Like the case of welfare, a certain fear was presented by the
ministers to the citizens resulting in government finally pushing
up all the government services to full market values despite
taxations having been paid going to surpluses. There has been an
overkill of presumed measure to check on road congestion which
finally has resulted in all motorists being penalised by
over-charging on vehicle ownership or ridership.
There is no reason on earth why excise or import duty being pitched
at 175 % of vehicle costs cannot continue to be used to moderate
vehicle importing and road congestions.
Anyway, citizens have no opinions or views and as a results of
similar fear being driven into the citizens about the danger of
road congestion etc painting horrible picture of congestions found
in certain cities etc, the government has unilaterally introduced
another form of vehicle tax called COE.
Why must there be COE in the first place? Just consider when import
or excise duty was pitched so high as 175 % of costs why must there
be worry about over-liberal imports of vehicles or road congestion?
Obviously when COE was introduced it would be a double tax on road
usage with excise duty still in place.
But because we lack debates in parliament under top down or
autocratic system, it was taken for granted and COE was introduced
way back in the 1980s to serve as the most equitable final form of
tax to control road usage with a certain tongue-in-cheek promise by
the minister that when COE was finally introduced excise duty would
be reduced.
The fact was after COE was introduced with price bidding going to
the roof, when COE was supposed to be the most equitable
determinant on road usage pricing excise duty remained serving as a
double tax on vehicle. (Minister reneged on his promised reduction
or abolition of excise duty due to lack of debate in parliament on
citizens' rights)
Finally as if COE is not enough, and excise duty not killing double
tax the ERP was put forward as a more preferred taxing to price
road usage.
Vehicle ownership tax in Singapore through clever but basically
unfair and unreasonable arguments was over-priced in Singapore.
That is why Singaporeans are made poor as all their earning all go
to the government through clever taxing which at the end only
benefit govenrment more in raising their salaries and bonuses. It
is definitely another NKF situation waiting for correction possibly
by some accident or powerful class suit.