Higher cost of living, GST hike, on residents’ minds at Sengkang Town Hall held by WP MPs

At the June 19 Town Hall held by Sengkang Workers’ Party Members of Parliament He Ting Ru, Jamus Lim and Louis Chua, residents said their biggest worry is the increase in the cost of living coming ahead of the announced hike in the goods and services tax (GST), which will begin implementation by the start of next year.

The WP MPs had said that the Town Hall would give residents a chance to hear from them on issues of interest in Parliament and on the ground, as well as ask their own questions. “It was good to be able to engage with our residents at our first physical Town Hall yesterday. Thank you to those who came, and for sharing your thoughts openly with us. Looking forward to the ones to come!” Ms He, who anchors the WP team, wrote in a Facebook post on Monday morning (June 20). 

Around 30 residents participated in the Town Hall, named Sengkang Conversations and held at a multipurpose hall in Compassvale, The Straits Times reported.

The WP, which is opposed to the GST hike, told attendees that it would keep on arguing against it. 

The GST’s plan to increase from 7 per cent to 9 per cent was supposed to have begun to be implemented last year but had been deferred due to the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier this year, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said that the hike will take place in two stages, to 8 per cent on Jan 1, 2023, and 9 per cent on Jan 1, 2024.

Revenues from the increase are set to help fund social services, especially for the country’s ageing residents.

In February, however, as the National Budget was debated in Parliament, Workers’ Party head and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh said that the WP disagrees with the decision to raise GST “especially at this time”.

The party has instead proposed other forms of taxation, including corporate and wealth taxes.

Moreover, the WP has also said that these would not “slay the golden goose” meaning Singapore’s reserves.

The other issues residents brought up to the WP MPs are health and the inequality gap when it comes to wealth. /TISG

Corporate & wealth taxes: Workers’ Party outlines alternatives to GST hike