British High Commissioner Kara Owen's end of year message to members

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Extract from the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore Membership Directory 2021/22, available now to download


I want to start by thanking the British Chamber of Commerce for the opportunity to send a message to members at the turn of another extraordinary year.  I know that the pandemic and related economic impacts have made 2021 a challenging year for many of us.  Your businesses and you personally have needed to demonstrate resilience, tenacity and agility.  Throughout 2021, the British Chamber’s partnership with both its members and with me and the High Commission team has been absolutely critical to making progress across a whole range of issues.  I thank them for their leadership and hard work. I wanted to touch on some examples of this as I reflect back on this year and point to what we want to achieve together next year.  

Supporting Free Trade

Despite the challenges posed by COVID, the developments across the shared Singapore-UK agenda – on trade, tech, sustainability, knowledge and security – have shown that this is a relationship that is delivering and will continue to deliver on UK goals in this dynamic region.  

On trade, the UK-Singapore Free Trade Agreement entered into force in February this year and soon after, with Singapore’ support, we submitted our formal application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). HMTC Natalie Black expands on the CPTPP’s significance in her own message.

We took a significant stride in our partnership in technology, digital trade and innovation. Digitally-delivered services made up around 70% of UK-Singapore services trade in 2019, demonstrating the rationale for our two countries to launch negotiations for a Digital Economy Agreement. We were the first Asian-European negotiating partners to drive for such an agreement.  Negotiations are going well and we expect the benefits of the eventual agreement to make digital trade easier and smoother for you while increasing corporate and consumer protection.

Our two-way business connections continue apace. I was struck that, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Chamber’s Trade Services team supported 303 UK small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and British businesses in achieving £.9.1 million in exports. Our DIT team also supported exports in areas such as FinTech and cyber security, and investment in the UK in offshore wind and sustainability-linked projects.

We partnered with the Chamber during UK Minister for Asia, Amanda Milling’s visit in October, ensuring she could hear direct from you what you needed from government. She of course visited while aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was alongside. The carrier’s presence here allowed us to undertake an exercise with Singapore Armed Forces, showcase the very British tech and innovation on board and demonstrate the UK’s commitment to security, stability and free trade in the region.  Sadly, COVID restrictions meant that my earlier dreams of holding big events – James Bond premiere perhaps?! – on deck of that magnificent ship could not come to pass….

Leading the Charge on Climate Change

In the year that the UK hosted COP26, climate and sustainability has had top billing for the High Commission and the Chamber. The momentum for carbon transition in this region means that I expect that focus to remain for years to come. The Chamber is rightly proud of achieving carbon neutrality in 2020. Its Race to Zero campaign demonstrated your thought leadership on sustainability and was entirely complimentary to the UK government’s work. Throughout the year we drew on the insights of the Chamber and its members to inform our policy discussions and negotiations with Singapore.

Nearly 200 countries agreed to the Glasgow Climate Pact to keep 1.5C alive and finalise the outstanding elements of the Paris Agreement work programme. 

When the UK took on the COP26 mantle (in partnership with Italy) nearly two years ago, only 30% of the world’s GDP was covered by net zero targets. This figure now stands at around 90. The pace and visibility the British business community established on these issues no doubt helped persuade over 30 Singaporean companies to sign up to the UN’s Race to Zero campaign.

Singapore has been a strong ally for the UK’s COP26 Presidency throughout the year. Accepting COP26 President Alok Sharma’s invitation to co-facilitate discussions on Article 6, Minister Grace Fu successfully secured consensus on this contentious issue, opening the way for transparent carbon trading.

Over 100 countries, including Singapore, promised to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030. It was absolutely fantastic to see Singapore also join the 165 nation-strong Powering Past Coal Alliance- the first Asian nation to do so. DBS became the first Singaporean bank to commit to the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, which strives for net-zero emissions by 2050. I hope more will follow.

Our work is far from over. As COP26 President Alok Sharma said, “It is up to all of us to sustain our lodestar of keeping 1.5 degrees within reach and to continue our efforts.”

People connections – the fibres of the UK-Singapore relationship

Collaboration amongst the “UK in Singapore” family on education has been another high point. Student mobility between Singapore and the UK has held up, despite COVID. The British Chamber, British Council and British High Commission are all playing their parts in demonstrating the strength of the UK education offer and in making our alumni proposition life-long and career relevant.

Singapore is of course home to 5000 British businesses and 45,000 British nationals and so the welcome for the Vaccinated Travel Lane between the UK and Singapore was both relieved and loud. I am grateful for the Chamber’s partnership, as in our different ways we worked with Singapore to ensure re-establishment of safe travel with the UK was a priority. We have already seen very strong VTL take up as Brits and Singaporeans travel for business, education, leisure, and to maintain the connections with family and friends so important to our wellbeing. I hope that many of you will have an opportunity to benefit from it in the coming months.

One of the things I have missed the most this year is connecting with people in person, including members of this community.  Eden Hall and I very much miss your in-person company. We are hopeful that as government restrictions ease, we can welcome you back next year.

What’s on my wish list for next year? Now you are asking…..my list includes a safe return to in-person business connections, an ambitious and real-world relevant DEA, membership of CPTPP, greater UK and Singapore collaboration on decarbonisation in the region and more chances to see you all.

I am honoured to have a chance to mark another productive year with such important partners and friends.  I wish all of you a safe and happy festive season.