Singapore Expats

Just some thoughts:

* Cars are expensive here and so is the COE. Official reason: to discourage car ownership. But they could've just limited the number of cars imported into Singapore, right? Also, ERP

* Telcos fail to meet quality standards. Instead of making them make it up to customers, they're fined. Telcos are penalized and but customers have no reparation for lost services. Ditto for transport.

* Real estate agents get commission based on rent (for tenants). They have no incentive to drive the price down. Also, it's subject to GST.

* Court rules in your favor. Want it enforced? Pay up.

Good thing, Singapore has the lowest income tax rates in the world, huh?



(before you say it, of course, it's always worse somewhere else)

nakatago wrote:Just some thoughts:

* Cars are expensive here and so is the COE. Official reason: to discourage car ownership. But they could've just limited the number of cars imported into Singapore, right? Also, ERP

* Telcos fail to meet quality standards. Instead of making them make it up to customers, they're fined. Telcos are penalized and but customers have no reparation for lost services. Ditto for transport.

* Real estate agents get commission based on rent (for tenants). They have no incentive to drive the price down. Also, it's subject to GST.

* Court rules in your favor. Want it enforced? Pay up.

Good thing, Singapore has the lowest income tax rates in the world, huh?



(before you say it, of course, it's always worse somewhere else)

Still...there's nowhere else I'd rather be (to live...Singapore is a crappy holiday destination...)

Why!?

nakatago wrote:Just some thoughts:

* Cars are expensive here and so is the COE. Official reason: to discourage car ownership. But they could've just limited the number of cars imported into Singapore, right? Also, ERP

The only difference would be probably less transparent procedures and the money going to the importers or dealers instead of the state or to the state but via some concessions fees.

* Telcos fail to meet quality standards. Instead of making them make it up to customers, they're fined. Telcos are penalized and but customers have no reparation for lost services. Ditto for transport.

I believe this is not Singapore exclusive and I am talking about so called developed countries.

* Real estate agents get commission based on rent (for tenants). They have no incentive to drive the price down. Also, it's subject to GST.

In principle not any longer the case.

* Court rules in your favor. Want it enforced? Pay up.

This is pretty common I believe. What is confusing in Singapore is no clear path for recovery of the legal expenses. It is surely possible but what when and how is confusing.

Good thing, Singapore has the lowest income tax rates in the world, huh?



(before you say it, of course, it's always worse somewhere else)

x9200 wrote:Why!?

Slow news day.

with only 792 sq kilometers to manage there's not much to do but go and fine people and this and that

rajagainstthemachine wrote:with only 792 sq kilometers to manage there's not much to do but go and fine people and this and that

rajagainstthemachine wrote:with only 792 sq kilometers to manage there's not much to do but go and fine people and this and that

I often wonder what miracles LKY could have done with 729,000 sq km.

Absolutely nothing. I don't think what has been done with a City-State could be done with a country that actually has a "hinterland" and a method of living without the constraints of the government. Also, not as easy to get the word out rapidly when changing direction as they are wont to do every couple of weeks or so.

Things that irk me :

1. the pricing cartel among the telecom service providers, as there are only 3 providers sharing pricing information among each other is going to be easy.
I think there should be at least 6-8 service providers for healthy competition.

2. the pricing cartels extend to cable television as well with singtel and starhub being the only 2 providers, its unbelievable that despite Singapore being totally capitalist there are only 2 providers which are allowed to broadcast in a near monopolist system.

Also on a related note can anyone tell me why IPTV is preferred over DTH ?

rajagainstthemachine wrote:Things that irk me :

1. the pricing cartel among the telecom service providers, as there are only 3 providers sharing pricing information among each other is going to be easy.
I think there should be at least 6-8 service providers for healthy competition.

2. the pricing cartels extend to cable television as well with singtel and starhub being the only 2 providers, its unbelievable that despite Singapore being totally capitalist there are only 2 providers which are allowed to broadcast in a near monopolist system.

Both your examples bring up SingTel and you are aware of who the ultimate owner is, right?

Answering that will tell you why there is little in the way of price/content competition. Having said that, the last time there was a fight they really screwed themselves with the EPL auction a couple of years ago and then the government stepped in, and effectively removed what competition started.

With regards the duoploy of SingTel and StarHub with regards TV/Mobile/Broadband it only leaves M1 on the outside, and from what I hear their service is the best. They had a problem last week, yes, but they are repaying customers back a bit as an apology and I don't see the other two doing that.

learned something new . since my friend on facebook suggested it would be nice to have fruit trees planted along the road instead of flowering trees so people can also enjoy the fruits. i commented that it wouldnt work over here coz of the number of people who will complain bout people picking fruits outside their flats.Video and complaints online would be enormous... i checked on stomp and indeed there were about 6 pages of videos with that subject.

so i learned that apparently there is a fine for people picking fruits from trees on the roadside without permission. about S$5,000 if my research is correct. they take the fun out of everything.

morenangpinay wrote:they take the fine out of everything.

fixed

morenangpinay wrote:learned something new . since my friend on facebook suggested it would be nice to have fruit trees planted along the road instead of flowering trees so people can also enjoy the fruit. i commented that it wouldnt work over here coz of the number of people who will complain bout people picking fruit outside their flats.Video and complaints online would be enormous... i checked on stomp and indeed there were about 6 pages of videos with that subject.

so i learned that apparently there is a fine for people picking fruit from trees on the roadside without permission. about S$5,000 if my research is correct. they take the fun out of everything.

FTFY too

thanks fruitcakes

This poses an interesting case - "fruitcakes" could be considered a term of endearment albeit new to me, whereas "fruitcake" would suggest something entirely different, at least in American vernacular, and would not fit in with what I know about Mi Amigo.

Meanwhile, back to the subject matter, a better alternative to fruit trees and the trees that currently exist, specifically along the ECP and other highways, would be shrubs or other low-maintenance, safer flora.

I could never understand why anyone would choose to put a perpetual endangerment to motor vehicle passenger's lives with those trees. In the park where I walk, almost every day is a fallen branch large enough to take out a group of people or significantly damage a moving car.

Yes they prune them but that is not 100% reliable.