6/11/2020
CECA is not good for Singapore and Singaporeans
By A J Jennevieve and Misaki Tan posted in theindependent.sg
Singapore — Has CECA, the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between Singapore and India, benefited the island nation?
This was one of the poll questions at the Progress Singapore Party web seminar on Thursday (June 4) which featured a panel of nine party leaders and members, led by PSP Secretary-General Dr Tan Cheng Bock. The two-hour discussion also touched on the Covid-19 crisis, HDB leases, the performance of Malays in school, CPF funds, retirement adequacy and healthcare costs.
The CECA poll showed that an overwhelming number of the respondents felt that the pact had not been beneficial to Singapore.
CECA guarantees Singapore and India access to each other’s markets and reduces or eliminates tariffs on imports into either country. This lowers the barrier of entry for Singaporean businesses to enter the Indian market and allows Singaporeans to purchase Indian products for cheaper.
However, another dimension of CECA is the increase in foreign workforce numbers, especially employment pass and S pass holders. A part of this number are Indian nationals who fill jobs as professionals, managers, executives, and technicians (PMETs).
The Singapore government has given the assurance that CECA has been generating wealth for Singaporeans but there is uncertainty about this.
CECA guarantees Singapore and India access to each other’s markets and reduces or eliminates tariffs on imports into either country. This lowers the barrier of entry for Singaporean businesses to enter the Indian market and allows Singaporeans to purchase Indian products for cheaper.
However, another dimension of CECA is the increase in foreign workforce numbers, especially employment pass and S pass holders. A part of this number are Indian nationals who fill jobs as professionals, managers, executives, and technicians (PMETs).
The Singapore government has given the assurance that CECA has been generating wealth for Singaporeans but there is uncertainty about this....
The above contains a list of questions that Singaporeans are very unhappy about with the CECA. What Singaporeans have been hearing are all the good things about CECA including creating good jobs for Singaporeans. On the ground everyone knows how many Singaporeans especially the PMETs were sacked and replaced by Indian nationals that are flooding the job markets here. And this is the main reason why Singaporeans are so angry with the CECA. And there is the very serious issues of pollution and harming the environment, a very heavy price to pay. And not to forget, the damages to our social fabric and losing our country to foreigners.
The govt sings one song, the people's chorus did not complement the song, in fact opposes the lyrics of the govt's song. How can the mismatch in perception be explained and for the people to know the true picture? Simple, just provide some statistics that this govt is so clever in doing. Statistics don't lie, so we hope the govt can show the people some statistics like how many Singapore businesses were set up in India and vice versa, and how many Singaporeans have gone to work in India and how many Indians are working in Singapore and how many jobs have the Indian businesses in Singapore created for Singaporeans, never mind, drivers and cleaners also can count. And also how many Indian nationals are employed by the govt, ministries, GLCs and Singaporean companies.
Make these data available and no one can then talk through their asses or be allowed to lie or make false allegations. The data must surely tell the truth and angry Singaporeans can then rest their cases if their perceptions are wrong. Hope these data are not official secrets that cannot be divulged or would take 56 man years to produce.
Boh how siow boh kong. Would the truth of how good this CECA is to Singapore and Singaporeans be told as it is so that no one needs to be guessing and getting angry for the right or wrong reasons? Or should Singaporeans continue to listen to motherhood statements without facts?
Posted by Chua Chin Leng aka redbean at 8:26 am
CECA is not good for Singapore and Singaporeans
By A J Jennevieve and Misaki Tan posted in theindependent.sg
Singapore — Has CECA, the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between Singapore and India, benefited the island nation?
This was one of the poll questions at the Progress Singapore Party web seminar on Thursday (June 4) which featured a panel of nine party leaders and members, led by PSP Secretary-General Dr Tan Cheng Bock. The two-hour discussion also touched on the Covid-19 crisis, HDB leases, the performance of Malays in school, CPF funds, retirement adequacy and healthcare costs.
The CECA poll showed that an overwhelming number of the respondents felt that the pact had not been beneficial to Singapore.
CECA guarantees Singapore and India access to each other’s markets and reduces or eliminates tariffs on imports into either country. This lowers the barrier of entry for Singaporean businesses to enter the Indian market and allows Singaporeans to purchase Indian products for cheaper.
However, another dimension of CECA is the increase in foreign workforce numbers, especially employment pass and S pass holders. A part of this number are Indian nationals who fill jobs as professionals, managers, executives, and technicians (PMETs).
The Singapore government has given the assurance that CECA has been generating wealth for Singaporeans but there is uncertainty about this.
CECA guarantees Singapore and India access to each other’s markets and reduces or eliminates tariffs on imports into either country. This lowers the barrier of entry for Singaporean businesses to enter the Indian market and allows Singaporeans to purchase Indian products for cheaper.
However, another dimension of CECA is the increase in foreign workforce numbers, especially employment pass and S pass holders. A part of this number are Indian nationals who fill jobs as professionals, managers, executives, and technicians (PMETs).
The Singapore government has given the assurance that CECA has been generating wealth for Singaporeans but there is uncertainty about this....
The above contains a list of questions that Singaporeans are very unhappy about with the CECA. What Singaporeans have been hearing are all the good things about CECA including creating good jobs for Singaporeans. On the ground everyone knows how many Singaporeans especially the PMETs were sacked and replaced by Indian nationals that are flooding the job markets here. And this is the main reason why Singaporeans are so angry with the CECA. And there is the very serious issues of pollution and harming the environment, a very heavy price to pay. And not to forget, the damages to our social fabric and losing our country to foreigners.
The govt sings one song, the people's chorus did not complement the song, in fact opposes the lyrics of the govt's song. How can the mismatch in perception be explained and for the people to know the true picture? Simple, just provide some statistics that this govt is so clever in doing. Statistics don't lie, so we hope the govt can show the people some statistics like how many Singapore businesses were set up in India and vice versa, and how many Singaporeans have gone to work in India and how many Indians are working in Singapore and how many jobs have the Indian businesses in Singapore created for Singaporeans, never mind, drivers and cleaners also can count. And also how many Indian nationals are employed by the govt, ministries, GLCs and Singaporean companies.
Make these data available and no one can then talk through their asses or be allowed to lie or make false allegations. The data must surely tell the truth and angry Singaporeans can then rest their cases if their perceptions are wrong. Hope these data are not official secrets that cannot be divulged or would take 56 man years to produce.
Boh how siow boh kong. Would the truth of how good this CECA is to Singapore and Singaporeans be told as it is so that no one needs to be guessing and getting angry for the right or wrong reasons? Or should Singaporeans continue to listen to motherhood statements without facts?
Posted by Chua Chin Leng aka redbean at 8:26 am
