Oral Answer to PQ on Checks to ensure delivery platform work is done by locals and on platform operators subcontracting practices
NOTICE PAPER NO. 11 OF 2025 FOR THE SITTING ON OR AFTER 25 SEPTEMBER 2025
QUESTION NO. 81 FOR ORAL ANSWER
MP: Ms Yeo Wan Ling
To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what checks has the Ministry put in place to ensure that delivery platform work is performed by Singaporeans and Permanent Residents only; and (b) under what circumstances are delivery platforms allowed to engage third party vendors with non-Singaporean delivery workers.
NOTICE PAPER NO. 35 OF 2025 FOR THE SITTING ON OR AFTER 25 SEPTEMBER 2025
QUESTION NO. 262 FOR ORAL ANSWER
MP: Mr Pritam Singh
To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has been tracking the number of subcontractors and foreign work pass holders that are engaged by platform companies or operators to meet surge demands or for any other reason; and (b) how does the Ministry ensure that income opportunities for local platform workers are not compromised arising from such arrangements.
Answer:
1. Only Singaporeans and Permanent Residents can perform platform work, as the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not issue work passes to foreigners for platform work. Hence, it is illegal for foreigners to enter into platform work arrangements with platform operators, or to impersonate local platform workers and perform platform work using their accounts. That said, platform operators can legitimately outsource delivery jobs to third-party logistics companies. These logistics companies may employ foreigners with a valid work pass, and the number of foreigners is capped at the industry’s dependency ratio ceiling. Unlike platform workers, these foreigners cannot work for multiple POs and can only work for a single employer under an employer-employee relationship. They are paid a fixed monthly salary by their parent company and are not remunerated on a per-job basis by the Platform Operator. MOM does not track the number of platform operators’ subcontractors.
2. MOM follows up on every complaint received, and including feedback from the National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA), and has also conducted enforcement operations at hotspots island-wide over the past few months to detect and deter foreigners from performing illegal platform work. A total of 644 delivery workers were checked during these operations, of which only 4 foreigners or less than 1% were found working illegally as delivery workers. Another 22 foreigners were legitimate work pass holders.
3. The Platform Workers Trilateral Group has released recommendations earlier this month to stamp out illegal platform work performed by foreigners as this compromises the livelihoods of local platform workers. For instance, platform operators with reasonable suspicion of foreigners misusing platform workers’ accounts are to notify MOM of such cases for investigation. Should an offence be established under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA), the major platform operators have collectively agreed to debar the local platform worker who abetted the foreigner from their platforms for a minimum of 24 months. Platform companies that currently permanently debar offenders may continue to do so. The foreigner who performed platform work illegally is liable to a fine of up to $20,000 or imprisonment for up to two years, or both. The local who abetted the foreigner may also face the same penalties. In addition, the foreigner may also be barred from entering or working in Singapore.
4. To address platform workers’ concerns about competition via outsourcing practices, food delivery platform operators that outsource jobs have agreed to (a) firstly, provide more clarity and assurance to platform workers on their outsourcing practices; (b) secondly, encourage platform workers to head to high demand areas to reduce the need to outsource jobs; and (c) thirdly, require outsourced companies to submit foreign workers’ work pass documentation and conduct audits where work is outsourced through their app. These recommendations are scoped to food delivery platform operators as outsourcing is common in the parcel delivery landscape, with platform operators outsourcing jobs to third-party logistics companies and vice versa. This practice helps to efficiently consolidate demand and supply, which benefits businesses, consumers and platform workers themselves.
5. The Government will continue working with platform work associations, tripartite partners, and platform operators to support the well-being and livelihoods of our platform workers.