SINGAPORE - The way to address the potential threat of companies moving to lower-cost places, as remote working soars in popularity, is to ensure that Singapore remains the preferred choice for doing business, and to equip Singaporeans with the right skills, said Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad on Wednesday .
"For example, port cranes could only be operated from their cabins in the past, but can now be automated and controlled from a remote centre." But Mr Zaqy said on Wednesday that the full impact of remote working is"not fully clear", pointing out that some employers continue to prefer bringing workers together physically, and the need for face-to-to-face interactions with clients and business partners.
As they moved abroad, Singapore responded by growing new biomedical sciences clusters and expanding the services sector, while businesses that remained here moved up the value chain, he said.