加坡总理李显龙(Lee Hsien Loong)周日说，新加坡将继续控制外来劳工的流入，尽管面临国内人才短缺，它依然寻求以此应对本国居民的担忧。李显龙还说新加坡经济将保持快速增长的步伐。
李显龙在国庆讲话中说，我们将发展并投资于新加坡人民，但我们……必须弥补经济发展中新加坡工人短缺以及新生儿不足的问题。
谈到经济时，李显龙说随着全球经济的复苏，新加坡国内生产总值(GDP)在经过上半年的快速增长后，今年下半年的增速可能放缓。
李显龙说，新加坡上半年经济较上年同期增长17.9%，这一增速位于全球前列。
不过他说，经济依然面临风险，下半年的增长速度可能会放缓。他重申了政府上个月做出的预期，即2010年新加坡经济将增长13%至15%。
在新加坡第45个国庆日前夕，李显龙试图缓解当地人对外来人员可能充斥新加坡的担忧。新加坡国土面积很小，目前有近五百万人口。
他在电视讲话中说，我理解新加坡人民对如此多外国工人和移民进入新加坡的担忧……我们将控制人口流入，确保速度不会太快，规模也不会太大。他说，我们只会引入那些能对新加坡做出贡献、努力融入新加坡社会的人。
新加坡2月份时公布了新的移民限制措施。
新加坡政府在2月份的预算介绍中说，它将分阶段提高外国工人缴纳的税率，以此来降低企业招收海外员工的兴趣。
李显龙说，我们不要太过专注于自身。世界经济依然存在风险，尤其是欧洲和美国。全球金融体系尚未完全恢复。新加坡小且开放。如果世界经济变糟，我们也会受到影响。
Singapore will continue to regulate the entry of foreign workers as the city-state seeks to address the concerns of its citizens while meeting a local shortfall of talent, and it will maintain a rapid pace of economic growth, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Sunday.
'We will develop and invest in our people, but we. . . must make up for the shortage of Singaporean workers in our economy and the shortfall of babies in our population,' Mr. Lee said in his National Day message.
On the economy, Mr. Lee said the export-dependent nation's gross domestic product growth is likely to moderate in the second half after a red-hot first six months as the global economy recovered from a meltdown.
The economy grew 17.9% on year in the January-to-June period, the prime minister said, making Singapore's rate of economic expansion among the fastest in the world.
Still, the economy faces risks and growth is likely to moderate in the second half, Mr. Lee said. He reiterated the government's estimate from last month that the economy is predicted to grow between 13% and 15% in 2010.
On the eve of Singapore's 45th National Day, the prime minister sought to allay fears among the local population that foreigners may flood the tiny nation, which currently has a population of nearly five million.
'I understand Singaporeans' concerns about taking in so many foreign workers and immigrants. . . . We will control the inflow to ensure that it is not too fast and not too large,' he said in a televised address. 'We will only bring in people who can contribute to Singapore, and work harder to integrate them into our society.'
Singapore in February announced new steps to curb immigration.
In its budget presentation in February, the government said it will raise levies on foreign workers in phases to make it less attractive for companies to import labor.
'Let us not get carried away. Risks remain in the world economy, especially in Europe and the U.S. The global financial system is not fully mended. Singapore is small and open. If the world economy turns bad, we will be buffeted,' the prime minister said.