• 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

Differentiating between PRs and S’poreans?

by onlinecitizen
19/04/2010
in Current Affairs, Letters, Opinion, Politics
Reading Time: 5 mins read
0

I refer to the report, “HDB to spend $1 billion on upgrading; 85,000 households to benefit” (Today, Apr 19).

It reported:

“Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said this comes up to nearly $12,000 of upgrading benefits per household. The funds come on top of HDB’s contribution of $3.4 billion for the eight towns since 1990. When asked, the HDB did not elaborate on the time frame during which the fresh $1 billion would be spent”.

Given that ” the HDB did not elaborate on the time frame during which the fresh $1 billion would be spent”, if it took 20 years since 1990 to use $3.4 billion, will the $1 billion be spent in 6, 10 or 20 years?

It may be akin to saying I will give you money, but how much a year, exactly what type of upgrading, which area, I can’t tell you!

Surely, the HDB should have worked out the details to derive the $1 billion, instead of shrouding it in secrecy.

How long do we have to wait for the details and time frame to be made public?

As the HDB’s last annual report said it had a deficit of $2 billion, will its next report say a deficit of $3 billion?

Will upgrading lead to even higher Service and Conservancy Charges (S & CC)?

Although upgrading was announced last year for the two opposition wards, I understand that it has not started yet. So, will the 85,000 that will benefit from this new $1 billion, be started only after the two opposition wards go first?

If we ask Singaporeans as to how they may prefer the $1 billion to be spent, I think many may prefer to have HDB Concessionary loans for all HDB flats, lower new HDB flat prices, higher valuation than the 90 per cent that the HDB uses when it compulsorily acquires flats of those who can’t pay their HDB loans, etc.

Although Singaporeans pay less for upgrading, compared to permanent residents (PRs), in line with the policy to widen the differentiation between citizens and PRs, why not charge citizens less than PRs for this upgrading too, instead of using the same formula currently?

Whilst we are on the subject of differentiation, why is it that almost every time that a policy is changed to widen the differentiation between Singaporeans and PRs, the outcome may be that no Singaporeans are better off and some Singaporeans are worst off?

For example, the change in HDB rules that Singaporeans with PR spouses will get $10,000 less in the housing grant means that some Singaporeans are worse off.

With 39 per cent of Singaporeans marrying non-citizens, this may increasingly affect quite a lot of Singaporeans.

Singaporeans and PRs buying resale flats with bank loans or HDB loans will have their Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) extended from the current one and 2.5 years respectively, to three years.

This also means that no Singaporean is better off than a PR. In fact, Singaporeans with resale flat HDB loans are worse off as the current 2.5 years will become three years.

In order for there to be a real differentiation in this respect, perhaps the MOP for PRs should be six months longer than citizens, or that for citizens should be at 2.5 years.

The new eight per cent ethnic quota on non-Malaysian PRs in HDB blocks, may actually affect Singaporeans more, because when the quota is reached, Singaporeans cannot sell to PRs who may be able to pay at higher prices.

On the other hand, PRs can sell to PRs as well as Singaporeans, and thus may be able to get relatively higher prices.

Perhaps PRs should not be allowed to sell to PRs once the quota is reached, so that there will always be a “one flat” buffer, so that Singaporeans may not be relatively worse off.

Another example is the reduction in medical fee subsidy by another five per cent next year, and another five per cent the following year.

This means that PRs staying in a Class C hospital ward will be paying 16.7 and 33 per cent more eventually.

Singaporeans with PR spouses, dependents or employees, may have to bear the brunt of the increase of up to 100 per cent more compared to the former 80 per cent subsidy which applied to both citizens and PRs.

So, no Singaporean is better off, and some Singaporeans may be worse off.

Perhaps a half per cent gesturic increase in subsidy for Singaporeans, could at least make the policy change not another “no Singaporean is better off” policy.

Another example is the increase in universities, polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) fees, whereby everyone has to pay more.

Why not just increase fees for PRs and foreigners, such that Singaporeans still pay the same fees?

Whilst having nothing to do with differentiation, the new HDB rule that market interest rates will be changed on HDB loans until the existing flat is sold, means that Singaporeans who currently enjoy HDB concessionary loan rates for up to the six months that is given to sell their existing flats when they change to another one, will pay more in future.

So, why charge everyone more, when the second HDB concessionary loan policy is now relaxed to include down-graders as well, instead of just up-graders under the existing rules?

In all the examples given above, policy changes have resulted in increased revenues by way of housing subsidy reduction, increase in medical fees, increase in school fees, and higher HDB housing loan market rates.

Surely, the outcome of differentiation policy changes should be that at least some Singaporeans are better off.

But it doesn’t look like they are.

Leong Sze Hian

——–

Pictures from Today.

———

Click to enlarge

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

Family of student killed in accident involving retired police officer, calls for transparency from Indonesian police
Indonesia

Family of student killed in accident involving retired police officer, calls for transparency from Indonesian police

04/02/2023
【财政预算案2021】2020年预算赤字达649亿元 占国内生产总值13.9%
AFP

China’s mega-rich move their wealth, and partying, to Singapore

04/02/2023
2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille
AFP

2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

03/02/2023
India’s Adani shares plunge again after stock sale cancelled
AFP

India’s Adani denies rise due to Modi as shares fall again

03/02/2023
TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn
AFP

TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

03/02/2023
India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm
AFP

India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

03/02/2023
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

Family of student killed in accident involving retired police officer, calls for transparency from Indonesian police

Family of student killed in accident involving retired police officer, calls for transparency from Indonesian police

04/02/2023
【财政预算案2021】2020年预算赤字达649亿元 占国内生产总值13.9%

China’s mega-rich move their wealth, and partying, to Singapore

04/02/2023
2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

03/02/2023
India’s Adani shares plunge again after stock sale cancelled

India’s Adani denies rise due to Modi as shares fall again

03/02/2023
TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

03/02/2023
India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

03/02/2023
A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?

A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?

03/02/2023

Myanmar junta imposes tough new measures on resistance strongholds

03/02/2023

Trending posts

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

...

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
47

...

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
23

...

Singapore warns slower economic growth in 2023

Less than 1 in 10 jobs created in first three quarters of 2022 went to Singaporeans?

by Leong Szehian
28/01/2023
69

...

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

by Yee Loon
26/01/2023
24

...

Excessively charging for an essential need, and calling it affordable because people still can pay for it?

by Terry Xu
31/01/2023
40

...

April 2010
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  
« Mar   May »

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