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my collegues husband and wife, both in my company, together earn around 7.5k per month, last week told me, they cannot even afford 350K HDB...
500K for new 5RM HDB flat in queenstown??? this price is based on what???
Originally posted by iamgoondu:New 5RM flats (to be ready in 2012) in Queenstown are being selling at 500K! What an obscene amount to quote.
Strange the household income ceiling still set at $8000.
A salaried person probably have to toil for 20years, paying house loan at 5K/monthly, to complete payment for that flat.
Are we setting the HDB prices at prices beyond the means of most people? Are HDB suppose to provide affordable housing to the masses?
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i was in australia around 2 weeks ago for vacation, and see myself that, a gang of australian shouted at some asian (guess from south korea), 'go back to your hometown'
every country got good and bad people, i believe your parents' parents who r from china will not regard themsleves as singaprean and they think they are china chinese like many others, first generation immigrated from china...
nothing wrong or right in this world.
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my family (with only one kid) income 15k per month also feel money not enough...

Originally posted by lifeissian:say, a family has 4 kids with a take home pay of 2k, is it even possible to survive?
With basic necessities rising, it's really taking a tow on them. I tink it is not enough for their basic meals, much less generate some savings..
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if these new ERP were setup on the highway, it is OK since the jam issues are needed to improve on the EXPRESSWAY; but if not, probably more ERP will come in all the roads...

Originally posted by fishbuff:Motorists to face five new ERP gantries
http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_194130.html
They are mainly in the heart of residential areas.
By Christopher Tan
MOTORISTS can expect to pay more over the next few months to use the roads when five new ERP gantries are up, many in the heart of residential areas.
The gantries are in Upper Bukit Timah Road (outside Hume Park), Toa Payoh Lorong 6, Upper Boon Keng Road, Kallang Bahru Road and Geylang Bahru Road.
All except the ones in Toa Payoh Lorong 6 and Geylang Bahru Road have been completed.
The Land Transport Authority has not announced when these new gantries will be switched on, but already residents are concerned why their neighbourhoods are targetted.
Commenting on the gantry outside Hume Park, Bukit Timah resident Mr Burven Lee, 43, said: 'The road here does get jammed up. But will a gantry solve the problem?'
'My feeling is that it will just redistribute traffic around,' the director of a statutory board added.
Toa Payoh resident 68-year-old retiree Tony Chan wanted to know why the gantry at Toa Payoh Lorong 6 is sited near the entrance to the residential area.
The LTA spokesman explained that the location of the gantry is unlikely to affect residents as it charges motorists entering into Toa Payoh from Braddell Road who add on to the traffic in the area.
He added that if gantries were at exit points, more Toa Payoh residents would be affected. Also it would plug a gap in series of gantries forming an outer cordon around the city.
The new gantries are part of the LTA's plans to have an 'outer cordon' to control traffic going into the city.
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try to understand who is buying that super-expensive house? i do not think most of locals can afford...

Originally posted by eagle:Points to note:
1) Housing prices have been continuously rising over the past few months
2) Recession is expected around 08/09. Economic theory states that economic recessions and booms occur in a periodic cycle, and the period of such a cycle is estimated to be about 10 years. Last recession 1997/98. The recession before was in late 1980s. And the previous recession in Western economies was in 1970s.
Although a NUS study has shown that there is no such property bubble, http://blog.hotvictory.com/2007/10/19/no-bubble-in-singapore-property-market-nus-study/
is it still possible for the housing prices to cool down, or even become cheaper, within the next few years?
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indeed very young, must be very good...

Originally posted by countdracula:a police division is getting a 32 yr old police scholar as commander, while i'm for merit based promotion, this one i feel is pushing a little too far....the chap was reported to have spent some time in the education and foreign ministry as well...he's cited for his strong intellect.....
i guess experience matters little these days.....pencil pushing is top criterion....just as schools with young principals, these scholar types tend to be brash and overbearing.....
strangely while the govt is preaching against revolving door politics for fear of instability, it doesn't seem to apply to the service....new broom sweeps clean and every new head will want to bring about their style of leadership and with the average span of 4 years before the next one comes along, it can get pretty disruptive...the up side is renewal.......
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most people dun mind highest income tax if the pay is also high;
Originally posted by Philip Pullman:Please vote for your preference:
1) High tax good welfare
GST 20%
Income tax 30%
Social security
Free education
Free medical facilities
2) Status quo
3) Low tax no welfare
GST 10%
No income tax
No welfare/subsidy
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just back from the holiday in australia, a good place, the only thing i do not like is, the discrimination to asian...

Originally posted by maurizio13:
While the government throws away our hard earned money into frivolous acquisition of over-priced companies overseas. The commoners are left with having to pay the price with high levels of inflation, taxes, fees, charges and fines.
Ever wonder why our wages are so depressed, while citizens from other equivalent GDP per capita economies (e.g. Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, etc) can better afford holidays overseas. Their average wages are at least 3-5 times of Singaporeans (e.g. waiters and retail assistant makes AUD 15 to AUD 25 per hour). Singaporeans can only contend with 3rd world standard of living in the future, given the government's policy on letting in more 3rd world workers to push down wages.
The explanation for low wages given by P4P was global competition, seems like competition only applies to Singapore ONLY. But not to countries such as Australia or New Zealand.
P4P lackeys here complain that some of these countries like Australia, New Zealand, etc have high tax structure. But given their wages, they still make more than the average Singaporeans and could afford more despite their high tax structure. Notwithstanding that they do not need to pay for healthcare and basic education.
[b]Singapore:
Income per year: SG$12,000
Income Taxes: 0%
GST: 7%
Spending Power After GST: SG$11,160 [SG$12,000 x 93%]
Australia:
(waiter or retail staff based on 3 times earnings of Singaporean only, not 5 times which is the higher bound)
Income per year: AU$36,000
Income Taxes: up to AU$6,000 = AU$0; AU$6,001 to AU$25,000 = AU$2,850; AU$25,001 to AU$36,000 = AU$3,300
Australia Personal Tax Rates
Total Income Taxes: AU$6,150 [AU$ 0 + AU$ 2,850 + AU$ 3,300]
Income after Income Taxes: AU$29,850
GST: 10%
Spending Power After GST: AU$26,865 [AU$29,850 x 90%]
An average waiter in Australia will have a spending power of AU$26,865, while a Singaporeans waiter will have only SG$11,160. Why do you think when we go for holidays overseas, we can afford less than an equivalent GDP per capita country like Australia or New Zealand.
You do the maths and tell me who is actually better off after personal taxes and GST.
Singaporeans or Australians???
Though Australia might have a higher personal tax structure, but their average wages are 3 to 5 times of Singaporeans. Even after deducting high taxes and GST, they still do end up with more money in the pocket than an average Singaporean. Moreover, they have no need to pay for healthcare and basic education.
Australian Wages
Bartending/waiting tables: $15 - $25 per hour (casual)
Chef: $700 - $800 per week (full time)
Retail sales assistant: $15 - $25 per hour (casual)
Check out operators and cashiers: $500 - $700 per week (full time)
Building/labouring: $650 - $850 per week (full time)
Engineering: $800 - $1500 per week (full time)
Hairdressing: $530 - $650 per week (full time)
Secretarial/administration: $600 - $700 per week (full time)
Child care: $18 - $20 per hour (casual)
[/b]
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i went to canada a few times, really a good place for retirement or kids, but not good for young people, the pace is very slow...espcially in the small towns. but having a permanent job there, i think it is good to immigrate there.
while for australia, the discrimination is quite serious in some places...especially not good for yellows to immigrate there.
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