The cultural minister of the city-state clarifies that the grant awarded to the popular icon is “not nearly as substantial as rumored.”

In response to criticisms from neighboring countries about the city-state’s efforts to attract the pop icon, Singapore’s Culture Minister Edwin Tong addressed speculation about the grant’s size. He stated on Monday that the reported figures were inaccurate.

“I can confirm that the reported figures are inaccurate and do not reflect the actual amount. However, due to confidentiality agreements, we are unable to disclose the specific details of the grant,” Tong informed Parliament in response to queries from lawmakers.

Tong also expressed confidence in the significant economic benefits expected from Swift’s six concerts in the city, which he believes will outweigh the size of the grant.

These remarks follow statements made by Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who suggested that Singapore paid Swift between $2 million and $3 million on the condition that she doesn’t perform in any other Southeast Asian country.

Philippine legislator Joey Salceda has urged Manila to question Singapore regarding the reported grant, denouncing such actions as contrary to good neighborly conduct.

Previously, Singaporean officials acknowledged offering Swift a grant to perform in the city-state, highlighting the anticipated benefits for tourism-related sectors such as hospitality, retail, and dining. According to reports by Singapore’s Channel News Asia, demand for flights and accommodations around the concert dates surged by up to 30 percent.

In addition to her four shows in Japan last month, Swift’s concerts in Singapore mark her exclusive stops in Asia as part of The Eras Tour.

With tickets sold out, the concerts, running until March 9, are attracting around 300,000 fans, including those from neighboring countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Swift, renowned as one of the most successful music artists of all time, with 14 Grammy wins and hundreds of millions of album sales worldwide, commenced her Singapore concerts on Saturday following the conclusion of the Australian leg of her tour, where she performed in front of 81,000 fans at Sydney’s Accor Stadium last week.