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Written Answer by Minister for Manpower to PQ on migrant domestic workers borrowing money from illegal loan sharks

Foreign manpower Work passes and permits

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1325 OF 2022 FOR THE SITTING ON 12 SEPTEMBER 2022

QUESTION NO. 2084 FOR WRITTEN  ANSWER

MP: Mr Lim Biow Chuan

To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the current action taken against migrant domestic workers (MDWs) who have borrowed money from illegal loan sharks; and (b) whether these MDWs will be banned from returning to Singapore.

Answer:

MOM takes a serious view of MDWs and other work pass holders borrowing from unlicensed moneylenders. If an MDW is found to have borrowed from unlicensed moneylenders, she is liable to have her work permit revoked. She will also be barred from future employment in Singapore.
To avoid such a situation, it is important to address the issue upstream by educating MDWs on good money management practices and highlighting the risks of borrowing from unlicensed moneylenders. This is done through channels such as the mandatory Settling-In-Programme (SIP) and the regular newsletters put out by the Singapore Police Force and MOM.