毕丹星（阿裕尼集选区议员）先生询问贸工部长：

(a) 裕廊集团是否有权以低于市场价格的折扣价将裕廊集团工业地产出租给本地中小企业？

(b) 如果有，有多少此类计划，这些计划分别针对哪些行业？

(c) 贸工部是否有计划扩大此类计划的数量，通过降低租金来减少本地中小企业的经营成本？

颜金勇（时任贸工部长，现任副总理）先生：裕廊集团 (JTC) 通常不向本地中小企业 (SME) 提供租金回扣，因为其租金目前平均比现行市场价格低12%。裕廊集团上一次提供一次性特殊租金回扣是在COVID-19期间。

由于租金成本只是企业总成本的一个组成部分，政府的做法是通过一揽子援助计划为中小企业提供更全面的支持。例如，为了帮助企业应对成本上涨，政府在今年的预算中为企业支持计划拨款13亿新元用于企业一揽子支持计划。该计划包括帮助新加坡企业更容易获得贷款融资的企业融资计划，支持转型和技能培训工作的技能未来企业信贷，以及在2024年退还50%的企业所得税减免。

此外，还有为特定行业提供支持的补助金。例如，企业发展补助金帮助制造业企业采用自动化和机器人技术，以提高生产能力，改善仓储密度。新加坡企业发展局还设有多个创新中心，帮助中小企业在食品制造和机器人技术等特定行业创新的解决方案。

贸工部和新加坡工商联合总会还成立了商业竞争力行动联盟（AfA），深入探讨企业如何在全球不确定性和结构性商业成本上升的情况下保持竞争力。该联盟由政务部长刘燕玲（Low Yen Ling）和官委议员李坚辉（SBF 理事会副名誉财务总监）共同担任主席。AfA已开始行业咨询，征求企业的意见，并计划在2024年第四季度前提出建议。

Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether JTC Corporation is empowered to lease of JTC industrial properties to local SMEs at a discount to the market rate; (b) if so, how many of such schemes are there and which industries are these schemes tailored for respectively; and (c) whether the Ministry has any plans to expand the number of such schemes that reduce business costs for local SMEs by way of lower rentals.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: The JTC Corporation (JTC) does not typically provide rental rebates to local small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as its rentals are currently at an average of 12% below prevailing market rates. JTC had last offered an exceptional once-off rental rebate during COVID-19.

 As rental costs comprise just one component of total business costs, the Government’s approach has been to support SMEs more holistically through a comprehensive suite of assistance programmes. For instance, to help businesses cope with rising costs, the Government allocated $1.3 billion under this year’s Budget for the Enterprise Support Package. This package includes the Enterprise Financing Scheme to help Singapore companies access loan financing more readily, the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit to support transformation and skills training efforts, and a corporate income tax rebate of 50% for 2024. 

There are also grants that provide support for specific sectors. For instance, the Enterprise Development Grant has helped companies in the manufacturing sector adopt automation and robotics to increase production capacity and improve warehousing density. Enterprise Singapore also has multiple Centres of Innovation to help SMEs innovate new solutions in specific industries, such as food manufacturing and robotics.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Singapore Business Federation have also formed an Alliance for Action (AfA) on Business Competitiveness to deep-dive into how businesses can remain competitive amid global uncertainties and structurally higher business costs. AfA is co-chaired by Minister of State Low Yen Ling and Nominated Member of Parliament Mark Lee, Deputy Honorary Treasurer of SBF Council. AfA has commenced industry consultations to seek views from businesses and aims to put out its recommendations by the fourth quarter of 2024.