Media Division, Ministry of Information and The Arts, 36th Storey, PSA Building, 460 Alexandra Road, Singapore 119963. Tel: 3757794/5
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SPEECH BY MR MATTHIAS YAO,
MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE,
AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CULTURAL ASPECTS AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES OF
TEXTILE AND CLOTHINGS ON WED, 9 JUL 97 AT 10.30 AM AT RAFFLES MARINA, 10 TUAS WEST DRIVE
Clothing manufacturing was, and still is, a stepping stone towards industrialisation for many developing countries. It is an attractive option because it provides many jobs for a small capital outlay, demands low skill level, and can be started up quickly and easily. But as the countries diversify their economies, education levels go up and wages increase, such a labour-intensive industry must give way to higher value-added ones. Singapore has experienced this growth pattern. We too started with manufacturing of low-cost, low-price textiles and clothings. They are no longer viable in our economy.
What then is the next step? There are two choices, which are not mutually exclusive: One is to get out of the textiles and clothings industry, and move on to other higher technology industries. For the producers who wish to stay in the industry, the other way is to shift to higher value-added products, such as branded and designer label fashion goods.
Shifting to higher end products is not easily achieved.
There must be, as a pre-condition, a big enough base in the workforce who have the skills and the creativity in design and production of fabrics and clothings. Furthermore, the producers have to face keen competition on a global scale. But however tough the competition, it is a lucrative market for those who succeed, and it is therefore a worthwhile area for our entrepreneurs to enter.
For the textiles and clothings industry to grow, we need to set up more facilities to train designers and technicians, foster a design culture, enhance the marketing efforts and pay close attention to the legal framework supporting the industry. There are many aspects to work on. Success cannot be achieved over-night. One of the problems is that creativity and talent in fabric and apparel design is not readily available in Singapore. I hope that this Conference will highlight for the young Singaporeans the opportunities to be found in the industry and inspire them to find a niche in the market. I also hope that the participating organisations will feel encouraged by the discussions and give greater support to our fashion schools so that we can nurture more young talents for the industry.
The challenge for the textiles and clothings industry in Singapore is to be global and local at the same time. International high fashion is becoming highly global. The products from Europe, America, Japan and Hong Kong can find customers in all parts of the world. Our producers must discover the formula that will help them gain acceptability in the global market. At the same time, they must give the buyers a unique product which has a Singaporean signature, which captures our cultural traditions, and which reflects our modern outlook. I am sure that many good ideas on how to achieve this will surface from your deliberations. I look forward to hearing them.
It is now my pleasure to declare the Conference open.