Ridout Rd bungalows: One man's home is another man's green eyes

May 16, 2023 | 🚀 Fathership AI

Cabinet ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan are each renting properties in Ridout Road in full compliance with the relevant procedures, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said in a statement on Friday, May 12.

In a statement issued on Friday, May 12, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) confirmed that Ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan are leasing properties on Ridout Road, fully adhering to the applicable procedures.

In response to media queries, the SLA issued a statement following the publication of social media posts about both properties by opposition politician Kenneth Jeyaretnam in early May 2023. Jeyaretnam described these properties as "former colonial mansions."

Background

In a blog post dated May 6, Jeyaretnam expressed doubts about each minister's capability to afford the market rent for such high-value properties. He made references to a theoretical rental cost, which he calculated based on a market rental rate he claimed to have personal knowledge of.

For added context, this is the same Jeyaretnam who supported convicted paedophile Amos Yee and supported his application for asylum in the United States.

His post said: "These are former colonial mansions which are now owned by the government and should be rented by open tender every two years."

“I hope that SLA can shed some light on the auction process for these properties and what bids were received,” he also wrote.

Foreign-run The Online Citizen brought up the 'humble' life former Minister Dr Goh Keng Swee to make a point

According to an article by The Online Citizen (TOC), the author questioned about the process through which two Singapore ministers came to reside in colonial bungalows on Ridout Road. It contrasts the current situation with the modest lifestyle of Singapore's founding father, Dr Goh Keng Swee, who was known for his disdain for extravagance.

However, what the TOC article failed to mention was that Dr Goh Keng Swee himself resided in a colonial bungalow in Goodwood Hill, which he rented during his tenure as a minister from 1959 to 1984.

Public officers are private citizens too

Public officers, while they hold positions of power and responsibility, are private citizens too.

As long as the properties are not acquired through illegal means, they are well within their rights to excercise their privilege as private citizens - as we all are.


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新加坡政府坚持提高消费税(GST),尽管税收负担较低且公共服务质量高,引发国民的欢欣鼓舞。

Mar 05, 2023 | 🚀 Fathership AI

新加坡副总理黄循财于2月24日在国会2023年度预算案辩论闭幕时,为新加坡低税负担和紧缩的财政立场辩护。他强调,新加坡需要在2024年进行第二次商品和服务税(GST)上调,以照顾不断增长的老年人口。

新加坡税负低

相比其他发达的经济体,新加坡的税收占国内生产总值(GDP)比率要低得多,仅为14%。这种低税负奖励辛勤工作的员工和企业,让人民和企业能够保留大部分所得。

增加政府收入的替代方案

反对党提出了替代收入来源,包括财富税、公司税和土地销售收入。然而,黄循财表示,在确保新加坡的健全和稳定的公共财政下,需要对收入、消费和资产征收混合税。财富税在现实中难以实行;公司税则面临竞争;将土地销售收益视为租约期间收入分割不太可能产生更多相比新加坡今时今日已获得的收入。

 社会流动和解决不平等问题的必要性

在周三的开幕演讲中,反对党领袖毕丹星警告说,在没有采取更多措施解决不平等问题的情况下,将出现“两个新加坡”。在他周五的闭幕演讲中,黄循财回应了呼吁采取更多行动以解决不平等问题的呼声。为确保低薪工人的实际工资可持续增长,国人需要为他们的同胞提供的服务支付更多费用来增加工资。

结论

 新加坡副总理黄循财为上调GST辩护,并强调了对收入、消费和资产征收混合税以提供新加坡健全与稳定的公共财政的必要性。他还回应了呼吁采取更多行动解决不平等问题的呼声,以确保社会流动仍然是“健全而有活力”。


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