# Singapore once more
**URL:** https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447
**Category:** Scuttlebutt
**Created:** [December 25, 2024, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447 "2024-12-25T21:28:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2024, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/1 "2024-12-25T21:28:14Z")
Since both the “Know Singapore” and “The Singapore way” threads got shut down I have nowhere to put news about Singapore, except by starting a new thread.
> **[Singapore’s government is determined to keep hawker centres alive](https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/12/19/singapores-government-is-determined-to-keep-hawker-centres-alive)**
>
> Why is the city-state’s bare-bones government running a bureaucracy of stir-fries?
PS\> Those who have no interest in knowing anything about what is happening in Singapore, past or present, are free to not open any links, or even to block this thread from their feed.
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### Author:  [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2024, 11:37am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/2 "2024-12-29T11:37:24Z")
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### Author:  [@Offshore44](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Offshore44)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2024, 12:02pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/3 "2024-12-29T12:02:11Z")
Who cares!!!
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### Author:  [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2024, 3:17pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/4 "2024-12-29T15:17:44Z")
So sorry to have posted something you don’t care about.
There are others here who have been outside the GoM. They may understand and appreciate a joke.
PS\> There are a lot of posts on here that I’m not interested in. I just don’t open those.
Highly recommended!!
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### Author:  [@tengineer1](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/tengineer1)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2024, 4:41pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/5 "2024-12-29T16:41:59Z")
I have always found Singapore fascinating. Lived there off and on while working there. It’s a technocracy that is constantly evolving but their dedication to innovation and the ability to maintain a relatively peaceful multicultural society is admirable. Singapore put education as a top priority and at the time tolerated no corruption. Compare the progress of Singapore to the progress of the Philippines to get an idea. Both were decimated in WW II. Singapore with no natural resources compared to the Philippines, which has many natural resources, is now far ahead by every measure.
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### Author:  [@Sand\_Pebble](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Sand_Pebble)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2024, 5:19pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/6 "2024-12-29T17:19:40Z")
> [@tengineer1](#):
>
> Compare the progress of Singapore to the progress of the Philippines to get an idea. Both were decimated in WW II.
I too have a lot of admiration for the Singaporean culture & governance. But comparing the advancement of Singapore to The Philippines after WW2 is like comparing apples to hundreds of orange groves spread over 7,641 islands. Warren Buffet has claimed for years he could make a 50% annual return on $1 million dollars compared to the single digit returns on his current $200 billion portfolio. It mostly has to do with scale. Singapore has used it to their advantage & has done a damn good job with it for sure.
> **[Warren Buffett "Guaranteed" He'd Get 50% Annual Returns With Only $1 Million...](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/warren-buffett-guaranteed-hed-50-193017375.html)**
>
> Legendary investor Warren Buffett has long advocated for the average investor to regularly put money in an S&P 500 index fund rather than buying actively managed funds. However, that's not to say he doesn't think massive outperformance isn't...
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### Author:  [@Hogsnort](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Hogsnort)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2024, 5:28pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/7 "2024-12-29T17:28:34Z")
All it took was a benevolent dictator with a robust legal and banking system at the cross roads of the world.
The trouble is we all fancy ourselves as that dictator but history shows very few.
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### Author:  [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)
#### Post date: [December 31, 2024, 12:26pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/8 "2024-12-31T12:26:31Z")
Contrary to some pessimistic estimate:
> **[Singapore economy grew by 4% in 2024, exceeding expectations: Lawrence Wong](https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/lawrence-wong-new-year-message-singapore-economy-grew-4-percent-2024-4832586)**
>
> Most workers in Singapore have also received wage increases that outpace inflation, “making them better off in real terms”, said the prime minister in his New Year message.
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### Author:  [@powerabout](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/powerabout)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2025, 8:23am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/9 "2025-01-07T08:23:58Z")
The only scary part of Singapore is this:
( now 3rd most indebted gov on the planet as % of GDP)
> **[Singapore seeks to raise issuance of govt securities to $1.5 trillion to grow...](https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/singapore-seeks-to-raise-issuance-of-government-securities-to-1-5-trillion-to-grow-cpf-local-debt)**
>
> The increase has no impact on the Government’s fiscal or net financial positions. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Cant believe they said this but
they say they need it for CPF meaning all that money the gov has borrowed from the wage earners and return it on retirement with 4.5% interest, are they actually saying we havnt made enough to pay that back?
So we had to sell some debt to fund the underfunded?
Strange how the interest bill never comes into it…
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### Author:  [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2025, 5:12pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/10 "2025-01-07T17:12:13Z")
Oh my God, Singapore is sinking in a sea of debt!!!
How does it’s credit rating look?:
> **[Singapore - Credit Rating](https://tradingeconomics.com/singapore/rating)**
>
> Standard & Poor's credit rating for Singapore stands at AAA with stable outlook. Moody's credit rating for Singapore was last set at Aaa with stable outlook. DBRS' credit rating for Singapore was last reported at AAA with stable outlook. In general,...
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### Author:  [@powerabout](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/powerabout)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2025, 3:34am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/11 "2025-01-08T03:34:22Z")
Can you find anything about the interest bill every month thats the issue?
Must be several billion a month?
This need to borrow has only been required for the last few decades as in the 90’s debt went to zero.
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### Author:  [@powerabout](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/powerabout)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2025, 3:40am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/12 "2025-01-08T03:40:42Z")
Singapore is a city state not a country. So smaller jumps make a huge difference.
LKY certainly did the hard graft to build it up but now due to the trading economy and having to lift the SGD to suit that business model its made it so expensive there are not many businesses that can survive the competition.
I dont see borrowing more and more money a sign it makes money any more?
The ex PM said last year no GLC makes any money like they did so huge source of funding gone.
They are living on the net interest from those investments which contributes nearly half the gov income. Unfortunately the ROI is very low
At least the debt is mostly internal so they can print it…
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### Author:  [@powerabout](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/powerabout)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2025, 11:08am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/13 "2025-01-08T11:08:46Z")
Sounds good, not sure how it helps Singapore less stops a few companies leaving further away?
> **[Johor-Singapore SEZ: 100 projects, 20,000 jobs, investments across 11 sectors](https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/international/landmark-johor-singapore-sez-pact-signed-100-projects-20000-jobs-investments-across-11-sectors?utm_source=emarsys&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BT_Breakfast_Brief&utm_term=Landmark%2BJohor-Singapore%2BSEZ%2Bpact%2Bsigned%3A%2B100%2Bprojects%2C%2B20%2C000%2Bjobs%2C%2Binvestments%2Bacross%2B11%2Bsectors&utm_content=08%2F01%2F2025&ref=top-stories)**
>
> In a landmark move to strengthen economic ties, Singapore and Malaysia have agreed to drive investments in 11 key sectors such as manufacturing, logistics and energy, and made plans to expand 50 projects in five years, and 100 projects within 10...
News is too much congestion on the border crossing, low skill set, too hard to get work permits
lets see what changes
New rail link will help lots of foot traffic but the Malaysian side the station is right in the middle of a very congested part of town…
The rail went in to help get Malaysian day workers into Singapore
Maybe it will be the reverse soon, lol
The other news is there is **something in the water** as news very unlike modern Singapore
Getting back to the old days
> **[2 more men, 53 & 57, both S'poreans, charged with urinating at MRT stations](https://mothership.sg/2025/01/2-singaporeans-charged-with-urinating-mrt-stations/)**
>
> Three cases of urination at MRT stations in a week.
the drug arrests are almost every other day.
> **[Four Singaporeans arrested after drugs worth $1 million seized](https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/4-singaporeans-arrested-after-drugs-worth-1m-seized)**
>
> The drugs seized could potentially feed the addiction of about 4,590 drug abusers for a week. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Murders by people known to each other almost every other day
> **[129 cases of murder, attempted murder, robbery, rioting & serious hurt...](https://mothership.sg/2025/01/129-knife-cases-singapore-2024/)**
>
> The number of knife attack cases in 2024 was comparable to previous years.
yikes
Still safe to send you 5yr to school on the bus, thats nice to see
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### Author:  [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2025, 1:07pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/14 "2025-01-19T13:07:25Z")
> [@powerabout](#):
>
> Can you find anything about the interest bill every month that’s the issue?
> Must be several billion a month?
Oh my God. Singapore is spending Billions on interest rate payment a MONTH!!!
From info freely available the interest payment is S$ 19,9 Bn/Yr.:
> [@](#):
>
> Interest Payments Per Year S$19,897,478,253 Interest Payments Per Second S$631 National Debt Per Citizen S$146,502
Sounds bad!!! Are you the only one who worry?:
> [@](#):
>
> However, no one seems to be worried about the country’s national debt. That’s because the headline figure reported by the IMF was gross national debt. When economists examined Singapore’s net national debt, they discovered that the country owes nothing at all.
> Since the Singaporean government’s assets outweigh its debts, the country has a net debt-to-GDP ratio of 0%.
Read more at: [Singapore Might Have Large Gross Debt But Their Credit Rating Is AAA. Find Out Why - Commodity.com](https://commodity.com/data/singapore/debt-clock/)
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### Author:  [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2025, 1:14pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/15 "2025-01-19T13:14:09Z")
Now to some good news. Tuas Mega Port is featured on the MegaBuilds Channel:
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8okJfNNbx5s)
PS\> I’m sure you can find something wrong with this project as well.
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### Author:  [@powerabout](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/powerabout)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2025, 2:17pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/16 "2025-01-19T14:17:03Z")
> [@ombugge](#):
>
> Read more at: [Singapore Might Have Large Gross Debt But Their Credit Rating Is AAA. Find Out Why - Commodity.com](https://commodity.com/data/singapore/debt-clock/)
[commodity.com](http://commodity.com) has the old figure debt is 50% larger now at $1.5 trillion
I thought you read the news?
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### Author:  [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2025, 2:28pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/17 "2025-01-19T14:28:03Z")
Last Updated: January 16, 2025
Read more at: [Singapore Might Have Large Gross Debt But Their Credit Rating Is AAA. Find Out Why - Commodity.com](https://commodity.com/data/singapore/debt-clock/)
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### Author:  [@powerabout](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/powerabout)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2025, 2:30pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/18 "2025-01-19T14:30:31Z")
> **[Singapore seeks to raise issuance of govt securities to $1.5 trillion to grow...](https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/singapore-seeks-to-raise-issuance-of-government-securities-to-1-5-trillion-to-grow-cpf-local-debt)**
>
> The increase has no impact on the Government’s fiscal or net financial positions. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The gov muddies the water on internal and external debt
They used to say zero external debt that wasnt bank deposits but dont seem to say that any more
Internal debt was also zero a few decades ago
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### Author:  [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2025, 2:32pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/19 "2025-01-19T14:32:41Z")
Plan is for the future. Here is history:
> **[Singapore Government Debt: % of GDP, 1990 – 2024 | CEIC Data](https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/singapore/government-debt--of-nominal-gdp)**
>
> Singapore Government debt accounted for 173.0 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Sep 2024, compared with the ratio of 173.7 % in the previous quarter.
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### Author:  [@powerabout](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/powerabout)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2025, 2:35pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/singapore-once-more/71447/20 "2025-01-19T14:35:39Z")
We will need to wait to end of this quarter for all the online figures to be updated
The sg gov did publish debt to gdp will be 222%, moving up the list to 3rd in the world
Sounds scary but its worse as Singapore gdp is massively skewed due to oil trading so it is in reality way higher as a percent of real gdp as there isnt a mine or exporting farm here to create that high figure
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