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.”
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“Employers have all along been responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of their foreign workers, including their medical treatment. When healthcare subsidies for foreigners were removed from 1st January 2008, we mandated employers to purchase and maintain medical insurance for S-pass holders, work permit holders, and foreign domestic workers. This was to help employers mitigate and manage their exposure to the cost of medical care for their foreign workers and foreign domestic workers. The total foreign domestic worker levy collected for 2009 was $451 million. The purpose of the foreign worker levy is to regulate the demand for foreign manpower. As with other taxes and levies collected, revenue arising from the foreign worker levy is channelled to the Consolidated Fund and forms part of the Government’s revenue to finance Government expenditure in general. It would not be appropriate to use government revenue to pay for the medical costs of foreign domestic workers incurred by the employers. The Government does not earmark specific levies for specific expenditure purposes. The impact of the increased minimum medical insurance coverage for foreign domestic workers on other national priorities, such as encouraging procreation and making it easier for children to care for ageing parents, should be minimal as employers are already responsible for the cost of their foreign domestic worker. In fact, the minimum medical insurance coverage for foreign domestic workers helps to provide peace of mind for employers of foreign domestic workers, as their exposure to potential large hospital bills are reduced.”
“USE OF INFORMATION IN CRAFTING FINANCIAL POLICIES 41. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Finance (a) what sources does the Government rely upon to obtain information used in determining financial policies; (b) whether the reliance is on local researchers, top professors and experts on the subject matter or World Bank reports; and (c) what criteria are used to assess the quality of information obtained.”
“About 30,000 employees who were recipients of WIS in 2008 no longer received WIS in 2009 because they did not fulfil the work criteria. This could be because of a variety of reasons, including losing their jobs, going for training or voluntarily stopping work. Some may have been reemployed subsequently and would qualify for future WIS payouts. To help low-wage workers during the downturn, we introduced the Workfare Special Payment last year as part of the Resilience Package. We recognised that workers might experience less regular employment during the downturn, and hence we adjusted the work criteria to take that into account. Workers only need to work at least two months out of any six months in the year to qualify for WIS Special Payment, compared to at least three months out of any six for regular WIS. As a result, around 10,000 more workers qualified for the Workfare Special Payment than the regular WIS. On the other hand, some recipients in 2009 were first time recipients. Overall, we expect more WIS recipients in 2009 than the previous year. For this reason, the total amount of WIS payments disbursed in FY2009 is also likely to be higher than FY2008, but it will still be within the budgeted amount of $407 million. We will only know the actual disbursement amount after we have made the final payment for 2009 in March. We have provided a buffer in our budget to ensure that we have sufficient funds to meet the increase in the number of recipients. The Member has also asked how WIS can be reviewed to benefit more low-wage workers. My Ministry has carried out a review of WIS. The Minister for Finance will be announcing changes to the scheme in his Budget Statement later this afternoon, and I will elaborate on these changes further in the Committee of Supply debate.”
“MOM and our tripartite partners also lead the Businesses and Unions Cluster of the Community Engagement Programme (CEP), a programme set up to build trust and unity among various groups in Singapore and to ensure business continuity in times of crisis. The cluster has introduced initiatives and organised outreach activities that equip employers, unions and workers to promote harmony in their workplaces, and address tensions and conflicts that may arise in emergencies. The tripartite partners have also developed publicity materials and a Tripartite CEP Guide, which contains information about the role that businesses and unions play in the CEP, as well as workplace-specific guidelines. The guide has been distributed to more than 23,000 employers, HR practitioners and union leaders. While MOM together with our tripartite partners will continue to promote workplace harmony and integration, achieving workplace integration will require a collective national effort involving all stakeholders. LOW-WAGE WORKERS NOT GETTING WORKFARE INCOME SUPPLEMENT 40. Mr Terry Lee asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how many low-wage workers did not receive the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) as a result of losing their jobs in 2009; (b) how can the criteria be reviewed to benefit more low-wage workers; and (c) what is the total WIS payout in 2009 as compared to the budgeted sum.”
“Workplaces play an important role in the Government's efforts to reach out to and build trust between the diverse groups of workers in Singapore. Integrated and harmonious workplaces are also good for business. Companies can benefit from higher productivity if their workers work well with each other, regardless of differences in age, race, national origin, religion, and so on. Inclusive employment practices also help employers attract the best talent. MOM oversees the Government's efforts to promote integration at the workplace through a broad-based approach, promoting workplace harmony and inclusiveness for all workers, not just for foreign workers. To help employers better manage and harness workplace diversity, a National Integration Working Group for Workplaces was set up in April 2009 under the auspices of the National Integration Council. The working group, chaired by the Permanent Secretary for Manpower, is pursuing various measures to help employers understand the benefits of an integrated workplace and to build capabilities to manage diversity. For example, in April this year, the tripartite partners will be organising a conference on fair and inclusive employment practices, which contribute to workplace harmony. This will provide an opportunity for employers, unions and workers to exchange ideas on how to better manage diversity in the workplace, to build inclusiveness, harmony and strong teamwork. MOM will also be developing a database of best practices for managing diversity in the workplace, and educational material addressing common challenges and misconceptions on workplace integration. We are also exploring with industry how to enhance human resource practitioners' capabilities in managing a diverse workforce.”
“The rest of the cases were withdrawn, or the employee sought settlement with their employer directly or through the civil courts, after consultation with the Ministry. Our workforce is becoming better educated and more skilled, with a growing number joining the executive ranks. In this regard, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) recently announced plans to introduce a dispute resolution process to help junior and mid-level Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs) resolve common employment disputes with their employers. MOM targets to launch this new initiative for PMEs by 2011. The details are currently being worked out in consultation with the tripartite partners. NOISE POLLUTION FOR HOMES NEAR SELETAR AIRPORT 29. Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Transport with the increasing use of Seletar Airport as a base for aerospace maintenance, repair and overhaul in Asia (a) whether the Ministry is aware of the noise pollution caused by aircraft when they fly over low rise housing estates in the area; and (b) what is the current policy for aircraft when they fly over such residential areas.”
“In 2007 and 2008, my Ministry received a total of 118 and 101 cases respectively on complaints of unfair dismissals. Last year, 149 such cases were lodged. Amongst these cases, 16 cases in 2007 and 26 cases in 2008 involved pregnant employees. Last year, 56 cases involving pregnant employees were lodged. The increase could be due to a variety of factors including greater awareness of maternity protection for pregnant employees as a result of heightened publicity and the recent enhancement of maternity leave benefits. Under the Employment Act, employees who feel that they have been unfairly dismissed, could appeal to MOM against the dismissal. The Ministry would investigate these cases and if the dismissal is deemed to be without just cause or excuse, the company will be required to reinstate or compensate the employee. The majority of cases received by the Ministry were mediated and amicably resolved between the employee and employer, sometimes with a settlement payment. Some 3% of cases received were found to be dismissals without just cause, and the companies involved were required to compensate the employee. With regard to cases on complaints of unfair dismissals involving executives, we received one case in 2008 and 12 cases in 2009 which are related to pregnancy. Executives dismissed on grounds related to pregnancy could appeal against unfair dismissal to MOM and if found to be valid, the company will be required to reinstate or compensate the employee. For non-pregnancy related disputes including alleged unfair dismissals on other grounds, the Ministry provides mediation assistance. On average, about 270 executives seek MOM's assistance each year. Close to half of such disputes were resolved amicably.”
“Mr Speaker, with regard to the incentives for SMEs to train older workers – we have the ADVANTAGE! Scheme that allows companies to tap on this scheme to prepare themselves for the employment of older workers. The ADVANTAGE! scheme has a programme "ADVANTAGE! for SMEs", which is targeted specifically at training SME employees especially the human resources managers so that they understand the challenges of the employment of older workers. Specific incentives to encourage the training of older workers, as I have mentioned, will be announced shortly. The composition of the National Productivity Council (NPC), that the Member has mentioned, will also be announced in a short while. Finally, the Member talked about worklife balance and how we balance it with the need to go for training. It is something that we need to continue to work at. We want to ensure that we achieve worklife balance so that workers can be productive and at the same time we want to encourage workers to go on for training. So, particularly for the older and the lower-wage workers, the obstacle for training is quite substantial and significant. That is why, in a short while, Minister for Finance will be announcing specific incentives or how we can encourage older workers to overcome these training obstacles and go for training. BUILDING OF NEW HDB FLATS (Build according to demand) 3. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for National Development whether there are plans to return to the Build-to-Sell mode for building new HDB flats as waiting three to four years for Build-to-Order flats affects many new applicants' resources and plans to start a family.”
“Yes, I agree, Sir. In fact, in my reply earlier, I did mention that the employment rate for older workers in 2009, despite the recession, maintained at 57%. This is encouraging but it still requires us to continue to put in more effort to help prepare our workers for the re-employment which will come into effect by 2012. The tripartite partners have been working together on this and we will be rolling out tripartite guidelines on re-employment shortly. We have put out the draft guidelines and we are now consulting and getting feedback from our stakeholders. We will refine this set of draft guidelines and the finalised guidelines will be rolled out shortly. Assoc. Prof. Paulin Tay Straughan (Nominated Member): Thank you, Sir. I have three supplementary questions. The first is in regard to an elaboration, if Minister could, to tell us a little about the incentives that the Ministry has in place to encourage, particularly, SMEs to provide training for older workers who are nearing retirement, 62 years old, and who may want to continue employment. My second supplementary question, Sir, relates to the new national council that will oversee productivity and CET. I wonder if the Minister could share with us who will constitute members of this new council. Will there be representation from the people sector, interest groups, particularly those who have vested interests in mature workers and their interests and rights? And my final supplementary question – there is a lot of emphasis on training to level up on skills. May I ask if training will be held within office hours to encourage a good worklife balance?”
“Sir, the tripartite partners and the Ministry of Manpower have been working over the last few years to encourage our employers to adopt flexible wage systems that reflect the performance of our workers. We have also been working with the unions to encourage our workers to accept these arrangements and therefore, if our workers are able to be compensated according to the performance, then the seniority wage system will become less of an obstacle to older workers staying employed. At the same time, the tripartite partners have also been working very hard to upgrade the skills of our workers to ensure that their skills remain relevant to the industries that are created. By doing so, we will ensure and help older workers share and benefit from economic growth. Later on, Minister for Finance will announce additional measures on how we can help these older workers go for training and upgrade themselves so that they can remain productive, enhance their performance and have a share of the profits of the company, so that we can also see their wages improve over time. There is no easy answer to this challenge. It is important for all parties to work together. The Government will provide the necessary schemes. Companies and employers will have to recognise the contributions by older workers and design their compensation according to the performance of the older workers. The older and low-skilled workers, themselves, also have to put in the effort to upskill so that they can take on higher value jobs.”
“The result is an improvement in productivity of its mature workers by as much as 30%, and the tasks are now physically less demanding and easier to handle. The mature workers can also apply different skills and talents through functional job rotation, and gain new skills through training. They have become more motivated at work and the company can now offer more job opportunities for mature workers as it expands its operations. Even as companies redesign workplaces, processes and jobs to create higher value and better leverage on the silver workforce, workers need to play their part by picking up skills and actively upgrading themselves to take on higher value jobs. The Government will continue to support the efforts of employers and workers in skills upgrading, especially for the low-wage and low-skilled workers. More details will be announced shortly. Mdm Ho Geok Choo has asked about schemes to boost productivity. Details will also be announced shortly.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Economic Strategies Committee has recommended a major shift of our economy towards productivity-driven growth, rather than through the expansion of our workforce, so as to bring about higher incomes and a better standard of living for our people. To do so, we will need to restructure our economy to provide more room to grow and to grow more efficiently by having more productive enterprises, leveraging on innovation, optimising the use of resources and upgrading the quality and skills of our workforce. Contrary to the perception that improving productivity will result in job losses, productivity improvements can in fact help our economy and our enterprises remain competitive and save jobs for our workers – young and old, men and women, rank and file workers as well as Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs). Raising productivity will also strengthen Singapore's position as an attractive investment location for growth industries. This will in turn create more quality jobs for Singaporeans. Specifically for older workers, despite the severe downturn in 2009, they have maintained their employment rate at 57% for those aged 55-64. The Government will continue to work closely with the Tripartite partners in preparing employers and employees for the re-employment legislation which will come into effect in 2012. Let me share with you an example of how older workers can benefit from the productivity drive and automation. Hai's Pte Ltd, which specialises in the production of pre-mix and premium sauces for the food service industry, redesigned its jobs across the entire production process with the deployment of semi-automated equipment.”
“Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Senior Minister with the emergence of dark pools which allow trading of stocks to occur away from public eyes and off central exchanges (a) how will the Ministry deal with the regulatory issues that these dark pools are likely to throw up; and (b) how will the Ministry address issues such as insider trading if investors are allowed to trade anonymously.”
“As for employers and employment agents retaining workers’ passports, I would like to reiterate that employers should not retain their foreign workers' passports without their consent. Even if prior consent was given for the employers to retain the passports, the employers must return the passports upon the foreign workers' request. The Employment Agency Rules and licensing conditions clearly prohibit employment agencies from retaining the passports of foreign workers. Last year, two employment agencies were convicted and 33 sternly warned and issued with demerit points for withholding the passports of foreign workers. Two employment agencies are currently facing prosecution charges and eight other employment agencies are under investigation. While MOM will continue to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to deter any errant employers and protect migrant workers, ultimately we need all employers and workers to play their part in acting responsibly and cooperatively to build and sustain a strong workplace. (2) Employers who breach these conditions will be fined up to $5,000 and/or imprisoned for up to six months under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. They will also be barred from employing foreign workers in future. (3) Employment agencies which breach the licensing regulations are liable to have their licences revoked and their security deposits of $20,000 forfeited. (4) The new security bond conditions will apply to non-Malaysian foreign workers who (a) have been issued with work permits on or after 1st January 2010 or (b) are renewing work permits on or after 1st January 2010. (5) The security deposit is $10,000 for an accredited agency and $20,000 for a non-accredited agency. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS DARK POOLS IN STOCK TRADING 1.”
“MOM has also stepped up inspections at foreign workers’ dormitories to ensure that workers are housed properly, and to check if they are receiving their salaries on time. Fourth, we extend assistance to legitimate workers who are affected by employment malpractices. For example, MOM helps workers pursue their salary arrears with their employers, and facilitates the workers’ repatriation. MOM also works closely with the Migrant Workers Centre under the NTUC to reach out to the workers and provide humanitarian assistance such as food and lodging to those who require it. Finally, MOM has increased foreign workers’ awareness of their employment rights and sources of help through several channels, such as information in the In-Principle Approval letters which are sent to migrant workers in their home countries prior to their departure for Singapore, a handbook given to all new workers in their native language, and regular dormitory road shows. New workers from the construction and marine sectors are also educated on their employment rights at their mandatory safety orientation courses. As the Member has pointed out, migrant workers may have paid high recruitment fees to come to Singapore. However, the bulk of such fees may be paid to fellow countrymen in their home countries, beyond Singapore’s jurisdiction. It is the responsibility of the foreign governments to enforce their laws and take action against the errant employment agencies in their own countries. Nonetheless, to facilitate the investigations of foreign governments, MOM works closely with foreign embassies and shares relevant information obtained during the course of our investigations.”
“MOM has put in place several measures to better protect migrant workers. First, we have enhanced our laws to better protect our migrant workers. In 2007, the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act was reviewed to provide for enhanced penalties for offences involving foreign workers. In addition, MOM introduced new Work Permit and S Pass conditions in 2008 to make it an offence for employers to accept or ask for kickbacks(2), and reviewed the employment agencies licence conditions to prohibit local employment agencies from being party to kickbacks(3). Since 1st January this year, we have implemented a new security bond condition to require employers to pay their foreign workers’ salaries promptly(4). Second, we have intensified enforcement against errant employers. A total of 226 employers were prosecuted last year for various offences, including unpaid salaries, illegal deployment and phantom worker scams. Errant employers may also be barred from employing foreign workers in the future. MOM has also stepped up enforcement against errant employment agencies. In 2009, 11 employment agencies had their licences revoked and their security deposits forfeited due to infringements under the Employment Agencies Act or the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act(5). Besides losing the security deposits, the licensees and directors of these employment agencies are prohibited from holding employment agency licences or holding appointments in other employment agencies. Third, MOM has put in place early detection measures. For example, MOM monitors employers who default on levy payments to detect possible cases of salary arrears.”
“This is underscored from the onset of a learner driver’s theory and practical training. Motorists are therefore taught to give a side clearance of not less than 1.5 metres from cyclists when passing them. Motorists are also taught not to make sharp turns at corners and to slow down and give way to cyclists if it is not safe to turn. It is a strict requirement for trainees to check their blind spots during driving instructions and tests. This is to ensure that drivers are aware of motorcyclists and cyclists who might not come within their mirror views. While the Police will continue in their efforts to educate the public and take the necessary enforcement action, all cyclists and motorists must play their part and take responsibility for their own safety as well as according due care to the safety of other users of our roads.”
“The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M) (for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, in the first nine months of 2009, there were 420 fatal and injury accidents involving cyclists. This is a decrease of 30 cases, or 6.7%, as compared to the same period in 2008. The number of fatal accidents in the first nine months this year has also decreased to 15, from 18 in the same period last year. Investigations show that for fatal and serious road traffic accidents involving cyclists over the first nine months of both 2009 and 2008, slightly more than 50% of the cyclists are found to be at fault. The common causes of accidents where the cyclists are at fault are, namely, changing lanes without due care, failing to keep a proper look out and failing to give way to traffic with right of way. The Traffic Police has been educating the public on safe cycling habits as well as the proper sharing of roads by cyclists and other road users. Traffic Police conducts road safety talks and exhibitions at schools and community-level events to educate all cyclists on traffic rules and regulations. These talks cover a pre-riding checklist, safe cycling tips and case studies of accidents involving cyclists. As part of the ongoing "Road Safety Outreach Campaign", posters and leaflets on cyclist safety are also handed out during these talks and exhibitions. To reach out to foreign-worker cyclists, Traffic Police produces and screens a safe cycling video in different languages at the Ministry of Manpower premises and at the dormitories. Motorists also have a significant role to play on our busy roads in according due care to cyclists.”
“Sir, as I mentioned in my reply, although many of our companies, unionised or otherwise, do not have specific re-employment practices, guidelines or rules, they, in fact, do allow their workers to continue working way past their statutory retirement age. In effect, they already are practising re-employment. But that is not to say that we will then relax and do nothing. I think it is still important for us to continue to work with our tripartite partners, our various industry associations and business chambers to reach out to companies/employers, big and small, to help them implement re-employment practices even ahead of the legislation. For that purpose, we have set up a tripartite workgroup to implement re-employment, and this workgroup will work with the various parties to explain the re-employment guidelines and to help them introduce re-employment practices using the guidelines. We will work out incentives and assistance plans to help them. For example, we have the ADVANTAGE! Scheme which reaches out to companies and helps them put in place such practices and defray part of the cost of introducing these practices. I would take this opportunity to encourage all employers and employees to work together with MOM and our tripartite partners to implement re-employment as early as possible. ROAD SAFETY FOR CYCLISTS 9. Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs given the recent accidents involving cyclists on roads, what is being done to (i) improve safety on roads for cyclists; (ii) educate motorists that cyclists have a right to be on the roads; and (iii) condition motorists to look out for cyclists.”
“As we move forward, as provided under the Retirement Age Act, for employees who are recruited when they are 55 years or above – that means they found a new job when they are 55 years or above – they will be exempted from the Retirement Age Act as well as the Re-employment Act. Therefore, for an employer who has already recruited older workers 55 years old or above, he will not be obligated to provide re-employment. This is to be fair to the employer and at the same time not to undermine the employability of the older workers.”
“MOM will continue to work closely with the tripartite partners to promote the employment of older employees, and to help employers implement re-employment practices for the benefit of companies, employees and the economy. Er Lee Bee Wah (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Minister for the answer. There is one supplementary question. Will the introduction of EAP make it difficult for workers who are in their late 50s and who are retrenched to seek re-employment in the job market?”
“For instance, companies undergoing restructuring may find it difficult to do so. However, these should be the exceptions. For such employers, they should first help affected employees by offering employment assistance such as career counselling to help them prepare for new jobs elsewhere, or send them for training to enhance their employability. The Employment Assistance Payment (EAP) is intended to help workers tide over the period while they are looking for alternative employment or undergoing re-skilling. This is consistent with the objective of helping these workers stay employed. We are mindful that the amount of EAP should be carefully calibrated so that it does not impose undue burdens on employers while at the same time, it should not become an easy alternative to re-employment, which would go against our objective of raising the employment rate of older workers. Hence, MOM, together with the tripartite partners, has adopted a balanced approach to the formulation of the EAP. To provide greater clarity and guidance for employers, we intend to specify a minimum and a maximum amount for the EAP in the finalised Guidelines. The tripartite partners will work together to guide employers and workers on how to implement these guidelines, including the EAP. On the Member’s second query, it is an offence under the Retirement Age Act for employers to terminate their workers on the grounds of age. Older workers who feel that they have been terminated unfairly because of age can seek redress from MOM or approach their union for assistance if they are union members. It is a good sign that MOM receives very few complaints of such nature every year. This shows that employers are generally responsible.”
“Sir, as announced earlier, we will introduce the re-employment legislation in 2012 to facilitate the employment of older employees beyond the statutory retirement age of 62, thereby raising the employment rate of older workers. Re-employment is a flexible and effective way to help workers work for as long as they are able to, and allow companies to continue to tap on their expertise and experience. We expect that the majority of the employers will be able to offer re-employment to their employees, given the flexibility to deploy them to a different job and on different terms if necessary. According to a survey done by MOM in 2008, 65% of companies with a specified retirement age – not all companies have specified retirement age but for those companies which have specified a certain retirement age – have introduced some form of re-employment even before the law is enacted. The majority of companies which did not have a retirement age, in fact, allowed their employees to continue working past the statutory retirement age. MOM’s Labour Force Survey also found that the employment rate of older employees aged 55 to 64 has remained stable at 57% in 2009, despite the economic downturn. This shows that most employers do value their older workers. To help our companies and workers implement re-employment early, we will issue a set of Tripartite Guidelines on the Re-employment of Older Employees. The draft was released for public consultation in November last year and we are in the process of consolidating the feedback and fine-tuning the Guidelines. We recognise that despite best efforts, some employers may still not be able to find suitable jobs for employees eligible for re-employment.”
“I think that is the final objective of WSH Act. EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PAYMENT (EAP) (Re-employment of older workers) 8. Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Manpower in view of the suggested Employment Assistance Payment (EAP) in the Tripartite Guidelines on the Re-employment of Older Workers (a) whether the Ministry had considered how the EAP may create hardship for small and medium enterprises that are unable to afford paying compensation to such employees; (b) whether the EAP will cause some employers to consider laying-off their workers who are approaching 60 years in order to avoid the payout.”
“So I think many of the large contractors are aware. Shipyards, for example, we have been working with them very closely to reach out to their sub-contractors and these large contractors are performing like a mentor to train and help the smaller contractors to achieve desirable WSH outcome. I think we are working in that direction. With regard to the WSH Act, we also have to bear in mind that the Act alone, will not help us to achieve the desired outcome of WSH. The Act provides the framework and guidance to companies and workers on their respective responsibilities and to hold errant parties accountable for their actions. But ultimately, if you want to achieve the desired WSH standards, 1.8 fatality per 100,000 by 2018, that is the target that we have set. For us to achieve that, we need everybody to be involved. The Government will come out with rules, regulations, the industry associations and the Council will come out with guidelines and advisory, but it also takes every employer on the ground to do their part, and that is what we are trying to do through our WSH 2018 blueprint, to inculcate this culture of safety among all our workers and employers from managers all the way down to supervisors, workers down the line. So I think for all of them, we want to instil this culture of safety, so that whatever they do, wherever they go, they always think about safety. So that they can go to work happily and go home safety. As there is a Chinese saying "gao gao xing xing shang ban, ping ping an an hui jia " （高高兴兴上班，平平安安回家), means you go to work happily and, hopefully, our objective is to ensure that, at the end of the day, he can go home safely.”
“Sir, I would like to point out that we have to be careful in interpreting statistics. The fact is that many of the foreign workers are in sectors that naturally has higher risk, like marine and construction sectors. But on the other hand, the MOM has put a lot of emphasis on worker education, particularly for foreign workers. I mentioned earlier in my reply, that we conduct dormitory visits to the foreign workers, we educate and train them. We also provide brochures and even videos in their native languages, so they could understand what safety is about. We also ensure that employers and contractors work with us, to help train and keep these workers up to date on safety issues. Whenever there is a safety incident, we will send circulars to our employers and sometimes to the workers, to the dormitories as well, to remind them and share with them some of the experiences that we have and, hopefully, we will help them to improve their safety outcome. With regard to smaller companies, in fact resource constraint is one issue, but that is no excuse for loss of lives. I think Members would all agree. Therefore, the Ministry has been working with many of the industry associations to reach out to the smaller companies to provide them with resources and support to help them improve their safety outcome. In fact we have also been working with the main contractors, which tend to be larger companies, working with them to reach out to their own sub-contractors. They understand that the safety outcome of their sub-contractors would affect their work and performance as well. If an accident happens at the worksite and stop work order has to be issued, it is not only the sub-contractor that will suffer, the main contractor will also have to suffer losses as a result of lost time.”
“Ultimately, we want safety and health to become a way of life such that every worker naturally and routinely thinks about safety as they go about their work.”
“Moving ahead, the WSH Council’s Construction and Marine Committees – sectors where the system of contracting and subcontracting is especially common – will step up engagement efforts with stakeholders in the two sectors, including the sub-contractors, to build stronger ownership of WSH issues and outcomes. Mdm Halimah also asked whether the current whistle-blowing mechanism on safety issues has been effective. MOM receives valuable safety feedback provided by workers and members of the public through various touch points such as our hotlines. These touch points are widely publicised through worker collaterals, bus advertisements, at project information boards and banners at worksites. To further reinforce awareness of safety issues and workers’ rights, the WSH Council also conducts regular outreach programmes such as dormitory visits and roadshows. On average, the Ministry receives some 60 safety-related tip-offs a month, approximately 25% of which come from workers. Under the WSH Act, workers are protected from dismissal by the employers when they raise legitimate safety concerns to MOM. To bring about sustained improvements in our WSH outcomes, we need to go beyond awareness and capability building. We need to change mindsets and build a safety culture in which every stakeholder – from the CEO to the worker on the ground, sees WSH as his personal responsibility. It is for this reason that under our new national blueprint for WSH – WSH 2018 – we are placing greater focus on developing a progressive and pervasive safety culture. We want to nurture a culture where individuals recognise their responsibility in protecting not only their own health and safety, but that of others working with them.”
“Six stop work orders and 179 fines and warnings were issued to 29 worksites during the blitz. At a broader level, MOM and the WSH Council are also developing sectoral plans for the construction and marine sectors to further enhance WSH management in these two sectors. The two sectors accounted for almost two-thirds (63%) of fatalities seen last year. We agree with Mdm Halimah that the system of contracting and subcontracting work, if poorly managed, poses a challenge to the proper management of safety and health at the workplace. Accidents can happen should contractors fail to exercise sufficient oversight to ensure that their sub-contractors comply with the safety rules and take adequate safety measures, or if various contractors at a worksite fail to coordinate their work properly. Where previously the Factories Act placed the burden on the occupier to manage WSH at the worksite, the WSH Act places obligations on stakeholders ranging from the occupier to principals and employees to ensure safety at work. Contractors and sub-contractors who fail to take adequate safety measures or fail to comply with the safety rules set by the main contractor will be held liable under the Act. Since the enactment of the WSH Act in 2006, we have prosecuted about 38 sub-contractors for failing to take adequate safety measures at work. In 17 of these cases, we also took the occupier to task for safety lapses. Selecting the right contractors to work with is an important aspect of ensuring proper contractor management and co-ordination. The bizSAFE scheme, introduced in 2007 to help companies raise risk management capabilities, and also be used by contractors to select sub-contractors with proven capability to manage risk.”
“Sir, since the launch of the new Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) framework in 2005, we have made progressive improvements in our WSH standards. But the spate of accidents we saw last year shows that there is still more to be done to ingrain its strong safety culture and improve safety and health standards at the workplace. For the first time since the launch of the new framework, we saw an increase in the workplace fatality rate. The workplace fatality rate was 2.9 per 100,000 workers last year, compared to the rate of 2.8 recorded in 2008. Work at heights and crane lifting operations accounted for close to half (about 46%) of the 70 workplace fatalities last year. Apart from ongoing initiatives such as the Programme-based Engagement (ProBE) and regular dedicated WSH Forums, MOM and the WSH Council established the National Crane Safety Taskforce and the National Work-at-Height Taskforce last year to look deeper into better managing safety in these areas. Both taskforces are led by key industry leaders and comprise members from the relevant stakeholder groups, such as the industry and professional associations, suppliers and training partners. The National Crane Safety Taskforce announced some preliminary plans in September last year on enhancing training, extending outreach and the publication of technical guides. Last month, the National Work-at-Height Taskforce announced its recommendations, one of which is to implement Fall Protection Plans at all workplaces that require work at heights. MOM has also tightened up our enforcement efforts. Recently, the Ministry conducted an island-wide blitz named "Operation Sky Hawk" which focused on fall-from-height risks at smaller construction worksites.”
“As at June 2009, there were 87,400 resident employees on short-term contracts of less than three months and 156,200 residents on part-time employment, representing 5.7% of all resident employees and 8.4% of the resident workforce in 2009 respectively. For resident employees on term contract of less than three months, 47.1% were in the age group between 40 and 59. 74.7% of them had secondary or below educational qualifications. In terms of income, 67.2% had gross monthly income below $1,000. Male employees formed the majority at 54.8%. 80.3% of these short-term contract jobs were in the services sector and the main occupations included cleaners and labourers (32.2%) and service and sales workers (22.8%). For residents on part-time employment, 48.7% were in the age group between 40 and 59. 68.5% had secondary or below educational qualifications and 70.8% had gross monthly income below $1,000. Female employees formed the majority at 64.4%. 88.6% of these jobs were in the services sector and the most common occupations were cleaners and labourers (24.2%) and service and sales workers (21.2%). The detailed statistics would be available in the Report of Labour Force in Singapore to be released on 1st February 2010. APPENDICES”
“As at June 2009, the number of resident employees on term contracts, which includes those on fixed-term contracts and casual/on-call employment, rose by 4.3% over the year to 197,200. The growth is faster than the 0.8% increase in permanent employees. Consequently, the share of resident employees on term contracts rose from 12.4% in 2008 to 12.7% in 2009. This upward trend has been observed since the data was first collected in 2006, and thus the increase may not be fully attributed to the current recession. Employees on term contracts, including casual workers, are covered under the CPF Act, Employment Act and other employment laws, just as regular, full-time, and part-time employees. In general, employees on term contracts tend to have less favourable terms of employment compared to those on permanent employment. However, the proportion of claims lodged with the Ministry by term contract employees has been low, averaging 3% over the past few years. We have not seen an increase in the number of claims by term contract employees this year. Incidents of non-payment of CPF have also remained low. The two-month employer default rate averaged about 0.6% from 2005 to the third quarter of this year. The above suggests that there has not been a significant increase in non-compliance of statutory rights of employees on term contracts under the Employment Act and non-payment of CPF despite the recession. SHORT-TERM CONTRACT AND PART-TIME WORK (Statistics) 4. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Manpower if he will provide (a) a breakdown of those employed on short-term contract or part-time work in 2009 by gender, age, educational profile, salary, type of job and sector; and (b) the percentage of those employed under each of the above two types of employment.”
“Ms Indranee Rajah asked the Minister for Health whether his Ministry will review the practice of chiropractic and consider the licensing of chiropractic practice as well as regulation of the chiropractic profession.”
“To give work permit holders sufficient time to attempt the test, the test will be rolled out some time before the implementation of the English language proficiency requirement in the third quarter. Companies that wish to upgrade their workers’ language skills can tap on courses that are already available in the market. These include the Service English for Retail Professionals Programme conducted by the Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) Institute of Learning, and the English language course for foreign workers at the Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC). SPECIAL SEASON PARKING FOR SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS 49. Mr Teo Siong Seng asked the Minister for National Development whether his Ministry will consider issuing special season parking tickets to school bus drivers to allow them to park their company buses in their respective HDB estates from 9.00 am to 4.30 pm on weekdays. Mr Mah Bow Tan: In general, HDB car parks are provided for residents to park their private cars. They are not meant for the parking of heavy commercial vehicles. This is in view of public safety reasons. In the case of commercial vehicles, including school buses with unladen weight exceeding 1,800 kg, there are designated heavy vehicle parks, mainly located at the fringes of housing estates and in industrial estates. For smaller commercial vehicles like school buses that are able to fit within a passenger car park lot, we have made an exception and they can be parked in HDB car parks subject to the prevailing parking charges. These smaller school buses can also take advantage of the "Day Season Parking Scheme" that allows parking in HDB car parks from 7.30 am to 6.00 pm, subject to the availability of lots. LICENSING OF CHIROPRACTIC PRACTICE 50.”
“Companies that hire work permit holders come from a diverse range of industries from hotels to electronics manufacturing to ship-building to construction. The skill sets that are required can, therefore, differ quite widely from industry to industry. A construction work permit holder at a worksite will need certain basic skills, eg, plastering but will generally not be required to meet and interact with customers in order to perform his job well. On the other hand, services work permit holders working in, for example, hotels would likely be required to have some interaction with customers on a daily basis. To render work permit holders from the hotel, retail and food and beverage (F&B) industries more effective on their jobs, MOM has decided to introduce English proficiency as a new criterion to qualify for skilled levy. This is part of the overall strategy to raise our workforce skill and productivity level. We therefore encourage employers of the relevant industries to proactively equip their workers with the basic English language proficiency to qualify for skilled levy. However, employers will still be able to retain those of their foreign workers who are unable to acquire the level of proficiency but at higher levy for unskilled workers. We do not see yet a need to introduce an English language proficiency criterion for the other industries. However, MOM will review the need for language proficiency from time to time to improve the quality of our foreign workforce. MOM will be announcing the details of the English language proficiency test for work permit holders in the hotel, retail and F&B industries shortly.”
“In the first three quarters of this year, MOM received about 8,400 reports on non-payment, late-payment and under-payment of salary. This is about 10% higher compared to the same period last year, due mainly to the economic downturn. MOM managed to resolve more than 80% of the cases received and helped close to 6,000 workers recover their salaries, in part or in full. About 10% of the cases were unsubstantiated or were subsequently withdrawn by the claimant. The remaining are pending settlement or under investigation. Penalties have been enhanced in January 2009. The maximum penalty fine for salary non-payment and under-payment was increased from $1,000 to $5,000 for first time offenders, and from $2,000 to $10,000 for repeat offenders. The maximum composition fine was also increased from $200 to $1,000. They are adequate for now, but MOM will continue to monitor their effectiveness. MOM does not depend solely on enforcement and penalties to improve compliance. MOM also works with its tripartite partners to educate employers about their responsibilities under the Employment Act, including prompt payment of salaries. In addition, we reach out to workers through our outreach programmes to inform them of their rights under the Employment Act and encourage them to approach MOM should they require assistance. APPENDICES”
“MOM also works closely with the Migrant Workers Centre (MWC) to reach out to the foreign workers to provide humanitarian assistance such as food and lodging to those who require it. (1) Employers who breach these conditions will be fined up to $5,000 and/or imprisoned for up to six months under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. They will also be barred from employing foreign workers in future. (2) Employment agencies which breach the licensing regulations are liable to have their licenses revoked and their security deposits of $20,000 forfeited. (3) Upon investigation, we found that their real intention was in fact, to obtain Special Passes under the Temporary Job Scheme (TJS) to extend their stay in Singapore. Column No : 1817 NON-PAYMENT OF SALARIES BY EMPLOYERS 10. Ms Sylvia Lim ask the Minister for Manpower (a) in 2009, how many complaints were made to the Ministry so far about non-payment, under-payment or delayed payment of salaries; and (b) whether stricter enforcement or penalties are needed to increase employers' incentive to comply with their salary obligations.”
“MOM has put in place a number of measures to curb incidences of local employment agencies misleading foreign workers with false promises. (a) First, MOM has tightened the Work Pass approval process to require construction and marine companies to show documentary proof that they have ongoing projects before work passes are issued. (b) Second, MOM introduced new Work Permit and S Pass conditions in 2008 to make it an offence for employers to accept or ask for kickbacks (1). (c) Third, MOM also reviewed employment agents’ licensing conditions to prohibit local agencies from being party to kickbacks (2). MOM actively investigates and takes action against errant Singapore employment agencies and employers who flout our laws and regulations. Earlier this year, the SME Group of 14 companies was discovered to be involved in employing phantom workers and owed salaries to about 570 PRC workers. Three of the directors were charged in Court for employing phantom workers between February and March. By the same token, MOM also holds foreign workers to account if they have made false accusations or statements against their employer or agency. In September 2008, 29 Bangladeshi workers from San's Marine Engineering Service, Han's Marine and K7 Engineering, approached MOM to complain against their employers for deploying them to other areas of work but were later found to be providing false information (3) and sentenced to two weeks’ imprisonment in April this year. In instances where employers have absconded or are unable to pay salary arrears, MOM arranges for settlement packages with company representatives and facilitates their repatriation.”
“MOM does not have statistics on the number of foreign workers that have been misled by employment agencies with false promises of jobs in Singapore, as these promises are made in the source countries and are therefore difficult to verify. Based on anecdotal evidence, foreign workers typically incur about S$2,000 to $10,000 in debt to work in Singapore, depending on their source country and the number of intermediaries involved in the recruitment process. In the current economic climate, some companies will not be in the position to guarantee jobs for all their workers, local or foreign. Some may be forced to terminate contracts prematurely. The Employment Act requires employers to provide sufficient notice to their workers prior to premature termination of their employment contracts. However it would be onerous to force employers to settle his worker’s debt to his agent in the event of a termination. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the bulk of the fees paid by the foreign workers are often paid to fellow countrymen in their own countries. Employers typically do not have influence over the quantum of the overseas debt incurred by the workers and have no way of verifying the purported debt quantum. Debts paid overseas are also beyond Singapore’s legal jurisdiction. It is the responsibility of the foreign governments to enforce their laws and take action against the errant employment agencies in their own countries. To facilitate the investigations of foreign governments, MOM works closely with the foreign embassies and share relevant information obtained during the course of our investigations. MOM also permits employers to recruit workers directly without going through an employment agency, thereby potentially reducing the debt quantum.”
“An IT outsourcing and manpower placement company, Xcellink Pte Ltd, which has some 300-400 employees, shared with us that such flexible consumption of maternity leave enables their employees to adjust back to work gradually and at the same time cope better with family responsibilities. Flexible work arrangements have allowed employers and employees to meet their mutual needs, especially among SMEs. FUTURE PLANS FOR *SCAPE 46. Mdm Cynthia Phua asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) what are the objectives for building *scape; (b) with a building cost of $40 million, what will be the ongoing investment in the facilities and youth programmes; (c) whether *scape is for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games; (d) who is going to market *scape for international events and how; (e) whether the new media production and editing suites are a private initiative or have Government agencies been invited to explore synergies in this area for youths; (f) whether his Ministry is working with MICA to set up a new media library and develop cyberwellness programme with MOE at *scape.”
“My Ministry does not have specific data on the proportion of employers who engage temporary staff to cover employees on maternity leave. Nevertheless, we have received feedback from employers and from the Singapore National Employers' Federation (SNEF) on the challenges faced by companies in managing the 16-week maternity leave and how they manage such challenges. Employers are mainly concerned about the operational disruptions arising from the absence of the employees who are on maternity leave. They are also concerned about the increase to business costs as a result of the enhanced maternity leave. While some companies, particularly the smaller ones, have difficulty in distributing the work to co-workers and may need to hire temporary staff, the majority have been able to manage the absence through distributing the work to co-workers. For example, a small accounting firm with 20 employees shared with us that it had two employees who went on maternity leave during the past year. To minimise work disruptions, the company practised "job rotation" before the employees went on maternity leave so that their colleagues were able to familiarise themselves with the portfolio well enough to take over the role of the employees when they go on leave. This arrangement also helped to ensure continuity in the services provided to their clients. Companies also implement flexible work arrangements, such as flexibility in the consumption of maternity leave, which appears to be the most prevalent practice by companies according to a survey conducted by SNEF. For example, employees may consume up to eight weeks of their maternity leave flexibly by working fewer number of days per week, so that they could return to work earlier and at the same time enjoy their maternity leave.”
“5% of freelancers surveyed indicated that clients were secured largely through personal contacts, and 84.1% indicated referrals. (14) The top five difficulties encountered by freelancers surveyed were: not being paid in a timely way (68.2%); not being paid adequately (62.3%); lack of benefits (59.8%); insufficient jobs/insecure income (58.3%), and unclear industry price benchmarks (54.5%). Column No : 1787 IMPROVEMENT OF FAMILY SERVICE CENTRES 41. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) if he will give an update on the proposal to set aside $16 million to improve the 36 Family Service Centres; (b) how far has the work progressed; and (c) whether this will include increasing the number of social workers and putting in place a proper system for training and improving their salaries and benefits.”
“These include the Media Development Authority’s (MDA) Media Training and Attachment (META) programme, the DesignSingapore Council’s (DSG) Capability Development Programme, and the National Arts Council’s (NAC) Arts Creation Fund and International Artist Residency Programme. MICA will continue to explore ways to supplement these programmes, as part of our constant drive to develop the creative industries. (9) Freelancers are defined as including: a. those who are in full-time employment but who take on ad hoc projects that are not a part of their duties of full-time employment; b. those who are "full-time freelancers"; and c. those who have sole proprietorships and take on individual projects independently. (10) A 2002 survey shows that 28% of New York’s creative industries workforce was self-employed (Centre for Urban Future, 2005:6). In 2004, London’s equivalent figure was 20%, while the overall for UK was about 30% (London’s Creative Sector Update Report, 2004:20). A 2001 report of the European Commission indicated that, for the EU-15, there were 1.3 freelancers for every regular employee in the TIMES sector (telecommunication, internet, multimedia, e-commerce, software and security). (11) Based on surveyed establishments’ declaration of the number of full-time employees and freelancers employed, the total number of freelancers as a proportion of CI manpower is estimated to be 33%. This translates to about 29,000 freelancers in CI. However, these figures are high estimates as individual freelancers could have been counted multiple times. (12) 75.1% of freelancers surveyed reported freelancing in more than one sector. (13) 87.”
“Among other things, it found that freelancers tend to be versatile and work in more than one sector (12), and depend heavily on personal contacts and networks to secure clients. (13) Freelancers also face a large extent of variability in obtaining work and income. For example, a significant portion of freelancers (31.5%) reported that there is no typical year in terms of income. Similarly, a sizeable portion (41.1%) indicated that they face a variable number of clients each year. While this study was conducted before the onset of the economic downturn, anecdotal evidence has led MICA to believe that its findings are just as relevant today. The study noted that the main difficulties faced by freelancers were related to remuneration and information gaps. (14) These issues continue to be pertinent and pressing, even as we emerge from the trough of the economic crisis. MICA has taken these findings seriously, and put in place plans to help freelancers. We have worked with the private sector to develop a Creative Industries Freelancer Network (CIFN). The CIFN aims to address some of the concerns of freelancers, by providing avenues for them to acquire more information, contacts and capabilities. It will provide a contact database and services such as training courses and networking opportunities with potential employers. The CIFN portal is currently in development, and will be tested and rolled out to the public in phases from January 2010. Freelancers are also able to tap on a range of capability development and assistance schemes offered by MICA agencies.”
“Ms Audrey Wong Wai Yen asked the Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (a) whether his Ministry has statistics on the current number of freelance workers in the arts and creative sectors; (b) whether his Ministry has conducted studies on the contributions of freelancers in these sectors as well as their working conditions, such as average pay and CPF contributions, and if they have been affected by the economic downturn; and (c) if his Ministry has any plans to look into these freelance workers’ needs, given that the arts and creative sectors are set to grow in the future. RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: I thank the Nominated Member for her interest in the situation and needs of freelancers in the arts and creative sectors. We have seen the nature of work evolve in recent times. One of the major changes we have witnessed is the increasing prevalence of freelancing. (9) This trend is especially clear in industries like arts, design and media, where work and employment tend to be more project-based. Indeed, international studies have shown that freelancers play a significant role in these sectors across the world. (10) This trend holds true in Singapore as well. A MICA-commissioned study on freelancers across the arts, media, design and software and IT services sectors in Singapore was completed by NUS in 2007. While the dynamic nature of freelance work complicates the process of estimation, the study found that freelancers could constitute up to one-third of the workforce in the creative industries. (11) The study also shed some light on the working conditions of freelancers.”
“A Social Visit Pass does not entitle the holder to work in Singapore. Foreigners who wish to work in Singapore regardless of duration and whether they have a formal relationship with a local employer or not are required to obtain a work pass from MOM. There is, however, a provision that allows for foreigners carrying out very specific short-term work assignments in Singapore to be exempted from the formal work pass regime. Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower (Work Pass Exemptions) Notification 2008, foreigners intending to carry out work in certain creative and entertainment industries need only file a one-page e-notification to MOM. To facilitate these workers to work in Singapore on a short term basis, MOM does not issue a formal work pass to them but allows them to perform the activities during the duration of their Social Visit Pass, subject a maximum of 60 days. Beyond the 60 days, these foreigners would need to apply for a formal work pass. Alternatively, these foreigners may apply for a work pass straight at the onset. Work passes will be granted on the merit of each application. Applications for the various work passes can be done online on MOM website. The list of exempted work activities is limited to eight areas: including performing as an actor, singer, dancer or musician at a public area or activities relating to any location filming or fashion show involving actor, model or director. Outside this exempt list, foreigners who intend to work here are still required to obtain a work pass from MOM. MOM currently has no plan to revise the list. Column No : 1785 EMPLOYMENT OF FREELANCERS IN ARTS AND CREATIVE SECTORS 39.”
“Companies should adopt fair employment practices including non-discriminatory job advertisements. Members of the public can bring to MOM's and TAFEP's attention of any discriminatory job advertisement so that they could be addressed. APPENDICES”
“Employers should select candidates based on merit and not on extraneous factors, such as age, race, gender, nationality, religion, or marital status. By and large, this has been the case, although from time to time, cases of discriminatory job advertisements have cropped up. To raise awareness and promote fair employment practices, the tripartite partners set up the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP). The tripartite partners have also formulated Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices. For job advertisements, the Guidelines specify that only job-relevant requirements should be included. If specific attributes are necessary, the reasons should be explained. MOM and TAFEP monitor job advertisements, and where inappropriate advertisements are spotted, appropriate action is taken. In most cases, the employers concerned acknowledge the error and rectify the problem. TAFEP also takes the opportunity to strengthen employers' awareness of fair employment issues. For example, a Singapore-based electronics company recently posted an advertisement on an Internet job board on 19th September 2009, indicating a preference for foreign nationals. This is not in line with the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices. The online site, upon detecting the advertisement, removed it promptly. MOM issued the company a warning on 5th October 2009. TAFEP has also contacted the company after the incident and advised them to adopt the Tripartite Guidelines. The company has apologised online over the incident and clarified that they had no intention of discriminating against hiring Singaporeans. In fact, the company disclosed that more than 80% of its employees were Singaporeans.”
“In addition to discussions on programming strategies and PSB themes, in-principle approval from MDA is required before a production is commissioned to ensure the programme meets specific PSB objectives. Regular comprehensive reviews of the annual PSB Funding Agreement are conducted to ensure that MediaCorp has fulfilled its commitments in terms of total output and range of PSB programmes as well as outsourced production requirements. MDA also sets target viewership ratings and Programme Appreciation Index as Key Performance Indicators for PSB programmes. The latter is measured in terms of the level of informative value, relevance, enjoyment and effectiveness in promoting social values, and our culture and heritage. MDA conducts quarterly PSB Appreciation Surveys to determine the Programme Appreciation Index. The survey results have been positive and encouraging. The past four surveys over the last year, showed that eight out of 10 Most Appreciated Programmes were PSB-funded. MDA also receives regular feedback from its various advisory committees on the range and quality of TV and radio programming, including PSB programmes. Such feedback helps to enhance the overall quality of PSB programmes going forward. MDA is commissioning an independent review of the effectiveness and efficiency of PSB funding, and will use the findings to develop other meaningful key performance indicators for PSB programmes. Let me conclude by saying that MDA will exercise proper oversight of how PSB funds are used and continue to work with the industry and stakeholders to enhance the quality of local productions.”
“The Media Development Authority (MDA) has instituted several initiatives to improve the quality of our local productions. First, MDA requires MediaCorp to outsource a minimum number of local content hours to independent production companies annually. Currently, about 35% of local PSB production hours are outsourced to independent production companies, and this is an increase compared to 26% in 2005. As a result, we have a more competitive and creative environment and this approach has also helped to ensure a constant flow of fresh programme ideas. Second, MDA has also introduced direct commissioning of PSB programmes since 2007 to bring about competition for PSB funds. Today, about 10% of the total PSB funds are set aside for this purpose. MDA invites independent production companies as well as MediaCorp’s production units to pitch ideas to develop high-quality programmes that would appeal not only to Singapore viewers but also to an international audience. As a result of this and other measures, Singaporeans today enjoy a greater range of content choices and higher quality productions from PSB funding. Some of our local PSB programmes received the highest ratings on their respective channels. They have also won international accolades. Last year, our local PSB programmes won 20 awards and 16 other nominations at renowned international award events. Our local productions are also being acquired by established regional media players and channels. On the usage of PSB funds, MDA recognises the importance of ensuring transparency and accountability, and adopts a stringent approval process.”