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Is Lim hinting to vote PAP for future gens to get PGP?


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Supersonic

http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/03/06/is-lim-hinting-to-vote-pap-for-future-gens-to-get-pgp/

 

 

Is Lim hinting to vote PAP for future gens to get PGP?

 

 

dmca_protected_sml_120n.pngPostDateIcon.png March 6th, 2014 | PostAuthorIcon.png Author: Editorial
LimSweeSay1.jpg

Minister Lim Swee Say

 

 

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (4 Mar), Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Lim Swee Say said that Singaporeans who are younger than the pioneer generation might also enjoy similar packages in future if the Government remains clean, responsible and caring, and its finances are healthy.

 

The Pioneer Generation Package (PGP) announced by the government is for those who are 65 and older this year, and became citizens before 1987.

 

He was recounting one union leader’s disappointment on hearing that Mr Lim would not qualify for the package as he only turns 60 this July.

 

“He said: ‘Oh no, no hope then.’ I said: ‘Yes, of course there is hope.’”

 

“Today, we honour the generation before us. Years from now, if we continue to do well, if the Government is still clean, responsible and caring, if (the) Budget is still healthy, maybe the generation after us may decide to honour our generation as well. Therefore, yes, there’s always hope.”

 

When Mr Lim said “the Government”, it’s not known if he meant that the government will still be the PAP. Is Mr Lim hinting that PAP needs to be voted in as government in order for future generations of Singaporeans to get similar packages as the PGP?

 

WP MP Mr Png Eng Huat argued that to set the bar for the package at 16 years old in 1965, the year Singapore became independent, was “a little too precise and will exclude Singaporeans who had to quit school to work during those times”.

 

He added that people under the age of 16 in 1965 could also have been working then. But he acknowledged the difficulty in proving that.

West Coast GRC MP Arthur Fong then challenged Mr Png to state his preferred cut-off age.

 

WP MP Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap (Aljunied GRC) said the package should be seen as one of the many means to tackle the larger problem of cost of living.

 

With regard to the PGP, Mr Faisal said, “Any government should in fact recognise that it is merely fulfilling a core function of its duties to the very people who had elected (it) in the first place.”

 

 

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Yes, and it's not just a hint. It's a blatant advertisement.

 

To be fair, it takes a lot of political will to pull off something like this. Spend $8 billion on a generation, many of whom won't be around to vote soon? I won't call it a savvy investment. It's being done because it's the right thing to do. For that, I applaud the government, and even the opposition does.

 

To top it off, income taxes and corporate taxes, two of the biggest tax components in many countries, aren't even raised by a single bit. Surely the money must come from somewhere, that's why sin taxes and vehicle taxes are high, and will remain high.

 

Is Lim saying that a future opposition government won't do something like this? We will never know. But a strong message here is that the PAP government will do such things as long as it can continue to afford to, and I think that's heartening.

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Yes, and it's not just a hint. It's a blatant advertisement.

 

I'd say they've gotten a LOT more subtle since the old days. Anyone else remember this "classic"? [laugh]

 

post-52704-0-28381600-1394534070.jpg

 

(Sadly, that wasn't a parody photoshop). [:(]

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I dun fancy what package they offer. If they didn't raise GST and COE and whatever cost ppl wouldn't need the package in the first place. I rather they leave us alone and leave the population alone.

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I said: ‘Yes, of course there is hope.’”

 

“Today, we honour the generation before us. Years from now, if we continue to do well, if the Government is still clean, responsible and caring, if (the) Budget is still healthy, maybe the generation after us may decide to honour our generation as well. Therefore, yes, there’s always hope.”

 

 

I see nothing wrong with this.

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Yes, and it's not just a hint. It's a blatant advertisement.

 

To be fair, it takes a lot of political will to pull off something like this. Spend $8 billion on a generation, many of whom won't be around to vote soon? I won't call it a savvy investment. It's being done because it's the right thing to do. For that, I applaud the government, and even the opposition does.

 

To top it off, income taxes and corporate taxes, two of the biggest tax components in many countries, aren't even raised by a single bit. Surely the money must come from somewhere, that's why sin taxes and vehicle taxes are high, and will remain high.

 

Is Lim saying that a future opposition government won't do something like this? We will never know. But a strong message here is that the PAP government will do such things as long as it can continue to afford to, and I think that's heartening.

Hold on there.

It's not 8 billion spent over a year. It's over a generation, how much a year is that now? ?? Not enough for a YOG or F1 race maybe.

 

By putting side $8B at one shot, where does the leftover money go? It stays with the govt agency is given and probably gets recycled for other uses immediately. And what and who gets it? Am sure accountants can do wonders with it.

 

So its really no big deal for the govt. They are making a mountain out of a molehill for maximum political gain.

 

And I bet by the time the pioneer generation all die out, there will be a huge sum leftover.

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Supersonic

Hold on there.

It's not 8 billion spent over a year. It's over a generation, how much a year is that now? ?? Not enough for a YOG or F1 race maybe.

 

By putting side $8B at one shot, where does the leftover money go? It stays with the govt agency is given and probably gets recycled for other uses immediately. And what and who gets it? Am sure accountants can do wonders with it.

 

So its really no big deal for the govt. They are making a mountain out of a molehill for maximum political gain.

 

And I bet by the time the pioneer generation all die out, there will be a huge sum leftover.

Good Pt, i didnt think of that.

Are you being paid to start new threads everyday? This kind of lobang please intro me. Thanks.

me ah?, nah lah. A forum must always have multiple sources mah ? [:p]

 

I'd say they've gotten a LOT more subtle since the old days. Anyone else remember this "classic"? [laugh]

 

attachicon.gifNewPaper 1997.jpg

 

(Sadly, that wasn't a parody photoshop). [:(]

This would qualify for 180th. gosh

 

I was in NS during the Tang Liang Hong contesting for Cheng San GE.

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Supercharged

I repeat. My balls strink everytime they "HElp" me.

 

you are not alone.

mine too.

 

and i cringe everytime SG-Zorro opens his mouth too~! [laugh]

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Hold on there.

It's not 8 billion spent over a year. It's over a generation, how much a year is that now? ?? Not enough for a YOG or F1 race maybe.

 

By putting side $8B at one shot, where does the leftover money go? It stays with the govt agency is given and probably gets recycled for other uses immediately. And what and who gets it? Am sure accountants can do wonders with it.

 

So its really no big deal for the govt. They are making a mountain out of a molehill for maximum political gain.

 

And I bet by the time the pioneer generation all die out, there will be a huge sum leftover.

 

There are undeniably political points to be gained from it. But there needs to be an understanding of how government expenditure works too: this $8billion comes out of the government's current reserves ie, the accumulated leftover from the current term of government which began in 2011. If this amount was not spent, it will rollover into past reserves (the amount which can't be touched without President's approval) once parliament is dissolved. But since the $8billion has been committed now, it would mean that the amount will definitely be spent on the pioneer generation, well into the next term of government.

 

How much is that a year? I don't know, but we can get some clues from the items covered:

 

http://www.singaporebudget.gov.sg/budget_2014/pgp.aspx

 

Let's not pretend that an annual $200 to $800 medisave top up for all senior citizens is a lot, but it's a commitment because it'll benefit them for as long as they live. If they die early, of course less will be spent, but if they live longer, I don't think any benevolent government will mind paying them more, it's a happy problem. I'm not going to be that cynical and think that the government is happier if you die off or disappear to JB.

 

With every $8billion committed comes an opportunity cost - it is committed so it can't be used for anything else, until every single one of them die out. How long will that be and how much will be left? I don't know, but I'll think the amount was an estimate based on the generation's expected lifespan, and the corresponding medishield, medisave and outpatient top-ups. Not as if $6billion is going to make any less of a political impact, but when they decide on $8billion, and give up $2billion which could have been used elsewhere, there had been deliberate calculations. Who knows, maybe $4billion would have been enough? But their commitment to the PGP nevertheless locks that $4billion for quite some time.

 

Not expecting any praises for this post, because a short anti-government comment involving 2016 is usually more popular. Don't get junked not bad already. I just hope that there is a meaningful engagement.

Edited by Alheych
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Supercharged

 

There are undeniably political points to be gained from it. But there needs to be an understanding of how government expenditure works too: this $8billion comes out of the government's current reserves ie, the accumulated leftover from the current term of government which began in 2011. If this amount was not spent, it will rollover into past reserves (the amount which can't be touched without President's approval) once parliament is dissolved. But since the $8billion has been committed now, it would mean that the amount will definitely be spent on the pioneer generation, well into the next term of government.

 

How much is that a year? I don't know, but we can get some clues from the items covered:

 

http://www.singaporebudget.gov.sg/budget_2014/pgp.aspx

 

Let's not pretend that an annual $200 to $800 medisave top up for all senior citizens is a lot, but it's a commitment because it'll benefit them for as long as they live. If they die early, of course less will be spent, but if they live longer, I don't think any benevolent government will mind paying them more, it's a happy problem. I'm not going to be that cynical and think that the government is happier if you die off or disappear to JB.

 

With every $8billion committed comes an opportunity cost - it is committed so it can't be used for anything else, until every single one of them die out. How long will that be and how much will be left? I don't know, but I'll think the amount was an estimate based on the generation's expected lifespan, and the corresponding medishield, medisave and outpatient top-ups. Not as if $6billion is going to make any less of a political impact, but when they decide on $8billion, and give up $2billion which could have been used elsewhere, there had been deliberate calculations. Who knows, maybe $4billion would have been enough? But their commitment to the PGP nevertheless locks that $4billion for quite some time.

 

Not expecting any praises for this post, because a short anti-government comment involving 2016 is usually more popular. Don't get junked not bad already. I just hope that there is a meaningful engagement.

 

hmmm... so if i understand correctly, if this money is not used up before the next election, the remainder will go into reserves?

as in, if say, in an extreme case, by 2016, the targeted 450,000, and (touch wood) 400,000 of them die before the end of 2014... hypotically... and the remainder 50,000 only managed to spend 1 of that 8 billion at the end of 2015, the remainder 7 will go into reserves and becomes untouchable?

 

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