Written reply by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen to Parliamentary Question on SMEs Contributing to the Defence Sector

Mr Mark Chay: To ask the Minister for Defence (a) how many local SMEs currently contribute to the defence sector; (b) how many people do they employ; and (c) how much of this year's defence budget will benefit such local companies during the economic slowdown facing Singapore and the world as a whole.

Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen:

MINDEF and the SAF works with a wide range of local companies, including SMEs, to support our requirements. Each year, an average of about $6B of our expenditure is paid out to local companies that provide us a variety of products and services. These include about 2,000 local SMEs, each with up to 200 employees, directly contracted by us. If we include local SME sub-contractors, for which we do not have detailed figures, the total number would be higher.