no idea.. saw it ranked higher than sg in "most expensive city" and some cost of living indices.. but i dono abt the general salaries there, which i suspect to be correspondingly high..

if u still remember from your macroeconomics, bcoz of its peg to USD, all the rise in real exchange rate is absorbed by its prices and wages.. as long as its GDP grows and SGD appreciates wrt USD, its prices will likely rise faster than SG (though keeping in line with the rate in US). From SG to HK, we'll find things there relatively expensive. But if we stay and work there, the discrepancy should reduce.. in principle and ceteris paribus..

if u start relating to mainland which has a nominal peg to USD also, it's on the right track but the comparison is not really there.. the 1st thing, it's in labour surplus (the above price & wage mvt are for labour mkt equilibrium); it's large and diversed such that inflation rate is bound to differ across regions; it's closed and highly-regulated in a way that price mechanisms are administratively determined..

standard economic theories reflect itself very well in HK, for being the freest economy in the world, SG is ranked 2nd.. i like both HK and SG.. they have the most sensible governments (they are elitists but ofcoz they wont profess it), which steer the material growth of their limited and resourceless lands thru clear-headed economic policies, which are often contrary to common sense and extremely tedious to explain and politically costly to implement..

xiaoluo yes there is low tax in HK, but the cost of living is very high right...

Daphne, can move to Hong Kong.. no GST till now (the study of its feasibility there has been ongoing tho), and lower income tax as well..

.....

The correct flow is: the Phucked-up And Powerful, Pay And Pay to the Poor And Pitiful..

变脸

身为北方不知道准不准的媳妇，我入乡随俗~

The rich can probably buy their luxury goods somewhere else to escape tax. The poor will still have to buy their bread and milo here.
The Poor And Pitiful, Pay And Pay to the Phucked-up And Powerful.

Sure, after I come back from holiday if everything goes on well. There's always alternative shopping location though.

JB cut-hair-and-seafood-makan trip will be more often.

on the lighter side of things, i think it's time to get a tripod and some lenses before feb...laptop for u, Adam?

有办法，加入新加坡国籍，虽然GST一样收，起码大选之前有钱拿。

楼下的京味儿挺浓的啊？

今儿个也是刚看的新闻。
还让不让人活啊。

True, they did't even get bonus.

That's why they even care less about foreigners, give bonus or not won't affect the voting, but GST must pay.

For individuals, it's nothing big deal. But who suffers? Foreign employees.

Many people have many theories. Read all the forums man. so much unhappiness going around. sheesh

The oppositions can bribe the voters too, but too bad they cannot collect GST to compensate... @.@

Gerald, you know why is there a need to increase GST?

Because of the bonus the government gave out before the election! Now is payback time.

'Give me back the money baby, I will collect more GST, give them out again before the next election!'

No free meal eh?

on 2nd tot.. lets move to china before the gst increases..

omg. can i ask my boss for a raise?

"hi boss. due to the recent increase in GST, i also need u to increase my salary."

The increase in tax happened just after the General Elections. Is there any reasons why it wasn't done BEFORE the elections?

I believe the raise will take place after next year's budget speech, which is after 15th February 2007. I want 7% GST levied on all my angpows. Thank you very much.