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Written Answer by Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng to PQ on Self-Employed Persons

Employment practices

NOTICE PAPER NO. 947 OF 2022 FOR THE SITTING ON 14 FEBRUARY 2022

QUESTION NO. 1999 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Mr Christopher de Souza

To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether there has been an increase in the percentage of self-employed persons in the resident workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (b) if so, what policies have been or will be put in place to better protect their job security.

NOTICE PAPER NO. 947 OF 2022 FOR THE SITTING ON 14 FEBRUARY 2022

QUESTION NO. 1500 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Mr Christopher de Souza

To ask the Minister for Manpower whether he can provide an update on plans to provide greater structural support and CPF contributions for workers who are self-employed especially those who operate in the gig economy.

Answer:

  1. The proportion of Self-Employed Persons (SEPs) in our resident workforce has remained stable at between 8% and 10% over the past five years.
  2. Over the years, the Government has put in place several measures to support SEPs. They are required to make CPF contributions to their Medisave account and we have piloted the Contribute-As-You-Earn (CAYE) scheme to make it more convenient for them to do so. Eligible lower-income SEPs will receive up to $2,667 of Workfare payouts per year. The Government has also worked with insurers to introduce prolonged medical leave insurance, which many SEP drivers and riders are now covered by. Like other Singaporeans, they are also covered by national healthcare schemes. The Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) provides mediation services to SEPs to address disputes with their service buyers and SEPs can have their rights enforced at the Small Claims Tribunal. Additionally, those who wish to transit to regular employment can tap on our skills training and employment facilitation services, including career advisory counselling offered by Workforce Singapore (WSG) and Employment and Employability Institute (e2i).