Q Should the levy on foreign domestic helpers be scrapped?
Not surprisingly, the maids lost their appeal against the pay cut in the Court of Appeal.
As an employer paying the levy of two Filipino helpers, what is surprising to me is finding out that the money I have been paying supposedly towards the Employees Retraining Fund is not being used for this purpose and is, in fact, 'being frozen until the domestic helpers exhaust every option of appeal'.
If this is the case, why am I still being required to pay the levy? If the domestic helpers won, or subsequently win their case, will I get my money back?
And, as I am due to renew one of my helper's contracts soon, will I still be required to pay the levy towards a fund that has been frozen?
Whatever the rights and wrongs of this levy, if the fund continues to be frozen then I want to stop paying and I want my money back.
Does this not come under the category of obtaining money under false pretences?