The magazine African Business dated June 2013 profiles 250 of Africa’s top companies. This should make interesting reading. Even more interesting if not compelling, is the supplement on Singapore written by Anver Versi, the editor.
Singapore is a tiny island in the Far East or East Asia. Can such a dot on the global map have enough people to teach Africa, the earth’s second largest continent? Are science and wisdom not the monopoly of the mega-States?
History teaches us that great civilisation and religions started in what are now considered very small countries. Take for example, Greece the matrix of European science, philosophy and literature, and Israel whose prophets led foundations for world-wide religions. Yes, small countries have some knowledge to contribute; yes, Singapore has something to teach Africa.
Singapore was a British colony. It gained independence in 1965, eight years after Ghana the first colony south of the Sahara to gain independence and one year after Malawi and Zambia.
When it started its independence, Singapore had fewer resources than Malawi not to speak of Ghana and Zambia and most African countries. In the period of nearly 50 years, most African countries have metamorphosed very little, whereas Singapore has marched from Third World to First. It has become a member of the developed group of countries and one of the richest.
In a nutshell, what has been Singapore’s secret? Anver Versi quotes Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew as saying Singapore’s only resource has been the will and determination of its people to lift themselves up from dire poverty to abounding prosperity.
Anver Versi says: “But all people need leadership and this is where the country has excelled. It has been blessed with great leaders—people of outstanding intelligence, imagination and energy. Singapore is testimony that honest and dedicated leaders produce honest and dedicated citizens and that for such, nothing is impossible, no matter what the odds.”
At the beginning of their independence, Lee Kuan Yew reminded the Singaporeans that the world did not owe them a living, and that they could not survive on a begging bowl.
He saw industrialisation as Singapore’s hope for survival. The problem was how to entice the world’s multi-national companies to go to Singapore. It was no easy task since Singapore had fewer investment attractions, than its neighbours.
In 1901, Lee formed the Economic Development Board as one-stop agency for investors. Teams of the best and brightest persons were sent all over the world to try and entice investors to the island. It took visits of 40 up to 50 before one of the companies responded favourably.
He saw the desirability of creating a First World Oasis in a Third World region. This meant he had to train his people and equip them with First World standards.
The government built the infrastructure and provided well planned industrial sites, equity participation in industries fiscal (tax) incentives and export promotion.
One of the things Africans can learn not only from Singapore but other East Asia countries as well, is their love for learning at all social stages.
Singapore has achieved a 97 percent literarcy percentage. But that is not all, leaders there insist on their ministers and technocrats to delve in books and magazines concerned with industrial achievements of other countries. Lee Kuan Yew used to fly to Harvard University in the United States to attend seminars on industrialisation. The Prime Minister of Malaysia once travelled through Japan incognito to learn how the Japanese organised their industries.
Industrialising a country cannot be achieved by people who stop reading once they have obtained their diplomas or degrees. While a second or third degree is not absolutely necessary for managing an industry, without advanced knowledge and skills no one can make products that can compete on world markets.
In Malawi and perhaps in other African countries as well, we need institutions like Singapore’s Economic Development Board which are equipped with the best brains. These people should have attractive salaries, long-term contracts secure from political machination. They should not, for example, be subject to automatic removal when the regime which hired them has been displaced. No one will waste their time and money acquiring skills and knowledge if they know any time they may be fired.
Malawi should study the institution of countries like Japan, Singapore and Taiwan which piloted the industrialisation of those countries.
Lastly, but not least, the Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama) should be accorded guano status be subsidised and mandated to conduct research surveys.
