump wants a tariff war, also touted as easy to win. In those six years, the Chinese were not waiting for the USA to strangle China, but have been actively looking for solutions, building co-operation with partners, helping to purchase their agricultural products and raw materials. China is not wasting time trying to think of how to escalate tensions with enemies.

The tariff war is going to be the self-destruction of the USA. It is a war of USA consumers fighting the USA Government in actual fact, over additional taxes on Chinese products that is going to be self-defeating. The earlier the USA voters realize this, the better for them. What can they do about it is another question. Elections are just a Hobson's Choice for them. Both parties are not good for USA voters and for humanity at large. 

Anonymous