In Parliament: MOM Explains Work Pass Enhancements, Shares Ongoing Efforts to Develop Local Talent

In parliament on 12 September 2022, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng spoke in favour of the new work pass enhancements – most notably, the Overseas Networks & Expertise (ONE) Pass – as a necessary move to attract top international talent into Singapore.

Dr Tan said that at its core, economic development is akin to human capital development. Countries which manage to develop and secure top talent will be able to attract more businesses and grow higher value jobs.

He added that this will ultimately benefit the entire workforce.

“As we move to create a high value, inclusive and more sustainable economy, there are many opportunities to capture, be it in the green sector, AI, or FinTech.

“And to do that, we need to attract the best from around the world, even as we do our utmost to develop local talents in each field,” he said.

Building Singapore’s Bench Strength

Dr Tan said that even with the work pass enhancements, one of the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM)  key priorities was to increase “the global and regional exposure of locals, so that they can take up leadership positions in global firms.”

He echoed sentiments by NTUC Assistant Secretaries-General Desmond Choo and Patrick Tay on the importance of developing Singapore’s local bench strength, so that Singaporeans will eventually be able to helm these leadership positions when the time comes.

Citing the example of current PepsiCo APAC CEO Tan Wern-Yuen as one such individual, the manpower minister said that Mr Tan had gained valuable experience while working abroad – first working for McDonald’s Taiwan as its managing director, and subsequently as the CEO of Walmart China.

“We need more Singaporeans to do the same, and our agencies have good programmes to support this,” he said.

Dr Tan went cited schemes such as the Asian Financial Leaders Scheme, the SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative, and Enterprise Singapore’s Global Ready Talent Programme.

He also reiterated new Singapore Global Executive Programme which he first shared during this year’s budget, that will help local enterprises build a pipeline of young local talent with potential to take on regional or global leadership positions.

Definition of Outstanding Achievements

In response to NTUC Operation and Mobilisation Director Fahmi Aliman’s question on the definition of “outstanding achievements” as a criteria for the eligibility of the ONE Pass, Dr Tan said that the Government will be looking for individuals who “have demonstrated exceptionally high levels of achievement in the fields of arts, sports, science, and academia, who can help us push new frontiers, draw in greater investments and interest to grow our local ecosystem, and most importantly, create a diverse range of opportunities for Singaporeans.”

He added that MOM will be working with other relevant ministries to identify such talents.

About the ONE Pass

First introduced on 29 August 2022, the ONE Pass is a personalised, five-year work pass that allows its holder to simultaneously operate and work for multiple companies in Singapore.

Applicants for the pass will need to earn a minimum of $30,000 per month, and their spouses will also be able to work in Singapore, provided they have successfully received a Letter of Consent from the Singapore Government.

Additionally, ONE Pass holders will not be subjected to the Fair Consideration Framework job advertising requirement, as well as the soon-to-be implemented Complementarity Assessment (COMPASS) Framework.