REDUCTION OF FOREIGN DOMESTIC WORKER (FDW) LEVY RATE

From 1 April 2005, the new levy for foreign domestic workers (FDW) will be $295 per month. This is a $50 reduction from the current standard FDW levy of $345. The $50 reduction will also apply to the concessionary levy of $250[1], which will be adjusted to $200.

 

2          The levy reduction will help employers pay more for better quality FDWs as the savings would help to offset the higher salaries of the FDWs. This complements the Ministry’s recent measures[2] introduced to raise the quality of FDWs in Singapore.

             

3          MOM will automatically adjust the levy payable by all FDW employers wef April 2005.  The lower levy rate will be reflected in employers’ April 2005 Levy Bill, which they will receive in May 2005.    

 

Public Enquiries

4          For further queries, members of the public may call MOM’s One-Call Centre at Tel: 6438-5122. 


[1] As part of the marriage and procreation support package announced in August 2004, employers pay a concessionary FDW levy rate of $250 per month for each FDW (up to maximum of 2 workers)  if they meet these conditions on or after 1 August 2004:

(a)    the employer or spouse has a child who is a Singapore Citizen below 12 years old; or

(b)    the employer or spouse is a Singapore Citizen who is aged 65 years old and above; or

(c)  the employer or spouse has at least one elderly parent, parent-in-law, grandparent or grandparent-in-law who is a Singapore Citizen aged 65 years old and above, and is living with him/her at the same registered address.

 

[2] Effective 1 April 2005, all new FDWs (i.e. those who have never worked in Singapore before) must be at least 23 years of age, have a minimum 8 years of formal education and pass a written entry test before they are allowed to work in Singapore.

 

 

MINISTRY OF MANPOWER
18 February 2005