In responding to the incumbent’s question of funding, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) came up with a list of solutions to fund their policies.
In a post on their website, they wrote: “the ruling party’s refrain has morphed into “Where is the money going to come from?” or some variation of it. The implication is that these programmes are beyond Singapore’s financial means”.
In a Facebook post yesterday (May 18), the SDP’s Secretary-General Dr Chee Soon Juan shared a number of measures to cut costs so as to allocate money for their proposed policies.
The SDP put their measures for funding under three groups: ‘CUT PROFLIGATE SPENDING’, ‘STOP 10-MILLION POP’, INCREASE TAXES ON WEALTHY’ and ‘USE INCOME FROM RESERVES’.
Listed under measures to cut profligate spending, the SDP suggested that ministerial pay be reduced, there should be a stop to the Member of Parliament’s self –promotion, financial prudence should be exercised and mega projects should be stopped.
Referring to ministers, the party said: “Judging by their recent collective performance (and this extends back to before the Covid-19 outbreak), the present set of ministers have been mediocre at best. Their salaries are not commensurate with their ability and should be appropriately pared down”.
“Another area of public expenditure that needs to be cut back is the use of advertisement for MPs’ self-promotion. From banners to newsletters to LED-display boards, public funds are being spent unwisely to advertise PAP MPs and candidates”, they added.
Explaining the incumbents’ plan to raise the population to 10 million, the SDP wrote: “Apart from the fact that this will make the already overcrowded island even more densely populated which adds to the mental stress of the people and reduces the overall quality of life (not to mention the quicker spread of virus outbreaks), increasing the number of people will mean greater expenditure in infrastructure like housing and public transport”.
Suggesting that taxes on the wealthy be increased, the SDP wrote that
personal income tax and corporate tax should be increased. A wealth tax and capital gains tax should be introduced and they suggested that estate duty should be reinstated.
Concluding their post, the SDP wrote that in light of the Covid-19 situation, “No longer can the PAP continue to play the game by telling Singaporeans that it cannot afford to take care of the vulnerable and the weak, which includes workers and retirees, while financially molly-coddling the wealthy”. /TISG