Introduction: A Gateway to Global Opportunities
Being an investor who always seeks methods to benefit from different taxation and environments, you might wonder, "Why should I incorporate my company in Singapore?" Despite its small size, Singapore's economic scale is enormous. Long recognized as the premier financial hub, Lion City is ideal for SMEs and startups. Let's explore the top benefits of incorporating in Singapore that attract global investors.
Global Rankings of Singapore: A Summary
Singapore's strategic initiatives and robust governance have earned it top positions in various global rankings, underscoring its success across multiple sectors. Here's a glance at some of the impressive accolades that Singapore has received internationally:
- Education: Ranked top for mathematics and science education among 76 OECD countries.
- Business Friendliness: Recognized as the best country for Doing Business by the World Bank for ten consecutive years.
- Open Economy: Titled the world’s most efficient and open economy for seven consecutive years by the Economist.
- Quality of Life: Named Asia’s best city in Mercer’s 2014 survey on the Quality of Living Worldwide City Rankings.
- Corruption: Consistently placed in the top 10 lowest corruption countries by Transparency International.
- IP Protection: Ranked 2nd for intellectual property protection in the WEF’s Global Competitiveness Report 2014 – 2015.
- Bureaucracy: Ranked as the 3rd least bureaucratic country in the World by IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook.
- Travel: Changi Airport has been consistently ranked as the best airport in the world for many years.
- Investment Potential: Ranked first out of 50 major investment destinations in BERI’s 2015 report.
- Infrastructure: Placed 2nd in the Global Information Technology Report 2014 by the WEF.
- Economy: Ranked as the world’s third richest country based on per-capita GDP by the IMF and the World Bank.
- Healthcare: Acknowledged to have the world's most efficient healthcare system.
These rankings not only reflect Singapore's exceptional governance and strategic foresight but also establish it as a leading global hub for business, innovation, and quality living.
Location: Ideal and Strategic
Strategically located at the center of Asia, Singapore's geographic location is crucial in the international trade map. This edge is very important since trade and e-commerce are the foundation of the nation's economic strategy, and they stimulate the creation of advanced logistics and transportation infrastructure.
- Changi Airport: Changi Airport, regularly awarded as "Best Airport in the World," impresses with the best facilities that are designed for the needs of international travelers as well as business professionals.
- Singapore Seaports: Referred as the prime transshipment hub of the world, Singapore's seaports connect with more than 600 ports around the globe, thus strengthening its part in the world supply chains.
- Global Logistics Hub: To become a leading global logistics hub, Singapore is focusing on exceptional services and solutions along with transparent regulations that make the goods movement process fast and easy.
Environment: Pro-Business and Pro-Growth
Singapore is famous not only for its spectacular skyline but also as a business friendly environment that draws both local and international business owners. This change into one of the most sought-after business centers in the world is not by chance, but it is proof of the environment which is favorable for growth and innovation.
By incorporating a company in Singapore, entrepreneurs can easily use their financial muscles with hardly any problem. The truth is that starting a business in Singapore is a wise move, since the start ideas can blossom into big firms.
Besides, the Singapore government has made the trade and visa policies simpler to give the investors a more pleasant atmosphere of working in the country. This process is hence accompanied by the incredible simplicity of the process of setting up a company in Singapore. Trusted incorporated services allow you to have your business operational in less than a day and you can be in second place in the World Bank's 2020 Ease of Doing Business which is ranked by Singapore.
The city-state is successful because of the policy that is open to experts and specialists, which is creating a wave of innovative ideas and value. With more and more professionals moving to Singapore, the amount of expertise just increases the city's importance as a business and growth center.
Life Quality: Admirable and Excellent
Singapore gives the highest priority to its workforce, which it thinks of as the most outstanding resource. The government is determined to improve the living standards of the people through the set up of elite facilities and services, which is the reason for the high happiness quotient among the residents. Here are some key highlights of living in Singapore:
- High Quality of Life: The country that is always among the first to be listed in the quality of life, Singapore is an extraordinary place for both work and living.
- Shopping and Retail: Being a famous shopping place in Asia, Singapore is the perfect place for everyone, from local brands to the world-famous shopping centers, hence it is a paradise for the shopaholics.
- Education System: Singapore is home to many famous schools and universities, which is the reason why its educational system creates a competitive and highly skilled workforce.
- Healthcare Excellence: Through major investment in medical technologies and talents, Singapore is a healthcare center, which is known by both the local and the foreigners. The government also stresses on community health and hygiene to keep the living standard high.
Taxation: Preferable and Flexible
Singapore's taxation policies are a significant draw for investors, characterized by a low-tax regime that supports business growth and investment.
- Corporate Tax Benefits: By having a corporate tax rate that is limited to 17%, Singapore has now the third-lowest rate in the world, thus, the city-state has become the most business-friendly environment.
- Personal Tax Incentives: Personal tax rates vary from 0 to 22%, and there are tax reliefs for the eligible people who can be further reduced.
- Favorable Tax Regime: All dividends and capital gains are tax-free, which in turn strengthens the attractiveness of Singapore as an investment destination.
- International Tax Agreements: Singapore has Double Taxation Agreements with more than 80 countries, and a unilateral tax credit system for profits earned from countries which do not have such agreements.
Workforce: Highly Skilled and Adaptive
The conversion of Singapore from an average island to a top-listed economic power is mostly due to its workforce. The government allocates large sums of money to the development of human capital, thereby, appreciating it as the foundation of sustained growth.
Singapore has a future-ready workforce, that makes it a leader worldwide, which is characterized by such traits as tech-savviness, agility, resourcefulness, and high productivity that cannot be found in Western nations.
Key advantages of Singapore's workforce include:
- Multilingual Environment: The four official languages of Singapore are Malay, Chinese, Tamil, and English, therefore its workforce is very flexible and this makes it easy for the international businesses to come and integrate in Singapore.
- Cultural Diversity: The multicultural norm in the workplace gives businesses the chance to succeed in a world that is globally integrated.
Intellectual Property (IP) Rights Regime: Outstanding and Protective
The fact that Singapore is devoted to nurturing innovation is shown by its strong intellectual property rights regime. Being an internationally well-known country for its transparency and strictness in IP protection, Singapore's IP protection is made to help the creative and innovative work of businesses and individuals.
- Support for Innovation: The government promotes major funding in R&D and backs this up with a series of measures that protect these important rights.
- Global Recognition: According to the Global Competitiveness Report 2018 by the World Economic Forum, Singapore is the top of Asia and the third in the world for the best IP protection, which means that it is a leading country in the field of innovation, and has created a secure environment for it.
Immigration Policy: Freely and leisurely
Singapore’s immigration policies are designed to be the puller of foreign experts and investors, giving them many advantages to start and grow their businesses in the city-state.
- Work Visa Accessibility: The government has simplified the work visa requirements, hence, it has become easier for expats to bend over for business activities and to hire professionals who are being meet the specific criteria.
- Permanent Residency: The process of getting a permanent residency in Singapore is complicated, but the country is still ready to accept foreign experts who want to live and work there permanently, thus, making it a friendly country for qualified people.
Government Policies: Centralized and Stable
Singapore is famous for its transparent political system, the ease of its policies, and virtually no corruption, which makes it a perfect place for developing entrepreneurship. Here are some highlights of Singapore's governance:
- Transparency: A country that is renowned for its very open and straightforward political system, Singapore has a clear and guaranteed legal and regulatory environment for businesses.
- Political Stability: The stability and the effectiveness of Singapore's government are the most important elements in the country's ability to lure international business and investment.
- Zero Tolerance for Corruption: The nation's powerful position against bribery and the abuse of authority is not only a legal matter but also a prerequisite for it to be respected and its good international image to be maintained.
The reason, the two elements are the essential ones that make Singapore a desirable place for the company establishment. The determination to keep a pro-business environment is apparent in everything related to the governance of the country which plays a key role in its international reputation as a safe, stable, and a supportive place for business.
Do you have any doubts about starting your own business in Singapore? Feel free to contact us anytime if you have any questions or concerns about Singapore company formation.