This is my favourite section

I'm a civil service cynic, as all my friends know. This is just one more example!

Nov 21, 2006
Mobile food vendors: Five lessons to learn about entrepreneurship

I refer to the articles "Wanted in public service: Guts, gumption and risk-taking" (ST, Nov 17), "End of the road in sight for food vans" (ST, Nov 1), and Kelvin Hong Kian Boon's letter "How public service can further help businesses" (ST, Nov 17).
As food vans were one of the most highly profiled entrepreneurial ideas in the media, we need to analyse why they have failed so that we can learn from the experience in our drive to encourage Singaporeans to be entrepreneurs.
If I may be allowed to analyse from a layman's perspective:-
Lesson No.1: The key to entrepreneurial success, however brilliant the idea may be, is the freedom to operate with minimal intervention from the authorities. In this case, the Urban Renewal Authority decided where and when they could operate.
Lesson No.2:- Market forces are the best way for an enterprise to flourish. In this case, the URA said it would review the situation before the lease runs out, which means the total absence of market forces of demand and supply.
Lesson No.3: What works in other countries may not work in Singapore because of the unique factor in Singapore, that a government agency makes arbitrary decisions on geographical restrictions like "only at selected car parks in central Singapore", without saying why and how it arrived at this decision. Why only allow them to operate in central Singapore?
Lesson No.4: There must be someone continually driving, encouraging and helping the entrepreneurship initiative. Why is it that we no longer have a Minister for Entrepreneurship?
Lesson No.5: Entrepreneurship is about trying, failing, adapting, and keep trying, so that some will succeed, while some may fail. It should not be for the URA to decide that "there are no plans to open up more of its car parks to food vans".
Since the URA had not called for more entrepreneurial Singaporeans in the last three years, it seems the first 33 vendors were given one chance to succeed or fail. Without the entrance of new players, no entrepreneurial activity is likely to grow because there are no new ideas, talent, developments, etc.
With the lowering of the age limit to eighteen years to own a business and promote entrepreneurship, I suggest that the lessons learned be a guide to government agencies on what not to do when trying to foster entrepreneurship in Singapore.
Leong Sze Hian