Govt strategy has never been ‘growth at all costs’?
July 29th, 2010 | 
Author: Dear Dr Amy Khor,
I refer to your remarks made in parliament as reported by Straits Times on 20 Jul 2010.
You said the government has never undertaken a ‘growth-at-all-costs’ strategy. But our growth has come at the heavy social cost of sharp rise in housing prices and over crowded trains. These are real costs Singaporeans must bear with. Are you denying those costs? Are you saying the government’s strategy has been ‘growth-at-no-costs’?
You said it doesn’t make sense to slow growth deliberately. But it also doesn’t make sense to deliberately speed up growth to the extent that housing prices shoot up unbearably high and trains get over-crowded. You said 40% of government budget is spent on social sectors. But education takes a large slice of that 40%. Real social welfare expenditure is much less than that. If you want to use percentages as indication of government priorities, then social welfare is definitely not a government priority.
You said government policy has not deliberately favoured the corporate against workers. While that may be arguable, what cannot be denied is that government policy has inadvertently favoured the corporate against workers.
You said corporate profits go to taxes. But taxes in turn go to government coffers and not a small portion of that eventually gets wasted in billion dollar investment losses by the government.
You said inequality is common amongst global cities like Hong Kong and New York. In that case, we would rather not be global but prosperous and egalitarian cities like those in the Scandinavia and Northern Europe.
You said GDP is one of the best gauges of a country’s wealth. While the high GDP of Brunei is indeed an indication of Brunei’s wealth, a large chunk of that wealth belongs to the Sultan himself. So having a high GDP doesn’t necessarily mean that the people are rich.
Ng Kok Lim
Posted in 5 Responses to “Govt strategy has never been ‘growth at all costs’?”
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Other than a high GDP figure, the citizen do not see any improvement in their quality of life. Instead, it is worsening day by day since the current PM implemented the aggressive immigration plan. In the nutshell, PAP strategy is to create jobs for foreigners but at the social cost of Singaporean! The GDP figure has gone up exceptionally high and the PAP ministers’ salary has increased in tandem. But Singaporean, other than civil servants, have no/little increment. Most Singaporean are disgusted by the performance of PAP government but too kiasee to speak up! The question that we should ask is “Why we have such a lousy Prime Minister ? “
Interesting but honestly the government have no sense of understanding the real issues as they simple use theories that best suits their own explainations to brainwash their citizens.
Why keep emphasising on GDP??!!! sick and tired of it!
Please emphasize on Peoples Welfare!!! Absolutely true!
“we would rather not be global but prosperous and egalitarian cities like those in the Scandinavia and Northern Europe.”
Coz the elites will never understand! coz they nvr suffered!
Per capita GDP is S$53,143 (in 2009)
Finance Minister said median income is S$2,400 per month or S$28,800 per year.
Median income is only about 1/2 of per capita GDP.
This variance shows that GDP growth is skewed.
There are a lot of people who are earning S$2400 or less per month and are finding it very tough.
@Tuo, Guitar Guy
Although the government have it’s failings as observed by many, we should still keep in mind the attempts to improve equity by the GST rebates and progressive taxation system. Indeed our policies need much more improvement- perhaps the govt should draft out economic policies that put a stronger weightage on social costs; FT is important to us since our natural birth rate had been negative for a few years- they also transplant skills and knowledge to our society. However recent policies may have been excessive to the extent that it must be reined in.