• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

How to make better use of Government “goodies”

by onlinecitizen
15/10/2008
in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0

John Ang / Guest Writer

In recent, (as well as rather distant) memory, we have seen a relentless increase in prices of almost everything you would pay money for. Among them are rising food prices, rise in ERP, in medical care/insurance, and more recently, rising utility tariffs and public transport costs. 

Through almost all these price increases, the trend has been that the average Singaporean has had no choice but to grit his teeth and bear the increases in cost, simply for the lack of an alternative; so much so that we have come to expect it to be the norm. (These days, I am so jaded that yet another price increase doesn’t incite indignation, but resignation.)

Goodies and Rebates

The Government has tried to help with these increases through the “goodies and rebates” given out in 2007 and 2008. The Workfare Incentive Scheme, Growth dividends, GST credits, U-Save and S&CC rebates all contribute to help buffer the increase in prices over and beyond their intended scope (for needy Singaporeans, at least).

Yet, I feel that the middle-class Singaporean isn’t really looking at the 3 billion dollars being thrown his way in terms of tiding him over (see record turnout and sales at NATAS and the various IT shows). In fact, like me, they might have clean forgotten that the payout was coming in October. 

Free money (though not much) is always welcome (and how free it is can be debatable), but the way it is now, I feel that these monies can be put to much better use by the individual (with some government help).

Here’s how

When I read about the increase in subscription fees for Singtel’s land lines, I just shrugged in resignation and moved on to the next page. Imagine the breath of fresh air I felt when the next day, I opened the newspaper to see Telco wars: StarHub dangles $100 carrot. After such a long time of having “no choice”, here on offer was a cheaper alternative, based on an alternative infrastructure (VoIP instead of land lines). 

It made me realise that the reason we have no choice is because we have been neglecting potential alternative infrastructures. 

Thus, instead of just giving citizens money to buffer the increase in electricity tariffs, why not put that money in an account (accessible with singpass), that in addition to offsetting bills, can also be used to purchase environmentally friendly, energy saving electrical appliances, but more importantly, used to build up alternative infrastructure, such as self-power generation through the use of solar, wind, or biomass means, or to even have the house supply the grid.

Or, how about using these monies to provide a fast, convenient system. For example, in my article on cycling as a form of public transportation, people can actually fast track these credits to buy bicycles, or even use them to buy bike rentals or maintenance. (All these through vendors at bulk rates). 

The incentives in pursuing these alternative paths include convenience to the individual, reducing his expenditure and more generally, alleviate the pressure on our existing infrastructure as well.

In short, like Starhub, we would be generating competition for the power companies, for the transport companies, for all the companies that you could think up an alternative to. If there is one thing true about competition, it’s that it brings prices down. We all could do with some of that.

 ———

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

Rescuers battle cold as Turkey-Syria quake toll hits 5,000
AFP

Rescuers battle cold as Turkey-Syria quake toll hits 5,000

07/02/2023
Hazel Poa proposes singles be allowed to buy 3-room HDB flats
Housing

Hazel Poa proposes singles be allowed to buy 3-room HDB flats

07/02/2023
Jamus Lim: House prices are too High
Politics

Jamus Lim: House prices are too High

07/02/2023
Ministers get away with excuses that ordinary citizens cannot hope to get away with
Opinion

Ministers get away with excuses that ordinary citizens cannot hope to get away with

07/02/2023
Commemorative coin, exhibitions and various activities to mark 100th anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew’s birth
Singapore

Commemorative coin, exhibitions and various activities to mark 100th anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew’s birth

07/02/2023
国会内庆妇女节 女议员获赠鲜花
Labour

15 companies barred from hiring new foreign employees after serious safety lapse found at worksite

07/02/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Rescuers battle cold as Turkey-Syria quake toll hits 5,000

Rescuers battle cold as Turkey-Syria quake toll hits 5,000

07/02/2023
Hazel Poa proposes singles be allowed to buy 3-room HDB flats

Hazel Poa proposes singles be allowed to buy 3-room HDB flats

07/02/2023
Jamus Lim: House prices are too High

Jamus Lim: House prices are too High

07/02/2023
Ministers get away with excuses that ordinary citizens cannot hope to get away with

Ministers get away with excuses that ordinary citizens cannot hope to get away with

07/02/2023
Commemorative coin, exhibitions and various activities to mark 100th anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew’s birth

Commemorative coin, exhibitions and various activities to mark 100th anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew’s birth

07/02/2023
国会内庆妇女节 女议员获赠鲜花

15 companies barred from hiring new foreign employees after serious safety lapse found at worksite

07/02/2023
Why is Gautam Adani’s Indian empire in turmoil?

India’s Adani Enterprises shares rocket 20%, trading suspended

07/02/2023
China’s Baidu says developing AI chatbot

China’s Baidu says developing AI chatbot

07/02/2023

Trending posts

Cognizant India transfers staff to work in Singapore as recently as this year

Local IT grads can’t find jobs while engineers constantly transferred from India to work in SG under CECA

by Correspondent
05/02/2023
108

...

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

by Augustine Low
01/02/2023
48

...

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

by Correspondent
03/02/2023
26

...

No response from Josephine Teo on whether Mediacorp has been instructed to stop coverage of SMT circulation scandal

No response from Josephine Teo over alleged blackout of coverage by Mediacorp over SMT circulation scandal

by Terry Xu
06/02/2023
12

...

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
25

...

Japanese-Canadian junior high school girl breaks national record with 3km in 9:02 mins

“I want my normal life back,” Sherry Drury withdraws from National Junior High School Tournament due to overheated public attention

by Yee Loon
06/02/2023
3

...

October 2008
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Sep   Nov »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz