Recently, heard an American expatriate with his family based in Singapore for 10 years, said the main obstacle to addressing the low fertility rate is the cost of living, other things secondary. He also marvels at the people here working past 7 pm, before making babies, must have the energy and time to make conducive atmosphere to have sex first. Meanwhile, he is following many of his American friends to move to Johore, commuting to Singapore for work. The high cost of living here has finally pissed him off.
Many Singaporeans think that living in Johore is not safe because of its high crime rate. On the contrary, living in Singapore could be more dangerous for the destitute poor and the working class. Remember, the high costs of living deplete your cash balance in bank account faster than anything else.
Many Economists regard "High Cost of Living" as "Silence Killer" because it kills you subconsciously and legally.
To solve a problem, you have to understand the cause.
Yujuan's point about cost of living corresponds to my thinking and many others, but not to the PAP Governement. The more educated the population becomes, the more calculative they become, and the more they will refuse to procreate or have less children, after considering the odds against their kids.
I would venture to say that the falling trend is less serious among the lower educated group of people than among the better educated. Here, the irony is that the meagre incentives does not interest the middle income group, hence it's effectiveness.
So, forget about incentives that are, at most, meagre, compared to increases in housing and healthcare cost. Never can they hope to reverse the trend in a thousand years if they continue with this approach.
Recently, heard an American expatriate with his family based in Singapore for 10 years, said the main obstacle to addressing the low fertility rate is the cost of living,
ReplyDeleteother things secondary.
He also marvels at the people here working past 7 pm, before making babies, must have the energy and time to make conducive atmosphere to have sex first.
Meanwhile, he is following many of his American friends to move to Johore, commuting to Singapore for work. The high cost of living here has finally pissed him off.
Many Singaporeans think that living in Johore is not safe because of its high crime rate. On the contrary, living in Singapore could be more dangerous for the destitute poor and the working class. Remember, the high costs of living deplete your cash balance in bank account faster than anything else.
ReplyDeleteMany Economists regard "High Cost of Living" as "Silence Killer" because it kills you subconsciously and legally.
The fertility issue cannot be addressed.
ReplyDeleteAs long as Sinkies continue to have the ability to endure.
This is Singaporean style management.
The word that MM used "fold-up" conveys the idea that our country is run like a corporation. Only a company would fold-up, never a country!
ReplyDeleteS'pore is managed and run like a corporation. Everything is bottom-line driven!
Have power failure at night 3 times a month will boost population by 5% in the following year.
ReplyDeleteTo solve a problem, you have to understand the cause.
ReplyDeleteYujuan's point about cost of living corresponds to my thinking and many others, but not to the PAP Governement. The more educated the population becomes, the more calculative they become, and the more they will refuse to procreate or have less children, after considering the odds against their kids.
I would venture to say that the falling trend is less serious among the lower educated group of people than among the better educated. Here, the irony is that the meagre incentives does not interest the middle income group, hence it's effectiveness.
So, forget about incentives that are, at most, meagre, compared to increases in housing and healthcare cost. Never can they hope to reverse the trend in a thousand years if they continue with this approach.
In Singapore, only a few people believe that the country would fold-up. That's for "A Man of No Faith".
ReplyDelete