Singapore PM: Securing and creating jobs the top priority

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that securing and creating jobs remains the government’s top priority.

Ahead of the country’s general elections on July 10, Lee was speaking on the plans to help Singaporeans who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic secure jobs during a Facebook Live video.

“Jobs are our top priority. We have all kinds of schemes to secure the existing jobs, to help people who lose their jobs or lose pay, and also to create new jobs so that they replace existing ones and enable the economy to grow again,” he said.

“But all these schemes are just schemes unless we can implement them well on the ground and make sure they reach every worker. And that’s what we have been doing,” he added. 

READ: 1 in 4 Singaporeans lost their jobs due to COVID-19

The Singapore government announced in June that it will create 100,000 jobs in 2021 to help Singaporeans cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To do that, job centres will be set up in every town to help match Singaporeans to new jobs.

And to help workers upskill and gain new skills, the capacity of training institutes will also be increased.

“So the resources are available, the schemes are available, and we are doing our best to help.

“What we need to do is to have the MPs who will be able to know what the schemes are, and also connect the schemes with the residents, make sure that the residents get in touch with the right people,” he said