Agency overview | |
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Formed | 1 August 1961 |
Jurisdiction | Government of Singapore |
Headquarters | 250 North Bridge Road, #28-00, Raffles City Tower, Singapore 179101 1°18′0″N103°53′10″E / 1.30000°N 103.88611°E |
Agency executives |
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Parent agency | Ministry of Trade and Industry |
Website | www |
The Economic Development Board (EDB) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Government of Singapore that plans and executes strategies to sustain Singapore as a leading global hub for business and investment.
In 1957, the Singapore Industrial Promotion Board (SIPB) was formed through the passage of the Singapore Industrial Promotion Bill, to empower the Singapore Government in establishing, developing, and financing industrial undertakings. [1]
It had a capital of $1 million, and had received requests from local companies for loans totalling up to $500,000 at its formation. [2] However, SIPB was criticised by political opposition as being slow, not transparent, and ineffective in aiding local businesses. [3] The board was hamstrung by the limited capital that it had with the Minister of Commerce and Industry, J. M. Jumabhoy, blaming on the activities of extreme left-wing politicians on the lack of corporations from financial institutions. [4]
In 1959, the Singapore Government unveiled a new proposed Economic Development Board (EDB) with a capital of $100 million. The proposed board would be funded partly by a part of the $300 million foreign investments that the government had made before. It would also be a statutory board, and in addition to the current responsibilities of SIPB to disburse loans to companies, it would have a direct part in setting up factories or make use of its capital for local joint venture projects with the private sector. [5]
The Economic Development Ordinance was first read in Parliament on 26 April 1961, with its second reading on 24 May 1961. The ordinance commenced on 1 August 1961, thus taking over the functions of SIPB. [6] To facilitate the set up of EDB, international experts were requested from the United Nations and appointed to run the board alongside local officers. [7] [8]
By 24 November 1961, the agency was fully operational. [9] In December 1961, the agency started offering free advice to nine electrical industries, releasing research materials to entrepreneurs and manufacturers. [10] It also spearheaded development works at the 9,000 acre Jurong industrial estate. [11] In 1962, EDB introduced a simplified process of buying industrial land. An applicant would have to submit a building plan in three months and build in two years before a lease of land no more than 99 years be issued. [12] EDB received an additional grant of S$40 million to develop Jurong Industrial Estate from the Singapore government. [13] [14]
1962 was also the year which Singapore begun to actively woo overseas industrialists as such the Japanese, [15] with some indicating interests in joint development projects and sending study missions to Singapore. [16] A Japanese economic survey mission led by Shinichi Takasugi, President of Mitsubishi and Head of Japan's Economic Cooperation Committee and the Federation of Economic Organizations [17] found that Jurong Industrial Estate was "the best site for industrialisation for Singapore." [18] A S$23 million shipyard joint venture between Ishikawajima-Harima and EDB was planned for as well. [19] [20]
EDB was also functioning as an industrial bank, offering loans to companies at "reasonable interest rates". [21] [22]
Investing since 1991, EDBI is the dedicated corporate investment arm of the EDB, and a global investor in select high growth technology sectors covering Information & Communication Technology (ICT), Emerging Technology (ET), Healthcare (HC) and other strategic industries. [23]
Since 1 April 2019, the EDB manages DesignSingapore Council, the national agency for design. This is done to help companies expand beyond Singapore. [24] [25] It also manages Singapore Global Network, which was set up in 2019 to grow Singapore's networks and connections around the world. [26]
The EDB maintains 20 international offices in 14 countries which includes Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom and the United States. [27]
Benedict Hon Sui Sen was a Singaporean politician who served as Minister for Finance between 1970 and 1983. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Havelock between 1970 and 1983.
Kranji MRT station is an elevated Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the North South line (NSL). Situated in Sungei Kadut, Singapore along Woodlands Road, it serves the Singapore Turf Club and the Woodlands Wafer Fabrication Park. The station is operated by SMRT Trains.
The Spyros disaster was a major industrial disaster that occurred in Singapore on 12 October 1978, where the Greek tanker Spyros exploded at Jurong Shipyard, killing 76 people and injuring 69 others. It remains the worst accident, in terms of lives lost, in Singapore's post-war history. It is also Singapore's worst industrial accident.
JTC Corporation (JTC), formerly the Jurong Town Corporation, is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry that champions sustainable industrial development. It master-plans clean, green and smart estates to create attractive destinations for Singapore's talent and communities. The agency also drives innovations in the building and infrastructure sector.
The Woodlands Checkpoint is one of Singapore's two land border checkpoints, connecting ground traffic with Malaysia. It services the vehicular traffic along with pedestrians that goes through the Johor–Singapore Causeway. The only other Singapore land border checkpoint services the Malaysia–Singapore Second Link.
Sago Lane is a one-way lane in Chinatown within the Outram Planning Area in Singapore. The street links Banda Street to Neil Road. In the past, the street was much longer and was home to funeral parlours or death houses. Part of the street was demolished in the late 1960s due to the construction of the new HDB development at Kreta Ayer, also known as Chinatown Complex. Currently the street, is mainly used during Chinese New Year as part of the festive bazaar in Chinatown.
The Biomedical Research Council is a research council in Singapore, established in October 2000. This research council supports, oversees and coordinates public sector biomedical research and development activities in Singapore. The Council works in close partnership with the Economic Development Board’s (EDB) Biomedical Sciences Group and Bio*One Capital.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies related to the development of business, trade and industry in Singapore.
voco Orchard Singapore is a voco hotel in located at Orchard Road, Singapore. It is the first voco branded hotel by InterContinental Hotels Group in Southeast Asia
Hillview is located in north west Singapore. The neighbourhood overlooks Bukit Timah Hill, hence its name.
Sir Han Hoe Lim was a Singaporean physician and politician.
Tang I-Fang was a China-born Singaporean veteran public servant, economic strategist for developing countries and businessman.
David Joseph Murnane (1892–1953) was Singapore's longest serving municipal water engineer, serving from 1925 to 1947.
Tanja Manuela Sadow is a Singapore educator and founder of the Jewellery Design and Management International School
The Jurong railway line is a former railway line located in Singapore. Stretching a total of 12 miles (19 km) from Bukit Timah to the Jurong industrial estate, the line consisted of a 9 miles (14 km) main line and three branches. The line was initially planned as part of the Jurong industrial estate by the Singapore government, to connect the industrial estate with Malaya and to facilitate the transfer of goods between Malaya and Jurong. A $6 million loan was given to the Malayan Railway for its construction, which was carried out by the railway and the Economic Development Board, and construction of the line took place between September 1963 and November 1965, with the first train services commencing in the same month. The line was then officially opened on 4 March 1966. However, the line's potential was limited by Singapore's separation from Malaysia in 1965, with 128,000 tons of freight transported on the line in 1974, and the line eventually closed in the 1990s. Portions of the line remain in place, some of which have become popular among explorers and wildlife enthusiasts.
Alkaff Gardens was a Japanese-style park once located east of the Bidadari Cemetery from 1930 to 1964, on the present site of Cedar Girls' Secondary School at Bidadari, Singapore. In the 1930s, the park was a popular leisure destination for dating couples and families. It featured as its centrepiece an artificial lake, which was drained in 1964.
The Tang Dynasty City (唐城), formerly Tang Dynasty Village, was a theme park once located at 2 Yuan Ching Road in Jurong, Singapore.
The following lists events that happened during 1975 in Singapore.
The Pre-Olympic tournaments of the Asian Qualifiers for the 1984 Summer Olympic were held from 12 August 1983 to 29 April 1984. Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Qatar qualified.
Isao Katsumata is a Japanese professional golfer.