S'poreans back foreign worker rules
Play
Close to nine in 10 Singaporeans support measures in this year's budget to tighten the inflow of foreign workers, according to a new Reach poll. The telephone survey of 927 citizens, conducted shortly after the government announced its budget on February
About 87 per cent of those polled support measures to raise foreign worker levies, while about 89 per cent support a reduction of the Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) in the service and marine sectors.
The DRC is a quota setting the maximum number of foreign workers a firm can hire for every full-time local worker it employs.
Many also agreed with the tightening of criteria for the S-Pass and Employment Pass, with about 89 per cent saying they supported this move. The minimum S-Pass qualifying monthly salary will be raised from S$2,000 to S$2,200 (Bt46,900 to Bt51,600) on July 1. The Employment Pass framework will also be adjusted, especially for the lowest-level Q1 pass holders who earn between S$3,000 and S$4,500 a month.
One of the more controversial measures from the budget, the Wage Credit Scheme, also got a thumbs-up. Some seven in 10 of those polled believed it would prompt businesses to raise salaries. This scheme sees the government co-funding wage increases for Singaporeans earning up to S$4,000 a month. As for the measures to build a more inclusive society, 67 per cent agreed that the more progressive tax structure – including higher taxes on investment properties and luxury homes – are a step in the right direction.
