Verification of Declared Salaries against Qualifying Salary for S Pass Holders in Services Sector

Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) what is the distribution of declared salaries of services-sector S Pass holders relative to the qualifying salary; (b) whether declared salaries are routinely verified against IRAS and salary crediting records; and (c) how many salary kickback prosecutions since 2021 involved S Pass holders.

Ms Jasmin Lau: Based on the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM's) data as at July 2026, the fixed monthly salaries for S Pass holders in the Services sector at the 25th percentile, 50th percentile and 75th percentile are $3,550, $4,200 and $4,970 respectively.

MOM performs risk-based audits, which include verifying the declared salaries against data from various sources.

The collection of salary kickbacks is an offence under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA). Under EFMA, offenders may face up to two years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $30,000, or both. Since 2021, MOM has prosecuted about 30 employers for salary kickbacks involving over 100 S Pass holders.