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- Jul 7, 2011
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This situation isn't unique to Singapore. It occurs in all big cities where space is a premium.
Ahh.. you touched on an interesting point.
When I mentioned owners of capital, I am also referring to business owners, people who plow money back into their businesses. You are probably referring to asset owners, in this case, owners of real estate properties.
Clearly there is a difference between how business owners and asset owners make money. Asset owners like property investors invest into asset creation because it is more profitable than anywhere else, if they have the means to choose. Asset investments are profitable because businesses are profitable. Businesses are profitable because revenues exceed costs. Costs include rentals as well as wages.
Are wages too low in Singapore compared to other comparable cities around the world? I suggest looking at the GDP breakdown between corporate profits, household income and government receipts. It is imperfect, but it is the best starting point that an anonymous poster in an internet forum can give to political aspirants.
If low household income is the problem, you can try to increases wages, reduce government receipts from households or make transfer government payments to households. Governments would have less tax receipts or more social expenditures. The "status-quo" solution for the establishment is to increase taxation for owners of physical capital, and not that of operating businesses. Property income needs to be taxed like corporate income.
The Gini coefficient will still stay unfortunately, but households are better off.