Letter-Can more be done? |14 December 2012

They also generally agreed that a rise of 6% will do little to alleviate the financial burden of those in the 'lower income bracket '.
So, what is the solution?

1) Stricter price control on commodities, although highly desirable, is not always easy in a free-market economy. 

2)  Raising considerably the percentage salary increase of 6% to 9 or 10% would do more justice to the lowest paid but one has to appreciate that government just cannot afford it at this point in time. 

3)  Owing to budgetary constraints, government may also not be able to make too many subsidies..
In our search for solutions, could we not give a thought, perhaps, to possibly 'freeze', at least for a while, the salaries of those in the 'top echelon' so that MUCH MORE, in keeping with the sharing spirit of Christmas, can be given to the 'lower income group'?

I know this will meet with a certain resentment by those affected calling it 'robbing the rich to pay the poor'. But whatever is done, we should be honest with ourselves in accepting the fact that there is a need to reduce salary discrepancy in this country. The gap must not continue widening.

John L. Adam