NPOs enticed to set up in Singapore
New EDB office to attract them, target is to have 150 NPOs here by 2015
By MATTHEW PHAN
THE Economic Development Board (EDB) has launched a new International Organisations Program Office to attract non-profit organisations (NPOs) to set up their headquarters in Singapore.
NPOs - increasingly professional bodies that play a wide variety of roles - include industry organisations, standards boards, research and development houses or think-tanks, grant or charity foundations, humanitarian groups, corporate social responsibility set-ups, among others.
Their needs are similar to those of companies, such as logistics, financial management, good staff, and specialists, said Kenneth Tan, head of EDB’s New Business Group, which is in charge of the program.
NPOs are one of the group’s five targeted growth sectors, the others being clean energy, water and environment, natural resources, and lifestyle and sports.
Mr Tan said well-funded NPOs offer a different set of career opportunities, provide good jobs and are ‘recession-proof’.
Singapore is now host to some 60 international organisations such as the Business Software Alliance, the World Intellectual Property Office, the World Wildlife Fund and the International Air Transport Association.
The EDB wants to grow this number to 150 by 2015, providing some 2,500 jobs.
Just as with other growth sectors, its officers seek to understand the ecosystem of the sector, categorising various sub-segments - such as philanthropic grant makers, or medical and humanitarian groups - and targeting key organisations within those.
Among its policies, it has enhanced tax incentives, tried to improve publicity, and put in manpower training schemes.
Its focus for this year is to set up a centre for the physical co-location of such international organisations and to establish a world class institute for training non-profit managers.
The office will also provide ‘one-stop shop’ assistance and support the NPOs after they have set up.
This is led by the EDB, the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau, and supported by other government ministries.
According to the EDB, Singapore is a good base for NPOs because of its strategic location that puts three billion Asians within a seven-hour flight radius, its English-speaking population and a politically stable environment.
NPOs can also have their pick of over 7,000 multinationals across all sectors here with which to partner, said the statutory board.
Source : Business Times - 28 Jan 2008
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