800,000 households to get $106 million dollars worth of “reb
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800,000 households to get $106 million dollars worth of “rebates”
December 31, 2009
In yet another sign that the next general election will be held sometime next year, the Ministry of Finance announced that “800 ,000 Housing Board households will receive $106 million worth of U-Save rebates.”
The first payout, amounting to $60 million of utility rebates, will be made in January, while the the second payout will come in July.
Th U-Save rebates are used to offset utility charges directly and are part of the GST Offset Package announced in Budget 2007 to help Singaporeans, especially low and middle-income households, cope with the GST increase.
Electricity tariffs for households are going up by 5.4 per cent or 1.18 cents per kWh for the first quarter of next year due to “higher fuel oil prices”.
Just before the 2006 general election, the ruling party unveiled a “progress package”, disbursing a couple of hundreds of dollars to each Singaporean.
After it won the election, GST was raised to 7 per cent ostensibly to “help the poor” in the words of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Since then, the income gap between the poor and rich has widened considerably. The cost of living has increased while the median wages of Singaporeans remain stagnant at $2,600.
It is not known how the increase in GST has gone towards helping the poor. The issue was never raised again by the Prime Minister or any other leader.
Singaporeans should not be too happy at the latest cash handout by the ruling party. Before they even know it, the amount disbursed to them will be “recouped” via higher GST, ERP, fines and whatever in double quick time.
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I GET THAT SAME AMOUNT EVERY MONTH IN AUSTRALIA....NO SPORE GOV HELP NEEDED!
YUP!!!A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS EVERY MONTH IN OZ...NOT ONCE A YEAR.
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Right hand give you $2 dollar note.
Left hand ask you to return $20 dollar note.
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huh million only ar? i expect at least 10 billions. compare this amount to what they have lost is peanut.
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I love election year.
All the good news comes out.
Never mind the few years after the election where the suffering begins.
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whatever happen, take first lah, govt give money, wait for what?
Funny Singaporeans? Give money also not happy, take money also not happy?
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That works out to an average of $130 per household.
Can pay off 1 month's electricity bill.
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Originally posted by charlize:
Can pay off 1 month's electricity bill.
Even that may not be enough.
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Originally posted by ztreyier:
Even that may not be enough.
Poor pople like us have to make do with what we can lor.
Haiz.
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poor got computer to post meh?? mai bull shit la. Most are richie here lor
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rebates actually means they give us back a bit of what we pay them.
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I rather PAP ministers cut their salaries to more normal levels from the current insane level. But that is like telling them go and die.
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Originally posted by angel7030:
poor got computer to post meh?? mai bull shit la. Most are richie here lor
Internet cafe.
$2 per hour.
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gahmen one s$1.50 per hour
member s$1.00 per hour
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Originally posted by charlize:
Internet cafe.
$2 per hour.
Wow! that is more rich,Many poors are surfing laptop at starbuck with coffee at $5 per cup, sometime i just wonder, why earth are these poor peoples doing here spending tomorrow money?
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NOW IN SPORE....MAIDS ALL ALSO GET LAPTOPS FROM STRAITS TIMES NEWS!!!
TIMES HAVE CHANGED ...we are living in 2010 and not in 1990!!!!EATING PORRIDGE N SOY SAUCE ARE MEANT FOR POOR STARVING PEOPLE ALMOST GOIN TO DIE WW2 PEOPLE GENERATION.20 years ...many things have changed on this planet....1940 compare to 1960! or compare 1980 to 2000!
in 1980 .....computer monitor was as heavy and big as a bank safe. In 2000,computer monitor was light and lcd even and was light enough to carry with one hand.
in 1980 ,the internet was only meant for limited top secret military applications.in 2000,the internet was used by people worldwide to surf for everything from sales ,porn,information etc
in 1980....noodles at katong was $1.50.in year 2000...noodles there was $3.00.
in 1980 china was still a rural communist country .....in year 2000 they are an impressive industrialised country.
in 1980 germany was still east n west germany.in year 2000,east n west germany is one germany.
in 1980 air travel was expensive and meant for the rich.in year 2000 even a high school student can buy one ticket and forget about it.
in 1980 no one heard of what a CD was and thought it was a weapon from outer space .in 2000, dvd are in circulation everywhere in civilised world
in 1980,if u talked to your handheld phone that weights 5kg u are considered a very rich man!in 2000 they have handphones that weigh less than a kfc chicken even!
in 1980.....playboy miss december was hour glass and shapely....in 2000 she is a fat old woman with a hunch back
in 1980...silicone valley in usa california was manufacturing microchips and high tech stuff.....in 2000 its no more doing that.
in 1980....my pet dog was alive and yelping.in 2000 its no longer around.
in 1980,,,their tv was huge and heavy almost the size of a refrigerator.in year 2000 its so light and high tech till u can carry it up and own a staircase with one hand.
in 1980...a video recorder was considered a plaything of the rich.in 2000 a video recorder is an insult if u gave it as a gift.
we cant be living in an age where everyone use age old stuff and a thinking thats meant for very very pooor people!
alot of things will change due to progrress from 1990 to 2010 or has there been any progress??or minus progress??
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i rather get cold hard cash then utilities rebates.
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CPF Life will be disbursing payouts of up to $1,000 monthly to about 10,000 Singaporeans aged 62 and above this year to those who have signed up for the scheme.
They will get the payouts by the seventh working day of each month which will go on for as long as they live.
The monthly amount depends on the Retirement Account savings they used to join the annuity scheme. There is no minimum amount required, but members with lower balances will get lower monthly payouts. The highest payout is reported to be $1,040 a month.
Singaporeans are not allowed to opt out from the CPF Life scheme though the money belongs to them. It will apply to all Singaporeans turning 55 from 2013 and who have at least $40,000 in their CPF savings.
In an interview with the state media, one Singaporean Madam Siti Khadijah Abdullah, who turned 62 yesterday, had opted for the CPF Life Balanced plan.
The plan will pay her $366 monthly, hardly enough for her to survive in Singapore. As her children do not give her a fixed allowance, Madam Siti is considering returning to the workforce.
“There’s more security because I’ll be getting a regular allowance until the day I die. Even if I don’t work, I’ll still have money to survive,” she added.
The ruling party has been encouraging Singaporeans to work for as long as they can. Though Singapore is a first world country, its citizens enjoy few social welfare benefits unlike others.
Most Singaporeans have to depend on their CPF savings for retirement. Before 2003, they are able to withdraw their CPF monies in one lump sum when they reach 55 years of age.
Now, they have to keep a “minimum sum” in their CPF before they are able to do so. As of now, the minimum sum has been increased to $117,000.
Unless one belongs to the top 5 per cent of the income group, it is almost impossible for ordinary Singaporeans to accure that amount in their CPF.
Furthermore, a substantial amount of their CPF savings will be used to finance the mortgage loans of over-priced HDB flats. The ruling party claims that rising prices of public housing help to “create wealth” for Singaporeans, but that capital value will not be unlocked unless one migrates elsewhere.
The monthly median wage of an average Singapore worker is only $2,600 compared to more than $150,000 for a minister and $250,000 for the prime minister of Singapore.
It is an irony that Singapore is “wealthy enough” to lose more than $40 billion dollars of its reserves in failed overseas investments (Wall Street Journal, September 2009), but its people are struggling to make ends meet.
The situation isn’t helped by the relentless influx of foreigners into Singapore which help to keep wages stagnant for the Singapore worker.
The ruling party isn’t sympathetic towards the suffering of ordinary Singaporeans in the street. While PM Lee claimed in his New Year Day message that Singaporeans will remain a “top priority” for his government, his father MM Lee Kuan Yew urged Singaporeans to put up with the “tide” of immmigration which has since grown to become a “flood”.
In a recent interview with the National Geographic magazine, Lee Kuan Yew continues to support the ruling party’s liberal immigration policies though he is aware that many Singaporeans are unhappy with the influx of immigrants.
“Over time, Singaporeans have become less hard-driving and hard-striving. This is why it is a good thing that the nation has welcomed so many Chinese immigrants.” Lee was quoted saying.
Lee describes the country’s new subjects as “hungry,” with parents who “pushed the children very hard.”
“If native Singaporeans are falling behind because the spurs are not stuck into the hide, that is their problem,” he quipped.
It has indeed become a big problem for Singaporeans that they are not having sufficient savings in their CPF for their twilight years, not that the ruling party led by its overpaid millionaire ministers cares much anyway.
Minister in the Prime Minister Office Lim Swee Say who recently urged Singapore workers to be “cheaper, faster and better” once made the following famous remark:
“Every month, when I receive my CPF statement, I feel so rich and the best part is, I know the CPF money won’t run away. CPF will still be around for a long, long time to come… Not only is it earning good interest, my capital is protected.”
Now that Mr Lim has successfully “upturned” the downturn, he and his colleagues can expect another round of pay hike to their salaries in the new year ahead and of course, he will feel richer with more contributions from Singapore taxpayers to his CPF.
Election coming!
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Originally posted by 4sg: CPF Life will be disbursing payouts of up to $1,000 monthly to about 10,000 Singaporeans aged 62 and above this year to those who have signed up for the scheme.
They will get the payouts by the seventh working day of each month which will go on for as long as they live.
The monthly amount depends on the Retirement Account savings they used to join the annuity scheme. There is no minimum amount required, but members with lower balances will get lower monthly payouts. The highest payout is reported to be $1,040 a month.
Singaporeans are not allowed to opt out from the CPF Life scheme though the money belongs to them. It will apply to all Singaporeans turning 55 from 2013 and who have at least $40,000 in their CPF savings.
In an interview with the state media, one Singaporean Madam Siti Khadijah Abdullah, who turned 62 yesterday, had opted for the CPF Life Balanced plan.
The plan will pay her $366 monthly, hardly enough for her to survive in Singapore. As her children do not give her a fixed allowance, Madam Siti is considering returning to the workforce.
“There’s more security because I’ll be getting a regular allowance until the day I die. Even if I don’t work, I’ll still have money to survive,” she added.
The ruling party has been encouraging Singaporeans to work for as long as they can. Though Singapore is a first world country, its citizens enjoy few social welfare benefits unlike others.
Most Singaporeans have to depend on their CPF savings for retirement. Before 2003, they are able to withdraw their CPF monies in one lump sum when they reach 55 years of age.
Now, they have to keep a “minimum sum” in their CPF before they are able to do so. As of now, the minimum sum has been increased to $117,000.
Unless one belongs to the top 5 per cent of the income group, it is almost impossible for ordinary Singaporeans to accure that amount in their CPF.
Furthermore, a substantial amount of their CPF savings will be used to finance the mortgage loans of over-priced HDB flats. The ruling party claims that rising prices of public housing help to “create wealth” for Singaporeans, but that capital value will not be unlocked unless one migrates elsewhere.
The monthly median wage of an average Singapore worker is only $2,600 compared to more than $150,000 for a minister and $250,000 for the prime minister of Singapore.
It is an irony that Singapore is “wealthy enough” to lose more than $40 billion dollars of its reserves in failed overseas investments (Wall Street Journal, September 2009), but its people are struggling to make ends meet.
The situation isn’t helped by the relentless influx of foreigners into Singapore which help to keep wages stagnant for the Singapore worker.
The ruling party isn’t sympathetic towards the suffering of ordinary Singaporeans in the street. While PM Lee claimed in his New Year Day message that Singaporeans will remain a “top priority” for his government, his father MM Lee Kuan Yew urged Singaporeans to put up with the “tide” of immmigration which has since grown to become a “flood”.
In a recent interview with the National Geographic magazine, Lee Kuan Yew continues to support the ruling party’s liberal immigration policies though he is aware that many Singaporeans are unhappy with the influx of immigrants.
“Over time, Singaporeans have become less hard-driving and hard-striving. This is why it is a good thing that the nation has welcomed so many Chinese immigrants.” Lee was quoted saying.
Lee describes the country’s new subjects as “hungry,” with parents who “pushed the children very hard.”
“If native Singaporeans are falling behind because the spurs are not stuck into the hide, that is their problem,” he quipped.
It has indeed become a big problem for Singaporeans that they are not having sufficient savings in their CPF for their twilight years, not that the ruling party led by its overpaid millionaire ministers cares much anyway.
Minister in the Prime Minister Office Lim Swee Say who recently urged Singapore workers to be “cheaper, faster and better” once made the following famous remark:
“Every month, when I receive my CPF statement, I feel so rich and the best part is, I know the CPF money won’t run away. CPF will still be around for a long, long time to come… Not only is it earning good interest, my capital is protected.”
Now that Mr Lim has successfully “upturned” the downturn, he and his colleagues can expect another round of pay hike to their salaries in the new year ahead and of course, he will feel richer with more contributions from Singapore taxpayers to his CPF.
Election coming!
I guess the media will now paint singaporeans as being very grateful to the government for returning them THEIR own hard earned CPF money a few hundred dollars at a time every month.
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So that means only people who own houses will receive the money?
In that case, only my parents will receive the money while I will not receive any money.
I will vote for opposition than and psycho them to vote for opposition too.
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Originally posted by angel7030:
whatever happen, take first lah, govt give money, wait for what?
Funny Singaporeans? Give money also not happy, take money also not happy?
Only you are Gon Gon to be treated like an idiot would be happy to take the money....
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Originally posted by Arapahoe:
Only you are Gon Gon to be treated like an idiot would be happy to take the money....
Hello, if you dun want, can transfer it to me, i treat you to a starbuck's Frapucino coffee ya. In life, sometime act gon gon is better than trying to be smart ya. -
Originally posted by charlize:
Internet cafe.
$2 per hour.
can go internet cafe not bad liao,...now WiFi already, go internet cafe for what, all those internet Cafe turns to casinos liao -
Originally posted by keeptouch:
So that means only people who own houses will receive the money?
In that case, only my parents will receive the money while I will not receive any money.
I will vote for opposition than and psycho them to vote for opposition too.
u vote opposition, your parents vote PAP lor, 2 is to 1, sure PAP wins -
Originally posted by angel7030:
whatever happen, take first lah, govt give money, wait for what?
Funny Singaporeans? Give money also not happy, take money also not happy?
Never mind that your English is horrendous, but at least read before you post lest you embarrass yourself.