为什么新加坡对荷兰公司仍然有吸引力, 400 years on.

Singapore and the Netherlands have a long-standing trading relationship from when the Dutch East India Company or Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) first set foot in the region in the 1600s.

The thriving Dutch community in Singapore even established Holland Village in the early 1900s. The neighbourhood now hosts a thriving community of cafes, restaurants and art galleries.

When Singapore first gained independence in the 1960s, Dutch economist Dr Albert Winsemius was instrumental in laying the plans for Singapore's economic future. Dr Winsemius, Singapore’s economic adviser for 25 years, helped propel the island nation into the world stage. He introduced concepts such as political stability, economic restructuring, labour productivity and planned modern housing that continue to be the bedrock of Singapore’s development till today.

新加坡顶级投资者

因此，新加坡是东南亚荷兰的顶级海外投资目的地，这并不奇怪。

The Netherlands is the fourth biggest investing country into the FDI stock in Singapore¹，并作为最大的欧盟投资者排名，总投资总额为1亿新元（600亿欧元）。同样，新加坡在荷兰拥有价值超过180亿新元的投资。

欧盟新加坡贸易协定

欧盟 - 新加坡贸易协定于二零一九年二月二月二十一日批准欧洲议会，并承诺成为一个有权改善双方的市场准入的标志性贸易协议。它不仅涵盖了减少或删除关税，而且还提高了知识产权保护和改善双方的市场准入。

近3000名荷兰企业已经向新加坡出口广泛的商品和服务。其中89％的中小企业较小，贸易协议现在将使他们更容易，更具成本效益。

政府和行业联系的举措

The support network for Dutch companies in Singapore is strong with government and industry-linked organisations such as the Singaporean-Dutch Chamber of Commerce and the Dutch embassy.

荷兰商业网络ADB-DutchCham提供注册ional support and facilitates business opportunities among Dutch companies and professionals in Singapore.

At the same time, Singapore government agencies like A*STAR and the Economic Development Board (EDB) offer generous training or research grants and regional or global headquarter tax incentives to multinational companies looking for a base in Asia.
新加坡的低标题企业税，中小型企业的慷慨免税，以及行业特定的税收激励有助于降低荷兰公司的成本，以他们的第一步国际扩张。

Dutch companies growing stronger than ever

In modern-day Singapore, other Dutch companies have replaced the VOC and continue to thrive. There are more than 1000 Dutch companies in the city-state, with activities ranging from financial and insurance to real estate.

1.Philips

Dutch conglomerate Royal Philips set up in Singapore in 1951. It recently opened the 38,000 -square-metre Phillips ASEAN Pacific Centre that will serve as the company’s regional headquarters. The facility also includes a new tele-healthcare centre that will enable hospitals to remotely monitor and treat patients at home.

2.壳

新加坡是荷兰皇家贝壳的亚太地区最大的石油化工生产和出口中心。该公司最近还在Bukom炼油厂提高了储油能力²。The Bukom manufacturing site is an integrated refinery and chemicals site and can process up to 500,000 barrels per day of oil.

3.ing

随着1987年的分支机构开幕，ING是新加坡的相对新人。该岛上的批发银行部是该地区最大的银行家。

Fintech – the new wave of MNCs

作为区域银行枢纽，新加坡继续与金融技术或金融技术兴起保持相关。新加坡货币管理机构当地银行监管机构推出了沙箱，基于区块链的跨境安排和更新的法规，并更新了最新的金融化发展。

2018年11月，新加坡举办了世界上最大的金融技术活动的金融气节，吸引了30,000多名参与者。在两个国家之间的公私合作中，荷兰公司被邀请加入初创公司，以便为新加坡或东盟进行企业和/或扩张。

荷兰最大的加速器Rockstart已经选择了新加坡作为其东南亚的主要枢纽³。In an interview with an industry news portal, TechinAsia, Rockstart Southeast Asia’s founding partner, Chi Tran said: “We explored other options within the region, [but] Singapore has by far the best infrastructure and ecosystem that supports startups, accelerators, investors, and businesses.”

“[It has] all the ingredients founders need to grow their company in the region.”

Springboard for regional expansion

Singapore’s geographic location allows for easy access to larger regional markets such as Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. The sea port is linked to 600 other ports globally while the airport connects to 210 cities with more than 6,000 weekly flights.

The latest survey by Mercer, a human resources consulting firm, reported that Singapore has the world’s best infrastructure with easy access to transportation, reliable electricity supply, political stability and low crime rates.

家庭友好的选择

Families looking to move to Singapore can access its excellent education facilities. The Hollandse School Singapore is the largest Dutch-language IPC (International Primary Curriculum) outside the Netherlands, and is an established name in Singapore and beyond.

In addition, several international schools, such as the German European School Singapore and the United World College of Southeast Asia offer Dutch lessons to children in secondary education. LanguageOne Singapore also provides Dutch language and cultural education for both children and adults.

This article is produced by Hawksford and does not constitute legal advice. It is intended to provide general information only.

¹Foreign Investment in Singapore, July 2019

²频道新闻亚洲，2019年7月

³去Medici.