Special Economic Zones in the OIC Region:
Learning from Experience
95
 Selected industries get up to 50% investment allowance.
The plug and play model provides all the infrastructure for a specific industrial activity,
therefore different units are leased at different prices depending on the industrial zone and the
quality of the facilities. JTC tender the standard factory launch quarterly, these are launched on
a lease or tenancy basis. The aforementioned set up criteria apply. The prices exclude any
service of energy and water these services are available for supply at competitive rates.
Regional Headquarters Programme
Singapore introduced the programme to provide appropriate incentives according to the level
of commitment the headquarters put into Singapore. 86 The Headquarters Programme offers
two incentive packages commensurate with the scale and value of the headquarters operation.
The Regional Headquarters Award offers a concessionary tax rate of 15 per cent for 3 years plus
up to an additional 2 years based on incremental qualifying income from abroad. If a company
qualified for a regional headquarters award satisfies all the minimum requirements by year
three of the incentive period, it will enjoy the 15 per cent concessionary tax rate for an additional
two years on qualifying income.87
Companies with headquarters in Singapore include manufacturers like Seagate, NEC, Matsushita
Electronics, Pall Filtration, Bax Global and Siemens Medical. Asian MNCs (multinational
companies) which conduct their global businesses from Singapore headquarters include Indian-
based companies like the Scandent Group, Tata Consultancy, and Singapore SystemAccess (EDB,
online).88
5.3.4 Organisational and Administrative Profile
The Singapore Economic Development Board (SEDB), a central government department,
founded Jurong Island and Port which in turn established the semi-autonomous Jurong Town
Corporation (JTC) in order to administer the port and surrounding industrial zones.
The SEDB’s goal is to catalyse sustainable economic development in Singapore. The JTC’s remit
is to manage and build infrastructure that support the goals of Jurong and Singapore, this
includes managing industrial zones and creating industrial zones that support sectoral
86 United Nations. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (2005) Recent developments in FTZs and port
hinterlands in Asia and Europe, Chapter 4, p. 48
87 ibid
88 United Nations. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (2005) Recent developments in FTZs and port
hinterlands in Asia and Europe, Chapter 4, p. 48