13.—(1) Part I of the Fourth Schedule to the principal Regulations is amended —(a) | by inserting, immediately after paragraph 1, the following paragraph: “1A. In paragraphs 1 and 20A, “medical treatment”, in relation to a foreign employee, includes any service, investigation, medicine, curative material, medical consumable, surgical implant or other item necessary for the medical treatment.”; |
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| (b) | by inserting, immediately after the words “arrives in Singapore” in paragraph 7E(1), the words “or such later date as the Controller may determine”; | (c) | by deleting sub-paragraph (2) of paragraph 7E; | (d) | by inserting, immediately after paragraph 7E, the following paragraph:“7F. Where a work permit is issued by the Controller on or after 1 February 2022 in respect of a foreign employee who, at the time of issue, is in Singapore, the employer must ensure that the foreign employee has a cleared status (general) or cleared status (special).”; and |
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| (e) | by inserting, immediately after paragraph 7F, the following paragraphs:“7G. The employer —(a) | must ensure that the foreign employee complies with any movement control measure or testing requirement to which the foreign employee is subject; and | (b) | must be responsible for the costs of the foreign employee’s compliance with any movement control measure or testing requirement to which the foreign employee is subject, unless paragraph 7H applies. |
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7H. The employer may require the foreign employee to pay such portion of the costs mentioned in paragraph 7G(b) (called in this paragraph the applicable costs) as agreed by the employer and the foreign employee if all of the following are satisfied:(a) | the foreign employee leaves Singapore, during the validity period of the work permit, for any purpose other than a purpose that is exclusively or primarily for or in relation to the foreign employee’s employment with the employer; | (b) | the foreign employee is required to comply with any movement control measure or testing requirement upon or immediately after the foreign employee’s return to Singapore; | (c) | the foreign employee, before leaving Singapore, enters into a written agreement with the employer specifying the portion of the applicable costs to be borne by the foreign employee.”. |
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(2) Part III of the Fourth Schedule to the principal Regulations is amended —(a) | by deleting the words “paragraphs 1A and 1B” in paragraph 1 and substituting the words “paragraphs 1A, 1B and 1C”; | (b) | by inserting, immediately after the words “minimum mandatory coverage” in paragraph 1, the words “under any medical insurance purchased and maintained by the employer under paragraph 4 of Part IV for the foreign employee”; | (c) | by deleting the words “of his period of employment” in paragraph 1(b) and substituting the words “for every 2 years of his employment”; | (d) | by inserting, immediately after paragraph 1, the following paragraph: “1AA. In paragraphs 1, 1C, 2C, 11A and 16, “medical treatment”, in relation to a foreign employee, includes any service, investigation, medicine, curative material, medical consumable, surgical implant or other item necessary for the medical treatment.”; |
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| (e) | by inserting, immediately after paragraph 1B, the following paragraph: “1C. The employer may require the foreign employee to pay the following medical costs in respect of any medical treatment received by the foreign employee as an out‑patient (excluding any medical examinations required by the Controller): (a) | in a case where the foreign employee is enrolled as a member of a Primary Care Plan mentioned in paragraph 4A of Part IV, an amount for each occasion of such medical treatment provided under the Primary Care Plan not exceeding —(i) | $5 in relation to medical treatment provided at any medical clinic or centre; or | (ii) | $2 in relation to medical treatment provided by means of telemedicine; |
| (b) | in any other case where the foreign employee’s agreement to pay those medical costs is stated explicitly in the employment contract or collective agreement, an amount for each occasion of such medical treatment not exceeding —(i) | 1% of the foreign employee’s fixed monthly salary for the month during which medical costs for such medical treatment are incurred; or | (ii) | the applicable amount under sub‑paragraph (a)(i) or (ii), if the applicable amount concerned is higher than the amount in sub‑paragraph (i).”; |
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| (f) | by deleting the words “COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020 (G.N. No. S 254/2020)” in paragraph 2A(1) and substituting the words “COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Reopening — Control Order) Regulations 2022 (G.N. No. S 179/2022)”; | (g) | by inserting, immediately after the words “paragraphs 1,” in paragraph 4A, “1C,”; | (h) | by deleting sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) of paragraph 4E and substituting the following sub‑paragraph:“(2) The period mentioned in sub‑paragraph (1) is —(a) | the period starting the time the foreign employee arrives in Singapore and ending on (and including) the 30th day after the foreign employee arrives in Singapore or such later date as the Controller may determine, unless sub‑paragraph (b) applies; or | (b) | where the work permit in respect of the foreign employee states that the foreign employee is employed in the construction, marine shipyard or process sector — the period starting the time the foreign employee arrives in Singapore and ending on (and including) the latest of the following dates:(i) | the 7th day after the foreign employee arrives in Singapore; | (ii) | the 7th day after the day any movement control measure to which the foreign employee is subject ceases to have effect or is cancelled; | (iii) | any date after the date in sub‑paragraph (i) or (ii) as the Controller may determine.”; |
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| (i) | by inserting, immediately after paragraph 4E, the following paragraph:“4F. Where a work permit is issued by the Controller on or after 1 February 2022 in respect of a foreign employee who, at the time of issue, is in Singapore, the employer must ensure that the foreign employee has a cleared status (general) or cleared status (special).”; and |
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| (j) | by inserting, immediately after paragraph 4F, the following paragraphs:“4G. The employer —(a) | must ensure that the foreign employee complies with any movement control measure or testing requirement to which the foreign employee is subject; and | (b) | must be responsible for the costs of the foreign employee’s compliance with any movement control measure or testing requirement to which the foreign employee is subject, unless paragraph 4H applies. |
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4H. The employer may require the foreign employee to pay such portion of the costs mentioned in paragraph 4G(b) (called in this paragraph the applicable costs) as agreed by the employer and the foreign employee if all of the following are satisfied:(a) | the foreign employee leaves Singapore, during the validity period of the work permit, for any purpose other than a purpose that is exclusively or primarily for or in relation to the foreign employee’s employment with the employer; | (b) | the foreign employee is required to comply with any movement control measure or testing requirement upon or immediately after the foreign employee’s return to Singapore; | (c) | the foreign employee, before leaving Singapore, enters into a written agreement with the employer specifying the portion of the applicable costs to be borne by the foreign employee.”. |
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(3) Part IV of the Fourth Schedule to the principal Regulations is amended by inserting, immediately after paragraph 4, the following paragraph:“4A.—(1) Every employer of a relevant foreign employee must —(a) | purchase a Primary Care Plan and enrol the relevant foreign employee as a member of the Primary Care Plan; and | (b) | maintain the relevant foreign employee’s membership of the Primary Care Plan for the period of the relevant foreign employee’s employment with the employer. |
(2) In this paragraph —“licensed dormitory”, “resident” and “unregulated dormitory” have the meanings given by paragraph 2A(2) of Part III; |
“medical provider” means —(a) | a person who operates a private hospital, medical clinic or healthcare establishment which is licensed under section 5 of the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act 1980; or | (b) | a healthcare service provider licensed or deemed to be licensed under the Healthcare Services Act 2020 to provide any licensable healthcare service; |
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“Primary Care Plan” means a healthcare plan established by the Controller known as the Primary Care Plan under which a medical provider provides basic healthcare services to relevant foreign employees enrolled as members of the plan; |
“relevant foreign employee” means a foreign employee who is either or both of the following: (a) | a resident of a licensed dormitory or an unregulated dormitory; | (b) | an individual whose work permit specifies that he is employed in the construction sector, marine shipyard sector or process sector.”. |
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(4) Part VI of the Fourth Schedule to the principal Regulations is amended —(a) | by deleting sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) of paragraph 3A and substituting the following sub‑paragraph:“(2) The period mentioned in sub-paragraph (1) is —(a) | the period starting the time the foreign employee arrives in Singapore and ending on (and including) the 30th day after the foreign employee arrives in Singapore or such later date as the Controller may determine, unless sub‑paragraph (b) applies; or | (b) | where the work permit in respect of the foreign employee states that the foreign employee is employed in the construction, marine shipyard or process sector — the period starting the time the foreign employee arrives in Singapore and ending on (and including) the latest of the following dates:(i) | the 7th day after the foreign employee arrives in Singapore; | (ii) | the 7th day after the day any movement control measure to which the foreign employee is subject ceases to have effect or is cancelled; | (iii) | any date after the date in sub‑paragraph (i) or (ii) as the Controller may determine.”; |
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| (b) | by inserting, immediately after paragraph 3A, the following paragraph:“3B. The foreign employee must, where he or she is in Singapore at the time the work permit is issued to the foreign employee, ensure that the foreign employee has a cleared status (general) or cleared status (special).”; |
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| (c) | by inserting, immediately after paragraph 3B, the following paragraph:“3C. The foreign employee must comply with any movement control measure or testing requirement to which the foreign employee is subject.”; |
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| (d) | by deleting the words “and 11A” in paragraph 9(2) and substituting the words “, 11A and 12”; and | (e) | by inserting, immediately after the definition of “licensed dormitory” in paragraph 9(2), the following definition:“ “medical treatment”, in relation to a foreign employee, includes any service, investigation, medicine, curative material, medical consumable, surgical implant or other item necessary for the medical treatment;”. |
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