number of S Pass workers to be further reduced in 2013

[taxico]

Oct 26 2012 (Today Online)

Despite the clamour from employers, there will be no U-turn on the tightening of foreign worker inflows into Singapore, Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said yesterday. In fact, he hinted an update on the S Pass regime could be expected in the first quarter of next year.

S Pass holders are mid-level workers earning at least S$2,000 a month and statistics from the Manpower Ministry showed that the number of S-Pass holders rose from nearly 114,000 last year to about 128,000, as at June this year. For the first half of this year, the number of Employment Pass holders dipped from 175,400 to 174,700.

Mr Tan said it is likely that companies are using S Passes to bring in more junior-level professionals, managers and executives (PMEs).

"The S Pass is a sector we are not totally comfortable with, because there's a lot of transference of lower (level) Employment Pass into S Pass and we are now exploring measures to perhaps tighten that segment," he added.

http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/ED ... gn-workers

If the above cannot be pasted here, please delete it but retain the topic and the following (both of which i've paraphrased, except for his public statements made at the SME convention):

the singapore man power minister said yesterday that despite a reduction of EP workers from 175,400 to 174,700 in the first half of 2012, the number of SP workers have increased from 114,000 last year to about 128,000.

he states that despite demand, there will be no change in the government's stance on a reduction of foreign labor and that there may soon be an update to the S Pass to address that imbalance.

the minister said:

"The S Pass is a sector we are not totally comfortable with, because there's a lot of transference of lower (level) Employment Pass into S Pass and we are now exploring measures to perhaps tighten that segment..."

alternative source (if permitted) at CNA:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/ ... 04/1/.html

[v4jr4]

the minister said:

"The S Pass is a sector we are not totally comfortable with, because there's a lot of transference of lower (level) Employment Pass into S Pass and we are now exploring measures to perhaps tighten that segment..."

[v4jr4]

Speaking of which, one of my friend was offered a "hole" for EP extension. He's in Q range salary (which is not good for his age), and the HR will mark his salary as P2 only for extension purpose. I'm not even sure if it will cause a problem during tax calculation

[sundaymorningstaple]

He'll definitely either have a larger tax bill or will be found out by the Gahmen as MOM and IRAS are using interlinked databases now. If his Salary isn't equal to the pass requirements, he can probably bend over, stick his head between his legs and kiss his butt goodbye, putting it politely.

[v4jr4]

He'll definitely either have a larger tax bill or will be found out by the Gahmen as MOM and IRAS are using interlinked databases now. If his Salary isn't equal to the pass requirements, he can probably bend over, stick his head between his legs and kiss his butt goodbye, putting it politely.

The "hole" in the tax will be reimbursed later. That's the strategy offered by the HR, in which, it's hard to detect, unless there's another way to detect.

PS: I'm not trying to hammer the system. But I don't want my friend to be banned from SG forever. It will be better for him to avoid this method, but I can't find the weakness of this "backdoor".

[sundaymorningstaple]

If you are his friend, you will advise him not to get involved in scamming the government. If MOM should suspect something (like a big jump in salary in order to meet the new income level requirement for the EP) they may well watch both the employer and the employee. They can also watch the employee's bank accounts if they desire. heaven forbid that the find systematic withdrawals on payday that cannot be explained satisfactorily by the employee.......

He's playing with fire. The employer will get a fine and a slap on the wrist, the employee can forget about ever working in Singapore again and he will be an accessory to defrauding the government.

[v4jr4]

Okay. It's fair enough to warn him that way
I just don't hope that the HR will be stubborn to do this trick by saying "Relax. Gahmen won't check la."

[sundaymorningstaple]

I'm sure the employer will use that tactic. I know several that do. I also read regularly in the local bird cage liner of those companies who have been found out recently. And MOM is getting better and better at it.