Tan See Leng
Singapore
“We are aware of the Singapore Workplace Report 2026, produced by the Singapore Institute of Directors and Gallup, and we are studying its findings.”
“The Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation (Taskforce) actively reaches out to all retrenched local employees. In 2025, 77% of Mandatory Retrenchment Notifications (MRNs) were submitted at least seven days ahead of the employee's last working day and 73% of MRNs were submitted at least two weeks ahead.”
“From 2022 to 2025, vacancy rates for technical maintenance roles in the real estate services sector, which includes facilities management, have been lower than the overall job vacancy rate, except in 2025 (see Table 1).”
“The Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) works with sector agencies to determine the courses which are required by the respective industries. The SWDA currently funds more than 100 courses, spanning a wide range of mental health-related fields.”
“In the first quarter of 2026, the profile of retrenched residents aged 50 to 59 was broadly similar to the profile of all retrenched residents, predominantly comprising professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and were mainly from wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, financial and insurance services and profession…”
“In 2025, around 4,200 resident professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) aged 45 to 59 were retrenched, higher than 3,200 in 2024 and 3,500 in 2023. Their six-month re-entry rate remained stable at 48.5% in 2025, compared with 48.9% in 2024 and 50.1% in 2023.”
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“To ensure that COMPASS is effective, MOM will, similarly, put in place strong enforcement measures to ensure that employers do not circumvent its rules. To ensure the authenticity of qualifications, MOM currently requires the submission of verification proof from a third-party screening organisation for selected work pass applications. Applications with unaccredited or false qualifications are rejected. With the introduction of COMPASS, where qualifications directly contribute to an application’s score, we are reviewing the need for mandatory verification of qualifications declared in applications and will share more details in due course. We will also put in place verification checks to ensure that candidates claiming bonus points for the Shortage Occupation List are genuinely performing the job role in shortage. Candidates that relied on these bonus points to pass COMPASS will be issued an occupation-restricted EP. Their employers will also need to notify MOM if these EP holders need to be redeployed to a different job role and the eligibility of the EP holders will be reassessed. MOM will take enforcement action if an employer is found to have deployed such EP holders in unrelated roles. COMPASS is a significant move for MOM. I would like to assure Members that we will spare no effort to implement COMPASS well. MOM will always be on guard against actions that undermine our work pass framework and will continually refine our enforcement measures to ward off any abuse. I also urge all companies to work with MOM to achieve the objectives of COMPASS – uplifting foreign workforce complementarity and diversity, while building up the local workforce. In the long run, this is the only way to sustain broad support for an open and connected economy.”
“We share the Member’s interest in safeguarding the integrity of the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) and preventing any abuse. I had covered a few aspects of how we will do so during MOM’s Committee of Supply debate in March 2022, but will reiterate these points for a holistic answer. Today, MOM takes a multi-pronged approach in enforcing our work pass requirements. Enforcement measures are already in place to guard against fraud in the areas of salary and qualifications, which are components of our current Employment Pass (EP) framework. MOM has screening capabilities to detect cases of fraud, including through data analytics and verification checks. This helps to sieve out fraudulent applications upstream, such as those who falsify salary or qualifications information. Downstream, we also conduct proactive checks to identify employers and work pass holders who breach our rules, for example, employers who declare a higher salary to meet work pass requirements but pay employees less than the declared amount. Some of these cases are surfaced by whistle-blowers while others are detected through audits and inspections. MOM imposes stiff penalties on errant employers and work pass holders. Offenders may be prosecuted for false declaration under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, which carries a fine of up to $20,000, up to two years’ imprisonment, or both, per charge. In addition, MOM will revoke the work passes of errant work pass holders and permanently bar them from employment in Singapore. In cases where employers are complicit, they may also have their work pass privileges suspended. When COMPASS is introduced, it will take into account a wider set of individual- and firm-related attributes to assess an applicant’s complementarity.”
“From 1 July 2020 to 31 January 2022, more than 3,800 companies and 2,800 companies successfully applied for the Senior Worker Early Adopter Grant and the Part-time Re-employment Grant respectively. MOM has observed higher application rates for the grants from the manufacturing, administrative and support services, as well as the accommodation and food services sectors. We do not collect data on the occupations of the senior workers working in the companies that have applied for the grants.”
“Mr Saktiandi Supaat also asked how we can enhance the CCPs to respond effectively to industry disruptions. Firstly, our CCPs are highly customisable and can be deployed quickly. During the COVID-19 pandemic, WSG worked closely with the Food Services, Retail and Hotels sectors to roll out CCPs to help companies in these adversely impacted sectors redeploy and reskill more than 3,000 of their existing workers. This is how we were able to rapidly scale up in 2020. Secondly, MTI and our sector agencies are driving our economic transformation through the Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs). To complement the ITM effort, MOM launched the Jobs Transformation Maps (JTMs) in 2021 to provide detailed, job-level insights on the impact of technology and automation on the industry and workforce. The JTMs will serve as a useful compass for industry, employers and workers to prepare themselves for future jobs and skills. With these insights, WSG works closely with the sector agencies to mount CCPs to support the longer-term manpower needs of our economy.”
“Since August 2021, Workforce Singapore (WSG) has rebranded the Professional Conversion Programmes to Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) to reflect their broad coverage across the range of occupations. Over the last three years, there were more than 24,000 locals placed into new jobs through CCPs. This is 62% higher than the previous three years. The top sectors for CCP placements over the past three years are Air Transport, Financial Services and General Manufacturing, but this changes from year to year. Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked whether the CCPs have been successful in directing workers away from sunset industries into growth industries. Our approach is to focus on jobs rather than sectors as jobs across all industries are being transformed and new jobs created. The CCPs serve two main functions. Firstly, where there are emerging new jobs, or demand for skilled workers, WSG offers place-and-train CCPs to support employers to hire mid-career workers and provide them with the necessary training to do these jobs. Secondly, we are moving upstream to reskill workers in at-risk job roles. WSG works with progressive employers to reskill at-risk workers and redeploy them into new or redesigned jobs within the company, instead of letting these workers go. About 11,000 workers were reskilled and redeployed through what we call redeployment CCPs over the last three years. Taken together, WSG offers a wide variety of CCPs – around 100 CCPs across 30 sectors. As for measuring success, I am happy to report that most of our CCP participants do well. About nine in 10 CCP participants remained employed 24 months after embarking on the programme, and about six in 10 earned more than their last drawn salaries, reflecting the value of the skills acquired.”
“Based on claims that have been filed, there is no indication of the effect of prolonged telecommuting work arrangements on work-related musculoskeletal disorders or eye disorders. In fact, the top sectoral contributors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders in 2021 and 2020 were manufacturing, health and social services, accommodation and food services, and construction. Workers in these sectors, generally, do not telecommute due to the nature of their work. For dry eye disease, it is compensable if it arose out of and in the course of employment. However, we note that dry eye disease has also been linked to several non-work factors, such as ageing or vitamin deficiency. We will continue to monitor workplace trends and medical evidence and review the list of occupational diseases under the Work Injury Compensation Act when necessary. In addition, with telecommuting becoming more prevalent, the Workplace Safety and Health Council has been conducting outreach to employers and employees on safe and healthy telecommuting practices. The Council has published a bulletin on conducting risk assessment when working from home. These include mitigating ergonomic hazards, such as by adjusting monitor height to prevent eye or neck strain, and taking regular screen breaks to rest one’s eyes at least two to three times every hour.”
“The CTP is one of the multitude of programmes that we have available in ensuring that we are able to nuance the JTM to match what we have actually set out to achieve under our ITMs. I believe that the Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Gan Kim Yong, will provide an update in terms of the effectiveness of the programmes at a later stage. Suffice to say, we have got a whole host of other programmes like the Company Training Committee (CTC) programme administered by NTUC. Then, WSG works on the Career Conversion Programme (CCP) in helping many of our mid-career job-seekers who want to switch careers. So, it is one of the many programmes that we have available. As far as the numbers in terms of the 140 companies and the 990 locals are concerned, how much of the funding of up to 90% we have been able to accord, at this particular point in time, I do not have the numbers, but I am happy to provide the details subsequently. One other point, and I hope that the Leader of the Opposition may want to take note, is that in the last two years during COVID-19, because of border restrictions, the number of companies applying for this particular programme to allow either their employees to go overseas for training or to bring foreign expertise here, has been significantly curtailed. Hence, that speaks for the very low take-up rate over the last two years. But as border controls ease, as we start opening up, I would expect that the numbers would start to go up again, all the way until the end of the programme in 2024.”
“I thank the Member for his suggestion. We are not closed to anything. But I think let me set the perspective. Thus far, since the programme began till now, WSG has not received any feedback from interested companies that the existing support rates or the project funding cap of S$300,000 is restrictive. So, we will continue to monitor the take-up of the scheme. It is something that we have started for quite a number of years. Certainly, companies have benefited and, like I said, 990 locals, close to about 1,000, have also benefited or will be benefiting from the programme. In the absence of additional feedback, unless Mr Abdul Samad is suggesting that there are instances where he finds that the funding cap of S$300,000 is restrictive, it is something that we can look to review.”
“I thank the Member for his suggestion. It is something that we, certainly, will look into closely. I think the appreciation of the fact that this has to be a very tightly-scoped funding support structure is important in making sure that capability transfers are effected and also effective, so that our local employees can gain the maximum amount of expertise and skillsets from this particular programme. I think this is of paramount importance to us. So, perhaps, a broad summary of how we think in terms of the extension of funding support. Support levels will be determined by WSG in consultation with the relevant sector agencies. Today, CTP projects can receive up to 90% funding and the co-funding ratio will depend on the impact of the CTP project, and whether, of course, the entity that is applying is an SME or non-SME, or organising the programme on an industry-wide level. Today, the funding rates, the different levels of support, serve and exist to differentiate the level of support based on the assessed impact of each project. We also have to ensure that there is some degree of co-funding from the participating company or the industry.”
“Resident unemployment rates have remained low – they rose during the pandemic but have since recovered to 3.1% as at January 2022. Real median income of full-time resident workers grew an average of 2.6% per year from 2011 to 2021.”
“As to the suggestion to require that the company reduces its foreign workforce after completing a CTP project, I think it is too blunt an approach. Such conditions would penalise companies that are transferring expertise to locals but, at the same time, still need to grow their overall workforce, both locals and foreigners, to meet growing demand. Due to travel restrictions arising from COVID-19, take-up of the CTP has been minimal over the past two years. With the gradual resumption of international travel, we expect more enquiries and applications for the CTP, which has been extended to September 2024. CTP is not the only way in which the Government supports firms in capability transfer. Enterprise Singapore’s Global Ready Talent Programme supports Singapore companies in building a young talent pipeline through internships and overseas work opportunities. MOM is also piloting the Global Rotation Scheme, which facilitates the entry of high-potential employees from abroad, on the condition that these same companies post Singaporeans abroad on the same leadership development programme. Beyond Government schemes, skills transfer takes place through structured company training programmes, as well as learning from a variety of people, including peers, superiors, customers and suppliers. Workers may also acquire valuable skills through a range of assignments, including overseas postings and even job changes, to gain exposure to different industries or markets. We can see that this is reflected in the macro employment data. Resident employment has grown strongly over the past 10 years, driven by PMET jobs which now make up 62.1% of resident workers, compared to 52.7% in 2011.”
“Thank you. Since the CTP was introduced in October 2017, more than 140 companies and over 990 locals across more than 20 sectors have benefited or are expected to benefit from the programme. The top three sectors in terms of the number of local trainees are Precision Engineering, Air Transport and Logistics. Under the CTP, funding support is provided to companies to acquire global capabilities that are not available in Singapore. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as by: one, bringing foreign specialists into Singapore to train locals in new capabilities; two, sending locals for overseas training attachments; three, facilitating remote capability transfer from foreign specialists; and four, supporting follow-on training in Singapore by local specialists who were trained by foreign specialists or had trained overseas. To qualify for funding, companies are required to submit a training plan on the new capabilities to be acquired and the number of local employees who will be trained. This way, we ensure that each CTP project leads to genuine upskilling. For example, the CTP project by SP Services Limited sent 12 local employees to the US to learn about advanced network design and optimisation. Upon their return to Singapore, these employees, in turn, trained 13 other local colleagues. As a result of this project, the local team is now able to take on an expanded job role, performing more advanced tasks, such as fault isolation and data analysis. These were previously jobs that could only be undertaken by contractors. Mr Saktiandi Supaat also asked about conditions that are imposed on the CTP. CTP companies are required to commit to training a specific number of locals.”
“Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will respond to both Question Nos 17 and 18 on the Capability Transfer Programme (CTP) together, so that I can provide a more holistic reply.”
“While employers process both employee and employer CPF contributions of their workers, Self-Employed Persons (SEPs) are responsible for making their own MediSave contributions after declaring their income for the year. More than 75% of SEPs are able to meet their MediSave obligations in a timely manner. For the remaining SEPs who are unable to do so, about 50% of them have less than $3,000 in outstanding liabilities. Most SEPs with outstanding MediSave liabilities have not met the Basic Healthcare Sum. To ensure that SEPs continue to take personal responsibility in saving for their longer-term retirement and healthcare needs, SEPs are required to contribute to their MediSave to qualify for Government schemes, such as Workfare. To enable our lower-income SEPs to benefit from Workfare, SEPs have up to two years to make the required MediSave contributions to qualify. Less than 5% of appeals for Workfare were from SEPs requesting to waive their MediSave contribution requirements. We recognise this is a difficult period for many people. The Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board has been helping SEPs who are facing difficulties in meeting their MediSave obligations find alternative arrangements, such as by extending their GIRO arrangements to reduce monthly instalments. The Board also considers appeals on a case-by-case basis and exercises flexibilities based on the appellants' needs. Members who are facing significant income loss and require urgent financial assistance can also apply for support through schemes, such as the COVID-19 Recovery Grant by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). They can visit their nearest Social Service Office if they need further help.”
“Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will respond to Question Nos 7 and 8 on MediSave arrears together, so that I can give a more holistic reply.”
“Out of the 7,200, over 3,400 trainees have completed or exited the attachments as of November 2021, and the remainder were still in the programme at the time. For those who exited the programme early, I think they may have either moved on, found jobs or decided that they wanted to do something different and not continue with the programme itself. Amongst these 3,400 trainees, about 2,600 or 77% were employed, and for the balance of 800-plus trainees, we are still helping them, as I have alluded to, through an entire range of options of matching them with jobs, working with career counselling coaches, networking sessions and job fairs. So, I hope that provides the clarity.”
“Out of the 7,200, close to 1,800 have exited the programme. I think they have either moved on, found jobs or decided that they wanted to do something different and not continue with the programme itself. Out of the 5,000-plus that are left, the 2,600 or 77% that we have successfully placed into jobs that are permanent, the balance 800-plus we are still helping them in terms of working with them closely – as I have alluded to, an entire range of options of matching them with jobs, working with career counselling coaches, networking sessions and job fairs. The balance 2,000 out of that 5,000 that exited, the 2,000 are still in the programme itself and they have not completed the programme. So, I hope that provides the clarity. [Please refer to “Number of Applicants for SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme”, Official Report, 4 April 2022, Vol 95, Issue No 60, Oral Answers to Questions section.] [(proc text) Written statement by Dr Tan See Leng circulated with leave of the Speaker in accordance with Standing Order No 29(5): (proc text)] I wish to make the following factual correction to the reply given during Question Time for the Parliamentary Question "Number of Applicants for SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme" at the Sitting on 4 April 2022. My reply should read as follows:”
“As of 27 March 2022, 98.4% of the total workforce has been vaccinated whilst the number of local and foreign employees who had not taken any vaccine dose has fallen considerably to 36,900. Data on the number of unvaccinated employees who have ceased employment since the Workforce Vaccination Measures came into effect in January 2022 will only be available in mid-2022.”
“To strengthen protections for platform workers, MOM convened an Advisory Committee on Platform Workers last year. The Committee has engaged widely and received extensive feedback from various stakeholders. Issues related to safety and transparency in the terms of work are among the feedback received, along with suggestions, such as ensuring that the interests of platform workers are better represented or establishing industry-wide norms through tripartite discussions. The Committee is studying possible solutions carefully and will announce its recommendations in due course.”
“MOM has suspended the work pass privileges of the facility management firm of Hillview Heights Condominium for including discriminatory requirements in their tender document. To avoid future occurrence of such incidents, MOM has also issued an advisory to Hillview Heights Condominium’s Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST) to remind them of the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP). MOM takes a serious view of workplace discrimination and will not hesitate to take enforcement actions where necessary.”
“The data requested by the Member is given in Table 1 below. From December 2019 to December 2021, the number of S Pass holders decreased from 200,000 to 161,800, in part due to COVID-19-related entry restrictions. Over the same period, the share of S Pass holders earning $3,000 or higher increased from 37% to 67%. MOM regularly reviews the S Pass qualifying salary1 to keep pace with local APT2 wages. This ensures that S Pass holders are of good calibre and are not hired simply because they are cheaper than locals. Correspondingly, the share of S Pass holders earning higher wages has increased over time.”
“The data requested by the Member is given in Table 1 below. From December 2019 to December 2021, the number of Employment Pass (EP) holders decreased from 193,700 to 161,700, in part due to COVID-19-related entry restrictions. Over the same period, the share of EP holders earning $5,000 or higher increased from 82% to 87%. MOM regularly reviews the EP qualifying salary1 to keep pace with local PMET2 wages. This ensures that EP holders are of good calibre and are not hired simply because they are cheaper than locals. Correspondingly, the share of EP holders earning higher wages has increased over time.”
“MOM and the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council have developed materials and programmes to guide employers to cater to the varying needs of their employees. For example, under the Total WSH programme, employers are taught to consider the health and fitness condition of individual employees, such as the aged, pregnant and disabled, when designing tasks and work schedules. The WSH Guidelines on Fatigue Management and Improving Ergonomics in the Workplace also recommend that employers allow employees to rest for minimally 20 to 30 minutes at regular intervals and provide anti-fatigue mats or sit-stand stools for those required to stand for prolonged periods of time. For workmen earning up to $4,500 a month and non-workmen earning up to $2,600 a month, Part IV of the Employment Act entitles them to at least one rest break for every six consecutive hours of work.”
“Employers will be required to provide their migrant domestic workers (MDWs) with at least one rest day a month that cannot be compensated away by end 2022. This will be imposed as a Work Permit Condition under the Employment of Foreign Manpower (Work Passes) Regulations. MOM recognises that some households, such as those with higher caregiving needs, may be concerned with the transition to the mandatory rest day policy. We encourage employers and their MDWs to initiate early conversations on their respective needs and come to a mutual agreement on the rest day arrangement. When the rest day policy comes into effect by end 2022, MDWs who do not receive at least one rest day per month that cannot be compensated away may call MOM's MDW helpline for advice. We will speak to both MDWs and their employers to better understand their respective needs and advise employers to work out alternative care arrangements. If there are employers who fail to heed our advice to provide their MDWs with mandatory rest days, they may be issued warnings and debarred from hiring MDWs. We have sufficient tools to ensure that employers observe the rest-day requirement and hope not to need to prosecute anyone as that will attract the penalties prescribed under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.”
“Over the past five years, there were approximately 160,000 business entities1 that hired at least one worker. Among these business entities, between 45% and 48% did not hire work pass holders. This includes business entities that do not hire lower-wage workers at all. As previously explained in the Report of the Tripartite Workgroup on Lower-Wage Workers, only 18% of lower-wage workers work in firms that do not hire work pass holders and almost all of such firms are small scale family businesses with fewer than 10 workers.”
“We have not commissioned any local studies described by the Member. Nevertheless, we welcome interested stakeholders to conduct robust studies on these issues and to share the findings to enrich the discussion. Even without such studies, MOM, unions and many progressive employers, both locally and globally, already firmly believe in the benefits of flexible work arrangements (FWAs), of which working from home is but one type. FWAs are key enablers in helping workers balance work and personal responsibilities, such as caregiving. As women tend to still play the primary caregiving roles in families, FWAs will certainly help them. But we also need society’s mindsets to shift and encourage more men to also tap on FWAs and more equally share in caregiving responsibilities. The White Paper on Singapore Women’s Development has laid out our action plans to better support women in the workplace and will positively impact some of the indicators the Member has mentioned. For example, a joint study published in 2020 by MOM and Assoc Prof Jessica Pan from the National University of Singapore found that a large proportion of Singapore’s gender pay gap was attributable to occupational segregation where men tend to be better represented in higher paying occupations. This can occur in part when women either choose not to enter or leave these occupations mid-career to manage personal responsibilities, such as caregiving. As such, FWAs, such as flexi-time and flexi-place arrangements, could enable women to remain and progress in the workforce and help reduce the gender pay gap.”
“Sorry, Mr Speaker, because Mr Liang Eng Hwa had two questions. I will be quick. CAP's focus is on the essential food items commonly consumed by Singaporean households and non-food essentials, such as household products. Earlier on, I had shared that we will also take a data-driven approach to prioritise the investigations and I said that there will be a sharing of data across different agencies itself. I think one thing I want to thank the Member for suggesting is the observation, in terms of some of those very small sort of tight sectors. I think the best way to counter profiteering is really to promote competition, to have a wider range of service and product offerings. So, those are things that we are indeed looking into.”
“The pricing part, what we have tried to do is also to negotiate on their behalf to see how, depending on the needs of the different companies, some, because they feel they cannot take a long-term hedge, we then provide on a monthly basis and that is TRECS. For those companies which feel that they need to have this at least on a stable basis for six months, we have also provided the option for that and then up to a year, two years and three years. I think that, today, is a very nuanced approach that we have adopted.”
“Mr Speaker, I understand the Member's angst and I feel the same angst for all SMEs. I think when you look at the tier, indeed, this is exactly what we have tried our level best to do. So, for companies, SMEs or even larger enterprises which do not want to go on a fixed price contract for a longer term, we offer them TRECS. This is on a monthly basis because there are many SMEs that are still hoping that the current high prices are temporary and they are hoping that, with the spot prices, thinking that by the time they reach June or July, they may drop. Therefore, they want to hold off and wait for it to drop before they enter into a longer-term contract. So, the flexibility that we give in providing monthly and then, separately, we went on to talk to, as I have shared just now, Sembawang and Keppel, to provide longer contracts – six months, one year, two years, up to three years – provides a lot more predictability and some level of certainty, albeit not back to what it was before. I guess the part that we are in this difficult position is, if you are saying that you want to have a separate tier, a lower tier, then that price differential has to be subsidised by someone, right? Perhaps I may be getting it wrong – the Member can clarify. But if the Member is suggesting that the Government steps in to subsidise that component, then I think it will be very difficult because electricity power consumption is one of those things: how do you subsidise that when people will then just keep consuming more? I think that is the difficult part. So, to the extent that is possible, what we have done is that we have continued to ensure stability, security, consistency of the supply.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir. May I remind the Member that we are talking about cost of living, inflation, energy fuel prices and goods. If he would like to file a separate Parliamentary Question on the manpower issues, I am happy and always waiting for him to do so.”
“On top of that, for foreign workforce complementarity, we have also rolled out COMPASS, which is a complementarity assessment framework to allow us to bring in foreign talent in a very nuanced way so that they are able to contribute to our strategic economic priorities, they can address the training of our locals in uplifting and making sure that we are world-class in terms of our workforce. Those are a whole multitude of measures that we have put in place. Obviously, we are also working in terms of making sure that we strengthen the retirement savings in our CPF account, we continue to press ahead, to nudge our people to upgrade themselves. Through all of our SGUnited programmes, as I have shared earlier on, for the mid-career, for the older workers, we will make the SGUnited programme a permanent fixture of our policy. The entire list of measures that we have done to help our local Singaporeans continue to move ahead, to make sure that their real wages exceed inflationary rates, I think those are the measures that we have. I am not sure what other suggestions or other better solutions PSP has today.”
“Thank you. We have been very focused on uplifting the lower-wage workers. In fact, I think the whole crux of this year's Committee of Supply (COS) and pretty much the last two quarters of last year, Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad has gone out to talk about the Progressive Wage Model, how we have set up schemes, we have also illustrated the fact that the bottom 20%, in terms of their wage growth over the years, has exceeded the median wage rise for the rest of the salaries in our constant and consistent efforts to ensure that we continue to uplift our low-wage workers. On top of that, to support businesses, to alleviate the cost of this Progressive Wage Model, the Government has also put aside a significant sum of money to help companies transition by the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme. That is one big portion of what uplifting is all about. If the Member had sat through the MOM COS, our three focuses this year were uplifting, upgrading and upholding. So, while we uplift them, we also have to upgrade them. So, the significant programmes in terms of upskilling them, reskilling, helping them to pivot, we have, together, on a multi-sectoral, multi-Ministerial level, gotten the industry transformation maps and to match the industry transformation maps with the Job Transformation Map (JTM) which provides a very good guide and compass as to where companies are, in terms of the development forward. And we help them. We have Productivity Solutions Grant, multiple different schemes to help companies to pivot while we train and upgrade our Singaporean Core. So, that is the upgrading part. Upholding fairness. We ensure that with the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness (TCWF), we are now looking at how we are going to move this into legislation.”
“Mr Speaker, I think this is an MTI statement, but I think since the Member wishes to clarify, then perhaps I may have the opportunity to just elaborate a bit on this?”
“I think there is a confluence of the sector agencies that determine the price hike. We are exposed to global energy prices and, when oil prices rise, electricity prices will, of course, rise in tandem. But, collectively, EMA looks at the wheeling charges, looks at multiple components, including the grid charges, fuel price components directly attributable to fuel costs, the procurement of fuel costs, and the non-fuel costs and then, collectively, come up with a calibrated price increase. So, it is working in conjunction. But, ultimately, EMA determines the price rise. I hope that answers the question.”
“Mr Speaker, the Government's role is to ensure that free market competition can function as it should. We guard against profiteering through a multi-pronged approach that goes beyond CAP, because this includes promoting competition, helping consumers make informed decisions and encouraging a very diversified supply chain. So, earlier on in my speech, I also alluded to the fact that we have got apps, like Price Kaki, Fuel Kaki – and these are developed by CASE – to allow consumers to easily compare the prices of groceries or hawker food items from different sellers. On top of that, CAP will also work with various agencies and organisations, including the Competition Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS), CASE and People's Association (PA), to assess the feedback provided on potential GST profiteering. CAP will also engage with the relevant businesses, where necessary, to find out the reasons for these price increases. CAP may also make public errant businesses that seek to profiteer on the pretext of GST increase to account for it. So, today, we have convened CAP ahead of the proposed GST increase to make sure that we are able to pre-empt some of these things. I think it is also an important point – CAP will, indeed, take a data-driven approach to prioritise its investigations. So, just to put it in perspective, perhaps for the Member's clarity, CCCS monitors market concentration data and shares this data with CAP. Then, CAP will review all feedback provided on unjustified price increases which use GST increase as a cover and investigate. So, I hope that that provides the clarity that is needed to the Member's question.”
“Mr Speaker, can I answer Mr Gerald Giam's points?”
“As I shared earlier on, we have been monitoring in terms of the fluctuation of the prices against Brent. We find that it has not gone up excessively. I do not think that it is like "apple to apple" comparison between what has happened, I think, in 2014, the target grade and what it is today. Because, obviously, other fixed costs would have gone up – rental, perhaps – also manpower cost, plus it could be even different types of production or procurement costs that are not just tied to Brent. But I think that it would be a lot more precise to compare what was the prevailing quarter and the movements, and to see whether that increase is actually attributable to whether it is signaling or collusion. I think that would give us a much better indication.”
“So, I hope that the Member understands. It is taken against a larger context of the numbers that we are dealing with.”
“Thank you. So, there are three points to consider. First, at the 20,800-applicant stage, these applicants do not just make one application to SGUP. They make multiple applications. So, when we are able to help them, that number comes down to about 7,200. Out of the 7,200, close to 1,800 have exited the programme. I think they have either moved on, found jobs or decided that they wanted to do something different and not continue with the programme itself. Out of the 5,000-plus that are left, the 2,600 or 77% that we have successfully placed into jobs that are permanent, the balance 800-plus we are still helping them in terms of working with them closely – as I have alluded to, an entire range of options of matching them with jobs, working with career counselling coaches, networking sessions and job fairs. The balance 2,000 out of that 5,000 that exited, the 2,000 are still in the programme itself and they have not completed the programme. So, I hope that provides the clarity. [Please refer to "Clarification by Minister for Manpower", Official Report, 4 April 2022, Vol 95, Issue No 60, Corrections by Written Statements section.] In an improving job situation, as we have seen in the last few quarters since the third quarter of 2020, we have, indeed, seen an uptick in terms of vacancies looking for job applicants to fill these vacancies. So, I suspect that that is what has led to the numbers dropping off. For the mid-career mature trainees, it is still a very important programme for us to continue and we think that the length of time that is taken to help them pivot, transform, upskill is something that is very useful and would take time for them to be comfortable in terms of taking on new roles and new jobs. It is not something that we can rush them into.”
“The labour market started showing signs of recovery towards the end of 2020, with the resident unemployment rate improving steadily since the third quarter of 2020 and resident employment rising in 2020 and even more quickly in 2021. It is, therefore, not surprising that the majority of SGUP openings were not filled. This is a positive sign. SGUP remains a useful programme for employers and jobseekers who may face greater challenges in making a career switch. As announced recently at Budget and MOM’s Committee of Supply, we will retain SGUP as one of our permanent employment facilitation programmes, but they are only available for mature trainees. This will provide more options for mature jobseekers looking to make a career switch.”
“Speaker, company attachments under the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme (SGUP) were introduced in July 2020 amidst a weak labour market to provide mid-career jobseekers with opportunities to acquire work experiences, skills and networks while preparing for more permanent jobs in the future. From the launch of the programme till January this year, over 7,200 mid-career local jobseekers have been placed into attachments. Trainees typically receive a monthly training allowance of between $1,600 and $3,800. This is determined by the host organisation. The Government funds up to 90% of the training allowance. The average and median training allowances of SGUP participants are both around $2,600. WSG also monitors the number of trainees who found a job within six months after completing or otherwise exiting the programme. As of November 2021, over 3,400 trainees have completed or exited their attachments. Amongst this group, about 2,600, or about 77%, were employed. This is an encouraging sign that the attachments have equipped the trainees with useful skills, experience and industry contacts. For trainees who have not yet secured employment, WSG has proactively reached out to provide them with job search resources and information on job opportunities and upcoming job fairs. Trainees can also take up WSG’s career matching services, which include career coaching, employability workshops and networking sessions to aid their job search. The Member also asked about the number of applicants. As of January 2022, over 20,800 locals have applied for SGUP positions. SGUP applicants do not just make one application. Instead, they usually make multiple job and attachment applications and they choose the best offer that they can receive.”
“A higher proportion of resident workers aged 25 to 29 are in PMET jobs – 75.5% in 2021, compared to 67% in 2011. The real median income of full-time employed residents have also grown by 1.5% per annum from 2011 to 2021. The Government will continue to work closely with industry and tripartite partners to create a wide range of job opportunities and prepare our workers for jobs that are in demand.”
“Mr Speaker, the approach that we take is to prepare our workforce for jobs in demand as our economy transforms. It would not be realistic to aim to grow the Singapore Core in every single occupation. As all Members are aware, our local workforce is finite, with the ageing cohorts larger than the cohorts that are entering the workforce. Through the Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs), sector agencies have worked with industry to map out growth plans for 23 sectors across the entire economy. Sector agencies have also put in place strategies to build up the local talent pipeline for in-demand jobs. To complement these ITMs, MOM launched Jobs Transformation Maps (JTMs) in 2021. These provide detailed job-level insights into the impact of technology on the industry as well as the workforce. With these insights, we are then able to provide a wide range of programmes to help mid-career workers to transition into new jobs and at-risk workers to be reskilled and redeployed into new roles. Overall, our resident workforce has seen good employment outcomes. As our economy expanded, we have seen a shift towards higher value-added activities and the growth of modern services such as in Financial and Insurance Services, and Professional Services. Correspondingly, the profile of jobs in the economy has also shifted. From 2011 to 2021, the proportion of resident workers in Professional, Managerial, Executive and Technician (PMET) jobs rose from 52.7% to 62.1%. Non-PMET jobs, which would include some of the trade jobs that the Member talked about, declined in share. Young resident workers have also done well. The employment rate for residents aged 25 to 29 remained high at 85% in 2021. Unemployment rate for them have remained low at 4.7% in 2021.”
“The Member should be aware that there is no legal requirement that consent for work on rest day must be given in writing. However, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) advises that if work on a rest day is routinely scheduled, such agreement should be captured in writing to avoid disputes. Workers are entitled to withdraw consent any time. Between 2016 and 2021, MOM received an average of 20 complaints each year involving work permit holders against employers for not providing one rest day a week. Employers were issued with advisories, warnings or composition fines in most instances and follow up inspections were conducted if necessary. All employers, many of whom were first time SME employers, rectified their employment practices promptly after MOM intervened.”
“I thank Mr Yip for his suggestion. As the name represents, it is a temporary situation; it is a temporary retail electricity contract scheme. We have made it voluntary because the nature of the generation of electrons is that if you require them to generate the electrons, if there is excess electrons, it gets wasted. Pairing is quite important. You have on the one hand, companies who want to have some form of stability. But there are also concerns about the high prices. TRECS is a short-term measure. What we need is a further, longer-term measure, which EMA has worked on pari passu, in terms of supporting. Hence, we are quite comforted by the fact that two other gencos, gen retailers have stepped forth to offer longer-term fixed price contracts, ranging from six months to three years, to offer some form of price certainty. The challenge is that today, TRECS offer the flexibility of a one-month contract, which allows companies to hedge for that one month. Because the prices are quite high today, if they lock themselves for a long term, and if the price should ease off after that, then, it would be very difficult for them to justify that increased cost, moving forward. Given the volatility that the current situation, the whole world is in today, with a lot of fluctuations happening, I think this is a more nuanced approach. It allows responsiveness and the ability to nimbly work in terms of managing their costs, at least on a month-to-month basis, should the stability return to the market. 12.46 pm”
“I thank Mr Giam for his three supplementary questions. First, if he could get the resident or perhaps Mr Giam himself can write to me, I would be happy to investigate further. Earlier on, I did share in this House that there were 200 megawatts of contracts available for TRECS for February. As of 28 February 2022, there were at least 300 megawatts of contracts that were still available. For his resident who could not get access to the contract, as far as TRECS is concerned, I think there is a bit of a mismatch. Moving forward, we have monitored it on a very tight basis. Not only do we ensure that we have sufficient capacity as far as TRECS is concerned for the months of March, April and May, EMA has also been negotiating with other gencos to provide for fixed price contracts, on a longer-term basis, between three month and three years, as I shared in my earlier reply to Mr Yip Hon Weng. One of them is Keppel Electric and the other one is SembCorp Power. Moving forward, in terms of ensuring our energy supplies and energy security, the fact is that there are further plans that are afoot. At this point in time, I am not ready to share these plans as yet. In terms of looking at our standby facilities, in terms of negotiations with imports and so on, our entire team is on it. To the extent to which we can share, so long as it does not compromise our ability to negotiate these contractual terms, at this point in time, it suffices for me to say that the entire energy team is working on a whole slew of measures to ensure that we do not get any disruptions in our energy supplies.”
“I thank Mr Yip for his supplementary question. There is no limit to the amount that can be drawn down for TRECS. If their own gas supplies are disrupted, gencos can also draw on the Standby LNG Facility (SLF) and they have been doing so.”
“I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. We are watching the situation very closely. Even as we speak, I think that there are a lot of developments today and volatility in terms of the pricing, looking also at the oil futures. These are all the various factors we take into consideration. At this particular point in time, we think that the current slew of measures, the support packages and so on, appear to be having some impact in supporting them. As I have said in my previous Committee of Supply speech, we will not hesitate to roll out more. But at this particular point in time, we need to monitor the situation very, very closely.”
“Tripartite advisories are issued by the tripartite partners to guide employers on implementing employment practices in a fair and responsible manner. They are issued after careful consideration of the interests of both employers and employees. Employers are expected to follow the positions set out in the advisories. If any employer deviates from the advisory without good reason, employees may approach MOM for assistance. MOM will verify the facts with the employers and advise them to follow the advisory. Thus far, MOM has not encountered any employer who wilfully refuses to conform after being told of the advisory. Should this happen, MOM will suspend the work pass privileges of the employer.”
“MOM responded to a similar Parliamentary Question1 based on a five-year trend. Between 2016 and 2020, the suicide rates for Work Permit Holders (WPHs2) were lower than the general population. Looking at a 10-year period between 2012 and 2021, the average suicide rate among WPHs at 4.2 per 100,000 persons was lower than that of the general population at 8.7 per 100,000 persons. The suicide rates among WPHs have also been lower than that of the general population for each of the 10 years3. The suicides rates among Migrant Workers (WPHs excluding migrant domestic workers) were somewhat higher in 2020 and 2021 but were still lower than that of the general population (please refer to footnote 3). The rate for the general population had also increased in 2020. We share the concerns expressed by many on the challenges brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic. The last two years have been a difficult time for our migrant workers and also for the general population. Since November 2020, the seven-point strategy under the Project DAWN task force has been focused on raising awareness on mental health literacy, ensuring at-risk persons are identified early and enabling appropriate access to care services, including counselling and post-intervention support. One key area is in the training of peer support leaders among migrant workers in psychological first aid skills so that they can give timely support to their co-workers and friends. MOM will continue to place close attention on the mental health of all workers and offer our support.”