INSTEAD of dwelling on numbers, the Government would rather focus on action: ensuring that help programmes recently put in place work to minimise the downturn fallout.

This was Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong's response yesterday to the prospects of further retrenchment and unemployment. He had been asked about a DBS Bank prediction that more than 99,000 jobs could be lost by next year.

'My concern is what we can do to minimise it, rather than worry about whether it's going to be 99,000 or any other number,' he said. 'My focus is on doing something. Get these programmes launched, get these programmes in place, help the companies, help the workers tap on these programmes.'

He was referring to programmes to help companies cut costs and save jobs, and aid workers in improving their employability. They include the Jobs Credit scheme and Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience.

In doing so, Singapore would succeed in keeping retrenchment and unemployment figures low, MrGan added.

The DBS prediction did not take into account the possible impact of the recent measures implemented by the Government to try and save jobs, according to an economist from the bank who commented on the prediction.

While the Government had worked in the measures, employers and workers also had to do their part, said MrGan.

'I think if all of us do our part, the Government providing the measures, employers doing their best to cut cost and save jobs... and workers themselves being prepared to adapt... we will be able to succeed in minimising retrenchment and unemployment,' he said.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.