Q13: What is deployment of CoreTrade personnel? Who is it for?
Under the Building Control (Amendment) Act 2007, all
licensed Class 1 General Builders are required to lodge a manpower programme on the deployment of CoreTrade personnel when undertaking construction projects with contract value of $20 million (inclusive of GST) or more.
Q14: What are the deployment requirements?
The CoreTrade deployment has been classified into 4 main categories of projects. They are new building works, addition and alteration works, civil engineering works (general) and civil engineering works (MRT station).
Taking into account the scale of works, the deployment requirements are also calculated based on Man-Year (MY)1 and contract value to allow for flexibility in deployment.
Please click here for the deployment requirements.
1 Man-year (MY) is defined as a period comprising 260 working days or its equivalent.
Q15: Where do I submit the manpower deployment plans?
Firms can lodge the manpower deployment plans at
www.bca.gov.sg/coretrade/submission.
Q16: Can I deploy my CoreTrade Tradesmen to fulfil the CoreTrade personnel deployment requirements?
With the new minimum R1 proportion requirement at the firm-level to be implemented in 2017, BCA will phase out the project-level CoreTrade deployment requirement for Tradesmen, and focus on building up key construction personnel at the Foremen and Supervisory levels with effect from 01 January 2015. Once implemented, all new and on-going CoreTrade projects will not be required to comply with the deployment requirements for the category of Tradesmen. Construction firms will still need to comply with the deployment requirements of Trade Foremen and Supervisors.
Q17: Why are we removing the deployment requirements for Tradesmen only and retaining that for Trade Foremen and Supervisors?
The deployment requirements for CoreTrade Tradesmen at the project-level will in effect be replaced by the new minimum R1 proportion requirement at the firm-level. This will give construction firms greater ownership in recruiting or upgrading better workers. Construction firms will also benefit from the increased levy savings and higher productivity of the upgraded workers, which will help them better manage their manpower cost and stay competitive.
Moving forward, the CoreTrade scheme will focus on building up construction personnel at the Foremen and Supervisory levels, who play a key role in guiding the workers to improve productivity through better site management. We have hence retained the deployment requirements for Trade Foremen and Supervisors to encourage workers, including locals, to upgrade beyond the Tradesmen level.
Q18: What are the benefits of registering as a Tradesman after its deployment requirements are removed?
CoreTrade registration will remain one of the pathways to qualify workers as R1, which will allow him to enjoy a lower levy and work in Singapore for up to 22 years.
Q19: Is the removal of Tradesmen deployment requirements going to apply to new CoreTrade projects only?
Once implemented, all new and on-going CoreTrade projects will not be required to comply with the deployment requirements for the category of Tradesmen. However, construction firms will still need to comply with the deployment requirements of Trade Foremen and Supervisors.
Q20: Can I deploy my CoreTrade Supervisor under CoreTrade Foreman category?
No, the CoreTrade personnel should be deployed under the relevant categories, i.e. CoreTrade Trade Foremen should be deployed under Trade Foreman categories, while CoreTrade Supervisors should be deployed under Supervisor categories.
Q21: Can I deploy my Multi-Skilled workers to fulfil the CoreTrade personnel deployment requirements?
No, only CoreTrade registered personnel will be accepted for CoreTrade deployment requirements.
Q22: What happens if my project is unable to meet the CoreTrade requirements?
BCA understands that there may be some contractors whose projects that are so unique that its manpower deployment needs vary from the usual building works.
If the builder failed to comply with the requirement, the builder will be given an opportunity to submit written representations to the Commissioner of Building Control, as required under Section 29J(3) of the Building Control Act, before the Commissioner exercises his powers pursuant to Section 29J(1) or (2) of the Building Control Act which reads:
(1) Subject to subsection (3), the Commissioner may by order revoke any general builder’s licence or specialist builder’s licence if he is satisfied that
- (a) The licensed builder fails to comply with any of the relevant requirements of section 29H(1) or (3) or section 29I(1) or (5), as the case may be;
(2) The Commissioner may, in any case in which he considers that no cause of sufficient gravity for revoking any general builder’s licence or specialist builder’s licence exists, by order
- (a) Suspend the licence for a period not exceeding 6 months;
- (b) Impose on the builder concerned a financial penalty not exceeding $20,000;
- (c) Censure the builder concerned;
- (d) Impose such other direction or restriction as the Commissioner considers appropriate on the builder’s business as a general builder or specialist builder, as the case may be.