SINGAPORE is seeking to hire more skilled overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and other foreigners in its select industries by raising their starting salaries under its new manpower policy.
Citing the report from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Singapore, Philippine Over-
seas Employment Administration (POEA) Administrator Bernard P. Olalia said Singapore decided to raise their qualifying salary for semiskilled foreigners under its S-Pass scheme from SG$ 2,200 ($1,700) to SG$2,400 ($1,850).
The S-Pass is a kind of work visa being issued by Singapore to mid-level skilled foreigners, who apply in its industries with critical labor shortage like engineering, electronics, oil and chemical.
“The increment will take effect on two tranches, i.e., January 1, 2019, and January 1, 2020,” Olalia said in POEA advisory 20, series of 2018.
But while it opened its doors to more skilled workers, Singapore decided to restrict the entry of expatriates in its high-paying industries by expanding the coverage of its advertisement rule to cover more establishments.
Olalia said Singapore came out with an advisory on the “extension of the coverage of the rule on the 14-day advertisement of high-paying jobs on national Jobs Bank prior to hiring a foreigner to companies with at least 10 workers and for jobs with salaries lower than SG$15,000 [about $11,500] a month.”
Previously, the rule only covers employers with at least 26 workers and for jobs paying under SG$12,000 (about $9,250) per month.
Both rules will take effect on July 1, 2018.
Olalia said the policy reform is part of the efforts of Singapore to provide better employment opportunities for foreigners under its Fair Consideration Framework.
“The new rule…aims to tighten the employment of foreign workers in the city-state in order to provide Singaporeans more access to better jobs, but at the same time enhances the quality and productivity of foreign workers,” Olalia said.