Ministerial statement: Tan See Leng on Singapore's 'offensive' to attract global talent
All applications for the Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass (ONE Pass) must be carefully vetted to sieve out potential cases of false salary declarations and companies with a limited track record. They must be supported with documents to verify that the salary declared will in fact be paid. For those seeking to convert from an existing Employment Pass, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will scrutinise their Personal Income Tax filings with IRAS to ensure that they are consistent with their application. For overseas candidates, MOM will further assess their company’s market capitalisation and revenue based on verifiable sources. The economic agencies will support MOM on this. MOM will also engage the pass holders during their time in Singapore to keep updated on their professional activities and annual income. This will count in their eligibility for renewals. These are the safeguards that will be put in place as Singapore rolls out the ONE Pass that offers more privileges, said Manpower Minister Tan See Leng. He said Singapore is bringing in these talents and giving them flexibilities because it wants to encourage them to take risks, explore new frontiers and make a big impact to benefit Singapore. It is important to allow for some ramp-up period for that to happen and not be too quick to jump to the conclusion that they are not contributing, he said. "The ONE Pass is not meant to be abused as a visit or travel document. MOM reserves the right the cancel the Pass if there are extended periods of economic inactivity with no good reasons," he said. In his ministerial statement in Parliament on Monday (Sep 12), Dr Tan explained the targeted nature of the recent work pass enhancements. He also highlighted the efforts to help locals compete fairly and strongly, stressing that the goal is to create opportunities for Singaporeans to grow within and to benefit from. Dr Tan said Singapore cannot be playing a "defensive game" when it comes to talent. "The enhancements to our work pass framework are our offensives on global talent," he said. The ONE Pass is just a "vehicle", he said. Agencies are identifying high-quality individuals to proactively engage and reach out to the right global talent. Businesses have been very supportive of these moves, as it will help them to attract and retain talent in Singapore, he said. Locals understand these moves are targeted at the top and will create more economic opportunities, he added. "The international community is buzzing. There is a sense that Singapore is finally emerging from the shadow of COVID-19 and that we can all work together in this next phase of growth. We have taken an important step - to make talent all over the world sit up, pay attention and think seriously about coming to Singapore," he said.
All applications for the Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass (ONE Pass) must be carefully vetted to sieve out potential cases of false salary declarations and companies with a limited track record. They must be supported with documents to verify that the salary declared will in fact be paid. For those seeking to convert from an existing Employment Pass, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will scrutinise their Personal Income Tax filings with IRAS to ensure that they are consistent with their application. For overseas candidates, MOM will further assess their company’s market capitalisation and revenue based on verifiable sources. The economic agencies will support MOM on this. MOM will also engage the pass holders during their time in Singapore to keep updated on their professional activities and annual income. This will count in their eligibility for renewals. These are the safeguards that will be put in place as Singapore rolls out the ONE Pass that offers more privileges, said Manpower Minister Tan See Leng. He said Singapore is bringing in these talents and giving them flexibilities because it wants to encourage them to take risks, explore new frontiers and make a big impact to benefit Singapore. It is important to allow for some ramp-up period for that to happen and not be too quick to jump to the conclusion that they are not contributing, he said. "The ONE Pass is not meant to be abused as a visit or travel document. MOM reserves the right the cancel the Pass if there are extended periods of economic inactivity with no good reasons," he said. In his ministerial statement in Parliament on Monday (Sep 12), Dr Tan explained the targeted nature of the recent work pass enhancements. He also highlighted the efforts to help locals compete fairly and strongly, stressing that the goal is to create opportunities for Singaporeans to grow within and to benefit from. Dr Tan said Singapore cannot be playing a "defensive game" when it comes to talent. "The enhancements to our work pass framework are our offensives on global talent," he said. The ONE Pass is just a "vehicle", he said. Agencies are identifying high-quality individuals to proactively engage and reach out to the right global talent. Businesses have been very supportive of these moves, as it will help them to attract and retain talent in Singapore, he said. Locals understand these moves are targeted at the top and will create more economic opportunities, he added. "The international community is buzzing. There is a sense that Singapore is finally emerging from the shadow of COVID-19 and that we can all work together in this next phase of growth. We have taken an important step - to make talent all over the world sit up, pay attention and think seriously about coming to Singapore," he said.
Popular Shows
