Day Two of the Budget Debate opened with MPs questioning the high costs of doing business in Singapore. MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC Inderjit Singh was the first to pinpoint this. He said companies are facing a triple whammy of rising rentals and utilities costs, labour costs and a shortage of workers as a result of economic restructuring. He urged the government to recalibrate its rate of change - so that businesses would not be inclined to relocate across the Causeway to Iskandar. Mr Singh says two areas require attention - the right cost structure for Singapore and the right wage levels for Singaporeans. MP for Sembawang GRC Ong Teng Koon shared similar concerns about the economy. He noted the drop in corporate and personal income tax receipts in the Budget. This, he says, contradicts Gross Domestic Project growth of 4.2 per cent last year. Moving onto the topic of the silver generation, MP for Jurong GRC David Ong says that hes concerned about ageism in the workplace. Employers have to change their mindsets. He called upon the civil service to take the lead in making the workplace non-discriminatory and inclusive.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 06:29:45 +0000