Singapore – The PERFECT city exists
Singapore is the world’s only island city state. It transformed itself from a small third world island to one of the worlds most technologically advanced cities in a few short years. It’s diverse population of Malays, Indonesians, Indians, Sri Lankans and Chinese live together harmoniously in a clean and thriving environment. Singaporean cuisine too, has been influenced by these many cultures, and can be sampled by the many “hawker centers” or open air food courts established by the government to keep sidewalk vendors from clogging pristine streets.
The government enacted many strict laws which contribute to the country’s sophisticated mindset. Not surprisingly, littering, jaywalking and even chewing gum is strictly prohibited. Another unique building code restricts buildings to just 50% of the available land space and allocates the remainder to trees and other vegetation, which resulted in beautiful green parks with tree lined paths and a stunning national orchid garden.
Singapore’s largest industry is high end manufacturing – primarily electronics, pharmaceuticals and petroleum refining. The median annual salary is $121,000, and 6.2% of its population of 5M are millionaires, approaching that of the US and China. Their taxes are relatively low at 5-22% and everyone pays a little towards education, healthcare and other services.
Living expenses are relatively high. A small 500 sq ft government-subsidized flat can be leased for 99 years for approximately $150,000, and many exceed a million dollars. Singaporeans are proud of their cultural diversity and preserve it by controlling real estate transactions. The ratio of occupants must be equivalent to the building’s surrounding demographics. For example if a flat was originally occupied by a Chinese, it’s new owner must also be of Chinese origin, and so on. In addition, Singapore’s official language is English and taught in all schools but kids must learn a second language and that must be that of the student’s national origin.
Owning a car is prohibitively expensive. The total number of vehicles in Singapore is capped at about 950,000. To own and operate a vehicle, one must bid, then buy a certificate of entitlement (COE) which costs $106,300 and is valid for only 10 years. The number of new COEs available depends on how many older cars are deregistered. Thus, buying a car in Singapore is more expensive than anywhere else in the world. A Toyota Camry would cost about $251,400. Their excellent public transportation system coupled with limiting the number of vehicles on the road enhances the Singaporean quality of life by eliminating traffic congestion and reducing smog and wasted time.
Singapore weathered the pandemic better than most countries due to the early availability of vaccines and their widespread use. Laid off workers were repurposed by the government and paid to monitor and enforce strict health directives such as mask wearing, proper distancing as well as providing other necessary support and information. The government also compensated citizens at $10/hr for the time spent on the computer to retrain and re-educate themselves into new careers, instead of just paying a stipend to supplement lost incomes.
