Written Answer to PQ on Breakdown of Singaporeans PRs and Foreigners in the food delivery space

NOTICE PAPER NO. 133 OF 2025 FOR SITTING ON OR AFTER 15 OCTOBER 2025
QUESTION NO. 432 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Mr Pritam Singh

To ask the Minister for Manpower to date, (a) what is the total number of platform workers undertaking food delivery; (b) how many are Singaporeans and PRs respectively as registered by platform operators; (c) how does the Ministry ensure the number of foreigners undertaking food delivery work does not affect the incomes of local platform workers; and (d) how does it track the ratio of local and foreign platform workers.

Answer:

1. In 2024, there were 15,300 Singapore residents who regularly worked as delivery platform workers, covering both food and parcel delivery services. They comprise 13,400 Singapore Citizens and 1,900 Permanent Residents. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not track the number of platform workers undertaking food delivery specifically, as platform workers have the flexibility to undertake different types of delivery jobs, such as food or parcel delivery or both. Only Singaporeans and Permanent Residents can be platform workers, as MOM does not issue work passes for foreigners in this sector. MOM will take enforcement action against any foreigners found working illegally as platform workers, and the local platform workers who abet them.

2. While platform operators can legitimately outsource jobs to third-party logistics companies who may hire foreigners with valid work passes, the number of foreigners is capped at the industry’s dependency ratio ceiling. These foreigners are not platform workers, and can only work for a single employer under an employer-employee relationship. They are also paid a fixed monthly salary by their parent company, and are not remunerated on a per-job basis by the platform operator.

3. The Government will continue to work closely with platform work associations, tripartite partners, and platform operators to support the well-being and livelihoods of our platform workers. As part of the Platform Workers Trilateral Group’s recommendations, food delivery platform operators that outsource jobs have agreed to (a) provide more clarity and assurance to platform workers on their outsourcing practices; (b) encourage platform workers to head to high demand areas to reduce the need to outsource jobs; and (c) require outsourced companies to submit foreign workers’ work pass documentation and conduct audits where work is outsourced through their app.