The services of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce (SCCCI) benefited 15,000 companies and business participants last year.

The annual report released by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce on Monday (March 3) pointed out that the Chamber of Commerce strengthened its advocacy for enterprises in 2024, promoted transformation and sustainable development, further increased its efforts to promote internationalization, and expanded the membership base of the business group.

Gao Quanqing, president of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that the establishment of the TACOM Transformation Center and the Sustainability Alliance demonstrates the CC’s commitment to promoting industry transformation, skills improvement and sustainable business practices.

He said: “We provide services to 15,000 local companies and business participants in 2024 to help them benefit. This achievement proves our continuous efforts to create value for the business community. In addition to business, we continue to work to give back to society, support education and strengthen national education. As the business environment becomes more complex and unstable, the China Chamber of Commerce in Singapore will continue to help companies cope with change, build new capabilities, and seize growth opportunities.”

According to the General Chamber of Commerce, first of all, as a bridge between the business community and the government, the General Chamber of Commerce held five exchange meetings last year, with nearly 50 members of the chamber of commerce participating and having two dialogues with the minister to share the General Chamber's recommendations on the 2025 budget. The annual business survey of the General Chamber of Commerce collected feedback from 650 companies, revealing the rising corporate costs, labor shortages, transformation challenges and uncertain external environment, which are the most concerned issues for the merchants interviewed. The General Chamber of Commerce also jointly held a tribute dinner for Lee Hsien Loong and a welcome dinner for Prime Minister Wong Xun Cai with the Singapore Clan Association (SFCCA), to build consensus on issues such as economic development, mother tongue education, and racial harmony and move forward hand in hand.

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Second, the newly established Transformation Center of the Business League Committee uses a professional consulting team to provide practical and comprehensive support to local business groups to promote their transformation journey and growth. The Center has served a total of 97 business groups in 2024, helping them improve the industry and specialize in the secretariat functions. In addition, the Sustainable Development Alliance, promoted by the General Chamber of Commerce, was officially launched, and 15 business groups joined the alliance to promote and assist local small and medium-sized enterprises in carrying out green transformation.

On the other hand, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce Business School (SCCIOB) and the China Chamber of Commerce Small and Medium Enterprises Center (SME Centre@SCCCI) continue to help members acquire business-related capabilities. The college has opened more than 100 skill improvement courses, benefiting nearly 1,400 participants. The SME Center provides 3,600 business consulting services to help merchants use government support programs to increase productivity and enhance corporate capabilities. The center held a total of 20 capacity workshops in 2024, benefiting 1,100 small and medium-sized enterprise participants.

In terms of broadening horizons and moving overseas, the General Chamber of Commerce organized a commercial visiting delegation to visit more than 10 provinces and cities in China last year, including Guangdong, Fujian, Hainan, Jiangsu and Sichuan. It also received nearly 90 Chinese delegations, keeping up with China's development pace and actively exploring business opportunities. In addition, the China Representative Office of the General Chamber of Commerce received a total of 286 companies to assist them in entering the Chinese market.

In Singapore, the General Chamber of Commerce has held various conferences, including the “2024 International Industrial Cooperation Conference”, the “Singapore-China Business Forum” and the flagship bilingual conference of the General Chamber of Commerce – the Small and Medium Enterprises Conference and Credit Business Conference (SMEICC). It also led a delegation to participate in international conferences such as the 17th World Chinese Business Conference (WCEC), which provides a valuable platform for promoting exchanges and cooperation between Chinese businessmen from all over the world.

The report pointed out that 2024 is of great significance to the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce. It celebrated the Diamond Jubilee (60th anniversary) of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce Building, and held an exhibition called “Business Home” at the China Business Culture Center (SCBCH) in the building, exhibiting more than 200 cultural relics that record the history of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce Building and the Chamber of Commerce, promoting the spirit of Singapore Chinese Business.

The General Chamber of Commerce continues to fulfill its mission of promoting education and inheritance, awarding scholarships to outstanding students from higher education institutions, craft education colleges, overseas Chinese secondary schools, and Malay and Indian communities. last year. It also donated RMB 1.2 million to the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) to establish scholarships.