World Bank to spread Singapore success globally

MOU will allow it to tap Republic's expertise in tackling urban problems
Robin Chan & Fiona Chan, Straits Times 19 Dec 08'

THE efficient e-government services or the neatly planned roads and buildings Singapore calls its own could become a benchmark for other cities across the world.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with the World Bank at the Foreign Ministry yesterday, public servants here will be roped in to advise countries struggling with urban problems like water management and overcrowding.

Nine bodies will be involved, including the Economic Development Board, the National Environment Agency, the Public Utilities Board and the Urban Redevelopment Authority as well as the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

World Bank president Robert Zoellick, in town on a one-day visit, said that Singapore's unique development experience can be of great value to the developing world. 'Connecting this knowledge with the World Bank Group's development operations in East Asia and around the world creates a vital source of relevant and tested expertise that can benefit many countries,' he said.

Developing countries, most notably China, are facing large-scale challenges as millions of people move from rural areas to the cities.

'Countries across the world are struggling with the sheer scale of the urban challenge before them,' said Mr Zoellick.The challenge is for governments to find 'sensible solutions' to managing the increased demand for land, water, and jobs while ensuring that the cities remain 'liveable and socially cohesive', he added.

Foreign Minister George Yeo acknowledged that the agreement was needed now: 'This is something which meets the needs of the times. Asia is urbanising on a scale and speed never seen before.'

At first glance, rural-urban migration might not seem a problem with a Singapore solution, but the World Bank wants to tap the country's experience in dealing with urban issues, education and public administration systems. It believes that those skills combined with its own in areas of global development and operational experience can make an impact.

The bank commented in a 1993 report that Singapore was one of East Asia's 'miracle' economies, having rapidly transformed itself from a Third World to First World nation.

Mr Yeo noted that when Singapore first started developing, the Government was not thinking about larger lessons.

'We were just being practical, having to squeeze a lot into a small space, feeling our way into the future by practice, by responding to the pressures of necessity.'

He said there was now great interest in applying the Republic's methods on a wider scale and the World Bank's resources can facilitate that process.

Singapore and the World Bank will collaborate though various means. These include capacity-building programmes with training courses, study visits and workshops, seconding local experts to the bank and developing joint projects.

Mr Zoellick said the initiatives will be focused on Asia first, possibly China and some countries in South-east Asia.

The new partnership - called the World Bank-Singapore Urban Hub - will make it easier to provide advice and technical assistance on vital issues such as managing waste and water, financing urban infrastructure and urban planning.

Work through the partnership is already underway with a civil service development project for Laos. The agreement will also see more cooperation between the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank's private sector arm, and Singapore-based companies.

Mr Zoellick said: 'Whether the issue be public administration, or water policy, or transportation, or green areas and ecological dimensions, there's a tremendous amount that we can draw from the Singapore experience.'

World Bank, Singapore to set up Urban Hub to help developing countries
By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia 18 Dec 08;

SINGAPORE : Singapore and the World Bank have joined hands to provide development assistance to emerging economies.

The World Bank has set aside a few million dollars to fund programmes under the Urban Hub, to be set up in Singapore.

Across the world, hundreds of millions of people are moving from rural areas to the cities, and this will put stress on resources. The World Bank said governments have to find sensible solutions to manage demand for land, water and jobs.

From February, the team will embark on civil service development project with the government in Laos.

Singapore, through the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE), has embarked on a public finance modernisation and governance programme in Laos, while Temasek Foundation and the World Bank Laos Office will jointly fund a capacity building programme involving the national tax, treasury and customs departments of Laos' Ministry of Finance.

"Whether the issue be public administration, whether it be water policy or transportation, or green areas and ecological dimensions, there is a tremendous amount we can draw from the Singapore experience," said World Bank's President Robert Zoellick.

Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo said: "What we do here cannot be applicable to larger nations... But for municipal management, urban planning and design, traffic control, pollution control, greenery, there are some things which we do here which we are quite happy to share with others."

Other areas of cooperation include environment, education, governance and training projects in the East Asia and Pacific region.

After signing the agreement with the city-state to expand cooperation on urban management on Thursday, Mr Zoellick called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While at the Istana, he also called on Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

During the meetings, the leaders discussed the impact of the financial crisis, the responses of different governments and the World Bank's role in Asia.

They also discussed how the World Bank can leverage on Singapore's developmental experience to produce joint capacity-building initiatives for the region and beyond. - CNA /ls