COEs: Signal of possible change of course does not guarantee a policy U-turn
IN THE debate on the Transport Ministry’s budget earlier this month, two particular points captured the attention of Singapore motorists – even though they were not actual policy announcements. They were not even a promise of future announcements.
Instead, what sparked discussions and raised hopes was merely an indication that the Singapore government would consider two oft-raised ideas: a one-off increase in the vehicle population, alongside higher charges for car use, and a separate Certificate of Entitlement (COE) category for private-hire cars.
Car ownership is a perennial hot-button topic in Singapore, with policy changes and COE bidding results always closely watched. In that sense, it is no surprise that even the subtlest signal of an upcoming change might be pounced upon.
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Opinion & Features
A look back on three decades of change in liner shipping
Interests of OCBC and Great Eastern’s minority shareholders are fundamentally misaligned
OCBC shouldn’t absorb Great Eastern entirely
A radical turn in Ukraine war strategy
Big Tech’s great AI power grab
Shameless comebacks show we are in the age of chutzpah