Budget 2019: Minister urges leadership to step up

Leadership of companies play a key role in raising the capabilities of their workers by redesigning jobs and reskilling their staff, said finance minister Heng Swee Keat.

At yesterday’s (18 February) Budget 2019 announcement, Heng encouraged businesses to deploy tech and new ways of working so that “everyone is better off”.

He mentioned his recent visit to FairPrice’s distribution centre as an example of how companies can use tech to lift productivity.

“FairPrice has worked together with the workers to retrain them,” Heng said. “Many of them told me they started when FairPrice had manual processes, but they were able to pick up new skills along the way.

“All enterprises will need to put [training and upgrading] as a major priority so they can make best use of new technologies and our companies can... continue to raise productivity and create a better life for our workers.”

Among the staff he spoke to, some have worked at FairPrice for over 30 years. When asked how the new technology has impacted their work, they replied that FairPrice's training has helped them to quickly pick up new skills to make use of the new systems, and their work environment is more pleasant and conducive.

“As we redesign jobs, we will need to help workers learn new skills,” he said. “I think in that way, companies can be more competitive and, at the same time, workers can be more productive and enjoy better jobs and better pay.”