Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) what processes are used to consult local SMEs and obtain their feedback prior to negotiating bilateral and multilateral trade agreements.

Oral reply (to be attributed to Senior Minister of State for Trade & Industry Sim Ann):

1. Company feedback is integral to MTI’s process of negotiating trade agreements. MTI works with IE Singapore and Trade Associations to engage businesses on their potential interest areas in our various trade negotiations.
2. These engagements involve organising roundtable sessions to gather feedback firsthand from companies including local SMEs on their business interests and issues faced. Where there are specific concerns or opportunities companies are keen on, MTI and our economic agencies have also undertaken one-to-one sessions to follow up on the issues. In addition, IE Singapore’s FTA promotion and advisory team conducts market surveys that allow companies to provide detailed feedback on their business interests and specific areas of concerns.
3. These efforts are complemented with FTA outreach efforts to help companies gain greater awareness and knowledge of how FTAs can be used to their benefit. Some 3,500 companies over the last five years including SMEs from perse sectors have benefited from workshops and seminars aimed at equipping companies with a better understanding of Singapore’s trade agreements.