Singapore Strengthens Investor Protections
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has proposed new measures to improve investor protection, including extending current regulatory safeguards to cover non-conventional investment products and making it mandatory for all investment products to be rated according to their complexity and risk.
U.S. Court Clarifies Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
A clarified definition of an “instrumentality” of a foreign government under the FCPA will impact American company relationships with State Owned, and partially State-Owned Enterprises across Asia.
Establishing a Holding Company in Singapore
In this article, we outline the establishment process for a holding company based in Singapore and highlight the relevant legal considerations for foreign investors operating in the city-state.
Singapore Introduces New Option for Patent Dispute Resolution
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore launched a cheaper and faster option for the settlement of Intellectual Property disputes yesterday through a direct collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization Arbitration and Mediation Center.
Intellectual Property Rights Strategies in Southeast Asia: Know Before You Go
The principle issues surrounding Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) development, protection and enforcement are essential to all aspects of your ASEAN business. Your IPR strategy should be considered one of the main pillars of your business, not unlike your business strategy or HR strategy.
China’s Relationship with the Contentious U.S. FATCA
For several years now, the United States has been preparing legislation under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), a complex reporting and withholding regime intended to enable the U.S. to better access offshore accounts, investments and income of U.S. citizens who have failed to rigorously report these holdings. Despite several nations’ embrace of the FATCA, China has continued to delay negotiations with the U.S. Treasury over whether or not to allow Chinese financial institutions to report U.S. taxpayer or U.S. firm information to the United States Government.
China Clarifies Corporate Income Tax Policies for Shanghai FTZ
Dec. 12 – China’s Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation jointly issued the “Circular on Corporate Income Tax Policies for Outbound Investment with Non-monetary Assets and Other Asset Restructuring Transactions by Enterprises in the China (Shanghai) Free Trade Zone (Caishui [2013] No. 91, hereinafter referred to as ‘Circular’)” on November 15, which […]
Vietnam Set to Increase Minimum Wages from December 31, 2013
Dec. 4 – The government last week passed a new decree that will increase minimum wages throughout Vietnam as of December 31, 2013, which will be effective for enterprises, co-operatives, household businesses, foreign companies and international organizations operating in the country. Replacing Decree 103/2012/ND-CP, the new Decree 182 will implement increases of up to VND2.7 […]
Japan Signs Financial Supervisory MoU with Taiwan
Dec. 3 – Taiwan and Japan have inked an MoU designed to increase the financial stability of both countries’ markets and promote investor safeguards in Taiwan and Japan. The Memorandum of Understanding for the Mutual Co-operation in the Field of Financial Supervision, which was signed last week by Taiwan’s Association of East Asia Relations and […]
Work Visa Procedures in the Philippines
Nov. 7 – The Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration is responsible for processing and issuing visa requests in the country. For foreigners seeking employment in the Philippines, there are three eligible non-immigrant visa types. These are: 9(A): Short-term business visit 9(G): Pre-arranged employment 9(D): Foreign treaty trader or foreign investor For individuals planning to visit the […]