Everybody is obliged to comply their respective government's law, we understood like that. Being a migrant worker, I am obliged to comply not only working country's law but my native. In this point I noticed the important of service vs customer satisfaction. Most of migrant workers were coming from the poorer countries and they are working in a low paid job or a tough job that are shy from locals. We cannot expect so much and demand for everything while we are working under tight pressure jobs. We are struggling to cope with our daily routines and try to save our tiny wages in order to minimize our times staying away from our families and loved ones. Who wants to stay away from their families and loved one if it is possible to avoid? I don't think we are exception from that. We are feeling to be treated as 2nd or 3rd class citizen here and we are discomfort by the air of our environment as there are so many voice out to show local's dislike. Anyway we have to handle it whatever block on our way since we already chosen this way to take.
As a human, on the other hand, we hope for a better life for our risk full routine to oversea job. Main ambition of coming is to gain some experience and capital within a short time. In fact it's far away from our secrete dream to fulfil. In brief we, migrant workers, are swallowing a lot of pressures to survive here. We can't find a room to be relax or ease our daily pressures and hectic life style. No matter there is less or more benefit, we will have to pay our income tax to both countries and everybody knows that well. It is obligation to do and we can't afford to avoid it. We have to make sure some amount of income put aside for that. Still there, it's still OK, the problem comes out once I try to pay my tax to our side.
Last week, I was informed for my workpass renewal by controller and I prepare to make it in time. At the same time, I received a notification letter by IRAS. As you all know, now is time for paying tax for all adult workers. I never paid income tax to IRAS as I am fresher here. I thought it'ld be difficult to pay my income tax to process. Actually I found it quite easy and it is just click away to be done. I am given a pin and what I need to do is just follow instruction via online. Very convenient and time saving. I appreciate that. I make it done and focus on another one that is renewal pass. But I found out my passport expire date is less than 1 year and I am supposed to make renewal before I can submit my workpass renewal. So I plan to pay my tax and extend my passport at our Embassy.
Amazingly I have failed to make it successfully. I thought paying money to my Embassy is not really problem before. I have taken 2 days on leave on different days for this purpose. One on Tuesday and another on Friday. Both time, my attempt had been failed by a poor service. First time arose from my carelessness as that day was Myanmar's peasant's day that our Embassy is closed. I knew that after one of my friend told me because there is no notice sticked at the Embassy by the time I reach there. I was puzzled to see close gate and return frustratedly. Again I took another leave 3 days later and found out a poor service.
I can't imagine things happen as I desire I understand. But what I think is we deserve to be taken care by our authority as they represent our powerful shelter in oversea. They are obliged to help us all the way as they are paid for that. We are working here and sometime we probably don't understand their rules & regulation that is changed frequently. But what we get is a bad service. I reached there on about 8:00am today and I can't find a registration letter that is not supposed to be an official letter. So I asked nearby fellow citizen who are also coming to pay tax just like me. They replied they also don't know where is it. So I waited until the stuff start work. According to working hour schedule, the working time is supposed to be start 9:00am, but I needed to wait 9:15am to see them around their desks. As soon as I saw staff, I approached them and asked:
me: hello, can i get a registration no please?
staff: sorry cannot
me : why? I arrived here on 8:00am and this letter was already disappeared.
staff: we have received 130 over now and we intend to do 80 persons per day.
me : then can I give you for next working day no?
staff: angrily "NO" while shouting at tax payer's name.
I helplessly moved backward and see around to understand more. Some people are also asking regarding about the registration no just like me. They also got the same answer "NO" and "Don't know". We are disappointing with the outcome. We came here to pay tax and we are treated like their debtors. Do we really deserve to get a poor service for our attempt of paying income tax to our country. We understand that they are human and human can make mistakes sometime. But they should have sympathize our side as well because it is not easy to apply leave and it can even cost us losing our jobs. Then who'll take responsible, we, ourselves to blame.
Briefly I can't find any mercy for our cases. I heard some stories from my fellow citizens that there are agents that can do this difficult processing for me. I immediately understood the reason why it become so difficult to us. Nothing is free in Singapore and we are not getting our wages easily. Is it worthy to pay extra ($50 per service)? Some will say yes while other say no. To me is "No" because it'll lead to more difficult in future and we shouldn't encourage such a kind of manner within our society. Meanwhile we need our authority to review this kind of situation in favor of its people's benefit. I don't expect my embassy to make e-appointment or putting Queue machine at the counter. I just demand a fair service for our dutiful manner. One more thing is it'ld be better to teach our staffs how to smile and how to serve our people in another country as they are paying their salary. I hope our authority can see a bigger and better image far away than what I can imagine herewith.
As a human, on the other hand, we hope for a better life for our risk full routine to oversea job. Main ambition of coming is to gain some experience and capital within a short time. In fact it's far away from our secrete dream to fulfil. In brief we, migrant workers, are swallowing a lot of pressures to survive here. We can't find a room to be relax or ease our daily pressures and hectic life style. No matter there is less or more benefit, we will have to pay our income tax to both countries and everybody knows that well. It is obligation to do and we can't afford to avoid it. We have to make sure some amount of income put aside for that. Still there, it's still OK, the problem comes out once I try to pay my tax to our side.
Last week, I was informed for my workpass renewal by controller and I prepare to make it in time. At the same time, I received a notification letter by IRAS. As you all know, now is time for paying tax for all adult workers. I never paid income tax to IRAS as I am fresher here. I thought it'ld be difficult to pay my income tax to process. Actually I found it quite easy and it is just click away to be done. I am given a pin and what I need to do is just follow instruction via online. Very convenient and time saving. I appreciate that. I make it done and focus on another one that is renewal pass. But I found out my passport expire date is less than 1 year and I am supposed to make renewal before I can submit my workpass renewal. So I plan to pay my tax and extend my passport at our Embassy.
Amazingly I have failed to make it successfully. I thought paying money to my Embassy is not really problem before. I have taken 2 days on leave on different days for this purpose. One on Tuesday and another on Friday. Both time, my attempt had been failed by a poor service. First time arose from my carelessness as that day was Myanmar's peasant's day that our Embassy is closed. I knew that after one of my friend told me because there is no notice sticked at the Embassy by the time I reach there. I was puzzled to see close gate and return frustratedly. Again I took another leave 3 days later and found out a poor service.
I can't imagine things happen as I desire I understand. But what I think is we deserve to be taken care by our authority as they represent our powerful shelter in oversea. They are obliged to help us all the way as they are paid for that. We are working here and sometime we probably don't understand their rules & regulation that is changed frequently. But what we get is a bad service. I reached there on about 8:00am today and I can't find a registration letter that is not supposed to be an official letter. So I asked nearby fellow citizen who are also coming to pay tax just like me. They replied they also don't know where is it. So I waited until the stuff start work. According to working hour schedule, the working time is supposed to be start 9:00am, but I needed to wait 9:15am to see them around their desks. As soon as I saw staff, I approached them and asked:
me: hello, can i get a registration no please?
staff: sorry cannot
me : why? I arrived here on 8:00am and this letter was already disappeared.
staff: we have received 130 over now and we intend to do 80 persons per day.
me : then can I give you for next working day no?
staff: angrily "NO" while shouting at tax payer's name.
I helplessly moved backward and see around to understand more. Some people are also asking regarding about the registration no just like me. They also got the same answer "NO" and "Don't know". We are disappointing with the outcome. We came here to pay tax and we are treated like their debtors. Do we really deserve to get a poor service for our attempt of paying income tax to our country. We understand that they are human and human can make mistakes sometime. But they should have sympathize our side as well because it is not easy to apply leave and it can even cost us losing our jobs. Then who'll take responsible, we, ourselves to blame.
Briefly I can't find any mercy for our cases. I heard some stories from my fellow citizens that there are agents that can do this difficult processing for me. I immediately understood the reason why it become so difficult to us. Nothing is free in Singapore and we are not getting our wages easily. Is it worthy to pay extra ($50 per service)? Some will say yes while other say no. To me is "No" because it'll lead to more difficult in future and we shouldn't encourage such a kind of manner within our society. Meanwhile we need our authority to review this kind of situation in favor of its people's benefit. I don't expect my embassy to make e-appointment or putting Queue machine at the counter. I just demand a fair service for our dutiful manner. One more thing is it'ld be better to teach our staffs how to smile and how to serve our people in another country as they are paying their salary. I hope our authority can see a bigger and better image far away than what I can imagine herewith.
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