Ministars' salaries should be minimal and smaller, because they are currently grossly overpaid.
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Chitchat Why Jamus Lim join Workers' Party ?
- Thread starter batman1
- Start date
Ministars' salaries should be minimal and smaller, because they are currently grossly overpaid.
His Mandarin is that of a typical ACS boy.
Perhaps he thinks in English to speak Mandarin.
WP’s Jamus Lim shares his beliefs in joining opposition politics with resident who is a PAP sympathizer
"I believe that we have reached a point where it is impossible to ensure our nation’s continued success without vigorous debate over the best way forward."
by Stephen Netto
12/03/2021
in Community, Current Affairs, Politics, Uncategorized
Reading Time: 2min read
66
Source: Jamus Lim / Facebook
The Workers’ Party (WP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Sengkang GRC Jamus Lim recently shared his beliefs in joining opposition politics when he was questioned by a resident who is a People’s Action Party (PAP) supporter.
In a Facebook post on Friday (12 Mar), Assoc Prof Lim shared that the majority of interactions during his house visits at Anchorvale are “not explicitly political in nature” but rather on residents’ feedback about estate or national policy, “typically couched in terms of issues and concerns”.
However, he had an extended conversation with Mr Tan, a self-professed PAP sympathizer, during one of the house visits on Thursday evening (11 Mar).
According to Assoc Prof Lim, Mr Tan had asked him why he chose to join the alternative party scene.
“He held the view that since it was the PAP that got us to where we are today, they must have done something right. The implied subtext was, perhaps, that we should therefore continue to support a PAP government, and wish for their continued success,” he wrote.
Assoc Prof Lim noted that he does not disagree with most of Mr Tan’s sentiment, as he acknowledged that it was indeed a PAP-led government that brought Singapore to where it is today.
He also acknowledged that he is, indirectly, a product of that success.
“But the reason I joined the opposition is not because I am ungrateful for the hard work that our forefathers wrought, or that I wish to unravel the achievements that they fought so hard to accomplish,” said Assoc Prof Lim.
“On the contrary, I did so because I believe in the importance of consolidating those gains, and bringing our country to the next stage in its evolution,” he elaborated.
Assoc Prof Lim asserted that Singaporeans have reached a point where it is impossible to ensure the nation’s continued success without having vigorous debates over the best way forward.
“While potentially messier and more contentious, I believe that doing so opens up a genuine conversation and deeper understanding about the choices and tradeoffs that we are truly making,” he added.
Assoc Prof Lim went on to say that he hopes this choice will inspire the younger people to imagine a political future where debates of this nature are not viewed merely as a healthy reflection of the democratic process, but also a welcome part of it.
“That ultimately, even if we work toward a society informed by different perspectives, we are all still Singaporeans who love the country we live in, and want the best for it. And that is why I joined the #workersparty,” he concluded.
"I believe that we have reached a point where it is impossible to ensure our nation’s continued success without vigorous debate over the best way forward."
by Stephen Netto
12/03/2021
in Community, Current Affairs, Politics, Uncategorized
Reading Time: 2min read
66
Source: Jamus Lim / Facebook
The Workers’ Party (WP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Sengkang GRC Jamus Lim recently shared his beliefs in joining opposition politics when he was questioned by a resident who is a People’s Action Party (PAP) supporter.
In a Facebook post on Friday (12 Mar), Assoc Prof Lim shared that the majority of interactions during his house visits at Anchorvale are “not explicitly political in nature” but rather on residents’ feedback about estate or national policy, “typically couched in terms of issues and concerns”.
However, he had an extended conversation with Mr Tan, a self-professed PAP sympathizer, during one of the house visits on Thursday evening (11 Mar).
According to Assoc Prof Lim, Mr Tan had asked him why he chose to join the alternative party scene.
“He held the view that since it was the PAP that got us to where we are today, they must have done something right. The implied subtext was, perhaps, that we should therefore continue to support a PAP government, and wish for their continued success,” he wrote.
Assoc Prof Lim noted that he does not disagree with most of Mr Tan’s sentiment, as he acknowledged that it was indeed a PAP-led government that brought Singapore to where it is today.
He also acknowledged that he is, indirectly, a product of that success.
“But the reason I joined the opposition is not because I am ungrateful for the hard work that our forefathers wrought, or that I wish to unravel the achievements that they fought so hard to accomplish,” said Assoc Prof Lim.
“On the contrary, I did so because I believe in the importance of consolidating those gains, and bringing our country to the next stage in its evolution,” he elaborated.
Assoc Prof Lim asserted that Singaporeans have reached a point where it is impossible to ensure the nation’s continued success without having vigorous debates over the best way forward.
“While potentially messier and more contentious, I believe that doing so opens up a genuine conversation and deeper understanding about the choices and tradeoffs that we are truly making,” he added.
Assoc Prof Lim went on to say that he hopes this choice will inspire the younger people to imagine a political future where debates of this nature are not viewed merely as a healthy reflection of the democratic process, but also a welcome part of it.
“That ultimately, even if we work toward a society informed by different perspectives, we are all still Singaporeans who love the country we live in, and want the best for it. And that is why I joined the #workersparty,” he concluded.
from msn.com:
Jamus Lim shares why he joined Workers’ Party
Singapore — Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim agrees that “it was a government, led by the PAP, that brought Singapore to where it is today”, but he joined the Workers’ Party for “bringing our country to the next stage in its evolution”.
In a Facebook post on Friday (March 12), he wrote about a house visit to Block 338 A at Anchorvale. “I had an extended conversation with Mr Tan, a self-professed PAP sympathizer,” he wrote. “He asked me why I wanted to join (opposition) politics. He held the view that since it was the PAP that got us to where we are today, they must have done something right.
“I actually don’t disagree with most of that sentiment,” he added. “I am, indirectly, a product of that success.”
“But the reason I joined the opposition is not because I am ungrateful for the hard work that our forefathers wrought, or that I wish to unravel the achievements that they fought so hard to accomplish,” he noted.
“On the contrary, I did so because I believe in the importance of consolidating those gains, and bringing our country to the next stage in its evolution. I believe that we have reached a point where it is impossible to ensure our nation’s continued success without vigorous debate over the best way forward. While potentially messier and more contentious, I believe that doing so opens up a genuine conversation and deeper understanding about the choices and tradeoffs that we are truly making.”
He hoped his sharing his reasons would inspire the young to “imagine a political future where debates are not just viewed as a healthy reflection of the democratic process, but also a welcome part of it.”
“Ultimately,” he added, “even if we work toward a society informed by different perspectives, we are all still Singaporeans who love the country we live in, and want the best for it.”
Jamus Lim shares why he joined Workers’ Party
Singapore — Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim agrees that “it was a government, led by the PAP, that brought Singapore to where it is today”, but he joined the Workers’ Party for “bringing our country to the next stage in its evolution”.
In a Facebook post on Friday (March 12), he wrote about a house visit to Block 338 A at Anchorvale. “I had an extended conversation with Mr Tan, a self-professed PAP sympathizer,” he wrote. “He asked me why I wanted to join (opposition) politics. He held the view that since it was the PAP that got us to where we are today, they must have done something right.
“I actually don’t disagree with most of that sentiment,” he added. “I am, indirectly, a product of that success.”
“But the reason I joined the opposition is not because I am ungrateful for the hard work that our forefathers wrought, or that I wish to unravel the achievements that they fought so hard to accomplish,” he noted.
“On the contrary, I did so because I believe in the importance of consolidating those gains, and bringing our country to the next stage in its evolution. I believe that we have reached a point where it is impossible to ensure our nation’s continued success without vigorous debate over the best way forward. While potentially messier and more contentious, I believe that doing so opens up a genuine conversation and deeper understanding about the choices and tradeoffs that we are truly making.”
He hoped his sharing his reasons would inspire the young to “imagine a political future where debates are not just viewed as a healthy reflection of the democratic process, but also a welcome part of it.”
“Ultimately,” he added, “even if we work toward a society informed by different perspectives, we are all still Singaporeans who love the country we live in, and want the best for it.”
His Mandarin is that of a typical ACS boy.
He is trying to improve to communicate better with the residents.
Full of shit lah you. No get one third no need work? Cannot get any thing done? Then you all deserve ZERO!
Work hard and maybe one quarter is achievable.
from theindependent.sg:
Workers’ Party argues against impending GST hike
Singapore—Citing the current uncertain economic climate and saying that there are excess untapped revenue streams, the Workers’ Party (WP) has argued against the upcoming increase in the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Although the GST hike from 7 to 9 per cent announced during the rollout of Budget 2018 has been postponed, it cannot be delayed forever, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Feb 16, when he announced this year’s Budget.
It will not take effect this year, but will do so between 2022 and 2025, depending on economic conditions, Mr Heng added.
“However, we will not be able to put off the increase for too long. We will have to make the move some time from 2022 to 2025, and sooner rather than later, subject to the economic outlook.”
The WP, however, has a different perspective, which it outlined in a Facebook post on Saturday (Mar 13).
The WP has pointed out alternatives to the GST increase and asked for a review of the proposed hike.
First, the WP wrote that annually, between 2011 and 2019, the Government generated a recurring cash surplus of $29 billion on average.
The opposition party has asked questions about the proposed hike for the past three years, specifically questioning the urgency to increase revenue and impose a broad-based, regressive tax in light of the Assurance Package to help Singaporeans with smaller incomes.
Additionally, the WP said that instead of a S$32 billion deficit, the Government actually has a budget surplus of $205 billion for 2011 to 2020.
Furthermore, since the GST is across the board, it would have a greater impact on lower-income households in the country.
As an alternative to a GST hike, a proposal to increase the Buyer’s Stamp Duty as well as impose an Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty was made in Parliament by Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied GRC).
Mr Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC) has also proposed a wealth tax.
Workers’ Party argues against impending GST hike
Singapore—Citing the current uncertain economic climate and saying that there are excess untapped revenue streams, the Workers’ Party (WP) has argued against the upcoming increase in the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Although the GST hike from 7 to 9 per cent announced during the rollout of Budget 2018 has been postponed, it cannot be delayed forever, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Feb 16, when he announced this year’s Budget.
It will not take effect this year, but will do so between 2022 and 2025, depending on economic conditions, Mr Heng added.
“However, we will not be able to put off the increase for too long. We will have to make the move some time from 2022 to 2025, and sooner rather than later, subject to the economic outlook.”
The WP, however, has a different perspective, which it outlined in a Facebook post on Saturday (Mar 13).
The post has been shared almost 500 times.
The WP has pointed out alternatives to the GST increase and asked for a review of the proposed hike.
First, the WP wrote that annually, between 2011 and 2019, the Government generated a recurring cash surplus of $29 billion on average.
The opposition party has asked questions about the proposed hike for the past three years, specifically questioning the urgency to increase revenue and impose a broad-based, regressive tax in light of the Assurance Package to help Singaporeans with smaller incomes.
Additionally, the WP said that instead of a S$32 billion deficit, the Government actually has a budget surplus of $205 billion for 2011 to 2020.
Furthermore, since the GST is across the board, it would have a greater impact on lower-income households in the country.
As an alternative to a GST hike, a proposal to increase the Buyer’s Stamp Duty as well as impose an Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty was made in Parliament by Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied GRC).
Mr Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC) has also proposed a wealth tax.
Full of shit lah you. No get one third no need work? Cannot get any thing done? Then you all deserve ZERO!
Getting things done is more difficult than thinking things through.
His Mandarin is that of a typical ACS boy.
His Mandarin is improving as he uses it more often.
Theindependent
Teaching will be better in smaller classes, he says
Photo: Facebook screengrab/ Jamus Lim
Author
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Singapore — Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim knows how difficult a schoolteacher’s job can be, as his first job after graduation was as a substitute teacher in a primary school.
“Managing a large class takes time and energy, which can be better devoted toward actually focusing on teaching,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday (March 16) after calling for smaller class sizes in Parliament.
I recently submitted a piece on class sizes to Zaobao, which has since been published. The full article is available on…
Posted by Jamus Lim on Tuesday, 16 March 2021
In a recent speech during the Ministry of Education Committee of Supply debate, he proposed that Singapore consider smaller class sizes in certain subjects, especially mathematics and languages.
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He elaborated on this in an article he wrote in Zaobao. He gave an English version of the article in his Facebook post.
He stated that the average class size in Singapore is 33 students, with some pushing 40. In comparison, the average class size in industrialised economies is 20, and in other East Asian countries 25.
While Singapore’s education system is placed amongst the top in the world, the MP felt that this was more attributed to supplementary education rather than formal education.
In 2018 alone, the market for private tuition amounted to $1.4 billion. Households spend around $112 every month on supplementary education expenses, more than what they spend on clothing and air travel, and about a quarter of what they spend on housing, Prof Lim noted.
“Singaporean families feel compelled to send their children for tuition, not because they are searching for the extra edge, but just so that they do not fall behind,” he wrote.
“Think about it: if it was only because of our kiasu attitude, why do we not see widespread tuition in subjects like geography, history, and literature? After all, these subjects count toward the student’s final grade as well,’ he argued.
“In a recent letter to Zaobao, Lim Boon Keng suggests that I downplay the contributions of our teachers, by suggesting that tuition explains our educational outcomes. In his response in Parliament, Education Minister Lawrence Wong actually made a similar claim,” he noted in his Facebook post.
“Nothing could be further from the truth,” he added. “I have enormous respect for our teachers, and I have no doubt that their efforts are a big part of why we excel in international rankings. But even the best teachers will struggle to perform when they are burdened by heavy workloads.”
“I want our high-quality teachers to enjoy an even better classroom environment, so that they are able to maximize their impact on their students,” he wrote. “By reducing our class sizes, I believe that our teachers will better achieve their full teaching potential, and help nurture the minds of tomorrow.”
Many teachers have also spoken to him about this issue, and said they could deliver better higher-quality education if the class sizes were reduced. He suggested conducting a national survey to ask the teachers themselves about what they prefer.
Denise Teh is an intern at The Independent SG. /TISG
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Teaching will be better in smaller classes, he says
Photo: Facebook screengrab/ Jamus Lim
Author
- Advertisement -
Singapore — Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim knows how difficult a schoolteacher’s job can be, as his first job after graduation was as a substitute teacher in a primary school.
“Managing a large class takes time and energy, which can be better devoted toward actually focusing on teaching,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday (March 16) after calling for smaller class sizes in Parliament.
I recently submitted a piece on class sizes to Zaobao, which has since been published. The full article is available on…
Posted by Jamus Lim on Tuesday, 16 March 2021
In a recent speech during the Ministry of Education Committee of Supply debate, he proposed that Singapore consider smaller class sizes in certain subjects, especially mathematics and languages.
- Advertisement -
He elaborated on this in an article he wrote in Zaobao. He gave an English version of the article in his Facebook post.
He stated that the average class size in Singapore is 33 students, with some pushing 40. In comparison, the average class size in industrialised economies is 20, and in other East Asian countries 25.
While Singapore’s education system is placed amongst the top in the world, the MP felt that this was more attributed to supplementary education rather than formal education.
In 2018 alone, the market for private tuition amounted to $1.4 billion. Households spend around $112 every month on supplementary education expenses, more than what they spend on clothing and air travel, and about a quarter of what they spend on housing, Prof Lim noted.
“Singaporean families feel compelled to send their children for tuition, not because they are searching for the extra edge, but just so that they do not fall behind,” he wrote.
“Think about it: if it was only because of our kiasu attitude, why do we not see widespread tuition in subjects like geography, history, and literature? After all, these subjects count toward the student’s final grade as well,’ he argued.
“In a recent letter to Zaobao, Lim Boon Keng suggests that I downplay the contributions of our teachers, by suggesting that tuition explains our educational outcomes. In his response in Parliament, Education Minister Lawrence Wong actually made a similar claim,” he noted in his Facebook post.
“Nothing could be further from the truth,” he added. “I have enormous respect for our teachers, and I have no doubt that their efforts are a big part of why we excel in international rankings. But even the best teachers will struggle to perform when they are burdened by heavy workloads.”
“I want our high-quality teachers to enjoy an even better classroom environment, so that they are able to maximize their impact on their students,” he wrote. “By reducing our class sizes, I believe that our teachers will better achieve their full teaching potential, and help nurture the minds of tomorrow.”
Many teachers have also spoken to him about this issue, and said they could deliver better higher-quality education if the class sizes were reduced. He suggested conducting a national survey to ask the teachers themselves about what they prefer.
Denise Teh is an intern at The Independent SG. /TISG
Follow us on Social Media
YouTube
Telegram
Send in your scoops to [email protected]
- Advertisement -
Follow us on Social Media
YouTube
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Send in your scoops to [email protected]
Full of shit lah you. No get one third no need work? Cannot get any thing done? Then you all deserve ZERO!
One third is better than one quarter, but worse than one half.
Theindependent
Lim says Indians could displace higher-cost Singaporeans
Photo: FB/ Jamus Lim
Author
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Singapore — An Anchorvale resident shared with MP Jamus Lim how distraught he was about CECA.
The MP was on a house visit on Thursday (Mar 18) when the resident, Mr Singh, said the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) “has been unfair for Singaporean workers, and has led to both a flood of Indian nationals, alongside a loss of local opportunities”.
Associate Professor Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) said in a Facebook post on Friday (Mar 19) that as an international economist, he recognises that “the support for trade liberalization is seldom an unequivocal one, but based on how, on net, the benefits outweighed the costs”.
He explained that this not only means that there would generally be losers in any trade deal, but also that the extent of gains would depend on the specific conditions faced by both parties to any agreement.
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Prof Lim explained that CECA seems to make the gains from the deal “less unambiguously positive”.
He added that because of India’s sheer population size, their lower costs could displace local, higher-cost Singaporeans doing the same job, and perhaps even decimate the entire local industry.
Also, because India is so much earlier in its stage of development, it could lead to a significant lowering of wages of workers exposed to such competition, even if they were to keep their jobs, Assoc Prof Lim said.
While the government has said that companies will benefit from CECA, Assoc Prof Lim added that “there is no assurance that the net benefits of trade are to be more equally distributed”.
Weighing in on Assoc Prof Lim’s post was former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Calvin Cheng.
Mr Cheng wrote: “Many of these well-paying jobs in ICT and banking cannot be protected. If a Singaporean is unqualified, he will lose the job to the Indian national whether the job is based in Chennai or Changi”.
He added: “The jobs that can be protected will be the blue-collar manual ones”. /TISGFollow us on Social Media
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Follow us on Social Media
Lim says Indians could displace higher-cost Singaporeans
Author
- Advertisement -
Singapore — An Anchorvale resident shared with MP Jamus Lim how distraught he was about CECA.
The MP was on a house visit on Thursday (Mar 18) when the resident, Mr Singh, said the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) “has been unfair for Singaporean workers, and has led to both a flood of Indian nationals, alongside a loss of local opportunities”.
Associate Professor Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) said in a Facebook post on Friday (Mar 19) that as an international economist, he recognises that “the support for trade liberalization is seldom an unequivocal one, but based on how, on net, the benefits outweighed the costs”.
He explained that this not only means that there would generally be losers in any trade deal, but also that the extent of gains would depend on the specific conditions faced by both parties to any agreement.
- Advertisement -
Prof Lim explained that CECA seems to make the gains from the deal “less unambiguously positive”.
He added that because of India’s sheer population size, their lower costs could displace local, higher-cost Singaporeans doing the same job, and perhaps even decimate the entire local industry.
Also, because India is so much earlier in its stage of development, it could lead to a significant lowering of wages of workers exposed to such competition, even if they were to keep their jobs, Assoc Prof Lim said.
While the government has said that companies will benefit from CECA, Assoc Prof Lim added that “there is no assurance that the net benefits of trade are to be more equally distributed”.
Weighing in on Assoc Prof Lim’s post was former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Calvin Cheng.
Mr Cheng wrote: “Many of these well-paying jobs in ICT and banking cannot be protected. If a Singaporean is unqualified, he will lose the job to the Indian national whether the job is based in Chennai or Changi”.
He added: “The jobs that can be protected will be the blue-collar manual ones”. /TISGFollow us on Social Media
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Follow us on Social Media
WP’s Jamus Lim points out reasons why CECA benefits India more than Singapore - The Online Citizen Asia
WP’s Jamus Lim points out reasons why CECA benefits India more than Singapore
Workers’ Party (WP) Member of Parliament (MP) Jamus Lim took to Facebook on Friday (19 March) to pen down reasons why the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) offers more gains for India rather than Singapore.
During WP’s recent house visit at 326C Anchorvale Road, he met a resident who voiced his unhappiness towards the CECA.
“Since its conclusion in 2005, there has been much sturm und drang about the merits of the CECA deal between Singapore and India. These have focus principally on the sense—one shared by Mr Singh—that the deal has been unfair for Singaporean workers, and has led to both a flood of Indian nationals, alongside a loss of local opportunities,” said Mr Lim.
Given that the Sengkang GRC MP is also an international economist, he expressed that he understands that trade deals are rarely “unequivocal”, and that there will often be a loser in a trade deal and that the benefits depend on conditions faced by both parties.
“As an international economist, I recognize that the support for trade liberalization is seldom an unequivocal one, but based on how, on net, the benefits outweighed the costs. This not only means that there would generally be losers in any trade deal, but also that the extent of gains would depend on the specific conditions faced by both parties to any agreement.”
However, for CECA, there a few unique instances that make “gains from the deal less unambiguously positive”, said Mr Lim.
The first is India’s massive population size will lead to a flood of Indian nationals in the country, resulting in displaced locals as these foreigners are more enticing for employers given their lower costs.
“One is that India’s massive population means that even if a small fraction acquired certain skills (such as in ICT), their lower costs could displace local, higher-cost Singaporeans doing the same job, and perhaps even decimate the entire local industry, due to their sheer size,” he explained.
Other reasons include massive decrease in wages for workers as well as quality of workers being hired will be compromised due to lower wages.
“Another is that—since India is so much earlier in its stage of development—it could lead to a significant lowering of wages of workers exposed to such competition, even if they were to keep their jobs. And finally, subtle quality differences may get washed out by the sheer force of lower wages, leaving the end consumer worst off than before.”
To this, Mr Lim pointed out that while the Government said there Singapore companies will benefit from CECA as they will get better access to the Indian market, but there is “no assurance that the net benefits of trade are to be more equally distributed”.
“For example, such corporations would have to be confronted with higher taxes. Or talent on employment or S passes—who are not required to contribute to CPF—could be taxed at a higher marginal rate, to better equalize the costs of hiring between locals and foreigners. These tax revenues could then be used to fund worker safety nets and retraining programs for locals displaced as a result of CECA,” he said.
As such, Mr Lim opined that amending the deal itself is just half the work that needs to be done, as the bigger chunk is to study the effect of CECA on local workers.
“The 3rd review of the deal is currently ongoing, but in my view, amending the deal itself is only half the story. As much depends on policies we can take, at home, to iron out the effects of CECA on our workers.”
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WP’s Jamus Lim points out reasons why CECA benefits India more than Singapore
Workers’ Party (WP) Member of Parliament (MP) Jamus Lim took to Facebook on Friday (19 March) to pen down reasons why the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) offers more gains for India rather than Singapore.
During WP’s recent house visit at 326C Anchorvale Road, he met a resident who voiced his unhappiness towards the CECA.
“Since its conclusion in 2005, there has been much sturm und drang about the merits of the CECA deal between Singapore and India. These have focus principally on the sense—one shared by Mr Singh—that the deal has been unfair for Singaporean workers, and has led to both a flood of Indian nationals, alongside a loss of local opportunities,” said Mr Lim.
Given that the Sengkang GRC MP is also an international economist, he expressed that he understands that trade deals are rarely “unequivocal”, and that there will often be a loser in a trade deal and that the benefits depend on conditions faced by both parties.
“As an international economist, I recognize that the support for trade liberalization is seldom an unequivocal one, but based on how, on net, the benefits outweighed the costs. This not only means that there would generally be losers in any trade deal, but also that the extent of gains would depend on the specific conditions faced by both parties to any agreement.”
However, for CECA, there a few unique instances that make “gains from the deal less unambiguously positive”, said Mr Lim.
The first is India’s massive population size will lead to a flood of Indian nationals in the country, resulting in displaced locals as these foreigners are more enticing for employers given their lower costs.
“One is that India’s massive population means that even if a small fraction acquired certain skills (such as in ICT), their lower costs could displace local, higher-cost Singaporeans doing the same job, and perhaps even decimate the entire local industry, due to their sheer size,” he explained.
Other reasons include massive decrease in wages for workers as well as quality of workers being hired will be compromised due to lower wages.
“Another is that—since India is so much earlier in its stage of development—it could lead to a significant lowering of wages of workers exposed to such competition, even if they were to keep their jobs. And finally, subtle quality differences may get washed out by the sheer force of lower wages, leaving the end consumer worst off than before.”
To this, Mr Lim pointed out that while the Government said there Singapore companies will benefit from CECA as they will get better access to the Indian market, but there is “no assurance that the net benefits of trade are to be more equally distributed”.
“For example, such corporations would have to be confronted with higher taxes. Or talent on employment or S passes—who are not required to contribute to CPF—could be taxed at a higher marginal rate, to better equalize the costs of hiring between locals and foreigners. These tax revenues could then be used to fund worker safety nets and retraining programs for locals displaced as a result of CECA,” he said.
As such, Mr Lim opined that amending the deal itself is just half the work that needs to be done, as the bigger chunk is to study the effect of CECA on local workers.
“The 3rd review of the deal is currently ongoing, but in my view, amending the deal itself is only half the story. As much depends on policies we can take, at home, to iron out the effects of CECA on our workers.”
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Some countries have Assistant Deputy Leaders and some have Deputy Assistant Leaders.
