Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning,

Introduction

1.       I am delighted to be with you at this launch of the new collection of Singapore Premium Food Gifts, or SPFG for short, and the opening of the S.P.F.G Boutique Caf� at the Singapore Changi Airport.  The latest SPFG collection is a result of joint efforts by local food manufacturers, the Singapore Food Manufacturers� Association (SFMA), SPRING Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Health Promotion Board (HPB).  An impressive spread of more than 50 SPFG will be sold here at the S.P.F.G Boutique Caf�.

The Singapore Premium Food Gifts (SPFG) Programme

2.           Singapore is well known for our wide selection of delectable foods that reflects our cultural richness and diversity.  Visitors to Singapore enjoy our local delights and happily bring home these foods as gifts for family and friends. According to a 2003 STB survey, food gifts were bought by more than 1.2 million visitors to Singapore.  That amounted to $137 million or 6% of total shopping expenditure in 2003.

3.           With this sizeable market in mind, the SPFG partners initiated the programme in 2002 to create, design and manufacture quality food gifts in Singapore.  They aimed firstly to upgrade the capabilities of local food manufacturers to meet export quality standards, and secondly, to increase the export of higher value food gifts. 

4.               Under the SPFG programme, industry experts help local manufacturers of popular Singapore foods make them into shelf-stable quality products and package them as gifts for sale.  The programme brought out 7 food gifts in 2002, 30 more in 2003.

Latest Collection of Food Gifts

5.       Today, we mark phase 3 of the programme with the launch of a whopping 24 additional food gifts.  This time round, the special feature of the gifts is their healthy nature.  The Health Promotion Board played a key role in this by helping the manufacturers modify their products to meet its �Healthier Choice Symbol� criteria while keeping their mouth-watering taste.  This means that we can indulge in our favourite char kway teow, satay, chicken rice and laksa without too much worry about high salt or fat content or lack of dietary fibre.  These products come in attractive packaging that explains the items� local origins.  This combination of form and substance make the gifts �Uniquely Singaporean�.

First Hybrid Caf�-Cum-Store

6        We also witness today the opening of the S.P.F.G. Boutique Caf� at Singapore Changi Airport.  I am told that this is the first hybrid retail-cum-caf� boutique in Singapore.  This innovative way of retailing the SPFG was first mooted by Vantage Gourmet Pte Ltd.  By combining a retail store with a caf�, patrons can see how the different foods are prepared, taste them, and then buy them.  Their feedback about the foods and the shopping experience will be used to improve the products and packaging of the gifts.  And what better place to locate this flagship caf� than at the Singapore Changi Airport, our window to the world.  I am sure the success of this first store will set the stage for many more in Singapore and around the globe.

Closing

7.       On this happy note, I am delighted to launch the latest SPFG collection and declare open the S.P.F.G Boutique Caf�.  My heartiest congratulations to all participating food manufacturers as well as Vantage Gourmet.  I wish you every success.

8.       Thank you.