Singapore hires Delhi firm to verify documents of Indians

Singapore: Singapore has hired a New Delhi-based firm to ferret out Indians who present fake documents in their work permit applications.

The Manpower Ministry hired Dataflow Services last month to conduct random checks on education certificates, employment history and scrutinise births and marriage certificates of Indian nationals working in Singapore, The Straits Times reported on Saturday. Citing sources, the Singapore daily said Dataflow was on a one-year contract and was expected to conduct 500 to 600 checks a year, taking not more than four weeks on each case. The cost of each check would be about SGD 100. The ministry said it would use "independent verifications channels" like Dataflow to conduct random audits though it was employers` responsibilities to ensure genuine documents in work pass applications of those working in Singapore. In 2012, the ministry prosecuted 48 foreigners in court for lying about their academic qualifications, and 28 foreigners were prosecuted in the first half of last year. The law was changed in 2012 to crackdown on false educational certificates declaration in securing employment in Singapore. The fake educational certificate submission in work pass carries a fine of SGD 20,000 and jail of up to two years or both. Employer involved in such case might also be barred from hiring foreign workers. The ministry has also taken similar tough checks on workers from China since February last year.