While carrying out house visits on Friday night (Nov 11), Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim encountered an Anchorvale resident who asked him about a recent debate in Parliament about the carbon tax.
On Tuesday (Nov 8), the Sengkang GRC Member of Parliament had a heated exchange with Minister for Environment and Sustainability Grace Fu that lasted around ten minutes.
The Anchorvale resident asked Assoc Prof Lim about the debate, wanting to understand it further.
“I was able to explain the #workersparty position, which was that we hoped for a higher level of the carbon tax, but we hoped for greater flexibility in getting there.
In particular, I had argued for a carbon tax rate that would adjust to economic conditions; a little lower when times are bad, and a little higher when things are going well, so that on average we still impose the same amount.
Minister Fu had felt that such uncertainty would be detrimental for business. I respectfully disagree,” he wrote in a Nov 12 Facebook post.
He acknowledged that certainty in policy is the norm for businesses, but added that a degree of flexibility when it comes to taxes would be welcomed by firms, as this would be to their benefit.
“In many cases, certainty of the overall trajectory of taxes is sufficient. So if—in response to a recession—taxes go down, firms will be more than happy to take the relief, and then pay more taxes subsequently to make up for the earlier relief, when times are better. Such context-sensitive taxes are the essence of stabilization policy.”
Assoc Prof Lim added that he does not expect Singaporeans to follow all of the issues raised in Parliament.
Given the busyness of everyday life, “it is reasonable to outsource the more technical aspects of policymaking to our legislators and civil servants,” he added.
But he said that it was “heartening” when citizens take an interest in policy matters that make a difference to all everyone’s life and future, “even when the topic is otherwise doozy.”
“Ensuring a sustainable economy is important for making sure we leave behind a better earth for our children,” added Assoc Prof Lim.
/TISG
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