Singapore's School Teachers to Start Paying Parking Fees From August 2018
Beginning August this year, school teachers in Singapore will begin paying parking fees to park their cars. The move comes after Singapore’s...
https://automology.blogspot.com/2018/03/singapores-school-teachers-to-start.html
Beginning August this year, school teachers in Singapore will begin paying parking fees to park their cars. The move comes after Singapore’s Ministry of Education reviewed the free parking in schools way back in 2015.
This decision is in line with the Public Service Division’s “clean wage” policy, which requires salaries to be fully accounted for with no hidden benefits.
Besides school teachers and staff, canteen stall operators, coaches and instructors who go to schools regularly also fall under the new ruling. However, the parking fees will not apply to parents or volunteers, as they will be deemed as ad hoc visitors.
Currently, there are approximately 360 primary and secondary schools and junior colleges throughout the country.
“It has become increasingly clear that the current treatment of allowing school staff to park for free constitutes a taxable benefit, as the vast majority of school carparks are located near chargeable carparks and the carparks are intended for the use of staff and authorised visitors, with no access given to the general public,” said a spokesman.
Since the land belongs to the school (if that should be the case), shouldn’t the school’s leaders themselves decide whether parking at these carparks be chargeable or not?
This begs another question: with Singapore’s brilliant public transport system, why would people still drive to work?
Should this new mandate spread to other countries in the region? Share your thoughts.
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| Image credit - http://www.straitstimes.com / KELVIN CHNG |
This decision is in line with the Public Service Division’s “clean wage” policy, which requires salaries to be fully accounted for with no hidden benefits.
Besides school teachers and staff, canteen stall operators, coaches and instructors who go to schools regularly also fall under the new ruling. However, the parking fees will not apply to parents or volunteers, as they will be deemed as ad hoc visitors.
Currently, there are approximately 360 primary and secondary schools and junior colleges throughout the country.
“It has become increasingly clear that the current treatment of allowing school staff to park for free constitutes a taxable benefit, as the vast majority of school carparks are located near chargeable carparks and the carparks are intended for the use of staff and authorised visitors, with no access given to the general public,” said a spokesman.
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| Currency in Singapore Dollar. (S$1 = USD0.77). Image credit - http://www.straitstimes.com |
This begs another question: with Singapore’s brilliant public transport system, why would people still drive to work?
Should this new mandate spread to other countries in the region? Share your thoughts.
