Raise water prices by as much as 100% to reflect production cost: Economist

[SiaSuay]

Originally Posted by fr90r

This is a "Adult Discussions about SEX" forum, please bring your political agenda elsewhere.

Hello clone of rocket_boy why you so bohji and bohlampar use another clone to talk to us . Also you should write big and red fonts for people to see .

[SiaSuay]

Originally Posted by sadfa

Soooooooooo wats your problem.

You love porn So much it must be pure n unadulterated??? Like that cannot have advertising hor???

0r you're such a bootlicker, u can't stand garbagement being criticized at all
______
Exchange points pure n unadulterated ma

No lah he is just another clone belonging to rocket_boy .

[skyleon]

Water has to be priced right to maintain new investments: PM Lee, Min Heng

Published: 3:22 PM, March 2, 2017

Updated: 3:52 PM, March 2, 2017



SINGAPORE — Addressing a growing public debate about the Government's move to raise water prices by 30 per cent, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said the Republic has to price water properly in order to be able to continue investing in new infrastructure that would maintain a reliable supply.

In a Facebook post on Thursday (March 2), Mr Lee reiterated comments by several ministers in recent days that water is a "strategic resource, and a matter of national security" for Singapore.

"The Pioneer Generation knew this. So do the generations of servicemen and women who have defended Singapore," he added. "In this situation, we have to price water properly. Then every time we turn on the tap, we are conscious of how precious each drop is."

As Singapore builds more NEWater and desalination plants to meet its needs, the cost of producing water has gone up, and "tariffs must rise", Mr Lee noted.

Mr Heng, who announced the price hike last month, struck a similar note as he responded to a slew of questions and comments by Members of Parliament who spoke on the issue during this week's debate on the Budget statement.

He pointed out that the cornerstone of Singapore's water policy is in pricing the resource on sound economic principles to reflect its long run marginal cost. Currently, the Government spends more than it collects on the water system, with the PUB's revenue from users just enough to cover operational costs and the depreciation of water works, pipelines and other related plants, Mr Heng added.

The imbalance is set to worsen over the next five years as PUB embarks on new multi-billion-dollar water infrastructure projects, such as sewerage networks and deep tunnel systems.

"Singaporeans have enjoyed uninterrupted and high quality drinking water through rainy weather and droughts alike," Mr Heng said. "This is not mere good fortune or our birthright. Rather it is the result of long term planning, can do attitude, innovation and sound policy."

Mr Lee urged Singaporeans to see the price hike in perspective, saying many households will get additional rebates to help cope while the water bills for some 75 per cent of businesses will go up by less than $1 a day.

"I hope this public debate reminds us how important and valuable water is, and how we can all help to conserve water, so that we always have enough water in Singapore," he added.


continue reading here : http://www.todayonline.com/singapore...m-lee-min-heng

[skyleon]

Water price hike: Govt has to do 'right, responsible thing' in sending price signal, says Heng Swee Keat

The Finance Minister rounds off three days of Budget 2017 debates by addressing the concerns raised on the water price hike and Government expenditure.

By Justin Ong
Posted 02 Mar 2017 17:58
Updated 02 Mar 2017 18:50



SINGAPORE: The Government has to do the "right and responsible thing" when it comes to sending the right price signal on water consumption, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said on Thursday (Mar 2) in response to questions from the Workers’ Party (WP) on the timing of the 30 per cent increase announced at Budget 2017 last week.


WP members had raised this repeatedly in three days of debate and Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Leon Perera sought clarification again after Mr Heng’s round-up speech.


“The Government did have the option of either pre-announcing and/or staggering or deferring (the price increase),” said Mr Perera. “Given the Government has shared that the reasons behind this are not political, can the minister help Singaporeans understand a little better what are the non-political reasons?”


Said Mr Heng: "The fact is, first and foremost, do we agree that the price signal is important so that consumers know what the actual cost of the resource is, and therefore can then take action to mitigate use?”


“If the answer is yes, then there’s never a good time. Because I don’t think any finance minister finds it a popular thing to come here and say, ‘I’m going to increase this and increase that’. I don’t take great joy out of announcing all these increases.”


“But… The right and responsible thing is to make sure the correct price feeds through to the economy early enough, and that if we do things early, often we also have the ability to provide the mitigation support package,” he added. “We’ve got to make sure we do things correctly.”


CARBON VS WATER?

Earlier, WP chair and Aljunied GRC MP Sylvia Lim said the reasons for the water price hike provided by Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli were “longstanding” and “did not come up suddenly”.


continue reading here : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...n/3562094.html

[skyfeet]

What I can do with $15.00 if I still have it .

1) 5 meals of economy meal rice

2) 5 servings of chicken rice

3) 3 servings of byrani

4 ) 4 servings of tradition breakfast set consist of coffee ; softboil egg and kaya toast .


Definitely no smoking and no drinking . Also cut down on donating to charity .

[sadfa]

Originally Posted by skyfeet

What I can do with $15.00 if I still have it .

1) 5 meals of economy meal rice

2) 5 servings of chicken rice

3) 3 servings of byrani

4 ) 4 servings of tradition breakfast set consist of coffee ; softboil egg and kaya toast .


Definitely no smoking and no drinking .

Wrong!!! Donate $10 to garbagement cos it's for spore!!!! Spore!!!

Learn from Bangladeshi.
Use $5 buy rice. Go market n beg for expiring food to add to rice. Don't have, too bad
_______
Exchange points beg ma

[sadfa]

Originally Posted by skyleon

Water price hike: Govt has to do 'right, responsible thing' in sending price signal, says Heng Swee Keat

The Finance Minister rounds off three days of Budget 2017 debates by addressing the concerns raised on the water price hike and Government expenditure.

By Justin Ong
Posted 02 Mar 2017 17:58
Updated 02 Mar 2017 18:50



SINGAPORE: The Government has to do the "right and responsible thing" when it comes to sending the right price signal on water consumption, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said on Thursday (Mar 2) in response to questions from the Workers’ Party (WP) on the timing of the 30 per cent increase announced at Budget 2017 last week.


WP members had raised this repeatedly in three days of debate and Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Leon Perera sought clarification again after Mr Heng’s round-up speech.


“The Government did have the option of either pre-announcing and/or staggering or deferring (the price increase),” said Mr Perera. “Given the Government has shared that the reasons behind this are not political, can the minister help Singaporeans understand a little better what are the non-political reasons?”


Said Mr Heng: "The fact is, first and foremost, do we agree that the price signal is important so that consumers know what the actual cost of the resource is, and therefore can then take action to mitigate use?”


“If the answer is yes, then there’s never a good time. Because I don’t think any finance minister finds it a popular thing to come here and say, ‘I’m going to increase this and increase that’. I don’t take great joy out of announcing all these increases.”


“But… The right and responsible thing is to make sure the correct price feeds through to the economy early enough, and that if we do things early, often we also have the ability to provide the mitigation support package,” he added. “We’ve got to make sure we do things correctly.”


CARBON VS WATER?

Earlier, WP chair and Aljunied GRC MP Sylvia Lim said the reasons for the water price hike provided by Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli were “longstanding” and “did not come up suddenly”.


continue reading here : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...n/3562094.html

Fuck!!!

So price hike is to do the right thing like parents teach children don't steal.

So sporeans have to pay more cos it's to teach sporeans ??
_______
Exchange points got teach ma

[skyleon]

Laying the groundwork to meet S’pore’s greater needs in the long term


By Heng Swee Keat

Published: 4:00 AM, March 3, 2017




As Singapore’s fiscal position becomes more challenging, with expenditures exceeding revenues, it must continue to spend prudently and effectively, and grow its revenues sustainably, said Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat as he wrapped up the Budget 2017 debate in Parliament yesterday. Below is an excerpt from his speech:

Just as we seek to protect our home and environment for our future generations, we must ensure that our finances are sustainable for the long term. Our expenditures have started to exceed our operating revenues since FY2015. The Government had in fact anticipated this and prepared early, by raising revenues ahead of our spending needs. Indeed, this is the approach this Government has always taken. We had therefore raised the Goods and Services Tax in 2007 and introduced the Net Investment Returns (NIR) framework in 2008.

In the last term of Government, we had also undertaken measures such as making our property tax rates more progressive and increasing the duties for betting, liquor and tobacco over time. In Budget 2015, we announced increases in top marginal rates for personal income tax and revisions to the NIR framework. These measures now serve us well to meet our spending needs through to the end of this decade. But beyond this decade, we can expect the fiscal situation to become more challenging, as expenditures exceed revenues in the longer term.

First, our economy is maturing. With slowing economic growth, our revenues will also grow more slowly. Second, our population is ageing rapidly, and we can expect rising expenditure needs, especially for healthcare. Third, our infrastructure needs are rising, as we seek to build new infrastructure and renew old ones to enhance our quality of life and Singapore’s economic competitiveness.

Going forward, we must continue to prepare for our greater needs in the long term by working on two fronts: Spending prudently and effectively, and growing our revenues fairly and sustainably.


Spending Prudently and Effectively


With higher spending needs, it is ever more critical to ensure that we spend within our means to get the outcomes we want. At the ministry level, we have designed our funding policies to drive agencies to operate efficiently and effectively. This year, we sought to further reinforce the importance of spending prudently and effectively, by applying a permanent 2 per cent downward adjustment to the budget caps of all Ministries and Organs of State.

This will free up resources that the Ministry of Finance can redeploy towards higher-priority requirements and projects that deliver value to citizens and businesses, such as initiatives by the Municipal Services Office. Within their adjusted budget caps, agencies will decide how to prioritise their programmes and projects, and review how they can achieve greater efficiency.

Fundamentally, we want to imbue these values of prudence and innovation in all officers in the public service: To always seek value for money and constantly strive to improve and innovate, so that we can do more — and do better — with less.

At the project level, we are tightening scrutiny of major infrastructure projects to ensure robustness of their business case and value-for-money.

We have a process today that puts large infrastructure projects (more than S$500 million), or those that are highly complex in nature, through a series of reviews before funding is approved. This process taps on a panel of senior public officers and industry practitioners, those with deep technical expertise and experience in major infrastructure development, with the aim of optimising the project’s overall design, use of space and cost-effectiveness.


continue reading here : http://www.todayonline.com/singapore...eeds-long-term


More revenues needed as expenditures grows ? GST to increase next ?

[skyleon]

Water fees 'cover only PUB ops and asset depreciation'


Published 4 hours ago


Agency's annual surpluses channelled to reserves to finance plants and equipment: Minister


Chong Zi Liang


The money that people pay for using water is enough to cover only the operations of national water agency PUB and the depreciation of its water works, pipelines and water reclamation plants, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday.

The annual surpluses PUB gets are transferred to its reserves to finance its plants and equipment, he told the House, addressing the issue of the water price hike that surfaced throughout the Budget debate.

"The Government pays for part of the total cost of securing a safe and clean supply of water for our people and businesses," he added, as he underlined the strategic value of water and updated members on plans for investments in the water system.

PUB intends to invest $4 billion on additional water infrastructure in the next five years.

The sewerage network will be improved as well. A deep tunnel sewerage system, costing more than $4 billion, will be completed in 2025.

Another $3 billion will be spent on other sewerage network projects, and to strengthen the resilience of the water supply, in the next five years. These expenses exceed the revenue from the water conservation tax, which is expected to be about $1.6 billion in the five-year period, he added.

Over the past three days, MPs had voiced residents' concerns that business and living costs were expected to go up with the 30 per cent hike in water price, which will take effect in two phases, starting in July this year.

Others, however, stressed that water is a precious resource as Singapore's existence hinges on it, and that the price of water should reflect its value.

"Water sufficiency is a matter of national survival," Mr Heng said, as he noted how founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew "obsessed over water since the Separation Agreement".

"Securing a sustainable water supply for Singapore has been an all- consuming pursuit of the Government since Independence. We lodged our water agreements with the United Nations, invested in a strong defence force and developed strong capabilities in water technologies," he added.

"Singaporeans have enjoyed uninterrupted and high-quality drinking water through rainy weather and droughts alike. This is not mere good fortune or our birthright. Rather, it is the result of long-term planning, a can-do attitude, innovation and sound policy," he said.

Mr Heng reiterated a point Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli made on Tuesday, that the cornerstone of Singapore's policy on water is pricing it on sound economic principles to reflect its "long-run marginal cost" - that is, the cost of supplying the next available drop of water, which is likely to come from Newater and desalination plants.

"This ensures that users will conserve water, and we can make timely investments in the water system," he said.

Yesterday, Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC) of the Workers' Party asked why a proposed carbon tax will be implemented only in 2019, but Singaporeans were not given a similar two-year notice for the increase in water price.


continue reading here : http://www.straitstimes.com/politics...t-depreciation


Keep up the good work WP ask the tough questions . Still lack of information how much to build each water treatment ant/facitities . Only say costs increase to operate these facilities . Please do not insult the intelligence of your voters .

[skyleon]

Originally Posted by sadfa

Wrong!!! Donate $10 to garbagement cos it's for spore!!!! Spore!!!

Learn from Bangladeshi.
Use $5 buy rice. Go market n beg for expiring food to add to rice. Don't have, too bad
_______
Exchange points beg ma

Why on earth must donate S$10 to them ? They don't deserve it .

[skyleon]

All options to be studied before any tax hike: Heng Swee Keat



Foo Jie Ying
Reporter


Mar 03, 2017 06:00 am



In its last term, the Government made property tax rates progressive and increased duties for betting, liquor and tobacco over time.

Earlier, the Goods and Services Tax was also raised and the Net Investment Returns framework was introduced and later revised.

These were some of the measures taken, with expenditures exceeding revenues since FY2015, said Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday.

In his closing speech to wrap up the Budget 2017 debate, he told Parliament: "These measures now serve us well to meet our spending needs through to the end of this decade. But beyond this decade we can expect the fiscal situation to become more challenging as expenditures exceed revenues in the longer term."

Rising expenditure is coupled with slower revenue growth as our economy matures, Mr Heng added.

To encourage prudent spending, the Government will apply a permanent 2 per cent downward adjustment on the budget caps of ministries and organs of state from this financial year.


"Besides spending prudently and effectively, we have to grow revenues, through new taxes, or raising tax rates over time. This challenge of raising revenues for growing needs is not unique to Singapore," he said.

But he said any decision to raise taxes will not be taken lightly, and all options will be studied carefully.

"We are in a good position today because we have planned early and invested in the long term.

"This... is a key strategic advantage so we must ensure that we continue to have this capacity to invest in critical programmes and infrastructure with long-term benefits in a way that is equitable to both current and future generations," he said.


continue reading here : http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/all...heng-swee-keat

[winphenom]

Let's just face the real world out there, even with our government, as they are also running singapore like a MNC. From last few years, it has been the norm to pass all costs to the citizens, irregardless of whether it's for the good or it's the govt's fault. Just look at the mrt and hdb lifts will do. It's indirectly their fault but to offset the costs, it's passed down to consumers. Come on, you purchased cheapo lifts which resulted in malfunctions.
Now, it's just them lining their own pockets with big fat salaries, all expenses and medical paid work, good increments and bonuses plus terrific pensions. If costs are not borne by us, where to find money to sustain this and other investments, R&D and huge money to push their own agendas.
Like what one bro says, the best job in the world is to be a full time singapore politician. You can eat 2 generations with this job. I don't mind serving the nation with all my might and time for half their benefits.

[Baigonggong]

Ah Gong believe that my stay at the old age homes' bills will surely go up .

[SiaSuay]

Originally Posted by winphenom

Let's just face the real world out there, even with our government, as they are also running singapore like a MNC. From last few years, it has been the norm to pass all costs to the citizens, irregardless of whether it's for the good or it's the govt's fault. Just look at the mrt and hdb lifts will do. It's indirectly their fault but to offset the costs, it's passed down to consumers. Come on, you purchased cheapo lifts which resulted in malfunctions.
Now, it's just them lining their own pockets with big fat salaries, all expenses and medical paid work, good increments and bonuses plus terrific pensions. If costs are not borne by us, where to find money to sustain this and other investments, R&D and huge money to push their own agendas.
Like what one bro says, the best job in the world is to be a full time singapore politician. You can eat 2 generations with this job. I don't mind serving the nation with all my might and time for half their benefits.

Faced with a bad and uncertain economy . Many are without jobs . More will lose their jobs later this year . Yet they still want to increase . Talk about being a god and caring government . All this is thanks to the 70% who voted in for them . Now they also suffer . Majority will suffer in this little red dot.

[5seconds]

Originally Posted by Baigonggong

Ah Gong believe that my stay at the old age homes' bills will surely go up .

Soon you will be restricted to bathe once in 3 days