SINGAPORE, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- About 30 percent small firms in Singapore received skills training help from the government in the last two years, Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Tuesday.

    Under the Skills Development Fund, 108 million Singapore dollars (about 75.5 million U.S. dollars) in Skills Development Levy was collected and 110 million Singapore dollars in expenditure under the Fund was committed to fund 3,400 companies with fewer than 10 employees in the financial year of 2006, Minister Gan told Parliament in a written reply released on Tuesday.

    Last year, 120 million Singapore dollars in levy was collected, with 102 million Singapore dollars committed to fund 3,200 small firms.

    In addition, Singapore's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) get double the typical funding norm for larger companies, said the minister.

    SMEs can also receive funding for executive and managerial training, of up to 50 percent of the course fees. This is capped at 20 Singapore dollars per trainee per hour.