To create a pro-consumer and pro-business infocomm environment, IDA formulates infocomm-related policies, standards, codes of practice and advisory guidelines aimed at leveling the playing field for infocomm service providers and empowering consumers and businesses with more choices.

IDA plays an active role in developing Singapore’s pool of globally-competitive infocomm talent and an infocomm-savvy workforce. We are also focused on driving consumer education initiatives, ensuring digital inclusion and supporting the effective use of infocomm in community outreach efforts.

Overview

IDA drives the growth, competitiveness and innovation of Singapore’s infocomm industry by nurturing local infocomm enterprises and supporting them in their internationalisation efforts. We also seek to inject greater vibrancy into the infocomm ecosystem by attracting world-class global infocomm MNCs and startups to hub in Singapore.

Free Trade Agreement

IDA is actively involved in negotiations on Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Singapore's leading trade partners in the infocomm sector. Trade Agreements that Singapore has completed negotiations on so far are with:

ASEAN Free Trade Area
ASEAN-Australia and New Zealand
ASEAN & the People's Republic of China
ASEAN-India
ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership
ASEAN-Korea
Australia
China
ESFTA (European Free Trade Association comprising Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein & Switzerland)
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
India
Japan
Korea
New Zealand
Panama
Peru
Trans-Pacific SEP (Brunei, New Zealand, Chile and Singapore)
United States of America
Gulf-Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates) - in process of ratification.
Costa Rica - conclude, but not in force.

FTAs in progress are those with:

Canada
Egypt
EU
Mexico
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States of America, Vietnam)

For latest updates, visit MTI's website .

FTAs create a zone of preference for the free flow of goods, services, investment, innovation and people. They open the door for Singaporean ICT goods, services, talent and investments to enter overseas infocomm markets. These are effected through:

Lowering or removal of foreign equity restrictions for infocomm companies
Higher levels of investor protection
Mutual recognition of professional qualifications and technical standards
Minimising and ensuring transparency of domestic regulations
Streamlining government approval processes
Setting rules on fair competition
Providing a legally binding dispute settlement process

Overall, these free trade initiatives give local companies added safeguards and incentives to regionalise and globalise. Singapore-based infocomm companies interested in making inroads into foreign markets or which have faced significant trade barriers in the conduct of their overseas business are welcome to provide information and feedback to IDA at [email protected] .