预算辩论 · 2026-03-02 · 第 15 届国会
2026贸工部供给委员会辩论：AI驱动经济转型
MTI Committee of Supply 2026 — AI Adoption & Economic Transformation
贸工部供给委员会辩论聚焦AI驱动的经济结构转型。议员质询产业转型地图(ITM)是否真正推动生产力提升而非仅助企业降本，追问如何衡量真正的生产力增益（管理升级、流程再造、商业模式变革）而非简单的数字工具采用率。关注焦点包括：中小企业AI实施困难、AI创业生态中大学/A*STAR研究成果商业化、投资退出缺口、AI暗模式（如虚假评论与订阅陷阱）对消费者的威胁。提出构建政府门户AI助手，基于企业画像自动推荐补贴和方案。
关键要点
- • 产业转型地图需回应AI时代要求
- • 衡量真正生产力增益而非工具采用率
- • 中小企业AI实施面临实际困难
- • AI创业投资退出缺口
- • AI暗模式对消费者的威胁
- • 政府门户AI助手构想
推动产业AI转型，强调从成本管理向价值链跃升
质疑ITM深度是否足以推动真正转型
产业政策从数字化转向AI原生转型
参与人员（2）
完整译文（中文）
Hansard 英文原文译文 · 翻译日期：2026-05-02
主席：贸易与工业部（MTI）第五部分。Saktiandi Supaat先生。
上午11时51分
新加坡的生产力驱动增长
Saktiandi Supaat先生（碧山-大巴窑选区）：主席先生，我提议，“将预算第五部分的总拨款减少100元”。
主席先生，我们的经济今天不再是应对周期性波动，而是应对全球秩序深刻的结构性变化。
地缘政治分裂、产业政策竞争、供应链重组、脱碳压力和快速的技术颠覆，已经从根本上重塑了经济格局。
近期全球科技股的波动也提醒我们，风险情绪的快速变化如何通过金融市场、贸易和投资流动传导。这种影响因中东紧张局势升级而进一步放大，已导致能源价格波动、安全资产流入和全球市场不确定性加剧，可能转化为更高的通胀、更紧的金融条件和全球增长放缓。
对于像新加坡这样的小型开放经济体，这些外部力量将继续影响我们的增长轨迹。
在这种环境下，新加坡的战略必须同时做到三点：增强企业韧性，果断进入更高价值的增长领域，并将增长转化为新加坡人的优质就业。最终，在劳动力和资本受限的情况下，增长必须更多依靠内部，通过深化能力、创新和知识，也就是生产力。劳动生产率和全要素生产率都必须成为我们的主要增长引擎。
首先，支持企业结构转型。外部来看，贸易重新调整、回岸趋势和全球增长放缓使经营环境更加复杂。内部来看，企业必须应对数字化、人工智能（AI）应用、劳动力重组和可持续发展压力。
政府支持计划是必要的。但关键问题是，这些支持是否足够深入以推动真正的转型。我们的产业转型蓝图如何演进，推动企业向价值链上游迈进，而不仅仅是帮助它们管理成本？我们如何衡量真正的生产力提升，不仅是数字工具的采用，而是管理升级、流程重设计和商业模式转型等成果？
更根本的是，我们如何确保企业建立管理、创新和运营等内部能力，产生持续的生产力提升，并扩散到更广泛的经济中？更广泛地说，我们应继续完善财政工具对转型的支持。例如，能否设计更有针对性的人工智能推广支持，针对中小企业（SMEs），并与可衡量的成果挂钩，如生产力提升、成本节约或新市场开拓？
我们能否加强工资和培训的共同资助，支持岗位重设计，特别是在面临全球竞争的行业，使企业升级岗位而非裁员？鉴于全球环境日益波动，我们是否应考虑设立逆周期加速器，即预先批准的支持措施，可在经济下行时迅速启动，使企业和员工及时获得援助，避免延误？更广泛地说，我们的财政工具应快速、精准，并在适当时自动启动，支持调整同时强化长期纪律。
第二，强化非贸易部门。虽然我们关注贸易部门，但不能忽视旅游、零售和餐饮（F&B）等国内部门。部长能否更新“旅游2040”路线图？实现“优质旅游”的关键里程碑有哪些？
在竞争日益激烈的区域环境中，邻国如马来西亚和越南大力投资，我们如何强化新加坡的差异化，同时管理景点、餐厅和生活方式产品的更替？
关于大圣淘沙总体规划，有何进展？预计的经济贡献和就业创造如何？
更广泛地说，我们是否在更协调地制定区域级策略，如滨水区、文化和生活方式集群？充满活力的国内服务业不仅是支持性的，它本身也可以成为创新、生产力和能力发展的源泉。
第三，抓住增长和前沿领域。我同意新加坡必须在先进制造业、高信任服务和前沿领域（如量子、脱碳和太空）保持领先。但这如何转化为就业？未来五到十年预计创造多少就业岗位？这些岗位如何分布于不同技能水平？
在先进制造业，我们如何确保投资深化本地技术能力，而不仅仅是提高每位工人的产出？在基于信任的服务业，如金融服务、仲裁和数字信任，我们如何在全球监管体系演变中保持新加坡的优势？在前沿领域，规模化就业的现实时间表是什么？增长不仅要创造就业，还要构建持久且能扩散至整个经济的能力。
第四，本地能力锚定。仅仅建立能力是不够的，我们必须将其锚定在新加坡。
一个关键领域是将能力从外籍人才转移给新加坡人。能力转移计划在实践中效果如何？在需要外籍专业知识的情况下，我们是否将结构化且可衡量的能力转移要求纳入投资条件？获得激励的企业是否必须展示新加坡人向更高价值岗位晋升的进展？可持续增长最终必须由本地人力资本和知识积累驱动。
同时，技能供给必须跟上需求。部委是否与高等院校密切合作，预测重点行业的人力需求？鉴于这项工作跨部门进行，如何加强协调，确保人才培养及时且一致？
第五，主席先生，能源安全与经济韧性。作为资源匮乏的国家，我们必须加快向绿色能源转型，减少对全球价格冲击的脆弱性，尤其是在地缘政治分裂加剧的时代。
肯尼亚总统曾表达成为“非洲新加坡”的愿望，该国目前约90%的电力来自可再生能源。新加坡的情况如何？我们的进展如何？
脱碳推动预计将在可再生能源整合、氢能、碳管理和电网韧性方面创造多少就业？我们如何确保实现可持续目标的同时，保持能源对家庭和企业的可靠性和可负担性？这场转型如何催生本地新能力和产业，而非仅仅增加成本？
主席先生，我们的经济环境正经历深刻结构性变化，需要大胆且协调的行动，而非渐进调整。没有增长的韧性就是停滞。增长必须转化为新加坡人的就业，开放而不锚定本地能力是不可持续的。
在更波动的全球环境中，财政纪律和缓冲为我们应对冲击提供空间。但最终，我们的长期竞争力将取决于我们在经济内部构建、保留和更新能力的深度。
我期待贸易与工业部澄清如何安排这些优先事项的顺序及衡量成功，不仅在投资承诺上，更在持续能力发展和为新加坡人带来有意义的就业成果上。
[(程序文本) 提出议案。 (程序文本)]
培育下一代本地冠军
Shawn Loh先生（惹兰勿刹选区）：主席先生，首先，我声明本人为联邦资本集团的集团董事总经理。
我曾在本院谈及培育深根本地的新加坡跨国公司（MNCs）的重要性。归根结底，规模很重要。当一家新加坡企业成功扩张时，它会在本地设立高价值总部职能，培养本地管理人才管道，并促进经济和供应链韧性。如果我们有更多本地公司年收入突破10亿新元，新加坡人将受益。
中午12时
贸易与工业部可考虑设定一个雄心勃勃的目标，推动一定数量的新本地公司到2035年达到这一规模，以便所有政府机构集中资源实现这一目标。
虽然帮助年收入低于1亿新元的中小企业（SMEs）仍然重要，但企业突破1亿新元规模面临独特挑战。年收入1亿新元的企业在全球舞台上仍属小型企业。
贸易与工业部可考虑在年收入1亿至2亿新元之间设立一个独立层级，支持力度略低于中小企业层级，以缓和支持力度的断崖效应。目前支持力度可能从70%骤降至30%。我怀疑这是否导致一些企业人为保持年收入低于1亿新元。
这类似于上周欧洲议会通过的一项立法，设立了一个新的中型小企业层级，恰巧定在2亿欧元。
我们许多较大的本地企业已是各自行业的佼佼者，具备能力和雄心，但很少能突破到下一个层级。这是因为与其他国家不同，我们没有庞大的国内市场。因此，企业必须在规模较小时就国际化，同时运营成本较高的总部。这是结构性劣势，使得扩张更为困难。
因此，明确一点，当政府支持较大本地企业扩张时，不是挑选未来赢家，而是加码当前赢家，帮助他们赢得更大成功，从而为新加坡人带来更多利益。
企业要扩张，必须做两件事。
首先，企业必须开发更多符合市场需求的产品和服务。政府无权告诉企业做什么或如何做，那是企业家的职责。但政府可以营造有利的经济基础设施，提高成功概率。
贸易与工业部维持动态且充满活力的企业生态系统的努力将有所助益。这样的生态系统能促进更广泛、更深入、更丰富的合作，加快产品开发和市场测试周期。
我们还需考虑整体生产要素是否具备竞争力，包括人力、土地、能源和资本等。今天我只谈资本。
企业需要获得足够负担得起的资本，以投资固定资产（如机器以提高产出）和营运资金，后者随着企业扩张增长迅速。对此，我对预算中改善贸易和固定资产贷款的企业融资计划表示支持。
但有机增长太慢。我们应更有耐心，帮助企业更快“登月”。重点应放在通过并购（M&A）实现无机增长，助推本地企业腾飞。并购也需要负担得起的资本。
目前，企业融资计划支持年收入不超过5亿新元企业的国内收购，但该支持将在一个月后失效。预算声明中未提及此事。部委应考虑延长或扩大此支持。
第二，企业一旦找到产品市场匹配，就需通过新市场扩张。我们可以通过几种方式实现。
我们可以通过旅游将这些市场带入新加坡。这与我们的旅游策略相符，吸引更多高消费游客，振兴传统以国内为主的行业，如餐饮和零售。更多游客也意味着更多消费税收入。
当然，更传统的方式是进入海外新市场。企业海外扩张时，最大的限制往往是网络、信誉和分销渠道。这传统上由政府主导，但强大的企业主导社区可以补充政府努力。它们可以以更非正式、商业驱动的方式与监管机构和合作伙伴接触；促进同行间情报和经验分享；并建立持续的新加坡品牌影响力。
我有时想，为什么海外没有更多新加坡商会？例如，美国和英国似乎都没有。政府是否意识到存在阻碍类似企业主导平台形成的协调难题？政府是否认为发挥更强催化作用以解决这些问题有价值？
主席先生，我希望部委能考虑这些观点，强化我们的企业环境。新加坡人可以自豪地期待新一代新加坡全球企业的崛起。
加强消费者保护
Melvin Yong Yik Chye先生（拉丁马士选区）：主席先生，首先，我声明本人为新加坡消费者协会（CASE）会长及消费者保护审查小组联合主席。
先生，我们的消费者保护机制必须更快应对违规企业。今天，当CASE向新加坡竞争与消费者委员会（CCS）举报企业违反《消费者保护（公平交易）法》（CPFTA）时，法院颁布禁令往往需时两年以上。近期案件从举报到法院命令耗时28至39个月。
我感谢CCS采取执法行动并获得禁令。但执法耗时多年，消费者在案件处理中持续蒙受损失。违规企业得以长期继续不公平行为。
我们可以且必须做得更好。
今天，CCS已根据《竞争法》行使行政权力。我呼吁政府赋予CCS类似的行政执法权力，针对违反CPFTA的行为。此类权力将使CCS能更迅速行动——发出指令、要求合规、停止有害行为，而不必完全依赖漫长的法院程序。这将释放司法资源，更重要的是，及早保护消费者。
这尤为关键，因为不公平行为在演变。
我们已见到“暗模式”上升——即通过欺骗性在线设计手段操控消费者做出非预期购买，包括隐藏订阅、难以取消的订阅陷阱和AI生成的虚假评论误导消费者。
这些行为在网络上迅速传播。我们的执法工具必须同样迅速。灵活的数字经济需要灵活的监管机构。除了数字行为，我们也非常关注预付款损失的急剧上升。
2025年，消费者预付款损失超过270万新元，比2024年增长40.4%。虽然许多案件来自特定行业，但更广泛的担忧是——财务状况不佳的企业持续收取大量预付款以维持现金流，企业倒闭时，消费者承担损失。
风险不对称。企业获得即时现金流，消费者承担风险。因此，我呼吁政府为所有收取大量预付款的企业引入强制冷静期。消费者应有时间——远离销售压力——仔细考虑购买并重新评估大额预付款承诺。冷静期恢复平衡，鼓励负责任销售，给予消费者理性决策空间。
最后，我想更新消费者保护审查小组正在研究一系列影响消费者的问题，包括更好监控数字时代的不公平行为和预付款保障。公众咨询将于2026年3月16日开始。
我必须强调，消费者保护不是反商业，而是支持信任。让我们果断行动，保护这种信任——
主席：Andre Low先生，您可以将两次发言合并。
加强消费者保护
Low Wu Yang Andre先生（非选区议员）：主席先生，让我以一句每位律师都熟知的拉丁语开始——caveat emptor，买者自慎。这一原则诞生于一个更简单的世界——实体零售和握手的时代，买卖双方处于更平等的地位。
那个世界已经过去。今天，普通新加坡人面对的是复杂的商业机制，设计用来通过混淆、惰性甚至恐惧来榨取收入。CPFTA并非为此设计，现已显不足，新加坡人为此付出代价。
我将从两个方面谈及这一失败：首先，悄无声息地掏空普通消费者钱包的欺骗性商业行为；其次，针对最脆弱群体的实体掠夺，摧毁他们的退休储蓄。
首先，欺骗性商业行为。长期以来，电信公司和健身房等惯犯一直采用此类手段，CCS已证明此类不当行为正扩散至其他行业，如直销品牌和电子商务。
2024年8月，竞争与消费者委员会（CCS）对Sterra采取了行动，该水过滤品牌虚假宣称新加坡自来水不安全饮用，并销售标榜在韩国和新加坡制造的产品，实际上这些产品是在中国制造的。去年12月，CCS对PRISM+采取行动，因其网站上存在无技术功能、仅重置为零的虚假倒计时器；同时对COURTS采取行动，因其在未通知客户的情况下默默将未经请求的产品加入购物车。COURTS在2024年已知此事，但未作出任何改变，直到CCS介入。
这些只是头条案件，除此之外，还有更隐蔽的做法每天从消费者身上榨取金钱：固定期限合同以仅适用于最初几个月的优惠价宣传，故意制造整个合同价格比实际更便宜的印象；试用期默默转为全额付费订阅，未征得主动同意；以及将第三方服务捆绑进电信套餐，如Netflix订阅，前三个月免费，之后取消流程复杂，专门设计来消磨消费者耐心。
每年，消费者协会（CASE）和CCS合计收到40至50起此类投诉。这只是冰山一角，类似手段屡见不鲜。
政府于去年3月召集了消费者保护审查小组。我欢迎此举，并期待其调查结果。但我也想补充我认为最紧迫的观点。
第一，任何固定期限订阅的宣传价格必须反映整个合同期的平均成本。仅适用于部分期限的促销价不能作为头条数字。第二，任何试用转为付费订阅前，应征求明确的主动同意。沉默不等于同意。第三，应执行合同对称原则。注册只需一次点击，取消也应只需一次点击。第四，应赋予CCS类似英国竞争与市场管理局的直接行政权力，该机构可对违反消费者法的行为处以最高达全球年收入10%的罚款，无需诉诸法院。
如今，许多公司行为良好，但部分不良行为者肆无忌惮，直到被追责。我们需要赋予CCS更强的执法能力来应对其不当行为。事后自愿遵守协议并不能形成威慑。
针对弱势群体的掠夺性销售
欺骗性商业行为掏空钱包，但我现在要谈的是更严重的——面对面掠夺性行为，导致部分新加坡人完全失去退休储蓄。
CASE 2026年2月报告记录去年美容行业投诉激增76%，消费者损失超过210万美元。
以一家美发连锁店为例，一位老人来理发，收费8美元。理发过程中，工作人员在显示器上展示图像，称其头皮正在出血，尽管从未使用扫描设备。其个人识别码（PIN）被输入支付机，支付总额被遮盖。老人离开时已支付近1000美元，购买了其未同意的治疗。
另一美容连锁店收到53起投诉，总金额超过98万美元。单一消费者一案收费至少37万美元。超过40%的投诉者年龄在60岁及以上。
最后是Nail Palace。其董事总经理于2024年9月因藐视法庭被判处四个月监禁——但请注意，是因未通知客户针对该连锁店的禁令，而非原始掠夺行为。后者一直作为民事案件处理。法律漏洞正是必须弥补之处。
因此，我的最后请求是：我邀请贸易及工业部（MTI）考虑与内政部及总检察长办公室合作，研究将针对弱势群体的严重掠夺性销售行为刑事化。法国消费者法典已有此规定，“abus de faiblesse”（弱势滥用）罪，因利用消费者年龄、疾病或心理脆弱性而可判处最高三年监禁。英国消费者保护法同样明确禁止侵略性商业行为，处罚最高可达两年监禁。
主席先生，当企业将弱势长者限制在房间内，制造医疗恐慌，然后通过胁迫或心理手段榨取其全部积蓄，法律必须对此有明确名称及相应后果。
科技创业企业的直通上市
梁国明博士（提名议员）：主席先生，我声明我拥有创新工作室，专注于为全球市场创造和投资科技创新企业。
我们正处于一个激动人心的时代，充满颠覆性创新和技术。问题是我们新加坡如何探索和利用这些机遇。
以我参与的空中出租车市场为例，纳斯达克或纽约证券交易所上市的相关公司估值在80亿至160亿美元之间，但尚未售出任何飞行器。它们有预订订单，但尚未实现商业销售。市场认可机会并为其融资。
新加坡有类似的交易所吗？我认为这是关键问题。对于科技公司，尤其是新创企业，我们需要找到不同的模式。看看北方的香港，他们有针对生物医药的预商业化上市规则，归于18A或18C规则，专门针对科技公司。
我们可以借鉴一些经验，但他们面向更大市场。
新加坡有大量初创企业和科技创业，源自大学研究及科学技术研究局（A*STAR）和研究机构。私营部门也有许多人工智能创新机会。问题是资金需求方与投资退出方之间存在鸿沟，双方相互观望，谁先行动？这正是所有科技创业企业需要预商业化阶段资金的原因。
我建议弥合这一鸿沟。对于全球导向且领导力驱动的科技创业企业，我称之为“黄金矿石”，我相信我们拥有许多这样的矿石。我的博士研究创新，曾培训多支大学创新团队。如何将这些矿石炼成金条？我相信我们的交易所可以为规模约5000万至1.5亿美元的科技创业企业设立特别上市规则，给予它们特殊准入。
主席：梁国明先生。
弥合微型企业差距
严彦松先生（亚历山大）：主席先生，微型和小型企业是我们社区的支柱。它们为国家提供经济稳定，也为许多工人提供生计。然而，它们的经济贡献仍然不成比例。它们雇佣了45%的工人，但仅贡献11%的名义增加值。这种生产力差距导致工资较低。这些企业有能力支付更高工资。
新加坡中小企业协会（ASME）观察到，目前中小企业的分类过于宽泛。一个拥有10名员工、年收入100万美元的微型企业，与拥有200名员工、年营业额1亿美元的中型企业面临的挑战截然不同。将它们归为一类，可能导致采用一刀切的解决方案，无法惠及最小的企业。
政府是否会采纳ASME建议，在国家政策制定和数据收集中区分微型企业和中小企业？针对不同层级的运营实际量身定制补助和其他援助，将使政府支持更有效。ASME估计，该细分市场增加值提升10%，可带来65亿新元的年度国内生产总值（GDP）增长，相当于超过1%的增长。更多关注这些微型和小型企业，是提升许多新加坡人薪资的重要机遇。
家族企业与中小企业更新
谢炳辉先生（荷兰-武吉知马）：主席先生，我想谈谈中小企业转型。中小企业雇佣了新加坡七成工人，是经济支柱。支持转型时，我们必须认识到许多中小企业是家族经营，面临代际继承和所有权转移问题。这不仅是治理问题，更是经济和文化问题。
业务转型往往难以实质推进，除非所有权结构稳定。继承不明或治理框架非正式时，难以投资数字化、扩张或战略转型。转型需要明确的领导和所有权。
因此，我建议将继承规划和家族所有权转移纳入中小企业升级的核心组成部分。
文化差异也影响族裔家族企业的治理和决策方式。财政、贸易与工业政府议会委员会（GPC）与新加坡马来商会（SMCCI）交流时，传统企业分享了文化规范如何影响继承和持续性。不同社区对继承和专业化的看法不同，一刀切模式可能无效。企业新加坡可深化与华商总会（SCCCI）、SMCCI及印度商会（SICCI）等族裔商会的合作，支持更有针对性的方案。
企业新加坡还可扩大支持范围，涵盖家族所有权转移，包括继承规划、治理重组和所有权转让的补助。新加坡管理大学商业家族研究所可与商会合作，制定定制继承手册。
随着更多传统中小企业进入代际交接阶段，顺利的所有权转移对保护长期企业至关重要。将继承支持纳入中小企业转型政策，可增强企业长期韧性，同时保留这些企业为新加坡带来的文化和社会价值。
支持中小企业
李鸿昌先生（裕廊东-武吉巴督）：主席先生，约70%的新加坡劳动力，即约250万人受雇于中小企业。中小企业是经济支柱，这不是小数字。中小企业表现良好，新加坡人也会受益。如果不让任何新加坡人掉队，我认为也不应让任何中小企业掉队，而应让它们领先。
过去几天，关于支持不同群体个人的讨论很多。这些分享和决策很重要，但许多新加坡人还在问根本问题：好工作在哪里？如何获得？
新加坡人想要机会，而非仅依赖政府救济。他们不求鱼，而求技能和环境，让他们能自己捕鱼。为此，中小企业必须兴旺。我相信强大的企业创造好工作。公司成长，员工也成长。
多年来，推出了许多支持中小企业的计划。今天的问题往往不是资源缺乏，而是获取便利性。
许多中小企业主日常事务繁忙，无暇顾及多项计划。行政支持较强的企业更易导航系统。较小企业，往往最需要帮助的，甚至不知从何入手。这不是不愿意，而是能力和时间有限。
下一步或许是让支持获取更主动、更智能。当中小企业登录政府门户，无论是申请执照、补助还是融资，是否可以有集成的人工智能助手，了解企业档案，自动推荐相关计划？利用安全登录数据，该系统可实时指导企业主，清晰列出下一步，简化导航，确保没有中小企业因时间或行政能力不足而被落下。
主席先生，我用一个简单比喻。种子要长成健康强壮的树，光照永远不够，还需肥沃土壤和稳定环境。在经济中，企业是种子，新加坡商业环境是土壤。法治、金融稳定和开放贸易网络构成成长基础。在此基础上，机构各司其职。例如，经济发展局（EDB）制定战略方向，企业新加坡支持升级和能力建设，全国职工总会（NTUC）推动工作重塑和技能提升，使员工与企业共同成长。
问题不在于今天是否有支持，而在于是否协同运作。首先是执行。今年预算提供税收回扣和扩展支持，及时到位，但企业关心流程是否清晰？时间表是否可预期？对许多中小企业而言，复杂性本身就是障碍。土壤稳定，企业才能扎根。路径清晰，它们才能成长。
第二是实用的人工智能应用。人工智能必须带来生产力提升，而非仅是承诺。企业关心结果，减少行政工作，提高响应速度，加强数据管理。我们的目标必须体现真实生产力提升，而非成本膨胀。
第三是机构间协调。当战略投资引入新加坡时，本地企业是否同步获得能力建设支持？企业升级系统时，工作重塑和技能提升能否同步推进？若政策更协调，企业花在导航计划上的时间会减少，转型时间会增加。
主席先生，企业升级和人工智能应用关乎国家竞争力，不仅仅是中小企业的事。随着区域加速转型，新加坡必须确保中小企业积极参与，而非旁观者。预算已定方向，我们的任务是保持土壤肥沃，让企业这颗经济种子稳健成长。请用中文发言。
（中文）：[请参阅方言发言。]中小企业是经济基础。企业如种子，环境如土壤。企业能发展，人民受益。政策关键在于确保支持项目和举措真正扎根，协同运作，高效运行。
若用一句话形容，就是：“强企业以振兴商业，振兴商业以惠及人民。”即强化企业，振兴商业，商业振兴，人民受益。
强化企业生态系统
黄世轩先生（森巴旺）：主席先生，除了收入和财富差距，我想探讨第三个差距——企业生态系统差距。强大的商业生态系统需要跨国公司投资和有韧性的中小企业基础，两者相辅相成。跨国公司成长带来资本和技术，但我们的中小企业必须能同步成长，支持本地及区域发展。
如今，许多跨国公司被激励大量投资人工智能和机器人技术。虽然这强化了经济，也加速了供应链的变革。以汽车维修厂为例，随着电动车普及，无需更换机油，机械部件减少，维护周期延长。这改变了经常性收入模式，影响从维修厂到零件分销商的后市场价值链。同时，新型电动车需要专有诊断软件，独立维修厂可能缺乏授权访问或兼容系统，形成技术和访问障碍。
另一方面，许多维修厂尚未使用人工智能工具进行诊断、库存规划或现金流管理。一端受限访问，另一端数字化采纳缓慢。这可能造成企业生态系统差距，大企业因技术和技能领先，而小企业难以跟上访问、工具和能力。
缩小此差距的一个实际方法是为中小企业提供为期一年的企业人工智能工具订阅，类似我在财政部静默预算建议中提出的做法。这降低采纳门槛，让企业主能试用、学习并将人工智能融入日常运营，再决定长期投入。
在推进人工智能和先进产业时，我们必须确保中小企业具备适应能力，与我们转型的产业同步发展。
支持中小企业成长与繁荣
黄丽萍女士（惹兰勿刹选区）：主席，关于帮助我们的中小企业成长和繁荣。新加坡的计划并不缺乏。我们有咨询支持，比如首席技术官即服务（CTO-as-a-Service）；中介机构如新加坡工商联合会、中小企业中心和新加坡机械工程师学会（ASME）；平台如GoBusiness；生产力解决方案补助金和企业发展补助金，甚至还有人工智能卓越中心。
从纸面上看，生态系统看起来很全面。中小企业可以按数字成熟度和行业进行细分。他们可以获得人力资源、市场营销、财务和运营方面的建议。然而，结果仍然不均衡。许多中小企业仍在挣扎，不仅是转型，更是为了维持生存。
从行业对话中，出现了三个结构性挑战。
第一，带宽。业主被租金、人力、合规和现金流问题所困扰。转型需要时间和专注。许多人根本没有那个心力空间。
第二，能力深度。诊断可以识别差距，但实施需要能够重新设计工作流程、整合系统、管理变革和衡量回报的管理者。许多中小企业缺乏这种内部执行能力。
第三，某些行业的结构性脆弱性。尤其是在餐饮业，利润微薄且波动大。进入门槛仍然相对较低，但关闭率很高。许多人进入时没有充分认识到劳动强度、租金波动和利润紧张。即使有补助，脆弱的成本基础也使转型令人望而生畏。
先生，另一种观点是：并非所有中小企业都能以相同速度转型。有些愿意但缺乏能力，有些有能力但受结构限制，有些可能尚未准备好。
在资源有限的环境下，我们是否应更有意识地优先支持那些愿意且能够，或潜在能够，实现规模化、创新和显著提升生产力的中小企业？我们能否制定更明确的准备度指标，使支持更有纪律性和催化作用？同时，我们如何避免抛弃那些需要能力建设才能获得更深层次转型支持的企业？
我们已经建立了平台，提供了补助金，并创建了细分工具。然而，实施差距依然存在。
所以，我想问：我们是否需要更精确的行业细分，不仅按规模或数字成熟度，还按结构条件？我们是否在建设内部执行能力和提升为中小企业提供咨询的中介机构能力方面投入足够？我们能否引入措施，释放领导层带宽以进行战略升级？我们是否正面对餐饮等行业的结构性脆弱性，使新进入者能更现实地评估其可行性？最重要的是，我们如何帮助中小企业超越数字采用，实现持续、可衡量的生产力增长，尤其是那些有意愿和潜力竞争的企业？
在人工智能时代，生存和表面采用是不够的。转型必须是真实的。那么，政府将如何帮助弥合这一实施差距，使我们的中小企业真正繁荣？
支持本地中小企业
陈沛玲女士（海洋公园-布莱德尔高地选区）：主席，新加坡中小企业面临独特挑战，除了日常运营限制和转型压力外，他们必须国际化，因为我们的国内市场有限。
租金和人力是他们最大的成本组成部分之一。合规负担也是一个关注点，我上周在财政部预算削减中提到了这一点。
除了普遍的劳动力短缺外，企业越来越需要具备数字技能的人才，能够部署人工智能以提高生产力、自动化常规任务和扩大运营规模。他们还需要连贯的企业级人工智能战略和快速转型，以在人工智能时代保持竞争力。因此，2026年预算中的措施值得欢迎。
我对这一点只有一个问题。借鉴过去管理补助和抵税经验，政府将如何确保财政支持和税收扣除资格标准精准定位，使资金有效使用，产生预期影响？用中文说，就是“钱用在刀口上”。
关于租金，有猜测称外国资本流入推高了商业租金，挤压了本地经营者。值得注意的是，根据2026年1月副总理颜金勇在议会的答复，中国是新加坡零售业第二大业主。尽管中国业主仅占零售业的3%，但被取代的感知不可忽视，这可能影响社区情绪和我们独特的新加坡“个性”。
贸工部将采取哪些措施确保本地中小企业继续成为新加坡的支柱？部委能否考虑有针对性的措施，如租金减免计划、为传统和社区零售商提供租赁支持、激励房东优先考虑本地租户，或建立共投资平台，帮助本地企业获得长期场所？
最后，中小企业需要帮助管理成本上升并拓展海外市场。贸工部是否会扩大计划，帮助这些中小企业进一步优化成本，如集团采购、节能补助、共享服务、市场准入和贸易便利化？
国际贸易
阿扎尔·奥斯曼先生（提名议员）：主席，我声明我是Enercon Asia的执行董事长，该公司在七个国家有业务。
鉴于美国对包括新加坡在内的多个国家征收关税，贸工部必须探索与其他国家的潜在合作伙伴关系，并发展更多自由贸易协定（FTA）。
多元化我们的商业关系的重要性不容忽视。部委应指导哪些国家为我们的企业建立联系和存在提供有价值的机会。作为一个小国，新加坡必须寻求全球协助和机会，以在当前经济环境中繁荣。
成为网络经济
赖伟德先生（宏茂桥选区）：主席，首先声明本人是投资公司的首席执行官，并为在新加坡及其他地区投资的公司提供咨询。
在预算辩论中，我谈到了信任作为新加坡在分裂世界中的竞争优势。我们需要扩大经济空间，从国内生产总值（GDP）思维转向国民生产总值（GNP）思维，与城市、其腹地及与我们理念一致的人们建立网络。今天，我提出四个实际方法，推动向网络经济转变。
第一，衡量边界之外创造的经济价值。几十年来，我们只衡量新加坡境内的GDP活动。
但多年来，越来越多的新加坡人和企业在海外运营并创造价值。我们应衡量他们的海外活动及其增值，以反映我们实际的经济网络实力。我建议贸工部开发GNP指标，追踪新加坡及新加坡人在海外创造的全球价值。
第二，鼓励新加坡企业在海外“组团狩猎”。一个好的起点是柔佛-新加坡特别经济区（SEZ）。我们应将SEZ视为额外的“肺”，让我们的中小企业得以成长和繁荣。
如何实现？我提出四点建议。
建议一——将新加坡定位为通往SEZ的可信赖门户。让我们积极推广柔佛-新加坡SEZ。正如我在外交部预算委员会发言中所述，外交政策可以支持我们扩大经济空间的经济努力，成为网络经济。我们需要与马来西亚同行更紧密合作。这可以加深相互依赖，创造更强的互利联系。
鉴于过去经验，这需要调整相互信任。但从任何外资投资者的角度看，战略方向明确。柔佛和新加坡可以发挥协同作用。新加坡作为依赖信任的核心，负责总部治理、财务、知识产权、数据、合规和法律，而柔佛腹地提供可扩展的经济空间。我们在新加坡捕获信任溢价，同时解锁紧邻的成本和空间限制，形成一体化运营模式。
所以，我的问题是，贸工部如何指导经济发展局（EDB）、Enterprise Singapore及其他经济机构，与外交部协调，包装和推广双边部署方案，让外资投资者通过新加坡这一可信门户进入，并部署到柔佛-新加坡SEZ？
第二个建议——如何组织即插即用的中小企业生态系统？新加坡引入SEZ的投资应成为本地中小企业的商机。为此，我们可以构建SEZ供应商计划，例如识别外资投资者、输入需求和标准。我们预先筛选符合标准的中小企业，最终将它们匹配给这些投资者。
建议三——开发行业投资套餐。可在制造业、物流、数字和数据服务、食品生产和辅导等战略产业中确定，这些业务可利用柔佛的优势和新加坡的互补性。每个套餐可包括共享基础设施选项、监管手册、人才和专业服务支持及新加坡中小企业供应商目录。
建议四——发布柔佛-新加坡SEZ成果记分卡。贸工部可追踪成果，如跨新加坡和SEZ的双边部署数量（按行业划分）、成功匹配新加坡中小企业与外资投资者的数量，以及利用柔佛和新加坡互补性带来的中小企业收入增量。
继续第三个转变，为新加坡人创造海外优质就业机会。主席，有些年轻和中年新加坡人可能不了解区域机会，或无法评估海外工作的风险。因此，我建议考虑：一、为新加坡人策划从入门到高级的海外职位。二、为企业提供激励，促进员工区域轮岗，使其成为职业发展的一部分。
三、为回国的新加坡人提供支持和灵活的托儿或教育途径。第四个转变：作为网络经济，发展人工智能（AI）作为我们的可信基础设施。新加坡的优势不在于采用AI，而在于成为部署AI最可信的地方。
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例如，区域港口独立采用AI。但谁制定互操作标准？谁提供可信平台，让竞争港口共享数据以优化网络？
在跨境金融中，每个金融机构都在构建自己的AI基础设施。但谁能提供协调层，使这些工具协同工作，实现资本高效流动？新加坡可以。如何实现？通过开发和领导有效的AI治理和安全数据交换框架。在分裂的世界中，可信协调者变得无价。
最后，主席，贸工部、外交部、人力部及我们的经济机构表现出色。然而，展望未来，在这个日益分裂的世界中，我们需要改变看待经济增长的方式。
我提出了四个转变：从衡量国内到追踪全球价值；从个体扩张到生态系统；从本地劳动力到海外劳动力；最后，AI作为可信基础设施。通过这些，我们成为网络经济。
新加坡的经济区域化
陈艾丽莎女士（碧山-大巴窑选区）：主席，过去30年，许多跨国公司将亚太总部设在新加坡，使我们成为东南亚国家联盟（ASEAN）的门户。在全球环境动荡的情况下，经济联系比以往任何时候都更重要。与东盟的区域合作，包括柔佛-新加坡SEZ等举措，为各方释放了竞争和战略优势。
在我的预算演讲中，我提到五分之四的新加坡中小企业计划海外扩张。然而，只有3.1%的本地劳动力曾全职在海外工作至少六个月。许多企业和员工缺乏在新加坡以外运营的经验，这可能阻碍区域扩张。
企业发展补助金等计划帮助分担海外设立业务的成本。贸工部是否考虑加强此类支持，提供更顺畅、低风险的进入外国市场途径？在人力方面，贸工部是否会扩大全球准备人才计划，或探索补助以共同承担新加坡人在东盟内部迁移的费用？
如果没有，贸工部能否分享如何在三方面建设能力：第一，提高国际企业任命新加坡人担任区域职位的准备度；第二，加强企业领导者在多元市场运营的能力；第三，鼓励新加坡人迁移以抓住区域机会？
如果新加坡要继续作为东盟门户，我们不仅要承载区域总部，还必须培养一代准备好走出国门领导的本地人才。
风险校准的全球扩张
李马克先生（提名议员）：主席，在资源紧张的新加坡，单靠国内规模无法维持企业增长。对新加坡企业而言，国际化是长期竞争力和韧性的关键。
刚过去的周末中东冲突反映地缘政治条件变化之快。能源市场反应，保险费调整，航运路线重新评估，支付和合规风险增加。在这种环境下，不确定性可能导致企业犹豫。
贸工部将如何持续传递强烈且一致的信息，尽管地缘政治风险加剧，新加坡企业必须坚持国际化，政府将支持他们？
同时，我们必须认识到国际化风险并不均一，因市场而异。东南亚、中东、非洲和拉美部分地区政治、监管和应收账款风险较高。营运资金周期更长，支付纪律也更难预测。贸工部能否考虑不仅按企业规模，还按市场风险特征区分国际化支持，在高风险走廊提供增强的营运资金担保、政治风险保障或扩展风险分担机制？
其次，许多海外项目规模大、复杂，单个中小企业难以承接。采购框架偏好规模、业绩和综合能力。鼓励联合体投标，让互补的新加坡企业联合能力、分担风险，竞争单独无法获得的项目。现有计划能否更明确支持联合体国际投标，包括共享融资和协调市场进入？
最后，随着东北亚和欧洲企业越来越将新加坡视为进入东南亚的门户，我们的生态系统必须深化区域流畅度——监管专业知识、多语种咨询能力和通过贸易协会及商会建立的强大市场合作伙伴关系。我们必须加强不仅是融资支持，还有市场情报、走廊专业知识和市场执行平台。
在更不确定的世界中，答案不是撤退，而是有风险校准的扩张，依靠可信的风险分担和自信的生态系统——
主席：高建民副教授。
变化世界中的创业精神
高建民副教授（提名议员）：谢谢主席。2026年预算将人工智能与量子技术、先进制造和太空等战略能力并列，视为新加坡在变化世界中繁荣的关键。方向明确——升级企业，重塑劳动力，打造新增长引擎。
这是正确方向。但没有我们的创业者，转型不会完全实现。
技术变革不仅升级现有企业，还创造新市场。人工智能降低创业门槛。先进制造和深科技开辟新价值链。在我们构建企业能力的同时，也必须让更多新加坡人在这些新兴领域建立新企业。
我提出三个方面。
第一，降低创业参与风险。约半数新企业五年内倒闭，不到1%成为独角兽。看到这些数据，人们本能反应是“太冒险了，不想尝试”。
但如果愿意尝试的人太少，经济受损，创新放缓，新增长引擎难以出现。为弥合这一差距，我们必须减少创业带来永久职业惩罚的认知。创业应被正常化为职业旅程中的一步，而非成败终点。它应被视为终身学习的一部分——一个实验、技能发展和价值创造的阶段。
请问部委，除了资本激励外，我们如何加强路径，让新加坡人——从应届毕业生到中年专业人士——能够创业并无污名或结构性劣势地重返就业？毕竟研究显示，高增长企业创始人平均年龄在40岁出头。经验和人脉尤为重要，尤其在复杂行业。像我们这样的小国，不能承受因暂时挫折而永久失去人才。
第二，我们可以将国家使命转化为初创企业的增长。随着行业使命在人工智能、制造业、连接性和医疗保健领域释放机遇，我们如何确保新加坡本地的初创企业能够有意义地融入这些平台？是否可以加强采购路径、试点项目和结构化合作伙伴关系，使由新加坡本地创始人领导的初创企业能够验证并扩大规模？在量子和太空等前沿领域，跨机构的沙盒模式能否支持实验和共同学习，同时加速部署？
如果我们做对了，国家使命不仅能促进企业升级，还能催化本地风险投资的增长。
第三，我们需要锚定长期价值。在这里发展新企业是一回事，确保它们在全球扩张时仍然扎根新加坡则是另一回事。如果战略决策、知识产权和领导职能为了资本和客户而迁移到其他地方，我们就有可能失去控制权、资本形成和生态系统溢出的收益。
扩大Startup SG Equity基金和股权市场发展计划（EQDP）都是重要步骤，但我的问题是，随着越来越多的新加坡公司在全球扩张，我们如何确保领导力、知识产权所有权和价值创造仍然扎根于此，以便——
主席：黄世轩先生。
初创企业与增长
黄世轩先生：主席，我想谈三点：资金、创始人和人才，针对我们的初创企业。
随着对Startup SG Equity基金额外注入10亿新元，我想问贸易及工业部（MTI）我们具体想弥补什么缺口？目前的瓶颈是早期成立阶段，还是处于产品市场匹配但难以区域扩张的成长阶段？是后期资本短缺，还是深科技和工业解决方案等领域缺乏行业深度？
我希望能清楚了解MTI如何诊断这一缺口，以及资金将如何部署？我们是否在吸引经验丰富的区域和全球成长基金？是否与能够帮助企业超越新加坡扩张的运营者共同投资？我们也应避免将公共资金集中在同一小批初创企业中。共同投资应扩大参与度，深化行业能力，引入新创始人和新市场。
除了资金，我想了解Startup SG Founder计划。我听说其中一位创始人必须是首次创业者才能获得该计划支持。但我们知道初创企业失败的原因多种多样。为了支持和鼓励创业精神，我想了解是否可以审视这一标准？
关于人才，聘请全职首席人工智能官对早期企业来说成本较高。这与首席技术官（CTO）咨询计划不同。CTO负责产品构建，首席人工智能官则负责塑造数据战略、模型开发和组织内负责任的人工智能使用。我们是否可以探索首席人工智能官服务模式，让经验丰富的人工智能领导者支持多家初创企业，使它们能够正确部署人工智能并自信地扩展？
资金、人才和创始人帮助企业成长。
主席：副总理颜金勇。
副总理兼贸易及工业部长（颜金勇先生）：主席，感谢所有在贸易及工业部预算辩论中发言的议员。
去年，新加坡经济增长了5%，在全球环境充满挑战的情况下表现优于预期。与此同时，我们必须清醒认识，新加坡正进入经济旅程的新阶段。促使新加坡数十年繁荣的规则已发生根本变化。我们面临更复杂的全球环境，表现为大国竞争加剧、保护主义上升和全球秩序更加分裂。
美国最高法院推翻了去年实施的互惠关税，美国政府随后以新的第122条款关税取代，税率为10%，期限最长150天。特朗普总统也宣布计划将其提高至15%。具体细节尚未公布，关税未来如何演变仍存在相当不确定性。
我们正与新加坡经济韧性工作组（SERT）三方成员合作，向企业和工人提供信息并收集反馈，帮助他们应对这些不确定性。
这些发展体现了我们必须应对的不可预测和不确定的全球贸易环境。事情还不止于此。周末，中东冲突升级，美国和以色列对伊朗发动攻击，伊朗则反击以色列和美国在该地区的基地。霍尔木兹海峡——原油和液化天然气（LNG）的重要航运通道——已被关闭。
短期内，这可能导致全球能源价格上涨。根据冲突持续时间的长短，能源价格上涨可能推高企业和消费者成本，影响全球及新加坡经济。我们正密切关注事态发展，必要时将重新评估国内生产总值和通胀预测。
重大结构性力量也在重塑产业、企业和就业。
人工智能和自动化正在改变价值创造方式和工作组织方式。全球推动脱碳也在改变工业流程，影响投资模式并影响相对竞争力。
结合我上周提到的人口限制，维持增长和创造优质就业将更加困难。然而，即使在更艰难的环境中，新加坡作为一个值得信赖、知识驱动和互联的枢纽，仍有良好机遇。
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这就是政府设立经济战略审查（ESR）的原因，目的是认真、诚实地审视新加坡必须如何重置经济战略。我们必须更加努力和聪明，富有创造力并承担经过计算的风险，探索大胆方案，以实现未来十年平均每年2%至3%的国内生产总值趋势增长上限，并创造优质就业。
让我大致概述五大战略重点，贸易及工业部的同事稍后会详细说明。首先，我们将确立并深化在关键增长行业的领导地位，同时推动新增长领域的前沿。随着经济成熟，增长和优质就业不再仅靠规模实现。增长必须越来越依赖深度——通过确立和深化新加坡已有坚实基础的行业的全球领导地位。
Saktiandi Supaat先生询问了我们对先进制造业、基于信任的服务和前沿行业的计划。新加坡已是先进制造业的全球节点，如半导体、医疗产品、特种化学品和航空航天，这些行业对经济贡献显著并提供优质就业。
我们希望巩固并扩大在这些行业的领导地位——将加大对人工智能、自动化和数字技术的投资，提高生产力，改善质量和可靠性，增强灵活性和韧性。随着工厂变得更加自动化和数据驱动，对自动化和机器人工程师、流程工程师、数据专家和高级设备技术员等高薪技能岗位的需求将增长。
我们还将集中研发资源，提升技术优势，缩短创新周期，帮助企业更快地将创意从实验室推向工厂车间和市场。同时，我们将加快采用低碳和资源高效技术，确保产业在全球向低碳未来转型中保持竞争力。通过强化这些优势，我们将打造深厚且具竞争力的生态系统，锚定高价值活动，支持新加坡人获得优质技能岗位。
除了制造业，我们还将扩大在现代服务业的领先地位。在这个动荡不安的世界中，信任成为最受追捧的资产。我们的信任溢价使我们成为全球金融、资本和知识产权的枢纽。我们将以此为基础，发展新加坡成为基于信任的服务全球中心，如风险咨询、网络安全、人工智能保障及测试、检验和认证。这将为现代服务业创造新机遇。
在深化先进制造业和现代服务业的既有优势的同时，我们还必须推动新增长领域的前沿，如量子技术、脱碳技术和太空相关产业。随着这些产业的发展，将为新加坡人开辟新的职业机会。
综合来看，这些举措将深化我们在先进制造业和现代服务业的优势，同时创造新的增长引擎，拓展新加坡的增长前沿，保障新加坡人获得高质量就业。
第二，我们必须维持一个充满活力的企业生态系统，涵盖跨国公司、高成长企业和充满活力的初创社区。领先的跨国公司，无论本地还是外资，仍将是我们经济的核心支柱。它们带来规模、先进技术、全球网络和高质量就业。我们将继续与跨国公司合作，锚定高价值活动，包括研发、先进制造、区域及全球总部职能和战略角色。
同时，下一阶段的增长将越来越多来自新一代新兴企业——成长阶段的公司，尚未成为领先跨国公司，但已展现潜力和雄心，成为未来行业领导者。
我们必须准备承担一定风险，支持这些有前景的企业，为它们提供可信赖的运营基地，并助力其拓展国际市场。比如Workato，这是一家企业软件公司，帮助企业自动化工作流程并整合运营系统。过去五年，Workato亚太区收入增长了10倍，客户遍及制造、金融服务和医疗保健等多个行业，超过12,000家公司。
新加坡可以作为Workato全球扩张的战略基地，锚定产品开发、人工智能创新和区域领导力，同时为新加坡人创造高价值机会，强化人才管道。
我赞同何建成副教授的观点，早期锚定并与像Workato这样的公司合作非常重要，因为这能让我们塑造战略总部决策、核心能力建设和长期价值创造的地点。随着这些公司从新加坡成长，它们将在研发、产品管理、市场营销和业务发展等领域创造新岗位。
经济发展局将加大力度识别并锚定此类公司，与领先的风险投资和私募股权合作伙伴紧密合作。我们将提供定制化、端到端支持，如市场准入协助、监管便利和现成设施，帮助这些公司在新加坡扎根并扩大影响。
做好这些工作，将使我们捕获长期经济价值，强化领先企业管道，巩固新加坡作为全球领先企业可信赖基地的地位。我们不仅是落脚点，更是潜在全球公司的起飞点。
与此同时，我们将继续保持初创社区的活力，培育敢于梦想和冒险的创业文化。国务部长陈振声将分享更多关于我们初创企业的计划。通过维持充满活力的企业生态系统，我们将巩固新加坡作为全球商业可信赖且互联基地的地位，确保经济保持创新和增长的前沿。
为了让企业提升生产力、升级能力并加速创新，人工智能是关键推动力。因此，我们的第三大战略重点是确立新加坡作为人工智能领导者及人工智能赋能经济。我们希望赋能企业端到端利用人工智能，重新设计业务流程，将人工智能嵌入核心运营，开发专有应用，转变工作流程，升级岗位和技能。
迄今为止，我们已支持60多家公司建立人工智能卓越中心。这些是专注于开发和部署人工智能解决方案的内部团队。我们将进一步推进，计划今年晚些时候启动“人工智能冠军”计划。该计划将针对一批有志将人工智能作为生产力、创新和增长核心驱动力的新加坡公司。我们将与这些公司合作，通过将人工智能嵌入核心运营、组织流程和劳动力实践，推动业务转型。
这包括领导力和员工培训，以及支持开发和执行具有明确可衡量商业影响的人工智能转型项目。这些公司还将投资于员工再培训和技能提升，使员工能够承担高价值的人工智能赋能岗位。
以星展银行为例。人工智能已贯穿银行运营，从客户互动到风险管理和运营效率。例如，通过个性化的人工智能驱动提示，星展引导零售客户做出更好的投资和理财决策。这些客户的储蓄是未接受提示客户的两倍，投资额是五倍，保险覆盖率近三倍。
在风险管理方面，人工智能每天分析数百万笔交易，实时检测异常模式并拦截可疑活动，更好地保护客户。星展还在机构银行业务中部署人工智能，将贸易文件处理时间缩短60%。这帮助企业更快、更确定地完成跨境交易。
星展为其4万名员工提供人工智能基础知识和实践培训，并将员工重新培训为因人工智能整合而产生的新岗位，例如从客户服务人员转为人工智能代理监控经理和生成式人工智能评估员。人工智能还为部分员工开辟了新职业路径，例如从客户服务转向客户关系管理。
星展的实践展示了企业如何部署人工智能提升商业价值，同时强化劳动力。2025年，星展报告其数据分析、人工智能和机器学习项目创造的经济价值创纪录，约达10亿新元。人工智能冠军是先行者。我们将从他们的经验中学习，指明前进方向，增强其他企业加速和深化人工智能应用的信心。
我们还希望在人工智能的开发、测试、部署和规模化方面成为领导者。我们将通过人工智能使命推动行业层面的转型，首先聚焦先进制造、连接性、金融和医疗保健——新加坡已有坚实基础的行业。
针对每个使命，我们将与行业合作，明确人工智能可驱动突破性转型的具体行业问题。围绕每个使命，我们将构建全栈生态系统，包括数据集、计算资源、监管沙盒和解决方案提供商。这将缩短从开发到部署、从测试到规模化的路径。
这些使命将带来新技能需求，形成以新加坡为锚点的专业集群。人工智能使命将作为号召旗帜，吸引专注于实际应用的全球人工智能人才和公司，动员政府和行业的全国力量，集中投资和支持，实现更大影响。
我们还将建立人工智能园区，作为人才、问题所有者、研究人员和资源汇聚的焦点，创造协同效应，培育深厚生态系统。我们已有Lorong AI；现在还将打造整个“一北”人工智能村——“Kampong AI”。“Kampong AI”将加速协作，成为人工智能卓越中心的引力点。
这些举措——“人工智能冠军”、人工智能使命和“Kampong AI”——将使新加坡成为人工智能解决方案的构建、验证和规模化之地，赋能全经济体企业，确立关键行业的人工智能领导地位。
即使经济增长，我们的竞争力不仅取决于创新，还取决于企业适应、重新定位和转型的能力。企业将越来越需要重新审视运营方式。曾经有效的商业模式可能在当前和未来环境下不再可行。企业可能需要采取不同路径，转型商业模式，重组运营，必要时缩减甚至退出特定产品、服务或业务部分。
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因此，我们的下一大战略重点是支持企业积极、自信地应对这些转型。这些调整是经济更新的正常且必要部分，但我们认识到过程可能困难、充满挑战，有时甚至痛苦。
我们将与行业协会和商会、企业以及劳工运动紧密合作，支持企业在转型过程中，帮助他们及早评估选择，负责任地重组，追求新的增长机会，包括开拓海外市场，并以增强长期竞争力和支持员工过渡的方式管理变革。
我同意罗尚先生的看法，鉴于我们国内经济规模较小，许多增长机会存在于新加坡以外的地区。我们希望帮助我们的公司不仅出口产品和服务，还能在国际上扩展和投资。这将使他们能够从全球经济增长中受益，同时将价值、能力和领导职能锚定在新加坡。
我们将加大对领先企业开展重大海外项目的支持，这些项目可能涉及更高的风险和资本支出，尤其是在发展中和新兴市场，但能使它们在关键市场和价值链中获得真正且持久的立足点。除了从海外增长收入和利润外，这些企业还将通过提供更好的就业机会、增强对本地能力的需求以及更深度地融入全球增长机会，为新加坡带来价值。
我同意陈艾丽莎女士和赖维克多先生关于支持和准备我们的创业者及员工开展国际化的重要性。人力部将分享更多相关内容。
我们还将维护并扩大我们的国际经济空间。国务部长颜晓芳女士将详细介绍我们深化和多元化与贸易伙伴经济联系的计划。
主席先生，全球环境将持续不确定。前路不会轻松。但新加坡迄今的成功不是等待确定性，而是通过长期规划、及早行动和果断前进实现的。
《经济转型路线图》概述了我们未来的战略。我们的五大战略重点建立在我们的优势之上，拥抱新机遇，利用科技，保持新加坡的开放与连接，并在变革的每一步支持我们的人民。
我们将确保增长转化为新加坡人的优质就业。最重要的是，我们的战略是给予员工适应变化的信心，赋予企业竞争能力，让每位新加坡人分享我们的进步并拥有未来的利益。如果我们继续团结一致，保持灵活敏捷，并持续投资于人才，新加坡不仅能应对变革——我们将引领变革。[掌声]
主席：黄世轩先生。
电池作为推动力
黄世轩先生：主席，我声明本人作为本地制造、组装和分销电池的企业主的利益。但我今天发言不仅谈论电池作为产品，更作为经济增长的推动力。
新加坡可能不会大规模制造电池芯片，但这并非我们的竞争优势所在。我们的优势和高价值环节包括系统设计、集成、电池管理软件、安全工程、测试、合规及项目管理。这些领域是我们新加坡本地企业能够竞争并实现差异化的。
如今，许多本地企业已与高等院校和研究机构合作提升技术能力，同时利用区域制造生产具竞争力的解决方案。通过正确的定位和合作伙伴关系，我们可以服务东南亚及更广泛地区。
行业平台如新加坡电池联盟在汇聚不同参与者方面发挥了积极作用。据我了解，国家研究基金会（NRF）对该联盟的资助将于3月31日结束。请问是否会继续支持该平台，且其范围是否能从研究合作扩展至商业化支持和市场准入？
先生，我还想提出一个影响部分企业的实际贸易问题。有少数公司反映，虽然他们在新加坡开展了大量工作，包括系统集成、电池管理软件、安全工程及合规，但这些增值可能未能在贸易统计中充分体现。希望贸工部能审视我们的框架是否充分认可现代系统集成和软件驱动的增值，尤其是在能源存储等领域。
电池支持太阳能部署、为数据中心供电、电动车队提供动力并增强电网韧性。借助适当的政策支持，新加坡可以在这一增长领域捕获有意义的价值。
新加坡能源战略
陈佩玲女士：主席，保障能源安全即保障我们的命运。除了满足新加坡的基本需求，随着数字化和人工智能的加速，我们的能源需求将持续增长。
新加坡的能源战略始终受三大结构性现实影响：我们没有自然资源，面临土地限制，且几乎完全依赖进口能源。这些限制迫使我们不断平衡能源三难困境——安全、可持续和可负担。
目前，天然气约供应我们95%的电力。它仍是我们最可行的过渡燃料，既可靠又相对低排放。我们已通过管道气和液化天然气进口实现供应多元化，并投资关键基础设施，如液化天然气终端。
同时，我们加快脱碳步伐。我欢迎继续努力最大化屋顶和水库的太阳能部署，试点区域电力进口（东盟电网倡议）并研究氢能作为潜在长期选项。这些都是必要步骤。
然而，面对日益加剧的地缘政治不确定性、供应链分裂和气候压力，我们的战略必须持续演进。以以色列、美国和伊朗最新冲突为例，霍尔木兹海峡等关键航运路线的中断可能导致能源价格飙升。
因此，我向部委提出几个问题。
首先，关于能源安全。随着区域电力进口加深，贸工部如何评估地缘政治集中度和供应风险？有哪些计划多元化能源来源并在长期进口战略中建立冗余？
第二，支持国家人工智能推动。随着计算能力和数据中心需求上升，贸工部如何与本地及国际伙伴合作，确保充足、可持续的电力供应，同时推动节能数字基础设施？
第三，关于氢能。氢能在低碳电力及难以减排行业（如海运和石化）中前景广阔，但成本和供应链仍具挑战。部委何时评估氢能在新加坡实现规模商业化？我们如何及早布局，塑造而非跟随区域氢能供应链？对企业和初创公司有哪些支持以深化研发和商业化氢能技术？
第四，碳定价与竞争力。新加坡碳税预计将上调以推动脱碳。贸工部如何平衡贸易暴露行业的竞争力与可信碳定价需求？是否有计划深化国际碳市场联通或采取其他措施管理国内成本压力？
第五，对新加坡人和企业的影响。部委如何确保家庭和企业在转型期间持续获得可靠且负担得起的能源？
当今能源政策不仅关乎供电，更关乎在分裂世界中的韧性和低碳经济中的竞争力。
加强能源韧性
谢炳辉先生：主席，我发言聚焦电力，因为在当今人工智能驱动的经济中，能源是战略能力。简单来说，没有电力就无法运转。
本月初，我曾询问随着可再生能源部署增加和电气化加速，新加坡的能源韧性和电网稳定性如何保障。我们正同时推进脱碳和数字化，电力系统必须支持两者，且不影响可靠性和可负担性。
首先，关于脱碳。全球能源价格波动剧烈。我们如何在价格波动中保持新加坡向低碳电力转型的可信度？投资者需要确定性，但承诺购电安排可能导致成本高于市场价。如何平衡投资确定性与可负担性？明确的政策信号对持续吸引私人资本至关重要。
第二，关于电网稳定。电力需求结构性上升。人工智能数据中心、量子计算、半导体制造、先进制造和交通电气化将显著增加用电量，同时进口和间歇性能源如太阳能丰富供应。
供需两端均存在间歇性。电动交通和快充设施将产生集中需求峰值。我们在电网加固、储能和系统平衡方面有哪些投资，确保可靠性不受影响？对数据中心和半导体等行业，能源可靠性是不可妥协的。
第三，关于定价和激励。电价未必反映供应波动。更动态的定价是否能更好地将需求与可再生能源峰值对齐？基于时间差异的电网排放因子可激励负荷转移，减轻压力并支持脱碳。监管框架也应继续支持私人投资可再生能源和储能。
主席先生，能源韧性、可负担性和脱碳是国家竞争力的基石。随着新加坡成为人工智能和先进制造中心，我们的电力系统必须保持稳定、前瞻且符合气候目标，因为能源安全是经济安全的基础。
主席：陈振声部长。
人力部长（陈振声博士）：主席，正如副总理所强调，促使新加坡繁荣的规则已发生根本变化。技术，尤其是人工智能，正在迅速颠覆产业。气候变化持续加剧，其影响正在改变我们的生活方式。那么，我们如何在这些挑战中抓住机遇？
我们将利用科学技术，在关键增长领域建立领导地位，推动新增长领域的前沿。我们还将努力将新加坡打造为人工智能领导者，转型我们的先进制造业。支撑这些努力的核心是能源，必须是可持续、安全、可靠且负担得起的。
为巩固我们在先进制造业的领先地位，我们将继续将国家级研发资源投入关键增长领域。
我们的2025年研究、创新与企业（RIE）投资提升了经济的研发能力和容量，并创造了优质就业。2023年制造业私营部门研发支出达43亿新元，比2016年增长54%。2016至2023年间，产业研发岗位增长36%，超过3万个岗位，其中70%以上由本地人担任。
半导体是关键增长领域之一。通过过去的RIE投资，我们建立了强大的研发能力，过去四年吸引了半导体企业超过300亿新元的投资。我们将再投资8亿新元设立半导体RIE旗舰项目，聚焦高影响力技术领域，如先进封装和先进光子学，提升芯片性能同时降低功耗。
该旗舰项目将把研究转化为产品，鼓励更多先进研发和制造活动，在新加坡创造优质就业。
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旗舰项目还将整合国家半导体转化与创新中心（NSTIC）的工作。自RIE2025启动以来，NSTIC已取得多项突破，包括高速数据传输和金属透镜制造，吸引了10多家产业伙伴，建立了强大的商业化管线。
去年，副总理宣布投资NSTIC（研发晶圆厂），这是我们的半导体研发制造设施，预计2027年开始运营，企业对其协作空间表现出浓厚兴趣。
我们还将投资6000万新元于NSTIC（功率电子），提升新加坡在下一代功率电子领域的竞争力。目标是在一年内将碳化硅技术的载流子迁移率翻倍，推动更小型但更高效的电力系统开发，应用包括延长电动车续航里程。
另一个关键增长领域是生物医药，尽管波动性较大，但依然稳健。为促进行业增长，我们在2024年宣布了两个研发转化平台，即核酸治疗倡议（NATi）和医疗技术催化器。这些平台吸引全球合作伙伴，提升本地企业，培训人才，锚定高价值研发活动和岗位于新加坡。
例如，医疗技术催化器正与本地初创企业Vivo Surgical合作，开发其验证原型以准备临床研究，并将该公司纳入其风险加速计划。
鉴于这些平台进展良好，我们计划在RIE2030期间进一步扩大规模。
除了公共部门努力，私营部门在创新生态系统中也发挥关键作用。通过我们的企业研究与创新计划（RIS(C)），我们吸引了大量私人研发投资，提升能力并为本地人创造高价值岗位。
过去五年，企业承诺在本地投入超过140亿新元用于研发创新，创造了超过1.2万个研发岗位，其中70%以上由本地人担任。举例来说，Grab的人工智能卓越中心已招聘约50人，德国化工巨头Evonik为其亚洲研发中心招聘了100多名研究人员。
基于此，我们将在RIE2030期间投入超过30亿新元于RIS(C)。
除现有增长领域外，我们将大胆追求可推动经济突破的新兴技术。一个例子是太空技术，这一“最终边疆”正迅速从科幻走向现实应用。
太空技术已融入日常生活，支持导航和连接。随着技术进步和成本下降，像新加坡这样的小国可以抓住增长的太空经济机会，为新加坡人在工程和数据科学等领域创造优质就业，同时帮助企业从太空支持的服务和应用中获益。
其中一个机会是基于太空的地球观测，可应用于海事、可持续发展和金融等行业。本地初创企业Arkadiah Technology利用卫星数据与全球农业企业金光集团合作，支持数字化测量、报告和核查，实现热带森林更准确的碳核算。
为推进我们的抱负，我上月宣布成立新加坡国家太空局（NSAS）。从太空技术与产业办公室（OSTIn）的30名官员起步，预计NSAS将在未来三年内规模翻倍。
在发展增长领域的同时，我们将继续与企业合作，装备新加坡人掌握需求旺盛和新兴技能。
副总理早前分享了我们将新加坡打造为人工智能领导者的愿景，通过在四个重点领域执行人工智能任务，建设人工智能赋能的经济。其中一个重点领域是先进制造业。我们将与产业伙伴合作，进一步发展人工智能任务，并稍后提供更新。
这些任务初步将围绕三大重点展开。首先，利用人工智能和机器人技术转型制造设施，实现世界一流的灵活性、韧性和效率。其次，利用人工智能创造全球首创解决方案，提升产品设计并加速开发周期。第三，推动广泛的行业转型，帮助企业在关键运营中采用人工智能，加速生态系统内解决方案的部署。
为支持这些努力，我们将强化两个关键推动力。首先是A*STAR的制造业人工智能卓越中心（AIMfg）。该中心成立约一年半，已支持近30家公司开发和采用人工智能解决方案。
例如，本地大型精密塑料零件制造商Sunningdale正与AIMfg合作开发人工智能缺陷检测系统。早期试验显示，每款产品预计每年节省成本超过15万新元。
AIMfg还开发了一套通用人工智能模型，满足典型业务需求，如旋转设备的预测性维护模型，减少了从零开发定制解决方案所需的资源和时间。
未来，AIMfg将与合作伙伴进一步推动人工智能引领的转型，扩大通用人工智能模型套件。
第二，我们将建设具身人工智能（Embodied AI）的能力。具身人工智能将人工智能引入我们的物理世界——机器人能够感知周围环境，能够独立推理，并能在陌生环境中有目的地行动。
我们将投资研发，解决企业面临的复杂问题，并为研究人员和企业提供共享基础设施，以测试新的具身人工智能技术。这样的基础设施可以加速前沿领域技术的部署，正如高建教授所提到的。我们将从先进制造业、航空和海事领域开始。这可以通过吸引下一代具身人工智能初创企业以及培养本地领军企业，培育新的增长领域。
为了充分释放人工智能对企业的潜力，我们还将同步通过教育和培训建设人工智能准备型劳动力，并支持企业进行岗位重塑和劳动力转型。我将在明天的人力部演讲中详细阐述这些努力。
主席先生，鉴于这些变化，我们的经济正变得更加数字化和创新驱动。正如陈佩玲女士和谢家安先生指出的，能源支撑着所有这些努力。对于我们的经济和生活方式，能源是生存的根本。随着需求增长和脱碳进程，政府将继续在能源的可持续性、安全性和可负担性之间保持务实的平衡。脱碳会带来成本，但不能也不会以任何代价为代价。
让我用一个例子说明，这也回应了纳迪娅·桑丁女士之前关于碳税的问题。我们将定期审查过渡性津贴，这些津贴只覆盖企业排放的一部分，以便在保持价格信号鼓励低碳投资和管理成本上升之间取得适当平衡。
在追求多元化的可再生能源路径时，我们也将关注可扩展且具成本效益的解决方案。正如新加坡的水务故事一样，我们将优先考虑支持自给自足和韧性的路径，最大化本土资源。
太阳能仍是近期最可行的选择。我们取得了显著进展。去年，我们提前五年达成了2030年两吉瓦峰值（GWp）装机容量的目标。因此，我们将目标提高到2030年三吉瓦峰值，增长50%，并希望在2030年代下半叶将去年的成就翻倍。
然而，即使广泛部署，受土地限制和气候条件影响，太阳能最多只能满足我们未来约10%的电力需求。因此，虽然太阳能重要，但不足以满足需求。这就是为什么我们目前正在研究地热资源潜力。
除了本土资源，我们还在探索其他低碳路径。来自区域的电力进口可以多样化并脱碳我们的能源结构。迄今为止，我们已授予约8.4吉瓦（GW）的有条件批准给有前景的项目，其中三吉瓦已获得有条件许可。我们正与项目开发商密切合作，争取尽快获得必要的监管批准以开始建设。
通过与邻国的紧密合作，这一点至关重要，因为我们致力于实现东盟电网的区域愿景，我们的第一波电力进口项目很可能来自印度尼西亚和马来西亚半岛。为准备从印度尼西亚进口电力，我们已确定合适的海底电缆连接路线和登陆点。我们也正在对新加坡与马来西亚之间的第二条互联互通线路进行全面可行性研究。如果开发成功，这将为双边互联互通提供高达两吉瓦的容量，此外还有现有互联互通线路的一吉瓦容量。
除此之外，我们还在探索其他低碳解决方案。正如我之前在议会所说，没有选项是被排除的。首先，我们正在通过一个最高300兆瓦（MW）的监管沙盒探索生物甲烷作为可行的低碳燃料。其与现有基础设施的兼容性减少了昂贵资产升级的需求。自去年以来，我们看到业界兴趣浓厚。目前我们正在评估沙盒提案，预计很快将任命需求供应聚合商。
第二，我们正在研究低碳氢气的潜力，包括其衍生物或载体，如氨。去年十月，我们任命了由吉宝集团领导的财团，进行下一阶段氨气发电和加注试点项目的前端工程设计（FEED）研究。
第三，我们也在研究碳捕集、利用和储存解决方案，以脱碳难以减排的行业。我们将继续与拥有适合碳储存地质条件的国家，如澳大利亚、印度尼西亚和马来西亚，开展双边协议，为私营部门提供更大的投资确定性。我们也在研究将捕获的碳永久储存在建筑材料等产品中的方法。
基于研究结果，我们将评估如何扩大这些路径的规模，可能的能源组合类型，以实现我们的脱碳目标。
让我们务实一点。即使我们追求所有这些选项，也必须清醒地认识到它们固有的挑战。进口电力伴随重大地缘政治风险和不确定性。其他低碳解决方案尚未准备好大规模部署，原因包括技术尚处于初期阶段或供应链不完善。
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因此，虽然我们尚未做出决定——让我重申，我们尚未做出决定——但我们正在认真研究先进核能技术的潜在部署，如小型模块化反应堆。
核能有潜力成为安全、可靠且具成本竞争力的选项。其高燃料密度对土地稀缺的新加坡尤为有吸引力。想象一下，五颗一英寸高、比我的拇指还小的燃料颗粒，能产生与一个奥林匹克标准游泳池同等量的天然气能量。我们正在加强能力建设，特别是在核安全和技术评估方面。
我们将按照国际原子能机构的里程碑方法推进，并与美国、法国和韩国等国际领导者合作。事实上，就在今天早上——这是我少有打领带的时刻——能源市场管理局（EMA）刚刚与韩国水力核电公司签署了谅解备忘录（MOU），该公司运营韩国全部26座核反应堆，签署仪式在韩国总统访问期间举行。
公众信任至关重要。我们将与合作伙伴密切合作，提高公众意识，不仅是核能，更根本的是能源的生存性质。
正如谢家安先生和黄世轩先生指出的，随着新加坡向多元化能源结构转型，我们必须继续确保电网的持续可靠性。
去年，EMA和新加坡电力集团推出了未来电网能力路线图，明确了系统惯性和灵活性技术等领域的能力建设方向。EMA还与业界合作试点虚拟电厂监管沙盒，并评估是否需要更多储能系统，以应对间歇性等挑战。
所有这些努力的基础是科学技术作为关键推动力。我们将在RIE2030框架下启动一项新的8亿新元脱碳重大挑战计划，支持2035年减排目标和2050年净零排放愿景。在过去努力的基础上，我们将大幅增加对有前景的解决方案的投资，以减少电力部门和工业排放，同时确保电力系统的可靠性和韧性。
在该重大挑战计划下，我们将启动一项新计划——新加坡能源与企业脱碳试点（SPEED）。超速驾驶是陆路交通管理局的违法行为，但这个SPEED至关重要。该计划支持本地转化型研发和示范活动，催化私人投资，推动有前景但尚处于初期的技术规模化。
主席先生，创新和技术将继续推动新加坡迈向更高峰，并为未来几代人创造优质就业。
正如副总理早前指出，我们是气候现实主义者。在追求净零目标的过程中，我们必须时刻关注挑战，如地理限制和企业及家庭日益上升的脱碳成本。
但话虽如此，我们将尽最大努力确保一个清洁绿色的未来，因为这是为了我们的后代，确保稳定可靠的能源供应，这对我们的经济和生活方式至关重要。[掌声]
主席：贸易及工业部高级国务部长罗燕玲。
贸易及工业部高级国务部长（罗燕玲女士）：主席先生，副总理颜金勇谈到了新加坡经济进入新阶段。
我们致力于赋能企业在这一新环境中成功发展。我们将继续培育充满活力的企业生态系统，使企业能够自信地应对变化并取得成功。
当今企业面临在不确定世界中适应的压力。我们通过与中小企业及行业协会和商会（TACs），包括新加坡企业联合会的交流，深入了解了基层的挑战。
多位议员提出了类似关切，特别是关于我们的中小企业——包括萨克提安迪·苏帕特先生、李国辉先生、李鸿昌先生、罗尚文先生、陈佩玲女士、黄世轩先生和潘淑英女士。我想向他们保证，政府正全力支持企业，陪伴他们适应、转型和创新，克服面临的挑战。
我很高兴分享，政府已量身定制了一套“企业焕新计划”，包括一系列现有计划的增强措施，旨在在企业的每个阶段赋能、装备和支持企业保持韧性、增长和繁荣，具体包括：一、提升生产力和成本效率；二、增加收入，帮助企业抓住国内外新机遇；三、营造亲企业和可信赖的商业环境。
我们还将帮助企业主动应对转型，同时继续加强消费者保护框架。
现在让我详细说明“企业焕新计划”的各个重点。
首先，提升生产力和成本效率。多年来，政府推出了多项计划，支持企业能力建设、提升生产力和效率。能够以更少资源做更多事、快速响应变化的企业，最具竞争力。人工智能和脱碳带来的结构性变化意味着企业必须适应以保持相关性，但这些变化也为企业转型和增长带来机遇。
我想向萨克提安迪·苏帕特先生、黄世轩先生和潘淑英女士保证，我们将继续支持和赋能各行业企业优化生产流程、降低经营成本，特别是通过技术和自动化。
例如，拥有仓储业务的企业越来越多地采用自动化物流解决方案以提升运营效率。他们可以利用企业发展资助（EDG）等计划获得资金，并获得行业合作伙伴如共和理工学院供应链管理创新中心（COI-SCM）的咨询支持。
举个快速例子，Frosts食品饮料公司在勿洛和大士运营总计7.5万平方英尺的食品储存和配送设施。与COI-SCM合作，Frosts在勿洛设施设计并推出了四向穿梭自动存取系统，提升了30%以上的人力效率，为公司每年节省约10万新元成本。
除了提升生产力，我们还继续帮助企业迈向低碳未来。我们听到了陈志明部长早前的分享。
2024年，我们将企业融资计划（EFS）-绿色版延长两年，并扩大范围，涵盖采用绿色解决方案的企业，除了绿色技术开发商。我们将再延长EFS-绿色版五年，方便企业持续获得融资，建设绿色能力，抓住绿色经济新机遇。此外，为帮助企业应对能源成本上升并减少环境足迹，我们将延长能源效率资助（EEG）一年，继续支持投资节能设备。
第二个重点是帮助企业通过抓住国内外机遇增加收入。
我们将帮助企业抓住国际商业环境变化带来的机遇。我想向罗尚文先生保证，我们将继续通过EFS等计划加强融资渠道。事实上，自2019年推出以来，EFS已支持数千家企业获得融资，涵盖广泛业务活动。
我们将从两方面增强EFS。为给予贷款机构更大灵活性，我们将取消EFS贸易贷款和固定资产贷款的单笔贷款子上限，分别为2000万和3000万新元，但保留5000万新元的总上限。这意味着企业可以获得最符合需求的贷款，无论是履约、执行项目还是资本投资。此外，我们将永久扩大EFS并购贷款范围，支持企业获得国内外收购融资。
随着全球供应链重组和国内市场成熟，企业越来越多地寻求海外机遇。我们的策略一直是降低进入门槛，加强市场准入，提供精准支持。但正如议员们所说，我们认识到海外扩展伴随更高风险和不确定性，正如李国辉先生提到的。
李国辉先生和阿扎尔·奥斯曼先生会高兴地听到，我们确实加大了支持企业国际化的力度。
首先，我们将提高支持企业出海的资助计划的支持比例，中小企业由50%提高至70%，非中小企业由30%提高至50%。这包括市场准备援助（MRA）资助、业务适应资助和全球创新联盟等计划。
第二，我们将进一步完善MRA资助。议员们还记得去年贸易及工业部部长在预算辩论中宣布将10万新元资助上限延长至2026年3月31日。
今年，除了延长10万新元资助上限外，我们将取消新市场限制，扩大资助范围至所有本地企业，包括中小企业和非中小企业。我相信罗尚文先生会赞赏这一点。这不仅支持企业进入新市场，也帮助他们深化现有市场的布局。
接下来，我们将提升国际化双倍税务扣除（DTDi）计划。为帮助企业更快更确定地抓住海外机遇，我们将自动DTDi合格活动的支出上限从15万新元提高至40万新元，并使现有合格活动均可自动扣除。
最后，全球创新联盟将推出更新策略，支持初创企业通过“启动”和“成长”两条路径拓展市场。新进入市场的初创企业将通过“启动”项目获得市场探索和熟悉、短期市场冲刺以及早期客户和合作伙伴发现的支持。需要更定制支持的初创企业和中小企业可通过“成长”路径获得专业合作伙伴支持，助力扩张、深化市场渗透和加速技术成熟。
主席先生，谈及企业，不能不提我们的社区商铺。社区商铺与新加坡人日常生活紧密相连，丰富了社区的特色和活力。
帮助社区企业也意味着支持它们为未来适应和焕新。多年来，政府支持社区企业更新产品、采用新颖概念、创造吸引人流和线上订单的体验，并加强社区联系。
为鼓励社区商铺焕新，我们将提高社区计划——增强视觉陈列计划和社区企业营造资助的支持比例，从50%提升至70%。我们鼓励社区商铺抓住机会，刷新店面，策划精彩的营造活动。
我们许多社区商店都是小型和微型企业，正如贾瑞德·贾姆先生早先提到的，这些企业在本地经济中发挥着基础性作用。政府当然认识到不同规模企业，包括微型中小企业所面临的独特挑战。我们已制定有针对性的援助措施，以满足其特定需求并支持其长期增长。
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例如，餐饮和个人服务等微型中小企业高度集中的行业，正受益于针对行业的支持，以应对运营挑战，提高生产力，从而提升营业收入和利润。
我们了解到，许多餐饮企业面临结构性成本压力和能力差距，正如包括潘德妮丝女士在内的一些议员早先提到的。这一点也在新近发布的由新加坡企业发展局和新加坡生产力中心委托的《食品服务生产力报告》中有所体现。这反过来导致利润空间被压缩，且可持续扩张能力有限。然而，同一报告也显示，表现最好的餐饮企业每工时销售额几乎是表现最差企业的三倍。
仔细观察，表现最好的餐饮企业遵循了五项关键做法：第一，普遍接受并采用数字化和自动化；第二，实施战略性菜单设计；第三，简化工作流程和空间布局；第四，外包劳动密集型的准备工作；第五，采用有效的劳动力管理。
主席先生，贸易与工业部和新加坡企业发展局将继续尽最大努力，帮助并装备我们的餐饮企业掌握这些关键能力。
为了帮助企业采纳这些最佳实践，我们在数月前举办的食品服务论坛上推出了三项新举措，支持食品行业：一，通过餐饮流程优化计划（POP）优化运营；二，通过FoodX计划加强供应链，支持餐饮企业集中食品准备；三，加速数字化转型。
除了所有这些针对行业的专项计划外，微型中小企业若希望建立核心能力并实现规模扩大，也可以利用企业发展计划（EDG）和生产力解决方案补助金（PSG）等方案，获得定制支持。因此，我们鼓励他们前往我们的10个中小企业中心，寻求量身定制的建议和指导。
主席先生，支撑我们帮助企业提升生产力和效率、实现增长的努力，是一个亲企业且值得信赖的商业环境。这也是商业振兴方案第三大重点。除了加强企业支持外，政府将简化补助流程，使企业更容易获得全套可用措施。
我很高兴宣布一项新补助计划——EDGE，它将为政府补助提供一站式服务，整合市场重塑补助（MRA）、生产力解决方案补助金（PSG）和企业发展计划（EDG）。我们将简化补助申请流程，将新加坡企业发展局的三大旗舰补助合并，企业只需提交一份申请即可在合并的补助框架下申请资金，申请流程更便捷。
新的EDGE补助将支持每年最高10万新元的合资格活动。需要更多支持以开展定制项目的企业，仍可继续向新加坡企业发展局申请。企业始终有灵活性开展符合其具体需求的项目。新加坡企业发展局计划于2026年下半年推出EDGE。届时，我刚才提到的市场重塑补助的改进措施也将纳入EDGE。
主席先生，去年政府成立了中小企业亲企业办公室（SME PEO）。该办公室通过解决跨多个公共机构的监管反馈，以及新兴行业中监管不明确的问题，支持企业发展。
基于2024年商业竞争力行动联盟的工作，我们还在跨部门亲企业规则审查委员会下宣布了三项承诺声明，以提升监管灵活性并减轻企业合规负担。中小企业亲企业办公室一直与各机构合作落实这些承诺。
首先，发布明确的监管申请服务标准，目标是在可能的情况下实现30个工作日内处理。我很高兴分享，机构已为93%的商业监管申请发布了服务标准，其中80%的申请在30个工作日内处理完毕。这有助于使我们的流程对企业更加透明和可预期。
第二，将营业执照有效期延长至至少三年，最长可达五年。如今，45%的营业执照有效期至少为三年。预计到2029年，这一比例将提升至80%，各机构正积极审查相关政策。
最后，简化流程，减少顺序审批和重复信息请求。我们已简化多机构流程，缩短行政时间，减少与审批机构的反复沟通。例如，需进行定量风险评估（QRA）的公司，在相关机构简化流程后，每次申请预计可节省超过40天。
我们还将继续与各机构合作，简化各领域的内部流程。其中一项是工业租赁转让或二级市场工业用地转让。目前，所有转让申请均需经由裕廊集团（JTC）对买方的商业计划和经济贡献进行全面评估，无论土地面积大小或剩余租期长短。
未来，对于面积不超过1.5公顷且剩余租期不超过15年的小型地块，转让评估流程将被简化。拟议用途必须支持制造业活动，且场地基础设施容量充足。裕廊集团将免除这些案例的全面评估，仅进行必要检查以确保受让方遵守现行政策和土地使用指南。修订后的流程可将合资格转让申请的处理时间缩短至自完整申请日起一个月内。裕廊集团将在今年上半年公布该举措的更多细节。
在支持企业追求增长目标和简化流程的同时，我们必须准备好积极应对转型。企业反映，随着经济结构重塑（ESR），了解自身业务健康状况和未来选项对于顺利转型至关重要。
正如副总理颜金勇所强调，企业需适应全球贸易流动变化、技术颠覆以及全球格局剧变中更为紧张的资源约束。这可能需要重新构建运营模式，正如谢伟达先生早先提到的，家族和传承企业需管理代际交接以保护其遗产。
企业可以通过转向更高附加值活动、优化运营、适当离岸或转向更具可行性的机会，重新定位和转型，更有效地重新部署资源。
企业的创立、成长和整合，都是健康、充满活力且动态的企业生态系统的重要组成部分。我们将与企业携手同行，支持他们应对转型，帮助他们适应、转型并更强大地成长。经济结构重塑委员会将在适当时候分享更多细节。
主席先生，我们值得信赖的商业环境基于消费者对企业和市场的信心。我赞同杨美林先生和卢安德烈先生关于加强对不公平贸易行为的威慑和执法的意见。
新加坡竞争与消费者委员会（CCS）已加强执法力度，促使企业承诺停止不公平行为。必要时，CCS也会对严重违规企业寻求法院禁令。然而，此类行动需经过细致调查和合法程序。我感谢杨美林先生提出的建议，以提升CCS执法效率。贸易与工业部和CCS将认真考虑这些建议，作为政府定期审查《竞争法与公平交易法》（CPFTA）补救措施的一部分。
针对卢安德烈先生提出的加强对严重违规企业威慑的建议，我们向您保证，政府对此高度关注，准备采取全政府视角，强化消费者保护制度，以防范新兴风险，并赋予执法机构更强执法权力。
为确保消费者保护制度与时俱进，政府于去年三月成立了独立的消费者保护审查小组。该小组将提出建议，解决主要消费者关切，包括压力销售手法和新兴数字危害，如未披露广告。小组将在今年晚些时候向政府提交报告，供全面审议。
主席先生，未来数年将由我们今天采取的行动决定。通过提升生产力、支持增长和国际化，以及营造亲企业环境，我们正在为更具韧性、活力和竞争力的企业生态系统奠定基础。
通过与企业和行业协会紧密合作，我们将构建新能力，使企业能够果断应对不确定性并抓住机遇。有了这些基础，我们有信心企业不仅能经受未来的不确定性考验，还能以坚韧和目标持续成长、适应、转型并取得成功。[掌声]
主席：贸易与工业部国务部长陈振声。
贸易与工业部国务部长（陈振声）：主席先生，高级国务部长刘燕玲谈到了我们如何帮助企业应对不确定性。为此，我们必须保持相关性，主要有两方面：一是保持对访客的吸引力；二是打造一个对创业者有吸引力的充满活力的初创生态系统，吸引本地及海外创始人。
让我们先谈谈如何让新加坡对访客更具吸引力。萨克提安迪·苏帕特先生询问了“旅游2040”计划的最新进展。旅游2040是我们以优质旅游为核心的长期路线图。我们正在拓展能够带来更高旅游收益的细分市场和地区，并与业界合作，创造更多精彩独特的体验。
我们2025年的表现反映了这一转变。去年，我们接待了1690万国际游客，比2024年增长2.3%。更重要的是，2025年前三季度的旅游收入达到239亿新元，比2024年同期增长6.5%。
这一良好表现有多方面原因。去年，我们继续举办世界级活动，包括Lady Gaga演唱会和2025年世界水上运动锦标赛。我们还承办了大型会议、奖励旅游、会议及展览（MICE）活动，并开放了主要景点，如雨林野趣和照明娱乐的“小黄人乐园”。
基于这一势头，我们预计今年国际游客人数将达到1700万至1800万，旅游收入约为310亿至325亿新元。为了保持对访客的吸引力，我们将加强我们的舞台、人才和演出。
先说我们的舞台，即旅游区和基础设施。圣淘沙是我们的重要旅游区之一。2019年，时任总理李显龙谈及建设大南部海滨，包括与圣淘沙共同开发布拉尼岛。我很高兴地更新，我们已启动大圣淘沙总体规划的第一阶段。
第一阶段，我们将升级圣淘沙基础设施。我们将新增一个交通枢纽，连接圣淘沙和布拉尼岛，统称为大圣淘沙。该枢纽还将包含生活方式和酒店开发项目。我们还计划更换圣淘沙快线，以提升连通性。我们将重塑海滩并增加海岸保护措施，让游客在保护圣淘沙免受海平面上升影响的同时，享受海滩时光。我们还将创造圣淘沙的新地标，如Imbiah Canopy，将成为Imbiah山顶的灯塔，引导游客前往历史建筑和自然步道。今年晚些时候，我们将分享更多关于大圣淘沙总体规划的细节，欢迎公众与我们分享想法，共同重新构想和塑造大圣淘沙。
我还想向新加坡民众更新我们刷新乌节路的进展。历史悠久的翡翠山将纳入此次刷新计划。我们将在未来几个月启动招标，改造37号翡翠山，原新加坡中华女子学校旧址。该项目将是一个综合用途开发，包含独特的酒店概念、生活方式设施以及社区和公共空间。
我们还计划于2026年第四季度完成格兰奇路活动空间。该场地可容纳3000人，能举办国际巡回演出和本地艺人表演，将现场音乐、社区和文化活动带到乌节路核心地带。
我们也在提升邮轮基础设施，巩固作为亚洲领先邮轮枢纽之一的地位。今年十月，我们将滨海湾邮轮中心的容量从6800人提升至11700人，允许两艘大型邮轮同时停靠，使我们能接待更多邮轮公司，如迪士尼探险号将以新加坡为家。我期待本周参加该船的命名仪式。
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第二，我们的人才。我们的旅游从业人员和企业塑造了每位访客的体验。我们将继续为他们提供卓越表现所需的工具。
例如，我们的旅游领导力卓越与提升计划为旅游专业人士提供技术和可持续发展技能培训。旅游企业也在使用人工智能和其他技术，我们将帮助他们更好地利用这些工具。新加坡旅游局将在五月即将举行的旅游行业大会上，发布旅行社和MICE行业的行业数字计划，以及生成式人工智能路线图。
最后，我们必须呈现精彩的演出，策划吸引访客的活动阵容。我们继续吸引艺术爱好者。除了于一月启动2026年新加坡艺术周，我们还将“博特罗在新加坡”展览带到滨海湾花园，新加坡是东南亚的首个也是唯一一站。
与艺术爱好者一样，音乐爱好者近年来也被新加坡吸引。今年，他们将欣赏到包括12月的BTS世界巡演，这得益于新加坡旅游局与HYBE及Klook的合作。这将是BTS在韩国和日本之外最长的亚洲停留。
多年来，我们也使新加坡成为有吸引力的电子竞技目的地。今年，我们将举办PGL Major Singapore 2026，这是东南亚首个反恐精英2大型赛事。
今年的一级方程式赛事也将不同且更精彩，因为我们首次获得了F1冲刺赛的举办权。这意味着F1车队将在周六争夺积分。2026年全球仅有六个赛道举办此赛事。F1粉丝们知道，这将使我们的比赛周末更加激动人心。
我们的MICE行业也持续吸引优质访客，巩固新加坡作为商务目的地的地位。今年我们将举办重要活动，如亚洲乘客终端博览会和亚太风电峰会。明年作为东盟主席国，我们将举办多场东盟活动，包括2027年东盟旅游论坛。这是加强区域旅游合作、向邻国展示新加坡的重要活动。
先生们，这些综合努力使我们成为有吸引力的目的地。接下来我将谈谈如何吸引初创企业。
我们的初创生态系统多年来显著发展。初创企业的风险投资资金在过去十年增长了四倍多，从2014年的10亿美元增至2024年的48亿美元。我们在2025年全球初创生态系统指数中排名第四，较几年前的第16名大幅提升。截至目前，我们拥有4500多家科技初创企业、220家孵化器和500家风险投资公司。
作为经济结构重塑委员会创业议题的联合主席，我与国务部长迪内什·瓦苏·达什共同与初创生态系统各方利益相关者接触，制定增强其资本、市场和人才获取的建议。
高教授肯尼斯·吴问及如何加强除资本激励外的路径，使各阶段和群体的新加坡人都能创业并在不受不利影响的情况下重返就业市场。我们正在委员会下制定更多措施，欢迎公众分享您的想法。
我们的委员会一直在研究扩大初创企业资本获取的方案，接下来我将分享我们的做法。
首先，我们将预留10亿新元，扩大“Startup SG Equity”（SSGE）计划。这将继续投资早期初创企业，并扩展至成长阶段的深科技初创企业。
目前，SSGE通过与合格私营投资者共同投资，以及通过基金中基金方式投资全球风险投资公司，支持新兴和早期深科技初创企业。
其中一个基金是Matter Venture Partners，一家总部位于硅谷的硬科技风险投资基金。Matter已投资于新加坡早期初创企业，鼓励其投资组合公司在新加坡建立强大的业务和研发基地，并指导本地初创企业创始人。
SSGE也惠及早期深科技公司，如Blue Whale Energy（BWE），该公司构建并运营虚拟电厂平台，将其自有的钠离子电池与边缘控制软件结合，打造灵活的能源网络。SSGE资金可帮助BWE吸引私人资本，加快其在新加坡的大规模部署及向其他市场的扩展。
黄世轩先生询问我们通过额外注资10亿新元试图弥合的差距。我们现在拥有一批成熟的高潜力深科技初创企业，如Nuevocor，这是一家生物技术公司，开发针对由基因突变引起的心肌疾病的潜在救命药物。Nuevocor于2025年5月完成4500万美元的B轮融资，并将在美国和欧洲开展临床试验。像Nuevocor这样的成长阶段深科技初创企业需要大量资本，以超越早期支持实现规模化。
这就是我们支持他们的方式。
首先，我们将直接投资成长阶段的深科技初创企业，如Nuevocor。这将为他们提供扩展运营、加强团队和进入新市场所需的资本，同时保持新加坡作为其总部基地。
其次，我们将投资全球成长阶段深科技风险投资基金。通过扩大我们的基金中基金策略，我们将吸引顶级成长投资者在新加坡设立据点。他们将带来资本、全球网络、专业知识和丰富的前沿科技扩展经验，助力我们的深科技初创企业在全球成长和扩张。
第三，我们将继续与第三方投资者共同投资早期深科技初创企业。通过与可信投资者分担风险，我们将催化私人资本，强化早期初创企业的市场纪律。
黄世轩先生询问Startup SG Founder计划是否仅适用于首次创业者。2024年4月，我们使该计划更具灵活性。虽然主要申请人需为首次创业者，但他们现在可以与有过创业经验的合伙创始人共同申请。
梁国明博士指出，我们的初创企业在种子阶段获得了良好支持，但随着企业成熟，由于投资者退出流动性不确定，面临困难。为此，我们正在加强企业在公共和私人市场融资的选择。
让我先谈谈我们的公共市场。
2022年，我们设立了15亿新元的Anchor Fund，旨在吸引并支持高成长企业（包括有潜力的初创企业）在新加坡上市。我们已投入该基金大部分资金，支持企业迈向公开上市。
我们将启动Anchor Fund的第二个15亿新元批次，即Anchor Fund 2。与第一批次一样，我们将与淡马锡共同投资Anchor Fund 2。这是我们企业家精神委员会工作带来的第二项举措。
这将配合新加坡金融管理局（MAS）股票市场评审小组的新举措。我们的股票市场已取得初步成效，首次公开募股活动增加，日均交易量提升。即将推出的新交所-纳斯达克双重上市桥梁将允许符合条件的公司以一套招股说明书同时在两地上市。我将于下周与纳斯达克管理层共同开启纳斯达克新加坡办事处，我们期待与纳斯达克团队合作，推动全球上市板的启动。
先生们，通过这些措施，我们旨在强化公共市场，使其成为成长型企业筹资和发展壮大的有力选择。但我们也认识到，并非所有企业都愿意通过公共市场融资。因此，我们必须帮助初创企业更好地获取私人资本，以满足多样化融资需求。
齐鸿达部长已召集新工作组，制定加强新加坡作为成长资本领先中心的策略。我们已与工作组会面，期待制定措施，更好地帮助企业筹集私人资本并寻求其他非公开退出途径。
先生们，这些举措共同加强了对我们初创生态系统的支持，覆盖企业成长各阶段。
主席先生，我已谈及如何继续提升新加坡对访客的吸引力，也谈及如何通过强化初创生态系统，帮助创新企业发展和融资，使新加坡对初创企业、创始人和企业更具吸引力。
现在，我将把话筒交给贸工部国务部长颜晓芳，介绍我们如何满足他们对空间的需求。
主席：请颜国务部长发言。
贸工部国务部长（颜晓芳女士）：主席先生，贸工部国务部长陈振声刚才谈到如何通过提供资本催化初创社区发展。我将重点介绍我们如何为新加坡初创企业提供物理空间和关键基础设施支持。
让我先介绍JTC的One-North LaunchPad。One-North是我们的主要初创节点，是一个重要的知识与创新园区，汇聚了Grab、Razer、Sea等领先企业，以及A*STAR、新加坡国立大学（NUS）、国立大学医院（NUH）和新加坡科学园等研究机构。自2015年JTC重新利用Block 71 Ayer Rajah Crescent并扩展初创中心以来，LaunchPad @ One-North已支持超过2400家初创企业，包括科技独角兽Carousell、PatSnap和Nium。如今，这里聚集了30多个孵化器、加速器和风险投资公司。
本土企业Igloo就是LaunchPad培育成功的初创企业之一。自2016年起从智能锁解决方案起步，现已发展为面向物业和设施管理的企业级门禁软件。它已扩展至包括美国和中国在内的八个国家，拥有约80个全球分销商，90%的收入来自海外。
数字发展与信息部最近宣布，将其位于Cross Street的AI联合办公空间Lorong AI扩展至LaunchPad。为为Lorong AI等下一代初创企业创造更多空间，JTC将扩展并升级LaunchPad，打造亚洲旗舰初创目的地。这是继近期与初创生态系统、风险投资基金和加速器的交流之后的举措。此次升级将极大提升初创企业工作、生活和娱乐的活跃环境。
此次升级的重点之一，如总理在预算演讲中提及，是名为“Kampong AI”的新AI园区。它将成为新加坡的AI枢纽和家园，是新加坡首个集工作与居住于一体的初创社区。预计2028年完工后，Kampong AI将成为AI初创企业和人才聚集、交流思想的场所。初创企业可在此安置研究人员和开发者，利用同地举办的活动、讲座和演示。
主席先生，恳请允许我请书记员分发Kampong AI及我将介绍的其他项目的视觉资料。议员们也可通过MP@SG Parl应用访问。
主席：请继续。[资料已分发给尊敬的议员们。]
颜晓芳女士：副总理颜国兴早前谈及确立新加坡为AI领导者。Saktiandi Supaat先生也建议通过AI在各行业的扩散等生产力措施支持增长。我们的AI领导者和从业者新兴社区迫切需要一个共享想法和打造新产品的空间。
Kampong AI将满足这一需求。它由两栋相邻的七层建筑组成——一栋拥有14,500平方米的商务园区单元和活动空间，可容纳约70家公司；另一栋设有200个住宅单元。该项目通过改造扩展的LaunchPad内的旧楼开发，步行可达One-North和Kent Ridge地铁站。
虽然预计2028年全面完工，但从2026年起，LaunchPad @ One-North将提供试点工作空间，供希望抢先入驻的企业使用。
转向新加坡另一地区，JTC将在榜鹅数字区设立新的LaunchPad，分阶段于2026年底完成。作为嵌入社区的智慧园区，榜鹅数字区是将智慧城市、机器人和网络安全领域创新转化为现实解决方案的理想试验场。这里汇聚了初创企业、产业、学术界和社区。
榜鹅数字区内不断壮大的企业和机构生态包括大华银行、华侨银行、GovTech、新加坡网络安全局和新加坡科技学院（SIT）。培训机构如SITLEARN（SIT的继续教育培训中心）将近距离观察创新发展，将新技能纳入成人学习课程。
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另一个关键支柱是榜鹅数字区的开放数字平台，收集园区数据并支持逼真模拟。JTC正与信息通信媒体发展局、GovTech和SIT合作，提升数据收集与共享。开放数字平台将把创新与榜鹅数字区基础设施（如门架和电梯）连接起来，开展现实世界试点。例如，机器人初创企业dConstruct Robotics若部署自动送货等应用，其机器人可在建筑内导航，向用户递送包裹或食物，提升榜鹅数字区居民便利。
除了催化这里的突破性发展，我们的企业还必须抓住区域机遇。预计到2030年，东盟将成为全球第四大经济体，我们正建设包括柔佛-新加坡特别经济区和巴淡-民丹-卡里蒙等节点。
JTC正规划围绕即将开通的快速交通系统（RTS）连接站的新加坡兀兰门户区，该区将成为我们通往柔佛-新加坡特别经济区的北部门户。该混合用途区占地约35公顷，相当于50个足球场大小，将包括连接RTS和兀兰北地铁站的交通枢纽。首阶段预计2030年左右完成。
兀兰门户区将为通勤者、居民及兀兰北区工作者提供商业和生活设施，也将提供灵活的工业空间。鉴于其靠近RTS连接站，兀兰门户区将满足在柔佛设厂、在新加坡设立区域总部的企业需求。
全球领先的精密光学供应商Edmund Optics展示了这一双城模式的优势。其兀兰北岸设施作为销售、创新和研发中心，而柔佛工厂负责制造零部件。作为Edmund Optics全球布局的重要节点，这一双城生态系统帮助公司保持成本效益和竞争力，同时为两国人民提供就业。RTS连接站将使这一生态系统连接更加顺畅。
感谢Victor Lye先生提出如何更好支持企业抓住柔佛-新加坡特别经济区机遇的建议。贸工部将认真研究他的提案。
主席先生，除了提供优质工业空间，我们还必须维护和拓展新加坡的国际经济空间。贸易是新加坡经济的命脉。贸易总额超过GDP三倍，全球连通性为新加坡人创造了实实在在的机会。
然而，我们也知道全球贸易正趋向碎片化。各国优先考虑经济安全而非开放市场，投资竞争日益激烈。Azhar Othman先生询问我们如何更好支持企业开拓海外市场。
在这一不确定环境下，强有力的国际伙伴关系比以往任何时候都更为重要，以助力企业国际化。我们的策略聚焦三方面。
首先，我们深化与关键伙伴的经济联系。我们继续与美国和中国保持长期合作，基于共同经济利益。
今年是新加坡与美国建交60周年，我们正扩大在人工智能、量子技术和先进核能技术领域的合作。与中国方面，我们通过苏州、天津和重庆的旗舰联合项目持续加强经济伙伴关系，重庆项目去年已庆祝十周年。
同时，我们加强与其他主要经济体的合作。我们深化与印度在半导体、航空维修、检修及大修服务和航天技术等高价值增长领域的合作，助力新加坡企业成为印度市场的先行者。
我们与欧盟及欧洲自由贸易联盟签署的数字经济协定将于2026年初生效，为我们的企业在跨区域数字交易中提供法律确定性。
在区域层面，我们继续推动东盟更深层次的经济一体化。去年，东盟升级了两项广泛被贸易商使用的标志性协议，即东盟货物贸易协定和东盟-中国自由贸易区3.0。我们还签署了数字经济框架协议，致力于打造单一可信的区域数字生态系统。新加坡明年将担任东盟主席，我们将与成员国合作，建设更无缝的经济共同体，加速数字和绿色经济增长。
我们正多元化与新兴市场和增长领域的经济联系，为新加坡企业开拓新机遇。我们通过与太平洋联盟和南方共同市场的自由贸易协定，持续与拉美伙伴合作，同时通过新贸易和投资协定进军南亚、中东和非洲市场，增强企业跨市场投资信心。
我们正在扩大数字经济伙伴协定的成员，预计今年晚些时候哥斯达黎加和秘鲁加入，中国和阿联酋也在加入谈判中。我们还启动了与智利和新西兰的绿色经济伙伴协定谈判。
最后，我们积极通过与可信伙伴紧密合作，加强经济安全。我们正敲定首个此类协议——与新西兰签署的关键物资贸易协议，确保在全球危机期间，食品和药品等关键商品贸易不中断。
我们与志同道合国家合作，维护并塑造开放、基于规则的多边贸易体系。我们发起了未来贸易与投资伙伴关系，汇聚16个小型、中型及贸易依赖国家，共同应对全球贸易和投资的新挑战与机遇。我们持续扩大高质量区域协议，如全面与进步跨太平洋伙伴关系协定和区域全面经济伙伴关系协定，同时通过首次对话搭建全面与进步跨太平洋伙伴关系协定、欧盟和东盟之间的桥梁。
主席先生，我们扩大经济空间和创造优质工业空间的努力，使新加坡保持对企业的竞争力吸引力，催化创新。贸工部同事和我已分享了创造增长和优质就业的策略，这在不确定环境中尤为重要。我们将努力确保新加坡继续成为值得信赖且充满活力的贸易和资本枢纽，为新加坡人开创更光明的未来。
主席：部长们有无需要澄清的？Saktiandi Supaat先生。
Saktiandi Supaat先生：谢谢主席。我有三个澄清问题。首先，听到副总理早前的讲话，我感谢副总理颜国兴的详尽发言。他提到对GDP和通胀的重新评估。我想请教副总理，贸工部如何评估新加坡在三种情景下的脆弱性。
第一，关键行业如半导体和制药可能面临的关税上调情景。第二，全球人工智能投资流动放缓的情景。第三，副总理刚才提到的中东危机长期化和/或价格冲击情景。相关问题是，贸工部是否已定义明确的触发条件，如能源成本持续上涨或贸易中断，在这些条件下将启动有针对性且限时的支持？这是我的第一个澄清问题，主席。
第二，关于我们为满足能源韧性和战略需求而规划的实体能源基础设施预算。我注意到财政部预算文件中，贸工部的发展开支从2025财年的约49.2亿新元增至92.4亿新元，增加约43亿新元。我想请教陈部长或副总理，这些数字是否已包含我们为满足能源韧性和战略所规划的部分能源基础设施，如登陆点、能源存储及其他替代能源项目？
最后一个问题是问国务部长陈振声，我想感谢他在我的发言中对大圣淘沙总体规划的最新情况介绍。我的问题是，我在发言中提到，除了圣淘沙和布拉尼之间的交通连接外，大圣淘沙总体规划预计将带来多少经济贡献和就业机会？将创造多少就业岗位，并将对GDP增加多少百分比的附加值？
主席：副总理颜金勇。
颜金勇先生：谢谢。首先，让我回应萨克提安迪先生指出的各种情景下，我们对经济和通胀的展望。
首先谈关税。我之前多次提及和解释过。我认为关税对新加坡有重大影响，不仅仅是新加坡与美国之间的直接关税，这固然重要，但更重要的是我们当前所处的环境，在这里关税可以随意调整，且通知时间非常短，甚至是一夜之间。如你所见，关税已从美国的一项立法转移到另一项立法。
此外，我们还必须考虑各国对这些关税的反应，这些反应对我们也有影响。有时关税上升会减缓经济增长，关税下降则刺激经济。由于关税上升，一些经济体可能会提前出口，因此它们会加快制造和出口，进而可能从新加坡进口更多零部件，而我们正是向它们供应零部件。
因此，各国之间的贸易安排非常复杂，我们依赖基于规则的开放贸易体系。新加坡是一个开放经济体，因此我们确实会从全球经济增长中受益。如果全球关税较低，将刺激更多经济活动，贸易将繁荣，新加坡也将受益。就关税而言，从新加坡角度看，较低的关税对我们更有利，因为这促进更自由、更开放的贸易活动，这将惠及像新加坡这样的开放经济体。我认为这是我们必须始终规划的事情。我们必须继续发展我们的贸易网络，并希望加强贸易安排的韧性。这就是为什么我们继续以不同形式谈判贸易协定，包括数字协定。这就是我们加强抵御关税防御能力的方式。
关于人工智能投资，这是我们正在着手的事情，我们希望能够吸引人才和投资，以及解决方案提供者。他们能够来到新加坡，在人工智能运营商和利益相关者之间创建生态系统。这就是为什么我们现在将“人工智能巷”扩展为“人工智能村”，以拥有更大的容量，并将工作和生活环境结合起来，形成完整的生态系统。希望这将自发产生动力，继续吸引更多人工智能投资。
关于中东危机，这刚刚发生在周末。我们仍在评估情况。我们需要牢记的是，霍尔木兹海峡是能源、液化天然气和石油的重要航运通道，因此它是全球能源供应的重要渠道。新加坡也在很大程度上依赖来自中东的供应，此外还有本地区的供应。
因此，我们将继续评估情况。我们预计如果中东冲突持续，将对整体能源成本产生重大影响。正如陈部长所解释的，过去几年新加坡已建立起韧性。我们采取了多项措施，加强对潜在外部能源供应冲击的抵御能力。其中一些措施因涉及机密和安全原因无法公开，有些陈部长之前已解释过。如有需要，我会请他详细说明。
关于发展开支，我将由陈部长谈谈能源方面的发展开支。但我们的发展开支显著增加，部分原因是需要继续吸引投资。正如许多人所知，随着最低税率的引入，税收激励的效力减弱，因此我们需要寻找其他方式将关键投资锚定在新加坡。这部分发展开支就是为此而设，旨在吸引投资来新加坡，继续提供优质就业岗位。我将话筒交给陈博士。
下午2时45分
陈振声博士：主席先生，针对萨克提安迪先生关于贸工部预算增量的澄清，答案是肯定的，预算增量确实考虑了多方面的增加开支。我提到了8亿新元的脱碳重大挑战。我们还有生物甲烷试验区。我也提到了将推动多项工作的SPEED办公室。我们还需要开始推动裕廊岛的绿化。
此外，如果您还记得，无论是去年的财政预算辩论还是前年，议员们也预留了未来能源基金，但那更多是用于基础设施建设，为互联互通设施提供资金，准备引入部分可再生能源进口。
我没有具体的细目分解哪些是组成部分。我们需要增量预算来开发试验区，但正如我所说，我们不遗余力，评估哪些路径能为我们带来可持续性、可靠性和安全性。
主席：陈国务部长有话要回应。
陈振声先生：主席，我感谢萨克提安迪·苏帕特先生对圣淘沙的关注。圣淘沙只是我们整体2040旅游战略中的一部分——当然是非常重要的一部分。我们预计旅游收入将达到约470亿至500亿新元。这是我们的关键战略：吸引高质量旅游。
关于我之前提到的大圣淘沙总体规划第一阶段，完成后，预计到2045年，大圣淘沙将吸引约530万国际游客。随着未来几年我们将建设的各个阶段，许多新的主题公园和景点，我认为圣淘沙将实现转型。我们欢迎新加坡人和游客前来参观，增添旅游活力。
主席：我看到有多位举手发言，请简明提出您的澄清问题。李显龙先生。
李显龙先生：主席，我之前谈过新加坡和我们的企业不能仅靠成本竞争，必须继续专注于创新。因此，我想请陈部长分享政府如何评估我们研发和公共资助知识产权商业化的经济成果，包括企业成立、向本地企业授权、对GDP的贡献以及高价值就业岗位。
陈振声博士：主席先生，我理解议员对公共资助研究商业化及投资回报的兴趣。我与他有同样的情感和热情。
我想强调一点，政府投资研发不仅仅像商业机构那样。它必须做得更多。政府必须投资研发，长期建设我们的战略能力，这是国家持续不仅要繁荣，还要领先竞争对手所必需的。我们实际上已经看到成果。
首先，我们企业和经济的研发能力显著提升。这使新加坡经济能够向产业和活动的价值链上游迈进，并在技术密集型领域取得全球领导地位，当然，在此过程中为新加坡人创造了优质就业。
如果看2016年至2023年约八九年间，企业研发总支出年复合增长率为7.8%，达到90亿新元。因此，2023年公共部门每投入1新元研发，私营部门相应投入1.87新元，高于2016年的1.38新元。
私营部门研发企业数量也增长了33%，从2016年的约774家增至2023年的1030家。同一时期，研发企业的附加值增长了142%，每名员工的附加值增长了110%。
2016年至2023年间，私营部门研发岗位增长了36%，超过3万个岗位，其中本地人占70%以上。
以Mirxes为例，这是我们生态系统培育的研发企业之一。如今，其全球员工60%在新加坡，且大多是新加坡公民或永久居民，尽管该公司在香港上市。
研发能力的提升也使新加坡在半导体、生物医药等技术密集型领域建立了领导地位，并能探索前沿领域如空间技术。根据世界银行集团数据，新加坡是全球第六大高科技产品出口国。新加坡已成为全球领先的生物制药制造中心，行业产值在过去二十年翻倍，2023年超过180亿新元。大型制药公司如礼来、默沙东和辉瑞，继续在One-North和大士医疗园区保持研发活动。
其次，我们增强的研发能力促进了充满活力的初创生态系统和具有商业潜力的研发公司管道。这强化了我们的创新驱动型经济，使新加坡处于新兴技术前沿。正如陈国务部长早前提到的，我们的初创生态系统在StartupBlink 2025全球初创生态指数中排名第四。
自2020年以来，新加坡初创生态系统排名从第16位攀升至第四位，过去五年我们的科技初创企业每年获得10亿美元或以上的风险投资。
第三，我们在本地拥有全球领先的大学，供新加坡人就读。国大和南大在2026年QS世界大学排名中分别位列第8和第12。强劲的大学排名吸引投资，推动创新，并为本地人才提供世界级教育。凭借培养适应性强、数字化流利和创新准备充分的劳动力优势，新加坡在2025年全球人才竞争力指数中，在135个经济体中排名第一，超过瑞士登顶。
2014年至2024年，新加坡的领域加权引用影响指数从1.44升至1.76，意味着我们的研究被引用次数比全球平均高出76%，反映了我们学术研究人员及其成果的高质量。
第四，我们的研发能力对医疗保健、气候变化和城市解决方案等战略重点领域贡献显著。不久前，在新冠疫情期间，我们的研究人员是全球最早培养出SARS-CoV-2病毒的团队之一。他们迅速开发了诊断试剂盒，支持数据驱动的公共卫生措施。
我想向尊敬的李显龙议员和所有议员保证，我们从过去几十年建立的科学基础中获得了良好的商业回报。仅过去五年，A*STAR和我们的高等院校技术已孵化出300多家新公司，230家本地中小企业和初创企业也授权了约300项A*STAR技术，此外我们的高等院校向中小企业和初创企业授予了900多项许可。这些衍生企业包括MetaOptics，利用A*STAR的材料和晶圆制造专长制造世界级镜头并成功上市；还有Amperesand，利用南大的先进固态变压器技术巩固其行业领先地位。
顺便说一句，我分享的大部分信息都可在公开资料中找到，如国家研发创新调查和A*STAR年度报告。我们将保持专注，坚定不移，继续投资未来。希望这能澄清您的疑问。
主席：时间不多了，下一个澄清，赖伟国先生，感谢您八分钟的发言。
赖伟国先生：主席，我感谢政治任命官员的回应和发言。关于我们对先进产业的投资，中小企业必须转型，我欢迎甘秀凰国务部长分享关于兀兰门户的情况。
我的第一个问题是，我们是否有计划在新加坡对面开发一个工业园区，即新加坡工业园区，以便我们能将这两个门户地块部署到新加坡-柔佛特别经济区，扩大新加坡的经济空间？
第二个问题是，鉴于此将需要技术劳动力，我们能否建立一个框架，使新加坡技术工人能够在特别经济区生活和工作？
主席：甘国务部长，希望您的回应比陈部长简短。
甘秀凰女士：主席，我感谢赖伟国先生对在柔佛-新加坡特别经济区建立新加坡工业园区的想法的澄清。这是个有趣的想法，如果有商业方愿意投资，我们很乐意协助推动。
关于让人们能够在特别经济区居住并无缝工作，我们正在探索新加坡政府与马来西亚政府之间的数字游牧签证。顺便告诉您，马来西亚已有数字游牧签证，允许外国人在马来西亚居住而无需受雇。因此，我们已有可借鉴的基础，正在考虑进一步完善。
主席：田佩玲女士。
田佩玲女士：主席，我想问陈部长。我很高兴听到有计划探索更多替代能源，氢能是其中之一。我想了解新加坡是否计划及早定位自己，塑造区域氢能供应链，而不仅仅是跟随他人，而是引领这一领域？如果是，如何实现？
此外，考虑到整体能源安全和可持续性，有哪些措施支持本地企业和初创企业，或吸引它们来新加坡，深化该领域研发，最终实现能源，特别是氢能的商业化部署，以实现安全、可持续且可负担的能源愿景？
最后一个澄清是，谈到可负担性。随着数字化和加大人工智能投入，能源消耗肯定会增加，且随着我们更多进口能源，可能会产生成本。我们如何减轻或防止这些成本转嫁给本地企业和新加坡家庭，确保能源高度可及且负担得起？
下午3时
陈振声博士：主席先生，若允许我针对这三个澄清尽量简明扼要回答。
主席：谢谢。
陈振声博士：关于第一个问题，正如我刚才提到的氨气研究，我们已与一家本地大型企业合作，开展前端工程设计（FEED）研究，不仅研究氨气作为一种可能路径——我知道议员提到的是氢气——因为氨和氢都是分子，大家都比较了解。只是目前绿色氢气的运输非常昂贵，且物流链尚未建立。
因此，作为中介，我们需要一种载体，将绿色氢气以绿色氨的形式运输。我们正与新加坡海事及港务局紧密合作，因为我们的愿景超越FEED研究和试验区。我们希望最终如果能证明该试验区的可行性，不仅将其作为绿色氢气战略中的一种能源形式，还可能成为绿色氨从东向西运输的加注枢纽。
第二，关于如何帮助中小企业。确实，我们有计划。对于许多大型试验区，我们鼓励发电公司和大型企业与本地中小企业合作，共同参与。我之前提到的8亿新元脱碳重大挑战，就是希望能吸引大型发电公司和跨国公司带动本地中小企业，共同助力脱碳。
关于第三点，可再生能源进口。确实，能源多元化和能源转型以实现低碳替代方案会带来成本。首先，我们非常关注这种成本压力及其可能对，尤其是我们的家庭和企业造成的影响。因此，我们的做法是，允许低碳能源进口商与大型能源用户达成商业安排。比如谷歌、亚马逊网络服务以及一些数据中心，我们允许他们进行谈判，并对这些安排进行隔离保护。
但终有一天，政府将与各个行业配合碳税，将这部分成本分摊开来。这不会在短时间内发生，但这是我们必须考虑的事情。长期来看，随着脱碳进程推进，尽管天然气将始终是我们的基础能源，我们也非常关注继续使用天然气的成本，还要加上脱碳天然气的成本，包括排放捕集、汇聚、运输和储存，这些都带来额外费用。
因此，我们的碳定价反映了该能源生产方式的真实成本。我们希望能够将这部分成本在全国范围内进行社会化分摊。根本原则是，首先通过节能来应对，并提高管理峰值电价与试验电价的效率。
这些措施仍在开发中。我们正在开发虚拟电网，也在模拟不同场景，并使用储能系统确保基荷稳定。我认为这些是我们未来必须共同走的道路。当然，我期待田女士和本院其他议员在脱碳过程中给予大力支持。
主席：李鸿昌先生。
李鸿昌先生：首先，我感谢资政廖女士分享他们将为中小企业做的工作，特别是从可用性到未来更易获取的措施。但我想用中文问一个补充问题，因为这是针对讲中文的中小企业。
（中文发言）：[请参见中文发言稿。] 在采用人工智能时，政府是否会考虑让AI更加自动化，能够翻译成中文或其他语言，并提供语音朗读功能，以便受中文教育的创业者更好地理解并受益？
廖燕玲女士：谢谢主席。请允许我用中文简要回答李鸿昌先生的问题。
（中文发言）：[请参见中文发言稿。] 感谢李鸿昌先生提出建设性的问题。刚才他用中文发言时，我认真聆听。其中一句话我觉得非常贴切——企业做得好，员工的工作保障才最有保障。我认为这是新加坡非常重要的社会环境。
贸工部之前的英文发言提到，我们为何积极推出企业转型方案，该方案包含三个重要组成部分。
第一，帮助我们的中小企业，包括微型企业，提高生产力和成本效率。
首先，我们将大力推动企业采用人工智能技术。任何去过中国的人都会看到李先生提到的技术，现在随处可见。我们演讲时，中文、英文或其他语言会同步显示在屏幕上。因此，我们肯定会考虑这一建设性建议。我们也鼓励企业不仅采用AI，还采用自动化和节能解决方案，正如陈振声部长早前提到的。
第二，我想呼吁。贸工部和新加坡企业发展局将全力支持企业开拓本地及海外市场。正如我早前提到的，我们将做两项重要调整：提高支持力度，扩大支持范围，帮助企业抓住增长机会，拓展业务。
最后，不仅是贸工部、经济发展局和新加坡企业发展局，在副总理颜金勇领导下，政府各机构将继续营造亲商、亲民环境，建立诚信为本的营商环境。我们将整合简化申请流程，让中小企业包括微型企业更快更容易获得政府支持，使他们能专注于业务创新和未来发展。
主席：实际上我正在用完我们的休息时间，以配合截止时间。截止时间是下午3点20分，今天下午将不设休息。
还有很多人举手，我会尽量安排，所以建议大家跳过所有开场白，直接提问。同样，前排议员也请尽量省略不必要内容，直接回答。[笑声] 谢德荣先生。
谢德荣先生：主席，我尽量直奔主题。副总理提到增长来自深度，而不仅仅是技能。他特别提到缩短创新周期，我猜是指研究转化。我认为新加坡已经在做这方面工作。所以我想问副总理，我们如何做得不同？是否有具体目标来加快研究转化速度以缩短创新周期？
关于资政廖女士提到的“企业焕新”计划，我想确认：我们是否扩大该计划以支持有代际传承和转型需求的家族企业？如果是，具体如何支持？其次，行业协会在帮助推广“企业焕新”计划的好处中扮演什么角色？根据我与行业协会合作的经验，秘书处的能力是成功关键之一。贸工部是否也支持行业协会加强秘书处的能力建设？
颜金勇先生：主席，我简短回答。首先，深化领导力和增强深度的方式之一，是在我们已有坚实基础的跨国公司、企业和行业中发展领导力，比如半导体、制药等领域。这些是我们的优势领域。我们不仅想成为全球运营者之一，更想成为关键节点。
通过这样做，我们也希望吸引关键运营职能，包括研发。我们希望他们将研发设施带到新加坡，建设研发能力，从而缩短创新推向市场的过程。这是我们正在做的方式之一。
陈博士也提到我们的研发举措、研发投资和转化研究，促进知识转化为商业产品和服务。这些都是我们的努力方向。我们也利用人工智能帮助加速创新过程。许多公司已在研发过程中引入AI能力。
我想简短回应沙基丹迪·苏帕特先生早前的问题。他问政府启动应对多种情景的触发点是什么。我想说，没有单一触发点。我们会全面考虑所有影响，边走边评估。如有必要，会推出相应举措应对。例如，在SERT框架下，我们推出了“企业适应补助”（BizAdapt）和“GRIT”实习计划，帮助员工转型。
所以，我们会持续评估，必要时推出新举措支持企业转型。
主席：刘安德先生。哦，资政廖女士。
廖燕玲女士：谢谢主席，我简短回应。感谢谢德荣议员关于家族企业和行业协会的两部分问题。
主席：跳过这些，直接切入重点。
廖燕玲女士：关于家族企业，我想向他保证，早前提到提高对中小企业和非中小企业的支持水平，许多多代家族企业属于此类。举个快速例子，主席，三周前我出席了广香泰新工厂开幕仪式——
主席：资政，请不要列举太多例子。资政廖女士。
廖燕玲女士：他们与新加坡企业发展局和裕廊工业区发展局紧密合作，通过数字化转型和人工智能，产能提升不仅是两倍或三倍，而是六倍。这是颠覆性的，因为他们现在能大幅提升出口能力。
关于行业协会，新加坡企业发展局和贸工部将继续与各类行业协会密切合作，包括新加坡工商联合总会（SBF）、新加坡中华总商会（SCCCI）、新加坡马来商工联合总会（SMCCI）、新加坡印度商会（SICCI）等。我们希望与他们合作实现“三个A、B、C”：一是倡导并成为其成员企业的声音；二是与企业发展局及各经济机构紧密合作，提升能力和实力；三是连接行业内成员企业，促进行业协会间合作。
举例来说，过去几年我们推出了许多行业协会项目。一个快速例子是行业协会奖学金计划，由新加坡工商联合总会牵头。一个月前我去过SBF——
主席：资政廖女士。资政廖女士——
廖燕玲女士：——会见了第六届学员。非常感谢。
主席：请您——好的。刘安德先生，最后一个问题。
刘武扬先生：这是给资政廖燕玲女士的问题。我的问题是，政府是否考虑过我的建议，将针对弱势群体施加高压推销手段定为刑事犯罪，特别是鉴于我们对诈骗及诈骗团伙的严厉打击？我认为，面对面诈骗本质上是同一套手法——利用恐惧和焦虑，针对弱势群体，涉及金额数百至数千元，金额相当惊人。
廖燕玲女士：感谢刘安德议员。早前我已简要回应。我想向他和杨美林议员保证，你们提到的问题非常相似，你们可能也听过内政部政治任命官员在国会答辩时对诈骗的强硬立场。
下午3点15分
正如我早前发言所述，政府去年召集了独立消费者保护评审小组。他们正按计划向我们提交报告。我们会认真审视其中内容，因为焦点小组讨论反馈涵盖了议员提到的领域。
我想向他保证，不仅是竞争与消费者委员会（CCS），也不仅是贸工部体系，我们准备采取全政府视角，强化消费者保护制度，做到两点：一是防范新兴风险，二是确保执法机构具备必要能力和权力进行执法。
主席：时间已到。请问沙基丹迪·苏帕特先生，您是否愿意撤回修正案？
下午3点16分
沙基丹迪·苏帕特先生：我不打算直接请求撤回修正案，首先要感谢副总理颜金勇、陈振声部长、资政廖燕玲、国务部长艾尔文和国务部长颜秀芳回答我们所有质询。共有约21个质询，16位议员发言。我也感谢贸工部常任秘书及其团队，因为贸工部未来有很多工作要做，我感谢他们。
基于此，主席，我请求撤回我的修正案。
主席：感谢各位议员放弃休息时间。
[(程序文本) 修正案经许可，撤回。 (程序文本)]
[(程序文本) 头V项下1,861,722,800元列入主要预算。 (程序文本)]
[(程序文本) 头V项下10,705,745,500元列入发展预算。 (程序文本)]
英文原文
SPRS Hansard 原始记录 · 抓取日期：2026-05-02
The Chairman : Head V, Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI). Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
11.51 am
Productivity-led Growth for Singapore
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh) : Mr Chairman, I move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head V of the Estimates be reduced by $100".
Mr Chairman, our economy today is less about weathering cyclical volatility and more about navigating deep structural change in the global order.
Geopolitical fragmentation, industrial policy competition, supply chain reconfiguration, decarbonisation pressures and rapid technological disruption have fundamentally reshaped the landscape.
Recent volatility in global technology stocks also reminds us how quickly shifts in risk sentiment can transmit across financial markets, trade and investment flows. This is now further amplified by escalating tensions in the Middle East, which are already driving energy price volatility, safe haven flows and heightened uncertainty across global markets and can translate into higher inflation, tighter financial conditions and weaker global growth.
For a small and open economy like Singapore, these external forces will continue to shape our growth trajectory.
In this environment, Singapore’s strategy must do three things simultaneously: strengthen business resilience, move decisively into higher-value growth areas and translate growth into quality jobs for Singaporeans. Ultimately, with constraints on labour and capital, growth must increasingly come from within, by deepening capabilities, innovation and knowledge, in other words, productivity. Both labour productivity and total factor productivity must become our primary engine of growth.
First, supporting businesses through structural transition. Externally, trade realignment, onshoring trends and slower global growth are making the operating environment more complex. Internally, firms must navigate digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, workforce redesign and sustainability pressures.
Government support schemes are necessary. But the key question is whether they are sufficiently deep to drive real transformation. How are our Industry Transformation Maps evolving to move firms up the value chain, rather than simply helping them manage costs? How are we measuring genuine productivity gains, not just adoption of digital tools, but outcomes such as management upgrading, process redesign and business model transformation?
More fundamentally, how are we ensuring that firms build internal capabilities, in management, innovation and operations, that generate sustained productivity gains and diffuse across the wider economy? More broadly, we should continue refining how our fiscal tools support transformation. For example, can we design more targeted AI diffusion support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), tied to measurable outcomes such as productivity improvements, cost savings or new market access?
Can we strengthen wage and training co-funding for job redesign, particularly in sectors exposed to global competition, so that firms upgrade jobs rather than displace workers? And given the increasingly volatile global environment, should we consider a counter-cyclical accelerator, pre-approved support that can be activated quickly during downturns, so that firms and workers receive timely assistance without delays? More broadly, our fiscal tools should be fast, targeted and where appropriate automatic, supporting adjustment while reinforcing long-term discipline.
Second, strengthening non-tradeable sectors. While we focus on tradeable sectors, we must not neglect domestic sectors such as tourism, retail and food and beverage (F&B). Could the Minister provide an update on the Tourism 2040 roadmap? What are the key milestones for achieving "quality tourism"?
In an increasingly competitive region, with strong investments by neighbours such as Malaysia and Vietnam, how are we sharpening Singapore’s differentiation while managing the churn in attractions, restaurants and lifestyle offerings?
On the Greater Sentosa Master Plan, what progress can be made, and what is the projected economic contribution and job creation?
More broadly, are we developing precinct-level strategies, such as waterfront, cultural and lifestyle clusters, in a more coordinated way? A vibrant domestic services sector is not just supportive. It can itself be a source of innovation, productivity and capability development.
Third, capitalising on growth and frontier sectors. I agree that Singapore must stay ahead in advanced manufacturing, high-trust services and frontier domains, such as quantum, decarbonisation and space. But how will this translate into jobs? What are the projected job creation numbers over the next five to 10 years and how are these distributed across skill levels?
In advanced manufacturing, how are we ensuring that investments deepen local technical capabilities, not just raise output per worker? In trust-based services, such as financial services, arbitration and digital trust, how are we sustaining Singapore’s advantage as global regulatory regimes evolve? And in frontier sectors, what is the realistic timeline for scalable job creation? Growth must not only create jobs. It must build capabilities that endure and diffuse across the economy.
Fourth, anchoring capabilities locally. It is not sufficient to build capabilities. We must anchor them in Singapore.
One key area is the transfer of capabilities from foreign talent to Singaporeans. How effective has the Capability Transfer Programme been in practice? Where foreign expertise is required, are we embedding structured and measurable capability transfer requirements as part of investment conditions? Are firms receiving incentives required to demonstrate progression of Singaporeans into higher-value roles? Sustainable growth must ultimately be driven by the accumulation of local human capital and knowledge.
At the same time, skills supply must keep pace with demand. Is the Ministry working closely with our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to anticipate manpower needs in priority sectors? Given the cross-Ministry nature of this effort, how is coordination being strengthened to ensure timely and aligned talent development?
Fifth, Mr Chairman, energy security and economic resilience. As a resource-scarce country, we must accelerate our transition to greener energy to reduce vulnerability to global price shocks, especially in an era of heightened geopolitical fragmentation.
Kenya, whose President has expressed an ambition to be the "Singapore of Africa", now generates about 90% of its electricity from renewable sources. How does Singapore compare and how has our progress evolved over time?
What is the projected job creation from our decarbonisation push, across renewables integration, hydrogen, carbon management and grid resilience? How do we ensure that our sustainability ambitions are achieved while keeping energy reliable and affordable for households and businesses? And how can this transition catalyse new capabilities and industries locally, rather than simply raise costs?
Mr Chairman, our economic environment is undergoing deep structural change, requiring bold and coordinated action rather than incremental adjustments. Resilience without growth is stagnation. Growth must translate into jobs for Singaporeans and openness without anchoring local capability is unsustainable.
In a more volatile global environment, fiscal discipline and buffers give us the space to respond to shocks. But ultimately, our long-term competitiveness will depend on how deeply we build, retain and renew capabilities within our economy.
I look forward to MTI's clarifications on how it is sequencing these priorities and measuring success, not just in investment commitments, but in sustained capability development and meaningful employment outcomes for Singaporeans.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Nurturing the Next Local Champion
Mr Shawn Loh (Jalan Besar) : Mr Chairman, before I begin, I declare my interest as the group managing director of Commonwealth Capital Group.
I have spoken in this House before about the importance of growing Singaporean multinational companies (MNCs) that are deeply rooted here. Ultimately, size matters. When a Singapore enterprise scales successfully, it anchors high value headquarter (HQ) functions here. It develops local managerial talent pipelines, and it contributes to economic and supply chain resilience. Singaporeans will benefit if we have more local companies crossing the $1 billion mark in annual revenues.
12.00 pm
MTI could consider setting an ambitious target for a number of new local companies to reach that scale by 2035 so that all Government agencies can marshal their resources to achieve this.
While it remains important to help the broad base of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as defined by those earning below $100 million of annual revenue, there are unique challenges for companies to scale beyond $100 million. At the $100 million-level, these companies are still small enterprises on the global stage.
MTI could consider adding a separate tier of companies between $100 and $200 million in annual revenue, with slightly lower support than the SME tier, so that there is a gentler cliff effect in support levels, which are typically more generous for SMEs. Today, the support levels can drop from 70% to 30%. I wonder if this is incentivising some companies to stay below the $100 million mark in annual revenues unnaturally.
This is similar to legislation passing through the European parliament last week on a new tier of small mid-cap companies. Coincidentally, this new tier was set at 200 million Euros.
Many of our larger local companies are already winners in their respective industries. They are capable and ambitious, yet few manage to break into the next tier. That is because unlike other countries, we do not have a large domestic market. So, to scale further, our firms have to internationalise when they are smaller while operating headquarters with a higher-cost base. This is a structural disadvantage and makes scaling much more difficult.
So, to be clear, when the Government supports larger local firms to scale, it is no longer about picking future winners. It is instead about doubling down on current winners, helping them win even bigger in the future and thereby bringing more benefits to Singaporeans.
To scale, firms must do two things.
First, firms must develop more products and services with market fit. The Government has no business in telling companies what to do or how to do it. That is the job of entrepreneurial enterprises. But the Government can create a conducive economic infrastructure to improve the chances of success.
MTI's efforts to sustain a dynamic and vibrant enterprise ecosystem will help. Such an ecosystem can foster broader, deeper and richer collaborations that lead to a faster cycle of product development and market testing.
We also need to consider whether our factors of production, taken holistically, are competitive. These include manpower, land, energy and capital, to name a few. I will focus only on capital today.
Firms need access to sufficiently affordable capital in order to invest in fixed assets, such as machines to increase output, as well as working capital, which can grow quite quickly as firms scale. To that end, I have no objections to the Budget announcement to improve the Enterprise Financing Scheme for trade and fixed asset loans.
But organic growth is way too slow. We should be more impatient and help firms get to the moon faster. Focus on inorganic growth through mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to turbocharge our local companies. Affordable capital is also required for M&A.
Currently, the Enterprise Financing Scheme supports domestic acquisitions undertaken by firms up to $500 million in revenue, but this support lapses in a month. This was not mentioned in the Budget Statement. The Ministry should consider extending or broadening this support.
Second, once firms have product-market fit, they need to scale through new markets. We can do this in a few ways.
We can bring those markets into Singapore through tourism. This speaks to our tourism strategy to bring more high-spending tourists who can revitalise traditionally domestic-oriented industries, like F&B and retail. More tourists also mean more GST collections.
Of course, the more conventional way is to go into new markets overseas. When our firms expand overseas, the biggest constraints are often networks, credibility and distribution channels. This has traditionally been Government-led, but strong business-led communities can complement Government efforts. They can engage regulators and partners in a more informal and commercially driven manner; facilitate peer-to-peer sharing of intelligence and experiences; and build a sustained Singapore-branded presence.
I sometimes wonder why there are not more Singaporean business chambers of commerce overseas. For example, there does not seem to be one in the United States (US) or the United Kingdom (UK). Is the Government aware of any coordination challenges preventing similar business-led platforms from forming? Does the Government see any value in playing a stronger catalytic role to address these challenges?
Mr Chairman, I hope the Ministry can consider these perspectives to strengthen our enterprise landscape. Singaporeans can look forward to a new generation of Singaporean global enterprises with pride.
Enhancing Consumer Protection
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas) : Mr Chairman, before I begin, I declare my interests as president of the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) as well as the co-chair of the Consumer Protection Review Panel.
Sir, our consumer protection regime must move faster against errant businesses. Today, when CASE refers a business to the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) for breaches of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (or CPFTA), it can take well over two years before an injunction is granted by the Courts. In recent cases, the process has taken between 28 and 39 months from referral to Court Order.
I do appreciate CCS for taking enforcement action and securing injunctions. But when enforcement takes years, consumers continue to suffer losses while cases are being processed. Errant businesses are allowed to continue their unfair practices for far too long.
We can and we must do better.
Today, CCS already exercises administrative powers under the Competition Act. I call on the Government to grant CCS similar administrative enforcement powers for breaches of the CPFTA. Such powers would allow CCS to act more swiftly – to issue directions, require compliance and stop harmful practices without relying solely on lengthy Court proceedings. This will free up judicial resources and, more importantly, protect our consumers earlier.
This is especially critical as unfair practices evolve.
We are already seeing a rise in dark patterns – deceptive online design tactics that manipulate consumers into making unintended purchases. These include hidden subscriptions, subscription traps that are difficult to cancel and AI-generated fake reviews that mislead consumers.
These practices spread quickly online. Our enforcement tools must move just as quickly. A nimble digital economy requires a nimble regulator. Beyond digital practices, we are also deeply concerned about the sharp rise in prepayment losses.
In 2025, consumers suffered over $2.7 million in prepayment losses. This is a 40.4% increase from 2024. While many of these cases arise from certain sectors, the broader concern is this – businesses with weak financial standing continue to collect large prepayments to sustain cashflow. When such businesses fail, consumers are left bearing the losses.
The risk is asymmetrical. Businesses gain immediate cashflow. Consumers bear the downside. I therefore call on the Government to introduce a mandatory cooling-off period for all businesses that collect significant prepayments. Consumers should have time – away from sales pressure – to consider their purchases carefully and to reconsider large prepaid commitments. A cooling-off period restores balance. It encourages responsible selling and gives consumers space to make rational decisions.
Finally, I would like to update that the Consumer Protection Review Panel has been studying a range of issues affecting consumers, including better monitoring of unfair practices in the digital age and prepayment safeguards. Public consultations will begin on 16 March 2026.
I must stress that consumer protection is not anti-business. It is pro-trust. Let us act decisively to protect that trust —
The Chairman : Mr Andre Low, you may take your two cuts together.
Strengthening Consumer Protection
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre (Non-Constituency Member) : Chairman, let me begin with a Latin phrase every lawyer knows – caveat emptor. Buyer beware. This was a doctrine that was borne for a simpler world – a world of physical retail and handshakes, where buyer and sellers stood on more equal ground.
This world is gone. Today, the ordinary Singaporean faces sophisticated commercial machinery engineered to extract compliance in revenue through confusion, inertia and sometimes even fear. The CPFTA was not designed for this world. It is falling short today and Singaporeans are paying the price.
I will address two dimensions to this failure: first, the deceptive commercial practices that quietly train our wallets of everyday consumers; and second, the physical predation targeting our most vulnerable and destroying their retirement savings.
First, deceptive commercial practices. Long part of the playbook of usual suspects, like telecommunications companies (telcos) and gyms, the CCS has already demonstrated that such misconduct is spreading to other industries, like direct-to-consumer brands and e-commerce.
In August 2024, CCS took action against Sterra, a water filter brand that falsely claimed that Singapore's tap water was unsafe to drink and sold products marketed as being manufactured in Korea and Singapore when they were in fact manufactured in China. Last December, CCS acted against PRISM+ for fake countdown timers on their website that served no technical function and simply reset to zero; and against COURTS for silently adding unsolicited products to customers' shopping carts. COURTS knew about this in 2024 but they made no changes until the CCS intervened.
These are just the headline cases, but beyond them, quieter practices extract money daily from consumers: fixed-term contracts advertised at introductory rates that apply only to the first few months, deliberately creating the impression that the full contract is cheaper than it really is; trials that convert silently to fully paid subscriptions with no active consent; and third-party services bundled into telco packages, like Netflix subscriptions, free for three months and then cancellable only by navigating a maze designed specifically to outlast the consumer's patience.
Each year, CASE and the CCS, between them, receive 40 to 50 complaints about such cases. This is just the tip of the iceberg and many similar tactics abound.
The Government has convened a Consumer Protection Review Panel last March. I welcome this and I look forward to its findings. But I also want to add my perspective about what I see as most urgent.
One, any advertised price for fixed-term subscription must reflect the average cost across the full contract term. A promotional rate that applies only part of the term cannot be used as the headline figure. Two, we should ask for explicit active consent before any trial converts to a paid subscription. Silence is not consent. Three, we should enforce contractual symmetry. If it is one click to sign up, it should be one click to cancel. Four, we should empower the CCS with direct administrative powers like the UK's Competition and Markets Authority, which can levy fines of up to 10% of global annual revenue for consumer law breaches without going to Court.
Today, many companies behave well, but some bad actors act with impunity until they are taken to task. We need to give the CCS stronger teeth to tackle their bad behaviour. Voluntary compliance agreements after the fact are not deterrence.
Predatory Sales Targeting the Vulnerable
Deceptive commercial practices drain wallets, but what I turn to now is worse – physical, face-to-face predatory behaviour that has cost some Singaporeans their retirement savings entirely.
CASE's February 2026 report recorded a 76% surge in beauty industry complaints last year, with consumers losing over $2.1 million.
Consider what happened at a hair salon chain, where an elderly man came in for an $8 haircut. Midway through it, a staff member showed him images on a monitor and told him his scalp was haemorrhaging although no scanning device was ever used. His personal identification number (PIN) was entered into the payment machine while his payment total was covered. He left having paid nearly $1,000 for treatments he never consented to.
Another chain of beauty salons – 53 complaints, exceeding $980,000 in total. In one case, a single consumer was charged at least $370,000. More than 40% of complainants were aged 60 and above.
Finally, Nail Palace. Its managing director was sentenced to four months' imprisonment in September 2024 – but note this – for contempt of Court, for failing to notify customers of injunctions against the chain, but not for the original predatory behaviour. That was handled as a civil matter throughout. The gap in the law is precisely what must be closed.
So, this is my final ask: I invite MTI to consider working with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Attorney-General's Chambers to examine criminalising severe predatory sales tactics that are directed at vulnerable people. France's consumer code already does this. The "abus de faiblesse", abuse of weakness crime, carries up to three years imprisonment for exploiting a consumer's age, illness or psychological vulnerability. The UK's consumer protection legislation similarly expressly prohibits aggressive commercial practices, with penalties extending up to two years imprisonment.
Chairman, when a business confines a vulnerable senior in a room, manufactures a medical scare and then extracts their life savings through coercion or psychological tactics, the law must have a name for that and consequences to match.
Through-train Initial Public Offering for Technology Venture
Dr Neo Kok Beng (Nominated Member) : Mr Chairman, I would like to declare that I have innovation studios which create and invest in technology and innovation ventures for the global market.
We are actually living in a very exciting time, with lots of disruptive innovations and technology. The question is how we in Singapore explore and exploit such opportunities.
If we look at the, let us say, air taxi market that I am involved in, you can see that there are, on NASDAC or NYSE, companies that are worth between about $8 billion and $16 billion in valuations, but they have not sold a single craft. They have pre-orders, but they have not actually sold a single craft. So, they are pre-commercialisation, but the market recognise the opportunities and fund them.
Do we have such an exchange in Singapore? I think that is the big question. For technology companies and especially new ventures, really, we need to find a different formula. If you look up north, a little bit further, in Hong Kong, they have the pre-commercialisation listing rules for biomedical under the listing 18A rules or the 18C rules, which is specialist technology companies.
We can learn a little bit from that, but they cater for a bigger market.
In Singapore, we have lots of startups, technology ventures resulting from the universities' research, and also from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), from our research institutes. There are also a lot of AI innovation opportunities from the private sector. The question is always a gap, the gap between the people that are looking for money and the people looking for exit from the investment. So, they are all staring at each other. Who is going to move first? That is where the pre-commercialisation stage funding is required for all these technology ventures.
I would like to propose that we close this gap. That for technology ventures that are globally oriented and leadership driven, g-o-l-d, I will call it these gold nuggets that we have. And I believe we have a lot of gold nuggets. My doctorate is in innovation. I have trained a lot of innovative teams in the universities. So, how to bring these gold nuggets to become actually a big gold bar? I believe that our exchange can be structured for special listing rules for the technology ventures in the size of about $50 to $100 to 150 million, giving them the special access so that the —
The Chairman : Mr Gerald Giam.
Bridging the Micro Enterprise Gap
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied) : Sir, micro and small enterprises are the backbone of our community. They provide economic stability for the nation and livelihoods for many workers. However, their economic contribution remains disproportionately low. They employ 45% of our workers but contribute only 11% of nominal value added. This productivity gap translates into lower salaries. These businesses can afford to pay their workers.
ASME has observed that the current classification of SMEs is too broad. A micro enterprise with 10 employees and $1 million in revenue, faces fundamentally different hurdles compared to a medium-sized company with 200 staff and $100 million in turnover. By grouping them together, we risk applying one size fits all solutions that may not reach the smallest players.
Would the Government adopt ASME's suggestion to delineate micro enterprises and SMEs in national policy-making and data collection? Tailoring grants and other assistance to the specific operational realities of each tier will make Government support more effective for them. ASME estimates that a 10% uplift in the value added of this segment could translate to an additional $6.5 billion dollars in annual gross domestic product (GDP), equivalent to more than one percent of growth. Focusing more on these micro and small enterprises is a significant opportunity to lift the wages of many Singaporeans.
Family Businesses and SME Renewal
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui (Holland-Bukit Timah) : Mr Chairman, I would like to speak on SME transformation. SMEs employ seven out of 10 workers in Singapore and form the backbone of our economy. In supporting transformation, we must recognise that many SMEs are family-run businesses facing generational succession and ownership transitions. This is not only a governance issue. It is an economic and cultural one.
Business transformation often cannot progress meaningfully until ownership structures are stabilised. Where succession is unclear or governance frameworks remain informal, it becomes difficult to invest in digitalisation, expansion or strategic pivots. Transformation requires clarity of leadership and ownership.
I therefore suggest that our SME transformation framework integrate succession planning and family ownership transition as core components of enterprise upgrading.
Cultural nuances also shape how ethnic family businesses approach governance and decision-making. This was evident during a Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) of Finance, Trade and Industry engagement with the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SMCCI), where heritage businesses shared how cultural norms influence succession and continuity. Different communities may view succession and professionalisation differently, and a one-size-fits-all model may not be effective. Enterprise Singapore could deepen engagement with ethnic chambers such as the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI), the SMCCI, and the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) to support more tailored approaches.
Enterprise Singapore could also expand support to cover family ownership transition, including grants for succession planning, governance restructuring and ownership transfers. Institutions such as Singapore Management University’s Business Families Institute can partner with chambers to develop tailored succession playbooks.
As more heritage SMEs reach generational handover points, a smooth ownership transition is critical to preserving long-established enterprises. By integrating succession support into SME transformation policies, we can strengthen long-term enterprise resilience while retaining the cultural and social value that these businesses contribute to Singapore.
Support SMEs
Mr Lee Hong Chuang (Jurong East-Bukit Batok) : Chairman, about 70% of our Singapore workforce, approximately 2.5 million people are employed under the SMEs. SMEs are the backbones of our economies. This is not a small number. When SMEs do well, Singaporeans do well. If no Singaporean should be left behind, then I think no SME should be left behind too. Instead, they should stay ahead.
Much has been said about supporting individuals across different groups in the past few days. These are important sharing and decisions, yet, beyond assistance, many Singaporeans are asking fundamental questions. Where are the good jobs and how do we secure them?
Singaporeans want opportunities and not depend on just Government handouts. They ask not for a fish, but for the skill and an environment that can allow them to fish for themselves. For that to happen, our SMEs must thrive. I believe strong enterprises create good jobs. When a company grows, workers grow with them.
Over the years, many schemes have been introduced to support SMEs. The issue today is often not about availability, but the ease of accessibility.
Many SME owners are fully occupied in their daily operations. They do not have the bandwidth to navigate multiple schemes. Firms with stronger administrative support navigate the system easier. Smaller enterprises, often those who need the most help may not even know where to begin. This is not about unwillingness. It is about bandwidth and capability.
Perhaps the next step is to make the access to support the more proactive and intelligent. When an SME logs into a Government portal, whether it is for a licence, grant or financing, could there be an integrated AI assistant that understand the firms' profiles and suggest relevant programmes and schemes automatically? Using secure login data, such a system could guide business owners in real time and outline the next step clearly. This would simplify navigation and help ensure that no SME is left behind simply because it lacks time or administrative capability.
Chairman, let me share a simple analogy. For a seed to grow into a healthy and strong tree, sunlight alone is never sufficient. It needs fertile soil and a stable environment. In our economics, we can imagine enterprises are the seeds and Singapore business environment is like the soil. The rule of law, financial stability and open trade networks form the foundation for growth. On this foundation, institutions play distinct roles. For example, the Economic Development Board (EDB) shapes the strategy direction. Enterprise Singapore supports the upgrading and capability building. The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) advances job redesign and skill upgrading so worker grows alongside with businesses.
The question is not whether support exists today, but whether it operates in sync. First about execution. This year's Budget provide tax rebates and expansion support. This comes timely, yet businesses ask, are the processes clear? Are the timelines predictable? For many SMEs, complexity itself becomes a barrier. If the soil is stable, business will take root. If the pathway is clear, they will grow.
Second, practical AI adoption. AI must deliver productivity and not just promise. Enterprises care about outcomes, reducing administrative work, improving responsiveness and strengthening data management. Our objective must reflect real productivity gains and not cost inflation.
Third, coordination within agency. When strategy investments are brought into Singapore, are local enterprises supported to build capability at the same time? When company upgrades system, can job redesign and skill upgrading move together? If policies too, are better aligned, businesses will spend less time navigating schemes and more time transforming.
Chairman, enterprise upgrading and AI adoption are a matter of national competitiveness and not just for SMEs. As our region accelerates transformation, Singapore must ensure that our SMEs are active participants and not bystanders. The Budget has set the direction. Our task is to keep the soil fertile so that our enterprise, the seed of our economy can grow steadily and strongly. In Mandarin, please.
( In Mandarin ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] SMEs are the foundation of the economy. Enterprises are like seeds and the environment is like soil. When enterprises are able to develop, the people benefit. The key to policy lies in ensuring that supported projects and initiatives truly take root, work in synergy and operate efficiently.
If I could describe this in one sentence, it would be: "Strengthen enterprises to invigorate business; invigorate business to benefit the people." That is to say, when we strengthen enterprises, we also invigorate business, and when business is invigorated, the people will benefit.
Strengthening Enterprise Ecosystem
Mr Ng Shi Xuan (Sembawang) : Chairman, besides an income and wealth gap, I would like to explore a third gap, the enterprise ecosystem gap. A strong business ecosystem requires both MNC investments and a resilient SME base. They are two sides of the same coin. When MNCs grow, they bring capital and technology. But our SMEs must be able to grow alongside them and support them locally and regionally.
Today, many MNCs are incentivised to invest heavily in AI and robotics. While this strengthens our economy, it also accelerates disruption across supply chains. With the recent changes to our Preferential Additional Registration Fee rebates, let me use example of a car workshop.
With EVs, there is no engine oil change and fewer mechanical components. Maintenance cycles are longer. These shifts recurring revenue patterns and affects the broader after-market value chain, from workshops to parts distributors. At the same time, newer EVs require proprietary diagnostic software. Independent workshops may lack authorised access or compatible systems. This results in a technology and access issue.
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On the other hand, many workshops are not yet using AI tools for diagnostics, inventory planning or cash flow management. They face restricted access on one end and slow digital adoption on the other. This could create an enterprise ecosystem gap where larger firms surge ahead due to technology and skill, while smaller enterprises struggle to keep up with access, tools and capabilities.
One practical way to narrow this gap is to offer SMEs a year-long subscription to enterprise AI tools, similar to the approach I suggested in my muted Ministry of Finance (MOF) cut. This lowers the barrier to adoption and allows business owners to experiment, learn and integrate AI into daily operations before committing long term.
As we push ahead with AI and advanced industry, we must ensure our SMEs are equipped to adapt alongside the industries we are transforming.
Supporting SMEs to Grow and Thrive
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar) : Chairman, on helping our SMEs grow and thrive. Singapore is not short of schemes. We have advisory support, such as CTO-as-a-Service; intermediaries like the Singapore Business Federation, SME Centres and ASME; platforms like GoBusiness; the Productivity Solutions Grant and the Enterprise Development Grant, even AI Centres of Excellence.
On paper, the ecosystem looks comprehensive. SMEs can be segmented by digital maturity and sector. They can access advice on human resources, marketing, finance and operations. Yet outcomes remain uneven. Many SMEs are still struggling; not just to transform but to stay afloat.
From industry conversations, three structural challenges emerge.
First, bandwidth. Owners are consumed by rent, manpower, compliance and cashflow issues. Transformation requires time and focus. Many simply do not have that headspace.
Second, capability depth. Diagnostics can identify gaps, but implementation requires managers who can redesign workflows, integrate systems, manage change and measure returns. Many SMEs lack this internal execution capability.
Third, structural fragility in certain sectors. In F&B especially, margins are thin and volatility is high. Entry barriers remain however relatively low, yet closure rates are high. Many enter without fully appreciating labour intensity, rental volatility and tight margins. Even with grants, a fragile cost base makes transformation daunting.
Sir, another perspective is this: not all SMEs are equally positioned to transform at the same pace. Some are willing but lack capability. Some are capable but constrained by structure. Some may not yet be ready.
In a resource-constrained environment, should we more deliberately prioritise SMEs that are willing and able, or potentially able, to scale, to innovate and uplift productivity meaningfully? Can we develop clearer readiness indicators, so that support is more disciplined and catalytic? At the same time, how do we avoid leaving behind firms that require capability-building before they can qualify for deeper transformation support?
We have built platforms, provided grants and created segmentation tools. Yet the implementation gap persists.
So, I ask: do we need more precise industry segmentation, not just by size or digital maturity, but by structural conditions? Are we investing enough in building internal execution capability and upgrading the capability of intermediaries who advise SMEs? Can we introduce measures that free up leadership bandwidth for strategic upgrading? Are we confronting structural fragility in sectors like F&B, so new entrants can assess their viability more realistically? And most importantly, how do we help SMEs move beyond digital adoption to sustained, measured productivity growth, especially those with intent and potential to compete?
In the AI era, survival and superficial adoption are not enough. Transformation must be real. So, how will the Government help bridge this implementation gap, so that our SMEs can truly thrive?
Support for Local SMEs
Ms Tin Pei Ling (Marine Parade-Braddell Heights) : Chairman, Singapore SMEs face distinct challenges alongside day‑to‑day operational constraints and pressures to transform, they must internationalise because our domestic market is limited.
Rental and manpower are among their largest cost components. Compliance burden is also a concern, and I had raised this in my cut to MOF last week.
Beyond general labour shortages, firms increasingly need digitally skilled talent who can deploy AI to raise productivity, automate routine tasks and scale operations. They also require coherent enterprise‑level AI strategies and rapid transformation to stay competitive in this AI era. The measures in Budget 2026 are therefore welcome.
I just have one question on this particular point. Learning from past experiences administering grants and credits, how will the Government ensure that financial support and eligibility criteria for tax deductions are precisely targeted, so that funds are spent effectively to create the intended impact. In Chinese, “钱用在刀口上”.
On rentals, there had been speculations that foreign capital inflows are pushing up commercial rents and crowding out local operators. Notably, based on the Parliamentary reply by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong in January 2026, China is the second largest owner of retail businesses in Singapore. Even though Chinese owners account for only 3% of retail businesses, the perception of displacement cannot be ignored, and this can affect community sentiment and our unique Singapore “personality”.
What steps will MTI take to ensure local SMEs remain the anchor in Singapore? Can the Ministry consider targeted measures, such as rental relief schemes, tenancy support for heritage and neighbourhood retailers, incentives for landlords to prioritise local tenants or co‑investment platforms that enable local businesses to secure long‑term premises?
Finally, SMEs need help managing rising costs and reaching beyond our shores. Will MTI expand programmes to help these SMEs further optimise costs in areas, such as group procurement, energy efficiency grants, shared services, market access and trade facilitation?
International Trade
Mr Azhar Othman (Nominated Member) : Chairman, I would like to declare that I am the executive chairman of Enercon Asia, a company with presence in seven countries.
In light of the tariffs imposed by the US on various countries, including Singapore, it is crucial for the Ministry to explore potential partnerships with other nations and develop additional Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
The importance of diversifying our business relationships cannot be overstated. It would be beneficial for the Ministries to provide guidance on which countries present valuable opportunities for our businesses to establish connections and a presence. As a small nation, Singapore must seek assistance and explore opportunities globally to thrive in the current economic landscape.
Becoming a Networked Economy
Mr Victor Lye (Ang Mo Kio) : Mr Chairman, first let me declare my interest as chief executive officer of an investment firm and advisor to companies investing in Singapore and other parts of the world.
During the Budget debate, I spoke about trust as Singapore’s competitive advantage in a fragmenting world. We need to expand our economic space, to change from a GDP to a gross national product (GNP) mindset, linking up in a network with cities, their hinterlands and their peoples who are aligned with us. Today, I propose four practical ways to shift towards becoming a networked economy.
Shift one, let us measure economic value created beyond our borders. For decades, we measured GDP, activity within Singapore’s borders.
But over the years, more and more Singaporeans and firms operate and create value overseas. We should measure their overseas activity, their value added, to reflect our actual economic network strength. I suggest that MTI develops GNP indicators to track value created globally by Singapore and Singaporeans overseas.
Shift two: let us encourage Singaporean firms to hunt as a pack overseas. A good place to start is the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (SEZ). We should view the SEZ as an extra lung, where our SMEs can grow and thrive.
How? I offer four suggestions.
Suggestion one – position Singapore as the trusted gateway to the SEZ. Let us take a proactive approach in marketing the Johor-Singapore SEZ. As I shared in my Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Committee of Supply (COS) cut, foreign policy can support our economic effort to expand our economic space as a networked economy. We need to work closely, more closely, with our Malaysian counterparts. This can deepen interdependence and create stronger ties for mutual benefit.
It will need a calibration of the mutual trust, given our past experience. But the strategic direction is clear from the perspective of any inward foreign investor. Johor and Singapore can and will play a synergistic role for them. Singapore anchors the trust-dependent core – headquarters governance, treasury, IP, data, compliance and legal, while the Johor hinterland provides scalable economic space. We in Singapore capture the trust premium here, while unlocking cost and space constraints that we have right next door as one integrated operating model.
So, my question is, how can MTI direct EDB, Enterprise Singapore and other economic agencies in coordination with MFA to package and to market a two-side deployment proposition, where inward investors or anchors enter Singapore through Singapore as the trusted gateway and deploy into the Johor-Singapore SEZ?
The second suggestion – how can we organise a plug-and-play SME ecosystem? Singapore's effort to bring inward investments into the SEZ should become business opportunities for our local SMEs. To achieve this, we can structure a SEZ supplier programme where we, for instance, can identify the inward investors, input requirements and standards. We pre-qualify SMEs who can meet such standards and finally, we match them to these anchors or inward investors.
Suggestion three – let us develop sectoral investment packages. These can be identified in certain strategic industries, for example, manufacturing and logistics, digital and data services, food production and coaching, businesses that can take advantage of Johor's strength and Singapore's complementarities. Each package can include shared infrastructure options, regulatory playbooks, talent and professional services support and a directory of Singapore SME suppliers.
Suggestion four – publish a Johor-Singapore SEZ outcome scorecard. MTI can track outcomes, such as the number of two-side deployments across Singapore and the SEZ by sector. We can look at the number of Singapore SMEs matched successfully with inward investors, and we can also measure incremental SME revenue as a result of using such complementarities across Johor and Singapore.
And let me continue with shift three, creating good jobs overseas for Singaporeans. Mr Chairman, there are young and mid-career Singaporeans who may not be aware of the opportunities in the region or some who are unable to price in the risk of working overseas. So, I suggest considering: one, curating overseas job placements for Singaporeans from entry to senior roles. Two, we can offer incentives for firms to rotate staff regionally so that it becomes part of their career development.
Three, we can provide support and flexible childcare or education pathways for Singaporeans returning home. Shift four: towards a network economy, developing artificial intelligence (AI) as our trusted Infrastructure. Singapore's advantage is not about adopting AI but being the most trusted place to deploy AI.
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For example, regional ports are adopting AI independently. But who sets the interoperable standards? Who provides the trusted platform where competing ports can share data for network optimisation?
In cross-border finance, each financial institution is building its own AI infrastructure. But who can offer the coordination layer for these tools to work together so that capital can flow efficiently? Singapore can. How? By developing and leading effective AI governance and secure data exchange frameworks. In a fragmented world, the trusted coordinator becomes invaluable.
In closing, Mr Chairman, MTI, MFA, the Ministry of Manpower and our economic agencies are doing a fine job. However, going forward, in this very fragmenting world, we need to change the way we look at how we grow our economy.
I have shared four shifts: from measuring domestic to tracking global value; from individual expansion to ecosystem; from a locally-bound workforce to an overseas one; and finally, AI as trusted infrastructure. With these, we become a networked economy.
Economic Regionalisation for Singapore
Ms Elysa Chen (Bishan-Toa Payoh) : Chairman, over the past 30 years, many MNCs have based their Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, positioning us as a gateway for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In a volatile global environment, economic connection is more critical than ever. Regional collaboration with ASEAN, including initiatives, like the Johor-Singapore SEZ, has unlocked competitive and strategic advantages for all parties.
In my Budget speech, I shared that four in five Singapore SMEs plan to expand overseas. Yet only 3.1% of our resident workforce has worked overseas full-time for at least six months. Many businesses and workers lack experience operating beyond Singapore. This may deter regional expansion.
Schemes, like the Enterprise Development Grant, help defray the costs of setting up businesses abroad. Will MTI consider strengthening such support to provide smoother, lower-risk entry into foreign markets? On the manpower front, will MTI expand the Global Ready Talent Programme or explore grants to co-fund Singaporeans' relocation costs within ASEAN?
If not, can MTI share how it plans to build capacity in three areas: first, increasing international firms' readiness to appoint Singaporeans to regional roles; second, strengthening business leaders' ability to operate in diverse markets; and third, encouraging Singaporeans to relocate for regional opportunities?
If Singapore is to remain a gateway to ASEAN, we must not only host regional headquarters, we must raise a generation of Singaporeans ready to lead beyond our shores.
Risk-calibrated Global Expansion
Mr Mark Lee (Nominated Member) : Chairman, in a tighter Singapore, domestic scale alone will not sustain enterprise growth. For Singapore businesses, internationalisation is essential for long-term competitiveness and resilience.
The Middle East conflict that unfolded over the weekend reflects how quickly geopolitical conditions can shift. Energy markets react, insurance premiums adjust, shipping routes are reassessed and payment and compliance risks increase. In such an environment, uncertainty can cause firms to hesitate.
How will MTI continue to send a strong and consistent message that despite heightened geopolitical risks, Singapore firms must press on with internationalisation and that the Government will stand behind them as they do so?
At the same time, we must recognise internationalisation risk is not uniform. It varies sharply by market. Parts of Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America often carry elevated political, regulatory and receivable risks. Working capital cycles are longer. Payment discipline can also be less predictable. Could MTI consider differentiating internationalisation support not only by firm size, but also by market risk profile, with enhanced working capital guarantees, political risk coverage or expanded risk-sharing mechanisms in higher-risk corridors?
Second, many overseas projects today are too large or too complex for individual SMEs. Procurement frameworks favour scale, track record and integrated capability. Encouraging consortium-led bids, enabling firms to "hunt as a pack", would allow complementary Singapore companies to pool capabilities, share risk and compete for projects none could secure alone. Could existing schemes be restructured more explicitly to support consortium-based international bids, including shared financing and coordinated market entry?
Finally, as firms from Northeast Asia and Europe increasingly view Singapore as a gateway into Southeast Asia, our ecosystem must deepen its regional fluency – regulatory expertise, multilingual advisory capability and strong in-market partnerships anchored through our trade associations and chambers. We must strengthen not just financing support, but market intelligence, corridor expertise and in-market execution platforms.
In a more uncertain world, the answer is not retreat. It is a calibrated expansion backed by credible risk-sharing and a confident ecosystem —
The Chairman : Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh.
Entrepreneurship in a Changed World
Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh (Nominated Member) : Thank you, Chair. Budget 2026 positions AI, alongside strategic capabilities such as quantum, advanced manufacturing and space, as critical to Singapore's ability to thrive in a changed world. The thrust is clear – upgrade firms, reskill workers and build new growth engines.
That is the right direction. But transformation will not be fully realised without our entrepreneurs.
Technological shifts do not only upgrade incumbents, they create new markets. AI lowers startup overheads. Advanced manufacturing and deep tech open new value chains. As we build capabilities within firms, we must also enable more Singaporeans to build new ventures around these emerging domains.
Let me raise three areas.
First, de-risk entrepreneurial participation. About half of new firms do not survive beyond five years. Fewer than 1% become unicorns. When people see these statistics, the instinctive response is, "It's too risky. We don't want to try."
But if too few are willing to try, the economy suffers. Innovation slows. New growth engines do not emerge. To bridge that gap, we must reduce the perception that entrepreneurship carries a permanent career penalty. Entrepreneurship should be normalised as another step in a career journey, not a make-or-break endpoint. It should be seen as part of lifelong learning – a period of experimentation, skill development and value creation.
May I ask the Ministry, beyond capital incentives, how are we strengthening pathways that allow Singaporeans – from fresh graduates to mid-career professionals – to venture into entrepreneurship and return to employment without stigma or structural disadvantage? After all, research shows that the average founder of high-growth firms are in their early to mid-40s. Experience and networks matter, especially in complex sectors. Small nations, like ours, cannot afford permanent talent loss from temporary setbacks.
Second, we can convert national missions into startup growth. As sectoral missions unlock opportunities in AI, manufacturing, connectivity and healthcare, how do we ensure Singapore-based startups are meaningfully plugged into these platforms? Can procurement pathways, pilot projects and structured partnerships be strengthened so that startups led by Singapore-based founders can validate and scale? In frontier sectors, such as quantum and space, can cross-agency sandbox models support experimentation and co-learning while accelerating deployment?
If we get this right, national missions can catalyse local venture growth and not just enterprise upgrading.
Third, we need to anchor long-term value. It is one thing to grow new ventures here, it is quite another to ensure that as they scale globally, they remain anchored in Singapore. If strategic decision-making, IP and leadership functions relocate elsewhere in pursuit of capital and customers, we risk losing gains in control, capital formation and ecosystem spillovers.
The expansion of the Startup SG Equity fund and the Equity Market Development Programme (EQDP) are all important steps, but my question is, as more Singapore companies scale globally, how do we ensure leadership, IP ownership and value creation remain anchored here so that —
The Chairman : Mr Ng Shi Xuan.
Startups and Growth
Mr Ng Shi Xuan : Chairman, I would like to speak on three things: funding, founders and talent for our startups.
With the additional $1 billion injection into our Startup SG Equity, I would like to ask MTI what specific gap we are trying to close? Is the constraint today early-stage formation or is it at the growth stage, where companies have product-market fit but struggle to scale regionally? Is it a shortage of later-stage capital or is it a lack of sector depth in areas, such as deep tech and industrial solutions?
I would appreciate clarity on how MTI has diagnosed this gap and how the capital will be deployed? Are we crowding in experienced regional and global growth funds? Are we co-investing alongside operators who can help companies to expand beyond Singapore? We should also avoid concentrating public funds within the same small pool of startups. Co-investment should widen participation, deepen sector capabilities and bring in new founders and new markets.
Beyond funding, I would like to check on the Startup SG Founder scheme. I heard that one of the founders must be a first-time founder to get this scheme. But we know that startups fail due to a myriad of reasons. In the spirit of supporting and encouraging entrepreneurship, I would like to check if this criterion can be reviewed?
On talents, hiring a full-time chief AI officer can be costly for early-stage firms. This is distinct from the chief technology officer (CTO) advisory schemes. A CTO builds the product. A chief AI officer shapes data strategy, model development and responsible AI use across the organisation. Could we explore a chief AI officer as a service model, allowing experienced AI leaders to support multiple startups so that they can deploy AI properly and scale with confidently?
Funding, talents and founders help companies to grow.
The Chairman : Deputy Prime Minister Gan.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (Mr Gan Kim Yong) : Mr Chairman, let me thank all Members who have spoken on MTI's COS.
Last year, Singapore's economy grew by 5%, performing better than expected despite a challenging global environment. At the same time, we must be clear-eyed. Singapore is entering a new phase in our economic journey. The rules that allowed Singapore to prosper for decades have fundamentally changed. We face a more complex global environment, marked by heightened great-power competition, rising protectionism and a more fragmented global order.
The United States (US) Supreme Court has struck down the reciprocal tariffs that were imposed last year and the US Administration has since replaced it with a new Section 122 tariff of 10% for up to 150 days. President Trump has also announced that he intends to raise it to 15%. The details are not there yet. There is still considerable uncertainty about how the tariff will evolve over time.
We are working with the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce (SERT) tripartite members to provide information to and gather feedback from businesses and workers to help them navigate these uncertainties.
These developments exemplify the unpredictable and uncertain global trading environment that we must now navigate. That is not all. Over the weekend, the conflict in the Middle East escalated, with the US and Israel launching an attack on Iran, and Iran retaliating by counterattacking Israel and US' bases in the region. The Strait of Hormuz, which is a key shipping route for crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), has been closed.
In the near term, this could result in an increase in global energy prices. Depending on how protracted the conflict is, higher energy prices could lead to higher costs for businesses and consumers and weigh on the global and Singapore economies. We are monitoring the developments closely and will reassess our GDP and inflation forecasts if necessary.
Major structural forces are also reshaping industries, businesses and jobs.
AI and automation are transforming how value is created and how work is organised. The global push to decarbonisation is also changing industrial processes, influencing investment patterns and impacting relative competitiveness.
Together with our demographic constraints that I spoke about last week, sustaining growth and creating good jobs will become more challenging. Yet even in this more difficult environment, there are good opportunities for Singapore as a trusted, knowledge-driven and connected hub.
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This is why the Government set up the Economic Strategy Review (ESR) to take a hard, honest look at how Singapore must reset our economic strategy. We will have to work harder and smarter, be creative and take calculated risks, and explore bold solutions to reach the higher end of our GDP trend-growth of 2% to 3% per annum, on average, over the next decade and create good jobs.
Let me outline broadly five strategic thrusts and my colleagues in MTI will elaborate later. First, we will establish and deepen our leadership in key growth sectors, while pushing the frontier into new areas of growth. As our economy matures, growth and good jobs can no longer come from scale alone. Growth must increasingly come from depth – by establishing and deepening global leadership in sectors where Singapore already has strong foundations.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked about our plans for the advanced manufacturing, trust-based services and frontier sectors. Singapore is already a global node in advanced manufacturing sectors, such as semiconductors, medical products, specialty chemicals and aerospace, which contribute significantly to our economy and provide good jobs.
We want to secure and extend our leadership in these sectors – we will step up investments in AI, automation and digital technologies to raise productivity, improve quality and reliability, and become more flexible and resilient. As factories become more automated and data-driven, demand will grow for skilled jobs, such as automation and robotics engineers, process engineers, data specialists and advanced equipment technicians, that command higher wages.
We will also focus research and development (R&D) resources to sharpen our technological edge, shorten innovation cycles and help firms move ideas faster – from the lab to the factory floor and into the market. In parallel, we will accelerate the adoption of low-carbon and resource-efficient technologies, so that our industries remain competitive as the world transitions to a low-carbon future. By reinforcing these strengths, we will build deep, competitive ecosystems that anchor high-value activities here and support good, skilled jobs for Singaporeans.
Beyond manufacturing, we are also extending our lead in modern services. In this volatile and uncertain world, trust has become the most sought-after asset. Our trust premium has enabled us to establish ourselves as a global hub for finance, capital and IP. We will build on this to develop Singapore as a global hub for trust-based services, such as risk advisory, cybersecurity, AI assurance and Testing, Inspection and Certification. This will create new opportunities in modern services.
Even as we deepen our existing strengths in advanced manufacturing and modern services, we must also push the frontier into new areas of growth, such as quantum, decarbonisation technologies and space-related industries. As these industries grow, they will open up new career opportunities for Singaporeans.
Taken together, these will deepen what we already do well in advanced manufacturing and modern services, while creating new engines and expand Singapore's growth frontier, and secure high-quality jobs for Singaporeans.
Second, we must sustain a dynamic and vibrant enterprise ecosystem, spanning multinational corporations, high-growth companies and a vibrant start-up community. Leading MNCs, both local and foreign, will continue to be a core pillar of our economy. They bring scale, advanced technologies, global networks and high-quality jobs. We will continue to work with MNCs to anchor high-value activities here, including R&D, advanced manufacturing, regional and global headquarters functions, and strategic roles.
At the same time, the next phase of growth will increasingly come from a new generation of emerging enterprises – growth-stage companies that have yet to establish themselves as a leading MNC but have demonstrated both the potential and ambition to become future industry leaders.
We must be prepared to take some risks to support such promising enterprises by providing them with a trusted base to operate from, and scale to international markets. One such company is Workato, an enterprise software firm that helps businesses automate workflows and integrate systems across their operations. Workato's Asia Pacific revenue has increased 10-fold over the past five years, with a customer base of more than 12,000 companies across sectors, such as manufacturing, financial services and healthcare.
Singapore can serve as a strategic base for Workato's global expansion, anchoring product development, AI innovation and regional leadership here, while creating high-value opportunities for Singaporeans and strengthening our talent pipeline.
I agree with Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh that anchoring and partnering companies, like Workato, in Singapore at an early stage of their growth is important as it would allow us to shape where strategic HQ decisions are made, where core capabilities are built and where long-term value is created. As these companies grow from Singapore, they will create new roles here in areas, such as R&D, product management, marketing and business development.
EDB will step up efforts to identify and anchor such companies, working closely with leading venture capital and private equity partners. We will provide bespoke, end-to-end support, such as market access assistance, regulatory facilitation and access to ready-to-use facilities, to help these companies anchor in Singapore and grow their presence here.
Done well, this will allow us to capture long-term economic value, strengthen our pipeline of leading enterprises and reinforce Singapore's position as a trusted base for globally leading companies to be here and to scale. We will not just be a landing pad, but also a launching pad for potential global companies.
Alongside this, we will continue to sustain the vibrancy of our start-up community and foster an entrepreneurial culture where people dare to dream and take risks. Minister of State Alvin Tan will share more on our plans for our startups. By sustaining dynamic and vibrant enterprise ecosystems, we will reinforce Singapore's position as a trusted and connected base for global business and ensure that our economy remains at the forefront of innovation and growth.
For our enterprises to raise productivity, upgrade capabilities and scale innovation faster than before, AI is the critical enabler. Our third thrust is therefore to establish Singapore as an AI leader, as well as an AI-empowered economy. We want to empower our companies to harness AI end-to-end, by redesigning business processes, embedding AI into core operations, developing proprietary applications, transforming workflows and upgrading jobs and skills.
To date, we have supported over 60 companies to establish AI Centres of Excellence. These are in-house teams focussed on developing and deploying AI solutions. We will take this further by launching a "Champions of AI" programme later this year. Under this programme, we will target a select group of Singapore-based companies with the ambition and commitment to make AI a core driver of productivity, innovation and growth. We will partner these companies to transform their businesses, by embedding AI across core operations, organisational processes and workforce practices.
This includes leadership and workforce training, as well as support to develop and execute AI transformation projects with clear and measurable business impact. These companies will also invest in retraining and upskilling their employees, enabling their workers to take on high-value AI-enabled job roles.
Let me give DBS as an example. AI has been embedded throughout the bank's operations, from customer engagement to risk management and operational efficiency. For instance, through personalised AI-driven nudges, DBS guides retail customers to make better investment and financial decisions. These customers saved twice as much, invested five times more and had nearly three times higher insurance coverage than those who did not.
In risk management, AI analyses millions of transactions daily to detect unusual patterns and intercept suspicious activity in real-time to better protect its customers. DBS has also deployed AI in institutional banking, reducing processing times for trade documentation by 60%. This helps businesses move faster, with greater certainty, especially in cross-border transactions.
DBS is equipping all 40,000 of its employees with foundational understanding and practical exposure to AI. It is also reskilling employees into new job roles that are being created through the integration of AI – for example, from customer service officers into AI agent monitoring managers and GenAI evaluators. AI has also provided some employees with the opportunity to move into new career pathways – for instance, from customer service roles into relationship management roles.
DBS' journey demonstrates how companies can deploy AI to enhance business value while strengthening their workforce. In 2025, DBS reported that economic value from its data analytics, AI and Machine Learning initiatives achieved a record of approximately $1 billion. AI champions are pathfinders. We will learn from their experiences, show the way forward and give other firms the confidence to move faster and deeper in their own AI journeys.
We also want to be an AI leader in the development, testing, deployment and scaling of AI. We will drive AI transformation at the sector level through AI Missions, starting with advanced manufacturing, connectivity, finance and healthcare – sectors where Singapore already has strong foundations.
For each Mission, we will work with the industry to define sharp, sector-specific problem statements in areas where AI can drive breakthrough transformations. Around each Mission, we will build full-stack ecosystems, including datasets, computing resources, regulatory sandboxes and solution providers. This will shorten the path from development to deployment and from testing to scale.
These Missions will generate demand for new skills, creating clusters of expertise anchored in Singapore. AI Missions serve as rallying flags to attract global AI talent and companies focused on real-world applications, mobilise whole-of-nation efforts across the Government and industry, and concentrate investments and enablers for greater impact.
We will also establish an AI Park as a focal point where talent, problem owners, researchers and resources can come together to create synergy and nurture a deep ecosystem. We already have Lorong AI; and we will now also build an entire "Kampong" – Kampong AI at One-North. "Kampong AI" will accelerate collaboration and serve as a centre of gravity for AI excellence.
These efforts – "Champions of AI", AI Missions and "Kampong AI" – will position Singapore as a place where AI solutions are built, proven and scaled, empowering firms across the economy and establishing AI leadership in key sectors.
Even as we grow our economy, our competitiveness will depend not only on innovation, but also on the ability of our businesses to adapt, reposition and transform. Firms will increasingly face the need to relook at how they operate. Business models that once worked well may no longer be viable under the current and future environment. In response, firms may need to pursue different pathways, transforming their business models, restructuring their operations or, where necessary, scale down or even exit specific products, services or parts of their operations.
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Our next thrust is therefore to support our businesses to proactively and confidently navigate these transitions. Such adjustments are a normal and necessary part of economic renewal. But we recognise that the process can be difficult, challenging and sometimes, painful.
We will work closely with trade associations and chambers, enterprises and the Labour Movement to support firms as they go through these transitions, helping them assess their options early, restructure responsibly, pursue new growth opportunities, including exploring overseas markets and manage change in a way that strengthens long-term competitiveness and supports workers through the transition.
I agree with Mr Shawn Loh that with our small domestic economy, many growth opportunities lie beyond Singapore's shores. We want to help our companies to not only export their products and services, but also to expand and invest internationally. This will allow them to benefit from the growth of the global economy, while anchoring value, capabilities and leadership functions here in Singapore.
We will step up support for leading companies pursuing significant overseas ventures that may involve higher risks and capital outlay, especially in developing and emerging markets, but which give them a real and lasting foothold in key markets and value chains. In addition to growing their revenue and profits from overseas, these companies will bring value back to Singapore through better jobs, stronger demand for local capabilities and deeper integration into global growth opportunities.
I agree with Ms Elysa Chen and Mr Victor Lye on the importance of supporting and preparing our entrepreneurs and workers embarking on internationalisation. The Ministry of Manpower will share more on this.
We will also safeguard and expand our international economic space. Minister of State Ms Gan Siow Hwang will elaborate more on our plans to deepen and diversify our economic links with our trading partners.
Mr Chairman, the global environment will remain uncertain. The road ahead will not be easy. But Singapore has succeeded so far not by waiting for certainty, but by planning long term, acting early and moving ahead decisively.
The ESR has outlined our strategy going forward. Our five strategic thrusts build on our strengths, embrace new opportunities, harness technology, keep Singapore open and connected and support our people through change, every step of the way.
We will ensure growth must translate into good jobs for Singaporeans. Above all, our strategy is to give workers the confidence to adapt, businesses the ability to compete and every Singaporean a share in our progress and a stake in our future. If we continue to stay united, remain agile and nimble and keep investing in our people, Singapore will not just navigate change – we will shape it. [ Applause .]
The Chairman : Mr Ng Shi Xuan.
Battery as an Enabler
Mr Ng Shi Xuan : Chairman, I declare my interest as a business owner that manufactures, assembles and distributes batteries locally. But I rise to speak about batteries not just as a product, but as an enabler for economic growth.
Singapore may not manufacture battery cells at scale, but that is not where our competitive advantage lies. Our strengths and high value segments, such as system design, integration, battery management software, safety engineering, testing, compliance and project management. These are areas where our Singapore-based companies can compete and differentiate themselves.
Today, many local companies are already working with IHLs and research institutes for technology capabilities, while leveraging regional manufacturing to produce competitive solutions. With the right positioning and partnerships, we can serve Southeast Asia and beyond.
Industry platforms, such as the Singapore Battery Consortium, have played a useful role in bringing in together the different players. I understand that National Research Foundation's (NRF's) funding for the Consortium will end on 31 March. May I seek clarification on whether support for this platform will continue and whether its scope can be expanded beyond research collaboration to include commercialisation support and market access.
Sir, I would also like to raise a practical trade issue affecting some of our companies. A handful of firms have shared that while they carry out substantial work in Singapore, including system integration, battery management software, safety engineering on compliance, this value-add may not always be fully reflected for trade purposes. I hope MTI can review whether our frameworks adequately recognise modern system integration and software-driven value-add in sectors like energy storage.
Batteries enable solar deployment, power data centres, electrified fleets and strengthen grid resilience. With the right policy support, Singapore can capture meaningful value in this growing sector.
Singapore Energy Strategy
Ms Tin Pei Ling : Chairman, secure energy and we secure our destiny. Beyond meeting Singapore's basic needs, our energy demand will rise as we digitalise and double down on AI.
Singapore's energy strategy has always been shaped by three structural realities: we have no natural resources, we face land constraints and we depend almost entirely on imported energy. These constraints constantly force us to balance the energy trilemma – security, sustainability and affordability.
Today, natural gas supplies roughly 95% of our electricity. It remains our most viable transition fuel, reliable and relatively lower in emissions. We have diversified supplies through pipeline gas and LNG imports and invested in critical infrastructure, such as our LNG terminal.
At the same time, we are accelerating decarbonisation. I welcome continued efforts to maximise solar deployment on rooftops and reservoirs, pilot regional electricity imports under the ASEAN Power Grid initiative and study hydrogen as a potential long‑term option. These are necessary steps.
Yet, our strategy must continue to evolve in the face of rising geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain fragmentation and intensifying climate pressures. The latest conflict involving Israel, US and Iran is a stark example. Disruptions to key shipping routes like the Strait of Hormuz where a large portion of LNG passes could send energy prices soaring.
I therefore pose several questions to the Ministry.
First, on energy security. As we deepen regional electricity imports, how is MTI assessing geopolitical concentration and supply risk? What plans are in place to diversify sources and build redundancy into our long-term energy import strategy?
Second, on supporting our national AI push. With rising demand for computing power and data centres, how is MTI working with local and international partners to ensure sufficient, sustainable power supply while promoting energy efficient digital infrastructure?
Third, on hydrogen. Hydrogen is promising for low carbon power and for hard to abate sectors, such as maritime and petrochemicals. But costs and supply chains remain challenging. When does the Ministry assess hydrogen to be commercially viable at scale for Singapore? How are we positioning ourselves early enough to shape, rather than follow, regional hydrogen supply chains? What support is being offered to firms and startups to deepen R&D and commercialise hydrogen technologies in Singapore?
Fourth, on carbon pricing and competitiveness. Singapore's carbon tax is expected to rise to signal decarbonisation. How does MTI balance competitiveness for trade exposed sectors with the need for credible carbon pricing? Are there plans to deepen international carbon market linkages or other measures to manage domestic cost pressures?
Fifth, on impact on Singaporeans and companies. How will the Ministry ensure households and businesses continue to access reliable energy at affordable prices during this transition?
Energy policy today is not just about keeping the lights on. It is about resilience in a fractured world and competitiveness in a low-carbon economy.
Strengthening Energy Resilience
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui : Mr Chairman, I rise to speak on electricity, because in today’s AI-driven economy, energy is a strategic capability. Quite simply, no power, no go.
Earlier this month, I asked about Singapore's energy resilience and grid stability as renewable deployment grows and electrification accelerates. We are pursuing decarbonisation and digitalisation simultaneously and our electricity system must support both without compromising reliability or affordability.
First, on decarbonisation. Global energy prices are volatile. How do we keep Singapore's transition to low-carbon electricity credible despite price volatility? Investors need certainty, yet committed off-take arrangements may raise costs relative to market prices. How do we balance investment certainty with affordability? Clear policy signals will be critical to sustain private capital.
Second, on grid stability. Electricity demand is rising structurally. AI data centres, quantum computing, semiconductor fabrication, advanced manufacturing and transport electrification will significantly increase consumption, while imports and intermittent sources like solar diversify supply.
Intermittency now exists on both supply and demand. Electrified transport and fast-charging infrastructure will create concentrated demand peaks. What investments are we making in grid reinforcement, storage and system balancing to ensure reliability remains uncompromised? For sectors such as data centres and semiconductors, energy reliability is non-negotiable.
Third, on pricing and incentives. Electricity pricing does not always reflect supply variability. Could more dynamic pricing better align demand with peak renewable generation? A time-differentiated grid emissions factor could incentivise load shifting, reduce strain and support decarbonisation. Regulatory frameworks should also continue enabling private investment in renewable generation and energy storage.
Mr Chairman, energy resilience, affordability and decarbonisation are the foundations of national competitiveness. As Singapore advances as an AI and advanced manufacturing hub, our electricity system must remain stable, forward-looking and climate aligned, because energy security is the foundation of economic security.
The Chairman : Minister Dr Tan See Leng.
The Minister for Manpower (Dr Tan See Leng) : Mr Chairman, as the Deputy Prime Minister has highlighted, the rules that allowed Singapore to prosper have fundamentally changed. Technologies, especially AI, are rapidly disrupting industries. Climate change continues to accelerate, and its impact is affecting our way of life. How do we therefore seize opportunities in spite of all these challenges?
We will leverage science and technology to establish leadership in key growth sectors and push the frontier into new growth areas. We will also strive to establish Singapore as an AI leader, transforming our advanced manufacturing industry. Powering these efforts, at the core, is energy, which must be sustainable, secure, reliable and affordable.
To extend our lead in advanced manufacturing, we will continue to direct national-level R&D resources towards our key growth sectors.
Our Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2025 investments have boosted the R&D capability and capacity of our economy as well as created good jobs. For manufacturing, the annual private sector R&D expenditure in 2023 was $4.3 billion, which is a 54% increase from 2016. Industry R&D jobs grew by 36% between 2016 and 2023 to more than 30,000, of which more than 70% were filled by locals.
One key growth sector is semiconductors. We have built strong R&D capabilities through past RIE investments, and we have anchored a total of more than $30 billion in investments from semiconductor companies, over the past four years. We will further invest $800 million to establish the RIE Flagship in Semiconductors, focusing on high-impact technology areas, such as Advanced Packaging and Advanced Photonics, which boost chip performance while cutting power use.
The Flagship will translate research into products and encourage more advanced R&D and manufacturing activities, creating good jobs in Singapore.
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The Flagship will also bring together efforts under the National Semiconductor Translation and Innovation Centre (NSTIC). Since its launch in RIE2025, NSTIC has achieved several breakthroughs, including in high-speed data transmission and metalens fabrication. It has since attracted over 10 industry partners and has built a strong commercialisation pipeline.
Last year, the Deputy Prime Minister announced our investment in NSTIC (R&D Fab), which is our semiconductor R&D fabrication facility. It is on track to commence operations by 2027, and companies have shown strong interest in the facility’s collaboration space.
We will also invest $60 million in NSTIC (Power Electronics) to strengthen Singapore’s competitiveness in next-generation power electronics. Within a year, we aim to double the carrier mobility of silicon carbide technologies, enabling the potential development of smaller, but more efficient power systems. Use cases include extending the driving ranges of electric vehicles (EVs).
Another key growth sector is biomedical, which remains robust despite its inherent volatility. To boost sector growth, we announced two R&D translational platforms in 2024, namely the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics Initiative (NATi) and MedTech Catapult. These platforms are attracting global partners, they are uplifting local enterprises, and training talents to anchor high-value R&D activities and jobs in Singapore.
For example, MedTech Catapult is working with a local startup, Vivo Surgical, to develop its verification prototype to be ready for clinical studies, and has onboarded the company onto its venture acceleration programme.
Given the good progress of these platforms, we intend to scale them further under RIE2030.
Besides public sector efforts, the private sector also plays a crucial role in our innovation ecosystem. Through our Research and Innovation Scheme for Companies (RIS(C)), we have attracted substantive private research and innovation investments, building capabilities and creating high-value jobs for locals.
In the past five years, companies have committed more than $14 billion to research and innovation investments here; and it has created more than 12,000 jobs in research, development, and innovation roles. Again, with locals filling more than 70% of these positions. Some examples. Grab's Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence has hired around 50 people, while Evonik, the German chemicals giant, has hired over 100 researchers for its Asia Research Hub in Singapore.
Building on this, we will invest more than $3 billion in RIS(C) in RIE2030.
Beyond existing growth sectors, we will boldly pursue emerging technologies that can drive breakthroughs across our economy. One example is space technology, the “final frontier”, which is rapidly moving from science fiction to real-world applications.
Space technology is already used in our daily lives, powering navigation and connectivity. As technologies advance, as costs fall, smaller countries like Singapore can capture opportunities in the growing space economy. This can create good jobs for Singaporeans in areas such as engineering and data science, while enabling businesses to capture value from space-enabled services and applications.
One such opportunity is space-based Earth observation, which can be used in industries such as maritime, sustainability and finance. A local startup, Arkadiah Technology, is using satellite data in its partnership with a global agribusiness company – Golden Agri-Resources – to support digital measurement, reporting and verification. This enables more accurate carbon accounting of tropical forests.
To advance our ambitions, we will be establishing the National Space Agency of Singapore (NSAS), which I announced last month. From the initial 30 officers from the Office for Space Technology and Industry (OSTIn), NSAS is expected to double in size over the next three years.
As we develop our growth sectors, we will continue to partner firms to equip Singaporeans with in-demand and emerging skills.
Earlier, the Deputy Prime Minister shared our vision to establish Singapore as an AI leader, with an AI-empowered economy, through the development and execution of AI Missions across four priority sectors. One priority sector is Advanced Manufacturing. We will work with industry partners to further develop the AI Missions and we will provide an update later.
These preliminarily will be anchored on three thrusts. First, we will leverage AI and robotics to transform our manufacturing facilities to achieve best-in-class outcomes that can become more agile, more resilient and more efficient. Second, we will harness AI to create first-in-the-world solutions, by enhancing product designs and accelerating development cycles. Third, we will drive broad-based sectoral transformation, by helping companies adopt AI in key operations to accelerate the deployment of solutions across the ecosystem.
To support these efforts, we will strengthen two key enablers. First, A*STAR's Sectoral AI Centre of Excellence in Manufacturing (AIMfg). Launched about a year and a half ago, AIMfg has supported close to 30 firms in developing and adopting AI-enabled solutions.
For example, Sunningdale, which is a large local manufacturer of precision-engineered plastic components, is partnering AIMfg to develop an AI-powered defect detection system. Early trials are promising, with expected annual cost savings of more than $150,000 for each product.
AIMfg has also developed a set of common AI models that address typical business needs, such as a predictive maintenance model for rotary devices. This reduces resources and time needed to develop custom solutions from scratch.
Moving forward, AIMfg will further drive AI-led transformation with partners and expand the suite of common AI models.
Second, we will build capabilities in Embodied AI. Embodied AI brings AI into our physical world – robots that can sense their surroundings, that can reason independently and they can act with purpose in unfamiliar environments.
We will invest in R&D to address complex problems faced by our companies and provide shared infrastructure for researchers and companies to test new Embodied AI technologies. Such infrastructure can accelerate deployment of technologies in frontier sectors, which is something that Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh talked about. We will begin with the Advanced Manufacturing, Aviation and Maritime sectors. This can seed new growth areas, by attracting next-generation Embodied AI startups as well as grooming local champions.
To fully unlock AI’s potential for businesses, we will also contemporaneously build an AI-ready workforce through education and training, and support companies in job redesign and workforce transformation. I will elaborate on these efforts in my Ministry of Manpower speech tomorrow.
Mr Chairman, given these shifts, our economy is becoming more digital and innovation-driven. As pointed out by Ms Tin Pei Ling and Mr Edward Chia, energy powers all these efforts. For our economy and our way of life, energy is existential. As demand grows and as we decarbonise, the Government will continue to strike a pragmatic balance between energy sustainability, security and affordability. Decarbonisation will come with costs, but it cannot and it will not be at all costs.
Let me illustrate this using an example, which will also address Ms Nadia Samdin’s earlier question on carbon tax. We will regularly review the transitory allowances, which only cover a portion of companies’ emissions, for us to strike the right balance between maintaining a price signal to encourage investments in low-carbon solutions and managing the rising costs.
As we pursue a diversified portfolio of renewable energy pathways, we will also focus on scalable and cost-effective solutions. As with Singapore’s Water Story, we will first prioritise pathways that support our self-sufficiency and resilience, by maximising our indigenous sources.
Solar remains our most viable option in the near term. We have made remarkable progress. Last year, we reached our 2030 target of two gigawatt-peak (GWp) of installed solar capacity, five years ahead of schedule. We are therefore raising the target to three GWp – an increase of 50% – by 2030, and we aspire to double last year’s achievement within the second half of the 2030s.
However, even with widespread deployment, solar will only supply, at best, about 10% of our future electricity needs, due to land constraints and climate conditions. So, while solar energy is important, it is insufficient. That is why we are currently studying our geothermal resource potential.
Besides indigenous sources, we are also pursuing other low-carbon pathways. Electricity imports from the region can diversify and decarbonise our energy mix. To date, we have awarded around 8.4 gigawatts (GW) of Conditional Approvals to promising projects. Of which, three GW have advanced to Conditional Licences. We are working closely with project developers to secure the necessary regulatory approvals to commence construction soon.
Through close collaboration and cooperation with our neighbours, which is essential, as we strive towards our regional vision of the ASEAN power grid, our first wave of electricity import projects will likely come from Indonesia and Peninsular Malaysia. To prepare for imports from Indonesia, we have identified suitable subsea cable connection routes and landing sites. We are also conducting a full feasibility study on a second interconnector between Singapore and Malaysia. If this is developed, this could provide up to two GW of bilateral interconnection capacity, on top of the one GW of capacity from our existing interconnector.
Beyond this, we are also exploring other low-carbon solutions. As I have said before in this House, no option is off the table. First, we are exploring biomethane as a viable low-carbon fuel through a regulatory sandbox of up to 300 megawatts (MW). Its compatibility with existing infrastructure minimises the need for costly asset upgrades. Since last year, we have seen strong industry interest. We are currently evaluating proposals for the sandbox, and we expect to appoint demand-supply aggregators soon.
Second, we are studying the potential of low-carbon hydrogen, including its derivatives, or its carriers, such as ammonia. Last October, we appointed a consortium led by Keppel to conduct Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) studies for the next phase of the ammonia pilot project for power generation and bunkering.
Third, we are also studying the potential of carbon capture, utilisation and storage solutions to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors. We will continue working with countries that have suitable geological sites for carbon storage, such as Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia, on bilateral agreements to offer the private sector greater investment certainty. We are also studying ways to store captured carbon permanently in products such as building materials.
Based on the results, we will assess how these pathways can be scaled up, the type of mix possible, to achieve our decarbonisation ambitions.
Let us be real. Even as we pursue all of these options, we must remain clear-eyed about their inherent challenges. Imported electricity comes with significant geopolitical risks and uncertainties. Other low-carbon solutions are not yet ready for deployment at scale, either due to technological nascency or under-developed supply chains.
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Thus, while we have not made a decision – and let me reiterate this, we have not made a decision – we are seriously studying the potential deployment of advanced nuclear energy technologies, such as small modular reactors.
Nuclear energy has the potential to be a safe, reliable and cost-competitive option. Its high fuel density is especially attractive for land-scarce Singapore. Just think about it. Five one-inch-tall pellets, which are each smaller than my thumb, can generate the same amount of energy as one Olympic-sized swimming pool of natural gas. We are intensifying our capability building, especially in nuclear safety and technology assessment.
We will do so in line with the International Atomic Energy Agency's Milestones Approach, and we will partner international leaders such as the US, France and the Republic of Korea. In fact, just this morning, this is one of the few moments I come in with a tie, this morning, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) just signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company, which operates South Korea's entire fleet of 26 nuclear energy reactors, on the sidelines of the President's visit from the Republic of Korea.
Public trust will be essential. We will work closely with partners on raising awareness, not just for nuclear, but more fundamentally, the existential nature of energy.
As Mr Edward Chia and Mr Ng Shi Xuan have pointed out, we must continue to ensure the continued reliability of the grid, as Singapore moves to a heterogeneous mix of energy.
Last year, EMA and SP Group launched the Future Grid Capabilities Roadmap to set clear directions for capability building in areas, such as system inertia and flexibility technologies. EMA is also piloting a Virtual Power Plant regulatory sandbox with industry partners and assessing whether more energy storage systems are required, to address challenges such as intermittency.
Underpinning all these efforts is science and technology as the key enabler. We are launching a new $800 million Decarbonisation Grand Challenge under RIE2030, in support of our 2035 abatement targets and 2050 net-zero ambitions. Building on past efforts, we are significantly increasing investments in promising solutions to reduce power sector and industry emissions and, at the same time, to ensure a reliable and resilient power system.
Under this Grand Challenge, we are launching a new programme, Singapore Pilots for Energy and Enterprise Decarbonisation (SPEED). Speeding is an offence for the Land Transport Authority. But this SPEED is essential. This supports local translational Research, Development and Demonstration activities and it catalyses private investments, to scale up promising yet nascent technologies.
Mr Chairman, innovation and technology will continue to push and propel Singapore to greater heights, and it will create good jobs for generations to come.
As the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out earlier, we are a climate realist. As we strive towards our net-zero ambition, we have to constantly remain mindful of the challenges, such as the geographical constraints and rising decarbonisation costs to businesses and households.
But that said, we will do our utmost best to secure a clean and green future, because this is for our future generations, with a stable and reliable flow of energy, which is existential for our economy and our way of life. [ Applause .]
The Chairman : Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling.
The Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Low Yen Ling) : Mr Chairman, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong spoke about how Singapore is now entering a new phase in our economic journey.
We are committed to empowering businesses to succeed and thrive in this new landscape. We will continue to nurture a dynamic and vibrant enterprise ecosystem, where enterprises confidently navigate change and succeed.
Businesses today face increasing pressure to adapt in an uncertain world. We have gained keen insights from our engagements with SMEs and the trade associations and chambers (TACs), including the Singapore Business Federation about the challenges on the ground.
Several Members have raised similar concerns, particularly in relation to our SMEs – Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Mr Mark Lee, Mr Lee Hong Chuang, Mr Shawn Loh, Ms Tin Pei Ling, Mr Ng Shi Xuan and Ms Denise Phua. I want to assure them that the Government is leaving no stone unturned to support and to journey alongside our enterprises as they adapt, transform and innovate to overcome the challenges faced.
I am pleased to share that the Government has tailored a "Business Refresh Package" that comprises a suite of enhancements to existing schemes, to enable, equip and empower our enterprises at every step of their journey to stay resilient, grow and thrive by: one, enhancing their productivity and cost efficiency; two, growing their revenue and helping them capture fresh opportunities at home and abroad; and three, fostering a pro-enterprise and trusted business environment.
We will also enable our businesses to proactively navigate transitions, while continuing to strengthen our consumer protection framework.
Let me now elaborate on each thrust of the "Business Refresh Package".
First, enhancing productivity and cost efficiency. Over the years, the Government has rolled out a range of schemes to support companies in capability building, productivity and efficiency improvements. Businesses that can do more with less and respond quickly to changes are best positioned to stay competitive. Structural changes brought about by AI and decarbonisation will mean that businesses have to adapt to stay relevant. But these changes also present opportunities for businesses to transform and to grow.
I want to assure Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Mr Ng Shi Xuan and Ms Denise Phua that we will continue to enable and empower enterprises across all sectors to optimise production processes and to reduce business costs, especially through technology and automation.
For example, enterprises with warehousing operations are increasingly adopting automated logistics solutions to enhance operational efficiency. They can tap on schemes, such as the Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) for funds, and advisory support from industry partners, like the Republic Polytechnic's Centre of Innovation for Supply Chain Management (COI-SCM).
One quick example is the company Frosts Food & Beverage, which operates facilities totalling 75,000 square feet in Bedok and Tuas for the storage and distribution of food products. In partnership with COI-SCM, Frosts conceptualised and rolled out a four-way shuttle automated storage and retrieval system at its Bedok facility. This has led to manpower efficiency improvements of over 30% and approximately $100,000 in annual cost savings for the company.
Beyond productivity improvements, we are continuing to help our enterprises move towards a low-carbon future. We have heard from Minister Tan See Leng earlier.
In 2024, we extended the Enterprise Financing Scheme (EFS)-Green for two years and expanded the scope to cover companies adopting green solutions, in addition to green technology developers. We will extend the EFS-Green for another five years. This will facilitate continued access to financing for companies seeking to build green capabilities and capture new opportunities in the green economy. In addition, to help companies manage rising energy costs and reduce their environmental footprint, we will extend the Energy Efficiency Grant (EEG) for one year. This will provide continued support for investments in energy-efficient equipment.
The second thrust of our package helps the businesses grow revenue by capturing opportunities at home and abroad.
We will help our businesses seize opportunities from the shifting international business environment. I want to assure Mr Shawn Loh that we will continue to strengthen access to financing through schemes like the EFS. In fact, launched in 2019, the EFS has supported thousands of enterprises in securing financing for a wide range of business activities.
We will enhance the EFS in two ways. To allow lenders greater flexibility in structuring loan facilities, we will remove the facility-level sub-caps of $20 million and $30 million per borrower group for the EFS-Trade Loan and the EFS-Fixed Assets Loan respectively, while retaining the overall cap of $50 million. This means that our enterprises can obtain loan facilities that best meet their needs, whether is it fulfilling their contracts, executing projects, or undertaking capital investments. In addition, we will permanently expand the scope of the EFS-Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) to support companies in securing financing for both domestic and overseas acquisitions.
As global supply chains reconfigure and our domestic market matures, our enterprises are increasingly looking to seize opportunities beyond our shores. Our approach has always been to lower the barriers to entry, to strengthen access to markets and to provide calibrated support. However, like what Members have said, we recognise that expanding businesses overseas now comes with increased risks and uncertainty, like what Mr Mark Lee has mentioned.
Mr Mark Lee and Mr Azhar Othman will be glad to hear that we are indeed stepping up our efforts to help our businesses as they embark on their internationalisation journeys.
First, we will increase the support levels for grant schemes that help businesses venture abroad, from 50% to 70% for SMEs, and 30% to 50% for non-SMEs. This includes schemes like the Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) grant, the Business Adaptation Grant and the Global Innovation Alliance.
Second, we will further enhance the MRA grant. Members will remember at MTI's COS debate last year, I announced an extension of the $100,000 grant cap to 31 March 2026.
This year, in addition to extending the $100,000 grant cap, we will remove new markets criteria and will extend grant support to all local businesses, including both SMEs and non-SMEs. I think this is a point that Mr Shawn Loh will appreciate. This will not only support businesses in accessing new markets but also enable them to deepen their presence in existing markets.
Next, we will enhance the Double Tax Deduction for Internationalisation (DTDi) scheme. To help the companies seize overseas opportunities with greater speed and certainty, we will increase the expenditure cap for automatic DTDi-qualifying activities from $150,000 to $400,000 and make existing qualifying activities eligible for automatic deductions.
Lastly, the Global Innovation Alliance will have a refreshed strategy which supports startups' market expansion across two tracks, "Launch" and "Grow". Startups new to the market will be supported through "Launch" programmes focused on market discovery and familiarisation, shorter market sprints and early customer and partner discovery. Startups and SMEs requiring more tailored support can tap on "Grow" pathways to access specialised partnerships to support expansion, deeper market penetration and accelerate technology maturation.
Mr Chairman, no discussion of our enterprises will be complete without mentioning our heartland shops. Heartland shops intersect closely with the lives of everyday Singaporeans, contributing to the character and the vibrancy of our communities.
Helping our heartland enterprises also entails enabling their adaptation and renewal for the future. Over the years, the Government has supported heartland enterprises in refreshing their product offerings, adopting novel concepts and creating experiences that draw footfall and in fact, increasingly, online orders as well, and also strengthening community ties.
To encourage the rejuvenation of our heartland shops, we will enhance the support levels of our heartland schemes, the Enhanced Visual Merchandising Programme and the Heartland Enterprise Placemaking Grant, from 50% to 70%. We encourage our heartland shops to take this opportunity to refresh their stores and conceive exciting placemaking activities.
Many of our heartland shops are small and micro enterprises, which, as Mr Gerald Giam has mentioned earlier, play a fundamental role in the local economy. The Government certainly recognise the unique challenges faced by firms of different sizes, including micro-SMEs. We have developed targeted assistance to address specific needs and support their long-term growth.
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For example, enterprises in sectors with high concentrations of micro-SMEs, such as F&B and Personal Services, are benefiting from sector-specific support to tackle operational challenges, raise productivity and thereby, improving their top line and bottom line.
We understand, many of the F&B establishment face structural cost pressures and capability gaps, as mentioned by some of the Members, including Ms Denise Phua, earlier. And this was also indicated in the recently launched Food Services Productivity Report commissioned by Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Productivity Centre. This, in turn, leads to compressed margins and limited ability to scale sustainably. However, the same report also revealed that the top F&B performers were able to generate close to three times more sales per man-hour, compared to those at the bottom.
When we look closely at it, the top performing F&B establishments observed five key practices: number one, generally, they embraced and adopted digitalisation and automation; number two, implemented strategic menu design; number three, streamlined workflows and space layouts; number four, outsourced labour-intensive preparation work; and number five, adopted effective workforce management.
Mr Chairman, MTI and Enterprise Singapore will continue to do our utmost to enable and to equip our F&B establishments to gain these critical capabilities.
To help our businesses adopt such best practices, during the Food Services Forum held months ago, we launched three new initiatives to support the food sector to: one, optimise operations through the F&B Process Optimisation programme (POP); two, to strengthen their supply chains through the FoodX Programme, which then supports the F&B companies in centralising their food preparation; three, to accelerate the digital transformation.
Besides all these sector-specific schemes, micro-SMEs looking to build their core capabilities and scale up can also tap on schemes, such as the EDG and Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG), for customised support. So, we encourage them to approach any of our 10 SME Centres for tailored advice and guidance.
Mr Chairman, underpinning our efforts to help businesses enhance productivity and efficiency and grow is a pro-enterprise and trusted business environment. This is the focus of the third thrust of the Business Refresh Package. Beyond enhancing enterprise support, the Government will streamline grant processes to make it easier for our businesses to access the full suite of available measures.
I am pleased to announce a new grant, EDGE, which will provide a single shopfront for Government grants, merging the MRA grant, PSG and EDG. We will simplify the grant application process by combining Enterprise Singapore's three flagship grants, and businesses will find it easier to navigate and apply for funding as they only need to submit a single application under the combined grant framework.
The new EDGE grant will support up to $100,000 per year for eligible activities. Businesses that require more support for customised projects can certainly continue to apply to Enterprise Singapore. Businesses will always have the flexibility to embark on projects aligned to their specific needs. Enterprise Singapore will launch EDGE in the second half of 2026. And once launched, the enhancements to the MRA grant that I just mentioned earlier will come under EDGE.
Mr Chairman, last year, the Government set up the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Pro-Enterprise Office (SME PEO). The SME PEO supports businesses by addressing regulatory feedback that spans multiple public agencies, as well as issues arising in new or emerging sectors where regulations may be unclear.
Building on the work of the Alliance for Action on Business Competitiveness in 2024, we also announced three Statements of Commitments under the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Pro-Enterprise Rules Review, to enhance regulatory agility and to reduce compliance burden for businesses. The SME PEO has been working with agencies to implement these commitments.
First, to publish clear service standards for regulatory applications, with a target of 30 working days where possible. I am pleased to share that agencies have published service standards for 93% of their business regulatory applications, with 80% of these applications processed within 30 working days. This helps make our processes more transparent and predictable for businesses.
Second, to extend the validity of business licences to at least three years, and up to five years where we can. Today, 45% of all business licences have a validity period of at least three years. And in three years' time, by 2029, this will increase to 80%, with agencies actively reviewing their policies.
Lastly, to streamline processes to reduce sequential approvals and repeated requests for information. We have simplified multi-agency processes to shorten administrative timelines and to reduce back-and-forth with approving authorities. For example, companies required to undergo Quantitative Risk Assessments (QRA) are expected to save more than 40 days per application following the streamlining of processes by the relevant agencies.
We will also continue to work with agencies to simplify internal processes across domains. One such area is the industrial lease assignments or the transfer of industrial land sites in the secondary market. Currently, all assignment applications are subject to JTC's comprehensive assessment of the buyer's business plan and economic contributions, regardless of the land area or the remaining tenure of the site.
Moving forward, the assignment assessment process will be streamlined for small sites of up to 1.5 hectares, with short remaining lease tenure of no more than 15 years. The proposed uses must support manufacturing activities and there must also be sufficient infrastructure capacity at the sites. JTC will exempt these cases from the full assessment process and will only carry out requisite checks to ensure that assignees comply with prevailing policy and land use guidelines. The revised workflow could reduce the processing time for eligible assignment applications to within one month from the date of the full application. JTC will release more details on this initiative in the first half of this year.
Even as we support firms in pursuing their growth ambition and simplify the processes, we must be prepared to proactively navigate transitions. Companies shared that with the ESR that understanding their business health and future options were vital in navigating transitions.
As Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong highlighted, businesses will need to adapt to shifting global trade flows, technological disruptions and in fact, tighter resource constraints amid steep changes in the global landscape. This may entail reinventing operating models, as Mr Edward Chia has mentioned earlier, for family and heritage businesses, managing generational transitions to safeguard their legacies.
Businesses can reposition and transform by moving into higher value-added activities, optimising operations, offshoring where appropriate or pivoting towards more viable opportunities to redeploy resources more productively.
The creation, the growth and the consolidation of businesses are all part of a very healthy, vibrant and dynamic enterprise ecosystem. We will journey with our companies every step of the way as they navigate transitions and be their support to help them adapt and emerge stronger. The ESR Committee will share more details in time to come.
Chairman, our trusted business environment is underpinned by consumers' confidence in our businesses and market. I agree with Mr Melvin Yong and Mr Andre Low on the need for robust deterrence and enforcement against unfair trade practices.
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) has stepped up its enforcement efforts and secured undertakings from businesses to cease unfair practices. Where necessary, CCS has sought Court injunctions against egregious businesses. However, such actions require careful investigation and due legal process. I thank Mr Melvin Yong for his suggestions to enhance the efficiency of CCS' enforcement actions. MTI and CCS will certainly consider this, as part of the Government's regular review of the remedies under the CPFTA.
On Mr Andre Low's suggestion to strengthen deterrence against egregious companies, we would like to assure you that the Government is monitoring this very closely and stands prepared to take on a whole-of-Government view to enhance our consumer protection regime to safeguard the emerging risks as well as the need to give our enforcement agencies more teeth.
To ensure that our consumer protection regime is up to date, the Government convened an independent Consumer Protection Review Panel last year in March. The Panel will put forward recommendations to address key consumer concerns, including pressure sales tactics and emerging digital harms, such as undisclosed advertisements. The Panel will submit its findings to the Government later this year for a thorough review.
Mr Chairman, the years ahead will be defined by the steps we take today. Through our efforts to raise productivity, support growth and internationalisation, as well as to foster a pro-enterprise environment, we are laying the groundwork for a more resilient, dynamic and competitive enterprise ecosystem.
By working closely with our businesses and trade associations, we will build new capabilities that allow our businesses to respond decisively to uncertainty and to seize opportunities. With these foundations in place, we are confident that our enterprises will not only weather the uncertainty ahead, but continue to grow with strength, resilience and purpose to adapt, transform and succeed. [ Applause. ]
The Chairman : Minister of State Alvin Tan.
The Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Mr Alvin Tan) : Mr Chairman, Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling spoke of how we are helping businesses weather uncertainty. To do so, we must stay relevant in two ways: first, remain attractive to visitors; second, build a vibrant startup ecosystem that is attractive to founders, here and beyond.
Let us start with how we are making Singapore more attractive to visitors. Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked for updates on Tourism 2040. Tourism 2040 is our long-term roadmap that is anchored on quality tourism. We are expanding our reach in segments and markets that can drive higher tourism returns and working with our industry to create more exciting and distinctive experiences.
Our 2025 performance reflects this shift. Last year, we welcomed 16.9 million international visitors, a 2.3% increase from 2024. Importantly, our tourism receipts reached $23.9 billion in the first three quarters of 2025, a 6.5% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
There are a few reasons for this good performance. Last year, we continued to deliver world-class events, including concerts by Lady Gaga and the World Aquatics Championships 2025. We also hosted major meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) events and opened major attractions, such as Rainforest Wild and Illumination's Minion Land.
Building on this momentum, we expect international visitor arrivals to reach between 17 million and 18 million this year, bringing in approximately $31 billion to $32.5 billion in tourism receipts. To remain attractive to visitors, we will strengthen our stage, our people and our show.
Let me start with our stage. These are our precincts and infrastructure. One of our key tourism precincts is Sentosa. In 2019, then-Prime Minister Lee talked about building the Greater Southern Waterfront, including developing Pulau Brani together with Sentosa. I am pleased to update that we have commenced the first phase of our Greater Sentosa Master Plan.
In Phase One, we will upgrade Sentosa's infrastructure. We will add a new transport hub to link Sentosa and Brani, which are collectively known as Greater Sentosa. It will also house lifestyle and hospitality developments. We also plan to replace the Sentosa Express to improve connectivity. We will also rejuvenate our beaches and add coastal protection measures, so visitors can enjoy a day on the beach, even as we protect Sentosa from rising sea levels. We will also create new icons in Sentosa, like Imbiah Canopy, which will become a beacon atop Mount Imbiah that leads visitors to heritage buildings and nature trails. We will share more details about our Greater Sentosa Master Plan later this year and I invite the public to share your ideas with us as we continue to reimagine and shape Greater Sentosa.
I would also like to update Singaporeans on our progress to refresh Orchard Road. The historic Emerald Hill will be part of this refresh. We will launch a tender in the coming months to transform 37 Emerald Hill, site of the former Singapore Chinese Girls' School. This will be a mixed-use development featuring unique hotel concepts, lifestyle offerings and community and public spaces.
We are also on track to complete the Grange Road Event Space in the fourth quarter of 2026. The 3,000-capacity venue can host international touring acts and local artistes – bringing live music, community and cultural events right at the heart of Orchard Road.
We are also enhancing our cruise infrastructure and reinforcing our position as one of Asia's leading cruise hubs. In October, we increased Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore's capacity, from 6,800 to 11,700 passengers. This enables two large cruise ships to berth concurrently, allowing us to welcome more cruise lines, like Disney Adventure, which will call Singapore home. I look forward to attending the ship's christening this week.
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Second, our people. Our tourism workers and businesses shape how every visitor experiences Singapore. We will continue to equip them with the tools to excel.
For example, our Tourism Leadership Excellence and Advancement Programme equips tourism professionals with skills in both tech and sustainability. Our tourism businesses have also been using AI and other tech, and we will help them better use these tools. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will unveil the Industry Digital Plans for the Travel Agents and MICE industries, alongside a GenAI Roadmap, at our upcoming Tourism Industry Conference in May.
Finally, we must put on a good show and curate an exciting line-up of events that attract visitors. We continue to be attractive to art lovers. In addition to kicking off Singapore Art Week 2026 in January, we have brought "Botero in Singapore" to Gardens by the Bay. Singapore is the first and only stop here in Southeast Asia.
Like art fans, music fans have been attracted to Singapore over the last few years. This year, they will enjoy acts like BTS World Tour in December, made possible through STB's partnership with HYBE and Klook. It will be BTS' longest-running Asian stop outside of Korea and Japan.
We have also made Singapore an attractive e-sports destination over the years. This year, we will host PGL Major Singapore 2026, the first Counter-Strike 2 Major event in Southeast Asia.
This year's F1 will also be different and more exciting, because we have secured our first ever F1 Sprint event. This means that F1 teams will also compete for championship points on Saturday. We are one of only six circuits to host this in 2026. F1 fans will know it will make our race weekend even more exciting.
Our MICE industry also continues to attract quality visitors and position ourselves to cement Singapore as a business destination. We will host major events this year such as the Passenger Terminal Expo Asia and the RECHARGE Wind Power Summit Asia Pacific. We will host many ASEAN events as chair next year, including the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2027. This is an important event for us to strengthen regional tourism cooperation and showcase Singapore to our neighbours.
Sir, these collective efforts position us as an attractive destination. I will next speak about how we are going to be attractive to startups.
Our startup ecosystem has evolved significantly over the years. Venture capital (VC) funding to startups more than quadrupled in the past decade, from US$1 billion in 2014 to US$4.8 billion in 2024. We are ranked fourth in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2025, up from 16th a few years ago. To date, we have over 4,500 tech startups, 220 incubators and 500 VC firms.
As co-chair of the ESR Committee on Entrepreneurship, alongside Minister of State Dinesh Vasu Dash, we have engaged stakeholders across the startup ecosystem to develop recommendations to enhance their access to capital, markets and talent.
Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh asked how we can strengthen pathways beyond capital incentives so Singaporeans of all stages and all groups can venture into entrepreneurship and return to employment without being disadvantaged. We are developing further measures under our committee and we welcome members of the public to share your ideas.
Our committee has been working on ideas to expand startups' access to capital, and I will share how we are doing so.
First, we will set aside $1 billion to expand the Startup SG Equity (SSGE) scheme. This will be to continue to invest into early-stage startups as well as expand into growth-stage deep tech startups.
Today, SSGE supports new and early-stage deep tech startups by co-investing with qualified private sector investors and investing in global VC firms that in turn invest in these startups through a fund-of-funds approach.
One such fund is Matter Venture Partners, a Silicon Valley-based HardTech VC. Matter has invested in early-stage Singapore-based startups, encouraged its portfolio companies to have a strong business and R&D footprint in Singapore, and mentored local startup founders.
SSGE also benefits early-stage deep tech companies like Blue Whale Energy (BWE), which builds and operates a Virtual Power Plant platform, combining its own sodium-ion batteries with edge-based control software to create a flexible energy network. SSGE funding can help BWE crowd in private capital and speed up its development for large-scale deployment in Singapore and expansion into other markets.
Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked about the gap we are trying to close with the additional $1 billion injection. We now have maturing crop of high-potential deep tech startups like Nuevocor, a biotech firm that develops potential life-saving medicines for heart muscle diseases caused by genetic mutations. Nuevocor closed a US$45 million Series B funding round in May 2025 and will enter clinical trials across the US and Europe. Growth-stage deep tech startups like Nuevocor need substantial capital to scale beyond our early-stage support.
This is how we are supporting them.
First, we will directly invest in growth-stage deep tech startups like Nuevocor. This will provide them with the capital they need to scale their operations, strengthen their teams and enter new markets while remaining anchored in Singapore as their home base.
Second, we will invest in global growth-stage deep tech VC funds. By expanding our fund-of-funds approach, we will attract top-tier growth investors to establish their presence in Singapore. They will bring capital, global networks, expertise and deep experience in scaling frontier tech, helping to grow and expand our deep tech startups globally.
Third, we will continue co-investing with third-party investors into early-stage deep tech startups. By sharing risks with credible investors, we will catalyse private capital and strengthen market discipline for our early-stage startups.
Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked if the Startup SG Founder programme only applies to first-time founders. In April 2024, we have made the programme more flexible. While the main applicant needs to be a first-time founder, they can now partner founders who have previous startup experiences to apply.
Dr Neo Kok Beng pointed out that our startups receive great support during the seed stage but face difficulties as they start to mature, due to uncertainty of exit liquidity for investors. To address this, we are strengthening options for companies to raise capital in both public and private markets.
Let me first speak about our public markets.
In 2022, we set up the $1.5 billion Anchor Fund to attract and anchor listings of high-growth companies, including promising startups. We have deployed the bulk of this fund to support companies in their journey towards public listing in Singapore.
We will now launch the second $1.5 billion tranche of the Anchor Fund, or Anchor Fund 2. Like the first tranche, we will co-invest in Anchor Fund 2 with Temasek. This is the second move arising from our ESR Entrepreneurship Committee's work.
This will complement the new initiatives from the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS') Equities Market Review Group, which has seen our equity market achieve some early wins with increased IPO activity and higher average daily trading volumes. Our upcoming SGX-Nasdaq dual listing bridge will also allow eligible companies to simultaneously list on both exchanges with one set of prospectus. I will open NASDAQ's new Singapore Office next week with NASDAQ's management and we look forward to working with the NASDAQ team in the run-up to the launch of the Global Listing Board.
Sir, with these measures, we aim to strengthen our public markets as a compelling choice to anchor growth companies as they raise capital and grow from Singapore. But we recognise that not every company will want to raise capital through our public markets. We must thus help our startups better access private capital to meet their diverse financing needs.
Minister Chee Hong Tat has convened a new workgroup to develop strategies to strengthen Singapore as a leading centre for growth capital. We have met the workgroup and look forward to developing measures to better help our companies raise private capital and pursue other non-public exits.
Sir, together, these initiatives strengthen support for our startup ecosystem, across the growth stages of our companies.
Mr Chairman, I have spoken of how we will continue to make Singapore more attractive to visitors. I have also spoken about how we will continue to make us even more attractive to startups, to founders and to enterprises, by strengthening our startup ecosystem and helping innovative companies thrive and seek funds.
I will now handover to Minister of State Gan Siow Huang to speak about how we are addressing their need for space.
The Chairman : Minister of State Gan.
The Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Gan Siow Huang) : Mr Chairman, Minister of State Alvin Tan has just spoken on how we can catalyse startup communities by availing capital to help them scale. I will focus on how we provide physical space and critical infrastructure to support startups in Singapore.
Let me start with LaunchPad @ One-North. One-North by JTC is our main node for startups. It is a major knowledge and innovation district and it houses leading firms such as Grab, Razer, Sea and research institutions in A*STAR, the National University of Singapore (NUS), National University Hospital (NUH) and Singapore Science Park. Since JTC repurposed Block 71 Ayer Rajah Crescent and expanded the startup hub in 2015, LaunchPad @ One-North has supported over 2,400 startups, including tech unicorns Carousell, PatSnap and Nium. Today, it hosts over 30 incubators, accelerators and venture capital firms.
Home-grown company Igloo is one such startup that LaunchPad has nurtured to success. Beginning with smart lock solutions in 2016, it has scaled to enterprise-grade access control software for property and facilities management. It has expanded to eight countries, including the US and China, with about 80 global distributors and 90% of its revenue coming from abroad.
The Ministry of Digital Development and Information announced recently that it is extending its AI co-working space, Lorong AI, at Cross Street to LaunchPad. To create more space for next-gen startups such as those in Lorong AI, JTC will extend and refresh LaunchPad, making it Asia's flagship startup destination. This follows recent engagements with the startup ecosystem, including venture capital funds and accelerators. The refresh will essentially boost the vibrant environment for startups to work, live and play.
A key highlight of the refresh, as mentioned in the Prime Minister's Budget speech, is a new AI park called "Kampong AI". This will be Singapore's hub and home for AI. It will be the first startup community in Singapore with work and living spaces under one roof. When ready in 2028, Kampong AI will be the place for AI startups and talent to congregate and exchange ideas. Startups can house their researchers and developers here, leveraging the events, speakers and demos happening at the same place.
With your permission, Mr Chairman, may I ask the Clerk to distribute visuals of Kampong AI and other developments that I am sharing on. Members may also access them through the MP@SG Parl app.
The Chairman : Please proceed. [ Handouts were distributed to hon Members. ]
Ms Gan Siow Huang : Deputy Prime Minister Gan had spoken earlier on establishing Singapore as an AI leader. Mr Saktiandi Supaat also suggested that our growth be supported by AI diffusion across sectors, among other productivity measures. It is crucial for our budding community of AI leaders and practitioners to have a space to share ideas and build new products.
Kampong AI will meet this need. It comprises two adjacent seven-storey developments – one block with 14,500 square metres of business park units and event spaces accommodating around 70 companies. The other block will have 200 residential units. It will be developed through repurposing blocks in the extended LaunchPad, within walking distance of One-North and Kent Ridge Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations.
While only fully ready by 2028, pilot workspaces will be available in LaunchPad @ One-North from 2026 onwards for firms that want a headstart.
Moving on to another part of Singapore, JTC will be establishing a new LaunchPad at Punggol Digital District, completing it in phases from end of 2026. As a smart district embedded within the community, Punggol Digital District (PDD) is the ideal testbed for translating innovations in smart city, robotics and cybersecurity sectors into real-world solutions. It houses startups, industry, academia and the community under one roof.
The growing ecosystem of companies and agencies in PDD include UOB, OCBC, GovTech, Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore and Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). Training providers, such as SITLEARN, SIT's Continuous Education Training centre, will have a front-row view of innovation development to incorporate these new skills into its adult learning curriculum.
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Another key pillar is PDD's Open Digital Platform, which collects district data and allows lifelike simulations. JTC is working with the Infocomm Media Development Authority, GovTech and SIT to enhance the collection and sharing of the data. The Open Digital Platform will link the innovations to PDD's infrastructure, such as gantries and lifts, to run real-world pilots. For instance, if a robotics startup like dConstruct Robotics wants to deploy applications, such as autonomous delivery, their robots can navigate buildings to deliver parcels or food to users, bringing greater convenience to the PDD occupants.
Beyond catalysing groundbreaking developments here, our firms must seize opportunities regionally. ASEAN is projected to be the world's fourth-largest economic bloc by 2030 and we are building nodes including the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and Batam Bintan Karimun.
JTC is master-planning an exciting new Woodlands Gateway district around the upcoming Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link station, which will be our northern gateway to the Johor-Singapore SEZ. This mixed-use district, spanning up to 35-hectares, that is about the size of 50 football fields, will include a transport hub connected to the RTS Link and Woodlands North MRT stations. The first phase is expected to complete around 2030.
Woodlands Gateway will offer commercial and lifestyle amenities for commuters, residents and people working in the Woodlands North area. It will also provide flexible industrial spaces. Given its proximity to the RTS Link, Woodlands Gateway will cater to firms siting manufacturing in Johor with their regional HQ functions in Singapore.
Leading global precision optics supplier, Edmund Optics, demonstrates the benefits of this twinning model. Its facility in Woodlands North Coast serves as a sales, innovation and R&D facility, whilst its Johor facility manufactures the components. As a crucial node in Edmund Optics' global footprint, this twinned ecosystem has helped the firm remain cost-efficient and competitive while providing jobs to people in both countries. The RTS Link will make this ecosystem connection even more seamless.
I thank Mr Victor Lye for his suggestions on how we can better support our firms to seize the opportunities in the Johor-Singapore SEZ. MTI will study his proposals carefully.
Mr Chairman, beyond providing quality industrial spaces, we must also safeguard and expand Singapore's international economic space. Trade is the lifeblood of Singapore's economy. With total trade exceeding three times of our GDP, global connectivity creates real opportunities for Singaporeans.
However, we know that global trade is also fragmenting. Countries are prioritising economic security over open markets and competition for investments is intensifying. Mr Azhar Othman asked how we could better support our firms to access overseas markets.
In this uncertain environment, strong international partnerships are more crucial than ever to help our firms internationalise. Our approach focuses on three strategies.
First, we are deepening our economic ties with key partners. We continue to engage with the US and China as long-standing partners based on shared economic interests.
We mark 60 years of Singapore-US diplomatic relations this year and we are expanding cooperation in AI, quantum and advanced nuclear energy technologies. With China, we continue to strengthen our economic partnership through flagship joint projects in Suzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year.
Meanwhile, we are enhancing our partnerships with other major economies. We are deepening our engagements with India in high-value growth areas, such as semiconductors, aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul services and space technology, positioning Singapore companies as early movers into India's market.
Our Digital Economy Agreements with the EU and the European Free Trade Association are entering into force in early 2026. These will provide our companies with legal certainty in cross-regional digital transactions.
Closer to home, we continue to push for deeper regional economic integration through ASEAN. Last year, ASEAN upgraded two landmark agreements which are used extensively by our traders. These are the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement and ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0. We also concluded the Digital Economy Framework Agreement to work towards a single and trusted regional digital ecosystem. As Singapore assumes ASEAN Chairmanship next year, we will work with fellow members to build a more seamless economic community and accelerate growth in our digital and green economies.
We are diversifying our economic links with emerging markets and growth sectors to unlock new opportunities for Singapore firms. We continue to work with our Latin American partners through FTAs with the Pacific Alliance and MERCOSUR, whilst venturing into South Asia, the Middle East and Africa with newer trade and investment agreements. This will boost our firms' confidence to invest across these dynamic markets.
We are expanding participation in the Digital Economic Partnership Agreement. It will soon grow to six members with Costa Rica and Peru joining later this year, while China and the UAE are in accession discussions. We have also launched negotiations on the Green Economy Partnership Agreement with Chile and New Zealand.
Lastly, we are actively strengthening our economic security through close collaboration with trusted partners. We are finalising a first-of-its-kind Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies with New Zealand. This is to keep our trade in essential goods, like food and pharmaceuticals, uninterrupted even during global crises.
We are partnering with like-minded countries to uphold and shape the open, rules-based multilateral trading system. We launched the Future of Trade and Investment Partnership, bringing together 16 small, medium and trade-dependent countries to address emerging challenges and opportunities in global trade and investment. We continue to expand high-quality regional agreements, like the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, while building bridges through inaugural dialogues between the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, EU and ASEAN.
Mr Chairman, our efforts to expand our economic space and create quality industrial spaces enable Singapore to remain a competitive destination for firms and to catalyse innovation. My MTI colleagues and I have shared on our strategies to create growth and good jobs for Singaporeans, and this is crucial amidst a climate of uncertainties. We will strive to ensure that Singapore remains a trusted and dynamic hub for trade and capital, securing a brighter future for Singaporeans.
The Chairman : Clarifications for the Ministers? Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat : Thank you, Mr Chairman. I have three clarifications, Mr Chairman. One is, on hearing Deputy Prime Minister's comments earlier from his speech, I would like to thank Deputy Prime Minister Gan for his quite extensive speech earlier. He mentioned about the reassessment of GDP and inflation. I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister, in terms of MTI's assessment of Singapore's vulnerability, in view of the impact of three scenarios.
First, is the scenario of potential tariff increases on key sectors, such as semiconductor and pharmaceuticals, that is one. Second is, slowdown in global AI investment flows, if that happens. Thirdly, Deputy Prime Minister mentioned just now about the protracted scenario of Middle East crisis and/or price shocks. My related question is on enterprise support in that segment is, whether the Deputy Prime Minister can clarify whether MTI has defined clear trigger conditions, such as sustained increases in energy costs or trade disruptions, under which targeted and timebound support will be activated? That is my first clarification, Chairman.
Second is on our plans to budget for physical energy infrastructure to meet our energy resilience and strategy. I note in MOF's Budget documents that our development expenditure for MTI has increased from about $4.92 billion in FY2025 to $9.24 billion, an increase of about $4.3 billion. Can I ask Minister Tan or Deputy Prime Minister whether the numbers already include some of our plans for energy infrastructure to meet some of the energy resilience and strategy, including, for example, landing points, energy storage and whatever new alternative energy that we are taking.
The last question is to Minister of State Alvin Tan, I would like to thank him for his updates on the Greater Sentosa Master Plan in my cut. My question is, I embedded in my speech, what is the projected economic contribution and job creation from the Greater Sentosa Master Plan besides the transport connection between Sentosa and Brani, how many jobs will be created and how many percent value added into GDP will it add to?
The Chairman : Deputy Prime Minister Gan.
Mr Gan Kim Yong : Thank you. First, let me address the issue on our outlook for our economy and inflation as a result of the various scenarios that Mr Saktiandi has pointed out.
First on tariffs. I mentioned and explained several times before. I think tariffs have a significant impact on Singapore, not just the direct tariff between Singapore and the US. That is important. But what is even more important is the environment under which we are now operating, where tariffs can be adjusted at will, and with very short notice, overnight. As you have seen, the tariffs have been shifted from one legislation to another under the US.
And also, we have to take into account the reactions from the various countries in response to these tariffs, which have an impact on us. Sometimes, when the tariffs go up, it slows down the economy. When tariffs come down, it stimulates the economy. And as a result of tariffs going up, some economies may decide to front-load their exports, so they ramp up their manufacturing, they ramp up their exports and as a result of them ramping up their exports, they may then import more components from Singapore, and we supply components to them.
So, it is a very complicated web of trading arrangements among countries, and we depend on a rules-based, open trading system. Singapore is an open economy. So, we really will benefit from the global economic growth. If global tariffs are lower, then it will stimulate more economic activities and trade will flourish, and Singapore will benefit from it. For tariffs, from Singapore's point of view, a lower tariff is better for us, because then it facilitates freer and more open trading activities, and that will benefit open economies, like Singapore. I think this is something that we always have to plan for. We have to continue to develop our trading network and we want to strengthen our resilience in our trading arrangement. That is why we continue to negotiate trading agreements in different forms, including digital agreements. So, that is how we strengthen our resilience in terms of our defence against the tariffs.
On investment in AI, this is something that we are embarking on and we hope to be able to attract both talent and investments, as well as solution providers. They are able to come to Singapore and create this ecosystem among AI operators, AI stakeholders. That is why we are now expanding our Lorong AI into a Kampong AI, so we have a bigger capacity, and we can bring together both working and living environment so that it is an entire ecosystem. And hopefully this will generate a momentum on its own and continue to attract more investments into AI.
On the Middle East crisis, this just happened over the weekend. We are still assessing the situation. What we need to bear in mind is that the Strait of Hormuz is a key shipping route for energy, for LNG, for oil. And therefore, it is important as a supply channel for the world's energy needs. Singapore also depends significantly on supplies from the Middle East, in addition to our supplies in this region.
So, it is something that we will continue to assess. We do expect that if the conflict in the Middle East is protracted, I think it will have a significant impact on the overall energy cost. Singapore over the last few years, as Minister Tan has explained, has built up our resilience. We have built in as several measures to strengthen our resilience against potential external shocks in energy supply. Some of these we will not be able to share because they are confidential and security related, some of it I think Minister Tan has explained earlier. I will ask him to elaborate if necessary.
On the development expenditure, I will leave Minister Tan to talk about the energy expenditure for development. But our development expenditure has a significant increase partly, because of the need to continue to attract investments. As many of you are aware, with the introduction of the minimum tax, tax incentive is now less effective and therefore, we will need to look at other ways of anchoring key investments into Singapore. And this development expenditure is part of it. It is designated to allow us to be able to attract investments to come to Singapore to continue to provide good jobs. I will hand it over to Dr Tan.
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Dr Tan See Leng : Mr Chairman, the short answer to Mr Saktiandi's clarification on the incremental delta for the MTI budget does take into consideration different aspects of the increased spending. I have alluded to the Decarbonisation Grand Challenge of $800 million. We have also got a biomethane sandbox. And I also alluded to the SPEED office that is going to drive quite a number of these. There are also requirements for us to start to embark on the greening of Jurong Island.
Separate to that, if you recall, either at last year's COS or the COS of the year before, Members of this House have also set aside a Future Energy Fund. But that will be more related to infrastructure development, funding infrastructure for interconnectors to prepare them for some of the renewable energy imports.
I do not have an exact breakdown as to which are the components. There are sandboxes that we will need the incremental budget to develop, but each one of these pathways, as I have said, as we leave no stone unturned, we want to evaluate which can give us that sustainability, the reliability and also the security that is needed.
The Chairman : There is something for Minister of State Tan to respond to.
Mr Alvin Tan : Chairman, I thank Mr Saktiandi Supaat for his interest in Sentosa. Sentosa is just one part – a very important part, of course – of our overall Tourism Strategy 2040. We expect tourism receipts to reach about $47 billion to $50 billion. And this is our key strategy: to attract high quality tourism.
With respect to the Greater Sentosa Master Plan Phase One, which I mentioned earlier, once it has been completed, Greater Sentosa is expected to attract approximately 5.3 million international visitor arrivals in 2045. With all of the different phases that we will be building across the years, many new theme parks and also attractions, I think Sentosa will transform. We welcome Singaporeans and visitors to visit and add to our tourism vibrancy.
The Chairman : I see a number of hands raised. So, please ask your clarifications very succinctly. Mr Mark Lee.
Mr Mark Lee : Chairman, I have spoken earlier about how Singapore and our businesses cannot compete on costs alone but must continue to focus on innovation. As such, I would like to ask Minister Tan to share how the Government assess the economic outcomes of our R&D and the commercialisation of public-funded IP, in terms of enterprise formation, licensing to local firms, contribution to GDP and higher value jobs.
Dr Tan See Leng : Mr Chairman, I understand the Member's interest in the commercialisation of publicly funded research and also the returns on investments. I share the same sentiment and passion as his interests.
I just wanted to emphasise a point. The Government is not investing in R&D like a commercial outfit alone. It has to do significantly more than that. It has to invest in R&D, to build over the longer term our strategic capabilities, the strategic capabilities that is required for our country, to continue to not just thrive, but to be able to run ahead of our competition. And we are actually seeing fruits of our labour.
First, the R&D capacity of our firms and our economy, it has increased significantly. This has allowed our Singapore economy to move up the value chain of industries and activities and take global leadership positions in technologically-intensive sectors and, of course, in the process, creating good jobs for Singaporeans.
If we look at over an eight- to nine-year horizon, from 2016 to 2023, the total annual business expenditure on R&D grew by a compound annual growth rate of 7.8%, reaching $9 billion. So, in 2023, every $1 spent by the public sector on R&D saw $1.87 correspondingly invested by the private sector, and this is up from the $1.38 in 2016.
The number of private sector R&D firms has also grown by 33% to 1,030 firms, from 2016 to 2023. And over the same period, value-added contributed by R&D firms grew by 142%, and value-added per worker for R&D firms grew by 110%.
Between 2016 and 2023, R&D jobs in the private sector grew by 36%, reaching more than 30,000, with locals filling more than 70% of these roles.
We take Mirxes, for example, which is one of the R&D firms nurtured by our ecosystem. Today, 60% of its global staff are based here in Singapore and they are largely Singaporeans or Singapore PRs. This is despite its listing in Hong Kong.
The increase in the R&D capacity has also enabled Singapore to establish leadership in technologically intensive sectors, such as semiconductors and biomedical and we could pursue frontier areas, such as space technology. And today, Singapore is the sixth largest exporter of high-tech goods globally, according to the World Bank group. Singapore has established itself as a leading global hub for biopharmaceutical manufacturing, with industry output doubling over the past two decades to exceed $18 billion in 2023. And major pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly, MSD and Pfizer, continue to maintain R&D activities across precincts at One-North and Tuas Medical Park.
Secondly, our increased R&D capacity has enabled us to build a vibrant startup ecosystem and a pipeline of commercially viable R&D companies. This strengthens our innovation-driven economy and positions Singapore at the forefront of emerging technologies. As Minister of State Alvin Tan mentioned earlier, our startup ecosystem is ranked fourth in the world in StartupBlink's Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2025.
Since 2020, Singapore's ranking as a startup ecosystem has climbed from 16th to fourth position and over the past five years, our tech startups have secured US$1 billion or more annually in venture capital investments.
Third, we have developed globally leading universities right at our doorstep for our Singaporeans. NUS and NTU, they were ranked eighth and 12th respectively in the QS World University Rankings in 2026. Strong university rankings attract investments, drive innovation and it provide our own people with world-class education. Riding on our strength in cultivating an adaptable, digitally fluent and innovation-ready workforce in the age of AI, Singapore was ranked first amongst 135 economies in the Overall Talent Competitiveness Index, based on 2025 Global Talent Competitiveness Index, overtaking Switzerland to the top spot.
From 2014 to 2024, Singapore's Field-Weighted Citation Impact has risen from 1.44 to 1.76. This means that our research is cited 76% more than the global average. This reflects the high quality of our academic researchers and their work.
And fourth, our R&D capabilities also contributed significantly to our strategic priorities in areas such as healthcare, climate change and urban solutions. Not too long ago, during COVID-19, it was our researchers, who were amongst the first in the world to culture the SARS-CoV-2 virus. They rapidly developed the diagnostic kits, and enabled data-driven public health measures.
I want to assure our hon Member, Mr Mark Lee, and all Members that we have generated good commercial traction from the scientific base that we have built over the past many decades. Just the last five years alone, A*STAR and our IHLs' technologies have spun off more than 300 new companies, 230 local SMEs and startups have also licensed some 300 A*STAR originated technologies, while over 900 licences were awarded by our IHLs to SMEs and startups. These spin-offs range from MetaOptics, which leveraged on A*STAR's material and wafer fab expertise to make world class lenses and achieved a successful initial public offering (IPO); to Amperesand, which leveraged on NTU's advanced solid state transformer technology to extend its lead as a category leader.
Most of the information by the way that I have shared, can be found in public sources, such as the National Survey of RIE and our A*STAR annual report. We will be focused. We will always stay the course and we will continue to always invest in our future. I hope that clarifies.
The Chairman : We are running out of time. Next clarification, Mr Victor Lye, reward for your eight-minute cut.
Mr Victor Lye : Chairman, I thank the political officeholders for their response and speeches. With regard to our investments in the advanced industries, the SMEs are going to have to transition, and I welcome Minister of State Gan Siow Huang's sharing about Woodlands Gateway.
My first question is, do we have any plans to perhaps develop an industrial estate, a Singapore industrial estate across from Singapore, so that we can deploy these two sites' gateway to the SEZ, which expands Singapore's economic space.
My second question is with regard to that, there is going to be a need for skilled labour. Can we facilitate a framework whereby Singapore skilled workers can live and work in the SEZ?
The Chairman : Minister of State Gan, I hope your response will be shorter than Minister Tan's.
Ms Gan Siow Huang : Mr Chairman, I thank Mr Victor Lye for his clarifications on the idea of a Singapore industrial estate in the Johor-Singapore SEZ. It is an interesting idea and we will be happy to facilitate if there are interested commercial parties that are willing to invest in this estate.
On creating arrangements for people to be able to live in the SEZ and be able to work seamlessly in both places, we are exploring a Digital Nomad Pass between the Singapore Government and the Malaysian government. And just for your information today, Malaysia already has an existing Digital Nomad Pass, which allows foreigners to reside in Malaysia without being employed there. So, there is already something that we can leverage and we are looking at enhancing it further.
The Chairman : Ms Tin Pei Ling.
Ms Tin Pei Ling : Chairman, I would like to ask the Minster Tan. I am glad to hear that there are plans to see how we can utilise more of the alternative sources for energy, hydrogen being one of them. So, I would like to understand whether Singapore is looking at positioning ourselves early, to shape the regional hydrogen energy supply chain instead of just following others, but to take the lead in this. If so, how?
And also, as we look at overall energy, security and sustainability, what might be in place to support firms and startups, whether locally in Singapore, or to attract them to Singapore, to deepen their R&D in this area, and eventually towards commercialising the deployment of such energy, especially hydrogen, so that we can move towards that secure, sustainable and hopefully, affordable energy vision.
Last clarification is that we talk about affordability. As we digitalise, as we double down on the AI, consumption will definitely increase and also, as we import more of these energy into Singapore, there could be cost associated with this. How do we mitigate or prevent such cost being passed on to local businesses and Singaporeans households so that it remains highly accessible and affordable to them?
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Dr Tan See Leng : Mr Chairman, with your permission – because there are three clarification statements – I would try my best to be succinct and brief.
The Chairman : Thank you.
Dr Tan See Leng : To the first point, indeed, as I have alluded to just now on the ammonia study that we have proceeded with, we have actually worked with a local conglomerate where we have moved on to do FEED studies, where not only do we look at ammonia as one possible pathway – and I will tell you why we look at ammonia; I know the Member was talking about hydrogen – because ammonia as a molecule, hydrogen as a molecule, they are both quite well understood. It is just that today, the transportation of green hydrogen is very, very, very expensive and logistically, today, the chains are not established yet.
So, as an intermediary, we will need a carrier and to carry that green hydrogen across, we carry it in the form of green ammonia. So, we are working closely with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore because our aspirations are beyond the FEED study, beyond the sandbox. We are hoping that eventually, we could potentially, if we are able to prove the viability and feasibility of that sandbox, we can, not just use that as one form of energy as part of our green hydrogen strategy, but we could also potentially be a bunkering hub in the transportation and the movement of green ammonia from the east to the west.
On the second part, in terms of how we want to help the SMEs. Indeed, we do have plans. For many of these bigger sandboxes, we encourage – whether it is the generating companies (gencos), whether it is large companies – to work locally with our SMEs as well to bring them along. And the point that I alluded to earlier on, on the $800 million Decarbonisation Grand Challenge, is something that we hope to be able to crowd in from the big gencos, the big MNCs, to our local SMEs to bring them along in helping us to decarbonise.
To the third point on renewable energy imports. Indeed, part of that diversification and energy transition resulting in lower carbon alternatives will come with costs. To start off with, we are very mindful of the type of cost pressures and the pain that it may inflict, in fact, that it would inflict on, more importantly, our households and our businesses. So, where we come in is, we try to allow for the low carbon importers to strike up commercial arrangements with the big energy intake customers. So, the likes of, whether it is Google, Amazon Web Services, some of these data centres, we allow them to negotiate and we ring-fence it.
But there will come a time when the Government will work with all of the different sectors alongside with our carbon tax to smear that price along. It will not happen within this very short period of time, but it is also something that we have to take into consideration. And for the longer term, as we move on to decarbonisation, notwithstanding the fact that the natural gas will always be our base, we are, indeed, mindful of the cost of continuing with natural gas, then you have to add the cost of decarbonising that natural gas, the emissions you have to capture – you have to aggregate it, you have to transport it, then you have to store it – these also come with costs.
So, our carbon pricing is a reflection of the true cost of that particular modality of energy generation. And with that, we hope to be able to socialise it across our entire population, our country. The underlying principle has to be how we deal with, first and foremost, through energy conservation and how do we become a lot more efficient in managing peak pricing versus trial pricing.
But those are in the developmental process. We are developing the Virtual Power grid. We are also working on different simulated scenarios. We are also using energy storage systems to ensure that base load is always maintained. I think these are the paths that we will all have to undertake collectively as we move forward. And of course, I look forward to the strong support of Ms Tin and fellow Members of this House as we decarbonise.
The Chairman : Mr Lee Hong Chuang.
Mr Lee Hong Chuang : First, I want to thank Senior Minister of State Low for sharing what they are going to do for SMEs, in particular, from availability to making it easier to access in future. But I thought I just wanted to ask this supplementary question in Mandarin, as it is more for the Chinese-speaking SMEs.
( In Mandarin ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] When adopting artificial intelligence, will the Government consider whether AI could be more automated, capable of translating into Chinese or other languages, as well as providing voice reading, so that Chinese-educated entrepreneurs can better understand and benefit more?
Ms Low Yen Ling : Thank you, Mr Chairman. Please allow me to reply very succinctly to Mr Lee Hong Chuang, also in Mandarin.
( In Mandarin ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] I would like to thank Mr Lee Hong Chuang for his constructive question just now. When he was speaking in Chinese earlier, I was listening attentively. There was one sentence that I thought was very apt – that when enterprises do well, people have the greatest job security. I think this is a very important social environment in Singapore.
MTI's English speeches earlier mentioned why we are vigorously launching the enterprise transformation package, which has three important components.
The first important component is to help our SMEs, including micro enterprises, enhance productivity and cost efficiency.
First, we will vigorously promote our enterprises' adoption of AI technology. Anyone who has visited China would have seen the technology Mr Lee mentioned; it is everywhere now. When we give speeches, Chinese, English or other languages are simultaneiously shown on the screen. So, we will definitely consider this constructive suggestion. We also encourage enterprises to adopt not only AI, but also automation and energy-saving solutions, as Minister Tan See Leng mentioned earlier.
Second, I would like to make an appeal. MTI and Enterprise Singapore will definitely support our enterprises in developing not only the important local market, but also overseas markets. As I mentioned earlier, we will make two important adjustments: increasing our support intensity and expanding the scope of support to help our enterprises seize growth opportunities and expand their businesses.
Finally, Government agencies, not just MTI, EDB and Enterprise Singapore, under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, will continue to create a pro-business, pro-people environment, building a business environment based on integrity. We will integrate and simplify application processes so that SMEs, including micro enterprises, can obtain Government support more quickly and easily, enabling them to focus their energy on business innovation and future development.
The Chairman : I am actually using up all our break time in order to meet the guillotine time. The guillotine time is 3.20 pm, so there will be no breaks this afternoon.
There are still many hands raised. I will try to accommodate as much as possible, so, I suggest skip all the preambles, just ask your clarifications. Likewise for the front benchers, skip all the — skip whatever you can, and just answer. [ Laughter .] Mr Edward Chia.
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui : Sir, I will try to go straight to it. The Deputy Prime Minister mentioned about how growth comes from depth and not just skill anymore. And in a particular part, he said about shortening innovation cycles, and I presume it is about research translation. And I think that is something Singapore is already doing. So, I want to ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how are we doing it differently and are there specific targets in terms of the speed of research translation to shorten innovation cycle?
Also about the Business Refresh scheme that Senior Minister of State Low mentioned, I just wanted to check: are we expanding the scheme to also support business families with generational succession and pivot? And if so, how so? And then second, what is the role of trade associations in helping to diffuse the benefits of the Business Refresh scheme? And in my experience working with trade associations, quite a distinct part of the success factor is also the secretariat. So, is MTI also supporting trade associations to beef up the capacity and capability of the secretariats?
Mr Gan Kim Yong : Mr Chairman, I will keep it short. First, I think one of the ways to deepen our leadership and to strengthen our depth is to develop leadership in our MNCs, in our companies, in our sectors where we already have a strong foundation, like semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and so on. These are the areas that we already have a strength. We want to not just be one of the operators in the world, but we want to become a key node.
And by doing so, we also want to attract key operation functions here, including R&D. So, instead of doing R&D elsewhere, we want to encourage them to bring the R&D facilities here, build the R&D capabilities in Singapore. This will then help them shorten the process of bringing innovation to the market. So, I think this is one way that we are doing so.
Dr Tan has also mentioned about our initiatives in R&D, our investments in R&D and the translational research to facilitate the translation of knowledge into commercial products and services. So, these are the various efforts we are doing. We are also using AI to help us to see how we can facilitate and speed up the process of innovation. So, I think many companies are already introducing AI capabilities in the R&D process to allow them to do so.
I just want to make a very quick response to Mr Saktiandi Supaat's question earlier. I think he asked what are the triggers for the Government to start to respond to many of these scenarios. I just want to say that there is no single trigger. We will need to take into account holistically all the impact and make assessments as we go along. As and when, if necessary, we will roll out initiatives to respond to these scenarios. Under SERT, for example, we rolled out the Business Adaptation Grant (BizAdapt) and also rolled out GRIT as an internship programme to help support workers to do the transition.
So, I think, as we go along, we will make assessments. As and when necessary, we will roll out new initiatives to support businesses in this transition.
The Chairman : Mr Andre Low. Oh, Senior Minister of State Low.
Ms Low Yen Ling : Thank you, Mr Chairman, I will keep it very brief. I want to thank the Member Mr Edward Chia for his two-part question about the family —
The Chairman : Skip all that; get straight to the point.
Ms Low Yen Ling : — family business, as well as the other one on TACs. On family businesses, I want to assure him that earlier on, when we mentioned that we raised the support level for SMEs and non-SMEs and indeed, many of our multi-generational family businesses are in that category. A quick, quick example, Mr Chairman, three weeks ago, I graced the opening of Guang Xiang Tai's new factory opening —
The Chairman : Senior Minister of State, please do not list a lot of examples. Senior Minister of State Low.
Ms Low Yen Ling : — they have been working very closely with Enterprise Singapore and JTC, and in one stroke, because of them onboarding digitalisation transformation and as well as AI, they have managed to increase their production capacity by not just double or triple, but six times. This is game-changing because they are able now to really increase their export capacity.
On TACs, Enterprise Singapore and MTI will continue to work very closely with our range of TACs, including SBF, SCCCI, SMCCI, SICCI and so on. And we want to work with them to achieve three things, "ABC". One, to advocate and be a voice for their members' company in their sector; two, then also to work closely with Enterprise Singapore and the various economic agencies to build the capacity and the capabilities; three, to connect the member company within the sector and, in fact, to also facilitate inter-TAC collaboration.
An example is in the last few years, we have launched a lot of programmes for TACs. A quick example is the TAC Fellowship Programme. This is a programme that is spearheaded by SBF. Just a month ago, I went to SBF —
The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Low. Senior Minister of State Low —
Ms Low Yen Ling: — to meet the sixth cohort of — Thank you very much.
The Chairman: Can you please — Yes. Mr Andre Low, last clarification.
Mr Low Wu Yang Andre : This is directed to Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling. S o, my question is, does the Government have any perspective on my suggestion to criminalise high-pressure sales tactics that prey on our vulnerable populations, especially given our tough line on scams and scam syndicates? The way I see this is, essentially, in-person scams is the same playbook – they leverage on fear and anxiety, and they prey on the vulnerable, and the sums involved of hundreds and thousands of dollars can really be quite eye-watering.
Ms Low Yen Ling: I want to thank Member Mr Andre Low. In my earlier speech, I have also responded very succinctly. I want to assure him, as well as Mr Melvin Yong, I think you touch on very similar issues, and you probably heard from the political office holders speaking at the Ministry of Home Affairs COS about their tough stance against scams.
3.15 pm
You would have heard in my earlier speech, I shared that the Government convened an independent Consumer Protection Review Panel last year. They are on track to table their findings to us. We will take a very thorough look at some of that because some of the feedback from the focus group discussions actually cover the areas the Member talked about.
I want to assure him that it is not just CCS, not just the MTI family, but we stand prepared to take a whole-of-Government view to enhance our consumer protection regime to do two things. One, to safeguard the emerging risk and also, to ensure that the enforcement agencies are given the necessary capacity and teeth to enforce.
The Chairman : We have run out of time. Can I invite Mr Saktiandi Supaat, if you would like to withdraw the amendment?
3.16 pm
Mr Saktiandi Supaat : Instead of going straight away to say I seek leave to withdraw my amendment, I have to thank Deputy Prime Minister Gan, Minister Tan, Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling, Minister of State Alvin and Minister of State Gan Siow Huang for answering all our cuts. There were about 21 cuts and 16 Members. But I also thank the Permanent Secretary of MTI and his team, because there were a lot of things that MTI will have to do and will be doing going forward, and I thank them for that.
On that basis, Mr Chairman, I seek leave to withdraw my amendment.
The Chairman : I thank all Members for giving up your break time.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $1,861,722,800 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $10,705,745,500 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]