...Lien Centre for Social Innovation Social Insight Research Series Inequality, Poverty and Unmet Social Needs in Singapore A Handbook on A Handbook on Inequality, Poverty and Unmet Social Needs in Singapore Lien Centre for Social Innovation CATHERINE J. SMITH (Additional research and writing by John Donaldson, Sanushka Mudaliar, Mumtaz Md Kadir and Yeoh Lam Keong) As this handbook is intended to provide an overview of the arguments of others, the role of the authors largely consisted of compiling, arranging, and contextualizing. Further, the ideas expressed herein, which are various and often contradictory, do not necessarily represent the views of the handbook’s authors, or of the staff and Board of the Lien Centre for Social Innovation. Copyright © March, 2015 by Lien Centre for Social Innovation. All rights reserved. Published by the Lien Centre for Social Innovation Singapore Management University, Administration Building, 81 Victoria Street, Singapore 188065 www.lcsi.smu.edu.sg No part nor entirety of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature without the prior written permission of the Lien Centre. Readers should be aware that internet websites offered as citations and/ or sources for further information may have changed or disappeared between the time this was written and when it was read. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and authors...
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...1. Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior) Earned its name by growing under the worst of conditions, even outdoors in deep shade. Prefers low lights. Grows in a clump. Leaves are sword-like, pointed, about 4" wide & 2' long. Occasionally flowers indoors. A variegated version is available with white stripes. (USDA Zones 7 - 9) 2. Christmas Cactus (Zygocactus or Schlumbergera) A trailing member of the cactus family that produces deep pink / red flowers in early winter. Seems to do its best when ignored. Can handle low light, but you’ll get more flowers in bright light. Pruning after blooming with keep the plant bushy. You can force your Christmas cactus to bloom in December by keeping it in complete darkness for 12 hours a night, beginning in about mid-October, until buds appear. An even easier method is to subject it to cool temperatures (50 - 55 degrees F.) starting in November. Just leave it on a windowsill at home while the heat is off, because you’re at work. (USDA Zones 9 - 11) 3. Dragon tree (Dracaena marginata) & Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderian) Dracaena have long been the centerpiece of container plantings. Street plantings in towns across America feature 1 spiky dracaena stuck in the center of red blooming geraniums in a half whisky barrel. But there is actually a good amount of variety in dracaena and most make excellent, easy care houseplants. In particular, Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata) which resembles a small palm tree and can reach heights of 10...
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..."parameshwar" which literally translates to "supreme God". Times have changed but the mentality still prevails in the mindsets of several narrow minded Indians. The recent incident in which a 23 year old paramedical student was gang-raped by 6 men inside a moving bus near a posh Delhi locality and thrown off the bus naked after herself and her male friend were beaten and assaulted with an iron rod has undoubtedly shocked the nation to its core. This was reflected in the massive protests that followed the incident, demanding justice for the victim, who unfortunately succumbed to the damage caused by her body by the assault (a major part of her intestines had to be removed due to the spread of gangrenous infection) in a hospital in Singapore....
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...I. INTRODUCTION Singapore has always taken pride in being a meritocracy and its embrace of meritocracy has been the cornerstone of the nation’s success story. Over the years, Singapore’s meritocracy has emphasised on “equality of opportunity” over “equality of outcomes”; shaping a relatively level playing field where the most capable and hardworking individuals regardless of ethnicity or social classes have an equal opportunity to rise to the top. While the State has always heralded the success of meritocracy, the systemic flaws and failures that were once side-lined in the public eye are becoming increasingly prevalent and visible today. This paper on “Examining Meritocracy and Elitism in Singapore” serves to explore the inherent contradictions within the concept of meritocracy and investigate the systemic failures arising from the dissonance caused by how meritocracy is practised in Singapore where the inevitable social and income inequalities results in an elitist system which perpetuates itself. The central research question is how meritocracy shapes the Singapore elite and in turn how the elite shapes meritocracy in the country. In this paper, the elite is defined as the class of English-educated Singaporeans who subsequently rises to the top as the political and bureaucratic elite, unless otherwise specified. This paper will discuss how the elite accumulates an increasing degree and concentration of influence which allows them to consolidate...
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...Progress in Planning 64 (2005) 69–175 www.elsevier.com/locate/pplann Global city making in Singapore: a real estate perspective Sun Sheng Han Department of Real Estate, School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore, 4 Architecture Drive, Singapore, Singapore 117566 CHAPTER 1 Introduction ‘Global city’ is a notion popularly cited among planning academics and practitioners in describing some strategic places in the world economy. Pioneer researchers in this area define global cities as basing points of capital in a world economy (Friedmann, 1986: 71); production centres of specialized information services such as financial services, media services, educational and health services, and centres of tourism (Hall, 1998: 24); and centres for servicing and financing international trade, investment and headquarters operations (Sassen, 2004: 171). Summarizing those perspectives and recognizing the influence of a new economy, which can be characterized as informational, global and networked (Castells, 2000: 27), global cities can be seen as the urban nodes where globalization materializes so that they are (1) highly concentrated command points in the organization of the world economy; (2) key locations for finance and specialized service firms; (3) sites of production of innovation; (4) markets for the products and innovations produced (Sassen, 2001: 3 and 4). Taylor (2004) has argued that these perspectives involve understanding just the attributes of cities and...
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...CHAPTER ONE Introduction There are three basic needs of man in life, namely food, clothing and shelter. From the beginning, man has worked very hard to provide himself with shelter which protects him from adverse weather and hard climatic conditions. Of all the facets of human environment, a few influences a man’s life more than that of a house in which he seeks shelter, security, comfort and dignity. It is indeed where he begins and ends his days. Proper housing is an important need for every human being. Man’s proper utilization of his resources and economic wellbeing greatly depends on the type of accommodation he has been provided with. “a decently housed citizen is a more productive individual, a good housing scheme complimented by high environmental standard equates with less expense on public health, and less adverse social effect produces a higher gross national income figure for a country” . This is why it is generally accepted that good housing is a social index of a good government especially in developing countries like Nigeria should especially accept the provision of housing as a major social responsibility. Housing is a set of durable assets, which accounts for a high proportion of a country’s wealth and on which households spend a substantial part of their income. It is for these reasons that housing has become a regular feature in economic, social and political debates often with highly charged emotional contents(Agbola, 1998). All...
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... 11 1.5.2 Goods and Services Tax (Exempt supply) Order 2014 132. Content 14 2.1 Effect of implementation of Goods Services Taxes (GST) in Malaysia 14 2.1.1 GST are regressive tax or progressive tax? 14 2.1.2 Effect of implementation of GST on inflation based on CPI 16 2.1.3 Effect of implementation of GST on the household income 19 2.2. Impact of GST on sub regions of Malaysia 24 2.2.1 How GST improve the standard of living 29 2.3. The implementation of GST in other ASEAN Countries 303. Implication Of Implementing GST On Economy...
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...Asian Social Science; Vol. 9, No. 11; 2013 ISSN 1911-2017 E-ISSN 1911-2025 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education Elements of Compliance Costs: Lesson from Malaysian Companies towards Goods and Services Tax (GST) Mohd Rizal Palil1, Rosiati Ramli1, Ahmad Fariq Mustapha1 & Norul Syuhada Abu Hassan1 1 School of Accounting, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia Correspondence: Mohd Rizal Palil, School of Accounting, Faculty of Economics and Management, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. E-mail: mr_palil@ukm.my Received: May 6, 2013 Accepted: June 20, 2013 Online Published: August 30, 2013 doi:10.5539/ass.v9n11p135 Abstract URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ass.v9n11p135 Various parties including academics, professionals and the society (the potential GST payers) are arguing about the introduction of GST in Malaysia. Goods and Services Tax (GST) or Value Added Tax (VAT) is a consumption tax imposed on the sale of goods and services. The Malaysian government introduce this potential tax mechanism, in order to increase the existing tax bracket and replacing the long-implemented service and sales taxes. With the introduction of GST, the Malaysian government felt it would provide them with the prospect to reduce the rates of individual and corporate income tax. However, do all companies particularly small and medium enterprises (Companies) ready to adopt the systems efficiently? If they could adopt the system, how much their...
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...INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Definition of international business International business involves commercial activities that cross national frontiers. It concerns the international movement of goods, capital, services, employees and technology; importing and exporting; cross-border transactions in intellectual property (patents, trademarks, know-how, copyright materials, etc.) via licensing and franchising; investments in physical and financial assets in foreign countries; contract manufacture or assembly of goods abroad for local sale or for export to other nations; buying and selling in foreign countries; the establishment of foreign warehousing and distribution systems; and the import to one foreign country of goods from a second foreign country for subsequent local sale. All the basic tools and concepts of domestic business management are relevant to international business (for information on these see the M & E text Management). However, special problems arise in international business not normally experienced when trading or manufacturing at home. In particular: * Deals might have to be transacted in foreign languages and under foreign laws, customs and regulations. * Information on foreign countries needed by a particular firm may be difficult (perhaps impossible) to obtain. * Foreign currency transactions will be necessary. Exchange rate variations can be very wide and create many problems for international business. * Numerous cultural...
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...University of Information Technology & Sciences Topic: Unemployment Problem in Bangladesh Course title: Introduction to Sociology Course Code: HUM– 381 Department: Bachelor of Business Administration Prepared for- Mohit Prodhan Lecturer of Sociology School of Liberal Arts Prepared by- Rawnak Razzak (ID: 08310026) Afsana Khanom (ID: 08410001) Sadi Muhammad Naved (ID: 08410056) Sharmin Zaman (ID: 08410023) Date of Submission: April 10, 2011 10th April, 2011 Mohit Prodhan BBA, MBA (DU) Lecturer Faculty, School of Liberal Arts UNIVERSITY OF INFORMATION TECHONOLOGY & SCIENCES Subject: Submission of the report on “Unemployment Problem in Bangladesh” Dear Sir, With humble submission we want to thank you for assigning us the pragmatic report on “Unemployment Problem in Bangladesh”. We have really enjoyed the various stapes preparing the report. We have made a strong group works and have also collected different data from Online. We think this report enriches our practical knowledge on Sociology. There may be some mistakes. We think the mistakes in the report will be kindly excused. With thanks and best regards. Sincerely yours, Rawnak Razzak 08310026 Afsana Khanom 08410001 Sadi Muhammed Naved 08410056 Sharmin Zaman 08410023 BBA Faculty, School of Business University of Information Technology and Sciences. ------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgment Our project was to Unemployment...
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...TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 10 16 21 26 32 35 41 50 53 61 IN RETROSPECT: PROPERTY MARKET PERFORMANCE IN 2014 PRIVATE PROPERTY MARKET 2015: THE SQUEEZE TIGHTENS FURTHER HDB RESALE MARKET 2015: AN ANTICIPATION OF AN UPSWING? ALONG THE THOMSON LINE: BRINGING BENEFITS TO THE EAST SKIMMING THE SUBLETTING SITUATION HOW SINGAPOREANS FEEL ABOUT THE LOCAL PROPERTY MARKET COMMERCIAL PROPERTY: A MIXED OUTLOOK REFLECTING CHANGING LANDSCAPES PROPERTY OUTLOOK 2015: SEARCHING FOR INSIGHTS NEW YORK: A PROPERTY RISING STAR ON THE HORIZON LONDON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OUTLOOK: THE BEST JUST GOT BETTER FENG SHUI: USHERING IN THE YEAR OF THE GOAT PropertyGuru Outlook Report 2015 2 PREFACE It without a doubt property still remains a hot button issue for Singaporeans. From speculation about whether the cooling measures will be eased to predictions of just how much market prices will continue to fall, the topic has dominated conversations of many first-time buyers, upgraders and investors. In 2014, the decline in Singapore’s private residential and HDB resale market, showed no signs of abating. Restrictions on access to mortgage capital because of the Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR) has, to a large degree, influenced the reinforcement of these behavioural patterns and will continue to so – at least for the majority for 2015. And with the government reiterating that they will not relax the existing policies, status quo looks set to place further pressures on the already subdued market. Nonetheless...
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...LEGAL ASPECTS OF BUSINESS The next big reform – GST Submitted to – Prof. I. Sridhar By, Ashwin R Golapkar Section E 2012PGP120 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 Objectives of Tax reforms ............................................................................................................................. 5 Implementation of the Existing System .................................................................................................. 11 Shortcomings of the Existing Tax Structure .......................................................................................... 13 Alternatives Available in the implementation ....................................................................................... 18 Tax base and Rates ........................................................................................................................................ 25 Implementation of GST in other countries......................................................................................... 37 Data Analysis and Interpretation........................................................................................................... 38 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................................. 40 LEGAL ASPECTS OF...
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...JOSÉ LUIS MACHINEA Executive Secretary ALICIA BÁRCENA Deputy Executive Secretary Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean economic commission for latin america and the caribbean C E P A L Review NUMBER 85 APRIL 2005 SANTIAGO, CHILE OSCAR ALTIMIR Director REYNALDO BAJRAJ Deputy Director The CEPAL Review was founded in 1976 and is published three times a year by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, which has its headquarters in Santiago, Chile. The Review, however, has full editorial independence and follows the usual academic procedures and criteria, including the review of articles by independent external referees. The Review is distributed to universities, research institutes and other international organizations, as well as to individual subscribers, and is also consulted extensively on the Internet. The purpose of the Review is to contribute to the discussion of socio-economic development issues in the region by offering analytical and policy approaches and articles by economists and other social scientists working both within and outside the United Nations. Accordingly, the editorial board of the Review extends its readers an open invitation to submit for publication articles analysing various aspects of economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The opinions expressed in the signed articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the...
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...properties increased by 28.2% to $94.3 million from $73.5 million last year.” Joseph Grimberg Chairman Contents stnetnoC Chairman’s Statement Business Review Corporate Information Financial Statements Corporate Governance Report Particulars of Group Properties Statistics of Shareholdings 04 06 16 17 86 95 99 Substantial Shareholders 100 Notice of Annual General Meeting 101 Chairman’s statement 2008 FINANCIAL REVIEW Group revenue for the year ended December 31, 2008 increased by 33.6% to $612 million from $458.2 million last year. The strong revenue growth was largely attributable to higher income from The Met condominium development in Thailand as well as stronger contributions from the Group’s hotels & resorts in Singapore, the Maldives and Bali. Consequently, the Group’s profit before income tax and fair value adjustments to investment properties increased by 28.2% to $94.3 million from $73.5 million last year. Group borrowings increased, mainly due to further contributions towards the Group’s 22.5% share of the remaining acquisition cost for the Farrer Court site, as well as payment of development expenditure for The Met condominium in Thailand. This resulted in corresponding increases in investment in associates and development properties. Trade receivables also increased, mainly due to recognition of income from The Met condominium in Thailand. Nevertheless, finance costs decreased by 15.5% from $40.1 million last year to $33.8 million for the year under...
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...Manifesto for the Chief Executive Election 2012 C.Y. Leung ONE HEART, ONE VISION C.Y. Leung 1 4 1. Population and Human Resources 10 2. Land Planning and Transportation 16 3. Economic Policy 22 4. Housing 34 5. Education 39 6. Social Welfare 44 7. Medical and Health Services 51 8. Religion, Culture and Arts 56 9. Sports Policy Table of Content Foreword 62 10. Environment Protection and Conservation 66 11. Administrative and Political System 72 Epilogue 80 ONE HEART, ONE VISION 2 3 Election 2012, has provided me with a much deeper understanding of the expectations of different sectors in our society. And, at the same time, it has strengthened my resolve to serve the community as a whole. During this period, my campaign team and I have visited all 18 districts, held consultative gatherings ~ "Together we write the Manifesto" ~ and met with people from all walks of life at close quarters. We listened to the views expressed by ordinary people, who make up the majority of the population, and we talked to business people, both big corporations and local traders alike. We attended numerous other activities, met with Members of the Election Committee and answered their queries. Every step of the way, we were accompanied by the media, reporting and helping us to spread our messages to those who were not able to come to the gatherings. We were mindful that every proposal which...
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