Hike with a Heart
-
Hike with a heart
ST 1 Dec 2006
Govt fees won't change for a year; GST to be absorbed for education, healthcare
Lin Yanqin
[email protected]
THE Government will continue to absorb the Goods and Services Tax (GST) levied on education and subsidised healthcare services after the GST goes up from 5 to 7 per cent, while Government fees will not change for one year after the hike.
.
This was announced by Second Minister for Finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam (picture) during a Channel NewsAsia forum yesterday.
.
"(Health Minister) Khaw Boon Wan has already asked the Government to absorb GST on healthcare. We will do that. We will absorb GST on healthcare as well as on education. On top of that, we will have no fee increases for a year starting from the time of the imposition of the GST," he said.
.
This means that public school fees, HDB car park fees, conservancy charges and business licence fees remain unchanged for one year after the GST increase.
.
The move was welcomed by MP and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) assistant secretary-general Halimah Yacob. "If they do absorb healthcare it would be a tremendous help because people are very concerned about that," she said. "Our population is ageing, and more and more people are seeking healthcare services."
.
She was more concerned about higher-level education costs, she added. "Education should be accessible to all, and preferably so when it comes to education at post-secondary levels. Polytechnics and universities are expensive, so I hope they will do something there."
.
A National University of Singapore spokesperson said the university will "assess the impact of the proposed increase when the implementation details are announced by the Government next year", before deciding on a course of action, if any.
.
NTUC FairPrice will also wait for the details of the offset package to be released before deciding whether to absorb the GST increase like it did the last time GST was raised.
.
"Apart from absorbing GST, there are other measures," said Mdm Halimah. "My union, for example, gave out hundreds of thousands' worth of education bursaries and back-to-school vouchers. Collectively, we have already been giving assistance, and this will continue."
.
Meanwhile, several members of the public were glad that GST on healthcare and education would be absorbed.
.
"It's definitely a relief, because healthcare is something that affects everybody. It's a basic need. If you need to see a doctor, you really have no choice," said a boutique owner in her late 30s.
.
Others disagreed. "For me, absorbing tax healthcare doesn't really affect me — it's something more helpful for the elderly," said Mr S W Wong, 38, who has two young children in pre-school. "But they won't absorb taxes for petrol, or transport."
.
Mr Y H Tan, 35, who is in sales, agreed. "It's basic necessities that shouldn't be taxed because it will be lower-income groups that will feel it the most," he said.
.
The Government has already announced that the offset package will shield the less well-off from the extra burden of the GST. But absorbing it directly on "necessities" would be difficult, said Mdm Halimah. "Take, for example, rice. Do you subsidise the more expensive brands of rice?"
Govt fees won't change for a year; GST to be absorbed for education, healthcare
Lin Yanqin
[email protected]
Should have posted this in a Joke Forum instead. People should count it as a blessing (at least for 1 year) that government fees will remain after GST increased
-
Blah!
Vomit!
146th reporting!
1st world government... from the last place! -
The move was welcomed by MP and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) assistant secretary-general Halimah Yacob. "If they do absorb healthcare it would be a tremendous help because people are very concerned about that," she said. "Our population is ageing, and more and more people are seeking healthcare services."
.
She was more concerned about higher-level education costs, she added. "Education should be accessible to all, and preferably so when it comes to education at post-secondary levels. Polytechnics and universities are expensive, so I hope they will do something there."
Even the freaking MP NTUC-ASG also felt that the Polytechnics and University are expensive..........................Our sg govt is getting too much.....
One one hand, they said.....approving Casinos is to help to boost the economy and create more jobs and getting all singaporeans to move on;
on the other hand, they wanted to increase GST for helping the lower income, the poors and fark security......then later, GCT added it will be used to for R&D and etc....So which is which?
Now, they are telling the public that GST will be held up for one year and date of revise is yet to be confirmed......when GST 7% implemented there will be no increase in govt services, utilities, healthcare, public transportation and etc for a year. So, after one farking year...... what and how much will be the increase of costs?
What the fark is all these?
Haven't the govt collected enough revenue annually?
How much more surpluses in TAX revenue collection they want?
Fark them all!!! -
take $1k from you but give $10 to make you feel better.
-
give one slap on the right, now they give another on the left to make it even.
as I said, we only need more MRT tracks. -
See ! This what I have gethered the ground info on price increase....
One economist mentioned that GST is on balance positive. Perhaps we should raise GST by 1% annually from 5% until 15%. We will have good economic growth over the next 10 years.
However, here's my personal experience,
NTUC Fairprice - 1 kg Double Phoenix rice
$1.43 when GST was 4%
$1.65 when GST was raised to 5%
$1.90 currently
NTUC Fairprice - 3 cartridges of Iwatani gas
$6.00 when GST was 4%
$6.20 when GST was raised to 5%
$6.90 currently
Shop & Save - Darlie 100g toothpaste
$1.30 when GST was 4%
$1.35 when GST was raised to 5%
$1.85 currently
Cost increase and inflation (due to higher oil prices) have been skyrocketing. Do we still want to add to it? -
-
thats helping the poor 'go faster'.Originally posted by Ito_^: 
-
Originally posted by Lowclassman:
aiyo.. such minor price changes are lesser than the dust of a peanut. no sweat!
[b]See ! This what I have gethered the ground info on price increase....
One economist mentioned that GST is on balance positive. Perhaps we should raise GST by 1% annually from 5% until 15%. We will have good economic growth over the next 10 years.
However, here's my personal experience,
NTUC Fairprice - 1 kg Double Phoenix rice
$1.43 when GST was 4%
$1.65 when GST was raised to 5%
$1.90 currently
NTUC Fairprice - 3 cartridges of Iwatani gas
$6.00 when GST was 4%
$6.20 when GST was raised to 5%
$6.90 currently
Shop & Save - Darlie 100g toothpaste
$1.30 when GST was 4%
$1.35 when GST was raised to 5%
$1.85 currently
Cost increase and inflation (due to higher oil prices) have been skyrocketing. Do we still want to add to it?
[/b] -
Obivously no sweat and is fraction of dust for S$600K salary.Originally posted by Ito_^:aiyo.. such minor price changes are lesser than the dust of a peanut. no sweat! -
either these elites are idiots or the "really believe" that they are giving help to the poor
-
Robbing Hood and the Merrymen
-
these ppl talk face never flush
-
aiyo. its good for us. dun complain, dun whine, they do alot of us already.
-
NUS fee hike. Taxation without represenatation.
-
Originally posted by Ito_^:
Thx for this post.. u made my day! -
It's the TRUTH~! they will be helping the poor wif the GST increase~!!
But certain percentage only la...
The rest will go to raising civil servant's salary, then into the reserves so that can make some business ventures like shin corp... Eh ta han one... Singapore can one~!! -
Hike with a heart
-
nice one...Originally posted by siaokao:
Thx for this post.. u made my day!