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Local construction firms 'still playing second fiddle to foreign ones'

With one in two big public sector jobs going to foreign firms, Singapore companies are hoping for leg-up

Published Tue, Oct 20, 2020 · 09:50 PM

Singapore

HALF of big public sector jobs go to foreign firms, and local contractors want to change that.

Based on figures from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), 50 per cent of public sector contracts worth over S$85 million were awarded to local firms from 2017 to 2019, up from 40 per cent a decade ago.

But Singapore businesses do better for smaller jobs - winning 90 per cent of contracts worth between S$3 million and S$85 million each during the same period.

Local construction companies The Business Times spoke to are hoping for more to be done, especially with Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat having committed to continuing Singapore's investments in infrastructure.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been hard on construction companies, which had to halt work during the "circuit breaker" and continue to have difficulties resuming operations due to safe distancing requirements and manpower shortages. Smaller players in the industry are at risk of bein…

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