Welcome foreign talent, Goh tells Singaporeans

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE, AUG. 9. The Singapore Prime Minister, Mr. Goh Chok Tong, has called upon his people to cast their net wider and draw business from countries such as India, China, Australia and New Zealand and boost links with the United States, Europe and Japan.

In a national day message on Singapore's 35th national day today, he said the country could not just rely on South-East Asia as its hinterland. ``Our neighbours too want to do what we are doing. They too aspire to become regional hubs for shipping, aviation, banking and IT (information technology)....''

Pointing to better-than-expected economic results, Mr. Goh said that growth in the first six months of the year had been 8.8 per cent, above the projected figure of between 7.5 and 8 per cent.

``We have created a role for ourselves as a regional hub in Asia, and as a productive node in the global economy. Our economy is developing an external wing, to overcome the constraints of our small population and island,'' he said.

The key to Singapore's growth was talent, the Prime Minister said. ``Singapore's own talent pool is too small for all the things we want to do. We need to top it up with global talent. Many countries now openly recruit foreign talent. They are relaxing immigration policies, and bringing in more foreign bankers, engineers and technicians to boost their economies.''

``Singaporeans are being targeted too, and we will lose some of them. We must, therefore, also welcome foreign talent, and absorb them into our economy and society to strengthen the Singapore team,'' his message read.

He said another reason for the need for foreign talent was the slow rate of reproduction among Singaporeans. ``Far too many of our women remain unmarried. And Singaporeans who are married are not having big enough families to make up for those who remain single. We have not been able to solve these two grave problems.''

Mr. Goh said low-skilled jobs were being lost while high-skilled ones were being created. According to him, the income gap between the top and bottom will continue to widen.

``With both China and India opening up, the global supply of unskilled workers has increased. This will depress the wages of unskilled workers everywhere....'' he said.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : CIA report finds increased Chinese arms sales to
           Pak.
Next     : Fresh attacks feared in Fiji