Singapore must remain open to global talent and skills
Singapore
MEMBERS of the Emerging Stronger Taskforce (EST) "felt strongly" that Singapore needs to remain open to talent from abroad, said National Development Minister and taskforce co-chair Desmond Lee at a press conference on Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who chairs the Future Economy Council (FEC), added that the "Singapore core" should not be narrowly defined by whether one is Singaporean, Singapore-born, a new citizen, or a foreigner.
"I think the test for us must be the commitment to Singapore; the commitment to the well-being of Singapore and of Singaporeans," he said.
Both ministers were responding to a question from The Business Times on which term - "Singaporean core" or "Singapore core" - more accurately captures the government's workforce policy objectives.
Officials have used both terms in the past. In particular, "Singaporean core" has been commonly used in the context of reducing dependency on foreign labour, and ensuring fair hiring consideration for locals.
In its 118-page report released on Monday, the taskforce called for the government to grow a "strong Singapore core" by upskilling and developing local workers, while remaining open to skills from abroad.
It further called for Singapore to "resist the forces of anti-globalisation and protectionism by remaining open, particularly to global talent and skills".
The EST also said that with the prospect of a global remote workforce emerging, Singapore companies could tap into global talent in-situ - "which will widen the scope and diversity of global talent that companies can benefit from, to complement the Singapore core".
For Singaporeans, this could open up new work opportunities beyond the Republic's shores.
"Let us assemble the best possible team for Singapore to win," said Mr Heng, similarly urging against protectionist instincts.
The EST was formed in May 2020 to advise the FEC on Singapore's post-Covid-19 economy. It adopted an action-oriented stance, convening private-public Alliances for Action (AfAs) to prototype ideas.
Last June, seven AfAs were convened to look into the built environment, edutech, travel and tourism, smart commerce, robotics, supply chains, and sustainability. Later that year, two more AfAs were set up to tackle medtech and agritech.
"I was deeply involved in two AfAs, and my experience with those has convinced me that the AfA as a concept is a uniquely different approach," said taskforce member Piyush Gupta, the chief executive officer of DBS Group.
He cited the need for common data infrastructure, as part of supply chain digitalisation, as an issue that industry has wrestled with for most of a decade.
"The amount of progress we made with the AfA in a few short months, tells you that these outcomes can be quite material if handled somewhat differently," he said.
Another example was the AfA on sustainability, which Mr Gupta said had connected with both local agencies and global bodies.
"Later this week, we will be in a position to announce the formation of a new infrastructure company to take the whole carbon idea forward," he said, without elaborating.
With the EST's report concluded, some of the AfAs will merge their work with the FEC's, while others see the need to continue for a while longer.
"Recent events have thrown yet another curveball at us," said Kwee Wei-Lin, who co-chairs the AfA on travel and tourism, and is the president of the Singapore Hotel Association.
Alluding to the recent tightening of pandemic-related restrictions in Singapore, she said: "We have had to put some of our pilots on hold."
Stressing that public safety is paramount for a sustainable recovery, Ms Kwee said the AfA she leads will review its plans and decide on its next steps.
"The AfA will continue under the FEC for another six months, as-is. This will help allow us to consolidate learnings from our pilots, and support the gradual reopening of the sector when conditions allow," she said.
