Thursday, April 14, 2011

PM Claimes No GST Hike after GE

So said PM Lee Hsien Loong according to today's ST. Let me quote this very hard to believe claim,

I very much doubt that. Unless we go wild on our spending plans, then of course we will run out of money, and then you will have to raise GST. But if we have prudent budgets and we are careful in our plans, and if we grow the economy, I think we should be in good shape.
Excuse me Mr PM, I find it hard to believe that the PAP government would not raise GST like what it did after the 2006 election. This was what the PM said months after the PAP won that election.

"It will give us precious extra resources to implement social programmes like Workfare later on. Our aim is to help the lower income groups and the elderly, not to increase their burdens. When we implement the GST increase, it's not just the GST increase, it's the package which will fully offset the impact of the GST increase and begin to strengthen the social safety nets and tilt the balance in favour of the low income groups - we will not just raise the GST but we will have a comprehensive offset package,
The PAP would increase GST to 9% or higher from the the 7% now after the election - it is just a matter of when. To have a moral high ground, they would again cite the reason that the government needs more money to help the less privileged in Singapore and that money has to come from GST.  In 2009, GST collected was close to $7 billion and the total tax revenue was more than $36 billion. Hence, GST formed a fat 20% of the overall money pocketed by the government. So, my point? Let's see if the PAP goes back on its words.

8 comments:

  1. Actually...there was already a study into upping the current GST to 10%...

    Seems more public money going into civil servants pay...

    Too many expensive and getting expensive pigs whose payout every year keep increasing...and singapore's small economy can only "feed" these unproductive class by only this much...so the reasons for upping more by taking "leegaly" from the common folks in singapore...and using the common folks "forced" savings (CPF) and "used to be protected" savings (POSB) to do more "investing" to get more money....not to help the common folks of singapore...but to help themselves (the pigs & their "loved ones")...

    Frankly speaking...i have seen too much in this mortal finite world...but the PIGs in white i put in the catergory of "low lifes"...because they didn't work real honest sweat for the public monies...they just take and take the blood money...

    Wonder who will give out or falled forever in the end 1st...the common folks of singapore and singapore herself...or the PIGs in the end...

    We see for now.

    If the Pigs (the real sheep) win GE.

    I'm leaving singapore...tired of wallowing in the pig sty and snorting/horking/whining from the PIGs pig out from the troughs of blood (blood monies from the common folks of singapore) they swallow & sucked greedily...i can only stand so much.

    Good day.

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  2. Let's see? You mean once bitten not enough? We are either too forgiving and trustworthy, or forgetful and dumb. Both ways we are 'screwed'

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  3. The dumb electorate will still believe him. We will get another GST increase to 10% to help the poor. We will get another ministerial salary hike to help the poor ministers. The people will get screwed for the next 5 years and promptly forget that they were screwed when the next election comes.It's the same old shit all over again, and his answers shows that he knows that very well. Look he did not say.as the PM I promise no GST hike for the next 5 years..

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  4. Anon April 14, 2011 12:23 PM
    - More money going into ministers' pay more likely. Most civil servants are not paid well. But "paid well" is subjective anyway. However, if you leave Singapore and go to the West, GST can be a real killer there too depending on the country. :) What's that about grass greener on the other side?

    My beef is that the PM should be upfront about GST increase. So what if it increases as long as he can convince us that there is a trade-off. But I hate it when he tried to give pre-GE assurance that there would not be a hike post-GE despite earlier signs that it would go 10% as you said.

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  5. Kaffein
    - IMO, most Singaporeans are dumb and forgetful. Check out the general mood of the online arguments backing or whacking the PAP :)

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  6. Anon April 14, 2011 5:51 PM
    - You said it! He did not promise and gave himself enough room to allow his finance minister i.e. Tharman, to raise GST in 2013 probably... when most people would have forgotten that the PM waffled on about no GST increase right before the 2011 GE. :)

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  7. Isn't from his wording already given us the hint and obvious that he very possibly will increase GST ?

    "I very much <> that. <> we go wild on our spending plans, <> of course we will run out of money, and <> you will have to raise GST. <> we have prudent budgets and we are careful in our plans, and <> we grow the economy, I <> we should be in good shape."

    so many "if", and "but" , "doubt"...
    does that give you any assurance that this clown will not increase the GST considering his 100% track record of saying similar sentences and force it down your throat ?

    Why should we doubt it anymore ?

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  8. to be fair, after a year, no GST increase?!

    actually i think there is a study somewhere and 7% GST seems to be a figure the gahmen will stick to for some time.

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