EMPLOYMENT OF MAIDS FOR HANDICAPPED PERSONS (Waiver of maid levy)

Mr R. Sinnakaruppan asked the Minister for Manpower if waivers will be given to the maid levy for households where a maid is specifically employed to look after a handicapped person.

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, the levy on foreign domestic workers is meant to dampen demand so that Singaporeans will not become over-dependent on them. We understand that some families require the services of a foreign domestic worker and our policy is not to deny Singaporeans of such service if they are able to afford it. However, there is still a need to ensure that the number of foreign domestic workers in Singapore remains manageable.

Households employ foreign domestic workers for a variety of reasons. Some employ a foreign domestic worker to look after the aged and handicapped, others to look after young children, and yet others to attend to household chores or even to do all of these things. We should not favour any particular household or type of work by exempting them from the levy or granting a concession. The levy is a transparent pricing mechanism that applies equally to all employers. Waiving the levy for any particular group of employers will undermine Government's efforts to manage the demand for foreign domestic workers.

Sir, I would like to point out that a working woman who employs a foreign domestic worker to look after a handicapped family member is also entitled to the double tax relief from the foreign domestic worker levy. Furthermore, the Government has provided various tax reliefs and assistance to help handicapped persons and their families. For example, the family member of a handicapped person is entitled to claim a handicapped dependant relief of $3,500 for the maintenance of the handicapped person. Government also provides other forms of assistance to voluntary welfare organisations which provide support and care for handicapped persons. These include residential and respite care centres, hostels, day activity centres and provision of technical aids for disabled persons. We should address the needs of the handicap-care from a total perspective rather than simply waiving the maid levy which would increase households' reliance on maids and undermine the development of alternative care systems. It would also draw us into unnecessary debate on which other groups, for example, those who look after the aged or very young children, should also be granted a similar waiver.

Mr R. Sinnakaruppan (Kreta Ayer-Tanglin): Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether there are statistics available on the number of handicapped persons in Singapore and what percentage of them are actually gainfully employed.

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not have these numbers on hand. But I am sure there are such statistics. If the Member would like to raise a Question on the number of handicapped persons in Singapore, the appropriate Minister will be able to give him the answer.

Mr Sinnakaruppan: Sir, according to the Handicaps Welfare Association, these statistics are not in the population census. So I would like to ask the Minister which Ministry should I direct this Question to, ie, to him or MTI.

Dr Lee Boon Yang: I will always be happy to entertain such a question. But if it is not within my portfolio, I will direct it to the appropriate Minister. 1.30 pm

Mr Speaker: I think we have approached the end of Question Time.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No. 21(3), Written Answers (Cols. 1961-1970) to Question Nos. 12-19 are reproduced in the Appendix. Question Nos. 20 and 21 have been postponed to the next sitting of Parliament.]