Source : The Straits Times, Dec 28, 2007
I REFER to the intention of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) to increase the annual property tax on all HDB flats next year.
Iras says it has to do this as the last increase was in 2004, and a tax hike on private properties has already been implemented.
Families are struggling to cope with the recent increase in goods and services tax (GST), on top of ever-increasing prices in household expenditure and marketing.
Oil prices fluctuate and this has caused a chain reaction in prices of essential goods.
The monsoon season is upon us and this, again, will cause a drastic price increase in vegetables and seafood, not to mention the recent price increase in flour which has caused another chain reaction in prices of food.
In Singapore, once there is an increase in price, it will not come down and the retailers have all sorts of excuses not to bring it down.
If there is a body set up to oversee this, it should do more to curtail such increases in prices of goods and so convince people of its effectiveness.
In view of all this, is there a good reason and is this the right time to increase property tax? Flat dwellers have no choice but to comply.
People who live in HDB flats should speak out as the impact, although marginal, could impose hardship on them bearing in mind other daily household expenditure.
Iras should help people, especially families with no breadwinner at all who are still committed to meet daily and monthly household expenditure and their children's education.
Income tax grants need to be improved to eliminate hardship on families that find it difficult to make ends meet.
Some families suffer in silence.
Ridzwan Abdullah
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Source : Straits Times, Jan 2, 2008
I AGREE completely with Mr Ridzwan Abdullah, it completes a trend of unreasonable price increases in Singapore.
When you add up all the increases in 2007 - bus fares, taxi fares, GST, income tax, tax on utility bills, school bus fare hikes, bread prices and all the trigger effect - this property tax increase is insensitive.
HDB flats comprise basic housing for the people. That the property tax for private properties was raised is a lame excuse for the Government to do so for HDB flats.
In fact, judging from the problems we have in HDB estates that the authorities had not tackled satisfactorily - increased noise level, increased fire hazards, dengue problem, dumping of rubbish in corridors - there should be a decrease in property tax.
For the 35 per cent of us who pay income tax, there should be more rebates to cope with the increase cost of living.
Yum Shoen Liang
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