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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.'
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