Singapore Budget 2011 - Views?

From what I have read, I believe that the best thing in the Budget for 2011 Singapore is the fact that the government is putting in more money for the citizens in order for the citizens to be affected as little as possible by the global inflation of prices.

For example, there will be an increase in the amount of Medisave top-up for this year. it will be different for each age group, such as 45-49 years old getting $300 and an increase for the Medisave top-up for each age group. There will also be a smaller tax income, which is known as Personal Tax Income Rebate which will rebate about 20% of the tax income and will be capped at $2,000

Another important measure to increase the birth rate and also to allow the citizens in Singapore who have children who are 6 years old or below is the fact that the government will be providing these households with money that will range from $300-$400 depending on their annual value of their house in 2010. This will allow the family to use the money for the child's education and medical expenses.

I believe that this measure that has been implemented will increase the birth rate of Singaporeans but it will be minimal. this is because for one child to only get $300, it will not be enough. Just with the giving birth of the child would either take a large chunk out of the $300 or even finish it off. Including the medical expenses of the baby or the child, it will have already cost more than just the $300 given. Thus most families would not be willing to give birth to babies just because of the Baby Bonus and this scheme on top that.

Another important measure is the Reduction of the Personal Income Taxes which is under the subject of Rewarding Hardworking Singaporeans. For this scheme, the government has made careful calculations in this scheme, as shown by the table below from this link:http://www.singaporebudget.gov.sg/budget_2011/key_initiatives/families.html

The government has allowed more buffer in the income salary for each Singaporeans. As the majority of Singaporeans are the working class, it will benefit them and this will also benefit the family as they will have more money to spend and due to the increasingly high cost of living in Singapore, it will prove to be beneficial in the long run of the family. For each range of chargeable income, the middle-paid family will benefit the most,with the largest percentage decrease in their taxes. Thus it is a snowball effect as with more money to spend on the family, it will be beneficial to the economy of Singapore as there will be more free money flowing in the market and the economy of Singapore, thus attracting more investors to the market of Singapore and thus helping Singapore in the long run too.

As many would agree, the education sector of every country plays the most essential role amongst others like healthcare and military. Education is the only way in which future leaders in different sectors of Singapore will be able to be nurtured and trained well. Thus the government recognised this fact and has pumped more money into helping the education sector. An analogy of this would be a youth team in a soccer team. Instead of buying ready made talents to the football club it is much more beneficial in monetary terms. This will allow the football club to be able to nurture their own leaders and soccer players. Thus the government is doing all it can to be able to help the education aspect of Singapore, such as the Ministry of Education Financial Assistance Scheme for SPED Schools, and theEnhanced Bursaries for Polytechnic and University Students. However it must not only be the students and the young to benefit. The Singapore Government is also doing its best to help the elderly to allow them to enjoy the last best years of their lives by providing them with financial assistance.

Thus overall, the citizens of Singapore are pretty pleased with the Government as no one is left out of the caring of their welfare.

The Straits Time -- Dedicated bus driver

Well well well, we have ourselves another bus driver who is helpful... At least this serves as a reminder that not all Singaporeans and selfish and that they only know how to think for themselves.

In this present day and age, where science, technology and money rules the world, it seems that technically there should be lesser of these kind of good Samaritans, as one is too engrossed in the pursuit of materialistic gains that one forgets about his roots and does what is right to benefit both himself and the country, and thus it is a wonder why The Straits Times still has that many posts by the people in Singapore on how the people are helping one another.

For this post, and this post only I will be tackling the issue of materialism and our present society, where the dog eats the dog and the ideology of the survival of the fittest is omnipresent...

Our society is one where it awards those who do well and the ideology of meritocracy is omnipresent. Competition is rife and those that lose will fall out. Examples include those in the workforce, where men rule, and women try and struggle to get a foothold in the workforce. It has been the culture and tradition since aeons ago, that boys study in school and receive education while girls stay at home and learn to do housework. Thats one traditional example of people being meritocratic as they feel that women are not able to beat men in terms of social skills, work efficiency and others.

However in our present context, it is also a world where the dog eats the dog, one who does not do well and catch up with the rest will soon get eliminated. This is all due to the rapid rate of globalisation and global monoculture, People are rushing to find their way into getting used to the dominant culture so quickly that in the process, they do not understand that in fact there is a loss of their own traditions and culture, and that westernisation is being the only culture that is going to happen.

Aren't people too desensitized by the things that are happening around them that they do not even care about their own surroundings? Aren't people too crazy and obssessed over their own materialistic gains that they do not even care about their life? Aren't people too busy with the things that they need to do each day (some even complain that 24 hours isn't enough or that sleep is a form of relaxation and they do not need sleep) that they do not care about their society and their country or even their future? I do not see why there are still some people who care about people.

In the past, in their own villages, people would take care of one another, like they were blood brothers and sisters, and that they were willing to bleed for one another. But it isn't the case right now. The only difference that has happened since the past was globalisation and the rapid progress of science and technology. This has made us indifferent to the people around us and the stuff that is happening.

If only we could turn back the time and change all those stuff that is going to affect what we do right now...

The Straits Times -- Must strike a balance

Regarding Mr K. sebasan's comments on The Straits Times Forum that "Kids should strike a balance", I feel that this is quite impossible to change in a short period of time, and that it will be more of a long term issue rather than a short term one.

In our present day and age and especially so in the ASEAN countries, kids are getting more and more competitive with each passing minute. There has been a newspaper report recently saying that for Primary School students, they even have to stay back till about 4.30 or even 5pm each day in school, just for supplementary lessons. And even these supplementary lessons are compulsory, which has sparked the anger of many parents, complaining that the MOE should look into this issue and the fact that they are not even able to finish their curriculum in the normal school hours, and why they should waste more time on supplementary lessons

Well, this is just one example in Singapore. There are many other examples globally, especially when it has been stated in the news recently that we are ranked third in terms of our educational system, with Hong Kong ranked first and another ASEAN country in second place. With our stressful education system being ranked third, it is no wonder that the kids in ASEAN are getting more competitive. Not only in the ASEAN countries, but in America too, where tiger mums are made infamous. These examples are important in a sense that they show the competitiveness in the global world.

Singaporean kids already have the thought in their mind as the seeds were sowed early in their childhood that in everything, they must try to be first, especially in a competitive society like ours. Parents from generation to generation have instilled their children with a sense of "kiasuness" in Singaporean context. Note: Kiasuness means afraid to lose out. It is quite common to see adults rushing their children to tuition; quite common to see adults waiting at fast food restaurants just to wait for their children to finish tuition; and quite common to see adults willing to sacrifice their time to chauffeur their children around, from school to tuition centres.

It has been happening in society for such a long time that we see it as a norm, something that happens everyday and that we are used to observing it. With it being a norm, it is quite difficult to eradicate it just by saying "Kids should strike a balance" without even thinking of the time needed and effort needed in order for this to happen. For example an addiction is very hard to eradicate once you are hooked on to it and this process will take time and effort from the victim and those around him. Thus this analogy will then further explain how kids will not be able to get used to the fact that they should lead a wholistical lifestyle, striking a balance between academia and their freedom to explore their own realm.

Thus, with all the points that I have elaborated and the examples stated, it is evident that it is quite impossible that Singapore kids would be able to strike a balance, between academia and their aesthetics, which is to have time to think and explore their realm. It will require time, but who knows how long it will take? a few years? Probably until the next generation? Until then, what we can do is to just encourage ourselves as well as those around us that children need their childhood, as well as to cope with stress in life and strike a balance.