關於 personal development activities for groups ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

加油！希望你們及另一隊義務律師團隊，一起盡贏五席！

我們團隊的陳嘉豪律師(George)，由2013年開始陸續加入律師會轄下不同的委員會，為會員服務。陳律師現為年青律師組主席、社區關係委員會委員、兩岸四地青年律師論壇籌委會委員、法律周籌委會委員、以及數個不同工作小組的成員。

陳律師一直致力為年青會員提供個人與職業發展的機會，並透過舉辦不同活動讓香港年青律師可以與其他不同業界的年青專業人士和來自兩岸四地的青年律師朋友交流分享，擴闊人際網絡。

陳律師亦曾作為學校法律講座的講者、小朋友「讀英文學法律」的項目主持人、以及律師會社區免費法律諮詢活動的義務律師，歷年來積極向社會分享法律知識、推廣法治。

Our team member, George, has been a member in various Law Society committees since 2013. George is the incumbent chair of the Young Solicitors’ Group. He is also a member of the Community Relations Committee, Cross Strait Four Regions Young Lawyers Forum Organising Committee, Law Week Organising Committee and a few working groups.

George is committed to providing personal and career development opportunities for younger members, and he also assists younger members to extend their personal and business networks by organising activities with other young professional groups and young lawyers in mainland China, Taiwan and Macau.

George regularly speaks at school events. He is the host of “Reading English, Learning the Law” initiative and a volunteer lawyer for community free legal advice session. George is dedicated to making legal knowledge accessible and promoting awareness of the rule of law in the wider community.

BUDGET 2014 : WISH LIST, EXPECTATION & STOCKS PLAY- by Dr. Nazri Khan.

As in the past, we generally expect a post-budget rally with FBMKLCI to trend towards 1850 levels after Budget 2014. We expect budget measures to arrest competitiveness and improve public finance to attract more investors confidence and foreign fund inflows back to Malaysia.

1. Generally, Budget 2014 should spur local market sentiment by introducing tough unpopular bold measures to boost trade competitiveness, improve fiscal credibility, address the recent downgrade by sovereign credit rating (such as Fitch Ratings) and encouraging stronger private sector participation to boost economic growth.

2. We expect Budget 2014 to focus on the implementation of subsidy rationalization programme (SRP), the implementation of services tax (GST) and extension of BR1M for the low income group.

3. Generally, investors do not believe there will be significant Corporate and Personal Income Taxes cut due to government fiscal constraint but more incentives will be given to lower income groups using a very focus and targeted approach.

4. As in the past, Budget 2014 should benefit construction sectors (especially those with low import content and high multiplier project owner). Higher multiplier such as MRT circle line 2 and 3, Southern Double Tracking and even the proposed Kuching-KK Pan Borneo Highway may kick-start but big ticket high import items like Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail and third interchange linking Johor and Singapore could be delayed.

5. As stated in General Election manifesto, there is a real possibility, Budget 2014 may launch National Healthcare Project (something like Australia's Medicare System and UK NHS) that will provide every Malaysian with access to quality healthcare. Healthcare stocks such as IHH, KPJ and TMC Life should benefit. Further, using Budget 2013 trend, Budget 2014 should again promote local tourism sector which means healthcare sector via medical tourism again will benefit.

6. The implementation of GST should benefit software providers. Stocks like DKSH, Censof and MyEG should win contracts while telcos that have been paying govt sales tax can now shift the tax burden to customers under GST. Hence, all three telcos Maxis, Axiata and DiGi will benefit.

7. Mass market consumer stocks (such as AEON and Parkson) however should benefit from government low income incentives such as higher BR1M, higher salary to qualify for BR1M (maybe raise to RM4000-RM5000 from currently RM3000), more KR1M (Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia) and cheaper house from affordable PR1MA homes.

8. Budget 2014 may grant more tax exemptions for hybrid and electric cars to encourage the usage of fuel efficient vehicles. This should benefit foreign hybrid cars markers such as Honda, Volskwagen, Toyota and Nissan.

9. Due to government focus on Islamic Finance, Takaful industry players should get more added incentives in 2014 to encourage bigger market share and more protection among Malaysian. Stocks going big into Takaful such as Takaful Malaysia, Allianz and MAA may benefit.

10. Due to Subsidy Rationalisation Programme (SRP), Budget 2014 should see more subsidy cuts which includes more increase in fuel prices (possibly additional 10 to 20 cents), more increase in gas & electricty power tariff as well as hikes in sugar prices. Such moves should generally be negative for consumer/glove stocks (retailers like Nestle, Amway and Dutchlady & gloves such as Hartalega, Kossan, Supermax who use gas and raw materials) while positive for utilities stocks such as Tenaga, YTLPower and GasMsia (due to lower inputs, more efficient energy consumption and better earning visibility).

11. Budget 2014 should impose higher sin tax to boost government revenue. Tobacco players such as BAT and JT International and possibly brewery such as Carlsberg and Guinness and even gaming players such as Genting and BJToto earning are expected to contract. Bear in mind, there is no tax hike for gaming counters since 1998, no take hike for brewery since 2007 and no take hike for cigarettes since 2010. Perhaps, there will be 3 cents extra tax per cigarrete stick and RM1.00 extra duties per litre of beer.

12. For Budget 2014, we believe banks and properties could be mildly affected by more government properties-cool-down and bad-debt-measures (involving house, property, automotive and personal loans). Softer retail/corporate loans are therefore expected due to higher stamp duty, foreign cap, tougher RPGT (real properties gains tax) and higher loan-to-value (LTV) ratio for property purchases and shorter the personal financing tenure.

13. Government will strive for Marhaen Budget (Rakyat) which generally should aims for :

(i) Close To Free Education - free high quality education for all citizens
(ii) Close To Free Healthcare - affordable and easy accessible quality medical care to all, rich
and poor alike
(iii) Affordable Housing - cheaper and comfortable for majority rakyat
(iv) Efficient Public transport - safer, cheaper, more efficient, reliable and comfortable for majority rakyat
(v) Security for citizens and their families with an accepted (perceived or otherwise) low crime rate.

14. Government will use creative ways to boost revenue without burdening rakyat. These may includes :
(i) Reduce foreign tax incentives - Remove tax incentives to foreign firms operating in this country which has low multiplier effect on economy (beverage, gaming & brewery).
(ii) Auction land - Government land should be auctioned to the highest bidder to gain maximum income in development of Government’s land
(iii) Auction licences - Licences for telco and television rights can also be auctioned to the highest bidder after a shorter fixed period to get more revenue
(iv) Sell concessions - government must not give companies (whether GLC or not) rights to operate a project (eg. power plant/highways for free)
(v) Curb smuggling - government should spend more on enforcement to reduce money lost on smuggled items especially on cigarettes, beers, petrol and rice
(vi) Cut procurement bureaucracy and costs - the Government must spend more to reduce bureaucratic tape especially in procurement so that higher saving can be made on resources and time awarding the contract
(vii) Reduce subsidising the rich corporate player - the government should overhaul and reduce subsidies for rich companies such as foreign automatives and IPP which benefit more than the rakyat
(vii) Impose tax on high end asset class - capital gains tax should be imposed more on high end income eg. gains from investments, property, antique asset sales, bond and stock markets.

15. Last but not least, oil and gas stocks should get positive catalyst. Due to depleting oil reserves, we expect government to encourage more participation in the downstream O&G industry which may include huge investment tax allowance for refinery activities to catalyse the downstream segment. This will also attract investors to participate in Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex to ensure its successful take-off. Petronas linked stocks such as Petronas Chemicals, Sapura Kencana, Uzma, Deleum, Perisai and others should benefit.

DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam presented Budget 2013 this afternoon. His theme was “A better Singapore: Quality growth, An Inclusive Society”.

Our immediate priority is to solve the housing and transport issues. At the same time, we must upgrade our economy through productivity and innovation. Budget 2013 will help our businesses cope with much lower foreign worker growth over the next few years. It also contains schemes to enable every Singaporean to benefit from growth. For example, the Wage Credit Scheme will incentivise employers to raise salaries of their lower-income workers, as the Govt will pay 40% of these salary increases for three years. We will also focus on promoting social mobility, especially through education, so that children from less privileged backgrounds are not disadvantaged in our society.

The Parliament will discuss Budget 2013 in the upcoming weeks. You can visit www.singaporebudget.gov.sg for more details about the Budget. - LHL

We had the Budget today. We are transforming our economy so that we can have quality growth – growth that all Singaporeans will benefit from, and which will allow a better quality of life. And we are taking further steps towards a more inclusive society – starting with the kids, helping lower-income workers, and providing greater economic security for our retirees, including those in the middle-income group.

Here's an extract from the Budget Speech that sets out the main directions our policies are taking. The specifics are in the full speech linked below.

http://www.singaporebudget.gov.sg/budget…/budget_speech.html

BETTER SINGAPORE: QUALITY GROWTH, AN INCLUSIVE SOCIETY

Many Singaporeans, through Our Singapore Conversation platforms, have been sharing their hopes for Singapore – the kind of home we want to build for our families and our children. There has been a rich diversity of views. But a common set of aspirations is emerging, a common vision of the future that Singaporeans want:
• A home with a strong Singaporean identity and sense of belonging
• A Singapore with a robust and vibrant economy, and with good jobs that enable a more fulfilling pace of life
• A home with strong families, and where our seniors can age with dignity
• A society that takes care of the disadvantaged
• A Singapore with affordable living
• A society with greater sense of togetherness, and where the Government and the people have a more collaborative relationship

This is the Singapore that we want to build together.

The Government is making major moves to support this endeavour. Since 2010, we have embarked on major steps to transform our economy so as to create better jobs and allow for a better pace and quality of life. We are also making important shifts in social policies, as announced in last year’s Budget, to foster a fair and more inclusive society.

We will need to make further moves. So that by the end of the decade, we will have a better Singapore, a better future for all Singaporeans.

Immediate Challenges: Housing and Transport

First, we have pressing challenges in housing and transport. The Government will spare no effort in resolving these problems.
We want to reduce the cost of housing relative to the income of young Singaporeans. Prices in the HDB resale market and private market have risen too rapidly in the cycle that began as we recovered from the 2009 economic crisis. We have taken major steps to cool the housing market. We have also ramped up the supply of HDB flats which will help first-time buyers book their flats faster as well as ease prices in the resale market. And we have increased supply of private housing through Government Land Sales. The Minister for National Development will speak more in COS about these immediate challenges as well as how we can ensure affordable, quality housing for Singaporeans over the longer term.

We have to make many improvements in public transport. Congestion and waiting times are a daily problem for Singaporeans. We are ramping up bus capacity, especially feeder services, to improve frequency and add new routes. We are accelerating the rollout of the additional 800 buses that we made provisions for last year. In addition, the Land Transport Authority will be tendering out routes to private operators.

Our rail network will expand by more than 50% by 2021. That is still eight years away. But in the meantime, we will see improvements that will help relieve congestion. Parts of the Downtown Line will start operating from the end of this year, and new trains will be added to existing lines from next year. We will also introduce other measures to reduce crowding, including significantly enhanced incentives for commuters who travel during the “shoulder” periods before and after the morning peak hour. The Minister for Transport will talk about these measures in the COS.

An Economy and Society in Transition

While we fix these immediate problems in housing and transport, we have to press on with our priorities to help Singaporeans have a better quality of life over the medium to long term.

We have to shift gears for an economy and society that is in transition.

We are no longer a developing economy, but we have not achieved the level of productivity and income of an advanced economy. At the same time, our own workforce is growing more slowly, and is gradually getting older.

We must make every effort to achieve quality growth: growth that is achieved mainly through innovation and higher productivity, and growth that will benefit all Singaporeans – our children, working families, our elderly and disabled.

Our strategies for achieving quality growth and an inclusive society are in fact tied inextricably together. Raising productivity is not just our most important economic priority, but enables us to build a better society. Higher productivity is the only sustainable way to raise incomes for ordinary Singaporeans, and provide jobs that give people a sense of responsibility and empowerment. Higher productivity is also necessary for us to shorten working hours over time and allow Singaporeans to enjoy a better work-life balance.

Our society is also facing the pressures of widening income disparities. This is happening in cities globally and in Asia, but it matters more to us because Singapore is not just a city but also a nation. We must take further steps to temper inequality. We also want to do more to enable our seniors to have a sense of economic security and fulfilment in their retirement years.

On both economy and society, therefore, we need to shift our thinking.
In government: where we are reshaping policies and driving new initiatives, especially to sustain social mobility and strengthen support for older Singaporeans.
In the business community: which has to innovate and adjust to the permanent reality of a tight labour market.
In our society at large: where we have to accord ordinary workers not just better pay but greater respect.
In the community: with non-profits and other voluntary groups pursuing the causes we all believe in, and working with an active partner in the government.
And for all of us individuals, to do our best to improve and to contribute to our country in our own ways.

Transforming Our Economy for Better Jobs
We are restructuring our economy. We began this in earnest in 2010, by:
• Tightening foreign worker inflows;
• Supporting enterprises in their efforts to upgrade operations and improve productivity; and
• Investing in our workers by heavily subsidising their training, in every skill.

We need to intensify this economic restructuring and skills upgrading so as to achieve quality growth. Although wages are going up in a tight labour market, productivity has lagged. If we do not do better in raising productivity, we will be caught in a situation where businesses lose competitiveness, and wages eventually stagnate. Both workers and businesses will be worse off.

We must help our SME sector revitalise itself. There are however wide divergences in efficiency amongst SMEs even in the same industries. Restructuring will unfortunately lead to some businesses being winnowed out, but the end result must be a vibrant and sustainable local SME sector. Every support must be provided to help the businesses which bring in more efficient techniques and service models, so they can grow in a tight labour market, and where possible make their mark internationally.

There are already many examples of SMEs transforming themselves, in every sector. For example in furniture manufacturing, local firms are training multi-skilled employees, relocating manpower-intensive activities, developing unique brands and carving a niche for themselves in overseas markets.

To make this economic transition, we must also harness the value of older Singaporeans and design jobs suited for them, as well as for other potential employees who are unable to work regular, full-time schedules. Flexible work practices must become more common, enabling employees to structure their work so that they have time for their families or for personal development like part-time courses. We should also make it possible for more employees to have the option of telecommuting from home or working from “smart work centres” near their homes, like what they have in Amsterdam and Seoul. The Government will work closely with businesses in these efforts.

Building a Fair and Inclusive Society

We are also taking major steps to ensure a fair and more inclusive society.

• First, to sustain social mobility. Meritocracy alone will not assure us of this. We therefore want to do more, starting from early in our children’s lives, to give the best leg up to those who start with a disadvantage. We cannot change the fact that children have different family backgrounds that bring very different advantages and disadvantages. But we want to find every way, at the pre-school and primary school levels, to help our children from poorer or less stable families to develop confidence and the self-belief that gives them aspirations of their own, and to help them catch up when they fall behind. And we will provide pathways to develop every skill and ability, so that every child can discover his strengths as he grows up, and can do well.

• Second, we must do more to mitigate inequality. We are making our fiscal system more progressive, by tilting our taxes and benefits in favour of the lower- and middle-income groups.

Currently:

i. A lower-income older worker receives a significant top-up of his income through Workfare each year.

ii. A middle-income family with a child in child care gets subsidies of $4,800 per year. If the child is in university, he can receive more than $8,500 in bursaries over the course of his studies, and get a subsidised government loan to pay off the remaining fees and cover study expenses. Children from lower-income families receive far more.

iii. Singaporeans with disabilities now receive substantially greater support. Both when young through early intervention under EIPIC, and as adults, where we provide a substantial incentive through the Special Employment Credit (SEC) for firms to employ them so that they can contribute and lead more independent lives.

iv. An older Singaporean in need of long term care can receive subsidies of $870 per month for home-based care or $1,200 per month if he is in a nursing home, following the changes we introduced last year. Those who need more help will get it through Medifund.

We will take further, significant steps in this Budget towards strengthening social mobility and increasing the progressivity and fairness of our system. In particular, with enhancements to Workfare, a low-wage worker who is 60 years old would receive a top-up of his pay of about 30%. This is in addition to what his employer can receive through the SEC, and the new Wage Credit Scheme, to be introduced in this year’s Budget, which will encourage his employer to up his pay.

While raising incomes is the best way to help lower- and middle- income Singaporeans cope with rising costs, this Budget will also include measures to help them more immediately. The most significant support will go to older Singaporeans, to help them with medical costs.

Taking all our measures together, including those which will be announced in this Budget, we are providing substantial benefits to lower- and middle-income Singaporeans. The full picture can be seen if we look at benefits over a lifetime, starting from a couple’s needs when they first have children, to the time they get old and need other types of help, especially with healthcare costs.

In total, over a lifetime, a young low-income couple with two children can expect to receive more than $600,000 in benefits in real terms (2013 dollars). (This comes from subsidies and other means-tested benefits for their children’s education, housing, healthcare, Workfare, the GST Voucher, and other schemes.)

This is much more than we used to provide in the past. In the last decade alone, we have more than doubled the lifetime benefits in real terms for such families.

When we take into account all the taxes that such low-income families will pay (mainly GST), they will get back far more in benefits. In fact, they will get more than five dollars in benefits for every dollar in taxes paid.

However, today’s generation of older Singaporeans will not benefit as much as younger Singaporeans from the enhancements in Workfare and CPF and other schemes. We want to do more for this senior generation of Singaporeans, who worked over the years, often with low pay, to build a better future for their children. They made today’s Singapore possible. We will do more for them. The Government is reviewing the system of healthcare financing and some other schemes to help them in their retirement years.

Finally, the Budget will make significant investments to nurture the sports and arts, which play a growing role in enriching life in Singapore. Over the next five years, we will invest 30% more in sports programmes, and more than double our investments to develop regional- and community-level sports facilities. The Government will also create a new Cultural Donation Matching Fund, to provide dollar-for-dollar matching for donations to the arts and culture.

In short, we are building a better Singapore: a more inclusive and caring society, with an innovative and dynamic economy, so that Singaporeans can have better opportunities and more fulfilling lives.

http://www.singaporebudget.gov.sg/budget…/budget_speech.html