No let-up in push to reduce foreign labour dependency even in trying times

AMONG the various forms of help that Budget 2020 brought for businesses affected by the Covid-19 outbreak, one potential measure was conspicuous in its absence: the loosening of foreign worker policy - whether in the form of levy reductions, quota generosity or source country flexibility.

With foreign worker policy having been progressively tightened over the past decade, most firms have accepted that there is no turning back from the manpower-lean path and a focus on nurturing the local workforce. Still, some might have wondered if exceptional circumstances would result in, well, exceptions.

Prior to the Feb 18 Budget speech, analysts had widely expected the virus support package to include a cut in foreign worker levies for tourism-related industries to help firms manage costs - a move that had been part of the 2003 Sars relief package.