151st media makes my ’64th birth’ day”?

November 23, 2017

What a wonderful surprise birthday present when I woke up this morning at 64!

I refer to the full-page article “BT Explains: Singapore’s fiscal challenge“, the editorial “GST hike is a reasonable price to pay for a stronger fiscal footing” and the letter “Raising GST is the best way to expand revenue base” (Business Times, Nov 23).

I could not find a single word that talks about our $31.1 billion of Budget surpluses from 1997 to 2016 and the total Budget Cash Surplus of $190 billion (M130611 – Government Finance, Annual) from 2005 to 2014.

So, is it any wonder that our Press Freedom ranking is 151st in the world?

Almost every time that we hear that taxes need to be increased because of increasing social spending – there are hardly any details on the projected sums and how the increased tax revenue will be used?

This is not the norm for practically every developed country in the world when they talk about raising taxes.

Uniquely Singapore!

Leong Sze Hian

About the Author

Leong

Leong Sze Hian has served as the president of 4 professional bodies, honorary consul of 2 countries, an alumnus of Harvard University, authored 4 books, quoted over 1500 times in the media , has been a radio talkshow host, a newspaper daily columnist, Wharton Fellow, SEACeM Fellow, columnist for theonlinecitizen and Malaysiakini, executive producer of Ilo Ilo (40 international awards), Hotel Mumbai (associate producer), invited to speak more than 200 times in about 40 countries, CIFA advisory board member, founding advisor to the Financial Planning Associations of 2 countries. He has 3 Masters, 2 Bachelors degrees and 13 professional qualifications.