Casinos a huge sucess despite

[to pp]

True, but they aren't finished yet, nevertheless expect you are right.

Anyway, gets difficult to differentiate.

Eg, how much of Universal Studios (or anywhere else, just an example) takings are from those who wouldn't be here in the first place if there wasn't a casino?  Bet the high end luxury places and the superstar restaurants get most of their money from gamblers.  Where do you attribute that money, where should you attribute it?

I'm sure it will be attributed to whatever outlet billed them (only practical way to do it) but realistically those takings would be way down if the casino didn't exist.

[to op]

Define success.

In true myopic local fashion this presumably means profitable to you.

Family destruction and destitute losers probably don't figure I guess.

Btw neither of them are singapore companies and while they pay tax most of the money goes offshore.

[scarbowl]

Hey.  Don't complain.  It was a decision at the highest levels of the Singapore government. 

[RTTT]

Hey.  Don't complain.  It was a decision at the highest levels of the Singapore government. 

:

The greenlight given for the IRs conjures
signs of desperation for revenue irregardless
of consequences. Unbelievable for a
team that prides itself of having the best
of the best. Have they reallly given enough
 thought? The other relevant story, the guardians
of the coffers
have apparently been outsmarted, outmanoeuvred
and push over by the Wall Street manipulators.
No clear details available. Still in a state of
shock!!!
 

[uhuh]

Tourist numbers and hotel occupancies are all up, as is the property market. 

[Ringmaster]

Tourist numbers and hotel occupancies are all up, as is the property market. 

the usual yadda yadda yadda

[Agent007]

Singapore has recorded an 18 percent growth in visitor arrivals to 996,000 in August this year, the highest seen for the month and the ninth straight month of record visitor arrivals.

The growth in visitor arrivals in August was partly driven by the continuing strength of the Asian economy, the on-going draw of the two Integrated Resorts and the hosting of the first Youth Olympic Games.

Visitor days reached about 4.2 million days, representing a 20.3 percent year-on-year growth compared to August 2009, according to the Singapore Tourism Board.

Among the country’s top five visitor-generating markets include Indonesia (165,000), China (131,000), Malaysia (76,000), Australia (68,000) and India (57,000). These markets made up 50 percent of the total visitor arrivals for the month.

Out of the top 15 markets, 14 saw positive year-on-year growth, with China (+50.9 percent), Thailand (+47.8 percent), and Vietnam (+34.0 percent) posting the highest growth in August

[agent fool]

And how many of them bought overpriced dogboxes?

[Maxwell Smart]

@Agent 007

How has all the stats you have cited helped the man in the street ?

[not really]

And how many of them bought overpriced dogboxes?

Just what is your problem ?   Why do you keep calling the homes dogboxes ?  There is no space left here so the only way to build is up.

[see you world, kid]

And how many of them bought overpriced dogboxes?

Been to Hong Kong any time of our miserable 14 years of existence?

[to agent idiot]

Been to HK maybe 30 times.

Never bought a dogbox there though, Mandarin Oriental was perfectly acceptable.

[Stop saying this]

And how many of them bought overpriced dogboxes?

Just what is your problem ?   Why do you keep calling the homes dogboxes ?  There is no space left here so the only way to build is up.

This is absolute horsesh!t.

The Gvt came up with the number of 6.5 mio people as a target because they believe there is enough space on this island to house that population. This means 1.5mio more than today, implying there are still reserves of space in Singapore.

No, the reason why condos here are absolute dogboxes is because developers are allowed to get their way, all in the name of profit (for the developers themselves but also for the Gvt), without an ounce of consideration for the buyer. There is no consumer protection whatsoever, and that translates into sub-par materials, sub-par designs, ouright lying about the actual size of the units (planters, bow windows etc.).

That's why a 1,500sqf flat here feels smaller than a 1,200sqf flat in the real first world (read: the West). That's why condos degrade so fast they need to be torn down after 25 years, while they last decades more in the the West. But that's not a problem. Because it gives them an excuse to tear them down, and rebuild even smaller, poorer quality condos, and rake in more profit for the developers and Gvt.

[To pp]

And how many of them bought overpriced dogboxes?

Just what is your problem ?   Why do you keep calling the homes dogboxes ?  There is no space left here so the only way to build is up.

This is absolute horsesh!t.

The Gvt came up with the number of 6.5 mio people as a target because they believe there is enough space on this island to house that population. This means 1.5mio more than today, implying there are still reserves of space in Singapore.

Yes, but if the release of reserved land is restricted by the government, then the only way is up. They're still dog boxes though

No, the reason why condos here are absolute dogboxes is because developers are allowed to get their way, all in the name of profit (for the developers themselves but also for the Gvt), without an ounce of consideration for the buyer. There is no consumer protection whatsoever, and that translates into sub-par materials, sub-par designs, ouright lying about the actual size of the units (planters, bow windows etc.).

Please give examples of added consumer protection in the West E.g The UK. In fact the statutory limitation periods are longer here (A long stop of 15 years as compared to 12 in the UK) and Singapore law allows actions in tort for repair of building defects which is not a remedy availble under to tort law in the UK. Rights to sue under Contract are basically the same.

Admittedly, workmanship is crap because of the use of cheap unskilled labour as compared to skilled tradesman in the West. Poor quality Materials? I'm not so sure. There are climate issues here that contribute to more rapid deterioration.

That's why a 1,500sqf flat here feels smaller than a 1,200sqf flat in the real first world (read: the West). That's why condos degrade so fast they need to be torn down after 25 years, while they last decades more in the the West. But that's not a problem. Because it gives them an excuse to tear them down, and rebuild even smaller, poorer quality condos, and rake in more profit for the developers and Gvt.

You're mixing up en-bloc greed with building life span. Please name one condominuim torn down for any other reason. The structural design building codes and safety factors here are totally over the top and far more stringent compared to the West, ever since the Hotel New World and the Nicoll Highway collapse

[Agent007]

Who cares whether anyone calls them dogboxes or if the quality is crap?

They are money making machines!