Charities are at the forefront of our efforts to build a caring, gracious and inclusive society

1. A warm welcome and good morning. It is great to see everyone in person.

2. This is my third time joining you at the Charity Governance Conference, but the first time in person.

3. The Securities Investors Association (Singapore) has once again co-organised this year’s conference with the Charity Council.
   I would like to start by thanking David and your team for your continued support. It is an important effort, and there is a lot of synergy between the work and ethos of SIAS and the charities. Fundamentally, good governance, strong oversight, confidence of the public, are all common qualities that we share.

4. In addition, I would like to warmly welcome Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), who has come on-board this year as a knowledge partner. It is always encouraging to see new partners step forward, come onboard. 

5. I also want to take the opportunity to acknowledge the Charity Council. I was not able to meet you in person, but I am very glad to be able to chat with some of you this morning. You play a very important role. As we speak about governance, it is important that we portray a sense of strong oversight and leadership. Charities have become a big sector. Confidence in the system, governance, oversight, transparency and strong sense of accountability are all important qualities. On that score, I am very glad to see so many luminaries and thought leaders on our Charity Council. All of you lend those qualities to our Charity Sector. I thank you very much for that.
   

The charities have done much good work and we are committed to develop a well-governed and thriving charity sector with strong public support

6. SUSS’ involvement sends a signal that we are now looking at charities and societies to see how we can move the needle, when we say we want to build a society where everyone has a say, feels included and no one is left behind. Everyone can take part, flourish, and do so with dignity and respect. 

7. This has been a key focus of the Government. Over the last couple of years, we have been very focused on a number of issues.

   • a. Establishing a new school for children with multiple disabilities.

   • b. We also set up a new Para Sport Academy. I think sports has tremendous potential in making people feel included. You just have to listen to some of our para-athletes talk about how they feel when they are in pool, when they feel the same as everyone else. Or when they are riding a horse in equestrian, they feel no less inferior to the person next to them who is fully functional. These are stories which remind us that we all have a part to play as we level our society. The Para Sport Academy is designed precisely to do that, to use sports as a platform to level up.

   • c.We also have other initiatives to increase protections for vulnerable workers, our migrant workers in particular.

   • d. All of these are steps which we are taking as a government, working with everyone in the society to make sure that Singapore truly becomes a more inclusive society.

8. At the same time, charities are at the forefront of our efforts to build a caring, gracious and inclusive society.  All of you, in whichever charity sector you are in, provide services that benefit society, in one way or another, big or small, tangible or intangible.

   • a. Charities give rise to opportunities that would bring people together for good causes. 

9. The theme for this year’s conference is ‘Governance beyond Adversity’.  

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     a. The discussion topics that you will discuss today in person today and online tomorrow, will help us reflect on our achievements over the years. Not so much to crow about it, but rather to show that we have come some distance and it is important to look back at our achievements to decide how far the future cost as we move ahead.

   • b. We also want to explore the areas to work on moving forward,

   • c. And how we can shore up our capabilities and resilience to take on future adversity.

10. Governance plays a key part to all these plans,  

    • a. Because good governance in charities is fundamentally a critical enabler and catalyst for the success of charities.

11. When the public see that charities are well-governed, organised, transparent, accountable, there will be greater trust in each individual charity. Very often, all the good work of so many charities can be undone by one or two small occasions where there is a lack of transparency. As a sector, collectively, we all have the obligations to ensure that we move forward as a whole.

    • a. This means a greater willingness for individuals and corporates who are prepared to step forward to serve, 

    • b. Resulting in more resources for the communities we serve,

    • c. And in the long term, enabling the public to feel more confident and willing to engage, work with and help charities. 

12. Such an increased awareness and understanding of the different challenges and issues faced by our communities, can lead to more people with the heart to serve stepping forward for these causes. 

13. I know that our charities understand good governance is an important tangible step we can take to becoming a more caring society. 

    • a. They have been on this governance journey with us for 15 years,

    • b. Since the launch of the first Code of Governance.  

14. As our society evolves, we will need to consider how we can pivot, change, renew, refresh and be responsive. 

    • a. We need to review our policies to make us more resilient and future proof.

15. Today, I would like to share two steps that the COC’s Office will take to help us on the journey – 

    • a. The first to capitalise on opportunities,

    • b. And the second to address possible risks. 

16. First, we will make it easier for registered and exempt charities to raise funds through house-to-house and street campaigns, while making it safe for donors.

17. Our current framework is for qualifying entities such as registered charities to obtain permits before they can conduct such fund-raising campaigns,

    • a. But this imposes an administrative burden on registered charities.

18. We have consulted widely with stakeholders and the public on how to improve this situation to make it more efficient, less resource heavy when charities raise funds. 

    • a. Based on that feedback, we aim to roll out a revised regime next year.

19. Registered and exempt charities, and Fund-Raising for Foreign Charitable Purposes (FRFCP) permit holders only need to disclose these fund-raising campaigns on the Charity Portal, before they commence such public fund-raising activities. 

    • a. Donors can verify the legitimacy of these campaigns instantly by searching the Charity Portal, which is centrally controlled by COC’s Office. 

    • b. COC’s Office will provide the specific details when ready.

20. The second step we will take is to launch the Terrorist Financing Risk Mitigation Toolkit.

21. With greater cross-boundary flow of funds, a charity can be exposed to terrorist financing and money laundering risks.  

    • a. While there is currently no indication of funds flowing in via our charities to support domestic terrorism-related activities, 

    • b. And there are no funds raised by charities to fund terrorism-related activities aboard, at the moment we do not see these activities onshore or offshore,

    • c. Nonetheless, because of emerging trends and what we see around the world, we cannot be complacent.  

22. In the Singapore’s Terrorist Financing National Risk Assessment, which was published in December 2020, 

    • a. Non-profit organisations, including charities, have been identified to be at medium-low risk of abuse linked to terrorist financing.  It tells us that although nothing adverse has happened, we must watch out for what is ahead of us.

23. It is essential that we are aware of the risks of potential abuse, remain vigilant, forward looking and safeguard our charities against such abuse. 

24. The new Terrorist Financing Risk Mitigation Toolkit will raise awareness and enhance our knowledge on these issues. 

    • a. The toolkit will guide you to:

    • i. Identify terrorist financing risks;

    • ii. Assess the level of risks; and

    • iii. Prioritise and mitigate the identified risks in a systemic manner.

25. We developed this toolkit by working closely together with charities, looking at it from your perspectives.

    • a. They have participated in numerous focus group discussions and provided us with a lot of views, feedback and suggestions. 

    • b. All of these will come together to make this toolkit a useful and practical one. 

26. We aim to push out this toolkit by the end of this year.

Conclusion 

27. As I conclude, we know the past few years have not been easy. We are fortunate that we are back in person today, opening up confidently and safely.

    a. But we know that charities had to navigate the impact of COVID-19, 

    b. While you feel the crunch from donations, having to deal with more challenges working in a COVID-19 environment, you continue to serve the people who are reliant of the charities’ services.

28. To that extent, I tremendously appreciate and applaud your determination to see the mission through, despite the difficulties you have faced. Fundamentally, our charities have kept a very clear eye on who their beneficiaries are and how you could continue to serve them. 

29. I am sure that you will continue to build on your existing foundations. We talked about challenges and governance beyond adversity, but we also know that we are not doing this from a position of weakness. We are doing this from a position of strength, having come through the past two and the half years of adversity, having built up a strong reservoir of experiences and resources. We do this now with strength, to face future challenges with confidence.

30. I am sure you will continue to acquire new knowledge and capabilities, and bring your charities to higher governance standards, so that you can serve more.

31. On that note, there will be many issues that you will talk about and exchange knowledge on today. I hope you leave this conference with a lot more network and opportunities. Fundamentally, what drives this sector are the people-to-people relationships. I hope all of you remain strong and build strong camaraderie to foster a strong sense of governance in the charity sector. I wish all of you a good conference.

32. Thank you very much.