Her Excellency, Minister for Women and Child Development Higher Education, Technical Education and Training, Government of Madhyapradesh, Mrs. Archana Chitnis;

CIDC Chairman, Dr. Uddesh Kohli;

CIDC Director-General, Mr. Priya Ranjan Swarup;

BCA CEO, Mr. Chionh Chye Khye;

Members of the construction industry fraternity from India and Singapore;

Distinguished guests;

Ladies and gentlemen.

Introductory Remarks

1.                  It gives me great pleasure to be in India this week, together with some of the key players of Singapore’s construction industry, to share experiences and explore opportunities for collaboration. On behalf of my delegation, thank you for the warm hospitality that you have shown us since our arrival.

2.                  I am also honored to be here this evening to witness the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) of Singapore and the Construction Industry Development Council (CIDC) of India.

Role of CIDC and BCA

3.                  India has been enjoying rapid economic growth in recent years, having the second fastest growing GDP in the world since 1980.  Further economic reforms and trade liberalization are expected to sustain this high economic growth in the coming years. Against this backdrop, the challenge of the construction industry in India is to provide the quality and quantum of infrastructures that will meet the economy’s needs. 

4.                  India’s Construction Industry Development Council, or CIDC, is well positioned to take on this challenge.  With the participation of key stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, CIDC can lead in reshaping the Indian construction industry and charting its strategic directions.

5.                  In a similar vein, the Building and Construction Authority, or BCA, plays the role of developing Singapore’s construction industry towards providing high quality infrastructures in a competitive manner, and attaining a global reach.

Memorandum of Cooperation

6.                  Both CIDC and BCA share a similar role of developing the construction industries of our respective countries. There are many areas where both BCA and CIDC can collaborate on for mutual benefits. In fact, officers from both organizations have been in frequent contacts since 1996, jointly organizing seminars, conferences, business-matching meetings and other related activities in India and Singapore. 

7.                  I am pleased to know that the relationship between CIDC and BCA has been further fortified this evening, cemented by the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation.  This Memorandum marks the strengthening of the ties between the two organizations, and indeed, between Singapore and India as well.  It also marks the intention to create more synergy through closer co-operation between the CIDC and BCA.

Salient Features of the Memorandum

8.                  The Memorandum will benefit both India and Singapore.

9.                  First, it encourages the timely sharing of information to facilitate collaboration on infrastructural projects in the two countries.  Both CIDC and BCA have built up vast depositories of information and knowledge on the construction industry and its players, and sharing such information would help to cut down cost and time for firms deciding to venture to each other’s country.   

10.             Second, the Memorandum provides a platform for promoting networking opportunities and cross-cultural understanding through mutual visits and joint events for the business and professional organizations in both countries. This, in turn, will facilitate business alliances and joint ventures between firms of both countries.

11.             Third, the Memorandum strives to develop the human resource capabilities of both countries through mutual sharing of experience in joint seminars and workshops, and in the adoption of best practices.   We recognize that human resource is a key component to enhancing the productivity and quality of our respective construction industries.

Riding on the Memorandum

12.             In short, the Memorandum of Cooperation will provide a useful vehicle through which the Singapore construction industry can offer its knowledge and competencies, which will in turn facilitate further collaborations with their Indian counterparts. Over the years, Singapore firms have acquired experience in urban development, city planning, transportation network planning, environmental management, mass housing development, industrial park development, and water & wastewater treatment. There is definitely synergy for Singapore and Indian construction-related firms to work together and exploit the complementary strengths from both sides. Indian firms have resources, local cost advantages and local knowledge, while Singapore firms can contribute design, project management and facility management skills.

13.             I am happy to note that, in the spirit of implementing this Memorandum, CIDC and BCA have decided to work on adapting the Singapore Construction Quality Assessment System, or CONQUAS in short, for adoption by the Indian construction industry. This is an example of sharing the knowledge and system that Singapore has in place with India.

14.             CONQUAS has been a successful tool to objectively measure the overall quality of buildings in Singapore since 1989.  Such a tool has also encouraged our real estate developers to continuously strive to deliver quality buildings and achieve high CONQUAS scores.  Today, CONQUAS has become a marketing tool for developers in Singapore and countries in the region.  I hope that the joint efforts of BCA and CIDC in introducing CONQUAS in India will bear fruits for the construction and real estate sectors in this region.

15.             Looking forward, I would strongly encourage all delegates from India and Singapore to ride on the Memorandum of Cooperation, to take the initiative to work together, to share your knowledge, and to join hands in venturing into new business domains.  To the members of my delegation who are first-timers in India, I call upon them to make use of the occasion provided by this trip to learn more about the Indian market, which is brimming with business opportunities.

Closing Remarks

16.             In conclusion, I congratulate both CIDC and BCA in their signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation, and I wish them every success in working together to benefit the construction industries of our two countries.