We told you so. Opposition politician Chee Soon Juan didn’t use those words. But that, in sum, is exactly what he meant when he commented on the Budget just presented.
Dr Chee, who leads the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) sought to remind people that almost a decade ago, “the SDP had already been calling for a more progressive tax system where the ultra-rich shoulder more of the govt’s tax revenue”.
He gave his views in a Facebook post on Wednesday, in which he commented on the government’s slew of progressive tax measures aimed at addressing social inequality as well as generating revenues to fund major programmes needed over the next few years.
“Those who earn more, contribute more,” said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong in his first Budget since assuming the portfolio in May last year, as he outlined increases in personal income, property, vehicle and carbon taxes as part of an expansionary $109 billion Budget, including special transfers.
Dr Chee said the SDP has been at the forefront of pushing for a fairer tax schedule “Whether it is in the form of raising the GST for luxury items or increasing personal income tax for the top earners or re-introducing estate duty for the wealthy”.
Insisting that his post was not about bragging rights or “who said what first”, Dr Chee said that it shows the quality of the opposition parties.
“Whether it is the education system, foreign talent, healthcare funding, housing, CPF system, etc, the SDP has been taking the lead in formulating policies to take S’pore into the future”, he wrote, adding that the People’s Action Party criticised their ideas only to eventually adopt them.
He said pointedly that it was something the SDP had done even when not represented in Parliament, more than implying that it could could do much more if elected.
“S’pore deserves an opposition that looks and thinks ahead, one that does its homework and, most importantly, one that maintains the steely resolve to speak up for the little guy.” /TISG