Written Answer to PQ on Foreign Manpower Flexibilities

NOTICE PAPER NO. 2760 OF 2024 FOR THE SITTING ON 07 MAY 2024
QUESTION NO. 5789 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Ms Hazel Poa

To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what foreign manpower concessions are provided to participating companies under the Shared Stay-in Senior Care Services sandbox; (b) whether there are any other sandbox or pilot schemes in which foreign manpower concessions are given; and (c) if so, what are they.

Answer:

Foreign manpower flexibilities are provided to participating companies under the Shared Stay-in Senior Care Services sandbox to support the Ministry of Health and the Agency for Integrated Care in testing out alternative senior care options to meet the caregiving needs of seniors and their families. These flexibilities include additional foreign worker quota and source relaxations.

2. Besides the Shared Stay-in Senior Care Services sandbox, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) also provides similar foreign manpower flexibilities to companies under the pilot Household Services Scheme (HSS) that provides part-time elder-minding and childminding services.

3. MOM will continue to work with sector agencies to calibrate the foreign manpower flexibilities accorded to areas serving important societal needs with limited scope for automation or localisation, while ensuring that we are not over-reliant on foreign workers.