Impact of Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement on Trade, Job Growth, Employment of Singaporeans
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the economic impacts of the Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and other Free Trade Agreements on trade, value-added growth, and citizen job growth. Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Ms Mariam Jaafar, and Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan raised queries regarding foreign PMET numbers, nationality-based discrimination complaints, and the effectiveness of local talent development schemes. They further sought comparisons of treaty-based immigration privileges and an assessment of how these agreements influence Singapore's global competitiveness and employability. Minister Dr Tan See Leng requested permission to address these oral and written questions collectively through Ministerial Statements to be delivered later that day. These statements were to be presented by himself and Minister Ong Ye Kung to provide a comprehensive and detailed response to the House.
Transcript
1 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Manpower since the signing of the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) in 2005 (a) what are the net economic benefits for Singapore in terms of trade, value-added growth and citizen job growth; and (b) what has been the growth in foreign PMET numbers in our workforce by sector and occupation.
2 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Manpower in each of the past five years, what is the number of complaints of nationality-based discrimination received by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), broken down by sector and occupation.
3 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Manpower what has been the effectiveness of the different capability development schemes in building a local talent pipeline.
4 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) including the Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) have achieved their intended outcomes of increasing trade, growth and jobs; and (b) whether the jobs created have benefited Singaporeans.
5 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Trade and Industry how do commitments in the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement such as those pertaining to entry requirements and immigration privileges compare with those in other Free Trade Agreements.
6 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Trade and Industry how have Singapore's Free Trade Agreements, including the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, impacted Singapore’s global competitiveness, foreign trade, investment and growth, and employability of Singaporeans.
The Minister for Manpower (Dr Tan See Leng): Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to address Oral Questions Nos 1 to 6, as well as Written Question Nos 40 to 42 in today's Order Paper through the Ministerial Statements to be delivered by Minister Ong Ye Kung and myself, later today?
Mr Speaker: Yes, please proceed. Next question, Ms He Ting Ru.