I honestly can't believe this topic keeps coming back again and again - but, eh, let's cut to the most crucial fact for the umpteenth time:
How many Indians are actually employed in Singapore through the provisions of CECA?
500.
Yes - FIVE HUNDRED. Not five thousand, not fifty thousand, no a hundred thousand, not a million.
This was clearly stated by Tan See Leng, minister of manpower, in July. ICTs, Intra-Corporate Transferees, i.e. people sent from foreign companies to their Singaporean branches, under provisions of various FTAs, add up to just a few thousand people out of all EP holders.
Currently, this figure is 2.37% - for ALL countries.
Out of 177,000 EP holders, 4,200 are ICTs, out of whom around 500 are from India.
For comparison, National Stadium has a capacity of 55,000 people. All Indian ICTs would take up just one small sector in it - less than 1% of its total seating.
You could fit 500 people in:
- two carriages of a single six-carriage East-West Line MRT train
- in one half of a single Circle Line MRT train
- in 4 double-decker buses
- in a single Airbus A380, and there would still be seats to spare
If ALL of them went for a meal to Lau Pa Sat together, they would occupy just 20% of its 2,500-seat capacity.
And, let's not forget - ICTs have to be employees of the company in their home country for at least a year, receive a pass for up to 3 years, with a maximum extension to 5 years and cannot remain in Singapore after that time.
They DO NOT COMPETE for employment with Singaporeans because they are already employed by the company - they are just TEMPORARILY sent over to SG.
Intra-Corporate Transfer is not a specific invention for CECA or Singapore's FTAs but is a standard all over the world to allow companies to move some of their staff between signatory countries for business purposes.
But they are even more strictly regulated than regular EPs. They have to fulfil certain criteria, cannot extend their stay, and their families now face tougher restrictions on their stay in the country.
Anybody making a fuss about CECA doesn't have the faintest clue what they are talking about. It is, therefore, not surprising they may be struggling to find any job if they can't comprehend something this simple.
