Your Voice on Budget 2015

Your Voice on Budget 2015
We seek your assistance to complete the following survey. To thank you for your time,
we will be conducting a lucky draw to give out a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4. To qualify for
the draw, kindly ensure that all questions in this survey are completed and fill in your
name and other details at the end of the survey form.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR COMPANY
Industry:
Manufacturing
Construction
Utilities
Wholesale & Retail Trade
Transport & Storage
Accommodation & Food Services
Information & Communication
Finance & Insurance
Business Services
_____________
Employment Size
Company’s Annual Revenue
10 & below
11 - 50
51 - 200
Above 200
S$1m & below
Between S$1m to S$10m
Between S$10m to S$50m
Between S$50m to S$100m
Above S$100m
Business Outlook
1. How do you view the current economic climate? (Please √ only 1 option)
Positive
Negative
Uncertain
2. What is your business outlook for the next 6 months? (Please circle only 1 option)
Not Optimistic --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Very Optimistic
1
2
3
4
5
6
Budget 2015 Measures
1. Which of these new or enhanced Budget 2015 measures would likely benefit your company?
(Please √ accordingly)
Measure
Developing Our People (i.e. SkillsFuture)
Starting in Schools
Professional education & career counselling for students to make informed job choices
Improvements in internships in Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs)
More opportunities for students for international exposure
Support for Individual Learning After School
SkillsFuture Credit
SkillsFuture Earn & Learn Programme
Increase in education & training subsidy to ≥ 90% for MOE & WDA courses
Flexible learning through subsidized modular courses
Deepening Skills & Gaining Mastery
SkillsFuture Study Awards
SkillsFuture Fellowships
SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative
Overall
Development of Sectoral Manpower Plans for all sectors
Boosting of SMEs’ training capabilities through a pool of SkillsFuture Mentors
Likely
Useful
Likely
NOT
Useful
More
details
needed
Not
Applicable
to my
company
Likely
Useful
Measure
Likely
NOT
Useful
More
details
needed
Not
Applicable
to my
company
Strengthening Support for Innovation
Strengthening Grant Support for Innovation
Simplified application process & enhanced funding support level
Development Grant (CDG)
Extension of Collaborative Industry Projects to all sectors
for Capability
Enhancement of Partnership for Capability Transformation (PACT) Scheme
Create & Capture Greater Value from R&D
Top up of National Research Fund (NRF) by $1 bil
Catalyse Enterprise Financing
Top up & increase in co-investment cap of Business Angel Scheme (BAS)
Venture Debt Risk-sharing Programme
Helping Companies Internationalise
Increase in support level for SMEs for IE S’pore’s Grant Schemes
Enhancement of Double Tax Deduction for Internationalisation scheme to also cover
qualifying manpower expenses incurred for S’poreans posted to new overseas entities.
New International Growth Scheme
Encouraging Scale
Enhance tax allowance for mergers & acquisitions
Enhancement of Internationalisation Finance Scheme to also cover overseas M&A
financing.
Other Measures
Extension & refinement of Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme
Enhancement of Early Turnover Scheme for the replacement of older commercial
vehicles with greener vehicles
Investment in infrastructure (eg. Changi Airport T5)
2. How useful will the extension of Wage Credit Scheme and Corporate Income Tax rebate be in helping
your company to adjust to rising business cost as your company restructures? (Please circle only 1 option)
Very useful
1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------2
3
4
5
Not useful
6
Not
applicable
7
3. How useful will the deferment of this year's levy increases for S Pass and Work Permit Holders be in
helping your company cope with the economic restructuring? (Please circle only 1 option)
Very useful
1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------2
3
4
5
Not useful
6
Not
applicable
7
4. How would the increase in employer CPF contribution for older workers impact your company? (Please √
only 1 option)
I value the experience of older workers and will
continue to hire older workers regardless of this
measure.
Makes it less attractive to hire older employees
I am relieved that higher employer’ costs can be
offset somewhat by Temporary Employment Credit
for the next two years
No significant cost impact to my company
General Business Impact
5. Overall, what is your view of Budget 2015? (Please √ all that applies)
Relieved that there are measures to lighten the load
of rising business cost
Concerned that there is little relief on foreign worker
policies apart from freezing / deferment of foreign
worker levies
Appreciative that there are measures to help my
company develop scale
Concerned that the measures only serve to delay the
adjustments companies need to make in order to
Appreciative that there are measures to help my
company innovate
Appreciative that there are measures to help my
company internationalise
Appreciative that there are measures to deepen the
skills of workers
Concerned about the higher manpower costs as a
result of increased employer CPF contribution
restructure
More can be done to lower business costs further
More can be done to help local businesses develop
better branding and international standing
Others (Please specify):_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
6. What other business challenges or items in your company’s wish list have Budget 2015 not addressed?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
7. What assistance will your company require from SBF & SNEF in conjunction with Budget 2015? (Please
√ all that applies)
Organise more courses under SkillsFuture to deepen
workers’ skills & expertise
Work with your company, the relevant TACs and the
Government to foster collaboration, including
between industries where relevant, on the
development of Sectoral Manpower Plans under
SkillsFuture.
Work with your company, the relevant TACs and the
education institutions to collectively structure
meaningful internships & on-the-job training &
develop a shared pool of Mentors that companies
(especially SMEs) can tap on under SkillsFuture
Help your company more on innovation, including
accessing the enhanced Capability Development
Grant (CDF) & National Research Fund (NRF)
Work with your company to encourage more
collaboration between companies to improve
competitiveness and productivity.
Increase your company’s awareness of the ASEAN
Economic Community and help your tap onto the
benefits of engaging the region
Others (Please specify):_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Name: _________________________________________
Designation:____________________________________
Organisation: ___________________________________
Email: _________________________________________
Tel: ___________________________________________
~ Thank you for your participation! ~
Kindly return your duly completed survey form by 10 April 2015 to SBF (Attn: Mr Zhuo Yaohong) at
either research@sbf.org.sg or Fax no: 6827 6807