PAP Once Promised Free Public Transport If GST Increases To 8.5%

  • Posted byby ChinHan

This was in 2008. Will we get free public transport now that they plan to raise GST to 9%? Or will they go back on their promise as usual?

The PAP recently announced their plans for Singapore to start raising our GST, by two percentage points, from 7 per cent to 9 per cent. This already goes against PM Lee’s previous statement about how they will be mad to increase GST.

One netter recalled that ex-Transport Minister Raymond Lim promised in 2008 that we can get free transport if GST is raised to 8.5%. So does this mean that we will be getting free public transport soon?

What did Raymond Lim say?

Back in 2008 at a MacPherson dialogue, one resident quipped that “(During) this tough and uncertain period, I hope there will be no increase in transport fares.” In response, then transport Minister Raymond Lim said –

“The money still must come from somewhere, right? It is about a 1.5 percentage point increase of your GST. So, now it is 7%. You want it to be free, do you want the GST to go up to 8.5% to run a completely free bus and train system?”

Raymond Lim, 2008

The original article is no longer available on CNA’s website, but you can still access it from the archives.

They will most probably go back on their promise. Can we POFMA them if they do?