SINGAPORE AS AN INFORMATION HUB (Progress report on efforts to promote)

Mr Harun A. Ghani asked the Minister for Information and the Arts if he will give a progress report on his Ministry's effort (i) to make Singapore an information hub and (ii) to encourage local production houses to supply materials to broadcasting stations (TCS and TV12).

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Information and the Arts (Encik Yatiman Yusof) (for the Minister for Information and the Arts): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to inform the Member that MITA is committed to making Singapore into an information hub. Our strategy is three-pronged:

First, we will provide the best infrastructure possible. Singapore ONE is an important part of this infrastructure. We will soon have broadband links to every home, office and school in Singapore.

Second, we have created a regulatory environment that is conducive to the multimedia industry and sensitive to its changing needs. Where we need to regulate, we have done so with a light touch and in a way that does not hinder the growth of the industry.

Third, the Government agencies have acted in concert to meet the expected demand for skilled manpower in the fast growing multimedia industry. The Economic Development Board and the Singapore Broadcasting Authority are working with the Education Ministry and the schools, polytechnics and universities to increase the range of courses available and the total output of creative and technical manpower. We will also continue to facilitate the inflow of talents from abroad.

Our efforts have so far been quite successful. We now have 22 satellite broadcasters and 45 production and post-production houses operating from Singapore. HBO, one of the satellite broadcasters, just celebrated its fifth anniversary of operations in Singapore.

We not only want to attract international players to Singapore, we intend also to nurture many local ones. The Economic Development Board, Singapore Broadcasting Authority and our broadcasters are working together in the Local Industry Upgrading Programme, or LIUP. Under this scheme, local production houses are commissioned to produce quality programmes which will be shown on TCS and STV12 channels. Examples of programmes to be produced by local production houses are Wajah (featuring prominent Malay writers), An Apple a Day (a health series) and many more.

Through these efforts in the LIUP programme, we will promote the growth of the local production industry, as well as broaden the range and variety of programmes for broadcast.