SPEECH BY ER DR LEE BEE WAH, MP FOR NEE SOON GRC, AT THE SECOND READING OF THE ENTERPRISE SINGAPORE BOARD BILL IN PARLIAMENT IN FEB 2018
Mr Speaker, Sir
1. Last year, when it was announced that the International Enterprise (IE) Singapore and the Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board (SPRING) would merge to become the Enterprise Singapore (ESG) Board, there was a significant amount of interest among business circles. Many were pleased that they could look forward to holistic support from one organisation.
2. The Bill has proposed several thoughtful measures that will smoothen the merger process, thus giving reassurance to businesses.
Indeed, it is prudent to ensure that while the merger is in execution, all successful claims for grants under both Boards before the merger would first be validated by an externally-appointed auditing company before disbursement. This will ensure that any fraudulent claim can be identified and disallowed before the merger takes place, as not doing so could complicate matters. It would be difficult to trace the fraud after the merger, or determine which party is responsible. This shows the dedication of both Boards in safeguarding the public funds.
3. When the merger was first announced, some SMEs expressed concern. This arose among those who were in the midst of making significant plans and exploring options for their business, and they realised that by the time they are to submit their grant application, both Boards would be caught up in the merger transition. This worried them as they felt that their plans would be hampered.
I note that both SPRING and IE will ensure all legitimate grants are pre-approved before implementing the acquisition process. Improving transparency of the process also provides assurances to these SMEs.
4. Following the merger, I hope that the consolidated resources will enable the ESG to work more closely with businesses. Previously, Officers from SPRING would usually conduct one or two follow-up sessions after businesses have implemented the acquired systems and upgrades. And if no anomaly is detected during the follow-up sessions, it is considered case closed and the businesses are then left to fend for themselves. I believe the frequency of officers following up with the companies could be looked into to ensure that the implemented system is indeed aiding the company’s growth and progression as initially projected.
If the company is still experiencing trouble in achieving that progression within a stipulated timeframe, then there should be guidelines in place to extend further assistance to the company. As the time taken for companies to adapt to the new systems would differ due to many factors, the amount and type of assistance required would vary.
5. Next I think the ESG would want to look carefully into the grant applications to ensure that the submissions for upgrades are justifiable. The most expensive is not always the best, but for some applicants they may adopt this mantra. The key to achieving greater effectiveness is to tailor solutions and assistance schemes to each company. Every company faces unique challenges, and the differences in the challenges would vary even more greatly across different industries.
6. Perhaps a small panel of consultants or experts could be appointed to conduct in-depth industry analyses and identify the common problems faced by these individual industries. Adopt a proactive approach to engage companies and encourage them to adopt solutions based on the gaps identified by the experts. Appoint solution providers who have been pre-vetted for suitability, to assist with the implementation of solutions. Pre-vet the cost of implementation, and negotiate better pricing where possible, to ensure that the grants can help companies to achieve even more. If shortage of manpower is a concern, freelancing consultants, auditors and other professionals can be engaged to help perform the relevant follow-ups to ensure that each implementation achieves the desired results.
7. Many are looking forward if the new merged entity can help SMEs to grow and scale their business at home and overseas.
They hope that the pooling of resources to support SMEs in their aspirations to make their mark in the increasingly competitive business world. Perhaps through the strengthening of collaborations with the various industry partners, there could be more missions to bring our SMEs for overseas exposure to explore opportunities.
8. 标新局和企发局合并为企业发展局,希望能整合资源,给予本地企业更多支持。据我所知,现在公司推行了某项改善以后,当局的人员跟他们联络一两次,确保没有异常,就算是完成工作了。希望以后,当局可以更紧密地跟进,确保那些改善真的有达到预期中的效果。 此外,当公司在申请当局的津贴时,当局不该只是发布津贴,而是有一套标准,确保公司计划中的改善真的有益。当局也应多检查推行改善的公司,他们是否提供最好的服务和价钱?当局可以多与专家和审计师合作,拟定和推行这一套标准。
9. Sir, I support the Bill. It is a clear reflection of the government’s commitment to help companies achieve success. With further improvements, I believe that many more businesses will benefit substantially from this new Enterprise Singapore Board.
Thank you.