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$Unique_ID{COW03176}
$Pretitle{384}
$Title{Singapore
Chapter 4B. Financial Incentives}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Ministry of Communications and Information}
$Affiliation{Embassy of Singapore, Washington DC}
$Subject{development
technology
training
industrial
sisir
centre
local
industry
assistance
quality}
$Date{1990}
$Log{Chemical Lab*0317602.scf
}
Country: Singapore
Book: Singapore, Facts and Pictures 1990
Author: Ministry of Communications and Information
Affiliation: Embassy of Singapore, Washington DC
Date: 1990
Chapter 4B. Financial Incentives
In 1989, $31.1 million of Investment Allowance was granted to 328 SME
projects. Eight SMEs were given pioneer status and another $9 million in
double tax deduction credits were approved for 566 applications by SMEs.
Grants amounting to $20.7 million were given to 8,450 SME projects
under the EDB's Small Industry Technical Assistance Scheme, Business
Development Scheme and Product Development Assistance Scheme; TDB's Market
Development Assistance Scheme; NCB's Software Development Assistance Scheme;
Singapore Science Council's Research Development Assistance Scheme; and
NPB's Skill Development Fund.
Furthermore, loans amounting to $271 million were extended to 1,352
projects under the Small Industry Finance Scheme. An additional $31 million
was approved for 150 SME projects under the Extended Automation Leasing
Scheme.
SME Development Measures
The public and private sector network to provide SME development
assistance has been further expanded with the establishment of the Enterprise
Promotion Centre (EPC). Responding to the call to help SMEs, three local
chambers of commerce and four industry associations, with the help of
EDB, set up EPCs in their premises to provide information and first-line
consultancy, as well as the Government assistance schemes to SMEs.
A Centre for Entrepreneurship, to research into entrepreneurial
behaviours, local enterprise development and nurturing an enterprise culture,
is being set up by the Nanyang Technological Institute with EDB's
assistance. The universities and polytechnics are also working with the EDB
towards forging closer ties with industry.
The EDB has also initiated a combined public and private sector effort
to formulate an SME Retail Plan to revitalise and help accelerate the
development of SME retailers.
Four additional MNC partners and 43 SMEs joined the programme in 1989,
bringing the total number of MNC partners to 24 and SMEs receiving focused
assistance to 104.
Industrial Training Programmes
EDB's role in manpower training dates back to the early 1970s when
Singapore began to move into skills-intensive industries. The first
joint-industry-Government training centres were set up with leading
international companies to produce a critical core of skilled precision
engineering craftsmen vital to the development of the industry.
In the early 1980s, Singapore entered into the next phase of development
and emphasis was placed on promoting technology-intensive and higher
value-added industries. To meet the specialist manpower needs of these
emerging activities, the EDB established institutes of technology in
co-operation with the governments of Japan, Germany and France.
EDB's manpower development programmes focus on four main areas, namely,
precision engineering, factory automation, mechatronics and industrial
electronics.
Combined intake for 1989 totalled 1,455 and combined output was 1,074.
Institutes for Technologist, Technician and Craftsman Training
[See Chemical Lab: Courtesy Embassy of Singapore, Washington DC.]
Five training institutions have been set up jointly with foreign
governments or with leading international companies noted for the
excellence of their training systems. The five institutions are the
French-Singapore Technical Institute, the Precision Engineering Institute
and the Philips-Government Training Centre.
The French-Singapore Institute provides training in electronics
engineering, with special emphasis on industrial electronics, instrumentation,
control engineering, automation and computer and microprocessor
applications. The institute admits, respectively, GCE "A" and "O" level
holders for two and three-year full-time diploma courses.
The German-Singapore Institute provides training in various aspects of
production and automation technology, with special emphasis on design,
industrial automation, cutting technology and CNC techniques. The institute
admits GCE "A" level holders and craftsmen to its two-year full-time diploma
course and "O" level holders to a three-year course.
The Japan-Singapore Institute (JSTI) accepts GCE "O" level holders for a
two-year Industrial Technician Certificate Course. The JSTI specialises in
providing training in mechatronics-a hybrid field of electronic and
mechanical technologies-which it pioneered in 1983.
The Precision Engineering Institute (PEI) and the Philips-Government
Training Centre provide training in precision engineering skills. They admit
GCE "O" level school-leavers as apprentices for two years of intensive
in-centre training followed by another two years of on-the-job attachment
to selected companies for skills consolidation. Craftsmen certificates are
awarded on completion of the four-year programme.
The PEI was established in October 1988 as a result of the upgrading of
the former Brown-Boveri Government Training Centre and the absorption of
Tata-Government Training Centre. Within the PEI, the Nixdorf-EDB Centre for
Advanced Tool and Die-Making offers a one-year NTC-1 programme in tool and
die-making.
A third one-year advanced craftsman training programme in tool and die-making
at NTC-1 level was conducted at the Precision Engineering Institute for 19
participants in 1989.
Plans were finalised during the year to expand the Precision Engineering
Institute to cater for increased demand for tool and die-makers.
Units For Specialised Training in New Application Technologies
Various specialised training units have been set up within EDB training
institutions in co-operation with leading international companies under a
transnational concept.
They are co-ordinated by the Applied Technology Group of the EDB. ATG
offers modular courses in new application technologies for working engineers
and technologists under its Continual Upgrading Training (CUT) Programme
which currently focuses on the following areas: CAD/CAM Industrial
Robotics/Factory Automation, CNC Technology/Advanced Metrology, Electronic
Design/CAE, including IC and PCB Design, and Expert Systems Development.
In addition to short modular courses, new full-time specialist
programmes to develop Factory-Automation Oriented Electronics (FA-tronics)
Technologists and Surface Mount Technology (SMT) personnel were organised by
ATG jointly with other EDB institutions during the year.
In 1989, 1,057 participants attended the various courses offered by the
ATG.
Jurong Town Corporation
The Jurong Town Corporation (JTC), a statutory board, was established
in 1968. It develops and manages industrial estates, allocates prepared
industrial land sites with infrastructure on lease terms from 30 to 60 years;
constructs standard and flatted factory buildings and provides port and bulk
cargo handling facilities at the Jurong Industrial Port as well as engineering
and logistic back-up for the Asia-Pacific offshore oil industry at the Jurong
Marine Base.
The corporation manages 24 industrial estates, of which Jurong, with
4,600 ha of developed land, is the largest. Altogether some 5,020 companies
can be found in the estates. Some 270,000 workers, representing about 73 per
cent of the manufacturing workforce, are employed by these companies. Gross
fixed assets amounting to $23 billion are invested in these estates. Another
seven estates are being planned.
JTC's industrial estates are designed to be self-cont