Media Release on SG Ng Chee Meng’s Pre-Budget Company Visit to SIN Assurance Pac on 9 February 2026

~ NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng calls for enhanced support and intervention measures for PMEs ~

As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms workplaces in Singapore and impact jobs, more Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs) are approaching the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) for support. NTUC’s Survey on Economic Sentiments in 2025 showed that 56% of PMEs felt that they need to upskill to remain relevant, reflecting concerns that their current skills and career pathways may not be keeping pace with AI disruptions.

Understanding PMEs’ concerns, advocating for their interests

NTUC has been keeping pulse on PMEs’ anxieties and concerns, and the Labour Members of Parliament will be calling in the Parliamentary Budget 2026 for stronger job security measures and improved transition support for workers, particularly PMEs. Reflecting PMEs’ feedback on the challenges they face, NTUC Secretary-General (SG) Ng Chee Meng recently called for clearer signposting of training pathways and more structured support for PMEs in Parliament, and for the government to consider additional funding for those pursuing higher-level AI training as their roles evolve.

On the concerns PMEs have shared on the ground, SG Ng said, “AI disruption is a real concern for workers, including PMEs. Some are already feeling the impact of their jobs today. Our PMEs are prepared to adapt, but they need timely training and tangible support, both in employment and in the event of retrenchment, so that they do not have to navigate the challenges alone. In the upcoming budget, NTUC will seek enhanced support and intervention measures to help more PMEs. As PMEs come forward, NTUC will press on with our efforts like the Company Training Committees to help businesses transform, and support professionals, including accountants, in their careers and growth.”

In the upcoming Parliamentary Budget 2026, some of the calls SG Ng will make include:

(a) advance mandatory retrenchment notifications and enhanced job support from companies to help retrenched workers access more jobs; and

(b) strengthening existing government support, like the Jobseeker Support Scheme (JSS), as AI-driven job disruptions become more frequent.

NTUC’s Company Training Committee enables companies to adopt technology and AI to enhance productivity and support their PMEs

To support PMEs though AI disruptions, NTUC has been working with employers through NTUC’s Company Training Committee (CTC) and CTC Grant initiative, to develop company-level transformation business plans and support their workforce to be future-ready.

As of December 2025, more than 800 CTC Grant projects have been approved to enhance business and workforce productivity. Nearly one in six CTC Grant projects are related to finance, accounting and procurement roles, and more projects are in the pipeline as demand in these sectors continues to grow. These projects alone are set to benefit close to 1,700 workers, whose roles are largely taken up by PMEs. Some of these projects focused on improving operational productivity through Enterprise resource planning; enhancing audit, assurance and compliance efficiency; digital advisory capabilities; and more. These reflected strong demand for sectoral transformation, while having significant impact on PME roles such as finance operations, accounting, procurement functions, including purchasing officers, payroll administrators, compliance officers, tax and audit coordinators, as well as finance and administrative support roles.

Visit to SIN Assurance PAC, public accounting firm that leveraged NTUC CTC to adopt AI-related technologies

SG Ng shared these today during a visit to SIN Assurance PAC, a public accounting corporation that offers audit and assurance services. The firm has worked with NTUC SME Partners to tap on the CTC Grant to adopt AI-related technologies to improve productivity.

Before adoption of AI-related technologies

Before adopting the new technologies and tools, the firm faced productivity and quality challenges arising from labour-intensive manual audit processes. Journal entry testing involved long hours of repetitive scanning and re-checking, while junior auditors depended heavily on managers for technical guidance, and employee turnover constrained training efforts. Quality management, an integral part of audit and accounting work that governs how audits are conducted, reviewed and meet professional standards — was tracked manually using spreadsheets, making risk monitoring, documentation, and compliance difficult. These challenges affected audit accuracy, turnaround time, PMEs’ development, and the firm’s overall scalability.

After adoption of AI-related technologies

Leveraging the CTC Grant and support from NTUC SME Partners, the firm implemented an online quality management tool that centralises key audit and accounting requirements, controls, monitoring activities and supporting evidence. This has eliminated unsustainable manual tracking, reduced compliance risks and enabled management to shift from reactive compliance to proactive monitoring. Additionally, through the CTC, the firm adopted robotic process automation (RPA) within its quality management processes and deployed an AI-enabled chatbot to improve audit efficiency and accuracy. These tools have reduced manual work and allowed the firm’s workers to focus on higher-value analytical tasks.

At the visit, the audit professionals shared with SG Ng on how technology is reshaping their work and raising their productivity; and the need for continued support as their roles evolve. “Technology has helped streamline our audit work and processes, and as a result with routine and administrative tasks increasingly supported by automation, we can focus more on analysis, judgement and risk assessment, while continuing to upskill as the nature of audit work changes,” said Ooi Soo Ying from SIN Assurance PAC. Eer Jia Han added, “With technology supporting routine processes and quality management activities, we are better able to apply our professional judgement to higher-risk and more complex areas, strengthening audit quality and the reliability of our assurance conclusions.”

Dax Teo, Managing Partner of SIN Assurance PAC shared that working with NTUC has helped the firm align technology adoption with their workforce development. He said, “Technological advancement and the rise of AI are irreversible forces shaping the future of work. We do not regard AI and automation as threats to employment but as enablers of higher-value work. By embracing technology and harnessing its capabilities as a force multiplier for all of us, we can transform disruption into opportunity. NTUC is a natural partner with its CTC Grant that is PMEs-friendly and available to professional firms who genuinely wish to embark on this business transformation and workforce upskilling journey. That’s one small step for a small firm like us, a giant leap for the profession.”

SIN Assurance PAC is among a growing number of accounting and audit firms working with NTUC for business transformation and workforce development. So far, five accounting firms have applied for CTC Grants to support AI adoption, job redesign and structured training for their PMEs, with more accounting firms exploring similar transformation efforts.

NTUC Career Festival for Workers to Explore Jobs and Upskilling Opportunities

NTUC will help our workers, including PMEs, explore career pathways, access skills upgrading opportunities and connect directly with employers at the NTUC Career Festival, happening from 13 and 14 February 2026, 9am to 6pm, at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre. The event kickstarts NTUC’s concerted efforts to help our workers to be future-ready and confident in navigating an AI-enabled economy.