Tag Archives: affordable

There were more than 7000 cases of fare cheats in our public transport scene just last year. Does this mean there are many poor people in Singapore? Do people actually get their fares back despite train breakdowns? What's going on?

Another opinion from yet another person on Presidential hopeful who wish to continue living in common public housing: "He or she is depriving one family of a HDB place when she/he can afford private housing. This person is selfish and inconsiderate as HDB is meant for citizens struggling to find accommodation." What do you think?

Public Hospitals – Surgical Specialties (Jan 2015 – Dec 2015) – Class C (Open Ward) – Total Bill at 95th Percentile at the National Heart Centre was $24,465. 5% pay more than $24,465? So, does this mean that five per cent of patients had a bill size of more than $24,465?

It's a worrying trend that prices for COE premiums dipped as it allows more people to buy car. Now Singapore is such a small country and we have just too many cars on the roads. Reason being is that despite having the restriction of loans and a hefty sum of downpayment, Singaporeans are still able to afford as they are earning money from stock markets and lotteries. And to make matters worse, some in-house financing companies or should I say car dealers provide in house loans that will easily manipulate with the loan system by offering high loan, which make the car even more affordable.

According to this news reports, bus fares are set to rise very soon. Once again, Minister Khaw decided to khaw kee gong, khaw kee song again, ownself declaring that bus fares will be affordable if raised. This is consistent with Khaw's logic that rise in major breakdowns as MRT gets more reliable. Khaw talks about Harakiri like he actually means it. When Oil prices drop, fares actually increase. Before GE2015, fares drop. After GE, fares rise again! Zhai zhai one, same pattern see until don't want to see!

With the increase of $250 mentioned in the above mentioned article – the parents may have to pay as much as $500 more for their two children. With say a take home pay of $2,801 ($3,501 less 20% employee CPF contribution) – the fees increase may be financially difficult for them. Even in the case of the fee cap for anchor operators of $720 a month for full-day childcare – an increase of say about $71 for the family with two children, may also be a financial strain. Whats the point of increasing subsidies coupled with the consistent rhetoric year after year – that childcare will be made more affordable, when the reality may be otherwise?

According to the Straits Times news report “National Day Rally 2015: Income ceiling for buyers of new HDB flats raised from $10,000 to $12,000” (Aug 23) – “The prices of new Build To Order (BTO) flats have stabilised”.

In his National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong touched on the housing situation in Singapore. He stated that housing will continue to be affordable and accessible to all. He cited an example of a Singaporean earning less than $1,000 per month being able to afford a 2 room HDB flats after subsidies and grants.

In an interview conducted last week (13 Aug) at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan dismissed critics who feel that housing is unaffordable in Singapore. Mr Khaw said in a straightforward response, “The bottomline is this: 80, 90 per cent of Singaporeans own their homes. If they are not affordable, then how do you achieve such an outcome?”

According to the TR Emeritus article “Khaw dismisses critics who feel housing is unaffordable” (Aug 22) – “For Sengkang, the situation is worse. 2-room flats are priced below ratio of 4, but 3-room and 4-room flats have ratios of 4.5 and 5.4 respectively. So, in fact, Sengkang 4-room BTO flats (ratio of 5.4) are considered unaffordable by the standards laid down by the World Bank and the United Nations.”