SINGAPORE, June 19 (The Straits Times/ANN): Rising costs of living ahead of subsequent January’s items and companies tax (GST) increase was the highest concern aired by residents at a town hall session in Sengkang on Sunday afternoon.
About 30 residents attended the session in a multipurpose hall in Compassvale, the place they spoke to Sengkang GRC MPs Jamus Lim, He Ting Ru and Louis Chua. Other issues raised have been psychological well being in faculties and wealth inequality.
Associate Professor Lim stated the Workers’ Party (WP) will proceed to argue towards the proposed GST increase in Parliament, in addition to for various varieties of taxation, resembling wealth or carbon taxes, to make up extra of authorities income.
The GST charge shall be elevated from 7 per cent to 9 per cent in two phases – one proportion level every time on Jan 1, 2023, and on Jan 1, 2024.
Inflation right here and globally has spiked in current months due in half to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier this month, analysts stated Singapore’s total inflation for 2022 is now anticipated to hit 5 per cent, up from 3.6 per cent in the earlier survey launched by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
The town hall was held as half of a brand new sequence of boards organised by the Sengkang MPs referred to as Sengkang Conversations.
These are meant as a suggestions channel for residents to present their opinions or ask questions on nationwide and native issues, the WP stated.
Sunday’s session was the second such town hall, and was meant to deal with residents’ issues about this yr’s Budget, which the Government unveiled in March.
The first town hall was held through Zoom in January, and the group intends to run classes on a quarterly foundation, stated He.
The session was carried out beneath Chatham House guidelines, the place contributors may be quoted however not named, to encourage free and frank dialogue.
Residents requested questions or raised solutions themselves or by way of a moderator, who additionally learn feedback some had left whereas signing up for the occasion on-line.
Speaking on rising costs, one resident requested if the MPs may ask in Parliament if GST will increase may be tiered throughout completely different lessons of items, for instance, limiting the increase to luxurious items.
He stated: “Someone buying a Patek Philippe watch is not going to stop buying it because of a GST increase.”
Patek Philippe is a Swiss luxurious watch model.
In response, He, who additionally chairs the Sengkang Town Council, stated the resident’s suggestion was in line along with her personal arguments for sure important items, resembling meals or healthcare, to be exempted from the GST increase, and that the MPs would take his suggestion on board.
On the subject of psychological well being in faculties, one other resident requested if the MPs may elevate the concept of eradicating nationwide exams.
He stated: “Shouldn’t the Government be targeting the main stressor that students face – national exams – rather than removing more school-based exams?”
In March, the Ministry of Education introduced that faculties will take away midyear examinations for all major and secondary college college students by subsequent yr.
Prof Lim replied that eradicating exams have to be completed rigorously and never outcome in undue stress positioned on different varieties of evaluation.
Chua stated speaking residents’ issues about rising costs is a key concern for Sengkang’s MPs as the world is basically made up of public housing estates.
Speaking to The Straits Times on the sidelines of the occasion, he stated: “By and large, Sengkang represents the average Singaporean.
“People come as much as us, saying the value of eggs or gasoline has elevated, and all this eats into their family budgets… It is a looming concern and supply of stress.” – The Straits Times/ANN