ST says "Higher salary bar for foreigners seeking family visas"

[Barnsley]

Perhaps its related to the infrastructure strain? The lack of hospital beds, trains groaning...Its a fine line balancing the need to increase the workforce to improve the infrastructure yet at the same time make sure the family members of the incoming workers do not worsen the situation.

I think existing passes when up for renewal are based on the old criteria?

Its only if you change jobs after the 1st September that the new criteria will apply, thats how I read it.

[ecureilx]

They may also have made an analysis of how much money is being sent out of the country by the FT and have determined that more of it needs to stay here in the form of higher salaries.

Just a note, from statistics available, Filipinos from Singapore alone remitted 1.2 Billion $, in 2014, and that's through the official channels

And that number is because PH publishes the breakdown, of the 24 Billion $ remitted annually into the country

India gets about 90 Billion $ or so, but they don't give a breakdown.

[ecureilx]

Its only if you change jobs after the 1st September that the new criteria will apply, thats how I read it.

Yes, And Going by the past trends, as long as you don't change jobs, your privileges remain

[zzm9980]

Perhaps its related to the infrastructure strain? The lack of hospital beds, trains groaning...Its a fine line balancing the need to increase the workforce to improve the infrastructure yet at the same time make sure the family members of the incoming workers do not worsen the situation.

And local schools. Less and less places for foreigners every year. If someone doesn't make enough money to afford a private school, best they not be allowed to bring their children.

[rajagainstthemachine]

Perhaps its related to the infrastructure strain? The lack of hospital beds, trains groaning...Its a fine line balancing the need to increase the workforce to improve the infrastructure yet at the same time make sure the family members of the incoming workers do not worsen the situation.

And local schools. Less and less places for foreigners every year. If someone doesn't make enough money to afford a private school, best they not be allowed to bring their children.

and hospitals.. I was thinking about it this morning. so the ideal FT profile needs to be a single male/female who has the right skills for a job here, its yet another hoop to jump through to land that coveted job here.
I can imagine a lot of vacancies that companies have here and can't fill, one of the firms I know advertises roles as meant for Singapore/APAC/ASEAN and then ask candidates if they are open to say to the KL/BKK/HK or Sydney locations, it's as if Singapore is the last option in that list.

[ecureilx]

one of the firms I know advertises roles as meant for Singapore/APAC/ASEAN and then ask candidates if they are open to say to the KL/BKK/HK or Sydney locations, it's as if Singapore is the last option in that list.

Well, I know a company that has, by gentle cajoling followed by a little push, moved some staff over to KL, and come EP renewal, told them that they will get Malaysian Work pass, as they are in MY more than in SG

[Strong Eagle]

one of the firms I know advertises roles as meant for Singapore/APAC/ASEAN and then ask candidates if they are open to say to the KL/BKK/HK or Sydney locations, it's as if Singapore is the last option in that list.

Well, I know a company that has, by gentle cajoling followed by a little push, moved some staff over to KL, and come EP renewal, told them that they will get Malaysian Work pass, as they are in MY more than in SG

KL has sucked much, if not all, of the managed services companies out of Singapore. Tier 2 staff are being forced to move as well. If you want to keep your job, you take a cut in pay to reflect Malaysia's cheaper cost of living, and you probably end up in the Super Corridor in Putrajaya, isolated from everything.

I'm seeing that companies are moving a lot more than IT remote services. They are moving accounting and HR as well. It's really quite a problem for Singapore... difficult to justify higher wages without better productivity and creativity... and that's what's missing.

[calugaruvaxile]

While I think there is truth in a lot of the posts above, there is also the case to be made that the gahmen has made an analysis, and based upon the cost of living in Singpore, has determined that the new salary numbers are required to keep people from living on the poverty line.

I suspect they DON'T want shared rooms in HDB, and they DON'T want subsistence level food. They may also have made an analysis of how much money is being sent out of the country by the FT and have determined that more of it needs to stay here in the form of higher salaries.

it's a point! however, the business world will tel back "that's not our problem". and they may continue "then devalue the SGD, so we can "increase" the salaries"

[calugaruvaxile]

They are moving accounting and HR as well. It's really quite a problem for Singapore... difficult to justify higher wages without better productivity and creativity... and that's what's missing.

this is the really bad news, accounting and hr jobs leaving, as they were the no1 choice for job-hoppers

[Strong Eagle]

They are moving accounting and HR as well. It's really quite a problem for Singapore... difficult to justify higher wages without better productivity and creativity... and that's what's missing.

this is the really bad news, accounting and hr jobs leaving, as they were the no1 choice for job-hoppers

Malaysia is working hard to promote its super corridor... http://www.mscmalaysia.my/

Just take a look at the number of shared services companies that are part of the MSC: http://www.mscmalaysia.my/status_company

All the big players are there... Dell, AtoS, HP, Intel, IBM, Nokia, AT&T, BASF, Deloitte, DHL, Getronics... the list goes on and on. 369 companies that either supply shared services to others or have brought all their inhouse functions to the MSC. I don't see how Singapore ever gets this back.

I've seen this happen with 4 different companies I worked with... either to Manila or to KL.

[calugaruvaxile]

They are moving accounting and HR as well. It's really quite a problem for Singapore... difficult to justify higher wages without better productivity and creativity... and that's what's missing.

this is the really bad news, accounting and hr jobs leaving, as they were the no1 choice for job-hoppers

Malaysia is working hard to promote its super corridor... http://www.mscmalaysia.my/

Just take a look at the number of shared services companies that are part of the MSC: http://www.mscmalaysia.my/status_company

All the big players are there... Dell, AtoS, HP, Intel, IBM, Nokia, AT&T, BASF, Deloitte, DHL, Getronics... the list goes on and on. 369 companies that either supply shared services to others or have brought all their inhouse functions to the MSC. I don't see how Singapore ever gets this back.

I've seen this happen with 4 different companies I worked with... either to Manila or to KL.

a quite impressive number! but whatever they offer, it's a downgrade from sg. i've been in malaysia and i know what i can expect. i don't think anyone was happy to relocate there, but surely when money's tight ...

historically, m'sia has been far more protectionist towards their own, than sg. what i believe is that they can't wait to take the golden goose from sg (they're trying to copy the "Serviced aparment" type of economy from sg) in order to get some leverage, and then use that on the companies to squeeze a lot of returns ... in various forms.

again, it's a question of costs. long-term, short-term ... politically, it's easier to pressure sg than m'sia.

[bgd]

a quite impressive number! but whatever they offer, it's a downgrade from sg. i've been in malaysia and i know what i can expect. i don't think anyone was happy to relocate there, but surely when money's tight ...

I visit Malaysia a lot and enjoy it. I think I could happily live there but visiting and living are quite different things. You aren't the first to comment negatively on relocation. Interested to hear your experiences, a little off topic I know.

[AndrewV]

They are moving accounting and HR as well. It's really quite a problem for Singapore... difficult to justify higher wages without better productivity and creativity... and that's what's missing.

this is the really bad news, accounting and hr jobs leaving, as they were the no1 choice for job-hoppers

Malaysia is working hard to promote its super corridor... http://www.mscmalaysia.my/

Just take a look at the number of shared services companies that are part of the MSC: http://www.mscmalaysia.my/status_company

All the big players are there... Dell, AtoS, HP, Intel, IBM, Nokia, AT&T, BASF, Deloitte, DHL, Getronics... the list goes on and on. 369 companies that either supply shared services to others or have brought all their inhouse functions to the MSC. I don't see how Singapore ever gets this back.

I've seen this happen with 4 different companies I worked with... either to Manila or to KL.

what you say maybe true, but how do you explain the fact that Singapore is eternally short of office space (even with so many new developments coming on board)?

[zzm9980]

what you say maybe true, but how do you explain the fact that Singapore is eternally short of office space (even with so many new developments coming on board)?

Is that a quantifiable fact? I have a friend in commercial real estate who tells me otherwise.

[ecureilx]

historically, m'sia has been far more protectionist towards their own..

Those protectionism etc etc only applies if you are small time investor

Go there with a hundred million $, for example, they will give out passes, dependent passes, and this and that, without even putting in a name on the corresponding passes, sort of like a Blank Cheque.

I know it for a fact, from a Singapore Ship Owner -nope, not one of those huge guys, but somebody who had 5 or so feeder liners .. when the then SIR was not happy about giving him DP for his family, a little chat in KL and the MY Govt gave all that he wanted, as long as he moved his business up north. And that was when ICA was SIR