USABC Business Delegation Meets with Singapore Government Officials
From July 18 to July 20, 2023, the US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC) hosted a series of in-person dialogues between senior officials of the Government of Singapore and the U.S. private sector as part of US-ABC’s 2023 Singapore Business Mission. The business mission was comprised of 22 companies and was co-led by US-ABC’s Chief Operating Officer Margaret Hanson Muse and US-ABC’s Singapore Committee Chair Oracle, represented by Matis Pellerin, Vice President, Global Government Affairs.
This year’s business mission highlighted Singapore as a proven and trusted testbed for innovation in next-generation technologies and new business models, as well as a policy and regulatory leader in Southeast Asia. The dialogues created opportunities for the U.S. private sector to engage with the Government of Singapore and strengthen industry partnerships.
“The country's emphasis on innovation, technology, and education makes it ideal for companies interested in developing and commercializing solutions and capturing novel business opportunities. Given the upcoming changes to Singapore’s leadership and the growing demand for new areas of growth in the post-pandemic world, this business mission comes at a very crucial time. We look forward to supporting the Government in its participation in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) and to finding concrete pathways in helping Singapore achieve a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient economy” said Hanson-Muse.
The delegation met with the U.S. Embassy in Singapore followed by respective meetings with the following senior officials of the government: Manpower Minister Dr. Tan See Leng, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing, Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Communications and Information Minister Josephine Teo, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment and Transport Amy Khor, Enterprise Singapore Chairman Peter Ong, and Economic Development Board Chairman Png Cheong Boon.
During the 3-day duration of the business mission, the represented U.S. companies discussed a wide-range of key priorities on significant topics such as open and free trade, the digital economy, infrastructure, sustainability, education, health, workforce upskilling, and SME development, which reinforced stronger economic commitments towards shared US-Singapore and US-ASEAN priorities. As part of this year’s business mission, the Council also hosted complimentary site visits to Catapult by Capitaland Executive Learning Center and PSA’s Pasir Panjang Port Facility to learn more about AI, the future of work, and supply chain resilience.
“Proactive dialogues with the Government remain a priority for US companies with key operations in Singapore. As a global business hub, Singapore’s stable government, robust infrastructure, skilled workforce, and strong digital adoption continue to make the city-state an important investment destination for multinational companies. The private sector is a critical partner for the Government in developing digital policy frameworks, standards, and commercially available applications. We look forward to working with the US-ASEAN Business Council in forging long-term partnerships with the Singapore Government” said Pellerin.
US-ABC’s Singapore Committee Chair Oracle, its Vice-Chairs, Micron, MSD, and Visa, along with Amazon, Amgen, Boeing, BowerGroupAsia, Citi, Edelman Global Advisory, Expedia, FedEx, Gilead and Kite Oncology, Google, LinkedIn, Meta, Qualcomm International Inc., Salesforce, Stripe, Visa, Vriens & Partners, and Zuellig Pharma participated in the 2023 Singapore Business Mission.