Are you ready for 7 million people on tiny Singapore?
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JannettLee:
When moderating, we do not judge the who is right or wrong. We will simply embargo (not delete) all posts containing what we determine to be too personal from all parties involved in the fights. In most cases, members will back off once those posts are embargoed, and there is no need for us to warn anyone. It is only in the extreme cases where members repeatedly taunt each other that we will step in. It is your prerogative to believe that we have not been fair to you....
However, you turn a blind eye by just simply removed their postings and I never see you gave them warning despite complaints from other forumers about their resorting to personal character attack statements. They have ignored all your numerous moderating actions to remove all the irrelevant personal fights and personal character attacks' statements going back longer than the last few weeks!
You said I debating out of spite, however, the fact is, I am debating with much tolerance even when faced with personal character attacks' statements from these people (without resorting to tit-for-tat type of personal character attack statements), and what I throw back to them is much milder than what they initiated and put to me. While you have deleted all these evidence, I have captured these evidence to show to any of you if you want me to prove to you. You can't deny these facts. All these facts make me think that you are obviously siding and shielding them for \"some reasons\"?
You can terminate my account for all you want since you can not be impartial.
I'll capture this print-screen as a record.
We wish you the best in your efforts to educate Singaporeans on the points which you have laboured to make on our platform in the past few weeks.
Thank you. -
Didn't Lucky Tan just made a good point?
It is a known ideology of PAP that they will not spend too much resources into looking after the elderly. Everybody need to make sure that they save enough for their retirement or else move out of Singapore to a cheaper place to retire. Then, what is the need to say that immigration policy is for the purpose of lifting the working adults/elderlies ratio?
http://singaporemind.blogspot.sg/2013/02/the-truth-about-silver-tsunami-and.html -
WeiHan:
I'm keen to debate you on this point.Then, what is the need to say that immigration policy is for the purpose of lifting the working adults/elderlies ratio?
Let's say we have this scenario. What if the government credits every Singaporean 10 million dollars into his bank account. What is the impact on the economy?
A logical outcome would be that a huge chunk of Singaporeans will decide that they can retire too. This implies that the SUPPLY of good and services will dip significantly while DEMAND remains steady. To resolve this shortage, price of goods and services can only spike. Agree? -
Dora1:
My close relative runs a small business. 4 yr ago, the rental from his shop was $5500, and he employed a PR with a diploma for $1300. Today, the landlord has asked for an increased rental of $9000 and he employs 2 Singaporean ITE trainees for $1000 each.
Anyway, we are seriously OT liao.... The reason I brought up the property rental issues is to highlight that the tightening of FW quota so that companies will hire more SCs is not working if other business costs keep escalating at the same time. Being squeezed on both ends will only kill the businesses. Worse, there are a few of these SMEs that are way behind a lot of other companies in the neighbouring countires in terms of technology and product improvement because they are struggling to make ends meet day-to-day, no money to pump in, shortage of manpower to improve their products. Ok, don't tell me gov give grants to improve blah blah blah.... because all the grants from gov are co-payment schemes. If you have no cash to co-pay, how to ask for grants? Even if they manage to get the money, shortage of manpower, how to set aside spare manpower to look into product improvement?
This is currently only happening to a small number of SMEs in certain industries. From the way I see it, they will be out of the international market very soon - our neighbours can make the same thing better and cheaper. I hope it will not become a bigger problem and spread to other industries.
Ok ok... :offtopic: :offtopic:
Unfortunately, i have heard other stories like this. While I agree that the overall picture paints a less gloomy picture, individual stories of rental hikes, employee salary increases and increasing beauracratic demands suggest otherwise. It's painful, very painful, for the small business owners involved. -
I concur. Escalating shops space rental has killed many small retail businesses, leaving only big boys who has the size & muscle to negotiate for better rental. Go ask those HDB shops & you will know, not to mention those in shopping malls.
While the restriction on FW add on the costs, it is a necessary evil & gov should just do something about escalating commercial & industrial rentals by identifying the source & kill it (many people believe the expanding clout of a few big REITs are causing it, both GLCs & private).Laura02:
My close relative runs a small business. 4 yr ago, the rental from his shop was $5500, and he employed a PR with a diploma for $1300. Today, the landlord has asked for an increased rental of $9000 and he employs 2 Singaporean ITE trainees for $1000 each.Dora1:
Anyway, we are seriously OT liao.... The reason I brought up the property rental issues is to highlight that the tightening of FW quota so that companies will hire more SCs is not working if other business costs keep escalating at the same time. Being squeezed on both ends will only kill the businesses. Worse, there are a few of these SMEs that are way behind a lot of other companies in the neighbouring countires in terms of technology and product improvement because they are struggling to make ends meet day-to-day, no money to pump in, shortage of manpower to improve their products. Ok, don't tell me gov give grants to improve blah blah blah.... because all the grants from gov are co-payment schemes. If you have no cash to co-pay, how to ask for grants? Even if they manage to get the money, shortage of manpower, how to set aside spare manpower to look into product improvement?
This is currently only happening to a small number of SMEs in certain industries. From the way I see it, they will be out of the international market very soon - our neighbours can make the same thing better and cheaper. I hope it will not become a bigger problem and spread to other industries.
Ok ok... :offtopic: :offtopic:
Unfortunately, i have heard other stories like this. While I agree that the overall picture paints a less gloomy picture, individual stories of rental hikes, employee salary increases and increasing beauracratic demands suggest otherwise. It's painful, very painful, for the small business owners involved. -
kaking:
Over the years, we see F&B businesses started by locals, even foreigners, folding up. So much so that now we see food outlets opening, we start making estimation how long they will survive. One food outlet we know for several years are planning to balik kampong too. :faint: There is only an extent to which selling prices can increase, up to a point when there will be diminishing returns in sales & profits, before seeing red. Otherwise viable businesses due to the ever-rising rentals, while manpower costs remaining relatively constant (over the years, they have also resorted to employ lower-pay foreigners, compromising on customer service such as language barrier).I concur. Escalating shops space rental has killed many small retail businesses, leaving only big boys who has the size & muscle to negotiate for better rental. Go ask those HDB shops & you will know, not to mention those in shopping malls.
While the restriction on FW add on the costs, it is a necessary evil & gov should just do something about escalating commercial & industrial rentals by identifying the source & kill it (many people believe the expanding clout of a few big REITs are causing it, both GLCs & private).Laura02:
My close relative runs a small business. 4 yr ago, the rental from his shop was $5500, and he employed a PR with a diploma for $1300. Today, the landlord has asked for an increased rental of $9000 and he employs 2 Singaporean ITE trainees for $1000 each.
Unfortunately, i have heard other stories like this. While I agree that the overall picture paints a less gloomy picture, individual stories of rental hikes, employee salary increases and increasing beauracratic demands suggest otherwise. It's painful, very painful, for the small business owners involved.
I noted what pirate said about locations. However, locations esp for F&B businesses are the top most important factor in determining success. How often do we hear of F&B owners thriving, or fighting to survive, only to be forced to relocat due to redevelopment/upgrading, usually with even higher rentals to pay after that, and the cost of relocation is often cut-throat, such that it becomes a 'move' or 'fold up' situatlon. Also, redevelopment usually take years to complete, and usually locations that were left 'untouched' by redevelopment plans also cannot survive due to inconvenience caused by redirection of traffic, danger, no more carpark spaces available etc..
Goodwill takes time to build, esp for F&B companies. Only a handful in Singapore are left that are still surviving. With the first generation gone, taking on the same path by the next generation is unlikely to happen. Singapore's continuation to rely on foreign investments is not accidental - because we are still plugging out our own roots. I say this in the context of my comment here.
Foreigners who come here have to be prepared to take up the high cost of rentals, and an ever increasing one too. Like foreign immigrants, once they come in, they will get a taste of it. And we can probably expect to see this trend if nothing else change. -
If you folks are referring to the retail industry (vs manufacturing), it is a different cup of tea altogether.
For curiosity's sake, I looked up the Capitamalls annual report.
Junction 8
Between 2007 and 2011, revenue is up 37% while NLA is up by only 3%. I'm believe that the bigger retailers probably paid lower than 37% while the smaller ones have to cough up much higher than 37%.
If you look at incentives offered by EDB and Spring Singapore, you will realise that their key focus is on mfg and related industries, with little or no incentives targeted at pure retail businesses. Although retail businesses contributes to GDP growth as well, IMHO, having too big a retail component is a sign of weakness rather than of strength. Therefore, it is likelier that the government would intervene in the industrial segment (e.g. reducing leasehold periods to 30 years) than the retail. -
WeiHan:
On top of that, even foreign population expert disagrees with White Paper's assertion that an ageing population will impede economic growth:Didn't Lucky Tan just made a good point?
It is a known ideology of PAP that they will not spend too much resources into looking after the elderly. Everybody need to make sure that they save enough for their retirement or else move out of Singapore to a cheaper place to retire. Then, what is the need to say that immigration policy is for the purpose of lifting the working adults/elderlies ratio?
http://singaporemind.blogspot.sg/2013/02/the-truth-about-silver-tsunami-and.html
http://news.omy.sg/News/Local-News/Ageing-population-wont-slow-growth-says-expert-138602[quote]Ageing population won't slow growth, says expert
20/02/2013 on mypaper
by VICTORIA BARKER
SINGAPORE'S ageing population is unlikely to dampen the country's economic growth, a leading Austrian population expert suggested yesterday.
Demographer Wolfgang Lutz said that though further study is required, research so far has not shown any evidence that is in line with the common \"expectation that ageing societies have economic problems\".
\"Our historical experience is still limited but, at least up to this point, I have not seen convincing evidence that the ageing of the labour force has negative consequences,\" he said.
Professor Lutz was responding to a question on whether the challenges posed by an ageing population may not be as dire as portrayed in the Government's hotly-debated Population White Paper, released last month.
He added that, in fact, it is quite the opposite, citing Germany - which he said is one of the oldest countries by median age of population - as an example of an ageing population which is thriving economically.
\"Cyprus has a population that is about 10 years younger than Germany's. So why doesn't the younger, dynamic population of Cyprus overtake (it)?\"
The 56-year-old said: \"The image of today's elderly in Singapore is strongly formed by the fact that they are largely uneducated.\"
But he noted that this will change, as the proportion of Singaporeans with tertiary education has been on the rise. This will translate to a better-educated and, therefore, more active elderly population in the future.
The founding director of the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital was addressing around 140 academics and members of the public at the RELC International Hotel, during a lecture organised by the National University of Singapore's Institute of Policy Studies.
In his lecture, Prof Lutz said that as a mature society, Singapore must look at its human capital in a broader sense, beyond just formal education.
\"Motivation, imagination, innovativeness... These are valid, relevant factors for economic well-being, as well as social well-being,\" he said.
He said he attended last Saturday's protest against the White Paper, where he sensed that many Singaporeans view a strong sense of cultural and national identity as extremely important.[/quote] -
This is obvious isn't it? Since now is 2013, the end date should be closet date data available. Would be interested to know how much is rental in $psf now & 5 & 10 years ago. shouldn't keep shifting goal post, fixed period of 5, 10 years should be good guide.
pirate:
Dora1 provided a link to a page on propwise with a graph of median rentals for multi-user factories and warehouses.chrisloh:
can provide information for all the properties rather than just a few? thanks.
Much will depend on over what time period you choose. If you take 2006-2012, it would have increased by about 60% over 6 years. But 2006 was just when the market was taking an upswing after SARs in 2003 (after being flat for 3 years).
If you take 2008-2012, it would have increased by about 15% over 4 years. 2008 was the previous peak.
If you take 1998-2012, it would have increased by about 25% over 14 years.
If you take 1998-2004, it would have decreased by about 30% over 6 years. Unfortunately, the graph only went back to Q4 1998. 1996/97-2004 would have been more spectacular downwards, as that would have been the peak before the Asian financial crisis.
So, it all depends on which points of the cycle you are comparing. Comparing trough to peak will give you nice, spectacular numbers over relatively short periods of time. Very useful if you want to be misleading.
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kaking:
This is obvious isn't it? Since now is 2013, the end date should be closet date data available. Would be interested to know how much is rental in $psf now & 5 & 10 years ago. shouldn't keep shifting goal post, fixed period of 5, 10 years should be good guide.
The latest figures available is Q4 2012. 5 & 10 are just random numbers. Why not 3, 6, 9, 12, 14 or 7 years 2 months? You must look at the whole trend, not just pick 2 random points in the chart.
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