Workers’ Party’s Member of Parliament (MP) for Hougang SMC Png Eng Huat called on the Government to use funds from Singapore’s reserves to save jobs first, instead of using it to “rescue corporate executives of large companies who did little or no planning to save for a rainy day” nor to protect fat dividends or share buyback schemes for listed companies.
In Parliament on Monday (6 April), MP Png asked how the Government will ensure that the nation’s reserves are channeled to save jobs, especially for those in the aviation industry as the sector would receive a major share from the reserve money.
“The Deputy Prime Minister had said the S$17 billion from the reserves will be used to help fund measures like supporting jobs, helping the self-employed and boosting the hard-hit aviation sector,” he noted. “So the use of our reserves must save jobs, first and foremost.”
MP Png stressed that funds from the reserves should not be used to “rescue corporate executives of large companies who did little or no planning to save for a rainy day, and will continue to receive fat salaries while their companies bleed”.
“It must also not be used to protect fat dividends or share buyback schemes for listed companies to appease their shareholders once the crisis blows over,” he added.
In referring to the public funds that would be used to co-pay a large portion of the employers’ staff salaries, MP Png asked whether there are any conditions imposed on the big companies, such as holding off retrenchment exercises for as long as they receiving help from the government.
“And for listed companies, would there be a temporary moratorium on the payment of dividends or share buyback exercise once the assistance is no longer needed?” he asked.
Noting that he supports the measures to save jobs and the livelihoods of many self-employed Singaporeans in the supplementary budget, MP Png asked if the employees who were assigned to go on no-pay leave will receive any help to pay their bills.
“Would they be receiving any help as well as there are bills to pay and mouths to feed? These workers would include retail staff, childcare centre cooks, coffee shop helpers, office cleaners, and the list goes on,” he questioned.
MP Png spoke in Parliament about a resident who runs an employment agency by himself has had his livelihood vanished overnight, and some Singaporean freelancers do not have receipts and Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions to prove their livelihood status.
On that note, he sought clarifications on whether the Government will allocate funds to help those who are self-employed and freelancers.
Following the closure of non-essential workplaces and schools, MP Png said utility usage for households is expected to increase now that Singaporeans are working from home via telecommuting, and students have switched to full home-based learning.
Thus, he asked in Parliament whether the U-save rebates were adequately measured to assist Singaporeans in covering the impending increase in utility charges under the latest stay-at-home orders.
“Many affected residents I spoke to the past two days asked when can the help arrive? Some help measures will only come in May or later but many affected Singaporeans were already struggling to make ends meet since February,” MP Png noted.

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

Surcharge encourages taxis to enter CBD?

A letter posted in the Straits Times forum, entitled ” Surcharge spurs…

住家内与三名女子开派对 二狮城男子被泰警逮捕

有两名新加坡男子在泰国清迈的一名女子住家内“开趴”,还邀请了两名性感女郎参与,干扰到邻居,邻居向警方投诉后,五人皆被警方逮捕。 据泰国当地媒体指出,当地警方于4月28日接获居民投诉,指在Pa Daet区的一座房屋内传出巨响,好似开派对的声音。居民们怀疑该房屋内举办派对,不堪受杂音干扰,因此促请警员插手。 警察上门查看时,发现屋内五人正在在客厅围坐喝酒,当时桌子上还有一瓶烈酒和啤酒。 他们在确认了屋主身份后,发现还有两名分别是28岁和38岁的新加坡男子,还有两名类似于“助兴”的衣着性感女子。包括屋主在内,三名女子的年龄分别为21岁、26和29岁。 两名新加坡男子名为蔡伟达和周荣敏(皆为译音),皆穿着黑色上衣,其中一人需要借助手杖行动,另一人则身上有纹身。 据悉,五人皆因违法了泰国因冠状病毒,于3月26日开始实施的紧急法令,在家中聚会,所以被逮捕。 泰国所实施的禁令已经延长至5月31日,而且从晚上10时至凌晨4时也实施宵禁,并禁止人们举办大型公共聚会。

招马籍“清洁工”月薪达2400元 还要有大学文凭?

连清洁工都需要大学文凭资历?还是高薪入职?近日,Telegram群组内流传着一则招聘清洁工广告,其工资达约2400元(约7200令吉),吸引不少马来西亚前去应聘。 据悉,该广告是由Jom Kerja Singapore(马来文,意指“干活吧”)所贴出,是专为马国人提供新加坡职位空缺的猎头公司,于上个月26日在脸书上发布贴文招聘清洁员工。 工作条件包括每周六天制,工时为10至12小时,但更奇葩的是,清洁工竟然要求大学文凭资历。 其群组负责人声称由于大学文凭的学历,因此职位才会值7000令吉,而其他文凭持有者则是其他的薪金 据了解,该职位目前开放50个空缺,而且于12月5日当天柔佛热带酒店进行面试。而负责人称目前马来西亚的S工作准证已无空缺。 除了当天的招聘,稍早前,已有一场仅限女性“大学清洁工“的面试,于11月28日结束招聘。当时开放20个空缺,其薪金也是2400元,超过60个小时也会提供加班费。 据了解,新加坡清洁工的薪水约1000至1500元左右,所以算起来是一份高薪清洁工作。 根据新加坡MS NEWS报导,该单位初步鉴定发帖文者为一名叫Mr Yob的人,而根据Mr…

Gov’t to remove streaming and implement Full Subject-based Banding in Secondary Schools: Lawrence Wong

Earlier today (4 Aug), Minister of Education Lawrence Wong announced on his…