COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRED bY: MR. lUI TUCK YEW
ACTING MINISTER FOR INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS
SINGAPORE: THE GlObAl CITY IN ASIA
MR. GAUTAM bANERJEE
EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, PRICEWATERHOUSE COOPERS LLP
ESC Subcommittee on
Making Singapore a leading Global City
1. The vision of “Singapore: The Global City in Asia” is for Singapore to be an endearing home and leading global city in the heart of Asia. As one of the world’s most liveable cities, Singapore will continue to be an endearing home to which we attach a deep sense of pride and commitment. Our home is also a leading global city that offers our people high value-adding jobs and opportunities to stretch their potential. In addition, Singapore’s cosmopolitan identity will be distinguished from other global cities by our multiculturalism and unique microcosm of Asian diversity.
2. Over the years, Singapore has also established a strong reputation for innovative policies and effective policy implementation, as evidenced by our high standards of living in areas such as healthcare and education, which we have achieved with great cost-effectiveness. As the Global City in Asia, we will be the thought leader in governance, policy making and implementation, with the intellectual capital for governments, businesses and academia to access information and knowledge on regional and global trends. With Asia’s rapid urbanisation, Singapore is also well-placed to serve as a pan-Asian model for economically-vibrant and sustainable high-density development in Asia.
3. Three strategies are proposed to fulfil the vision of “Singapore: The Global City in Asia”:
a. Establishing Singapore as Asia’s most liveable city;
b. Developing Singapore into New Asia’s hub for innovation and creative enterprise;
and
c. Making Singapore the best home for talent.
How these strategies achieve “The Global City in Asia” vision synergistically
4. People are rooted and drawn to a place where they have the best conditions and opportunities to live, work and grow. If we are to retain our core competitive advantage in retaining and attracting talent amidst intensifying competition from other cities, we must be the best home for talent – a vibrant global city that embraces a rich diversity of talent
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and ideas. This will be achieved by offering the best career and developmental opportunities for Singaporeans and diverse talents, fostering a deep sense of inclusion, connection and commitment to Singapore, and building extensive talent networks between Singapore and the rest of the world.
5. Capitalising on Singapore’s competitive edge in liveability and cultural diversity, Singapore’s position as Asia’s most liveable city will be critical in providing Singaporeans with high standards of living, while retaining and attracting talent for sustained economic and social progress. Singapore has the hardware and software to offer a leading quality of life; with sustainable city development leveraging our excellent infrastructure, and our emergence as a distinctive cultural and lifestyle capital, building on our multicultural diversity and cosmopolitan connections.
6. Besides improvements to city liveability, efforts to grow our human capital have to be complemented by the creation of high value-adding and productive jobs. Leading economies of the future will be innovation-intensive and ideas-driven. Through design and the commercial application of our rich cultural content, complementing our strengths in science and technology, Singapore could be New Asia’s hub for design innovation and creative enterprise. By instilling design as a core competency in our workforce and enterprises, Singapore has the potential to spearhead intellectual property, innovative products and services that capture new consumer demand arising from Asia’s urbanisation and growing affluence.
STRATEGY 1: ASIA’S MOST lIVEAblE CITY
7. Singapore should capitalise on its competitive edge in liveability and cultural diversity to secure its future as Asia’s Most Liveable City. First, we have to become an endearing home offering the best quality of life and vibrant lifestyles in Asia to both citizens and global talents. Second, Singapore should position itself as a leading cultural capital in Asia to complement its economic dynamism.
Be an Endearing Home for All
8. The desired outcomes of an endearing home and vibrant destination are as follows:
a. An endearing home that offers Asia’s best quality of life and with which citizens
and global talents forge strong emotional ties;
b. Asia’s lifestyle and leisure hub, with a diverse range of quality sports, leisure, arts, entertainment, media, retail and food offerings, supported by a thriving ecosystem of lifestyle businesses and talent; and
c. Asia’s leader in thought and practice for sustainable urban development and place management, with distinctive districts that are economically- and socially-vibrant.
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9. The key recommendations to achieve the