National health insurance

Should a country introduce a national health insurance system, and which approach works best?
http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=622

Buying insurance online

A project team in NUS Business School asked my views about the possibility of buying insurance online and the need for reinsurance. http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=621

Make a claim on your health insurance

Here are some tips on how you to make a claim on your health insurance policy and avoid the nasty surprise to find that you cannot get reimbursed for a significant part of your hospital bill .

http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=620&PK=ac28a9809d2d102f8459bccabf61a61c

Be an entrepreneur - Update

Three young people and two mid-career people have expressed interest and are quite excited about this way to become an entrepreneur. http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=616


I asked them to find a few friends to work with them. If they are not able to, I will get them to form 1 or 2 teams to work on a specific business project each.

Stock options lead to uncertain economy

For a long time, I disliked stock options for the harm that it can cause to the economy and the bad impact of greed. Now, here is an article that support this view.

http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/01/30/ceo-pay-us-economy/?section=money_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmoney_topstories+%28Top+Stories%29

Prepare for increase in fees in open car parks

Printed in TODAY paper, 31 January 2012

MR PAUL Chan said in his letter "Park funds in the right car park" (Jan 25) that "residents would prefer to use an open car park, where it is cheaper, more convenient and vehicles are easily accessible".

The Housing and Development Board is able to charge S$65 a month for these lots probably because it does not factor in the full cost of land. Otherwise, the parking fee would probably increase by two to four times.

With limited land, there is no choice but to build multi-storey car parks, including mechanised options. 

We also have to prepare for the day when the fee for open car parks are higher than for multi-storey car parks, due to the convenience for residents.

It would be painful for car owners to pay more for parking, having first incurred a high cost to buy the car.

One approach is for parking to be subsidised in some way (as the Government does have the Certificate of Entitlement revenue) and done holistically across all types of car parks.

A longer-term solution is to improve public transport, especially feeder services to train stations and bus interchanges, and to improve taxi services as an attractive alternative to private cars.


Tan Kin Lian

Poor taxi service

http://blog.omy.sg/hollyjean/2012/01/27/cheated-by-vulgar-transcab-driver/

Cost of health insurance

Are you aware about the high cost of health insurance? The premium to cover age 1 to 75 years, including interest of 4% on the premium, can accumulate to $280,000. Do you expect your medical bill to cost more than this? Is it prudent to spend so much on your health insurance? This staggering figure does not include the cost beyond age 75 - which will escalate steeply. Most people will live beyond 75 years - make sure you still have Medisave savings to last for many more years.
You can download the article here (but you have to provide your email address).
http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=619&PK=5708b80a9b96102f8459bccabf61a61c

FISCA members can read this article directly in www.fisca.sg.

How to deal with rising health care cost

Many people have asked for my advice on how to get the appropriate health insurance to cover their medical expenses when the are old.  I wish to set out in these few pages, the advice that I have consistently given to them. Be ready for some surprise! You need to provide your e-mail address to access the tips. 
http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=618&PK=7d9f51969b72102f8459bccabf61a61c

Alternatively you can login to the FISCA website, www.fisca.sg

How to deal with a scandal

Lucky Tan gives some suggestions on how to deal with a scandal
http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/user%2F08003848054417725788%2Fstate%2Fcom.google%2Freading-list

A gloomy forecast for the next decade

Here is a gloomy forecast for the next decade http://www.todayonline.com/World/EDC120129-0000007/Fallout-from-financial-meltdown-could-last-a-decade,-says-Dr-Doom

And some words of advice for the future

Calling for a major change in policy priorities, Dr Roubini said: "We have to shift our investment from things that are less productive like the financial sector and housing and real estate to things that are more productive like our people, our human capital, our structure, our technology, our innovation."

I agree that we need to move from the non-productive to the productive sectors of the economy.

Be an entrepreneur

Here is an option for a young person who is starting work, or a mid career person who wish to find new challenges. http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=616

Give fair wages and decent working conditions

If is difficult for a reputable manufacturer to get workers to accept depressed wages and inferior working conditions. They found a way to achieve this goal and boost their profits - go for outsourcing and contract work. Let the contractor handle this difficult matter.  http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/01/27/tim-cook-blasts-the-new-york-times-report-on-apples-chinese-ipad-factories/?section=money_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmoney_topstories+%28Top+Stories%29

It is not good for society, if the weaker sectors of our society continue to be exploited. It will lead to a higher wage gap and a poorer quality of life for the majority of the citizens.

Here are measures that a good government in any country can adopt:

• Set a minimum wage and specific the standard terms and conditions of work
• Set a good example in outsourcing their work and accept the contractors based on quality of service, rather than the lowest bid. It is possible for the government to know what the cost of the service should be. Use a transparent system to award the contract.

Give a prompt reply

I make it a point to give a prompt reply to any question that is addressed to me personally, i.e. not part of a spam mail.

I received an email on behalf of a project group of students in SMU asking for explanation about the dual currency investment. I gave a reply immediately to two questions and also enclose my FAQ on this subject. The recipient must have been surprised at the prompt reply. She replied, "Thank you very much".

I reply with what I know. Even if I do not have the ready answer, it is quite easy for me to search for it in my website or in the Internet, using Google. If I do not have the answer to some questions, I will still give a reply to the questions that I know. A partial reply is better than no reply.

I want to encourage people to give a prompt reply, instead of ignoring an e-mail that is sent personally. My comment also apply to our ministers. Although they are busy, they do have an army of assistants who can give a proper reply, not just an insincere acknowledgement or worse - ignore it entirely! Our leaders need to set a good example in courtesy and the proper behavior.

Pawn and money lending shops

I was at Ang Mo Kio Central looking for a photocopy shop. I was surprised to see so many pawn shops and money lending shops in the vicinity of AMK Hub. It seemed that every other shop is in this trade. Have we became so obsessed with money?

Dilbert and pay of political leaders

http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/1989-11-20/

Exempt safe, indexed ETFs from new rules

Published in Straits Times Forum, 26 January 2012 

NEW regulations require consumers to get appropriate investment advice before investing in financial products that carry higher risks, such as structured products and investment funds.

However, they have the unintended consequence of preventing the online purchase of certain indexed exchange traded funds (ETFs) that are suitable for long-term investment. It is ironic that investors are allowed to make online purchase of individual stocks but are disallowed from investing in ETFs that allow them to diversify their risk over a number of blue chip companies that comprise the stock market index.

I recognise that some ETFs are invested in financial derivatives or are leveraged and are not suitable for investors who are not aware or not properly advised about the risks. But these risks do not apply to non-leveraged ETFs invested directly in the component shares of the stock market index. A few ETFs quoted in the Singapore Exchange meet this criterion and are safer than investing in individual stocks.

I suggest that the Monetary Authority of Singapore exempt the non-leveraged, indexed ETFs from the need to receive appropriate advice.

Tan Kin Lian
President
Financial Services Consumer Association

Investigation for corrupt practices

I wonder if Singaporeans are over-reacting to the corruption charges against the former SCDF and CNB chiefs. We have not got the details about the misdeeds that they are being investigated.

I read that this may involve a woman executive of an IT firm. If this is the main factor, I would not consider it to be a corrupt practice that merit the level of attention. I have read of similar cases involving top executives in America and even a former President of the United States. In those cases, there were dealt with by the media and public opinion and not a corruption agency.

Let us wait for the actual facts to surface, and not speculated on this matter - which might be unfair to the affected parties. This is one aspect of the culture in Singapore that should be changed.

Reduce the compliance cost of GST

Singapore has become more costly than Hong Kong for many products that are manufactured in China and other countries. GST adds 7% to the cost of buying a product in Singapore (and Hong Kong has no GST) but imposes an additional cost due to compliance. Here is a way to reduce the compliance cost and make Singapore businesses more competitive.
http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=617

Tax hikes

We need tax hikes to solve the deficit problems in the advanced countries. The governments have to pay unemployment and other benefits, to avoid extreme hardship on those who lose their jobs due to factors beyond their control. These payments have to be funded by those who can afford, so the taxes have to be increased. While it is necessary for governments to control their expenditures, it is also necessary to give the governments adequate resources to do their work.
http://www.cnbc.com//id/46127466

Failure of deregulation

The story of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae shows the failure of deregulation. Under a deregulated environment, the sub-prime mortgages were created recklessly, and this caused the sound institutions to be sucked into the mess. http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/24/news/economy/freddie_mac/index.htm?section=money_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmoney_topstories+%28Top+Stories%29

We are experiencing our own problems of deregulation in Singapore. It is time to recognize the difference between good and bad regulation. Unfortunately, our regulators does not have this expertise, as they are brought up in a sheltered environment. The latest measure to protect consumers against bad financial products is an example of a bad regulation - as it does not address the real issue and make matters worse.

Misleading advertisements

The consumer watchdog in Australia is taken legal action against a budget airline for misleading advertisements about their fares.
http://www.todayonline.com/World/Worldinbrief/EDC120125-0000040/Australias-consumer-watchdog-sues-AirAsia-over-ads

Misleading advertisements of a worse nature, are rampant in Singapore. We need to address this issue as well.

Charges on Medisave withdrawal

Here is an example of wasteful and unnecessary charges being added to the high cost of living.  http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120125-0000006/Extra-charges-on-Medisave-withdrawals-should-be-waived

Mechanized car parks

Read this letter: http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120125-0000034/Park-funds-in-the-right-car-park?

Mr. Paul Chan argues that it is more convenient and cheaper to park in the open car park. However, he did not take into account the cost of the land that is used in this way. If the land is priced at the market rate, the cost of the open car park will be several times of the mechanized car park.

It is costly to own a car and to find the parking space for a car. This is inevitable. What is needed is better public transport, feeder services and cheaper taxis. Buying a car is not the solution. Do not expect cheap car park space.

Driving children to school

Here is another bad example of the lifestyle in Singapore.
http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120125-0000056/Parents-should-be-discouraged-from-driving-children-to-school

Parents want to send their children to "good schools" and that require long travelling distances. The public transport is bad, so parents have to drive their children to school - wasting two hours of time and adding congestion on the road.

If we do not recognize the inefficiency in our system, our economic performance and quality of life must surely drop.

The world needs 600 million new jobs

http://www.todayonline.com/World/EDC120125-0000054/World-needs-600-million-new-jobs-in-next-decade

The world needs 600 million new jobs over the next decade. How can these jobs be created? Here are my views on  this global challenge:

• Global competition results in income disparity
• Stagnant wage for most people destroy their spending power for products and services
• The reduced spending destroys economic growth and jobs

While globalization has been destroying demand and jobs for over two decades, its impact was temporarily hidden by the real estate and stock market bubbles, which created non-productive jobs in the financial sector to replace the destroyed jobs, until the bursting of these bubbles.

To create new jobs, the following steps have to be taken:

• Reduce the wage disparity by introducing minimum wage and high taxes for extremely high incomes
• Reduce the working hours, so that more people can be employed to share the available work
• Introduce measures to restrict outsourcing and the inflow of foreign labor 

I am referring to the global situation and not specifically to Singapore. However, Singapore will also face the same impacts. While Singapore now benefits from globalization, it is at the expense of other countries, and is not good for the long term growth of the global economy.

AFTER NOTE:

Even the Republican candidates are willing to raise the minimum wage, as they recognize the realities of the bad economic situation. http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/01/24/a-new-day-for-the-minimum-wage/?section=money_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmoney_topstories+%28Top+Stories%29

Treat indexed ETF differently

I have written a letter to the Straits Times in  my capacity as President of the FISCA (Financial Services Consumer Association, www.fisca,sg) to ask MAS to treat the indexed ETF differently (from other ETFs based on derivatives) and allow consumers to make online purchase without getting investment advice. I hope that they publish the letter. If not, I will publish the letter here here on Saturday.

US taxpayers bear the loss

Read this story about the burden that will be shouldered by the US tax payers over the losses that are suffered by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: http://www.cnbc.com//id/46106075

Here is the background to this state of affairs:

• The real estate market in the US was a bubble for one or two decades before it finally burst in 2008
• During this period, large profits were made by developers, real estate agents, mortgage bankers and other people connected with the trade
• The home owners were enticed to pay high and unsustainable prices for the property
• The purchases were funded by mortgage banks and insured with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and other insurers
• Bad financial products such as sub-prime mortgages and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) were created to fund these unsustainable prices

With the bursting of the bubble, the drop in real estate prices have to be shouldered by the home owners, the mortgage banks and the insurance agencies. A significant part of the losses are now taken over by the taxpayers.

A lesson to be learned - if the real estate prices are allowed to appreciate to an unsustainable level, it will have to burst one day and bring big damages to the economy and the people. Several countries have gone through this phase. Other countries, including Singapore, will have to follow. There is no escape from the inevitable.

Be an Entrepreneur

Here is a way for someone to start a new business as an entrepreneur and achieve a greater chance of success and without the need for a large capital. You only need to have an idea, the passion and the willingness to slog it out.


Read this
http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=616

PM Lee speech for Lunar New Year

PM Lee encourages Singaporeans to have more babies. The comments from netizens are overwhelming negative. It is so sad that Singapore has now reached this negative state. PM Lee has a difficult time to reverse the situation. It has gone too far down the road.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/pm-lee-encourages-s%E2%80%99poreans-to-have-more-%E2%80%98dragon-babies%E2%80%99-this-year.html

This is an interesting example of a democratic political process that works. Mitt Romney, the leading Republican candidate for the US Presidential Election has a high income background, as the former head of a management consulting firm. He lost the South Carolina primary election to Newt Gingrich due to his unwillingness to show his tax returns. He is now putting it right to tell the American people about his financial affairs.

http://www.todayonline.com/World/EDC120123-0000019/Stung-by-defeat,-Romney-ready-to-right-tax-mistake

This lesson is also applicable in Singapore.

Salaries of ministers

I share my views about salaries for ministers. I find the basic salary to be acceptable, but the concept of a high rate of bonus based on performance is bad. Many Singaporeans are not aware that the concept of "pay for performance" has its negative impacts, especially in the public sector,  and how it has developed a bad culture in Singapore.
http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=615

Invest in gold bar

I share this story of how a retired school teacher was almost cheated of a large sum of money by investing in gold bars at an inflated price. This type of scam is being applied to other products, such as industrial oil.


For FISCA members only:
http://easyapps.sg/assn/Org/Information.aspx?id=5

For non-members (you have to provide your email address to retrieve the article)
http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=614&PK=bb278df596b1102f8459bccabf61a61c

FISCA articles

There are several articles reserved for FISCA members only. Some articles can be read by the public. These articles are shown here:
http://easyapps.sg/assn/Org/Information.aspx?id=5

Members can click on the "Login" tab and enter the email address and password to read the articles that are reserved for members.

Invest in overseas properties

What are the pitfalls to avoid? Is there a safe way to invest in overseas properties to enjoy the capital appreciation when the economy develops? Read this article (for FISCA members only): http://easyapps.sg/assn/Org/Information.aspx?id=5

Non-members of FISCA can read the article here (after submitting your email address).

To all readers of my blog

Law to combat online piracy

There are two proposals to pass a law against online piracy in the USA. They are known by the acronym SOPA and PIPA. Someone asked me for my views on these proposed legislation - especially if a similar legislation is being considered in Singapore.

I prefer to let this matter be handled by the experts. I understand that Google has taken a stand against certain key provision of the proposed law, such as blocking certain websites. So, I have no comments.

If anyone wish to express a view about this legislation, and if it is good or bad for consumers in Singapore, they can post their comments here.

Cost of mobile data

I bought a prepaid data card in Jakarta for $15. It allowed me to download 1G of data over 30 days. As I stay for 3 days, my cost is $5 a day. On my return to Jakarta 40 days later, I found that the data card could still be used, i.e. the 30 day limit did not apply. So, the data card of $15 could be used for 6 days or $2.50 a day.

The mobile operators in Singapore charge $14 or $20 for each day of "roaming" data access in Jakarta. Their charges are too high.

I have found that it is much cheaper to buy a prepaid data plan at the destination, rather than use the roaming service. I hope that the mobile operators review their charges to be competitive. 

ST Forum - Develop a complementary system

An edited version of this letter was published in Straits Times on 19 January 2012

The two train breakdowns in December was a surprise to Singaporeans, because they were totally unexpected, not only to commuters but to the train operator.

My friend had just experienced a train delay of one hour during his holiday in the UK. He said that train breakdowns and delays in the advanced countries are quite common and are taken in their stride.

While we can do our best in carrying out proper maintenance of the train system, we have to accept the fact that there will be more frequent disruption in services in the future due to the age of the system and to the over-load on the train system.

I urge the Land Transport Authority to take urgent steps to develop a complementary service to reduce the over-reliance on the current train service. A possible approach is: 

• Allow express bus services to be operated between the bus interchanges which are already located next to the train stations
• These express services bring passengers between the bus interchanges and do not pick up passengers along the route
• They will increase the capacity during the peak hours and reduce the over-crowding on the trains
• It will be easy to add more buses quickly in the event of a train breakdown
• It allows commuters to become familiar with an alternative service
• The express bus services can be operated by the train operators or by private bus companies.

Tan Kin Lian

ST Online Forum - Encourage car pooling and taxi sharing

Published in ST Online Forum on 18 January 2012

To tackle the congestion on our roads, the Ministry of Transport is developing a new expressway and adding more lanes, flyovers and underpasses to existing roads. 

Infrastructure development takes years to be completed and, in the meantime, the construction work aggravates the current situation.

There is another option to deal with this situation - encourage car pooling, car sharing and taxi sharing. If two people share a taxi or pool in a car, there will be less need for some many vehicles on our road.

When Mr. Mah Bow Tan was the minister in charge of transport, he actively promoted these concepts. At that time, the ministry clarified that car owners were allowed to collect a payment for car pooling as defrayal of expenses, and the insurance cover would not be compromised. His ministry also actively promoted taxi sharing. I am not sure if the current minister holds these views.

With the widespread use of smart phones with GPS location services, it is now possible to use technology to match people who are interested to share a taxi or to car pool. 

It will be useful for the minister to re-confirm his stand on these issues, so that car pooling and taxi sharing can be actively promoted as another option to solve our problem of traffic congestion.

Tan Kin Lian

Electronic pickpocket

Be careful of this type of identity theft.
http://www.wreg.com/videobeta/?watchId=8ba6f8fc-90a2-4711-90ea-1884ec348310

Are equity linked investments good for consumers?

Find out what are these investments, how they work and if they are good for consumers. This is available at the FISCA website, www.fisca.sg, and available only to members after they have logged in. Click here.

Salaries of Ministers

I read the news report about the basic salaries of the different levels of political office, from ministers to parliament secretaries. They are quite modest and acceptable to me, and perhaps to most Singaporeans.

It is the high rate of bonus that brings the salaries to a high level. This bonus is supposed to be "pay for performance". I do not like this concept. At a senior level, office holders (in the public or private sectors) should not be motivated by greed. They should do their best out of honour and the privilege to serve the people.

When this principle is realized, we will have a better society, which can give a better life for all. When political leaders are motivated by greed or personal wealth, we have a bad society. There is still time to change for the better. Remove the performance based bonus!

Encourage travelling by bus

I wish to develop a mobile app to encourage commuters to travel by bus. While there are many apps already available, I wish to develop a new app that is easier to use. I need the following data and will appreciate advice on how they can be retrieved for free or at a modest cost:

• GPS location and number of all bus stops in Singapore
• Numbers of the bus services stopping at each bus stop
• Arrival time of the next bus for each service and bus stop (this need access to the servers of the bus operators)

If you have any information on the above, please write to kinlian@tankinlian.com. Thank you.

A positive and negative approach

Whenever a suggestion is brought up to make a change, there is a tendency for people to point out what is wrong, and what they do not agree. In many cases, the negative views are not based on actual experience, but is on hypothetical reasoning. This is a negative mindset but is quite common in Singapore.

A positive mindset looks at what is right about the suggestion and a willingness to give it a try. If the actual experience shows some negative consequences, they can be fixed at that time. This is what makes for change and entrepreneurship.

For Singapore to be willing to change and to be entrepreneurial, we need a positive mindset. It is a big challenge to change from a negative mindset, which is ingrained in our culture and education system (remember the term "kiasu"?). But, the process of change starts with the realization of our present situation and a desire to work towards a better situation.

Share your views.

SGX and China Sky

SGX has withdrawn its legal suit against China Sky and is now negotiated a settlement out of court. See this report: http://www.todayonline.com/Business/EDC120117-0000058/SGX-drops-suit-against-China-Sky
I hope that the terms of the settlement be publicized to be a reference for future cases of this type.

Many areas of the law in Singapore are not clear, due to a small number of cases that are tried in court. If more cases are tried and decided in court, the judge will be able to give a view on what is right, what is wrong, what is reasonable, what is unreasonable. This will help to strengthen the understanding of values in our society.

The lack of clarity instill fear in Singaporeans. Recently, I met a young man, who graduated from university, that was so fearful of using a  non-artistic image in the website for fear of infringing the copyright. It was a general image that could not be identified to an owner. He heard that someone had gone to jail for infringing the copyright, and he did not want to take this risk.

I find many Singaporeans to be too fearful and will not take any risk if there is some unclarity or uncertainty. This is why entrepreneurs are so rare in Singapore. And it can be traced to our climate of fear.

  

Promote car pooling and taxi sharing

One option to tackle the congestion on the road is to promote car pooling and taxi sharing. With smart phones and GPS location services, it is now possible to identify people who wish to car pool or share a taxi. For car pooling, the Government should clarify that the collection of a fee to defray the expenses is not considered as operating a taxi service. This will encourage more people to car pool. Do you agree?

Today Paper: The priorities for SMRT

Letter from Tan Kin Lian in Today Paper


In the search for its new chief executive, I urge SMRT Corporation's board of directors to find a person who understands and is able to realise these immediate and long-term goals:

- Ensure the smooth running of its current operations

- Use technology to improve communication with commuters in the stations and outside

- Improve the current system of receiving and resolving customer feedback and issues

- Achieve a balance between its commercial goals and providing a comfortable, affordable public transport service

- Develop a complementary system to its rail operations and reduce the impact caused by any unexpected failure

The first three priorities can be implemented immediately, while the last two may take longer, but their importance has to be recognised.

On the matter of a complementary system, SMRT should run express bus services between the bus interchanges next to its train stations. These buses should not pick up passengers enroute.


This could complement the trains, especially during peak hours, allowing commuters to be familiar with this service. More buses could be deployed during emergencies and train breakdowns.

I give my best wishes to the board and the new CEO in the challenging task of remoulding SMRT to reattain the service standards that Singaporeans had long been proud of until now.

Tan Kin Lian

Proposed security measure for ATM withdrawal

A few people have given their views about the potential drawbacks of this proposal. http://tankinlian.blogspot.com/2012/01/suggestion-to-enhance-security-for-atm.html

I wish to ask for some views on the positive aspects of this proposal, compared to existing systems of authentication or non-authentication (apart from the 6 digit PIN).

In making an internet banking transfer or credit card payment, I receive a PIN through SMS and has to enter the PIN within a short time to authenticate the transaction. I find this method, which is commonly used, to be more troublesome. I would prefer to use my mobile phone to call a specific number to make the authentication, i.e. a pro-active authentication, rather than a reactive one.

What are your views?

Parking spaces, congestion and taxi service

Do we have too many or too few parking spaces in the CBD? There is disagreement on this issue. Read this article. http://www.todayonline.com/Commentary/EDC120116-0000003/The-CBD-has-too-many-parking-spaces

Two points are not in dispute:

• Our roads are too crowded in the CBD
• The taxi service is poor, i.e. costly, unavailable at busy times

These points are connected. If we have an efficient and affordable taxi service or some form of local transport, there is no need for so many people to drive into the CBD, and no need for more parking spaces.

What is a local transport service? It is my description of a service involving small buses and taxis that ply within a town or the CBD. As they do not travel outside of their zone of operation, the licensing requirement can be relaxed. They can pay a daily fee and be exempted from ERP and other charges. 

If we tackle the problem of local transport. we will have the framework to solve the larger issue of transport in Singapore. I hope that the Ministry of Transport will seriously consider this suggestion - to improve local transport.