Data on Funds Utilised for Singapore Global Network Funding Programme

Mr Speaker, between August 2020 and December 2022, the Singapore Global Network Funding Programme (SGNFP) disbursed around $570,000 and supported close to 300 ground-up efforts around the world. About two-thirds of SGNFP applications were successful. These included funding for events such as networking sessions, forums, webinars, festive celebrations and partnerships on digital content creation.

These efforts support the Singapore Global Network (SGN) in broadening and deepening our overseas ties and network with family, friends and fans of Singapore. The programme has reached out to around 25,000 participants in more than 20 countries like Australia, China, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US), where many overseas Singaporeans are based.

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. Is the main objective of SGNFP to encourage Singaporean talent abroad to return to Singapore and contribute to our economy and our society. And if not, what is the SGN programme's main objective?

Secondly, what kind of events and activities were funded by SGN? The Minister of State mentioned that there was $570,000 that was spent. And how effective were they in achieving these objectives? I am not sure if I heard correctly that two-thirds were successful. What happens to the other one-third, then?

Mr Speaker, I want to thank the Member Mr Gerald Giam for his questions. I think he will agree with me that overseas Singaporeans are an integral part of the Singapore family. If you remember, SGN was launched in August 2020 and that replaced the Overseas Singaporeans Unit (OSU). [Please refer to "Clarification by Minister of State for Trade and Industry ", Official Report, 27 February 2023, Vol 95, Issue 87, Clarification section.]

The SGN has various programmes and one of the programmes is the one that the Parliamentary Question is about, the SGNFP which supports the SGN to broaden and deepen our overseas network of family and friends. Especially at the height of COVID-19, it was so important to make sure that they remained connected to Singapore, even as they were overseas expanding their networks.

Allow me to also share that today, within a short span of two-and-a-half years, and despite COVID-19 and the difficulty of organising events, the SGN now has more than 100,000 members around the world, including 15,000 C-suite executives. And there are close to 300 partners that collaborate with the SGN on various partnership initiatives, to do a few things and the aim of SGN is to do a few things: one, to promote networking and collaboration amongst Singaporeans and friends of Singapore; two, connect the community of family and friends of Singapore; and three, to provide platforms to share about opportunities and developments in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

The SGN team is also open to working with overseas Singaporeans who are exploring to come back to Singapore to work or to have them to come back because of their kids' education.

In terms of the numbers, I mentioned that, due to COVID-19, even though we could not have events, it is quite heartening to see that we had received 448 applications for the SGN and the SGNFP. Out of that, two-thirds of the applications were approved and out of those approved, 70% are Singaporeans, of which more than 60% are students.

So, it is an important platform to allow our students, our working professionals and business owners overseas to stay connected to Singapore through these various activities – whether it is webinar or over Zoom or physical sessions. I can tell you, National Day and Lunar New Year celebrations in the various cities are very well-received, especially when we bring Singaporean food.

I hope that answers the question.

I thank the Minister of State for her answer. Does SGN work closely with our Missions abroad to engage Singaporeans on domestic and foreign policy issues that matter to them overseas as well as their families back home? This is related to also my cut on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) later, on engaging Singaporeans on foreign policy.

I want to thank the Member for his supplementary question. Since the launch in August 2020, the SGN has replaced the OSU and is now sitting with the Economic Development Board. As part of that, the SGN team will work closely with not just the economic agencies, but also with MFA and our Missions, to allow Singaporeans, even though they cannot come back – for example, in the last three years, whether they are in Beijing or in other cities in Australia and the US – that they have a way to stay connected to Singapore and at the same time, to also understand the various refinements to the policies and current affairs as well.