more and more are switching to contraband ciggrettes or vapes. Fucking stupid garhmen is like putting money into the pockets of smugglers..... kum gong jiu shi kum gong... what the garhmen intercepted at the custom checkpoints are just a mini tip of the iceberg. The smugglers understood the business and the seized contrabands are just part of the cost of doing business. What so difficult? 1,000 trucks (including decoys) coming in at rush hour, I see how much manpower the garhmen have to check every single one... with your fucking outdated x-ray scan lol....
Taxes are necessary for social expenditure, but perhaps we should hang on a moment, take a pause and chill - both citizens and the govt.....before the social fabric is tampered with.....
Taxes are across the board, and most citizens may grumble, but will accept the logic, reason and realities of such needs, regardless of any race, language or religion, thus there is no need to inflame racial tensions, as we are a multi-cultural Nation built up by sacrifices, hard work and compromises from our forefathers whom gave us our todays.
HOWEVER, the issue CONTINUED crazy annual increases of tobacco taxes do leaves many scratching their heads.
a) It's purpose, as claimed by the govt, that it is means to discourage smoking which causes cancer and NOT meant to plush up the National treasury, which means they would expect NO tax revenues when EVERY CITIZEN gives up smoking....
b)Nicotine although is addictive, but it is not a psychotic drug like heroine or cannabis. Nicotine is no more harmful than caffeine - Royal Society for Public Health; 2015. Thus should coffee be taxed hundred of percent too?
c) With PM Wong's draconian measure to increase tobacco taxes, it would, like you said, give rise to opportunists from every corner of Earth, to smuggle and indulge in criminal activities that are against the law in Singapore, to supply cigs to citizens whom need them.
It would mean INCREASES in taxes - personal or GST - to hire MORE enforcement officers, teams, mgmt, intel and research depts to deal with them and such COSTS would come from taxpayers...
That's only part of the consequences. Consider too the many citizens whom have such needs, which are AS NORMAL AS HAVING A CUP OF COFFEE DAILY, would be fined, arrested, or jailed if they have no money to pay up when they are caught with smuggled cigs, and then lose their opportunities in life - their jobs, as they would carry a jail record, as well as the SOCIAL COSTS to help them and keep them alive, in our civilized Nation?
Also, consider the consequences on the BURDENS of citizen household budgets. Which such astronomical HIGH taxes over something as normal as a cup of coffee, it would mean sacrifices have to be made and adjusted, which means lesser budget allocation even for meals, groceries, education, etc, and worse will be the young whom will have to support their elderly parents, which will result in conflicts within the family, which is the building block of civilization.
It is easy to say the word quit. But performing it is not as easy as it seems. The insignificant nobody me had seen how some whom quit for a month, or even few days, only to suffer from relapse and worse - smoke TWICE the amount of sticks per day than they had done before quit....
It takes more than a word to say quit smoking. It needs REALISTIC and PRAGMATIC support with TECH help to do so. Mostly, those whom have less stress in daily life seems to be more successful in quitting, but everyone knows Singapore life is a cauldron of daily stress.......
...Humans have needs to chill, to calm down, have a quiet time with oneself and collect one's thoughts, to face the challenges of another day, so long as they do no harm to others, otherwise they would lose their minds and go insane, which will lead to ANOTHER problem for the govt and high taxpayers funds to deal with.....
PM Wong has a good heart, but may he not become KAREN-like.....out of touch with realities. He has a country to run.
The KARENS of this World can speak freely, shout and scream till their tongues roll on the floors in DEMOCRATIC Nations, but it will only be ignored by Realists and Pragmatists whom matters more, for the survival of oneself, loved ones, family, friends, community and Nation....
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Jazz is timeless and the chill and calm tones alone cuts through Human emotions, regardless of race, language or religion used.
help you save money.
