‘Not a zero-sum world’: Singapore says global talent hunt won’t disadvantage locals
- The manpower minister on Monday addressed opposition’s concern over the impact of new labour schemes on local residents
- ‘Not a zero-sum world’, minister says, as attracting top talent to Singapore does not mean fewer opportunities for Singaporeans
“The better we are at attracting and retaining the best talent, local and global, the higher the chances of securing our economic future and to continually be able to generate good jobs for all Singaporeans,” he said.
As part of the strategy, it will launch a new type of visa – the Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass – starting next year. Applicants require a minimum monthly salary of S$30,000 (US$21,400) to qualify for the scheme and will be granted a five-year stay in Singapore.
Tan, who was speaking in parliament on Monday, fielded a list of wide-ranging questions on the new scheme, including how it could benefit the local workforce and if it would dilute efforts to nurture Singaporean workers.
Opposition lawmakers, such as Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh – the country’s official leader of the opposition – and Leong Mun Wai of the Progress Singapore Party had raised questions about the scheme, including over whether studies had been done on its potential impact on jobs for locals.
We do not live in a zero-sum world. Attracting and anchoring global talent in Singapore does not mean less opportunities for locals
In his remarks, Tan underscored that the new talent inflows would not come at the cost of locals and could, instead, create more jobs for them. “We do not live in a zero-sum world. Attracting and anchoring global talent in Singapore does not mean less opportunities for locals,” he said.