[h=2]$100 million worth of NS Vouchers – Who benefits?[/h]
October 31st, 2012 |
Author: Contributions
Toll Holdings Limited of Australia owns Toll Asia Pte
Ltd (Toll Asia), which has a 100% owned subsidiary called ST Logistics Pte Ltd
(STL), which runs and fully supplies the SAF E-MART where much of our vouchers
will be spent at.
When Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong declared that 100 million of its
taxpayers’ money will be spent, no one batted an eyelid, let alone question the
decision. Some even called it a ‘nice gesture’. I am not talking about how much
or how little money each NS personnel will receive. $50-$100 isn’t a small sum
of money to me. I question not the amount of money, but the motive behind the
action. For one, it bears a sick resembling of electoral carrots. Never mind on
that, let’s move on.
The bigger question is: Who truly benefits from this $100 million bucks from
our national coffers? Bear in mind these $100,000,000 of cash will be converted
into vouchers before dissemination. Why the need to do this if the purpose is to
reward Singaporean men who served their nation? With $50-$100 cash in hand, each
Singaporean man can spend it any food of any joint of their choice which will
pay the hawker’s salary or that taxi driver, the kind who doesn’t earn $7,000
per month, and so on. With $100,000 cash going around the economy, it ought to
benefit more of the population.
Vouchers. I pray that we are talking about e-vouchers than physical vouchers
here. If it isn’t an e-copy, or something facilitated existing technologies,
such as the scanning of our pink ICs, I would like to know which company is
printing these vouchers and how fairly does this company wins the tender. Mind
you, we are talking about 2 million copies of $50 vouchers here, not 200
vouchers. That contract value could be worth a year’s of revenue for many SME
printing companies. We can really do with killing more trees with unnecessary
printing of vouchers as well.
Vouchers. So can I use the voucher to buy my groceries at Econ Minimart or
use it to offset my Singapore Power bills? No, I can’t do that. I can only spend
it on SAFRA facilities and the SAF E-MART and a few other selected companies
(not revealed at this time). I question why the restriction to spend it on very
specific entities. We are spending tax-payers’ money but heavily channeling the
money into a selected few companies? Why?
You know, life provides ironic coincidences sometimes. Yesterday evening, I
saw a TOLL van parked in my vicinity. I couldn’t help but shrug helplessly. This
morning I drove pass the same van. This time, the driver was on board and even
gave me a ‘thumbs up’ gesture when I stopped to give way to him. You’re welcome
mate. I’m from Singapore. If only the driver knows that he’ll be benefiting from
the $100,000,000 spending from my government. He’ll probably give me a hug.
After all, Toll Holdings Limited of Australia owns Toll Asia Pte Ltd (Toll
Asia), which has a 100% owned subsidiary called ST Logistics Pte Ltd (STL),
which runs and fully supplies the SAF EMART where much of our vouchers will be
spent at.
I can’t help but envy the directors and CEO of ST Logistics in their cushy
seats, who can expect a large portion of the $100 million vouchers in revenue to
boost up their financial statement in the coming work year. I’m sure SME owners
wouldn’t mind deals like that come knocking on the doors. Too bad for them this
one probably isn’t. My question is, why are we spending $100 million of
taxpayers’ money to benefit a selected few companies instead of paying out in
cash, which can potentially benefit many more sectors?
.
A Singaporean in Australia
* The author blogs at http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.com
Toll Holdings Limited of Australia owns Toll Asia Pte
Ltd (Toll Asia), which has a 100% owned subsidiary called ST Logistics Pte Ltd
(STL), which runs and fully supplies the SAF E-MART where much of our vouchers
will be spent at.
When Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong declared that 100 million of its
taxpayers’ money will be spent, no one batted an eyelid, let alone question the
decision. Some even called it a ‘nice gesture’. I am not talking about how much
or how little money each NS personnel will receive. $50-$100 isn’t a small sum
of money to me. I question not the amount of money, but the motive behind the
action. For one, it bears a sick resembling of electoral carrots. Never mind on
that, let’s move on.
The bigger question is: Who truly benefits from this $100 million bucks from
our national coffers? Bear in mind these $100,000,000 of cash will be converted
into vouchers before dissemination. Why the need to do this if the purpose is to
reward Singaporean men who served their nation? With $50-$100 cash in hand, each
Singaporean man can spend it any food of any joint of their choice which will
pay the hawker’s salary or that taxi driver, the kind who doesn’t earn $7,000
per month, and so on. With $100,000 cash going around the economy, it ought to
benefit more of the population.
Vouchers. I pray that we are talking about e-vouchers than physical vouchers
here. If it isn’t an e-copy, or something facilitated existing technologies,
such as the scanning of our pink ICs, I would like to know which company is
printing these vouchers and how fairly does this company wins the tender. Mind
you, we are talking about 2 million copies of $50 vouchers here, not 200
vouchers. That contract value could be worth a year’s of revenue for many SME
printing companies. We can really do with killing more trees with unnecessary
printing of vouchers as well.
Vouchers. So can I use the voucher to buy my groceries at Econ Minimart or
use it to offset my Singapore Power bills? No, I can’t do that. I can only spend
it on SAFRA facilities and the SAF E-MART and a few other selected companies
(not revealed at this time). I question why the restriction to spend it on very
specific entities. We are spending tax-payers’ money but heavily channeling the
money into a selected few companies? Why?
You know, life provides ironic coincidences sometimes. Yesterday evening, I
saw a TOLL van parked in my vicinity. I couldn’t help but shrug helplessly. This
morning I drove pass the same van. This time, the driver was on board and even
gave me a ‘thumbs up’ gesture when I stopped to give way to him. You’re welcome
mate. I’m from Singapore. If only the driver knows that he’ll be benefiting from
the $100,000,000 spending from my government. He’ll probably give me a hug.
After all, Toll Holdings Limited of Australia owns Toll Asia Pte Ltd (Toll
Asia), which has a 100% owned subsidiary called ST Logistics Pte Ltd (STL),
which runs and fully supplies the SAF EMART where much of our vouchers will be
spent at.
I can’t help but envy the directors and CEO of ST Logistics in their cushy
seats, who can expect a large portion of the $100 million vouchers in revenue to
boost up their financial statement in the coming work year. I’m sure SME owners
wouldn’t mind deals like that come knocking on the doors. Too bad for them this
one probably isn’t. My question is, why are we spending $100 million of
taxpayers’ money to benefit a selected few companies instead of paying out in
cash, which can potentially benefit many more sectors?
.
A Singaporean in Australia
* The author blogs at http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.com
