Grant for Taylor Swift more like a 'thank you' for coming here and not deal breaker: Ho Ching

The reported millions of dollars in government grants is not to ensure that Singapore is the only stop in Southeast Asia for Taylor Swift's tour, Ho Ching said on Tuesday (March 12).

But rather, it is "more like a thank you honorarium" to "celebrate" her decision to come here, she added.

In a Facebook post yesterday, the wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the grant - reportedly to be between $2 and $4 million for all six shows - would not have been enough to impose such "impose onerous conditions" such as an exclusivity clause.

The amount, Ho said, would not have been enough to swing the deal one way or other.

"Being good civil servants, the Singapore Tourism Board must have cracked their heads to find an internal rationale for giving her the grant," Ho said.

"They can't call it a welcome gift for a daughter or granddaughter of two well-established Singapore residents from early years."

Ho said that the government could not call the millions of dollars a "thank you gift" or "donation in exchange for providing lowest price tickets at $88 each".

"And so in the typical civil service speak, it can only be a grant. That is also done during budget time too," she said.

Ho shared that as Asean economies grow, there will be much more purchasing power in and outside of Singapore to persuade more top end artists to make a stop somewhere in Southeast Asia.

"So it is not a given Singapore will be a preferred choice, or anywhere else in Southeast Asia for that matter," she said.

"Let Taylor Swift and the various artists decide for themselves where they think it makes sense for them. So chill, man, chill!"

Grants alone will not decide where a performer goes: Edwin Tong

In his speech during the Parliament on March 4, Minister for Community, Culture and Youth Edwin Tong quelled speculations that the grant was what sealed the deal for Swift's highly coveted concert tour.

"Grants alone will not decide where a performer goes," he said. "Promoters of top artists will do their own calculations and assess where they want to perform and for how long."

Tong added that Singapore's strategic location, quality infrastructure, good amenities, safety, efficiency and diverse cultural offerings also play a part in attracting top class events into Singapore.

The minister also responded to Workers' Party MP Gerald Giam on the need to give taxpayer-funded grants to attract world-class international acts if Singapore is such an "attractive destination".

"You have to make your calculations and work out what's in Singapore's and Singaporeans' best interests," he said.

"If you don't have a certain economy of scale, to play in Singapore over X number of nights for a period of time, you wouldn't be able to reap the economy of scale."

In the case of recent Taylor Swift concerts, Tong said the ministry had to consider local demand.

More than 300,000 tickets were sold for her six shows at the National Stadium through Mar 9, with many fans travelling from other countries and cities.

This has prompted economists to upgrade their first-quarter growth forecasts for Singapore, Bloomberg reported

Economists cited in the report noted the large influx of foreign tourists attending the concerts will add between $300 to 400 million to Singapore's economy in Q1.

READ ALSO: Government's grant for Taylor Swift's deal 'nowhere as high' as speculated, says Edwin Tong

chingshijie@asiaone.com