Has the Government done enough for the poor?

Posted on May 3, 2011 by

Editors’ Note: I look at the figure, my doubts are:

How much of the $500m really reaches the really poor ones and the “deserving” ones? Are the money well manage? I recall out of $1 donation to the old NKF, less than $0.15 goes to the kidney patients. My bet is $100m or much less actually are spent on the people who fall through the cracks.
The amount seems small when compared to S$700 million to S$800 million spent on baby bonuses which have proven ineffective to stop the downtrend of procreation. A rethink perhaps?
Do they include the salaries of the ministry staff and grants given to NGOs? do they include the Ang Paos and many social events attended by MPs and ministers?
The amount looks small compared to the S$3.4 billion of the “Growth and Share” package. Can much be done to teach them how to fish than give them the fishes?
To put it in perspective, we spend billions of dollars on NRF, 2 billion on air hub, 2 billion on subsidising NBN, few billions on Garden by the Bay, 8.5 billion on workfare and medical topup (complete waste of money), 2 billion on baby bonus (assuming 30000 babies annually, average $6000 bonus per child, over 10years, another ineffective policy and waste of precious tax dollars) few billions here, few billions there, and if my hunch is correct (and only $100m or less really reaches the needy and are courtesy of the Government), $1b over 10 years, that is really a big peanut!