Tan Chuan-Jin
Singapore
“A step-parent who wishes to leave any part of his or her estate to a stepchild is encouraged to make a will. Intestacy law would apply in cases where a person passes on without a will.”
“Last year, we reviewed and extended the Child Development Account, or CDA benefits to children of unwed parents. The Government granted CDA benefits, to children of unwed parents born, or with an estimated date of delivery, from 1 September 2016. It is generally good practice to implement our policies prospectively.”
“The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) does not track the number of persons who choose to remain homeless instead of being admitted into shelters. When MSF receives information on persons who may be homeless, we initiate contact with these persons on the ground to offer assistance.”
“Our law places the child's welfare and interests at the heart of an adoption decision. We must not forget that such an adoption is a life-changing event because when an unwed mother adopts her child, the duties, obligations and liabilities of the biological father are terminated.”
“The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) works closely with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to plan for preschools in upcoming Build-To-Order (BTO) developments, including Bidadari new town. To better meet the needs of young parents, new preschools will have larger capacities and also be completed earlier where possible.”
“The Silver Support Scheme under the Manpower Ministry provides an income supplement to seniors who had low incomes through life and who now have little or no family support. Beyond ComCare, we are also expanding upstream intervention to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable families and their children to set a good foundation.”
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“Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank Mr Patrick Tay for his question. Unemployment is a concern. Under-employment, as well. We look at them from various perspectives. By and large, we find that about nine in 10 of our young graduates from the local Autonomous Universities are able to secure a job within six months. Be that as it may, one of our biggest concerns, and I have flagged this up previously, is the increasing proportion of people who are pursuing higher education and special degrees at private education institutions and also at overseas education institutions. We are not at the stage where it is quite as chronic as in some other countries I have cited before, such as Taiwan and Korea. But looking at the profile of our population and the increasing access to these institutions, that is one big concern going forward. I would add that the concern is not about degrees not being important. The concern really is pursuing degrees from institutions which have less than desirable standards. In these cases, as I have mentioned earlier, you would run the greater risk of under-employment. We are tracking the data carefully from different perspectives, and this is something that we are mindful of. We are taking steps to see how best to support our young Page: 29 Singaporeans with different education qualifications.”
“As at March 2014, the ETS has benefited 96 companies, of which 70% are SMEs, and 17,500 local workers. So, there is a range of schemes available. We are quite open to exploring new ideas and initiatives to help our graduates at different levels to be able to continue to find jobs. The concerns expressed by Ms Foo are something that we track closely in terms of unemployment and also under-employment. And by and large, I think the numbers are low but I would say this: "low" does not mean there is no unemployment. For those who are unemployed, even though they may form a very low statistic, their concerns are genuine. We will do all we can to assist this group as best as possible.”
“For example, the way we have structured the employment pass, the entry-level salary regime and the tiered salary regime which takes into account age, experience and the salaries required. Those are measures we put in place to help to even out the playing field for Singaporeans. The Fair Consideration Framework was also put in place to ensure that those companies who do want to apply for employment pass would have to make those jobs available in the Jobs Bank so that Singaporeans do have access to apply for those jobs as well. If companies are found to be carrying out practices which are less than fair, we will investigate and follow up accordingly. Importantly, the best solution is to ensure that the economy is vibrant and is doing well. We are not doing too badly on that front. In terms of specific initiatives, there are existing programmes to help graduates. We have the Professional Conversion Programmes or PCPs. It basically supports job seekers to re-skill themselves, obtain necessary job competencies to take on new jobs. And some sectors with PCP programmes include Biomedical Sciences, Creative Industries, Early Childhood Care and Education, Food and Beverage, Healthcare, Information Communications and Technology, and Marine and Maritime. We also have the Max Talent Programme where we enhance the HR capabilities of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the recruitment and management of newly hired PMEs. This initiative also matches unemployed PMEs to suitable jobs in SMEs. Page: 28 There is also the Enterprise Training Scheme (ETS) where we assist firms to develop holistic training plans and career progression pathways which are tied to employees' training roadmaps.”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank Ms Foo for her two supplementary questions. With regard to the first question on competition, as I have mentioned a couple of times in the House, the truth of the matter is that foreigners compete with us whether they are in Singapore or not. This is the effect of globalisation. It does not just affect Singapore but it affects many countries in the world. In a large part, you will find that companies go round the world in search of where they can operate most effectively and on the most cost- Page: 27 effective basis. Singapore, as we know, is not the cheapest place to operate but there are a lot of strengths operating in Singapore. Companies are attracted here for a number of reasons. In fact, just last week, I had a meeting with the US-ASEAN Business Council and one gentleman shared that when he relocated here, it was one of the best decisions that he made because they have access to Singaporeans who are well skilled, hardworking, talented and capable. One of the pluses here is that we also do have access to a diverse workforce. Many of the companies that are established here – both foreign and local – are multinational in nature. Some of them are global headquarters, some are regional headquarters. They are looking at diverse workforce because that affords them that diversity in exposure and talent for them to be able to reach out to the world. When they are here, they create opportunities for Singaporeans. Foreigners here do compete with Singaporeans, but having them here does keep the economy competitive. But at the same time, on a net basis, it benefits us because it generates jobs. We are mindful that there are concerns about competition. We have taken a number of steps over the years.”
“Our first strategy is to keep our economy vibrant and competitive, so that enough quality jobs can be created. This means we must press on with our restructuring efforts, as well as to continue to grow industries which offer good jobs and, therefore, good opportunities for all Singaporeans. We need to attract the right companies to invest and grow their businesses here. At the same time, we need to help individuals to equip themselves with the skills to take on the quality jobs of today and also of tomorrow. The SkillsFuture Council will help Page: 26 spearhead efforts on this front to develop an integrated system of education, training and career progression for Singaporeans. This involves helping individuals to make informed choices on education and training, and strengthening the linkages between education and training institutions and industry needs. Employers also have to recognise the value in investing in the training of their workers and help them achieve mastery of skills. Overall, we have to create a culture where workers are motivated and able to continually acquire relevant skills and experience that will help them advance in their careers. This includes degree holders, who must also take ownership of their individual career and training development throughout their lives.”
“Mdm Speaker, graduate under-employment is an issue that many governments worldwide are grappling with, including in developed economies where graduates are experiencing challenges in securing jobs which match their skills and expertise. In many countries, graduate under-employment is due in a large part to a high or increasing proportion of degree holders entering the workforce, at a time where their economies are unable to generate sufficient good jobs for these graduates. This is exacerbated in cases where there is a mismatch between the courses of study and the skillsets required of the jobs available. The disruptive effect of technology on the nature of jobs also means that graduates who are unable to update and upgrade their skills may face challenges staying relevant in their fields. Singapore's resident graduate under-employment rate is low and stable, at 2.3% in June 2013. While we are not facing the unemployment and under-employment problems in other countries, we will not be immune to these trends. The proportion of degree holders in our workforce has been increasing. We are seeing increasing access to private educational institutions or alternative routes which offer degrees of varying quality, despite their sleek packaging. Those who spend time and money going to these institutions may bear a greater risk of under-employment. The market has begun to differentiate between degrees that carry their full worth in knowledge and skills, and those that are essentially paper qualifications. We should encourage our young to pursue their interests and go for substance when considering their education and career paths. We will also need to keep up our efforts at ensuring that graduates have the skillsets to take on quality jobs.”
“The Skills Development Levy (SDL) was introduced to encourage employers to upgrade their employees' skills. SDL collections are channelled into the Skills Development Fund (SDF), which supports a wide variety of skills upgrading programmes and activities. Individuals benefit from the SDF through subsidies provided by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA)11 when they undertake courses conducted by WDA-approved training providers. Employees can also benefit from the SDF, in the form of course fee subsidies for employers who send their workers for training. Our current system works well in supporting individuals for training. As of March 2014, 1.2 million individuals have been trained and awarded employer-recognised certifications under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) system in 34 industries. Eighty-three percent of both individuals and employers surveyed by WDA reported that WSQ training was useful12. We are open to considering new ways to enhance our Continuing Education and Training (CET) system, but also want to ensure that any system we implement maximises the benefits to individuals and employers. More fundamentally, we need to go beyond funding and subsidies to build a culture of lifelong learning where individuals are passionate about continuously developing themselves throughout life and a society where the mastery of skills, regardless of field, is respected and cherished. We will continue to look at ways to encourage individual ownership of skills Page: 170 development and inculcate a culture of lifelong learning. Page: 171”
“As part of the next phase of developing our CET system, the SkillsFuture Council will take forward a suite of new and enhanced initiatives to build a career-resilient workforce. This will involve working with employers, unions and training providers to enable individuals to make informed learning and career choices and provide a wider range of high-quality learning opportunities10. Page: 169 To account for sector-specific skill and manpower needs, the SkillsFuture Council will also adopt a sectoral approach to identifying existing skill gaps and anticipating the future skills that Singaporean workers will need, given advancements in technology and new business models. This will inform the development of the education and training system to ensure that individuals are equipped with the required skills to take on and progress in quality jobs.”
“As Singapore's economy restructures, there will be changes in the job market and the skills that are needed. To prepare Singaporeans to take up jobs in new growth industries, MOM works closely with MTI and the economic agencies, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and MOE to support each sector's manpower needs. The Government works closely with education and training providers to see that the needs of industry are taken into account in planning for various course offerings. For instance, to support the Future of Manufacturing (FoM), EDB and NTU have established the NTU Additive Manufacturing Centre to help build a pipeline of postgraduate talent in additive manufacturing. EDB, together with WDA and Temasek Polytechnic, has also introduced the Biologics Overseas Skills Training Programme (BOOST) this year to build up a pipeline of specialists for Singapore’s biologics manufacturing sector. CET courses under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) framework are aligned to industry-endorsed standards. To further enhance our CET infrastructure, the Government has also established two CET campuses recently. The CET campuses play a key role in integrating the industry more closely with training and promoting collaboration among CET professionals to develop more effective learning methods. The Government will also establish a new tripartite SkillsFuture Council to spearhead national efforts to equip Singaporeans with skills relevant to the future and build a future based on the mastery of skills. The Council will oversee efforts to develop an integrated, industry-responsive and future-oriented system of education and lifelong learning.”
“For greater protection and peace of mind, we encourage employers who are concerned about paying for high medical bills, including those who wish to obtain treatment at private hospitals, to purchase higher insurance coverage beyond the minimum requirement.”
“The Government does not give any healthcare subsidies to foreigners, including FDWs. When employers bring in FDWs, we must ensure that any medical bills incurred by the FDW do not remain unpaid and get passed on to taxpayers. This would be unfair to society at large. Therefore, MOM requires all employers of FDWs and non-domestic Work Permit holders to bear the full costs of employing these workers, including the cost of medical treatment. Employers agree with this condition when they apply for work passes. To help employers meet the financial burden of bearing the medical costs of their foreign workers, including FDWs, mandatory employer-financed medical insurance for day surgery and inpatient expenses was introduced in 2008 for each Work Permit and S Pass holder employed. This is complemented by additional requirements to purchase, in the case of FDWs, Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) with a mandatory minimum coverage of $40,000. The minimum medical insurance coverage was set at a basic level in order to keep premiums affordable for the vast majority of employers. In 2010, in response to feedback from employers, we raised the mandatory minimum coverage from $5,000 to $15,000 per worker per year. This is sufficient to fully cover 98% of day surgery and inpatient bills incurred by FDWs at the public hospitals from 2010 to 2013 and continues to provide a reasonable level of protection for employers at affordable premiums. Employers who still face difficulties in paying medical bills beyond the insured amount may approach the hospitals to discuss various options, such as instalment payments.”
“But the general principle remains that members should be prudent in their housing purchase decisions.”
“CPF members are allowed to use their CPF savings to buy a property, which serves not just to meet housing needs but also as a form of investment. If the member subsequently sells the property, the amount of CPF savings withdrawn plus interest that would have been earned had the savings remained in the CPF account, would have to be refunded to the member's CPF account from the sale proceeds. Therefore, capping the CPF usage at the Valuation Limit (VL), which is set at the lower of the purchase price or property value at the time of purchase, minimises the risk of CPF members not being able to recover the full amount of CPF used for his property. The VL policy also serves to encourage CPF members to make prudent property purchases and take up housing loans within their financial means. It helps to preserve some level of cash savings in members' CPF accounts for their retirement. As new flats purchased directly from the HDB are subsidised, the VL does not apply if they are financed with a HDB loan. This means that about four in 10 of property purchases financed using CPF monies are not affected by the VL policy. CPF members can use CPF savings beyond the VL to pay for the property if they have set aside half of the Minimum Sum in their CPF accounts. Most CPF members have been prudent and have taken the CPF usage limits for housing into account in deciding which property to purchase. The number of CPF members who have reached their VL and are unable to set aside half the Minimum Sum is small – at less than half a percent of those who are using CPF savings to service their housing loans. For affected CPF members who find it difficult to service their housing loans in cash after they reach the VL, flexibility can be Page: 149 provided upon appeal.”
“Our Tripartite Partners, NTUC and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), are active in reaching out to employers to highlight the importance of implementing job redesign. They do so through regular outreach and briefings to employers on WorkPro and capitalise on suitable recruitment events to promote WorkPro to employers and individuals. As of end September 2014, more than 1,300 employers have tapped on the Age Management and Job Redesign Grants. At this year's Age Management Seminar, the Government, NTUC and SNEF also showcased employers who had gone the extra mile to put in place age management practices and reaped improvements in employee motivation and productivity. Page: 148 The Government and Tripartite Partners will continue to promote and provide strong support to employers to implement age-friendly practices and redesign their workplace for an ageing workforce.”
“Given our ageing population, the proportion of older workers in our workforce will increase significantly in the next few decades. These workers are a potential asset to employers, with their skills, experience and wisdom honed over the years. To help older workers contribute to the fullest, the Government introduced the WorkPro programme in April 2013. One of the components under WorkPro is the Age Management Grant1, which provides incentives to employers to adopt progressive workplace practices to help older workers to work longer and more productively. To help employers to start implementing positive age management practices, the Age Management Portal provides a list of age-friendly practices that employers can undertake to help older workers continue in purposeful and productive work. For instance, employers are encouraged to appoint their older workers as mentors and trainers for younger new staff, enabling the employer to better tap on their experience and expertise. In addition, employers that wish to re-engineer their workplaces for an ageing workforce can tap on WorkPro's Job Redesign Grant2 to enhance their work processes or acquire equipment and systems to support their mature employees. A key aspect of job redesign is to ensure an employee-centric approach that takes into account the changing needs of employees. On this front, public sector agencies engage older officers through open discussions to better understand their work preferences. Public sector agencies also offer flexible work arrangements that cater to the different needs and preferences of our officers, including our older and re-employed officers. These include part-time employment, option to start and end daily work earlier and telecommuting.”
“MOH has also held some 30 engagement sessions Page: 140 since July this year to enhance public awareness of our healthcare financing framework, in particular, on the changes to our healthcare system, such as MediShield Life and the Pioneer Generation Package. MOH will continue to work closely with partners, such as grassroots and non-government organisations, to educate the public on the healthcare financing schemes. While much has been done, there is room to do more. We will endeavour to enhance our outreach to Singaporeans and explore more ways to raise and maintain awareness and understanding of the CPF and healthcare schemes. I would also like to call on Members of the House to help clarify any queries on the CPF and healthcare schemes that your constituents might have and refer those who need more information and assistance to the CPF Board or MOH.”
“In addition, CPF Board works closely with partners, such as MoneySENSE, the Institute of Financial Literacy, the Financial Planning Association of Singapore and other Government agencies, to extend its reach and ensure CPF-related information is accurately communicated to members. A poll commissioned by REACH in June 2014 found that there was good general awareness of CPF schemes relating to retirement planning. Eight in 10 Singaporeans have heard of the Minimum Sum and more than six in 10 have heard of CPF LIFE. However, awareness of policy specifics was relatively lower. CPF Board will continue to enhance its member education efforts to help Singaporeans better understand the CPF system and, in the process, help them better plan for their housing, medical and retirement needs. For example, an educational series on the CPF was recently published in all major local newspapers to explain the basics of the CPF system in an easy-to-understand manner. Similarly, more could be done to improve the public's understanding of the details of the healthcare schemes. However, with recent initiatives, such as MediShield Life and the Pioneer Generation Package, public awareness of healthcare schemes has, indeed, gone up. Polls by MCI earlier this year found that awareness of MediShield Life had increased from 54% in May to 86% in July after the Parliamentary debate on MediShield Life. To step up public education on the 3Ms (Medisave, MediShield and Medifund) and the Pioneer Generation Package, a series of videos, radio and print ads has been produced for television and radio in all four languages.”
“CPF Board has a comprehensive slew of outreach programmes to educate Singaporeans on the CPF system. To better connect with Singaporeans at different stages of their lives, the CPF Board packages relevant information by life events that Singaporeans can identify with, such as "Starting Work", "Buying a Home", "Providing for Page: 139 Your Healthcare Needs" and "Managing Your Retirement". This approach is carried out consistently across the Board’s various outreach platforms, including its social media pages, website, videos, infographics and regular talks. CPF Board also customises the way the information is communicated and adopts suitable outreach platforms with the target group of CPF members in mind. For example, talks targeted at new entrants to the workforce have game elements built in to better engage them and convey the information in a more informal setting. The Board also reaches out to younger CPF members through its social media platforms. From next year, the Board will roll out more programmes to connect with these new entrants, including lunch time talks to reach out to working adults. The Board will also seek to improve and simplify the presentation and communication of CPF information on its website and in its correspondences with members. CPF Board engages a significant number of Singaporeans through its outreach efforts. Over the last three years, the Board has reached out directly to more than 110,000 members through more than 450 talks and events, while its monthly email blasts reach more than 800,000 members.”
“In July, the Government enhanced the WorkPro Work-Life Grant to encourage a higher take-up rate when employers implement and sustain flexible work arrangements. In August, the National Trades Union Congress also launched the U Flex Family-Friendly Grant with funding from the Government to encourage companies to put in place a more holistic family-friendly workplace environment by introducing Family Care Leave and Family Support Schemes. Going forward, the Government will continue to work closely with the tripartite partners to encourage even more companies to adopt flexible work arrangements. Page: 87”
“The Employment Act regulates working hours for employees earning a basic monthly salary not exceeding $2,500 and workmen with a basic monthly salary not exceeding $4,500. Under the Act, contractual working hours cannot be more than eight hours in a day or 44 hours in a week. Those who work longer than what is prescribed in the law at the request of their employer will have to be paid extra for overtime work. For other employees whose work hours are not regulated by law, their nature of work is not time-based. As such, it is not practical for the Government to regulate their working hours. A more pragmatic and feasible approach to promoting work-life harmony is to encourage more employers to adopt flexible work arrangements. Flexible work Page: 86 arrangements, such as telecommuting or flexible working hours, can allow employees to find the right fit that suits their personal needs. Many research studies have also shown that employees on flexible work arrangements are also more productive and engaged at the workplace. We are heartened that more employers are now offering flexible work arrangements to their employees. Forty-four percent of establishments in Singapore offered at least one form of flexible work arrangement to their employees in 2013, up from 25% in 20073. The Tripartite Committee (TriCom) on Work-Life Strategy will be stepping up its promotional efforts this year to organise a week-long Work-Life Campaign in November to increase the awareness of the benefits of flexible work arrangements. In conjunction with the campaign, TriCom will also be issuing a Tripartite Advisory on Flexible Work Arrangements to guide employers, supervisors and employees in implementing and using flexible work arrangements.”
“The current Central Provident Fund (CPF) drawdown age is 63 and it will rise to 65 by 20181. This is necessary to ensure that Singaporeans, who are living longer, are able to set aside enough in retirement savings to meet their needs in old age. The Government works closely with tripartite partners to enhance employment opportunities for older Singaporeans so that they can continue to work, earn an income and save more for their retirement. We introduced re-employment legislation in 2012 to require employers to offer re-employment to eligible employees from age 62 to 65. We are seeing good results. Almost all (or 99%) of private sector local employees who turned 62 in the year ending June 2013 were offered re-employment. Of those, almost all (or 98%2) accepted the offer. For older Singaporeans who need assistance with finding a job, we have in place various schemes, subsidies and job assistance programmes, such as WorkPro, that are focused on helping them find good and meaningful jobs. We note, however, that there may be some Singaporeans who are unable to work because of medical reasons and, hence, may need to draw on their retirement savings early. In such cases, there are already mechanisms in place for them to apply for early withdrawal of their CPF savings on medical grounds. There are also various Government assistance schemes to help unemployed and needy Singaporeans tide over difficult periods as well as to regain their financial independence. These include the ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance, which provides a combination of employment assistance, cash allowance, rental, utilities, as well as referrals to other agencies for further assistance, depending on the families’ needs. Page: 80”
“We intend to maintain our current FW policy stance, without liberalising nor having new measures to tighten foreign worker numbers further, which should maintain the motivation for businesses to adopt manpower-lean business models and to improve job outcomes for Singaporeans. Page: 155”
“Foreign manpower demand across the Services sector has moderated progressively. In 2013, the foreign workforce (FW) growth in Services sector, excluding foreign domestic workers, was 12,100; compared to 22,800 in 2012 and 53,700 in 2011. The national emphasis on productivity, together with previously announced FW tightening measures, contributed to this moderation. In line with the slower growth in foreign workforce, MOM has also moderated our pace of tightening. After tightening measures announced in 2012 and 2013, we did not introduce new FW policy adjustments for the Services sector this year. There have been early encouraging results. Incomes of Singaporeans have risen more significantly in 2013 compared to previous years, especially for our low-wage workers9. Firms are also responding and adjusting, such as through introduction of technology and automation, offering more self-service options to consumers, or offering better and more flexible job packages to attract Singaporeans. For the overall economy, we are approaching our targets in keeping FW growth to sustainable levels. Overall FW growth in 1H 2014 was the lowest since 2009 [Please refer to Page: 154 Chart 1]. MOM will continue to monitor the situation closely. While the growth in foreign employment has slowed, we expect manpower demand to be firm given the substantial supply of new commercial facilities and infrastructure in the next few years. Domestic-oriented industries within the Services sector – such as food services, retail trade and accommodation – continued to lag in productivity growth, with significant room for improvement.”
“The number of insurance representatives is less than 1% amongst all employed residents from 2003 to 2013 (0.6% in both 2003 and 2013). Similar to 2003, nine in 10 resident insurance representatives were in full-time employment8 in 2013. About four in five attained a diploma or above qualification, up from one in two in 2003. In terms of age, the proportion which is aged 40 and above remained constant over the period, at about one in two. Similarly, there has been an even distribution of males and females from 2003 to 2013. In 2003 and 2013, more than nine in 10 insurance representatives were residents.”
“From 2003 to 2013, less than 1% of employed residents were real estate agents (0.5% in 2003 and 0.9% in 2013). About eight in 10 of resident real estate agents in 2013 were in full-time employment7, down from nine in ten in 2003. Similar to 2003, close to half of resident real estate agents were females in 2013. About two in three were aged 40 and above, up from one in two in 2003. In terms of educational qualifications, about two in three had diploma or above education, up from two in five in 2003. Non-residents made up less than 1% of all real estate agents in 2003 and 2013.”
“The Industrial Relations Act regulates employer-employee relations and provides a framework for preventing and settling trade disputes. Since its introduction in 1968, the Act has provided for a list of management prerogatives, for example, hiring, firing, promotion and transfer of employees. Unions can negotiate on most industrial matters except for issues on this list. Notwithstanding this, the Act also provides for Page: 152 safeguards to protect the rights of employees. This is a balanced approach which allows unions and employers to work together to improve the economic and social status of workers, while reducing disputes over which issues the unions can enter into negotiations with management. Over the years, this has served us well in promoting industrial harmony. MOM will continue to monitor the ground to ensure that this provision and the relevant safeguards provide the necessary framework for a stable working relationship between employers and unions.”
“The immediate measures that I have highlighted are necessary but not sufficient to bring about sustained improvement in WSH performance. The latter requires behavioural changes where all stakeholders take greater ownership of workplace safety. We have identified a number of medium-term measures to bring about this change. As announced by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the launch of this year's Workplace Safety and Health Campaign in May, we will make Design for Safety (DfS) a mandatory requirement for future building projects. DfS will require the developers, designers and other project stakeholders to work together to address WSH risks at the design and planning phase rather than having it mitigated downstream at the construction phase. The joint taskforce with BCA has been set up and comprises government agencies, industry associations and relevant stakeholders. The proposed DfS framework is now undergoing consultation with key industry stakeholders and we will announce the implementation details by first quarter of 2015. Achieving sustained improvement in safety performance requires everyone in the workplace to take the responsibility to make their workplace a safer one. MOM will continue to work closely with the industry to raise WSH standards, but we will also not hesitate to take stern action against errant stakeholders. Page: 141”
“We have also applied for stronger penalties for cases where there were serious breaches of the law, including higher fines against employers who failed in their duties. All these immediate measures serve to emphasise the importance of workplace safety, as well as to deter lapses and non-compliant behaviour. As I have shared with the House previously, my Ministry has carried out a review to strengthen the WSH Demerit Points System, which aims to identify contractors with poor work practices and restrict their access to foreign manpower if there are no improvement in their safety records. We have completed the review and are consulting the industry to gather their feedback on an enhanced Demerit Point System. Broadly, there are two key proposed enhancements to strengthen the system's deterrence effect against errant companies who blatantly flout safety rules. First, the system will be simplified to a single-stage system where accumulation of demerit points will result in longer periods of debarment. Secondly, the number of demerit points to be issued will be recalibrated to commensurate with the gravity of offences. Further details of the changes would be released in the first quarter of 2015. Page: 140 To complement these enforcement measures, my Ministry has also accelerated efforts to raise industry's awareness and capabilities in WSH. For instance, the number of Safety Compliance Assistance Visits (or SCAV), where we provide WSH assistance through on-site coaching, have been doubled from 800 in 2013 to 1600 in 2014. Since May 2014, SCAV has visited over 800 workplaces and helped more than half of them to identify and rectify WSH lapses that could have led to fatal worksite accidents.”
“My Ministry has been closely monitoring and taking active steps to address our overall workplace safety and health performance. Excluding work-related traffic accidents, we had 30 workplace fatalities in the first half of 2014, five more compared to the same period last year. Seventeen of these fatalities in 2014 occurred in the construction sector alone. The workplace safety performance of the construction sector is of particular concern. The challenges faced by the construction sector are multi-faceted; from meeting the strong demands of construction projects amid a dynamic operating landscape, to managing risks throughout its multi-subcontracting system. As such, my Ministry adopts a dual-pronged approach to drive the industry towards working safely. First, immediate measures were taken since early this year to arrest the increased incidences of fatalities and injuries in the construction sector. Second, medium-term measures have been set out to sustain improvements in WSH performance. Let me elaborate on both set of measures. My Ministry has stepped up enforcement efforts in high-risk sectors, such as construction and marine, and has taken stern action against companies for workplace safety violations. In the first eight months of this year, about 4,600 inspections were carried out. Fifty-one Stop Work Orders, close to 2,000 Composition Fines and more than 6,000 Notices of Non-Compliance were issued. Those issued with the Stop Work Order (SWO) are required to address systemic lapses in addition to physical lapses before their SWO can be lifted. In addition, poor performing companies are placed under the Business Under Surveillance (BUS) Programme for close monitoring and supervision and have to fulfil more stringent exit criteria.”
“CPF members below the age of 55 may transfer savings from their Ordinary Account to the Special Account, up to the prevailing Minimum Sum, to earn higher interest rates and build up their CPF savings for retirement. At the age of 55, the Retirement Account is created, and members' savings from their Special and Ordinary Accounts up to their cohort's Minimum Sum are transferred to their Retirement Account. Monies in the Retirement Account earn higher interest rates compared to the Ordinary Account, at the same interest rates as the Special Account. For those who have already met their cohort's Minimum Sum, they can choose to make further transfers from their Special and Ordinary Accounts to top up their Retirement Account up to the prevailing Minimum Sum, when the Minimum Sum is adjusted each year. For example, if I am 55 years old today and have set aside my cohort’s Minimum Sum of $155,000 in my Retirement Account, when the Minimum Sum increases to $161,000 next year, I can choose to transfer up to $6,000 of my Special and Ordinary Account savings to my Retirement Account to save more for my retirement needs.”
“On an annual basis from 2008 to 2013, the unemployment rate of resident degree holders has remained low and relatively stable at an average of 2.9%, and is amongst the lowest across all educational groups in this period. From quarter to quarter, it is not uncommon for the unemployment rate for resident degree holders to fluctuate. It is typically higher in June each year due to seasonal factors such as the new graduating cohort entering the labour force. This trend is reflected in the recent increase from 2.5% in March 2014 to 3.9% (provisional) in June 2014. Over the last decade, the proportion of degree holders in the resident population has increased substantially – from 14.4% in 2003 to 23.9% in 2013. Notwithstanding this surge, the proportion of degree holders who were economically inactive only increased marginally from 10.5% in June 2003 to 11.9% in June 2013. This is significantly lower than the 33.3% of economically inactives in the overall resident population. The proportion of resident degree holders under the age of 30 who were economically inactive in 2013 is the lowest across all educational groups, at 10.6%. For this group, further education and training as well as childcare (for female residents) were the most commonly cited reasons for being out of the workforce. MOM will continue to monitor the economic activity status of degree holders closely. We will continue in our efforts with tripartite partners to ensure that all residents, including degree holders, have good access to quality jobs, career development and progression pathways.”
“MND and HDB recently announced enhancements to the LBS, which include extending LBS to 4-room HDB flats, relaxing the top-up requirement to the CPF for households with two or more lessees and having the flexibility to choose the amount of lease to retain. These enhancements were made in response to feedback on the LBS. We will continue to take in feedback for future reviews.”
“Most seniors have various sources of financial support in retirement. Based on the findings of the latest Household Expenditure Survey, a retiree household in 2012/2013 received $1,740 of non-work income on average a month. The sources of income include monthly payouts from CPF, contributions from family members, rental income and investment income. Results from the National Survey of Senior Citizens 2011 also indicated that about two-thirds of senior citizens received income transfers from their children. Many of our seniors today also have savings in their housing assets which have appreciated significantly. A typical retiree household who owns a 3-room or a 4-room flat has $300,000 or $400,000 worth of net equity in the flat respectively. The Government has introduced schemes such as the Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) to provide Singaporeans with additional options for unlocking the savings in their flats to supplement their retirement income if they wish to do so. Seniors who have other forms of financial support might not Page: 130 see the need to take up LBS, or they may choose to move to a small flat or rent out rooms in their flats instead. One in 10 elderly households aged 55 and above sublet a room or the whole flat. These are alternative monetisation options for those who prefer to bequeath their flats to their children. There is ongoing interest and enquiries about the housing monetisation schemes which indicate awareness of these options, but not all enquiries translate to actual applications. Nonetheless, the Government will continue to study ways to improve the range and features of housing monetisation schemes to ensure that they meet the needs of our seniors while providing flexibility to suit different preferences.”
“When completed, they will underpin the development of both Pre-Employment Training programmes offered by the post-secondary education institutions as well as the CET programmes. For employers, these frameworks will serve as useful reference to guide their HR practices such as recruiting and planning career progression pathways for their employees. Individuals will also better understand how they can deepen their skills in specific sectors and progress in their careers.”
“There are currently 34 Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) frameworks which cover a broad range of sectors in the economy, including both manufacturing and services sectors such as Precision Engineering, Aerospace, Retail, Hospitality, Community and Social Services, Financial Services, Infocomm and Logistics. These WSQ frameworks are developed in consultation with Industry Skills Councils (ISCs) which comprise representatives from tripartite stakeholders such as employers, sectoral lead agencies, industry associations and unions. The Construction and Maritime sectors are examples of sectors which do not have WSQ frameworks. However, these sectors already have established training programmes in place, such as those offered by BCA Academy and Singapore Maritime Academy, which receive Government subsidies to facilitate workforce upgrading and skills development. As recently announced by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the official opening of the Lifelong Learning Institute, a tripartite SkillsFuture Council will be set up to help Singaporeans develop skills relevant to the future and to build a future based on mastery of skills in every job. The work of SkillsFuture will cover the whole workforce, and extend beyond what is covered under current WSQ frameworks. As part of this work, the new Council will develop sectoral manpower strategies, to (a) identify skills and manpower needs for each sector, (b) articulate clear progression pathways for workers based on skills; and (c) through this framework, help employers hire and develop their people. These skills-based frameworks will build and expand on the existing WSQ frameworks or credential systems established by the relevant authorities for specific industries.”
“We will need to maintain such a balanced and judicious combination of policies – calibrated tightness in our foreign workforce policies, together with assistance in adopting technology and transforming business processes – to support our shift towards more productivity-driven and inclusive growth. Page: 126”
“Sector-specific needs have already been catered for through the different Dependency Ratio Ceilings for the five sectors – Services, Manufacturing, Construction, Marine and Process. In general, we have applied a consistent set of rules across each sector, so that we allow firms that are more manpower-efficient and those that are better able to attract Singaporeans to grow. However, we do provide flexibility in industries where there is an essential economic or social need, such as healthcare and landscaping. We do not rule out further flexibility where warranted. But such flexibility cannot be accorded simply to industries that claim they cannot find Singaporeans, because that will entrench reliance on labour-intensive business models and reduce the need for businesses to re-design their jobs to be more attractive to Singaporeans. Restructuring is not easy for businesses, especially for SMEs. But all businesses in Singapore, whether large or small firms, will need to shift towards manpower efficient practices and create jobs that Singaporeans want. So that in the longer term, the economy as a whole will restructure to fit the realities of our limited size and the changing aspirations of Singaporeans. The key to firms coping with tighter labour market conditions and sustaining higher wages is through productivity growth. This is why there are many policies targeted at helping businesses to restructure and raise the skills level of their workforce. For example, businesses can benefit from SPRING's capability development and productivity grants to mitigate the impact of manpower constraints. In 2013, the vast majority – almost eight out of 10 – of the SMEs supported by SPRING were micro and small SMEs with annual revenue of less than $10 million.”
“Since 2010, MOM has been taking progressive steps to raise the quality of our foreign workforce and reduce over-reliance on foreign labour. This is in line with the Government's efforts to achieve quality economic growth driven by sustained productivity improvement. Our foreign workforce policies aim to meet three key objectives. First, to moderate excessive growth of our foreign workforce. Second, to sustain real income growth for a broad base of Singaporeans. And third, to support our shift towards more productivity-driven growth. Our efforts are starting to bear fruit. The overall foreign workforce growth in 1H 2014 was the lowest since 2009. Incomes of Singaporeans have also risen more in 2013 compared to previous years, especially for our low wage workers1. Accordingly, MOM has also calibrated our foreign manpower policy stance. We did not announce new tightening measures this year, except for some focused on the Construction sector. However, this does not mean liberalising Foreign Workforce (FW) controls either. There remains much scope to boost productivity across all sectors in the economy. There was a net increase of about 14,000 companies per year over the last five years2, while more commercial facilities are slated to open, suggesting strong manpower demand over the next Page: 125 few years. So, we intend to maintain our current FW policy stance – neither liberalising nor having new measures to tighten foreign worker numbers further – to motivate adoption of manpower-lean business models and improve job outcomes for Singaporeans. We know that there are industries facing difficulty in attracting Singaporeans.”
“The NWC should retain its principles of consensus-building and flexibility for businesses to take into account their business performance, prospects and, importantly, sustainability, because it has a very real impact on employability, on jobs and, ultimately, wages as well. Mandatory wage increases could be detrimental to businesses which do not have the financial means to give the increases, and this will in turn be detrimental to the workers. The commitment of the Tripartite Partners in encouraging the adoption of the NWC's Guidelines has been an Page: 36 important feature of our wage system and we should continue to work towards sustainable wage increases for all Singaporeans.”
“Mdm Speaker, since the establishment of the tripartite National Wages Council (NWC) in 1972, the NWC's annual Guidelines have played an important role in setting a framework for collective wage bargaining by unionised companies, and as a reference point for wage increases in the non-unionised sector. This has helped maintain moderate and orderly wage increases that take a broader view of the labour market and economic conditions. The NWC's Guidelines have never been mandatory, as they should not supplant market forces in determining wages for individual companies. Where appropriate, the NWC has used its discretion to include quantitative elements, for instance, recommendations starting in 2012 for a minimum built-in wage increase for employees earning a monthly basic salary of up to $1,000. In a competitive and tight labour market, there has been improved adoption of the NWC's Guidelines. For example, in 2013, 77% of private establishments gave or intended to give wage increases to their employees earning a monthly basic salary of up to $1,000, up from 60% in 2012. Some 57% of establishments gave at least a $60 wage increase to these workers in 2013 and this is up from 28% that gave the $50 recommended in 2012. This has in turn helped to narrow the wage disparity. From 2012 to 2013, real income growth for full-time employed citizens was 6.7% at the 20th percentile, compared to 4.6% at the median. This is real income growth. A similar trend was observed over the past five years, where annualised real income growth at the 20th percentile was at 2%, which was stronger compared to the median of 1.7%. The NWC will continue to play an important role in ensuring that real wage movements are sustainable and in line with productivity growth over the long term.”
“Contractors must also meet NEA's requirements for adequate and proper sanitary and bathing facilities, as well as SCDF's requirements pertaining to sufficient Page: 117 living space per worker. Our data shows that there are over 70,000 foreign workers living in construction quarters. Employers must ensure that foreign worker accommodation continues to be well-maintained throughout their workers' stay in the premises, such that their well-being is not compromised. MOM actively conducts enforcement inspections, often in collaboration with relevant agencies such as NEA, SCDF and URA to ascertain that the workers' accommodation meets regulatory requirements. Over the last three years, on average, over 900 premises are checked each year. For each worker found housed in non-approved accommodation, employers are currently liable to a fine of up to $10,000, or imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both. These penalties were doubled only two years ago, when the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act was amended in November 2012. Errant employers will also be barred from applying for new work passes or renewing existing work passes. In addition, owners and occupiers of premises used as illegal foreign worker housing will be taken to task by the relevant authorities. We encourage members of the public to come forward if they have any information that the well-being of foreign workers is being compromised, so that the relevant Government agencies can investigate and take action against errant employers or premises owners and occupiers. Page: 118”
“Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, employers of Work Permit holders are required to ensure that their foreign workers have accommodation that meets the regulatory requirements of various agencies. These requirements include living space standards, structural and fire safety, as well as proper sanitation to safeguard the well-being of the occupants. Employers can currently house foreign workers in a variety of approved accommodation, including various types of dormitories and workers' quarters. Employers may choose appropriate accommodation depending on their business requirements and the needs of the workers, provided the accommodation meets the standards set by the relevant authorities that safeguard the safety and well-being of foreign workers. A good number of workers in the construction industry is already housed in purpose-built dormitories. In a few months, we will be proposing new legislation pertaining to the regulation and licensing of purpose-built dormitories. At the same time, we also recognise that there are benefits to housing workers at or close to their workplaces as this reduces the need for workers to be ferried to and from their workplaces. This could provide workers with more time to rest outside of working hours, reduce traffic congestion and crowding, and hopefully also enhance workers’ productivity. Specific to workers' quarters on construction sites, contractors must meet BCA's structural safety requirements and SCDF's fire safety standards. All workers' quarters must comply with specifications relating to ceiling height, ventilation, staircase width and lightning protection requirements.”
“Even when Singaporeans apply for a job that they see on the Jobs Bank, we cannot directly track this. For example, job seekers may apply through firms' in-house human resources (HR) portals. Therefore, data on the number of Singaporeans who were placed in a job vacancy which was advertised on the Jobs Bank would not be a representative or accurate indicator of how well Singaporeans are doing in the labour market in general. Rather, what is important to us is whether the overall labour market ecosystem benefits Singaporean job seekers. This goes beyond the Jobs Bank and involves broader factors, such as the number and types of jobs being created and whether our people have Page: 154 the skills and passion for the job. We track and report indicators of citizen employment outcomes regularly and the situation is healthy. The seasonally adjusted citizen unemployment rate is 3.0%6 and remains much lower than those of many other countries, while Singaporean workers have enjoyed positive real wage growth over the last five years7. We are, at the same time, keeping a close watch on firms' hiring patterns. If a firm has a disproportionately low percentage of Professionals, Managers and Executives (PME)s who are Singaporeans compared to their industry peers, we will initiate closer scrutiny of the firm, to find out more details about the hiring practices and plans to develop Singaporeans for more senior positions. The Ministry of Manpower will assess if HR practices are fair in these firms. If they are not, we will ask the firm to work out a plan to make improvements. Should a firm remain uncooperative or does not adhere to the plan, it may have its work pass privileges curtailed. Page: 155”
“To date, more than 31,000 Singaporeans have signed up with the Jobs Bank and more than 10,000 employers have come on board and are actively posting job vacancies. There are over 65,000 jobs available on the Jobs Bank today. The feedback from both employers and job seekers has also been positive. It is an encouraging start and we hope more employers and Singaporean job seekers would use it over time. The Jobs Bank was intended to facilitate a fair hiring process and greater awareness of job vacancies available for Singaporean job seekers. Singaporean job seekers are now able to make job applications directly through the Jobs Bank for a comprehensive list of job openings. The Jobs Bank and the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) was not, however, set up to guarantee local job seekers that they will always get the job. This will continue to be determined on the basis of merit and to the best applicant for the job. There can be various reasons why an employer may not end up hiring the Singaporean candidate after considering applications fairly. For example, in the IT sector, there could be jobs that require technical skills or domain knowledge of legacy programming languages, which IT firms use in supporting legacy IT systems of many companies that our local workforce may not possess in sufficient numbers. Likewise, Singaporean job seekers have their reasons for not accepting job offers – for example – if employers are unable to meet their expectations in terms of job scope and other personal considerations. Singaporeans may also get placed in jobs through means other than the Jobs Bank. For example, Singaporeans may be hired directly by the firm or through head-hunters or private job portals and other job ads.”
“As of June 2013, 8.1% of employed residents were own account workers. This is down somewhat from 8.9% in 2003. Own account workers operate their own business without employing anyone else, and are typically engaged on contracts for services. They are essentially their own employers. Own account workers, like all self-employed workers, are required to contribute to their Medisave Account if they earn a yearly net trade income of more than $6,000, to ensure that they have sufficient Medisave savings for their healthcare needs. While it is not compulsory for them to contribute to the Ordinary and Special Accounts, they are encouraged to make voluntary contributions to save for retirement. Such contributions can qualify for tax relief, subject to a cap. The Government encourages self-employed persons to contribute to their Central Provident Fund (CPF) accounts to cater to their retirement needs. We raise awareness through various channels such as annual mailers, media stories, outreach events and e-newsletters. We also provide support through measures such as the Workfare Income Supplement and Medisave top-ups. Industry associations and companies also play an important role in encouraging their self-employed persons to contribute to their Medisave. One example is the Drive-and-Save scheme implemented in 2011 where taxi companies make co-contributions towards taxi drivers’ Medisave accounts. We encourage more to do the same. Page: 153”
“There were approximately 690,000 economically inactive women in 2013. About 45% (312,000) of them were inactive because of family responsibilities (housework, childcare or caregiving to families/relatives). Data on the corresponding flat types for this group is unavailable. Amongst the approximately 193,000 women aged 65 and older in 2010, latest available census data indicates that about half were widows. Based on Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB)'s data, the average CPF balance of all female members who turned 65 in 2013 is $56,000. Balances are generally lower for older cohorts because (i) wages were lower in the past, (ii) fewer women worked, (iii) withdrawal rules were more liberal, and (iv) older CPF members had fewer years to benefit from recent improvements to the CPF, such as Workfare and the Extra Interest of 1%. Looking at data on CPF balances alone will not give us a complete picture for assessing how vulnerable an elderly person is. Besides CPF savings, individuals may have private savings, support from children/family and savings in their homes which can be unlocked through housing monetisation schemes. Over time, we expect the CPF balances of women to rise with increasing female labour force participation. The Government has also introduced and enhanced the Minimum Sum Page: 152 Topping Up Scheme to encourage family members to top up the CPF savings of their loved ones. For the vulnerable elderly with no income or family support, there are various Government assistance schemes to help them including the ComCare Long Term Assistance scheme (also known as Public Assistance). As at December 2013, there were 3,164 beneficiaries of this scheme, of which 35% are female.”
“As at December 2013, there were 9,700 Letter of Consent (LOC) foreign workers and they made up less than 1% of our total foreign workforce, excluding Foreign Domestic Workers. This percentage has remained fairly constant over the years. Page: 129 Foreign interns are usually brought in under the Training Employment Pass. We have tightened the scheme in recent years to prevent firms from relying on "interns" on a permanent or ongoing basis and to expand internship opportunities for Singaporeans. This has brought down the TEP intern numbers significantly, from a peak of 4,100 in 2010 to 1,200 in 2013.”
“Even when Singaporeans apply for a job that they see on the Jobs Bank, we cannot directly track this. For example, job seekers may apply through firms’ in-house HR portals. Therefore, data on the number of Singaporeans who were placed in a job vacancy which was advertised on the Jobs Bank would not be a representative or accurate indicator of how well Singaporeans are doing in the labour market in general. Page: 120 Rather, what is important to us is whether the overall labour market ecosystem benefits Singaporean job seekers. This goes beyond the Jobs Bank and involves broader factors, such as the number and types of jobs being created, and whether our people have the skills and passion for the job. We track and report indicators of citizen employment outcomes regularly and the situation is healthy. The seasonally adjusted citizen unemployment rate is 3.0%1 and remains much lower than those of many other countries, while Singaporean workers have enjoyed positive real wage growth over the last five years2. We are, at the same time, keeping a close watch on firms' hiring patterns. If a firm has a disproportionately low percentage of professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) who are Singaporeans compared to their industry peers, we will initiate closer scrutiny of the firm to find out more details about the hiring practices and plans to develop Singaporeans for more senior positions. The Ministry of Manpower will assess if HR practices are fair in these firms. If they are not, we will ask the firm to work out a plan to make improvements. Should a firm remain uncooperative, or not adhere to the plan, it may have its work pass privileges curtailed.”
“To date, more than 31,000 Singaporeans have signed up with the Jobs Bank and more than 10,000 employers have come on board and are actively posting job vacancies. There are over 65,000 jobs available on the Jobs Bank today. The feedback from both employers and jobseekers has also been positive. It is an encouraging start and we hope more employers and Singaporean job seekers would use it over time. The Jobs Bank was intended to facilitate a fair hiring process and greater awareness of job vacancies available for Singaporean job seekers. Singaporean jobseekers are now able to make job applications directly through the Jobs Bank for a comprehensive list of job openings. The Jobs Bank and the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) was not, however, set up to guarantee local jobseekers that they will always get the job. This will continue to be determined on the basis of merit and to the best applicant for the job. There can be various reasons why an employer may not end up hiring the Singaporean candidate after considering applications fairly. For example, in the IT sector, there could be jobs that require technical skills or domain knowledge of legacy programming languages, which IT firms use in supporting legacy IT systems of many companies that our local workforce may not possess in sufficient numbers. Likewise, Singaporean jobseekers have their reasons for not accepting job offers, for example, if employers are unable to meet their expectations in terms of job scope and other personal considerations. Singaporeans may also get placed in jobs through means other than the Jobs Bank. For example, Singaporeans may be hired directly by the firm or through head-hunters or private job portals and other job advertisements.”
“As of December 2013, there were 1,321,600 foreigners working in Singapore. Excluding foreign domestic workers, there were 1,107,100 foreigners employed across different sectors in Singapore. Data on breakdown by nationalities are not publicly available. Page: 94 The table below provides the list of top 10 sectors that employed the most number of foreigners as of December 2013. Page: 95”