|
|
 |
| Good
news for entrepreneurs! |
| |
|
|
| |
| OASIS (Online Application
System for Integrated Services) aims to foster
a pro-enterprise environment in Singapore by making
it easier and more convenient for business owners
to obtain licences. The pilot phase of the project
was launched in April 2003.
Starting
a business in Singapore can be a complicated and
tedious process. This is especially so for inexperienced
entrepreneurs who may have limited knowledge on
the licences needed to start a business, not to
mention the requirements
for obtaining a licence.
Moreover, as there is a limited number of licences allocated for a particular
business activity, and the approval of one licence sometimes depends on that
of another, the whole process is time-consuming and cumbersome. An entrepreneur
has to go from one agency to another, repeatedly filling forms that ask for
similar information.
In some cases, the entire process can take months. Worse still, after spending
much time and money, an applicant may not be able to start his business if
he is denied of a critical licence.
This is where OASIS comes in.
Help for new business owners
OASIS aims to make it easy and convenient to start a new business by: |
| |
|
•
|
reviewing
licensing policies to minimise the number of
licences needed and removing unnecessary rules
and regulations, |
|
•
|
conducting
process re-engineering to simplify procedures
and shorten
processing time, and |
| • |
integrating services and
providing a single place for online licence
application. |
|
| |
The
project, which was conceived in August 2001,
involves over 30
public agencies. The steering committee, led by
the Ministry of Trade & Industry and the Ministry
of Finance, has already seen encouraging results
after a year’s efforts.
The relevant agencies have committed to removing 10% of the licences needed by
start-up firms. The average processing time for licence applications has also
been reduced from 21 to around 14 days.
Visit www.business.gov.sg/startupeadvisor
The launch of the Startup eAdvisor portal in June 2002 marked an critical milestone
for the OASIS project. The portal provides online advice on the licences and
registrations required for starting a business. Licence application forms are
also readily available in downloadable format.
In addition, the portal contains useful resources such as information on government
assistance programmes to help entrepreneurs grow their business, manage their
human resources, and embrace IT and innovation.
Users can also obtain information that will assist them in other business aspects.
For example, there is a checklist for finding a suitable business property. Users
can also read about how to protect their business ideas, conduct market research
and find networking opportunities.
In the near future, the Startup eAdvisor will be upgraded to allow users to register
a business in Singapore and apply for the licences needed for their business
through a single portal.
The system is user-friendly. Users only need to fill in one form to apply for
multiple licences. They can check the status of their application at a single
checkpoint. Payment is also consolidated.
By making it possible for applications to be processed concurrently by the relevant
agencies, Startup eAdvisor ensures that entrepreneurs will no longer be held
back from having to wait for one licence approval after another.
Apply for more licences online
Since the OASIS pilot phase was launched, users can apply for the telecommunication
equipment dealer and individual licences (from Infocomm Development Authority),
the travel agent licence (from Singapore Tourism Board), as well as the employer
registration service (from Central Provident Fund Board).
Over the next two years, more licences will be added to the Startup eAdvisor
portal. |
|
| |
| |
|
Next: Smart
solution for sharing knowledge
|
|
|
