Foreigners illegally engaging in food delivery or ride hailing services has led to unfair competition. National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Assistant Secretary-General Yeo Wan Ling revealed that there have been rampant cases of locals renting or selling platform accounts at high prices. President of the National Delivery Champions Association also pointed out that these accounts can go for up to $1,000 or be rented out for a 10 percent weekly commission.
Such outsourcing and illegal activities have sparked concerns over unfair competition, especially with foreigners taking on delivery jobs illegally.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and advisor to the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, Yeo Wan Ling, told Shin Min Daily News on Tuesday (July 15) that NTUC and the three platform work associations have received frequent feedback about the issue, and have since decided to set up a trilateral workgroup to tackle it.
She added that legal platform workers are also facing challenges from illegal carpooling services advertised on social media and unlicensed cross-border services, which are eating into their earnings and opportunities.
According to Shin Min Daily News, Yeo explained that the root cause of the recurring issue could be that some Singaporeans or permanent residents are selling or renting out their platform accounts to foreigners.
Accounts Can Cost Up to $1,000
Yeo said that stopping this harmful trend requires effort from all three parties: first, platform workers should not rent or sell their accounts; second, foreigners should not misuse others’ accounts; and third, platform companies themselves must step up their monitoring and enforcement.
President of the National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA), Ng Gan Poh, told reporters that illegal deliveries by foreigners have been happening since the COVID-19 period. He said he usually identifies such individuals based on vehicle license plates, attire, helmet styles, and accents.
Ng also shared that there are many ways these illegal rentals or purchases take place — some through personal contacts, others blatantly advertised on social media.
“To my knowledge, some account rentals take a 10 per cent cut from the earnings of a day or a week. As for outright sales, the price can range from $100 to $1,000,” he said.
Trilateral Workgroup Kicks Off First Meeting
To tackle the issue, NTUC and its three Platform Work Associations — the National Delivery Champions Association, National Private Hire Vehicles Association, and National Taxi Association — raised the matter directly with authorities during the first Platform Workers Trilateral Workgroup meeting. This involved senior representatives from the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Transport, and Grab Singapore.
In a Facebook post after the meeting, Yeo said,
“One issue you have raised is that of foreigners illegally taking on delivery work, which directly impacts your earnings. NTUC and our PWAs raised this and other issues on your behalf… we hear you, we understand you, and we are taking action for you.”
NTUC said it will continue working closely with Government partners and platform operators to advocate for the protection of local platform workers.
Meanwhile, enforcement efforts have begun. On 11 July 2025, 22 drivers were caught providing illegal ride-hailing services at Changi Airport and Gardens by the Bay. Their foreign-registered vehicles were impounded. The enforcement action comes shortly after the Labour Chief met with platform workers to better understand the challenges they face.
