I know that prostitution in Singapore is legal and regulated. However do you think more stringent legislation would be in order? I figure more liberal laws and a tight framework would benefit everyone.
According to Human Rights Watch:
"Prostitution itself is not illegal; however, public solicitation, living on the earnings of a prostitute, and maintaining a brothel are illegal. The authorities periodically carried out crackdowns on solicitation for prostitution and arrested and deported foreign prostitutes, particularly when their activities took place outside informally designated red-light areas. In practice police unofficially tolerated and monitored a limited number of brothels; prostitutes in such establishments were required to undergo periodic health checks and carry a health card."
I'm thinking of writing an essay/paper on the matter, as Singapore is known to have an established sex industry. The idea is to bring sex workers under the protection of the law and provide for safer health, as well as licensing and registration. Add in the fact that ever since the IRs opened its been an economic sector which provides steady growth. So why not get the professionals in the sector and their management under the IRAS and open to taxation?
It would also have the benefit of providing protection to managers, adult entertainers, escorts and sex workers. Quoting Maggie McNeill, a former callgirl and manager of her own prostitution ring: “Taxation is a drug to government; once it becomes used to a “fix” of a certain level it will not under any circumstances voluntarily sever that income stream".
Once the government becomes addicted to the revenue generated by prostitution, then any chance of criminalisation of prostitution become near-impossible. It also generates public support and approval – if managers and escorts want public approval to operate their business then they should operate the same tax burdens as anyone else.
The European countries provide the best examples of legal models to utilise in making our own system. The best and most visible examples would be the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Hungary where escorts and their managers pay a VAT (Value Added Tax) to the government and can form labour unions to set market rates.
So what do you think? Could it work? The benefits are protection for prostitutes under a legal framework and their customers as well as a reduction in interaction with the Specialised Crimes Branch of whatever body is charged with overseeing prostitution, as well as the assurance of a health coverage and increased professionalism. It would also allow the community to enforce actions against bad customers or freelancers who may undergo rape or cheating from customers.
References:
Human Rights Watch.Retrieved from
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt...eap/119056.htm
The Honest Courtesan Blog. Retrieved from
http://maggiemcneill.wordpress.com/2...-miscellanea/€
Prostitition in Switzerland. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostit...in_Switzerland
Prostitution in Hungary. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Hungary
Prostitution in the Netherlands. Retreived from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostit...he_Netherlands
Prostitution in Turkey. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Turkey
Prostitution in Austra. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Austria
Prostitution in Denmark. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Denmark
Prostitution in Germany. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Germany
Happy to discuss this further privately. I am just interested in feedback and whether it would be practical to call for this as part of policy proposals. As for that - yes, I am somewhat involved in local politics. You're not to get more from me than that.