Teo Ser Luck
Singapore
“Mr Chairman, Sir, in the initial days when I set up offices overseas – whether it is China, Kuala Lumpur or Jakarta – I used a translator for the local contracts as well as for meetings. Lately, I have been using online platforms, especially in China and also in Malaysia.”
“So, in this day and age, with the world changing really fast, and with social media and information overload, how is the SPF or how is the Ministry going to maintain that public trust and confidence in our Police Force?”
“We have to put in some of these funds, for example, the $300 million additional funds put it into agri-tech, would the agri-tech in future provide a more comparative and affordable pricing for some of what it produces or these technology startups would be able to scale overseas, globally, have a commercial aspect to that.”
“Chairman, I am a heavy user of technology. And when I started on a technology project, I created a first layer of programming and algorithm where the machines started to learn. With more data collected, more and more, the machine gets smarter and it could make intelligent decisions or informed decisions for me.”
“We have tight regulations on financial institutions in their lending platforms and also non-bank lending platforms in regulating them, making sure that they do not go beyond their means to lend out to those that they cannot do the Know Your Customer survey or assess their credit readiness.”
“I believe there are three aspects of transformation that will impact the workers directly. First, the job redesign, change in the process, change in the scope of the job. Second, job shift, the job itself is no longer available and they have to change sectors. Changing sectors also requires a mindset shift.”
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“Mdm Speaker, as of June 2015, a total of 122,500 professionals were employed as engineers, of which six in 10 were locals. Engineers play a crucial role in Singapore, and are needed to improve our infrastructure, grow key sectors such as manufacturing and telecommunications and drive the Smart Nation initiative. Sectoral Tripartite Committees (STCs) for sectors such as construction, manufacturing, transport and infocomm technology (ICT) are formulating their respective Sectoral Manpower Plans to enhance sectoral competitiveness and strengthen the Singaporean Core. By developing more attractive career pathways and strengthening the professional recognition and accreditation of engineering skills and expertise, we aim to attract more locals to join the engineering profession. Engineering will remain a meaningful and respectable profession as we strive for economic and social progress in our next phase of development. The tripartite partners will reach out to more Singaporeans to take up engineering as their career of choice. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister of State. I have two supplementary questions. Since engineers are so important, I would like to ask how many engineers and engineering positions in Government agencies and Statutory Boards, are filled by foreigners? Is there a plan to just employ Singaporeans in Government agencies and Statutory Boards?”
“All employers are still responsible to cover for their employees. And, of course, we encourage all employers to note of such a trend and the cost incurred. But we will review the cases and see how many of these cases are there and whether it is large and, as such, we will take at look at the policies and the coverage itself.”
“Employers of foreign workers, including foreign domestic workers, are required to bear the cost of any medical treatment incurred by their foreign workers (FWs), including pulmonary tuberculosis. If inpatient or day surgery treatment is required, it will be covered under the medical insurance that employers are required to buy. The minimum insurance coverage of $15,000 covers 96% of all inpatient and day surgery bills at public hospitals. However, conditions, such as pulmonary tuberculosis, are often treated without hospitalisation and, thus, not covered by the insurance. The intent of insurance is to help employers cope with inpatient and day surgery bills where bill sizes tend to be larger than for outpatient treatment. Mandating insurance coverage to include outpatient bills will raise the cost to all employers. Nevertheless, employers can voluntarily purchase such insurance. MOM will continue to periodically review and update the healthcare insurance requirements for all foreign workers and foreign domestic workers. Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade): I thank the Minister for the response. In most cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in the initial stages, the symptoms are not very clear so, therefore, they are not treated as outpatient yet but they may end up being admitted to ICU or being managed for respiratory failure and pneumonia, for example. In the end, when the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis is made, her employer finds out that they are not able to claim because it is the diagnosis that has been made as pulmonary tuberculosis. Therefore, they end up with a rather big bill and yet they cannot claim from insurance. So, this is actually something, I hope, that the Ministry can review.”
“I thank the Member for the questions. On an overall basis, it is still under the study phase. We have just completed Phase 1, going to Phase 2. From testing the vehicle out on the roads in Phase 1, to rolling out the fleet base in Phase 2, we are still undertaking research and study. Technology changes all the time. So, the duration of 10 years is a safer duration for operators when they make decisions on investments. Also, over the 10-year period, technological advancements will change. We can see that there are many different types of technology that are advanced today, with batteries that are rechargeable, last longer and take a shorter time to charge. EV ownership right now is still in the study phase but the policy intent has always been not to have individual car ownership and, as best as possible, to use public transport. Nevertheless, we want to give more options to consumers. We have to wait till the Phase 2 study is over because individual ownership is beyond the Phase 2 study right now. So, let us allow Phase 2 to progress and the operator to make the necessary infrastructure investments with the fleet base operation to see the results. Page: 27 As far as rebates are concerned, I would refer that to the Ministry of Transport (MOT) to study what is available and whether it is necessary to come up with other types of rebates, including COE rebates. Currently, MOT is having a review, but I am not too sure if the outcome will be in the near term. So, we will let Phase 2 be implemented before considering any other measures.”
“Mdm Speaker, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Economic Development Board (EDB) had issued a Request for Information (RFI) in December 2014 to invite proposals for the trial of an electric vehicle (EV) car-sharing programme in Singapore under Phase 2 of the EV test bed. The submission period has ended, and the proposals are currently being evaluated by LTA and EDB. The results of the RFI will be announced by the end of 2015. EV Phase 2 will explore fleet-based, shared car operations with the potential to reap economies of scale through higher daily mileage and potentially lower running costs. Operators under Phase 2 will have to incur significant upfront cost of investments in EVs and a network of charging infrastructure. The 10-year period will allow adequate time for the companies to recover their investment. Our broader transport goal is to encourage the use of public transport and reduce reliance on private vehicle ownership, whether they are EVs or not. Those who wish to purchase EVs can benefit from the recently enhanced Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme (CEVS), under which low-carbon emission vehicles stand to enjoy significant rebates of up to $30,000 off the Additional Registration Fee (ARF).”
“As the SkillsFuture ELP and STP have different but complementary aims, SPRING and WDA have been working closely to harmonise these two programmes. Over time, the STP will scale down and cease for sectors and job roles which have been covered by the SkillsFuture ELP.”
“Mdm Speaker, SkillsFuture is a national initiative to provide Singaporeans with the opportunities to develop their fullest potential, regardless of their starting points. The new SkillsFuture Earn & Learn Programme (ELP) and SPRING's existing SME Talent Programme (STP) are complementary programmes that aim to develop our human capital while, at the same time, address our companies' need for talent, thereby contributing to the larger goals of SkillsFuture. The SkillsFuture ELP is a work-study programme that benefits fresh graduates from Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs) and Polytechnics to take on jobs in both SMEs and non-SMEs. The programme aims to encourage ITE and Polytechnic graduates to enter industries which they are trained for, by providing them with opportunities to earn an income and deepen their skills through a mix of institution-based and work-based training. They will progress after the programme through clearly-defined career development pathways. The STP was launched by SPRING in June 2013 to build a strong pipeline of local talent for our SMEs. SPRING works with key Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) to help SMEs reach out and recruit promising students from ITEs, Polytechnics and Universities. Participating SMEs can engage students through internship opportunities and study sponsorships. The students will work in the SMEs after their graduation. SPRING also Page: 28 provides assistance to SMEs participating in the STP to develop strong HR systems to ensure that they offer good careers for the students who join their companies. The SkillsFuture ELP is being implemented in phases, starting with a few sectors.”
“Apart from assisting companies, the productivity centres also organise conferences, workshops, seminars and study trips. Through such events, companies can learn more about productivity techniques, technological developments and best practices in their sectors. About 1,300 companies and 1,000 participants have benefited from these so far. The productivity centres have proven to be a valuable resource for our companies. We are, therefore, strengthening their capabilities further to better meet companies' needs and deepen productivity expertise in Singapore. Firstly, we are expanding the pool of productivity consultants, including those with specific industry expertise, such as in Retail or Food Services. Secondly, the centres are conducting applied research and benchmarking studies, to gauge where we stand and how we can effectively address sector-specific productivity issues. Lastly, we will continue to monitor industry demand and scale up our productivity centres to cover new sectors where required. Page: 15 Through initiatives like the productivity centres, the Government continues to support our companies as we work towards achieving our long-term productivity target.”
“We have introduced an extensive range of schemes and grants to help companies upgrade their productivity. We also recognise that even if companies are ready and willing to improve productivity, some need help to diagnose productivity issues, implement productivity improvement projects, adopt new and relevant technology and identify the right schemes to support their productivity journey. Assistance is available at different levels. The SME Centres, as a first stop for businesses, provide comprehensive basic advisory services. For more customised help, our Centres of Innovation provide help with technology and Intellectual Property translation, while Productivity Centres give productivity advice and consultancy. There are Productivity Centres to serve three key clusters. These are the Construction Productivity Centre (CPC) for Construction, the Singapore Innovation and Productivity Institute (SiPi) for Manufacturing and the Singapore Productivity Centre (SPC) for Retail and Food Services. To date, about 800 companies have benefited from these services. Their productivity projects have delivered good results. Let me give an example: SYSPEX, an SME in the packaging business. It reduced its processing time by 20% and improved space utilisation by 30% after upgrading its warehouse infrastructure and systems. SiPi provided invaluable consultancy assistance for this project, while SPRING supported the project with the Capability Development Grant. In general, companies have seen 10% to 20% improvements in productivity metrics, such as process cycle time, machine utilisation and storage capacity, after implementing projects with help from the productivity centres.”
“I thank the Member for the question. As far as REITs and the specific case in terms of preferential treatment are concerned, the Member may perhaps want to provide more information on the details, so that we can look at the specific case in question. I have answered about REITs several times in this House, as well as about REITs' influence on rental. They may not be the dominating party in the cluster but, because REITs usually have a share of a larger part of a more attractive place, usually the prices and the rental prices go up. That is exactly why, working with the Singapore Business Federation and the SME Working Group, we came up with releasing some of the data to make it more transparent so that both sides, tenants and landlords, can go into a fair discussion on the negotiation of rental rates. We do the best we can. We cannot interfere and intervene in the market. We provide the information as best we can to provide transparency for them to negotiate. So, as far as REITs and the specific cases are concerned, can the Member please give me more details offline?”
“I thank Er Dr Lee for the question. We have to gather information and, whether it is profiteering or anti-competitive behaviour, we still need to gather information and look at what act was committed, and whether it has been a fair practice or not. At this point in time, it is still too early to make any conclusion or judgement and I do not want to raise expectations and, say, end of the day, yes, we found something. We have not. We are engaging them right now and we are collecting information. But as I assured Members just now, we will take action if they are involved in any of the practices that is unfair or anti-competitive.”
“As far as working with more than chambers of commerce or trade associations for the SME Centres, we are definitely open to all these ideas. As long as the organisation is a non-profit organisation and they would like to engage the SMEs to help the SMEs improve and also, at the same time, for their own mission, whatever is their mission, let us say, to help Singapore as a whole in terms of jobs, workers or SMEs, we are open to suggestions and we would like to work with them as well. Page: 33 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Chairman, I would like to ask the Minister of State on the subject of the petrol price hike. Besides investigating on anti-competitive behaviour, is the Ministry also investigating them on profiteering? And, indeed, if there is profiteering, is the Government or the Ministry going to take action against the petrol companies?”
“I thank Mr Yeo for the suggestion. We can pursue a vision of hand-holding, but I can tell him, it is very tough. Why? Because there are 180,000 SMEs in Singapore. They are of a different nature of business and are of different sizes. Instead of raising expectations and say I have every officer, 180,000 officers, one to hand-hold each SME, or I can have one officer for many SMEs. Sometimes, I do not think we have as much domain knowledge as the businessmen themselves or those who set up the companies themselves. So, it is best that we make sure that there are different resources available to them, but these resources might rest with different agencies. That first-stop can help to coordinate resources, to discuss with the entrepreneur or the business person on what they need. You bring in all the resources and we coordinate. That is exactly where I see the SME Centres and also the business advisors playing that role to say, yes, you need HR, you need WDA's support; or, yes, you have this certain need and there is a scheme in SPRING Singapore that can help you. If you need to go overseas, I can coordinate with my colleagues in IE and facilitate the process. One thing we will try to do as a first-stop agency is that we can have this vision when the SMEs come to the SME Centre to relate their cases. And they would only need to tell their story once. We will try to do that. Whether it is through technology or information or whatsoever, we will try to do that. Put it down in one standard template and say, this is the story, and you tell that story once and we coordinate the officers to meet the SME and then see what can be worked out to address the issues.”
“Then, we can recommend ITE, Polytechnic and University graduates for internship or job placement. So, when SMEs approach and apply for whether it is ICV, CDG or PIC, it is not necessary for them to know and understand every scheme because we know it can be confusing. The reason why we introduced so many schemes is because we definitely want to help the SMEs of different sizes. That is exactly why when we launched it, it is just to highlight the need and highlight the fact that there is such a programme to help them out there. So, this is how we can address the issue.”
“There are a few schemes. Let me make it simpler so that people will not be confused. The schemes are PIC, ICV and CDG. In fact, all of these schemes, we tier them such that the smaller and micro-enterprises can benefit from them. This year, we announced the enhanced CDG, which widened the process and access for smaller enterprises. We are helping our local enterprises a lot more than just helping the bigger companies. In terms of applying for some of these schemes, in fact, I would say that any company just needs to approach the SME Centre and need not know what kind of schemes are available. They just need to tell them what needs to be done or what they hope to improve. Let us, say, for example, they want to improve the human resource management of their company and they are growing from a small company to one of a larger size, and they want to know what they should do, what kind of schemes they can tap on. Business advisors can advise them. SMEs can tap on the schemes to support changes in HR, for example, implementing a HR software system or HR process. HR consultants can be engaged to advise the company to, say, look at your growth, your company's projection of how much manpower will be added in one year, two years, and what you should do in terms of, say, HR manual, HR processes, interview appraisals and so on. The companies can then make it more structured. Those companies that have participated in the SME Talent Programme have to undergo an assessment of their HR system because we want to make sure that the HR process is tightened and that there is a proper prospect and career path for those who want to join the company. A lot of SMEs that join the SME Talent Programme end up having to implement a more structured approach to its HR resource management.”
“There are many talents. Different talents study different courses. They also have different personalities, passions and interests. So, yes, there may be some that are possible where we can, say, second some of the talents under the agencies, not necessarily have to be under the Ministry, like the scheme where we also second some of our civil servants to private-sector companies. But if we want to do it as a big group, I think we need to look at their interests and so on. Currently, it is best to let the students pursue their interests but we continue to promote what is good about joining SMEs. That is the most important priority today, as people sometimes just want to join the much larger companies, MNCs and so on. But we need to support our SMEs because they employ 70% of our workforce and they comprise over 90% of our registered entities in Singapore. We need to support them. There is an immediate need and gap to fill. It is not like we bring in all the best or all the talents and then, after that, we start to allocate. That adds on another layer to the process and may not help the SMEs directly and immediately, which is what we need to do now.”
“Mdm Chairperson, for the petrol prices and duties, currently, the Competition Commission of Singapore is gathering information and engaging petrol companies about the reason and rationale for the price increase. While they are gathering information and the engagement is in progress, we do not have conclusive evidence yet. Nevertheless, we want to assure the public that, if they are found to be fraudulent or they are involved in anti-competitive behaviour, we will take action against them.”
“I am confident that we can overcome all the challenges, whether it is for SMEs or consumers, as long as the Government companies and individual Singaporeans work together as one to transform our economy and position ourselves to secure opportunities in this new global economy.”
“As part of the review, the PEP will engage companies and gather their feedback, because this is part of their work throughout the year. Mr Lim Biow Chuan has raised a few issues on consumer protection. Promoting fair trading and consumer protection is a collective effort by the Government, CASE and the industry. CASE and STB have stepped up cooperation with relevant malls to improve information to the public on retailers who are the subject of a high number of customer complaints. I know everybody was concerned about Sim Lim Square's issues and the saga when it happened. Let me just give an update that CASE had worked with Sim Lim Square's Management Council to produce consumer alerts and advisory posters in English and Chinese. I understand that they are now placed at all the entrances, lift lobbies and even within the lifts of the mall. STB is also working with the Management Council to prepare public announcements on consumer advice in the four major languages. On a broader front, MTI will work closely with CASE to step up broader consumer education. At the same time, we want to highlight that the Consumer Protection Fair Trading Act (CPFTA) cannot be a "one-leg kick" with everything encompassed, because it will be very messy. What we want to do is that we do not discourage retailers from doing their business, especially those good retailers. We know that errant retailers are the minority. We just need to catch them. This is under review at the moment and we have until mid-June to put it through, make the recommendation and make a public announcement. Page: 28 We thank Mr Lim Biow Chuan for his concern. We also need his help and support all the way through, to make sure that we can protect the consumers.”
“We will make sure that we take note of that and advise the good companies, some of the good startups, to bid for some of the Smart Nation projects. Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Dr Chia Shi-Lu, Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Mr Inderjit Singh and Mrs Lina Chiam, in their earlier speeches, asked about business costs. The increase in business costs for the manufacturing sector moderated to 0.7% in 2014 from 4.1% in 2013, while the increase in unit services costs for the services sector remained at below 2% in the last two years. Page: 27 We have also noted the point about rentals. I have mentioned that and I will not mention that again. Furthermore, utilities costs for both the manufacturing and services sectors declined in 2014 compared to the previous year. This was due to a fall in electricity tariffs in the second half of 2014 on the back of the plunge in global oil prices. Let us continue to monitor that and see what we can do, like, for example, the way we have done it with the rental data. Dr Chia Shi-Lu asked how the Government will ensure that Singapore continues to have a pro-business environment. We are always pro-business, we are always open and we always take in feedback. Let me give you an example. The Pro-Enterprise Panel (PEP) is chaired by the Head of Civil Service, with the Second Permanent Secretary of MTI as Deputy Chairman. What do they do? They actually look at some of the processes and streamline them, whether it is licence fees or process review. Since its set-up in 2000, the PEP has accepted more than 1,000 suggestions to improve rules and regulations. Moving forward, in 2015, we will undertake more of such reviews of the costs arising from business regulatory compliance.”
“SEEDS and BAS have done well, having catalysed close to $340 million cumulatively from about 500 private sector investors and funds into 240 investments. We are committed to supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. We will enhance SEEDS and BAS by increasing the co-investment cap to $2 million per company and topping up the BAS scheme by $75 million to support more innovative start-ups. We will also pilot a venture debt programme to give high-growth enterprises access to an alternative financing instrument that can serve as a substitute for equity financing. There is a window of opportunity for our SMEs over the next few years, so that the SMEs can work on some of the public sector projects. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah has mentioned that. We believe that there should be a fair and open competition among all companies, including SMEs. But, then, we want to make sure that there is opportunity available as well. Considering the fair and open competition, we will encourage SMEs to look at our Smart Nation Project. SPRING, Action Community for Entrepreneurs (ACE), which is really in charge of fostering the entrepreneurship community in Singapore for startups, and also Chambers of Commerce will work with the Smart Nation Project Office to identify opportunities for our startups and SMEs to contribute to making Singapore a Smart Nation. We want SMEs and startups to have the chance to participate in this project. The best way for us to help SMEs is to allow them to go into this competition to bid for it. We should not hold them back and set a very high barrier to entry. But they have to prove themselves based on their own merits, to be able to bid for them and win those projects.”
“Mr Inderjit Singh asked about the startup ecosystem. Over the years, we have put in many different startups. International publications like the Economist and Harvard Business Review have started to write about our startup ecosystem entrepreneurship; most notably Block 71 LaunchPad. There is urgency for startups to have a place and quickly launch themselves beyond Singapore shores. As a start, Block 71 has now expanded. Block 71 is in Ayer Rajah and that is a LaunchPad itself. We have added another two blocks. So, there are three blocks for startups altogether. There are 500 startups there – many entrepreneurs. In order for them to go beyond our shores, as a start, what we have done is there will be a "Block 71 San Francisco" which was opened in January 2015 to support Singapore startups venturing into the USA. This is a collaboration between NUS Enterprise, Singtel Innov8, Infocomm Investments (IIPL) and SPRING. And this is something that will encourage them. We will be planning other locations as well. LaunchPad in Singapore will not just be limited to one area but it will be in different parts of Singapore. The second one will be near NTU, in CleanTech Park. These are the areas that we will be looking at. We have a vibrant startup ecosystem. Page: 26 We have also supported start-ups by making available financing in the early stages. For instance, the Government catalyses "smart money" through the Start-up Enterprise Development Scheme (SEEDS). Many enterprises have benefited from SEEDS and the Business Angel Scheme (BAS). These help our startups benefit from the expertise and go beyond the first phase of development.”
“There is the BGP which we are going to bring in, involving about 10 agencies – namely, SPRING, IE Singapore, WDA, Design Singapore, Maritime Port Authority (MPA), Media Development Authority (MDA), Infocomm Page: 25 Development Authority (IDA), Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and NParks – with all the 20-plus business grants under one portal. Our vision is to streamline about 20 existing business grants into three key areas within one portal. SMEs visiting and accessing the portal, need not know what kinds of schemes or grants exist, but they look at it by category and then apply for the relevant one. It is very straightforward. These three areas in the portal are capability development, internationalisation and training. On this portal, companies will be guided through the process and given advice on the grants for which they are eligible. It will reduce the time required to search and apply for these business grants. Since the inception of the Innovation and Capability Voucher (ICV) scheme in 2012, more than 16,000 vouchers have been awarded. A few service providers who are suspected of abusing the ICV are under investigation. This is one point I wanted to highlight – that there are some who abuse the system and some have inflated project costs for SMEs in various ways to claim the vouchers. Others have colluded with SMEs to make false claims. I want to say that we will be monitoring them very closely. We will ban them and there are some being banned already, and they are on our blacklist of consultants. We will continue to monitor them but we also need the feedback from the ground, to tell us who they are. We will list them, find out and gather enough evidence before we do so. We take a serious view of such abuses.”
“SPRING will work with other agencies to make sure that that first-stop is possible. Whether it is increasing resources to do that, I think it is most important that we train the existing officers and staff, both at the SPRING level. Maybe, some of the larger companies would have to go to SPRING officers to look at their more detailed operational and business needs, whereas the micro SMEs can access the SME Centres in the HDB heartlands. The micro-businesses could approach the SME Centres which would coordinate with the rest of the agencies. The SME Centres will play that role. We will train our officers to be able to coordinate and put forth the schemes available and to be able to give the appropriate advice or coordinate the resources to give that advice under one roof. As Mr Inderjit Singh has pointed out, the current network of SME Centres has provided useful touch-points, and we will enhance that. There are many good examples where SMEs have benefited from the SME Centres. For instance, with the assistance of SME Centre@SCCCI, one company called Skylace Enterprise was able to improve its HR and financial management capabilities by tapping on SPRING's ICV and WDA's Age Management Grant. So, that is two agencies supported by one SME Centre facilitating the process. This is one example. We know that more needs to be done and we will make sure that it gets done to address some of the gaps in the marketplace today. To make grants more accessible, we will be rolling out Phase 1 of the Business Grants Portal (BGP). We want to do that, not only on the ground and physically, but on the Internet, online, we are going to do that as well.”
“In terms of commercial and retail rentals, we hope that this information that is provided to the market is helpful for the tenants, as well as the landlords, for their negotiations. We want to encourage fair practice. As long as there is fair practice, I think this information will be helpful. I would like to take the opportunity to thank members of the SME Workgroup for their contributions. Through their efforts, we have identified some of the key issues affecting SMEs today and have taken steps to address them. I look forward to working with all of them in 2015. Page: 24 Mr Inderjit Singh and Mr Thomas Chua talked about a one-stop SME agency. The SME sector is an important part of our economy. I believe Ms Denise Phua as well has also talked about a one-stop SME agency. It is a very diverse group – ranging from micro enterprises in our HDB neighourbourhood shops to high-tech startups to local companies which are already successfully exporting to overseas markets. Every SME comes in different forms, have different natures of business, need different skills and are in different phases in their business development. So, it is not easy just to have a one-stop agency. But we take the point that we could make it easier for the SMEs, wherever they are, whoever they are, to access to a first-stop. It would be very challenging for one agency to cover all areas. Let me say that SPRING Singapore is the lead agency looking after the SME sector, providing the majority of Government programmes and grants to support the capability development of SMEs. SPRING reaches out to every segment of the SME sector; from retailers with fewer than 10 workers, to globally competitive SMEs. SPRING also provides a range of assistance, from basic ICV to customised CDG and financing schemes.”
“We look forward to SMEs' support of the SFC's work. One key plank in our outreach efforts is the SME Workgroup, which I have chaired since 2013. Many of our hon Members are also in this Workgroup. Members of the SME Workgroup, together with representatives from Government agencies, such as MOM and IRAS, have been conducting dialogue sessions with SMEs to understand their challenges and concerns. We also share with the community about Government policies and how these can be helpful to SMEs. As part of our outreach efforts, we established a network of 10 SME Centres in 2013 and added two more in 2014, where Business Advisors are on hand to advise SMEs how they can improve productivity or business capabilities. To date, the SME Workgroup and the SME Centres have collectively reached out to over 60,000 SMEs. The SME Workgroup has provided useful feedback to the Government on various issues concerning SMEs. As a case in point, the Government released more detailed retail and industrial rental market data earlier in January this year following feedback from the SME Workgroup and SBF as well. Such information can help our retail and manufacturing SMEs make more informed decisions on setting up outlets or factories or renewing leases for their current premises. The industrial rental data, as well as the commercial rental data, are released on the website. Companies can compare and look at it at the street level, cluster level and the floor level as well. So, when they make the comparison, they will make more well-informed decisions. JTC is constantly monitoring industrial rental movements and also releasing land where necessary.”
“With this greater access, more, including the micro and small enterprises, can now tap on CDG to do more. PIC may not be readily available for them, but they can approach the SME Centres for help in tapping on grants. The business advisors in the SME Centres can better understand what their needs are. The SMEs do not need to remember any of the schemes. They just need to approach the Centres. In addition, helping SMEs attract talent is also crucial. Mr Thomas Chua had mentioned that this is important to the renewal of our traditional companies. We have launched the SME Talent Programme (STP) quite some time ago and it was introduced to address SMEs' need for talent, by matching promising students from ITEs, Polytechnics and Universities to some of our growing SMEs. I am pleased to share with you that this programme has gained traction over the past two years. Seven TAC partners are now on-board. Since the programme launch in June 2013, there have been 530 internship matches and more than 450 job matches to 240 companies. For instance, through the programme, Keystone Cable was matched with four candidates who will be groomed to play key roles in its business operations and to drive the company's overseas expansion. To me, this is a win-win situation where promising students are given a Page: 23 headstart in their careers, while SMEs have the option of tapping on a pipeline of talent. 12.15 pm Government schemes are available for all SMEs to tap on. But companies must take the lead and strengthen management. They must recognise their workers' skills, value and train workers. As mentioned by the Senior Minister of State, the SkillsFuture Council (SFC) will promote continuous learning and skills mastery to support workers as they improve their productivity.”
“Through the CIP, SPRING works with industry players and partners, such as TACs, to drive mass adoption of innovative and productivity-raising solutions tailored to the specific industries. So far, we have 15 projects that have benefited 240 SMEs. I know more will come on as many of the Page: 22 TACs are already planning new shared services to be provided to their members. SPRING is currently working with its partners on a number of projects, two of which will be rolled out very soon. One of them is the e-commerce project which I had mentioned earlier. The second project is a platform for shared HR services. Together with industry partners, SPRING will be setting up a common pool of HR solution providers, which micro enterprises and SMEs can tap on for HR systems and services. Participating SMEs can benefit by outsourcing their administrative HR activities, so that they can focus their limited manpower on their core functions. Both projects are open for enrolment starting from 1 April 2015 and we are targeting to enrol 50 companies each. I encourage our SMEs to come on board these two CIP projects. Ms Foo Mee Har also asked what more the Government can do to help companies appeal to the hearts of their workers and motivate them. Fostering a positive workplace culture and increasing employee engagement is a key concern for the National Productivity Council (NPC). To improve employee engagement, we need to raise the quality of leadership and management within our companies, especially SMEs. Research has also shown that well-run companies are more productive. In this regard, many SMEs have tapped on grants like the ICV and CDG to raise their HR capabilities. We have now widened access to the CDG as well as made it simpler to apply.”
“In addition, SPRING, IDA and other agencies are working with industry partners to develop a common platform to facilitate e-commerce activities across various online marketplaces. This platform will include integrated warehouse functions, inventory management solutions and order fulfilment capability. This will benefit SMEs which want to adopt e-commerce but are unable to afford the initial outlay. In addition, by streamlining the logistics chain, participating SMEs can reduce the time taken to process and manage orders by up to 45%. The reality is that competition will only get stiffer – from newcomers who are starting to differentiate themselves and from existing companies that have already begun to transform. The Government will continue to support our SMEs, but I also urge our SMEs to stay committed to the journey of innovation and raising productivity. Collaboration is the third key strategy to grow the SME sector. Collaboration helps our SMEs build track records, pool resources, share best practices and create new business opportunities. Minister Lim had earlier mentioned how SMEs can collaborate with large organisations and benefit from the PACT programme. Let me just update Members that SPRING, under the PACT programme, over a short period of time, has facilitated 85 projects that benefited 570 SMEs. We want to continue to encourage SMEs to collaborate with one another. They can come together for business opportunities and they can also pool their resources to look at new ways to keep costs down. The other programme is the Collaborative Industry Projects (CIP) Programme. It has been a key initiative to promote the adoption of shared services among SMEs. For this, we would need the TACs to take the lead and to help to bring projects together.”
“As we pursue innovation, we need to recognise that there are areas that we need to and can develop further, especially given the rapid rate at which companies in other countries are innovating. For instance, in e-commerce, there is scope for us to catch up with the likes of South Korea, China and Japan. Internet retailing made up only 3% of total retail sales in Singapore, compared to 12% in South Korea. Mr Inderjit Singh had also mentioned about rental costs which I will address later. E-commerce is one way to bypass some of these costs. In my own personal experience, I have just bought a very specialised skipping rope that can spin a lot faster. I thought that we did not have this in Singapore, but I found a place where I could purchase such a skipping rope and it was at a warehouse here. When I bought the skipping rope, I went to the warehouse and I thought because it was a warehouse, the rental would not be so expensive. The skipping rope cost me $24. Another friend of mine bought a similar skipping rope online via a Chinese Internet retail site and it was delivered to Page: 21 his house. He paid $8. While our small market size poses a natural obstacle to scale, there is clearly scope to improve and new ways to do business. The Government has taken some steps to give e-commerce a stronger push. For instance, SPRING has worked with partners to organise workshops to educate retailers on topics like digital marketing and data analytics to help traditional retailers understand opportunities in e-commerce. SPRING has also supported digital consumer campaigns, such as the "Great Online Shopping Festival" in February, to drive sales for participating retailers.”
“As mentioned by Minister Lim, the CDG will be enhanced by simplifying the application process for projects below $30,000. For such projects, companies do not need to submit detailed project reports. We used to require them to submit detailed forecasts in terms of the project's value-add. Instead, there will be just five easy-to-answer guiding questions to describe the projects briefly, as long as they can prove how they can improve their processes or productivity. In addition, the number of fields in the simplified application form will be further reduced, so companies need not provide detailed projections on the impact of the project. I have heard Ms Foo Mee Har's example of Little Ferry Agencies and how it has customised its racking system to make it more efficient and in its processes. I used to be from the logistic industry and I can understand what kind of racking system they had. Technological applications may not be applicable here. Nevertheless, we want to encourage such innovative ways of changing a company's process or racking and shelving systems. Under the enhanced CDG that was announced this year, this type of projects could be supported. The Government will be extending this enhanced support level for CDG of up to 70% of the costs for three more years until March 2018. We will also put in more resources to scale up the teams managing the CDG to reach out to more SMEs, so that more companies can benefit from this programme. Mr Inderjit Singh had asked for more resources for SPRING. I thank him for his request and I agree with him that because there are about 180,000 SMEs and if we want to help them to improve productivity, there is a need to give SPRING more support.”
“To encourage innovation among our SMEs, we have expanded broad-based schemes like the Innovation and Capability Voucher (ICV) and Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC). These schemes are designed to help as many companies as possible. Mr Thomas Chua would be happy to note that many SMEs from the traditional sectors have benefited from these Government schemes. Ms Foo Mee Har, Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Mr Zaqy Mohamad have asked about targeted Government schemes to promote SMEs' transformation. We recognise that each sector and even individual companies have different challenges. Hence, we have introduced targeted schemes to focus our efforts on priority sectors, or raise productivity in specific ways unique to the company or industry. The Capability Development Grant (CDG), which Minister Lim had talked about earlier, is one such programme. It is tailored to the capability development needs of individual SMEs. Let me highlight how targeted innovation through the CDG has helped our companies raise productivity. Food manufacturing company Foodedge Gourmet, for instance, tapped on the CDG to cover 70% of the qualifying costs to build a brand new ice cream production line. Foodedge is a food supplier to cafes, restaurants and hotels, and ice cream is one of its key products. Since 2014, with the introduction of this technological innovation, the Page: 20 company has been able to introduce new products, such as salted caramel almond ice cream, pistachio ice cream and locally-inspired sorbets like Soursop and Lychee. Furthermore, Foodedge was able to increase its ice cream production capacity by five times while requiring less manpower, who were redeployed to other areas. This enabled the company to supply more ice cream locally and explore export opportunities in the region.”
“This will benefit TACs in three ways. First, this can facilitate collaboration amongst TACs and companies across different industries in areas, such as skills upgrading and business co-creation. This is similar to Mr Thomas Chua's example on the food manufacturing industry. They will benefit from this. Page: 19 Secondly, smaller TACs will be able to leverage on large TACs which can provide expertise in secretariat support and organisation needs. Thirdly, TACs can also reduce operating costs and optimise resources through sharing facilities and amenities. Ultimately, TAC members will benefit from the broader range of programmes which will be made available to them, and also from the improved convenience when TACs are housed together at the TA Hub. I am happy to announce that the TA Hub will be located at JTC's iHUB, which most of us would recognise as the old Jurong Town Hall. This is where Singapore's early industrialisation policies took shape, in the face of the challenges we faced during our nation-building years. We hope that this will serve as inspiration to our local industry, and especially our SMEs, to continue to transform and raise productivity. (In English): Mdm Chair, please let me continue in English. We will continue to grow the SME sector through three key strategies – innovation, collaboration and internationalisation. Senior Minister of State Lee Yi Shyan had talked about internationalisation earlier, so, I will elaborate on innovation and collaboration. In his Budget Speech, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance stressed that we must make innovation common and widespread in our economy.”
“This is a fully self-service concept restaurant where customers order and pay for their food via a kiosk. Customers then collect their food when their number tags are called. This allows them to run a quick service restaurant with only five staff, compared to the usual 15 staff required. 12.00 pm Everyone has a role to play in strengthening our SME sector. The Government is committed to helping companies in all sectors improve their productivity and competitiveness. Our broad-based schemes are available to all SMEs, whether in traditional or new sectors and some can directly help SMEs in traditional sectors to address the challenges they face. I will talk about some of these schemes later in my speech. At the same time, Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) would also need to come forward to organise the industry and raise the competitiveness of the SMEs. I sincerely agree with what Mr Thomas Chua had suggested. Mr Chua had asked about how the Government can support the development of TACs. Given the size and range of the SME sector, Government agencies, TACs and other partners need to work together to effectively reach out to SMEs. For example, through the Local Enterprise and Association Development (LEAD) Programme, the Government provides funding support to TACs for industry development projects and to upgrade their own capabilities. We recognise that larger TACs in Singapore have stronger secretariat teams and sizeable membership bases and are better able to roll out initiatives to benefit the industry. On the other hand, there are also many smaller TACs which are not able to provide similar services due to resource constraints. To help smaller TACs, JTC will be setting up a Trade Association Hub, the TA Hub, to cluster different TACs under one roof.”
“Nonetheless, SMEs in such "traditional" sectors can continue to grow if they are able to build a strong talent pipeline, innovate, and proactively pursue growth through innovation and opportunities to expand their business overseas. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang talked about the story of two men being chased by a tiger. The ending of the story is that one guy managed to escape from the tiger by taking off his shoes and climbing up a tree. However, he could not stay up in the tree forever. The one who fastened his shoes ended up being eaten. This tells us that we have to be flexible in order to survive. But if we want to expand the story further, the one who hides in the tree cannot stay there forever; he has to find ways to jump from one tree to another tree; or to think of ways to subdue the tiger that is waiting at the bottom of the tree. This means he needs to innovate and adapt to the changes. We must move forward; we cannot just stay there and wait forever. Similarly, our businesses and SMEs need to continue to explore and find new ways to improve their operations, to innovate and use information technology to turn traditional industries into advanced industries. There are many successful examples of companies in "traditional" sectors that have positioned themselves well for growth. Old Chang Kee, for instance, has become one of Page: 18 Singapore's successful household brands. It grew from a single hawker stall in 1956, to become a listed company. It has about 80 local outlets today, as well as an overseas market presence in Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. The company has continuously transformed its businesses to keep up with the changing times. With the support of SPRING, Old Chang Kee launched Curry Times Tingkat brand in 2013.”
“Several Members have spoken on issues that affect our SMEs. I want to thank them for their comments and suggestions. Creating a vibrant, productive and competitive SME sector is crucial to our restructuring efforts. Restructuring has not been easy for many individual SMEs. The Government adopts a middle-of-the-path approach to cater to the different tiers of SMEs because they are of different sizes and scale in their nature of business. Page: 17 So, the restructuring process will be faster for some but may be slower for others. We have to moderate the pace and adjust the kinds of schemes to help them adjust to the pace of the restructuring. But, on the whole, we are seeing many positive signs that the SME sector is trying to transform and also improve capabilities. More SMEs are internationalising and investing in technology. The entrepreneurship scene is also robust. Firm formation rose from 54,000 companies in 2010, to 77,000 in 2014. In comparison, firm closure has held steady at between 40,000 to 42,000 in the same period. So, the net formation is positive and is on an upward trend. Mdm Chairperson, may I now speak in Mandarin, please? (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Thomas Chua asked about traditional sectors. Many of our industry sectors, particularly the more mature or "traditional" ones, have a substantial base of well-established SMEs. Many of these companies have grown up with Singapore. They are household names and are important links in our business ecosystem. As our economy restructures, traditional companies, too, will need to evolve to compete effectively and face new challenges. These SMEs are often family-owned, and face particular challenges with regard to succession planning and talent attraction.”
“Mdm Chairperson, may I have your permission to display some slides on the LED screens for my speech?”
“Secondly, of course, we have the Global Company Partnership Scheme. We identify some potential good companies and, I would not say handhold them, but we go in-depth into their operations and work together with them to assess opportunities overseas and create revenue streams. To date, we have assisted more than 27,000 companies, of which 80% are SMEs, to internationalise, and this is an increase of 16,000 companies in 2013. We can see that more and more companies are going overseas. Hopefully, we can reach our target of 1,000 companies by 2020.”
“For companies to grow to $100 million of revenue in size, they have to do a few things: expanding their base revenue and creating new revenue streams. At the same time, they have to look at the type of sectors they are in and which kind of markets they should target, overseas especially, because Singapore, being a smaller market, may not be sufficient for them to grow to that certain size. There are a few schemes through which we help them. First is that they have to strengthen their company, especially the internal processes and new technologies, so that it is scalable for the companies to grow to a large size of $100 million. We have a Capability Development Fund that helps them to tap on to apply technology, human capital development and also productivity improvements. Today, there are more than 1,000 companies or enterprises that tap on these funds. We hope that more companies can come forward to tap on these funds. This is for the internal processes. Page: 17 The other scheme to help them is to expand their revenue base of going international, that is, internationalisation, going overseas and all that. IE Singapore organises several trade missions where we bring companies overseas to assess the market. But at the same time, for companies that cannot go for these overseas trips or are unable to, say, set up base overseas, we have a scheme that helps them to assess the market through information and resources that we have gathered there, and then provide them with the data when they are locally based here. For example, schemes like the Market Readiness Assistance, provide a broad-based informational, advisory and financial support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in order to assess whether they should go international.”
“In its 2010 report, the Economic Strategies Committee set an aspirational goal of having 1,000 Singapore enterprises with revenues above $100 million by 2020. This is an increase of 470 from the base of 530 such enterprises in 2007. The goal of reaching 1,000 such companies reflects the objective of developing a strong base of globally competitive companies to create a vibrant corporate ecosystem in Singapore and grow the external wing of our economy.”
“In the first line, it is very important that we have the data and the information and the complaints and that these statistics and information are available and sufficient and enough for it to be assessed that there is an issue. If there is an issue and an element of criminality, that is when we will escalate to the Police to look at the case and Page: 49 gather further evidence. That is how the Police will be involved. Each time there is an issue, say something happens in a shop and CASE is involved, then, there will be an engagement officer from CASE or somebody, to talk to retailers. There is a process to help the consumers to make their complaint. When they go to CASE, they have two choices. One, is mediation, where CASE can advise them or recommend, depending on their case, that they go to the Small Claims Tribunal to make their claims.”
“Absolutely. We have to do something right now in the interim before we complete the study. Even after we have completed the study and making the recommendations and amendments, it would take time. So, right now, we are working closely with the affected malls, the operators. We are working with Sim Lim Square and the Management Council very closely. They are implementing certain measures within the mall, firstly, contractual obligations between the landlord or the shop-owners as well as the tenants. There are some clauses in the agreements. This was recommended by CASE: putting a clause there to make sure there is compliance with CPFTA. Secondly, we also want to heighten awareness about those errant retailers within the malls. We want to make sure that there is a wider spread. We are working with CASE to do that, to engage all the mall operators as well as retailers in proper education and proper training. We are also trying to look at all the complaints, monitor the complaints and where are they coming up from. Each year, we are getting an average of about 4,000 complaints. If we are getting that kind of complaints – and the tourists, on average, make up about 15% or so of the complaints – then, there is an issue where we are not just having to manage local consumers, but looking at making sure that the tourists will continue to come and we would not dent our own reputation. In the mean time, CASE will play a critical role in education, in working with the malls to do that. MTI is engaging the malls to make sure that, on the policy side, we are looking at the relevant policies and laws, to see what are the other things that we can do. The Police are definitely involved, but I think there is going to be a first line and second line of response.”
“I believe with my own sense that it is part of the investigation and evidence-gathering process, where you do something like a mystery shopper kind of work to gather evidence. On whether it is necessary to do so, first, you have to decide if this problem or complaint has the element that raises a reasonable doubt that something needs to be done further, we need to gather more information. That is when we can carry out these mystery shopper tests. But I would also encourage the mall operators to work with the retailers. At times, they also need to do these mystery shopping tests to assess their service levels. This is something that they may want to do and not necessarily just to detect whether there is fraud or not. So, depending on the case and how severe the case and the complaint are. I believe as part of the investigation process, there may be enforcement officers going down to gather evidence in different ways. That could come later, as we discuss about the Page: 48 whole process.”
“I thank the Member. I can count from one to 15 as well. For the query on criminalising, it is not about the contract but the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act and whether we put criminal penalties within the Act and whether these are severe enough, whether we can define the severity and whether we want to do that. We are still considering because one of the important points of consideration is how would it affect the merchants and businesses. You do not want it to open up so much such that in any small little case, it will all come up. And then the Police and every investigation officer would gather evidence and this would affect the business operations as a whole. The majority who are good retailers will be affected as well. So, that is under our consideration right now. As to the scope of it, as you know, the CPFTA covers all things you buy and sell in the retail sector. We are not just talking about selling electronics but every other thing. So, we have to consider it very carefully. If we want to bring in harsh penalties, what would that mean? The question would be, if we put an injunction through, and that injunction happens to be there and we publicise it, it is against the entity. Today, we already foresee that the operator himself can side-step the matter and form another entity. That is something we are considering very carefully – to look at injunctions that effectively cover the whole scope that he would not be able to set up any entity.”
“This is a matter of urgency. We do not have to set up a committee to review an issue. Immediately, we pulled all the stakeholders in and we started working on it. Those involved include inter-Ministries in the Government – MHA, MinLaw as well, AGC and the mall operators in getting their feedback. We have involved CASE as well. Mr Lim Biow Chuan himself is personally involved. I have just mentioned all these stakeholders in the review. For the question on when, it definitely will not be at the end of the year. I do not foresee that we will complete this review too late. I will set a target that before the middle of this year, we want to finish the whole review and also recommend the amendments. As for public consultation, definitely. In order to make amendments to the Act, we need to consult not just with CASE but also with the merchants and with the mall operators as well so that you can get greater acceptance before you can recommend any amendments.”
“I did not say "end of the year". It will be earlier than end of the year. It will be within the year. We are already halfway through the review. We intend to expedite this and complete it as soon as possible. Because every day, there are buying decisions, selling decisions and practices. We have to ensure fair practice. On the issue of the Police, there must be a process where, first, we must create enough awareness and heighten awareness about the errant retailers within the mall. We have to work with the mall very closely to do that. Secondly, timely engagement when something happens. So, that is when you need CASE and for the mall and CASE to work together to monitor all these different complaints. There may be more complaints for one shop, or maybe it is complaints about several shops. We have to address this. So, engagement is extremely important. Once you have engaged them, you need to gather evidence – whether there are elements of fraud or more severe elements of intent where you know that there may be criminalities involved. That is where the Police can be involved to gather further evidence under the Penal Code, to say what else and what other action we can undertake. Page: 46 There must be a proper process. That is exactly why we are looking into these different areas – education, case process, timely enforcement and engagement, where something needs to be coordinated. We are thinking about looking at additional resources, whether in the form of a unit or an agency, or an existing current organisation. We are figuring out what is the best way to do it efficiently and effectively to coordinate this effort. Then, we can address the issue completely.”
“I meet with them periodically to find out about the progress in Sim Lim Square. Improving consumer protection and protecting fair trading require the collective efforts of the Government, CASE, consumers and industry players. In reviewing the legislation, MTI will take a balanced approach to protect the interests of consumers. MTI will continue to work with CASE and industry players to step up consumer education efforts, to enhance consumers' awareness of their rights and help them make informed buying decisions.”
“CASE and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) are empowered under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (CPFTA) to seek injunction orders against errant retailers through the Courts. The Government will review the legislation to strengthen the provisions so that quicker action can be taken to deter unfair trading practices and prevent errant retailers from side-stepping the restrictions under the CPFTA by forming new companies. We will study the option of appointing an agency to undertake the investigation and enforcement functions. So, as part of the review, we will study the best practices and experiences of other jurisdictions, including Hong Kong and Australia, and conduct further consultation with stakeholders. We will conclude the review and move the necessary amendments this year. While I caution that whilst we are trying to strengthen the law, putting in harsh penalties, we have to strike a balance between the consumer and the businesses as well. We do not want it to affect unnecessarily the good on the majority of the retailers, some of whom are very micro enterprises or merchants in the heartlands. It is not necessary to put up displays at Changi Airport, as this would give visitors the wrong impression because the vast majority of retailers in Singapore are bona fide. They are Page: 45 good retailers. It is also more appropriate to tackle these issues at the local level. For example, CASE and STB have been working with Sim Lim Square's Management Council to provide the public with more information about complaints against specific retailers. The Management Council is also looking at ways to enhance their landlord's tenancy agreements and raise service standards of retailers at Sim Lim Square, in consultation with CASE.”
“The Government's approach to consumer protection is based on promoting fair trading among retailers and helping consumers to make informed purchasing decisions. This approach has benefited consumers and businesses, as the vast majority of our retailers are legitimate businesses who want to serve their customers well and have also established practices to resolve consumer complaints. Unfortunately, there is a small number of errant retailers who engage in unfair trading practices to take advantage of their customers, both local consumers and tourists. We need Page: 44 to take action against such retailers who affect consumer confidence and dent Singapore's reputation. Currently, the majority of consumer complaints are handled by CASE and are resolved through discussion or mediation between the parties, or by consumers going to the Small Claims Tribunal (SCT) to seek financial compensation and, over the past three years, CASE has received about 2,000 complaints against retailers in Sim Lim Square, Lucky Plaza and People's Park Centre. So, 2,000 complaints in Sim Lim Square, Lucky Plaza and People's Park Centre; only three of the malls. CASE has followed up on these complaints and mediated 1,400 cases. The Government will work with CASE and SCT to streamline the existing claims process so that quicker action is taken to help consumers obtain compensation. We will also review the relevant legislation to strengthen the enforceability of rulings by SCT. And civil cases, including recent incidents involving some retailers at Sim Lim Square, will be investigated by the Police under the Penal Code. Retailers who are found to have engaged in activities involving cheating, fraud or intimidation will face criminal prosecution in Court.”
“Mdm Speaker, with your permission, could I take Question Nos 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 together, please?”