Date: For Parliament Sitting on 8 September 2026

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis, Sengkang GRC

Question

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what (i) are the gaps in the local investment ecosystem the new Hedge Fund Investment Programme is designed to fill and (ii) is the proposed eligibility criteria, including whether participating firms must hire a minimum number of local investment professionals; (b) how eligibility criteria for the Programme and the new tax-exemption interact; and (c) what safeguards will govern MAS’ selection criteria.

Answer by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade), and Chairman of MAS:

1. The Hedge Fund Investment Programme (HFIP) aims to attract hedge fund managers to establish or deepen their presence in Singapore. The hedge fund sector is a growing segment of Singapore’s asset management industry, which has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 7.5% over the past 5 years to almost S$7 trillion in assets under management.

2. Hedge funds add to the depth and diversity of our financial sector, and contribute to investment and trading activities through their transactions with other financial intermediaries. Hedge funds create demand for a range of ancillary services such as prime brokerage, risk management, legal, compliance, technology, and operations, and along with that, good jobs in these areas.

3. In selecting managers under the HFIP, MAS will consider developmental commitment factors such as the nature and scale of their activities to be conducted from Singapore, and their plans to build future investment capabilities in Singapore, including their talent development efforts. MAS will also assess their investment strategies and performance track record. MAS will monitor the progress of appointed managers in fulfilling their developmental commitments and review the investment performance of their funds, to ensure that the programme continues to meet both its developmental and investment objectives.

4. MAS is currently engaging industry stakeholders on the HFIP, and will announce further details when ready.

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