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Political apathy and youths in Singapore

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Feedback: Budget 2009 - Tax-cuts not the way to go

I am concerned that another round of personal and corporate tax cuts may leave the government unable to play its essential roles in promoting the common good and preserving essential community services and support. Although these tax cuts may seem attractive in helping to draw more foreign talents and investments especially in these times of economic slowdown, the cuts should be avoided as these taxes should be the main means of supporting social welfare. Further to this suggestion, the government should also not raise GST further and should pare down the use of GST for providing public assistance. The Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, said in an exchange in parliament on March 9, 2007 : “We can always do more (in providing public assistance) and we can always raise GST further.” The raising of GST further, will put a huge tax burden on the poor. Some studies show that the lowest 20% of the population pay more than 15% in taxes, while the top 1% of the populatio...

Risks of Unchecked Export-Driven Growth

Singapore's basic economic strategy of surviving by tapping on the global economy by attracting foreign investments to Singapore and exporting our goods to international markets is flawed. Goldman Sachs said in a client note on Thursday that, "We reiterate our view that Singapore has one of the highest exposures to weakness in external demand, because of its high ratio of exports to GDP and the high portion of exports-driven domestic demand". The brokerage firm has lowered its forecast for Singapore gross domestic product for 2009 to -8 percent from -4 percent previously as the US economy is expected to contract further in the year, curbing already weak demand for Asian goods. In Singapore, consumption composes only 40 percent of the GDP versus at least 55 percent in other developed Asian economies. With globalisation, more players have entered the "export-driven" economic playing field. Good skills are offered at lower wages by these players. This globalisatio...

Alex Au is irresponsible and disrespectful by that logic

" It is also well within Alex Au’s right to surface the issue though it was disrespectful to the Archbishop." - Dr Gillian Koh/Senior Research Fellow - Institute of Policy Studies (link: http://bit.ly/OIBAZh ) " I am not sure transparency is the key element that should be respected in this tangle." - Bertha Henson - Former Associate Editor - The Straits Times (Link: http://bit.ly/UAm0yC ) What?! It's within Alex's right to surface the issue even if it was disrespectful?! Transparency may not be the key element in this tangle?! I can't believe what I had read from the senior researcher of a government think tank and the former editor of the mainstream media. But should I have expected anything else? How is surfacing the issue being disrespectful to the Archbishop? Gillian came to this conclusion because she feels that the issue is about the interference of religion in politics. She is mistaken. It is not! The issue at hand is one of restorative j...

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