Suck your money dry - this iswhat this nation is all about !

last SG · 2005-08-25T09:46:55+00:00

Who suck your money dry? Is the tax? payment? high installments? It all depends on the paying party, if one think he or she must have high standard of living...

Lowclassman SG

In my life, I have not involve in any election accept voting our Dear Great President Mr Ong Teng Cheong.

So what are you telling me? Maybe, I will have fun with my family to elect who will wash toilets on every Sunday. I welcome you to join us .

TooFree SG

Pertrol is something which is determine by OPEC... no doubt.
Living standard between Msia & Sg is different.
How about comparing Britain & Singapore...

"Hong Kong ? Usable land is much lesser than singapore and they have 8 over million people."

I don't really understand above statement.

But base on that alone,
HK=Less usable land+8 millions = high charge
SG=more usableland+4 millions= (less than HK)

hence above seem to be justified...

Lowclassman SG

Do you know the cost of a 900 sq. feet apartment cost in Hong Kong?

Living standard in malaysia? Please be specific. Not standard is living cost. I don't see malaysian living standard is lower than singapore.

Most Chinese PR or 90 percent of them in singapore told that if they have save enough money; they would rather get the hell out of this place.

TooFree SG

Honestly, I only know a bit here and there lar... but living standard is dependent on few factors. You can tell by their currency rate measured against US dollar.

Yeah. I do agree that SG is hard to survive... but if you chose to get out, it really depends on where you want to go. To live comfortable, you can only choose those developing country. (like Msia) Developed countries (like Aust, US & UK) are roughly the same in SG.

archon1234 SG

HK has the backing of rich affluent china businessmen in supporting the market. If you have been tracking the HK property trend, you would notice that the HK property artifically high price was mainly due to the creative work of the HK people who tried to "push" the property values during the property boom era before 1997. Many of these HK people came to Sinagpore and created some mini property bubble in 1994-1995, which eventually forced the gov to clamp down these speculative activities by introducing the 20% cash downpayment for private property.

HK property after the dot.com burst, was in a mess. Many HK properties has becoming a negative assets for the owners. Despite the HK property price has been adjusting in the past 3 years, their HK property average price is still more expensive than Sg due to the inflow of capital from mainland chinese.

shade343 SG

Tell me again, who is the person that makes the decision to vote?

BillyBong SG

This has been the prevalent strategy of the Ruling elite all the while: Give with left hand, take with the right.

Lowering of COE was just an excuse to entice more ppl to buy certs and contribute to the govt's coffers, all this while they actively promote public transportation, allow price hikes and implement the ERP system to address the 'traffic congestion problem'.

If they can transfer as much costs to citizens as possible, they will do so. Only in the last decade have an increasing number of ppl started to notice the familar trend of offering glossed-over words like 'rebates' or 'grants', only to legislate more cost sucking measures to balance the account books.

Atobe SG

Is Singapore truly so short of 'LAND' ?

Travel around Singapore, and one can see big plots of land that remains vacant, sparsely populated, and still waiting for development - but only to the highest bidder for that plot of land.

Hong Kong has land that is much more then Singapore, and the density of population is even greater, but HOUSING is very dependent on PRIVATE developments, and not much is provided by the Government.

Private developers have no Social Programs but only driven by PROFITS, which explains for the higher price of housing in Hong Kong than Singapore.

Furthermore, the Hong Kong Dollar is about FOUR times lower in value than the Singapore Dollar - SGD1.00 is HKG4.65; this will only mean that raw materials will have to cost more in Hong Kong than in Singapore - as Hong Kong is like Singapore, all materials are imported.

Singaporeans were led to believe that with a STRONGER SINGAPORE DOLLAR, we can achieve a higher STANDARD OF LIVING, and will have better control to moderate our COST OF LIVING by importing all our agricultural needs from the regional neighbors and further.

The Malaysian Ringgit is TWO TIMES LESSER in value than Singapore - SGD1.00 is RM2.24 - and with salaries that are twice smaller in value than Singapore's wages, most Malaysians could still afford to buy a terrace house (no HDB programs), with enough low value Ringgit left to buy an imported car, have an occassional overseas holiday, save for their child to be educated overseas, enjoy LIFE shopping for cheaper products available at Giant, Carre Fours, and cheaper IMPORTED movies (paid in RM) at their Cineplex housed in large Malls and Shopping Complexes that are equal to Singapore's.

After FORTY YEARS, and despite our strong Singapore Dollar, the majority of Singaporeans still have to work doubly hard and do not seem to have progressed any further from the first spot that our fathers have started from.

Our grandfathers and fathers have either to work in big Europeans trading or banking firms, or small factories, or involve themselves in trading by travelling in the region or further.

At least in their times, FORTY YEARS AGO, they could afford to buy two storey terrace house in community housing areas of Joo Chiat, Katong, Siglap, Bukit Merah, Tiong Bahru, Jalan Besar, Sembawang - and with a mortgage that is fully paid up in TEN YEARS - and with smaller wage amounts.

After FORTY YEARS, with a bigger population - (which was suppose to pose a nightmare for the LKY administration, hence the Two Child Family Planning Policy that is now admitted to be wrong) - but a STRONGER DOLLAR, Singaporeans are still moving in the same directions, working to pay a mortgage.

The mortgage require TWENTY YEARS to be fully serviced - despite a stronger SINGAPORE DOLLAR.

NINETY PERCENT of Singaporeans work to pay the HDB (or private housing) mortgage; keep ourselves alive by buying from NTUC Fairprice; pay for transportation by MRT or SMRT, or SBS, or TIBS, or Comfort; entertain ourselves on Sentosa Island or NTUC 'East End' or 'Downtown', or SAFRA, or Orchid Country Club; glued our eyes to TV programs and Newspapers that are both controlled by GLCs; pay our utilities that are provided by GLCs - from electricity, water, garbage collection - even though these are supposed to have been Privatised.

Even drinking Tiger Beer and some other Beers, or Coca Cola and some other soft drinks, the money will flow back into the coffers of Temasek.

Not forgetting also the innocuous ring of our handphones and home phones, OUR hard earned money are paid to SingTel, M-1, and Starhub; while the Internet Service Providers are also similarly dominated by SingTel, Starhubs and Pacific - all of which are also GLCs.

Is it little wonder that the Ruling Party is so keen to suppress the rise of any Opposition Party, to threaten their political-economic control, and continue with the lucrative enterprise of governing Singapore ?

timothytsgsg SG

In western countries, westerners usually pay higher wages to offset the higher income taxes and inflation. In addition, the indirect taxes are slightly lower than here.

And while living standards are higher, the interest rates from the bank are slightly lower than interest rates here- from both the local banks and CPF compound interest rates.

Plus a HDB average price can be also be equal to the price of a one-storey private house with a car garage in the sub-urban areas(which is actually bigger in size) in some areas of Australia and US.*

*Watch the Desperate Housewives on TV? See those houses? That's what I meant.*

But I do believe the UK is much more expensive, firstly due to the conversion currency rate. Each pound is worth S$3.00- so it's damn expensive- even if you decide to stay in Scotland or Wales rather than London, Oxford or Birmingham.

Atobe SG

Originally posted by timothytsgsg:
In western countries, westerners usually pay higher wages to offset the higher income taxes and inflation. In addition, the indirect taxes are slightly lower than here.

And while living standards are higher, the interest rates from the bank are slightly lower than interest rates here- from both the local banks and CPF compound interest rates.

Plus a HDB average price can be also be equal to the price of a one-storey private house with a car garage in the sub-urban areas(which is actually bigger in size) in some areas of Australia and US.

But I do believe the UK is much more expensive, firstly due to the conversion currency rate. Each pound is worth S$3.00- so it's damn expensive- even if you decide to stay in Scotland or Wales rather than London, Oxford or Birmingham.

If you work in Singapore, and earn $3000 a month, your wage is only worth 1000 UK Pounds in UK.

However, if you work in UK, you will probably be earning 3000 UK Pounds and will probably find that living in UK is not that expensive.

Travelling around, I always visit the MacDonalds, and find that a Big Mac is probably the best measure of the Cost of Living, AND in some narrow way an indicative of the Standard of Living.

A Big Mac set meal in Singapore cost SGD5.95, in Malaysia - it cost RM8.75, in UK today it probably cost 3.85 Pounds.

It should cost the Malaysian more, as the average salary in Malaysia is probably between RM1,000 to RM3,000.

The value of the meal when paid in the respective currencies that you earn is more important.

vito_corleone SG

Originally posted by Atobe:

If you work in Singapore, and earn $3000 a month, your wage is only worth 1000 UK Pounds in UK.

However, if you work in UK, you will probably be earning 3000 UK Pounds and will probably find that living in UK is not that expensive.

Travelling around, I always visit the MacDonalds, and find that a Big Mac is probably the best measure of the Cost of Living, AND in some [b]narrow way an indicative of the Standard of Living.

A Big Mac set meal in Singapore cost SGD5.95, in Malaysia - it cost RM8.75, in UK today it probably cost 3.85 Pounds.

It should cost the Malaysian more, as the average salary in Malaysia is probably between RM1,000 to RM3,000.

The value of the meal when paid in the respective currencies that you earn is more important.

[/b]

a typical macdonald's meal costs 5.95 euros at least in paris..so don't complain so much because you ain't seen the most expensive yet. Laughing

kheldorin SG

If the UK company pays you 3 times the amount that the Singapore company pays for the same amount of work...I say the UK company is going to go out of business. And the cost of living in UK depends on which city. If you live in London.....

loosefuse SG

What are you talking about?
UK companies don't necessarily have to pay 3 times more than SG companies. The fact that they pay in pounds already makes it 3 times more.

Besides, although they pay workers more, they rake in more cash too because of their general cost of living and larger population / demand..

And just one question, how do you think foreign companies / MNCs prospered despite paying their workers way more than what the average company pays in Singapore? Shouldn't they have gone out of business already, according to your theory?

I guess if you do go out of business because of that, the only thing you can put the blame on is your own incompetence.

loosefuse SG

For every Hong Kong where people pay more, there are 30 or more nations who offers cheap / value for money housing..

30:1 ratio... So..

Still think it's wise comparing Singapore with the minority that offers more expensive housing?

TooFree SG

Hmm.. its never wise to compare among countries, as each has its own unique identity.. but HK is a closer proximate of SG than any other to compare with woh..

loosefuse SG

You see, I was just wondering why SG is unable to model themselves after the majority rather than the minority like HK.. By the way, if HK is a closer proximate of SG, so are the big cities in developed countries where "land is scarce and the population density is high, blah blah blah". Now, why then are the cost of housing in these cities not as high as SG's?

I don't agree about all developed countires being the same. Firstly, people get paid MORE in developed countries like US and Australia. Yes, their taxes are higher but the extra money they get balances their books..

Anyone who says their housing is more expensive compared to SG's must be kidding. Check properties selling Internet sites, and see for yourself. A house that can cost up to millions here only cost a couple hundred of thousands over there.

geran76 SG

in fact, developed countries are no better then us.. As for australia, their income tax is up to 47% taxable and their GST is at 10%.. So everyday, about 57% of their hard earned money go to government pocket.. As for their properties, it is quite cheap.. a landed property can cost $200,000 in a sub urban area.. a global finanical consultant can earned up to $130,000 but about $70,000 goes to the government and the rest have to pay for food, transport and so forth.. i could guess that how much they can really get back..
UK have the same situation but they are more on GST..

Atobe SG

Originally posted by geran76:
in fact, developed countries are no better then us.. As for australia, their income tax is up to 47% taxable and their GST is at 10%.. So everyday, about 57% of their hard earned money go to government pocket.. As for their properties, it is quite cheap.. a landed property can cost $200,000 in a sub urban area.. a global finanical consultant can earned up to $130,000 but about $70,000 goes to the government and the rest have to pay for food, transport and so forth.. i could guess that how much they can really get back..
UK have the same situation but they are more on GST..

Even though the tax rate in Australia maybe high, much of the tax money goes to provide low-cost medical services and social support schemes that do not tax the Australian any more.

An Australian will not pay as much for medical attention when they visit a public hospital, as the bulk of the bill will be TRULY subsidised - unlike in Singapore, where the bill is inflated and will show a subsidy of 70%, while one has still to pay the remaining 30% that can wipe out one's Medisave Account.

There is a safety net to help Australians get through natural disasters, and economic crisis that result in retrenchments and joblessness.

Singaporeans cannot even draw on our own CPF to help ourselves during retrenchment, and long term joblessness; and there are no similar social security net to cushion us during the crisis period.

Sweden has the highest tax rate on earth, and it is not even a Communist Country; but its Citizens enjoy a very high standard of medical and social welfare schemes that protect every Swede from cradle to grave.

Love Story SG

Thse countries have humanitariun values. They respect human rights and welfare. Unlike in Singapore where the selfish Rich only care about their own stomachs.

TooFree SG

Ya.

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