Do our Ministers spend wisely when they travel for busines??

blueheeler SG

It was reported on http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/275933/1/.html that Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew will be in Milan and Rome for a visit from 13-19 May. In Milan, Mr Lee will meet President of the Lombardy region, Mr Roberto Formigoni. In Rome, Mr Lee will attend the Citigroup International Advisory Board meeting. While in Rome, Mr Lee will also meet the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy, Prof Romano Prodi, Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Foreign Minister, Dr Massimo DAlema, Economic and Finance Minister, Prof Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, as well as several Italian industrialists and bankers. He will be accompanied by Mrs Lee and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Now in the entire report above, it NEVER mentioned what the PURPOSE of the trip is. Since its just after April, and Ill be looking forward to the taxes Ive got to pay to the Spore govt, itd be nice to know how hundreds of thousands of Singapore dollars would be spent on this one trip, and to what end (several 1st class tickets on SIA, many business/economy tickets, 5-star hotels, special security arrangements in Italy, domestic travel, hosting dinners for the hosts etc).

This is in response to how the leaders of USA, Australia, England, Canada have their overseas official-travel expenses scrutinised for misuse (see for egs. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070509/tories_expenses_070509/20070509?hub=Politics, http://www.thestar.com/News/article/211127, http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23395956-details/%C3%BD%C3%BD336,000%20worth%20of%20travel%20expenses%20for%20civil%20servant%20paid%20to%20advise%20on%20saving%20money/article.do) and why such is not the case in Spore.

Gosh knows that our ministers regularly fly left right and centre with a considerable entourage on what must be an annual multi-million Spore dollar travel-bill footed by the taxpayers money. Wheres the accountability I wonder?

Yunhaier SG

Originally posted by blueheeler:
It was reported on http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/275933/1/.html that Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew will be in Milan and Rome for a visit from 13-19 May. In Milan, Mr Lee will meet President of the Lombardy region, Mr Roberto Formigoni. In Rome, Mr Lee will attend the Citigroup International Advisory Board meeting. While in Rome, Mr Lee will also meet the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy, Prof Romano Prodi, Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Foreign Minister, Dr Massimo DAlema, Economic and Finance Minister, Prof Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, as well as several Italian industrialists and bankers. He will be accompanied by Mrs Lee and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Now in the entire report above, it NEVER mentioned what the PURPOSE of the trip is. Since its just after April, and Ill be looking forward to the taxes Ive got to pay to the Spore govt, itd be nice to know how hundreds of thousands of Singapore dollars would be spent on this one trip, and to what end (several 1st class tickets on SIA, many business/economy tickets, 5-star hotels, special security arrangements in Italy, domestic travel, hosting dinners for the hosts etc).

This is in response to how the leaders of USA, Australia, England, Canada have their overseas official-travel expenses scrutinised for misuse (see for egs. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070509/tories_expenses_070509/20070509?hub=Politics, http://www.thestar.com/News/article/211127, http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23395956-details/%C3%BD%C3%BD336,000%20worth%20of%20travel%20expenses%20for%20civil%20servant%20paid%20to%20advise%20on%20saving%20money/article.do) and why such is [b]not the case in Spore.

Gosh knows that our ministers regularly fly left right and centre with a considerable entourage on what must be an annual multi-million Spore dollar travel-bill footed by the taxpayers money. Wheres the accountability I wonder?

[/b]

Wooh... another NKF.

I just gonna say this: So what are Singaporeans going to do about it? Laughing

Cheers

maurizio13 SG

Hehehe.....

Has anyone ever seen a Minister travelling in the economy class???

mistyblue SG

Lemme guess:
Complain and suck thumb?

soulwinner SG

Just too lazy to comment.. Very Happy

Yunhaier SG

Partially right.

On top of that, Singaporean are still going to drop votes for PAP during the next election. Laughing

Cheers

ShutterBug SG

Ok, those in here who are READY to forego everything and all they have been working so hard all their life for, and sacrifice the safety and stability of their families, create a forum or thread to start something against the government.

This is call doing something...

So all those who are willing to SACRFICE all that, start it rolling...

Rolling Eyes

Xtrider SG

Wow..i guess no one has ask of it before….but then again…who is or who has the authority to audit their trips?

robertteh SG

It is good to see that our citizens are mature and courageous enough to exercise their duty fearlessly by asking this sort of question which none of the elected MPs and grassroot leaders have never asked but should be asking.

Government leaders are elected to look after our needs and aspirations and not for their own personal glories or claims of talents.

If they have overseas trips to make for trade and commerce or signing of FTAs or exploring business investments etc, let these be properly approved at the cabinet with budgets put up and duly certified by an audit panel.

The objective should always be clear that trips are officially approved and sanctioned with budgets without any extravagance as there are still many citizens suffering from unemployments or low wages and until these citizens' lives can be improved the leaders must spend their monies wisely.

Do not copy from royalties which can do as they like as Singapore is not a royalty but owned collectively by all citizens and leaders are elected as people's servants to fulfill certain agendas and purposes and not be given the unlimited power to spend citizens' moneis liberally for their own glory.

They should not engage in self-centred arguments like pointing to the size of GDP and start spending according to a percentage. All departments should return monies budgeted if conserved and not spend the budgeted amounts so as to be granted more excess monies to be spent every year.

We do not want our leaders to treat the citizens' monies like a big pot of gold on the ground that the leaders created the pot and let them spend as they like while all the owners and stakeholders let them spend away the monies without check or audit.

Least of all want them to receive gifts for their own personal keepsake while buying gifts or luxuries or accord guests or themselves five-star hotel or royal trappings.

vito_corleone SG

if the bugger doesnt do that you think you'll have foreign companies coming to invest here and create jobs? Laughing

robertteh SG

To create jobs or start an NKF does not mean that we should let CEOs spend monies or do as they like as witnessed in the many abuses seen in NKF.

Just because citizens elect the leaders and give them power and authority to govern the country does not give elected leaders any right to carry out their duties in a narrow-minded way to entrench themselves in power or write their own pay cheques.

This has been the most important principle of government but sadly none of our elite scholars despite all the so-called talents or leadership so far does not seem to understand to this day and they are still acting like they could do as they like and deny the many problems caused.

walesa SG

Originally posted by blueheeler:

This is in response to how the leaders of USA, Australia, England, Canada have their overseas official-travel expenses scrutinised for misuse (see for egs. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070509/tories_expenses_070509/20070509?hub=Politics, http://www.thestar.com/News/article/211127, http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23395956-details/%C3%BD%C3%BD336,000%20worth%20of%20travel%20expenses%20for%20civil%20servant%20paid%20to%20advise%20on%20saving%20money/article.do) and why such is [b]not the case in Spore.

[/b]

The US, Australia, England and Canada comprise of democratically-elected governments with an independent Executive and Legislature, not despots and tyrants who put themselves in power through intimidation and enticement.

Then again, this "special" regime warrants only comparisons with other "special" regimes(like the one in the DPRK), and not with "mediocre" states like those you mentioned.

charlize SG

I guess they get mee siam with hum in first class. Laughing

turdkenstien SG

I was working in a ministry around 5 years ago, and when I saw the amount that was chalked up for a 4 day trip to Australia, my eyes almost popped out, a whopping $64,000!

charlize SG

Who chalked up that amount?

The minister? The HOD? Or a junior officer just graduated from college?

Must put things in perspective. Laughing

turdkenstien SG

a minister and 3 or 4 of his lackeys if i am not mistaken

charlize SG

Assuming 5 people in total, they each spent an average of $12,800 for the trip each.

Divide that by 4 days, each person spent on average of $3,200 per day.

Yes, we should always keep things in perspective. Laughing

turdkenstien SG

yup, nothing wrong getting an all expense paid budget trip down south, I agree, perspective and discretion is needed. Smile

pilotsnoopy SG

the amount qouted is not expensive if there are like 4-5pax travelling...
the average expenditure qouted tallies with a first class/biz class ticket to Australia bought by a citizen too.