• IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here.

    The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.

Problems that the million-dollar ministers are not solving

worcer

Alfrescian
Loyal

Forum: Flexi-adjunct teacher more effective without administrative, CCA duties​

Sep 24, 2022

I refer to the Ministry of Education's response (Positive aspects of taking on CCA responsibilities for teachers, Sept 23) to Mr Peter See's suggestion on managing teachers' workload (Remove CCA responsibilities from teachers' workload, Sept 15).
Few people would argue against the positive aspects of co-curricular activities (CCAs) and taking on CCA responsibilities.
However, both sides may be missing the point regarding teachers' workload.
As a flexi-adjunct teacher, I can see how overwhelmed my full-time colleagues are, juggling classroom teaching, committee duties, administrative tasks and CCA responsibilities.
Without administrative, committee and CCA duties, I have become a more effective classroom teacher than I ever was. The freed-up time lets me focus on lesson conceptualisation, preparation and delivery, not to mention marking.
Even during my first stint as a flexi-adjunct teacher from 2007 to 2009, I shared with the then senior parliamentary secretary for health, who was interested to find out how and why I was able to deliver results during the then pilot programme for academically at-risk students, that I simply had more time to tailor lessons to those students.
Unfortunately, my voice and those I echo seem to have gone unheard.

An opinion piece by Straits Times associate editor Chua Mui Hoong asks whether Singapore has a culture of overwork (Work-life balance: Every worker's right or a reward after decades of service?, Sept 23). For teaching, it is a resounding "yes".
Perhaps it is time for the ministry to revise teachers' workload to better balance teaching, CCA and other responsibilities.
Teachers are now dealing with more parents who are much more demanding, and students with more and greater needs, including special needs.
Regarding CCA responsibilities, perhaps we can learn from the example of a top girls' school which recently posted an opening for a CCA teacher.

Siew Yee Kit
This is to reduce normal teachers salary but increase their workload... so Princple with good connection can have a better life...

Instead of employing a professional delicated person to teach CCA, schools wan to cheapo teaching on students...

Why spent so much money to train sinkies when u can import foreigners with more talents....
 

worcer

Alfrescian
Loyal

Forum: Lessons on primary school education worth learning from international schools​


JAN 27, 2023

I am a former Ministry of Education (MOE) mathematics teacher who has worked at international schools here and observed their teaching methods.
There are many good practices that MOE could consider adopting.
At those international schools, there are specific sessions set aside for pupils to play besides the usual recess and physical education lessons. Coloured chalk is provided for the pupils to draw in the enclosed carpark during play time. There are also creativity centres for pupils to create items with recycled materials.
Maths is also taught differently. For example, while local pupils are told to memorise that vertically opposite angles are equal, international school pupils carry out activities to investigate and conclude for themselves that those angles are equal.
A smaller classroom size, more teaching resources and a lighter syllabus help to facilitate more hands-on activities for pupils to discover and exercise their creativity. During lessons, international school pupils are often asked to express their opinions and explain their thinking. They have less homework, and little or no scolding from teachers.
In local schools, pupils are often overloaded with instructions and information from teachers. Pupils prefer to wait for instructions from teachers, and there is a fear among pupils of making mistakes.
Teachers seem hard-pressed for time to complete the syllabus and to prepare pupils well for examinations. There is very little room for pupils to develop independence, creativity and critical thinking.

While a robust and content-heavy syllabus has served us well in the past, it may no longer adequately prepare pupils for the future. Independence, critical thinking and creativity are important skills to develop.
MOE has in recent years initiated many changes, and is generally moving in the right direction in line with a fast-changing working world. Despite these positive changes, I feel that there is a need to review the primary school education system to inculcate the joy of learning in our children and bring the joy of teaching back to our teachers.
We must also make what is important in education measurable, and not just make what is measurable important.

Harry Lim
Same logic i said b4...

Singapore govt dun wan to train sinkies for workforce so dun bother to do so much for education...

Govt can just import foreigners.... easiler to get rid of when employers dun like them...
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset

Forum: Long wait at polyclinic but still did not get to see doctor​

Mar 14, 2023

I wish to express my concern about the accessibility of public healthcare at polyclinics in Singapore.
Recently, I took my 19-year-old daughter who had a fever of 37.8 deg C to Bukit Batok Polyclinic and was told to queue for a time slot to see the doctor.
But we ended up not getting a time slot because my daughter was not considered a priority case, as she was neither a child nor an elderly person running a high fever.
While I acknowledge the need for prioritisation in a busy healthcare system, I am concerned that this may prevent people from accessing the healthcare they need, particularly for minor illnesses that could escalate into more serious conditions.
For many families, polyclinics may be their only option for healthcare, and not getting treatment could have dire consequences.
In my recent experience, being in the queue for nearly an hour before being told we would not get to see the doctor was frustrating.
Many Singaporeans, like myself, have employee benefits at polyclinics that can help defray the cost of healthcare. Even with the Community Health Assist Scheme benefit, private healthcare costs are still higher than those for public healthcare.

Policies on public healthcare accessibility at polyclinics should be reviewed to ensure that everyone can receive timely and appropriate care.

Patricia Goh
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset

Forum: Address factors that make doctors lose the human touch​

Apr 5, 2023

I refer to Dr Quah Thuan Chong’s letter, “Medical care and what love’s got to do with it” (April 3).
While I appreciate his sentiments, it is unfair to generalise that junior doctors are lacking in what he characterises as the “human touch”. There are many factors which may have contributed to his perceptions, and these warrant addressing.
First, the current workflow which requires junior doctors to spend most of their time typing into electronic medical records limits the opportunity to interact with patients. Rather than acquiring the skills of doctoring during their nascent years of training, they have been relegated to becoming glorified typists.
A former CEO at a healthcare facility used to say that his mantra was to make the facility more efficient by doing everything “cheaper, faster and better”. With due respect, I think such a philosophy contributes to the dehumanisation of the medical profession.
Second, despite the recent attention paid to improving the welfare of junior doctors, many senior doctors still insist on junior staff turning up at 6am and finishing work later than 7pm, all in the name of “training”.
In addition, senior clinicians have been observed bullying and humiliating junior doctors, to the point that some junior doctors have been driven to depression. Junior doctors tend to emulate the behaviour of their seniors, who should be setting better examples.
Third, the expectations of patients have changed over the years. While patients were generally respectful of healthcare workers previously, we now face patients who come with a sense of entitlement and general disrespect for professionals.

In addition, the relative ease with which complaints and legal action can be taken against doctors does not help the stressful environment within which they work. This requires a reset of public expectations which, while not impossible, requires herculean political will to step in from the authorities.
If office-holders and hospital administrators seem unwilling to take care of junior doctors and treat them with respect, how can we expect them to take care of patients? We can do better.

Sitoh Yih Yiow (Dr)
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset

School bus firm ends contract early after losing two drivers, reflecting strain on bus industry​

2023040691685528c7d052a3-270f-4522-a420-9b927eae7c44_0.jpg

School bus service operators like Mr Ho Jun Xian have to contend with an ageing workforce and losing subcontractors to more lucrative types of work. ST PHOTO: Ng Sor Luan The Straits Times
AK_lnt_090322.png

Lee Nian Tjoe
Senior Transport Correspondent

Apr 10, 2023

SINGAPORE – In February, a bus operator that had served North Spring Primary School in Sengkang for more than 10 years informed the school that it was calling it quits.
What nudged K W Bus Service to throw in the towel was the loss of two of its 15 drivers – one was leaving for another industry, while the other, who was in his 70s, was retiring. The company is serving notice while the school looks for a new service provider.
K W’s owner, Mr Ho Jun Xian, 34, said his business has been operating constantly at the limits when it comes to manpower, and it has no resources to cover two fewer drivers.
Bus operators have found it increasingly difficult to recruit drivers in the past two years as the economy recovers post-Covid-19. Many are operating with no buffer.
Companies that provide school bus services have to compete for drivers who may be drawn to jobs that pay better, like ferrying tourists, or have more flexible hours, like doing last-mile delivery services.
North Spring Primary called a tender for a new school bus operator, which closed on March 31. Based on tender documents, the new contract for North Spring Primary will start on May 27, which is the first day of the school holidays following the end of the first semester.
The Straits Times has contacted the school for comment.

Mr Ho, who started working as a bus driver for his father when he was 23, said the company has 18 buses. Both his parents, who are in their mid-60s, also work as drivers to cover the school bus routes daily.
The company has other transport jobs to keep the fleet busy.
Mr Ho’s daily routine includes picking up the first pupil to go to North Spring Primary at 6am, as well as pupils from CHIJ Our Lady of the Nativity in Hougang after school is dismissed in the afternoon.
He said he deals with operation emergencies fairly frequently. On the morning before he met ST, one of his older drivers was hospitalised in the wee hours for a heart condition. Mr Ho himself had to drive a second trip to pick up the pupils affected.
Given the lack of bus drivers, some schools allow bus operators to make more than one trip to ferry the pupils. This means that some pupils are picked up earlier to get to school or reach home later after dismissal.
Mr Ho, who is married with two young children, also recounted an instance recently when he found out at 5am that one of his drivers could not work that day because his child was sick. Mr Ho’s solution then was to have the affected pupils make their own way to school via taxis and to reimburse them for the fare.
The implementation of the Progressive Wage Model for drivers from March 1, 2023, has been another source of pressure for operators. Mr Ho said: “Of course, I would like to pay my drivers more, but contracts which were set years ago are paying us the same amount as before.”
School bus service contracts are typically set for two to three years, with the option to extend. While bus fares have been increasing, most operators say that the hikes are not sufficient to match the rising costs of running the business.
An industry insider explained that Ministry of Education school bus contracts are often not the most profitable type of work, but they can make commercial sense if the operator is able to integrate the school routes with other types of work. For example, after dropping off the primary school pupils, the bus can move on to pick up international school students, or maybe workers.
Mr Ho said drivers can also be picky. Some, for example, prefer to drive smaller buses even if the pay is lower because the vehicles are easier to manage. But larger buses with more seating capacity tend to be more cost-efficient for the operator.

K W was dealt a further blow in March when one of the four subcontractors that the company uses for its contract with CHIJ decided to pull out.
Subcontractors are not directly engaged by the schools. The company holding the contract assigns routes to these bus operators and liaises with the school and parents.
Mr Ho said that when other industries shut down during the earlier part of the Covid-19 pandemic, bus operators who specialised in worker transport or ferrying tourists switched to providing school bus services.
With the end of the pandemic, many are turning away from doing school runs, which makes it harder for school bus operators to find subcontractors.
Mr Ho said his priority now is to ensure that the bus operation at CHIJ runs smoothly in the new semester, before he looks for other types of work to keep the fleet and drivers busy.
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset

Forum: Help tissue paper sellers find other ways to earn a living​

Apr 15, 2023

I’ve been seeing more tissue paper sellers in crowded public places, where they’ve become a nuisance. The public does not need this service, as tissue paper is cheap and readily available.
I gave a few of these sellers $2 each, and started talking to them. One divulged that he was from Malaysia. I spoke to another in Little India, who told me she was from Hougang, but stationed herself in Little India because of the better footfall.
I reported three tissue sellers stationed at the exit of City Hall MRT station. The authorities followed up and said that one of the sellers had a licence.
I hope the authorities will do more to help the less fortunate engage in better activities to earn a living. They can be referred to seniors’ centres or agencies offering simple jobs or free food, or given financial help to eradicate this practice of selling tissues, which is akin to begging.

Henry Ong Kok Seong
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset

Government Parliamentary Committee for transport monitoring rising COE prices, impact on transport cost for Singaporeans​

Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums have remained high, with the latest bidding exercise on Apr 5 closing with Category A and B prices breaking records for the second time in a row.
Government Parliamentary Committee for transport monitoring rising COE prices, impact on transport cost for Singaporeans

File photo of cars and other vehicles in Singapore (Photo: Jeremy Long)

Grace Yeoh

@GraceYeohCNA
17 Apr 2023

SINGAPORE: The Government Parliamentary Committee that oversees transport is monitoring the rising Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices and its impact on cost of transport to Singaporeans, its chairman Saktiandi Supaat told CNA.
Mr Saktiandi (PAP-Bishan-Toa Payoh) was addressing the high COE premiums following the latest bidding exercise on Apr 5, which closed with Category A and B prices breaking records for the second time in a row.
For Category A cars, or those 1,600cc and below with horsepower not exceeding 130bhp, premiums closed at S$96,501 (US$72,300), up from the previous high of S$93,503 in the last exercise. Premiums for larger and more powerful cars in Category B also rose to a new high of S$118,501 from the previous milestone of S$116,201 on Mar 22.
Government Parliamentary Committees are set up by the People's Action Party to "scrutinise the legislation and programmes of the various ministries", according to the Party's website. They also serve as an additional channel of feedback on government policies.
"There have been recent changes made to the price discovery structure, such as rolling average, but the effects may take time," said Mr Saktiandi, referring to the latest adjusted method for computing COE quota available for bidding.
Under this method of computation that took effect from Feb 1, the number of COEs available for bidding in each quarter will be the rolling average of the number of vehicles deregistered over the previous four quarters, instead of two.
This is meant to further reduce the quarter-on-quarter volatility of COE supply.
"We are cognizant that demand remains high, but the cycle may turn in the second half of 2023 or end of 2023 as highlighted by several market participants," added Mr Saktiandi, who is an economist by training.
"It may be useful to continue to monitor if the COE prices start to fall in the second half of 2023 as the number of deregistered vehicles is expected to pick up towards the end of 2023."

CURBING COE PRICES​

The rise in COE prices is a reflection of the "continuing demand for cars" alongside the "zero vehicle growth policy" that "obviously curtails supply of COEs", said Mr Saktiandi.
"Short of moving away from the zero growth policy, which is unlikely, the demand for cars will be affected by rising rates, economic cycles and also general sentiment as well as seasonal patterns of the past registration peaks and troughs."
The "smoothening method" for the deregistered vehicles has "helped somewhat", added Mr Saktiandi. But the committee may need to monitor if the COE prices reach levels that may be "less than optimal" due to "non-real supply and demand factors driven by market inefficiencies leading to price distortions".
Mr Gan Thiam Poh (PAP-Ang Mo Kio), who also sits on the transport Government Parliamentary Committee, added that it is "too early to judge" how measures like the adjustments to the additional registration fee system affecting luxury cars will "filter down".
He, too, noted the cap on vehicle growth - but said that "demand is always there" despite limited supply. This could also be due to "aspirations of Singaporeans" to own a car, he suggested.
"I also notice with more completion of MRT lines, more people are riding the MRT. We can see more people going for public transport. But that doesn’t mean people don’t wish to own cars," he said.
Highlighting possible ways to address rising COE prices, Mr Gan pointed to existing measures, like car-sharing schemes, as well as increasing public transport and private-hire service choices and making them "more convenient" and "more economical".
On the other hand, Mr Saktiandi added: "The best approach is to address any specific market microstructure or market failures, such as the efforts being made for the motorcycle COEs on the duration reductions."
He was referring to the Land Transport Authority's move in March to cut the validity period of temporary motorcycle COEs from six months to three.
"One other extreme option eventually may be to lead to restrictions on the number of cars purchased per household to ensure equality in terms of access to vehicles for personal consumption. But that may not be viable at this juncture," he said.
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset

Soaring COE prices: What’s driving the insanity, and when will it end?​

christopher.png


Christopher Tan
Senior Transport Correspondent
20230216106374730dbeddb7d-5ecb-4e03-98a0-42cb9d90446b_0.jpg


Besides supply and demand, there are several factors driving COE prices up. PHOTO: ST FILE

Apr 23, 2023

SINGAPORE - Nearly 30 years ago, the Government refuted a June 1994 Business Times article which stated that certificate of entitlement (COE) prices would soon skyrocket on the back of an imminent shrinkage in supply because of fewer vehicles being deregistered – the main determinant of COE supply.
In a letter to the editor, the then Ministry of Communications (the precursor of the Transport Ministry) argued that fewer deregistrations also meant that fewer people were bidding for COEs to replace their deregistered vehicles.
“In such a situation – where a reduction in supply of COEs is accompanied by a corresponding reduction in demand for COEs – it does not follow that COE prices will ‘shoot through the roof again’,” it wrote.
As it turned out, COE prices shot through the roof, with the premium for bigger cars hitting $110,500 by end-1994 – a record that would stand for more than 20 years.
The surge, however, had little to with supply or demand. It had to do with speculation, where motor traders secured as many COEs as they could in the hope of pairing them with buyers.
And when they failed, they would quickly register the cheapest vehicle – in this case, the smallest motorcycles back then – with the unused COEs, and deregister the bikes to recoup the COE amount. Their losses were thus limited to cost of the mini-bikes.
The Government, which was refunding tens of millions of dollars to these speculators, acted swiftly to plug this loophole, by making car COEs non-transferable. The following month, all car COE prices plunged, with the premium for bigger cars nearly halved to $65,000.

It is not wrong to postulate that replacement demand is a determinant of COE prices. But there are several other factors which are equally important and are usually amplified when the COE supply is small.
For starters, people do not buy cars once every 10 years (the lifespan of a COE). Many buy them every three to five years, often when the warranty of their existing car runs out. In addition, Singapore has seen an influx of foreigners since the Covid-19 pandemic kicked in. Many of them seek to buy cars, which adds fuel to the frenzy.
On their part, car sellers fan demand further by dangling promotions, or by telling consumers they should buy soon because COE prices will go higher. The latter becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy when consumers are swayed by this fear tactic.

And speculation – which drove prices to insane levels three decades ago – may well have returned in a new form.
The premium for bigger and more powerful cars hit a new record of $120,889 at the latest tender on April 19. Its proxy, COE in the Open category (which remains transferable), also set a new high of $124,501. The COE for smaller, less powerful cars is likewise at a record $103,721 – well past a level which triggered the Monetary Authority of Singapore to reintroduce car loan curbs 10 years ago (which cooled prices immediately).
While this latest round of hikes could be attributed to expectations of another supply shrinkage in the May-July quota period, motor traders point to private-hire vehicle operators as one underlying driver of runaway prices.
From the time ride-hailing firms entered Singapore 10 years ago, the private-hire fleet has been growing aggressively. From just 16,396 in 2013, it reached a record 77,141 in 2019 – swelling nearly five times in just six years, grossly outpacing the overall car population growth of 1.5 per cent in the same period.

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the private-hire fleet shrank to 67,990 in 2021.
Growth resumed thereafter, with the fleet hitting 72,632 at end-December 2022, and 73,982 at end-February 2023. This represents an 8.8 per cent growth from 2021, while the rest of the car population crept up by merely 0.1 per cent in the same time frame.
With tourism returning to pre-pandemic levels, and with no regulatory cap on private-hire fleet size in sight, operators will likely continue to grow their fleet.
There are points of similarity between private-hire firms and the speculators who drove COE prices to six-digit levels three decades ago.
One, they are able to pass higher cost to vehicle hirers (drivers). Two, they are able to dispose of unhired cars by converting them into normal cars and selling them as used vehicles. Three, the more vehicles they acquire, the fewer can be sold to individual consumers, which in turn sets the stage for higher demand for rental cars.
In short, they are able to mitigate their risks. In fact, the only real risk they face is when COE prices start to slide when the uptrend in supply comes (starting as early as next year). When this happens, they will be stuck with an expensive fleet of cars which they cannot rent out or resell.
Motorists currently driving private-hire cars because they are priced out of the car market by stratospheric COE rates will stop driving them when COEs return to saner levels. In that sense, it is in the interest of private-hire firms to keep bidding aggressively to keep premiums high for as long as possible.
Unlike 1994, the Government on its part, faces no revenue risk this time round. It has nonetheless been trying to cool the market.

In Budget 2023, far more punitive taxes were introduced for costlier cars – mostly those with bigger or more powerful engines or motors. This has worked to some degree. Since February, the price increase in COE for bigger, more powerful cars has been smaller (+14.6 per cent) than the increase in COE for smaller, less powerful cars (+20.6 per cent).
This has also partly to do with consumers switching to the cheaper category of cars, and sellers importing more models which qualify for the cheaper COE category.
The Land Transport Authority has also tweaked the supply formula twice since July 2022, first, by basing each quarter’s quota on deregistrations of the preceding two quarters, and then, in January, expanding it to deregistrations of the preceding four quarters. This is meant to reduce supply volatility.
This cooled the market briefly, but clearly more needs to be done.
Make a decisive policy change to treat private-hire cars like taxis since they serve the same role as taxis. Cap their fleet size. Have an age limit on private-hire cars. Ban the conversion of private-hire cars to normal cars – or at least stipulate a minimum no-conversion period. Demand that ride-hailing firms adopt a transparent fare structure – the way taxi and public transport fares are transparent.
Will this affect fares and service availability? Unlikely.
The recent hikes in point-to-point transport fares and longer waiting time had less to do with a dip in driver supply than with drivers tailoring their driving pattern to maximise fares, and platform owners looking to increase profit margins. After all, the point-to-point vehicle fleet is now at more than 60,000 – more than double the taxi fleet in 2012 (before private-hire firms arrived).
Separately, the drive towards cleaner cars may be indirectly driving COE prices up. Sellers are using part of the tax incentives to price their hybrid or electric cars in such a way that they secure a more decent profit margin. This way, they are able to outbid others – such as those selling cars without incentives – to secure more COEs.
There must be a way where Singapore can encourage the adoption of cleaner vehicles without inadvertently driving up cost of all vehicles. Some cities use methods such as preferential access to restricted areas and income tax offsets to drive the green initiative.

COE premium for smaller cars surges to $103,721; Open category hits all-time high of $124,501
Lastly, easy credit underpins all the factors cited above. While car loans are still restricted to 70 per cent of selling price and tenure limited to seven years, loopholes exist. One, cars bought on leasing plans do not have these restrictions. Two, sellers have been inflating list prices to overcome the curbs. Three, cars registered under companies – such as private-hire firms – do not have to observe the restrictions.
A quick glance at car advertisements will reveal a rash of “100% loan” and “zero downpayment” slogans. The Straits Times has highlighted these tactics for years, but they have not been stamped out.
Stratospheric COE prices have a trickle-down effect on prices of other goods and services, contributing to overall cost of living.
While the premiums may continue to rise for the next quarter or two, the cyclical upswing in supply slated to start in 2024-25, could see some natural easing. But by then, premiums may have reached $150,000.
A multi-agency effort may be needed to arrest this trend again.
 

Scrooball (clone)

Alfrescian
Loyal
They can’t solve the childbirth issue because PAP uses a half fuck measure. They say subsidize childcare but end up still cost as much as $1k per month. Why didn’t guarantee free childcare for first 3 years?

Not forgetting things such as school fees in the later years. Why subsidize but not paid fully?
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset

Forum: Average Singaporean should have a decent chance of owning a car​

Apr 25, 2023

In the light of record-high certificate of entitlement prices (Soaring COE prices: What’s driving the insanity and when will it end?, April 24), I wonder if we are allocating a scarce resource efficiently. Even small cars are now beyond the reach of the average Singaporean.
Moreover, the high COE costs would have a trickle-down effect and be passed on in other ways such as taxi fares, the cost of rental cars and other forms of transportation, and business costs. This would contribute to the financial woes of Singaporeans.
I know of one resident in my estate who owns nine cars. The rich will continue buying more cars and leave them idle at home.
Is that the best use of a scarce resource? These resources could be put to better use by those who really need them, such as those who have to ferry children or the disabled.
There have been calls for measures to curb ownership of cars beyond the first car by making those with multiple cars pay more. These are worth considering, to come up with a system that can address the problem of average Singaporeans getting priced out of the market and the inflationary pressures from runaway COE prices.
The average Singaporean should have a decent chance of owning a car. I urge the Government to do something fast about the current COE system.

Charlie Tan
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset

Forum: Have a system to stabilise number of COEs automatically​

Apr 25, 2023

I refer to the article “Soaring COE prices: What’s driving the insanity and when will it end?” (April 24). In land-scarce Singapore, the certificate of entitlement (COE) scheme has been very effective in controlling the vehicle population.
However, the quota system has been a recurring source of trepidation and angst for motorists over the last three decades because the formula to determine the periodic supply of new quotas reinforces the historical boom-and-bust cycles from the prior decade. This has inadvertently created real and perceived feelings of injustice.
After all, why should COE prices for the same make or model of vehicle change by several tens of thousands of dollars every few years? They should not.
Much of this price volatility stems from the huge swings in the annual supply of COEs. The huge price swing means one cohort of motorists will benefit at the expense of another cohort, resulting in uneven sharing of the total cost of COEs in use.
A better and more equitable system is needed, and this is possible if the Government implements an automatic stabiliser to even out the supply of COE quotas.
For instance, in months when the supply is below the 120-month moving average of quota supply, the auto-stabiliser will release more quotas to temporarily allow the vehicle population to rise slightly. The reverse happens when there is an abundance of quotas and the vehicle population will shrink back to the target level.
Over time, the boom-bust cycle will attenuate and the problem of wild fluctuations in supply (and prices) will go away.

Chin Cheng Wei
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset

With zero car-growth and rising incomes, COE prices will trend upwards: Iswaran​

Singapore will prioritise pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users, and reduce the need for private cars, says Transport Minister S Iswaran.
With zero car-growth and rising incomes, COE prices will trend upwards: Iswaran


Transport Minister S Iswaran speaks in parliament on May 8, 2023.

Chew Hui Min

@ChewHuiMinCNA
08 May 2023

SINGAPORE: With Singapore’s policy of zero-growth in the car population and as household incomes rise, Certificates of Entitlement (COE) premiums are expected to trend upwards, said Transport Minister S Iswaran in parliament on Monday (May 8).
“Fundamentally, the COE prices reflect demand for a limited and falling supply of COEs,” Mr Iswaran said in a ministerial statement responding to parliamentary questions on the COE system.
He noted that demand for vehicles has remained "resilient", especially as the economy recovers after COVID-19. Incomes have also been rising over the long term, and the ratio of COE price to median monthly household income has fallen.
“As household incomes continue to rise in the coming years, coupled with our policy of zero-growth in the car population, we must expect the long-term trajectory for COE prices to be upwards,” said Mr Iswaran.
Even as he announced new measures to raise the COE quota for cars in categories A and B over the next few quarters, Mr Iswaran stressed that mass public transport is at the core of Singapore’s transport strategy and the country is moving towards a “car-lite” future.
“As we seek to improve the efficiency of the COE system with these measures that we have already undertaken over the years, we should not lose sight of our goal of becoming a car-lite society with accessible and inclusive transport for all Singaporeans,” he concluded.

Ten Members of Parliament had asked more than 20 questions about rising COE premiums, which have hit record highs in recent bidding exercises. Category A premiums for smaller cars, for instance, surpassed the S$100,000 mark in April.
A number of MPs asked about the reasons behind the rise in COE prices and the impact of demand from private hire companies. MPs asked if a cap can be imposed on the number of private hire cars, and if foreigners or households with multiple vehicles have driven up demand for cars.
MPs were also concerned that those who need cars, such as households with children and the elderly, as well as people who rely on cars for their livelihood, will be priced out.
coe_final_gfx.png


CAR-LITE FUTURE​

Mr Iswaran set the context by pointing out that Singapore has two key constraints when it comes to land transport - land and carbon emissions.
Roads occupy 12 per cent of land area for 7 million journeys a day, while the rail network, taking up less than 1 per cent of land surface, serves around 3 million journeys a day, he said.
The land transport system also accounts for 15 per cent of Singapore’s total domestic carbon emissions, and it must be reduced if Singapore is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Mr Iswaran said Singapore will prioritise pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users, and reduce the need for private cars.
“This is the ‘car-lite’ future that we envisage as we plan and redevelop our precincts,” said Mr Iswaran
Responding to the questions on COEs for private hire cars, Mr Iswaran said that for the last four years, the number of private hire cars has remained at about 10 per cent of the total car population and has averaged around 70,000 since 2019.
“While COE prices have been rising over the past several quarters, demand from PHC companies has in fact been moderating,” said Mr Iswaran.
The minister added that shared transport, including car-sharing services, allows for more efficient and inclusive use of roads, as compared with individually owned private cars. He thus cautioned against imposing any “arbitrary cap” on the private hire car population.
“That said, PHCs are a relatively new development ... and COVID-19 has caused some disruption in the market. We are studying this further to ascertain the effect of PHCs, if there is any impact, on the market,” Mr Iswaran said.

SMOOTHENING COE SUPPLY​

Addressing questions on improving the COE system for both cars and motorcycles, Mr Iswaran pointed to how the system has been adjusted over time.
"On the whole, the system continues to serve our policy objective of efficiently allocating the limited supply of COEs," he said.
In response to questions from two MPs, Mr Iswaran said that the proportion of car COEs secured by foreigners remains low - at less than 3 per cent - and has not changed significantly over the years.
He also gave statistics about households that own multiple cars, saying that over the past decade, the proportion has been steadily declining from about 19 per cent of households in 2012 to less than 15 per cent today.

He said last November that of the 471,000 households that own cars, 12 per cent own two cars and less than 3 per cent own three or more cars.
Mr Iswaran explained that as COE supply is determined by car de-registrations in preceding quarters, which has been low of late, the Transport Ministry decided to introduce measures to reduce volatility in the quota.
Instead of considering just the preceding quarter, the ministry now uses the moving average of de-registrations in the four preceding quarters to compute COE quotas.
While he expects the COE supply to start increasing in the coming months as more cars reach the 10-year mark when owners consider de-registering their vehicles, LTA will also take steps to re-distribute the supply from five-year COEs due to expire in the next projected supply peak, to further reduce volatility.
“There will still be a degree of supply fluctuation due to historical factors and broader market conditions,” Mr Iswaran said.
“Second, the long term upward trend of COE prices due to rising incomes and zero vehicle population growth will not abate.”
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset

Forum: Selling of delivery riders’ accounts can adversely impact industry​

May 23, 2023

It was reported recently that some food delivery rider accounts were put up for sale on Carousell, potentially allowing unregistered people to work illegally.
I have had several encounters with delivery riders whom I suspect were not the registered riders.
I give detailed instructions on locating my unit as it is in a new block.
I notice that some riders will call me from a number that is not the registered one, although this could be due to the registered riders holding new or additional numbers.
But, on a few occasions, when they delivered the food to the wrong unit and I reached out to the company with the phone number they called from, either the persons were uncontactable or the numbers were not registered.
I have also spoken to some to ask about my delivery and they have admitted they were not the registered riders. A few even asked for cash payment.
The concerns are not just over the practice of illegal outsourcing, but also poor customer service that can affect the reputation and earnings of the hardworking majority of delivery riders who deserve appreciation and respect.

One other area of concern is the sharing of customers’ personal data with a third party outside the organisation.
The information could be sold to scammers.
Are food delivery companies liable for any breaches of the Personal Data Protection Act if their riders sell or outsource their accounts, with access to customer information given to other parties?

Humphries Warren Sheldon
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset

Forum: Do more to curb growing bird nuisance​

May 27, 2023

The number of birds in Singapore has been rising in recent years and this is causing a lot of problems for both residents and the environment.
The fowl population in Singapore has increased significantly due to various reasons such as feeding by residents, dumping of food waste and improper disposal of leftover food.
This has led to more pigeons, crows and other birds that are scavengers feeding on leftover food.
The increased fowl population creates an unhygienic environment and poses a health risk to residents.
The birds carry parasites and diseases that can be transmitted to humans through their droppings and feathers. This can lead to health issues such as respiratory problems, allergies and infections.
Moreover, the birds cause damage to public and private property by nesting in buildings, leaving their droppings on cars and buildings, and causing noise pollution.
They are also a nuisance to residents as they hinder their daily activities.

It is crucial that we take action to control the fowl population in Singapore.
This can be done by teaching residents to dispose of food waste properly, providing bird-proof bins and containers, and fining those who feed the birds.
The authorities should also take steps to reduce the fowl population by implementing humane methods such as egg oiling, culling and sterilisation.
This will ensure that the bird numbers are kept under control and that residents can live in a clean and healthy environment.
Let us work together to find a solution to this serious problem and create a safe and hygienic environment for all.

Neo Jia Ning
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset

Singapore private homes now priciest to own and rent in Asia-Pacific in absolute terms: Report​

IMG7862.JPG


In absolute terms, the median price of Singapore’s private homes have overtaken those of Hong Kong. PHOTO: ST FILE
Bryan Kow

May 30, 2023

SINGAPORE - Private residential property in Singapore is now the most expensive in the Asia-Pacific in terms of absolute prices, overtaking Hong Kong in 2022, according to a report released by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) on Tuesday.
ULI said the median price of Singapore’s private homes now stands at US$1.2 million (S$1.6 million), compared with Hong Kong at US$1.16 million. In the next highest market, Sydney single-family homes were a median US$980,000.
Singapore’s median private home prices rose about 8 per cent in 2022 whereas those in Hong Kong fell almost 9 per cent amid strict Covid-19 curbs, the report found.
On a per square metre (psm) basis though, Hong Kong is still the most costly private housing market in the region by far.
In 2022, the average psm price for a private home in Hong Kong was US$19,768, equivalent to US$1,836 per square foot (S$2,485 psf) - more than twice the median figures for cities such as Singapore, Tokyo Ku, Shenzhen, Beijing, and Shanghai.
In general, home ownership in Singapore is high at 90 per cent and is accessible due to the large supply of public housing, ULI noted.
“In contrast, other gateway cities such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Seoul have relatively low homeownership rates, reflecting high home prices and the more migratory nature of the populations in gateway cities,” it said.

But the affordability ratio of Singapore private homes now stands at 13.7, placing them in the unaffordable range, said ULI.
Homeownership is considered unaffordable when the ratio of the median home price to median annual household income exceeds 5. Across the cities tracked by ULI, median annual household income was highest in Singapore at US$87,900.
Shenzhen homes ranked least affordable with a ratio of about 35, while Hong Kong’s ratio fell to 26.5.

Data compiled by ULI showed also that the median price of a resale Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat rose 7.9 per cent from US$379,000 to US$409,000 (S$554,000) in 2022. With that, the affordability ratio of HDB resale flats has also crept up from 4.5 to 4.7.
Still, including public housing, Singapore housing is ranked “most attainable” in ULI’s 2023 Asia Pacific Home Attainability Index, with the median price of HDB resale flats at 4.7 times the median annual income.
“Meanwhile, home attainability is severely challenged in Tier 1 and leading Tier 2 cities in mainland China, Hong Kong, Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang with median home prices at approximately 20 to 35 times median household income,” ULI said.

In rentals, Singapore’s private homes chalked up a median monthly rent of US$2,596, which is 53 per cent higher than Hong Kong’s median monthly rent of US$1,686 and overtaking other high cost-of-living cities like Tokyo (US$602) and Seoul (US$689).
This comes after Singapore’s median monthly rents increased by 29.7 per cent in 2022.
Factors such as construction delays, a sudden surge in the number of migrants and a relatively limited stock of institutionally or individually owned rental properties contributed to the rising market, said ULI.
The median monthly rent for private homes in Singapore represents 35 per cent of the overall median household income.
“However, as most renters of private-sector homes (in Singapore) have higher than median income, the monthly rent amount should be a significantly smaller percentage of the renter’s monthly income,” ULI noted. THE BUSINESS TIMES
 

LITTLEREDDOT

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset

Forum: Don’t hold job seekers’ age against them​

MAY 31, 2023


I refer to the article, “What we get wrong about ageing and work” (May 29).
I retired in December 2019, three months before I turned 68, and it was a challenge looking for part-time jobs.
The food delivery company to which I applied for a driver’s position rejected my application over the phone. The person who answered the call asked for my age and said “too old”. The fact is, I’m still driving almost daily.
I was also rejected for a part-time job as a petrol station attendant because the “cut-off age” was 67.
I applied to be a part-time packer with a supermarket chain, but received no reply apart from an acknowledgement of receipt, though I understand only shortlisted candidates would be notified.
I managed to get a part-time job shelving books in the National Library only in April 2021, and have been in two other jobs since then.
Seniors who are healthy and still want to continue working need more help.

Leng Kok Meng
 
Top