Singapore’s manpower conundrum

BUSINESS TIMES – This Week’s Topic: Should Singapore’s foreign manpower curbs be relaxed for certain sectors? How might businesses raise the productivity of their staff?

Singapore is a world city. Since 1965 it has achieved miraculous progress on all fronts buoyed and accelerated by foreign investment, foreign interest and yes, by foreign workers. Instituting increased restrictions on the influx of foreign talent would be succumbing to the same geoprotectionist behaviours currently being exhibited by some other leading nations. Ultimately these types of practices slow the economy leaving fewer jobs for Singaporeans while simultaneously putting a dent into the world’s move towards globalisation and the greater good.

There are two principles Singapore needs to hold dear as they move forward on this:

Continue to exhibit global leadership that helps to make the world a better place;

Ya gotta dance with who brung ya!

Chris Foster
Regional President Asia
Y&R

12 February 2018

Business Times Singapore, Views from the Top

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