$2 billion of construction projects deferred

[Aris]

Parliament: Over $2 billion of construction projects deferred to stagger foreign worker demand

Published on May 28, 2014 4:42 PM

By Janice Heng

SINGAPORE - More than $2 billion of public construction projects will be deferred in order to spread out labour demand, as the Government continues to slow the inflow of foreign workers, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Wednesday.

This will not affect projects which are urgent, such as Housing Board flats and train network expansion. Instead, the delays will apply to the new Science Centre and extensions to Gardens by the Bay, for example.

Singapore could save 20,000 or 30,000 foreign workers that way, he said: "These are necessary trade-offs and I hope Singaporeans will understand."

Keeping an eye on construction manpower, and foreign manpower more generally, is part of the Government's efforts to manage Singapore's population.

The debate on the Population White Paper in January last year was "vigorous and emotional", but helped both the people to better understand the issue, and the Government to work out its plans, said Mr Lee.

The inflow of new arrivals has been reduced, the economy is making the transition towards higher productivity, and the Government will review its population planning parameters closer to 2020.

As for foreign worker numbers, the inflow was slowed but not frozen, having now almost halved since 2011. Excluding construction workers, the growth rate of foreign workers is now just a quarter of that in 2011.

Yet even this has been painful for companies, especially small and medium enterprises, noted Mr Lee. Many are struggling and some have had to shift their operations out of Singapore.

"If we squeeze them too hard, they may not survive, and that will mean that many Singaporean jobs will be at risk," he said.

Several weeks ago, he met some Malay SME owners who said there was business to be done but they could not find the workers, and asked for help. Mr Lee replied that the Government will help all firms to adapt to having fewer foreign workers, but cannot ease up on foreign worker limits.

Besides foreign construction workers, foreign professionals, managers and executives (PME) are another group to which the Government has been paying attention.

"The issue is less about numbers, because the numbers are not huge, but about the quality of foreign PMEs and also about fair treatment for Singaporean PMEs," said Mr Lee.

The Government has been managing both their numbers and profile, tightening the requirements for Employment Passes and S-Passes for such workers.

For Singaporean PMEs, there are efforts to develop them and to ensure a level playing field, for instance through the upcoming Fair Consideration Framework, which will require firms to advertise on a jobs bank before applying to hire foreigners.

- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/sin....74hnGC0O.dpuf

Has our pleas fallen on deaf ears? We asked for less FT's but they decided we do not want FW's.

Are we being taught a childish lesson?

[hkh]

A new Science Centre and extension for Gardens by the Bay.......are they urgent projects that must proceed now ??

From here we can see who causes the labor crunch........especially in construction sector........ all for the sake of economic growth.......

[Aris]

Since when did construction sectors employ great numbers of Singaporeans? The FT's that are taking the mid-management level jobs from Singaporeans are those we said we did not want. Since days of old, we have been employing great numbers of construction workers and Singapore is what it is today, thanks to them.

High rentals is one of the reasons that SME's are shifting out of Singapore, so don't give us so much bull.

[AlvinLeong]

Seems like they don't understand or act blur.

Workers on work permit we need.

Limit S pass and EP.

Difficult to understand meh? Tot their angmoh very good one?

[hkh]

Originally Posted by Aris

High rentals is one of the reasons that SME's are shifting out of Singapore, so don't give us so much bull.

Think that have to ask them why they allow so many REITs in the market instead of JTC to control rent ??

[limkt]

The garment trg to act blur.After the riot, the papigs already scare n police also scare.Don be surprise they maybe even pee in their pants.So thdy quickly cut down indians.To be honest , this us human reactions.But worse is they employ more pinoy, knn more worse.

[Ong88]

No money to pump prime the economy.

Die liaow all.

[Aris]

PMETs are much preferred by the government because they spent most of their earnings here, whereas foreign workers tend to send all their monies back home.

[millenium]

If really urgent construction u think will be deferred?

They will hv means to push thru.

[mictok]

Servant cant understand the differences between FTs and FWs,need to go for English training.