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By Keith Lin
NEW rules will kick in on July 14 making it a crime for employers to accept kickbacks to hire foreign workers.
Employment agencies making such offers will also be running afoul of the law.
The Manpower Ministry on Friday provided details on the new rules, which were first announced in Parliament two months ago.
Work Permits and S Passes for foreign workers will now come with the condition that their employers cannot receive payment - whether in cash or kind - when they hire them.
It will also be illegal for bosses to recover employment-related expenses, such as the levy and security bond, from these workers.
Bosses who breach the new rules face a fine of up to $5,000 or six months' jail, or both. They will also be barred from hiring foreign workers in the future.
For employment agencies, their licences will now come with the condition that they cannot offer employers payment in exchange for hiring foreign workers through them.
Recalcitrant employment agencies will have their licenses revoked and security deposit forfeited.
Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.
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