Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has justified the bonus his government offered to Taylor Swift, in order to have the country as the sole tour destination in Southeast Asia. He stated that it was not intended as an aggressive move towards neighboring countries.
Lee announced at a press conference in Melbourne, where he is currently attending a regional summit, that our agencies have reached a deal with her for her to visit Singapore and put on a performance, making it her sole destination in South-East Asia.
The arrangement has proven to be highly successful. I do not perceive it as unfriendly.
Swift is in the middle of her six sold-out concerts in Singapore.
The prime minister of Thailand stated that AEG, the concert organizer, told him that the Singaporean government was providing subsidies ranging from US$2 million to US$3 million (equivalent to £1.6 million to £2.4 million) per show as part of an exclusive agreement.
Earlier, the Singaporean government stated that it had offered a grant to Swift for a performance in the country, but did not disclose the specifics of the agreement. However, on Tuesday, Lee confirmed that Swift received “specific incentives” from a government fund aimed at revitalizing tourism post-pandemic, but did not specify the monetary value of the deal.
Several countries in Southeast Asia have expressed frustration over not benefiting from the surge in tourism that occurs during her concerts.
In the previous month, a politician from the Philippines stated that it goes against the nature of good neighbors.
When questioned about whether he has faced conflict with other leaders over the arrangement, Lee did not give a direct response. Instead, he implied that if Singapore had not made an exclusive agreement, another nearby country might have done so.
“Occasionally, a country may make a deal while other times it may be a different country. I do not explicitly state that coming here means you cannot go to other locations,” explained Lee.
The Associated Press news agency did not receive an immediate response from Swift’s representative for comment.
Lee stated that he predicted Australia to also come to a “mutually acceptable, sensible” agreement with Swift for her shows in Sydney and Melbourne before her departure to Singapore. However, he admitted to being unaware of the details of the arrangements.
“If that is the necessary course of action to achieve a positive result that benefits both parties and, from the perspective of Singapore, helps to not only strengthen the economy but also attract visitors and foster goodwill throughout the region, I do not see any reason to object,” commented Lee.
Last year, numerous supporters of Swift in south-east Asia expressed their disappointment upon learning that she would only have a stop in Singapore during her Eras tour, skipping most of the region. For those who were able to afford the trip, getting tickets proved to be a challenging task.
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Source: theguardian.com
