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4,400 involved with SkillsFuture Credit scam did not conspire with training provider

SINGAPORE — The 4,400 individuals caught last month for encashing their SkillsFuture Credit for the same course without attending it had acted on their own accord and did not conspire with the training provider, investigations by the authorities have revealed.

SINGAPORE — The 4,400 individuals caught last month for encashing their SkillsFuture Credit for the same course without attending it had acted on their own accord and did not conspire with the training provider, investigations by the authorities have revealed.

Responding to Member of Parliament Zainal Sapari’s question on how much of the S$2.2 million in bogus claims have been recovered and what other actions have been taken against the cheats, Parliamentary Secretary (Education) Low Yen Ling said SkillsFuture Singapore is closely tracking the recovery of monies and will not hesitate to take legal action against those who fail to comply.

“It is regrettable that these individuals have abused the user-friendly system offered by SkillsFuture Credit, an initiative to support skills upgrading and training aspirations of Singaporeans…SSG is tracking the recovery of monies closely, and will not hesitate to take necessary actions, including legal action, against those who fail to return the monies,” said Ms Low.

It is “premature” to look at how much has been recovered at this point, she added, as the individuals have until April to return the money.

Most of the cheats in this case — over two-thirds — submitted claims towards the end of January. Before this recent rash of false claims, SkillsFuture Singapore had detected about 80 false claims each month.

Under the SkillsFuture national movement announced in 2015, Singaporeans aged 25 and above receive a S$500 credit from the Government to attend courses by approved training providers, which include polytechnics and private providers.

Users can choose to first pay for courses out of their own pockets, then submit a claim to SkillsFuture with payment details and supporting documents, such as a receipt of payment issued by the course provider. There is also an option for the credit to be paid directly to course providers.

SkillsFuture Singapore hopes to tighten its enforcement system in a way that “minimizes the impact on (the) majority of Singaporeans who are responsible users”, said Ms Low, stressing that the system has been designed in a “simple and user-friendly” manner to encourage usage.

Some measures it has since taken include conducting “mystery shopping audits” to catch unethical and misleading marketing practices, strengthening the sensitivity of its data analytics system to detect anomalies, and stepping up the frequency of checks and audits on training providers and individual claims.

A committee comprising SkillsFuture Singapore board members has also been set up to review policies and procedures of training-related claims and disbursements to training providers, employers, and individuals.

New guidelines were issued in January to prevent training providers from using gimmicks like lucky draws and freebies to promote their programmes. In July last year, three training providers—Biz HR Solutionz, A. I. Industries and Alliance Continens—were suspended from receiving grants from Workforce Singapore, following audits. Their courses have also been delisted from the SkillsFuture directory. These matters have been referred to the police, said SkillsFuture Singapore in a press statement last year.

Under the SkillsFuture Singapore Agency Act, those who provide false information to the agency can be jailed up to 12 months, or fined up to S$10,000, or punished with both.

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