Secretary General Message
The textile quota-free era began in January 2005 and has since settled in. Countries that were previously quota-free with higher costs are today, being rapidly replaced by countries with cheaper labour/operating costs. In some countries, the industry almost disappeared overnight, leaving behind many unemployed workers; others are experiencing phenomenal growth.
Singapore-based companies have long been preparing for this dynamic shift of sourcing strategy by buyers and are well-established with their factories set up in multiple countries around the world. The next phase of the development will very much depend on having better supply chain management and value-added services. Recognizing these needs, the industry has been working closely with the Singapore Government to introduce many initiatives to help our industry players better compete in the arena. Supported under the Local Enterprise Association Development (LEAD) scheme, the industry has received multi-million dollar assistance through our Federation for industry development. With LEAD, TaFf will assist Singapore-based companies in the area productivity improvement and provide design services with the use of IT technologies.
It is hoped that factories which are managed by Singapore companies will eventually be able to offer our buyers good designs as well as the ability to deliver in a shorter timeframe, in the most cost efficient manner. I would like to urge all members to take full advantage of this initiative over the next 2 years to position themselves as a key player in this vibrant industry. Our federation will continue to work towards bringing more services and initiatives across the whole spectrum of the industry.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our members for their support in helping to shape our Federation into a dynamic and spirited one through their active participation, and also the entire secretariat's staff for their hard work - without which we would not be where we are today.
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