SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Manpower has drawn up a new list of seven occupations where employers can hire foreign workers from non-traditional source (NTS) countries on work permits.

Currently, employers in the service and manufacturing sectors may hire work permit holders only from China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea and Taiwan.

From September next year, these employers can hire foreign workers for seven jobs on work permits even if they do not come from these traditional source countries.

The jobs are:

1. Cooks in Indian restaurants

2. Food processing workers, such as condiments and sauce makers in food processing firms, but excluding supervisors and general foremen (food processing), food and beverage tasters and graders, bakers, pastry cooks and confectionery makers

3. Sheet metal workers

4. Welders

5. Metal moulders

6. Riggers

7. Structural metal preparers and erectors

The NTS countries are Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Workers doing the seven jobs can now be hired on only S Passes if they come from these countries. This will change from September next year.

Firms hiring work permit holders for these jobs have to ensure that the workers perform only the stated jobs on their work permits.

These employers will also be subject to a quota. Details of the quota will be announced in due course.