Josephine Teo
Singapore
“The Government's risk-calibrated approach to data security in artificial intelligence (AI) systems was explained in a written reply, given on 9 January 2024, to related questions asked by Dr Tan Wu Meng and Mr Gerald Giam.”
“Access to frontier models is helpful for specific use cases, such as advanced research and cybersecurity. However, these form a small proportion of artificial intelligence (AI) demand. For most industry, Government and research uses, capable models are already available.”
“The Government tracks the development of technical standards for identifying artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content, including watermarking and digital provenance approaches, as part of broader efforts to manage AI-related risks.”
“Upon receiving a valid report of intimate image abuse, the Commissioner of Online Safety is empowered by law to direct Online Service Providers (OSPs) to disable access by Singapore users to the specified harmful online material. This direction may be extended to cover identical copies found on the platform.”
“The Government is committed to keeping children safe online. We have announced plans to extend age assurance requirements to designated social media services, including requiring platforms to keep users under 13 off their services.”
“Under the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025, the Commissioner of Online Safety is empowered to issue directions to platforms to remove specified harmful content, including intimate image abuse.”
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“Singapore was largely able to curb imported cases due to the combined efforts of many agencies on this front. Then, in mid-March, Malaysia announced that they would implement the Movement Control Order (MCO). This came as a surprise to businesses who had workers commuting daily across the border. They scrambled to find alternative accommodation. Overnight, MOM worked with MND, HDB, MTI, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) as well as community groups to source for suitable accommodation to help these businesses. Most of the affected Malaysians have settled into new accommodation in Singapore. About one in 10 subsequently returned to Malaysia, especially when Singapore introduced the circuit breaker. Throughout this period, migrant workers were also on our radar. A day after the first confirmed case in Singapore, MOM reached out to dormitory operators to be more vigilant and to step up hygiene. In fact, one of the earliest media conferences that Minister Lawrence Wong and I held was in Tuas View Dormitory, after we inspected their quarantine facilities. We produced materials in the workers' native languages to encourage them to take steps to protect themselves. Subsequently, non-essential facilities in the dormitories like gyms and TV rooms were closed. Meal times and recreational hours were staggered. Intermixing between blocks was stopped. MOM officers also fanned out on weekends to advise migrant workers to observe safe distancing measures and disperse big groups that were gathering at popular hangouts. The most prominent cluster of infected migrant workers was from Seletar Aerospace Heights, which was detected in February. It involved five workers, all staying at five different locations, only two of which were dormitories.”
“We hope more host companies can come forward to help build up the pool of traineeships and give our young graduates the much-needed opportunities to start their careers. Graduates can apply for these opportunities from 1 June onwards. Mr Speaker, economic conditions will remain challenging for some time. Given the strong budgetary support provided by MOF, we are holding the line on the economic front. We recognise the many efforts by businesses and workers to adjust to the new situation as it evolves, and help one another weather the storm. As much as we can, MOM will continue to work with our sister agencies to support businesses and protect livelihoods. Let me now turn to how we are supporting our healthcare colleagues in the fight against COVID-19. This has been one of the most unusual periods for MOM. We work mainly in the economic and social spheres. Workplace safety and health have always been high on our agenda. Now, it has taken on new meaning. Early in the outbreak, MOM was mobilised to help prevent imported cases. Progressively, we limited the return of work pass holders coming through mainland China, South Korea, Iran, Italy and then worldwide. In total, we processed about 80,000 applications to return but could only approve a minority. Our officers dealt with many appeals. To keep the community safe, MOH introduced the requirement for returning persons to serve a 14-day Leave of Absence, which was later tightened to be a Stay-Home Notice (SHN). MOM was tasked to ensure strict compliance. With the help of GovTech, we developed in double-quick time a system of monitoring and enforcement. The system was later adapted for Singaporeans returning from abroad, to protect their families.”
“This is why we launched the SGUnited Jobs initiative in March. By now, more than 16,000 immediate jobs vacancies have been made available. This is already higher than our initial target of 10,000 jobs. This initiative has helped jobseekers like Wendy who had a steady job as a flight attendant. When she was placed on furlough, her friends encouraged her to check out the SGUnited Jobs Virtual Career Fair. She now works as a part-time cashier at Prime Supermarket while waiting for the aviation industry to recover. The public sector has taken the lead to partner NTUC's Job Security Council at e2i, unions and employers to place more than 3,000 individuals from affected sectors to take on jobs such as safe distancing ambassadors and care ambassadors, in various hospitals. In sectors that are still hiring, for example, security, WSG will ramp up the capacity of Professional Conversion Programmes. Through the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Support package, employers can also receive a hiring incentive which provides 20% salary support, capped at $6,000 over six months. This is for new hires aged 40 and above hired through an eligible reskilling programme. I share the concerns of Mayor Denise Phua, Mr Liang Eng Hwa and Ms Rahayu Mahzam regarding fresh graduates from local and overseas institutions. This is why we launched the SGUnited Traineeships Programme to help them gain industry experience, build up their resumes and boost their chances of securing jobs in the future. The Government funds 80% of the monthly training allowance for up to 12 months. Our young people are absolutely critical to our future. There are now more than 4,000 traineeship opportunities offered by 280 organisations.”
“Many courses come with absentee payroll that give employers in all sectors extra wage support – 90% of the hourly basic salary, up to $10 an hour. The SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit of $10,000 further helps employers pay for up to 90% of out-of-pocket expenses that are not already subsidised by the Government. This time round, the Government has made a special effort to also support freelancers and self-employed persons (SEPs). We expect the SEP Income Relief Scheme (SIRS) to pay out close to $1 billion of cash support to over 100,000 SEPs, with the first payment in end of May. The SIRS scheme was designed and implemented in record time. Those who qualify need not apply and are instead automatically included. We know, as a result, that there may be deserving SEPs who should also be considered. We, therefore, appreciate NTUC for stepping forward to help with the appeals. More than that, NTUC is helping through the SEP Training Support Scheme (STSS) which now provides an hourly training allowance of $10. This comes to about $400 for a week-long course. While modest compared to the income SEPs may have earned in the past, it will still help defray their daily expenditure as they learn new skills during this downtime. I am very encouraged that already, about 1,800 SEPs will benefit from the scheme. One of them is 34-year-old Jovan, who has been a freelance band director for MOE schools for the past 10 years. Since the suspension of CCA programmes, Jovan has made good use of time freed up and attended seven different courses. They include SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace, Setting up and Running a Business and How to Pitch Like a Pro, all of which he finds useful. Whether for SEPs or regular employees, finding a job at such times will not be easy.”
“Besides support for their employers, we are providing more direct support for our lower wage workers. Many of them are in essential services and are continuing to work. They will get enhanced Workfare payouts which took effect in January, of up to $4,000 annually. In addition, 400,000 workers will get extra $3,000 each in cash support through the Workfare Special Payment. This will be in two tranches – in July and October. Total Workfare payouts this year will be about $2.2 billion. Inevitably, even with Government support, troubles with business can strain labour relations. In dealing with the disputes, the tripartite partners agree to uphold the principles of fairness and shared responsibility. Not all employers have been impacted to the same degree. Those in better shape financially should use all the Government support to provide their employees with a more generous baseline wage. Others who are financially stressed and face poor business prospects should be frank with their unions and employees. They should work out together how to use the Government support to help each other get through this period of difficulty. One thing is clear: employers should not act unilaterally and put their employees on prolonged no-pay leave or reduced pay without the employees' consent. To Mr Dennis Tan’s question, employees who need help can approach the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management for advisory and mediation services. The National Wages Council also issued a helpful set of guidelines in March. For example, it encouraged companies to use any lull in their business to train their workers. SkillsFuture Singapore has an Enhanced Training Support Package that covers up to 90% of course fees for employers in selected sectors.”
“Mr Speaker, around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has threatened lives and livelihoods. Likewise, in Singapore. MOM has been supporting the fight on the economic front and also on the public health front. Our priority is to protect the livelihoods of Singaporeans. That remains so even as a new battlefront emerged. Equally important now is to take care of our migrant workers' health. In my statement today, I will cover both aspects. Last week, I updated the public on the labour market situation. COVID-19 hit us mainly from February onwards. In January, the economy was humming along. The circuit breaker started only in April. Therefore, in the first quarter of the year, the full impact of COVID-19 was not yet felt. Even then, total employment contracted sharply. But the impact was not even; foreign employment fell significantly while local employment still managed some growth. Retrenchments have risen moderately. There are signs that employers are trying hard to cut costs to save jobs. They, too, want businesses to restart quickly when conditions allow. They are being helped by the significant wage support through the Unity, Resilience and Solidarity Budgets, as well as the tripartite consensus on managing excess manpower. In April, over $7 billion were paid out to employers through the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS). This will help co-fund wages of over 1.9 million local employees. Later this month, more than $4 billion will be paid out additionally. The Government provided levy waivers and rebates to help employers meet their obligations to their foreign employees during the circuit breaker. By May, over 62,000 employers would have received rebates totalling $675 million. Another $675 million is expected to be paid out by July.”
“Since its launch in December 2017, there were 20,233 downloads for the Snapsafe app. From December 2017 till February 2020, there were 2081 reports on unsafe workplace practices via the Snapsafe app, as follows: The top three unsafe practices reported were (a) work at height with lack of fall protection measures, (b) lack of or improper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and (c) unsafe lifting practices (e.g. using forklift as lifting equipment; unlicensed forklift driver; and improper use of cranes). MOM thanks those who report unsafe acts via Snapsafe. We take reports seriously and have taken action against 84% of investigated cases. For the remainder, there were no infringements upon inspection. Users can also use Snapsafe to report non-adherence to safe distances measures in the workplace. We encourage users to submit clear photos, including exact address and occupier name if possible, to facilitate our investigations.”
“In addition, to increase the board representation of women, the Council for Board Diversity, started by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), actively engages Chairpersons and Board Members of private and public sector organisations to encourage the appointment of women candidates. We have seen encouraging results thus far. Singapore’s adjusted gender pay gap narrowed from 8.8% in 2002 to 6% in 2018. Our women's participation on the boards of the top 100 listed companies increased from 15.2% in 2018 to 16.2% last year. As a society, adjusting social norms can also help men and women achieve greater parity in their roles at home and at work, which is key to reaching greater wage parity and more female representation in key leadership roles.”
“MOM has continually adopted policies to encourage fair employment practices that support men and women in our diverse workforce. While well-intended, instituting a Tripartite Standard on Gender-Equal Workplace Practices may not lead to the desired outcomes of gender wage parity or greater representation of females in key leadership positions. Instead, there may be some unintended consequences. For instance, audits of gender pay gaps may lead to firms hesitating to employ lower-wage women as they try to avoid widening gender pay gaps. This could then restrict opportunities for many women in rank and file jobs. Rather than impose a Standard, we need to address the underlying reasons for gender pay gaps and low female representation in leadership roles. One of the root causes lies in current social norms or gender roles. In Asian families, women typically take on the primary role of caring for their children and elderly persons. This affects the amount of time women can spend at work and the extent of their work experience, and hence it impacts their career progression and earnings. Therefore, our policies aim to achieve a more balanced share of caregiving responsibilities by men and women. To reach this goal, we spur the adoption of flexible working arrangements, or FWAs, through the Tripartite Standard on FWAs and Work-Life Grant so that they can better manage their work responsibilities and at the same time fulfil family and personal aspirations. With FWAs, women are better supported to remain in the workforce, gain work experience, earn higher wages and assume leadership roles.”
“The majority of companies in sectors employing nurses, cleaners and security officers are able to offer some form of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) to their employees. In 2018, between seven to nine in 10 companies in these sectors offered formal FWAs1.2 Although frontline workers often have to be physically present in their workplaces, employers can still offer FWAs by way of staggering the start and end times of their shifts (i.e. flexi-time), or enabling shifts to be shared by multiple workers (i.e. flexi-load). To help more frontline workers benefit from FWAs, MOM and tripartite partners are developing sector-specific resources and employer support groups to help employers overcome challenges in offering FWAs unique to some sectors. These are in line with recommendations recently made by the Citizens' Panel (CP) on Work-Life Harmony, which comprises diverse participants including business owners and employees. As emphasised by the CP, both employers and employees have a part to play in achieving better work-life harmony. Employers and senior management need to better understand challenges faced by frontline employees, optimise work processes and enhance staff welfare. Employers should also be mindful about giving workers excessive workloads, and respect their workers' rest hours and off days. Employees, on the other hand, have to take personal responsibility in defining what they want out of their work and personal life. This will help guide them in achieving their individual work-life harmony goals.”
“In the past 5 years, MOM had received 134 Letter of Consent (LOC) applications for LTVP/ LTVP+ holders to work in the media and religion-related occupations. Most of these applications were approved. Similar to all other work passes, LOC applications, including those for media and religion related occupations, are assessed on the individual merits of the case. MOM will seek inputs from relevant government agencies before giving our approval.”
“A study commissioned by the National Population and Talent Division in 2019 found that most fathers in Singapore want to use their paternity leave and play a bigger role in child-raising. However, across different types of jobs and companies, a key factor affecting fathers’ utilisation of paternity leave is workplace support from supervisors and colleagues. The healthy social norm in the Public Service where the majority of fathers (84%) already take paternity leave is self-reinforcing: it helps fathers feel assured about taking paternity leave, and contributes to the high take-up rates in the public sector.1 One of the key reasons for this social norm is that fathers from the public sector generally have supervisors and colleagues who are supportive of them taking paternity leave. A whole-of-society effort is needed to support fathers to be more active in parenting, and to take time-off from work to spend time with their children. We will continue to work with tripartite partners, employers and community partners, to strengthen attitudes and norms in support of fathers taking paternity leave to care for their children.”
“Fathers play an important role in their children's care and development, as partners to their wives in raising the family. The default arrangement to consume two weeks of paternity leave within 16 weeks after delivery allows fathers to play their part in caring for their newborns, during this time when the family's caregiving load is higher. Without this default arrangement, it may be difficult for fathers to be excused from work for an extended period. The consumption of parental leave in a continuous block soon after birth is also practised in other countries such as France, Spain and the United Kingdom. For those who wish to take it flexibly, the two weeks of paternity leave can already be taken in days within a year from the child's birth, if there is mutual agreement with their employers. This arrangement recognises that fathers have different work arrangements, and balances support for fathers to take their leave flexibly with employers' manpower needs. Beyond leave provisions, the Government encourages and provides support for employers to implement the Tripartite Standards on Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) and Unpaid Leave for Unexpected Care Needs, to develop a more family-friendly work culture. Parents may tap on such arrangements to care for their children as well. We will continue to work with tripartite partners to encourage companies to better support parents in managing their work and family responsibilities, including being understanding when fathers take paternity leave for their caregiving needs.”
“I feel hopeful because of the amazing spirit I see in our people – from the ones who make funny videos to cheer us up, there are quite a lot of them, to the ones who rewrite pop hits that go "viral", and also the people who chipped in, do things like make hand sanitisers, sew masks, even though in their entire lives they have never even cooked. But now, they experimented with ingredients and certainly, do not like sewing. I see businesses that go the extra mile to care for their customers and workers. Likewise, many workers have taken on a lot, a lot more work to help their employers or accepted pay cuts. If there is one thing I can say with confidence, it is this. Our economy may take a huge hit and so might jobs. But not our spirit. And never our solidarity. We are Singapore. We will overcome. And we will emerge stronger. [Applause.]”
“We are providing some support, to ensure that firms with foreign workers can also restart operations and do right by their foreign workers during this period. This does not change the fact that supporting local workers remains our top priority. The schemes I mentioned fully demonstrate this commitment. But at such a time, we must stand united with all workers, every worker matters and not draw too many lines. Sharing pain should also mean sharing the relief. At the same time, I appeal to businesses to use this levy rebate wisely. It is to help retain your essential workforce, so that your businesses can restart or scale up again once it is possible to do so. We expect you to look after not only your local workers but also your foreign workers and to take care of their upkeep during this circuit breaker. Please demonstrate our solidarity with all our workers, both local and foreign. Remember how they have helped you and your business in good times. Do not forsake them in bad times and take care especially, of vulnerable groups. Mr Speaker, at the start of my speech, I recounted my experience during the Global Financial Crisis and how as suddenly as it appeared, its effects wore out in quite a short time. For now, the dark clouds cast by COVID-19 seem determined to stay. But I am still hopeful, not because I have a crystal ball to tell me that all will be well soon. In fact, personally, I expect things to get much tougher before they get better.”
“In view of the levy waiver and rebate, employers of foreign work permit and S Pass holders will no longer receive the daily allowance paid to employers of quarantined workers. This supersedes the Government's earlier statement regarding the daily quarantine allowance. Let me just qualify however that, from the workers' standpoint, it is still paid hospitalisation leave, so the workers will still get paid. I have asked my colleagues to get the levy rebate out to the businesses as soon as possible and I am glad to say that it can be done as early as 21 April 2020, which is two weeks from now. We need the employers to also sign up quickly, we will provide the details, but, in about two weeks, the levy rebate will come. Even before the payment is made, Members of Parliament have called for more. My commitment is that we will keep monitoring and reviewing the situation. This may go on for a while, so let us stay nimble and also sustainable. During this period, there are also many firms in need of manpower. I urge them to leverage on the SGUnited Jobs and SGUnited Traineeships to provide opportunities for our locals. They can also tap on the existing pool of foreign workers already in Singapore, especially those that currently do not have work. The SBF's Manpower Connect will help businesses manage their manpower needs and tap on local and foreign workers. Some people have asked and will continue to ask why we are providing support for businesses that hire foreign workers. Mr Speaker, this circuit breaker is not at all usual. It will significantly impact all businesses with contractual and financial obligations, regardless of whether they employ locals or foreign workers.”
“So, if you look at their resumes, one year down the road, we hope not see this gaping hole, which they cannot articulate to prospective employers what happened, although everyone would understand, but still it is time lost. Under this programme, the Government will fund 80% of the stipend that each trainee receives, with the host company paying the remaining 20%. I think that we can imagine in such a time, the stipend may not match the usual starting salaries of graduates but it is still better to have build up some work experience so that the resume has already started building a track record. We are looking to support up to 8,000 traineeships this year. It will be rolled out from 1 June with the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) as the programme manager. So far, more than 100 companies, such as ST Logistics, Surbana Jurong, Micron, Q&M Dental and Commonwealth Capital, have committed to 1,500 positions. More are coming on board and we are working hard on it. Mr Speaker, I spoke about support for workers. This is not all. We will also support businesses to resume operations after this circuit breaker. We must hold on to the hope, that this is "pause", not "stop". Cash flow will be the foremost concern. MOM had earlier announced that SMEs will have three additional months to make the levy payments. The Government has further decided to waive levies due in April to provide extra relief. In addition, we will provide a one-off rebate to employers, based on past levies paid. To process the rebate and reach businesses quickly, the levy rebate will be a flat $750 per worker, based on the number of workers holding work permits and S Passes, as employers only pay levies for these workers.”
“The first SGUnited Jobs initiative Virtual Career Fair is currently on-going with 5,800 vacancies available and 5,500 applicants. I am quietly relieved that we have gotten good interest from employers and we will keep building up the pool of jobs that are immediately available. Even as we go online, WSG's Careers Connect and NTUC's e2i centres will continue to provide face-to-face service to jobseekers who are in urgent need – of course, with appropriate safe distancing measures. Our tripartite partners are also facilitating SGUnited Jobs at the company level. Through their networks, they bring together employers with complementary manpower needs – some have excess workers, some still have shortages. It's another form of "gotong royong". Adapt and Grow programmes will continue as far as possible, so people can get back into jobs. One particular group that weighs on my mind are recent graduates and graduating cohorts from the ITEs, from Polytechnics, from Universities and other educational institutions. This is a very tough time to be entering the job market and I recognise their worries as well as those of their parents. I think Members will agree with me – we must find a way to help these young Singaporeans get started in their careers and not let COVID-19 derail them. This is why we are making a big effort to mobilise employers to support the SGUnited Traineeships programme. In normal years, most graduating students in Singapore can find a job within six months. But in this climate, many employers are hesitant to take on any jobseeker, let alone one with no relevant experience. This programme aims to plug the gap. It helps graduating students, as well as recent graduates, gain valuable work experience and develop professionally.”
“Second, the Annual Value threshold of SIRS will be raised from $13,000 to $21,000. This will include most condominiums outside prime areas. With the expanded criteria, about 100,000 SEPs will automatically qualify for SIRS, compared to 88,000 previously. This is a meaningful expansion. There is no need for eligible SEPs to apply. Those aged 37 and above who declared a positive net trade income, will be automatically notified and receive their first payout in end of May. For the rest of the SEPs that narrowly missed qualifying for SIRS, they can appeal and we will consider their cases. To take care of appeals, I have reached out to Secretary-General of NTUC Brother Ng Chee Meng and the Labour Movement has established links with some groups of SEPs and is already administering the SEP Training Support Scheme. I would like to thank NTUC for stepping up to help the SEPs in need. Tomorrow, Minister of State Zaqy will share how we have enhanced the Workfare Special Payment (WSP) to strengthen support for our low-wage workers, many of whom Members of Parliament noted are critical to the provision of essential services. The evolving COVID-19 situation also brought about uncertainty to those looking for employment in this difficult job market. I can completely understand that many are anxious. In spite of the tremendous difficulties, the Government will actively facilitate the matching of jobseekers to businesses who still have immediate vacancies during this period, be it for a new job or to land a second job to supplement their income. I had previously highlighted the SGUnited Jobs Initiative, which will create about 10,000 jobs over the next one year in both the public and private sector.”
“Let me start with MOM's top priority: protecting the livelihoods of workers. Even as we close workplaces temporarily, we want to ensure that workers can still put food on the table and meet their financial obligations. This is why Deputy Prime Minister Heng announced further enhancements to the Job Support Scheme. Businesses providing essential services are still allowed to operate. Their workers will be paid. For workers in non-essential businesses, those who can telecommute should do so. Their employers should pay them appropriately, instead of treating this period as no-pay leave. To Ms Jessica Tan's question, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Low Yen Ling will say more about how MOM will help businesses enable employees to work from home. For those workers who are unable to work remotely, the enhanced Job Support Scheme should still help to fund the majority of their wages. We know employers are making many adjustments, but they should also do their part. Given the generous Job Support Scheme funding, employers should aim to pass the Government support to their workers. We urge them to communicate clearly to their employees on work and pay arrangements for the next few weeks. We will also ensure that vulnerable worker segments, such as self-employed persons and lower wage workers, receive sufficient support. As Deputy Prime Minister has announced, we will broaden the coverage for the SEP Income Relief Scheme or SIRS. First, we will include SEPs who earn a small income as employees, in addition to their main livelihood, which is self-employment, up to $2,300 per month, in terms of their earned employment income, which is the current Workfare income ceiling. Two thousand and three hundred dollars is the current Workfare income ceiling.”
“Mr Speaker, this is a surreal scene. I do not recall being in Chamber with so few Members on an important occasion of a Budget Debate. But these are very unusual times. In 2009, when the world was reeling from the shock of the Global Financial Crisis, I was a Labour Member of Parliament on the backbench. Just days before Chinese New Year, nearly 700 workers were retrenched by a textile manufacturing company. The timing was cruel. I felt for the workers, including the union leaders who had become my friends. Miraculously, by July, there were green shoots, the first time that phrase got thrown about, and the economy started on this rather strange V-shaped recovery. No one expected it, but the Singapore economy grew by 1.9% that year. Job losses in Singapore were nowhere near the 100,000 predicted at the start of the year, even though at the peak, unemployment rose to about 5%. Today, COVID-19 certainly appears to me to be more cruel than SARS and even the Global Financial Crisis. No one can, at this point, seriously imagine a V-shaped recovery any time soon, if at all. After all, entire cities and nations have had to make drastic changes to the way people live. Last Friday, the Prime Minister spoke on the COVID-19 situation in Singapore. To protect all of us, we had to make the difficult decision to implement a circuit breaker. The temporary closure of most workplaces, except for essential services and key economic sectors, takes effect tomorrow. Many are asking – how will we get through the next one month? What will happen after that? No one can say for sure. But one thing we can be sure of is that we will get through this together. We will stand in solidarity with workers as well as businesses.”
“Rationally, one would think so but, of course, you can disagree. In any case, we review our immigration policies regularly, to ensure that they remain relevant. If we come across good research that can help us in policy-thinking, we would certainly look into them deeply and welcome useful suggestions. Today, Singapore is in a good position. Every year, the number of applications for PR and citizenship far exceed the number of places that we grant. We can afford to remain selective as long as Singapore continues to be an attractive and welcoming place for immigrants. However, we cannot take for granted that this will always be so. We must bear in mind this reality as we plan ahead, to secure a better future for current and future generations of Singaporeans.”
“Assoc Prof Theseira pointed out that PRs generally have higher incomes and qualifications than existing citizens. In the first place, that may be a rather narrow way to think of the PRs and to characterise them, and, really, not at all what we set out to achieve. As I pointed out earlier, we prioritise those with the ability to integrate well into our society and who have expressed their longer term commitment to Singapore. Secondly, are we better off if the opposite were true, that PRs generally have lower incomes and qualifications? Keep in mind that we draw new citizens from the pool of PRs. If that were so, Assoc Prof Theseira, or anyone else, might well ask, quite legitimately, why we are taking in Permanent Residents, or residents who are not as well qualified as Singaporeans or were not doing as well as Singaporeans. So, this debate would not end no matter how much research we do and no matter how much facts and data we put out. We do actually have foreigners working in Singapore who generally earn less and are not as well qualified as Singaporeans. They are here on work passes and do not have long-term residency rights. While we do take in a calibrated number of PRs and new citizens, we are first and foremost focused on improving citizens’ lives. There is a very broad spectrum of things we do to uplift our people and that includes raising educational attainment and growing incomes. Our people have shown consistently that when given the opportunities, they are willing to make the effort and they do well. If while we improve our own educational attainments and incomes, we also manage to attract people with good qualifications and incomes to join our Singapore family as PRs and eventually citizens, is that not a good outcome?”
“Mr Speaker, I thank Assoc Prof Theseira for his views and his suggestions. I must add that I really admire his mental acrobatics and also confess that coming right after a Supplementary Budget presentation filled with very large numbers, I feel my head spinning a bit but I am not unwell; I can do this. This Government is focused not just on the present but on building a future of opportunities for Singaporeans. Because of our low birth rates and ageing, we face serious challenges. Over the longer term, we aim for a stable and sustainable population. These are not pleasant platitudes. This is essential to keep our society strong and our economy vibrant, both of which are important foundations to improve the lives of Singaporeans. We take in a stable and calibrated flow of new immigrants to moderate the impact of an ageing citizen population and prevent it from shrinking over time. Our immigration policy does not serve just economic objectives. Rather, we want to build a strong and resilient Singapore, with a distinct sense of national identity and common destiny. We, therefore, prioritise new immigrants with the ability to integrate well into our society, and who have expressed their commitment to sinking roots here. Applicants who can make good economic contributions are certainly welcome, but that is not the sole criterion we consider. Many of our new Permanent Residents (PR) and citizens have family ties with Singaporeans. Most have lived here for many years, formed friendships with locals and are active in the community. From an integration standpoint, these ties are very valuable and we cannot put a number to it easily, we cannot quantify it through any simple metric.”
“The number of recipients above age 65 receiving Retirement Sum top-ups from their children increased to about 17,800 in 2019, with more than $169 million received. Tables 1 to 4 show that: (a) The number of unique recipients increased slightly; (b) Cash top-ups are more popular; (c) Female recipients receive more than males; and (d) Givers who earn less, top up more in cash than those who earn more. To further encourage members to make top-ups for themselves and their loved ones, the Government will introduce the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme (MRSS) from 2021 to 2025. Under MRSS, the Government will match every dollar of cash top-ups, up to an annual cap of $600, made to eligible members under RSTU.”
“On average, eligible SEP contributors who are women have $72,000 in their Ordinary, Special and Retirement Accounts combined, including amounts withdrawn under the Investment, Education and Housing schemes. At the median, it is $48,000. Among eligible SEP contributors who are men, the average and median balances are $113,000 and $88,000 respectively.”
“The Matched Retirement Savings Scheme, or MRSS, helps Singaporeans aged 55 to 70 who have yet to meet the CPF Basic Retirement Sum to save more for retirement. This can include lower- to middle-income seniors, and in particular, caregivers and self-employed persons (SEPs) who typically have less in their CPF. By fully utilising the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme, members can increase their Retirement Account balances by more than $6,000 over five years, which can result in up to an $80 increase in their CPF LIFE payout per month. About half of those eligible for MRSS are active CPF contributors, with slightly more women than men among them. On average, eligible and active CPF contributors who are women have $108,000 in their Ordinary, Special and Retirement Accounts combined, including amounts withdrawn under the Investment, Education and Housing schemes. At the median, it is $90,000. Among eligible active CPF contributors who are men, the average and median balances are $146,000 and $133,000 respectively. About one-third of those eligible for MRSS are inactive CPF contributors (likely to be full-time care-givers), with 2.5 times as many women as men among them. On average, eligible but inactive CPF contributors who are women have $60,000 in their Ordinary, Special and Retirement Accounts combined, including amounts withdrawn under the Investment, Education and Housing schemes. At the median, it is $39,000. Among eligible inactive CPF contributors who are men, the average and median balances are $96,000 and $63,000 respectively. About 20% of those eligible for MRSS are SEPs who have lower CPF contribution obligation. For comparison, 8% to 10% of our workforce are SEPs. In this group, there are twice as many men as women.”
“Mr Speaker, I believe that Mr Dennis Tan was referring to the initial estimate of the number of PRC workers that were out of Singapore when we started imposing travel restrictions on them returning to Singapore. A good number of them have not returned. Because, right now, we are requiring approvals before any one of the work pass holders can re-enter Singapore, if they are outside. Actually, that number that is flowing through every day has been slowed to a trickle. In order not to burden our healthcare system, we have prioritised Singapore Citizens as well as Permanent Residents and Long-Term pass holders coming back. Whereas, for foreign work pass holders, we have asked them to stay out of Singapore for the time being and then, when the situation enables us to facilitate their return, we will do so.”
“Contractors in the Process Construction and Maintenance (or "PCM") industry require specialised skills and expertise to build and maintain process plants. In January 2000, MOM enlisted ASPRI's help to verify the business nature and activities of PCM contractors so that only suitably qualified contractors are granted access to foreign workers. The association is well placed to do so given its specialist knowledge of the sector. Upon successful verification, the contractors submit work pass applications directly to MOM without ASPRI's involvement.”
“The reasons for rejecting foreign domestic worker (FDW) applications are the same whether they are made by employers or their employment agents. The main reasons are unacceptable accommodation for the FDW, the employer having no or unstable income or the FDW being over the age limit.”
“From 2017 to 2019, an average of 14,000 households per year hired at least two foreign domestic workers (FDWs). Half of these households have at least one person who is aged 65 or older.”
“A big majority of the Chinese work pass holders who travelled to China over the new year period have yet to return to Singapore. This is because of MOM's strict requirement for their employers to seek prior approval, to ensure an orderly flow and enable effective enforcement of the Stay-Home Notices (SHN) upon arrival. An average of 220 applications have been approved daily. Upon their return, all the workers are expected to serve the SHN. Those found to have wilfully flouted the SHN have had their work passes revoked and permanently banned from working in Singapore. Employers who were non-compliant have also had their work pass privileges suspended. Among those who have not returned, an estimated 25% stay in HDB units while 75% stay in other accommodation including dormitories and private residences. In line with the advice from the public health professionals, persons who are on SHN need not be segregated. Nevertheless, MOM informed dormitory operators to take additional precautionary measures to minimise contact between persons on SHN and their other residents. Residents on SHN would thus reside in a section of the dormitory that is separate from the other residents. Food and daily necessities are provided so that there is no need for them to leave their room, except to seek medical attention. Apart from specific measures for residents on SHN, MOM has also advised dormitory operators to cease mass activities, stagger the use of common facilities, and manage residents who have mild flu-like symptoms by isolating them and seeking medical attention immediately.”
“Over the past three years, about 20% of foreign domestic workers (FDWs), or 49,000 FDWs, in Singapore return home without completing their contract each year. Of these FDWs, about 20% return to Singapore to work as an FDW within six months. The common reasons for FDWs to return to their home countries before the end of contract include: (i) family exigencies back home; (ii) employer found the FDW not suitable for the household; and (iii) FDW did not wish to continue working in Singapore.”
“Fathers play an important role in their children's care and development. As more fathers play an active role in raising their children, the take-up rate of paternity leave has risen from 25% when it was first introduced in 2013, to 53% for recent cohorts. As mentioned in a recent response to Mr Louis Ng's Parliamentary Question on barriers to fathers taking paternity leave, our research showed that fathers' utilisation of paternity leave is dependent on workplace support, especially from supervisors and colleagues. As such, giving fathers additional leave may not help to raise the take-up rate of paternity leave. Instead, it is especially important for us to work together to shape more supportive workplace norms and culture for parents. When considering further enhancements to leave schemes, we also have to balance support for parents with employers’ concerns over manpower needs at the workplace. This is especially so in times of business uncertainty. Beyond leave provisions, the Government encourages employers to adopt the Tripartite Standards on Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) and Unpaid Leave for Unexpected Care Needs. The Ministry of Manpower's Work-Life Grant also provides funding support for employers to implement FWAs. These practices are helpful to parents in caring for their children and make for a more family-friendly workplace. We will continue to work with tripartite partners to encourage companies to better support parents in managing their work and family responsibilities.”
“From 2015 to 2019, the Ministry received about 1,200 marriage applications per year from current or former work permit holders to marry Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents. We assess all marriage applications holistically taking into account the applicants' ability to look after themselves and their families. In recent years, about 8 in 10 applications were approved. The most common reasons for rejection were lack of gainful employment or income instability.”
“From 2005 to 2019, the median monthly salary of work permit holders (excluding foreign domestic workers) increased by 2.2% per annum in nominal terms. Data from 2004 and before are not directly comparable as they also include the equivalent of S Pass holders who are generally higher skilled than work permit holders. Wages tend to reflect demand and supply of specific labour markets and may not correlate with profitability of the industries. In any case, as reported by the Economic Development Board (EDB), net operating surplus for the Marine Shipyard sector declined by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.2% per annum (in nominal terms) between 2005 and 2018. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) reported that net operating surplus for the Construction sector grew by a CAGR of 9.3% per annum (in nominal terms) between 2005 and 2017. Work permit holders are a significant share of the workforce in both sectors.”
“Mr Chairman, I cannot, in all honesty, cite a study that will link one particular policy move to employability. A whole host of factors come into play. An ill-timed move could precipitate changes that are unfavourable. A well-timed move of the same change may not have that impact. Having said that, let me reassure Mr Ng, whether it is this week or next week, it will always be on MOM's mind to think of ways in which we can improve work conditions as well as worklife harmony.”
“Peer support – everyone going to train at the same time, everyone in their 50s, 60s and learning data analytics, everyone trying digitalisation tools. It makes a difference. This kind of ground mobilisation is critical. We cannot depend on laws alone, we cannot depend on guidelines alone. Ground mobilisation makes a huge difference.”
“Mr Chairman, a number of schemes work in concert with each other to support senior employment. Truth be said, we do not depend solely on the Special Employment Credit and what is to replace, the Senior Employment Credit. When it comes to retention of older workers, and older PMETs, in particular, the strongest feedback that we get from employers is that of skills obsolescence. In fact, when we convened the tripartite workgroup on older workers, which led to the recommendation to raise the Retirement Age and the Re-employment Age, the strongest comment on the part of the employer is that they are willing to support it, as long as we have ways and means to ensure that their workers' skills remain relevant. They feedback to us that there have been occasions where they would like their senior workers to go for training and to be ready to be re-deployed into different positions when they come to re-employment, so that the positions that they occupied could be freed up to also younger colleagues to move up. They face a fair amount of resistance. Sometimes, it is just a lack of motivation to take up training. Sometimes, from the workers' standpoint, he thinks, "Well, if I am not going to be in work for very much longer, why ask me to go for training?" Hence, we were able to persuade the employers that if they gave the workers the assurance, even PMETs, that they have a longer runway, then perhaps this could motivate them. But this alone is not enough. We are very grateful that to the Labour Movement for being very involved. The Company Training Committees can really exert an influence on the ground. Training is very seldom a solo effort.”
“Mr Chairman. I appreciate Mr Louis Ng's passion in advocating for more leave provisions. In an ideal world, I would like to be able to say yes to all of them. But we do not live in an ideal world. And I am very much reminded by our former Minister for Labour Mr S Rajaratnam when he moved the Employment Act in 1968. He reminded us of why we are here and why we are seeking to improve work conditions through the Employment Act. He was responding to many Members' calls for employer obligations in many different areas – more protection in this area, more protection in another area. And he said something really profound and I think it remains valid today. He reminded Members of the House that in order for us to be able to protect employees, we must first have employment. In other words, the jobs must be available. If there is no employment, there is no employment protection to speak of. So, for every of the moves that MOM tries to make, it is always in consultation, not only with the Labour Movement whom we can completely count on to speak up on behalf of workers and to try and advocate for their interests, but at the same time, we must also involve the employers in this conversation and hear them out and understand the pressures that they face, and then, make a judgement call. At different times, what kinds of pressures we are prepared to exert in order to get the best outcomes for Singaporeans. It is always a balancing act. And MOM is always in the middle. So, we are the true sandwiched class, in some sense. But let us keep all these things in mind. I see no reason why we cannot continue to review our policies. And I believe that at the right time, when conditions allow, we would certainly want to improve the employment conditions for all of our workers.”
“Mr Chairman, we regularly review the Industrial Relations Act as well as the Trade Unions Act. Probably later this year, we will pool together a tripartite workgroup to look at an update to the Industrial Relations Act. And during that time, we will take into consideration the suggestions that the Member has made. As to the Trade Unions Act, I think, in specific, the Member had asked about representation for self-employed persons, membership and representation for self-employed persons. Today, there are already associations that represent them. I think if we engage these associations and hear them out, we could probably find a way forward that they would also be comfortable with.”
“From this year, we will enhance the Workfare programme to benefit more low-income Singaporeans. The Silver Support Scheme has benefited 150,000 workers. From the end of this year, the quarterly cash supplement will increase by 20%. Next year, we will further expand the criteria to include an additional 100,000 senior workers to benefit from this scheme. We will continue to refine these schemes to benefit those with less in retirement. Beyond these initiatives, the Government will help Singaporeans build up more retirement savings to prepare them for retirement. The Government is committed to ensure job security for everyone and look after disadvantaged groups. Even in this time when the economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak is still unclear, we are fortunate that we still have the means to develop long-term plans to lay a good foundation for our people. I firmly believe that in spite of the immediate challenges and difficulties, we can create a better home for all as long as we work together as one Singapore. [Applause.] 3.30 pm Better Work, Wages and Welfare for Low-wage Workers”
“As the Chinese saying goes: 家有一老，如有一宝， an elder in the family is a treasure. I hope employers will adopt the same attitude towards senior workers within their companies, and help them achieve their aspirations to work longer and accumulate more savings. The Government will strengthen support for enterprises to achieve this. Those who raise the retirement age and re-employment age before July 2022 will receive grants of up to $250,000. If employers make changes to company policies to allow senior workers to be employed on a part-time basis, they will receive up to $125,000 in grants. In other words, the more "elders" they retain or re-employ, the more "treasures" they will receive. Let me now talk about self-employed individuals. In the last few weeks, the Government has announced various packages to help taxi drivers, Grab drivers and tour guides. However, the earnings of self-employed individuals in other sectors have also taken a hit due to cancellations or postponements. Hence, the Government will provide an additional S$36 million to help self-employed individuals. NTUC will administer the Self-employed Persons Training Support Scheme to help self-employed workers. If they undergo training under the SkillsFuture Series or sector specific-training programmes, they will receive up to $60 per day for attending the courses, on top of the existing subsidies on course fees. There is no cap on how much training they can sign up for. So, I would urge self-employed individuals to make good use of these schemes. Not only will they enjoy wage subsidies, they can also learn a new skill. As a society, we should pay more attention to assist the more vulnerable groups who have less in retirement.”
“This is not only due to COVID-19 but also because of technological advancement that is constantly changing the nature of jobs. In the face of these key external factors, Singaporeans may be concerned about their employment prospects. The Government will do everything it can to protect the rice bowls of our people. In particular, those in their 40s and 50s are at a stage of life where they need to support their families. Besides caring for their aged parents and school-going children, and most of them are still paying off their home mortgage. They are worried that even if they work hard, they cannot avoid becoming obsolete. Therefore, the Government has strengthened its efforts to focus on middle-aged workers in their 40s and 50s, so that they can take charge of their careers, explore new opportunities and carve out new careers for themselves. We understand that if we want to help these workers, we need the cooperation of employers and enterprises. Our reskilling efforts would not achieve the intended outcome if they are not supported by employers. We will therefore adopt a targeted approach. If employers are willing to spend time and money to train mid-career and middle-age workers, they would be able to receive 90% salary support. After workers complete training, we will cover 20% of the new hire’s monthly salary, for a duration of six months and subjected to a total cap of $6,000. As they say, the number 66 is symbolic of a smooth-sailing pathway. We hope that employers can keep an open mind, and give more opportunities for mid-career and middle-age workers to play a greater role. In fact, many companies in Singapore are supportive of the Government's policies, especially with regard to hiring senior workers. I would like to thank all of them for their support.”
“Let me round off this section with the Silver Support Scheme. Silver Support targets seniors who had lower incomes throughout their lives and have less in their retirement. Since 2016, we have disbursed close to $1.6 billion to over 200,000 seniors. From 1 January 2021, we will do the following: (a) Increase the quarterly payouts by 20% for all flat types; (b) Expand the criteria for lifetime wages; (c) Expand the criteria for household monthly income per person from $1,100 to $1,800, with two tiers of payouts. With these enhancements, close to 250,000 Singaporeans aged 65 and above will benefit in 2021. This is about 100,000 more than today. Total Silver Support payouts will almost double from $330 million currently to about $620 million in 2021. MOM will continue to review our policies to improve the retirement adequacy of Singaporeans. This includes studying the feasibility of introducing the CPF Lifetime Retirement Investment Scheme (LRIS), which Ms Foo Mee Har asked about. LRIS will be designed for members who wish to invest their CPF monies but have neither the knowledge nor time to do so. To be attractive, it has to charge low fees. There must be a good chance of earning higher returns than the current CPF interest rates. But it should also provide some assurance against the downside risks. This is a complex effort with many multiple objectives that are not always consistent with each other. Given the many issues that demand MOM's time, I seek Members' understanding that we need more time to get the fundamentals of LRIS right. We will provide an update when ready. Mr Chairman, please allow me to conclude in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, at the moment, the economic outlook of the whole world is unclear.”
“SEPs can also save for retirement through cash-top-ups schemes into their CPF. Those who are eligible can tap on the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme, which I will elaborate on later. In addition, SEPs may receive additional support through the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) Scheme. From 1 January 2020, the qualifying income cap and maximum annual payouts have both gone up. In addition, recipients will get an additional 20% of their WIS payment for work done in 2019, with a minimum payment of $100. This will be given in cash. Each year, more than 50,000 SEPs receive Workfare. With the COVID-19 situation, I expect more SEPs to qualify this year. More broadly, to help Singaporeans with less CPF savings, we will introduce the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme (MRSS) from 2021 to 2025. This can benefit lower income seniors and in particular, gig workers and "unpaid" care-givers, who typically have less in their CPF. The Government will match cash top-ups made to the Retirement Account of eligible members, up to $600 annually or $3,000 over five years. About 435,000 Singaporeans will be eligible for MRSS each year. There are no restrictions on who can contribute. For example, employers may want to use MRSS as a staff benefit to recognise long-serving senior workers and help them set aside more for retirement. They will enjoy tax reliefs for cash top-ups. Working adults can also make top-ups to their stay-at-home spouses, or their parents who are nearing retirement. Will MRSS work? Assoc Prof Walter Theseira is not so sure and suggested that people be asked to commit their savings in advance, for example, their WIS cash payouts or annual bonuses. I thank him for thinking about how to improve MRSS. We will study, seriously, the practicalities of his suggestion.”
“Assoc Prof Daniel Goh asked if we could accelerate the pace. Ideally, we would like to. But this desire needs to be balanced against the impact on the senior workers' employability and take-home pay, factors which he himself had outlined. This is why CPF contribution rates should continue to be stepped down by age and why the Workgroup recommended small increases each time. Given the current pressures on employers and job security, we should proceed with care. Over the years, we have also refined our retirement system to be more fair and progressive. The Government provides higher interest rates of up to 6% on lower CPF balances. The Government also tops up the CPF accounts of lower balance members from time to time, such as the recent Bicentennial Bonus CPF top-up. Targeted subsidies are provided to lower income Singaporeans with lesser means, through Workfare in their working years and Silver Support in retirement. All these translate into substantial support for lower income households in retirement. The Government will take additional steps to strengthen retirement adequacy of Singaporeans. We launched the Contribute-as-you-Earn (CAYE) pilot at the start of the year to help SEPs better save for their healthcare needs through smaller and more regular MediSave contributions whenever they earn income. We expect about 3,000 SEPs or so working with Government agencies each year to make CAYE contributions. To help SEPs come on board the scheme, we will provide a dollar-for-dollar matching for CAYE contributions made in 2020, capped at $600. Mr Chen Show Mao will be pleased to note that around 400 SEPs made CAYE contributions in January alone. This is encouraging. All of them will receive matched MediSave contributions from the Government.”
“This means that the 85,000 SEPs engaged by these adopters will be provided with clear written terms to minimise disputes, such as when payments would be made. We call on more service-buyers to do their part by providing SEPs with clear written contracts. We also encourage service-buyers to adopt the Standard, to be more attractive among SEPs. Finally, I will like to provide an update on retirement adequacy, an issue close to the hearts of Singaporeans. We are committed to providing fair support to help our people prepare for retirement. In fact, successive cohorts of Singaporeans have been able to set aside more CPF savings for retirement. Over the last decade, median CPF balances of active CPF members aged 55 have also more than doubled from $71,000 to $155,000. This is because of higher labour force participation and rising wages as well as enhancements to the CPF system, such as the increases in CPF contribution rates and CPF salary ceiling. As a result, even as the Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) has been raised gradually for each cohort, more active CPF members have been able to set it aside at age 55, from about four-in-10 a decade ago to more than six-in-10 today. That does not mean our job is done. The CPF is a "live" system and must continue to evolve. Incomes continue to rise and so will spending needs in retirement. This is why the Government accepted the Tripartite Workgroup's recommendation to gradually raise CPF contribution rates for senior workers over the next 10 years. By the time we are done with the full increases around 2030, the median member aged 55 can expect his retirement payouts to be boosted by close to 10%. The first increase in CPF contribution rates will take effect from 1 January 2021 but the next steps have yet to be decided.”
“Together, there are six modular courses stretching over 90 hours or about 12 days. With SSG's enhanced 90% subsidy of the course fees for those aged 40 and above, this sports coach or media freelancer would only need to pay about $400 for the course. And by using his SkillsFuture Credit, he will not need to pay a single cent out of his pocket. Furthermore, he will receive training allowance of $675. The SEP Training Support Scheme is a practical way to provide fair support to SEPs in these tough times. The Government will set aside $36 million for this purpose. There is no cap to how much training SEPs can sign up for. NTUC, which has established outreach channels to freelancers, will administer this scheme and release details on how to apply soon. 3.15 pm Even as we support SEPs in the short-term, we are also concerned about their longer-term needs. In 2017, the Government set up the Tripartite Workgroup on SEPs. Through extensive consultations with stakeholders, the Workgroup found that most SEPs did not expect their clients to provide employment benefits or to treat them as regular employees. Instead, SEPs asked the Workgroup to focus on addressing their practical concerns. Their preference shaped the Workgroup's recommendations, which have been progressively implemented since March 2018. For example, the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management extended its services to SEPs to help resolve payment-related disputes. We also launched the Tripartite Standard on Contracting with SEPs to promote fair contracting norms and have made good progress. Grab, a major player in the private-hire car and food delivery markets, recently adopted this Standard, joining about 710 other progressive businesses.”
“Based on our most recent survey, the share of individuals who took on self-employed work as their main job remained stable at around 8% to 10% of our resident workforce. Most of our SEPs have a preference for self-employment over regular employment. A small number would actually prefer to be in regular employment but could not find suitable openings. We encourage them to approach WSG or e2i which will help them through the relevant programmes. While some SEPs ponder their longer term plans, the immediate concern of all is the significant drop in earnings due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Sector agencies are stepping in to help those directly impacted. For example, MOT has put together a $77 million package to help taxi and private hire care drivers. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is also providing licensed tour guides with short-term relief. SEPs in other occupations may see lower earnings because their clients have delayed projects or postponed bookings. This is, no doubt, a period of difficulty. But it is also a window of opportunity for skills upgrading. I will therefore introduce a new SEP Training Support Scheme, which I believe Mr Patrick Tay, Mr Ang Hin Kee, Mr Desmond Choo, Ms Tin Pei Ling and other Members of Parliament will welcome. Over the next three months, all SEPs will be paid a training allowance of $7.50 per hour when they attend courses under the SkillsFuture series, as well as selected sector-specific training programmes. Not only will this scheme supplement their income, it can help them become more future-ready. To illustrate, consider a 45-year-old freelance sports coach or media freelancer who decides to brush up on business management skills by taking a series of courses covering areas such as digital marketing and design thinking.”