REACH 199 - PWM for Retailers (SK)

01 Mar 2021 (11am - 7pm)

REACH

[10:45 am, 01/03/2021] +REACH: More can be done to promote gender equality in Singapore, says Grace Fu

While the fact that more women are participating in economic activities reflects the evolution of gender relations in Singapore, more needs to be done to promote gender equality, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said on Sunday (Feb 28).

More: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/more-can-be-done-to-promote-gender-equality-in-singapore-says-grace-fu

[10:45 am, 01/03/2021] +REACH: S'pore's Covid-19 vaccination drive boosts hopes for some normalcy

Hopes that life can return to some sort of normalcy is growing stronger by the week, as more Covid-19 vaccination centres spring up across Singapore.

More: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/covid-19-vaccination-boosts-hopes-for-some-normalcy

[0:08 pm, 01/03/2021] +REACH: Dear contributors,

Welcome back! 😊

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[0:19 pm, 01/03/2021] +Leonard Lau: Will the increase of Retail wages dampens their industry further ?  The sector is currently facing structural and demands issues and this move may impact business owners . In return ,will they  resist the wage reform ?  On the other hand , are retail workers transformed to use digital and acquired new skills to improve their values to their business ?

[0:20 pm, 01/03/2021] +Nat: Erm can you guys just quote the message rather than copying and pasting the entire topic and then adding your comments below? It's weird tbh

[0:35 pm, 01/03/2021] +james: Even as we make such efforts to encourage women’s participation in the workforce and have greater participation of women in senior management, we also need to see society strongly encourage men to play a greater role in child raising and domestic chores.

[0:39 pm, 01/03/2021] +Nat: In fact on gender equality I want to know more about actual workplace experiences because sometimes it might not be a gender issue at all but we never know 

I consider myself to be an ally to the effort but whenever I attend webinars on gender equality, while I understand it's a way for women to vent out their frustrations and coining terms like manel (a panel dominated by men) and mentioning about mansplaining, I just think it doesn't help if both sides keep hammering each other. 

Of course that's a western thing so I'm not sure how local context is like but it's probably not too different

[1:13 pm, 01/03/2021] +REACH: No plans to impose vaccinations as condition for entry to S'pore: Ong Ye Kung

There are no plans to require travellers to be vaccinated to enter Singapore, said Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung on Monday (March 1).

More: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/no-plans-to-impose-vaccinations-as-condition-for-entry-to-singapore-ong-ye-kung

[1:16 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

My close friend comments :-

Trouble is out retailers are not selling local products. 

We don't have comprehensive manufacturing. 

So if retailers were merely buying from overseas, display at shopping malls to sell then going online doesn't make sense. 

The source factory can place them online we buy direct from source country. 

E.g.. China is world's global factories. 

When these factories put their stuff online, as consumers we browse and purchase. 

Pay for shipping and still cheaper. 

With VR, the online shopping experience can become more thrilling.

My comments :-

Yes. This is one of the issue we are facing in online sales.

China online products are dirt cheap.

My close friend comments: 

Retail will have to go high end and exclusive. 

I saw a dress at NeX shopping mall going for >$100. 

It's black but I like it white. 

I tried it at the changing room, know it fits well. 

Took a picture and search taobao. 

Item came out. It has white. 

I bought online for around $30 including shipping.

My comments :

Mine goodness.

Singapore retailers how to compete.

My close friend comments: 

So middle men are losing their businesses. 

Retailers are middle men. 

They have to move into high end exclusive space.

Many middle men are losing their jobs e.g. Middle managers

My comments: 

You are right, our retailers have to compete in the high class, high quality and high premium spaces.

We cannot compete with China and other low cost countries based on price.

 

[1:39 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Eg. If taobao sell this cake online, it could sell it at $1.

Our retailers will have to sell it at $1.50 to make a profit.

Customers will buy it from taobao online at $1 - and our retailers lose competitiveness and lose business.

 

[1:42 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

But if our retailers package it with something exclusive like adding accessories that is appealing, our retailers can sell it at $5.

And local customers will buy.

This is how local retailers can value add their product offerings and services offerings - and can charge higher price in online sales and yet can pay our retail staff higher salary via PWM.

[2:03 pm, 01/03/2021] +Eunice Chia: what i like about the current programme to raise wages for low-income are:

1. Gov help companies improve productivity (and thereby profitability)

2. Workfare Income Supplement that goes straight into the worker's CPF, bank etc.

3. PWM is industry based, so it looks at the challenges/opportunities/skillsets in each sector -- so it's more surgical.

so while companies find their USPs, they are not too burdened with paying Minimum Wage.

[2:06 pm, 01/03/2021] +Eunice Chia: not to mention workfare skills support, which helps our low wage workers acquire skills, and a sense of dignity.

my mum was a chambermaid -- and the BEST training in the 80s gave her a sense of dignity, the highlight of her career was the "computer classes" that her employer sent her for, as part of the national training efforts.  

think, besides wages, we have to give workers dignity and respect too.

[2:06 pm, 01/03/2021] +REACH: $90m to be spent on Singapore's first top-level biosafety lab, to be operational by 2025

Singapore will get its first highest-level biosafety containment lab ready by 2025 - the first such facility in South-east Asia - to prepare for the next big pandemic or biological threat, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen on Monday (March 1).

More: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/90-million-to-be-spent-on-singapores-first-top-level-biosafety-lab-to-be

[2:09 pm, 01/03/2021] +REACH: SAF to set up sustainability office, trial cleaner fuels for some fighter jets in latest push to go green

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will set up a sustainability office and trial cleaner fuels for some of its fighter jets in its latest efforts to go green.

More: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/saf-sustainability-office-cleaner-fuels-fighter-jets-14305952

[2:13 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

My close friend comments:-

Deep thinking and fundamental changes needed to transform shopping. 

Not only about instituting pwm.

Please see video - how China transform its shopping experience :-

My comments:-

China also go upmarket in transforming its shopping experience.

Thus our retailers also need to be creative and innovative - to stay competitive and relevant.

Coming back to the dress example in Taobao:-

Our retailers an value add by sewing an "orchid brooch" - which is exclusive and unique to Singapore for eg. as orchid is our National flower.

Or the seam of the neckline - can sew some blink blink gold accessories... to make it appealing.

And our retailers can sell it at a higher price - because it will be unique for those sold in Taobao - as it is exclusively our Singapore design.

[2:19 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

China has lead and leap-frog US and the World in high-tech smartphone retail shopping.

[2:27 pm, 01/03/2021] +Lim Suang: I agree that our retailers do need to develop their own niche products to differentiate themselves from their overseas competitors. However, most of low to middle class SG consumers are quite price-sensitive in my opinion. I think they do look at the ROI on top of uniqueness of the product

[2:28 pm, 01/03/2021] +Lim Suang: Anyway, back to PWM for retail industry, i do hope to see gov sharing their study on how PWM works better than min wage as well as key considerations for this model to work well

[2:31 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

China is uniquely able to perform 2 functions:-

1. Offer very low price products - being a global manufacturing hub.

2. Offer high price upmarket products - being creative and innovative.

This will provide a good benchmark for Singapore to compare and compete effectively.

[2:34 pm, 01/03/2021] +Boon: 👍

[2:43 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

When Singapore compete, we don't compete just within our National borders.

We are also competing with Global players - the moment we go digital.

Thus we need to be competitive in our prices as well as uniqueness and exclusivity in our products and services offerings that are wanted by the domestic customers as well as overseas customers.

Our PWM must take into account the above consideration.

[2:56 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Note:- US Congress recently shoot down the minimum wage to be increase from US$7 to US$15 - as it deem as the wages increase is not commensurate with productivity growth - that will not only add additional cost to business but also impose burden to the consumers.

US is increasingly losing competitiveness to China.

[2:57 pm, 01/03/2021] +Ken: Only can win by automation and technology...

But technology wise China is catching up pretty fast

[2:58 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

China is surging ahead in many areas.

That's why even under Biden, US is still getting hostile with China - because Americans are feeling that they are quickly losing their lead in many areas.

[2:59 pm, 01/03/2021] +Ken: To protect the country I guess no other way..

[3:00 pm, 01/03/2021] +Ken: As gobal economy start to catch up, we will see more and more closed up market. By either increase tax or limit import or export

[3:01 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心:

Being protective and turn inward are not the right strategy.

They need to be innovative and creative.

[3:02 pm, 01/03/2021] +Ken: Innovation that can redefine a country is not easy.. takes years... to find the niche and capacity to win the herd. 

Everyone one is catching up. As learning is not really hard. The country can easily adopt as long as they have a stable and strong government

[3:04 pm, 01/03/2021] +Ken: https://www.facebook.com/93889432933/posts/10158135276242934/?d=n

Terminator scenario might not as far as we thought it will be 🤣🤣

[3:04 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Americans loss because they don't have long term policy to groom and educate talent, build productive infrastructure and invest in strategic tech and business.

America give up their lead in semiconductor, telecommunications, and many high tech stuff.

Because their government chop and change in every election term.

There are no coherent long term strategic planning.

That's why they lose out to China - who is a master strategist in long term planning.

[3:06 pm, 01/03/2021] +Ken: I really don’t understand how US citizens have drop down to the point. 

How the recent few years, and having trump. 🤷🏻‍♂️ its amazing how a first world leader country can have such interesting citizens 😅

[3:10 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

America growth are mainly propel by private sectors innovativeness and enterprising spirits.

Trump in his 4 years term destroy all that by intervening in a destructive way.

Now US will have a hard time catching up - as China has 1.4 billion people with talents to tap on.

US have only 330 million and Trump have push away many foreign talents that can help them to be competitive.

By 10 years time, China will overtake US in many areas.

[3:10 pm, 01/03/2021] +Rama: Play with words having a psychological effect

[3:11 pm, 01/03/2021] +Ken: The education system and student loan is also very broken

[3:11 pm, 01/03/2021] +Ken: Just sad that once great nation on the path to destruction

[3:12 pm, 01/03/2021] +Rama: 😞😟😔

[3:14 pm, 01/03/2021] +Fulgrim: No great empire lasts forever

[3:14 pm, 01/03/2021] +Fulgrim: But us is still far from destruction lah

[3:14 pm, 01/03/2021] +Fulgrim: Very far

[3:15 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Yes. Almost every aspect of competitiveness have been overlooked because of lack of long term government planning.

Education, talents grooming, infrastructure, investment in strategic Industries, business, technology.

Thus as some points in time, is democracy of changing government like changing clothes good for the Country?

It always bother me.

[3:15 pm, 01/03/2021] +Ken: Not yet... but the path is they continue on we can see them going down... but they have time, hopefully they wake up

[3:20 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Just look at Malaysia - govt change hand any other days.

Foreign investors fall to its lowest in ASEAN.

Even when next election come, there is no guarantee that a stable govt will be restore - because it will still make up of coalition of different political parties that will pull the government in all directions.

Will long term strategic planning to bring the country into progressive path possible?

I strongly don't think so - because each political parties in the coalition will want their interest to be taken into account first, while the Nation interest come later.

Just look at the US bipartisan politics and many others - we will see the outcomes of how flaw democracy has become.

[3:27 pm, 01/03/2021] +Fulgrim: Democracy is never a perfect system

[3:28 pm, 01/03/2021] +Fulgrim: It depends a lot of socially responsible and involved citizenry

[3:28 pm, 01/03/2021] +Fulgrim: Which I think is something too much to als

[3:28 pm, 01/03/2021] +Fulgrim: Ask

[3:28 pm, 01/03/2021] +Fulgrim: Humans by nature are selfish

[3:28 pm, 01/03/2021] +Fulgrim: And hence will always try to game or subvert the system

[3:28 pm, 01/03/2021] +Fulgrim: But it’s still prob the best we have

[3:32 pm, 01/03/2021] +Rama: Yes

[3:34 pm, 01/03/2021] +Fulgrim: I not being racist or anything but sometimes a despotic system might be more suitable for Asian countries especially those very new to the democratic idea

[3:35 pm, 01/03/2021] +Fulgrim: The challenge again is having those in power being relatively selfless and vested in the greater good

[3:35 pm, 01/03/2021] +Fulgrim: Which is also very difficult

[3:52 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

US every new term of government is talking about spending, spending and spending.

Because if new government fail to do so, they won't win election.

To win election, the new government must adopt a populist stance - else voters won't vote them in.

Thus in US history, a balance budget is never in the government cookbook.

Now US public debt stand at US$28 trillion & a debt that is impossible to be repaid by their descendants.

This is the outcome of a democratic system.

No longer term strategic planning - for the benefit of the country and its people.

Only short term gratification to win election.

If Singapore ever to end up like this, as a small country without natural resources - our descendants will be doom.

[4:01 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Some people may say, government change never mind, got civil servants to take care of long term planning.

Trump practically replace all capable civil servants in US public administration and put in his cronies that do all his bidding.

Destroying US competitiveness, foreign relations and right values - replacing it with phony business transaction, deception, fake news, conspiracy, under table dealings, disconnection from science and many destructive policies to woo his right wing base.

[4:28 pm, 01/03/2021] +REACH: 12 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, all imported

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid-19-moh-new-cases-mar-1-imported-community-dormitory-14305330

[5:05 pm, 01/03/2021] +Boon: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/robot-reminds-visitors-about-safe-distancing-measures-in-bishan-ang-mo-kio-park

[5:10 pm, 01/03/2021] +Boon: Agreed. What is gender equality in Singapore needs our interpretation and situational context, so that resulting policies can be equitable for our culture and societal maturity and progress.

[5:37 pm, 01/03/2021] +Boon: Re: the 24 Sep CNA interview with Mr Shanmugan contains good references of what should or should not be considered re: gender equality.  In the same article, he expressed hopes that violence can also be minimized as a result. Gender violence against women (or men) is an issue that involves societal values and family upbringing. Lenient consequences, and emotional public sentiments does not help matters. Any relationships between upbringing, consequences with women/men violence needs to be better examined in terms of mutual respect in our society. Let’s ensure this deeper societal/family aspect is not overlooked in the “gender equality” dialogues.

[5:47 pm, 01/03/2021] +REACH: Some taxpayers to receive tax bills from IRAS without having to file returns

Some taxpayers here will be receiving their tax bills from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) without having to file their returns.

More: https://www.straitstimes.com/business/some-taxpayers-to-receive-tax-bills-from-iras-without-having-to-file-returns

[5:49 pm, 01/03/2021] +REACH: Singapore played 'key role' in efforts to ensure equal access to COVID-19 vaccines to all countries: Vivian Balakrishnan

Singapore has played a “key role” in establishing a global effort to ensure equal access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries, said Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday (Mar 1).

More: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-equal-access-covid-vaccine-covax-vivian-balakrishnan-14307120

[5:49 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: https://news.google.com/articles/CAIiEOyXtiNHEI3CMoHqUNGLfUEqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowrMuZCzDW1bEDML6F7AY?hl=en-SG&gl=SG&ceid=SG%3Aen

But Singapore not included.

[5:49 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

https://asiatimes.com/2021/02/beijing-teams-up-with-tech-giants-for-e-rmb/

Beijing rein in on Alibaba and Tencent to toe the line on digital yuan.

[5:50 pm, 01/03/2021] +Rama: Hugh!?

[5:51 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

This China digital yuan will upsurp US dollar currency supremacy - and US financial strength globally will start its regressing trend.

Over time, US will lose its economic supremacy.

[5:53 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Singapore should see how we can participate in China's digital currency trial.

Wonder is our Ubin blockchain digital currency ready for integration?

[6:13 pm, 01/03/2021] +Dong Liang: Free mask collected

[6:15 pm, 01/03/2021] +REACH: 60% of Singapore taxis now run on cleaner energy

Around six in ten taxis on Singapore's roads are hybrid or electric vehicles (EVs), up from just 18 per cent three years ago, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said on Monday (March 1).

More: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/60-per-cent-of-singapore-taxis-now-run-on-cleaner-energy

[6:16 pm, 01/03/2021] +REACH: More police cameras to be installed islandwide, as Home Team taps technology to enhance ops

Singapore will install more police cameras islandwide in the next few years, as the Home Team continues to use technology to enhance its operations.

More: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/more-police-cameras-to-be-installed-islandwide-as-home-team-taps-technology-to-enhance-ops

[6:23 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

That's if countries can freely swap their respective currencies via digital currency platform - why is there a need for middleman currency like US dollars for international trade?

US currency will start losing its importance and relevancy.

And US financial strength will plummet.

US mammoth debt will plummet US economy - when US dollars currency lose its global economic weight.

[6:26 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

So China master strategist will effectively hammer US long term economic supremacy - thanks to Trump tech sanctions and financial sanctions on China.

Trump has in effect wake up a sleeping dragon.

[6:38 pm, 01/03/2021] +Rama: Yes

[6:43 pm, 01/03/2021] ☸️  Danny 心: 

That's US dollars can be strong - when the world still buy US dollars for trade, investment.

Even when US print money or do quantitative easing, the world still support US dollars and prop up its economy.

But the moment other countries hop onto digital currency platform - other countries no longer support US dollars.

US dollars values fall, and the more it print money, its value will fall faster - and become banana money because of its tremendous debt.

[6:52 pm, 01/03/2021] +REACH: Dear Contributors,

⏰ We will be closing the chat in 10 minutes ⏰

Thank you very much for being part of our WhatsApp chat and participating actively.

Goodnight!

Megan

[7:01 pm, 01/03/2021] +REACH: Dear Contributors,

We will be closing the chat for today.

Thank you very much for being part of our WhatsApp chat and participating actively.

Goodnight!

Megan 😄

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