Number of adults using SimplyGo continue to increase even after LTA’s announcement to extend use of ezlink cards
Since LTA’s announcement on 22 January 2024 that LTA would extend the CBT (card-based ticketing) system for adult commuters till at least 2030, the proportion of adult commuters using SimplyGo has continued to increase, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat revealed in Parliament (5 Feb 2024) In December 2023, 41% of adult commuters were using bank […]
WP Jamus Lim incredibly equates temporary supermarket discounts with exemption from GST
One thing is certain: supermarkets giving 1% discounts on essential items for a limited period of time is not equal to a policy to exempt ‘essential’ items from GST. First, the discount is only for a limited period of time while an exemption policy is ‘forever’. Secondly, a discount of 9% for all time – […]
Singapore Retains World’s Top Maritime Centre For 10th Consecutive Year
Singapore retained its lead as the world’s top maritime centre in the Xinhua Baltic International Shipping Centre Development (ISCD) Index. This is the 10th consecutive year that Singapore has achieved this. The latest Xinhua-Baltic ISCD index published this year by the Baltic Exchange and China’s Xinhua News Agency, ranked Singapore as the leading maritime centre […]
The Assurance Package will delay the GST hike for majority of households by 5 years
The bulk of the GST burden is borne by tourists and foreigners living in Singapore, as well as the top 20% of resident households, Senior Minister of State for Finance, Mr Chee Hong Tat said in Parliament. Around $5.7 billion were collected in NET GST annually in 2018 and 2019. This is after netting off […]
With increasing numbers of million-dollar HDB homes in Singapore, is public housing still affordable?
Since the end of the Circuit Breaker, demand for housing has pushed resale flats prices to a new high, with HDB resale prices rising for the 26th straight month in August 2022. The sale of million-dollar HDB did not slow down. In September 2022 alone, HDB recorded another 45 million-dollar HDB flats transaction, more than the 33 million-dollar […]
Labour Chief: “I’ve heard their experiences of workplace discrimination.”
You probably have heard of the raging conversations surrounding foreign talent, and discrimination against Singaporeans over the years. But did you know that the tripartite partners have also been relentless in their push to ensure Singaporean workers are treated fairly? Of course, there continue to be recalcitrant companies with unfair HR practices, so the work […]
Good HR Practices Ought To Be Recognised: SMS Chee Hong Tat
Foreign HR Manager to Interviewee: “You spent two years with SAF, what is SAF?” In his Keynote Address at a virtual masterclass event by Human Capital Singapore on the key trends impacting Singapore’s economy, Senior Minister of State and Deputy Secretary-General of NTUC, Mr Chee Hong Tat shared an anecdote from a Parliamentary colleague. An […]
Government accepts higher wages proposed for Cleaners by Tripartite Cluster
Cleaners can look forward to higher wages over six years from 2023, after proposals by the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners (TCC) were accepted by the Government on Monday (Jun 7). Over the years, the base pay of cleaners has risen gradually under the PWM. It now stands at S$1,236. Come July, it will rise to […]