Benefits for Singaporeans compare favourably with that elsewhere
I AGREE with Mr Eric J. Brooks that Singaporeans have much to be grateful for ('Be grateful, Singapore', July 31). In fact, Singapore is one of the best managed countries in the world, if not the best.
I do not base this on casual observation but research. Let us start with health care.
Canadian health economist Cynthia Ramsay wrote a paper rating Singapore's health care as the best in the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) ranks Singapore's health care as the sixth best in the world.
Singapore's life expectancy at 82 is higher than in most advanced countries, including the United States (78), Britain (79) and Canada (80), where Mr Brooks comes from. Our infant mortality is also lower.
What makes Singapore's achievement so spectacular is the fact that Singapore spends so little on health care compared to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. According to the WHO, Singapore spends 3.5 per cent of its GDP on health care, compared to 15.2 per cent in the US, 8.2 per cent in Britain and 9.8 per cent in Canada.
This could be partly attributed to better diet and a compact city, but it also indicates that taxpayers' money is spent efficiently. This means tax rates can be lower.
Next, let us look at education. It is arguable that Singapore's schools are the best in the world. According to Boston College, Singapore's children are the best in the world in mathematics and science. This is indicative of the quality of the education our children receive as well as their diligence.
Singapore's top university, the National University of Singapore, is rated by the Times Education Supplement as 30th in the world. This is not bad but it is still behind top American, British and Canadian universities.
Next, we take a look at crime. We all know Singapore's crime rate is low. But let us look at the actual numbers. Consider one statistic - the number of murders per 100,000 population. Singapore's murder rate is 0.39 per 100,000, compared to 5.62 in the US, 1.41 in Britain and 1.86 in Canada.
So in terms of health care, education and crime, Singapore has done on the whole better than these three advanced countries. Based on this, I agree with Mr Brooks that Singaporeans have much to be grateful for.
I also disagree with what Mr Paul Chan wrote last Saturday ('...but so should Canadians') about the free health care Canadians enjoy but Singaporeans do not. Making health care or anything free is not a good idea. Once you make something free, demand explodes and there will be rationing. Under Britain's National Health Service, patients sometimes wait up to a year before receiving treatment. They could be dead by then.
Exploding demand also means high taxes. Singapore's low tax rate is another thing we should be grateful for. Let us look at the top income tax rates in the four countries. Singapore's top income tax rate is currently 17 per cent, compared to 35 per cent (federal) in the US, 50 per cent in Britain and 29 per cent (federal) in Canada. In the US and Canada, taxpayers have to pay additional state or provincial taxes, making total income taxes for top earners in the range of 45 to 54 per cent.
That is why services must never be given away free. Our health care is subsidised up to 80 per cent for the lowest income group. Making it free would mean long delays in treatment and higher taxes.
We all complain about taxes and government charges. But actually the Singapore Government takes little of our money, compared to governments in other advanced countries. These countries generally have higher income, capital gains, property, goods and sales and other taxes than Singapore, even after accounting for certificates of entitlement, which they do not have.
A rough indication of how much money the Government takes from us is to look at government expenditure as a percentage of GDP. Singapore's government expenditure as a percentage of GDP is 16.3 per cent, compared to 19.9 per cent in the US, 50 per cent in Britain and 48.2 per cent in Canada.
In short, the advanced countries tax their citizens more and give them worse health care, education and law enforcement than Singapore.
Tan Keng Soon
I AGREE with Mr Eric J. Brooks that Singaporeans have much to be grateful for ('Be grateful, Singapore', July 31). In fact, Singapore is one of the best managed countries in the world, if not the best.
I do not base this on casual observation but research. Let us start with health care.
Canadian health economist Cynthia Ramsay wrote a paper rating Singapore's health care as the best in the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) ranks Singapore's health care as the sixth best in the world.
Singapore's life expectancy at 82 is higher than in most advanced countries, including the United States (78), Britain (79) and Canada (80), where Mr Brooks comes from. Our infant mortality is also lower.
What makes Singapore's achievement so spectacular is the fact that Singapore spends so little on health care compared to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. According to the WHO, Singapore spends 3.5 per cent of its GDP on health care, compared to 15.2 per cent in the US, 8.2 per cent in Britain and 9.8 per cent in Canada.
This could be partly attributed to better diet and a compact city, but it also indicates that taxpayers' money is spent efficiently. This means tax rates can be lower.
Next, let us look at education. It is arguable that Singapore's schools are the best in the world. According to Boston College, Singapore's children are the best in the world in mathematics and science. This is indicative of the quality of the education our children receive as well as their diligence.
Singapore's top university, the National University of Singapore, is rated by the Times Education Supplement as 30th in the world. This is not bad but it is still behind top American, British and Canadian universities.
Next, we take a look at crime. We all know Singapore's crime rate is low. But let us look at the actual numbers. Consider one statistic - the number of murders per 100,000 population. Singapore's murder rate is 0.39 per 100,000, compared to 5.62 in the US, 1.41 in Britain and 1.86 in Canada.
So in terms of health care, education and crime, Singapore has done on the whole better than these three advanced countries. Based on this, I agree with Mr Brooks that Singaporeans have much to be grateful for.
I also disagree with what Mr Paul Chan wrote last Saturday ('...but so should Canadians') about the free health care Canadians enjoy but Singaporeans do not. Making health care or anything free is not a good idea. Once you make something free, demand explodes and there will be rationing. Under Britain's National Health Service, patients sometimes wait up to a year before receiving treatment. They could be dead by then.
Exploding demand also means high taxes. Singapore's low tax rate is another thing we should be grateful for. Let us look at the top income tax rates in the four countries. Singapore's top income tax rate is currently 17 per cent, compared to 35 per cent (federal) in the US, 50 per cent in Britain and 29 per cent (federal) in Canada. In the US and Canada, taxpayers have to pay additional state or provincial taxes, making total income taxes for top earners in the range of 45 to 54 per cent.
That is why services must never be given away free. Our health care is subsidised up to 80 per cent for the lowest income group. Making it free would mean long delays in treatment and higher taxes.
We all complain about taxes and government charges. But actually the Singapore Government takes little of our money, compared to governments in other advanced countries. These countries generally have higher income, capital gains, property, goods and sales and other taxes than Singapore, even after accounting for certificates of entitlement, which they do not have.
A rough indication of how much money the Government takes from us is to look at government expenditure as a percentage of GDP. Singapore's government expenditure as a percentage of GDP is 16.3 per cent, compared to 19.9 per cent in the US, 50 per cent in Britain and 48.2 per cent in Canada.
In short, the advanced countries tax their citizens more and give them worse health care, education and law enforcement than Singapore.
Tan Keng Soon
