Secrets of Success - Raising fees or charges

This is another efficient and well tested formula. Whenever there is a need to raise fees or tariff rates, just offer a 3 month or 6 month rebate. This can be done right at the beginning or quarterly over a year. The customers will feel grateful that they have a rebate, a subsidy mentality, and actually feel good. They will forget that for a few months of rebates they will eventually pay the new rate for the rest of their lives.

ERP coming to your HDB carparks.

Well, ERP gantry is now at Lor 6 Toa Payoh. So if you think of escaping the Expressways, fat hope. Wherever you try to sneak away from paying, the ERP will come to you. Eventually the gantries will be erected in front of HDB car parks. And that will be the day when all the car parks will be turned into warehouses for brand new and expensive cars. Move out of the carpark you pay. Car ownership will still be a privileged. And driving around will be a bigger privilege. Paradise is looking beautiful where people will spend their time strolling along free walkways and enjoying the beautiful landscapings around their estates.

Who's views matter?

Several letters gone to the msm and a few were published in Today discussing why views from certain people from the establishment meant more than kopitiam talks or the masses. They took offence that the people's right of expression as entrenched in the constitution was poof poofed away. This reminds me of a Hokien song called 'kim pao ghin.' It means that only certain people's words are meaningful and certain people will only get into trouble when they open their mouths. That's life. This simple process is also very selective.

$890k for a 5rm HDB flat

This is the best news today. All HDB hardlanders may find life not so hard after all. 4 rm flat should be around $700k and 3m may be $500k soon. Hey, who needs compulsory annuity with so much money in assets? Just liquidate and live the last few years in an abundance of money. Singaporeans are really lucky. So rich!

Social tension right before my eyes

I saw it last evening in the train. The apparent peaceful atmosphere was deceiving. There was this local sitting there with eyes closed and beside him was a FT. I did not see what actually caused the outburst, but probably a brush while sitting tightly beside one another. 'I know you are not Singaporean. Go back to your country.' The FT was stunned. And all was silent. Later the FT stood up to alight. The local stood up too. Both were at least 1.82m tall. Then smack smack, that was all the sound I heard as I was at the door. I turned and saw the FT standing motionless, too shock to react. The local muttered a few more harsh words and strutted off. With so many people crowding in the train or in public places, this kind of tension and violence will erupt more often at the slightest provocation. And it can become worst if it becomes a group thing.

I agree, it is afforable

9 out of 10 patients in B1 wards paid between $23,654 and $27,659 for the hospital bill. Assuming an average of 10 days stay, it works out to $2.300/$2,700 per day. The ward charge is about $160 and the rest must be professional fees and medications. I think this sum is still affordable. For that is all I can afford to empty my Medisave Account for one admission. People shall not grumble as they are paying for world class services and treatment. But when the money is spent, then how if another admission is needed? Don't worry, compulsory medical insurance may be the answer. No matter how expensive our medical fees are, Singaporeans will be able to afford them one way or another.

A mountain of political capital

Over the last 40 years the Govt has amassed a huge mountain of political capital for bringing development and prosperity to the country and people. This is an undeniable fact. Recently we are seeing the Govt drawing on this capital and spending on matters which no Govt would dare to dream of. Policies and decisions that were often an outright affront to the people were pushed out without a blink of the eye. They may think that they have a lot of political capital to spend. Political capital is very different from a savings account where $1000 spent is $1000k less and the rest remain. A single event or unacceptable decision can cause a mountain of capital to disappear overnight. Getting Chee Hian to announce the 21% pay hike and telling the people that it is not enough and another round is coming is banking too much on his individual political capital and clout. Does Chee Hean has that to carry this through? Yet to see. In my view there is only one man who has earned enough political capital to make such an annoucement and at most get a few bruises. Even Chok Tong is no longer in such a position to make such statements. He has spent all his political capital or his political capital has been spent. The rest of the cabinet, some may have a little capital, but not really that much to get away with outrageous decisions or policies.