WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
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III. TRADE POLICIES AND PRACTICES BY MEASURE
(1) INTRODUCTION
1. Singapore continues to maintain a liberal trade policy and has very few border measures ;
most of these are maintained for health, security and environmental reasons. It has virtually no tariffs,
with only six tariff lines subject to specific rates of duty. Preferential market access is provided to its
trading partners under an increasing number of regional and bilateral free-trade agreements. As a
result of the Uruguay Round, Singapore bound 69% of its tariff lines. The overall simple average
bound tariff is 7.5%, thus resulting in a considerable gap between the average applied MFN tariff and
the average bound rates. Although this gap creates uncertainty as it provides scope for governments
to raise their applied tariffs up to their bound levels ,Singapore has not taken advantage of this scope
during the period under review. Other charges that have a bearing on imports include the goods and
services tax (GST), which was raised to 5% on 1 January 2004 and is applied to most goods and
services, and excise taxes on alcohol, petroleum, tobacco products, and motor vehicles.
2. Singapore's import restrictions relate mainly to environmental, health and public security
concerns, with the exception of rice, which is subject to import licensing for reasons of maintaining
food security and price stability. Imports of cars of three-years old and above are banned for reasons
of road safety. Export restrictions are also maintained for health and security reasons, although there
are export restrictions on rice and rubber. Very little use is made of contingency measures; all
remaining anti-dumping measures have been removed since the last Review. Singapore's SPS
measures are stringent, with each imported consignment of food products subject to checks by
Singapore Customs. For some products, mainly meat and poultry, the authorities permit imports only
from specific countries and, in some cases, only from accredited establishments in those countries.
Singapore tries to ensure that its standards follow international norms. Singapore has been a member
of the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement since 1997 and has offered additional market
access concessions to its trading partners under its bilateral FTAs. There have been a few changes to
the intellectual property rights regime since the last Review. These include an amendment to the
Patents Act and enactment of a Registered Designs Act to protect industrial designs; and further
enhancement of protection for patents, copyright, and new plant varieties as part of commitments
made under its bilateral free-trade agreements.
3. Although Singapore has few border measures, it continues to maintain an active industrial
policy. The policy is implemented mainly in the form of a wide array of tax concessions and
holidays, especially relating to certain sectors. Despite implementing tax reforms that lowered the
corporate tax rate from 26% to 22%, thereby reducing the value of existing tax incentives, the latter
continue to be widely used in attempts to attract foreign investment and direct it into high-value-added
activities. Furthermore, there is significant government involvement in the economy through
government linked companies (GLCs) and statutory board companies. The GLCs are run and
compete on a commercial basis and are subject to the Companies Act. There has been increasing
pressure, however ,to reduce Government involvement in the economy. Consequently, it would
appear that the Government is slowly taking steps to reduce its shareholdings in non-strategic
companies and sectors. The FTA with the United States calls for progressive divestment in GLCs and
also commits Singapore to enact economy-wide competition policy and to subject all enterprises,
including "government enterprises", to competition disciplines; plans to enact a generic competition
law by 2005 are under way. In addition, the Government maintains a significant degree of control
over the land and labour markets. In the case of land, the Government controls the release and
therefore the price of land, particularly industrial land. As regards the labour market, Singapore's
wages are based on annual recommendations by a tripartite commission (comprising government,
labour, and business), the National Wage Commission (NWC) (see Chapter I(3)(iii)).Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
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(2) MEASURES DIRECTLY AFFECTING IMPORTS
(i) Customs procedures
(a) Registration and documentation
4. Importers, exporters and trans-shippers must either be companies (incorporated, or in the case
of foreign companies registered, under the Companies Act) or businesses registered under the
Business Registration Act. They must also obtain a Central Registration (CR) Number from
Singapore Customs. According to the authorities, the application for a CR number can be submitted
electronically and approved within half a day. The CR number enables importers and exporters to
submit import, export and trans-shipment permits through an electronic system maintained by
Singapore Customs, known as TradeNet. The importer must also obtain an import permit through
TradeNet before any goods can be imported into Singapore.1TradeNet applications involve a single
permit application for submission to Customs and the relevant controlling agencies. A trader can file
the application from their own office. The permit application is routed electronically to the relevant
government agencies for processing and approval. The trader is able to print out a hard copy of the
permit once it is approved. Payment of GST, customs duties, and other fees are automatically
deducted from the trader’s bank account. According to the authorities, for 90% of cases, the
processing of a TradeNet declaration is completed within ten minutes. For goods imported under the
ATA Carnet, however, import permits are not required. Imports of certain high technology products,
which are subject to export controls by the exporting country, may also require an import certificate
and delivery verification (ICDV) from Singapore Customs. All imports must also be accompanied by
invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, and any other relevant documentation.
5. Additional documentation may be required for certain products. Traders of fresh and
processed food products (including food appliances) are required to register with the Agri-Food and
Veterinary Authority (AVA) (see section (vii)(c) below), as well as with Customs. Additional
documents are required for imports of bottled natural mineral water, spring and drinking water;
irradiated foods; and soy and oyster sauces. Origin certificates are also required for importers seeking
preferential tariff treatment. Importers of motor vehicles must first obtain a duty and GST payment
permit.
(b) Preshipment inspection
6. Singapore has no laws or regulations relating to preshipment inspection.2Singapore is not
aware of any company providing PSI services in Singapore, other than SGS Testing and Control
Services Singapore Pte Ltd (part of the Société Générale de Surveillance), which provides PSI
services in other countries that require PSI.
1Importers are exempted from obtaining import permits for certain non-controlled items including
personal or household effects, other than motor vehicles, that accompany passengers, crew or employees of
transport undertakings; imports by defence forces or personal effects of members of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs; used motor vehicles that are covered by the Carnet de Passage and are endorsed by the Automobile
Association of Singapore; trade samples not exceeding S$400 in value; human corpses or remains; and human
transplant materials (Singapore Customs, 2003a).
2WTO document G/PSI/N/1/Add.2, 26 July 1995.WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
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(ii) Tariffs
(a) Bound tariffs
7. Singapore's bound tariff is in the HS 1996 nomenclature.3As a result of the Uruguay Round,
Singapore bound 69% of its tariff lines, with an additional 1.55% of all lines partially bound.4Since
the last Review, as a result of binding four previously unbound tariff lines5, Singapore has bound
100% of its tariff lines in agriculture (Uruguay Round definition) and 63.8% for non-agricultural
products, including petroleum.6Around 98.7% of its bound tariff is based on ad valorem rates of
duty; tariff lines subject to specific rates of duty (55 lines) were not included in the analysis of the
tariff. Few or no binding commitments were made in mineral products, footwear, articles of stone,
precious stones, transport equipment, arms and ammunition, and works of art (Chart III.1). Partially
bound tariff lines are found mainly in hides and skins, precious stones, machinery, and precision
instruments (Chart III.1).
8. The overall simple average bound rate in 2003 was 7.5% and is expected to decline to 6.9%
by the end of the implementation period in 2005. The average bound rate for agricultural products
(11.1%) is significantly higher than for non-agriculture (6.6%) (Table III.1). Bound rates are
especially higher than the overall average in fats and oils, vegetable products, prepared foods, hides
and skins, textiles, livestock and mineral products (Chart III.2).
9. Given that Singapore's applied MFN tariff is almost zero (see section (b) below), it is not
clear why it has chosen to bind only 69% of its tariff, or why its bindings, especially in agriculture,
are so much higher than its applied rates. One of the reasons given by the authorities for Singapore's
bindings being so low, was for negotiating purposes. In the Negotiating Group on Market Access,
Singapore has urged members to increase bindings to 100% and to narrow the variance between the
ceiling bindings and the applied rates as far as possible.
10. Singapore has notified the Secretariat that in accordance with Article XXVIII, paragraph 5, it
reserves its rights to modify its Schedule LXXIII for a period of three years as of 1 January 2000.7
3Singapore submitted its bound tariff in the HS2002 nomenclature to the WTO Committee on Market
Access in April 2002. The tariff is currently pending approval of transposition in accordance with the
Committee’s procedures.
4Out of a total 5,843 tariff lines, 4,033 are bound and an additional 91 are partially bound.
5The tariff lines were HS 051000200, 170410000, 190190920 and 190190960 and related to
agricultural products.
6Calculations by the authorities show a slightly higher share of bound lines for non-agriculture
(64.1%); this difference is due to nomenclature changes and differences in harmonization methodologies
between HS1992 and HS1996 nomenclatures.
7WTO document G/MA/108, 29 May 2000.Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
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0102030405060708090100
010203040506070809101112131415161718192021
TotalChart III.1
Share of bound tariff lines, by HS section, 2003
Per cent
The bound rate analysis includes Singapore's commitments under the Information Technology Agreement (ITA).
Chapter 98 is excluded from the analysis.
WTO Secretariat, based on information provided by the authorities of Singapore.01 Live animals and prod.
02 Vegetable products
03 Fats and oils
04 Prepared food, etc.
05 Mineral products
06 Chemical and prod.07 Plastic and rubber
08 Hides and skins
09 Wood and articles
10 Pulp, paper, etc.
11 Textiles and articles
12 Footwear, headgear13 Articles of stone
14 Precious stones, etc.
15 Base metals and prod.
16 Machinery
17 Transport equipment
18 Precision instruments19 Arms and ammunition
20 Miscellaneous manuf.
21 Works of art, etc.
Note:
Source :
Table III.1
Bound tariff rates, selected years
(No. of lines and per cent)
1999 2000 2003 2005
No. of lines % No. of lines % No. of lines % No. of lines %
Overall average 4,065 9.7 4,065 9.0 4,069 7.5 4,069 6.9
Agricultural products (HS 01-24) 838 16.8 838 15.4 842 11.0 842 9.6
Industrial products (HS 25-97) 3,227 7.9 3,227 7.4 3,227 6.5 3,227 6.2
WTO agricultural products 784 17.7 784 16.0 788 11.1 788 9.5
WTO non-agricultural products 3,281 7.8 3,281 7.3 3,281 6.6 3,281 6.3
Note: Analysis based only on lines with ad valorem rates (55 lines carrying specific rates are excluded from the calculations).
Including fully and partially bound rates.
Source: WTO Secretariat, based on data provided by the authorities.WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
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024681012
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21Chart III.2
Average bound tariff rates, by HS section, 2003
Per cent
The bound rate analysis includes Singapore's commitments under the Information Technology Agreement (ITA).
It includes fully and partially bound rates. Chapter 98 is excluded from the analysis.
WTO Secretariat, based on information provided by the authorities of Singapore.01 Live animals and prod.
02 Vegetable products
03 Fats and oils
04 Prepared food, etc.
05 Mineral products
06 Chemical and prod.07 Plastic and rubber
08 Hides and skins
09 Wood and articles
10 Pulp, paper, etc.
11 Textiles and articles
12 Footwear, headgear13 Articles of stone
14 Precious stones, etc.
15 Base metals and prod.
16 Machinery
17 Transport equipment
18 Precision instruments19 Arms and ammunition
20 Miscellaneous manuf.
21 Works of art, etc.
Note:
Source :Total average bound rate
(7.5%)
(b) MFN tariffs
11. Singapore's current applied MFN tariff, based on the HS2002 nomenclature, consists of
10,689 lines at the HS-8 digit level.8Since Singapore's previous Trade Policy Review, there have
been no changes in its applied MFN tariff, which, with the exception of six items, is zero. The six
items: stout and porter, beer and ale, and medicated and non-medicated samsu9, are all subject to
specific rates of duty (Table III.2) which, judging from the amounts of revenue collected (see below),
entail fairly high ad valorem rates; these specific rates have remained unchanged since the last
Review. Singapore advocates the use of specific duty rates for alcoholic products as they are easy to
administer and would ensure stability of revenue collection as they would not be subject to pricing
fluctuations and would limit fraud. The six products subject to duty are both imported and
manufactured locally. Ad valorem equivalents for these six tariff rates were not available to the
Secretariat.
8The 16 lines in Chapter 98 of the Singapore tariff have been eliminated from the tariff analysis
(Chapter 98 is country specific and not generally included in Trade Policy Reviews).
9Due to a change in the nomenclature and alignment with ASEAN tariff coding (AHTN) as of
1 January 2003, the four lines subject to tariffs during the previous Review, were split into six.Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
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Table III.2
Applied MFN tariffs, 2003
AHTN
(2003)H.S. Code
1996Product description Duty rate
22.03 Beer made from malt
2203.00.10 2203.00.100 Stout and porter S$1.70 per litre
2203.00.90 2203.00.200 Other, including ale S$0.80 per litre
22.08 Undenatured ethyl alcohol of an alcoholic strength by volume of less than
80% vol.; spirits, liqueurs and other spirituous beverages
2208.90.10 2208.90.310 Medicated samsu of an alcoholic strength by volume not exceeding 40% vol. S$8.00 per litre of alcohol
2208.90.20 2208.90.310 Medicated samsu of an alcoholic strength by volume exceeding 40% vol. S$8.00 per litre of alcohol
2208.90.30 2208.90.390 Other samsu of an alcoholic strength by volume not exceeding 40% vol. S$8.00 per litre of alcohol
2208.90.40 2208.90.390 Other samsu of an alcoholic strength by volume exceeding 40% vol. S$8.00 per litre of alcohol
Source: Data provided by the authorities of Singapore.
12. Singapore collects under 0.1% of tax revenue from customs duties; in FY 2001, this share
was about S$15.1 million, or around 0.063% of tax revenue. These revenues might be expected to
decline as the number of countries Singapore signs FTAs with grows, depending on the share of
imports of these products from preferential sources.
13. Singapore has no tariff rate quotas or variable levies.
(c) Preferential agreements
14. Under its recently signed preferential agreements (with Australia, EFTA, Japan, New Zealand
and the United States), Singapore has removed all its remaining tariffs on imports from these
countries. Pursuant to ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) commitments, Singapore removed tariffs on
imports from the Philippines and Thailand on 1 January 2001. Approximately 0.0015% of
Singapore's imports in 2002 originated under preferential trade agreements (with New Zealand, Japan,
Thailand, and the Philippines; the FTAs with Australia and EFTA had not yet come into force and the
FTA with the United States was not yet signed).
(d) Duty exemptions and concessions
15. Singapore grants exemptions from import duty for several reasons and end-uses. Goods that
are temporarily imported and will be re-exported within three months of import, as well as
temporarily exported goods that are re-imported (such as for exhibitions and trade fairs), are not
subject to customs duty or GST. Imports of certain goods subject to import duty that are used by local
industries as raw or intermediate materials are eligible for both customs and excise duty exemptions.
An application must be made in writing to Singapore Customs giving details of quantities and annual
requirements of these imports and quantities of the final product. Currently both samsu and ethyl
alcohol are exempt from payment of import duties for industrial users. Goods imported by diplomatic
missions in Singapore are also eligible for such duty exemptions if an exemption permit has been
issued by Singapore Customs.
16. There have been no changes to the system of preferences offered under the Generalized
System of Trade Preferences (GSTP) and Commonwealth Preferences since the last Review of
Singapore. All imports from these sources enter duty free.WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
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(iii) Other charges affecting imports
(a) Goods and services tax
17. Singapore collected around 8.8% of its tax revenue from the goods and services tax (GST) in
FY 2001; it is budgeted to rise to around 13.6% of tax revenue in 2002/03. The GST (a flat rate of
5% as of 1 January 2004) is levied on most goods and services (imported and domestically produced)
except for some financial services and "the grant, assignment and surrender of any interest in, or right
over, any residential properties" (sales and lease of residential properties). Goods exported from
Singapore are zero rated. GST on goods imported and stored in a free-trade zone, warehouses
licenced by Customs or any bonded warehouse is suspended unless they are released for local
consumption. Under the Major Exporters Scheme (MES), GST is deferred at the point of importation
for exporters. GST becomes payable only if the imported goods are sold domestically. According to
the authorities, this scheme was introduced to alleviate the cash flow problems faced by exporters
with significant exports and imports. MES status is granted by the Inland Revenue Authority of
Singapore.10A similar scheme for contract manufacturers and traders, under the Approved Contract
Manufacturer and Trader (ACMT) Scheme grants GST exemptions for local contract manufacturers
that have significant dealings with overseas clients.11
18. The GST was raised from 3% to 4% on 1 January 2003 and to 5% on 1 January 2004. This
was in response to recommendations by the Economic Review Committee (ERC) that Singapore
should move to a pro-growth tax regime, cut personal and corporate taxes and raise an increasing
share of revenue from indirect taxes. To mitigate the effects of a rise in indirect tax on low income
families, the Government would put in place an offset package to make sure that all lower income
households were no worse off during the transition.12The package contains temporary relief
measures to help all households (especially the lower income households) cope with the transition to a
higher GST rate of 5%. It includes rebates on service and conservancy charges, as well as rebates on
rentals, for households living in public housing (HDB) flats for a period of 5 years. The major
component in the package is the "Economic Restructuring Shares", which are paid to all Singaporeans
and may be cashed in with the Government. The Government believes that the cash value of the
shares is sufficient to offset the increase in GST that an individual has to pay over the next five years.
(b) Excise duty
19. Singapore charges excise duties on alcohol products, tobacco, petroleum products (motor
spirits), and motor vehicles .Some of the rates were raised on 28 February 2003 and again in
February 2004. All rates, except those for motor vehicles, are specific and range from S$1.40 per litre
to S$90 per kg. for alcohol products, from S$250 to S$293 for tobacco products, from S$4.10 per
10To qualify for the scheme, the trader must be a registered GST trader, must import goods in the
course of his/her business, export supplies must account for 51% or more of total supplies (including goods in
transit and services), have a good accounting system, good compliance record as a GST payer with Singapore
Customs, and as a property tax payer, and must be able to comply with any other conditions applied by the
Comptroller of GST (Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, undated a).
11Under the scheme, the approved contract manufacturer or trader need not charge GST on the local
delivery of finished goods to customers in Singapore of their overseas clients. The local customers in turn
would standard rate or zero rate their supplies, depending on whether these are for sale on the domestic market
or for export (Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, undated b).
12Economic Review Committee (2003), pp. 79-80.Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
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decalitre (dal) to S$7.10 per dal for motor spirit, and from 12% on motor cycles to 20% on cars.13
Some 6.9% of tax revenue is raised through excise tax.
(iv) Customs valuation and rules of origin
(a) Customs valuation
20. There have been no changes to customs valuation procedures since Singapore's last review.
Singapore invoked a transition period of three additional years, under Article 20.2 of the Agreement
on Customs Valuation (Article VII of GATT 1994) to apply the computed value method; it notified
its legislation on Customs Valuation to the Committee on Customs Valuation in October 1997.14
Singapore maintains reservations on Articles 3 and 4 of Annex III of the Agreement.15
21. Valuation is carried out under the Customs (Valuation) Regulations. Imports are valued on
the basis of their transaction value and are assessed on the c.i.f. (cost, insurance and freight) value
(plus any other charges) of the product when imported.16For goods subject to a customs tariff and
GST, the taxable value of the imported good includes the c.i.f. value and any other charges, plus the
import duty. For goods whose c.i.f. value is not known, Customs charges a flat rate to calculate the
equivalent c.i.f. rate.17The service standard for cargo clearance is within ten minutes for 90-95% of
clearances.
(b) Rules of origin
22. Singapore does not maintain any specific MFN rules of origin .
23. Singapore's preferential rules of origin under its various bilateral and regional free-trade
agreements are shown in Table III.3. The rules of origin within Singapore’s bilateral agreements
range from the general value added criteria of 30% to 60%, to detailed, product-specific rules, with
the latter, in some cases, running up to almost 300 pages.
Table III.3
Singapore's preferential rules of origin, 2003
Agreement/Country Rules
ASEAN Imported products must be wholly produced in an ASEAN country or have an ASEAN content on at least a
cumulative basis of 40% of the f.o.b. price of the finished product. Textiles and textile products qualify for
preferential treatment under CEPT if substantial transformation has taken place an in ASEAN country.
GSTP Products must be wholly produced in a participating country or have a participating country produced content
of at least 50% of the f.o.b. price of the finished product. Partial cumulation of at least 60% is allowed.
Table III.3 (cont'd)
13Budget Speech 2004.
14WTO document G/VAL/N71/SGP/1, 13 October 1997.
15WTO document G/VAL/2/Rev.10/Corr.1, 5 April 2000.
16For goods valued in f.o.b. (free-on-board) terms, a flat rate for the value of freight and insurance is
charged; the rates range from: 5% of f.o.b. value for Peninsular Malaysia to 24.5% of f.o.b. value for Africa,
Canada, and the United States. Where only the freight and cost of goods are known, a flat 1% (of the cost and
freight value) insurance charge is added (Singapore Customs (2003b) "Valuation" [4 August 2003]).
17The flat rates for freight and insurance are 5% of f.o.b. value for goods from Peninsular Malaysia;
9.5% of f.o.b. value of imports from Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, the
Philippines, and Indonesia; 15.5% for imports from China, Chinese Taipei, Korea, Sri Lanka, India, and
Pakistan; 19% for imports from Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe; and 24.5% for imports from
Africa, Canada, and the United States.WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
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Agreement/Country Rules
EFTA The final product must have undergone a substantial transformation to qualify for preferential treatment.
Substantial transformation is deemed to have occurred if the final product underwent a change in tariff
heading at the 4-digit level, from the materials used in its production. For some products a value-added rule is
provided for in the rules of origin with products qualifying for preferential tariff treatment if their Singaporean
or EFTA content meets a specified percentage for the ex-factory price; the local-content requirement ranges
from 40%-80% depending on the product. Some chemicals and petroleum products, which undergo specified
manufacturing processes in Singapore or in EFTA, are considered to be of Singapore or EFTA origin and
therefore qualify for preferential treatment.
Australia Products must be wholly produced in Australia, or have Australian or Singaporean content ranging from 30%
(for selected products including electrical and electronic equipment and precisions instruments) to 50% (for
most products) of the f.o.b. price of the finished good.
Japan The final product must have undergone a change in tariff heading at the 4-digit level from the materials used
in its production. Additional flexibility is available for 264 products of interest to Singapore including
petrochemicals, plastics, and paper products; these will receive preferential access if they have undergone the
requisite tariff heading change or if they have Japanese or Singaporean content of 60% of the f.o.b. price of
the final product.
New Zealand Products must be wholly produced in New Zealand or have New Zealand or Singaporean content of 40% of
the f.o.b. price of the final product and the last place of manufacture must be New Zealand or Singapore.
United States Products must be wholly produced in the United States, or for some electronic products, have U.S. or
Singaporean value-added content ranging between 30% and 60% of the f.o.b. price of the final product. For
certain products, imported inputs used in the manufacture of the final product within the United States or
Singapore must be classified under a different tariff classification from the final product. For certain
chemicals and petrochemical products a specified process must have occurred in the United States or
Singapore.
Source: WTO (2000), Trade Policy Review – Singapore ; and information provided by the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
(v) Import prohibitions, restrictions, and licensing
24. Singapore prohibits the import of some products mainly for health, safety, and environmental
reasons or under UN or other international agreements; the current status of these prohibitions and
any changes since 1999 are listed in Table AIII.1. The prohibition of the import of chewing gum is to
be relaxed under the free-trade agreement signed with the United States; the agreement comes into
force on 1 January 2004 and will be applied on an MFN basis. Under the terms of the agreement,
chewing gum can be imported and used for therapeutic purposes only. Imports of cars that are 3 years
and older are banned for environmental and road safety reasons (Chapter IV(5)(v)).
25. Import restrictions and licensing are imposed either to fulfil Singapore's obligations under
international agreements or to ensure that health, safety, environment, and national security objectives
are maintained.18Licensing may be automatic or non-automatic, depending on the product
(Table AIII.2). Imports of rice are subject to non-automatic licences, which are issued by
International Enterprise (IE) Singapore. All rice varieties are controlled under the Price Control Act
(Chapter 244). Imports of rice are regulated for food security and price stability reasons. Licences for
importing rice are divided into two categories: stockpile licences to ensure that importers stockpile
minimum quantities (50 tonnes) of certain types of rice; and ordinary licences, for other varieties,
which are issued automatically. Stockpile rice is released into the market "when required". "When
required", according to the authorities, would be when there are shortages in the market. The decision
would be made by the relevant government agency (IE Singapore, MTI, AVA or/and DOS, where
applicable) in consultation with rice importers to assess the market requirements. All white rice is
classified as stockpile grade and the costs of stockpiling are borne by consumers in Singapore. The
stockpile currently constitutes about 10-15% of total rice imported annually.
18WTO document G/LIC/N/3/SGP/4, 12 November 2003.Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
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26. All Singapore registered vehicles leaving Singapore must have at least three-quarters of their
tanks full before departure.19According to the authorities, this is to prevent circumvention of the
relatively high fuel taxes in Singapore.
27. Imports of a number of other products are also subject to import controls including:
pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, which are subject to controls by the Centre for Drug
Administration; radio communications equipment, which are controlled by the Info-Comm
Development Authority; and undesirable publications or media productions, which are controlled by
the Media Development Authority.
28. Import licences are granted upon receipt by the authorities of completed relevant applications.
For arms and explosives, radioactive materials, and irradiating apparatus, import licences may be
issued immediately if the importer already has a dealer's licence. Applications for licences may be
submitted at any time of the year and all persons, registered firms, and institutions are eligible to
apply for licences.20
(vi) Contingency measures
(a) Anti-dumping and countervailing measures
29. There have been no major changes in Singapore's legislation on anti-dumping and
countervailing measures, the Countervailing and Anti-dumping Duties Act (Cap. 65B).21Under the
Act the Minister for Trade and Industry may initiate an investigation to determine whether goods are
being dumped or whether a countervailable subsidy is being provided. The preliminary investigation
must be completed within 90 days of publication of the initiation; final measures must be imposed
within 120 days from the date of publication of the notice of preliminary measures for countervailing
and 180 days for most anti-dumping cases.22Reviews of decisions taken by the Minister must be
referred to the Anti-Dumping Tribunal within 30 days of publication of the findings. The Tribunal
takes its decision based on evidence presented at the time of the original investigation and may not
request any further information.
30. During the period under review, Singapore notified anti-dumping measures on steel
reinforcement bars from Turkey; the investigation was initiated on 1 October 1999 and led to a
definitive duty of S$30 per tonne being imposed on 1 July 2000.23Singapore terminated this measure
on steel reinforcement bars from Malaysia and Turkey on 21 January 2003.24
31. Since 1999, 26 anti-dumping investigations have been initiated against exports from
Singapore; of these investigations, final measures were reported in 15 cases, relating to chemicals,
plastics, and machinery; in addition, provisional measures have been taken in six cases.25
19Singapore Customs (2003b).
20WTO document G/LIC/N/3/SGP/4, 12 November 2003.
21Two amendments made in 2000 and 2003, respectively, inserted "excise duty" after "customs duty"
and replaced "the Director General of Customs and Excise" with "the Director General of Customs".
22The margin of dumping is considered to be de minimis if it is less than 2% of the export price; the
volume of imports is regarded as negligible if the volume of imports of the good in question from any one
country accounts for less than 3% of imports of like goods into Singapore, unless the subject goods from
countries which individually account for less than 3% of imports of the like goods in Singapore collectively
account for more than 7% of imports of the like goods into Singapore.
23WTO document G/ADP/N/SGP, 24 August 2000.
24WTO document G/ADP/N/105/SGP, 21 August 2003.
25Based on notifications made to the WTO.WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
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32. Since its previous Review Singapore has not imposed any countervailing measures; one
countervailing investigation on stainless steel fasteners from Singapore by the European Union was
terminated on 14 July 2000.26
(b) Safeguards
33. Singapore has no legislation on safeguards27, and no measures against exports of any other
country. However, since 1999, Singapore exports have been affected by five safeguard actions (on
steel products by the EU and the United States; on Phenol and Bisphenol A by India; and float glass
by the Philippines. The EU and U.S. actions were terminated in December 2003.) Under its bilateral
free-trade agreements Singapore strives to the extent possible to exclude the use of safeguard
measures. Despite the existence of provisions for emergency safeguard measures under the ASEAN
FTA and Singapore’s FTAs with Japan, the EFTA States and the United States, Singapore has not
invoked these provisions, nor does it intend to in the foreseeable future.
(vii) Standards and sanitary and phytosanitary requirements
(a) Standards
34. Standards in Singapore are developed by the Singapore Productivity and Innovation Board
(SPRING Singapore).28SPRING Singapore is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and
Industry and is responsible for developing and establishing national standards and enhancing
Singapore's competitiveness.29It is also the national authority on metrology, weights and measures,
and consumer product safety and is responsible for the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies.
SPRING Singapore is headed by a Chairman of a Board of Directors representing industry, trade
unions, government, and professions.
35. The development of national standards, which are usually voluntary, is coordinated by
SPRING Singapore's Standardization Department under the guidance of an industry-led national
Standards Council. The Council, which includes representation from the private and public sectors,
formulates strategies on Singapore's Standardisation Programme. The Council heads ten standards
committees, which are responsible for formulating and establishing national standards in ten identified
areas.30Each committee has representatives from government, industry, professional and tertiary
institutions, and consumer associations. The Singapore National Committee of the International
Electrotechnical Commission (SNC(IEC)) was set up in 1989 to monitor the work of the IEC and
provide inputs to the Singapore Standardisation Programme.
26The investigation was launched on 26 June 1999 (WTO document G/SCM/N/62/EEC,
9 November 2000); its termination was notified in March 2001 (WTO document G/SCM/N/68/EEC,
7 March 2001).
27WTO document G/SG/N/1/SGP, 12 May 1995. Furthermore, in a response to a question raised by
Canada in the Committee on Safeguards, Singapore declared that it had no intention to enact such legislation
(WTO document G/SG/W/138, 11 March 1996).
28SPRING Singapore was established on 1 April 2002 and took over the national standards activities of
the Singapore Productivity and Standards Board.
29To achieve its overall goal of annual TFP growth of 1.5% over the next 15 years, SPRING Singapore
is focusing on "productivity and innovation, standards and metrology, and small and medium-sized enterprises
and the domestic sector". (SPRING Singapore online information). Available at:
http://www.spring.gov.sg/portal/aboutus/spring/springprofile.html_friendly.html, [14 October 2003]).
30The committees areas are: electrical and electronic standards; building and construction standards;
information technology standards; services standards; chemical standards; medical technology; general
engineering and safety standards; quality management standards; environmental management; and food
standards.Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
Page 39
36. The process of developing standards has remained essentially unchanged since the previous
Review. A request for a new standard or update of an existing standard is submitted to the Standards
Council, which examines it in light of the national priority. If the request is considered to have a
significant impact on improving trade and competitiveness, interoperability, productivity, quality,
environment, safety and health, and in line with the Government’s overall objectives in the national
economic plans, a draft standard will be prepared by a Technical Committee set up under the relevant
standards committee. The draft standard is then released for public comment for a period of 60 days,
during which the comments received may be incorporated into the draft standard after being reviewed
by the standards committee. Upon approval by the standards committee, the standard will appear in
theNational Gazette , before it is printed as a Singapore Standard. The timeframe for drafting and
approving a new national standard by the standards committee ranges from 12 months for a product
standard to 24 months for a code of practice.
37. SPRING also develops technical references; these do not undergo the full consensus process,
i.e. they do not go through the two-month public comment period, and they are endorsed as technical
references, rather than approved, like Singapore Standards. Technical references are developed to
help meet urgent industry demands for areas where there are few, if any, widely accepted standards.
A document is developed for industry trial and feedback, for voluntary application over a limited
period of two years. Feedback, at the end of the two-year period, will be considered for incorporation
into the document before its approval as a Singapore Standard, failing which the document may be
withdrawn or in exceptional cases, remains as a technical reference for further trial. As at
December 2003, there were 14 technical references covering areas such as cleaning, property
management, and thermal imaging, many of which are developed for services.
38. Around 34% of Singapore's standards were equivalent to international standards in 2003
(Table III.4), down from just over 36% in 2000. The method for measuring the extent of usage of
international standards was changed in 2000. The authorities state that it was more meaningful to
gauge this using Singapore standards that could be aligned to international standards rather than using
all Singapore standards. This practice has also been adopted by other established national standards
bodies. As at March 2003, about 75% of alignable Singapore standards (determined on the basis of
whether there was a corresponding international standard to be aligned to) were aligned to
international standards (Table III.5). There is 100% alignment in quality control, environment,
information technology and medical areas. Alignment is low in building/construction because
although there are few international standards in the sector, many could not be aligned because of
infrastructural reasons. There have been no changes to conformity assessment procedures.
Table III.4
Standards in Singapore, 2000-03
2000 2001 2002 2003
Total number of standards 855 880 816 822
Per cent equivalent to ISO standards 22.9% 22.7% 17.5% 18.5%
Per cent equivalent to IEC standards 13.2% 14.7% 16.1% 15.2%
Total per cent equivalent to international standards 36.3% 37.5% 33.7% 33.8%
Note: Data collected as at March.
Percentages for total standards equivalent to international standards are derived from the total number of standards classified
under ISO/IEC guide 21, 1991, as either identical or modified. These figures differ from the figures showing % of alignable
Singapore standards (SS) aligned to international standards in Table III.5.
Source: Data provided by the Singapore authorities.WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
Page 40
Table III.5
Percentage of alignable Singapore standards aligned to international standards, 2000-03
March 2000 March 2001 March 2002 March 2003
No. of
Singapore
standards%aaligned
to interna-
tional
standardsNo. of
Singapore
standards%aaligned
to interna-
tional
standardsNo. of
Singapore
standards%aaligned
to interna-
tional
standardsNo. of
Singapore
standards%aaligned
to interna-
tional
standards
Quality 7 100.0 10 100.0 10 100.0 11 100.0
Environment 5 100.0 5 100.0 5 100.0 2 100.0
Information
technology29 100.0 32 100.0 36 100.0 41 100.0
Electrical/
electronics
industry182 82.2 192 86.0 191 87.3 179 86.1
Mechanicalb214 95.3 223 95.3 153 91.8 155 92.0
Chemicals 168 54.9 175 54.2 177 54.2 169 59.8
Food 70 48.1 71 48.1 71 48.1 72 48.1
Industrial
safetyb n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Packagingbn.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Building/
construction163 25.0 165 30.0 166 30.0 169 30.0
Other 15 100.0 4 100.0 4 100.0 4 100.0
Medical 2 100.0 3 100.0 3 100.0 19 100.0
Servicesc.. .. .. .. .. .. 1 0.0
Total 855 76.0 880 77.6 816 74.9 822 75.1
.. Not available.
n.a. Not applicable.
a Of alignable Singapore standards.
b Refers to standards developed in the industrial safety and packaging areas, which were transferred to the mechanical area as a
result of merger of committees.
c Refers to standards developed in areas such as professional services, engineering services, technical services, hospitality
services, and logistics services.
Source: Data provided by the Singapore authorities.
39. Singapore is a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) (since
1966) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) (since 1990). The Standardisation
Department of SPRING Singapore represents Singapore's interests at the meetings of these bodies, as
well as in regional standards and conformance fora including: the ASEAN Consultative Committee
on Standards and Quality (ACCSQ); the Pacific Area Standards Congress (PASC); the APEC Sub-
Committee for Standards and Conformance (SCSC); and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Group
on Standards and Conformance.
(b) Technical regulations
40. SPRING Singapore also administers mandatory technical regulations as part of the Consumer
Protection (Safety Requirements) Registration Scheme, which is administered under the Consumer
Protection (Safety Requirements) Regulations (Cap. 53). Under the scheme, goods on the controlled
list must be registered with SPRING Singapore before they may be advertised, traded or displayed for
sale in Singapore. The Consumer Protection (Safety Requirements) Regulations, 1991 were replaced
by the Consumer Protection (Safety Requirements) Regulations 2002 on 1 April 2002. The new
regulations are based on certificates of conformity assessment issued by designated third party
conformity assessment bodies. Since the previous Review of Singapore, goods under the schemeSingapore WT/TPR/S/130
Page 41
have increased from 31 to 45 categories of electrical, electronic and gas home appliances and
accessories.31According to the authorities, more than 22,000 models of controlled goods have been
registered to date.32
41. Other agencies that administer mandatory technical regulations include: the Department of
Industrial Safety (DIS), the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (iDA), the Ministries of
Health and Environment, and the Public Utilities Board.
(c) Sanitary and phytosanitary measures
42. Singapore maintains a stringent sanitary and phytosanitary policy. Its sanitary and
phytosanitary measures are implemented by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), based in
the Ministry of National Development and established on 1 April 2000 under the Agri-Food and
Veterinary Authority Act 2000. Previously, the AVA's activities were carried out by the Primary
Production Department in the Ministry of National Development. The AVA administers the Animal
and Birds Act, Control of Plants Act, Wholesome Meat and Fish Act, Sale of Food Act, Endangered
Species (Import and Export) Act, Wild Animals and Birds Act, the Fisheries Act, and the Feeding
Stuffs Act.33The AVA aims, inter alia, to facilitate the supply of stable, safe and wholesome meat
and meat products, fish and fish products, fresh fruits, and vegetables in Singapore.34With the
addition in July 2002 of the Food Control Division (transferred from the Ministry of the
Environment), the AVA is now responsible for regulating safety of fresh as well as processed foods.
The AVA is planning to complete a new animal and plant health laboratory. This laboratory, together
with the recently completed Veterinary Public Health Laboratory, would strengthen its food safety
infrastructure.
43. The AVA is responsible for inspecting all imported (and domestically produced) primary
produce and livestock and processed foods; regular inspections of local abattoirs, slaughterhouses,
processing establishments, and storage facilities are also carried out.
44. Under the Control of Plants Act, all imports of plants are monitored by the Plant Regulatory
Branch-Plant Health Section (PRB-PHS) of the AVA to prevent the introduction of exotic plant pests
and diseases into Singapore and the region; domestically produced plants cultivated in Singapore's
agrotechnology parks are also monitored by the AVA. In addition to regular customs documentation,
all plants must be accompanied by phytosanitary certificates from the country of origin. Some plants
require additional documentation.35Phytosanitary certificates are also provided by the PRB-PHS for
domestically produced plants being exported from Singapore, to certify freedom from pest and
disease.
45. Imports of dairy products, livestock, meat, and fish are considered to be "high risk" and are
therefore subject to close controls. Meat and meat products may only be imported from specific farms
or establishments in specific countries. Only accredited establishments in Australia, Canada,
Denmark, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United States are permitted to export chilled pork to
31List of goods available at: SPRING Singapore (undated a).
32SPRING Singapore (undated b).
33AVA (undated), "About us: Legislation" [15 October 2003].
34Its other activities include the promotion of tropical agrotechnology services and the facilitation of
trade in primary products (Chapter IV).
35These are primarily plants for further propagation and include plants from the American Tropics,
banana, cassava, citrus fruit, cocoa, coconut, coffee, cotton, maize, oil palm, pineapple, rice, rubber, sugarcane,
potted plants, peat moss, soil and other organic growing materials (AVA, undated, "Import and Export of Plants
and Plant Products").WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
Page 42
Singapore.36Frozen beef, mutton, and poultry may be imported only from a limited number of
countries, 26 at present, and in some cases, only from AVA accredited establishments.37Imports of
fresh eggs currently come from accredited farms in Malaysia, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
Imports of broiler chickens are permitted only from accredited farms in Malaysia and Indonesia and
ducks from West Malaysia. Pigs may be imported only from one farm in Indonesia. Only dairy
products subject to double pasteurization treatment may be imported into the country. All imported
livestock is inspected before and after slaughter; every consignment of imported meat or fish is
examined visually and samples are taken for laboratory tests.
46. The accreditation of foreign farms and establishments is carried out by the AVA and is based
on risk assessment, including factors such as the veterinary infrastructure, disease status, legislation
and other SPS measures, and hygiene.
47. Imports of high-risk shellfish products, such as oysters, cockles, cooked prawns, and cooked
crab meat, are permitted only from certain sources with acceptable sanitation programmes and must
be accompanied by a health certificate from the country of origin; imports of live oysters are restricted
to Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the
United States. All consignments of these products undergo laboratory testing upon arrival in
Singapore. All frozen products subject to these testing procedures must remain in approved cold-
storage facilities before they are cleared for release. Testing procedures take, on average, 7-10 days.
Singapore would be willing to import such products from other sources provided they meet its SPS
requirements; no new sources of imports have been added to the list of source countries during the
last year
48. Importers of processed food products and food appliances are required to register with the
AVA. An import permit is required for every import consignment. Application for import permits
are automatically approved by the system except for selected high-risk food products.38Imported
bottled drinking waters must be accompanied by health certificates issued by the controlling authority
in the exporting country.39
(d) Labelling
49. Labelling requirements are maintained under the Sale of Food Act (Cap 283) and the Food
Regulations. All pre-packaged food must carry a label indicating the name, statement of ingredients,
net quantity, country of origin, and name and address of importer in the case of imported food, or the
name and address of manufacturer or packer in the case of locally manufactured/packed food. Further
details are required for certain products, including irradiated foods, royal jelly, and artificial
sweeteners. Nineteen groups of food products listed under the Third Schedule of the Food
36AVA (undated), "Safe Food Supply: Accreditation".
37The full list of countries is available in AVA (undated), "Safe Food Supply: Accreditation:
Appendix 4".
38High-risk processed foods that may be subject to documentation requirements, such as health
certificate or laboratory testing, include: beancurd; preserved vegetables and fruit; flour; kernel, cashew and
pistachio nuts; maize; food products from eastern Europe; mineral water and bottled drinking water; soy and
oyster sauces; ready-to-eat foods; coconut milk and products; and infant formula. (AVA, undated, "Safe Food
Supply: Food Inspection".)
39Health certificates should certify that the products meet the requirements of regulation 183A of the
Food Regulations for bottled mineral water, or the WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality for bottled
drinking water with the details of the test results. Bottled mineral water/spring water imported for the first time
should also be accompanied by a certificate from the controlling authority of the exporting country certifying
that the water is genuine mineral water/spring water together with a site plan showing the source of the water.
Nutrition labelling is required if a nutrition claim is made regarding the product.Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
Page 43
Regulations are required to carry expiry dates on their labels. Labels for bottled natural mineral water
and spring water should include the brand name, the source of the water and the amounts of sodium,
calcium, potassium, magnesium, bicarbonates, chloride and sulphates present, in addition to the basic
labelling information.
50. At present Singapore does not have any specific labelling requirements for pre-packed
genetically modified (GM) food products. However, there is a provision in the Sale of Food Act that
prohibits the sale of food labelled or advertised in a manner that is false, deceptive or misleading. The
labelling of GM food is currently being discussed in the Sub-Committee on Labelling, under the
Genetic Modification Advisory Committee (GMAC). GMAC is following developments in
international fora, especially the Codex Alimentarius. In the meantime, Singapore has set up a Sub-
Committee on Public Awareness, under the GMAC, to provide factual and scientific information to
the public on GM organisms (GMOs).40
51. In 1992, the Singapore Green Label Scheme was launched by the Ministry of the
Environment. It is currently administered by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC). There are
presently 32 product categories in the scheme. The qualifying criteria for each product category are
drawn up after consultation with industries. Testing requirements vary for the different product
categories but are generally based on methods described in established international standards where
these are applicable. The scheme is voluntary and is available for a number of products but not for
food, beverages, and pharmaceutical products. Medical and pharmaceutical labelling and packaging
requirements are administered by the Health Sciences Authority. Since labelling requirements were
put in place for cosmetics and Chinese proprietary medicines (CPMs) in 1997 and 1999 respectively,
one additional requirement has been introduced for CPMs with effect from 1 January 2003.41
(viii) Government procurement
(a) Overview
52. Singapore is a party to the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA); the
Agreement entered into force in Singapore in January 1997. The Government Procurement Act came
into force in May 2002. Procurement is generally carried out by individual ministries and agencies
although some centralized purchasing is carried out by the Ministry of Finance and other lead
agencies like the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA). All government bodies are bound by the
procurement rules and regulations set out by the Ministry of Finance (Budget Division), which aim to
ensure fairness, openness, and competitiveness in government procurement activities.
53. As a Member of the GPA, Singapore maintains thresholds of SDR 130,000 for goods and
services for ministries, and SDR 400,000 for statutory boards; for construction services the threshold
is SDR 5 million both for ministries and boards. As a member of ASEAN, Singapore maintains a
2.5% preference margin for the supply of goods and auxiliary services from other ASEAN members
from untied loans, up to a maximum value of US$40,000 per tender. Singapore maintains that as no
other ASEAN country is a party to the WTO GPA, it is permitted under the GPA to extend
preferential treatment to other ASEAN countries.42However, according to the authorities, the
Government does not normally seek external financing through loans but would honour this
40Lee Siew Mooi (undated).
41All Chinese proprietary medicine products are, as of 1 January 2003, required to have an additional
label that states "Allowed for Sale as a Chinese Proprietary Medicine". This requirement was introduced to help
consumers differentiate such products from western pharmaceutical products .
42WTO document GPA/W/19, 14 June 1996, Singapore's response to question 7 raised by the
Committee on Government Procurement.WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
Page 44
commitment should it occur; as this has not occurred thus far, the preference is effectively non-
operational.
54. Singapore does give preferential treatment for government procurement under its bilateral
FTAs. The thresholds are: SDR 50,000 for all goods and services (subject to the bilateral schedule of
commitments for services), under the FTA with New Zealand; SDR 100,000 for goods and services
except construction, under the FTA with Japan; and S$102,710 for goods and services for Ministries
(SDR 910,000 for statutory boards), S$11,376,000 for construction services (both for Ministries and
statutory boards) under the U.S. FTA. There is no agreement with Australia on procurement
thresholds, but the agreement is on a principle-based concept, where the Parties agree on the general
principles of procurement (e.g. open, fair, transparent, and competitive process) and abide by a
framework understanding of the procurement procedures to be applied depending on the
circumstances.
55. The total value of procurement by the Singapore Government (excluding Ministry of Defence
classified purchases) in FY 2002 was S$11.9 billion, some 7.6% of GDP, a significant increase from
the 1998 figure of 3%. Around 94.3% of this was through open tender (based on contract value); the
authorities' rough estimate of the proportion of foreign suppliers in the government procurement
market is around 5.2% based on awarded contract value (2.5% based on number of tenders awarded).
(b) Procurement procedures
56. Procurement procedures remain essentially unchanged since the previous Review of
Singapore. Depending on the value of the purchase to be made, procurement may be carried out by
"small value purchase", or through quotations or tenders. Purchases of goods and services up to a
value of S$2,000 may be carried out directly by the procuring agency, through purchases from known
or regular suppliers. For goods and services with a value between S$2,000 and S$50,000, quotations
must be invited by at least three sources. Responsibility for such purchases lies with two officials in
the procuring agency, one to invite, receive, evaluate, and recommend a supplier and the other to
approve the choice made by the first official. All procurement above the value of S$50,000 should be
carried out through competitive open tendering process, unless there are valid exceptions, e.g.
national/security interest or in cases of extreme urgency.
57. For purchases above the value of S$50,000, the most common procurement method is through
open tendering. The tenders are published electronically on the Government Electronic Business
System (GeBIZ) website. Selective tendering may be carried out for complex projects. It usually
involves two stages: the first, for pre-qualification of interested suppliers, based on the technical
merits of the offer; and the second, where qualified suppliers are invited to tender. During the second
stage, suppliers who did not qualify during the first stage are given an opportunity to do so. All the
details concerning pre-qualification are also published on the GeBIZ website. Limited tendering is
usually permitted when there has been no response to previous open or selective calls for tender;
when there is only one supplier involved; to ensure compatibility with existing equipment; in cases of
extreme urgency; and for the development of prototypes for research. The use of a limited tender
must be approved by the Permanent Secretary or CEO of a government agency.
58. For administrative efficiency, all suppliers interested in participating in Singapore's
government procurement programmes are required to register as government contractors under the
appropriate supply and financial categories with: the Expenditure and Procurement Policies Unit
(EPPU) for general goods and services; and with the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), for
construction-related goods and services.Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
Page 45
59. Although the Government maintains the principles of openness, non-discrimination, and
value for money in its procurement activities, it has been pointed out that small and medium-sized
enterprises "often fail to qualify for Government tenders because [Government] agencies are not
prepared to try them out due to the lack of track record. As a result, there have been cases of SMEs
being awarded contracts by MNCs [multinational corporations] but are unable to secure contracts
from government agencies."43
60. The Government Procurement Adjudication Tribunal was established in the Ministry of
Finance in 1998. It was established under the Government Procurement Act to handle complaints of
non-compliance with the Agreement on Government Procurement. It has not received any complaints
to date.
(ix) State trading
61. Singapore has notified the Secretariat that it does not maintain any state trading enterprises
within the working definition of Article XVII of GATT 1994 and paragraph 1 of the Understanding
on the Interpretation of Article XVII.44
(x) Other measures
(a) Countertrade
62. The Countertrade Pioneer Scheme, which provided a five-year tax holiday for firms engaged
in countertrade, was discontinued with effect from 1 March 2000.
(3) MEASURES DIRECTLY AFFECTING EXPORTS
(i) Procedures
63. Exporters must either be companies (incorporated, or in the case of foreign companies,
registered, under the Companies Act) or businesses registered under the Business Registration Act.
They are also required to register with Customs to obtain a Central Registration (CR) Number. Under
the Regulation of Imports and Exports Act, 1995, an export permit is required for all exports. For
exports that are not restricted, exporters must obtain an export permit from Singapore Customs,
through TradeNet, within three days of export; for restricted exports (section (iii) below), export
permits must be obtained through TradeNet, before their export.45In 90% of cases, the processing of
a TradeNet declaration can be completed within ten minutes.
64. Under the Strategic Goods (Control) Act, exporters of strategic goods must have a valid
permit issued by Singapore Customs prior to export. Goods under the Act include arms, chemicals
and biological material, and dual use products, including nuclear-related materials. Certificates are
also necessary before export of certain goods subject to quotas, such as textiles and clothing exports to
restricted markets, and for goods requiring special documentation, such as agricultural products
(required by the importing country). A transshipment permit is required for goods that are to be
moved from one free-trade zone to another within Singapore, and for goods subject to restrictions that
43Economic Review Committee (2002a).
44WTO document G/STR/N/6/SGP, 3 January 2001.
45The documents required include, inter alia , details of the company and exporter, its Central
Registration Number, whether the goods are dutiable, or controlled exports, vessel details, and the f.o.b. value of
the goods.WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
Page 46
are to be moved within the same free-trade zone. Certain goods are exempt from the requirement of a
permit.46
(ii) Export taxes and other charges
65. Singapore has no export taxes or levies.
(iii) Export prohibitions, restrictions, and licensing
(a) Export prohibitions and restrictions
66. There have been few changes to Singapore's prohibitions on exports since its last Review.
Sanctions imposed under United Nations Security Council Resolutions were lifted for the following
countries: Angola (26 February 2003), Eritrea and Ethiopia (5 September 2001), Libya
(4 November 2003), Iraq (with the exception of arms and related materials of all types) (8 July 2003)
and Yugoslavia and Kosovo (8 October 2001). New export prohibitions were put in place for
Afghanistan under Taliban Control on 12 March 2001. Prohibitions on exports to Liberia, Rwanda,
Sierra Leone and Somalia continue to be maintained. In addition, Singapore prohibits the export of
rhinoceros horn and its preparations under the CITES Convention.
67. Export restrictions are maintained mainly for security, health, and environmental reasons and
involve animals and animal products, fish and fish products, arms and explosives, chemicals, and
radioactive materials (Table AIII.3). Controls are also maintained on rice, excluding rice bran (under
the Price Control (Rice) Order 1990) and rubber (under the Rubber Industry Act 1993), exports of
which must be authorized by International Enterprise (IE) Singapore. Under the Price Control (Rice)
Order 1990, all rice traders (importers, exporters, and wholesalers) must be licensed. Licensing is in
place for re-exports of rice. The authorities state that in practice, there have been no restrictions
imposed on traders who wish to export rice. IE Singapore monitors the export trade levels through
the declarations filed by exporters. According to the authorities, the export control on rubber is
maintained for historical reasons. As Singapore continues to play a key role in the regional rubber
trade, it maintains the licence as "a mechanism to ensure fair trade practices in line with international
standards." The licence indicates that the rubber exporter is a bona fide player who complies with
international standards for rubber grade specifications, registration, handling, and arbitration
procedures. Licences are granted to companies as long as they are incorporated in Singapore (for rice
and rubber), and meet the minimum paid-up capital requirement of S$250,000 (for rubber only). IE
Singapore has not rejected any applications for an export licence for rice or rubber since the current
system was put in place in the 1990s. The number of licences granted is not publicly available.
However, the authorities maintain that the licences are granted on a non-discriminatory basis, so long
as exporters meet pre-set standard criteria, including the required paid-up capital for rubber, filing of
statutory accounts, etc. IE Singapore and the Ministry of Trade and Industry are currently reviewing
the licensing procedures on exports of rubber and rice.
(b) Export restraints
68. Singapore maintains restraints on and monitors exports of textiles and clothing as part of the
WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC), which is due to expire at the end of 2004.
46These include goods that are not subject to export restrictions and are personal household effects,
other than motor vehicles, accompanying passengers, crew or employees of transport undertakings; exports by
post, diplomatic correspondence; goods being exported by the armed forces or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
used motor vehicles covered by the Carnet de Passage; trade samples; human corpses and remains; human
transplant materials; and goods with a value not exceeding S$400.Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
Page 47
(iv) Export assistance
(a) Duty drawback
69. Under the Customs Act (Part IX), duty drawback may be granted to exporters. However,
these provisions have not been used since the 1960s.
(b) Tax concessions
70. In addition to Singapore's extensive tax concessions and exemptions for investors in
Singapore (section 4(ii) below), the Government, through IE Singapore (previously the Trade
Development Board), provides tax concessions to companies engaged in international trade. These
include the Global Trader Programme (GTP), combining the previous Approved Oil Trader and the
Approved Trader Incentive programmes, which provide a concessional tax rate of 10% (the current
corporate tax rate is 22%) for approved companies and approved commodities and products. In
addition, tax holidays and concessions are provided to encourage other activities such as international
shipping, cyber trading, and for local companies to globalize their activities. Some overseas
investment incentives are also provided (Table III.6).
Table III.6
Incentives offered by IE Singapore
Scheme Eligibility Incentive
Global Trader Programme (GTP)
(formerly "Approved International/Oil
Trader Scheme")Established international players in their
industry and responsible for international
trading, procurement, marketing and
distribution of qualifying commodities and
productsConcessionary tax rates on international
trading activities in approved commodities
and products
Approved International Shipping
Enterprise Incentive (AIS)Established international shipping
companies with worldwide networks and
good track recordsTax exemptions for 10 years on income
from qualifying shipping operations
Approved Cyber Trader Programme
(ACT)Companies conducting international
business through the use of the InternetConcessionary tax rate of 10% of
qualifying offshore income in qualifying
products
Double Tax Deduction for Market
Development (DTD)All Singapore registered companies or
companies that are permanently established
in Singapore with the primary purpose of
promoting the trading of goods or provision
of servicesDeduction against taxable income of twice
the eligible expenses incurred in the
following activities as covered by Section
14B of the Income Tax Act:
- Participation in overseas trade
fairs/missions
- Participation in approved local trade
exhibitions
- Setting up of overseas marketing
offices
- Master licensing and master
franchising
- Advertising in approved local trade
publications
- Printing of corporate brochures and
catalogues for distribution in overseas
markets
- Engaging in market development
activities, i.e market surveys,
feasibility studies, advertising
campaigns, promotional campaigns,
design of packaging and
product/services certification
Table III.6 (cont'd)WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
Page 48
Scheme Eligibility Incentive
Double deduction for overseas
investment development expenditureEligible manufacturing and services
companies.Double deduction for qualifying
expenditure incurred in approved
feasibility studies and maintenance of
overseas project offices against income
Overseas Investment Incentive (Revised
Overseas Investment Incentive will take
effect 1 January 2004)Singapore registered company having at
least 50% of its paid-up capital beneficially
owned by citizens or permanent residents of
Singapore
As of 1 January 2004 the scheme will be
available to all Singapore registered and
resident companies willing to commit to
having a substantial home base in SingaporeUnder the revised programme approved
Singapore-based companies may defer
income tax due from their profitable
operations in Singapore for two years if
their approved overseas investment incurs
operating losses during the first three
years of the investment
Regionalization Finance Scheme Singapore registered company with at least
51% local equity and with fixed productive
assets of not more than S$30 million. If the
company is involved in the provision of
services, it must employ not more than
200 employeesFixed-cost financing programme designed
to assist local enterprises to globalize their
operations. Fixed-rate loans are available
under the scheme for acquiring fixed asset
for overseas projects
Source: Information provided by the authorities.
(c) Export finance, insurance, and guarantees
71. Export insurance and guarantees are provided by ECICS Credit Insurance Ltd and ECICS
Credit and Guarantee Co.(S) Ltd.47Since February 2002, ECICS Credit Insurance is licensed under
the Insurance Act (Chapter 142) to write credit insurance, political risk insurance, bonds and
guarantee business.
(d) Export promotion and marketing assistance
72. In addition to its incentive programmes, IE Singapore offers assistance to Singapore-based
companies trying to expand trade. IES currently has an overseas network of 36 offices that promote
Singapore products abroad, help to provide market information to Singapore-based companies, and
help find overseas partners. Export promotion and marketing assistance is provided mainly by IE
Singapore, through programmes such as the Double Tax Deduction Scheme, which allows companies
to deduct against their taxable income twice the eligible expenses incurred in activities such as
participation in overseas trade fairs, setting up of overseas marketing offices and other market
development activities.
(v) Free-trade zones
73. Singapore is a major transshipment port, with around 50% of its exports in 2003 accounted
for by re-exports; the share has risen from some 42% in 1998 (Chapter I).
74. Singapore maintains free-trade zones at the Port of Singapore (including Port of Singapore,
Keppel Distripark, Keppel Link Bridge, and Brani Terminal), Jurong Port, Sembawang, Pasir Panjang
Terminal and Wharves, and Changi (Changi Air Cargo, Air Logistics Park).48All dutiable products
except for alcohol products and cigarettes may be stored in the free-trade zones. Alcohol and tobacco
products, except those for transshipment purposes, must be stored in a warehouse licenced by
47They are both wholly owned subsidiaries of ECICS Holdings Ltd (formerly the Export Credit
Insurance Corporation of Singapore (ECICS) Ltd.), which itself is a subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, the
government holding company. According to the Budget Speech for 2004, Temasek sold its shareholdings in
these companies in 2003/04.
48Singapore Customs (2003b), "Procedures: Introduction".Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
Page 49
Singapore Customs. Customs permits are not required for goods discharged directly into an FTZ or
for transshipment of non-dutiable goods unless subject to import restrictions or prohibitions.
Although the free-trade zones appear to be intended mainly for trans-shipment, re-packaging and
some processing appear to be permitted. If importers intend to re-package or recondition goods in the
FTZ, they must inform Singapore Customs of their intentions at least 24 hours in advance. In
addition, they must provide a Customs Transshipment permit before commencing any re-packaging
activities.49
75. For goods intended for re-export that are otherwise subject to the local GST, a bonded
warehouse (licensed warehouse for dutiable goods (alcohol and tobacco products) and motor vehicles)
scheme is jointly implemented by Singapore Customs and the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore
(IRAS). GST is suspended as long as the goods are stored in the bonded warehouse, and is only
payable if they are sold domestically. The following goods may be stored in bonded warehouses:
coffee, pepper, rubber, base metals (copper, nickel, aluminium, lead, zinc, and tin), crude oil and
petroleum products, and other commodities that may be authorized on a case-by-case basis; and
imported, non-dutiable goods for, or "substantially" for (up to 80% or more) re-export. Bonded
warehouses may be operated by the owner of the goods intended for storage, or a service operator
responsible for security and management of the goods; an annual licence fee of S$23,000 for crude
oil and petroleum products and between S$1,000 and S$4,000 for other goods, is payable depending
on the average value of the stock.50For products subject to import duty (alcohol and tobacco
products) and motor vehicles stored in licensed warehouses, the annual licence fee varies from
S$2,500 to S$21,000 depending on the projected potential duty or the average past monthly duty.51
(4) MEASURES AFFECTING PRODUCTION ANDTRADE
(i) Industrial policy
(a) Overview
76. Singapore's industrial policy has consisted mainly of providing a stable macroeconomic
environment and investment policies, including tax and other incentives, to attract investors to sectors
considered important for Singapore's development. However, because of perceived market failure
(including the absence of a well developed capital market) during the early period of Singapore's
development, the Government invested directly in, and played an important role in developing, key
sectors through its policies on land allocation, statutory boards, and Government linked companies
(GLCs). The statutory boards and the GLCs, in particular, have played a key role in the Singapore
economy. Although operating under the Companies Law and competing with other private sector
companies, the GLCs nevertheless wield considerable market power in the economy. According to
Government estimates, the GLCs currently account for around 13% of GDP and the statutory boards
and other government agencies together for an additional 9% of GDP.52Some of the sectors of the
49Singapore Customs (2003b), "Procedures: Repacking in a Free Trade Zone".
50Singapore Customs (2003b), "Bonded Warehouse Scheme".
51Projected potential duty is total duty that may be collected by Singapore Customs on the projected
maximum quantity of goods that can be stored in the licensed warehouse; average past monthly duty is the
average of total duty collected by Singapore Customs on goods stored in the warehouse on the first day of each
month during the previous 12-month period (or the whole period if the warehouse has been in existence for less
than 12 months) (Singapore Customs, 2003b, "Licensed Warehouse Scheme").
52Others, such as the United States, using a source from the Singapore Ministry of Finance dated 1993,
have claimed that the share of the GLCs and the public sector is as high as 60% of GDP (U.S. Embassy,
Singapore, 2001). The Ministry of Finance source cited in the document is the "Interim Report of the
Committee to Promote Enterprise Overseas" published in May 1993.WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
Page 50
economy in which the Government holding company, Temasek’s major companies are involved
include finance, telecommunications and media, transport and logistics, and utilities.53Their role has
come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, both within Singapore and also by Singapore's main
trading partners. The Government of Singapore has, in principle, recognized that the GLCs should be
confined to sectors and activities seen as "strategic", and statements have been made by Temasek
about gradual disinvestment in some of the non-strategic GLCs. Temasek disinvested up to
60 companies between 1968 and 2001, of which over half were divested fully; eight companies were
partially or fully divested between 1999 and 2001, of which Temasek retains majority shareholdings
in five. The 2004 Budget Speech announced that a further 12 companies were divested. Temasek had
a majority shareholding in five of these; three of the five companies were fully divested. The
Government, through Temasek, also reserves the right to invest in new companies and sectors should
this be deemed necessary.
(b) Land allocation
77. The Government of Singapore has a significant influence over the allocation and pricing of
land for industrial, agricultural, housing, and recreational use. Around 87% of Singapore's land is
owned by the State, of which around 29% is owned by the statutory boards and 58% (40,164 hectares)
is controlled directly by the ministries and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), a statutory board
under the Ministry of Law. Around two thirds of the 58% is used by Government Ministries. The
remaining one third is managed by the SLA. As the custodian of government land, the SLA’s
objective is to optimize land resources for the economic and social development of Singapore and it is
responsible for the management of all state land and buildings, land acquisitions, leases, sales,
surveys, developing, and marketing land information and maintaining the national land information
database.54
78. In addition, under the Land Acquisition Act, the Government may acquire land for public
use.55Overall strategic planning to ensure the efficient use of land is the responsibility of the Ministry
of National Development (MND), which draws up a Concept Plan setting out the long-term strategy
for Singapore's physical development. The current Concept Plan, drawn up in 2001, sets the broad
development strategy for the country for the next 40 to 50 years to meet the needs of a projected
population of around 5.5 million.56
79. The Government regularly releases state land for sale to the private sector for residential or
commercial developments through competitive tender or auction. The SLA also sells land under its
management directly to the statutory boards and other approved organizations as an agent of the State.
Such land is sold at current market valuation, which is determined by the Chief Valuer. Most
industrial land in Singapore is owned and managed by the Jurong Town Corporation, a statutory
board (renamed JTC Corporation in 2000). Most of the agricultural land is sold (on lease) by public
53Some of these GLCs are among Singapore’s largest companies and seven of the GLCs – DBS Bank,
Keppel Corporation, Neptune Orient Lines, SembCorp Industries, Singapore Airlines, SMRT Corporation, and
Singapore Telecoms – are listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange.
54Singapore Land Authority, "Land Sales" [Online]. Available at:
http://www.sla.gov.sg/what_we_do/what_we_do_land_sales.html, [8 January 2004].
55The acquisition is subject to the President’s approval, as the law requires the President to declare by
way of a gazette notification that the land is required for the purpose specified in the notification. The matters to
be considered in determining the compensation for land acquired under the Act is laid down in the Act. The
market value of the land is, inter alia , considered in determining the quantum of compensation to be awarded to
the landowner.
56Ministry of National Development, [Online]. Available at: http://www.mnd.gov.sg/
handbook/optimising/optim_contents.html, [8 January 2004].Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
Page 51
tender and is under private ownership although some is owned by the Agri-Food and Veterinary
Authority of Singapore (AVA). Land for public housing purposes is owned by the Housing and
Development Board. Land is usually sold on a 99-year lease in the case of residential and commercial
properties, for 60 or 99 years for industrial property, and for 20 years in the case of agricultural land.
The decision to release land is made by the statutory boards and approved by the MND under the
advice of the Master Plan Committee (MPC). The MPC’s role is to see that all land in Singapore is
put to optimum use, and to ensure no conflict between public projects. The MPC is chaired by the
Chief Planner from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and includes senior representatives
from the various ministries and statutory boards. The land is priced at the fair market rate. The Chief
Valuer (CV) is an independent agency that carries out valuation for the State. The fair market
valuation is determined by the CV or through competitive tender/auction through a competitive
bidding process. The sale to the private sector is always by tender/auction except for a few isolated
cases. Sale to statutory boards is only carried out if the use of land is germane to the statutory board's
functions and in such a case, the land will be sold at fair market valuation. Agricultural land is sold
through tenders, based on market value. Industrial land prices are determined by the market. Market
prices are determined from private transactions for private industrial land, as well as government land
sales transactions.
80. In an attempt to contain the cost of production in Singapore the Economic Review Committee
recommended that "competitive factor pricing" be maintained. According to the authorities,
competitive land pricing is to be maintained through the Government ensuring an adequate supply of
land and minimizing its participation in areas where there are no developmental, strategic or socio-
political considerations; and by adopting a more responsive market-based approach for industrial
rental policy. The Government has already adopted a "yellow pages" rule to minimize its
participation in commercial activities (section (c) below).
81. Foreign nationals (including permanent residents of Singapore) may not purchase landed
property unless permitted by the Controller of Residential Property, Land Dealings (Approval) Unit,
but may purchase some other types of residential property (see Chapter II).
(c) Statutory boards and public-sector companies
Statutory boards
82. In order to implement its industrial policy, the Government created statutory boards, in
addition to its ministries. Their focus has changed as the direction of industrial policy has moved
from the goal of reducing unemployment to the development of skills-based high-technology sectors.
Thus, the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), which was formed in 1961 as the main
agency in charge of implementing industrial policy, is currently emphasizing the development of
knowledge-based sectors and value-added activities. The EDB also emphasizes the important role
played by Singapore's membership of regional trade agreements and recent bilateral FTAs in
providing an expanded market to investors. The sectors currently promoted are biomedical sciences,
chemicals, education services, electronic and precision engineering, engineering and environmental
sciences, headquarters services, infocommunications and media, logistics and transport, and
professional services.57According to the authorities, "these sectors have evolved from natural
advantage and capabilities and are consciously broadened at cluster level to help the development of a
strong enterprise ecosystem".
57Singapore Economic Development Board, "Industry Opportunities", [Online]. Available at:
http://www.sedb.com/edbcorp/sg/en_uk/index/industry_opp.html, [19 September 2003].WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
Page 52
83. In addition to a wide range of tax concessions and exemptions (section (ii) below) to
encourage investment in Singapore, statutory agencies such as the EDB, the Standards, Productivity
and Innovation Board (SPRING), and IE Singapore (previously the Trade Development Board)
provide financial assistance including, inter alia, through direct equity investment in startup
companies, matching finance in new companies, and through loans (section (4)(ii)(b) below).
Financial assistance as well as tax concessions are also provided for services activities (Chapter IV).
As the Government's goal has shifted to developing higher-value-added industries, it appears that
assistance programmes have focused more on these sectors.
84. Singapore has introduced a Post Implementation Review system to regularly review whether
its tax incentives are still relevant and effective in achieving desired objectives. This has resulted in
the removal of some incentives (section (ii) below). Data on tax revenue forgone on or any cost
benefit analysis of Singapore's incentives were not available.
85. In addition to financial assistance by statutory boards, the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC)
plays a key role in industrial policy in managing Singapore's industrial parks. A statutory board
within the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the JTC offers industrial and business facilities, including
specialized parks for high-technology and life-science industries.58For small new businesses (less
than three years old), with an annual turnover of less than S$1 million, and with at least 30% local
equity, the JTC offers a rent subsidy for the first three years of operation (25% off the posted rent for
the first year, followed by 15% and 5% in the second and third years).59
86. A number of statutory boards are also involved directly in economic activities through their
investment in fully owned companies (see section (ii)(b) below).
Government linked companies (GLCs)
87. The government linked corporations are a major feature of Singapore's economic structure.60
Since Singapore's independence in 1965, the Government has played an active role in economic
development. In addition to various government departments and statutory boards, GLCs were
created to fulfil this objective. The companies are active in a range of sectors from port and shipping
services to banking, power, food, media, and public amenities like the zoo and bird park; investment
is also planned in new high-technology sectors such as biotechnology. In 1974, the Government
formed Temasek Holdings, a holding company of the Ministry of Finance, to which it transferred all
its equity in the GLCs.61Temasek's role is to "build a future for Singapore through nurturing
successful and vibrant international enterprises". In response to concerns about the role of these
companies, the Government has stated that it will divest those that do not have international growth
potential or serve no strategic/public purpose; however, there is no definition of what constitutes a
"strategic" or "non-strategic" company. According to the Singapore Department of Statistics, the
58Jurong Town Corporation, [Online]. Available at: http://www.jtc.gov.sg [24 September 2003].
59The programme applies to companies in: information technology and software development for
industrial applications; electronics, micro-electronics, telecommunications and electrical systems;
manufacturing technology (such as nanotechnology); food and flavouring technology; materials technology;
and non-hazardous chemical and life sciences technology.
60A company is known as a GLC when the Government holds at least 20% of its equity.
61Sheng-Li Holdings and MND Holdings were the other main holding companies under the Ministry
of Finance. MND Holdings was the holding company for investments made by MND (Ministry of National
Development) at that time. These MND investments have been fully divested and it no longer has any operating
companies. Sheng-Li Holdings changed its name to Singapore Technologies Holdings in 1990. It is now part
of the Temasek stable of companies. Another holding company, the Government Investment Corporation
(GIC), also owned by the Ministry of Finance, is responsible for investing Singapore's reserves.Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
Page 53
GLCs account for around 13% of Singapore's GDP, although this estimate includes only first and
second tier GLCs.62Temasek currently has 22 first-tier companies, with 7 listed on the Singapore
Stock Exchange.63These listed companies account for an estimated 21% of total market
capitalization on the Singapore Stock Exchange.64While Temasek reports only on its major
companies, it is reported that the influence of the GLCs is much greater due to their shareholdings or
ownership of other companies.65There are also several companies that are wholly owned by the
Singapore Government's statutory boards (see below). The Economic Review Committee suggested
in a report that there should be rules governing the setting up of enterprises under the statutory boards
as these can give rise to a conflict of interest and can lead to economic distortions. In response, the
Singapore Government has issued a set of guidelines to ministries and statutory boards on the
formation of companies under statutory boards. Statutory boards should only form companies that
serve a strategic/public role integral to the mission of the statutory board or do not breach the "yellow
pages" rule.66The Government regularly conducts reviews to identify companies that no longer serve
a strategic/public purpose. It has divested Hdbay and has said it will divest PSB Corp and Ascendas
within the next few years.
88. The GLCs are subject to the Companies Act and must compete on a commercial basis with all
other companies, both domestic and foreign. In addition, Temasek states that it only provides
strategic guidance to the companies and appoints directors to their boards. The Government does not
provide any subsidies specifically to the GLCs although it does maintain a "special share" in some
companies, which would appear to allow it to veto decisions taken by the Board.67Nevertheless,
there is currently a debate about the role of the Government in Singapore's economy, in particular to
address the allegation that GLCs had moved into areas not originally covered in their remit and were
crowding out the private sector.68Other allegations include that the performance of some of
Singapore's largest GLCs has been poor69; and that direct or indirect government ownership may
62Economic Review Committee (2002). The 13% figure is based on first and second tier government-
owned companies that are classified as GLCs. Any companies that may be wholly or partially owned by second
tier GLCs therefore would not be classified as GLCs. If the statutory boards and the government are included,
total government involvement in the economy is estimated at around 22% of GDP (Department of Statistics’
Occasional Paper "Contribution of Government-Linked Companies to Gross Domestic Product"). Other sources
have estimated that the total number of GLCs is in the hundreds ("Untangling Temasek", Far Eastern Economic
Review , 7 November 2002).
63These are: DBS Bank (29%), Keppel Corporation (32%), Neptune Orient Lines (33%), SemBorp
Industries (51%), Singapore Airlines (57%), SMRT Corporation (62%) and Singapore Telecoms (67%)
(Information as at 30 September 2003).
64IMF (2003).
65In a key sector such as telecommunications, for example, Temasek directly or indirectly has major
shareholdings in the three largest operators (67.5% in SingTel, 50.5% ownership of StarHub by Singapore
Technologies Telemedia, a Temasek company; and 35% ownership of MobileOne by Keppel
Telecommunications and Transportation, owned by Temasek).
66The yellow pages rule refers to whether there are private-sector players listed in the Yellow Pages
directory, performing similar activities.
67Special share provisions relate to Singapore Airlines and Singapore Technologies Engineering
among companies listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange.
68The last TPR of Singapore for example, reported on questions that had been raised in Parliament on
this issue (WTO, 2000, p. 72). The issue was also discussed in the Enterpreneurship and Internationalisation
Subcommittee of the Economic Review Committee, which issued its report in May 2002.
69It is reported that Temasek companies have a mixed record when it comes to adding economic value,
with several companies making major losses ("Untangling Temasek", Far Eastern Economic Review ,
7 November 2002; and "Government-Linked Firms Spark Debate in Singapore", Asian Wall Street Journal ,
26 December 2001).WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
Page 54
prevent mergers with companies in other countries because of the fear of foreign government
ownership.70
89. The ERC Report suggested that the Government no longer needed to involve itself in business
and should intervene only in exceptional circumstances, such as market failure. It suggests,
moreover, that the Government should be involved in the management of a critical resource (such as
airports and seaports), to meet public policy objectives and to develop new growth engines; in the
case of the development of new growth areas, the report suggests that the Government's participation
should end when the private sector is ready to assume a role. The Government appears, in principle,
to support these recommendations.71Nevertheless, while admitting that there may be fewer reasons
and opportunities for the Government to invest in certain economic activities and sectors, it does not
rule out the possibility that "it may need to invest directly in new businesses, which are exceptionally
risky or have long gestation periods, where the private sector is not willing to go." Temasek's Charter
declares that the company "will continue to rationalize and consolidate its shareholdings and will
continue to divest businesses which no longer require government participation or which have limited
potential for regional or international growth." However, it will continue to own and control
companies to maintain its ownership of critical resources (including water, power and gas grids,
airports and seaports), or to achieve public policy objectives (gaming, public broadcasting, subsidized
services in healthcare, education, and housing, and public amenities such as the zoo and aviary) unless
such companies "become no longer strategic to Singapore or when viable market alternatives or
regulatory frameworks are in place". Temasek is willing to dilute its share in companies that have the
potential to expand internationally such as PSA Corporation (Port of Singapore Authority) or DBS
Bank "where it makes strategic or commercial sense."72In practice, however, it is not clear what the
Government or Temasek regard as "strategic". It appears that Temasek has been investing
significantly in regional banks in an effort to expand its banking portfolio (it already owns South-East
Asia's largest bank, the DBS Group) although it is not clear that this is regarded as an area that is
strategic or whether the private sector cannot be as effective as Temasek.73
90. There has been some divestment by Temasek of its companies over the years. During 1968-
2001, some 60 companies were partially or fully privatized. However, it is difficult to judge the
impact of such privatization, since data were not available on the size of the companies or the sectors
they are involved in. Since 1999, Temasek has reduced its shareholding in, or sold, eight companies.
With the exception of three companies74, however, these have been partial privatizations, with
Temasek continuing to be the majority shareholder75; Temasek also announced a reduction in its
shareholding of SingTel by up to 5% from 67% in January 2004. The Budget for 2004 announced
further Temasek divestments in 12 companies in 2003 up to February 2004; Temasek had majority
70This was allegedly one reason why a merger between Cable and Wireless HKT Ltd. in Hong, Kong,
China and SingTel did not go through (See for example, "Singapore Privatization Push Expected" International
Herald Tribune , 3 May 2000).
71See for example, Lee Hsien Loong (2002).
72Temasek Charter [Online]. Available at: http://www.temasekholdings.com.sg/temasek_news/
new_release/03_07_2002.htm, [3 November 2003].
73"Have Singapore's banks missed the boat?", Business Times , 22-23 November 2003.
74The three companies are: Semac (waste management) and Indeco Engineers (Infrastructure and
Engineering sector) in which Temasek's shareholding was reduced to zero from 100% and 96%, respectively;
and PacNet (telecommunications and media sector) where Temasek's shareholding was reduced from 100% to
45%.
75The companies classified as divested by Temasek since 1999 but in which it maintains a majority
shareholding are: Charted Semiconductor (semiconductors) from 90% to 60%; ST Assembly Test Services
(semiconductors) from 90% to 72%; SMRT Corporation (transport and logistics) from 100% to 62%;
SIAEC/SATS (transport and logistics) from 100% to 87%; and DBS Land/Capital Land (property services)
from 100% to 61%.Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
Page 55
shareholdings in five of these companies of which it divested three completely.76The Government
has clarified that "it will divest those that are no longer relevant to its mission, but this must be at the
right time, at a fair price, in a way which does not unsettle the market and which ensures that the
GLCs continue to be properly managed after investment." Furthermore, in an effort to increase
transparency, Temasek announced that it would be issuing its first Annual Report in July or
August 2004; the move, according to press reports, appears to be partly in connection with Temasek
expanding overseas.77
91. While previous studies on the role of the GLCs conclude that they do not appear to receive
any special privileges, government ownership may suggest that they would have easier access to
credit, procurement etc. This appears to be the perception among small and medium-sized private
enterprises.78A recent study on GLCs has found that partially privatized and publicly listed GLCs
appear not to have easier access to credit than other companies; but that capital markets do value
GLCs more highly than non-GLCs, thus giving GLCs an advantage over other private sector
companies.79It has been argued that because GLCs are usually cash rich they do not need to raise
much money from capital markets, suggesting in turn that this reduces the potential disciplines the
market can impose on the GLCs.80
(ii) Incentives
(a) Taxation
Indirect taxes
92. Indirect taxes consist of: a goods and services tax (GST) on domestic consumption of most
goods and services; excise taxes on alcohol products, tobacco products, petroleum products, and
motor vehicles; stamp duty on instruments relating to immovable property and stocks and shares;
and betting duties. There is also a 1% cess on all "cessable" items sold by hotels, tourist food
establishments, and public houses; it is collected by the Singapore Tourism Board and is earmarked
for the Tourism Fund, established under the Singapore Tourism Board Act. To implement the
recommendations of Singapore's Economic Review Committee, GST rates were raised from 3% to
4% on 1 January 2003 and to 5% on 1 January 2004. Companies with an annual turnover of taxable
supplies in excess of S$1 million are required to register for payment of GST. Exports and
international services are zero-rated, and financial services and the sale and lease of residential land
and buildings are exempted from payment of GST. Singapore raised around 10% of its total tax
revenue through the GST in FY 2002; this is projected to increase to around 13.6% of FY 2003
estimated tax revenue as a result of the increase in rate from 3% to 4% in 2003.
76These are CPG Corp (in the construction and maintenance sector) from 100% to zero; SingTel
Yellow Pages (search services) from 100% to zero; and ECICS Credit Insurance and ECICS Guarantee
(financial services) from 88% to zero. Two other companies in which Temasek had majority shareholdings
were partially divested: SingPost (Postal services) from 100% to 31%; and International Factors (financial
solutions) from 56% to 16% (Budget Speech 2004, Annex A-1).
77See for example, Chanel News Asia, 23 March 2004, [Online]. Available at:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/76722/1.html, [8 March 2004].
78IMF (2003).
79The study by the IMF finds that being a GLC is rewarded in financial markets with a premium of
about 20% even after accounting for the fact that GLCs tend to be large and could exercise monopoly power or
exploit economies of scale to their advantage (IMF, 2003).
80Teen and Phan (1999).WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
Page 56
Direct taxes
93. Singapore's direct taxes are imposed on income derived in Singapore or income derived
overseas, but received in Singapore. Corporate taxes are imposed on companies incorporated or
registered under any law in force in Singapore or elsewhere. In addition, there is property tax and
estate duty. Some 53% of Singapore's revenue from direct tax is raised through corporate income tax.
The share, as a percentage of total (direct and indirect) tax revenue was 32.4% in FY 2001. The
authorities maintain that this percentage has been relatively stable at around 30% since the last
Review despite a reduction in the corporate tax rate. This, they state, is due to higher corporate
surpluses; data based on the collection of corporate income tax shows that from FY 1999 to FY 2001,
there was an increase in both the number of companies and net tax assessed. Personal income tax
accounted for 33% of direct tax revenue in FY 2001.
94. As of 1 January 2003, the corporate tax structure was changed; tax is charged on adjusted net
profits less depreciation allowances but excluding all dividends paid, which are now tax exempt. The
corporate tax rate has declined steadily from 26% at the time of the last Review in 2000 to 22% from
1 January 2003; there is a partial tax exemption for the first S$100,000 of income.
95. Personal income tax rates range from 0% on the first S$20,000 of chargeable income, to 4%
on the next S$10,000, and to 22% on every dollar of chargeable income in excess of S$320,000 per
year. There are seven tax brackets. The top rate of personal income tax has been reduced from 28%
at the time of the previous Review to 26% in 2002 and to 22% in the 2003 assessment year.81The
Government provides income tax relief under various schemes to meet its social objectives, including
to encourage filial piety, child birth, and upgrading of skills, etc.
96. Recent changes in both the personal and corporate tax structure appear to be in response to
recommendations by the Economic Review Committee. The Committee recommended reductions in
the corporate tax rate from 24.5% to 20% and the top personal tax rate from 26% to 20% within three
years to enable Singapore to compete with other countries in the region; in addition, it recommended
that Singapore reduce its high car-ownership taxes gradually and shift the burden of tax to car usage
rather than ownership.82To balance the potential loss of revenue, an increase in indirect tax (GST)
from 3% to 5% was recommended, with measures to help lower-income groups cope with the
increase.
97. Property tax is levied on all land and buildings. The basis of taxation is the gross rent at
which the property can reasonably be expected to be rented on an annual basis. The general property
tax rate is currently 10%, with a lower rate of 4% for owner-occupied residential properties.
Singapore also levies estate duties at 5% for every dollar of the first S$12 million, and 10% for every
dollar above S$12 million. Certain exemptions from payment of estate duties are also provided.
These are: dwellings used solely for residential purposes up to a value of S$9 million; all other assets
including the CPF balance up to a value of S$600,000; and the CPF balance even if it exceeds
S$600,000.
81It is estimated that two thirds of working adults in Singapore are not subject to tax (Economic
Review Committee, 2003).
82It is estimated that in order to own a car in Singapore, in addition to the open market value of the car,
the owner must pay for the "certificate of entitlement" a permit based on an annual quota, with an average price
of around S$30,000 (some US$17,300) as well as a registration fee and excise duty (140% and 31%,
respectively, of the open market value of the car); thus the final cost of owning a car with an open market value
of S$20,000 (US$11,500) may be as much as S$95,000 (almost US$55,000).Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
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98. In response to difficulties faced by companies as a result of the Asian financial crisis, the
Government provided assistance through a 10% rebate on corporate income tax excluding Singapore
dividends and income subject to final withholding tax for assessment year 1999. For the 2001 year of
assessment the rebate was changed to 50% on the first S$25,000 of tax payable and 5% on the balance
of tax payable (both exclusive of tax on Singapore dividend and on income subject to the final
withholding tax). The rebate was reduced to 5% of tax payable (excluding tax on Singapore dividend
and tax on income subject to the final withholding tax) for the 2002 assessment year.83A partial tax
exemption was also introduced in the 2002 assessment year: 75% of the first S$10,000 of chargeable
income and 50% of the next S$90,000 of chargeable income is exempt from tax.84According to the
authorities, the GST offset package and income tax cuts in assessment year 2003 (i.e. cut in corporate
tax rate and top personal income tax rate to 22%) would ensure that the great majority of Singapore
households would not be worse off for at least five years.
Incentives
99. Singapore continues to promote investment in certain sectors or activities through tax
incentives. The incentives are provided under the Economic Expansion Incentives (Relief from
Income Tax) Act and the Income Tax Act. Singapore is currently promoting high-skilled, research
and development based activities. Thus, in addition to previous long-standing programmes, such as
Pioneer Status, whose role has evolved from developing the manufacturing sector to high-value-added
industries, new programmes such as the R&D and IP management hub scheme, and tax concessions
on royalties, have been developed to encourage companies into high technology activities
(Table III.7). Tax incentives are also offered to encourage services, including by the Monetary
Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) (Chapter IV).
Table III.7
Tax incentives offered by the Economic Development Board
Scheme Eligibility Incentive
Approved foreign
loan schemeaCompany granted a minimum loan of S$200,000
from a foreign lender for purchase of productive
equipmentComplete or partial exemption from withholding tax
on interest payable to the lender
Approved royalties
incentiveaCompany paying royalties to a foreign partner Full or partial exemption from withholding tax on
royalties
Development and
expansion incentiveaFirms engaging in new projects or expanding
existing projects providing significant economic
benefit for SingaporeConcessional tax rate of 5% to 15% for qualifying
income streams
Double deduction for
R&D expenditurebEligible manufacturing and services companies
engaged in R&DDouble deduction for qualifying R&D expenses
against income
Investment allowance
incentiveaProposed investment to be made within a
qualifying period of not more than five yearsExemption on a specified proportion of expenditure of
new fixed investment in productive equipment
International
headquartersaCompanies providing management and other
approved headquarters-related services to
subsidiary, associated or related companies in other
countries on an international scaleConcessional tax rate on income from providing
qualifying HQ services to approved network
companies
Pioneer statusaNew manufacturing and service investments
introducing skills substantially more advanced than
the average industry levelExemption from corporate income tax on qualifying
profits for up to ten years
Table III.7 (cont'd)
83IRAS (undated), "Tax Rebate".
84IRAS (undated), "Partial Tax Exemption".WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
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Scheme Eligibility Incentive
Regional
headquartersaCompanies providing management and other
approved headquarters-related services to
subsidiary, associated or related companies in other
countries on a regional scaleConcessional tax rate of 15% on income from
providing qualifying HQ services to approved network
companies for three years
R&D and IP
management hub
schemeaCompanies engaging in R&D and/or intellectual
property management activities from SingaporeExemption for a period of five financial years on
foreign-sourced royalties or foreign-sourced interest
remitted to Singapore to be spent on R&D
Tax concession on
royalty income from
approved inventions
or innovationIndividuals receiving royalty income arising from
an approved invention or approved innovationRoyalty income will be taxed (at 10%) on 10% of
gross royalty or net royalty income (after deductions),
whichever is lower
Technopreneur
investment incentiveaCompanies who invest in qualifying Singapore-
based technopreneurial start-up activityAn investor in an approved company can deduct losses
incurred from selling shares in the approved company
against its/his own taxable income
Venture capital fund
incentivebVenture funds with activities in Singapore Partial or full corporate tax exemption, for a set period,
on income from divestment of shares, foreign dividend
and foreign interest income
Writing-down
allowance for
acquisition of know
howbCompanies engaging in Intellectual Property
management activities in SingaporeAllows amortization of acquisition costs over five
years for tax purposes
Writing-down
allowance for cost
sharing agreementbCompanies which have signed a genuine cost-
sharing agreement to cost-share the expenses for
R&DAllows amortization over one to five years of cost-
sharing payments in R&D, which would otherwise not
be deductible
a Granted under the Economic Expansion Incentives (Relief from Income Tax) Act.
b Granted under the Income Tax Act.
Source: Economic Development Board, Government of Singapore.
100. Given that there are no studies on tax revenue forgone or cost benefit analysis of the
incentives, it is difficult to judge the effectiveness of such measures in attracting additional investment
to Singapore and adding to Singapore’s attractiveness as an investment destination. The authorities
state that the use of tax revenue forgone is a static and inaccurate cost benefit analysis as there are
other multiplier and spillover effects such as job creation, skills and technology transfer, that are not
accounted for in the analysis. However, no alternative measures that take these spillover effects into
account appear to be available either. It is not clear whether the tax incentives add anything to
Singapore’s already attractive status as a relatively stable economy and therefore a good destination
for foreign investment.85Singapore seems to be moving towards a lower corporate tax rate (which
would in itself suggest a lowering of the value of incentives to potential investors). In addition, some
incentive programmes have been discontinued as a result of a post implementation review system.
Recent examples include: the Hotel Refurbishment Scheme (removed in July 2003) and Tax
Deduction for Expenditure on Energy Conservation (removed in November 2003) under the Income
Tax Act; Production for Export under the Economic Expansion Incentive Act is due to be removed
sometime in 2004. It is unclear whether the overall number of programmes and the revenue forgone
has increased or decreased as a result. Singapore maintains that the objective of its tax incentive
programmes is mainly to address market failures (e.g. in the area of promoting R&D) and to promote
capability development in companies.
85Corporate tax revenue, as a percentage of total tax revenue, in Singapore is relatively high by
international standards, some 32%, suggesting that the incentives may not be as generous as they appear.Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
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(b) Non-tax incentives
101. In addition to tax incentives, various statutory boards provide direct assistance in the form of
grants or loans to companies. In keeping with the current challenges of rising unemployment and a
need to move into higher-value-added and skills-based activities, the main emphasis appears to be on
assisting small and medium-sized companies to establish themselves and helping companies and
workers to improve technology skills. Singapore continues to offer assistance to local enterprises
through programme such as the local industry upgrading programme and the locally based enterprise
advancement programme (Table AIII.4). In addition, as part of the general policy to encourage high
value-added economic activities, both the Economic Development Board and the Standards,
Productivity and Innovation Board (SPRING) provide a large number of incentives to encourage
companies to invest in research and development and to patent and use innovations. Some of these
are provided through companies and schemes to facilitate investment.
102. A number of statutory boards have also formed companies to invest directly in the promotion
of certain activities. The EDB, for example, formed EDB Investments Pte Ltd (EDBI) in 1991 to
invest in the development of industry clusters and new technologies. The group currently manages
over S$8 billion in funds. EDBI also manages strategic investments in partnership with local and/or
foreign partners to expand Singapore's industries through risk-sharing joint ventures. These joint
ventures cover, inter alia, chemicals, electronics, precision engineering, logistics and transport,
services, and other emerging clusters being promoted by the EDB. To date, EDBI has committed
S$1.9 billion in 35 such projects. The EDB also established the Startup Enterprise Development
Scheme (SEEDS) to provide matching financing in innovative start-up companies up to a maximum
of S$300,000. The objective is to foster entrepreneurship and innovation activities in Singapore
through matching financing by the Government. To date SEEDS has provided funding of
S$27 million for 98 companies. Another company, EDBV Management Pte Ltd , set up in 2003,
manages the EDB's venture capital and private equity investment funds. These funds seek to
"commercialize innovative and emerging technologies and develop new business models".
Investments are made, inter alia, in education, information technology, mobile commerce, electronics,
and precision engineering. To date, the fund has invested up to S$620 million in over 190 companies.
Other companies include Bio*One Capital Pte Ltd, which manages four dedicated biomedical
sciences funds with a value of over S$1 million and investment of S$480 million in over
90 companies86; and TIF Ventures Pte Ltd, a part of the Government's Technopreneurship
21 initiative, which manages the Technopreneurship Investment Fund (TIF), and has committed
S$1.4 billion in over 60 funds to date. Other examples of companies formed by statutory boards
include IES' Global Business Insights Pte Ltd, which aims to assist Singapore-based companies to
internationalize by providing knowledge about the market, and the EMA's Energy Market Company
Pte Ltd., formed to operate the Singapore electricity market.
103. Assistance is also given to train employees especially in new technologies. Other statutory
boards such as A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) also provide funding to
public sector organizations for research and development and directly assist businesses to develop
research and development capabilities. Assistance is also provided for various services, including by
the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), the Media Development Authority (MDA), and the
Singapore Tourism Board (STB) (Chapter IV).
86Bio*One Capital focuses on "strategic investments that have key scientific and economic
contributions to Singapore's biomedical sciences industry, with the goal of generating highly skilled jobs and
transferring technology and expertise to Singapore".WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
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(iii) Legal framework for businesses
104. Persons wishing to carry on business in Singapore may do so either as a company or a
registered business firm. Companies are regulated under the Companies Act (Chapter 50). A local
company may be incorporated as a private company limited by shares or a public company limited by
shares or limited by guarantee. A foreign company incorporated outside of Singapore that wishes to
carry on business in Singapore must first register a branch under the Companies Act. Persons who
wish to carry on business as a sole-proprietorship or a partnership must first register under the
Business Registration Act (Chapter 32). The Companies Act and the Business Registration Act are
administered by the Registrar of Companies and Registrar of Businesses respectively. For certain
activities listed under the Control of Manufactures Act, permission must first be obtained from the
Ministry of Trade and Industry; the Act's Schedule was revised following the implementation of the
Singapore's bilateral FTA with the United States.87The rationale for requiring such permission is
mainly health, safety, environmental, and intellectual property protection considerations. The
authorities state that the Act is essentially administrative and Singapore has not turned down any
licences applications.
105. As part of its overall efforts to review the environment in which companies operate, the
Government established the Company Legislation and Regulatory Framework Committee in late
1999. The Committee reported in October 2002, and the Government has decided to implement the
recommendations in stages; the first was carried out in May 2003.88The changes include measures to
reduce compliance costs for smaller companies and start-ups89, and improve corporate governance
(see below). Amendments giving effect to the second set of changes have been submitted to
Parliament for approval.90The changes include allowing one shareholder/one director companies,
facilitating capital raising by private companies, and abolishing the ultra vires doctrine.
(iv) Competition policy and corporate governance
(a) Competition policy
106. Singapore does not have an over-arching competition policy or anti-trust legislation. Instead,
it maintains sector-specific measures to regulate certain services, especially those previously subject
to public monopolies. These relate mainly to telecommunications, media, electricity, and gas, which
are currently regulated by statutory boards created for monitoring and regulation purposes.
87Goods previously specified in the First Schedule were: air conditioners; beer and stout; cigars;
drawn steel products; firecrackers; pig iron and sponge iron; refrigerators; rolled steel products; steel ingots,
billets, blooms and slabs; chewing gum, bubble gum, dental chewing gum or any like substance; compact
discs, CD-ROMs, VCD; and DVDs, DVD-ROMs. Products specified in the Second Schedule were: cigarettes
and matches. The revised list of activities requiring permission now contains the following items: beer and
stout; cigars; cigarettes; drawn steel products; chewing gum (other than medicinal cum and oral dental gum);
matches; CD, CD-ROMs, VCDs, DVDs, DVDs.
88Out of 48 recommendations relating to the Companies Act, which the Government has accepted, it
has implemented 25. Another 11 recommendations will be effected by the Companies (Amendment) Bill 2004.
(Bill No. 03/2004). Available online at: http://www.parliament.gov.sg/Legislation/Htdocs/bills.html).
89These include, inter alia , exempting private companies from having to appoint professionally
qualified company secretaries, exempting dormant companies and small exempt private companies with annual
turnover below S$2.5 million (the threshold will be raised to S$5 million in May 2004) from preparing or filing
audited accounts, although shareholders holding at least 5% of shares in the company and the Registrar of
Companies and Businesses should be entitled to require audited accounts.
90Companies (Amendment) Bill (Bill No. 03/2004).Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
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107. The Government has indicated its intention to enact a generic competition law and set up an
independent competition authority in two to three years. Singapore is currently in the process of inter-
ministry consultation and will proceed with a public consultation thereafter. In the formulation of the
proposed law, the primary objective will be to promote efficient markets so as to strengthen
microeconomic competitiveness. In general, the proposed law will apply to all commercial and
economic activities by private sector entities, including GLCs, in all sectors unless there are
exclusions and exemptions for reasons of public policy and interest. The legislation may lead to a
deeper examination of Singapore's GLCs and their impact on competition in the economy. While
they do not receive special privileges, it has been alleged in the past that GLCs may benefit from their
ownership by the Government through Temasek.91
108. While welcoming the decision to enact a general competition policy, the Economic Review
Committee stressed that it should not impose a new layer of regulation and burdensome compliance
costs on businesses. It argued that competition law was ex post, allowing market players to operate
freely and taking action only when they broke the law; competition law should therefore be
regulation with a light touch and more pro-enterprise in nature.92Among the proposed elements of a
generic competition law are that it should: be comprehensive and include all sectors and types of
companies; be subject to continuous review; enable equal access by all types of companies to
national infrastructure; prohibit activities such as collusion, bid-rigging, price fixing, abuse of
dominant power; require mergers and acquisitions above a certain threshold value to be notified to
the competition authority before they take place; and impose penalties for violations of competition
law. The Committee also suggested exempting certain activities considered to be in the national
interest from the competition law, including collective wage bargaining, essential charges such as for
public transport, and activities to promote cluster-based development and international
competitiveness. The Government is currently considering all of the Committee's recommendations
on their merits in formulating an appropriate competition policy that reflects the needs and
requirements of Singapore’s economy. Under the terms of Singapore's recent FTA with the United
States, it is to enact a general competition law by January 2005; all enterprises, including government
enterprises, will be subject to competition disciplines.93
109. The Code on Take-Overs and Mergers is non-statutory; it supplements the statutory
provisions on takeovers in the Securities and Futures Act, which seek to protect minority shareholders
in the case of a change in effective control of a public company. The Code is administered by the
Securities Industry Council and essentially provides guidance to directors and officers of companies
in the event of a merger or takeover of a public company.
(b) Corporate governance
110. An efficient capital market capable of mobilizing domestic savings and channelling them into
the most productive investments is essential for improving Singapore’s competitiveness and long-term
development. Good corporate governance is considered essential for the establishment of such a
market. It has been noted that corporate governance in practice remained relatively underdeveloped
in Singapore before the late 1990s, in part due to the high concentration of ownership and the relative
lack of confrontational mergers and acquisitions.94The Asian economic crisis in the late 1990s led to
91See for example, IMF (2003) which suggests that being a GLC is rewarded in financial markets with
a premium of around 20%.
92Economic Review Committee (2002a).
93US-Singapore FTA, Chapter 12 on Anticompetitive Business Conduct, Designated Monopolies and
Government Enterprises.
94Teen and Phan (1999).WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
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calls for improved corporate governance and responsibility, not just in Singapore, but across much of
the world.
111. In Singapore, as part of an effort to strengthen the financial services sector, the Financial
Sector Review Group was formed by the MAS in late 1997; the committees formed by the Group
were the Committee on Banking Disclosure, the Corporate Finance Committee and the SES Review
Committee. The reports issued by these committees in 1998 recommended, inter alia , several
measures to improve corporate governance in the financial services sector.95Many of these
recommendations were adopted and aim to increase MAS's supervisory powers and transparency in
disclosure. In addition, the Government established the Singapore Institute of Directors in July 1998.
Its goal is to "promote high standards of corporate governance through education and training and
upholding of the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct of directors".
112. In December 1999, the Ministry of Finance, the MAS, and the Attorney General's Chambers
established three committees to review corporate governance practices, disclosure and accounting
standards, and legislation relating to companies. The Corporate Governance Committee (CGC) was
established to review best practices in corporate governance among publicly listed companies in
Singapore, examine international best practice guidelines on corporate governance, and recommend
best practices for Singapore and suggest ways to promote and enhance corporate governance in
Singapore.96In March 2001, the Committee reported to the Government, which has accepted its
recommendations in establishing the Code of Corporate Governance.
113. The Code of Corporate Governance is voluntary and is meant to guide Singapore's public
listed companies in improving corporate governance. It states that "companies must take upon
themselves the responsibility for adopting governance practices best suited to their circumstances".
However, listed companies are required to disclose in their annual reports their corporate governance
practices with reference to the Code, and disclose and explain any deviations from the Code. The
Code of Corporate Governance includes matters relating to: the composition of the Board of
Directors, recommending that at least a third should be independent; the establishment of a
remuneration committee in each company to provide objectivity in establishing remunerations; as
well as procedures to maintain the objectivity and independence of audits, and more effective
communication with shareholders.
114. The Disclosure and Accounting Standards Committee (DASC) reported in September 2001.97
The Government has accepted its recommendations, which include: quarterly financial reporting by
all listed companies; maintaining auditor independence including by prohibiting auditors of public
companies from providing their audit clients with certain non-audit services, such as book-keeping;
statutory requirements for companies to comply with accounting standards; and to move towards
harmonizing Singapore's audit standards with international standards.
115. To ensure that there is a continuous review of accounting and governance standards, the
DASC also recommended setting up an independent panel to prescribe accounting standards for
Singapore and assist the Government in reviewing and enhancing corporate governance and
disclosure. The Council on Corporate Disclosure and Governance (CCDG) was established on
95Details of the steps taken to improve governance in the financial services sector are provided in
WTO (2000), Chapter IV(4)(iv)).
96Ministry of Finance online information, "Review of Corporate Regulation and Governance:
Corporate Governance Committee". Available at: http://www.mof.gov.sg/cor/cgc.html [16 September 2003].
97Ministry of Finance online information, "Review of Corporate Regulation and Governance:
Disclosure and Accounting Standards Committee". Available at: http://www.mof.gov.sg/cor/dasc.html
[23 March 2004].Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
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16 August 2002. Its terms of reference are: to prescribe accounting standards in Singapore; to
strengthen the existing framework of disclosure practices and reporting standards, taking into account
trends in corporate regulatory issues and international best practices; and to review and enhance the
existing framework on corporate governance and promote good corporate governance in Singapore,
taking into account international best practice. The CCDG, which includes representatives from
business, professional bodies, academic institutions, and government appointed by the Minister of
Finance, is currently chaired by the Chairman of the Singapore Exchange.98The Council has
prescribed and issued its Financial Reporting Standards (FRS), with which compliance is required
under the Companies Act for financial statements covering periods beginning on or after
1 January 2003.99In prescribing these standards, the Council works with the Institute of Certified
Public Accountants of Singapore (ICPAS) and conducts public consultations to obtain feedback from
other interested parties. It is also responsible for reviewing and updating the Code of Corporate
Governance. The Council exercises jurisdiction only on matters relating to the FRS, which are
enforced through the Companies Act; on all other matters its role is restricted to advising the
Government.100
116. The last of the three committees, the Company Legislation and Regulatory Framework
Committee (CLFRC) submitted its report in October 2002. Its terms of reference were "to undertake
a comprehensive and coherent review of Singapore's company law and regulatory framework and
recommend a modern company law and regulatory framework for Singapore which accords with
global standards and will promote a competitive economy". In October 2002 the Government
announced that it had accepted all the recommendations of the CLFRC. The Companies
(Amendment) Bill 2004, which will give effect to the second batch of the CLRFC’s
recommendations, was introduced in Parliament on 5 January 2004.
(v) Intellectual property rights
(a) Introduction
117. As part of its overall goal to move into high technology sectors, Singapore has continued to
strengthen its intellectual property rights protection framework. Singapore believes that intellectual
property rights protection is a key element in helping Singapore become more innovative and will
assist in creating a "knowledge-based economy".
118. Singapore is a contracting state of, inter alia, the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), the Paris
Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Berne Convention for the Protection of
Literary and Artistic Works, the Budapest Treaty, and the Nice Agreement. Since its previous
Review, Singapore has acceded to the Madrid Protocol on registration of marks on 31 October 2000.
Further changes envisaged include: aligning Singapore's patent legislation with the January 2004
changes to the Patent Cooperation Treaty; giving effect to Articles 1-6 of the Joint Recommendations
Concerning Provisions on Well-Known Marks (1999) and the Trademark Law Treaty; and acceding
to the Brussels Convention Relating to the Distribution of Programme-Carrying Signals Transmitted
by Satellite, the UPOV Convention (1991), the WIPO Copyright Treaty (1996), and the WIPO
Performances and Phonograms Treaty (1996) by the beginning of 2005.
98Council on Corporate Disclosure and Governance online information. Available at:
http://www.ccdg.gov.sg/ [16 September 2003].
99A list of Financial Reporting Standards is available online at: http://www.ccdg.gov.sg/frs/index.htm
[23 March 2004].
100Speech by Mr J.Y. Pillay, Chairman of Singapore Exchange Limited, at the ICPAS Annual Dinner,
Friday 17 October 2003. Available online at: htpp://www.ccdg.gov.sg/news/press_release_17102003.htm,
[4 December 2003].WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
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119. Singapore formed the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) in 2001, a statutory
board, under the Ministry of Law. IPOS now has greater autonomy to expand its activities beyond
registration and regulation of IPRs to policy development, reforming and updating legislation, and
promotional and facilitation activities. As part of efforts to improve its IPR infrastructure, IPOS has
established targets for itself for registering trade marks (to issue its first examination report within
four months of filing) and designs (registration to take place within three months from receipt of
completed documentation); according to the authorities this target is met in over 90% and 85% of
cases, respectively. Information technology is also being used widely to hasten and ease the process
of applying for IPRs. The IPOS also provides administrative support to the Copyright Tribunal and
represents the Government internationally on intellectual property matters. Efforts to increase
awareness of IPRs and innovation include various awareness IPOS programmes for businesses, for
the public, and for the youth; and the IP Academy, which was set up in January 2003 to provide
continuing education for professionals, businesses, and research organizations in Singapore and in the
region and to develop IP capabilities through research programmes.
120. As part of recent bilateral trade agreements, Singapore plans to enhance protection currently
granted to patents, trade marks, copyrights, and new plant varieties. From 1 July 2004, a patent term
extension (up to a maximum of five years) may be sought on the grounds that there was an
unreasonable curtailment to the patent term (of a patented pharmaceutical product) caused by the
process of obtaining marketing approval for the said pharmaceutical product; trade mark registration
will be extended to non-visual marks; there will be stronger protection for well known marks; and
copyright protection will be extended from the current 50 years to 70 years after the death of the
author.
121. Further enhancements to the current intellectual property rights framework, expected to take
effect by 1 January 2005, include: the possibility to elect for pre-established damages for trade mark
counterfeiting and copyright infringements; criminal penalties for willful trade mark and copyright
piracy on a commercial scale; anti-circumvention measures against tampering with copyright
protection technology; and stronger protection for rights management information.
(b) Copyright and related rights
122. In Singapore, copyright protection is automatic and is conferred on the author from whom the
work originates, and as soon as a work is created and fixed in a material or tangible form. Under the
Copyright Act (Cap. 63), copyright protection in Singapore is granted to: literary, dramatic, musical,
and artistic works; published editions of literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works; sound
recordings; films; television and radio broadcasts; cable programmes; and performances.101The
duration of protection varies from 25 years from the end of the year in which the edition was
published for published editions of literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works; to 50 years from the
end of the year in which a sound recording or film was released or a broadcast or cable programme
was made; to the period of the life of the author plus 50 years for literary, dramatic, musical or
artistic works (this will be extended to the life of the author plus 70 years, from 1 July 2004).
123. In 1994, the law was clarified to allow for parallel imports.
101Exceptions are provided for research or private study; review; reporting current events; or judicial
proceedings or professional advice. Schools may make copies of works protected by copyright for educational
purposes.Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
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(c) Trade marks
124. Trade marks are protected under the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and subsidiary legislation (Trade
Marks Rules and Trade Marks (International Registration) Rules. In order for a trade mark to be
registered, it must be distinctive and capable of distinguishing the goods and/or services of the owner
from other similar goods and/or services. Trade marks must be registered with the Intellectual
Property Office of Singapore (IPOS); they are granted for an indefinite period of time, subject to
renewal every ten years. Applicants for trade marks registered previously including in countries that
are signatories of the Paris Convention and Members of the WTO (except Singapore), may claim
priority if filed within six months of the original trade mark.
125. International registration of trade marks may be filed under the Madrid Protocol. Under the
Protocol a trade mark must first be registered in the country of origin before it is filed in other
signatories to the Protocol. Applications for trade marks in other countries can be specified in the
application under the Madrid Protocol; international registration is valid for ten years and may be
renewed for further periods of ten years on payment of a fee.
126. Other marks protected by the Trade Marks Act are: certification marks, which are used to
distinguish goods and services and can be an indication of the origin, mode of manufacture of the
goods or performances of services, quality, accuracy or other characteristics; and collective marks
used to distinguish goods and services offered by members of an association or traders. The
application process for such marks is similar to that followed for registering trade marks. The marks
are published in the Trade Marks Journal (section on Collective and Certification Marks Applications
Published for Opposition Purposes) in case of any opposition, before being published.
127. Data show an increasing number of trade marks registered in Singapore since 1999; the share
of trademarks registered by Singapore-based entities, fell from 16.6% in 1999 to 13.1% in 2000,
before rising again to 14.8% by 2002.102
(d) Patents and other industrial property rights
Patents
128. Patent protection in Singapore is currently governed by the Patents Act (Cap. 221) 2002
Revised Edition. The 2002 Revised Edition incorporated the 2001 changes, which included the
introduction of a patent agent regulatory regime and relaxation of the date of filing requirements.
Under the Patents Act, the term of protection is 20 years from filing subject to the payment of annual
renewal fees as of the fourth year of grant. Patent applications are granted by the Intellectual Property
Office of Singapore (IPOS).
129. Under Part XI, Section 53 of the Act, licences of right may be offered by the patent owner to
anyone wishing to obtain a licence. Under section 55 of the Act, where a patent has not been worked
or the invention is not being supplied on reasonable terms in Singapore, applications for compulsory
licences may be made to the High Court three years after the patent is granted (or four years after it is
filed, whichever is the later). Compulsory licences are not exclusive and are limited to the supply of
the patented invention predominantly in Singapore. The licensee must pay remuneration to the patent
holder as determined by him or her or, failing an agreement, by the Court on the application of the
licensee or the patent holder. The term of the licence is to be determined by the Court and may be
terminated at any time by the Court, if it is satisfied that the grounds upon which the licence was
granted have ceased to exist. According to the authorities, no compulsory licence has ever been
102Singapore-based entities have at least one applicant with an address in Singapore.WT/TPR/S/130 Trade Policy Review
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granted under this provision. From 1 July 2004, the compulsory licensing provisions will be
narrowed further and be restricted to allow a remedy for anti-competitive practice. Under Part XII of
the Act, the Government of Singapore may use any patented invention for the services of the
Government and not be considered to be infringing the patent. The right, inter alia, is not exclusive
and requires the patented invention to be used predominantly in Singapore by a Government
department or a person authorized by a Government department. The Government would also have to
inform the patentee as soon as reasonably practicable and negotiate a reasonable remuneration for the
use of the patented invention. From 1 July 2004, the Government-use provisions will be restricted
further to cases of public non-commercial use, national emergency or other circumstances of extreme
urgency.
130. Data on patents show a steady increase in both filings and grants; the ratio of patents filed by
Singapore-based entities to patents filed by foreign-based entities, increased from some 5% in 1998 to
8% in 2002, and the ratio of patents granted to Singapore-based entities to foreign-based entities
increased from 1.2% in 1998 to 3.2% in 2002.
Industrial designs
131. Industrial designs are protected under the Registered Designs Act (Cap. 266), which came
into force on 13 November 2000, and the Registered Designs Rules, 2000. The Act replaces
protection previously granted under United Kingdom law.103Under the Registered Designs Act,
industrial designs are protected for a period of five years, renewable every five years up to a
maximum period of 15 years. Applications for industrial designs are to be addressed to the Registrar
of Designs at IPOS and may take around two to three months to register.
Geographical indications
132. Geographical indications are protected under the Geographical Indications Act (Cap. 117B),
enacted in 1998; they can also be protected under the Trade Marks Act and the common tort of
passing off. Protection under the law is automatic for geographical indications granted by Members
of the WTO, parties to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property or a country
designated by the Singapore Government as a qualifying country. This provision was to add
flexibility for geographical indications in countries that are not WTO Members or party to the Paris
Convention, but it has not been needed thus far.
Layout designs of integrated circuits
133. The Layout Designs of Integrated Circuits Act (Cap. 159A), which was passed by Parliament
on 15 February 1999, protects layout designs of integrated circuits for a period of ten years if the
design is first used commercially within five years of its creation; or 15 years after its creation in all
other cases. Protection is automatic for citizens and residents of Singapore, for WTO Members or for
specified qualifying countries. This provision was to add flexibility to recognize layout designs in
countries that are not Members of the WTO, but it has not been needed thus far.
Trade secrets
134. Trade secrets and confidential information are protected under Common Law. There are no
specific registration procedures and trade secrets may be protected indefinitely.
103Designs previously registered in the United Kingdom will continue to be protected in Singapore.
However, the owners of the designs are required to register them in Singapore when their current period of
protection expires and they become due for renewal.Singapore WT/TPR/S/130
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(e) Enforcement
135. IPR enforcement in Singapore is based on a cooperative approach between the authorities and
the rights holders, as well as ex-officio action. The High Court, the Registrar of Patents, the Registrar
of Trade Marks, the Registrar of Designs and the Copyright Tribunal have jurisdiction over matters
arising under the Patents Act, the Trade Marks Act, Geographical Indications Act, Layout Designs of
Integrated Circuits Act, Copyright Act, 1987 (Cap. 63) and the Registered Designs Act, 2000 (Cap.
266), the last replacing the UK Design (Protection) Act. Appeals on High Court decisions may be
referred to the Court of Appeal.
136. Civil remedies include injunctions to stop infringement, damages including recovery of
profits and expenses, destruction of infringing goods, and any other remedies. The courts may also
order punitive damages if appropriate. As the courts do not categorize cases by type of civil suit, no
statistics on such cases are available.
137. Criminal proceedings may be instituted in cases of trade in goods or services that infringe
copyright or counterfeit trade marks. Penalties for copyright offences range from a fine of S$10,000
per infringing article, up to a maximum of S$100,000 and/or imprisonment for up to five years.
Penalties for counterfeiting of trade marks can be up to S$100,000 and/or imprisonment for up to five
years. Copyright and trade mark offences are addressed by the criminal courts. Patents, designs,
geographical indications, layout designs of integrated circuits and trade secrets infringements are
addressed by civil remedies. Singapore does not collect statistics on the number of cases put to the
courts. As a proxy however, since 2000, there were a total of 638 arrests under the Copyright Act and
the Trade Marks Act. Where successful, the outcomes were an average minimum imprisonment
sentence of four months, with the maximum imprisonment sentence so far at 84 months. Singapore
does not collect statistics on the number of cases appealed. Investigations may be carried out by the
Police in response to complaints or on their own initiative or by way of fiats issued by the Attorney
General's Chambers in response to complaints by trade mark or copyright holders. In conducting
investigations, the Police are assisted actively by Singapore Customs and the Immigration and
Checkpoints Authority.
138. The Intellectual Property Rights Branch of the Police (IPRB) deals exclusively with issues of
IPR offences. The strength of the IPRB has been increased from four, when it was still a warrant
enforcement unit at the time of the last review, to 24 currently; the unit has been strengthened to a
specialized branch of the Police. The value of infringing articles seized under the Copyright and
Trade mark Acts was some S$33 million in 2003, with 163 arrests. Including the statistics recorded
under the Film Act for 2002, the combined figure for the Copyright, Trade mark and Film Acts for
2002 was some S$38 million, with 1,755 arrests. Most of the copyright infringement cases handled
by the IPRB, according to the authorities, concern syndicated cases. No information was available on
the breakdown of arrests by imports and re-exports.
139. The IPRB may seize goods that infringe trade mark and copyright protection, both upon
official notification and also in an ex officio capacity. The IPRB will also follow up with
investigation and prosecution. However, to facilitate successful enforcement and investigation, rights
holders are requested to positively identify the goods as infringing products before seizure. At the
borders, IPRB may be assisted by Singapore Customs or the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority in
locating the infringing goods and in facilitating enforcement and investigation. This arrangement
extends beyond inland and border enforcement, and also applies to goods that are trans-shipped
(imported and re-exported) through Singapore's territorial jurisdiction.