Goh Chee Wee
Singapore
“Sir, I would like to thank HDB and the Government for the upgrading programmes. We saw 4,900 units of flats in my constituency, Boon Lay, benefiting or about to benefit from the Interim and Main Upgrading Programmes. For older constituencies like Boon Lay, most if not all of the flats are eligible for main upgrading.”
“There will be no need to panic and rush to secure COEs at all costs and this will address the kiasu syndrome expressed by Mr Chew Heng Ching earlier on. 1.15 pm In short, the authority must lay out clear rules and regulations and devise a fair and workable system.”
“The actual cost savings to the taxi operators would, therefore, come only from the existing fleet of taxis which were subject to the old tax regime. Nevertheless, there are sizable savings which could be passed on to the taxi drivers.”
“We already have Mercedes and London cabs on our roads to cater for those who are prepared to pay more to travel in style and comfort. One day we might have Kancil and Daihatsu taxis to cater to the budget-conscious commuters, provided the vehicles meet LTA's conditions.”
“Until such time when the taxi industry is completely deregulated, I propose that the Government fix the price of COEs for taxis in the same way that the taxi fares are regulated. We do not expect the taxi fares to fluctuate monthly, neither should the COE price for taxis.”
“Sir, there is currently no plan to extend the MRT line to the cargo and engineering complexes. Any extension will have to be justified in terms of cost and ridership. We should also consider the fact that the cargo and engineering complexes in Changi are housed in a sprawling area and I believe they cover 70 hectares.”
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“I would even suggest that purchase of texts and references should be tax deductible. This is one form of encouraging the reading habit amongst our population. Though the Skills Development Fund may reimburse the employer certain types of training and educational expenses, we are here talking about the wage earner using his hard-earned money and sparing evening hours to improve his skill and knowledge. The situation certainly deserves a careful re-appraisal if our prime objective is to encourage self-development, to step up skills training, and to develop brain services. Sir, I would now move on to offer my suggestion on the use of Central Provident Fund savings for the development of local entrepreneurship. The 10-year Economic Development Plan highlighted the need to encourage our local entrepreneurs to invest in supporting industries which can find a ready market in the multinational corporations operating in Singapore. I would say that, amongst other factors, one reason why there is a dearth of local industrial entrepreneurs is the lack of capital. Many of our middle-level managers working in multi-national companies will want to consider venturing out on their own after several years of stint in a manufacturing environment. Many have established contacts, accumulated expertise, plus management know-how. They will want to pool expertise and resources to start their life-dream of being the owner and manager of their own business. However, the high cost of starting and running a business, such as a supporting industry with its inherent risks, will deter many a would-be entrepreneur. In the end, many will prefer the relative stability of remaining a paid employee, much to the disadvantage and at the expense of the development of local industrial entrepreneurs.”
“Such a measure will then allow greater relief to the taxpayers who shoulder a greater family burden, compared to those who have a lesser burden. I am also aware of the argument that such a measure will result in a reduction of the number of taxpayers. But the people who fall out of the tax net because of this exercise are the ones who can virtually be described as poor by Singapore standards, and I do not see the reason why the Government should insist on taxing them. We are no doubt in full support of the Government's plan to develop Singapore into a modern industrial economy based on science, technology, skills and knowledge, and to build a society that encourages and rewards excellence. However, actions and intentions do not seem to be in consonance with the Income Tax Department's evident handling of claims for tax deduction against an individual's expenditure to upgrade his skill or improve his knowledge. Currently, fees spent on course works, whether for long or short courses, diploma or extra-curriculum, institutional or by correspondence, definitely do not qualify for tax deduction. If we want to be assertive in encouraging our population to upgrade their skills and improve their knowledge, we should spare no effort to give them due recognition and rewards by offering that little incentive in the form of tax relief for fees paid to training institutions. That the taxpayer is willing to exert his own time after a full day's work, at his own expense, to further extend his skill and knowledge to make him an added asset to his employer and the nation as a whole is worthy of consideration of indirect support, such as through a form of partial reimbursement through tax relief. In many western societies, such tax deductions are allowable.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Motion standing in the name of the Hon. Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Health. Sir, it is comforting to note that Singapore has done well in practically all sectors, achieving a double-digit rate of growth of over 10%. The high wage policy has helped to accelerate the pace of automation and mechanization. Labour productivity has increased by 5%, double that of 1979. I agree with the Hon. Minister's observation that our efforts to prepare workers, employers and managers for the difficult task of economic restructuring will have to include the inculcation of proper work and management attitudes. So far, we have concentrated on worker's attitudes, or rather, we have highlighted the negative work attitudes of our workers. We should also examine and analyse the strengths and weaknesses of our managers. This will provide case studies and opportunity to seek improvement. Sir, in enunciating the tax policy, the Hon. Minister made a welcome announcement of a 10% tax rebate to all resident taxpayers. While I welcome the tax cut as an incentive for our citizens to strive and to excel, I feel that the tax burden would be fairer to most taxpayers, especially the lower wage earners, if, instead of, or in addition to the 10% across-the-board reduction, the amount of reliefs deductible for income tax purposes can be increased. I still believe that the current tax reliefs for a wife $1,000, for a child $750, and for a parent $750, are all grossly inadequate. While it is acknowledged that increasing such reliefs will shrink the tax net and thus reduce Government revenue, the schedule can always be structured in such a way that it results in only a predetermined amount of reduction of revenue for the Government.”
“Personnel management is a science and systems of personnel appraisal, promotions, placements, training and motivation. Surely such important functions should be handled professionally and objectively. Mr Speaker, Sir, the future of Singapore depends on our ability to adjust, adapt, innovate and to excel. True, the future will always be fraught with uncertainties and difficulties. With a well formulated long term strategic plan, supplemented by short term tactical changes and corrections as we progress, coupled with a sense of commitment and mission, we should be able to achieve our goals and aspirations. 4.06 p.m.”
“An equally if not more important measure is the ability of the corporation to operate at a most efficient level so as to provide services at the lowest possible cost. While it is easy to attribute price increases to inflation and oil prices, it is not fair to ask consumers to bear the cost of inefficiency, if any exists. The Government should take a look at its various departments, statutory boards and government-owned companies to see that they are operating at optimum efficiency levels. In Government administrative offices, efforts should be made to streamline procedures and simplify tasks. I would like to suggest that all Government departments start a Work Simplification Programme. Let us examine and review our administrative procedures, cut down red tape, eliminate wasteful activities and introduce more efficient systems. The President has aptly said that the conduct of government business has become more complex. This being the case, there is also a need to identify, recruit and, more importantly, to retain talents in the Civil Service and statutory boards. If teamwork is to be practised in the private sector between labour and management, surely in Government departments and statutory boards, good relationship between management and staff becomes more critical. To say that all those who resigned from the Civil Service were for monetary gains is a simplistic explanation to a rather complex problem involving staff motivation, job satisfaction and work environment. Personnel departments in the private sector are a fact of life. But in the Civil Service the tendency is for administrative departments to be set up, concerned more with upholding internal procedures and regulations rather than staff welfare and motivation.”
“I am glad that the Government has drawn up a long term manpower development plan to strengthen the educational and training facilities for engineers, technicians and craftsmen at various levels. Greater emphasis is also to be placed on skills development. Taken as a whole, these training programmes will enable Singapore to build up her capability to absorb advanced technologies. Simultaneously, the Government should also accelerate the process of technology transfer either in the form of joint ventures between overseas and local counterparts, or through the acquisition of manufacturing licences by local entrepreneurs. At the same time, development of our own indigenous R & D capability in strategic areas must be vigorously pursued. Development of R & D capability is an investment where the returns are not immediately realisable. It also involves risk-taking and can prove to be a very expensive exercise. The Government system of budgeting and accountability cannot be applied to the rule in such instances. I would urge the Government to examine the need for the establishment of a national authority to promote and coordinate our national R & D programme. With the Government's new economic policy, especially its policy on wages, the private sector is under great pressure to "cut out waste and inefficiency". In the private sector, success of a company can be measured by its profitability which is, in turn, determined by its productivity and efficiency. In a competitive environment the applicable rule is the survival of the fittest. The same cannot be said of a monopolistic situation, where profit levels can always be raised by unilateral increase in prices of service or products. Monopolistic enterprises like SBS, PUB, TAS, etc. should not be judged by profitability alone.”
“Japanese workers are known to be dedicated and loyal and are imbued with a sense of mission that performing a good job is important to them, to their company, to their union and to their nation. This positive work attitude of Japanese workers towards quality and performance is, as a matter of fact, exportable and various experiments have been conducted in the United States and Europe on developing an environment whereby managers and workers can work together. A striking example is the Matsushita/Motorola story. When Matsushita took over a Motorola TV plant in the USA several years ago, there were initially 150 to 180 defects discovered per 100 TV sets packed. Three years later, only 3 to 4 defects could be found per 100 TV sets. The same employees and more or less the same equipment were retained in the plant. The main reason for this improvement was attributed to the management philosophy and the team approach adopted by the new management and employees. Another Japanese experience which has recently received greater attention in Singapore is the Quality Circle movement or the STEP circle, as suggested by the hon. Member for Mountbatten. The Quality Circle movement which accounted for the phenomenal success of Japanese industries in quality and productivity improvement is essentially a motivational technique, applying the principle of workers' parti- cipation and team effort. This concept has been successfully applied not only in Japan but also in several other countries. There is no reason, cultural or otherwise, why such a concept cannot be successfully applied in Singapore. I believe that team effort with mutual trust and consultation is one form of management-labour relationship which should be given priority over the next few years.”
“During the period between 1969 and 1979, the price of oil has risen about 10 times, i.e. up 1000%. However, the price of cars in Japan only rose by 30%. During the same period, the price of cameras dropped by 8% while the price of TV sets actually dropped by 30%. The only trade that saw a stagnation in productivity was the barber trade. While the average wage of a Japanese worker quadrupled during the period, the price of a haircut also increased four times. Apparently, the Japanese have not yet found a solution to mechanise or automate the hair-cutting process! All this talk about automation, mechanisation and computerisation has given rise to a misconception that productivity increases can only be achieved by investing vast sums of money. This is far from the truth. Productivity can be improved by various software techniques through the improvement of management and work systems. The same goal can also be attained by a better trained, and more important, and I would like to emphasise, a motivated work force. The President has rightly urged for a "new relationship" between management and labour. Management has to adopt a more enlightened attitude towards workers' participation in decision-making. Much has been said about the negative work attitudes of some Singapore workers. However, the display of such negative attitudes is just the symptom and not the cause of the problems. I believe that by the introduction of correct motivational techniques and the adoption of positive management philosophies, such adverse attributes can be minimised, if not completely eliminated. When it comes to good work attitude, the Japanese are the oft-quoted example.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Motion of the hon. Member for Mountbatten in thanking the President for his Speech delivered at the opening of the First Session of this Parliament. The President, in his Address to the nation, has clearly stated the goals and direction of the Government for the 80's. One of the major tasks which confront Singapore is to build a modern industrial society founded on sophisticated economic activities and a new management-labour relationship. Sir, allow me to offer my comments on these tasks with particular emphasis on the restructuring of our economy, labour and management relationships, and technology and productivity improvement. The policy to restructure our economy entails dramatic changes and the highest level of co-ordination and co-operation between the Government, the private sector, and the Union is most essential. We must be able to raise wage levels and yet remain competitive internationally. The shift from labour-intensive to skill-intensive industries must succeed. But, how do we get this programme going? Firstly, we must attract high technology industries to set up base in Singapore. Though this is not the only way, it is the fastest way. Secondly, we require existing industries to upgrade and raise their technological levels. 1, therefore, welcome the fiscal policy adopted by the Government to encourage investment in equipment and machinery aimed at modernizing our industries. Companies which cannot upgrade technology within a short period of time must, however, focus immediate attention on improving operational efficiency and productivity. Improved productivity as the best weapon to combat rising costs and inflation can best be illustrated by the Japanese experience.”