What exactly can be done about the massive imports of foreign talent?
September 7th, 2010 | 
Author: Really its often difficult to actually pinpoint on who is a talent unless either thru certified paper qualifications or recognised work experiences. I am sure such are the talents that might be of value and can contribute to our nations.
I am not against foreign nationalities coming into singapore but the basis of labeling a ‘talent’ tag on all foreigners seem like a word use too conveniently. Of course looking from the employers’ side of view, yes lower cost and higher profit margin since overhead has scaled down. From local employees’ perspective, well job security and also suppressing wages with the foreigner’s arrival. Well the ball actually no longer stays on employer or employee’s court but rather on the govt. Who is the govt incline towards protecting? True, protecting employers will perhaps attract them to maintain their business operation in Singapore. Perhaps even earn some interest from investors elsewhere to come to this tiny island. Oh for sure GDP growth as well. Maybe more jobs created but bear in mind not jobs created for the locals but for the foreigners as well.
The opening door policy has been implemented, foreigners here are a fact. The important question here is how to curb the massive inflow with proper screening? How to balance policy without rising dissent from the employees yet obtaining real talents abroad? Also how can we tackle the foreigners that have already stepped foot here?
If the govt deem that the foreigners arriving are of ‘talent’ then impose higher foreigner taxes on companies who bring in the foreigners. The tax levy should be of a certain flooring so that the overall employment of this foreigner be able to compete on wages with locals. Well if the company feels that the imported foreigners are truly of ‘talent’ and valuable to the company, the higher tax imposed will certainly not outweight the benefits that this ‘talent’ can provide to the company. Please also note that we are also losing ‘talents’ from US and Euro but attracting in foreigners from India and China mostly, because talented foreigners from US or Euro are shunning Singapore due to the lower wages. A cambridge grad or a oxford grad for example will not wish to come over and compete for jobs given the wages comparable to that of a third world country. So we may gain so call ‘talents’ from third world countries but end up losing ‘talents’ from developed countries. Is it a fair tradeoff?
Having a higher levy for foreigners will curb some issues such as employers will be more careful with the selection of ‘talents’ from abroad and also terminate those foreigners whom are here because of lower wages and can’t perform. Foreign talents from developed countries will be attracted to work here. More importantly, locals have a level and fair opportunity and be able to compete base on performance and not figures on the paycheck. Locals will be able to earn a much decent paycheck which is solely base on their performance. The more effort you put in is equivalent to the rewards you sow.
Of course, you can’t put employers and employees on a balancing scale and hope that both gets a fair share of the pie. The govt has got to understand that both are essential to building a nation’s economy.
Brendon Tan
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Aiyoh yoh,
Please don’t get sucked into this fragrant rice word “Talent”. It’s simply bull invented by the MIW pigs to sugar coat LABOUR! Every human being can be good at something and thus can be considered talented in that field but truly no one ever BOAST about being a walking, shitting, sleeping talent. If one were to go China to work, it’s cos there’s work requiring your experience and expertise. One is NOT that much talented than the other guy doing the same job, even if your pay is higher or lower. We all know salaries are subjective and political.
So, what the MIW pigs are simply doing is;
a) Increase head count to boost GDP to boost their own pay
b) Displace Singaporeans for votes
c) Collect taxes from their citizenship and Work Permits.
If India Times say Singapore needs 100,000 workers, guess who will come? If change to Singapore NEEDS Indian TALENT, all the howlian bo liao Caste Snakes will slither in. Just look at the number of foreign Indians ratio to locals, truly disgustingly desperate and scary of these foreign leeches. Pity our local indians having own country robbed by foreigners , supported by our own gah-men. It’s like letting strangers rape your own daughter repeatedly and still say, Eh, we need another 100, 000 strangers more la to rape daughter. Good money la. ” Automatic MDP for these MIW !
Lim Pei True Talent in Condemning Foreign Snakes and Local gah-men Leeches Swee Swee, has spoken
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Push a label hard enough – regardless of the smoke around the label – the label will soon stick, and it WILL BE ACCEPTED.
This has been the methods employed by the Pro Alien Party since the 1950s through the 60’s and till this day.
It started with the false label of “Communists” that it had labelled on anyone that dare to challenge its political position – never mind if there are no evidence.
It continued with the false Referendum with all the smoke to obfuscate the political ambitions of one man who has no confidence surviving in a Little Red Dot, and with a bigger ambitions to lead a country too big to fit his own shoes.
‘Foreign Talent’ is another trick label to serve the political agenda of the Pro Alien Party.
While larger and politically less sophisticated countries will bus in voters from other provinces, this Little Red Dot will have to resort to the importing of ‘new voters’ – so as to counter balance and neutralise the growing discontentment from a deluded population that is awakening and becoming politically concious.
While other countries have clear, stringent, and transparent standards and policies governing new immigrants given citizenships and residency – the government of the Pro Alien Party will depend on some vague and euphemistic labels to conceal its real intent.
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well-said Brendon
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brainwwashed and soiled.
there is no such thing called “talent”.
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foreign talents will be tolerated as long as they have the MONEY to rent our condos to give us nice passive income.
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Talent or no talent, both still aren’t welcome.
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Talents?
you mean BILL GATES.WARREN BUFFETT,SOROS,ROBIN LI AND ERIC XU OR MITTAL?
SHITS! THE ONES THE PAPies brought in are just not there!
we have better people in Singapore vis-a-vis those PM LEE brings in and is going to bring in.
we respect talents but not pseudo talents who can even fake degrees.
else,those blame our varsities professors for accepting bribes or favours for granting more FIRST CLASS HONOURS????
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Our door open is not mainly for the “real” talent. It is because garment wanted to increase the population.
1) The garment must make sure there are enough jobs for both SGreans and FT For professeional.
2) For professional jobs and skill jobs, there must have a committee to control the salaries scale. The main problem now is because FT willing to accept low pay and end up end up spoiling the job market.
Just like teachers, their salaries are well controlled. But I don’t understand why the salaries for some sectors like IT professional and creative are keep “decreasing”.
We had studied and spent so much money in local Polytechnic or University but end up FT got the job because they accept lower salary. Isn’t something wrong with the system or polices?
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LIONS ROAR:
September 7, 2010 at 9:29 am
Nope, what PAP meant by pool of talents, is actually a cesspool of rubbish. We have filipino cad operators who cannot even draw a proper building in 2D. We have indian engineers from india that do not understand basic engineering. We have PRC engineers who cannot speak proper english to locals or indian engineers. Yet to our Government, these foreigners are highly prized talents that are rejects from their own country….Ga Long Gu Ni Government..
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As long as the government continues to think that it is cheaper and better to get FTs and is a solution, the government will not put in real effort to groom its own people and any foreigner will look like a talent over locals. Locals will continue to be displaced in jobs and wages continue to get depressed. SG only has labour as its resource, if the government doesn’t cherish this, it has nothing left.
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please do something distinguish the competent FT/PR from the bullshitters
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please lor, it’s useless having so many foreigners here and yet expect us to waste our lives doing NS – for what? defend these foreigners? and worse, old soldiers get none of the 9k promised to NSMen. based on that policy alone, i am utterly disgusted by the papayas and will vote them out.
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What to do??? Damned if you do it, Damned if you don’t it
It is easy, for PAP GOVT. to make rules that help native Singaporean to win, if it done “within the Counrty”
But when it comes to International Competition, the rules are made by WTO, the competition are fierce. Singapore are not entitled to Magic Show only, you don’t own a product or service nor there is this arrangement of who’s get more, who’s get less.
These TALENTS comes with cheap price tag, if you don’t allow cheap price tags talents. Our companies cannot compete, they pack their bags and relocate in Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, China and Thailand.
China Shenzhen force Japanese Car Manufactueres to raise salaries, Honda and Nissan is building their 4th plants “in India” instead of China. In Guandong, their garments factories are closing down by the hundreds moving to Vietnam. In facts I watch Dragon Dongfang TV, to married a Vietnamese Brides will cost you 3000 yuans, which is 600 SGD. China man cannot afford China brides, in terms career, materialism, child raising. Many Shanghai men option for Vietnamese Wives, this is happening NOW!!!
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Local talents have moved on to other countries to start their businesses and acquire new citizenships. No one would like to stay in a country that doesn’t love or appreciate them. This is so true a case for Singapore which loves cheap labours from China, India, Indonesia & Cambodia. It’s like betraying a devoted husband or wife in exchange for a prostitute.
Another thing, will PSC Chairman please release the data on foreign scholars who skip bonds and those who left the country immediately after bond service? I guess this is another one of those scandalous data that will never see light of day like the numbers of people who got hanged in Changi every fridays.
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Increase taxes on foreign levy. Its time the govt take some consideration of local singaporeans. This way we can have a more competitive market. Garment must not keep on bashing locals. Levy must go up on foreign labor to bring in only quality ones!
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@ Viva Democracy: September 7, 2010 at 5:02 pm
…It’s like betraying a devoted husband or wife in exchange for a prostitute…
Very good analogy. Sad but true.
People who have been working hard, men who served NS + reservist,
women who slot at work + home, all who have given mandate to this Pro Alien Party, are all played out, sold out for the pursuit of the GDP which is the KPI of all ministers.
Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely……a matter of time. knn.
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How about impose a 2k levy for every foreigner employ by business owner that include PR. MOM sure to make more $ out of it. BTW if they are genuine talents, businesses will not be hesitated to pay for it.
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Looking at the way PAP admits “foreign talents”, you can tell that rubber stamping is the rule of the day. PR is liberally given to some of the most dubious categories of immigrants e.g. bus drivers, criminals, ex-convicts, prostitutes etc.
There is no transparent, firm operational framework at the floodgates. PR applications for professor calibre can be rejected with absolutely no reasons given, just as likely that PR convicts retain their PR status upon release from Changi jail.
Anarchy!!!
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Minimum wages or salary flooring may be an alternative, however I feel it may treat the current situation but does not resolve issues from its source. Productivity may drop due to such a system. Potential talents (local and foreigner alike) may remain hidden. Wages in long run may stay stagnant as the benchmark has been structured.
Alternatively imposing a tax levy will allow companies to be more careful in selection, allow a more competitive environment and discover talents (local and foreigners), this will also prove that locals are just as capable.
Market compensation package will then be adjusted accordingly to that of a developed country.
Market forces are then the determined factor for wages for each industries.
The next question to ask is, what is a reasonable levy for these foreigners then?
Pretty subjective. We have to consider job nature and demand.
However the taxes obtained can then be used to set up a independent fund to help local citizens in hardship and relief some of the burden. For good causes heck why not?
Of course this is just a theory, however it beats sitting ducks waiting for our own citizens to be deprive of a chance to proof ourselves.
Brendon Tan
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