Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Priority Payoffs

The monthly Singapore Demographic Bulletin (SBD), provides the latest data on population, births, still-births and deaths. For the whole year of 2013, there were 39,874 live births in Singapore. Of this number 28,028 were registered by nationality to Singaporean fathers. 21,274 of these kids were born of a Singaporean father and a Singaporean mother.

The Government announced a couple of weeks ago that every Singaporean child born next year will receive a special Jubilee Baby Gift to mark the 50th anniversary of the country's independence. Qualifying parents hoping for gold coins, a year's supply of pampers or free education will be sorely disappointed.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Grace Fu said the the gift pack is likely to include less than 10 items, and "We are not looking at, for example, free education and free childcare for the babies". More likely, expect to see subsidies, Medisave top-ups, and one-off vouchers, in the fashion of the Pioneer Generation Package.

Grace Fu was with Teo Chee Hean and others at the boondoggle in London's Victoria Park recently, for which a budget of $4.4 million was committed for the Singapore Day 2014 picnic. Assuming that 30,000 Singaporean babies will be brought into the world next year, and the same level of largesse extended to the tiny tots, each child could enjoy a windfall of $146.

The official report says over 9,000 Singaporeans living, working and studying in the United Kingdom and Europe were entertained and fed on Singapore Day. The math says $488.88 per person. Which is more than 3 times what a baby will get, if a similar size budget has been allocated for the Jubilee Baby Gift. Then again, the frolicking picnickers are of voting age. The babies of next year won't be eligible to vote for at least two decades, by which time a coalition government could be in place. It's a no-brainer where the goodies will be distributed.

20 comments:

  1. If one includes the horde of civil servants flying first class solitaire and business class, one could pay for the medical needs of everyone above 55 years. Not trying to be populists, there are probably even more important uses than the billions squandered each year buying bromptons, h-miller chairs and paying for the porshe of admin service oppicers. But the tipping point of what is essential to perform their duties vs what is obscene luxury has been crossed by the civil servants since 2004. Pinkie needs some semblance of support among the top civil servants, he bought it with taxpayers money. So priorities get turned upside down with self-serving elites holding the purse string.

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  2. Spot on. I think billions are being spent on those in PA and NTUC to keep them happy.

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    1. And the occasional overseas retreat to where Palmer has acquired the taste of mangoes?

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  3. How many PAPigs went to London to celebrate Singapore with the Singaporean quitters?
    - Grace Fu, Teo Chee Hean
    - who else
    - how many civil servant bag carriers accompanied these Millionaire Ministers?

    - How many flew first class?, Business class and economy class?
    - what's the breakdown?

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    1. Singapore Day = Paid Vacation?

      Did any family members of Grace Fu or Teo Chee Hean accompany them on the flight?

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    2. I am sure lao goh would want to go there for an all expensed paid holiday and visit his quitter daughter.

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    3. Did they check the list for people who defaulted NS, e.g. a certain Philip Tan?

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    4. I mean Patrick Tan. Ha HA.

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  4. Jialat, so if the baby arrives 1 day earlier or 1 day later, his or her parents must be cursing mad. This must be the curse of PAP policies, one gets nothing by no fault of theirs just because the policy is worded like that. Just like those Pioneer Generation seniors whose birth happens to be 1 day or more later, suddenly their recognised contributions are zero.

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  5. it is a guise to pay Singapore food industry a sum of monies.

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  6. If the baby bonus is not paid to you in cash ... it's no good.
    Bluff people only.

    Do PAP Ministers take their salaries in cash or as CPF top-ups and subsidies?

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  7. Why not use that money to hold a 'Lower-income household Day' in Sin City? Import the food and goodies from the cities that we had held Sin Day, so that our own people can experience the good things from places they will never get to visit.

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  8. Singapore Day - an event to entice overseas professional Singaporeans back to Singapore, has been a failed venture since Day 1. These Singaporeans only go there for the food and mostly have no intention whatsoever to return to be abused by the PAP back in Singapore.

    Once you have tasted freedom, you would not want to go back to Singapore.

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    1. more likely
      Once you have tasted freedom, you would have seen what a dictatorship or authoritarian govt is like ?

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  9. /// These Singaporeans only go there for the food and mostly have no intention whatsoever to return to be abused by the PAP back in Singapore. ///

    And maybe PAP Ministers go there to enjoy a paid vacation and mostly have no intention whatsoever to persuade Singaporeans to return home.

    Do Traitors and Quitters enjoy a good time spending tax dollars from loyal Singaporeans?

    How they can sleep knowing the money could have been used to ease the burden of the poor and destitute I don't know.

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    1. hey, if the sing gov want to spend $$ on me, why not eat?? You can too if you qualify to quit to another country. If you can't, accept that you are worth nothing to pap once inside the country and worth a lot if you are outside.

      If you are so righteous, do you donate/volunteer your $$ & time.

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    2. Yep, that's why the PAP wants us 'quitters' back in Singapore so desperately...

      Face the music... it is people like you who are stuck in Singapore that the PAP can do whatever sh*t to you bcos the PAP knows that you are stuck in that tiny dot of an island without any means to escape. You just have to bend over and take it like a man and only end it with 'Can I have more, Sir?'. Prepare for your 6.9 million (or more).

      Continue to suffer their abuses, loser. And btw, we' 'quitters' did not spend your tax dollars, the PAP did - learn to direct your anger to the cause of the expenditure.

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  10. UK MP, Maria Miller

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  11. 不见棺材不落泪

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  12. Your stomach will burst if you try gorging on $488.88 worth. Looks like most of the money were for the ministers' and their entourage's holiday.

    Saycheese

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