An elderly resident shared her views on the Goods and Services Tax or GST Vouchers given out in Singapore to members of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) who were on a walkabout visiting residents in Marsiling.
The SDP members were Bryan Lim Boon Heng, Damanhuri Abas and Vice-Chairman John L. Tan.
The GST Voucher aims to help lower-income families offset about half of the GST they pay each year.
The official website reads, “Retiree couples living in smaller flats can expect to receive a GST Voucher that will more than fully offset their yearly GST expenses. Middle-income families can also expect to receive a GST Voucher that will partially offset their GST expenses”.
69-year old Mdm Sainal who met the SDP politicians relayed that she stayed in Marsiling for forty years and that there were only 5 residents when she first moved to the estate.
In a Facebook post, Mr Lim wrote, “She shared that she had undergone 3 knee operations so she could no longer work. She applied for social welfare and was only given a monthly sum of $250 for 3 months. Mind you, her average monthly utility bill is $80. And we haven’t even talked about other basic necessities like food & transport yet”.
He added that she was advised by the officer to sell her flat and rent one in order to make ends meet. However, she refused to do so and depends on her children for financial support.
In speaking about the impending GST hike, Mr Lim shared that whenever Mdm Sainal received the GST voucher, she would be very worried.
“Whenever I receive the voucher, a spate of price increases will follow immediately. What’s the point of giving it to us anyway?” she said.
“It’s the ordinary folks like Mdm Sainal whom the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has always been fighting for”, he wrote, adding, “it is high time to stop struggling & live a dignified life with our party paving the way forward”. /TISG