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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - PAPee SCUMs justifying for another raise</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
Subscribe </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>Fkapore <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>Feb-22 4:36 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 3) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>29038.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Tharman praises govt for taking measures to counter impact of recession
February 22, 2010 by admin
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Written by Our Correspondent
As expected, Finance Minister Tharman Shamugaratnam in Parliament heaped generous praises on the PAP government for taking ¡°forceful¡± measures to counter the impact of recession.
Mr Tharman claimed that various schemes and significant direct assistance were introduced to help Singaporeans through the crisis, including dipping into past reserves to finance the Resilience Package.
¡°These slew of measures kept confidence up and helped Singapore avoid a worst crisis, and its economy to contract less than other economies,¡± he said.
Some of the schemes such as Job Credit Scheme applied to PRs as well and so it is difficult to gauge their real impact on Singapore citizens.
While they may have help saved the jobs of some Singaporeans, many of their pay cuts have not yet been restored despite repeated exhortations by NTUC to do so.
Singaporeans still have to compete directly with low cost foreign workers for jobs which can otherwise be taken up by them.
Despite widespread unhappiness, frustration and anger on the ground, the PAP continues to insist that foreigners are ¡°essential¡± for Singapore.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said lately that the number of foreign workers may actually increase in the next few years though the rate of intake may ¡°slow down.¡±
Mr Tharman also boasted about Singapore¡¯s ¡°low¡± unemployment rate compared to other advanced economies:
¡°Singapore also avoided a ¡®jobless economy¡¯, compared to other advanced economies. Jobless rate here hit 5 per cent at the peak of the economic downturn but it has fallen back to 3 per cent,¡± he added.
The unemployment rate figures used by the Manpower Ministry lump both Singaporea citizens and PRs under the same category ¨C ¡°residents¡±.
As such, the exact unemployment rate for Singapore citizens remain a mystery. In fact, it may be higher than the official 3 per cent since PRs are included.
Given the fact that the government is so lax with its immigration criteria that foreigners usually take only a few months to become PRs, the higher employment rate among foreigners may artificially increase the overall employment rate to paint an overly rosy picture of the reality on the ground.
Furthermore, the figure did not take into account the underemployment rate in Singapore which includes Singaporeans who have given up looking for a job and those on contract jobs.
Even for those who have stable jobs, their income have hardly increased while inflation had sky-rocketed over the past two years, especially that of public housing.
Until the government reveals the figures for Singapore citizens, Singaporeans should take Mr Tharman¡¯s budget speech with a heavy dose of salt.
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February 22, 2010 by admin
Filed under Headlines
Leave a comment
Written by Our Correspondent
As expected, Finance Minister Tharman Shamugaratnam in Parliament heaped generous praises on the PAP government for taking ¡°forceful¡± measures to counter the impact of recession.
Mr Tharman claimed that various schemes and significant direct assistance were introduced to help Singaporeans through the crisis, including dipping into past reserves to finance the Resilience Package.
¡°These slew of measures kept confidence up and helped Singapore avoid a worst crisis, and its economy to contract less than other economies,¡± he said.
Some of the schemes such as Job Credit Scheme applied to PRs as well and so it is difficult to gauge their real impact on Singapore citizens.
While they may have help saved the jobs of some Singaporeans, many of their pay cuts have not yet been restored despite repeated exhortations by NTUC to do so.
Singaporeans still have to compete directly with low cost foreign workers for jobs which can otherwise be taken up by them.
Despite widespread unhappiness, frustration and anger on the ground, the PAP continues to insist that foreigners are ¡°essential¡± for Singapore.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said lately that the number of foreign workers may actually increase in the next few years though the rate of intake may ¡°slow down.¡±
Mr Tharman also boasted about Singapore¡¯s ¡°low¡± unemployment rate compared to other advanced economies:
¡°Singapore also avoided a ¡®jobless economy¡¯, compared to other advanced economies. Jobless rate here hit 5 per cent at the peak of the economic downturn but it has fallen back to 3 per cent,¡± he added.
The unemployment rate figures used by the Manpower Ministry lump both Singaporea citizens and PRs under the same category ¨C ¡°residents¡±.
As such, the exact unemployment rate for Singapore citizens remain a mystery. In fact, it may be higher than the official 3 per cent since PRs are included.
Given the fact that the government is so lax with its immigration criteria that foreigners usually take only a few months to become PRs, the higher employment rate among foreigners may artificially increase the overall employment rate to paint an overly rosy picture of the reality on the ground.
Furthermore, the figure did not take into account the underemployment rate in Singapore which includes Singaporeans who have given up looking for a job and those on contract jobs.
Even for those who have stable jobs, their income have hardly increased while inflation had sky-rocketed over the past two years, especially that of public housing.
Until the government reveals the figures for Singapore citizens, Singaporeans should take Mr Tharman¡¯s budget speech with a heavy dose of salt.
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