SZETC work plan aims to improve Infrastructure & Logistics

24 Jun '08

6 min read

Infrastructure, port and logistics, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and environmental services are the new areas of economic collaboration identified by Singapore and Zhejiang Province, China.

These were highlighted at the fifth meeting of the Singapore-Zhejiang Economic and Trade Council (SZETC) that took place in Hangzhou, Zhejiang.

The SZETC workplan for 2008 / 2009 was signed by Mr Raymond Lim, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Mr Zhong Shan, Zhejiang Vice Governor (VG). Both are the Co-Chairmen of SZETC, with International Enterprise (IE) Singapore as the Singapore secretariat.

Said Minister Lim, “We had a fruitful council meeting. We decided that we will deepen and expand our areas of cooperation to include business process outsourcing, environmental services, infrastructure, port and logistics.

Zhejiang is a dynamic province and Singapore companies can contribute to its continued growth in these areas where we have proven expertise."

Minister Lim is currently in Zhejiang for the fifth SZETC meeting and leading a business mission organised by IE Singapore from 17 – 21 June 2008.

The business delegation comprises 28 businessmen from 21 companies, and 13 officials from the Consulate of the Republic of Singapore in Shanghai, IE Singapore, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore and Singapore Tourism Board.

In Hangzhou, Minister Lim called on Zhejiang Party Secretary Zhao Hongzhu and Hangzhou Mayor Cai Qi. The delegation will proceed to Taizhou tomorrow and Ningbo on Friday. On Saturday, 21 June 2008, Minister Lim will unveil the master plan of Capital Plaza Ningbo, a project of CapitaLand (China) Investment.

Thereafter, he will proceed to Shanghai to officiate at the opening of the Singapore Centre in Shanghai. This is the fifth Singapore Centre to be opened (Please see media release to be issued on 21 June 2008).

Infrastructure, Port and Logistics:
Ningbo is an up-and-coming city in Zhejiang to take note of with the Ningbo Meishan Bonded Port Zone recently approved by the State Council as a bonded port area in China in February this year.

This is the fifth bonded port area after Yangshan Bonded Zone, Tianjin Dongjiang Bonded Zone, Dalian Dayaowan Bonded Zone and Hainan Yangpu Bonded Zone[1]. The planned area for the Ningbo Meishan Bonded Port Zone is 7.7 sq km and is situated about 45km from Ningbo.

The Ningbo Meishan Bonded Port Zone Administrative Committee's goal for the development and construction of Ningbo Meishan Island is for it to become a first-class bonded port, inhabitable and ecologically-friendly island and a port city for leisure.

This development would create potential business opportunities for Singapore companies in a range of diverse sectors, such as port / warehousing / logistics park development, hospitality and tourism, software exchange (training programmes on port functions, e-government platform, e-customs, currency exchange management, goods and customs clearance and more.

With strong interest in attracting Singapore companies to invest in Ningbo city, the Ningbo Municipal People's Government will be working with SZETC to jointly organise “Ningbo Week 2008” in Singapore from 11 – 13 November 2008.

This event will comprise an anchor seminar with a key focus on Meishan Island, and smaller-scale seminars focusing on topics such as the internationalisation of Ningbo Enterprises and BPO.

As the whole of Zhejiang moves towards greater economic development, it is also enhancing its public infrastructure, including its MRT and airport services.

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