Monday, June 20, 2016

A convoluted system

The headline says, "1.54 million Singaporeans to get GST vouchers and Medisave top-ups this year. "
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/1-54-million-singaporeans/2887102.html

Here are the thoughts that crossed my mind.

a) Are there so many people in Singapore who need financial assistance from the Government?

b) Are there many people who deserve financial help but are cut off due to the "calibrations" by the Government? For example, low income pensioners living in landed property are not given the vouchers?

c) Surely it is better for the government to pay a pension to the elderly, rather than to go through the "some get" and "some don't get" vouchers?

d) Are there people who have migrated to other countries and left a mailing address with their parents in the smaller HDB flats? Do they get the generous vouchers from the Government?

I do not like the system of the vouchers. I prefer a simpler and more comprehensive approach, such as:

a) A minimum income to ensure that all those who work full time earn enough to support a family.

b) A pension to people above a certain age.

c) Lower the cost of living by removing levies, wastefulness and inefficiencies.


1 comment:

Tan Choon Hong said...

I agree with you. Many of the aid schemes are designed to get people beholden to the party and perpetuate their grip on power.

There are also many wasteful initiatives on the economic front that are subject to abuse by those out to game the system and extract value for themselves without meeting the objectives that the programmes were designed to reach. In the end the main beneficiaries are party sycophants and the losers are the taxpayers.

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