Are you ready for 7 million people on tiny Singapore?

[limlim]

3Boys:

limlim:

[quote=\"3Boys\"]

Yet another uninformed statement.

You bring back goods from overseas, personal usage or not, is declarable at customs if exceed $400.

Oh ok.. next time bring Cash.. :evil:

Why do you insist on taking on all kinds of preposterous positions based on misinformation? So you still think there are billions of dollars of GST leak from overseas shopping?[/quote]I didn't say that. Why read so much into a simple remark?

I say I would bring cash for my own shopping.. I wouldn't speculate what others would do. I didn't realise personal consumption also will tax.. Previously I have the impression that those bring in to sell then will kena tax.

[3Boys]

Moonsun55:

How do you define as \"poor\"?

GST + income tax reduction IMHO only benefits the rich while penalises most of the lower income groups not defined as \"poor\" group. I am 1 of the beneficiary but I must also say that GST should be exempted for basic food necessities & medicine, have a heart for majority of Singapoeans struggling to make a living otherwise many can't even retire.

3Boys:

[quote=\"Mdm Koh\"]3Boys,

I think that 7% GST is reasonable if we compare the tax rate to that of other developed countries. However, in order for the tax to benefit Singaporeans, I think that there are certain goods that ought to be exempted from GST, such as healthcare (especially for major surgeries in restructured hospitals).

Mdm Koh, I understand where you are coming from, and I strongly agree we can do more to help the poor when it comes to healthcare.

My preferred approach, rather than a en-bloc tweaking of the GST for healthcare, which then frees up the taxable portion for the wealthy also, and hence unnecessarily loses tax revenue, is to provide direct grants or subsidies to the poor when it comes to healthcare, to offset some of the costs, equal to or exceeding the GST portion. As it is, healthcare for C-class is very heavily subsidised.

Reasonable?

Rather than look at the GST only, one needs to consider the totality of healthcare costs. If our healthcare delivery is inefficient and costs are high as a result, the GST is the least of our worries.

Also, if there are people falling through the cracks, the answer is to fix those cracks, not change the signposts. So I believe a GST fix in this situation does not address the key issue and is merely a patch.

[/quote]You are free to look through the posts and make up your own mind. I also have a heart for the people, and o strongly believe that GST plus grants /rebates is the best and most sustainable way of helping those in need. Not just for this, but also future generations.

I resent the implication that people who support GST for essential services are somehow selfish elitist with no heart for the people.

[3Boys]

limlim:

3Boys:

[quote=\"limlim\"]

Oh ok.. next time bring Cash.. :evil:

Why do you insist on taking on all kinds of preposterous positions based on misinformation? So you still think there are billions of dollars of GST leak from overseas shopping?

I didn't say that. Why read so much into a simple remark?

I say I would bring cash for my own shopping.. I wouldn't speculate what others would do. I didn't realise personal consumption also will tax.. Previously I have the impression that those bring in to sell then will kena tax.[/quote]That's what I meant. You made all kinds of allegations that the rich folk can just skip out of town and buy their luxury goods outside the country and skip GST, therefore not contributing to the tax base. You have said this in more than one thread.

[Irrelevant]

WeiHan:

This issue is well known and has been raised many times by both NMP and opposition party members.


I think we don't have to rank it. Singapore is among the last in the world comparable to oppressive regimes that don't give a hook to their citizens in term of health care spending.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/jun/30/healthcare-spending-world-country

WeiHan

Great that you've got some data. Incidentally, what % of our GDP do you reckon we should spend on healthcare since you think 4% is too low.

P.S. Every 1% of GDP is 3 billion. GST at 7% only collects slightly more than 8 billion.

[limlim]

3Boys:

But to what end???

Be patient..

You're talking abt LTVP rite? Maybe not more than 2 years.. Again, I believe LTVP is not that difficult to get. Not sure where those horror stories come from..

Statistics..?

Statistics doesn't show the the full story. Such as background of the applicant.

Forum letters, isolated cases w/o revealing anything that they do not want to reveal.

[limlim]

3Boys:

That's what I meant. You made all kinds of allegations that the rich folk can just skip out of town and buy their luxury goods outside the country and skip GST, therefore not contributing to the tax base. You have said this in more than one thread.

It is a possibility mah. Allegation.. not sure if it is too serious a word to use..

If I am rich I would do that. :evil:

[pirate]

limlim:

\"Low Class\"?


They already send a man to space, SG didn't even come close to that. What kind of childish remark is that..

Sarcasm cannot detect meh?

[WeiHan]

Irrelevant:

WeiHan:

This issue is well known and has been raised many times by both NMP and opposition party members.


I think we don't have to rank it. Singapore is among the last in the world comparable to oppressive regimes that don't give a hook to their citizens in term of health care spending.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/jun/30/healthcare-spending-world-country

WeiHan

Great that you've got some data. Incidentally, what % of our GDP do you reckon we should spend on healthcare since you think 4% is too low.

P.S. Every 1% of GDP is 3 billion. GST at 7% only collects slightly more than 8 billion.

Actually, the data provided in this article is slightly higher than reality. The real number was 3%. I have read an article which says that we will reach 3.5% by 2030.

I have no in depth research on health care system so I do not have a hard number to suggest. It appears to me that many developed nations that spend more than 10% or even 20% of GDP has a universal healthcare system. You suggest GST above. Looks like you are trying to trap me into suggesting a number and then a corresponding hike in GST will be justifiable. But.....I am also in the camp who think that we have spend too much on defense in term of absolute term and also in term of percentage of GDP.

[Irrelevant]

WeiHan


Another datapoint for you:

Government spending as % of GDP

Singapore 17.0%
USA 38.9%
Canada 39.7%
UK 47.3%
France 52.8%
Germany 43.7%
Italy 48.8%
Spain 41.1%

[Irrelevant]

WeiHan:

But.....I am also in the camp who think that we have spend too much on defense in term of absolute term and also in term of percentage of GDP.

Very good - cut defence to fund healthcare. Defence spending for FY2012 is estimated to be 12.3 billion. How many % do you think we can/should cut from defence spending?