the greatest battles are those in the mind.

the GST is going to increase from 5% to 7%.
Since GST was implemented in April 1994 at 3%,
it has increased more than twice-fold!

" ...R&D is to cost $5b over the next 5 years; as medical technology improves, people age and more will go to hospitals to get more treatment, so spending is bound to go up... When we implement the GST increase, it's not just the GST increase, it's the package which will fully offset the impact of the GST increase and begin to strengthen the social safety nets and tilt the balance in favour of the low income groups..."

british welfare state soon?

it's totally irrelevant to increase GST to "aid the lower income" because how much more can the rich spend on goods and services?
the poor still have to eat, and whatever is meant by "it's not just the GST increase,
it's the package which will fully offset the impact of the GST increase and begin to strengthen the social safety nets and tilt the balance in favour of the low income groups",
increasing GST is NOT going to help.
in any case, if Mr Lee were to help the lower income families then he should increase the income tax for higher-paying jobs instead,
and not through a GST raise!
it's only fair and sheer common sense if people with a higher income pay more taxes than the lower because the former is able to support themselves well financially and the increase in income tax will then benefit the poor, right?
furthermore, in spite of the acclaimed low taxes incurred by Singaporeans compared to other countries,
i don't see how the income range has increased much even with a constant rise in the costs of transportation, entertainment, taxes, blah blah blah,
and this rise will definitely take a toll on living expenses,
if everything we eat,
everything we drink,
everything we purchase, is increased by 7%.
and if the money will be going to R&D and hospital treatments,
then they should try to seek more external funding to boost research instead,
and perhaps increase hospital costs for private patients or to promote more charity fundings rather than to dig money out of our pockets, much less the poors' pockets.

rah. i shall just buy everything i need next year, this year.
maybe migrating to hongkong will be even nicer. they enjoy 0% GST! RAH!

pat: ahaha! i knew u will miss us. especially cecilia right? hahas!
flo: weets. no lor. WUZUN is shuai and clean, and well, CUTE. hah!. u are just cute. *faints. what am i saying* yan ya lun look normal though! lol.
jt: hahas! shhhh. im just faking it. don tell her! are u going vivo, j8 and hougang mall with us on friday?
jia: weets!!!!!!!! eh. im still young, don really wish to die of food posioning. (: or maybe cancer due to too much char intake. lol