Speech by 2M Indranee Rajah at the Singapore Cranes Association 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner
Oct 2, 2025
Thank you all very much for inviting me to be part of your golden jubilee, the 50th anniversary of the Singapore Cranes Association (SCA).
Celebrating 50 Years of Progress
When the SCA was first established in the 1970s, Singapore was a very different place. 50 years on, our skyline, our cityscape, and our national infrastructure have all been transformed into the now bustling metropolis that we see today.
Through it all, cranes have played an important role in the transformation of Singapore’s built environment. You have been integral to many of our key sectors such as construction and transportation, supporting infrastructure and industrial development.
I want to commend the SCA for your part in leading the cranes industry, working with the various government agencies to shape the industry’s development and direction, and being an integral part of the Singapore story.
Navigating the Challenging Headwinds
Even as we celebrate 50 years of progress, we must also pay attention to the rapid changes that are taking place in the world around us. It is not going to be business-as-usual for the cranes industry in the next 50 years.
Take the tariffs that the US has introduced since April, for example. Just last week, the US announced a new set of tariffs, including a 100% tariff on pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical products. The full effects of all the tariffs are still unfolding and will take time to manifest.
I want to assure you that the Government is committed to providing comprehensive and holistic support to Singapore enterprises, and to help companies like you navigate the challenging business landscape ahead.
The Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce set up five months ago will continue to monitor the developments and assess the impact of the US tariffs on your businesses and workers. We will also continue to engage our US counterparts to negotiate and better understand the conditions and the criteria for the implementation of the tariffs.
The Taskforce has announced several initiatives to help companies adapt to the new economic realities. One of the initiatives is the Business Adaptation Grant which will be rolled out this month to help affected companies adapt and strengthen their supply chain resilience.
Another trend to take note of is the rapid acceleration of technological advancements, such as in AI, that is taking place at an unprecedented pace, disrupting entire industries and upending traditional business models.
Many of you seated here today are SMEs and you may be wondering what that means for you and whether you have the capacity and resources to respond to some of these challenges. Some of you may be concerned about the disruption that AI will bring to the industry. I can understand these fears and concerns.
I can assure you that the government wants all our SMEs, not just the bigger players, to be able to leverage and access the latest technologies to seize opportunities amid the rapid technological advancements, and there are many government initiatives to help our SMEs do just that.
For instance, EnterpriseSG, in partnership with IMDA, has empowered many SMEs to accelerate their adoption of technology, including AI-enabled solutions, through the Productivity Solutions Grant. If you want to transform your business, please have a look at the Productivity Solutions Grant, and see how you can use that to help defray some of your costs, as you transform your businesses. In this new economic reality, those who can use AI, and use it well, will have an advantage over those who do not and cannot.
It is important to highlight that seizing the opportunities that technology can bring is more than just about buying new computers or paying for software subscriptions. There must be investments in upskilling your workers.
The good news is that companies do not have to do this alone. You can work with government agencies and the unions to train and uplift the capabilities of your workers. One key initiative is the Company Training Committees (CTC) that NTUC has championed. Under the initiative, companies work closely with the unions to identify the skills that their workers need and to co-develop and design the training required.
I understand that there are representatives from NTUC here today, and they will be more than happy to share about the CTCs with you. The unique thing about Singapore is that our unions, employers and workers all work together, and we can only progress when we all progress together. Ultimately, when your workers are well-equipped to meet the new challenges brought about by technological disruption, your businesses will also benefit.
As you think about how to transform your businesses to meet the challenges of the day, it is also critical not to lose sight of what matters most, which is the health and safety of the workers that operate those cranes day in and day out.
I am glad to know that many crane companies are already proactively investing in technology to protect the well-being of the workers. For instance, half of Singapore’s lorry cranes have been equipped with the Stability Control System (SCS) which significantly reduces the risk of the cranes tipping over. To support wider adoption of the SCS, the Ministry of Manpower has a grant to help companies defray the installation cost for both new and existing lorry cranes, and I strongly encourage companies to utilise this support.
I am also heartened to know that SCA has been a key member of the National Crane Safety Taskforce since its inception and has actively contributed to the taskforce’s mission to implement strategies and programmes that reduce dangerous occurrences involving crane operations to zero.
As we look to the future, I am confident that the SCA will continue to play a leading role in helping your members meet the challenges of tomorrow and navigate the challenging headwinds that we face.
Congratulations once again on 50 remarkable years. Here’s to the next 50 years of lifting Singapore even higher. Thank you and have a great evening.