<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Jobs Credit debate has cleared up some concerns: Swee Say
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jamie Ee Wen Wei
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->Support the Jobs Credit scheme.
That's the appeal to MPs and Nominated MPs from labour chief Lim Swee Say, who wants them to put aside their doubts and differences over the scheme targeted at tackling the downturn.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>How to realise scheme's maximum benefits
'I think what we should do now is charge ahead 100 per cent in terms of speed, 100 per cent in terms of reach, and 100 per cent in terms of alignment.'
MR LIM SWEE SAY
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>'I think what we should do now is charge ahead 100 per cent in terms of speed, 100 per cent in terms of reach, and 100 per cent in terms of alignment,' he said.
If that is achieved, he is very sure that 'we will be able to realise the maximum potential benefits and effect' of the $20.5 billion Resilience Package, he said on the sidelines of a community event in Holland Road yesterday.
During a three-day parliamentary debate on the Budget statement last week, at least four MPs - including People's Action Party MPs and opposition MP Low Thia Khiang - had questioned the effectiveness of the $4.5 billion Jobs Credit scheme in saving jobs.
The scheme will give employers a 12 per cent cash grant on the first $2,500 paid to every Singaporean and permanent resident worker.
Mr Lim, who is a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, said he was not surprised by the reactions so far.
'We are implementing the Jobs Credit scheme for the first time, so it is not unexpected that the MPs and members of the public would have various concerns on how it will work, and whether this will be effective,' he noted.
He added, however, that the debate has helped to address some of the concerns raised.
He believes that many MPs now 'have a greater understanding on how it can create at least a similar effect to a CPF cut, and in fact why it can do even more'.
Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam had said in his wrap-up of the debate that the Jobs Credit scheme would not only have a significant multiplier effect, but would also help preserve the interests of Singapore workers.
Reiterating what several ministers had said earlier, Mr Lim noted that the Government would continue to monitor the situation and, if necessary, come up with more measures.
'When the time comes, we will talk about that. But now is not the time, because now, there is already enough ammunition for us to fight this global battle,' he said. 'The next step really is how do we make the best use of the Budget. If we do it right, this $20.5 billion Resilience Package can actually have a multiplier effect...the challenge ahead of us now is to realise its full potential.'
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jamie Ee Wen Wei
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->Support the Jobs Credit scheme.
That's the appeal to MPs and Nominated MPs from labour chief Lim Swee Say, who wants them to put aside their doubts and differences over the scheme targeted at tackling the downturn.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>How to realise scheme's maximum benefits
'I think what we should do now is charge ahead 100 per cent in terms of speed, 100 per cent in terms of reach, and 100 per cent in terms of alignment.'
MR LIM SWEE SAY
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>'I think what we should do now is charge ahead 100 per cent in terms of speed, 100 per cent in terms of reach, and 100 per cent in terms of alignment,' he said.
If that is achieved, he is very sure that 'we will be able to realise the maximum potential benefits and effect' of the $20.5 billion Resilience Package, he said on the sidelines of a community event in Holland Road yesterday.
During a three-day parliamentary debate on the Budget statement last week, at least four MPs - including People's Action Party MPs and opposition MP Low Thia Khiang - had questioned the effectiveness of the $4.5 billion Jobs Credit scheme in saving jobs.
The scheme will give employers a 12 per cent cash grant on the first $2,500 paid to every Singaporean and permanent resident worker.
Mr Lim, who is a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, said he was not surprised by the reactions so far.
'We are implementing the Jobs Credit scheme for the first time, so it is not unexpected that the MPs and members of the public would have various concerns on how it will work, and whether this will be effective,' he noted.
He added, however, that the debate has helped to address some of the concerns raised.
He believes that many MPs now 'have a greater understanding on how it can create at least a similar effect to a CPF cut, and in fact why it can do even more'.
Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam had said in his wrap-up of the debate that the Jobs Credit scheme would not only have a significant multiplier effect, but would also help preserve the interests of Singapore workers.
Reiterating what several ministers had said earlier, Mr Lim noted that the Government would continue to monitor the situation and, if necessary, come up with more measures.
'When the time comes, we will talk about that. But now is not the time, because now, there is already enough ammunition for us to fight this global battle,' he said. 'The next step really is how do we make the best use of the Budget. If we do it right, this $20.5 billion Resilience Package can actually have a multiplier effect...the challenge ahead of us now is to realise its full potential.'
