SINGAPORE, Arpil 18 — Higher taxes on the rich for their cars and property were among some suggestions proposed by Members of Parliament to protect meritocracy and level the playing field in Singapore for people to achieve their goals.
During the debate, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong spoke on the Government’s key plans to create a new “social compact”, including new initiatives to provide stronger social support and skills training for workers. He noted that the government is already helping low-income children living in rental flats such as through subsidies for kindergarten programmes.
He proposed offering a through-train education programme running from Primary 1 to Secondary 4 to any parent who wants their children to bypass the PSLE. Raj Joshua said that inherited residential property should be taxed because such property should be treated as a form of income received by the beneficiary and be taxed like all other forms of income.
Associate Professor Jamus Lim, WP MP for Sengkang GRC, said that more can be done to support the poor.