Posted on

G20 Sherpa committed to address global solutions

JAKARTA, Oct 1, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - The third G20 Sherpa meeting in Yogyakarta has concluded with G20 member countries agreeing to seek solutions to myriad global problems.The 3rd Sherpa Meeting G20 Indonesia delegations travel around Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia, Tuesday (29/9). (ANTARA PHOTO/Andreas Fitri Atmoko/POOL/rwa/FR)"During this meeting, we can see the collective commitment of G20 countries to remain united by offering solutions to global problems that occur recently," Co-Sherpa Edi Prio Pambudi noted through a statement, Thursday (Sept 29).Problems, such as the energy crisis, food scarcity, rising food prices, inflation, and continuity of COVID-19 recovery, are issues that are not only encountered by G20 countries but also developing and vulnerable countries.Discussion on Leaders' Declaration began from materials that are relatively easy to accept by all countries followed by a bilateral meeting with several key countries, so that an agreement can be achieved.A technical discussion on Leaders' Declaration will be conducted in October 2022 before it is finalized during the fourth Sherpa meeting in Bali in November 2022, near the execution of the G20 Summit held in the same month and place.The declaration draft that contains three priority issues during Indonesia's G20 Presidency comprises global health architecture, digital-based economic transformation, and energy transition as well as food security. This draft comes from 39 parties, comprising G20 member countries, nine invited countries, and 10 invited international organizations, that will attend the G20 Summit Conference in Bali, November.The meeting also endorsed concrete deliverables, such as programs or initiatives. This aligns with President Joko Widodo's mandate that Indonesia's G20 Presidency should produce real benefits for Indonesians."It is true that the concrete results will have their follow-up programmed," secretary of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Susiwijono, said at an online press conference, which was followed from here on Tuesday (Sept 27).The programs arising out of this year's G20 Summit will be reviewed together at next year's meeting."There is an annual forum so that we can review several agreements that have been conducted together," he said.This year, in the midst of various global crises, Indonesia was able to contribute fairly, leading many to praise it, he added.The G20 Sherpa Track discusses global challenges and various economic (non-financial) issues to find solutions and provide recommendations on the G20 agenda and priority issues, such as energy, development, tourism, digital economy, education, labor, agriculture, trade, investment, industry, health, anti-corruption, environment and climate change.The role of Sherpa Track is very vital, especially in coordinating all Working Groups and Engagement Groups under its coordination.Indonesia's G20 presidency in 2022 provides an opportunity for Indonesia to lead developed and developing countries in discussing various issues and the process of global economic recovery.Underscoring Indonesia's important role as president of this year's G20, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said that the world was pinning hopes on G20 being a catalyst of global economic recovery, especially for developing countries."The G20 must not fail to be a catalyst for world recovery. We cannot let global recovery fall at the mercy of geopolitics," she stated, while delivering a speech at the general debate of the 77th United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday (Sept 27).She proposed the paradigm of collaboration to surmount numerous global challenges."A paradigm of win-win, not of zero-sum. A paradigm of engagement, not of containment. A paradigm of collaboration, not of competition. This is the transformative solution that we need," Marsudi noted.According to Marsudi, such a collaboration paradigm is deemed necessary to facing the current concerning world conditions wherein the pandemic persists and the global economy remains sluggish, war among nations, and violation of international law that has become a norm in pursuit of narrow self-interests.Written by: Sanya Dinda S, Fadhli Ruhman, Editor: Fardah Assegaf (c) ANTARA 2022 Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

Read More
Posted on

Enhancing data governance through the 3rd DEWG meeting

JAKARTA, Aug 9, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - The implementation of equitable and inclusive Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) and Cross-Border Data Flow (CBDF) had become crucial issues nowadays as data traffic between countries kept increasing.Hence, as chairman of the 2022 G20 presidency, Indonesia proposed four principles of fairness, lawfulness, transparency, and reciprocity for the implementation of cross-border data governance.Through the 3rd Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) Meeting, held in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province, on July 20-22, 2022, Indonesia highlighted digital skills and literacy as the second priority issues of the DEWG, as well as the DFFT and CBDF as its third priority issue that will enhance the Bali Package document.The Ministry of Communication and Informatics has consulted with G20 members and partners to follow up on the results of previous meetings to be accommodated into a declaration draft, known as the Bali Package.The Bali Package will reflect the commitment of G20 members to achieve recovery through inclusive, empowering, and sustainable cooperation.Additionally, Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate expected that the 3rd DEWG meeting could establish three deliverables.The deliverables include the recommendations and policies to increase the vulnerable groups' involvement in the digital economy sector; a G20 Toolkit on digital skills, literacy, and workshop; as well as a summary of practices and policies to develop advanced digital skills and literacy.The G20 members also sought a common understanding on a clear definition of trust and general principles in implementing the cross-border data flow.Spokesperson for the Communication and Informatics Ministry Dedy Permadi said all parties involved in the 3rd DEWG Meeting agreed to strengthen the cross-border data governance."The Digital Economy Working Group or DEWG had completed discussions regarding the CBDF," he stated.The results of the working group's discussions will be presented at the G20 Digital Economy Ministers' Meeting, which is scheduled to take place in Bali, in early September 2022.A workshop had been implemented on the last day of the 3rd DEWG Meeting to enhance the discussion on the CBDF and establish a common agreement on the agenda.In addition to the G20 members, a number of private actors, international organizations, academics, and non-governmental organizations were also invited, since the workshop served as a multi-stakeholder dialogue forum."Thus, the agenda does not only contain the government's interest, hence, the cross-border data flow agenda will be able to provide comprehensive recommendations," Permadi, who was also the Alternate Chair of 2022 G20 DEWG, remarked.The effort showed Indonesia's commitment in pursuing concrete deliverables to realize beneficial data utilization for all to encourage the recovery of the global digital economy.Additionally, the Director General of Informatics Application at the ministry, Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, stated the value of Indonesia's digital economy was projected to reach US$124 billion (Rp1,855 trillion) in 2025.To optimize the potentials, Indonesia will hold a 2022 G20 DEWG side event entitled G20 Digital Innovative Network, themed 'The Rise of Digital Economy: Post-pandemic Recovery and Beyond'.The forum aims to facilitate knowledge-sharing as well as international partnerships among start-ups, venture capitalists, policy makers, and corporations to solve various global challenges.It was initiated by Italy's 2021 G20 Presidency under the name of G20 Digital Innovation League.The G20 Digital Innovative Network aims to find the 100 most promising start-ups in five priority sectors of healthcare, renewable energy, smart society, financial inclusivity, and supply chain.Start-up pitching, discussion panels, 1-on-1 business meetings, networking sessions, as well as cultural events will be held in a hybrid way during the implementation of the forum in Bali on September 2-4, 2022.The registration for the forum has been opened to the public at g20innovationnetwork.org.(c) ANTARA 2022 Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

Read More
Posted on

RI strives to bridge differences in G20 to overcome economic challenges

JAKARTA, Jul 18, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - The third Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting within the framework of Indonesia's G20 Presidency kicked off in Nusa Dua, Badung, Bali, on Friday (July 15).The 3rd Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) Meeting of G20 in Nusa Dua, Badung, Bali, on 16 July. (ANTARA FOTO/Fikri Yusuf/Pool/wsj)The meeting aims to seek ways to promote better global economic recovery amid the issues or challenges that had become more apparent nowadays."G20 needs to (apply more measures) by taking real actions based on the spirit of coordination, collaboration, and consensus in order to solve global issues," Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati delivered the statement during the opening of the meeting.In total, 407 delegations were physically present in Bali, and 120 attended the event through virtual means. Some 19 finance ministers and 11 governors of Central Banks were also physically present. Thereby making it the one with the most number of physical attendees during the course of Indonesia's G20 presidency.Minister Indrawati stated that the presence of majority of the delegations of member countries, guest nations, and international organizations demonstrated global commitment and willingness to support the Indonesian G20 Presidency, as well as promote a sustainable economy, especially in the midst of global challenges.Bridging DifferencesIndonesia is committed to bridging various differences and becoming the main supporter of multilateralism in the G20 forum to overcome various current global economic challenges."We want to be an honest liaison. Indonesia will tirelessly seek communications and consultations, so we can continue to build bridges to accommodate the differences," the minister noted while opening the 3rd G20 FMCBG meeting.The 3rd FMCBG meeting discussed seven priority agendas, comprising the current situation and risks of the global economy, health issues, international financial architecture, financial issues, sustainable finance, infrastructure development, and international taxation.Meanwhile, several issues that became part of the priority agenda are the impacts of the Russian-Ukraine conflict on global food, energy, and financial security.On the second day of the meeting on Saturday, Indrawati announced that all G20 members has agreed on the majority of the meeting results despite tensions over Russia-Ukraine conflict.Indrawati conveyed that the meeting succeeded in agreeing on a number of initiatives, and successfully garnering support to overcome various global economic and financial problems."There are 14 paragraphs of the draft on the result of this two-days meeting," Indrawati stated on her speech delivering the results of the meeting.She mentioned that two paragraphs of the result draft containing different views of several G20 members, one of which was regarding the use of the word "war" on several issues.Indonesia and other G20 members, however, should still place the G20 as the world's largest economic cooperation forum that has a long history of solving various global problems.Additionally, Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Perry Warjiyo has called upon all G20 members to commit to working together to support global economic recovery in order to realize a sustainable, balanced, and inclusive world economy."It is important for us to stay focused on what we have planned to achieve this year," Warjiyo said at the opening of the second day of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (3rd FMCBG) meeting.Such a focus, according to Warjiyo, will send a positive message to the global community about the role and efforts of the G20 toward supporting recovery.During Saturday's meeting, the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors discussed five topics including COVID-19 exit strategies for ensuring financial stability, climate-related financial risks, crypto assets, financial inclusion and digitization, and initiatives to address new data gaps.Written by: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga, Editor: Fardah Assegaf (c) ANTARA 2022 Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

Read More
Posted on

Showa Denko Announces Record Date for Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting

TOKYO, May 26, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Showa Denko (SDK) (Tokyo: 4004) decided at its Board of Directors' meeting today to prescribe a record date for an extraordinary general shareholders' meeting scheduled for September 29, 2022 in accordance with Article 124 of the Companies Act (hereinafter "Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting"), as follows:1. Record Date to be prescribed for convocation of Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting 1) Record Date: June 30, 2022 (Thursday)2) Date of public notice concerning prescription of Record Date: June 15, 2022 (Wednesday)3) Method of public notice: An electronic public notice will be given on SDK's website at: https://www.sdk.co.jp/4) Persons entitled to exercise rights as of Record Date and content of the rights:The shareholders that have been entered or recorded in the final shareholder register as of the Record Date will be entitled to exercise their voting rights at Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting to be held in September 2022.2. Convocation of Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting and matters to be referredDate and hour of Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting, matters to be referred, etc. will be decided at a Board of Directors' meeting in August 2022. Announcement will be made as soon as the decisions are made.3. Background of Extraordinary Shareholders' MeetingAs announced in our news release of March 9, 2022 entitled "Showa Denko Group Starts to Consider Transformation into Holding Company Structure," SDK is considering ways to transform itself into a holding company structure. Specifically, we are considering a company split in which Showa Denko Materials Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "SDMC") will succeed to entire businesses of SDK. SDMC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HC Holdings K.K. (hereinafter "HCHD"), in which SDK holds 100% of voting rights.Furthermore, we are considering a merger between HCHD and SDMC, as well as a company split in which SDK succeeds to part of SDMC's assets and liabilities. Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting will be convened to discuss relevant amendments to Articles of Incorporation. Details will be announced later as soon as they are finalized.4. Schedules- June 30 2022 - Record Date for Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting concerning transformation into a holding company structure - August 2022 (planned) - Board of Directors' meeting concerning the transformation - September 2022 (planned) - Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting concerning the transformation - January 2023 (planned) - Implementation of the transformation About Showa Denko K.K.Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; TSE:4004, ADR:SHWDY) is a major manufacturer of chemical products serving from heavy industry to computers and electronics. The Petrochemicals Sector provides cracker products such as ethylene and propylene, the Chemicals Sector provides industrial, high-performance and high-purity gases and chemicals for semicon and other industries, the Inorganics Sector provides ceramic products, such as alumina, abrasives, refractory/graphite electrodes and fine carbon products. The Aluminum Sector provides aluminum materials and high-value-added fabricated aluminum, the Electronics Sector provides HD media, compound semiconductors such as ultra high bright LEDs, and rare earth magnetic alloys, and the Advanced Battery Materials Department (ABM) provides lithium-ion battery components. For more information, please visit www.sdk.co.jp/english/.Media contact:Showa Denko K.K., Public Relations Group, Brand Communication Department, Tel: 81-3-5470-3235 Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

Read More
Posted on

Second G20 DEWG focuses on digital connectivity for recovery

JAKARTA, May 19, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – The Indonesian government has urged the G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) to continue the discussion on digital connectivity. Minister of Communication and Informatics Johnny G Plate, G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) Chair Mira Tayyiba (L), and G20 DEWG Alternate Chair Dedy Permadi (R), second DEWG meeting in Yogyakarta, 18 May. (ANTARA FOTO/MOHAMMAD AYUDHA) “I believe we have all witnessed the importance of information and communication technology in helping people cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Minister of Communication and Informatics, Johnny G. Plate, stated. The DEWG is part of the Indonesian G20 Sherpa Track. The working group originated with the formation of the G20 Digital Economy Task Force (DETF) in 2017 during the German G20 presidency. The working group was mandated to discuss the implementation of an interconnected, protected, and safe digital technology to develop an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable digital economy. The second DEWG meeting, under Indonesia’s G20 presidency, which is being held in Yogyakarta on May 17-19, 2022, discusses the issue of digital connectivity. As the chair of the 2022 G20 Presidency, Indonesia has encouraged the 2022 G20 DEWG participants to discuss three priority issues: digital connectivity and post-COVID-19 recovery; digital skills and digital literacy; as well as cross-border data flow and trusted free data flow. At the meeting, Minister Plate emphasized the importance of overcoming the digital divide by building digital connectivity or telecommunications infrastructure. During the second DEWG meeting, he urged that the discussion focus on inclusiveness, empowerment, and sustainability for strengthening the global position and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The digital divide has remained an issue until now. According to data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in 2021, a total of 2.9 billion people across the world had never used the Internet. Meanwhile, according to the World Bank data for Indonesia, 94 million adults could not access the Internet via mobile devices in 2019. “The digital divide remains a challenge. Those who have access to fixed broadband Internet are even fewer,” Plate pointed out. The digital divide has become one of the reasons for the G20 DEWG forum to discuss the issue of digital connectivity. The Ministry of Communication and Informatics, which is in charge of the DEWG, is seeking to address the digital divide by strengthening collaboration to drive massive construction of digital infrastructure between G20 member countries and the rest of the world. Digital Connectivity The discussion on connectivity has become more relevant in the wake of a global economic turmoil that has affected food, commodities, and energy availability as well as caused the inflation rate to soar. “The discussion on digital connectivity becomes important at the second DEWG meeting because after the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy is greatly supported through the use of digital connections in solving various community problems as well as empowering the community itself,” Minister Plate emphasized. Plate further accentuated that the pandemic had shown the extent to which people are dependent on digital ecosystems in various public sectors, such as education, health and, of course, economic development. Taking into account the importance of the digital connectivity issue, the priority issue of DEWG is discussed in five subtopics. First, Plate said, DEWG discusses a common understanding of digital connectivity by placing the community as the main focus of the digital connectivity development efforts. “This is what we mean by people-centric digital connectivity,” he remarked. The second subtopic of the digital connectivity discussion at the second DEWG meeting is digital security as a key enabler to support the business community. The intensification of digital communications indirectly also raises new challenges in the form of various digital security risks that threaten the online safety of internet users, especially the increasingly digital economic actors. Recognizing the importance of digital security in supporting the sustainability of digital businesses in the future, the DEWG decided to facilitate the collection of existing digital security and safety practices. On the third subtopic, the Working Group agreed to establish a G20 Digital Innovation Network as a continuation of the G20 Innovation League hosted by the G20 Italian presidency last year. Such a network aims to accommodate and support the collaboration of digital innovation actors around the world, such as start-ups, venture capitalists, corporations, and governments. On the fourth subtopic, the G20 DEWG welcomes the implementation of the digital transformation expo that will showcase the achievements of G20 members regarding strategic policies and information on digital transformation. “The Indonesian G20 presidency hopes that the concept of the event would be welcomed positively and enthusiastically by the holders of the next G20 presidency,” Minister Plate stated. On the fifth subtopic, the G20 DEWG supports the notion from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on the smart village and smart island initiative. “Support for this idea shows Indonesia’s commitment to taking advantage of the role of the G20 to solve various issues in the global community. DEWG encourages solidarity in the use of digital transformation, not only from G20 member countries but also non-member countries, especially small island developing states,” he stated. Minister Plate expressed gratitude for the smooth, proper, and focused implementation of the second DEWG meeting. Plate also reminded all delegates and knowledge partners to join the third DEWG meeting that will be held in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, on July 20-21, 2022. Written by: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga, Editor: Rahmad Nasution (c) ANTARA 2022

Read More
Posted on

Meeting other leaders face-to-face valuable, can’t be replicated by Zoom calls: PM Lee

ROME - Meeting the leaders of the Group of 20 (G-20) economies has been a valuable experience that Zoom calls cannot replicate, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday (Oct 31). "In a Zoom conference, you cannot interrupt one another, you cannot float an idea and then see what he thinks," Mr Lee said, speaking to Singapore reporters after this year's G-20 Leaders' Summit in Rome. "You can make a speech, I listen carefully, try and catch your facial features through the little Zoom picture, I make my speech and after we all finish speaking... well, that's a conference done." This format may be suitable for formal business, "but you do not get the same meeting of minds or at least mutual sounding out of one another", he added. "And I think that is very valuable; I hope we will be able to do more." Mr Lee met multiple world leaders on the sidelines of the two-day summit, including United States President Joe Biden. The hour-long session on Sunday was the first meeting between both leaders since Mr Biden became president in January. The White House said they reaffirmed the importance of the US-Singapore Strategic Partnership and reviewed opportunities to build on the momentum generated by Vice-President Kamala Harris' visit to Singapore in August. It added: "The President expressed his desire to deepen cooperation with Singapore in pursuit of our shared interests and a free and open Indo-Pacific, including in upholding freedom of the seas and advancing supply chain resiliency." Also at the meeting between PM Lee and President Biden were Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and his counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken. This year marks the first time that the G-20 meeting has been held in-person since the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Last year's edition, hosted by Saudi Arabia, was conducted entirely online. PM Lee with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the La Nuvola convention centre in Rome on Oct 31, 2021. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Sharing his takeaways from the conference, the Prime Minister said world leaders are interested in how Singapore sees the world from its vantage point in South-east Asia. They also want to know how the country is tackling the pandemic and how it sees the path ahead. On top of that, they are interested in working with Singapore on a variety of things - including digital economy cooperation, technology cooperation, research and development as well as security issues, he added. More on this topic   Related Story S'pore working towards opening up while keeping human cost of Covid-19 low: PM Lee   Related Story Minimum corporate tax rules mean Singapore is in for 'tougher competition': PM Lee

Read More
Posted on

3D panoramic VR video company Kandao Tech completes a new round of funding of tens of millions of RMB

New York, NY / TickerInsider / August 13, 2021 /  Recently, Kandao Tech has announced a new round of funding of tens of millions of RMB, with the investors in this round being Chuangdong and Shenzhen SME. Kandao Tech has launched professional-grade panoramic camera Obsidian series, 5G+8K VR live broadcast system, consumer-grade panoramic camera QooCam series and other products in the field of VR panoramic ultra-high definition video, and released a number of “world first” VR video products. The Kandao Obsidian Pro, a 12K 3D video camera released in April this year, supports 12K X 12K 3D panoramic video, which is the highest specification and most powerful VR camera in the industry. Kandao Tech has also launched two video conferencing products, Kandao Meeting and Kandao Meeting Pro, which combine 360° panoramic video, AI intelligent algorithm and video conferencing operating system to provide a more friendly, intelligent and efficient experience for various video conferencing scenarios. With global epidemic prevention and control becoming the norm, Kandao Tech has recently announced the launch of the “Kandao Tech Meeting Pro – One Million Reservation Experience” campaign, in which a million RMB worth of Kandao Tech Meeting Pro 360° intelligent video conferencing machine will be invested. The Kandao Tech Meeting Pro 360° intelligent video conferencing machine will help you communicate remotely in the event of an epidemic. Earlier, Kandao Tech also became a partner of Huawei Hongmeng and launched Kandao Meeting Pro Hongmeng Edition, which is equipped with the Hongmeng system and combines 360° camera, omni-directional microphone and high-fidelity speaker into one machine, which can start video conferencing. Dan Chen, CEO of Kandao Tech, said, “Kandao Tech firmly believes in the market space of video technology and products in VR/AR scenarios in the 5G era. The future will be the era of the real Internet, with further integration between online and offline, and closer integration between the virtual world and the real world, of which video must be one of the most important links. In the future, whether we are watching videos or holding teleconferences, the form of image presentation will definitely not be just the current flat images, and we hope to participate in and lead the new wave of image transformation through our focus and efforts in image acquisition and processing.” With the completion of this round of financing, Kandao Tech will further increase its investment in technology research and development to further strengthen its technological and product leadership, as well as strengthen its branding and marketing efforts to create a more complete VR ultra HD and video collaboration ecology, build a global brand and promote industrial development. VR/AR related company WiMi Hologram Cloud Inc.,(NASDAQ:WIMI )Trade Date: Aug 12, 2021Open: 4.04, Close: 4.02Low: 3.97, High: 4.09Change: -0.02Year High: 29.50, Year Low: 3.41Tages: WIMI, WiMi Hologram Cloud Inc., Advertising Agencies, Communication Services SOURCE: https://tickerinsider.com/technologies/3d-panoramic-vr-video-company-kandao-tech-completes-a-new-round-of-funding-of-tens-of-millions-of-rmb/ PRESS CONTACTDavid CHIndustry Insights DeptTickerInsider News NetworkEmail: industry.insights@tickerinsider.com

Read More
Posted on

Parliament: World Economic Forum participants to undergo rigorous Covid-19 testing

SINGAPORE - Participants attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Singapore this May will have to abide by strict public health requirements, said Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan on Tuesday (Jan 5). This includes undergoing a rigorous Covid-19 testing regimen involving pre-departure and on-arrival tests, as well as adhering to strict safe management measures. "To minimise the risk of seeding local transmissions, we will also put in place measures to manage the interactions between the local community and the event attendees," Mr Tan said. He was responding to Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang), who had asked about health requirements for WEF meeting participants and contingency plans should the situation worsen to the extent of border closures. Mr Tan said specific public health requirements and contingency plans are currently being worked out, and will take into consideration the latest coronavirus situation in Singapore and around the world. "The health requirements developed for this event could also serve as an important reference for subsequent events that are going to be held in Singapore," he added. In December, the WEF announced its decision to shift the annual forum from Switzerland to Singapore this May, in the light of the Covid-19 situation in Europe. The annual meeting, which gathers top political, business and academic leaders to discuss pressing global issues, saw about 3,000 participants meet in Davos, Switzerland last January. It will be held in Singapore from May 13 to 16 this year, before returning to Switzerland, in 2022. The annual forum will, in a first, include a virtual component to allow greater participation in the pandemic. Mr Yip had also asked about the extent to which Singaporean talent would be involved in organising the event. In response, Mr Tan said the Government has been introducing interested local firms and service providers to the WEF and its event organiser, PublicisLive, for potential partnerships. "It will also be a good chance for us to showcase how Singapore has made it possible through our effort to maintain robust health protocols while sustaining important economic and business activity amidst the Covid-19 pandemic." More on this topic   Related Story Why Singapore was picked to host WEF: Covid-19 response, events infrastructure key factors   Related Story 3 levels of assurance needed before World Economic Forum meeting can be held in Singapore: Chan Chun Sing He added that the WEF's intent is also for the meeting to have a greater focus on Asia, given the region's growing economic weight and importance in the global economy. "We are looking forward to the opportunity for Singapore to contribute to the programme and the discussions at the meeting," Mr Tan said, stressing that the country will not let its guard down and continue working to minimise the number of Covid-19 infections here. Mr Yip then asked if there are plans for the majority of people in Singapore to be vaccinated before the event. Mr Tan replied that the availability and rollout of vaccines here and elsewhere are still being worked out. "We will continue to evaluate the situation with these rollout programmes locally as well as globally, and apply the prevailing conditions to all incoming travellers to Singapore," he said. More on this topic   Related Story MBS, Sentosa viewed as potential venues for WEF 2021 in Singapore   Related Story Hosting WEF 'a feather in the cap' for Singapore: Experts

Read More