Singapore

Penalties for employers accepting rebates

Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong on 19 April disclosed plans of imposing new regulations that will make it illegal for employers to accept rebates for hiring foreign workers. Employers will be prohibited from recovering the Foreign Worker Levy from foreign workers. Violators could be jailed for six months or fined up to S$ 5,000, or both.  Employers and agencies caught accepting rebates will be barred from hiring workers in the future and will be stripped of their licenses and security deposits.

NGO may shut down, lacks funding

A non-governmental organization that advocates migrants’ rights in Singapore may stop operations by October for lack of funds and financial support.  Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) is currently relying on its surplus, as it has only received S$4,000 in private donations this year.  The organization may run out of funds, considering its monthly expenses which range from S$6,000 to S$7,000.  The fight for migrants’ rights in the country may weaken without the organization, according to some observers.

Sources: Chio Su-Mei, “Illegal for employers to accept rebates for hiring foreign workers,” Channel News Asia, 21 April 2008; Leong Wee Keat, “TWC2 running out of funds,” Today, 25 April 2008