Eyes brows were raised when the Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) announced that Singapore beat 43 other economies with a top score of 562 for problem solving. The prime minister was over the moon, "Who says Singaporean students are rote learners?" The test comprises 4 to 8 computer based questions, including how to set a thermostat and determining the shortest distance between two points. Identifying the Higgs boson particle is definitely off syllabus. One member of parliament put a damper on the celebrations by writing that while Singapore teens have been proven to do well in problem-solving, Singaporeans still fare poorly in spoken English and lack confidence in articulating their views.
The reality is that creativity takes many forms. The Inland Revenue Authority (IRAS) came across some clever ideas to get cash out of the Productivity & Innovative Credit (PIC) scheme:
They set up a 9-member task force in August 2013 to bust these creative types. Considering the PIC scheme was created in 2010 to boost productivity, one wonders why it took so long for someone to wake up from slumber and discover the missing money. Of the 158 cases investigated, only 49 were solved, involving a total of almost $3 million. Who says Singapore has no local talent? You just have to know where to look.
Here's the last word from Hri Kumar Nair:
The reality is that creativity takes many forms. The Inland Revenue Authority (IRAS) came across some clever ideas to get cash out of the Productivity & Innovative Credit (PIC) scheme:
- Use fake documents to claim for non-existent purchases or inflate invoices;
- Create shell company to claim for purchases of equipment;
- List relatives and friends as staff to meet minimum number of local staff requirement
They set up a 9-member task force in August 2013 to bust these creative types. Considering the PIC scheme was created in 2010 to boost productivity, one wonders why it took so long for someone to wake up from slumber and discover the missing money. Of the 158 cases investigated, only 49 were solved, involving a total of almost $3 million. Who says Singapore has no local talent? You just have to know where to look.
Here's the last word from Hri Kumar Nair:
"However skilled you are at problem-solving and however many hours you spend at your desk, you will not likely make a strong impression in the business world if you are unable to communicate your thoughts and ideas effectively."The corollary to this is that, despite all the hot air ventilated, the trains are still breaking down.