Ideas to spark Singapore growth

The Straits Times, April 20, 2007



By Lynn LeeINTERNATIONAL ADVISERS: PM Lee Hsien Loong played host to members of EDB's International Advisory Council - comprising 17 top corporate chiefs from the United States, Europe and Asia - at the Istana. among his guests are (from left) chairman of Tata Group, Mr Ratan Tata, and executive director of Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Dr Rob Routs.



THE civil service has formed 19 teams of officers from across its ministries and agencies to generate new ideas to help Singapore grow.

Each has a specific aim.

For instance, one team will think up ways to build on Singapore's research and development efforts to turn it into a centre for innovation and cutting-edge technology.

Another will use Singapore's expertise in security and civil defence to see if this can be exported to other countries.

There is also a team tasked with engaging Singaporeans here, and those who are outside the country.

Underpinning these efforts is Singapore's new growth strategy for the future, known as World.Singapore.

The strategy was outlined at the 9th meeting of the Economic Development Board's International Advisory Council yesterday.

The approach aims to bank on the country's strong suits, to export its capabilities to the world, and to draw talent and investment onto its shores.

Said the head of the Civil Service, Mr Peter Ho, in an interview on the new direction and how the Civil Service will fit in:

'The whole process of getting the ministries to think within this framework of World.Singapore will help us generate fresh and new ideas that will help keep us ahead of the curve, help us maintain our competitive advantage.'

The strategy stemmed from an exercise two years ago, when a range of civil servants were asked to think of ways to help Singapore keep on succeeding.

They visited seven cities and interviewed foreigners and Singaporeans alike.

They then came up with four main attributes that Singapore should bank on: its credibility and reliability; status as a knowledge hub; connectedness with the rest of the world and reputation for being a great place to live in.

Said Ms Dawn Yip, a lead strategist at the Trade and Industry Ministry who took part in the exercise: 'These are some of the most promising qualities Singapore has.

'Trustworthiness, for instance, was a distinctive factor that kept on coming up when we spoke to the private sector, locals and people overseas.'

The 19 teams were then set up last year to put up concrete plans and roll them out with relevant agencies.

Each team has between 10 and 20 core members, and is headed by a permanent secretary.

So far, they have come up with more than 90 initiatives, said Mr Ho.

More than 10 initiatives - including some suggested by inter-ministry committees - have received funding from the Finance Ministry to turn them into reality.

For instance, a plan by four agencies to improve Singapore's nightlife scene through better night lighting and other infrastructure has received $45.5 million.

The Manpower Ministry's move to set up a consultancy service to foreign governments on labour and employment issues has received $1.3 million, while the Education Ministry received $21.3 million to roll out exchange programmes and overseas attachments for students.

Mr Ho noted that in the process of experimentation, some initiatives could turn out to be more successful, while others could fail.

But it was worth sticking to those which might not be making as much progress as others, because it was too early to tell which ones would pick up speed, and which ones would flourish.

'Some of the issues are far more complex than others. Some of them are more cooked than others. Some of them have longer gestation periods than others,' he explained of the approach.

The important thing about World.Singapore, he said, is that it is now putting ideas into action, and involving more public sector agencies in the process of thinking about global opportunities for Singapore.




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'The whole process of getting the ministries to think within this framework of World. Singapore will help us generate fresh and new ideas.'
MR PETER HO, head of the civil service