Singapore to delay S$2 billion worth of construction

- Singapore's prime minister said on Wednesday that the government will defer S$2 billion ($1.59 billion) worth of public construction projects in order to reduce demand for foreign workers in the city-state. An influx of low-wage workers from overseas has caused growing resentment among citizens of the small city-state, riled by the strains that a rapidly growing population have posed on its infrastructure and services.
The population expanded by 35 percent from 4.0 million to 5.4 million between 2000 and 2013. Lee Hsien Long's government has responded by raising levies companies have to pay in order to bring in low-wage construction workers. Lee said in parliament that they would continue to limit the inflow of foreign labour, despite the difficulties such curbs cause to small and medium-sized businesses. "We cannot ease up on the foreign worker limits," he said. Lee added that the government will now delay certain construction projects in order to further reduce the need for workers.