Lawrence Leow Chin Hin
Singapore
“Sir, many of the SMEs are concerned that the industrial rental may end up like REITs' play in the retail malls where rentals only go up. So, would the Government consider getting feedback from the users of industrial space, and not rely solely on the consultant's recommendation alone?”
“The Government has also been actively encouraging companies to globalise. I would like to ask the Government to consider this scheme I have put forth which, I believe, will serve to help many more companies venture abroad and globalise successfully. Singapore Business Federation”
“Sir, I want to inform the Hon. Minister of a situation where a subsidiary of a Government agency competes with an SME and the same Government agency has to decide on the award of the project.”
“It is heartening to see that surpluses generated from the positive growth of Singapore being shared among Singaporeans and not just the lower income earners and older workers but all Singaporeans at large through the new Progress Package. With that, Sir, I support the Motion. 12.48 pm”
“After all, a frail economy would bring about many other forms of social problems. Hence, focusing on building a strong economy has always to be a priority. I am convinced that the Government would put in place appropriate measures and safeguards to minimise and contain the negative social impact of the casinos.”
“To be helpful to the SMEs, financial assistance from the Government must go beyond just working capital financing. Perhaps, the Ministry may wish to consider extending the scope of the LEF Scheme to also include overseas lending to SMEs venturing abroad. 6.15 pm Building Global Brands”
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“I once had the opportunity to speak to the former Mayor of Kunshan, and he told me that Taiwanese businessmen have created such a big cluster there that they have not only gained significant negotiation power but also created a great impact on the local Chinese community so much so that Kunshan is also nicknamed "Xiao Taipei", meaning mini Taipei. The Mayor further elaborated on how he was involved in extensive negotiations with the Taiwanese businessmen and how he and his officials had to concede and gave in to the many requests put forth by the Taiwanese because the cluster effect had shifted the balance in the Taiwanese favour. The Taiwanese were able to leverage on the strength of their cluster effect to negotiate for a very favourable relief package during the times of the Asian financial crisis. But the interesting point to note is that a good part of the relief package has not been removed when the market conditions improved, a testament of the influence and benefits of cluster negotiation. In Dongguan, where there are more than 3,000 Taiwanese electronics firms, the cluster effect has also been put to good use whenever negotiations with the local authorities have to take place. Sir, I would like to suggest that the relevant agency initiate a plan to identify strategic markets like China and India, and initiate the creation of clusters of Singaporean businesses in selected sites of these strategic markets. Where location is not a crucial concern, local businesses venturing overseas can be encouraged to co-locate in these selected sites, to create clusters of Singaporean business communities.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for your indulgence in allowing me to join in this debate on the motion to thank the President for his Address at the Opening of this Parliament. I will first touch on the area of building the economy in the President's Address. Apart from continued efforts to attract foreign direct investments, one other key aspect of building a strong economy would be to strengthen the indigenous part of our economic structure, that is, the part made up of local businesses. In this respect, we have to maintain a pro-enterprise environment and continue to promote entrepreneurship to help the growth of local businesses. With a small domestic market, local businesses have to look beyond our shores for new growth areas to fuel their expansion plans. Increasingly, going global is not so much a buzzword as it is an essential step for local businesses to take in the current economic conditions. Since venturing abroad is becoming a must, it would be useful to look at some of the successful models that we can learn from. One such model is that created by Taiwanese businesses in various parts of China, particularly in the city of Kunshan and Dongguan. Looking for reasons to explain the success of Taiwanese businesses in China, the common Chinese Language medium and the geographical proximity of Taiwan to China are thought to be key contributing factors. Another significant finding is that in both Kunshan and Dongguan, the businesses are located in clusters.”