DPM Lawrence Wong to chair EDB’s International Advisory Council
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DPM Lawrence Wong will replace Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who has held that post since 2014.
PHOTO: ST FILE
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SINGAPORE – Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will take over as chairman of the Economic Development Board’s (EDB) International Advisory Council (IAC) from Saturday.
Mr Wong will replace Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who has held the post since 2014, the EDB said in a media release on Friday.
Mr Tharman stepped down from all his posts and resigned from the People’s Action Party on Friday to run for the Singapore presidency.
The EDB said that during Mr Tharman’s nine-year term, the country strengthened its position as a trusted, open and resilient hub for capital, talent and data.
“The economy emerged strongly from the Covid-19 pandemic, bolstered by companies’ confidence in us as a choice location for investments in a more uncertain global environment,” it added.
“Singapore also doubled down on efforts to deepen linkages with South-east Asia, grow globally leading Singapore-based ventures and develop innovative decarbonisation solutions.”
Mr Tharman said the Republic must keep deepening its value proposition to global companies and grow leading businesses and spin-offs to continue creating good jobs for Singaporeans.
“Our IAC members have enriched our discussions on how Singapore should evolve its strategies in a more challenging environment,” he added.
On his new appointment, Mr Wong, who is also Finance Minister, said the IAC has provided EDB and Singapore with useful perspectives and recommendations to strengthen the economy in the past three decades.
He added: “We are continuing to grapple with rapid changes in the global economy, including the trends of rising protectionism, shifting supply chains as well as rapid technological advances.
“I look forward to exchanging insights with IAC members on addressing these opportunities and challenges, as we continue to hone Singapore’s economic strategies for the future.”
Members of the council include top executives of global companies such as chairman and chief executive of Microsoft Satya Nadella and president and CEO of PayPal Daniel Schulman.
