My Singaporean friend who travels to Hong Kong regularly in his regional marketing job, told me that he has stopped buying electrical products in Singapore as he could get them at least 20% cheaper in Hong Kong including controlled products like iPad and iPhone. I asked him to send me specific examples about the difference in prices.
His observation has confirmed my gut feel that Singapore has become very expensive in recent years due to high property prices, high rentals, GST, and high operating cost and inefficiency.
A few months ago, I wanted to buy a device to run my PowerPoint presentation remotely on my laptop. The shop in Thomson Plaza offered me the device for $120. I refused to pay this high price. Later, I found a good quality alternative (not the same brand) for less than $20 (including mailing) through the Internet.
His observation has confirmed my gut feel that Singapore has become very expensive in recent years due to high property prices, high rentals, GST, and high operating cost and inefficiency.
A few months ago, I wanted to buy a device to run my PowerPoint presentation remotely on my laptop. The shop in Thomson Plaza offered me the device for $120. I refused to pay this high price. Later, I found a good quality alternative (not the same brand) for less than $20 (including mailing) through the Internet.
5 comments:
rex comments as follows,
on the internet you can get an ipad2 leather protection cover cum adjustable anlge support, plus protective film, plus capacitive pen, plus cleaning cloth for around S$35 INCLUDING POSTAGE.
Try going to any of the electronic shops. The price of the leather protection cover alone, is typically around $70++ and they don't even give you the capacitive pen nor the protective film!!
rex
It is true that we can get many things on the Internet (eg. eBay) that are MUCH cheaper than what we can find in local stores, not just alternatives but even the exact same product inclusive of shipping costs.
Singapore is losing out in terms of competitiveness, not because of more expensive labour costs, but high rental costs. It is precisely because of high rents that Singapore labour are squeezed to accept low pay and this is exacerbated by the unrestricted availability of cheap foreign labour imported into our shores.
Without fundamental changes, the PAP is at best kicking the can further down the road. Tweaks can only ameliorate the Party's decline from favour. It's brand name is tainted and the goodwill accumulated by the old guard is fast depeleting if not emptied.
Not just cheaper in price, they don't have 7% GST.
And the customer service is better. You don't buy they still smile. LOL
Whatever the father claimed to build up, tearing down will be done by the son. Efficiency, transport, housing, telco, security, etc. You name it you'll have it.
Even for foreigners coming to work or holiday in Singapore the costs are ridiculously high. Hotels cost more than Sydney Australia, restaurants (with the exception of hawker stalls) cost way too much. Considering the workers in these restaurants are paid peanuts, someone is making a huge profit. Expats pay extremely rents for small and modest condos. The the same price you can rent a big house in Sydney or Melbourne. Singapore is in danger of pricing itself out of the market.
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