Sun, Aug 16, 2009
The Straits Times
Net job gains for local residents in first half
By Goh Chin Lian
MORE local residents were employed in the first half of this year despite the contraction in the economy.
In all, 1,800 jobs for them were added, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) yesterday.
At the same time, the number of foreigners employed fell by 20,400.
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» MM: Foreign talent is vital
» H1 would have been worse without foreign workers: MM
The job gains for Singaporeans and permanent residents were highlighted by Minister Minister Lee Kuan Yew yesterday at a National Day dinner in Tanjong Pagar GRC.
He noted that foreign workers act as a buffer in a downturn.
'This year, many of the job losses have been foreign workers rather than citizens.
'In fact, among residents there are net job gains in the first half, despite the -6.5 per cent growth!' he said, referring to the first-half economic contraction.
MOM divisional director Jeffrey Wong attributed the gains largely to recruitment in such sectors as retail, food and beverage, hotels, health care, construction and the public sector.
Mr Wong and analysts interviewed also referred to government subsidies that were aimed at coaxing bosses to hire and retain residents.
In particular, the Jobs Credit wage subsidy scheme and the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience, which subsidises worker training.
The MOM's latest job gains figures elaborate on Mr Lee's speech which dwelt on the need for Singaporeans to welcome foreigners working here.
They make up 36 per cent of Singapore's workforce, as of end of last year.
Said Mr Lee: 'The economy needs foreign workers so that we can grow faster when conditions are favourable, and to buffer the shock when conditions turn.
'Had we not had the foreign workers, more Singaporeans would have lost their jobs.'
MOM figures last month show Singapore lost a total of 18,600 jobs in the first half of this year. But there was no breakdown between foreigners and residents.
The only indication that it was getting better for residents was the dip in their jobless rate, from 4.8 per cent in March to 4.6 per cent in June. But overall unemployment rate remained at 3.3 per cent.
In his speech, Mr Lee also pointed out that Singapore's reputation for stability and efficiency was instrumental in attracting investors.
He cited ExxonMobil's decision to invest in a new plant in Jurong Island.
Its board of directors were initially unwilling. The chief executive officer flew them to Singapore to meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and MM Lee. They also visited Jurong Island.
Said MM Lee: '$4.5 billion is a vote of confidence in our future. Other companies, other MNCs will notice that.
'I'm quite sure when the crisis is over and people start investing again, we are going to get many investments.'
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Sunday, August 16, 2009
National Day Rally 2009 highlights
Sun, Aug 16, 2009
SG Press Centre
National Day Rally 2009 highlights
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong focused on four key issues in his sixth National Day Rally speech this year - the economy, healthcare, social harmony and shaping Singapore together.
Economy
On the economy, PM Lee said the eye of the storm had passed and GDP contraction of 6.5 percent in the first half of the year was not as bad as feared. Singapore's labour situation has stabilized, the third quarter 'looks alright', but the outlook beyond that is unclear.
He said we will see some job losses from restructuring, but as companies upgrade their operations, they will create new, good jobs to replace lost ones.
The Resilience Package introduced in January has worked and there was no need for a new prescription now, but the government will review this before the end of the year and decide what we need for next year.
PM expects the global environment to stay subdued for some time. He was optimistic Singapore can grow by serving niche areas, finding new markets and expanding our market share.
PM also singled out local companies that are doing well, such as Hyflux, and new business sectors, such as interactive digital media that is seeing a growing pool of talent. He said Singapore continued to attract multinational investments in high-end industries.
One key strength is the Singapore brand-name, which benefits local companies that venture overseas and gives overseas companies confidence to invest here.
As Singapore transforms the economy, our workers will need to adapt and upgrade themselves. The government will establish two national Continuing Education and Training Centres (CET) in Paya Lebar Central and Jurong Lake District.
He said the global economy will eventually turn around, and by then, Singapore will be all set to pick up strongly again.
Healthcare
PM said the government is gearing up our healthcare system to prepare for an ageing population. He noted the trend of older patients being admitted more frequently. After their acute condition has stabilized, they no longer need intensive treatment but are not well enough to go home.
He said the government is responding to these healthcare needs by putting in more resources. This includes new hospitals in old HDB towns (Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Jurong General Hospital), and increasing the government health budget.
But he said 'more' itself is not enough. Singapore needs to build up step-down care - community hospitals, nursing homes, general practitioners and home care. PM said the health ministry is working on upgrading home care to help caregivers.
Another key step is to link up acute hospitals with community hospitals, so that once a patient has stabilised, he can move to the 'sister' community hospital and receive 'slow medicine'.
PM said the best way to keep health care costs down is to maintain healthy lifestyles. He singled out the Wellness Programme started by Minister Lim Boon Heng as an innovative scheme, which includes medical checkups, regular exercise and social networking, which will be expanded islandwide.
He also thanked healthcare professionals and all involved for their performing their duties under considerable stress in the fight against the Influenza A (H1N1) virus.
Racial and religious harmony
PM Lee said social cohesion was critical to our long term success, particularly racial and religious harmony. Singapore has made much progress in over the past 40 years in building a stronger Singapore identity and visitors are often astonished by what we take for granted.
He noted the global trend of rising religiosity and that Singapore has also been carried along by this global tide. He acknowledged that religion was a positive force in societies, but warned against the risks of aggressive proselytisation, intolerance and exclusiveness by any religious group.
He set out four basic principles for keeping Singapore peaceful and harmonious. He said all groups must exercise tolerance and restraint, religion must stay separate from politics, the government must remain secular and Singapore must preserve the common space that all Singaporeans share.
He urged Singaporeans never to forget what being a Singaporean means - that is not just tolerating other groups, but opening their hearts to all.
Shaping Singapore Together
PM Lee showed the transformation Singapore underwent in the last five decades with a montage of pictures from the past and present -- from housing and community centres, to opportunities available and the Singapore Armed Forces.
He said Singapore continues to renew itself by delivering a first-class education system, a convenient public transport for all, and creating green spaces and a vibrant city centre to make it the best place to live, work and play.
Taking the audience on a 'fly through' video of the Marina Bay, he also gave Singaporeans a glimpse of what the centerpiece of the new city will look like in a few years.
PM said the way we celebrated the National Day showed what sort of nation Singapore is - our commitment to excellence, the ability to organize, mobilize and deliver results and the spirit of the people.
All this was epitomized in the Pledge moment, when all were united in one voice, saying what it truly means to be Singaporean.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=sunkopitiam&msg=35571.1
SG Press Centre
National Day Rally 2009 highlights
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong focused on four key issues in his sixth National Day Rally speech this year - the economy, healthcare, social harmony and shaping Singapore together.
Economy
On the economy, PM Lee said the eye of the storm had passed and GDP contraction of 6.5 percent in the first half of the year was not as bad as feared. Singapore's labour situation has stabilized, the third quarter 'looks alright', but the outlook beyond that is unclear.
He said we will see some job losses from restructuring, but as companies upgrade their operations, they will create new, good jobs to replace lost ones.
The Resilience Package introduced in January has worked and there was no need for a new prescription now, but the government will review this before the end of the year and decide what we need for next year.
PM expects the global environment to stay subdued for some time. He was optimistic Singapore can grow by serving niche areas, finding new markets and expanding our market share.
PM also singled out local companies that are doing well, such as Hyflux, and new business sectors, such as interactive digital media that is seeing a growing pool of talent. He said Singapore continued to attract multinational investments in high-end industries.
One key strength is the Singapore brand-name, which benefits local companies that venture overseas and gives overseas companies confidence to invest here.
As Singapore transforms the economy, our workers will need to adapt and upgrade themselves. The government will establish two national Continuing Education and Training Centres (CET) in Paya Lebar Central and Jurong Lake District.
He said the global economy will eventually turn around, and by then, Singapore will be all set to pick up strongly again.
Healthcare
PM said the government is gearing up our healthcare system to prepare for an ageing population. He noted the trend of older patients being admitted more frequently. After their acute condition has stabilized, they no longer need intensive treatment but are not well enough to go home.
He said the government is responding to these healthcare needs by putting in more resources. This includes new hospitals in old HDB towns (Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Jurong General Hospital), and increasing the government health budget.
But he said 'more' itself is not enough. Singapore needs to build up step-down care - community hospitals, nursing homes, general practitioners and home care. PM said the health ministry is working on upgrading home care to help caregivers.
Another key step is to link up acute hospitals with community hospitals, so that once a patient has stabilised, he can move to the 'sister' community hospital and receive 'slow medicine'.
PM said the best way to keep health care costs down is to maintain healthy lifestyles. He singled out the Wellness Programme started by Minister Lim Boon Heng as an innovative scheme, which includes medical checkups, regular exercise and social networking, which will be expanded islandwide.
He also thanked healthcare professionals and all involved for their performing their duties under considerable stress in the fight against the Influenza A (H1N1) virus.
Racial and religious harmony
PM Lee said social cohesion was critical to our long term success, particularly racial and religious harmony. Singapore has made much progress in over the past 40 years in building a stronger Singapore identity and visitors are often astonished by what we take for granted.
He noted the global trend of rising religiosity and that Singapore has also been carried along by this global tide. He acknowledged that religion was a positive force in societies, but warned against the risks of aggressive proselytisation, intolerance and exclusiveness by any religious group.
He set out four basic principles for keeping Singapore peaceful and harmonious. He said all groups must exercise tolerance and restraint, religion must stay separate from politics, the government must remain secular and Singapore must preserve the common space that all Singaporeans share.
He urged Singaporeans never to forget what being a Singaporean means - that is not just tolerating other groups, but opening their hearts to all.
Shaping Singapore Together
PM Lee showed the transformation Singapore underwent in the last five decades with a montage of pictures from the past and present -- from housing and community centres, to opportunities available and the Singapore Armed Forces.
He said Singapore continues to renew itself by delivering a first-class education system, a convenient public transport for all, and creating green spaces and a vibrant city centre to make it the best place to live, work and play.
Taking the audience on a 'fly through' video of the Marina Bay, he also gave Singaporeans a glimpse of what the centerpiece of the new city will look like in a few years.
PM said the way we celebrated the National Day showed what sort of nation Singapore is - our commitment to excellence, the ability to organize, mobilize and deliver results and the spirit of the people.
All this was epitomized in the Pledge moment, when all were united in one voice, saying what it truly means to be Singaporean.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=sunkopitiam&msg=35571.1
H1 would have been worse without foreign workers: MM
Sun, Aug 16, 2009
The Business Times
H1 would have been worse without foreign workers: MM
By LEE U-WEN
Among those who lost their jobs in the first half of this year, many have been foreign workers, rather than Singaporeans. And among citizens and permanent residents, there were net job gains in the first six months of 2009, even though the economy shrank 6.5 per cent during that period, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said last night.
Speaking to his constituents and grassroots leaders at the Tanjong Pagar National Day celebration dinner, Mr Lee drove home the point that Singapore needs foreign workers so that the country can grow faster when conditions are favourable, and to buffer the shock when conditions turn.
In his speech, Mr Lee said 70 per cent of all foreigners in Singapore are here temporarily on renewable long-term passes, while the remainder are PRs.
'Had we not had the foreign workers, more Singaporeans would have lost their jobs,' he said.
'We need immigrants to make up for the children we are not having. This is a hard fact of life. Between the ages of 25 and 40, over 30 per cent remain unmarried,' said Mr Lee at the Tanjong Pagar Community Club. 'Those who marry are not replacing themselves.'
Singapore's current total fertility rate is 1.28, even lower than that of Japan (1.37), which too is facing an ageing and declining population. Latest figures show that in Singapore, Malays have the highest average of 1.91 children; Indians 1.19; and Chinese the lowest with just 1.14 children.
'If we do not have educated Malaysians, China Chinese, India Indians and others from the region, our economy will decline. Our labour force will shrink,' said Mr Lee.
'Without immigration, the ageing problem will be too heavy a burden for our young. Immigrants who can be integrated without upsetting the racial balance are in our interest.'
Turning to his views on the economy, which is beginning to show signs of a recovery, he urged Singaporeans to take a 'long-term view of our position' and not be short-sighted.
'We are in a strong position today, our stability and efficiency is known throughout the world,' he said.
Citing one recent example of the overall level of investor confidence in the Republic, Mr Lee recalled how US oil giant ExxonMobil decided to pump in US$4.5 billion to build a steam cracker project on Jurong Island in 2007. The plant is scheduled to be completed in 2011.
'Their CEO Rex Tillerson believed demand would be there. But his board of directors were so surprised they were unwilling to believe this,' said Mr Lee.
'So he took an aeroplane to bring them all here, to meet with the prime minister and I. We spent one-and-a-half hours discussing the future of this region and Singapore's place. We took them to Jurong Island, and after that they agreed.'
'US$4.5 billion is a vote of confidence in our future. Other MNCs will notice that and I'm quite sure when the financial crisis is over, we are going to get many investments,' said Mr Lee, adding that Singapore has many free trade deals with countries such as the US, Japan, India and China.
'If we cannot grow, then there must be something wrong with us,' he said.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=35572.1
The Business Times
H1 would have been worse without foreign workers: MM
By LEE U-WEN
Among those who lost their jobs in the first half of this year, many have been foreign workers, rather than Singaporeans. And among citizens and permanent residents, there were net job gains in the first six months of 2009, even though the economy shrank 6.5 per cent during that period, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said last night.
Speaking to his constituents and grassroots leaders at the Tanjong Pagar National Day celebration dinner, Mr Lee drove home the point that Singapore needs foreign workers so that the country can grow faster when conditions are favourable, and to buffer the shock when conditions turn.
In his speech, Mr Lee said 70 per cent of all foreigners in Singapore are here temporarily on renewable long-term passes, while the remainder are PRs.
'Had we not had the foreign workers, more Singaporeans would have lost their jobs,' he said.
'We need immigrants to make up for the children we are not having. This is a hard fact of life. Between the ages of 25 and 40, over 30 per cent remain unmarried,' said Mr Lee at the Tanjong Pagar Community Club. 'Those who marry are not replacing themselves.'
Singapore's current total fertility rate is 1.28, even lower than that of Japan (1.37), which too is facing an ageing and declining population. Latest figures show that in Singapore, Malays have the highest average of 1.91 children; Indians 1.19; and Chinese the lowest with just 1.14 children.
'If we do not have educated Malaysians, China Chinese, India Indians and others from the region, our economy will decline. Our labour force will shrink,' said Mr Lee.
'Without immigration, the ageing problem will be too heavy a burden for our young. Immigrants who can be integrated without upsetting the racial balance are in our interest.'
Turning to his views on the economy, which is beginning to show signs of a recovery, he urged Singaporeans to take a 'long-term view of our position' and not be short-sighted.
'We are in a strong position today, our stability and efficiency is known throughout the world,' he said.
Citing one recent example of the overall level of investor confidence in the Republic, Mr Lee recalled how US oil giant ExxonMobil decided to pump in US$4.5 billion to build a steam cracker project on Jurong Island in 2007. The plant is scheduled to be completed in 2011.
'Their CEO Rex Tillerson believed demand would be there. But his board of directors were so surprised they were unwilling to believe this,' said Mr Lee.
'So he took an aeroplane to bring them all here, to meet with the prime minister and I. We spent one-and-a-half hours discussing the future of this region and Singapore's place. We took them to Jurong Island, and after that they agreed.'
'US$4.5 billion is a vote of confidence in our future. Other MNCs will notice that and I'm quite sure when the financial crisis is over, we are going to get many investments,' said Mr Lee, adding that Singapore has many free trade deals with countries such as the US, Japan, India and China.
'If we cannot grow, then there must be something wrong with us,' he said.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=35572.1
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