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Key Events

Singapore Pledges Post-Graduate Scholarships for Colombo Plan


At the 41st Consultative Committee Meeting of the Colombo Plan held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 21 to 22 August 2008, Singapore pledged to expand its cooperation with the Colombo Plan Secretariat by conducting two to four training courses each year under the Singapore-Colombo Plan Third Country Training Programme. Singapore also pledged to provide two post-graduate master scholarships per year for government officials of Colombo Plan member countries, tenable at the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University.

The Meeting expressed appreciation to Singapore for its contributions. The country statement made by Mr Koh Tin Fook, the Singapore Head of Delegation and Director, Technical Cooperation Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs is given below.


STATEMENT BY SINGAPORE HEAD OF DELEGATION MR KOH TIN FOOK, DIRECTOR, TECHNICAL COOPERATION DIRECTORATE, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AT THE 41ST COLOMBO PLAN CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING, 21-22 AUGUST 2008, KUALA LUMPUR

Chairman

Excellencies and Friends from the Colombo Plan member countries


     I am pleased to say a few words about Singapore's support for the work of the Colombo Plan.

2      Singapore joined the Colombo Plan in 1959. In our early years, we had benefited from technical assistance provided by the Colombo Plan. The technical assistance provided, like training fellowships and scholarships, had contributed to Singapore's economic development in the early years of our nation-building.

3      In return, Singapore has, as far back as 1961, been doing its bit to give back to fellow Colombo Plan developing countries. From 1961 to 2004, Singapore provided technical assistance to Colombo Plan member countries through the Singapore Colombo Plan Training Award Scheme. This framework was then discontinued with the establishment of a new framework, called the Singapore-Colombo Plan Third Country Training Programme (TCTP), in 2006, which was implemented under the Singapore Cooperation Programme coordinated by our Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

4      To date, Singapore and the Colombo Plan have jointly trained a total of 402 senior government officials from Colombo Plan member countries in some 24 capacity-building programmes. Since 1997 to date, we have been conducting an average of 2 to 4 courses per year. In more recent years, the average has been 2 courses per year.

5      Under the Singapore Cooperation Programme, eligible Colombo Plan member countries have also benefited from our other technical asssistance programmes beyond the umbrella of the Colombo Plan, such as the Singapore Cooperation Programme Training Awards and the various joint programmes that we conduct with over 30 partners from the developed countries and international organisations. To date, more than 38,000 government officials from the Colombo Plan member countries have benefited from such programmes under the Singapore Cooperation Programme.

6      To show our continued commitment to the work of the Colombo Plan, from 2008 onwards, Singapore will ramp up its collaboration with the Colombo Plan by jointly conducting 2 to 4 courses each year with the Colombo Plan Secretariat under our Singapore Cooperation Programme. We hope this will bring added benefits to government officials from the Colombo Plan member countries. In Financial Year 2008, we have planned for 3 courses. In the September course, we will share Singapore's experience in public governance and administration. The October course will address the impact of competition law and policy on export promotion and foreign direct investment. And in the February 2009 course we will cover the important issues of climate change, energy and the environment. We will also be collaborating with the Colombo Plan Staff College on a course on enhancing pedagogy skills for teacher trainers in October.

7      Just as Singapore has benefited from the Colombo Plan Scholarship in the past, I am glad to inform the Meeting that Singapore will from this year work with the Colombo Plan Secretariat to sponsor 2 post-graduate Master scholarships each year for government officials of Colombo Plan member countries, tenable at the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University or Singapore Management University.

8      On another aspect, Singapore supports Secretary-General Patricia Chia's call to increase the annual membership fee for the Colombo Plan by 20%, as this will help the Colombo Plan Secretariat to do more. This annual membership fee increase notwithstanding, Singapore’s main contribution will continue to be focused on our various human resource capacity building programmes in collaboration with the Colombo Plan under the Singapore-Colombo Plan Third Country Training Programme, and with effect from 2008 our sponsorship of post-graduate scholarships.

9      In closing, allow me to thank the Colombo Plan Secretariat, the Colombo Plan Staff College, and fellow Colombo Plan member countries for the strong support and partnership over the years. On behalf of the Singapore delegation, I also wish to convey a very special thanks to Malaysia for being a very effective and gracious host of the 41st Consultative Committee Meeting. We look forward to continue working together for the benefit of our fellow Colombo Plan member countries.

Thank you.

 

Mr Koh Tin Fook and Madam Patricia Chia, Secretary-General of the Colombo Plan, greeting each other.


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SCP Courses

Impact of Competition Law and Policy on Export Promotion and Foreign Direct Investment Course, 27 August to 2 September 2008


Competition laws protect the interests of consumers and ensure that entrepreneurs have an opportunity to compete in the market economy. It is closely connected with law on deregulation of access to markets, state aids and subsidies, the privatisation of state owned assets and the establishment of independent sector regulators. In recent decades, competition law has been viewed as a way to provide better public services.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore under the Singapore Cooperation Programme Training Awards (SCPTA) organised a course in this field titled "Impact of Competition Law and Policy on Export Promotion and Foreign Direct Investment". The course was conducted by the International Trade Institute of Singapore (ITIS) from 27 August to 2 September 2008.

The week long course aimed to provide participants with the key theories of competition law and policy, and most importantly aimed to create an analysis of their impact on export promotion and foreign direct investments. It also provided reviews of the existing relevant policies and issues and its underlying effect on the two main areas of export promotion and foreign direct investment.

The course taught participants the role and importance of competition laws and policies. It also provided participants with useful case-studies which was crucial to helping them build a better understanding of the course focal point.

 

Mr Sunny Ee, Deputy Director, Technical Cooperation Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore having a conversation with Ms Keppitiyagoda Vithanage Indrani Mallika from Sri Lanka.

Valuable friendship was forged during the week-long course

Ms Grace Ng, Vice President of ITIS and a SCP participant.


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Contributions From SCP Alumni

Compliments From Afar


Since its formal launch in 1992, the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SPC) has reached out to more than 56,000 government officials from 169 countries. The SCP has rendered technical assistance by providing training and sharing Singapore's experiences and expertise to developing nations. The SCP has since received numerous recognitions and compliments from our participants.

"I returned to work today and there's so much that I want to share with my colleagues. It has been a great experience."

Claudine Roberts,
Dominica

"It is refreshing when one can experience such efficiency and what was exchanged during the interaction with staff at ISS and the Singapore Government. The period Jan 13 - 31 2008 will always return extremely pleasant memories."

Margaret Leon,
Ministry of Finance,
Barbados

"I have benefited tremendously from the 3 month course and am now able to understand and converse in English more confidently due to exposure and the opportunities to speak and interact with other course participants from the various ASEAN countries. It was also an opportunity for us to get to know one another on a personal level our country and culture."

Nguyen Thi Hien
Vietnam

"I would like to thank all of you at the MFA and CSCI for your warm welcome and helpful support to us. It was a great opportunity to be able to undergo such a well-organised training course. I have acquired valuable knowledge, experience and have already started to apply them."

Cetin Oktay Kaldirim,
Deputy Governor,
Turkey

"I have been impacted personally by the friendships formed during our course in Singapore and I hope we can keep in contact."

David L. Shields,
Deputy Director of Tourism - Marketing
Jamaica Tourist Board

"All the learning I had will surely go a long way in our country, for I have decided to adopt insights gained to contribute to the improvement of our educational system, even in my own little way. Thank You SCP!"

Eugenia R. Gorgon,
Philippines

"We have learnt so much during the symposium and return filled with ideas and concepts which we will consider seriously with view to implement. You have given us the opportunity not merely to listen but also to see and experience for ourselves the progress and advancements made in the administration of justice and the development of the rule of law across the justice sector in Singapore. It has been an impressive achievement and I congratulate you for the innovative but humane approach Singapore has taken in the administration of justice. You have provided us with much food for thought."

Sir Albert R. Palmer CBE,
Chief Justice,
Solomon Islands


Singapore is committed to doing our part as a responsible global citizen, by assisting developing countries in human resource capacity building to achieve sustainable development and at the same time forge valuable friendships and partnerships. This is reflected in our SCP motto - "Joining Hands, Making Friends".



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