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Singapore to step up scrutiny on foreign work passes

Xinhua, July 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

Singapore will increase scrutiny of foreign work pass applications in a bid to strengthen its " Singaporean core", said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a press release on Wednesday.

MOM said that the government will enhance support for Singaporean professionals, managers and executives (PMEs), which form a critical and growing core of the workforce for the city- state. Among the measures to be taken, one is to step up scrutiny of EP applications for selected firms which "have a weaker Singaporean core of PMEs".

EP is the abbreviation for Employment Pass, which is given as a permit to a foreign worker who earns at least 3,300 Singapore dollars a month and with a relatively higher educational qualification.

MOM said it will require employers to submit more information to check whether Singaporeans were considered fairly for a job vacancy. This may include information on the number of applications submitted by Singaporeans, whether Singaporeans were interviewed for the vacancy, and the firm's current share of Singaporeans in PME positions at various levels.

Singapore has been tightening foreign workforce in a bid to boost its local productivity since 2010. The intake of foreign workers have been cut from 80,000 in 2011 to just 26,000 last year. Endi