Differentiating between PRs and S’poreans?

• CheckmateA1

  20 Apr 10, 07:22

  Differentiating between PRs and S’poreans?

  The Online Citizen

  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

• charlize

  20 Apr 10, 11:12

  Details will most likely be out just before the elections.

• angel7030

  20 Apr 10, 14:04

  Look like the more Foreigners coming in, the more a single ploicy will divert into branches of policies....no wonder now a day, if a guy approach me, i hv to ask if he is a geninue true Singapore, meaning both parents are singaporeans, otherwise i may end up visiting my mother- in- law in China and father-in-law in malaysia.

• Worcer

  20 Apr 10, 14:10

  They keep saying how many millions go where and there.No one really knows where it goes. Half of the spending goes into someone pocket also we dun know.

  See how HDB expand the cost of building? Go ask how much to build a Condo in Malaysia and America.U will know that HDB building cost really ridiculous.

  All the money all branch out into companies own by government and ppl....

• Fuck PAP & Lee Kuan Yew

  20 Apr 10, 14:20

  This PAP is truely a hopeless and worthless entity for Singaporeans!

• angel7030

  20 Apr 10, 14:22

  Every year, the PAP advisory Council will meet up as a think tank group. They are formed not to create new innovation or policies, but rather they are gathered together to figure out hundreds, if not thousands of answers to tackle all pre emptive questions which they expect the citizens will ask and challenge them.  All the Ministers need to do is log into this data base and provide the answer anytime and anywhere.

  That's why they alway have an answer to everything.

• noahnoah

  20 Apr 10, 14:26

   

  pap got thousands of answers

  to answer q tat everyone will ask

  Why must vote for PAp?

• angel7030

  20 Apr 10, 14:30

  first, for sg women like us, we need to go for PAP smear test, and for guys, most are graduated from PAP kindergarden or under their childcare groups. As the saying goes, people should not go against someone who teach you how to write, go toilet,  eat and play, it will be a great sin to go against the master who took care of you since young.

   

  Once PAP, forever PAP

• we sacrifice

  20 Apr 10, 14:34

  ular berbicara omong kosong

• angel7030

  20 Apr 10, 14:35

  prata kosong

• Arapahoe

  22 Apr 10, 10:53

  Originally posted by angel7030:

  Look like the more Foreigners coming in, the more a single ploicy will divert into branches of policies....no wonder now a day, if a guy approach me, i hv to ask if he is a geninue true Singapore, meaning both parents are singaporeans, otherwise i may end up visiting my mother- in- law in China and father-in-law in malaysia.

  
  and why would anyone want to visit Taiwan?

• angel7030

  22 Apr 10, 11:18

  Originally posted by Arapahoe:

  
  and why would anyone want to visit Taiwan?

  
  because we taiwan mei mei very chio mah, very friendly, very open, very sexy and very sociable, unlike sg mei mei, all look up and tao tao who only go for $$$...but frankly, sg mei mei cannot match most of the asian gals. That's is why they like to visit taiwan to see the real beauty with a smile..

• CheckmateA1

  24 Apr 10, 10:19

  在新加�就业和申请PR的准备

  April 23rd, 2010 | Author: Lee Chong

  作者：艾迪留学23/04/2010

  �将进入6月，大�的新加�留学生�将毕业。�对毕业，在新加�留学的学生，你选择在新加�就业还是回国�展呢？对于就业，你了解多少呢？在此我想与大家分享一下我的个人�历�一些�解。

  首先，临近毕业，学生就è¦�开始å�šå‡†å¤‡äº†ï¼Œä¾‹å¦‚，准备好个人简历，想好了自己的工作方å�‘等，由于还没有真正毕业拿到毕业è¯�，å�³ä¾¿æ˜¯è¯¾ç¨‹å°±ç»“æ�Ÿäº†ï¼Œç­‰åˆ°æ¯•ä¸šè¯�拿到也是需è¦�1-2个月的时间。这个时候学生应该从学校开具一份“在读è¯�明”，说明你现在的状æ€�å�Šå�³å°†æ¯•ä¸šçš„时间。

  接下�就是投递简历，新加�是一个一切有法��的国家，学生基本�以自己通过报纸的招�版�投递简历，也�以通过正�的招�网站投递简历，例如：THE STRAITS TIMES（报纸）；JOBSDB（网站）。投递�，�仔细阅岗��责��求，最好能对公�有一个大致的了解，比如说，你�将应�的公�是属于制造业还是 进出�行业等，这个行业你是�感兴趣。说到个人简历，新加�虽然是�语国家，但是一般没特��出�求的公�，都是需�英文个人简历的，并且最好是有 COVER LETTER在�，个人情况在�。这个COVER LETTER 主�是让用人公�对你有一个�步的了解，包括你的英文水平�个人素质的�步了解。最���忘记附上一张�件�的照片。

  我建议学生一旦开始投递简历就���你的手机�时开通，一旦有公�打电�预约�试，你���头脑清醒，记�公�的�称�地��电���系人，因为新加� 的�路�称有些很相似，因此，正确记下地�是很��的。我当�的�法是，为了能准时准确的找到�将�试的公�，都会请预约�试的人给我�手机短信或者邮件 告知公�地�，以�耽误时间。

  之�就是�试环节，也是相当��的环节。我个人认为，很多学生在新读书的生活还是很美好的，一 旦�对就业就会感�到空�的压力，基本第一�二次�试都是在失望�等待中度过的，但是请���心，�次�试之�总结一下�验，�难�现，其实准备好一段 3-5分钟的英文个人简介是相当��的，在简短的个人介�中，一定�信心�足，逻辑清楚有��，�度热情，���亢。我记得我当年最多一天�预约3个� 试，这样高的频率下，你的�试技巧就会�断增加，�功率大大�高。无论你的�试个人感觉是��功，还是���惜说：THANK YOU，往往你的一个谦虚�诚�的�度就会改��试官的决定。

  一般情况下公�都会安排 FIRST INTERVIEW � 2ND ROUND INTERVIEW，能通知你第二轮�试的公�说明你被录�的�能性已�很高了，那么这2次�试有什么区别呢？基本第一次就是人事部门对你有一个大概的了 解，也会给你介�一些公�大致的情况，但是关于�利，薪水细节是�会谈到的。到了第二次�试，多数都是你的直接上次和你��，这次如果跟你谈到了年�，薪 酬结构，�险，医疗等，那么�喜你，这个时候你的JOB OFFER基本已�到手了。当然一些公�或特别的��也会�求3次�试，往往约�的次数越多，�功率越高。

  接下�就是签订用工�约的时候了，对于政府�工院校（POLYTECHNIC）或者政府公立大学（UNIVERSITY）的毕业生，�需拿到 JOB OFFER���直接到移民厅申请PR（永久居民），对于�立院校的毕业生需�公�出示JOB OFFER去人力部办�工作签�（WP/SP/EP）。以目�的市场形势看，政府�工院校的毕业生，虽然�以直接拿到PR，但是基本的薪水起点为新� 1500-1800。公立大学，�立大学的本科毕业生起薪为新�1800-2000，研究生毕业起薪为新�2000-2200。

  顺便解释一下工作签�的�类：WP，为对低级工作�，一般为体力劳动者�学历在大专以下的人士而设。SP，基本是�对大专，本科的毕业生，新加�人力部 对�此类准�的薪水�求是新�1800。EP，一般是给专业人士的，薪水�求在新�2500。�SP/EP者在工作12个月���移民厅递交PR 申请。

  因此，在了解了以上基础信��，准备找工作的学生就��出相应的准备，开始新一轮的人生。

  ��：http://liuxue.eol.cn

• CheckmateA1

  24 Apr 10, 10:20

  it is no wonder some people mention jobs are for foreigner, ns are meant for Singapore men

• angel7030

  24 Apr 10, 10:46

  ns not bad leh, i know a young captain who always come to our pub, his pays is 8k lor. Job very easy, wonder why people are willing to pay taxes for him??? bloody drinker and womansier too.