Dear all
Read the article from The Straits Times and respond to the following question:
If the government decides not to dip into the reserves, in which aspect of our nation building can we cut costs - defence, education, tourism, marriage and family planning, infrastructure or others? Give reasons for your answer.
Please post your response as a comment to this post by 24 Jan 2009.
See you in class!
Ms Rani
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think we can cut cost from tourism. After all, if the economy is bad, tourism will be affected. We can always improve on tourism when the economy gets better.
ReplyDeleteI feel that we cannot cut cost on defence as it involves our country's security and safety. More crimes and conflicts between countries may happen in times of bad economy.
Education, marriage and family planning cannot be neglected as it involves our countries future.
Infrastructure cannot be cut costs from as it creates job for many people in times of bad economy.
hello! :D
ReplyDeletesorry but i dont think it should be cut from tourism..
because singapore depend on the tourism quite a lot and is still trying to get more people to come here by trying new things..
eg.
they are building the IR to attract more people here..
and the new flyer too.
[well, its only a few days that the flyer stop because it need to be fixed and they lost quite a huge amount of money..]
-Jieyi 309
& thank you ms rani for setting this blog :)
If the govt. decides not to dip into the nation's reserves, I do not think that we could cut costs from any of the above.
ReplyDeleteIf we cut down our costs for defence, our safety may be affected by both internal and external threats which may affect the mentality of people in Singapore and tourists may not want to visit Singapore again. This will seriously affect those working in the tourism line and may result in more job losses.
Moreover, crime rate will increase during times of economic crisis and defence should not be neglected.
Education plays an important part in the building of our nation's future, therefore we should not cut down any costs from it.
In this economic crisis, tourism more or less will be affected. Likewise, we can improve in that area once the economic crisis is over. However, if we really do that, those in the tourism companies will be affected and may result in more jobs lost and our country's income may be affected.
For marriage and family planning, it is almost essential for our country's future as our country is already low in population, if we neglect this area, we will have a population decline.
On the other hand, i think the govt. should pump in more money in the infrastructure area to create more jobs for the people to get through this economic crisis.
In my opinion, if the government decides not to dip into the reserves, we should cut costs in the marriage and family planning aspect of our nation building. Many people in Singapore today are facing money issues due to the recession and some may have lost their jobs. Without the ability to live comfortably even if they are single, most will not intend to have a family as that would result in an additional burden to their overflowing plate of problems. Therefore, no matter how attractive the scheme the Government presents the public with, they would not be able to change the mindset of these people as having a child is 'expensive' and stressful in Singapore.
ReplyDeleteThe second aspect that I feel that the Government can cut down on would be the Defence budget. Singapore is a small country and thus we have limited financial resources. In this global economic crisis, we do not have the luxury to spend much of our reserves here as we do not know when it would start recovering. By spending huge budget on defence, we may end up running our country reserves dry if the recovery does not come in time. This may cause the country to start borrowing money from the IMF which would cause our financial rating to drop, resulting in more stress to the country. Instead we should attempt to maximise the reduced budget and use it wisely as many of the investors attracted to us are counting on our stability and defence forces.
Education is one aspect that I think we should not cut our budget. Singapore relies on manpower to survive in the world as we do not have any natural reserves of our own. By cutting our budget here, we would lose our foothold as one of the most successful countries of the world in the long term as other countries would start to surpass us. In addition, I think that it is a good time now for re-education and re-training as many of the professionals and trade people are being retrenched. Instead of idling, they could be put under new training courses to improve themselves so that they will be able to perform better when economy recovers.
Another aspect that I recommend not to cut the budget from would be the Infrastructure. Singapore is a trade hub where much of our GDP is contributed by foreign trade. Many investors choose to set up their HQ in Singapore due our well established infrastructure which results in good connectivity and accessibility with the rest of the world. Thus, in order not to deter potential investors that may start factories in Singapore which may create jobs and reduce the number of jobless people, I think that we should not cut down on the budget here.
Joanna See-309
i feel that if the government decides not to dip into the reserves,we can cut costs in defence and marriage & fmily planning.
ReplyDeletetourism is affected by economy, if the economy is bad, tourists wouldn't be attracted to singapore, so the money spent on tourism aould be quite wasted. after all, we can still work on tourism when the economy is better.
i think the government also can cut costs from marriage & planning, this is because now many people are facing financial issues and trying to cope with what they have to support their family. having another child, or having a child, would only add on to problems. furthermore, the general mindset of having a child in singpore is deemed to "stresful" and expansive.
however, i think that singpore should not cut costs from defence, education and infrastructure. defence is important for the safety of singaporeans. furthermore, the stability of singapore will definately attract and reassure investors which will help our economy. also, in bad times, the crime rates might go up, so i really think that the government should not cut costs from Defence.
in my opinion, the government also should not cut costs from education. education is important for our future, and especially since we do not have natural resources, we should not cut costs from education. infrastructure will help increase the number of jobs, therefore i think that the government should not cut costs from infrastructure.
misa-309
(sorry, ms rani, my response is a day late.)
I think the government can cut cost on the infrastructure of the nation, as I think that Singapore’s development is already enough for the life and recreation of normal Singaporeans.
ReplyDeleteCutting costs on defence is a definite no as with the example of Israel and Gaza’s conflict, Singapore will have to start building up defence powers against terrorism and other external attacks.
For education, money should be put on helping children who is of schooling age but has financial problems.
Singapore would need to depend on tourism during bad economy times to bring in money from the other countries and to boost economies in Singapore.
Cutting costs on marriage and family planning should be also prohibited as in Singapore, divorce rates are rising from 2007 to today. If we cut costs on these aspects, these rates will rise uncontrollably.
PS: Sorry, Ms Rani, as my family is busy on preparations on CNY, my response is later for a day.
The government should dip into reserves. Defence is vital for Singapore, without adequate defence, civil problems like riots might arise. Cutting costs to tourism would adversely affect Singapore as much of its revenue comes from tourism.
ReplyDeleteManpower is a valuable resource in Singapore. If lesser money is put into marriage and family planning matters, there might be a imbalance of the birth rate and death rate in Singapore. That would cause Singapore to decline.
Thus, all sectors of Singapore are vital and important to its survival. Dipping into reserves might be vital.
The recession has hit us hard. This is Singapore's worst recession in living memory.
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to decide which aspect of Singapore's nation building that should be cut back on. The comments so far have had substantial reasons as to why each aspect is vital for Singapore.
So, we can't afford to cut back on education, marriage and family planning, infrastructure, defence or tourism. What can we cut back on, then?
At present, the budget for the Arts of Singapore is what I feel can be cut back on. For example, the refurbishing Victoria Theatre can be put on hold till Singapore's economy is stable.
Personally, I feel the cultural aspect is not as crucial as the other aspects stated in the question. All the other aspects ensure that Singapore emerges from the recession stronger and more competitve than ever. ;D
P.S As someone who is passionately crazy about the fine arts, I feel that the Government should immediately pump in the money that is cut back on the Arts when the economy bounces back!
P.P.S I'm sorry this comment is late as I've been busy with preparations for the Lunar New Year.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
The government should dip into reserves. Defence is vital for Singapore, without adequate defence, civil problems like riots might arise. Cutting costs to tourism would adversely affect Singapore as much of its revenue comes from tourism.
ReplyDeleteManpower is a valuable resource in Singapore. If lesser money is put into marriage and family planning matters, there might be a imbalance of the birth rate and death rate in Singapore. That would cause Singapore to decline.
Thus, all sectors of Singapore are vital and important to its survival. Dipping into reserves might be vital.
THAT IS BY RUSSELL, 310, 24. if i needed to do this.
Singapore is in the midst of a simultaneous recession in major regions of the world since it’s previous one in the 1999 Asian Financial Crisis. Although our economy is built on a highly diversified capitalist economy, major global economic powers are feeling the crunch of the credit and mortgage crisis.
ReplyDeleteIn the last quarter of 2008, a reduction of economic activities has led to severe inflation of primary materials and negative economic growth. Singapore’s economic growth is projected to be from -5% to -2% and a sharp rebound to be unlikely as forecasted by the Parliament for 2009.
“There must be exceptional measures for exceptional times.” – SM Mr. Goh, chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
As Singapore mulls over a move to dip into the nation’s reserve, many youths of Singapore are expressing concern for the Budget Plan due to be unveiled on the 22nd January.
Should Singapore not dip into its national reserves, which sector of its diversified economy should costs be cut from?
Statistics have shown and reflected that Singapore depends on exports such as electronics and chemicals as the main source of income. Singapore also relies heavily on extended entrepot trade. In addition to Singapore’s port infrastructure and skilled workforce, Singapore stresses on an open business, transparent and relatively corruption-free environment to increase its competitiveness in the modern, contemporary society.
As mentioned by PM Mr. Lee in the budget speech, the government will be spending its reserves on preserving jobs, stimulating bank lending, enhancing business cash-flow and competitiveness. Second-tier objectives include supporting families and building homes for the future.
As to which sector Singapore should cut costs on, I believe money should be diverted from military defense to education and R&D. (Research & Development)
Singapore has always been relentlessly educating the public on developing a sense of national pride, instilling youths with leadership qualities and equipping the current workforce with more skills to increase its competitiveness in the South East Asian region.
As perceived by the majority of Singaporeans, the defense ministry accounts for about 30% of the nation’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) expenditure since the 21st century. Although much of its spending of military expenditure goes to drafting new NS men, purchase and maintenance of military equipment and maintaining security in Singapore, the military sector has proven to deter many terrorist attacks.
However, in times of severe financial crisis, money should be diverted into sectors which increase Singapore’s competitiveness economically with its neighboring countries and the world. For instance, education plays as a key role in shaping Singapore’s future leaders and preparing youths for the workforce in the imminent future. Education also provides Singaporeans with a point of leverage and influential power in the modern world.
Although Research and Development (R&D) accounts for less than 3% of Singapore’s GDP expenditure, it has provided much scientific breakthroughs in medical science. An example would be the stem cell research. Singapore depends heavily on its export of electronics and chemicals and constant advancement of technology would permit Singapore to upkeep with the world’s technology and surpass technology giants like Japan, USA and the ever-changing China.
Therefore in conclusion, I would like to re-emphasize on my point that Singapore is in the midst of a global financial crisis and money should be diverted to sectors of top priority to increase Singapore’s competitiveness in the world to stimulate economic growth and rebound, if possible. Sectors like tourism, research and development, education and health are of first priority to ensure a skilled workforce for the next generations and that Singapore would not plunge further in the financial crisis.
Garrick - 310
The reason for the government to dip into the reserves is so as to help Singapore see through the current period of exceptional difficulty and prepare for recovery.
ReplyDeleteThe government should definitely not cut costs on jobs as it is the main criteria to prepare Singapore to emerge with strength when the global economy recovers, and enhance capabilities and competitiveness for the long term. Saving jobs should be their main focus in this global recession.
Tourism is affected greatly by the global crisis. With less people wishing to spend money on travelling, Singapore would definitely see a decrease in tourist rates hence, this might be an aspect which the government can cut costs on.
The government should also not cut costs on supporting families in Singapore. This is so as to help households cope with their cash-flow problems arising from unemployment or reduced incomes.
Sec 309 (18)
I'm pretty positive I am overdue in replying, but better late than never. Here goes.
ReplyDeleteSingapore is a tiny country with little natural resources, and such was the reason behind Britain feeling reluctant to let us gain independence in the 1960s. Now that we are finally one nation, we definitely need money to be channelled into our defence sector. Even though we are currently riding the recession wave, that does not mean we should cut costs from defence.
Had Singapore done a similar thing back in the 1990s, I believe it would have taken them quite a while to replenish and redirect funds back into defence. And, if Singapore had been less careful, we might have let slip of more than just terrorists like Mas Selamat. With the lack of money back then, and the escape of dangerous people, it would have resulted in disastrous consequences.
Thus, no matter what, defence should be an untouched department.
Similarly, for education, it must not be affected. The reason why parents send their children to government-subsidized schools is because they believe that their kids will get a similar quality of education as compared to that of independent schools, but for a lesser price.
In times of recession, the younger generation must especially be taught about it instead of letting them live on within their own bubble, but that does not mean reducing costs. I have used the word "taught" because it's a general term - and the methods use to inculcate such understanding may or may not require money.
All the more resources should not be deducted from the education department.
However, here my tune shall change. Tourism is one area from which costs can be reduced. After all, like what Serene had mentioned, because there is a recession, less people would take a holiday. With less incoming tourists, I am sure that money to keep facilities running can be greatly reduced.
Similarly, the money being set aside for marriage and family planning can be deducted from, too. From those two aspects, much isn't needed except for the guaranteed Baby Bonus that the government hands out as a reward. It can be considered as a promise the government made to potential parents.
But in times of recession, I'm sure the citizens should be obliged to understand that funds that are going to be used to save the local economy have a much more important purpose. On the other hand, I'm only suggesting that the Baby Bonus monetary value be lessened, but not that the entire programme be struck off.
I believe infrastructure, albeit a silent factor of how this country functions, is very essential to Singapore's survival. No matter how basic it is, anything complicated must always begin with the basics. And since the system needs funds, funds it shall not be deprived of.
However, this is one basis I must argue against. Infrastructure takes up too much of taxpayers' money. I personally feel that Singapore is really currently managing well. Her transport system is doing well, what with the recently opened KPE.
I am positive that the tax collected can be split up more evenly and separated into different places for better usage.
Singapore has been famed for her strong trade industry, and PSA has done her proud with their achievements in topping the world as the best port. However, as mentioned in the article:
"Singapore's exports plunged 21 per cent in December, the biggest fall in almost seven years. At PSA, 30 per cent of the cranes are sitting idle."
If such is the case, I see no logic behind keeping up the same financial allowance PSA has been receiving.
In conclusion, I strongly encourage the government to decrease where possible and logical.
Off topic, I concur that the government should unlock the reserves and retrieve a tiny amount first, spending it wisely. Letting the recession go out without touching the reserves may worsen the condition, but overspending is one thing we are all worried about. Therefore, a restriction should be imposed.
If the government does not want to dip into its reserves, i think it can cut cost on marriage and planning.
ReplyDeleteSingapore is a relatively small country and is on the verge of overpopulation.
However, i do not know why the government insists on couples having more children.
The young couples today are much more different and only wish to have one child, or even none at all.
Thus, the government cannot do anything much except offer money for couples to have more children, for example baby bonus.
I see no need for this method when the couples themselves are not even willing to bear more children!
Thus, the government may consider cutting cost on marriage and family planning.
Another thing i think they can cut cost on is the tourism industry.
Since all of us are going through an economic crisis, who would want to spend precious money on holidays?
Since the tourism industry would definitely see a decrease , Singapore should save the extra money spent on tourism to help herself in this financial crisis instead.
Defence would not be an area to cut cost on as it is of very high importance to us because we may not know what threats the future brings.
Education is also vital area.
Thus, Singapore should cut cost on marriage and family planning and the tourism industry.
-Dorothy (5) class 309.
I believed that the government could cut cost on marriage and planning, if they do not want to dip into the reserves.
ReplyDeleteThis is because defence which is highly important as it protect the countries and give the citizens a sense of securtity living in Singapore. Singapore had also been well known for its good security, which resulted in low crimes. If the government is to cut cost on defence, what if crisis occured in later part of the years? It had also been shown that conflicts and war had been occuring between different countries, esp. the neighbouring ones. So i think that the goverment should not cut cost on defence as citizens might not feel the sense of security and live everyday with fear.
I feel that Singapore should not cut cost on education too. In schools, the young ones were taught how to be independent and survive in this busy society. Parents sent their children to school as they believed that in school they are taught things that are useful and important when they come out to work in the society. Without educations, citizens may find it difficult to find jobs, which is highly important as without jobs, there will be no income. Subsequently, without income, citizens will not even think of getting married and family planning, as it is already difficult to support himself/herself.
Infrastructure is closely linked with tourism. So i think that these two aspects should not be cut down too, government had been having plans like setting up the IR. I believed that they did this to attract the tourists. Not only this, the government feel that they can get money for further usage from the money they earned from the tourists who came to visit Singapore. For example, the Singapore Flyer, its only weeks that they stop running the Singapore Flyer, due to the unfortunate incident which occured. I believed that the government had already lose money. Although the flyer had been running since cny started, i supposed it will still take some time to win back the trust of the tourists to try out the Singapore Flyer.
Therefore, i think that government should cut cost on marriage and family planning as economy had been very bad this year, citizens may not even dare to plan about getting married, not to even say planning to set up a family as they may even have difficulty feeding himself/herself.
-Daphne(10) 309-
I believe the government should cut cost on infrastructure if they do not want to dip into the reserves.
ReplyDeleteSingapore's infrastructure is good and the systems that the government is using is working effectively and therefore there is no need to maintain the cost spent on the infrastructure of Singapore.
The government should not cut cost on Tourism as it is important for Singapore. When Singapore provides good tourism, it will attract tourists from other countries to visit Singapore and this may help to solve our economy crisis if other countries think that Singapore has potential and decides to lend a helping hand to our economy. Therefore, the government should not cut cost on tourism but should focus on improving it.
Besides that, Defence is another vital component that the goverment should not cut cost on. Defence is rather important for a small country like Singapore. Without defence, or poor defence, it would mean a threat to Singapore's safety and security. With the economy crisis, conflicts may arise between countries and this may inflict cases of terrorism and even an increase in the number of crimes in Singapore. As such, Singapore should never cut cost on defence.
- Geraldine (7) 309 -
hey ms rani! sorry for the late comment cuz i could'nt find whr to comment until today (i'm an idiot when it comes to blogs)
ReplyDeleteWELL ANYWAY
I feel that the government should dip into reserves after all as all the sectors of the above are of importance and should not be compromised on.
Firstly, Education is one aspect in which i feel that the government should definitely not cut costs on as it concerns the future generations of singapore. In fact, the government should spend more on the Educations sector which would not only make sure that future generations of singaporeans would be elites but would also create jobs in a time of financial crisis and uncertainty.
Defence should also not be compromised on. If the government cuts costs in the defence sector, Singaporeans would feel unsafe from external as well as internal threats. Singaporeans would thus live in fear of being attacked.
Tourism and infrastructure should also not be compromised on. They are interlinked. Tourism contributes to a huge portion of Sinagpore's revenue. One example of what poor infrastructure could result in is the incident of the Singapore High flyer. It ceased operation for only a few days has reported huge losses. With the IR coming up, expenditures on infrastructure should thus not be cut. By not cutting back on these two sectors, it will also result in the creation of more jobs for the people.
Marraige and family planning costs should also not be cut back on. If this happens, there would be many social problems like unwanted pregnancies and overcrowding of population.
I think that the government should cut cost on infrastructure if they do not wish to dip into the reserves as I feel that they are now not of any urgency right now as there are good enough now and does not need too much funds on it. In addition, after the crisis, we could still get better methods and prices for the building of infrastructure.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, defence is of a matter of importance as if it is neglected, we would be inviting the threats in and out of Singapore into Singapore.
Thirdly, marriage and family planning costs should not be cut as if this happens, people might not want to have children due to the high cost of living in Singapore, resulting in the lack of young people in the matter of the defence of Singapore.
Education should also an aspect that should not be cut cost on as without the funds, the poor would be unwilling to send their child to school due to the extra cost of the school fees. In addition, without education, people would also face problems in finding jobs due to the highly competitive society.
Tourism should also not be cut cost on as it is a huge revenue to Singapore and people might be jobless if there are not enough funds for the tourism attraction to operate. Without appropriate funds, the attractions might not be safe to go as there might not be enough funds to perform additional safety checks for the machines
In my opinion, i think that Singapore should not dip into reserves as reserves are made for bigger and the worst problems in the future. This economic crisis that we are facing is still not the biggest and worst problem that our country is facing, thus the govt. should save the reserves for other problems in the future.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, i believe that the govt. should cut down on marriage and family planning. The reason for this belief is that since everyone is facing this economic crisis, many couples will not plan to get married in this period. Mostly is because they may not have the steady income to support their family in the future. Most young Singaporeans are not in the rush in getting married and many planned to work on their career instead. Hence, the govt should cut down on this aspect since people are not getting married.
However, there are certain important aspects that the govt should definitely not cut down on. Firstly,defence is very important to our country's livelihood. If defence of Singapore is neglected, we may be inviting unnecessary threats.
Secondly, tourism is another large aspects that will affect our country as Singapore depend mostly on this aspect. Several countries are developing better and newer tourists attraction in order to lure more tourists to their country. As a result, Singapore is no longer the first country in the tourism estate.
Thirdly, education should not be cut down as it educates our locals and also builds up to our nation building. Education is very important to everyone as we are required to know lots of stuffs in the future. It also teaches us to be well ettiquete and allows better job opportunity for us in the future. The govt should not cut down the funds as these funds provide the poor to be well-educated and also have the chance to study.
Lastly, infrastructure is interlinked with tourism therefore i can conclude that with good infrastructure comes better tourists.
-Pei Xian (3) 310
I think the government should not cut costs on any aspect of nation building.
ReplyDeleteDefence is important for us, as Singapore is a small country, we cannot afford any terrorist attacks. External threats place a great danger to us, especially when not long ago, a terrorist leader, Mas Selamat just escaped from our jail, and is currently still on the run. Danger lurks around us, if we are not cautious enough, we will suffer. Moreover, during such crisis times, things tend to be chaotic, jobless people will start protesting and crime rates tend to be higher.
Next tourism is also important. Singapore is a country which lacked in natural resources and therefore at a disadvantage, we rely on tourism for income. With the upcoming IR, casino and theUniversal Studios @ Sentosa, tourism will be even more important to Singapore.
Infrastructure is needed for our daily lives. Without modes of transportation, we would not be able to travel efficiently. Without electricity, almost everything is impossible to accomplish.
Family planning and marriage is important for the country's future. Without children, there will be no future leaders for the country. We need to have family planning and marriage to ensure growth of our country.
Lastly, education, it is a relatively important aspect. With more educated, talented and skilled people in the country, it will attract foreign companies to invest in Singapore and therefore bring in more jobs and income to the country.
- Nichol (9) 309 -
I think that the government should not cut costs from any aspect of nation building.
ReplyDeleteBecause these are many important aspects of nation building. Firstly, defence is important as Singapore is a small country, we are vulnerable to any attacks. For example, the changi MRT train station was once a target of the terrorist group, JI. The attempt was foiled when the government captured the men responsible for the planning of this attempt. This shows that defence is important as it helps Singapore to defend itself against any potential attack.
Secondly, education is the foundation of Singapore's success. As our MM Lee said in the past, what Singapore needs is talented and capable young people as Singapore does not have any natural resources and the people of Singapore is our only resource that is why education is important to Singapore's rise from a third world country to a first world country. In Singapore, you need to go to a university to be able to qualify for a job in the outside world. As compared to the 60s, where a O-level certificate is sufficient to get a job, it shows that the level of education standard in Singapore has increased. This attributes in Singapore being more competitive in terms of a place to invest in. The billingual scheme has helped Singaporeans to be fluent in both languages and it helps us to have an edge over our neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and others as they only speak in one language which is their own mother tongue language.
Thirdly, tourism is another important aspect of nation building. If tourism is not present in nation building, Singapore would not be any successful as she is now. Tourism helps to bring in revenue for the country and tourism helps people from all over the world to recognise Singapore as a place to visit and as a tourism hub. The total number of people who visited Singapore in 2008 stands at 9 million and this does not include those from the other end of the causeway. This shows that tourism is
important to Singapore's economy and during this economic recession, tourism will be one of the most affected industry as tourists would be thinking about not going aboard as many are facing a financial crisis. So, the government should pump more money into the tourism industry to prevent it from being affected by this recession.
Lastly, family planning and marriage is important as Singaporeans' average age is growing. And there would be an increase in the number of old people in the future and the number of young people would decline. This means that there are fewer young people to support the growing number of old people. This may cause any overseas investors to think twice about coming to Singapore to invest as there are too few young people and they may feel the society is growing old. Few babies means few people to lead the country in the future and the government should offer more benefits to the people to encourage people to give birth to more babies.
- Gabriel Kwan(30) 309 :D
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article, which hinted at the displeasure of some in the government wanting to utilise the country's reserves, I feel that their unhappiness is to a large extent unwarranted. My reasons for this is that the reserve money taken out would be used to improve the lives of Singapore's citizens, thus I would support such a move made by the government provided strict measures are taken to prevent the waste of the money on unnecessary aspects. Secondly, now that Singapore is part of the global economic crisis, I feel that something should be done by the government to remedy our present situation. It should make sure that the people are negatively affected as minimally as possible in terms of their livelihoods and daily life, and that they would be capable of continuing their present roles in society to ensure the maintenance of our societal infrastructure as best as they could.
ReplyDeleteTan Zan Ji (37) - 309
Defence should not be neglected just because all eyes are on the economy now, as there may be some who thinks and eyes on countries that they feel would be vulnerable and weak to attacks in such depressing times. We must not be such a target. Our country must also be further protected to support any kind of loses which may be lethal in these worsening economic crisis.
ReplyDeleteCosts must definitely not be cut on education. Education is an essential part of the assembly of the future batch of leaders, the pillars of Singapore whom would lead us confidently in times of crisis. Education forms the base for us to tackle problems and also to find a firm job in the fast-paced society, which would be even more important in such times as the global recession now, as more people with jobs would bring more promises of a more stable economy.
Tourism can be a part where Singapore can afford to cut costs on. Now that the global crisis is on the worsening edge, many are unwilling to spend more money than necessary. Sure, tourism can boost our economy, but I feel that the aspect of Singapore’s tourism is well-equipped enough to not improve on it, just for now.
I highly doubt that any average Singaporean would be in the mood to move into posh-looking condominiums, and neither is there reason to build more entertainment infrastructure, example a shopping mall, when we already have too many a mall to name and also following the financial crisis. However, if there is a sharp decrease in the number of construction works needed, numerous workers would become jobless in the period where the economic crisis is even worse, and our economy would plunge down even deeper than before. Therefore, I think that the government should cut costs on this part wisely so that minimal harm would be done to the economy, and at the same time capital would be saved on infrastructures that can be done without.
-sorry ms rani for the late response
After reading the article, i think Singapore should cut down the costs from infrastructure as i think Singapore is already well-developed in terms of infrastructure,like the high rise flats. And in my opinion i think Singaporeans also will not be in the mood to buy conduminiums and stuffs.
ReplyDeletei think Singapore should not cut down on tourism as in times like this, tourism is the one that will boost our economy. Thus, i think tourism should not be cut down on costs.
For defence, i think it should definitely not be neglected as the conflict between Gaza and Isreal already warned us to be ready at all times. Thus money used in defence to train the males in NS and buying equipments is a must, to adequately protect Singapore during invasions.
Money used in tourism also should not be cut down, as tourism is an important industry where it will boost our economy greatly.
Costs in education should not be cut down too, education is very important to Singapore as it trains our future leaders who are the pillars of Singapore.
Marriage and family planning's cost should not be cut down too, as our population is already quite low. And records also stated that there is a growth of the number of divorces in Singapore over these years.
-Cristabelle (7) 310 :)
I feel that all five aspects given (defence, education, tourism, marriage & family planning and infrastructure) are very important to the growth of our nation. Despite that, I think that the one aspect we can afford to cut cost on is marriage and family.
ReplyDeleteYoung couples nowadays prefer not to have children, especially at an early age, as they probably want to have the freedom to do whatever they want without having to bother about their kids. In my opinion, giving out Baby Bonus may not be helpful in encouraging couples to have children. From what I know, couples will receive a cash gift of $4000 for their first and second child. This amount of money will not be sufficient for the parents to bring their child up in the long run, and couples may not choose to have children just because of that few thousand dollars. I feel that the government can afford to reduce the Baby Bonus, and use less costly methods to encourage couples to have children. If a couple is insistent on not having kids, even $4000 won’t be able to change their minds. Thus, I feel that this aspect (marriage and family) is worth cutting cost on.
As for defence, I feel that the government should not cut cost on this aspect. We never know when others will attack us or when terrorists will strike. As a small country with a lack of natural resources, we are an easy target to others. Anybody can easily turn off the tap of our pipeline, and half of our water supply would be gone (this may seem like a really exaggerated example. It is just to emphasise on how easy a target we are). We should always be prepared to counter such emergencies, and cutting cost on this aspect will make us an easier target to threats like terrorism.
In my opinion, education is one of the most important aspects, and no cost should be cut from this aspect. Without proper education, the children now will not be able to serve the country in the future, and we will have to depend on foreign talent. If that happens, where will the uneducated locals find jobs, and how are they going to provide for their family? Therefore, the government must not cut cost from this aspect.
Tourism is another important aspect where money must not be cut back. Tourism brings in a large amount of income for the government. Some families may choose not to go on holidays due to the recession, but that doesn’t mean that nobody is going to leave their country. There will still be tourists visiting Singapore, but maybe not as much as before. With less people going on holidays, the tourism industry is going to be more competitive. If Singapore cuts cost on tourism and our service deprove, people may choose not to visit Singapore, and this may lead to a decrease in our income.
Lastly, infrastructure is also a vital aspect, and the government should not cut back on this. If this aspect is affect, then so will the aspects of defence, education, etc.
P.S sorry if this is very longggg and boring. And also, SORRY FOR COMMENTING LATE! (:
-Evelyn [o6] 309
Defense is indefinitely important for Singapore. Being a small country, it needs a powerful army to make up for its small land area, even if we do have backing. We would still need our own army to fend off attacks. Cost of defense need not be increased but it can definitely be maintained, or even reduced.
ReplyDeleteTourism is another important aspect. It is one that cannot be cut down no matter what happens, especially in this recession, tourism is ever so important as its Singapore’s main income. There can be changes to the way the money is pumped into it, though.
Marriage and family planning is another area, which definitely can be cut down. Due to recent recessions, Marriage would most likely postponed, and families would not want to give birth, as their current income is not enough to feed another mouth.
Education is an area, which cannot be cut down, this recession might last longer then expected, and therefore future generation cannot be trained slip shop-ly.
Infrastructure is also another area, which can be cut down on. Singapore surrently has all the buildings it needs. With most Singaporeans already with a roof on top of their heads, I really doubt that they would be able to afford extra cash to buy a new flat.
-Jun Zhe(19), class 310
Due to Global Recession, countries all over the world are panicking. Whether is it the Prime Minister or just a hawker, everyone is affected. If the Government decides not to dip into the reserves, I strongly believe, the area to cut costs on should be on infrastructure.
ReplyDeleteObviously, tourism is one aspect that should not be cut down on. Tourism is one of the main factor why Singapore is so successful now. We attract tourists from all over the world to spend their money here and we, Singapore, are renowned throughout the entire globe. Thus, if we cut down on tourism, not only would be lose the popularity, but also, an important source of income for the entire country.
Next, it's education. We need to educate the future generations so that they can be better people and serve the countries in the future. If we do not do so, not only are we depriving the younger generations of their rights for studying, but also to destroy our future economy.
As a small island country, Singapore is vulnerable to attacks and invasions by other neighbouring and strong countries. If not for our current strong Army, we won't be living such a happy and casual life, not having to afraid whether a bomb would land on our house tonight when we sleep. No, defence is most certainly an area not to cut cost on. If we were to be attacked, investors would not dare to invest in our countries and our shares would decrease drastically. With that, our economy will crumble and what we have achieved up to date will all disappear into dust.
The reason why I suggested cutting cost on infrastructure is because Singapore is already such a fine city where you can see skyscrapers and HDB flats almost every 100 metres of walk or even lesser. Certainly, improving on infrastructure would make us, citizens, excited. For example, having a new shopping centre would attract many people there to shop and play. However, that's only temporary. Once people gets bored of it, the government will have to pay more money to renovated or revamp the centre and it costs money too. With that, I hope my thoughts are heard.
Low Jian Sheng (28) 310!
Defence, education, tourism, marriage and family planning and infrastructure are all important in the developments of Singapore.
ReplyDeleteAll aspects are equally important, however, if we need to forgo a certain aspect so as to not dip into the country's reserve, i would say that marriage and family planning can be put aside for the time being.
Marriage and family planning should not be one of the priorities in times like this. At this point in time, many will be facing retrenchment and jobless days. Thus, they will be worrying about their career, and take into consideration that they may not be able to provide the best for their child in times of an economic crisis like this. Also, many couples are less traditional nowadays and will not wish to settle down so early. Thus, I can say that we can cut costs on marriage and family planning.
I think the second option would be to cut down on infrastructure. Seeing that Singapore is already so technologically advanced and modern, I think that infrastructure may not be one of the priorities now. Singapore is already a well-developed country enough to withstand through this economic crisis. We should not spend unneccessary money on building further structures. However, the government should also spare a thought for the workers in the construction field. The government should cut costs on infrastructure wisely without making it difficult for the workers too.
On the other hand, there are certain aspects that we must never neglect.
Firstly, cutting costs on our defence should never come across our minds. Mainly because we have to know what to do during civil emergencies and is vital that we stay operationally ready at all times. There are many terrorists attacks and riots happening around the world. For example, terrorists attacks in Mumbai has gave us a harsh warning that defence is important to minimize the chance of such things happening.
Education must not be cut cost on as it is very important. Many say that students' education is priority. We must continue to provide the best education for the students as they will be the future generation of our country. If they are not educated properly, they will not be successful in the future society which will be more advanced and competitive. We need this future generation to work in the economy or else the economy will suffer further.
Lastly, we should also not cut costs on tourism. When tourists visit our country, they will purchase things and visit our attractions, thus boosting our economy. We need this at this point in time so we will not suffer more. Also, tourism is interlinked with infrastructure, with our outstanding infrastructure at the present, we should not neglect tourism so as to prevent further economic crisis.
If the government is not dipping into reserves to overcome this economic recession, then i think that they should cut down costs on tourism, infrastructure and marriage & family planning.
ReplyDeleteFirstly,for tourism.Currently singapore has invested a lot in the singapore flyer and the Integrated Resort. Thus,i think that singapore should not spend anymore large amounts of money on futher improvements for the tourism sector.However, the tourism sector should be imroving after the economy improves, so that there would always be a consistent flow of torists visiting singapore.For now, the IR and the flyer is enough.
Next,infrastructure. Singapore's buildings and environment is considered better than some other countries, as the government had been working on the surrounding environment. The old buildings had been demolished. Lifts had been renovated and many other improvements too. Thus costs should not be spent much in this sector as the current living conditions are well enough for everyone, Further enhancing and improving of this sector could be done later in the years when there is a steady economy.
Finally,the marriage and family planning. I feel that it should be reduced as i believe that not many singles are interested in marriage at this moment of time as the economic recession is the main important thought that they have on their minds. Moreover,most of them would be rather affected by the retrenchment and pay cuts. So,marriage would not be in the cards, thus it would be wise to cut down on this part.
family planning wise, not many married couples would consider having children due to lack of money and time since both parents may be working and may not be able to care much for the child. So, this is another part whereby the government should cut down costs on.
Whereas, there are other sectors which i believe should not be affected.
firstly, the defence sector.As everyone know, singapore is a small island with few resources and thus deemed as vulnerable if other countries declare war. The consequences of the war should it happen, would be dire and another crisis might occur. Thus defence should not be cutting down costs for the protection of everyone.
Next, the education sector. The costs should not be reduced as there is great importance in upbringing the future generations who would eventually govern singapore.Good leaders of the future is an important aspect of singapore's government.Thus without learned and matured adults to govern singapore,singapore would be in jeopardy. So, the costs in the education sector should not be cut down.
peiqin (13) 310 :D
I think that if the government decides not to dip into the reserves, they should cut costs in the aspect of marriage and family planning.
ReplyDeleteWHY MARRIAGE AND FAMILY PLANNING????
In this downturn, fewer people would be willing to start a family or have more children. The high standards living nowadays will deter more couples into having children. They also wouldn't want to start a family unless they are certain they can provide a stable home and income for the family. With this economic crisis, lesser people are able to do that. Usually when money is involved, some people would put their jobs first, rather than their family. Thus, if the government cuts cost in this aspect, the losses might not be as major.
Defence is definitely out of the question. If our defence is weak, compounded by the fact that Singapore is a small country with limited man power and resources, we will definitely lose out in times of a war. Maybe we should even spend more money on this aspect, so as to enhance stability and safety in our nation!
If the government cuts down on education, tourism and infrastructure, we will not stand to gain. Education is vital in nurturing young Singaporeans, so that in their time, they would be able to support themselves and maintain the high standard of Singapore. Tourism plays a rather big part in Singapore's income. Singapore can depend on tourism if more places of interest are built. This way, if tourism improves in Singapore, more jobs will be created, lowering Singapore's dwindling unemployment rate. The government should promote Singapore as a tourism sanctury more. Infrastructure is very important in every country. It's the basic systems and structures that a country needs in order to work properly, such as roads, railways, banks etc. If Singapore doesn't have a suitable economic infrastructure, we will be hit by the economic crisis even harder and Singaporeans may lose faith in the government gradually.
I hope that the governmnent makes the right choice, whether to dip into reserves or otherwise!
- LEEEEEEE SAY HUA! 310 (6) ;D (I'm a week late :O)
If the government decigovernment decides not to dip into the reserves, I don’t think we should cut the cost in any aspects.
ReplyDeleteWhy:
Defense- If we cut down costs of defense, crimes rate will increase and external threats would affect the mentality of people thinking that Singapore is not a safe country thus makes tourist not want to visit Singapore or even come to Singapore in the first place. It would also make Singaporeans feel weary of each other.
Education- Education is important for the future, because it is educating the younger generation as they take over the older generation. Without education, people from other countries will overtake us in knowledge and things which will affect the economy of Singapore.
Tourism and infrastructure- We should not cut costs from tourism and infrastructure as Singapore relies a lot on tourism since it does not have any resources. One example of what poor infrastructure could result in is the incident of the Singapore High flyer. It ceased operation for only a few days had reported huge losses. Although the economy is bad, I think we should put in more money into tourism, as it will attract people more since other countries are also facing the same problem.
Marriage and family planning- People nowadays are less willingly to form a family, since both parties are working and therefore, not able to look after a child, nor need to rely on the other party for money since both are working. Singapore is already facing the problem of an aging population and thus, if marriage and family planning is neglected, Singapore will face a crisis in the future
Ronghua(30) 310
I feel that our nation can cut down on Tourism,marriage and family planning.
ReplyDeleteFirstly,i think that we can cut down on tourism.As although tourism is an important factor for expanding our country's economy,during this economic crisis the number of tourists visiting our country would naturally drop thus using money on tourism would be a waste.
Secondly,i think that we can cut down on marriages.As at this time people will be having much trouble trying to cope with the crisis at hand,thus they will not have much time to think about marriage.Money spent on marriage would not be useful to the economy at this time.
Lastly,i think we can cut down on family planning as it is not a very important factor to out economy.During this 'rainy day' we should try to cut down on costs as much as possible thus since family planning is not very important,besides the fact that families should try to have as many children as they can so as to help our country have a stronger younger generation,family planning costs spent by the government should be cut down upon.
-leon lim 310
I think that our government can cut costs in all the above. Basically, if the world becomes a peaceful place without war and all that then we wouldn't need an army. So if we just stay neutral, and declare that we do not want to take part in war, we do not need to waste any money in building a defence force. And if anyone defies us and attacks us we just have to complain to the UN and the UN will beat them up for us. Yay, victory!
ReplyDeleteWe can cut costs in education if we first destroy all the schools and then make our scientists focus on creating an Education Pill. Then the students just have to eat an Education Pill and they'll gain the knowledge they need. However, to make it fair, a time system can be created so that after consumption of the pill, knowledge will gradually be formed in the brain over a period of time.
Who needs tourism? Whenever foreigners come to Singapore, we rob them of all their money at whichever airport they come from, use some hi-tech device to erase all their memory of the incident, put them to sleep and send them back. Then they don't have a clue where their money has gone. Haha. Free cash.
I'm Lee Russell from 310, Reg. No. 22. Not Russell Lim from 310.
Due to economic recession, I think that the government has to dip into the reserves as cutting cost in any aspect of our nation building may not help much.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, investing in such aspects are very important. For example, we cannot cut cost in defence as Singapore may be more vulnerable to sudden terrorist attacks or wars. For education, large amount of teachers are needed since there is a decline in the number of people in the profession. Also, students have to be well- equipped with skills and knowledge so that they can be part of Singapore’s workforce and contribute to the society in one way or another in future. Tourism is part of the country’s source of revenue, especially after the completion of the IRs in Marina and Sentosa next time even though the number of tourists may decrease for the time being. Marriage and family planning is important because we will be facing an aging population soon since couples prefer to have lesser number of babies compared to the olden days.
Hence, I think that we should cut costs in infrastructure as it is quite sufficient, advanced and usable for the time being. Furthermore, we can also cut costs in the number of foreign talents for now since large amount of money is invested on them. Singaporeans also have the capability and talents just that they may not be good enough at the moment. However, they can be trained to excel provided if they are willing to put in a lot of effort. I believe that we will feel more proud of our country if there are more home- grown Singaporeans involved in e.g. the Youth Games, etc.
For now, we should focus more on how to boost the economy or increase the country’s revenue so that we do not have to worry so much about money and therefore, not dipping into the reserves or cutting costs in certain aspects of nation building.
Jing Zhen; 310:D
In my opinion, Singapore should not be using its reserves at all. This is because if we do so, it may lead to a bad habit where we use our reserves to allow singaporeans to lead a pampered lifestyle. Such an example can be found in malaysia where the people protest against the banishment of the fuel levy. Also, we should not be overly reliant on our reserves as the future is unforeseen and the worst is yet to come.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of defense, it is impossible for us to cut costs. Since 9/11, the heightened threats of terrorism has made it even more important for us to maintain a resilient and strong army to combat this threat. The threat of terrorism is real and it can happen anytime, anywhere. Any lapse in our defence would be a window of opportunity for terrorists to strike.
Education-wise, it is also more or less impossible to reduce spending. This is because manpower is important and since it is our only natural resource, without education, Singapore would have no future.
As for tourism, Singapore's economy is also highly dependant on it as it contains a substantial amount of jobs such as the hotel and entertainment business. With a reduction of finances in this sector would further affect Singapore's economical situation.
Marriage and family planning is an impossible choice to decrease cost on. This is because Singapore is already suffering from falling birth rates and as mentioned above, our manpower is our only natural resource and without it we would not be able to last long.
As for the only possibility I believe is available for the government to cut spending is the infrastructure. This is because our infrastructure is already quite advanced compared to most countries in asia. This can be seen from our 3 lines of MRT and another 2 upcoming new lines. Our complex bus services also does not require much improvement. Traffic jams are easily settled with the ERP gantries at these narrow chokepoints. Noting these, our infrastructure can be seen as sufficient and no futher advances are needed for now and therefore we can reduce our spending in this sector.
BiLLY CHiA [17] 310
i feel that we should not use our nation reserves as we will be used to it and when we encounter such a crisis again, we will apply the same way. instead, i feel that we should cut cost on some aspects of our nation.
ReplyDeletefirstly, for tourism, it is rather essential for such a small country like singapore as we do not produce natural resources and our only way to earn money is through tourism. thus, if we were to cut cost on tourism, no people would want to come here for holiday and our economy will be greatly affected.
secondly, education must also not be cut as the generation of people that is studying hard now will be the next batch that will lead singapore to greater heights.instead, we should organise my courses for this children to prepare them for the future.
thirdly, i feel that thwy should not cut costs on defence as singapore is a very small country which makes us very vulnerable to attacks and without our army, we will always be bullied by our neighbouring countries. besides that, we will always face threat from them and we won't have a say in anything. thus, we must have a strong army to prevent such things from happening.
lastly, i feel that they should cut costs on family planning. this is because at such a time, who would want to get married.this is because it will increase the standard of living. most couples now do not have the steady income to support a family and that they hope to earn enough family to afford a car and a house before starting a family.
lim zheng de(27) class: 310
Based on the article, I think that the government should cut costs on the aspect of mariage and family planning and since out of the five aspects of nation building that is to be taken into consideration of cost cutting, only that one could be compromised.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, the cost of defence and national security can never ever be cut. This is because it involves all of our security. If we were to allow our security to be compromised, then chances are that more cases of Mas Selamat escaping would occur. In worse scenarios, even terrorists might come knocking onto Singapore's doors.
Secondly, the cost of education should also not be cut. This is because there is a great of courses and materials which we have to attend and buy. If subsidies are being axed away, then it is going to have a strong impact on us as students.
Thirdy, tousim is another area by which costs should be not reduced. This is because, especially in times of recession, the economy is affected and tourism makes up a large part of our nation's economy. If costs should be reduced from the area of tourism, then all the more people wouldn't want to visit Singapore. If such should happen, then Singapore would be further affected by the economic crisis.
Fourthly, infrastructure. The reason behind having the IR is to boost the amount of people visiting Singapore, thereafter resulting in the increase in Singapore's economy. If it all boils down to Singapore having a better economy and all of us leading a better life, then I see no reason why the cost of infrastructure should be reduced.
Last but not least, marriage and family planning. To be honest, I am pretty sure that some of its cost could be reduced. The first thing that came to my mind when we talk about marriage and family planning would be the baby bonus. If the government was to reward couples for every baby that they give birth to, then it would eventually amount to a large sum, considering the fact that a lot of babies are born each year. I believe that couples should know that they give birth to a baby not just to get the baby bonus, but because they want a child. If so, then they should understand that the costs from baby bonus could be channelled to other aspects to help boost Singapore's economy.
Eunice Chua (3)
309
I do not think we should cut costs from any of the aspects above.
ReplyDeleteDefence is extremely vital in protecting Singapore from both internal and external threats, especially since we are a little red dot on the map. Without good and strong defence, it will make us vulnerable to attacks from other countries. Also, the crime rate in Singapore would increase.
Education prepares the youths in Singapore for their future, so that they can play their part in the building of our nation. Without education, the younger generation in Singapore would not be able to take over the older generation when the time comes for them to.
Tourism has always been high depended on by Singapore for money and generation of the economy, this can be seen through Singapore trying their best to get foreigners visit Singapore. Also, if we cut costs on tourism, people working in the tourism line would be likely to lose their jobs and this would worsen the economy.
Marriage and family planning is important and essential for Singapore’s future. Singapore is already an ageing population. We should not cut costs in this area, or Singaporeans might become extinct someday!
Singapore should certainly not cut costs from infrastructure, as this will make many people lose their jobs. In fact, Singapore should be concentrating on infrastructure during this economic crisis, so that more people can get jobs and there will be less retrenchment. Even police would probably lose their jobs and this would further increase the crime rate!
If worse comes to worst, maybe we can cut down on tourism. Tourists won’t be coming to Singapore as much as they did before anyway, as a result of the economic crisis. We can probably improve on this aspect later when the economy improves.
Chengyee, (11), 310
Oh yeah, and education not only educates the youths, Singapore is now using our education to attract foreign students from countries like China, Indonesia and Africa! This increases Singapore's income as well.
ReplyDeleteChengyee (11) 310
Singapore’s economy depends largely on export refining imported goods, especially in manufacturing. Also, tourism is another big industry of its economy. I feel the government should not cut on tourism n infrastructure. Singapore has high population, once cut on infrastructure, which is to say, cut on the maintenances of the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society. I believe we would face plethora of problems. Also, advanced infrastructure brings Singapore more foreign talents.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, Education is important for the future developments of Singapore. Better Education also attracts young foreign scholars to settle in Singapore. Thus must not be reduced.
Family planning and Marriage are very important at this difficult time. Divorce rate would increase and more people are reluctant to find a life partner as of financial difficulties. Thus, to stabilize the society and balance, it should not be cut down also.
Internal defenses are important just like infrastructure. But External Defenses are less important. Thus I think the government can cut from there.
"Which aspect of our nation building can we cut costs - defence, education, tourism, marriage and family planning, infrastructure or others?"
ReplyDeletePersonally cutting costs for any thing is never a good thing, but if it is inevitable, we must get our priorities right.
Defence- Cutting cost in defence will result will result in our army being less well-equiped, and result in Singapore being less powerful and less capable to defend itself against other countries and terrorists, but then its not like the cuts will be that massive, thats why cutting costs here is reasonable as the military funds are more than sufficient. (BEST)
Tourism- Cutting costs here is also reasonable, as singapore tourism industry can support itself for a while, and tourists are our least priority now, locals should be first.
The only areas that should be cut are these 2 , as the rest will affect the people's well being a lot more than these 2 factors.
Hopefully the economies will recover =)
I think that all aspects of nation building are important and the government should probably just cut a little bit of cost from each of them rather than cutting one or two aspects.
ReplyDelete-Sara 309 (15)
I think that the area that should be cut down is marriage. It is so as most people would not get married in this year, because it would be a tight budget for the year, so the government should cut down in marriage. And, Singapore's population is above average, therefore, for this year, the only area that should be cut down is marriage. Another reason is that, marriage is a stable thing, you can get divorce after a few months.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I feel that we should dip into our reserves as what are the reserves for if the Government rather cut costs than use them? Singapore is a small country and cutting costs, in any area, would be posing a threat to ourselves.
ReplyDeleteDefence - Like I said, Singapore is a small country. One bomb would kill the entire nation, therefore, defence is highly important in our country. Even though we have International Agreements, other countries MIGHT take this opportunity to attack us if costs are cut.
Education - Small country, small population. The younger generation is needed for the future of Singapore. Therefore, Singapore is also putting in a lot of effort in areas of education. Education is not prioritised in other countries, therefore, many foreigners do come to Singapore to study. This increases revenue as well.
Marriage and family planning - This area is the most important as Singapore is an ageing population. The government needs to do all they can to make sure that our population increases so that Singapore's future will be secured.
Tourism - Singapore has no natural resources, making us very vulnerable in that sense. We need tourism to increase our revenues so that we can still buy resources from other countries. Singapore has an advanced techonology, making others interested to come to Singapore. We need to ensure that we have funds to host events like the 'Formula One' and ' Volvo Ocean ' Races in the near future. We need to maintain our position in the market.
However, due to the current economic crisis, there would not be much travelling taking place. Hence, cutting limited costs from tourism would be liable as we do not need money in this area for this period of time. The money for the IR can be dipped into as I am sure that not many will be in casinoes during this period.
Infrastructure - More money should be pooled into this area when the economy improves. If Singapore spends more effort in improving our infrastructure and bringing it to the next level, people would be attracted and our revenues would then increase again.
If the government decides not to dip into the reserves, I think that marriage & family planning and tourism aspects' costs can be cut down on.
ReplyDeleteGiven the current economic situation, I believe that most couples, whether wed or not, would not be having any plans of having children. They would probably be more focused on their career, in fear of losing their jobs, and most importantly, their current lifestyle of which they have grown to be so used to over the years.
Although Singapore has an ageing population, and it would probably be more important to change that factor, or perhaps make it more 'balanced', it would be more practical of the working population to focus on their career as most of them would need to support their family, especially their ageing parents.
However, family planning is of high importance as it would prevent and lower the chances of unwanted babies and/ or children. Yet, family planning at the same time can be covered under Education. Educating the young is very important as it teaches and guides them what to do. Also, children tend to 'report' to their parents/ family of what they've learned in school. This way, both the adult and child would benefit.
As much as Tourism contributes to the revenue of Singapore, a country with very little resources, with only people as the main resource, I feel that costs should still be cut down under the Tourism aspect as most tourists/ foreigners would probably not be interested in going overseas as the economy is bad. Also, the recent breakdown of the Singapore Flyer would probably have caused a negative impression of Singapore's tourism ability and facilities.
Infrastructure: Unless investing in this aspect would improve the social lives of those who are in real need of, the costs in this area should be cut down on. Although we would never know when the economy would take a turn, we should still wait until the economy is better.
Needless to say, the costs used in Defence should (at least) be maintained. Though the chances of Singapore being invovled in a war anytime soon are very minimised with the current economic situation, we should still be alert and prepared to defend our country. If costs were to be cut down in this area, we might lose out when technology (and therefore weapons created) advances as we would need much more effort to learn and figure the utility of them. Psychological defence is very much important now; People should still be encouraged to help defend and love their country.
! SABRINA, 310.
I think the government should cut costs in marriage and family planning.
ReplyDeleteThe government should not cut costs on defence because defence is very important to Singapore. Cutting costs would mean that Singapore is not as well-equiped with military weapons as other countries. It would also mean that Singapore is vulnerable to attacks from other countries. Thus, they should not cut costs on defence.
Singapore gets most of her revenue from tourism. Every year, millions and millions of people passes through the Changi Airport alone. Also, Singapore boasts one of the largest ferris wheel in the world, the Singapore Flyer. It generated most of Singapore's revenue and attracts a lot of tourists. Singapore also has places of interests like Little India, Chinatown and Kampong Glam which have a very rich history behind them. Thus, they should not cut costs on tourism either.
Singapore depends on the next generation to become future leaders. Thus, education is as important. Many of the scholars from other countries are coming to Singapore's universities to study. That proves that Singapore's education system is of top quality.
Singapore has a limited land space. Thus, infrastructure helps to maximise land space usage.
Due to the global economic crisis that is happening now, many people would not be ready to start a new family. Thus, it would be wise to cut costs from here.
I felt that Singapore's government should, like what Mrs Josephine Teo stated, wait some time for further indications of worsening in the current economic crisis, or in other words, should not dip into national reserves so soon to fund the measures for the downturn.
ReplyDeleteAs the nickname, rainy-day savings, has suggested, the national reserves are reserved for serious purposes during a massive downfall in whatever problems a tiny nation should face. Therefore, it would be safer to at least look out for further worsening in the crisis for the next few weeks and see if the problem gets better. If it isn't, then the government should really consider whether to dip into the reserves for necessary measures even if it means that Singapore could land itself in deep trouble over the years if new challenges should arise.
Moving on, if Singapore really decides not to dip into the reserves, I should say it would have been better to cut the costs in defence, marriage, family planning and tourism, while avoiding the possibility to lay a finger on our education and infrastructure. Since Singapore has great relationships with other fellow countries, I would consider it as safe to cut down costs in external defence against foreign attacks. Though it is one of the best ways to provide revenue for the country, tourism is not necessary to provide Singapore with all the wealth compared to other aspects. Marriage and family planning fall under personal matters and as such, people should find their own ways or decide if they want to carry out the procedures necessary for a rich future or otherwise. On the other hand, Singapore should try not to lay a single finger on aspects such as education and infrastructure. Selfishly, I would like to say that these aspects are the core in every country and without these, the country would definitely find themselves in huge trouble. Education is important to add intelligence value to the country, while infrastructure ensures our nation falls under the category of a first-world country and as such, residents live a better life than many others.
Though comments like this do little to contribute in what the government acts, it would be better if the government turn to the citizens for thoughts and advices. After all, economic crisis like this affects the whole nation and residents like us should play a small part in the government's thinking. In a way, if the measures don't turn out to be what we had expected, Singapore would not blame the government for full responsibility provided the government took the people's words and acted their way.
- Kang Jie (37) 310.
If the government decides not to dip into the reserves, i think we can cut costs on marriage and family planning.
ReplyDeleteMarriage & Family plannings- I think it is more like personal matters. Although the economy is bad now and perhaps more couples will not want to have children, but that is their choice. There may be other considerations on it. There will still be couples who want to have babies. Perhaps if the economy is doing good in the future, perhaps the government can consider in increasing the cost for education.
Education-It is a very important aspect in a country. There may be some poor families who requires a lot of subcidies from the government, if not, they ,may not have enough money to let their children to go to school. With new technologies, students will understand lesson more. The country will prosper if the people were well educated. Besides, educational fees in Singapore is not very cheap.
Defence-Defence is also a very important aspect in every country. Although defence does not seems to be important , but better be safe than sorry. National Service is made compulsory for men in singapore, the motive is to have enough people to protect the country when needed ,especially with the threat of terrorists now. People in the country will feel more safe with a strong defence in the country.
Tourism-The government earn a lot from this aspect. Besides, the casinos will be ready soon, in this case, there will be more tourists coming to Singapore. Tourists will also understand more of our culture during their stay here.
I think the government can cut cost on having foreign talens in Singapore, example having scholars from other country to study in Singapore. Singapore have a lot of people without jobs, if there are more scholars, more jobs will be taken and people may have to go other countries to look for better job. The government should instead nuture more local talents as this is thir own country and they will want to play a part. Besides, there may be students who have hidden talents. Not many students will enjoy studying with scholars from other countries as they may felt threaten.
The government should also get comments from the people. Besides, that is the why every estate has MP.
Khoo Wan Xin (8)309
I feel that the government should dip into the reserves, after all, that is what reserves are for. It is supposed to be used when there are doubts over the economic outlooks, which is the current situation we are in, and therefore, dipping into the reserves is a perfectly logical soluti
ReplyDeleteHowever, if we were to find areas to cut costs in, one area could be that of foreign talent. If we continue to attract foreign talent, we may seem to be less nationalistic as compared to other neighbouring countries, although a reason why we must do so is because of our small population.
Also, there are some areas in which, not only should we not cut costs, we should maybe invest more in these areas, such as defence, as our country is frail and prone to attacks.
The tourism aspect of Singapore is rather stable for the time being, but there may be needs to cut costs in certain areas, as fewer foreigners may come for a holiday, due to the economic crisis. As for infrastructure, developers are now renting units they possess to cut the costs of taxes. Because of that, I feel the government need not worry as the there will probably be a rise in demand for HDB flats beacause of the lack of private housing, as the developers' projects are currently put on hold.
Chen Zexuan(18) 310
Should the government decide not to utilise our national reserves, I feel that funds can be reduced from areas of marraige and family planning. Despite their important role in aiding newly-weds to cope with starting a new family, there is a contrast with our current economic issues.
ReplyDeleteA strong army is necessary to safeguard our country's best interest as well as to keep the people safe from threats like terrorism and such. Comprimising with this would leave us vulnerable to attacks which would be even less favourable to us in the situations we are in.
As for the area of tourism, i also feel that costs should not be cut from it as it provides the people with many job oppotunities and it also supplies us with a large amount of revenue annually. This would be vital if we would want to retain our economic growth. Thus, we should not cut costs from it.
Education is the very basis of a society. We would require people of intelligence and foresight to lead our country in the future for our country to grow and prosper.
Educating the youngs ones is needed as our current ministers and officials would soon become old. Therefore, in such times, funds should still not be cut from that area.
As for our infrastructure, we too, should avoid cutting any costs from it as it would lead to the losing of jobs for the people. With less retrenchments, more revenue would be generated. Infrastructure will be necessary to keep our society going, thus we cannot take away any funds from it.
Summarising it all, I feel that the Singapore government should only cut costs from marraige and family planning. But the government should not make it a habbit to use the reserves whenever they meet a problem that would be hard to resolve, but think of other alternatives unless it is really desperate.
A country will not be complete without strong fortifications.Therefore, for the safety of the people, defence is not something the government should compromise.
ReplyDeleteTourism is not only a major revenue generator for Singapore, it is also a source of jobs for people and cutting costs on tourism would mean taking away job opportunities for people, which is something the government wants to improve on in 2009.
Needless to say, education is an important part of our lives because it is a major factor in determining who we will be in a few years time. Should the government cut cost on education,the future generation may not be able to develop to their fullest potential and that is not good for the future of Singapore.
Good infrastructure will ensure accessibility in Singapore so the government should not cut costs from it either.
I think the government should cut costs from marriage and family planning. Singaporeans are career-oriented people who already have very little time to manage a family and the downtrodden economy is not doing much to help.
Since very little people would choose such an ungodly timing to start a family, i think the government can spend less on this aspect of our nation building.
Personally, if the government decides not to dip into the reserves, they should cut cost on marriage and family planning.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, I believe that we cannot cut down cost on defence, as it is very important to defend our country. If we cut down cost on defence and focus on our internal economy problems, we would never know if other countries may make use of this chance to attack our country, as our defence is not strong enough.
Also, education is important for survival, therefore we should not cut down cost on it. The young generation needs to be educated well, as they are the future of Singapore. If cost is cut down on education, the young people would not recieve good education, and this might affect the future of Singapore.
Tourism is one of the main income generation for Singapore. With the economy crisis that everyone is facing now, many people are not going overseas. However, there are still a small group of people who still goes to other countries, despite the recession. This means that there is competition between countries, as there are lesser people who are going overseas. If Singapore does not spend money on tourism, we may be behind other countries, and the tourists would not choose our country to visit, leading to a drop in the income from tourism.
For marriage and family planning, I think that the government should cut cost from it. With the economic crisis that everyone is facing today, people have to cut down their cost on their daily lives, and that already includes that electricity fees and many more. Marriage needs money, and to build up a family, money is very essential. I think that people should use their money on facing the economic problems first. After solving their economic problems, then they can start planning and earning for marriage and family, as they would have a stable income by then.
Lastly, infrastructure is very important. If we cut down cost on it, people will lose their jobs. In my opinion, the government should focus on infrastructure, so that Singaporeans can hold on to their jobs and not get retrenched during this important period of time.
In all, I feel that marriage and family planning is the least important out of all. It is important for the future, but the government should focus on other things first, before spending the money on it.
Shuning :) (20) 309
I guess we can cut (the most) costs on marriage and family planning.
ReplyDeleteLook at the phrase 'the more the merrier', it is usually used to describe the more people the merrier, right?
However, for Singaporeans, i guess its the most suitable to be applied as the more MONEY the merrier.
Money, money, money, everyone's talking about money. Its like as if money is our alternative to oxygen.
The economy we are living in now's met with a crisis. Most Singaporeans being 'kiasu' and 'kiasi', after listening to the news or reading the newspapers, would start saving money, and cut down on their spending as much as they can.
Most breadwinners would be thinking of how to support their familes and to protect their rice bowls. Would anyone think of giving birth to more children, just like the 'the more the merrier' theory? Nah, i dont think so, they most probably arent ready to start a new family which would mean an extra mouth to feed. Thus, cutting costs from there's a wiser choice.
Government policies like the Baby Bouns policy and controlling birth are also covered under Sec2 Geography syllabus, so most of our younger generation would be educated on family planning. Therefore, family planning can be covered under Education.
Apart from that, I think some costs can be cut from Defence.
Yes, having a strong army and reserve force is very important to prevent Singapore from being vulnerable any possible attacks, but i guess we can stay as how we are NOW, without improving our defence technology YET.
Meanwhile we can actually focus more on Education- there are many advertisements and posters on trains and MRT Stations about Total Defence and terriosm.
The main message the Singapore Government is trying to convey is that everyone must play a part in defending Singapore and to stay alert and united at all times.
That is also what a Total Defence Day is for right?
So, educating Singaporeans on Total Defence is equally important to give them a right mindset on defending our country, as it all boils down to unity when a conflict really arises. Starting with the younger generations to provide a good base on Total Defence especially Psychological defence would be good for all to understand its importance (from young).
Therefore, we cannot cut down on Education as it is important for our future generation which would be needed to sustain our country in the future.
Tourism can remain as it is now, but i think the government should not expand our Places of Interest for the time being as the Singapore Flyer has already caused much trouble and disgrace to us.
What tourists should/would be more interested or what Singapore should be more proud of is our rich cultural heritage. =)
Being one of the more unique countries, Singapore has four different main races compared to other countries, thus focusing on our different cultures(or what we already have like Orchard Road) would attract more tourists as it is a new eye opener for them.
To support the above reason, we already have Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India set in place. By just visiting those places, we can definitely know more interesting facts about other cultures we had no idea about in the past.
On top of that, isnt The Little Nyonya a big hit? It was also particularly due to its Peranakan culture that attracted many people to watch it, with the very interesting (and never before shown on TV) Peranakan culture being something fresh and new to the audience.
Isnt that what makes the serial unique? Arent those (different cultures and races PLUS DELICIOUS FOOD) the birth to the phrase Uniquely Singapore?
Thus, it is actually possible to focus on our original culture (or create more ideas based on our culture) rather than to add new technologies where anywhere else in the world can also have.
Infrastructure facilitates the production of goods and services so we should not cut costs from here.
The end.
Thanks and sorry for the late submission.
YUHAN 310
I think that we can cut costs from tourism. Even though tourism is important in expanding Singapore’s economy, with this economy crisis now, I doubt much people would be going for tours at this time.
ReplyDeleteWe can also cut down on family planning, as most couples would be facing the prospect of not having a job and would not be able to have money to support a family.
Defence is important as it concerns our safety and the stability of Singapore. Education is important for shaping Singapore’s future leaders and training our next generation, as such I do not think we should cut costs in these two aspects.
Ps. Sorry for the late submission!
Rachel [04] S310
I don't think we should cut too much cost from tourism. Most of Singapore's income comes from tourism and it also improves Singapore's image to other countries.
ReplyDeleteCutting cost on defense is not an option. Defense protects Singapore, cutting cost from it will leave Singapore vulnerable to attacks. If Singapore is taken over by another country then no matter how much reserves you pour into infrastructure and tourism it would no longer help Singapore.
Although the economy crisis proves to be a problem for tourism. Leaving sufficent funds for tourism is very important as tourism leaves the image that people who visit Singapore will bring back.
We can also cut some cost on family planning, as most couples would be facing the prospect of not having a job or have sufficent to start a family themselves. However, we must still leave some subsidies and money gifts or else it would decrease Singapore's birth rate.
Cutting cost from education is not advisable either. Because education provides the future generation of Singapore a means of survival and it also maintains the high education level of Singapore making it easier for them to get jobs overseas and within Singapore.
Lastly, infrastructure is very important. If we cut down cost on it, people will lose their jobs, the government should focus on infrastructure, to give Singaporeans more jobs to do and save them in this time of economic crisis.
P.S. Sorry for the late submission.