GST to be raised to 7%

[creepcake]

SINGAPORE: The Goods and Services Tax will be increased to 7 percent, up from 5 percent presently.

This was announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Parliament on Monday.

Mr Lee said the hike is necessary to finance the enhanced social safety nets, which are needed to help the lower income group.

There are plans to increase the grant to the needy to buy their first home, as well as to give them more "workfare" bonuses as an incentive to stay employed.

Over the last 4 days, MPs had focused on the help that is needed for this group, especially as the income gap has widened with globalisation.

More details of the GST increase will be announced on 15 February, which is Budget Day, and it will come with a package which will more than offset its impact on the poor. - CNA /dt

Source : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/


Maybe I'm ignorant, but I do not understand how the increase in GST will help the lower income group. Surely they're not exempted from paying GST, so how does this aid them? Any thoughts on this?

[geeko]

What The.............................

I Hate The Pap Gahment......sucks To The Core

It's the MIDDLE CLASS INCOME like us who are always getting exploited!

damn it....damn damn it...my blood is boiling mad now.

IT DOESN'T HELP THE POOR AT ALL. IN the LONG RUN, THE GOVERNMENT WILL STILL SQUEEZE MORE MONEY FROM ALL OF US INCLUDING THE POOR WHO HAS FOLK OUT MORE FOR THEIR BASIC NECESSITIES. PUI....

See what the 66% get for giving the Pay And Pay gahmen a strong mandate. I saw it coming.

[Nutella]

He think Sporeans rich ah?

[breadpudding]

DAMN! i think the increment in taxes are more to finance the big bonuses of civil servants!!

no offence to civil servants here (if you really work hard for your money, and not the type who have morning tea break, afternoon tea break, and leave at 5.30pm sharp, with applications from the private sectors sitting in your in tray still)

[Princessy_Love]

Yes I agree... help the poor with house but then makes their daily life even poorer... How can they increase so many things within a year? Bus, taxis and now GST!!! All these is from our daily NEEDS!!! I believe the government here is thinking good as to make our living standard to be as good as those in european countries BUT in lightning speed and they how come never encourag (STRESS) all the employers/companies to increase our SALARIES/INCOMES le.h?!! I think we later down the road we going to be poor in near future due to our DAILY EXPENSES!! I am going to be poor!!!

[xiaojoey]

tax raise again.. haizz... we cannot do anything about it also.. but it only means 1 thing... girls!!!!! grab all the stuff that you want now before the price hikes!!!

[bo-peep]

O... M... G...!!!!!!



if lower income group needs to pay even more taxes, how will this help at all? as i look at it, the income divide will just get greater and greater! what's an additional 2% to the filthy rich, but to the rest of us folks out here, it matters a lot!

seems like the govt is just taking back all those ERS and etc.... right pocket out left pocket in....

[D3stiny]

ERP, GST... How many times have they been increased over the past 5 years?! Bus/train fare hikes, even taxis were not spared. All this to line the government's deepening pockets!

[chooz]

sigh

But my hb has kinda forseen it coming ... he said judging by how the prices of cars and coe have dropped lately, most probably something else would have to be increased so I supposed GST is one of them ... sigh, what to do

[zwean]

Oooo why do they have to increase again!!! sooner or later it'll be 10%!!!! Arghhhhh


btw, am a civil servant but i have to work my butt off for my very low pay. really cannot stand those sitting in the HQ with their nice clothes, air-con and small work load!

am a teacher in a secondary school and my typical work day starts at 7am and ends at about 7pm if i'm lucky enough to finish my marking and planning.

[hachi]

i agree with many of you here. i don't see how this can help the needy too! gahmen is a blood sucking creature. unbearable. too unbearable. i believe this is not for the welfare of people but seems like it needs more money to cover the expenses of many developments nowadays like the stupid IR and all that stuff.

IR= Integrated Resort

[BubblyGal]

OH NO! from 3% -> 5% now going to be 7%

They are not going to help but landed more people in debts! More n more people will said the standard of living in sg is WAY too high for them... then end up... more people will go for the thought of giving up their life.

When they come up with something which claim to be GOOD for their people... SOMEthing BAD is going to happen to the people instead!

[truffle_lovers]

prices are going up and up..gosh! even singaporeans life are way expensive , even my father was shocked about the increase. Seems like the government wants to rob us, while they're saying they'll do many good stuffs with ERP all over the place aren't they earning tons of money already?geesh

[miztgral]

What the... they seriously think robbing the poor and returning them part of the money is going to put them in a good light? Oh my, then our country is in grave danger, with rulers, I mean leaders, who have such warped understanding of situations.
Oh wow, so what if they get a budget surplus at the end of the financial year because of the extra 2% GST? Are they going to like redistribute among their immediate underlings and scatter out a little to the civil servants again? Then I should join the civil service! So at least I recoup part of the money I get robbed of, being a regular consumer.

[geeko]

by the way, i would just like to kindly add..

those who voted for the pap gahment, u have no right to complain as u have voted for them

We have already saw in previous years how they increased gst and transport fee after they got relected in a landslide victory. So it's not surprising that they will do it again.

I'm jus super pissed with the Pay And Pay Gahment.