SNEF eyes greater flexibility in foreign manpower policies

More structured training and certification pathways for AI skills also among proposals

- Sharon Salim Business Correspondent

The Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) has called for the Government to offer greater flexibility in foreign manpower policies to support firms taking on restructuring projects. It also hopes for more structured training and certification pathways for skills related to artificial intelligence (AI) to be developed.

These are among seven Budget 2026 recommendations submitted to the Government to support employers in managing manpower and cost pressures while accelerating business and workforce transformation in an uncertain global economic environment, said SNEF on Dec 16.

SNEF president Tan Hee Teck said the recommendations are focused on helping businesses adapt to a more digital and AI-enabled economy.

In November 2025, SNEF conducted a series of surveys and engagements with employers.

It noted that while the Ministry of Trade and Industry upgraded its 2025 gross domestic product growth forecast to “around 4 per cent”, the business outlook remains uneven across industries.

More bosses here are planning for hiring freezes and wage moderation in 2026, according to figures released by the federation on Dec 2. It found that 72 per cent of the 238 employers polled said they faced uncertain prospects in 2025, up from 58 per cent in 2024.

As employers continue to face rising business costs from employee salaries, Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions, rentals and utilities, SNEF proposed continued “broad-based cost relief” that includes targeted support for rental and utility expenses, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).