Category Archives: GST Rebates

2020 Unity Budget – my 34 suggestions. Total Assets of Singapore as at 31st March 2019 were S$1174b. 2020 Resilience Budget. 2020 Solidarity Budget.

Posted on January 17, 2020 by tankoktim

2020 Budget Speech by MOF Heng in Parliament on 18th Feb 2020  [see copy below]: 2020 Budget has S$109 billion spending in total.   It is called Unity Budget 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 Budget has a … Continue reading →

Posted in Budgets 2018, etc., Business & Finance, Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, CPF, Government, Govt's Budget, GST, GST Rebates, National Reserves, Politics, Social issues, Socialistic Policies, Taxation | Tagged | 1 Comment

COL – CDC vouchers and rising cost of living – Govt special Assurance Package S$800 payment to each adult in Dec 2023 with fewer criterion; The Govt has listened; S$500 in Dec 2022, and S$200 Assurance Package; CDC voucher of S$300 per family on 3Jan2023; how to keep hawkers’ costs down? Inflation – Singapore paid S$8 billion more for LNG import in 2022; Rising COL – we have PWM, WIS, MW and LQS; Reduce COL or reduce income gap with MW? MW will drive COL up, not down; WIS and PWM are far superior than MW; Factors that caused COL to rise – cost of state land accounting; public housing; COE; cost of utilities; basic food and daily necessities; transport, medical costs, etc;

Posted on August 14, 2018 by tankoktim

============== . Assurance Package: 2 million Singaporeans to receive Seniors’ Bonus and MediSave cash payouts in February 2024 The payments are part of the suite of Assurance Package measures previously announced in Singapore’s Budget 2022. Timothy Kang ·Finance Producer Updated … Continue reading →

Posted in Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, Economy; Perfect Economic Storm? When?, Education; What is Complete Whole Person Education?, Energy, Clean and Green Electricity, Food & Drinks; hawker centres; foodcourts;, Government, GST, GST Rebates, Hawker Food -Top Favourites, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Inflation and Rising cost of living, Labour, Medical & Health, Minimum Wage; PWM and WIS in Singapore's wage policies, National Day Rally - new policies and strategies, PG and CHAS, Politics, Productivity, Silver Support Scheme, Singapore in 1960s, Social issues, Socialistic Policies, The Govt listened and implemented my ideas and feedback, Workfare income supplement; Progressive Wage Model | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

GST rate increase; NTUC FP’s 1% discount on 500 essential items; GST Rebate Vouchers; Govt will raise the 7% GST to 9% in two equal tranches – to 8% on 1stJan2023 and 9% on 1stJan2024; S$200 more in GST – or 2% on S$10,000 spending; Demagogues will make a song and dance on the S$200 or S$18 per month.

Posted on June 28, 2018 by tankoktim

=========== . .NTUC  FP will offer 1% discount but not increase the discount from 7% to 9%.  It is better than not at all.  It has listened to public feedback somewhat: FairPrice to offer 1% discount on 500 essential items … Continue reading →

Posted in Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, Food & Drinks; hawker centres; foodcourts;, Govt's Budget, GST, GST Rebates, Taxation | Tagged | Leave a comment

Sales Tax on expensive goods? High direct income tax will cause ‘Wealth flight”; How GST works and functions? Should POFMA be thrown at the demagogues? GST hike, 2% points: one on 1Jan2023 and the other on 1Jan2024; Make the hike acceptable by having 713? 7%+1%+3%? Have a 3% Sales Tax on expensive goods and equipment; Both PAP and the opposition are not ready as yet politically to have a Sales Tax. Why?

Posted on March 3, 2018 by tankoktim

==================. Have a 3% Sales Tax in 2028?GST above 9% not the long-term solution.Time to ask the Govt to pass the Law for this now, and why? . Sales Tax on the rich on expensive goods will not be a … Continue reading →

Posted in Budgets 2018, etc., Business & Finance, Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, Government, Govt's Budget, GST, GST Rebates, Minimum Wage; PWM and WIS in Singapore's wage policies, Politics, Social issues, Socialistic Policies, Taxation, Workfare income supplement; Progressive Wage Model | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Silver Support Scheme – is the distribution equitable? How? Means testing? Is it equitable and not a blunt tool for administrative convenience or due to a lack of a better instrument?

Posted on April 6, 2016 by tankoktim

. ======== . Another factor for means testing:   How much does the person receive each month from the CPF Board for old-age retirement? . ====== . Forum: More accurate means testing for govt subsidies needed   PUBLISHED4 HOURS AGO … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget 2016, Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, Government, Govt's Budget, GST Rebates, Silver Support Scheme, Social issues, Socialistic Policies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

S$778 per month for the destitute : based on the 2016 Budget; Revised in 2019; What is the amount now, the revised latest figures based on the current Budget? Will the WP MPs ask the minister in Parliament for the latest figures? Or, will the MSM journalists ask for it? Where to seek help under the Destitute Act Chapter 78? Who can offer the help and how? Seoul homeless: photo below;

Posted on April 3, 2016 by tankoktim

.. ========= .   . Who is eligible for govt’s public assistance under the Destitute Act Chap 78 [please see copy of the Act below]? What are the terms and conditions of eligibility under the Act? The link to public … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget 2016, Budgets 2018, etc., Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, Fate, Destiny, Accidents & Coincidence, Food & Drinks; hawker centres; foodcourts;, Government, Govt's Budget, GST Rebates, Labour, Minimum Wage; PWM and WIS in Singapore's wage policies, Politics, Silver Support Scheme, Social issues, Socialistic Policies, Taxation | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

GST issues – some demagogues refuse to see and understand how GST functions and works; No GST on GST; Not all the learned, the politicians and the well-heeled commentators know that there is no compounding factor in the GST system;

Posted on April 2, 2016 by tankoktim

======= . Not many know how the GST system works, and the GST law, including even some MPs in Parliament from the speeches they made on GST. Solutions? IRAS’s director of GST should give a talk to all the Cabinet … Continue reading →

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GST – why more SMEs should register with IRA? GST registration threshold has been set at $1 million of annual turnover; GST Tax laws and changes..;

Posted on February 12, 2016 by tankoktim

======================= . Forum: GST registration threshold remains adequate PUBLISHED MAY 18, 2022, 2:00 AM SGT in ST Forum. We thank Mr Tan Yong Sang for his letter, “Time to review annual turnover threshold for GST registration” (May 12). The goods … Continue reading →

Posted in Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, GST, GST Rebates, Taxation | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

GST & the GST Rebate System. How it works? GST wrongly charged on fees for 18 government services – Govt making refunds;

Posted on February 12, 2016 by tankoktim

========== . GST charged on the affected transactions ranged from below $1 to about $1,500. PHOTO: BT FILE Tham Yuen-C Senior Political Correspondent UPDATED FEB 14, 2024, 04:21 PM in Straits Times. SINGAPORE – At least $7.5 million in goods … Continue reading →

Posted in Business & Finance, Government, GST, GST Rebates | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

CPF Annual Statement – It shows more details the amounts given by the Government to each person;

Posted on February 10, 2016 by tankoktim

CPF…..it proves again that the Govt listens to public feedback. Prior to 2015, not many recipients were aware how much they had received as the Govt did not provide details in a summarised format at year end. I remember in … Continue reading →

Posted in CPF, Government, GST Rebates, MediShield Life mandatory medical insurance, PG and CHAS, Silver Support Scheme, Socialistic Policies, The Govt listened and implemented my ideas and feedback | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Four key issues in the 2011 GE…what will it be in the coming GE?

Posted on February 7, 2015 by tankoktim

Business Times – 19 Apr 2011 LETTER TO THE EDITOR Policy proposals on four key issues in GE I REFER to the article, ‘Into the hustings with pledge to secure Singapore’s future’ (BT, April 18). Political parties will soon engage … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget 2014, Budget 2015 - new policies?, Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, Govt's Budget, GST Rebates, Minimum Wage; PWM and WIS in Singapore's wage policies, Social issues, Socialistic Policies | 2 Comments

GST Rebates – the Govt has listened at last, come Dec 2022 with the S$1.5b COL Special Payment; Govt’s policies on GST Voucher, U-Save rebates – Do the recipients know the total rebates that they received from the Govt each year? Not all will receive the GST Rebates; What are the ineligible criteria? The Govt said: super rich, please donate your rebates to the needy at Giving.sg;

Posted on March 30, 2014 by tankoktim

=============== . I can see that the Govt has listened at last.   It has been some 10 years for me to repeatedly appeal to the Govt to reconsider removing the i/c address and AV of property as ineligible criterion.   My … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget 2014, Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, CPF, Government, Govt's Budget, GST Rebates, Politics, Social issues, Socialistic Policies, The Govt listened and implemented my ideas and feedback | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

GST – My letter in three newspapers in 2014 on direct income tax vs GST; Is income tax a better tool than GST for wealth redistribution? Should we increase GST from 7 to 8 percent and then gradually to 10 percent, and lower the direct income tax rates?

Posted on March 1, 2014 by tankoktim

================= . I wrote to the MSM in 2014: quote: On this Friday, 21 Feb 2014, Deputy PM and Minister for Finance, Mr Tharman Shyanmugaratnam, will deliver the FY2014 Budget Statement in Parliament at 3.30pm. Will there be increase in … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget 2014, Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, GST, GST Rebates, Taxation | Leave a comment

The loopholes in taxation? Cause of wealth flight, brain drain and talent flight? GST or Direct Tax on Earned Income – which is better?

Posted on February 17, 2014 by tankoktim

========= .  The loopholes? Properties of the rich, and taxing them higher in property tax? Is there a loophole? How will it be taxed if each property is owned by a private company owned by the rich tycoon? He can … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget 2014, GST, GST Rebates, Taxation | Leave a comment

GST Vouchers – GST Voucher Fund – is the distribution equitable?

Posted on December 6, 2013 by tankoktim

GST Voucher Fund: . The Singapore Government has set aside SGD3.6bn (USD2.9bn) in the 2012 Budget [Fund approved in Oct 2012, came into operation on 1 Feb 2013] for the first five years of the implementation of the GSTV Fund, … Continue reading →

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GST rebates – how to make more Singaporeans happy?

Posted on August 21, 2013 by tankoktim

GST REBATES – How to make it more equitable than what it is now? How to make it more comprehensive and equitable for the GST Rebates to reach out to more families – to a greater group of Singaporeans? Give … Continue reading →

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Counter-Unemployment Fund? “Policy proposals on 4 key issues in GE 2011” in BT on 19 April, 2011; the Gig economy; the self employed; the jobless;

Posted on March 11, 2013 by tankoktim

======= . Australia has the dole for those on the self-chosen path of staying unemployed or half employed, go surfing and catch a fish for dinner. Will our various jobless financial supports lead to that same path for some in … Continue reading →

Posted in Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, Government, Govt's Budget, GST, GST Rebates, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Labour, Minimum Wage; PWM and WIS in Singapore's wage policies, Politics, Population, Socialistic Policies | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Social mobility; An uplifting society; Nurture mutual respect from young; Educate and nurture kids to become brilliant young adults; A political divide and a divided society will be ungovernable; what will be the PAP Govt’s panaceas to avoid falling standards of living and a societal’s degradation?

Posted on September 9, 2011 by tankoktim

  ======= . Some will say it is all about money, but how much will be enough for one to live comfortably and happily in a capitalist system where COL keep on rising.   Some want minimum wage but tend … Continue reading →

Posted in Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, Government, Govt's Budget, GST, GST Rebates, Politics, Social issues, Socialistic Policies | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

‘GST-Rebate Fund’ The S$3.6 billion GST Offset Package – And misconceptions of how GST works.

Posted on March 1, 2011 by tankoktim

The google doc links on what I wrote on the topic ‘GST’: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fz4EbaQ72HgQBloUB0D8x3FD174fJQCojhhKSTKc2rM/edit?hl=en# https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0ByiryFsICKj-ZWQwMzJjMmYtOGMzOS00ODc0LTllNTEtNWM4MDc2M2ZkMDY5&hl=en Have a “GST- Rebate Fund”? Sharing and inviting comments on what I wrote to the media and Govt : I refer to the GST Offset Package … Continue reading →

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My reply to the Govt on the GST rebates, $100 or $200?

Posted on June 8, 2010 by tankoktim

Sharing and inviting comments on my letter to the Govt on the above subject: I thank MOF for the reply, which has been published by ST and BT today, 8 June 2010 under “Income and wealth checked for GST” and … Continue reading →

Posted in Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, GST, GST Rebates | Leave a comment