IMF tells Singapore government to steal less money from ordinary citizens

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cherry6

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IMF tells Singapore government to steal less money from ordinary citizens.

Basics:
- Every country govt prints money, its just a matter of more or less. All things being equal (productivity and consumption of each country being balanced, exchange rates should be constant if ALL countries print $$$ at the same rate.
- Though not commonly mentioned, such printing of $$$ is actually some form of theft since more circulating dollars means less buying power per dollar- an erosion of the hard earned savings of the average man.
- Chief printers of $$$ in this world are USA, China and Japan, everyone follows, that is why the M1 money supply (and other wider measures of $ (M2, M3 etc) is increasing annually too).
- Devalueing one's currency beyond international average e.g. Japan Yen/ (Abenomics) can make a nation's exports cheaper and its imports more expensive so the citizens have to produce more goods (work harder) for the usual amount of foreign imported goods (consumption).
- Tighten $$$ policy means print relatively less $$$ or lend printed $ at higher interest rates ( so that the value of one's currency increases relative to world currency/ gold prices etc.)
- The IMF finds that Singaporeans are working too hard and consuming too little. ("The island, which has a population of just 5.4 million people, enjoyed a current account surplus of $51.4 billion last year, which was a massive 18.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).")- Singapore island overproduced by $51.4b last year. IMF thus feels that Singaporeans need to enjoy themselves more by importing more foreign goods and asks that the Singapore government facilitate this by stealing less money from hardworking Singaporeans- more imports into SG can also help out with European joblessness, some of which exceed 50%(youth unemployment)- so as to assist the IMF with balancing out the world economy I suppose.

IMF "Singapore should consider tightening monetary policy further by letting the local dollar rise at a faster pace to aid external rebalancing"

Reference: 'QE: 'Hidden theft' or 'primary tool' for economy?'

PS: For brevity, this opinion is written based SOLELY on economic logic. Moral considerations/ nationalist fervour however have been scheduled to the later discussion.

IMF says Singapore needs to narrow current account surplus
SINGAPORE | Thu Nov 14, 2013 9:05am EST
By Kevin Lim
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore needs to narrow its huge current account surplus further and the International Monetary Fund supports the government's plans to raise public spending on infrastructure and social services, the IMF said on Thursday.
"Singapore's external position appears to be stronger than warranted by fundamentals, suggesting the importance of further efforts to narrow the current account surplus over the medium term," the IMF said on Thursday in its annual review of economic developments and policies in the wealthy Southeast Asian city-state.
A few IMF directors even felt Singapore should consider tightening monetary policy further by letting the local dollar rise at a faster pace to aid external rebalancing, the fund said.
The IMF, in a separate report, also said Singapore's financial regulation and supervision frameworks were among the best globally, with stress tests indicating its financial institutions would be able to cope in the event of adverse developments such as a sharp drop in property prices.
IMF carries out annual reviews of most member countries. In the case of systemically important jurisdictions such as Singapore, the fund also conducts a thorough financial sector assessment program once every five years.
Singapore, unlike many developed economies, enjoys huge current account surpluses. This is partly due to the government routinely posting budget surpluses and its success in developing the city-state's wealth-management industry, which has attracted large capital inflows.
Singapore is also Asia's number one foreign exchange trading center as well as a key Asian base for commodities traders and fund managers.
The island, which has a population of just 5.4 million people, enjoyed a current account surplus of $51.4 billion last year, which was a massive 18.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
CREDIT, REAL ESTATE
The IMF, however, warned that Singapore needed to be wary of risks arising from the rapid growth of credit and real estate prices in recent years, noting the city-state's economy has become increasingly sensitive to macroeconomic shocks and interest rate cycles.
"Significant risks have built up under very low interest rates, but appear manageable, although confirmation will come only once the cycle has turned," the IMF said.
The IMF recommended that Singapore impose a countercyclical capital buffer on banks as well as step up its monitoring of banks' credit risks and foreign currency liquidity practices.
Other suggestions by the IMF include ensuring the city-state's banking industry "adequately contributes to the cost of resolving failed banks and further develop recovery plans for Singapore Exchange (SGXL.SI)".
Singapore has been grappling with higher-than-normal inflation in recent years as low global interest rates boosted property prices, even as ongoing measures to make it harder for firms to bring in cheap foreign workers pushed up the wages of lower-skilled residents.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore, the city-state's central bank, last month warned that core inflation was likely to accelerate in 2014 as it stuck to its tight monetary policy stance of allowing a "modest and gradual" appreciation of the local dollar.
The fund forecasts Singapore's core inflation will rise from 1.9 percent this year to 2.8 percent next year, which would make it the highest since 2008.
Core inflation excludes the cost of cars and accommodation since these are more influenced by government policy.
Home prices, however, have stabilized this year after a series of government measures to cool the housing market.
(Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE9AD0QU20131114
Tags: inflation, quantitative easing, finance, money supply, Singapore,

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bakuten

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Banks who become insolvent due to highly risky bets(exposure to derivatives) must be allowed to fail and not bailed out or bailed in.
 

yttik

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one of the thing mahathir did right for their country was not to listen to what IMF said.
 

Dyhalt

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In just a few years time countries with financial recklessness will have dire economic consequences.

I am proud of being a Singaporean and likes what our government did for us in general. We enjoy a decent life with low unemployment rate, enjoys low crime rate, low tax rate, inflation is here but we generally can get a raise every year too.

Yes there are a lot of room for improvement for our government, but I rather have Singapore staying in what she is now than to follow America or EU's footstep.
 

Dividends Warrior

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In just a few years time countries with financial recklessness will have dire economic consequences.

I am proud of being a Singaporean and likes what our government did for us in general. We enjoy a decent life with low unemployment rate, enjoys low crime rate, low tax rate, inflation is here but we generally can get a raise every year too.

Yes there are a lot of room for improvement for our government, but I rather have Singapore staying in what she is now than to follow America or EU's footstep.

The best thing is no dividend tax in Singapore! :D:o
 

bakuten

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In just a few years time countries with financial recklessness will have dire economic consequences.

I am proud of being a Singaporean and likes what our government did for us in general. We enjoy a decent life with low unemployment rate, enjoys low crime rate, low tax rate, inflation is here but we generally can get a raise every year too.

Yes there are a lot of room for improvement for our government, but I rather have Singapore staying in what she is now than to follow America or EU's footstep.

Yes. Agreed with u...for all their flaws...the economic policies of our govt implemented are much better than many other places.

That being said tho....the point that concerns me most is multilateralism that we are seeing the world slowly heading towards via treaties and trade zones like euro zone and the highly secretive TPP drafts(Singapore involved) leaked by wiki leaks ytd.

This is a very slippery slope...just ask the southern states of the euro zone...their countries are now being run by unelected officials from Brussels. With euro zone laws super-ceding country laws...effectively undermining their sovereignty.

Putin warned of the dire consequences that the push for multilateralism will bring during the G20 few months back.

This unrelenting push for multilaterlism seems like a push for an unelected one world government that answers to no one. Would you want to try living in such a world? I know I don't .
 
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Some-one

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In just a few years time countries with financial recklessness will have dire economic consequences.

I am proud of being a Singaporean and likes what our government did for us in general. We enjoy a decent life with low unemployment rate, enjoys low crime rate, low tax rate, inflation is here but we generally can get a raise every year too.

Yes there are a lot of room for improvement for our government, but I rather have Singapore staying in what she is now than to follow America or EU's footstep.
Oh My God...I am so touched to hear this from a Singaporean but if what you wrote is posted on EDMW, you can expect a flurry of flames, scolding and calling of names. Glad to know there are still people who love Singapore. :)

Better hide this post and not let it been referred to in EDMW....
 

bakuten

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Oh My God...I am so touched to hear this from a Singaporean but if what you wrote is posted on EDMW, you can expect a flurry of flames, scolding and calling of names. Glad to know there are still people who love Singapore. :)

Better hide this post and not let it been referred to in EDMW....

<3 sg dun mean love govt...
Doing some things right doesn't strike off the wrongs they did either.

By tying hdb prices to private housing...they fell into the bank's trap of easy growth...and with fed's easy money policies...it just compounded the problem.

Much of our growth has been phony growth....powered by housing prices appreciating which generates no real value and will evaporate at the first sign of trouble.

This is one huge problem created by them... which they have yet to resolve fully.
 
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Some-one

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<3 sg dun mean love govt...
Doing some things right doesn't strike off the wrongs they did either.

By tying hdb prices to private housing...they fell into the bank's trap of easy growth...and with fed's easy money policies...it just compounded the problem.

Much of our growth has been phony growth....powered by housing prices appreciating which generates no real value and will evaporate at the first sign of trouble.

This is one huge problem created by them... which they have yet to resolve fully.

They may not be right in everything but they are not wrong in everything either. By the way, Dyhalt did mention that he "likes what our government did for us in general" and this is what I am referring to. You have also stated that "the economic policies of our govt implemented are much better than many other places" so what do you mean by "<3 sg dun mean love govt"? As for tying private housing price to hdb price, the last I check, I don't think I can buy a condo with less than 500K as compare to hdb.

Our growth is not phony growth and it is not only powered by housing. Our economy is more than just developing houses. Housing prices has been appreciating but that is because of the limited land supply that we have, as well as the number of foreigners who are coming to Singapore who are buying up our houses but is that wrong?

We import most of our basic necessities (like rice, noodles) from overseas. Without the foreigners and the MNC, who is going to buy up our Singapore dollar? Without anyone buying up our Singapore dollars to keep it strong against other currencies, we would be paying more to foreign countries for their consumer goods and our food price would be even higher than now. We would be at the mercy of their pricing without a strong currency.
 
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lifeishard

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tying hdb price to private housing price means can buy a same size condo with the same amount of money you paid for your hdb?

you so stupid with understanding problem or playing with words? are you a politician or aspire to be one? you will be successful taking that route i'm sure.

foreigners buying houses not wrong in "limited land supply" singapore? countries that are selling land to foreigners for residential purposes are big countries with unlimited land supply! in fact some big countries still do not sell to foreigners. sorry,are you a foreigner?
 

Some-one

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tying hdb price to private housing price means can buy a same size condo with the same amount of money you paid for your hdb?

you so stupid with understanding problem or playing with words? are you a politician or aspire to be one? you will be successful taking that route i'm sure.

foreigners buying houses not wrong in "limited land supply" singapore? countries that are selling land to foreigners for residential purposes are big countries with unlimited land supply! in fact some big countries still do not sell to foreigners. sorry,are you a foreigner?

It is very strange that whenever there is such a post saying anything good, there are always people coming here to call names and starts to label and sow discord. No good discussion can come out when one does not want to open his mind to read carefully what I have wrote especially the last paragraph.

There is no need for any judgement. I am ignoring your post. We are in Money Mind forum, not EDMW. Sorry. :)
 
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cherry6

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Murphy's law- whatever that can possibly go wrong will definitely go wrong.

Yes. Agreed with u...for all their flaws...the economic policies of our govt implemented are much better than many other places.
That being said tho....the point that concerns me most is multilateralism that we are seeing the world slowly heading towards via treaties and trade zones like euro zone and the highly secretive TPP drafts(Singapore involved) leaked by wiki leaks ytd.
This is a very slippery slope...just ask the southern states of the euro zone...their countries are now being run by unelected officials from Brussels. With euro zone laws super-ceding country laws...effectively undermining their sovereignty.
Putin warned of the dire consequences that the push for multilateralism will bring during the G20 few months back.
This unrelenting push for multilaterlism seems like a push for an unelected one world government that answers to no one. Would you want to try living in such a world? I know I don't .
Agree in essence with the loss of freedom consequence of unelected persons controlling a nation's economy- the citizens have only the!selves to blame for not having elected the correct persons to lead on the first place... guess that's Murphy's law- whatever that can possibly go wrong will definitely go wrong.

In a way, Singapore prospered due to the business acumen of LKY- skilled in both business as well as political monopoly (read GRC, PA-PAP conspiracy etc)- the baggage of this unilateral GDP at all cost policy is the we now have a large gini coefficient- which represents wide income and wealth divide- a serious source of political instability once LKY is gone.... So we shouldn't be pot calling kettle black. Yes Europe has its problems, yes Bernanke prints too much phoney money but when inflation hits our shores / when an outbreak of civil unrest breaks out in Indonesia/ up north, I really wonder if Singaporeans can really trust their government. Water 'ponding' which was supposed to occur once in 50-100 yes now seems to happen annually- point is that there are more issues to tackle nowadays... things can happen very fast overnight. The world is just as scarry as it has always been...

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cherry6

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It is possible for Singapore to be held hostage by its banks

It is possible for Singapore to be held hostage by its banks.

Banks who become insolvent due to highly risky bets(exposure to derivatives) must be allowed to fail and not bailed out or bailed in.
PM Lee once said that he cannot really regulate banks- and that Singapore's reserves might have to be used to bail them out should they fail... problem as I understand is that there might be no limit to losses incurred in so far that banks invest clients (savings deposits) in say futures derivatives- any market move!ent against the banks position if large, can not only wipe put the bank's deposit base (client savings accounts) but even eat into the bank capital should the loss be quite torrential. AIG afaok would have caused economic Armageddon has it not been bailed out since it had recklessly issued many credit default swaps to banks and inveatment firms which it wouldn't have been able to honour if it has not been bailed out.
The US govt which had previously been sleeping on the job of bank regulation was now held hostage by AIG's illicit financial obligations- thus the haemorrhage of trillions of govt $$$ just to bail put AIG and other banks in the vicinity.

Regulating+banks+tightly+
 

cscs3

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Oh My God...I am so touched to hear this from a Singaporean but if what you wrote is posted on EDMW, you can expect a flurry of flames, scolding and calling of names. Glad to know there are still people who love Singapore. :)

Better hide this post and not let it been referred to in EDMW....

If you think this is a fact then there is nothing to hide. Nothing is perfect. A report has some good point and bad. Some just like to pick the bad one and magnified it. When all know what is their final comment/conclusion!

We all agreed there is room to improve in Singapore. The question is you are the group choose to believe it will get improve or the group trying to destroy Singapore. It may not be all that important to you, but what about your love one/friends and family?
 

Yellowfin

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Please do not go OT as this is a forum for investment and not about politics.
 
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