Singapore has spent many hundred millions to bring F1 to Singapore. If it is not continued, the money spend would go down the drain. This would be a bad outcome for Singapore, and for our tourism. Article.
On the other hand, I do not want to see the F1 Grand Priz continued on terms that are not satisfactory to Singapore, and to be a continued drain on our funds and to bring inconvenience to the public.
We have to ask this question - did we make the right decision in the first place? Did we have the right people to manage this mega-project? What mistake did we make, and could it have been foreseen in the first place? is there something wrong with our system?
On the other hand, I do not want to see the F1 Grand Priz continued on terms that are not satisfactory to Singapore, and to be a continued drain on our funds and to bring inconvenience to the public.
We have to ask this question - did we make the right decision in the first place? Did we have the right people to manage this mega-project? What mistake did we make, and could it have been foreseen in the first place? is there something wrong with our system?
12 comments:
Not surprisingly for F1's failure in Singapore. PM Lee has stated clearly that Singapore needs to be "messy selectively".
I think it's about time that Singaporeans should get "REAL", come GE 2016.
May God bless Singapore always!
Public money has been spent.
So how much money?
Singapore (greater good) has benefited from F1.
So who are the Singaporeans who have benefited?
What are their names?
How much have they benefited?
I have always considered F1 an "angmoh" sport. Have S'pore been "cheated" or "conned" to grossly over-paid for such event! The management and running of F1 has been always been shrouded "in secrecy & opagueness" - notice the technology and expertise were not shared with host country; the full technical team and entourage were mostly "angmohs". S'pore stops being naive!
According to this report, the annual cost is $99 million and the Government is paying 60% of it, i.e $60 million a year or $300 million over five years. I saw another report that the cost for the last year has gone up to $120 million. So, the total cost to the country is more than $300 million.
Whether this is money well spent, is a separate issue.
Here is the report that I left out earlier. http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns19218.html
We are too busy to be a sporting nation.
All the public money spent on sporting events is of questionable value.
Youth Olympic Games
Formula 1 Racing
and God only knows what else ....
Obviously some CONsultants have managed to convinced our Millionaire Ministers of the need to re-invent Singapore?
Yeah right!
New Vision!
Same old leadership.
= No change
The grand looking Casinos, Gardens by the Bay, and F1 Grand Priz are attempts to paste Gold on the face, and with Gold costing so high, Govt need to pay through the nose. Nothing comes cheap in such inflationary times, and being rich, the Angmos could hold us to ransom. It's a strategy to sell Singapore to the world, even though it costs taxpayers a bomb, so be it.
The F1 mgmt are savvy businessmen and they are laughing all the way to the banks.
All I can say is that if the original cabinet ministers are still around, they would never have approved of the F1 deal this current govt made.
Looks like the old saying is true: Wealth and good sense never survives beyond 3 generations.
Sad thing is that this is happening within the space of 1 generation, before even all the 1st generation has passed away.
Whether F1 is a success or not, continue or not, it is not an election issue. Was it even raise at all in the last election?
So what is the issue for PAP to remain as govt?
Many decades ago ( 1970s )
having A levels and B2 for English, I thought I could get a job in Singapore as a tourist guide or get into the tourism industry.
But during those years, having good spoken,written English was not desirable. The Gov was promoting electronics, manufacturing & shipbuilding industries and employers were looking for drones.
Now, tourism is the hot industry to be in favour. F1,IR,Great S'pore sale, Flyer, Gourmet dinning, entertainment.
Sounds good yah?
Yet, having good spoken, written english is a quality that is STILL not wanted! Why?.. it is cheaper to employ a worker from China, Phillipines!
Where can a Singaporean work?
The skills that are in demand is not a big priority. It is the price of the labour. Never mind if your english is not good, if you are young, smiling your language skills can come across as cute.
F1 does nothing for Singapore except as a location where the race is staged. Of course it includes pollution,energy waste and inconvenience to retailers and ordinary people. ( I hear the retailers are compensated for loss of sales )
Glamour, lights, thats all.
and its for the elite to brag about.
You & I just make sure the lights remain switched on... and without flicker.. "Can you just do that,? or do we need to go to China for that?"
I feel so inadequate.
"Whether F1 is a success or not, continue or not, it is not an election issue. Was it even raise at all in the last election?
So what is the issue for PAP to remain as govt?"
Do you have respect for fellow Singaporeans' money? The $300M spent on this F1 -- izit your money or PAP money or Singapore taxpayer money? If the $300M come totally from your own bank account or from ministers' own bank accounts, then I got nothing to say --- pls continue to spend all you want.
This $300M taxpayer money spent --- what is the quantifiable benefits to Singaporeans, especially ordinary S'poreans? How many Singaporeans benefited from F1? Who are the groups of Singaporeans who benefited? In what ways did they benefit? Are the benefits spread evenly to most Singaporeans? Since the $300M comes from all who pay GST, income taxes, ERP, COE, petrol tax, depressed wages (which is a form of tax). Can these so-called benefits be achieved by spending less than $300M??
Till today, the above questions are unanswered and most probably unanswerable by the authorities.
On the surface, it seems only a small group of people benefited --- F1 management, senior civil servants who achieved their KPIs and high-visibility projects, owners of bars and clubs catering to high-end foreigners (e.g. Pangea at MBS), operators of social escorts and independent prostitutes, etc. And most of these appear to be foreigners who benefited instead of Singaporeans.
When the government formulates any policy that creates a huge problem of unhappiness and disunity among the citizens, no amount of GDP's growth could be compensated for the loss of trust and confidence in them. Our immigration policy is one of many shinning examples. PM Lee talks of the need for Singapore to be "Messy Selectively" is viewed by many as another "Arrogant Attitude" in play. Singapore does not need a Prime Minister who lacks of courage to admit a serious "Mistake"(uncontrolled number of immigrants) has been made and instead, he must strive to make a sincere amend. It's just as simple as that. Please "Get Real".
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