Setting Up Foreign Workers Fund to Improve Workers' Welfare

Ms Tan Su Shan asked the Acting Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider setting aside part of the contributions to the Foreign Worker Levy to create a Foreign Workers Fund that can underwrite initiatives to improve foreign workers' welfare.

I agree with the spirit of Ms Tan Su Shan's suggestion for the Government to set aside a reasonable budget to help improve the

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circumstances of foreign workers in Singapore. This is, in fact, already the case today.

The foreign worker levy serves to regulate demand for foreign manpower. As with other taxes and levies collected, revenue arising from the foreign worker levy is channelled to the Consolidated Fund and forms part of the Government's revenue to finance expenditure in general. This covers all areas of Government expenditure and includes, but is not limited to, building public infrastructure like roads and hospitals, as well as assistance schemes for locals like Continuing Education and Training (CET) where the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) provides generous course fee subsidies to locals pursuing WSQ courses. We also resource initiatives pertaining to foreign workers.

The latter measures are overseen by an Inter-Ministerial Committee, and include regular reviews to ensure that our legislation is relevant and adequate to protect the evolving rights and well-being needs of foreign workers; education and outreach to inform foreign workers of their rights before they enter Singapore; as well as developing infrastructure to provide foreign workers with adequate housing, amenities and recreational facilities.

For instance, the Government has been launching dedicated recreation centres for foreign workers to supplement the facilities and amenities in their dormitories. These centres provide foreign workers with additional places to rest and socialise, and have a wide range of amenities, such as remittance services, supermarkets and sports facilities. They are well-utilised, and visitorship is especially high when these centres host events, such as sports competitions and cultural celebrations. Most of these centres also organise regular movie screenings. The Government intends to launch more of such gathering spaces, to better cater to foreign workers' needs. Other examples include the cleaning of congregation areas, to maintain an acceptable level of public cleanliness; and inter-agency roadshows at foreign worker dormitories and gathering areas, which help to raise awareness of key Singapore laws and social norms.

I believe that Singaporeans understand and appreciate that just as the Government takes care of their needs, it is also right and proper for us to look out for the needs of foreign workers who contribute positively to our country.

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