Gan Kim Yong
Singapore
“Consumer complaints relating to the secondary resale market for tickets to major events and concerts have generally remained low. Nonetheless, to protect the public from scams on secondary ticket resale platforms, the Police have imposed Code of Practice requirements under the Online Criminal Harms Act to require designated online service…”
“Singapore does not condone the use of forced labour. We criminalise forced labour in Singapore under various laws. Relevant Government Ministries and agencies, such as the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Home Affairs and Singapore Police Force, play their part in investigating complaints of suspected breaches in domestic laws that relat…”
“The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) discontinued the PayNow nickname feature as scammers had been exploiting the use of nicknames to impersonate legitimate entities and trusted individuals.”
“As of end-2025, around 6,900 private residential buildings have registered their solar installations with SP Group for the export of excess solar-generated electricity to the grid. The installed solar capacity of these residential buildings is 115.3 megawatt-peak (MWp), or around 5.5% of all current installed solar capacity in Singapore.”
“The one-year pilot extension of liquor trading hours has seen strong interest from businesses. As of 31 May 2026, the Police have approved 88 applications for the extension of liquor trading hours from public entertainment outlets in these areas.”
“The Government does not make projections of domestic or regional demand for renewable diesel or sustainable aviation fuel. Demand depends on commercial considerations, evolving market conditions and regulatory developments across different jurisdictions.”
The complete record
Every one of 3,841 lines we hold for Gan Kim Yong, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 58 of 77.
“The Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) was expanded earlier this year to benefit more Singaporeans. Under the scheme, economically inactive households are subject to an Annual Value (AV) criterion of $13,000 to qualify for CHAS, to better target CHAS subsidies. All HDB flats, as well as some non-premium private properties have an AV of $13,000 or less. More than 80% of all non-working households live in a property with AV of $13,000 or less. Appeals from non-working households living in a property exceeding an AV of $13,000 and are facing extenuating circumstances are considered sympathetically, taking into account their specific circumstances. The Ministry of Health will review the CHAS eligibility criteria from time to time, to ensure that Government subsidies reach those who need it most.”
“Tasmania's Legislative Council (or upper house of parliament) passed a motion on 21 August 2012, calling on the state government to initiate and promote measures to "support a tobacco-free generation of children born this century". I had earlier in April this year, put forth to this House, the reasons why MOH would not pursue the cohort ban. There are significant practical difficulties and risks in implementing and enforcing such a measure. Moreover, the ban might not result in the desired reduction in smoking rates, as it could be easily circumvented. Although Singapore has one of the lowest smoking prevalence rate at 14.3%, we will continue to work towards further reducing smoking prevalence through a combination of public education and legislative measures, making smoking even less convenient and socially less acceptable. We have also incorporated health promotion messages on smoking in the school curricula. Youth Advolution for Health (YAH) is a youth-led peer advocacy programme that promotes a healthy lifestyle, including smoke-free living. The "Live it Up without Lighting Up" (LIUWLU) movement also reaches out to youth outside the school environment to highlight the benefits of a smoke-free lifestyle.”
“From 2006 to 2011, less than 1% of MediShield policyholders saw their policies lapse due to non-payment of their premiums each year as a result of insufficient Medisave balance. For policyholders who have limited Medisave monies, CPF Board sends up to three reminders to ask them to top up their accounts or ask a working family member to pay for their premiums before their policies lapse. They are also given a two-month grace period to do so. We exercise some flexibility for this group to re-enrol in MediShield, provided their health status has not changed. We do not have available data on how many are unable to re-enrol. However, to date, fewer than 1% of the total resident population was unable to obtain MediShield cover due to pre-existing conditions. The Government has in place various measures to help Singaporeans with the payment of premiums. MediShield policyholders enjoy premium rebates from their earlier contributions to partly offset the premiums payable in their old age. In addition, the Government provides Medisave top-ups for Singaporeans from time to time, when there is a budget surplus and for low-income Singaporeans regularly through the Workfare Income Supplement Scheme. These top-ups totalled about $2.6 billion from 2005 to 2011. From 2012 onwards, annual Medisave top-ups will also be given to elderly Singaporeans through the GST Voucher Scheme. Those whose MediShield policies have lapsed and are facing financial difficulties can approach the medical social workers at our public healthcare institutions for financial assistance if necessary.”
“In this process, we hope to strengthen active citizenry and tap on the diversity of ideas to co-create better policies and programmes. MICA will continue its capability development efforts to ensure that Singapore's talent in the Infocomm, Media and Design sectors remain competitive and relevant. MICA is committed to building enabling infrastructure to enhance Singapore's competitiveness and productivity. A National Design Centre will be opened in 2013 to serve as an integrated hub to provide enterprises with the resources and opportunities to innovate through good design. Singapore's Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure will be fully developed by 2012. This will position Singapore to offer new opportunities and attract new investments. To support the fast growth of data, the IDA is developing a Data Centre Park to offer a secure, efficient and cost-competitive environment for data centre operations. Page: 36 The National Authentication Framework will be rolled out in 2012 to boost online trust and confidence against fraudulent access to online services. Singapore will also establish a general consumer data protection regime to safeguard individuals' personal data against misuse. Page: 36 Ministry of Law (Addendum to the President's Address)”
“Singapore will also move from analogue to digital broadcasting. On the flipside, some unlawful and undesirable behaviour in the physical world have also spilled onto cyberspace. Cyber-bullying, anti-social behaviour and racially insensitive comments have made their way onto the Internet. Operating under a cloak of anonymity, some content creators also resort to lies and misinformation. It is crucial that community support for cyber wellness literacy is further enhanced. The cyber ecosystem can flourish into a constructive and civil engagement platform if a code of responsible conduct is observed by all. As media choices proliferate with easy access to global content, MICA and the Media Development Authority will continue to refine our regulatory framework to safeguard community values and public interests. The production and delivery of Public Service Broadcasting programmes will be improved to better engage and serve the diverse viewing interests of our local audiences. MICA plays an important role in driving and coordinating the whole-of government efforts in fostering an informed and engaged citizenry. MICA is working closely with government agencies to explore, develop and make greater use of social media platforms and mobile technologies to enhance communication and engagement with our people. We will find innovative ways to connect with our citizens. The emphasis will be on building bonds and strengthening bridges around shared values so that Singaporeans can come together to discuss and deliberate on issues of concern and contribute constructive ideas to help improve Singapore. The objective is to ensure that our citizens' concerns and aspirations are heard, understood and considered in policy formulation.”
“These include the refurbished Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall when they re-open in 2013 and the National Art Gallery in 2015 which will be the largest visual art institution in the region. Under the Library 2020 Plan, National Library Board (NLB) will tap on public libraries as spaces for learning and knowledge sharing, as well as social touch-points for community engagement. NLB has embarked on the Singapore Memory Project to collect, preserve and provide access to the memory of our nation through the collection of memory contributions from different eras. Infocomm has become an integral and indispensable part of everyday life. MICA will continue to leverage on infocomm as a social enabler to ensure that the benefits of technology percolate into different segments of society. The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) launched the People Sector Programme in 2010 to increase the awareness and savviness of the population in using infocomm. IDA works with strategic partners such as the PA, NTUC and NCSS to reach out to the community. In particular, IDA is actively engaging communities that are less technologically savvy. Under the Silver Infocomm Programme, IDA has provided affordable infocomm training and customised curriculum for senior citizens. Nearly 45,000 elderly have benefited from this programme since its inception in 2007. IDA is also working closely with Special Education Schools to leverage social media and mobile applications as assistive learning tools for children with special needs. Page: 35 The media landscape has evolved considerably, presenting new opportunities as well as challenges. New innovative Internet Protocol TV services will be enabled by the bandwidth of the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network.”
“To widen the pool of talent available and develop deep specialist expertise, MHA recently introduced the Home Team Specialist Scheme. We will create more specialist tracks in addition to the current areas of protective security, criminal intelligence and forensics. Page: 34 The Home Team will continue to upgrade and re-invent itself, developing new and integrated ways of operating which leverage on the unique strengths of each department, and also on the collective energies of our community and external partners. With the support of Singaporeans and all our friends, we will continue to make Singapore our safe and secure best home. Page: 34 Ministry of Information, Communications and The Arts (Addendum to the President's Address) The Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): MICA's mission is to build a Creative People, a Gracious Community and a Connected Singapore. Singapore will be celebrating its 50th year of independence in 2015. We have achieved much economically and become a vibrant global city with world-class living environment and infrastructure. We need to focus equally on making Singapore an endearing home for our people and foster a strong sense of belonging and national identity. Arts and culture serve as an important platform for us to celebrate our heritage and shared values. With this objective, MICA embarked on the Arts and Culture Strategic Review (ACSR) last year. One of the recommendations of the People Sector-led ACSR committee is to strengthen arts and cultural offerings, making it an integral part of everyday life for all. In the next few years, we can expect more distinctive cultural icons.”
“We will empower communities to take greater ownership of their own safety, through self-help initiatives such as the Civil Defence Ready Home programme. To help prisoners re-integrate into society, the SPS and the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) will partner community groups to enhance in-care and after-care efforts. They will mobilise grassroots volunteers to help families of inmates living in their district, and tap on community resources to act as role models for younger offenders. We will continue to engage the private and people sectors through the Threat-Oriented Passenger Screening Integrated System Programme (TOPSIS), which brings together security and non-security personnel to improve the screening processes at our checkpoints against terrorist and other threats. Fourth, we will increase investments in new technologies, and integrate the work of the Home Team departments more closely. We have created a geo-spatial "Operations Terrain Mapping" information sharing platform, which allows officers to have access to the combined terrain knowledge of all Home Team departments within each of their operational domains. The Police will introduce more CCTVs in local neighbourhoods to help prevent and solve crime. The ICA will test new screening devices and explore innovative clearance modes to clear travellers and cargo more efficiently, which will be implemented at new checkpoints in the coming years, including the International Cruise Terminal. Fifth, we will continue to invest heavily in our people. We will significantly increase training in core areas, and create more opportunities for junior Home Team officers to pursue full-time academic upgrading programmes.”
“The SPF will revamp its community policing model, deepening its engagement with the community to ensure that a strong sense of safety and security is maintained. Special attention will also be paid to detecting, disrupting and dismantling organised criminal groups. The Singapore Prisons Service (SPS) will expand its aftercare and rehabilitation efforts beyond the prison gates, calibrated to the inmate's risk of re-offending. It will also seek to develop targeted programmes to address the rehabilitation needs of those specific categories of inmates whose recidivism rates have been consistently poorer than the general mainstream inmate population. These include repeat drug offenders who also pose a contaminating influence to more vulnerable persons, especially the young, in our society. The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) will strengthen its cooperation with regional counterparts to disrupt the inflow of drugs into Singapore. CNB will also study how to better engage repeat and potential drug users with different profiles and backgrounds. CNB will be guided by an Inter-Ministry Task Force chaired by Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister of State for Home Affairs. Third, we will build on our strong community networks and high levels of public trust. Over the years, our dedicated volunteers have worked alongside Home Team officers in policing, fire fighting, preventive drug education, rehabilitation of ex-offenders, and many other roles. We have built a 16,000-strong group of volunteers, and will engage even more people through the newly established Home Team Volunteers' Network. The Community Engagement Programme (CEP), which celebrated its 5th Anniversary this year, will be expanded and deepened to reach a wider audience, including youths and new immigrants.”
“Advances in technology are enabling and encouraging new types of criminality, such as cross-border telecommunications fraud. The current crime and security landscape is set against a societal backdrop of global economic uncertainty, rapid demographic change and rising public expectations. In many parts of the world, the balance between rights and duties, and the relationship between the individual and state are shifting. Some of these changes are being mirrored in our society, influencing the attitudes, lifestyle and modes of expression of our population. Over the next term of Parliament, the Ministry of Home Affairs will expand and deepen the capabilities and competencies of the Home Team. We will pursue five main strategies to ensure that we are prepared for the future. First, we will augment our physical infrastructure and manpower resources to cope with increasing demands from a larger and more diverse population, and a more connected world. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) will establish a new Land Division Headquarters in Woodlands New Town and two Neighbourhood Police Centres (NPCs) at Punggol and Woodlands West. The Police's investigation resources will also be enhanced significantly, with investment in additional forensics capabilities. To meet the needs of the increasing number of travellers passing through our borders, the manpower resources of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will be increased. We will also expand the operational capabilities of the Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA), to ensure that our casinos remain free of criminal influence, and that gaming is conducted fairly and honestly. Page: 33 Second, we will update our operating models.”
“Page: 31 Ministry of Home Affairs (Addendum to the President's Address) The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Teo Chee Hean): Safety and security are the foundation of Singapore's social well-being and economic growth. Over the past term of Parliament, our low crime rate was maintained and threats to our security were kept at bay. However, many challenges remain, and some new ones have emerged. Page: 32 At the global level, extremist violence continues to be a serious concern. While the leadership of Al-Qaeda has been severely disrupted, it remains a potent force, and its franchisees are active in many parts of the world. Within our region, although there have been some successes against extremist groups, terrorist violence remains a very real phenomenon. In the digital age, terrorist groups continue to leverage on the internet, not only to propagate their virulent ideologies but also to broadcast operational tactics and techniques. Recent events in Norway remind us that the threats are multi-faceted and do not necessarily emanate from known adversaries. In recent years, non-traditional security issues, such as infectious disease pandemics and the Fukushima nuclear incident have come to the fore. Dealing with these incidents has challenged our response capabilities at the whole-of-government level, and tested the level of preparedness of our communities. On the law and order front, crime remains under control. However, there are issues we must address. Youth gangs remain a serious concern. Loansharking syndicates have grown bolder and are employing more dangerous tactics. Drug abuse is rising, due in part to the greater supply of drugs in the region, and also to changes in attitudes towards drugs among segments of the younger generation.”
“We will consider how to contain exceptionally high bills to give patients peace of mind; (ii) further improving affordability of ILTC services, through enhancements to ElderShield and expansion of subsidies; (iii) bringing more Singaporeans under MediShield, including the very old, the very young with congenital conditions, and those with psychiatric conditions; (iv) facilitating a better understanding and control of medical inflation, by promoting transparency of billing and performance; (v) improving financial counselling and education on healthcare treatment options so that patients can make informed choices. To raise our capabilities in the healthcare system, we will invest more in areas that will reap benefits in the longer term, such as geriatrics, rehabilitation and organ transplants. We will encourage biomedical research and innovations, to develop better and more cost-effective diagnoses and treatments for our patients. Our population is ageing rapidly. We need to prepare our infrastructure, systems and workplaces so that Singaporeans can age-in-place within the community. Led by the Ministerial Committee on Ageing, the key strategies will include: (i) supporting Active Ageing, so that older Singaporeans remain active and engaged in society and the community; (ii) significantly stepping up investments in the continuum of healthcare and social care facilities, including the development of home care and family support services; (iii) recruiting and training manpower for the sector; (iv) consulting and engaging local communities, so that ageing-in-place is a shared goal for the public and Government.”
“We will increase scholarships for healthcare-related occupations and bring more overseas Singaporean professionals home; (iv) help build organisational and systems-level capabilities to improve processes, quality and safety frameworks, and team-based care. We will exploit technology to facilitate cost-effective home and community-based care. This includes expanding call centre services, and implementing the next phase of the NEHR, which will include non-public sector providers, and allow Singaporeans access to their key medical information; (v) strengthen regulations, to ensure Singaporeans receive reliably high standards of care. The Health Sciences Authority will expand its scope of regulatory coverage to ensure that products and treatments are safe and effective. Page: 31 We will assess our healthcare financing framework to ensure Singaporeans can afford the medical care they require, at the appropriate and cost-effective setting, while striking a balance with fiscal sustainability. To strengthen the social safety net, we will look into: (i) expanding subsidies for outpatient care and for medication, particularly for vulnerable groups such as the low-income households, needy elderly with limited Medisave, amongst others. While continuing to target subsidies, we will rationalise and streamline the means-testing approaches.”
“We will build new family medicine clinics, medical centres and community care infrastructure and extend subsidies for these new care models; (iii) integrating care for the elderly and people with chronic conditions so that their treatment is managed on an ongoing rather than episodic basis, and they can move seamlessly between providers, whether public, private or community, to get appropriate care; (iv) raising the standard and quality of pre-hospital emergency care by better integrating ambulance services with the national health system. To support these new care models, we will: (i) draw upon providers nationwide to deliver care to Singaporeans, through expanded portable subsidy schemes for the private primary care and charity-based long-term care sectors, supported by partnerships with the public sector entities. Private acute hospitals will have a greater role in serving the subsidised healthcare needs of Singaporeans; (ii) enhance capabilities and capacity of the Intermediate and Long-Term Care (ILTC) sector, by strengthening the governance and regulation of healthcare providers, and supporting them to attract, recruit and retain capable staff. We will also facilitate the development of primary care providers, including general practitioners, to deliver integrated and team-based care; (iii) continue to invest in training and upgrading our healthcare workforce and address recruitment and retention issues. Together with MOE, we are expanding the local medical intakes through the new Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and working on a new degree programme to upgrade our diploma-level allied health professionals at the Singapore Institute of Technology.”
“The Health Promotion Board (HPB) will adopt a more ground-up approach to promote healthy living in schools, work places and the community. We will work with local communities to tackle obesity, smoking and HIV, while reviewing the effectiveness of our controls against harmful substances such as tobacco. We will expand the coverage and reach of our national health screening and follow-up care programmes. We will remain vigilant against public health threats. The healthcare sector responded well when the H1N1 outbreak in 2009 and Japan's nuclear radiation leak in 2011 tested the system. Nonetheless, we will strengthen our knowledge and capabilities against a range of potential threats, including through the establishment of a School for Public Health at the National University of Singapore. We will extend the range and coverage of healthcare services required to tackle the problems of cancer and chronic conditions (in particular cardiovascular diseases and diabetes), and conditions impacting the elderly by: (i) building new acute hospitals, community hospitals and nursing homes, and upgrading existing ones. This includes the development of Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Jurong Community Hospital, Yishun Community Hospital and a new acute hospital and community hospital in Sengkang; Page: 30 (ii) introducing new models for primary care and rehabilitative care, and developing new capabilities in community care, mental health, and home care, so that Singaporeans can age-in-place in the community.”
“Our vision is to enable all Singaporeans to live well, live long and enjoy peace of mind. We will continue to invest in developing our healthcare system and continually fine-tune our health policies to meet Singaporeans' needs. Over the past five years, MOH has added more than 700 public acute and community hospital beds, including the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, and increased the number of doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals by more than 50%. This allowed us to maintain good public satisfaction ratings and contain waiting times despite expanding patient loads. To facilitate seamless care for patients, acute hospitals have started working in close partnership with other healthcare providers. The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) was restructured to better help patients transit from acute hospitals to community care settings. The first phase of the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) was launched, allowing flow of medical records across public sector entities. To promote medical excellence, two academic medical centres were established, and support for translational and clinical research expanded. The Alice Lee School of Nursing and Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School produced their first graduates. To ensure health care remains affordable, MOH expanded subsidies for medication and for aged care, especially for the needy elderly. The coverage and payouts for MediShield and ElderShield were improved, and Medifund's capital sum topped-up from S$1.1 billion to S$2.5 billion. Medisave use was extended to outpatient care for major chronic diseases, integrated screening and new vaccinations. We will step up efforts to encourage Singaporeans to make healthier choices.”
“When the Act is extended to cover all workplaces in September 2011, my Ministry will allocate additional resources to conduct inspections of workplaces in the new sectors. We have set aside adequate resources within our existing budget for these activities. Mdm Halimah also asked about penalties under section 15(3)A. This is not a new power. But I can assure Mdm Halimah that we will take into account all relevant circumstances of the negligent act if we do take action against the workers. Sir, as Mr Yeo Guat Kwang has pointed out, to ensure that the extension of the WSH Act achieves our objective of providing all workers with a safe and healthy workplace, all stakeholders – including employers, business associations, workers, unions – must play their part. Putting in place a regulatory framework that is relevant and responsive to the needs of stakeholders is only the first step. I am heartened by NTUC's strong support and commitment to help reach out to the various sectors to raise their WSH standards. On MOM's part, we will continue to work closely with the WSH Council, unions and employers to enhance the effectiveness of our initiatives and programmes, so that every worker can go home safe and sound at the end of every workday. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Gan Kim Yong]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. SUBSCRIPTION TO ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (Motion)”
“Under this programme, WSH professionals visit small construction worksites to provide them with specific advice on WSH management. The proposed amendments to section 14 of the Act, to clarify the duties of principals, will also help improve ownership of safety outcomes in the construction sector, where sub-contracting arrangements are common. By requiring all principals – whether or not they direct the work of their contractors – to ensure that the contractors they hire have the necessary expertise and have taken adequate safety and health measures, only the right contractors with the proper safety management processes in place will be given the job. To answer Mdm Halimah's query, the principal's duty under the new section 14A will apply only to the contractors he hires directly, and not to sub-contractors hired by his contractors. It may not be reasonable or practical to hold the principal responsible for all the sub-contractors. Instead, each contractor will be held responsible for the sub-contractors he engages. We believe that the proposed amendment is sufficient and yet practical for achieving our objective of improving ownership of safety outcomes in the sub-contracting process. It will effectively cover all sub-contractors in the entire construction chain, as the persons who hire them will be held responsible for ensuring their ability to carry out the work safely. Mdm Halimah asked about the Ministry's resources to cater to the extended coverage of the Act. As I mentioned earlier, our efforts to prepare stakeholders for the extension of the Act started more than a year ago, with various outreach and capability building initiatives. These will continue in the months ahead.”
“Under the proposed amendments to the Regulations, all workplaces will minimally need to provide some first-aid equipment, such as first-aid boxes. Workplaces with more than 25 workers will need to have trained first-aiders. To ensure that stakeholders comply with their duties under the WSHA, MOM conducts regular inspections of workplaces. We have adopted a risk-based enforcement approach where higher risk workplaces are inspected more frequently. These include workplaces such as construction sites, which, as Mdm Halimah has noted, accounted for close to 60% of fatalities in 2010. Last year, MOM carried out close to 6,000 inspections. Approximately 60% of the inspections were for the construction sector, focusing on issues such as work at height and crane safety. The WSH Council has also formed industry-led taskforces to look into hazardous work activities that are common in the construction sector. We recognise that riskier sectors, such as marine and construction, employ large numbers of transient foreign workers. To ensure that these workers are equipped to work safely, we require workers in the construction, marine and metal-working industries to attend and pass a safety orientation course before starting work. Workers who perform certain tasks such as scaffolding work and lifting operations must also be trained and certified before performing such tasks. Contractors have also leveraged on their daily toolbox briefings to regularly remind their workers of the WSH risks and measures that they need to keep in mind when working. To help SMEs in the construction sector, apart from tapping on the RMAF to help build their risk management capabilities, they can also tap on the Safety Compliance Assistance Visits initiated by the Work at Height Taskforce.”
“For example, we are working with HPB to draft a Code of Practice providing workplaces with practical guidance on implementing inhouse promotional programmes on safety and health. Assoc. Prof. Fatimah Lateef also asked about the use of the WSH 2018 Fund, which MOM launched last year. The Fund provides support on four fronts: helping companies build a strong WSH culture; helping SMEs build their WSH capabilities; tackling WSH challenges specific to the construction and marine sectors; and building new national capabilities such as the WSH Institute. The $70 million Fund supports a mix of direct funding initiatives and national programmes. For example, the Risk Management Assistance Fund (RMAF) assists SMEs through defraying the costs of building in-house risk management capabilities. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang asked for more help for SMEs. We recently topped up the RMAF with another $11 million to help more SMEs, including those in the new sectors. We have also allocated some $8 million to help companies build a strong and progressive WSH culture. Assoc. Prof. Fatimah Lateef further asked whether Singapore companies with branches overseas can also tap on these funding. Direct funding initiatives are meant for workplaces and workers in Singapore. However, I am sure the WSH capabilities that companies develop here will also benefit their operations overseas. To respond to Assoc. Prof. Fatimah Lateef's query, the WSH (First Aid) Regulations will apply to all workplaces from September 2011. Currently, the Regulations only apply to factories and other specific workplaces such as laboratories. We are reviewing the requirements under the Regulations for different types of workplaces.”
“Sir, let me first thank Members who have spoken in support of the Bill. As Mdm Halimah Yacob, Mr Yeo Guat Kwang and Assoc. Prof. Fatimah Lateef have pointed out, the extension of the WSH Act to cover all workplaces is a significant and timely move to ensure the safety and health of our workers. Let me now address some of the specific queries raised by Members. Mdm Halimah asked about outreach efforts to educate stakeholders in the new sectors. I agree it is very important for us to ensure that employers and workers are aware of their obligations before the amendments take effect. I had earlier outlined the efforts of my Ministry and the WSH Council in this regard. As the new sectors account for more than half of the workforce, we started our outreach and education efforts early – slightly more than a year ago – including dialogue sessions with industry associations and the WSH Clinics. We also used the 2010 National WSH Campaign as a platform to reach out to employers and workers. I would also like to assure Assoc. Prof. Fatimah Lateef that our WSH educational efforts and resources can be readily understood by those who come from a variety of backgrounds. For instance, our Workers' Safety Handbook for Work at Heights adopts a pictorial format and is available in English, Mandarin, Tamil and Bengali. The roadshows for the new sectors on the extension of the Act will include sessions targeting our heartland retailers. These sessions will be conducted in both English and Mandarin. In addition to the roadshows, we will be rolling out a series of WSH radio talkshows in the four national languages later this month. MOM and the WSH Council also work closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Health Promotion Board (HPB) on workplace health promotion.”
“The Schedule lists only diseases that have a well-established link to work, such as hydrogen sulphide poisoning and occupational skin diseases. However, we need to ensure that MOM can investigate and take action against any lapses at the workplace that could expose workers to a chemical or biological hazard and could adversely impact their health, but which may not have a direct link to the diseases specified in the Schedule. Clause 3(b) therefore expands the definition of an "occupational disease" (OD) under the Act, to include not only diseases listed under the Schedule of ODs, but also diseases resulting from occupational exposures to any chemical or biological agents. Finally, the Bill also makes some technical amendments, by removing obsolete references to "factory permit(s)", which are no longer used following the Ministry's review in 2008 of the factory registration system. Clauses 3(b), 8 and 11 effect the changes in this regard. In conclusion, Sir, I would like to thank our tripartite partners, including the industry and professional associations, and the members of the public for their support in our WSH journey to date, and for their valuable feedback and suggestions on these Act amendments. The progress we have made over the past six years would not have been possible without their strong commitment and support. I look forward to working with them on the next leg of our WSH journey, in our efforts to realise our national target of bringing our workplace fatality rate to below 1.8 per 100,000 workers by 2018. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 4.56 pm”
“Duties of persons at work for negligence For persons at work, clause 6 of this Bill will allow the Ministry to take to task those workers who acted negligently in the workplace and in doing so, endangered the safety and health of themselves or of others. I would like to stress that this is not a new offence per se. The Government can and has taken individuals to task for endangering the safety of themselves or of others at the workplace through a negligent act under the Penal Code. For example, in 2008, a chief engineer of a tanker was convicted and fined $7,000 for a negligent act resulting in two divers being injured. The engineer had neglected to confirm that the diving operations under the propeller had been completed before starting the tanker's engines. We can already take other stakeholders – such as the employer or occupier – to task for negligence under the WSHA. The proposed amendment merely seeks to make the WSHA more consistent internally, to allow us to take all responsible stakeholders to task for negligence under the same piece of legislation, rather than to rely on the Penal Code for persons at work. The penalties for the new section 15(3A) are aligned to those under section 304A of the Penal Code for causing death by a negligent act and are capped at a fine of $30,000, a jail term of two years or both. Enhance MOM's powers of investigation This Bill also seeks to enhance MOM's powers of investigation for diseases contracted as a result of occupational exposures to chemical or biological hazards. Currently, MOM only has the power to investigate incidences of diseases that are specified in the Third Schedule of the Act.”
“The new section 14A requires principals to take only such measures that are "reasonably practicable", which takes into account the level of knowledge and expertise that the principal could reasonably be expected to possess. To provide stakeholders with some clarity on what such measures would entail, sections 14A(2) and 14A(3) state that such measures would include ascertaining that the contractor and his employees have sufficient experience and training to carry out the work, and that the contractor has conducted a risk assessment on the safety and health risks posed by the work. For example, a principal who engages a contractor to repair his roof should minimally verify that the contractor and his employees have been trained to work safely at heights, including the proper use of the necessary fall prevention equipment. The principal should also be satisfied that the contractor has conducted a risk assessment to identify the risks involved and the measures to mitigate such risks. A principal who himself can be expected to possess expertise for the work that he has contracted out will be held to a higher standard. For instance, if the principal is also a contractor himself, he would be expected to assess whether the risk assessment conducted by the contractor is adequate, and, if need be, let the contractor know what risks have not been adequately addressed. As with other stakeholders under the Act, such as employers and occupiers, principals who fail to discharge these duties with due diligence can be subject to the maximum penalties allowed under WSHA, that is, a maximum fine of $200,000 for individuals and $500,000 for businesses.”
“Clause 4 of the Bill defines a "factory" to include five broad categories of work activities that we have identified to be of higher risk, such as building operations and the manufacturing of hazardous substances. The Fourth Schedule lists 19 classes of workplaces falling under these five categories that we deem to be "factories". This revised definition will enable us to focus our efforts on higher risk workplaces such as shipyards, construction sites, manufacturing plants, etc, to achieve greater effectiveness. We have also taken this opportunity to clarify the roles and responsibilities of principals and persons at work under the Act. Duties of principals in relation to their contractors Section 14 of the existing Act covers principals who engage contractors for specialised tasks or engage the services of workers from third-party labour suppliers. Some principals are involved in directing the work of the contractors they hire as well as their workers, and they effectively take on the role similar to that of an employer in terms of supervision. For these principals, the Act places a duty on them to ensure the safety and health of these workers. These duties are similar to those of an employer. However, even if the principal is not involved in directing the work of his contractors, he should still be required to exercise reasonable care to ensure the safety of the workers. Clause 5 of the Bill will require all principals to ensure that any contractor they engage is able to carry out the work safely, whether these contractors work under their direction or not. This duty on principals is not an onerous one.”
“To educate workers and members of the public on protecting themselves from common WSH hazards in the new sectors, we launched an outreach campaign in July 2010. Members may have seen some of the advertisements at our MRT stations or bus stops featuring everyday risks at work such as slips, trips and falls. In November 2010, we also published a guidebook on managing these common hazards and sent this to all the employers in these sectors. To provide more targeted advice and assistance to employers, we had also held several sessions of WSH Clinics over the last eight months, where employers receive free advice from WSH professionals on managing WSH risks at their workplaces. More than 800 employers have sought advice at these clinics. We will continue with these educational efforts, for example, through the National WSH Campaign 2011 to be launched later this month. Scoping the definition of a factory When the coverage of the WSH Act, and its predecessor the Factories Act, was limited to workplaces deemed to be "factories", the definition of the term "factory" was deliberately crafted broadly to cover a wider range of workplaces. This broad definition meant that hawker stalls and tailor shops could be considered factories. With the extension of the coverage of the Act to all workplaces, this broad definition of "factories" is no longer necessary. We will instead redefine "factories" to refer to higher-risk workplaces whose activities present a higher potential for serious accidents so that these workplaces will be subject to more stringent regulation – such as notifying or registering with MOM before commencing operations; and forming a WSH committee.”
“With this amendment, workplaces in another 14 sectors, ranging from wholesale and retail trade, public administration to administrative and support services, will now be brought under the ambit of the Act. These sectors account for more than 100,000 organisations employing more than 1.6 million workers, or almost 60% of the workforce in Singapore. We intend to exempt occupiers of domestic premises from the Act, unless the occupier himself is using the premises for a business undertaking. With the extension, stakeholders in these newly-included workplaces will have a general duty of care to take "reasonably practicable" measures to ensure the safety and health of workers and others who may be affected by their work. The term "reasonably practicable" means that stakeholders need only take preventive measures which are proportionate to the potential impact of the hazards at the workplace. In addition, stakeholders will also need to comply with Regulations under the WSHA that are relevant to their work activities. These include requirements for risk management and incident reporting, which apply to all workplaces covered by the Act. There are also regulations that deal with specific hazards such as excessive noise, confined spaces, the use of hazardous chemicals, and so on, that stakeholders must comply with if their work involves such hazards. Efforts to reach out to stakeholders To prepare for the extension of the coverage of the Act, since March 2010, my Ministry and the Workplace Safety and Health Council have stepped up our efforts to educate stakeholders in the new sectors on their roles and responsibilities under the Act, and the measures they can take to raise WSH standards at the workplace.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, in 2005, my Ministry undertook a comprehensive review of our workplace safety and health (WSH) legislation to improve safety outcomes. The review resulted in the enactment of the Workplace Safety and Health Act which came into force in 2006, replacing the Factories Act. The Act was crafted based on three key principles – reducing risks at source, engendering industry ownership of WSH outcomes, and preventing accidents through higher penalties for poor safety management. Our WSH statistics indicate that these improvements to our WSH framework have borne fruit. Our workplace fatality rate had declined from 4.9 fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2004 to its lowest level in six years of 2.2 last year, a decrease of more than 55%. We have also seen a similar decrease in the workplace injury rate. Extension of the WSH Act When the WSH Bill was first introduced in 2005, we said then that our intention was to extend the legislation to eventually cover all workplaces, rather than only factories as defined by the Factories Act. All workers would then receive the protection they deserve against safety and health risks at the workplace. To give industry time to adjust, we had been extending the coverage of the WSH Act in stages. In 2008, following consultations with the industry, we extended the Act to six additional sectors, including healthcare, hotels and restaurants, and transportation of goods. We are now ready to do more. Clause 2 of this Bill seeks to extend the coverage of the Act to all remaining workplaces.”
“Tax relief for maid levy is an Inland Revenue issue. So, it is actually a MOF cut, but I will convey her request and we will ask the Minister for Finance to consider it, perhaps, next time.”
“Is the Member's question with regard to tax relief or concessionary maid levy?”
“Madam, I will try to give a concise answer. First, the workers who are employed at the moment and hoping to improve their employment, we continue to help them through our career centres as well as our CET centres. If they are able to approach our CET centres, these centres will then be able to work with them on their training pathways and on the schemes that they need. If they want to switch courses, there are quite a few other programmes, like professional conversion programmes, that allow them to switch their career pathways, so that they can pursue jobs that are of higher value and better pay. We do continue to help them. This is part of our efforts to raise productivity. I may as well answer her second question. Her concern is about the 5% to 10% of the course fee that low-wage workers may not be able to afford. The answer is that we will look at them on a case-by-case basis. If indeed they are not able to afford these fees, we will look for ways to help them, so long as they are responsible for the outcome of the training. If they try their best to put in the effort, I am sure we will be able to find ways to help these workers access the training programmes.”
“In particular, I think I mentioned earlier the IGP programme, which is also administered by NTUC, as part of our tripartite effort to reach out to the low-wage workers, low-skilled workers, and help to uplift them in terms of their skills, capability and, eventually, productivity and incomes. Assoc. Prof. Paulin Tay Straughan: Madam, I am glad to note that MOM is documenting work hours but my question really is: what are we doing about it? If we are serious about improving fertility and increasing the marriage rate, we have to do something about it because there are only 24 hours in a day, and if they are spending 12 hours at work, there is very little time left for anything else.”
“Madam, for us to achieve productivity growth of between 2% and 3% requires the collective efforts of all parties involved. The unions would play a very important role by mobilising the workers to go for training and upgrading; employers will have to play their role in upgrading their businesses, restructuring their businesses, looking at new products and businesses, looking at developing new markets that can bring in higher value, looking at training of their staff, improving their work processes to make sure that they are efficient, productive and minimise wastage of manpower and resources. These are ways to go about enhancing productivity. Under the National Productivity and Continuing Education Council, we have identified 12 sectors and we are defining sectoral programmes for each of the sectors. With their agency championing each of the sectors, and within each sector, we develop productivity roadmaps, together with identifiable KPIs and deliverables, for each of the sectors as we provide the funding for them. So this is how we go about defining our KPIs and deliverables in our journey towards higher productivity. This is a collective effort, as I said, which includes the Government, employers and workers. On the issue of bipartisan, tripartism, union movements, labour movements – how do we support them? As I mentioned in my speech earlier, tripartism plays a very important part in our move towards productivity, and it is part of our collective effort. The Government will continue to support the labour movement.”
“In response to Mrs Teo's question, we do intend to include this as part of our studies in determining the future needs of our manpower. We will also be looking at how we can help these PMETs enhance their mobility, adaptability, and that is why one of our key strategies is to introduce a T-shape PMET training programme. Our STEP programme that I have just mentioned in my earlier response is actually focused on helping these PMETs to develop not only depth in their skills and knowledge but also breadth of their knowledge, so that they are able to manage human resource and finance flexibly, so that they will be able to move from industry to industry. This is in recognition of the fact that, going forward, more and more of our workers are going to be PMETs and PMETs will continue to be vulnerable, and increasingly so, in the face of global changes and when the pace of restructuring picks up. So I think this is a key area of concern for the Ministry, and STEP is one of the programmes that we have put in place to address this issue. In our future skills study, we will also be looking at how we can overcome some of these challenges.”
“Madam, this target was set five years ago and when we set the target we explained that that was, in fact, one of the highest employment rates that had been achieved. In fact, it was pegged to the Japanese employment rate of older workers. So this is one of the highest achieved in the world. I think it is a stretch target. When we set a target, and I mentioned it in Parliament, I did say it was a stretch target. It was not easy to achieve and, in fact, because of the recession in 2009, we were set back by two or three years. So now we have set a new timing that we think that we can achieve it by 2015. It is still a difficult target because it requires all our stakeholders – the workers, employers, the Government – to work together to push this employment rate. It is not just the employers alone. We also need to encourage older workers to continue to work. As I mentioned earlier, the unemployment rate of older workers is, in fact, quite close to our national rate for resident workers. Those are the workers who want to work but unable to find work. So we also have to encourage our older workers to want to work and encourage our employers to want to employ them. So the Re-employment Act that we had introduced in January, which would come into effect next year, will go to a large extent in helping us achieve this employment rate of older workers.”
“But for fundamental changes like overtime pay and so on, we will have to wait for the overall review to make sure that we do a comprehensive job in reviewing the scheme.”
“And within this Inclusive Growth Programme, the union and the tripartite partners are working with companies individually, sector by sector, industry by industry, company by company, to look at how we can help them restructure their business and part of that process also involves how the companies must make a commitment to raise the productivity of the workers, raise the skills of the workers, send them for training and also have a formula to share the benefits with the workers. So we are doing what she is saying without having to hardwire these requirements into every Government's scheme. I just want to clarify that the Workfare programme (WIS) has been entrenched as a permanent scheme. It is the Workfare Special Bonus that is a three-year scheme, and we will review it at the end of the three years. Ms Irene Ng also asked about overtime issue, which Mdm Halimah has made a special request, and I have explained that we will indeed look at all the requests and recommendations in our review. As to how frequent we should make the review, we had just made the review last year. So it is not as if it has been a long time and we are going to wait for another few years. This year, we have introduced the Workfare Special Bonus and Special Employment Credit. These schemes have just been put in place. We want to allow these schemes to work through, for us to have a chance to assess the impact of these schemes and whether there is a need for fine-tuning. It is also important for us to make sure that we do not change the scheme too often because employers and workers will be very confused if there are too many changes. So sometimes we make a little bit of adjustment, fine-tuning here and there.”
“Madam, in response to Ms Irene Ng's question on how we can ensure that low-wage workers' wages will improve over time, the key strategy in improving wages, whether it is low-wage workers or all workers, is to focus on how we can improve the productivity. Productivity comes from many angles. Worker productivity is only one aspect of it. Changing the way business is run, changing the products that you produce, changing the service that you provide, are part and parcel of raising productivity. If you take a retail shop, for example, if you are able to bring in more sales by channelling more traffic through your shops, or moving into higher-value products, branded goods, rather than one-dollar shops, you will be able to raise productivity and revenue. And with a higher productivity, you can then share with the workers. 6.00 pm I understand Ms Irene Ng's point. Can we somehow tie that productivity improvement, through the Government schemes, to insist that part of the productivity improvement is shared with the workers, so that their wages can improve? I do understand but my point is that many of the Government's schemes, whether it is Workfare, whether it is other productivity schemes, there are very clear objectives and deliverables and we must not undermine these deliverables and objectives. And to increase the wages of low-wage workers, there are also specific schemes targeted at that objective and those schemes are undertaken by the various Ministries and agencies. One such scheme is the Inclusive Growth Programme (IGP) which is under the National Trades Union Congress. This is a $40 million programme.”
“They also contributed to the employment dispute resolution mechanism for PMEs which was launched in February 2011 and the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP) in promoting fair and responsible employment practices. Going forward, our tripartite partnership will continue to be an integral part of our strategy to push for productivity improvement, encourage training for workers and ensure inclusive growth. The Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), which administers the $40 million Inclusive Growth Programme – that Members like Mdm Halimah and Mr Heng Chee How talked about – is a key platform of this tripartite effort. Madam, we must capitalise on our strong economic fundamentals and recovery momentum to create more and better employment opportunities for all Singaporeans, including those who are older or earning lower wages so that they too can have a better future. Our strong tripartite alliance has enabled us to weather the global economic crisis and to emerge from it even stronger than before. We must build upon the progress we achieved to propel us towards a more productive and more inclusive Singapore in 2011 and beyond.”
“This ensures that the balances of CPF members continue to grow, even in today's low interest rate environment. To improve the overall returns of CPF monies, the Government also pays an extra 1% interest on the first $60,000 of CPF savings. Those who wish to invest part of their CPF savings in other instruments with potentially higher returns can already do so through the CPF Investment Scheme. Besides the CPF interest rate framework, recent initiatives announced in the Budget Statement, such as the 0.5% increase in CPF contribution rates and raising the CPF salary ceiling to $5,000, will also help CPF members build up their savings faster. Taken together, these two changes will help a 45-year-old person earning $5,000 a month increase his CPF savings by $22,200 by age 55. We are phasing in these changes gradually to give employers more time to adjust. From time to time, the Government also tops up CPF savings, such as the Medisave top-up announced in this Budget Statement. This year, 1.3 million Singaporeans will receive a total of $500 million top-ups in Medisave. Those aged 45 and above will receive Medisave top-ups of between $300 and $800. 4.45 pm Many of our policies and programmes were implemented effectively because of our strong tripartite partnership which is the "special sauce" that has powered our economic growth and ensured our workers benefit from the growth. Tripartite efforts played an important part in helping us weather the recession in 2009 and allowed us to recover strongly. The partnership has been instrumental in preparing employers and workers for re-employment.”
“The CPF Board also enlists the help of grassroots leaders to educate members from all the Community Development Council (CDC) districts. I also want to take this opportunity to thank Mr Seng Han Thong for mentioning the Banana sisters. They have, indeed, done a great job. I wished I have more Banana sisters, Watermelon sisters or other sisters. But they are volunteers, they work for CPF, they are full-time employees and they do this part-time, because they have the passion and they believe that they can make a difference in helping the low-wage workers understand CPF, understand WIS and understand the importance of retirement planning. In addition, CPF Board also participates in national financial education programmes, like MoneySENSE, which spreads financial literacy messages through many platforms, such as info-advertorials, monthly features in the NTUC Lifestyle magazine and radio programmes. We will continue to do more to help members understand financial planning better. Mr Chiam asked whether we can peg our CPF returns to sovereign wealth funds like Temasek. Sir, we should recognise that Temasek invests in higher risk assets and businesses and the returns are not guaranteed. Even the principal is not guaranteed. On the other hand, CPF monies are shielded from such short-term market volatility. Members will remember in the recent economic recession, Temasek's investments were adversely affected. Most Singaporeans would not wish to expose their hard-earned money and hard-earned retirement savings to such volatility and potential losses. Instead, for CPF, the savings in the Ordinary Account will receive a guaranteed interest rate of 2.5% at the minimum. Savings in the Special, Medisave and Retirement Accounts will receive an interest of 4% this year.”
“He cited the Drive-and-Save Scheme as a positive example of efforts to encourage self-employed taxi drivers to make Medisave contributions. Such contributions by taxi companies will now be tax deductible. Since the implementation of the Drive-and-Save Scheme in January 2011, just two months ago, about 12,500 drivers have qualified to receive co-contributions from their taxi companies totalling almost $190,000. Saving for healthcare needs is a personal responsibility, but the Government helps through the WIS and Medisave top-ups. In fact, now that self-employed persons will receive cash through the Workfare Special Bonus, there is even more reason for self-employed persons to contribute to their own CPF. I agree with Mr Seng that business partners of self-employed persons should also play a role. MOM and CPF Board will work with industry associations, unions and companies to develop similar schemes in other sectors. Mr Ang Mong Seng recognised that older workers may have health conditions that prevent them from working. He was worried that such members will not be able to withdraw their CPF because they have not reached the drawdown age. I would like to assure members that they can make early withdrawals from their CPF on medical grounds if they are suffering from any medical conditions that have rendered them permanently unfit for any employment. The application for such withdrawals would have to be certified by the CPF Board's doctors and approved by the Board. Mdm Ho suggested that we should educate the public on the importance of retirement planning, and I agree. The CPF Board actively reaches out to members with retirement planning messages through various channels, such as the Internet and community events.”
“We need to make up for the momentum lost due to the downturn. We have reassessed our target and will now aim to achieve an employment rate of 65% for older workers aged 55 to 64 by 2015 instead. This should be achievable with the concerted measures we are taking to improve the employability of older workers, and if the economic and employment conditions remain positive. My Senior Parliamentary Secretary will give Members more details on our tripartite partners' efforts to help employers implement re-employment and improve the employment landscape for older workers in the year ahead of us. Besides re-employment, we also enhance our retirement adequacy through the changes in the CPF. Mdm Ho Geok Choo expressed concern about the retirement adequacy of CPF members and asked about the Minimum Sum (MS) attainment rate. For the cohort turning 55 in 2010, over 40% of active CPF members, or about 12,600 members, attained their cohort MS set at $123,000 after lump sum withdrawals. Of these members, more than half have set aside the full cohort MS in cash. The Minimum Sum represents only part of a member's retirement savings. Almost half of CPF savings are invested in housing. If we were to add back the amounts withdrawn for housing, the average savings of active members turning 55 in 2010 would be about $226,000, with the MS attainment rate rising to about 60%. The use of CPF for housing has helped nine in 10 Singaporeans own their own homes. The flat is a valuable asset which members can monetise through an array of options if they so choose, such as the Lease Buyback Scheme or subletting part of their flat to earn regular rental income. Mr Seng Han Thong also called for more to be done to help self-employed persons save through the Medisave.”
“Line supervisors will be informed of their retiring employees six months before retirement and are required to initiate discussions on re-employment with these employees. Employees who are re-employed will be deployed according to their skill sets, work performance and the organisational needs. Where there are still seniority-based elements in their wage structure, some wage adjustments will be made. The first beneficiary of the scheme is Mr Tan Eng Kem, who reached age 62 last year. He is now re-employed as a Senior Associate Engineer in charge of quality. Now, he supervises a team of Quality Assurance Engineering Specialists as well as performs incoming and final inspection of machinery parts and modules of semiconductor equipment. In line with VDL's re-employment policy, Mr Tan's basic wages have been adjusted to reflect the productivity, but all other terms and conditions remain the same. VDL is already engaging another employee retiring this year in re-employment discussions. VDL also continues to provide them with training opportunities to upskill and stay relevant in the workforce. I urge all employers to follow the example of VDL and implement fair re-employment practices. I am confident that with the strong support from our tripartite partners, we will be able to implement re-employment smoothly. Ms Sylvia Lim asked earlier about the employment rate target for older workers. Our tripartite efforts have produced positive results with the employment rate for residents aged 55-64 rising steadily from 2005 to 2008. This has since risen to a new high of 59% in 2010 after two years of stagnation due to the downturn. The unemployment rate for older residents aged 50 and above is also comparable to the unemployment rate for all residents.”
“In designing jobs and remuneration for older employees, employers should exercise fairness and take into account reasonable factors when making adjustments to terms and conditions of re-employment, such as wages, medical benefits and leave benefits. Similarly, employees are encouraged to exercise flexibility and be ready to accept the necessary adjustments for re-employment. This includes accepting a salary that is commensurate with job worth rather than seniority, and going for training to take on new job responsibilities. Employers and employees who encounter re-employment disputes may approach my Ministry for assistance. Although the law will only come into effect on 1st January 2012, our survey in 2010 shows that the majority of the employers are able and willing to re-employ eligible workers. Seventy-seven per cent of companies surveyed already allow their employees to work past age 62, either on existing contracts or through re-employment. This is a significant improvement from 64% in 2009. Ninety-four per cent of employees reaching the age of 62 were also allowed to continue working beyond 62, up from 92% a year ago. Madam, as we can see, many employers have already adopted the tripartite guidelines and implemented re-employment ahead of legislation. One example is VDL Enabling Technologies Group (S) Pte Ltd, a contract manufacturing partner that supplies high-tech equipment to leading OEM manufacturers. This company employs 215 employees, of which 17 are above 55 years of age. Since last year, VDL has formalised their re-employment policies and have communicated these policies to all their employees.”
“As Mr Tan is a keen learner, he tapped on Workfare Training Scheme (WTS) to complete WSQ literacy and generic skills training, and even moved on to attain a WSQ Certificate. In the course of his training, Mr Tan would have received an additional $300 in training allowance under the Workfare-Skill Up programme. Further, he would have received a total of $800 from various awards for completing skills upgrading. In total, he will receive a benefit of $4,250 this year, and this does not include the generous 95% funding support in course fee subsidy and absentee payroll which enables his employer to send him for training. Let me now turn to re-employment and retirement adequacy of Singaporeans. Mr Ang Mong Seng asked about the employment outlook and opportunities for older workers. Re-employment is the best way to create more opportunities for our older workers to work longer and save more for retirement. At the same time, the economy and the society stand to benefit from the valuable experience and contributions of our older workforce. This is especially true in the current tight labour market. Tapping on older workers will also help employers reduce their dependence on foreign workforce. The Retirement and Re-employment Act (RRA) introduced earlier this year will take effect in January 2012. The RRA spells out the key obligations and conditions for re-employment. To complement the law, the tripartite partners also updated the Tripartite Guidelines on Re-employment of Older Employees to provide more details on how re-employment should be implemented.”
“If you look at this WSB scheme, as long as the workers worked last year or continue to work this year, they will be able to receive a sum of $2,800 special bonus. In January this year, Mrs Josephine Teo had suggested that we raised the amount of this WSB subsidy. And this time, we will give them cash at one time. For this one, they will get half in cash and the other half is going to be put into their CPF. Apart from this, we will also spread out the time when the bonuses are given out, which means that we can allow our workers to actually receive these bonuses at different times to help them manage their daily needs, ie, this special bonus scheme can help our low-income workers face the daily necessities in life. However, these low-wage workers must also upgrade their skills so that they can get better jobs to get better pay. In order to help these people to achieve this aim, last year, the Government had provided some training programmes for them. If you look at it, we have programmes under the CET scheme to allow ordinary workers to undergo training as well as to obtain certificates at the end of it. Here, we will continue to push for more such courses. My Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Hawazi, will talk about this in detail later. *Cols. 4541-4542. 4.30 pm (In English ): Madam, what do all these schemes – Workfare Special Bonus and Workfare Income Supplement – mean to our low-wage workers? Let me take an example of a 55-year-old worker, Mr Tan, who is earning $1,000 a month and he stays in a 3-room flat. First, Mr Tan will receive $2,100 in Workfare Income Supplement. He will also receive a further $1,050 from Workfare Special Bonus for work done in 2010. This is a total of $3,150 for working and staying employed.”
“While we strive for increased productivity and sustainable economic growth, it is paramount that this growth is inclusive. All Singaporeans should share in this growth. In January, we had a full debate in this House on the Motion on Inclusive Growth. Many Members shared their views on the subject and there was general consensus that Workfare was the right approach to helping low-wage workers. Ms Irene Ng suggested tying Government incentives and subsidies to the outcomes of wage improvement of low-wage workers and improving the working conditions of low-wage workers. Sir, we need to be very mindful that each Government scheme, incentive or subsidy, has specific objectives and we should not undermine these objectives by tying to additional conditions to help low-wage workers. It is better for us to continue to focus on enhancing our Workfare scheme to reach out and help the low-wage workers and also to work on the Inclusive Growth Programme, administered by NTUC, to help low-wage workers. [Mdm Deputy Speaker (Ms Indranee Rajah) in the Chair)] Many Members offered many suggestions on how to strengthen Workfare, including some suggestions made today. We will consider these suggestions when we next review the Workfare scheme, including the serious suggestions made by Mdm Halimah which we will consider seriously. Madam, do allow me to talk about Workfare and the Workfare Special Bonus scheme in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A *.] Madam, the Minister for Finance had previously explained at length on why we are able to have this Workfare Special Bonus (WSB) scheme. This is because we had very good growth in the last economic year. Therefore, we can actually share the fruits with our low-income workers.”
“In his Budget speech, Minister Tharman has laid out the challenge to improve our productivity by 30% over 10 years. No doubt, our journey towards this target will be a challenging one and involve painful transformations. The Government has already committed significant resources to help companies and workers push ahead in the right direction. But for us to succeed, we will need everyone's cooperation and hard work – workers, unions, Government and employers alike. This is the tripartite way, the Singapore way to succeed. I am confident that we can, we will and we must achieve our goal. Strategic thrust”
“Our second key thrust is to enhance the quality of our CET professionals and CET courses. As we grow and expand our CET system, we need to continually raise the quality of WSQ training providers and programmes so that they are able to deliver positive training outcomes. Today, we have about 4,000 WSQ trainers, assessors and curriculum developers. Less than half of them possess a formal qualification in competency-based training and assessment. Many are freelancers whom training providers engage on a project basis. In order to grow, support and professionalise the CET community, we must now take the next step. From 1st April 2011, we will introduce mandatory qualification requirements for trainers, assessors and curriculum developers engaged by WSQ training providers. This will improve the quality and outcomes of our CET programmes and benefit both the employers and workers. My Minister of State will elaborate further on these new requirements. For our third key thrust, we will adopt a targeted sectoral approach to help industries address their different needs as we strengthen CET. We will collaborate with industry partners to develop and implement CET-related initiatives to raise the skill levels of workers to meet their unique challenges. The Minister of State will give more details. 3.45 pm On the whole, our message for continuous training and skills upgrading has reached many employers and workers, especially the older ones. In 2010, 277,000 workers have upgraded their skills through WSQ, and I am encouraged that about 45% of them were older workers aged 40 and above. Sir, we can no longer grow by blindly following our old economic blueprint of importing cheap foreign labour. Instead, productivity improvement must become the key driver of growth.”