Three National Budgets in 48 Days Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat announced the Unity Budget on 18 February, with measures to cushion the impact of Covid-19. Subsequently, on 26 March, DPM Heng announced a supplementary Resilience Budget to further support families through the pandemic. An additional supplementary Solidarity Budget was…
Hello, Circuit Breaker Week 3
We’re into Week 3 of the Circuit Breaker. The measures have no doubt been inconvenient, affecting many people’s livelihoods and coming at high cost to our economy. But the more strictly we observe the restrictions, the faster they will work, and the sooner we can ease up on them and go back to rebuilding our…
When one door closes on James Ng, he opens another.
James Ng is a 64-year-old PMET. His retail branch was closed down recently and his employment contract with the company has since ended. Business is very bad because of the Covid-19 and he is currently unemployed. Lovely Singapore is happy that James is willing to share his experiences with our readers. 1. Please…
Most elderly have not saved enough to retire even in Thailand
Ranked Asia’s best retirement system, guaranteed interest CPF serves Singapore’s prolonged life expectancy well. Singapore’s retirement system based on CPF is ranked best in Asia and top 10 globally. The 2019 Mercer Melbourne Global Pension Index identified Singapore’s CPF as a “sound structure, with many good features. Investopedia has also revealed that most elderly have…
Thank you, Uncle!
Amidst the chatter of Bus Captains having their Monday morning cups of kopi at the SBS Bus Depot, we spotted the cheery Mr Ng Swee Fatt – 64 year-old SBS Transit Bus Captain – who has been in this line for 41 years! More than 4 Decades as Bus Captain At 64, the sprightly Mr…
GST for the Denmark is 3 times of Singapore’s.
Singapore Goods and Services Tax (GST) was increased from 5% to 7% in 2007. The GST has not been increased for the last 13 years, but as the nation plans for higher social expenses with an aging society, The GST is planned to be increased from 7% to 9% sometime between 2021 and 2025. Is…
Singapore’s efforts on tackling COVID-19 impresses WHO
World Health Organisation (WHO) officials on Tuesday (Feb 18) praised the efforts of Singapore in tackling cases of coronavirus and said other countries should follow its example. Singapore is leaving no stone unturned, testing every case of influenza-like illness and pneumonia, and so far there is no evidence of community transmission. Meanwhile, Finance Minister…
Why are you so nice to me now?
“A loving partner plans for the future.” Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, said in a message to Singaporeans last Sunday that he would unveil a set of “broad-based” measures to support viable companies and help workers stay in their jobs. The relief package for Budget 2020 today has surprised even the financial experts. An…
Doctors are paying it forward to their healthcare colleagues in their own ways.
Valentine’s Day. While the virus forces many to stay in the comfort of their own homes, front-line medical staff are tirelessly fighting hard to save lives. Despite doing an exemplary job, an increased number of reports has emerged on how healthcare staff are being shunned and abused by the ignorant public. They are not…
3 simple and affordable ways to spend your Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s day. A deeply dreaded day for some but a highly anticipated day for others. No matter which side of the fence you are on, here are some simple and affordable activities to add some spark into your Valentine’s celebrations. 1. Perk up your day with a cup (or two) of coffee …