S'pore's 'gateway to Asia' tag takes a beating
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First world country as claimed by the ruling party is not the "gateway to Asia".
S'pore's 'gateway to Asia' tag takes a beating - Aug 5, 2008, The Straits Times
Jetro survey shows global investors prefer Japan, Hong Kong and China for HQ
A RECENT poll of global investors shows Singapore is not considered the great gateway to Asia it is often said to be.
The Business Times reported on Tuesday that investors put Singapore behind Japan, Hong Kong and China in that role.
'Despite its world-renowned gateway position, our survey indicates that Singapore has been unable to attain the highest attractiveness score for HQ and logistics activities, ranking just behind Japan,' the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) says in a report.
Singapore got 14 per cent of votes from investors polled on what they believe is the most attractive location for a headquarters in Asia. That compared with Japan's 20 per cent, making it the No 1 choice.
Hong Kong (17 per cent) was seen as the second most attractive location, followed by China (15 per cent).
As for the most competitive logistics hub, China (35 per cent) topped the league, ahead of Hong Kong (12 per cent) and Japan (9 per cent). Singapore polled on par with India (8 per cent each).
The poll was commissioned by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to gauge how global business leaders view Japan as a location for foreign direct investment (FDI), compared to its Asian competitors.
Carried out by consulting firm Ernst & Young from February to April, the poll covered 209 senior executives, more than half of them financial and sales and marketing directors and about a quarter of them chief executives.
But what investors say and do can differ. Jetro's poll also shows that while Japan is ranked the most attractive Asian country, with China, for FDI, Singapore outdid Japan last year when it came to committed FDI projects.
Jetro points out that Japan secured only 166 FDI projects in 2007, against Singapore's 239 and China's 1,171, India's 676 and Vietnam's 260. 'Japan's positive image has yet to be matched in actual foreign direct investments,' says Jetro.
Still, according to Jetro, the poll shows Japan and China are locked in a battle to be the most attractive destination for FDI in Asia.
Some 54 per cent of poll respondents - split evenly at 27 per cent each - consider Japan and China the top bets for their investment money. India came next with 11 per cent, followed closely by Singapore and Hong Kong (10 per cent each).
But Jetro says Japan clearly wins on the quality front, with investors polled putting it ahead of its Asian competitors in terms of labour skills, research and development, quality of life, transparency and stability, transport and logistics, and telecommunications infrastructure.
Japan fell behind only in labour costs, in which China came out tops. China was also ranked top for offering investors the most attractive domestic market, while Japan was second.
Singapore was singled out as least favourable in terms of labour costs, but was deemed to be the second most competitive location in terms of corporate tax - even ahead of Hong Kong, which boasts a lower tax rate. China was seen as the most competitive in terms of corporate tax.
Singapore was rated the third most attractive location for transparency and stability for political and legal environments - after Japan and China.
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Originally posted by kalangkabo:
sg lost to prc in political and legal transparency and stability
the irony!
No surprise, China is catching up fast. The leaders here continue to be self serving, Singapore will be doomed one day.
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We need to pay our ministers more money.
Really.
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Originally posted by charlize:
We need to pay our ministers more money.
Really.
Really, pay them more to release more terrorists?? more ERP gantries, more price hikings, more losses in GIC investments, more Gst increases, more stressful society, more foreign talents, more china gals, more rich and richer, more poor and poorer..etc etc etc -
Originally posted by angel7030:
Really, pay them more to release more terrorists?? more ERP gantries, more price hikings, more losses in GIC investments, more Gst increases, more stressful society, more foreign talents, more china gals, more rich and richer, more poor and poorer..etc etc etcYes.
Otherwise, how to attract more talent?
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Originally posted by kalangkabo:
sg lost to prc in political and legal transparency and stability
the irony!
ya, they took Mas Selamat as an important indicator that lead to our pitfall -
Originally posted by charlize:
Yes.
Otherwise, how to attract more talent?
talent never mind, but most are second or third handed talents where other countries also dun wan them. -
I wonder why Singapore is ranking low in labour cost.. everyday we hear of Singaporean saying they don't earn enough to pay for living expenses but according to the survey, workers in Singapore are expensive to hire...
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Originally posted by anonymous_dickhead:
I wonder why Singapore is ranking low in labour cost.. everyday we hear of Singaporean saying they don't earn enough to pay for living expenses but according to the survey, workers in Singapore are expensive to hire...
our per capital stand at average US$30,000 per capital. It high in comparing with other asian nations except Japan n australia.But u hv know the expediture for a worker is also high, he/she needs that pay to survive. I dun blame workers for demanding higher wages when the govt taxes, transports, bills are high.
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Let's watch what Pay and Pay going to do to push rating to the top.
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Originally posted by Fantagf:
Let's watch what Pay and Pay going to do to push rating to the top.
we must pay the ministers more! if not they will not be motivated to push to the top! and they will not be willing to keep the terrorists behind bars!
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More pay for ministers.
Please.
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damned PAP pay.
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The chinese despots are not so shamless as to pass political office/control of state funds to their children and in-laws... only in Singapore is the despot so shameless.
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Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:
The chinese despots are not so shamless as to pass political office/control of state funds to their children and in-laws... only in Singapore is the despot so shameless.
Is it possible that it is the evil despots that is causing Sg to be lag behind China and HK? -
History will prove once again those who are boasting of themselves and their own success will eventually be exposed as charlatans and liars and be made to eat the humble pie.
What are talents, leadership, world-best and what are all the hubs which they have boasted so very often? Have they created the real hubs where their own citizens are benefiting from real promotions of ordinary talents from one skill to another or from one job to another ?
How many of our own citizens are being given the encouragement to attain highest of skills or professions as compared to the 200,000 foreign workers who were given their dues all because of failures of the whole system in promoting real skills and hubs.
Real abilities are real leadership to mobilize the whole people not just a few elites or family ties or connections claimed to be world best as we are witnessing here in this little red dots.
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Originally posted by robertteh:
History will prove once again those who are boasting of themselves and their own success will eventually be exposed as charlatans and liars and be made to eat the humble pie.
What are talents, leadership, world-best and what are all the hubs which they have boasted so very often? Have they created the real hubs where their own citizens are benefiting from real promotions of ordinary talents from one skill to another or from one job to another ?
How many of our own citizens are being given the encouragement to attain highest of skills or professions as compared to the 200,000 foreign workers who were given their dues all because of failures of the whole system in promoting real skills and hubs.
Real abilities are real leadership to mobilize the whole people not just a few elites or family ties or connections claimed to be world best as we are witnessing here in this little red dots.
This is the sad reality of Sillypore. The majority - Sillypore-born-and-bred Sillyporeans - made to slog hard, take the shit, and accummulate stress. While the minority - the so-called despots, and certain sectors of FTs - are made to enjoy the fruits of that labour, take the credit, and accummulate wealth.
Sillyporeans, please
suck on it
