Tang I-Fang (, September 16, 1924 – September 26, 2013) was a China-born Singaporean veteran public servant, economic strategist for developing countries and businessman.
Education and career
Tang graduated from National Central University (Nanjing University), Chongqing, China and earned a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering in 1944. During the Second World War, Tang worked as a translator for the U.S. Army. Subsequently, the U.S. military sent him to the U.S. for officer's training and to work on translating training manuals. After the war, Tang attended Harvard Business School and he graduated in 1948 with an MBA. Following graduation, Tang joined the United Nations under the United Nations Industrial Study and Advisory Group for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE). He was assigned to various developing nations (Somalia, Thailand, Philippines and Myanmar) to give advice on their economic development.
Tang's involvement with Singapore began in 1959 when he arrived as deputy leader of a United Nations delegation led by Dr. Albert Winsemius, a renowned expert in development economics. At the invitation of the Singapore government, Tang became the Chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) which was instrumental in transforming Singapore into a key regional and global hub for companies to do business. Singapore's Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, described Tang as a “sharp, shrewd and a good negotiator” who “enabled the EDB to attract leading MNCs (multinational corporations) and investors from around the world.”
Lee credits Tang with devising the initial plans for a regional industrial estate in Singapore, now known as Jurong Town Corporation (JTC), but a serious economic recession forced the government to postpone construction. Lee added “As it turned out, Mr. Tang was absolutely right about the strategic direction, but was ahead of his time. Our current efforts to transform Jurong into the Jurong Lake District, including regional offices and an integrated work-live-play environment, reflect many of his original ideas.”
Lee highlighted Tang's vision to expand JTC's role from infrastructure developer to a catalyst for new industries. Lee cited Tang as being “instrumental” in establishing Singapore's first Science Park and developing the Southern Island into a petrochemical hub.
Tang's vision for the Republic's Science Park was to develop a research center that would cater to special industries and companies that were in the forefront of promoting research and high technology industries. His goal was to bring Singapore into a new stage of industrial development. Tang also recognized the importance of reclaiming land to expand the island. Under his direction, JTC reclaimed 650 hectares of land that now houses Tuas Biomedical Park.
Lee stated that Tang's passion for Singapore was “beyond doubt, and that Singapore was lucky to have had Mr. Tang.”
From 1960 to 1963, Tang was chief of the United Nations Industrial Study and Advisory Group for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE) which assisted in designing and implementing industrialization programs for developing countries. Tang led the ECAFE industrial missions to India, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Myanmar. From 1963 to 1967, he became a consultant for the United National Development Program (UNDP) and was chief consultant for the United Nations Industrial Conference for Asia (1963-1972).
In the early 1960s, Tang I-Fang was a member of the UNDP Mission which played a key role in spearheading Singapore's economic development programs. He was chairman of the Economic Development Board of Singapore (EDB) from 1968 to 1972 and served as chairman of the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) which authorized the development of industrial parks and the industrial port in Singapore from 1979 to 1986. Tang continued as a leading member of the EDB, serving as deputy chairman and chairman of the executive committee of EDB until 1986. In 1985, Tang was appointed chairman of Sub-Committee on Service Sector, Economic Committee by the Singapore government. In recognition of the critical role he played in furthering these development programs, the largest Singapore-based, Chinese language newspaper, Lian He Zao Bao, described Tang I-Fang as a "major contributor to Singapore's industrialization". [2] In 1972, the Singapore Government awarded him the Distinguished Public Services Award. For his contribution to the economic development of developing countries, he was awarded the Distinguished Services Award by the American-Chinese Institute of Engineers, New York, (1978) and in 1989, Tang was voted Singapore Businessman of the Year.