An Insider Look of World's Best Government Services
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Poly Clinic (Toa Payoh)
Date: 18.5.2007 (Friday)
CEO's Pay: S$600,000.00 pa
Ministers' Pay: S$2,000,000.00 pa (Excluding bonuses/lifelong pensions)
Pre-Registration Time: 8.52 am
Registration Time: 8.56 am
Labour Test (Blood, Urine) 11.20 am
See Doctor 11.20 am
Collected Medicine 11.43 am
Waiting Time (display) 2 hours 20 minutes
Waiting Time (Actual 2 hours 47 minutes -
what is your point?
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You know, it looks like all their brain power and talents are all used up in their ability to collect Tax even from people who are in remotest parts of Africa...
and monkeys are left for essential services... -
My point is simple - world class salaries must produce world-class service.Originally posted by allentyb:what is your point? -
For such fast services, I hope that there's no mishap.
Certain things can't be hurried despite technological advances. Urine tests and blood tests can test for a lot of things, and depending on the illnesses itself, some components will just take a longer time to test.
In under 30 minutes everything is done, I would rather not see a doctor. -
Lack of doctors yah......local medical grads only want to work in hospitals.
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If for every public feedback, or complaint we must try to understand some inherent problems or excuses as mentioned, we might as well not give any feedbacks.Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:For such fast services, I hope that there's no mishap.
Certain things can't be hurried despite technological advances. Urine tests and blood tests can test for a lot of things, and depending on the illnesses itself, some components will just take a longer time to test.
In under 30 minutes everything is done, I would rather not see a doctor.
If that happens then the hypocrites will say that the people are apathetic. -
That's your view... I don't like the idea of toying with people's lives. That said, it doesn't mean they can take their own sweet time. All these things, after all, can't last long.Originally posted by robertteh:If for every public feedback, or complaint we must try to understand some inherent problems or excuses as mentioned, we might as well not give any feedbacks.
If that happens then the hypocrites will say that the people are apathetic. -
We've got one on show in this forum, haven't we?Originally posted by ShutterBug:and monkeys are left for essential services...
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like csj said, "Speak up for Singapore!"
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Supply of doctors is being controlled.Originally posted by Rock^Star:Lack of doctors yah......local medical grads only want to work in hospitals. -
With $8 per consultation, what do you expect? It too cheap alreadyOriginally posted by robertteh:My point is simple - world class salaries must produce world-class service.
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What nonsense is that. Doctors from Malaysia (Universiti Malaya), India, Pakistan, Myanmar and China are already allowed to work here. Perhaps we should open it up further to Bangladesh and ZimbabweOriginally posted by SingaporeMacross:Supply of doctors is being controlled. -
As I have posted many times, government collects direct and indirect taxes and should use the tax monies to provide essential services like medical cares, housing, transportation, education and utility.Originally posted by oxford mushroom:With $8 per consultation, what do you expect? It too cheap already
If government disregards the taxes and tries to charge a fee for any service provided such taxes would stay idle and when it tries to accumulate or save such taxes as surpluses instead of using them to provide essential services it imposes a heavy burden on the people.
Direct taxes collected by the government include (1) Income Tax, (2) GST (3) Import Duties. (4) Property Tax etc (5) Stamp Duty (6) Estate Duty
Indirect Taxes collected include (1) HDB sale prices at market value (despite the fact that lands were paid by people through their taxes) (2) COE, (3) ERP (4) Petrol Tax, (5) Acquisition of Land under Land Acquisition Act etc
Yet by creative accounting, the government always tries to present our taxes as the lowest or among the lowest in the world omitting the many indirect taxes which are even more substantial. This is another NKF way of creative accounting presenting only figures to its own advantage and to suit its own narrow agenda and it is immoral or dishonest to do so.
From the above-stated taxes, government could easily set aside or allocates expenditures for essential services like medical care etc as mentioned.
If the government should charge for certain services say medical or utility it should do so to discourage wastage and only recover the consumable components like costs of medicines or imported oils.
However, it is quite clear that the government is practising creative accounting so as to present the fees and charges at full costs like a private company disregarding the taxes or advance payments citizens already paid.
So when you try to say that its poly clinic consultation fee is cheap, you are ignoring the taxes which people have already paid. If you add these taxes, the total medical fee (or consultation) might well exceed $8.00 per consultation visit many times over.
Think objectively again. Do not simply ape every government propaganda as if they are the truths. If government is a private company it is entitled to recover full costs of treatments and if it is not it cannot be charging taxes and charge for full costs again in every service.
So stop your nonsense in pulling so much wools over people's eyes. In our heavily taxed society provisions of services should take into account all the taxes or advance payments already paid by the citizens and the government should not just charge all the fees at full costs or market values and give a little discounts or comparison with private companies and claim that the fees are subsidised or cheap.
Considering that lands were already owned by people it is totally profiteering for the government to pass down such costs to all service fees. -
Originally posted by oxford mushroom:With $8 per consultation, what do you expect? It too cheap already
You are right! $8 per consultation... but don't forget $100,000 (at one time) for COE; $100,000 to $400,000 (for HDB); GST; Income Taxes; ERP; Taxi Road taxes; Petrol taxes...Originally posted by robertteh:As I have posted many times, government collects direct and indirect taxes and should use the tax monies to provide essential services like medical cares, housing, transportation, education and utility.
If government disregards the taxes and tries to charge a fee for any service provided such taxes would stay idle and when it tries to accumulate or save such taxes as surpluses instead of using them to provide essential services it imposes a heavy burden on the people.
Direct taxes collected by the government include (1) Income Tax, (2) GST (3) Import Duties. (4) Property Tax etc (5) Stamp Duty (6) Estate Duty
Indirect Taxes collected include (1) HDB sale prices at market value (despite the fact that lands were paid by people through their taxes) (2) COE, (3) ERP (4) Petrol Tax, (5) Acquisition of Land under Land Acquisition Act etc
Yet by creative accounting, the government always tries to present our taxes as the lowest or among the lowest in the world omitting the many indirect taxes which are even more substantial. This is another NKF way of creative accounting presenting only figures to its own advantage and to suit its own narrow agenda and it is immoral or dishonest to do so.
From the above-stated taxes, government could easily set aside or allocates expenditures for essential services like medical care etc as mentioned.
If the government should charge for certain services say medical or utility it should do so to discourage wastage and only recover the consumable components like costs of medicines or imported oils.
However, it is quite clear that the government is practising creative accounting so as to present the fees and charges at full costs like a private company disregarding the taxes or advance payments citizens already paid.
So when you try to say that its poly clinic consultation fee is cheap, you are ignoring the taxes which people have already paid. If you add these taxes, the total medical fee (or consultation) might well exceed $8.00 per consultation visit many times over.
Think objectively again. Do not simply ape every government propaganda as if they are the truths. If government is a private company it is entitled to recover full costs of treatments and if it is not it cannot be charging taxes and charge for full costs again in every service.
So stop your nonsense in pulling so much wools over people's eyes. In our heavily taxed society provisions of services should take into account all the taxes or advance payments already paid by the citizens and the government should not just charge all the fees at full costs or market values and give a little discounts or comparison with private companies and claim that the fees are subsidised or cheap.
Considering that lands were already owned by people it is totally profiteering for the government to pass down such costs to all service fees.
Why we get such poor service after paying so much?
Because as the old man himself claims... if we don;t raise their million dollars salaries to even more millions... "they and their families suffer"
I used to believe it when they said that they do not need an opposition to keep check on their dishonorable behavior... they have proven that we need an opposition to check on their dishonorable behavior after all. -
In the east was a little red dot,
A one-man-one-vote democracy,
Where men were elected by citizens
To serve with honor and humility,
Alas these men once given opportunity,
Began to claim to have talents and mandate,
They tweak the laws to cling onto power,
And became haughty and **@#ey,
To give themselves power and the highest salaries,
Selectively benchmarked to the lucky lottery winning few,
To pay themselves the highest salaries,
That surpass the president of United States,
They say such highest salaries are still not enough,
They take the highest bonuses and life-long fees,
Some get double pays for retiring while working,
They tax, charge all costs and keep taxes as surplus,
To them taxes and surpluses are evidences of success,
To them providing services will sow the seed of welfarism,
For doing a bill collector job, they claim success,
To them any alternatives will destabilise the country,
To them one-man-one-vote will lead to freak election,
So on and on with hypocrisy they tweak the voting process,
Giving excuses like need for racial harmony,
Citizens can vote only on group representation or GRC
As that will block any good candidates to stand in single wards,
What they want is to cling to power that no one speaks the truth,
So they use the defamation laws to sue opposing candidates,
Which were heard by their own appointed judges,
Where innuendos are admitted as direct actus,
Until no alternative candidates are left on election day,
Election day becomes a day for erection of banners,
To declare walk over due to no contest in GRCs,
Some rebates will be given on conservancy,
To pacify peasants and potential rebel,
Once election is over, GST will be increased
From selling public housing built on people's lands,
Charged at market value at discount called subsidy,
Forever and ever there will be more taxes,
They will claim talents so as to be paid world's highest salaries,
Otherwise they may turn to corruption or lose talents,
Alas surpluses were lost in suzhou or shin corp,
But these were no mistakes but long term investments,
Election goodies will take care of unhappy memories,
Integrated resort which were once bad become good,
Never mind dropping wages and broken promises,
Never mind perpetual taxing and charges and rising costs,
They will say which country has no rising costs,
They will say people must trust leaders,
They will say every one makes mistakes,
They will say People are the grousers,
They cannot guarantee performance due to globalization,
They cannot guarantee value-add economic restructuring,
They claim that little red dot is a great success,
People must remain grateful to the little red dot. -
How Efficient is IRAS?
Wrote letter dated 24.4.2007 requesting for allocation of house no. to new office under construction.
No reply : 21.5.2007.
Called IRAS on 21.5.2007.
Status: IRAS is still processing application and will reply as soon as possible.
If citizens cannot get a simple request replied within 7 days with acknowledgement of application giving an approximate estimate of decision timing and processes to go through can IRAS claim world standard and CEO be paid S$600,000.00 pa. -
Talking about lack of doctors, the gahmen has got themselves to blame. Even doctors also complain that the Ministry of Health set quota for doctors. They have control over the number of doctors going to work in the different specialties and so the different specialties cannot exceed employing more than the quota set for them though they may need more doctors. Or they may have to substantiate with very good reason to get extra drs.Originally posted by Rock^Star:Lack of doctors yah......local medical grads only want to work in hospitals.
Ministry of Health have to be answerable for the lack of doctors. What a contradiction !!! What a shame!!
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have not we heard of these, many many times....................
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Over the past many years, there has been many tweaking through university admissions of the supply of doctors, lawyers, accountants etc as if the government can foresee or forecast the needs for such professionals in the economy.Originally posted by rane:Talking about lack of doctors, the gahmen has got themselves to blame. Even doctors also complain that the Ministry of Health set quota for doctors. They have control over the number of doctors going to work in the different specialties and so the different specialties cannot exceed employing more than the quota set for them though they may need more doctors. Or they may have to substantiate with very good reason to get extra drs.
Ministry of Health have to be answerable for the lack of doctors. What a contradiction !!! What a shame!!
At one time owing to wrong forecast, very few students take up laws and the best had always enrolled for medicine but it came a period when there was a shortage of lawyers so many bright students apply for medicine courses in later years were being pushed to take up laws. Today we are experiencing a shortage of doctors and had to import them from India and Bangadesh.
How much does our ministers know about the future manpower needs? With such poor forecasts and mistakes in manpower planning are they still trying to control supply of lawyers and doctors?
Shouldn't they encourage the use of market-oriented supply and demand figures with a reference to technologies and sun-rise industries in order not to deprive our economic competitiveness.
Lawyers and doctors are not everything. We need good scientists and good engineers but lately we hear so much talk about producing more accountants. It looks like because our ministers are not entrepreneurs they always try to promote what they know like lawyers and doctors and accountants.
Do they realize that all these lawyers, doctors and accountants alone cannot bring about a more competitive economy. Just because of ignorance we will end up losing the best brains to mundane non-competitive professionals. -
How efficient is Singnet/Singtel?
On or about 10.3.2007, telephoned Singtel customer service no. to transfer my existing telephone and broadband internet service to new address.
She replied that it would be attended to.
On or about 15.5.2007, received a letter from Singnet informing me that as I have prematurely terminated the broadband service, there would be a early termination charge of S$300.00 which will be reflected in my next bill.
I called back Singtel and informed the customer service officer that in my case I have not terminated the broadband but had merely transfered it to my new residence as explained to the earlier customer service officer who attended to me in opening account for my telephone for the new residence.
Up to now, despite a letter written to Singnet on such uncalled for early termination charge, there is no reply. -
An update to my post dated 3.39 pm, 21.5.2007.
Just received a phone call from Singtel that there was a mistake in billing me for early broadband termination charge of S$300.00 and I should give them time to reflect the cancellation of this charge in my next bill. -
An update to my post dated 21.5.2007, 11.27 am.
Received approval to house no. application on 22.5.2007. -
Just a note though, although Singtel is one huge corporation, Singnet is another division of Singtel. Calling the wrong customer service might have disastrous results, like what you experienced.
Most huge companies work this way, so don't even be surprised if you have to go to so many channels, wait so long just to get something done because of the number of HODs to go through. -
Important point to note here is there will be duplication of service if Singnet and Singtel cannot coordinate at such activities at the point of opening of new accounts for the new address.Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:Just a note though, although Singtel is one huge corporation, Singnet is another division of Singtel. Calling the wrong customer service might have disastrous results, like what you experienced.
Most huge companies work this way, so don't even be surprised if you have to go to so many channels, wait so long just to get something done because of the number of HODs to go through.
This is especially so if Singtel customer service officer has assured that broadband account will be transferred and if so it should be followed through.
It will be bad for service if there are too many excuses that can be given instead of being proactive in solving people's problems.