27 proposals to boost competitiveness; some ready to be implemented
The Straits Times|November 02, 2024
One of the 27 recommendations in a Nov 1 report that aims to improve competitiveness has already been implemented, with a handful of others ready to be put into effect.
Colin Tan

The report by the public-private Alliance for Action (AfA) on Business Competitiveness is the culmination of nine months of work that included thousands of hours of meetings with businesses, trade associations, chambers of commerce and government agencies.

The establishment of the SME Pro-Enterprise Office has already been set in motion.

It was announced in late September that the office will open in the first quarter of 2025. Its mission is to gather feedback from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on pain points, especially those involving more than one government agency, and then relay the input to the relevant department.

"This was set up urgently because the key feedback was that businesses found it hard to navigate through the myriad of complex government regulations," said AfA co-chair and Singapore Business Federation (SBF) vice-chairman Mark Lee.

Most of the 27 suggestions put forward fell into three broad categories: manpower, land and the regulatory environment.

The manpower recommendations focus on boosting government grants that underpin workforce transformation, including the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit scheme and another that offers companies $10,000 to support productivity and job transformation initiatives.

Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin November 02, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin November 02, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

THE STRAITS TIMES DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Percival Everett wins US National Book Award for fiction
The Straits Times

Percival Everett wins US National Book Award for fiction

American author Percival Everett won the US National Book Award for fiction on Nov 20 for his novel James, a propulsive and slyly funny retelling of American writer Mark Twain's Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn (1884) from the perspective of Huck's companion, an enslaved man named James.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 23, 2024
Actor Jussie Smollett's conviction for staged attack overturned
The Straits Times

Actor Jussie Smollett's conviction for staged attack overturned

American actor Jussie Smollett's conviction for fabricating a racist and homophobic hate crime in Chicago in 2019 was overturned on Nov 21 on due process grounds.

time-read
1 min  |
November 23, 2024
K-pop CD output draws fire as plastic waste talks loom
The Straits Times

K-pop CD output draws fire as plastic waste talks loom

SEOUL - K-pop music may be South Korea's buzziest export, but the industry needlessly creates mountains of plastic in its home market by churning out CDs that most fans do not even listen to, critics say.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 23, 2024
Actress Yvonne Lim returning to Singapore after 10 years in Taiwan
The Straits Times

Actress Yvonne Lim returning to Singapore after 10 years in Taiwan

Singaporean actress Yvonne Lim is ready for a new chapter in her life. The 48-year-old announced on social media on Nov 21 that she has opened a YouTube channel.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 23, 2024
Striking scenes from abstract triptych in Puppet Origin Stories
The Straits Times

Striking scenes from abstract triptych in Puppet Origin Stories

A wilfully abstract triptych of stories that make up the third edition of Puppet Origin Stories will frustrate the theatregoer in search of meaning, but delight those who can surrender to the weird and affecting visual scenes crafted on stage.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 23, 2024
Kim Soo-hyun samples local food and finds it 'very satisfying'
The Straits Times

Kim Soo-hyun samples local food and finds it 'very satisfying'

The K-drama star is here to promote his new series as part of Disney's showcase of upcoming Asian titles

time-read
1 min  |
November 23, 2024
Entrepreneur rediscovers her need for speed
The Straits Times

Entrepreneur rediscovers her need for speed

Ms Janice Oo lives out the famous line from the 1986 Hollywood flick, Top Gun, when the lead character \"Maverick\", played by Tom Cruise, declared: \"I feel the need, the need for speed.\"

time-read
3 dak  |
November 23, 2024
Timeless Velar refreshed with hybrid engine
The Straits Times

Timeless Velar refreshed with hybrid engine

The model by Range Rover is relaxing to drive, but the controls feel lighter and less direct than those of its rivals

time-read
3 dak  |
November 23, 2024
Wish come true for BYD buyers with families
The Straits Times

Wish come true for BYD buyers with families

The M6 is the first mid-sized electric seven-seater to be available here

time-read
4 dak  |
November 23, 2024
Subtle serenity
The Straits Times

Subtle serenity

Newly-weds pick clean, functional Japandi aesthetic for their HDB flat

time-read
2 dak  |
November 23, 2024