New Border Restrictions for People Coming from India Might Lead to Delayed Construction Projects

The COVID-19 outbreak in India is getting worse and worse.

Just yesterday, nearly 350,000 new infections were reported across the country. This is only around 0.025% of the population, but hospitals, especially in densely populated cities, are getting overwhelmed. 

Reminiscent of Italy last year, some patients in India have succumbed to the virus outside hospitals while waiting for beds, as there are simply not enough beds and ventilators to go around.

One of the reasons for the massive outbreak is the ‘double mutant’ coronavirus, which is said to be more contagious and more resistant to vaccines.

Consequently, Singapore has banned most travellers from India in order to keep the highly infectious strain from spreading in our community.

Now it seems that this may have a ripple effect on our construction industry.

New Border Restrictions for People Coming from India Might Lead to Delayed Construction Projects

The ban on travellers from India may mean that Singaporeans will have to wait longer and pay higher costs for their housing projects to be completed.

Many construction projects have already been pushed back by up to a year due to the pandemic, and without an adequate labour force, these projects could be delayed even further.

Without the men to work on these projects, some companies may be forced to close, the Singapore Contractors Association said.

Some 100,000 Singaporeans working in the construction sector will also be affected.

“The construction industry needs migrant workers as they form the backbone of the labour force, and the majority of these workers are from India and Bangladesh. We need to bring workers in because no Singaporeans are willing to work as construction workers,” the association said.

This means that you might have to wait a little longer, or pay even more for your build-to-order (BTO) flat.

Earlier this month, it was reported that 85% of the 89 ongoing BTO projects are facing delays of six to nine months due to the pandemic, with 43,000 households affected.

Earlier, our soon-to-be Finance Minister Mr Lawrence Wong said that the ban on travellers with recent travel history to India will have a significant impact on the Construction, Marine, and Process (CMP) sectors here.

Mr Wong said the government seeks to provide more support for contractors and SME enterprises that will be impacted by the new border measures.

Singapore to Stop Entry For All LTVP & STVP Holders With Recent Travel History to India

For those who don’t know, the government recently announced new border measures for visitors with recent travel history to India.

From 24 Apr, all long-term pass holders and short-term visit pass holders who visited or transited through India within the last 14 days will be barred from entering Singapore.

This includes those who have obtained prior approval for entry into the country.

In addition, all travellers with recent travel history to India who have not yet completed their 14-day stay-home notice (SHN) will need to serve their additional seven-day SHN at dedicated facilities instead of their place of residence.

This means incoming travellers from India will now have to pay S$3,000 for their SHN.

Featured Image: Ronnie Chua/ Shutterstock.com