BCA Singapore

2022-01-26 11:17:38 [Sent on 26 Jan 2022]
Industry-Led End-to-End Process to bring in migrant workers in a safe and assured manner
 
As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, having stable access to manpower remains one of the concerns of many firms. To address the construction sector’s need for trades workers and mitigate the public health risk associated with entry of migrant workers from overseas, the Singapore Contractors Association Limited (SCAL) has piloted an end-to-end process to bring in trades workers from overseas since July 2021. The end-to-end process focuses on proactive COVID-19 testing of the workers over a period of time at specified on-boarding facilities at source country before departure for Singapore. The results of this programme has been encouraging with reduced imported cases. The cost to bring workers via this initiative has also been moderated with the streamlining of quarantine and testing protocols.
 
Should you wish to tap on the Industry-Led End-to-End Process, please refer to the following for more information:
SCAL website
 
Due to the high demand, the expected waiting time to onboard your workers is estimated to be 4 - 6 weeks.

Help spread the word – join BCA Telegram at https://go.gov.sg/bca-tlg Open / Comment

2022-01-21 13:03:34 At BCA, safety is one of our priorities and this applies to cybersecurity too.

There have been recent incidences of scammers impersonating companies and targeting people via SMS phishing. Please do not click on any SMS with clickable links. If you receive such SMSes that appear to be from BCA (with a clickable link), please do not click on the link.

Please be assured that BCA will never ask or request for anyone’s personal details via SMS notifications and / or automated phone messages.

If you have received any suspicious SMS from BCA or have any queries / feedback, please visit bca.gov.sg/feedbackform/.

Together, we can help keep all of our online interactions safe and secure, as well as protect ourselves from any attacks. Open / Comment

2022-01-13 13:06:21 Over the last 15 years, Mr Muhammad Khalil has witnessed significant transformation in the BE sector. From having to manually draw designs and recreate thousands of documents in the past, he now deals with game-changing digital processes such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD).

Now, he champions digital transformation efforts at Boustead Projects and helps SMEs identify skills gap under the SkilllsFuture Queen Bee programme. Partnering institutes of higher learning, Mr Khalil curates programmes and facilitates training for the SMEs. To date, Boustead Projects has reached out to 14 SMEs to discuss their skills needs and help them map out their training needs.

Mr Khalil believes in enhancing soft skills, encouraging a mindset change and hopes to foster greater collaboration within the BE sector, instead of working in silos – with help from technology.

Read more on how Mr Khalil has been a catalyst for change in his company and the built environment sector here. Open / Comment

2022-01-07 13:19:13 In 2012, BCA started to conduct geological survey works to better understand the bedrock geology of Singapore and to support the planning of Singapore’s underground space for future use and development. Field work concluded in 2017, comprising the recovery of close to 20km of rock cores from 120 deep boreholes, inspecting 235 outcrop locations and conducting 3,400 in-situ and lab tests.

The fruits of our labour are now presented together for the first time through the 2021 edition of the Singapore Geological Map and Memoir!

Authored in collaboration with the British Geological Survey, the publication contains a wealth of new information which has led to a more complete account of the geology of Singapore. The findings of this work programme, have also been summarised in five peer-reviewed papers in the Journal of Asian Earth Sciences.

You can purchase the materials here:

Bundled Singapore Geological Map and Memoir (2021) – Hardcopy

Interactive Singapore Geological Map (iSGM) Open / Comment

2022-01-01 04:05:29 Hello 2022! Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year’s Day with your loved ones! Open / Comment

2021-12-31 07:10:33 2021 has been a year of change and challenges but we made it through. Thanks to our stakeholders, partners and community for working with us, through thick and thin.

Let us continue our efforts to build a great Singapore in the year ahead. Wishing everyone a prosperous, healthy and happy 2022!

#SGUnited

: Ministry of National Development Open / Comment

2021-12-30 08:49:49 [发送于2021年12月30 日]
Reminder on Updated Vaccination Policies for Construction Worksites and Supply Works Premises (Chinese version)
提醒业者注意建筑工地和建筑材料供应场地需遵守的疫苗接种最新条例

人力部已宣布从2022年1月1日起更新了工作场所的疫苗接种条例，所有建筑工地和建筑材料供应场地也需遵守新条例。

最新的疫苗接种条例包括：
只有完成疫苗接种、获医生证明因健康理由无法接种疫苗，或是在过去180天内从冠病康复的员工才能返回工作场所。

2022年1月1日至14日
已完成接种疫苗的员工将允许返回工作场所。未接种疫苗和已接种至少一剂疫苗但尚未完成接种的员工，只有在活动前检测结果（PET）呈阴性才能返回工作场所。

从2022年1月15日起
尚未接种疫苗的员工，包括冠病康复超过180天的员工，即使活动前检测结果呈阴性，也不允许返回工作场所。
已接种至少一剂疫苗但尚未完成接种的员工，包括截至2022年1月1日已从冠病康复超过180天的员工，可凭活动前阴性检测结果返回工作场所至2022年1月31日。不过2022年1月31日之后，他们必须完成疫苗接种才能返回工作场所。

疫苗接种可显著增强我们抵御冠病病毒的能力，降低疫情对生产力和员工的健康所造成的影响。我们敦促所有符合条件接种冠病疫苗的员工在接获邀请或安排时，登记接种疫苗或疫苗追加剂。

在此也提醒所有进入建筑工地和建筑材料供应场地的工人以及建筑业工作准证持有者继续进行强制性的快速简易检测和轮流定期检测（FET RRT）。

请继续给予您的支持和全力配合，以确保建筑工地严格遵守安全管理措施。让我们一起携手合作，尽力保障建筑工地的安全。

欲知更多详情，请查阅：
人力部最新通告（12月27日）
卫生部最新新闻稿（12月26日）

请帮忙转发这则信息 — 通过以下链接订阅建设局的Telegram 频道获取最新消息: https://go.gov.sg/bca-tlg Open / Comment

2021-12-29 12:56:56 [Sent on 29 Dec 2021]
Reminder on Updated Vaccination Policies for Construction Worksites and Supply Works Premises

The Ministry of Manpower has announced updated vaccination policies at workplaces from 1 January 2022. This would also apply to all construction worksites and supply work premises.

Updated vaccination policies include:
Only employees who are fully vaccinated, certified to be medically ineligible, or have recovered from COVID-19 within 180 days, can return to the workplace.

1 to 14 January 2022
Vaccinated employees will be allowed to enter the workplace. Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated employees will be allowed at the workplace if they have a valid negative Pre-Event Testing (PET) result.

From 15 January 2022
Unvaccinated employees, including those who have recovered from COVID-19 beyond 180 days, will not be allowed to enter the workplace even with a negative PET result.
Partially vaccinated employees, including those that have recovered from COVID-19 beyond 180 days as at 1 January 2022, are allowed at the workplace until 31 Jan 2022 with a negative PET result. After 31 Jan 2022, they have to be fully vaccinated to return to their workplace.

Vaccination significantly enhances our workforce resilience against COVID-19 by minimising the impacts on productivity and the health of our workers. We urge all workers to get vaccinated and get booster shots when offered or scheduled.

All workers entering construction worksites and supply work premises and construction work pass holders are reminded to continue with the mandatory FET RRT to ensure that we stay Covid safe.

We seek your continued support and cooperation to ensure strict compliance with SMM at worksites. Let us work together to keep our worksites safe.

For more details, visit:
MOM’s Updated Advisory (27 Dec)
MOH’s Updated Press Release (26 Dec)

Help spread the word – join BCA Telegram at https://go.gov.sg/bca-tlg Open / Comment

2021-12-27 12:52:27 [发送于2021年12月27日]
Extension of Relief Period under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act for Relevant Contracts in the Built Environment Sector (Chinese version)
延长冠病19（临时援助措施）法令对建筑合同的宽限期

第2部分 - 因冠病疫情而无法履行合同责任的援助措施
建筑和供应合同各方受保护期延长至2022年2月28日，前提是在2020年2月1日至2022年2月28日期间已提交援助通知（NFR）。

第8B部分 – 规定合同各方公平分担因冠病疫情而产生的额外非人力费用
费用分担援助措施将适用于额外非人力指定费用，这些必须是在2020年4月7日至2022年2月28日期间因冠病疫情造成的延误而产生的费用。
共同分担的每月上限和总体上限维持不变。

第10A部分 – 调整合同金额应对外籍人力成本增加
鉴于建筑业工作准证持有者的工资维持高涨，宽限期将延长3个月至2022年3月31日。
承包商可以申请由评估员裁定调整合同金额，以应对冠病疫情导致2020年10月1日至2022年3月31日期间聘用持工作准证外籍劳工成本增加的问题。
业者应在2022年5月31日之前提交裁定申请。

冠病19（临时援助措施）法令的援助措施是有时限的。我们敦促合同各方积极讨论，以达成双方同意的安排，并为建筑环境业的长远发展和加强抗御性更紧密合作。

更多详情，请浏览：
建设局通告

请帮忙转发这则信息 — 通过以下链接订阅建设局的Telegram 频道获取最新消息: https://go.gov.sg/bca-tlg Open / Comment

2021-12-27 12:52:14 [Sent on 27 Dec 2021]
Extension of Relief Period under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act for Relevant Contracts in the Built Environment Sector

Part 2 – Protection against inability to fulfill contract obligations due to COVID-19
Protection period for construction and supply contracts extended to 28 Feb 2022, if a Notification for Relief (NFR) is served between 1 February 2020 and 28 February 2022 (both dates inclusive).

Part 8B – Additional non-manpower related cost due to COVID-19
Cost-sharing relief extended to 28 Feb 2022.
It will apply to qualifying costs that arise due to delays caused by COVID-19 during the period from 7 Apr 2020 to 28 Feb 2022.
No change to caps on monthly and total cost-sharing amount.

Part 10A – Relief for increase in foreign manpower salary cost
Extended for 3-month to 31 Mar 2022 in view of the continued increase in the wages of construction work permit holders.
Contractors may seek a determination from an Assessor for the increase in foreign manpower salary costs of Work Permit Holders due to COVID-19 during the period from 1 Oct 2020 to 31 Mar 2022.
An application for an Assessor’s determination should be made before 31 May 2022.

The reliefs related to the BE sector under COTMA are meant to be time-limited. We urge contract parties to agree on amicable outcomes for their contracts and partner each other even more closely for long-term sustainability and resilience of the BE sector.

For more details, visit:
BCA Circular

Help spread the word – join BCA Telegram at https://go.gov.sg/bca-tlg Open / Comment