APEC BUSINESS TRAVEL CARD SCHEME (Implementation)

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APEC BUSINESS TRAVEL CARD SCHEME:

(Implementation): 3.

Mr Ng Ser Miang asked the Minister for Trade and Industry when will Singapore implement the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Card scheme which Singapore agreed to join in October 2003 as the scheme will allow Singaporean card holders visa free travel in 15 APEC economies, facilitating business travel between these economies.

Mr Ng Ser Miang (Nominated Member): Question No. 3, Sir. I would like to declare my interest as Singapore's representative on the APEC Business Advisory Council.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Mr Speaker, Sir, the target is to implement the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Card (ABTC) Scheme by the middle of 2005.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) are currently working out the implementation details of the scheme. These include:

(a) translating the requirements imposed by the Scheme into eligibility criteria for Singaporean businessmen who may wish to apply for the card;

(b) putting in place an effective and efficient security pre-clearance process for foreigners in other countries applying for the card to enter Singapore; and

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(c) deciding on an appropriate charging model for the card.

Mr Ng Ser Miang: Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether there is any way to expedite the earlier implementation of the scheme as it does save considerable time for Singapore businessmen travelling to those APEC economies that arecovered under the scheme.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Sir, we announced our intention to participate in the scheme some time last year and if you look at the experience of the other APEC economies, it takes aboutone and a halfor almost two years to put in the system. In the light of increased security requirements, we have to make sure that the processes we put in place are robust. In the end, we have to callfor a tenderfor somebody to provide both the security requirements as well as the processes for the card. Unfortunately, all this takes time.