By Susan Rawlings

On February 9, 2012, in Doing Business in Singapore, General News, Life in Singapore, Relocation to Singapore,

Singapore offers the ideal environment for company incorporation and branch office expansions. In spite of the current economic weaknesses exhibited by other countries, the Singapore economy continues to show a great deal of strength as we enter 2012. A recent study affirmed what many companies already know – Singapore maintains its firm grip on the top position in a ranking of the world's best business environments.

The World Bank survey rated leading world economies on a number of criteria, from the ease of starting a business, to tax and contributions burden on a medium size firm. Singapore ranked first for the quality of its overall business environment, and came in fourth place for its taxation policies. Singapore businesses pay an overall tax rate that places it among the lowest for any world economy. Even more impressive, Singapore businesses spend only 84 hours each year preparing taxes, far less than the number of hours spent by other countries, including those in the East Asia and Pacific regions.

That's why business owners, entrepreneurs and CEOs are placing Singapore at the top of the list when deciding where to expand their businesses globally. Setting up a Singapore company or setting up a Singapore branch office is indeed a calculated risk that could yield great benefits for international corporations and entrepreneurs. When considering a new location for the incorporation of your company, there are many reasons to say consider Singapore, one more impressive than the next. They include:

  • Singapore is ranked first in the world as the city with the best investment potential
  • Singapore ranks in the top 3 in foreign trade and investment
  • Singapore is the best business environment in the Asia Pacific region and worldwide
  • Singapore is Asia's most 'network ready' country
  • Singapore supports the protection of intellectual property, especially important in the 21st century economy

That's why so many businesses have already made Singapore their preferred location for the incorporation of their companies, and made Singapore branch office registration a top priority. Whether you are a CEO or COO contemplating a major operational change, or an entrepreneur considering whether to make Singapore the location where you will setup your company, statistics support that choosing Singapore could be the best business decision you will make this year.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.