\n<\/p>\n
Mr Chee, who is also National Development Minister, said he agreed that building liquidity and deepening investor participation are important.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGrowing the equities market cannot \u2026 rely only on one silver bullet. It requires a suite of measures that can help to build up the ecosystem steadily and sustainably,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n He said the GLB increases the opportunities and dynamism in Singapore\u2019s equities markets, and if it succeeds, there will be more investor interest and liquidity. That can also spill over to business opportunities for lawyers, accountants and other financial intermediaries.<\/span><\/p>\n He acknowledged that success is not guaranteed, but said Singapore is prepared to take calculated risks.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf you don’t try, the probability of success is zero. If you try, it’s not 100 per cent, but at least we have a shot at it,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Several MPs also raised questions about the minimum market capitalisation of S$2 billion for the GLB.<\/span><\/p>\n Mr Saktiandi Supaat (PAP-Bishan-Toa Payoh) noted that the threshold can help Singapore capture smaller and mid-sized enterprises that are not well served by the US markets.<\/span><\/p>\n But he asked how many Asian companies had a market capitalisation of at least S$2 billion each year over the last decade, and if there are any examples of companies that Singapore is looking to attract.<\/span><\/p>\n He wanted to know if there have been engagements with specific companies about their interest in the GLB.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBeing a novel mechanism, attracting notable companies to list as poster child listings could have a significant effect in encouraging issuer and investor interest,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Mr Ng Shi Xuan (PAP-Sembawang) said the S$2 billion threshold means that the GLB is aimed at a narrow group of large, mature and credible companies.<\/span><\/p>\n The proposed focus on companies with an Asian or regional nexus further narrows the pool, he said, raising a question of how many companies would choose this listing pathway.<\/span><\/p>\nPIPELINE OF COMPANIES\u00a0<\/h2>\n