Singapore, a former British Colony, gained its independence in 1965. Since then, the island republic has grown from strength to strength as a highly respected economic and political power in the world arena. Known for its business friendly environment and strict confidentiality laws, Singapore is watched over by a judiciary reputed to be the most efficient in the world. The legal system and laws is based on the English common law system, with the highest appellate court being the Court of Appeal. Laws to accommodate business, information technology, intellectual property rights, and financial services, have been introduced to provide a very competitive and stable economic environment in this modern metropolis. With a recent emphasis to attract foreigners to invest and work in Singapore, many attractive schemes are now offered for work, play and residence. In particular, with her beefed-up banking secrecy laws and strategic positioning, Singapore is fast gaining a reputation of being the Switzerland of the Far East, attracting large quantities of the private wealth from Europe, USA and Asia.

Tay, Peter

Fong, Lawrence

Legislation (Source: Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority)

• Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority Act

• Accountants Act

• Business Registration Act

• Companies Act

• Limited Liability Partnerships Act

• Limited Partnerships Act

• Business Trusts Act

• Trust Companies Act

• Trustees Act

Local Newspaper

• The Straits Times

• Channel News Asia

Other Useful Information