SINGAPORE TO CONTROL INFLOW OF FOREIGN WORKERS, IMMIGRANTS

SINGAPORE, Aug 9 (Bernama) -- The Singapore government has assured its citizens
that it would control the inflow of foreign workers and immigrants to the
city-state to ensure that their arrivals are not too rapid and too large.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the increasing number of
foreigners residing in the city-state now had caused some concern among
Singaporeans who felt their position might be jeopardised such as in job and
educational opportunities.

"We will make clear that citizens come first," Lee pointed out, adding that
after all, the government was doing this for the sake of Singaporeans.

Lee said this in his message in conjunction with Singapore’s 45th National Day
celebration Monday which was broadcast over television here Sunday night.

Singapore which is fast developing but lack workers, has a population of around
five million and over one million are immigrants.

However, the prime minister stressed that Singapore could not do without a
proportion of foreign workers, or a continuing flow of permanent residents and
new citizens.

"We must make up for the shortage of Singaporean workers in our economy and the
shortfall of babies in our population," Lee said.

He said without an inflow, over time Singapore’s economy and society would lose
vibrancy, its citizens would enjoy fewer opportunities, and "our shining red dot
will get dimmer".

Lee assured that the government would only bring in people who could contribute
to Singapore and would work harder to integrate them into its society.

He said Singaporeans should welcome foreigners with an open heart, help them to
fit in and encourage those who would become citizens to establish roots here.

"If we do this well, by the next generation, their children will be native
Singaporeans," Lee said.

"Remember, we ourselves are descendants of immigrants too," he said, adding that
with new arrivals living and working harmoniously with those born here, the
people would keep Singapore dynamic, cosmopolitan and successful.

On the economy, Lee said the country’s growth had rebounded strongly from last
year’s recession, with gross domestic product growing 17.9 per cent year-on-year
in the first half of this year.

He said many jobs had been created and unemployment was low, and Singaporean
workers could look forward to better wages, more overtime and higher bonuses
this year.

Lee said Singapore’s growth would likely be moderate in the second half of the
year, at between 13 and 15 per cent.
-- BERNAMA




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