Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (abbrev: SCCCI; Chinese: 新加坡中华总商会) is a business chamber in Singapore.
History
Established in 1906 as the General Chinese Trade Affairs Association, the SCCCI's original purpose was to look after the interests of the Chinese business community, but it has expanded its scope over the years. It served as a guardian of Chinese customs and values, provided assistance in times of crisis and promoted business, educational, cultural and community activities, and continues to do so today.
Timeline[1]
- 1906: The SCCCI is established to champion the Chinese community and to resolve and mitigate differences among the different clans.
- 1951: The SCCCI lobbies the British colonial government to grant citizenship to Chinese immigrants who had stayed in Singapore for eight years, and finally succeeds in 1957.
- 1953: The SCCCI supports – and donates generously towards – the setting up of the Nanyang University.
- 1962: The SCCCI spearheads the task of collecting the remains of victims of the Japanese Occupation and the eventual building of the Beach Road Civilian War Memorial in 1967.
- 1964: The SCCCI building opens.
- 1966: The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce Foundation is set up to provide financial assistance to the needy and scholarships to deserving students, and to support cultural activities and public educational campaigns.
- 1991: The SCCCI hosts the inaugural World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention in Singapore which is attended by more than 800 delegates from 75 cities and states in 30 countries and regions.
- 1993: The chamber's clan-based election system of self-imposed divisions among clan lines is abolished, hence working together as a more united community.
- 1995: The SCCCI becomes the first chamber of commerce in the region to obtain the ISO9002 certification.
- 1995: The World Chinese Business Network, an online networking website, is set up to facilitate business information exchange and networking among Chinese businessmen and entrepreneurs worldwide.
- 1997: The SCCCI's first Annual Internet Commerce Conference is organised. The event is now known as the Infocomm Commerce Conference.
- 2001: The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall is reopened to members of the public and foreign visitors as a new tourist attraction and national education centre after four years of renovation and restoration work.
- 2006: The SCCCI officially launches the Enterprise Development Centre@SCCCI (EDC@SCCCI) and Qiye Tong, the Chinese version of the EnterpriseOne portal, a one-stop online information service for small- and medium-sized enterprises.
- 2006: The SCCCI unveiled the Dendrobium Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry as its floral symbol.
- 2006: The SCCCI 100th Anniversary Commemorative Stamp Issue is launched. It is the first ever set of stamps issued by Singapore Post on behalf of a local business organisation.
- 2006: The Chamber's centennial celebrations take place, with the Asian Chinese Entrepreneurs Summit and a gala dinner as highlights.
SCCCI Building
The SCCCI Building is located on Hill Street, facing the Armenian Church. The building has a blend of Chinese and Western architectural styles. Although this site has housed the SCCCI's headquarters since the early twentieth century, the current building was built only in 1963 to replace an old two-storey structure.
Notes
- ↑ Lynn Seah, "SCCCI's Centennial Celebrations", The Sunday Times, 22 October 2006
References
- National Heritage Board (2002), Singapore's 100 Historic Places, Archipelago Press, ISBN 981-4068-23-3