I said that it could be seen as a “happy problem” because businesses were doing well enough to demand for more labour, in spite of the tightening.
Two of our Nominated Members of Parliament, both of whom are businessmen, came to speak to me at tea break. Like most of the businessmen we have been speaking to, they were surprised that the stock of S Passes and WP was still increasing. Many of them have been appealing for more foreign workers and feel that we are unreasonably making it difficult for businesses, even though the macro numbers and trends show otherwise.
Our tightening has certainly had an impact and is being felt by companies, but businesses are still expanding or being set up. This demand for foreign manpower isvery considerable and many businesses remain prepared to pay the higher costs involved. Full story
