SENDING OF MINISTERS, MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT AND OFFICIAL DELEGATIONS ABROAD (Amount spent)

Mr Ling How Doong asked the Minister for Finance what is the total amount spent in sending Ministers, Members of Parliament and official delegations abroad for 1993 and from January to October 1994.

The Minister for Finance (Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau): Mr Speaker, Sir, there are two categories of expenses incurred in sending Ministers, MPs and officials overseas.

One category covers Official Visits Overseas in which Ministerial delegations from Singapore travel overseas in response to invitations from foreign governments. The purpose of such visits is to promote bilateral relations and trade. Under this category, the expenditure in 1993 was $2,228,576 and the expenditure in 1994 up to the end of October was $2,309,884.

The second category covers Conferences Overseas in which official delegations from Singapore attend conferences organised by multilateral organisations such as the United Nations, ASEAN, APEC, GATT, and so forth, and a variety of technical and specialist international agencies. Under this category, the expenditure in 1993 was $2,147,610 and the expenditure in 1994 up to the end of October was $2,166,619.

The total of $4.48 million spent so far in 1994 is necessary to maintain Singapore's position in the rapidly changing world economic and political order. Such expenditure is expected to increase in future years, in line with Singapore's growing economic strength and its regionalisation drive.