Singapore — In Parliament on Monday (Feb 14) Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) spoke on two additional points regarding the Economic Expansion Incentives (Relief from Income Tax) (Amendment) Bill.
Prof Lim, an Associate Professor of Economics at Essec Business School, made it clear from the beginning that he is not opposed to the bill. He said further that the Workers’ Party sees “little that is objectionable” to provide greater incentives for firms that are adapting projects aimed to reduce carbon emissions.
He had, after all, made a speech in Parliament for the motion to transition to a lower carbon society in January, and made suggestions along the same lines.
“I am heartened that such efforts are being weaved into our legislation,” in order to address the climate crisis, he added.
But he also said that not only should the tax incentive element be considered in this light, but subsidies as well.
Other WP MPs, including Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) and Dennis Tan (Hougang SMC) have also spoken on more whole-of-society efforts toward a greener future, Prof Lim pointed out.
But beyond tax breaks, Prof Lim asked how the government intends to continue financing economic incentives for companies that adopt more environmentally sustainable practices.
The second point the MP made concerns the risks of loss of ownership, responsibility, and control when there is a delegation of decision-making from politicians to bureaucrats, which the Bill permits.
He warned about the danger of this, saying that what could happen after roles are transferred is that “the sense of responsibility fails to follow.”
“This gives rise to the risk, common even among single large organizations” of a loss of ownership and control.
And while the minister retains “full and final responsibility” over any vested powers, “as humans it is often easy, too easy perhaps, for this buck to be passed,” Prof Lim said.
One party, he added, might end up appealing to the “Richard Nixon defence,” where “they didn’t do anything,” but instead, an action was executed by an underling, and they were unaware of it.
Meanwhile, the other party could claim “the Nuremberg defence—famously presented by Adolf Eichmann and his collaborators” who, in justifying their deeds during World War II, said they had merely been carrying out orders, and therefore denying that they had any agency in the matter.
Politicians and bureaucrats, Prof Lim pointed out, differ in accountability and motivation in their performance.
It would be good for different policies, therefore, to be decided on solely by either elected officials or career bureaucrats, depending on the particular context.
“I’m left to wonder whether there are specific conditions that should be fulfilled, such as when the matter is explicitly technical in nature and when normative decision making should not be asked for or required before the Minister would then allow for such delegation,” he added.
/TISG
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