CESS COLLECTION AND ITS USES

Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Trade and Industry how much Cess was collected from 1991 to 1993 and what were the main uses that it had been put to.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: The cess collections by STPB in the past 3 years are as follows: Financial Year $ million 1991 71.2 1992 96.5 1993 103.2 (preliminary)

A breakdown of the collections is given at Annex C (Cols. 87 - 88). Annex C (Cols. 87 - 88)

Cess collections are used to fund the activities of STPB. As a tourism promotion agency, STPB's activities include:-

a. international media advertising to promote Singapore and our tourism facilities and services;

b. promoting Singapore as a location for international conventions, exhibitions, etc;

c. improving service quality in the tourism industry, including upgrading of professional standard of tourist guides and travel agents; and

d. upgrading and developing tourism infrastructure.