Annual Report 2005 - Singapore Manufacturing Federation

SME DEVELOPMENT
FUNCTION COMMITTEE
The role of this committee is
to champion the cause of
the small and medium
enterprises. One of the
ways to do this is to lay the
groundwork to enhance
SMEs’ competitiveness in
the international market. The
committee also collaborated
with some government
agencies to come up with
various initiatives to assist
the SMEs.
HIGHLIGHTS
Important dialogues with government
agencies staged to benefi t our members
included:
28 January 2005
SMa-Jurong Town Corporation (JTC)
Dialogue
Issues discussed at this session included
changes in rental policies, and the latest
developments at Biopolis and One-North.
5 April 2005
SMa-Singapore Customs Dialogue
Many issues, ranging from Valuation
Methods, Rules of Origin to Bonded
Warehouse Schemes, were discussed.
30 September 2005
SMa-SPRING Singapore Dialogue
Various issues were discussed at this
session with Mr Loh Khum Yean, Chief
Executive of SPRING, from future plans for
manufacturers to assistance from SPRING
and to possible areas of collaboration.
The year 2005 also saw the offi cial
opening of the Enterprise Development
Centre @ Singapore Manufacturers’
Federation (EDC@SMa) on 27 October
2005. EDC@SMa was formed with a
government grant through SPRING
Singapore. The primary role of EDC@SMa
is to work with Singapore companies to
improve their business processes and
enhance their competitive advantage. This
new initiative will provide the thrust that
SMa needs to help improve the business
of SMEs. This is achieved through
diagnostics, group consultancies and inhouse
consultancy services.
SMa and International Enterprise (IE)
Singapore signed a Memorandum of
Understanding on 2 December 2005 to
collaborate on the national branded portal
www.BuySingapore.com.sg, covering
many areas of collaboration to provide
overseas business leads to Singapore
SMEs. In addition, the Singapore Product
Catalogue on Consumer Electronics was
completed in 2005.
On the education front, SMa plans to run a
Certifi cation Scheme to train and equip
foreign workers in the metal-stamping
sector with the requisite skills to reduce
the levy payable and to expedite the
issuance of work permit for the course
attendees.
To emphasize the importance of the
manufacturing sector and to encourage
more Singaporeans to join this sector,
Economic Development Board (EDB),
Workforce Development Authority (WDA)
and SMa’s Research Division are
collaborating to produce an 8-part weekly
infotainment series on Channel 8 in 2006
to showcase the manufacturing industry.
Complementing this project is the School
Talk Series by CEOs in selected
manufacturing companies to be launched
in 2006. This latter project is jointly
organized by Economic Development
Board (EDB) and SMa’s Research Division.
41
Singapore Manufacturers’
Federation
Annual Report 2005