Questions Upon A GST Hike (To be Published?)
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Dear All
Many a time, the Government will piss us off. Sometimes more than normal.
This instance of the impending GST Hike is one of those.
My reasons are given in my letter to ST Forum Page sent today.
Whether or not they will publish the letter, this I do not know, but what I do know is if this letter goes out into the forums, the pressure on them to publish will be greater.
Furthermore and for the early benefit of Forumites, the letter is reproduced below:
Warm regards
Ti Lik
QUESTIONS UPON THE GST HIKE
Two phenomena of the Goods and Services Tax:-
1. the GST is like a knife cuts across all social strata and classes; and
2. where the blade of GST cuts, the wounds inflicted are unequally deep.
People on the middle and lower rungs inevitably suffer more as they do not have enough to begin with and the GST increase further inflates the cost of living for their basic needs.
All Governments are duty bound to make life better for their people. All the more one which proclaims itself to be a 1st World Government.
Singaporeans voted for a 1st World Government and for a better life. Will this GST hike better the peopleÂ’s lives?
Is this to be expected of a 1st World Government? A GovernmentÂ’s inability to undertake initiatives without levying further burden on its people speaks volumes about its abilities.
The Government attempts to justify the GST hike by dressing itself as a righteous knight juggling a number of problems. However in doing so, it missed out on the following introspective questions:-
1. Has it not occurred to the Government that Singaporeans fail to replace themselves because the Government has made life too stressful for its citizens to consider adding helpless dependents into their lives?
2. What is the logic of increasing GST on one hand and setting up schemes to attempt to alleviate the pain on the other? If it is so difficult fund the expenditure, would Singapore be better off not increasing the expenditure?
3. Has it not occurred to the Government that there are places within the establishment that can afford to have their expenditure and wastage reduced?
4. What happened to the PMÂ’s call to Stay Together and Move Ahead?
5. Is the GST hike our PMÂ’s idea of leaving no one behind?
6. Has the Government considered levying tax on luxuries instead to meet the expenditure?
In short, our Government has a flawed character: A recalcitrant unwillingness to spend the peopleÂ’s money on the people and an assiduous need to balance the account books at the expense of the people whenever any expenditure is required.
If the recent suicides (via MRT or otherwise) have caught the attention from our Members of Parliament, then none of them should stand by and allow this latest GST hike.
All public office bearers, the people who have benefited and are still benefiting from this country have a sacrosanct duty to their entrusted ward, the people at all times.
A Government has duties to fulfill, questions to answer and a people to take care of in its entire term of office and not only just prior to the next General Election.
It is depressing to every Singaporean to have to remind the PAP Government of its duties and its own promises so soon after the recent General Elections is but what needs to be done has to be done.
Let this be a gentle reminder to the Ruling Party: That no amount of figures and arguments can rationalize the illogicality of a GovernmentÂ’s actions and the inherent contradiction with its own promises. Let not the administration of Singapore degrade itself to mediocrity.
Chia Ti Lik -
Dun think this one is going to make it to our wonderful press..
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cont in the sticky.