Means Testing - double whammy for middle income

last SG · 2008-01-10T19:27:44+00:00

The poor get 300 bucks of assistance a month.

anonymouscoward SG

The get less benefits and have to pay more insurance. Sigh.. mean testings.

Our ministers got 21% increment, do they know how much pain the ground is experiencing? I seriously doubt so... and they whack Mr Brown for telling the truth about rising cost of living.

Poh Ah Pak SG

I seriously doubt so... and they whack Mr Brown for telling the truth about rising cost of living.

Sad, now all journalists scared to write critical articles. Their ricebowl on the line.

All just state propaganda.

googoomuck SG

There’s clearly something wrong with the country’s treasury. MOF and other ministries keep thinking of new ways to squeeze money out of people.

eagle SG

They talked so much about oil prices rising as being part of the reason why the costs are rising.

Question: "Why cannot reduce the taxes on oil?"

ndmmxiaomayi SG

Prices of oil is not determined by us. Reducing taxes will not help one bit.

ORIGAMIST SG

The government have always neglected the middle income. The benefit is often for the very rich or very poor … middle income, neither here nor there often suffers … nothing new..

eagle SG

Prices of oil not determined by us.

But how will reducing taxes not help at all?

ORIGAMIST SG

BECAUSE they have to pay themselves high increment, therefore no reduction of taxes !!! No no, no can do !!!

Herzog_Zwei SG

Local taxes on oil is determined by Singapore Government, so reducing the local tax on oil is going to help only by a few cents per litre.

anonymouscoward SG

Our treasury is probably going broke with all the money Temasek is loosing and still spending.

Not to mention we have to pay our minister even higher salary just so they stay uncorrupted.

Worst being that we will never know; given that even our past president is having a hard time getting information. And when they try, they're kick out of office and replaced; who's also getting 21% increment for cutting ribbons...

anonymouscoward SG

??? basic necessity like oil and land cost affects everything. malaysia oil price is half of that in Singapore and even Indonesia has decided not to reduce oil subsidies...

reducing oil cost WILL reduce the cost of living; but if and only if govt states board like Singapore Powers will reduce prices accordingly.

t_a_s SG

Mr Brown is an honest man, he did not tell lie, when he said cost of living went up after the GE. The person who told lies are the PAP ministers, who said that GST increase of 7% is to help the poor. But when Dr Lily Neo asked for an increase of $30 for the poor from $260 for the destitute, the Culture and Youth Minister argued like hell, like shit

AndrewPKYap SG

PAP cause Mr Brown to lose his job (income) as columnist? [page: 1, 2, 3, 4] AndrewPKYap 99 4652 03 August 2007
02:33 AM Speaker's Corner

Unfortunately, this topic I started expired.

eagle SG

In the next GE, the Opposition will have plenty of ammo. Twisted Evil

Should be interesting.

Poh Ah Pak SG

But when Dr Lily Neo asked for an increase of $30 for the poor from $260 for the destitute, the Culture and Youth Minister argued like hell, like &!**

What about their paycheck increase? The Culture and Youth minister got argue like hell or not?

eagle SG

Laughing Party Whip says cannot argue hor.

Poh Ah Pak SG

So sad. Laughing

HyperFocal SG

Need to reconcile some issues on means testing

Thu, Jan 10, 2008
The Straits Times

I REFER to the Ministry of Health (MOH) proposal to use means testing to determine medical subsidies.
While I agree the rich should be subsidised less than the poor, I am unable to reconcile some issues.
- One, how much will MOH save? Resources will be funnelled to implement this project. Will the end results more than justify the costs? Minister Khaw Boon Wan cited the example of a patient earning $10,000 choosing to stay in a Class C ward to get an 80 per cent subsidy on hospital charges. Are there many such people? If his stay is short, would this patient mind paying a few hundred dollars more for greater comfort? If his stay is longer, would he mind paying more so he can recuperate in a better ward?
- Two, how will the middle class be impacted? The sandwiched class seems to get squeezed further. The individual earning $1,000 should be given his subsidy but what of one earning $3,000 but with $2,900 of liabilities, who has to pay for another hospitalised family member?
- Three, treatment of income. Using tax or CPF statement is a backward-looking approach. Those who can return to the same income-generating capacity have no issues. But what of those who may have to change their vocation because of their illness? They may have to settle for lower income or even none for prolonged periods. Does this new proposal add to their financial burden? Again, my concern is not with the rich but with the middle class.
- Four, where will the money saved go? The rich will be subsidised less, but are the poor subsidised more? Will MediShield coverage be improved or its premiums reduced? Will more accessible financial schemes be launched to help those in need?
- Five, repercussions on health-care supply-demand dynamics. If the objective of moving richer patients to better wards is achieved, will it lead to overcrowding in Class A and B1 wards? If the increased demand for these better wards is not met by public hospitals, patients will seek treatment at private hospitals, whose charges will go up. Demand still exceeds supply. It's a reallocation of burden, not a solution.
Felix Ang Kok Hou

anonymouscoward SG

Our Mr Khaw should have resigned after the NKF saga! I have very little respect for someone who doesn't own up to mistake and refuse to take responsibility for failures. Especially when he is paid millions of dollars and is suppose to have God-like integrity.

His argument for means testing falls along the line of - "you guys have more money, so should pay more" - is the same as those that justified the GST increment.

But did any of this goes towards helping the poor? Has anyone actually seen or heard additional work being done, additional money dished out to the poor? Where is the promise our dear prime minister made?

Money taken from GST and ERP should have been exceedingly abundant to help cope with all this but instead, our government wants to play robin hood; rob the rich/middle class and give them to the poor.

The funny thing is, they rob but I haven't seen them giving to the poor yet. Worst of all, the poor seems to be worst off with all the changes than before.

Million dollar talent my ass! Any college kid can also come up with ideas/solution like these.

HyperFocal SG

All these while, all that I can see, is that they are only keen in making money, hoarding money, & increasing prices/Taxes/Fares...

When it comes to The People, they'll spend and or commit AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE...!

And then, mostly what they have said and or promised, have never turned out the same in action, or at all carried out...

Bloody sham all the way...how much longer do they hope to keep shamming the people?

I tell you, NOTHING and NOBODY lasts forever.... there'd be hell to pay for when their days of their end, comes... and it won't be much longer I assure you...