Budget 2011

[vlim]

I had someone saying to rely more on machinery then on foreign workers...Talk so easy mah.....it doesn't apply to all trade...

[Way2GO]

One-off subsidy for hiring low-wage older workers.

I had to say something when I saw Jeremy Au Yong’s ST article today
in which he wrote “ ...employers who hire low-income older workers will get
generous wage subsidies from the government.”
I take issue with his choice of word \"generous\"!
What he conveniently left out in d entire article is dat d employers’ CPF contribution
currently for workers over 50 is 8.5% and 6% for those aged 60 n above.
Spread over 3 years, d contribution from the gahmen is under 2% each year.
Would you consider dat generous?
Is dat amount enuf to tip d employers in favour of hiring older workers?
What if after three years, dis scheme is dropped?
Will employers continue to hire older workers?

[Way2GO]

vlim:

I had someone saying to rely more on machinery then on foreign workers...Talk so easy mah.....it doesn't apply to all trade...

How true.
Would u fancy being served by robots in a restaurant?

Besides d service industry, many other jobs require human intervention.

[janet88]

Way2GO:

Finally, TV n radio licence fees are removed! Hooray.

It took so....oooo long for d gahmen since d emergence
of d internet age n technological advances to finally throw out
dis farcical fees levied to increase gahmen’s revenue.
One has to ask why it took so long.
IMHO, it can only be an election year goodie to sweeten d ground.

The gahmen sees stronger competition in coming election...so sweeten the ground even more in the hope that you know what to do lah.

[Way2GO]

janet_lee88:

The gahmen sees stronger competition in coming election...so sweeten the ground even more in the hope that you know what to do lah.

This happens every election year in recent memory - 2001, 2006 n 2011.
One will become cynical of a gahmen’s commitment to improve
d Singaporean lot when more of these one –off measures are doled out
during election years. In fairness, there r some longer term measures
in 2011 budget, but nearly half r one –off.
Of these, only about ¼ r cash payouts .
D rest? Goes to Workfare, Medisave, CPF Special A/C etc -
essentially stays in d gahmen's coffers n
$ u will likely never see n many don’t benefit directly from anyway.

I am not moved.

[janet88]

Way2GO:

janet_lee88:

The gahmen sees stronger competition in coming election...so sweeten the ground even more in the hope that you know what to do lah.

This happens every election year in recent memory - 2001, 2006 n 2011.
One will become cynical of a gahmen’s commitment to improve
d Singaporean lot when more of these one –off measures are doled out
during election years. I am not moved.

If there are sweeteners near election year, it doesn't quite show garmen sincerity, does it ? Why is it that the lot of ministers don't try to make Singaporeans happier by dishing out 'attractive packages' more often. When the ground is sweet most of the time, then you will feel more taken care of mah. As for shaking hands and showing their faces, that one no need lah.

[sleepy]

janet_lee88:

As for shaking hands and showing their faces, that one no need lah.

Oh that, I always missed their handshakes.

Bunch of people who are strangers to me, I always kept my door shut & ignored their knocking. Unless they're shouting fire !

I usually only heard from neighbours about those visits after it was over :lol:

[sleepy]

Anna Ng:

what is the meaning of SAHMs and how much of the rebate?

I think I came across a definition somewhere, either on CPF or IRAS website when topping up minimum sum for non working spouse - annual income must be < $4000 in the preceding year to qualify for relief

So using that same definition, SAHMs or SAHDs (with X number of children) and earning < $4K a year - come on, give some tax incentive la

[Way2GO]

Healthcare n Defence budgets

A top-up of $300 - $700 into Medisave A/C of Singaporeans aged 45 and above.
A big deal?
Hospitalization and medial treatments costs hv risen substantially in d last few years.
$300 - $700 is not even enuf for a one day hospital stay and treatment
in a Class C ward if one is stricken with a serious illness.
D defence budget was increased by 5.4% to >$12 billion –
about 5% of GDP. One of d largest in Asia.
Healthcare accounts for ~ 1% of GDP – one of d lowest in d world for a developed country.
Granted dat defence is one of d cornerstone of gahmen policy.
But if d gahmen just reallocate 10% of d defence budget to healthcare,
dat’s $1.2 billion more to improve on healthcare for an aging population,
n we still hv ~ $11 billion for defence spending.

$11 billion is oredi substantially more than wat our immediate neighbours Malaysia n Indonesia spent on defence.
$300 - $700 is peanut!
Oh not quite - a peanut is $600K issit?

[Way2GO]

sleepy:

Anna Ng:

what is the meaning of SAHMs and how much of the rebate?

I think I came across a definition somewhere, either on CPF or IRAS website

SAHMs - Stay At Home Mums