Committee of Supply 2024 debate, Day 3: Derrick Goh on support for SMEs in digital, AI and green economy

Digitisation remains an imperative for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a rapidly evolving technology space to thrive and capture opportunities in the new economy, said MP Derrick Goh. Speaking in Parliament on Friday (Mar 1), he stressed the need to help SMEs dispel the fear of the unknown. He wanted to know how the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) will help SMEs further accelerate digitisation efforts so that more local businesses can harness artificial intelligence to transform. Turning to sustainability, Mr Goh said while opportunities in the digital and green economy are aplenty, the transformation is not easy for SMEs. They should have ready access to expertise and this is where SME Centres and Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) can play a more proactive role to nudge and help SMEs digitise and go green. He wanted to know if there are plans to boost the effectiveness of SME Centres and enable TACs to provide more targeted support.