why?

[Bukitimah]

I know this was raised many times.but layman like me cannot understand. So it is either people make it complicated or simply it has no meaning lor.

Oil pice went down, all the justificatons for increase and supported by expert council didn't notice prices didn't drop?

Companies year end financial reports state profit but many same companies also cited losses for increase of fares.

So data is to confuse or what? Every year I was told no need to file income tax because I have no room to confuse them 😥

 

[Big Kahuna]

Maybe you staying Bukit Timah too long liao...a liter of unleaded 95 at $2 or $1.75 make no different to you :bsmilie:

Smart CEO will use all the intruments to make the profit chart go north....the easiest if to raise the product price and once it gone up....unlikely it will came down...even it was forced to, it will still not back to the same level due to other kind of excuses...this is the fact of life :dunno:

 

[Kit]

The reason for the confusing data is because they find it difficult to convince themselves that they can convince us that their greed is justified, so they turn to confusion.

 

[brapodam]

The oil price and bus fare thing was quite clear what I thought.

A few factors for the bus fare increases
-Labour costs are a bigger proportion of costs for bus companies than oil prices. This is different from airline sector, where you see prices get cut when oil prices go down. Labour costs increased a lot.
-Bus fare increases from the PTC are not instant especially if they are considered large, so part of the increases that were supposed to be for last year were carried forward to this year
-Companies that use oil purchase futures, so effect of oil prices are not instant

Plus, many people are complaining only because the fare increases are made obvious to people (through the news). Nobody says anything when Starbucks increases the price of your coffee, because it is not reported on the news. Most people don't realise it happening, and even if they do, they somehow accept it. A little quirk of our brains. If something is reported on the news (made obvious to you), you incorporate it into your decision making. When it isn't, you don't register it, or you don't factor it into your decision making.

 

[JJFAM]

HEDGE...

Hedging is applied to commodities, futures, solid fuel or metals...etc. There are pros and cons.

Hedging in order to maintain the purchase price at constant to cut losses(not always though); Pros is when price is heading north still; Cons is after hedged, price dropped drastically and yet have to pay at the price you have hedged.

Therefore, those companies who hedged oil at higher price will not benefit from the recent price down.
Similarly, you don't see much reduction to our utility bill

 

[Kit]

Plus, many people are complaining only because the fare increases are made obvious to people (through the news). Nobody says anything when Starbucks increases the price of your coffee, because it is not reported on the news. Most people don't realise it happening, and even if they do, they somehow accept it. A little quirk of our brains. If something is reported on the news (made obvious to you), you incorporate it into your decision making. When it isn't, you don't register it, or you don't factor it into your decision making.

Bus services are a necessity. Starbucks is not.

 

[brapodam]

Bus services are a necessity. Starbucks is not.

Yes, but bus companies still have to make money. 2 cents per trip is honestly not that much. Even if you take 200 trips per month (that's more than 6 trips per day - a very high estimate), that still adds up to less than $50 increase for a year. Sure, all these fare hikes add up, but then you just have to figure out a way to manage your expenses. If that means drinking a few less cups of Starbucks coffee, so be it.

 

[Kit]

For some unfortunate folks, more expensive bus rides could mean more than just making fewer trips to Starbucks.

 

[Kit]

and mind you, public transport companies should be making money to remain sustainable, not profitable. Problems start when these entities were sold for money and then listed on the market for more money. It's just greed.

 

[brapodam]

and mind you, public transport companies should be making money to remain sustainable, not profitable. Problems start when these entities were sold for money and then listed on the market for more money. It's just greed.

Yes but we can't do anything about it. What we can do is to figure out how to manage our expenses and how to make your money work for you (buy shares or some assets)

 

[Kit]

You still don't get it do you? If someone has to worry about increased fares, you think he/she has the ability to buy shares and assets? I'd imagine that it's a challenge to manage expenses when there's not much to begin with.

 

[Big Kahuna]

For some unfortunate folks, more expensive bus rides could mean more than just making fewer trips to Starbucks.

If I have to worry about bus fare...then I probably lim only 3 in 1 coffee or .90 kopitiam's kopi.....not mocha or latter

 

[brapodam]

If I have to worry about bus fare...then I probably lim only 3 in 1 coffee or .90 kopitiam's kopi.....not mocha or latter

Exactly. The point is to live below your means, so you can actually save and invest. The less you invest, the longer you'll be stuck with no money. I think the problem is lack of financial literacy. That is what is making things very difficult (especially for the low income)

The less money you have, the more important saving and investing is. Whether it is possible or not, I don't know. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try.

 

[Kit]

Quite apparently, you are unaware that poverty exists in this country. You probably don't know of anyone who takes home so little, having savings is an unattainable luxury. Try telling these folks to save up for SMRT shares. Geeez.....

 

[SilentSeth]

...and mind you, public transport companies should be making money to remain sustainable, not profitable..

This, I am totally agree.

Another problem is that they will claim they are a private entity (pte ltd?) to justify the need to be profitable

 

[armadillo]

This is what happen:
1. Oil price raise, assuming $80/barrel: everything goes up.
2. Oil price drop to $50: everything stays put.
3. After 3 months raise again to $80/barrel: everything goes up again
LOL

 

[Big Kahuna]

This is what happen:
1. Oil price raise, assuming $80/barrel: everything goes up.
2. Oil price drop to $50: everything stays put.
3. After 3 months raise again to $80/barrel: everything goes up again
LOL

Same for US$ :bsmilie:

 

[Bukitimah]

Why you see a bunch of photographers taking hundreds of shots in any event. Then when you open the ST, New Paper, Today, etc. You see the exactly the same photo (what happen to the rest) and that guy may not be his best shot?

 

[Yutaka Go]

Why you see a bunch of photographers taking hundreds of shots in any event. Then when you open the ST, New Paper, Today, etc. You see the exactly the same photo (what happen to the rest) and that guy may not be his best shot?

SG is heavily censor, his best shot may show something the gov don't want you to see

 

[Bukitimah]

Why NEA rate the stall holders but they don't rate their own hawker centers? Don't they find them breeding ground for rats where suddenly they notice?