Food supplier Indoguna is a high quality SME, the sort we could do with many more. I am reminded countless times that for a small business what makes the difference is people especially the number one person and not assets or funds. All world beating global firms begin with a very able and visionary founder or occasionally a closely knit team of equals. I was prompted of this fact again when I read Howard Schultz, 'Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time'. My first must be more than twenty years ago, 'McDonalds: Behind the Golden Arches' and many more in between. There are enough parallels between Helene Raudaschl and Howard Schultz just like all basketball players share the edge in height and several other attributes.
Now let me quote her. I don't want to keep criticizing this government but I shall regrettably still end up turning the tables on them. Sigh.
She is spot on here about the government stretching out its hand very far to help SMEs. It is truly unheard of anywhere in the world. Of course nothing is for free. What she has ignored (I am sure she is savvy enough to know) is the many hands of the government to collect revenue and most aggravating to manage public services on cost recovery ever since LHL took over. Of course this wouldn't be enough if the government were spendthrift but it had made putting aside for a rainy day to such excess that overall it hurts far more than their occasional and shocking largess like she has alluded to. This generosity whilst helping to save jobs is also keeping alive many SMEs that by the law of the market jungle should not have survived. So it is good for Indoguna and its kind, but an addictive narcotic to so many others, which not only keep supplicating but asking for even more.
Restructuring the economy would be extremely painful. Sadly if done properly might cost the government to lose power. Others would come along and claim credit harvesting what they never sowed. Would the PAP be willing to do it? Basically do they believe that we are mature enough to bite the bullet without throwing them out?
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