Budget 2024 debate: Ang Wei Neng on manpower support for sectors with less-favoured jobs

Some Singaporeans shy away from jobs in the retail sector due to the need to work outside office hours and on weekends. This makes it necessary to supplement the manpower needs of the sector with foreign workers. Similarly, Singaporeans appear to be reluctant to work in places without air-conditioning. So the Ministry of Manpower should maintain and not tighten the foreign worker quota and foreign worker levy in sectors which are not favoured by Singaporeans, especially for the next three years when the world economy is very uncertain. MP Ang Wei Neng made this call in Parliament on Monday (Feb 26), echoing the sentiments of many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). He also urged the Government to allow the space below viaducts to be used by the private sector, especially SMEs which provide important services such as childcare and eldercare services. Mr Ang also proposed incorporating the inflation index into the formula used to determine the income criteria for various Government financial assistance schemes every year and even every quarter.