DPM Heng Swee Keat at the 10th Anniversary of the Singapore Heartland Enterprise Star Award

Mr Yeo Hiang Meng, President of the Federation of Merchants’ Associations, Singapore, 
Ms Lee Huay Leng, Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Media Group, SPH Media,
Mr Andy Hoon, Organising Chairman, FMAS,
Ladies and gentlemen, 

Good evening!
 
I am delighted to be here for the 10th anniversary of the Singapore Heartland Enterprise Star Award. Time flies - it has been ten years since you invited me for the inaugural awards in 2014.

During these ten years, more than 230 businesses have been recognised as heartland enterprise stars! 

Tonight, we are recognising 31 stars – my heartiest congratulations to all. 

Our stars have shown excellence and a spirit of continuous improvement. 
 
You are innovating and transforming yourselves – in areas like digitalisation, customer service, franchising, marketing and visual merchandising.

Some of you are catalysing wider social and economic impact in the community. Others are conserving a legacy over decades.

Several of you have earned these awards multiple times!

There is a growing “Hall of Fame” for enterprises which have earned the Singapore Heartland Enterprise Star Award more than three times.

Five of this year’s award recipients will join this “Hall of Fame”. Congratulations!

Let us use this 10th anniversary milestone to reflect on the impact of the Singapore Heartland Enterprise Star Award.

It is more than just about awarding ‘stars’.

It is about motivating our enterprises to stretch yourselves and to go further -  更上一层楼.

For example, Unidbox Hardware Pte Ltd, which is joining the “Hall of Fame” this year.

Since first winning the Promising Enterprise Award in 2018, Unidbox has continued to adopt digital tools to improve its operational efficiency and marketing, and to scale up to meet increased demand.

Unidbox has recently opened its 5th outlet and has incorporated experiential corners within its retail space to better engage customers.

By leveraging the recognition of the Singapore Heartland Enterprise Star Award, Unidbox has expanded its product range and market presence.

Besides Unidbox, many of our heartland enterprises recognised over the past 10 years have done very well.

All of you serve as good examples of evolving with the times, or as the Chinese say “与时俱进” transform, and grow more successful even in hard times.
 
These awards give our enterprises a chance to share and learn from one another.

I am sure you will continue to share, learn, and inspire many other heartland enterprises to transform.

One particularly difficult challenge that our heartland enterprises faced was the COVID pandemic.

As then-Finance Minister, I worked with my team to support our heartland enterprises and hawkers.

We introduced rental waivers to support enterprises and hawkers during the Circuit Breaker period.

We also provided SkillsFuture credits to encourage business transformation, job redesign, and reskilling and upskilling for workers.

Many heartland enterprises responded well to these measures.
 
Even better, many of you worked with us to seize the pandemic as an opportunity to pivot, transform and change for a better future.

In October 2020, at the height of the pandemic, we launched a “Heartlands Go Digital” programme to spur greater adoption of e-payments and digital commerce solutions among our heartland enterprises.

This programme has been very well received.

Today, nine in ten heartland enterprises have adopted at least one e-payment solution such as NETS, FavePay or GrabPay.

Two-thirds have also onboarded onto digital platforms like Google Business Profile, Fave, Carousell and ShopBack.

One particular innovation that I am proud of is what the Mayors of our Community Development Councils, or CDCs, and MOF came up with – the CDC Vouchers.

Starting in June 2020, the Government distributed CDC Vouchers to households to defray living expenses, and to support our local merchants and heartland enterprises which were badly affected, especially during the Circuit Breaker.

We first started with physical paper vouchers, and later transitioned to digital vouchers as we expanded coverage to all Singaporean households.

$1 billion of support has been given to be spent in hawker centres, neighbourhood shops and some supermarkets.
 
I am sure many of you here have benefited from this injection, and more, because customers would have spent even more than this sum! 

It is a very powerful way to inject support for our heartland enterprises. 

An additional tranche of S$300 per Singaporean household, under the enhanced Assurance Package announced by PM Lawrence Wong earlier this year, will be disbursed next month in January.
 
Half of this can be used at heartland merchants and hawker stalls.

I am delighted that more than 23,000 hawkers and heartland merchants are now taking part in the CDC Vouchers scheme. 

I encourage those of you who have not yet signed up  to participate in the CDC Vouchers scheme.

The CDC Vouchers is also a very good example of how digital tools can help our heartland enterprises retain and even grow your business.

Building stronger digital capabilities, such as enabling easier modes of payment and embracing new ways of operating, can also help you stay competitive in a retail sector that is dramatically transforming post-pandemic.

Many of you have also tried to keep prices affordable for your regular customers, thank you. 

The Government will continue to work closely with, and support strongly, heartland enterprises because you are an important part of Singapore’s social fabric – an important part of what makes Singapore our home.

By bringing services closer to residents, heartland enterprises add vibrancy and dynamism to our heartland communities.

In a 2022 survey, 7 out of 10 residents said that they visited heartland shops at least once a week.

We remember the places we frequently visit in our neighbourhoods, with our parents, grandparents and friends.

Our neighbourhood bakeries, shops, grocery stores, hawker centres, and the friendly uncles and aunties we meet at these places give us a sense that this is our home.

Recently, we organised, in East Coast, a “Jalan Bedok” festival to introduce new activation concepts and trades to East Coast. 

Eateries, retailers, confectioners and edutainment providers showcased their goods in creative ways using technology.

This event also highlighted the cultural and community spirit of Bedok.

The theme of this year’s Singapore Heartland Enterprise Star Awards, “Innovate and Elevate”. This is most relevant.

Tomorrow’s problems cannot be tackled with yesterday’s solutions.

With e-commerce and online shopping, customers today can easily access global marketplace across borders. All of you are going to face stiffer competition.

Heartland enterprises, like all businesses, must also deal with the challenges of an aging population.

So I encourage all heartland enterprises to keep innovating and elevating your businesses. In order to keep up with times, we have to keep changing and be more entrepreneurial and more creative. 

The Government has introduced different platforms to support heartland enterprises.  your innovation journeys.

“Our Heartlands 2025” programme has rolled out the Heartland Enterprise Placemaking Grant.
 
We need to transform heartlands not just as a place to buy things or to eat, but as a place to take part and enjoy activities and performances. 

It improves the flow of people – 人气.

For example, Quan Shui Wet Market is a third-generation business selling fresh pork and groceries.
 
It started a butcher stall in Bukit Batok in 1968. They now have an online business as well as a modern wet market store at Upper Thomson.

This September, just three months ago, they used the Heartland Enterprise Placemaking Grant to take part in the Easty Breezy Bazaar, a unique seaside-themed event to celebrate the Marine Parade lifestyle. 

With that, they came up with an immersive wet market set-up with promotional activities that helped consumers better understand what they are offering.

I encourage all merchants, as well as hawker and merchant associations,   to make full use of the Placemaking Grant, to inject vibrancy, to draw the crowds, to increase 人气 to our heartlands!
 
I also encourage you to keep innovating, to learn and to partner with one another, to try different ideas. 

The Government has introduced the Heartland Innovation and Transformation or HIT Programme.

You can attend training courses and receive mentorship and learn from different Centres of Innovation and Institutes of Higher Learning.

The Singapore Heartland Enterprise Star Awards is itself an excellent platform to come together to learn and innovate together.

The enterprises receiving awards today, as well from past years, will share your lessons and be good role models. You have many good stories to inspire everyone. 

I encourage everyone to work together with others and to innovate. 

Let me now say a few words in Mandarin.

邻里企业是新加坡社会结构不可或缺的一部分。邻里企业为居民提供所需的日常用品和服务，不只方便，逐渐地也成为了居民的情感联络站，让居民们拉近彼此的感情，为我们的社区增添了活力和朝气。

邻里企业也承载了许多国人的集体回忆，像是学生放学后去附近的杂货店（mama shop）买冰棒解暑，还是邻居们一起到咖啡店喝一杯“kopi-o“，谈天说地。无形中，邻里企业帮助我们加强了社区的凝聚力。

《新加坡邻里企业之星奖》 举办10年来，已经有超过200个邻里企业得奖者。今年，《新加坡邻里企业之星》的主题是“创意无限、飞跃新高”。我希望我们的邻里企业也必须发挥创意转型，才能更好地应对挑战，再攀高峰！

在座的各位，都是杰出企业家。你们在冠病疫情的时候，凭着毅力和创意，度过了疫情所带来的重重挑战，越战越勇！而政府也一路相伴，推出了不同措施帮助邻里企业渡过难关。比如，政府推出了CDC邻里购物卷，和《邻里企业数码计划》等，吸引居民在邻里内消费，也推动更多的邻里企业接受数码付费。

我知道，创新与转型并不容易。但是，凭着各位一向不屈不挠的精神，我相信邻里企业依然能成功转型。政府将继续协助邻里企业创新和提升。

感谢新加坡全国商联总会和《新明日报》联合举办这场别具意义的《新加坡邻里企业之星2024》！我也要衷心祝贺所有获奖企业。我希望你们的故事能启发更多邻里企业与时并进，踏上转型和创新的旅程，再创辉煌！

To conclude.

Congratulations to the FMAS for 10 successful years of the Singapore Heartland Enterprise Star Awards, as well as to all judges, sponsors, and agencies and partners for your support and participation.

I wish the Singapore Heartland Enterprise Star Awards many more milestones ahead, and a bright, innovative and prosperous future. 

As we are a couple of weeks away from 2025, let me also wish all of you a Happy New Year in advance. We will also be celebrating SG60 – the 60th year of Singapore’s independence – in 2025. So, may 2025 and the Year of the Snake be prosperous and bountiful for all!

Thank you.

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