Are you ready for 7 million people on tiny Singapore?
-
3Boys:
And that in itself does not justify that we have to go down the same path.
Your first question should be forwarded to the ministers in parliament. I am not able to provide figures that are not readily available online. All I can say is that GST exemption on medical services is implemented in other developed countries. Thus far, the economies of those countries have not collapsed yet. Just like how all those countries with a strong welfare system are still around and some of them, like Denmark, seem to be doing well.Mdm Koh:
[quote=\"3Boys\"]
Again, this is quite an unsubstantiated assertion. Pray tell, how much revenue did the g'ment earn from GST on medical services? Versus how much did they pump back in in terms of subsidies?
Please don't confuse the issue. The point is keeping the whole thing affordable, not about the GST per se.
So why is it justifiable for people to spend discretionary income on hairdos and holidays, but not on medical care?
Don't need to ask Minister, a bit digging by a concerned citizen out for the truth will give you some ball park numbers;
http://www.mof.gov.sg/budget_2012/download/FY2012_Budget_Highlights_part1.pdf
Total GST receivables for 2011 = $8.4 billion
Even if healthcare contributed say 10% of that (a huge stretch, since healthcare will likely be less than 2% of economy)
http://www.singstat.gov.sg/stats/themes/economy/ess/essa11.pdf
The assumed max total GST receipts from healthcare would be $840 million.
The total amount of healthcare budget spent in 2010 was $3.9 billion.
http://www.mof.gov.sg/budget_2012/download/FY2012_Budget_Highlights_part1.pdf
That's a nett spend of over $3 billion, even assuming the wildest estimate of receipts from healthcare GST.
They are all available online, just need to be interested enough to go look for it.[/quote]Wow! $3b on healthcare budget alone!! Better urge the gov not to cut GST manz.... with the aging population, this figure sure to go up.... could easily bankrupt our coffer in 20/30years time. -
limlim:
Ya lor. Must discourage Singaporeans from marrying foreigners from those low class countries. We don't want them muddying the pure bloodlines of true blue Singaporeans.How would I not understand this. If one wanna get a foreign spouse, one shd willingly pay the cost. I believe I have visited the ICA more times than you go and renew your passport, for all kinds of stuffs at level 4 with my friend.
Cannot tahan a bit of inconvenience? -
limlim:
Geez....did you even reflect before you said that???
How would I not understand this. If one wanna get a foreign spouse, one shd willingly pay the cost. -
pirate:
Must marry up, cannot marry down :siam:
Ya lor. Must discourage Singaporeans from marrying foreigners from those low class countries. We don't want them muddying the pure bloodlines of true blue Singaporeans.limlim:
How would I not understand this. If one wanna get a foreign spouse, one shd willingly pay the cost. I believe I have visited the ICA more times than you go and renew your passport, for all kinds of stuffs at level 4 with my friend.
Cannot tahan a bit of inconvenience? -
Harlequin:
It was pirate actually, but I concur.....
Like 3B said, the rich and the medical tourists currently are being taxed GST on medical which could be fund for the the low income heavily subsidized group.... need a formula lah.... -
Harlequin:
Must marry up, cannot marry down :siam:
But wait the kiddoes decide to go play soccer for South Africa instead of Singapore. Then how? -
How did you arrive at the conclusion that healthcare’s contribution to total GST revenue is 10%?
Also, sorry, I don’t think $3 billion nett is an impressive figure to spend on healthcare policies for a greying population of 5.3 million.
$3 billion is a lot of money for one person but not enough for a whole country. -
pirate:
Ha... aptly quote.Harlequin:
Must marry up, cannot marry down :siam:
But wait the kiddoes decide to go play soccer for South Africa instead of Singapore. Then how?
Marry down wait the kiddoes go plant paddy in our northern up neighbor countries how?
Wait! Maybe they will have a happier lives there.... with the population of approx. 90/1km2 :siam: No need COE, just ride motorcycle or bicycle. -
Mdm Koh:
How did you arrive at the conclusion that healthcare's contribution to total GST revenue is 10%?
Also, sorry, I don't think $3 billion nett is an impressive figure to spend on healthcare policies for a greying population of 5.3 million.
$3 billion is a lot of money for one person but not enough for a whole country.
$3b nett nett was in year 2010, not yet with 5.3 million greying population...
Per capital, that's an astonishing amount on healthcare Liao...
neighboring countries with much bigger population do not even come close, some more a big chunk of their healthcare budget go into many personal pockets leh! What actually being spent on their people is pathetic, take a tour to their gov hospital you would know what I mean. -
Mdm Koh:
On the basis of the size of the sector's (buried under Other Services, in the singstat link) contributions to GDP. Other services is less than 3.5% of the contribution to GDP, therefore the GST receipts for healthcare, even at a huge stretch, should not be anything near 10% of the total GST receipts.How did you arrive at the conclusion that healthcare's contribution to total GST revenue is 10%?
Also, sorry, I don't think $3 billion nett is an impressive figure to spend on healthcare policies for a greying population of 5.3 million.
$3 billion is a lot of money for one person but not enough for a whole country.
You distract from the point. The point is not about whether $3 billion is the right number, the point is that the g'ment puts more back into healthcare than it takes out in GST, much much more. They are not, as you put it, making money off people in healthcare.
So don't fixate on the GST!
Anyhow, I don't really aim to convince you, since you seem very set in this view, but I think it's barking up the wrong tree.
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