The Workers’ Party MP calls for government action as inflation and rising utility costs weigh on Singaporeans.
SINGAPORE: Rising living costs remain a pressing concern for Singaporeans, as highlighted by Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) in a Facebook post on Monday (Oct 2). Speaking about his recent visits to Compassvale and Anchorvale, Assoc Prof Lim noted that residents, from young families to elderly households, are feeling the pressure from successive price hikes in goods, services, and utilities.
“There was a common theme,” he wrote, “that the recent price increases—postal, water, gas, and electricity—were all coming on the back of already-substantial spikes in the cost of food. Their proximity and size led one resident to exclaim that these were ‘too close, too many, can’t breathe.’”
Inflation Slows, but Pressures Persist
While inflation has slowed to 4 percent, down from nearly 8 percent in 2022, Assoc Prof Lim emphasized that this reduction has not provided much relief. Essential expenses, such as food, transport, and housing, continue to rise at rates higher than the headline inflation figure.
He also flagged the upcoming increases in utility prices, such as the 3.7 percent rise in electricity tariffs announced by SP Group for the October to December period. Despite reports of utilities operating profitably, Assoc Prof Lim questioned whether this is the right time to burden the public further.
Call for Government Action
Assoc Prof Lim urged the government to consider rebates to cushion the impact of these price increases. He pointed out that the state’s higher tax revenue, generated automatically by a fixed percentage applied to rising costs, could be returned to residents.
“This isn’t generosity or a giveaway; it is just making sure that the government doesn’t make money, through no effort of its own, while the people are suffering,” he wrote.
The Sengkang MP’s post underscores the need for immediate measures to alleviate financial strain on Singaporeans during this challenging period.
