Zaqy Mohamad
Singapore
“Deputy Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move that the Question Time at this day's Sitting be exempted from Standing Order No 22(1) so as to enable questions for oral answer to continue until the completion of Question Nos 7 to 29, including relevant supplementary questions, until 12.45 pm?”
“Mr Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move that the proceedings on the item under discussion be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order No 48(8) to remove the time limit in respect of the Minister Tan See Leng's speech, please?”
“I think on the hawker front, we keep our rentals as low as possible to sustain our hawkers. But for food prices, we continue to monitor. My colleague, Minister of State Gan mentioned about how we are monitoring food supply of food prices, and I think that we will continue to do so.”
“I thank the Member for his question. On seafood specifically, we do not see immediate risk. We have diversified our food imports. We have also got local production of seafood readily available. At this point, as both the Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister have shared, our main risk for agriculture lies in fertiliser.”
“Mr Speaker, as I shared, we are monitoring the situation. The Government is monitoring at this point. There is no need at this juncture, because we have not seen the price hikes hit the hawkers in the same way as yet. There will be downstream impact. I think that is quite sure.”
“For us to also look into buying local produce, that helps our farms to increase capacity at this point, helps them build resilience over time and should there be disruptions or should there be a need for us to divert supplies or look to ramp up local production, I think they would be in a better position if we do what we can today to supp…”
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“Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to answer Parliamentary Question Nos 1 to 3 on today's Order Paper together, please?”
“We must invest in their safety and well-being, not only because they deserve such care but because they hold the future of our nation in their hands. They are the architects of tomorrow, the visionaries who will shape our society and the stewards of our collective destiny. As we focus on their safety, health and growth, we must ensure that they have the strength and resilience to face the challenges of an ever-changing world. Let us remember that by protecting and nurturing our children, we are not just securing their future but also the future of our country, built upon the promise of their unique potential.”
“As observed by former President Madam Halimah Yaacob when commenting on the initiative at the opening of the Second Session of the 14th Parliament on 10 April 2023, I quote, "We want every person to be treated equally with dignity and respect. We want a Singapore where everyone belongs, and every citizen has the chance to achieve his or her fullest potential. We want a society that values and supports families; where we care for and help one another, and pitch in to make a difference to our community." As Singapore moves forward, we must speak and listen to our children. We need to bring together different groups of children, tap on their experiences and seek their views and opinions on how we can do things differently and do things better. In doing so, it is important that we engage with all children, not simply those who are already vocal or active within their community. We need to talk with children like those I met when I was a social worker and who told me repeatedly that they wanted to have a greater say in their future and the future of Singapore. Referring to the wisdom of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, "Let your need guide your behavior." Sir, the safety and wellbeing of children is not merely a duty, it is a reflection of our commitment to a better tomorrow, where every child is treated with respect and dignity and where their potential knows no bounds. Our children are not merely extensions of ourselves but unique individuals with their own dreams and destinies. We, as a society, are entrusted with the responsibility of protecting and nurturing them, not to mould them into our image, but to help them flourish as the remarkable individuals they are.”
“Originating in Europe in the late 1980s, child impact assessments are a systematic and structured process to evaluate the impact of any proposed law, policy or programme on children. They ensure that decision-makers consider the specific needs and vulnerabilities of children when making decisions, they promote child-centered decision-making, they help governments create laws, policies and programmes that are responsive to the specific needs of children. Child impact assessments have been endorsed by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and have been successfully implemented in several countries. Third, establish a dedicated office for children. Mr Speaker, many countries around the world have an office dedicated to the safety and well-being of children. In some countries, these take the form of a Children's Commissioner, a Children's Guardian or a Children's Ombudsman, or they may have a more targeted role such as a E-Safety Commissioner or a National Office for Child Safety. The first Children's Commissioner was established in Norway in 1981. Since then, a dedicated office for children has been established in more than 50 countries worldwide. Regardless of their title, what these offices have in common is that they are stand-alone agencies with a focus on promoting and protecting the safety and well-being of children, providing impartial advice to the government and advocating for the rights of children. Finally, I would like to suggest that we speak and listen to our children. Mr Speaker, I note that we have just concluded the Forward Singapore initiative. Forward Singapore was an opportunity for Singaporeans to come together and examine the nation's values and aspirations, build consensus and to refresh the social compact.”
“I am proud that we have various initiatives to strengthen parenting, and create a Singapore made for families. On that note, as we develop our measures, we should consider ways to incorporate our gotong-royong spirit, and preserve our traditional family values of love, care and concern, filial responsibility and mutual respect. (In English): Mr Speaker, I would now like to suggest three initiatives to assist Singapore to take the next step in promoting and protecting the safety and wellbeing of our children. First, Mr Speaker, a national framework for protecting children is a document that clearly articulates how the Government, the social services and the private sector can work together to ensure that children and young people in Singapore reach their full potential by growing up safe and supported and free from harm and neglect. National frameworks are not just idealistic policy statements, they set clear targets, measurable outcomes and realistic timelines. A national framework will ensure that the best interests of children are at the centre of decision-making and will reaffirm Singapore's commitment to making our nation the best place in the world for children to live and thrive. Importantly, national frameworks are not designed to address one-off incidents or issues but reflect a systematic, long-term approach to improving the safety and well-being of our children. In Singapore, most children do okay, most of the time. A national framework will help all children do okay, all the time. Mr Speaker, national frameworks or their equivalent already exist in many other countries and have been shown to have a positive impact on the lives of children and their families, including, in particular, disadvantaged children. Second, introduce child impact assessments.”
“Risk is multifaceted, and there is no single solution that can entirely reduce the presence of risk, or harm from happening. However, each of us has a role to play – and it begins with family. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] As we know, and we continue to strengthen this part of our social compact – family is our first line of defence. The family plays a significant role in nurturing and protecting a child. The traditional concept of family, however, is changing – from nuclear families, into reconstituted families or single-parent families or even the no-parent families – and this is a challenge, especially when it comes to differences in parenting and disciplinary style. Most of us who are parents would agree that parenting is an adventure that comes with many surprises. Parenting demands interpersonal skills and emotional maturity. And yet, there is no one standard rule book for this. Parents tend to replicate the practices of their own parents, which can perpetuate both positive and negative parenting methods, leading to differences in viewpoints within marriages. We know from studies that inadequate preparation for parental roles contributes to problems like child abuse, neglect and strained parent-child relationships. In Singapore, most parents need to work to support the family and many of us rely on extended families, helpers and childcare facilities. And yet, the involvement from both parents is crucial in ensuring safety and wellbeing of our children. There is also a greater need for fathers to play a role in child upbringing and this also requires support given to working mothers to balance their role within the home as a wife, mother and excel in their career aspiration.”
“" Since 1999, when I was working as a social worker in a children's home and subsequently as a probation officer, I have observed many changes that illustrate Singapore's strong commitment to protecting children. We have come a long way, and I would like to commend the efforts taken by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), in driving these changes, and for constantly reviewing our social compact. Most importantly, I would like to acknowledge the good work done by those who work with children. In protecting and nurturing them. At this juncture, I would like to share another quote from Alice in Wonderland, where the Queen says to Alice: "Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!" While Singapore has undoubtedly done well, today's Adjournment Motion is about moving forward. And, as the Queen encourages Alice, we need to run at least twice as fast. I would, however, like to stress that this is not merely about running quickly and arriving breathless. This Motion is about defining a goal, setting a steady pace, and arriving at our destination composed and confident. This Motion is also about considering the principles that augment Singapore's efforts in safeguarding children, adopting a collective responsibility and articulating a united direction and methodology to ensure a better future for our children and our nation. Mr Speaker, despite all best efforts, children do get hurt. They may fall off a swing in a playground, they may be bullied at school, or they may get abused or harmed by someone close to them. It is unrealistic to expect a world entirely free from such complexities.”
“We are advancing towards creating a better future for Singapore and we are doing this in consultation with the people of Singapore. I am excited with this progress as this is home not just for me, but also for my children and their children. As we evolve, we want to ensure the progression of everyone, and especially our children. As a nation, we need to continue to promote and protect the safety and wellbeing of children, and to work together to nurture and support all children to reach their potential. On that note, let me take you on an adventure, through the lens of Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" that resonates with my Adjournment Motion, "Child Safety and Well-being: A Collective Responsibility". Mr Speaker, as many in this House may recall, in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, magic pervades the story; but, in reality, the magic is Alice's power to dream. And I believe there is no limitation when it comes to dreams. Mr Speaker, I stand here, not just as an educator or a social worker, but also as a believer in dreams; and one inspired by the many stories of success that I have heard over the years from under-privileged children. Many of these children succeeded despite great hardship and their success reminds me of the need to set goals and work diligently towards a dreamt future. As social workers, we operate with a clear vision in mind, and the safety and wellbeing of our clients is our paramount consideration. We also believe in establishing clear goals, for our clients, and it is timely for me to share my favourite quote from Alice in Wonderland: "If you don't know where you are going, any road can take you there.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] CHILD SAFETY AND WELL-BEING: A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY 7.10 pm Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim (Nominated Member): Mr Speaker, let me begin by commending Singapore's long-standing commitment to the safety and well-being of our children. In 2019, Singapore ranked first in the Global Childhood Report, surpassing Western European nations. We also excel in keeping children safe online, ranking 4th out of 30 countries in the Child Online Safety Index in 2020. Singapore is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the best interests principle guides all of our policies and services for children. We have made substantial progress in child protection and children's rights, as illustrated in our 2019 report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child. Amendments to the Children and Young Persons Act, robust screening and reporting tools, the establishment of the Family Justice Courts and investments in Early Childhood Education are just some of our other achievements. We continue to receive international attention and praise for our success as a nation and public safety and security is at the heart of everything we do. Singapore is forward looking, and we do this well. We are experts at monitoring our landscape, anticipating changes, and planning for the future. Mr Speaker, in October of this year, the Forward Singapore report was released. The report describes Singapore's road map for the next decade and beyond, and highlights the need to reimagine the Singapore Dream, refresh our social compact, and redefine success as seen from the lens of our younger generation.”
“To the Member's first supplementary question on how many workers are covered, I mentioned earlier that we have got more than 3,600 firms that are accredited with the PW Mark and that collectively, they hire approximately 56,000 low-wage workers. If you think about the percentages, in the 2021 Tripartite Workgroup Report, we sized the low-wage worker segment to be about 283,000 workers. So, this is about 20% of the total population. Which I think is encouraging, given it has been implemented for the first few months. Secondly, as the Government has also put in place requirements for contract obligations for firms who want to tender and subsequently, in future, to quote as well to Government, this will hopefully drive more adoption. I think this is an encouraging sign. To the Member's question on contract re-negotiations, these are commercial negotiations. Therefore, the Government does not intervene in contracting. I think that has to be the principle. However, on the Government procurement, I think we are largely aligned with the Tripartite Advisory. So, the terms, conditions and the advisory given by the tripartite partners are quite clear. And therefore, we encourage and we certainly will make sure that our Government agencies abide by it and support this. On the question relating to long-term contracts and some of these unscrupulous practices, I suggest that the Tripartite Advisory is an agreement made between the Government, the Labour Movement as well as their employers. So, if they are specific cases, I recommend the National Trades Union Congress or the Member surface them to us so that we can look into them and advise accordingly.”
“Since the Progressive Wage Mark's (PW Mark's) launch in January 2023, more than 3,600 firms have been accredited with the PW Mark. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) encourages service buyers to procure from PW Mark-accredited suppliers. However, MOM does not track the number of service buyers that have chosen to do business exclusively with companies accredited with the PW Mark. Nonetheless, based on our recent business sentiment survey, nine in 10 businesses polled indicated that they will prioritise purchases from corporate suppliers with the PW Mark, in support of our lower-wage workers. As a major service buyer, the Government has taken the lead in making the PW Mark a contractual obligation for tenders since 1 March 2023. This requirement will be extended to include Government quotations from 1 March 2024. Sir, uplifting lower-wage workers is a whole-of-society effort. We urge all employers to pay Progressive Wages to their lower-wage workers and to apply for the PW Mark if eligible. We also encourage service buyers and consumers to do their part by purchasing from PW Mark-accredited companies, where possible.”
“On the contrary, we have intensified inspections to ensure that employers maintain a strong focus on safety. Earlier in May, MAST launched the National WSH Campaign with the theme "Reporting Saves Lives" to support workers in taking ownership of their own and their co-workers' safety. It is not just about the workers, but it is also about those around them, too. The campaign called for employers to facilitate an internal reporting system for workers to report unsafe workplace practices to their supervisors. MOM has also enhanced various channels to make reporting easy, including a dedicated SnapSAFE page on MOM website. So, SnapSAFE, as the Member suggested, is easy to use. One just uploads a photo and keys in a brief description of the occurrence, and we will take it from there. Members of the public can also play an important role to be our "eyes on the ground" by reporting unsafe work practices. MOM looks into every reported case. We will take action against errant work practices, and we will also offer whistle-blower protection. For that, we also assure. Sir, we remain committed to Vision Zero and our WSH 2028 goals. While we have exited HSP, rest assured that we will continue to pursue safe measures to build stronger workplace safety culture and ownership across Singapore. We cannot achieve this on our own. All of us, from corporate leadership, industry associations, union leaders to workers, must continue to play our part to uplift workplace safety and health so that every worker can return home safely to their loved ones. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." (proc text)] Adjourned accordingly at 6.44 pm.”
“This ensures that employers continuously provide and maintain a safe and healthy work environment for their employees. In doing so, they should already consider control measures, such as providing appropriate safety training and equipment, to reduce the risks. Moving on to WSH officers. Competent WSH officers who can manage WSH risks are essential to support better WSH outcomes. MAST is looking to strengthen the effectiveness of our WSH officers and their reporting lines to stakeholders so that they can carry out their duties better. On the Member's suggestion to expand WSH officers to other higher-risk industries, we will need to assess the effectiveness of having WSH officers in such industries and the potential impact on workplace fatal and major injuries. So, this is something that we will study. Even so, what is more important is for corporate leadership to take charge and be accountable for workplace safety and health. Corporate leaders have influence over resources and priorities that drive their organisations' safety culture. MOM had earlier rolled out the Approved Code of Practice for Company Directors' WSH Duties to provide guidance on how they may fulfil their WSH obligations. MOM is also reviewing our framework to close the gap where errant companies or culpable company directors can absolve their WSH responsibilities by setting up a new entity to circumvent penalties due to WSH breaches, such as debarment from hiring foreign workers. This is aligned with the Member's suggestion to have a disqualification framework or to extend WSH penalties from joint ventures to partnering companies. The Member suggested that MOM should tighten our WSH enforcement and make the reporting of unsafe workplace practices easier. MOM has not wavered in our enforcement efforts.”
“MAST will also continue to strengthen WSH ownership in construction, such as by introducing more stringent safety requirements and a WSH bonus scheme for public project tenders. One sector of concern is manufacturing. Manufacturing was the top contributor of workplace fatal and major injuries in the first half of 2023, with 35% more injuries compared to the second half of 2022. The expansion of the Demerit Points System to the manufacturing sector in October 2023 should deter WSH breaches and strengthen standards. So, we are moving on from construction and now to manufacturing. Egregious companies will be temporarily debarred from hiring foreign workers. I agree with the Member on the need to increase the financial penalties to deter WSH contraventions. During HSP, we doubled the quantum of composition fines for WSH lapses and we have retained this measure. To further enhance deterrence, we will be increasing the maximum fine from $20,000 to $50,000 for breaches of WSH Act Subsidiary Legislation that could result in death or serious bodily injury, and this is per breach. Beyond composition fines and Stop Work Orders, the maximum penalty for WSH Act breaches for an individual is a fine of up to $200,000 and/or two years' imprisonment, while that for a company is a fine of up to $500,000. On the Member’s suggestion to expand the current WSH (Design for Safety) Regulations, I agree that "Design for Safety" is important. It is an upstream process to identify and reduce risks through good design at the conceptual and planning stages, such as incorporating safe access to maintenance in the building design. Employers' duties to conduct risk management and take reasonable steps to eliminate or minimise risk serve as a safety net.”
“Other countries in Asia have not achieved this. So, contrary to what the Member had shared, post-HSP, we have actually retained most of the broad-based and sectorial measures of the HSP, such as requiring chief executives to personally account for serious WSH lapses. We also introduced a revised Demerit Points System to debar more errant construction companies from hiring foreign employees for a period of time. Following the HSP exit, the Multi-Agency Workplace Safety and Health Taskforce (MAST) introduced a set of Safe Accountability, Focus and Empowerment (SAFE) measures to instil greater WSH accountability at the sector, company and individual levels. MAST is progressively rolling out these SAFE measures and will continue to drive new measures. Members can refer to the infographic in the handout on the various measures that we are implementing and have implemented. I hope this assures Members that we hold ourselves to high standards and, even post-HSP, we will not let up on our efforts. We have seen improvement in the construction sector in the first half of 2023. In particular, fatal injuries for regular construction worksites have improved as our efforts have kept them vigilant. More targeted interventions are required for smaller-scale construction work, including renovations and facility management, which accounted for the majority of the fatal and major injuries in construction. So, it is not so much the larger sites but all these renovations and maintenance work that have been causing us these issues. So, we are working with the relevant agencies to enhance the safety standards for such contractors.”
“I thank the Member for raising this matter. Workplace safety and health (WSH) did not begin with the start of the Heightened Safety Period (HSP), and neither does it stop when the HSP ends. Every worker deserves a safe and healthy working environment. Our starting position is Vision Zero. We will always strive for zero fatality as every fatality is one too many and every incident is preventable. Our WSH aspiration remains to achieve a fatal injury rate of below 1.0 per 100,000 workers on a sustained basis by 2028. What this means is that we – the Government, employers and workers – must continue to strengthen our workplace safety culture and work environments to achieve this. As the Member had pointed out, the fatal injury rate has improved to 0.8 per 100,000 workers in the first half of 2023. Prior to the HSP, we faced a fatal injury rate of 1.6 in the first half of 2022 and this necessitated the heightened measures of HSP to stem the tide of incidents. Our progress one year on reflects the outcome from HSP, which ended on 31 May 2023. So, I share the Member's concerns on the number of workplace fatalities since we exited the HSP. However, we do need to recognise that there will be some month-to-month volatility in fatality numbers and assess the situation over a longer period. I would like to assure the Member that our rolling 12-month fatal injury rate to-date is 1.0, which remains close to our WSH 2028 aspiration of below 1.0. I would like to refer Members to the international WSH comparison chart in the handout that was distributed just now. Thus far, only four countries in the world have achieved a fatality rate of below 1.0 consistently. Singapore ranked fifth based on our three-year average fatal injury rate, after the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, may I ask the Clerks to distribute a handout, please?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Losses from Scams and Malware Fraud: Doing Right by Bank Customers”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Harnessing Technology for Better Road Safety Outcomes in Singapore”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] Transportation of Workers on Back of Lorries”
“What is key is to ensure that employees being laid off are given opportunities, career counselling and are facilitated to get back into a job as soon as possible. That is most critical for us, especially to ride on the current demand and vacancies within the I&C sector as well as the broader economic requirements.”
“I thank Mr Saktiandi for his questions. Mr Deputy Speaker, with regard to the proportion, in general, we do not share details submitted in the MRN for any other purpose apart from employment facilitation. That is to be fair to the firms. But I also alluded to it in my answer that the profiles before and after are the same. So, if you work backwards, proportionally, whether it is Singaporeans or other profiles, they remain largely the same. Basically, there is no one group that was affected more than another. Therefore, they came up with similar profiles before and after. To the Member's question as well, overall, whether we think there is softness in the sector, if you look at the recent report in March 2023, the number of job vacancies in the infocomm sector remains high at about 8,100 in March 2023. So, there is demand and I think beyond the sector, we have also found that tech skills are still going to be in high demand even in non-tech firms. So, tech skills are pretty much in demand. But as a whole, just to put things into context as well, we are at a very low unemployment rate – we are at 1.8% unemployment. That is almost full employment. If you look at the data on long-term unemployment, it is 0.6%. To a large extent, we are at almost full employment. Therefore, opportunities remain high in terms of a vibrant information and communications (I&C) market. But at the same time, we do have to also prepare for a slowdown that could come. So, I would just say that we are cautiously optimistic about long-term prospects for the I&C sector. But at the same time, there is demand even beyond the sector for tech skills. As a whole, what MOM is doing is, as I have shared, we are working closely with WSG and e2i.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) became aware of Grabtaxi Holdings’ decision to cut jobs on 20 June 2023. The Ministry has also received their Mandatory Retrenchment Notifications (MRNs) which were submitted within five working days after affected employees were notified of their retrenchment, as legally required under the Employment Act. Based on the retrenchment notifications received by MOM, the workforce profile of Grabtaxi Holdings before and after the retrenchment exercise is largely similar. Digital Industry Singapore (DISG) is working with the Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation, comprising representatives from MOM, the Workforce Singapore (WSG), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), to facilitate a smooth transition of the affected staff. In particular, e2i is in touch with Grabtaxi Holdings and has offered career coaching services, employability workshops and other employment facilitation initiatives.”
“Deputy Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move that the proceedings on the item under discussion be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order No 48(8) to remove the time limit in respect of Minister of State Sun Xueling's speech?”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, indeed, works such as these, demolition works are certainly very high risk. And, therefore, that is why we have the Approved Code of Practice, SS 557, in place. All companies involved, from the main contractors all the way down, should be following and training their workers on this practice, Code of Practice. So, therefore, employers are required to train the workers on the demolition process, and this also includes identifying the structural issues that you might see on site. I am aware that BCA does send its officers down for inspections but given the many demolition works that go on, from the big buildings to the Addition & Alteration (A&A) works, home renovations, for example, it is not possible to have officers all over, so they do this on inspection basis. But under the Code and under regulations, the companies involved should have safety officers and safety procedures in place. So, I cannot comment specific to this particular case as investigations are ongoing, but we will release the results once they are ready.”
“This programme aims to focus their attention on how to meet their WSH responsibilities and develop their company's WSH capabilities. Madam, we are saddened that there was a loss of life. Every worker deserves a safe and healthy work environment. All of us, corporate senior leadership, industry associations, union leaders and workers, must continue to play our part to uplift WSH and prevent workplace incidents from happening.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) shares the Member's concerns of the recent fatal incident at a demolition site at Tanjong Pagar on 15 June. MOM is investigating the incident and had issued a full Stop Work Order to the occupier of the worksite. There is an Approved Code of Practice – Singapore Standards SS 557 – that sets out standards of practice for the safe demolition of buildings and structures. As investigations are ongoing, we will review if any additional measures are required beyond those in SS 557 and after the investigations have concluded. All occupiers and employers have the duty to provide a safe work environment for workers. Penalties under the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act are calibrated based on the culpability of the offender and the severity of harm. Higher-risk activities such as demolition works require greater extent of risk assessment and preventive measures. Hence, incidents involving such higher-risk activities would generally attract more severe penalties, if the individual and/or company failed to demonstrate that reasonable steps had been taken to minimise the risk. The Multi-Agency Workplace Safety Taskforce (MAST) had also earlier announced a set of Safety Accountability, Focus and Empowerment (SAFE) measures to strengthen WSH ownership across the entire ecosystem at the sectoral, company and worker levels. Chief Executives (CEs) will be required to personally account to MOM for serious WSH lapses following incidents, as was the case for the Tanjong Pagar incident. CEs and Board Directors of all companies in higher-risk industries are also required to attend a new Top Executive WSH Programme.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn." [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)] MAKING PARLIAMENT A fAIRER ARENA FOR aLL”
“Having said that, I find it quite disappointing to hear that there are service buyers who wish to blacklist service contractors, when in fact, it is clear that these wage schedules are put out in advance, over a six-to-seven-year period, where you have time to adjust and re-negotiate and most contracts do have clauses in which you do have opportunities to re-negotiate midpoint. It is not right, it is not nice if you have to put a strangle hold on outsourced providers and force them to accept these kinds of terms. However, I have to also say that these are commercial contracts which are entered into, between service buyers and vendors, and we do not want to get in the way. Having said that, as far as the Government is concerned, we will do our best to support our workers. We support businesses through the PWCS and other schemes as required. More importantly, over the long term, we hope that this remains sustainable. I hope that the Member takes this into account and the unions can also do their part to help to mediate between the service buyers and contractors, for the benefit of their workers too.”
“Mr Speaker, the issue of re-negotiating multi-year contracts occurs largely in PWM sectors where outsourcing is more common, such as in cleaning, landscape, security, lift maintenance, for example, where the contract periods may vary, to the best of my knowledge, mostly within three to five years. There are some exceptions, as the Member has mentioned, but these are typically in the minority with some peculiarity, such as waste management, for example, which runs up to seven years. But that is one feature of our PWM's negotiations, in the sense that the Tripartite Partners are all involved – you have got the unions, the industry, service buyers, and even the Government being a service buyer too, are involved in the negotiation of the wage ladders. Therefore, there is that realism that is injected where we, the Tripartite Partners in the cluster committees, understand what the practices are, what the typical renewal cycles are and how the contracts are structured to make sure that this is sustainable. Therefore, it is expected that as we implement wage ladders, these have to be realistic in terms of the multi-year schedules. In this case, with the recent increase, I acknowledge that we are in a phase where there are stronger growth prospects that we expect or we want for our low-wage workers. Therefore, I know the industries are probably feeling how the wage growths are accelerating a lot quicker than they expected. Hence, that is why we gave one to two years advance notice and the Government has also stepped in with PWCS that covers some of the 75% of wage increases in the next coming two years and runs for about five years, although at different rates. But these are how we manage and try to support the industry, to make sure that it does not overburden the industry.”
“This will encourage service providers to invest in productivity solutions and deploy manpower more efficiently, which is a win-win outcome as it supports sustainable wage growth and can also lead to better services to service buyers.”
“Mr Speaker, the Progressive Wage schedules for each Progressive Wage Model (PWM) sector is negotiated by sectoral tripartite cluster committees, which comprise representatives from the unions, service providers and service buyers in each sector, as well as the Government. The tripartite cluster committees recognise that in sectors where outsourcing is common, such as in cleaning, landscape maintenance, security, and lift and escalator, service providers typically enter into multi-year contracts with service buyers. This is why the tripartite cluster committees negotiate a multi-year schedule of wage increases for each PWM sector, to provide both service buyers and service providers with clarity on how progressive wages will increase in the years ahead. The wage schedules are also announced in advance, so that service providers and buyers entering into new contracts do so with sufficient information, and those midway through existing contracts can discuss whether the contracts need to be re-negotiated. The current PWM wage schedules for all sectors where outsourcing is common were announced in 2021 or 2022, ahead of their six-year implementation from 2023 to 2028. Tripartite Partners encourage service buyers to work closely with service providers to re-negotiate ongoing contracts where reasonable. The Government is also doing its part to offset increases in labour costs through the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS). Under the PWCS, the Government funds up to 75% of wage increases that employers provide to lower-wage workers, for five years from 2022 to 2026. This includes wage increments given due to Progressive Wage requirements. Beyond this, service buyers should consider moving towards outcome-based contracting.”
“I thank the Member for his questions. I think for most employees, they know their general rights. If something is amiss, where you are terminated unfairly, you can always come to MOM, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices or one of the unions, especially for those in the Progressive Wage Model sectors, where most are pretty much covered by the unions. As far as we know, today, neither MOM nor any of our lead sector agencies have received any complaints with regard to termination and being converted to be self-employed persons. I think in a tight labour market, as I have explained, one who is unfairly terminated and being asked to come back as a platform worker, for example, I think that is unfair. But they do have choices too to work for someone else. Certainly, for the employer, it is not too wise to do so. Once you are self-employed, you can serve multiple employers too. So, then, therefore, the employer loses the worker as well. But if you come across any of such cases, whether among your Clementi residents or otherwise, please feel free to come to MOM. 1.59 pm”
“Speaker, if an employer terminates an employee’s contract of service, but still engages the worker’s services under conditions that effectively makes the worker an employee, this is misclassification of an employee to avoid employer obligations. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will investigate such cases and take action against employers where warranted. In a tight labour market, employers must also consider carefully how they contract with their workers, or they may face difficulties ensuring sufficient manpower to meet business needs. For example, an employee who is terminated and rehired under a contract for service may choose to leave and join another company as an employee, for greater employment certainty. To help employers with the expansion of the Progressive Wage Model, the Government has introduced the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS) as transitional support. The PWCS funds up to 75% of the wage increases given in 2023 to employees earning up to $2,500 and 45% for those earning above $2,500 up to $3,000. We encourage employers to take the opportunity to uplift wages and upgrade the productivity and skills of lower-wage workers.”
“(In English): Mr Speaker, in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's national broadcast on 7 June 2020, just as Singapore emerged from the circuit breaker, the Prime Minister addressed Singaporeans that we faced "the crisis of a generation" and also expressed his hope that "an even stronger and better Singapore will emerge from this crisis". Three years later and on this side of the crisis, I believe that this holds true. We can be heartened by how our people have shown resilience, adaptability and unity throughout the pandemic. I am confident that the lessons we have learnt will put us in good stead for the future and prepare us for the next crisis. In June 2020, at the start of the pandemic, I began my speech on the Supplementary Budget with a verse from a song by the legendary band, Queen. That verse was, "Your every day is full of sunshine. But into every life, a little rain must fall." Today, I would like to close this chapter with another verse, this time from another legendary band, The Beatles. It goes this way. You can also imagine Deputy Prime Minister Wong playing his guitar, strumming in the background. "Little darlin', it's been a long, cold, lonely winter. Little darlin', it feels like years since it's been here. Here comes the sun. Here comes the sun, and I say, it's alright." [Applause.]”
“Through these adjustments, the community has shown its progressiveness – one that is able to make adjustments to their religious life, without compromising on religious tenets. I am proud that the community played an impactful role through a strong sense of citizenry, as displayed in our fight against COVID-19. Such contributions are important, particularly in our multi-cultural, multi-religious society. I am also heartened that their contributions have been recognised by the international community as well. Last year, our Fatwa Committee under our Mufti’s leadership was conferred the Al-Qarafi Award by the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide under the Dar al-Ifta in Egypt, for their leadership and contributions in guiding the community through the pandemic. This is more than just an award for Mufti and the Fatwa Committee, but also a recognition to the community who responded well to the adjustments that had to be made. I am glad that the community continues to apply the lessons learnt and good practices from the pandemic. This builds our resilience, which will come in handy as we face future challenges. For example, many mosques continue to offer multiple Friday prayer sessions. This was initially introduced in response to the reduced size for congregational prayers, but now provides more flexibility on the timing for individuals to perform their prayers. In a few days, the Muslim community will enter the month of Ramadan. Three years ago, we observed Ramadan during the circuit breaker period. Since then, the community has overcome many things. As we return to normalcy, let us continue to build on the gotong royong spirit that we demonstrated during the pandemic, to build a united and resilient Singapore.”
“In retaining traditions, the community also turned to online means to convey their well-wishes to family and loved ones for Hari Raya. In 2020 and 2021, we also had to defer the annual Haj for Singaporean pilgrims. Singapore was among the first countries to do so, before other countries made similar decisions. This included Saudi Arabia who announced that the Haj would be limited to domestic pilgrims only, in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. Many pilgrims were saddened by this decision, especially because of the very long waiting time to perform the Haj. But the community understood the need to do so as it would not only protect our pilgrims, but those around them as well. These measures would not have been possible without strong religious leadership of the Mufti, the Fatwa Committee and our asatizah, as well as the strong partnerships within the community. Our religious leaders were astute in assessing the health risks and adjusting religious practices to the prevailing COVID-19 situation. These were difficult decisions that needed courage during our most trying moments to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the community. Our religious leadership benefitted from the close partnership with our Muslim healthcare professionals, through the Malay/Muslim COVID-19 Working Group. This Group advised MUIS in developing the necessary precautionary measures and communicating the scientific reasons behind them to the general public. For example, Dr Norhisham Main, the President of the Muslim Healthcare Professionals Association, alongside the Mufti, explained the closing of mosques and other changes to the community's socio-religious norms from a medical perspective during an interactive online talk show.”
“This was a whole-of-society effort, one filled with sacrifice, dedication and duty. Mr Speaker, moving on to the Malay/Muslim community. Our Malay/Muslim community, too, played an important role. The community had to adjust to the closure of mosques and suspension of congregational prayers, which Mr Sharael Taha and Dr Wan Rizal spoke about. While in circuit breaker, the community also had to observe Ramadan and Hari Raya away from their loved ones. With the month of Ramadan upon us in just two days' time, there is much to be grateful for to be able to observe and pray together without COVID-19 restrictions. I recognise that it has not been easy for the Malay/Muslim community or the Muslim community in general, including our religious leaders, because of the sacrifices needed over the past three years to battle and to overcome COVID-19. I thank our Malay/Muslim community for making adjustments to their religious and cultural practices and staying united with fellow Singaporeans to keep our country safe. Speaker, I will deliver the next segment in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] For many Muslims, the circuit breaker phase had been a very difficult period. We could not perform religious practices and obligations, such as our congregational Friday prayers. We also had to suspend prayers and other activities that were typically conducted during Ramadan, such as Terawih prayers at mosques. But the community quickly adapted ─ performing their congregational prayers at home with their family. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) also introduced online religious resources, such as SalamSG TV to support home-based Ramadan activities.”
“The SAF is grateful for the support from spouses and families of our servicemen and women, who also shared the belief on the need to uphold high standards of training amidst COVID-19 in the defence of Singapore to ensure our sovereignty and our way of life. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there were many groups who also kept Singapore going in different ways. One such group is our public transport workers, as mentioned by Mr Melvin Yong earlier. They braved the virus every day to keep public transport services running. Some workers also volunteered to come back to work on their rest days to cover colleagues who were sick, especially when COVID-19 clusters were emerging among bus captains. Taxi drivers supported the conveyance of travellers on Stay-Home Notice to their accommodation and COVID-19 positive patients to and from healthcare facilities. Employers too, played their part. Public transport operators – SBS Transit, SMRT, Tower Transit Singapore and Go-Ahead Singapore – adjusted shifts to ensure that their workers had sufficient rest while minimising impact on commuters. At the height of the pandemic, platform operators and their workers also provided much-needed services: point-to-point transport, food and goods delivery. The Government had earlier accepted the recommendations by the Advisory Committee on Platform Workers to strengthen protections for platform workers, such as in areas of financial protection in case of work injury and for housing and retirement adequacy. I echo Ms Janet Ang and Mr Melvin Yong's tribute and thank our public transport workers and operators, platform workers and operators, workers in the air and sea transport sector and many others in our fight against COVID-19.”
“Major Doris Sam, for example, an RSAF Air Warfare Officer, was isolated in base with her unit to ensure they were free from infection and could continue to safeguard Singapore's skies. This was the first time she was apart from her two-year-old toddler, Atlas, over a prolonged period. Despite the sacrifices required, Doris, like many fellow sons and daughters of Singapore, stayed true to her mission and continued to defend our home. With the gradual easing of restrictions, the SAF progressively resumed training, often operating under conditions more strenuous than before the pandemic. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, the Singapore Navy participated in the SAF's first overseas training since the onset of COVID-19. This was for the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, a multinational naval exercise. The crew of the RSS Supreme embarked on one of their longest sails – 67 consecutive days on board the ship travelling across the Pacific Ocean. No shore leave. Vaccines were not available at that time, so they were in a COVID-19-safe bubble and had no interactions with anyone else apart from their fellow crewmates. The ship was reconfigured with Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capabilities in the event that someone turned positive. Fortunately, the entire crew tested negative throughout their deployment and successfully completed the exercise. One of them was Weapons Systems Cluster Chief Military Expert 3 (ME3) Suresh Subramaniam, a father of three. ME3 Suresh told me that he was thankful for his wife's support and assurance on the home front.”
“By combining and complementing local and foreign expertise, we can grow the pie for Singapore and provide more good opportunities for all. Mr Speaker, I spoke earlier about how the SAF contributed to Singapore's fight against COVID-19 in the dormitories. At the same time, more than 7,000 SAF personnel were deployed across operations – ranging from contact tracing, call centre operations, logistical support to medical operations. While our nation grappled with and were fully focused on overcoming COVID-19, Singaporeans can be assured that the SAF kept up our security operations and maintained a high level of operational readiness to keep us safe from external threats. Critical SAF operations, such as maritime security, air defence, protection of key installations and counter-terrorism, continued round-the-clock even during the pandemic. Our servicemen had to train in challenging conditions arising from pandemic restrictions. These conditions tested the SAF's grit, tenacity and resilience. But our people adapted quickly and quickly rose to the challenge. To minimise infection risk, SAF implemented strict health and safety measures. These included vaccination, cohorting, safe distancing, reduction in training group sizes and COVID-19 testing regimes. Some personnel performing critical operations had to isolate themselves in camps and bases for days, to ensure that they were free from infection before they could start their duties. For many, this also meant sacrificing time away from their family and loved ones. This made celebrations like Mother's Day during the circuit breaker period slightly different for our servicewomen.”
“With the full lifting of the VDS in October 2022, if an individual feels that an employer is making vaccination-differentiated requirements without genuine occupational needs to do so, he or she may approach MOM or the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices for assistance. Since October 2022, there has only been a handful of complaints. For the broader workforce, a key lesson from the pandemic is developing a strong Singapore Core and complementing it with a diverse foreign workforce, to ensure the resilience of our businesses and our economy. This was a point that Mr Saktiandi Supaat spoke about as well. Due to border restrictions during the pandemic, the total number of foreign workers fell from about 1.4 million in December 2019 to about 1.2 million in December 2021. However, the number has since recovered to pre-COVID-19 levels, as border restrictions were relaxed and employers tried to catch the upswing of economic recovery. Even as we strengthen the complementarity of our foreign workforce and continue to attract global talent, international investments and companies, our focus on strengthening the Singapore Core in our workforce will remain. We have developed Industry Transformation Maps and Jobs Transformation Maps, which include strategies to prepare our workers for higher value-added jobs in each sector. We have in place an ecosystem of programmes and schemes to prepare workers for jobs of the future, such as the Career Conversion Programmes and SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme. We have also put in place various programmes to increase the global and regional exposure of locals to enable them to take up leadership positions in global firms.”
“At that time, the virus was mutating and new variants, which were highly transmissible, were emerging; while time was needed to assess whether these new variants also put infected persons at a higher risk of severe disease. This was when we were still grappling with Omicron, by the way. Unvaccinated individuals, especially those who are older, would have put themselves at risk of infection at the workplace. We were concerned that infected, unvaccinated individuals could be at risk of severe illness. There could also be significant added strain on our healthcare system. The Government, therefore, decided that there was a need to put in place stronger measures at the workplaces to protect vulnerable and at-risk groups. These measures complemented the public health measures in the community, such as the vaccination-differentiated safe management measures (VDS). In the Advisory on COVID-19 Vaccination at the Workplace, the tripartite partners made it very clear that dismissal is a last resort and employers should try to allow unvaccinated workers to work from home, including through redeployment. Following the lifting of the Workforce Vaccination Measures, Workforce Singapore (WSG) and NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) had reached out to and offered employment assistance to such unvaccinated employees. Unvaccinated individuals can also approach WSG or e2i, if they require further assistance. The lifting of the Workforce Vaccination Measures followed the relaxation of the VDS in April 2022.”
“These include chalets, hotels, serviced apartments and exhibition spaces. One such example was how D'Resort@Downtown East was used as a Government Quarantine Facility. The two new migrant worker dormitories that MOM will be operating in partnership with the private sector, will have enhanced liveability and adaptability features for both peacetime and future disease outbreaks. For example, there will be larger recreation spaces, such as multi-purpose and sports courts, which can be repurposed as medical facilities. We are also looking at strengthening the resilience of key food distribution facilities, such as the Jurong Fishery Port and Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre, against future emergencies and pandemics, as raised by Mr Saktiandi Supaat. The Singapore Food Agency is carrying out upgrades to enhance the security, surveillance and access control systems of our key food supply facilities. This would allow for better contact tracing, in the event of a future disease outbreak and support the enforcement of control measures. Businesses should also continue to review and keep their business continuity plans relevant, to ensure supply resiliency at the company level. Even as we continue to enhance the adaptability of our infrastructure, we need to maintain strong partnerships across the people, the private and the public sector. This will be instrumental to enable us to meet demands for quarantine housing and temporary accommodations in the next pandemic. Let me take this opportunity to also address some of the matters relating to our workforce and workplaces during COVID-19, which were mentioned in some of the Members' speeches. One concern was on the necessity of Workforce Vaccination Measures (WVM), raised by Ms Hazel Poa and Mr Yip Hon Weng.”
“He shared that his In-Camp Training (ICT) has been "the most meaningful one" for him. He felt a strong commitment to "fight a different kind of war" in a hall filled with thousands of migrant workers with COVID-19. Against an enemy that threatened to instil fear and destroy our way of life, Singaporeans from all walks of life, the Public Service, private sector, NGOs, volunteers and national servicemen, have indeed come together to "fight a different kind of war", each playing their part through Total Defence. One of the key lessons from the pandemic is the importance of adaptability and the resilience of our infrastructure. The unprecedented scale and prolonged nature of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in overwhelming demand for quarantine housing and temporary accommodations. Learning from this experience, public sector agencies are working to identify suitable facilities to meet possible crisis scenarios and better safeguard and operationalise sites for emergency needs. This includes exploring developing dual-use facilities to serve both peacetime and crises functions. One way to do this is by retrofitting available and suitable state properties to be able to pivot from peacetime to crisis use when necessary. An example is the Quick-Built Dormitory at Sengkang West. It is currently used for new migrant workers to undergo residential onboarding and medical examination when they first arrived in Singapore. In the event of a pandemic, the Onboard Centre can be quickly converted into a dedicated facility for newly-arrived workers to serve their Stay-Home Notice. Public sector agencies will also explore with private sector owners to potentially utilise a wide variety of private infrastructure for emergency housing.”
“Miss Rachel Ong spoke about how we should continue our close working relationship with our NGOs to sustain their outreach within the migrant worker community. The Alliance for Migrant Workers Support (AMWS) was initially set-up as an engagement platform with our NGOs during COVID-19. Moving forward, the AMWS will continue to be an important platform for us to come together to discuss how we can better support our migrant workers, work to improve policies affecting them as well as to build our capabilities to better coordinate the distribution of resources and respond quickly in the next pandemic. The Minister for Manpower spoke yesterday on how the Government stood up the Inter-Agency Task Force and brought in the SAF and the Home Team to manage the COVID-19 situation in the dormitories. Despite the risks involved, we saw the unwavering dedication of these officers, including those deployed as part of the Forward Assurance and Support Teams (FAST). Allow me to share two inspiring examples. Singapore Police Force (SPF) officer Station Inspector (SI) Sheik Ismail volunteered as a FAST officer at the S11 dormitory@Punggol, which saw the largest COVID-19 cluster. SI Sheik made sure that the workers' needs were met, helping them to talk to their employers about their salaries, ensuring that they stayed connected with their families and assisting them to remit money back home. What struck me was that SI Sheik went beyond the call of duty to lend a listening ear, taking the time to understand their fears and encouraging them to focus on their hopes and dreams. Corporal (NS) Vinod, a Combat Medic with the 2nd Combat Support Hospital, was deployed to the EXPO Community Care Facility. He supported the operations to plan, monitor and deliver care to affected migrant workers.”
“The Migrant Workers' Centre, for example, quickly kickstarted initiatives to distribute masks, hand sanitisers, soap bars, shampoos, dental kits and other key essential items to all migrant workers in the dormitories, including those in smaller factory-converted dormitories and construction temporary quarters (CTQs). We also had medical volunteers from NGO HealthServe, who helped to supplement the efforts of our medical teams on the ground. As an inter-racial, inter-religious and inter-cultural organisation, Hope Initiative Alliance (HIA) played an important role in ensuring that the spiritual needs of our workers were met. They organised congregational prayers and religious services for our workers of different faiths in the dormitories and recreation centres. When workers were unable to return home during their festive holidays, HIA helped to spread cheer by distributing festive care packs and meals. Many of their volunteers came from Christian groups and I remembered them coming at 4.00 am in the morning to deliver breakfast during Ramadan and this was at the height of the pandemic in 2020. If I had to share all our stories together on the ground, we would be here for quite a while. So, just let me just acknowledge our other NGOs who had made a difference in the lives of our migrant workers and helped as sounding boards for some of our policies and these include the development of the improved dormitory standards over the last three years. Thank you, COVID-19 Migrant Support Coalition, Crisis Relief Alliance, Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics, It's Raining Raincoats, My Brother SG and The Salvation Army, for all your support.”
“Ultimately, what COVID-19 has taught us is that we need to transform the built environment sector towards greater resilience and productivity. The Minister for Manpower had elaborated on the fight against COVID-19 in the dormitories yesterday and areas where we could do better. To protect our migrant workers and reduce COVID-19 transmission within the dormitories, we brought together public agencies, private companies and NGOs to identify and stand up emergency accommodation facilities. Put together, they came up with adaptable and innovative solutions, often under tight timelines and resource constraints. We repurposed a wide range of facilities into safe emergency accommodation facilities. These included cruise ships, floatels, hotels, as well as retrofitted state properties, such as multi-storey carparks, vacant schools and vacant HDB blocks. We also used port land and exhibition spaces, such as the Tanjong Pagar Port and Singapore Expo. We even used a vacant en bloc site, the former Chancery Court condominium, offered by the Far East Organisation. Moving on to another group of partners, I will always be thankful for the support from our NGOs in providing care and support for our migrant workers throughout the pandemic. I recall our many meetings and dormitory visits during the pandemic, where I felt heartened by their tireless efforts, especially during circuit breaker. They came together to forge new partnerships and coordinated efforts on the ground to meet the needs of our migrant workers in different ways.”
“Home buyers who were affected by extended delivery dates, could similarly seek reimbursement from the developer, for qualifying expenses. Our TAs also played a pivotal role in addressing the acute manpower shortages. The Singapore Contractors Association Limited (SCAL), Association of Singapore Marine Industries (ASMI) and Association of Process Industry (ASPRI) took the lead to pilot a tightened end-to-end process to bring migrant workers into Singapore safely. This initiative involved integrating the testing of workers at dedicated onboarding facilities in their home countries, with protocols for them to stay safe from infection. I thank SCAL, ASMI and ASPRI for their herculean effort in coordinating across multiple local and foreign companies in the healthcare and hospitality sectors and working closely with various public sector agencies, to facilitate the safe inflow of workers. The pilot's success allowed us to scale up further to meet the manpower needs of the construction, marine and process industries, while safeguarding public health and our healthcare capacity. The lessons learnt and experience gained from these initiatives will help to minimise future manpower disruptions in the next pandemic. Today, our construction activities are now close to pre-COVID-19 levels. Firm formation and cessation numbers also point to a stable situation. I thank our TAs and all members of the built environment sector for their understanding, support and resilience, which has made this recovery possible. The strong partnerships that we have forged over the past three years and the can-do spirit to overcome challenges will go a long way in preparing us for the next pandemic.”
“36 billion Construction Support Package to help companies ease back into work safely after the circuit breaker period and this came on top of the general support measures for all sectors. We also provided companies with multiple rounds of Foreign Worker Levy rebates and waivers, as well as wage subsidies via the JSS. This relieved some of the burden from manpower costs and helped preserve jobs in the sector, including for locals. We recognised that some companies would be unable to meet their contractual obligations and previously committed timelines, with the work stoppages and delays due to COVID-19. As such, we introduced the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, or COTMA, provisions to provide relief for defaulting parties, by putting in place a moratorium, during which legal obligations relating to inability to perform contractual obligations due to COVID-19 could not be enforced. COTMA also provided a defence against claims for contract breaches, including liquidated damages in such instances. A universal Extension of Time of four months was granted for construction projects, to account for the circuit breaker and time taken to clear the dormitories. We also recognised the need to ensure that no single party in the built environment value chain bore a disproportionate cost burden, arising from delays due to the pandemic. Hence, we inserted provisions in COTMA to facilitate equitable sharing of non-manpower prolongation costs and foreign manpower cost increases between project parties. We also supported developers and end-users, such as home buyers. Developers whose projects faced construction delays could seek relief on the date of delivery of possession.”