Singapore Raises The Cleanliness Game

In light of the on-going Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have rolled out the SG Clean quality mark to the tourism and lifestyle sectors.

Among the first to be certified are those along the popular Orchard Road shopping belt, which include food and retail businesses in malls such as Plaza Singapura and ION Orchard; Grand Hyatt Singapore and the Singapore Visitor Centre @orchardgateway.

However, over the next few months, ESG and STB will encourage more than 37,000 businesses within the tourism and lifestyle sectors to sign up for the SG Clean certification programme.

Currently establishments like Charles & Keith, Golden Village, Jean Yip Hub, Jumbo Seafood, McDonald’s and TungLok are supporting the initiative. Two other hotels outside of Orchard Road have also been certified – Village Hotel Sentosa and Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa.

The SG Clean campaign is a government effort to rally businesses and the public to uphold good sanitation standards and hygiene practices.

Mr Keith Tan, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board, said, “Over the next two months, STB aims to audit and certify 570 hotels, attractions, and other tourism establishments. The SG Clean quality mark sends a strong signal to both locals and visitors that our tourism businesses take their cleanliness and hygiene very seriously and are committed to maintaining these high standards as a ‘new normal’ for the future.

"We hope that this gives locals and visitors peace of mind to go out and enjoy all that Singapore has to offer, and to show support to our tourism businesses and workers during this challenging time.”

To be certified, businesses have to go through a seven-point checklist tailored to the requirements and operations in the various sectors.

These cover the appointment of an SG Clean manager to oversee the establishment’s practices, temperature and health screening of employees, arrangements for engagement of external personnel such as suppliers and contractors, implementation of cleanliness and hygiene practices, as well as complying with health and travel advisories, guidelines and government orders on COVID-19.