The Vietnamese Prime Minister is paid about USD300 per month;
however, this amount is equal to Vietnam Dong 4,750,000.
With the "Cost of Living" still relatively low by
Vietnamese "Standard of Living" this amount is
more then sufficient, and is in fact quite luxurious.
A LARGE bowl of "beef noodle" soup cost only VND 15,000 (which is
about S$1.50), and a plate of rice with meat and vegetables cost
about the same, a can of beer is about the same price.
So a salary of US$300 or VND4,750,000 will go a long way in
Vietnam.
When basic costs are kept low, the general "Cost of Living" will
not require wages to be higher.
All this will hold true, until some bright spark decide that the
present "Standard of Living" is too low, when compared to some
other foreign models.
With the present wage scale of a Prime Minister being paid US$300
per month, and a University Professor paid only US$180, Primary
School Teacher paid only US$80, can this income level ever allow
them to achieve a higher "Standard of Living" ?
What does a "HIGHER Standard of Living" entails ?
A modern house with tapped water, and cabled electricity ? All the
modern domestic equipment that includes Radio, TV, DVD player,
Refrigerator, Gas Oven, Water Heater, and perhaps new set of
designer's furnitures ? Four wheeled passenger vehicle ?
To be able to own this list of modern appliances that bring this
family to a "Higher Standard of Living", the salary level will need
adjustments.
The amount of wages paid should allow the worker to attain a "new
HIGHER Standard of Living" compared to past conditions, but the new
wages should not destabilised the "LOW Cost of Living".
Such luxury goods that are usually imported at a high cost, can be
locally assembled or manufactured, so as to achieve lower prices
that DO NOT DESTABILISE the local "Cost of Living".
During the 1970s through 1980s, our Singapore Government had
exhorted Singaporeans to work harder, to increase productivity, so
as to justify the higher wage levels that the Government is
relentlessly squeezing out of the Employers.
It seems that the Government had believed that the high wages that
the Singapore workers are paid can be justified by higher
productivity level; and resulted in the Government Ministers
embarking on Productivity Drives throughout the 1980s through the
1990s.
Did our Singapore Government achieve this goal of controlling the
"Cost of Living", while embarking on an all out effort to bring
Singaporeans to a Higher "Standard of Living" ?
Despite the Government runned Department of Statistics constant
print out of low inflation, and low Consumer Cost Index, each and
every Singaporean is fighting hard to stretch the hard earned
Dollar.
Some lower income families have to take on two jobs simply to make
ends meet.
Unfortunately for the Department of Statistics, its claims of low
inflation does not seem to bear itself out, as the current high
wages have resulted in high labor costs that caused manufacturers
to relocate to lower cost centers.
The decisions to relocate is also influenced by the high operating
costs that stem firstly from the high capital costs in land and
building, which is the basic brickworks for the manufactuer.
The relocation by foreign manufacturers will clearly expose the
stark difference in interpreting the situation in Singapore.
The relocation of foreign manufacturers clearly expose that the
Department of Statistics has not been fully accurate with their
reports that seem to back up Government claims of manageable Cost
of Living.
One can only wonder by whose standards can one manage the current
Cost of Living Standard ? By their standard of measuring with a
MILLION DOLLAR ANNUAL Salary in their pocket, or through our
standard of measure with our Third World Income ?
After going through two crisis, the Government has abandoned the
talk of ever achieving GCT's SWISS Standard of Living, or
continuing with the boast of our position in LKY's First
World.
Has the Singapore Government finally awaken to the gross folly of
past wage policy, and is now convincing Singaporean to accept lower
wages, lower CPF, and short term employment contracts ?
What happened to the dream of the SWISS Standard of Living and Life
in the First World for all Singaporeans ?
With a "six figure" salary earned by the Ruling Elite in the
Government, they are surely the only Singaporeans having the SWISS
Standard of Living, and having a LIFE equal to the First
World.
While the Ruling Elites have their SWISS style villa and living
conditions, with salary levels equal to the First World, this bunch
of Ruling Elite has the audacity to impose the SWISS Cost of Living
onto Singaporeans, while at the same time expecting Singaporeans to
accept Third World wages after FORTY Years of Independence
!!!!
No wonder they are celebrating in style for this National Day to
commemorate the FORTY Years of Independence.
Note the difference between the "COST of Living"
and the "STANDARD of Living" - these are two
different issues.
