EVENT BusiNEss EXTRA

Transcription

ADB ‘Nieuwjaarborrel’
Business
Interview with Marc van Loo
EXTRA
Interview with Arnout Mostert
www.adb.org.sg
MITA 373/03/2001
EVENT
Feb/Mar
2014
Association of Dutch Businesspeople in Singapore
PROLOGUE
Board Members
Mark Leenders
President
Market Director South East Asia,
Greater China and Korea Nespresso
Marleen Dieleman
Vice President
Visiting fellow NUS Business School
Kuan Yoe The
Honorary Secretary
Business Development Manager
Intertrust Singapore
Martijn Schouten
Honorary Treasurer
Business Development Manager
Vopak
Frank Kuijsters
Member / Chief Editor
Director Digne Consult Asia Pacific
Nico Derksen
Member
Director International Tax
Management
Jan Benes
Member
Business Development Director
Philips Healthcare APAC
Nynke Kinderman
Member
Market Development & Innovation
Exploring opportunities
Ay Wen Lie
Member
Senior Manager Transaction Services
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Secretariat
Happy New Year
to you all!
I did a quick search to see how long you can safely wish
people a Happy New Year without making a bit of a fool
of yourself. The Great Etiquette Book by Beatrijs Ritsema
says, “As long as you want”. Wikepedia says, “As long as
you see people for the first time in January, but not after
mid-January”. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Luckily
we have the Lunar New Year coming up soon…
ADB members had the opportunity to exchange best
wishes and resolutions with each other and members
of DutchCham during the ‘Nieuwjaars’ reception at the
residence of the Dutch Ambassador where Jacques and
Soraya Werner welcomed us on January 9th. As part of a
new set up this year we had to unfortunately disappoint a
few members and partners since the ceiling was reached
rather fast with members of both Dutch associations
participating. We were pleasantly surprised with a
spontaneous visit from the Minister of Finance of the
Netherlands, Mr. Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who was on a short
Asian tour in his function as President of the Eurogroup. It
was the first time in years that I have heard some positive
news on the Dutch economy going ahead … Let’s wait and
see. It would indeed be fantastic news.
Looking forward to the year ahead, I am pleased to
announce the Entrepreneurship Panel will take place
February 13 at the Hollandse Club in collaboration with
DutchCham. The event starts at 7.30pm with drinks
and snacks. ADB is also preparing a company visit to
Danone, most probably on March 4 with limited space,
so registration will be on a first come, first served basis
once the invitation has been sent out. On March 17, the
Annual General Meeting will be held at the Hollandse
Club. This year we will finish the evening with a lecture
from Ambassador Jacques Werner where he will share his
impressions of the first months of living and working in
Singapore.
I sincerely hope to see many of you again during our
forthcoming events and I wish you Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Zsuzsika Oostinjen - Belovics
Owner / Freelance Consultant
I Interim - Marketing,
Communication & Projects
“The ADB provides opportunities for Dutch business
people to meet, interact and share knowledge by
means of company visits, lectures, networking events
and membership communications.”
Mark Leenders
PS: May I kindly remind you to pay your contribution 2014
via Paypal, cheque etc. Thank you.
1
Contents
Vol. 24 / No. 1 / Feb-Mar 2014
Prologue
1
By Mark Leenders, ADB President
Events
3
ADB ‘Eindejaarsborrel’
4
Nieuwjaarborrel
Business
6
Interview with Marc van Loo, CEO LooLa Adventure Group
Extra
10
12
Review year of the Snake
14
Interview with Claudia Artz
17
English and Dinglish
Bizz News
18
Dutch business news
Singapore
20
Renting a house or apartment in Singapore
22
Second cruise terminal significant for Singapore
and ASEAN travel
Know Your Tax
24
Counting the days!
Not to miss
26
Things to do in Singapore
Column
27
Being hospitalized in Singapore
Embassy News
28
Latest news by the Dutch Embassy
ADB News
29
Announcements, member info and more
P4
P6
P10
On Thursday 9 January 2014, 200
ADB and DutchCham members
were warmly welcomed by the
Dutch Ambassador Jacques
Werner and his wife Soraya
Werner at their residence. The
pictures on page 4 and 5 show
a great start of 2014 where
resolutions were exchanged.
Marc van Loo is the owner of a
small resort in Bintan, built with
money he made as a part-time
teacher in Singapore 20 years
ago. His resort opened 13 years
ago, and in 2012 he won Asia’s
Best Eco Resort award. Read
more about the person behind
the story and LooLa.
At the Dinner and Dance in
November a generous donation was
collected for the typhoon victims in
the Philippines. Many ADB members
personally went there to help out!
The initiator of the relief effort was
Arnout Mostert. In this interview he
shares his experience.
2
Events
ADB ‘Eindejaarsborrel’
By Frank Kuijsters
Photos Nico Derksen & Frank Kuijsters
On Thursday 19 December the ADB End Year’s borrel was
held at the Hollandse club. More than 80 members, enjoyed
a great networking evening till midnight! We also had a
special guest: Kristel Zweers the Dutch stand-up comedian
did a special act for our members. Standing on one of the
tables she entertained us with parts of her show.
Unfortunately for a few of our members it was their last
ADB event before their return home or move to another
destination. Luckily many new members were able to join
and meet their country (wo)men in Singapore. We thank
Heineken for their kind support for donating Heineken &
Tiger kegs!
Annabelle Deken, Sunita Derksen,
Leon Janmaat, Mark Leenders
Marleen Dieleman welcoming all the members to the
ADB Eindejaarsborrel
Marianne Doele, Kees and Maja Duyverman
Sunita Derksen, Kuan Yoe The
The new members; Robin Musch, Maja Cadra, Tim Bijsterveldt,
Evy Theunis, Rene Koopman
Lineke van Nederpelt, Frank Kuijsters
Bjorn Sprengers, Rogier Peters, Marieke van der Heijden,
Bobby Johnson, Bert Stegink
3
Events
Nieuwjaarborrel
By Frank Kuijsters
Photos Dutchcham
Kuan Yoe The, Ambassador Jacques Werner
On Thursday 9 January 2014, 200 ADB and DutchCham
members were warmly welcomed by the Dutch
Ambassador Jacques Werner and his wife Soraya Werner
at their residence. The pictures show a great start of 2014
where resolutions were exchanged. After the welcome
speech by Jacques Werner we had a surprise new year’s
greeting from a special guest, Mr Jeroen Dijsselbloem,
Minister of Finance of the Netherlands, who was visiting
Jacques Werner, Mark Leenders, Jeroen Reiniers
4
Singapore. Jeroen Reiniers from DutchCham and our
president Mark Leenders both spoke some words to the
audience. Mark looked back on 2013 which showed a
steady growth for the ADB thanks to a year of great events
going from company visits to panels, a Summer BBQ
and the popular Dinner & Dance at Alkaff Mansion. We
sincerely thank the Embassy, Vopak and Randstad for their
generous sponsoring of a great evening.
Events
Lineke van Nederpelt, Hans Kunen, Floor Timmons
Peter-Paul Nijsten, Ian ter Haar
Wietske Helle, Sylvia van Es
Marleen Dieleman, Soraya Werner
Mr. Jeroen Dijsselbloem
Luc Dings, Iwan Marks, Wendy
Annabelle Deken, Maria van der Burgt
Arjen Blom
Cor Tjalsma
Mirjam Bout, Julie Beusmans, Steef Janssen
5
Business
Interview with Marc van Loo,
CEO LooLa Adventure Group
By Richard Soemita
Photos Marc van Loo
He is the owner of a small resort in Bintan, built with money
he made as a part-time teacher in Singapore 20 years ago.
His resort employs only local people who, when opening
the resort 13 years ago, had no education beyond primary
school and spoke no English. Many predicted this was a
business idea doomed to fail. But this successful resort won
the 2012 Asia’s Best Eco Resort award and was recognized
as one of the world’s best three places for community
tourism in 2013. Popular acclaim is coming in too: Loola
is the favorite overseas location for Singapore-based
schools; is a 2013 Tripadvisor winner and, thanks to jubilant
responses from guests, was voted one of Bintan’s top 3
resorts.
The person behind the story
In 1989 I back-packed through Asia, and fell in love with
West Sumatra (still one of my most favorite places on the
planet), and decided that one day I would start a resort
there. Back in Amsterdam, I arranged for a scholarship at
the National University of Singapore (NUS) to finish my
PhD. While stydying at NUS, I met my life partner, Isabelle,
and it was she who suggested building the resort in Bintan
instead of West Sumatra.
I bought the LooLa land in 1997, during the Asian
financial crisis and we finished building the resort in 2000,
the month our first son, Igor, was born. The local staff
6
suggested the name LooLa as it is the name of a local
shell and is a combination of our surnames, van LOO and
LAcoste.
We now have three lively sons, aged 8, 11, and 13, all
at the German European School. A few years ago, when
our staff was growing (now 50 in total, with 5 in Singapore,
45 in Indonesia) I decided to concentrate full-time on
developing the business.
What is your role in the Company?
My role is strategic decision-maker and overall quality
controller. It is my goal to make my company, which has a
Singaporean and an Indonesian leg, into two completely
independent units that will only need me for major new
investment decisions. We received our international eco
awards based on the fact that in both countries we work
with local staff, so we’re making progress, but there is still
a way to go!
How important is Asia & Singapore for the company?
Because I live in Singapore, the business is based here,
and I have done everything possible to give it local roots.
Singapore is particularly attractive for an eco-tourism
outfit like ours, because there is an affluent audience
here who are prepared to pay, while operational costs
are manageable in the neighboring countries. Moreover,
Singapore society is opening up to the concept of
eco-tourism and we have built up a distinct first-mover
advantage in this area.
How does LooLa distinguish itself from its competitors?
We focus on sustainable business operations because we
want to be around many years from now, and we want to
play our part to ensure there is still a planet to enjoy for
the next generation. I believe tourism has an important
role to play in the area of sustainability and it is the moral
duty of business owners to do what they can.
Modesty aside, LooLa is the best place in the region
for school groups, with an unsurpassed activity program
which involves sailing, kayaking, dragon kayaking, boat
and boomnet expeditions, wall and tree climbing, a
skywalk and a flying fox, hill treks, archery, rafting,
marine-seaflat walks, nature and kampong treks etc.
Furthermore, we offer a diverse community involvement
program where guests work with local schools,
orphanages and communities to build roads, upgrade
schools and other community buildings, build waste
water systems, do sports, arts and cultural exchanges etc.
We’re probably the only larger resort in this
neighborhood that is fully run by local people, so our
guests enjoy that distinct and authentic Indonesian
hospitality. All of this fits well into our eco and family
friendly profile, and as a result we get many enquiries
from families who want to see the real Indonesia.
It is great to see that the three operators in Bintan
who care most about eco issues are also the ones
who top Bintan’s Tripadvisor listings. This shows that
eco-tourism is indeed the way of the future, and that
eco-operators can truly influence the market. I, for one,
would love to see other resorts taking up our ideas for
community project tourism: many guests are interested
therefore the only thing operators have to do is make
such opportunities available, which is a win-win for
everyone.
What is the difference between being a manager in
Singapore versus previous locations?
Running LooLa has been my first management
experience. Before that all I had to manage was
mathematical equations and concepts! Nonetheless,
having been in a very international environment and
dealing with a very international clientele, a number
of things stand out. I enjoy doing business in Indonesia
because, apart from the Scandinavian countries and
the Netherlands, it’s the only country in the world that
truly believes in win-win solutions. The polder-model is
alive and well, and every problem, no matter how hard,
can be solved efficiently and joyfully by sitting around
the table and talking. From time to time some patience
is needed, but having worked with many foreign
contractors over the years, I can honestly say that the
Indonesians on the whole are just as fast, if not faster,
than anyone else; you just need to know how to start a
conversation and which buttons to press, which is the
same the world over.
Doing business in Singapore is more challenging
because SME’s are struggling to find quality staff and
because Singaporeans are still adapting to the idea
Business
that taking the initiative and learning from mistakes is a
good thing. A large amount of a manager’s time is spent
training staff on this. But then again, Dutch people are
quite happy to take the initiative and ownership, but the
problem is that they are sometimes dead wrong – but will
automatically assume that everyone else is wrong. And
that takes equally as long – and usually more money – to
fix! Generally, Asians are not set in their ways and are
always ready to consider change. Managers should be
prepared to train and coach their employees well (and be
very good listeners!), and expect to spend far more time on
this aspect of the job than elsewhere.
What is the best place that you have lived in so far?
I’ve only lived in Holland and Singapore and I love both.
I guess if Amsterdam was located in the tropics, I would
still be there but given that the weather in Holland sucks,
Singapore is the favorite.
Would you make Singapore your permanent home?
Well, we’ve been here 23 years and we are not in any
hurry to leave. We’ve just returned from a breathtaking
holiday in Nepal and I love Indonesia to bits, but you are
always reminded after these holidays that, for everyday
living, Singapore is hard to beat. If we were to stay in Asia, I
guess the only town that would be even more enjoyable is
George Town, Malaysia.
How do you spend your weekends?
I spend most of it with the family. Together with my wife,
we watch our boys play soccer and rugby, and I am an avid
climber and haul my eldest son along. He overtook me in
climbing at the age of 11, so I’m trying to keep up with him
now. We also like to take the whole family out to Sentosa
and lounge at the beach, and I’m trying hard – with very
little success so far – to get my boys to love cycling and
explore the great jungle trails here.
About the Company
There are two companies: the Singapore-based “sales arm” the LooLa Adventure Group Pte Ltd, and the Indonesian
company LooLa Adventure resort. Many people long believed that LooLa was only meant for school groups, but that is
changing. LooLa boasts, without a doubt, the richest activity program in the region (as mentioned above) and increasingly,
attracts families looking for a more active, authentic holiday experience. We are just an easy ferry ride to Tanjung Pinang
followed by an entertaining 45 minute drive through the countryside.
Fully in line with our ambitious ideas on sustainability, we are now building two luxury eco villas, which will get
their water supply from rainwater and their air-conditioning and electricity directly from solar power via a pioneering
engineering solution devised by another Dutchman. The first villa should be ready in March 2014, and the second in June.
With these villas, LooLa hopes to demonstrate that it is possible to make beautiful and affordable homes in the tropics
with a very small ecological footprint, and inspire others in Asia to follow suit.
8
Bottom line:
1We are connected!
ING Bank has been, and will continue to be, one of the few European banks with a large Asian
network covering 14 markets. The strength of our international network is what connects us.
We work together to serve international clients in this region and Asian corporations that want
to expand their operations in other parts of the world. We connect.
www.ingcommercialbanking.com
Extra
on his relief efforts after the
typhoon “Haiyan” in the Philippines
By Arthur Claringbould
Photos Arnout Mostert
Those of you who joined the Dinner and Dance in
November will remember the generous donation that was
collected for the typhoon victims in the Philippines. And
many personally went there to help out! The initiator of
the relief effort was Arnout Mostert and in this interview
he shares his experience.
“So how do you help out if you travel to an area that is
close but not necessarily familiar?”
Actually the concept is surprisingly simple: one helps with
the last few miles. When a disaster like a typhoon or a
Tsunami strikes, damage in the hit zone is tremendous.
However, only a few miles out of the disaster zone, life
continues almost as normal. So Arnout and many other
volunteers rented pick-up trucks and transported goods
from the unaffected zones to the disaster area. In the first
days this was mainly food and water, but later this included
materials to repair schools, houses and boats.
How come you started all this? For Arnout it was a no
brainer. Something terrible happens ‘on your doorstep’ so
you go and help out? By the end of the interview it was
clear, that for Arnout, if you are an entrepreneur and have
a heart, you just go!
Arnout booked a ticket to Cebu and established some
very valuable contacts there. He found the contact through
an article in “de Volkskrant”. In Cebu, the airport of Ilo Ilo
was not affected and was operating as normal. Ilo Ilo is on
10
the Panay island where many parts had been badly hit. The
first task for Arnout and his team was to rent some pickups and go to the local supermarket to get a load of basic
foods. Among the loads were also lollipops as the affected
children also need some diversion and attention.
As an outsider I was curious to understand why locals
do not initiate similar ‘last miles’ actions. The reason is
simple: people simply do not have the money to spare
after a few days of no income. In the words of Arnout, “You
give back dignity to people. As soon as the trucks arrive
everyone joins in enthusiastically to help. Another basic of
the help is that you never bring more than necessary. You
just bring enough to help the locals get back on track.”
Thanks to the contact in Cebu, the local police was also
aware of the relief actions and proved very helpful, making
sure that the distribution of food worked in an orderly
fashion. At some point it was necessary to repack goods, a
task very efficiently coordinated by the local police!
As soon as possible the volunteers started bringing
out materials to repair damage to buildings. Many schools
were affected, houses needed to be repaired (literally
many people were left ‘roofless’) and boats needed
mending to make sure people could go out fishing again.
In order to prevent misuse anyone who received repair
materials would have to sign a contract, saying that within
a certain timeframe the repair work would be finished. At
first this forcing people to sign for the work and materials
felt a little strict from our Western perspective. However
Extra
this seems to be customary in the region. Sometime after
dropping off the materials, the team would go back to see
if the repair work had actually been carried out. The team
was rarely disappointed!
The affected schools not only needed buildings, but
also basic materials such as notebooks and pens. Just to
get a feel for the devastating impact of the typhoon, one
of the elementary schools with 1200 students was totally
ruined and was closed at the time the team arrived.
In the interview Arnout stressed that the effort was a
team effort and many people did more than he himself.
The volunteers mostly worked in teams of 4. At some times
the volunteer group was quite big, requiring coordination.
Therefore at the end of 16 plus working hours, the group
would convene to discuss the next steps and who would
go where the following day. One of the outcomes of these
team meetings was to focus on a limited geographical area
and not to spread out to far from each other, making sure
it was a real, concentrated project.
Just to give you an idea on the size of the project:
• around 60 volunteers joined
• they worked a total of more than 500 man days
• thanks to many ADB members and other sponsors, a
total of $270.000,- USD has been distributed in relief
help.
All volunteers paid for their own airfare, booked a hotel
and made sure that all donated money went straight into
the relief effort. As you can imagine most volunteers needed
information on where and when to go. Very soon Marc
Leenders stepped in to help coordinate the Singapore side
of things, making sure that not too much time was spent on
coordination instead of actually helping relief needs.
So what makes an initiative like this different from what
the big relief and government organizations were doing? To
begin with, the big organizations were obliged to start with
an inventory of where and what help was needed. Also
they usually have to transport the donated goods from
further afield. This meant the actual help started flowing
in slower than in this project. And there was so much to be
done at such short notice that you did not easily step on
each other’s toes.
When asked to compare this action in the Philippines to
his action in Thailand, Arnout says that this action became
much bigger than the previous one. The advantage, of
course, is that you can help many more people; at the
same time there is more time needed for coordination and
making sure the money is all accounted for.
At the end of January the project will be closed, the
remaining funds will be donated to a relief organization
called Let’s Care (http://letscare.net), run by a Dutch
lady who lives in Panay with the same philosophy on just
providing basic materials and making sure people can start
their lives again.
Reading back through the emails that Arnout sent out
to many donors and contacts, it is impressive to see how
much work was done in a few weeks time, with enormous
compassion. In Panay, the team of volunteers has been
able to make a real difference in the lives of the people
most affected by “Haiyan”.
Overview of the shopping list from one of the mails from Arnout.
PS: For those of you who want to know what $1,700 buys in the Black & White supermarket in Roxas, here goes:
(This feeds and cares for 250/300 families for 3 days)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
500 kilo rice
800 units sardines
60 packs sky flakes
30 chocolate sky flakes
24 packs kopiko candy
60 packs lollipops
288 feminine napkins
480 packs baby milk
432 Nescafé 1 in 3
200 miswa noodles
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
162 soap bars
144 vinegar sachets
180 packs detergent
50 packs candles
144 cans tuna
420 shampoo sachets
216 toothpaste small
250 toothbrush
120 matches
144 pancit canton noodles
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
48 packs of sugar 250 gram
152 medium diapers
144 XL diapers
160 small diapers
112 large diapers
200 strips loperamide
100 strips hydrite granules
46 bottles multivitamins children 120 ml
50 bottles androxol cough medicine 60 ml
30 bottles calpol fever relief 60 ml
11
Extra
Review Year of the Snake
Connecting the dots between the 21 biggest things that happened in the year of the snake.
By Frank Kuijsters
We had an absolute
highlight at the end of
January when Queen
Beatrix and the Royal
Highnesses, the
Prince of Orange and
Princess Máxima of
The Netherlands visited
Singapore upon the
invitation of President Dr
Tony Tan. Many of us had
the pleasure and honor
of meeting the Royal
family and members of
the Dutch government.
Some ADB board members
had the opportunity to
explain the objectives of
the organization and its
activities to Her Royal
Highness, Princess Máxima.
The Population white
paper proposal was
published in February
that aims to increase
the city’s population
to 6.9 million by
2030. Citizens are
concerned about
their quality of life
and the rifts between
the rich and the poor.
On March 18th, ADB held its
Annual General Meeting
at the Hollandse Club. The
meeting was preceded with
a tradition-in-the-making: a
famous Dutch meal called
‘zuurkool met worst’. This
‘stamppot’ laid a good
foundation for the meeting
later on where some 39
ADB members were present
for dinner and stayed to
listen to an excerpt of the
Annual Report 2012 (see
the former ADB Magazine)
and an explanation of the
figures for 2012 and the
budget for 2013.
On 15 April 2013, fifty
members attended an
intimate and exclusive
event at the Singapore
Chinese Orchestra. How
does one run a not-forprofit organization as a
business and what are the
roles and responsibilities
of the Board of Directors?
After the theoretical
introduction, Maestro
Tsung Yeh, the Music
Director, and Mr Quek
Ling Kiong, the Resident
Conductor, explained
the instruments and
Chinese classical music.
This was followed by a
performance by the SCO
Ensemble. It was a truly
local and cultural event
appreciated by all.
In November was our yearly Diner & Dance,
this year at Alkaff Mansion Ristorante. 186
ADB-members and partners enjoyed a
sumptuous dinner, partying in a beautiful
and romantic setting, dancing the night away.
During the evening $ 6,660.00 was collected
for the Netherlands Charity Association and
for project Panay in the Philippines (read
more about it in this magazine).
Riots in Little India, the
country’s first since 1969,
involving 400 foreign workers
who overturned police vehicles
and set fire to an ambulance.
Twenty-four individuals have
been charged in court.
The new Marina Coastal
Expressway (MCE) that opened
in December is Singapore’s first
under the sea road.
12
Legal action was taken against
blogger Alex Auin in October
for allegedly accusing the
Supreme Court of deliberately
manipulating hearing dates in
his blog yawningbread.com.
The URA Draft Master plan
launched in November which
outlines the government plans
to make Singapore a better
city through more homes,
de-centralisation of business
districts, new eco-spaces and
a better transport system.
The fifth F1 Night Race, which
featured top acts like The Killers
and Rihanna rocking the crowd and
one of the most exciting races yet
in its history. The season has been
so successful that Singapore has
signed on for another five years.
The Singapore Biennale returned
in October after a two-year
hiatus with a stronger line-up of
shows than ever before, while
arts enclave Gillman barracks
welcomed the new art centre,
Centre of Contemporary Art (CCA)
in November.
Extra
In May 2013, we
conducted the third
ADB Member Survey.
One of the board’s
goals is to make the
ADB as relevant as
possible for you.
Therefore, the purpose
of the survey was
to obtain feedback
on your level of
satisfaction with the
ADB, to understand
your likes and dislikes
and to hear your
opinions about and get
your suggestions for
the network.
A lecture on Europe’s
future by Professor
Balkenende. Professor
Balkenende gave a
compelling and well
founded vision of Europe
including more specifically
the role that the
Netherlands should play
post the 2008 crisis. He
highlighted our capability
for entrepreneurship,
innovation and
sustainability and managed
to successfully capture and
keep the attention of over
200 (!) ADB and Hollandse
Club members.
Panel discussion Doing
Business in Myanmar.
Myanmar is the new,
hot destination for
businesses. The country
recently opened up
and lacks everything
we take for granted;
from mobile phones
to infrastructure, from
good coffee to health
systems. It can be a
challenge finding your
way in the bureaucratic,
legal and political maze
of this country. The
panel shared insights
on their experiences,
including the many
do’s and don’ts, while
dealing with the many
government institutions
and local population.
Haze in June brought
Singapore to a standstill.
For more than a week,
the air smelt of smoke
and recrimination.
Everyone stayed indoors.
Lineke van Nederpelt,
stepped down after nine
years of loyal service.
The Board expressed its
gratitude and admiration
to Lineke who has
performed so many and
such varied functions
over the years. We are
also happy to announce
that Zsuzsika Oostinjen–
Belovics has taken over
Lineke’s tasks.
Pink Dot, its biggest
incarnation yet in June.
For the first time, a
serving member of
parliament (Vincent
Wijesingha) announced
he was gay. 21.000
supporters went to Hong
Lim Park to dress in pink.
A Dengue Outbreak
happened in June,
with 842 dengue cases
reported in a single week
and more than 13,000
infected by mid-July.
Luckily no casualties
were reported.
Sungei Buloh Wetland
Reserve, the nature
park, known for its wide
variety of bird species
and other wildlife, is
attracting more salt
water crocodiles, with
the latest appearances
reported in August.
Ambassador Johannes Jansing leaves Singapore. In his
farewell interview with the ADB magazine his reaction to the
question: “What can the Dutch learn from the Singaporeans
and vice versa?” was, “Throughout my time as Ambassador
to Singapore, I have seen a large number of missions from
Singapore and the Netherlands, and vice versa. Both are global
hubs, with strong knowledge economies, but our historical
and cultural backgrounds are very different. This makes
for a plethora of learning opportunities for both parties.
Singapore’s unique position as a distinctive global city makes
it a compelling example, while the Netherlands is consistently
a leader in innovation. For years to come, the exchange of
expertise between our two countries will be rich and varied.”
The opening of Amazon
River Quest Boat ride
at the river safari park.
The latest feature
at the attraction is
a bumpy ride that
meanders through a
483 metre long manmade river from where
you can occasionally
spot swinging monkeys,
birds and unfortunately
not much else.
13
Extra
Interview with Claudia Artz
General Manager of World Press Photo Exhibition Singapore
By Frank Kuijsters
Photos World Press Photo
You are the General Manager of World Press Photo
Exhibition Singapore. Could you share with us how you
got involved in World Press Photo?
That’s a story of luck & coincidence. As an INSEAD partner
from August 2011 through July 2012 with a Dutch civil
service background, I was searching for a job for quite
a while. During that time an INSEAD friend and partner
was trying to organize World Press Photo in Singapore.
She had a friend who was working for the Foundation in
Amsterdam, but she had only been here in Singapore for
one year and so was unable to pull it off. The bottlenecks
for her were the venue and fundraising. Both searches take
quite some time to secure and you need to have a strong
network. And with all the fantastic activities going on in the
INSEAD bubble, I can understand why she couldn’t pull it
off. Just before she left, she asked me to take it over.
Can you give us some background of The World Press
Photo Foundation, when and why?
World Press Photo was founded in 1955 in Amsterdam,
The Netherlands. A bunch of Dutch photojournalists
challenged a national competition the ‘Zilveren Camera’
by establishing the World Press Photo Contest. By
exposing themselves to international competition, they
aimed to advance their standards in photojournalism
and documentary photography. Over the years World
Press Photo’s mission has been enriched and has become
stronger. Nowadays the Foundation’s mission is ‘to advance
high standards in photojournalism and documentary
photography and to generate a wide public interest in and
appreciation for the work of photographers and for the
free exchange of information’.
Since its inception, the Foundation has not changed its
main objectives but the contest has come a long way. In
1955 just 42 photographers from 11 countries submitted
some 300 photos. Last year’s 56th contest received 103,481
images from 5,666 photographers from 124 countries! It
took the 19 member jury two intense weeks of judging.
What are the main changes you have seen over the past
57 years of World Press Photo?
The award categories have changed along the way;
more have been added. Nowadays there are nine award
categories: Spot News, General News, Sports Action,
Sports Feature, Contemporary Issues, Daily Life, Observed
portraits, Staged Portraits and Nature. World Press Photo
started off simply with (spot) news.
Another change is the means through which the media
present stories and images to the public, and with that,
the style of visual journalism. The archive of winning
images not only reflects half a century of history but also
successive styles in photojournalism.
14
The World Press Foundation responded to the digital
age by introducing the annual Multimedia Contest
four years ago. This Multimedia Contest challenges the
traditional news disciplines by pushing them to cooperate
and anticipate the new technological possibilities and
needs and create innovative and integrated multimedia.
In this contest, a jury selects winning productions in three
categories: Online Shorts, Online Features and Interactive
Documentary.
As General Manager World Press Photo what are your
main responsibilities?
Venue search, fundraising, stakeholder management, team
management, and execution. Starting off by myself I had
to set up everything (set up company, claim web-domain,
create email accounts, bank account, website, business
cards etc.) and think about my strategy (80-20 principle
regarding fundraising and who and how to approach).
That takes time. Along the way, I’ve realized that my civil
service background and drive clings to me quite a bit. I
like the part of reaching out to local and international
press photographers and engaging in more in-depth
programming, like we are doing with the Dutch School
(HSL) and the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and
Information of Nanyang Technological University.
The venue search took time. I had this very strong
idea to host the exhibition outdoors at a highly accessible
place, like UOB Plaza at the end of Boat Quay and Raffles
Place. I wanted to make the exhibition highly accessible to
everyone, and give the experience of coincidentally walking
Extra
Today, business knows
no borders
Our clients come from every corner of the globe. Different countries, different cultures. Just like us.
We have more than 1,100 professionals in more than 20 countries worldwide. So we have the local
knowledge and sensitivity to see things from your point of view.
www.intertrustgroup.com
15
Extra
Photo by Wei Seng Chen, Malaysia
into an exhibition. It took me 4 months and 3 different
channels to get a meeting with UOB and in the end they
decided not to engage. The advantage was that my pitch
had become better and the Raffles Hotel was happy to take
up the hosting role. With the idea of localizing World Press
Photo, the Raffles Hotel is a perfect fit.
The fundraising part has been quite tough. We
managed it in the end but it really took a lot of effort.
The catalyst was the Board of Advisors in which Barbara
Voskamp, Jaap Werner, Marcel van Doremaele and Mark
Leenders have taken a seat. Their network has helped me
to reach some interesting and supportive Singaporean
individuals.
Overall, I’ve learned that an exhibition in Singapore is
not sexy and appealing. Perhaps it’s too traditional. Besides
that, the images of World Press Photo can be quite in your
face – which is not appreciated by Asian corporates that
worry about their corporate image instead of stimulating
culture. Even the National Arts Council, Singapore Tourism
Board (the latter having an art and culture department)
and Asia Europe Foundation have not been supportive
whereas I assumed they would be interested in helping
me get World Press Photo moving. That reality was
quite disappointing – and a mistake I won’t make again particularly because I spent a significant amount of time on
the applications, time I might better have spent on meeting
twenty companies. So a good lesson – also as a former civil
servant, I can see now where the frustration companies
feel regarding grants comes from…….
I have had great luck that two current INSEAD partners
– Katharina Holtslag and Candida Cereda – started helping
me out in all kinds of activities. As an expat kid herself, Kat
has quite some experience with international schools so
she is fully into our collaboration with the Dutch School.
Candy is an experienced Italian event manager so I don’t
have to explain how perfect her fit is in dealing with all
kinds of event planning matters, such as the design and
production of collaterals, venue and media management.
My team and I basically take over the exhibition from
the moment the four crates arrive at Changi Airport. From
there we ensure a successful exhibition. World Press Photo
Foundation works like a franchise, but as a not-for-profit
16
one: there are no high costs involved except for rental of
the exhibition of which part goes to the Amsterdam staff
that consist of some thirty people.
Why a World Press Photo exhibition in Singapore?
The better question is: why not? Often being described
as the ‘Oscars of photojournalism’, the World Press Photo
contest creates a bridging link between professionals and
the general public.
The exhibited images are inspiring, powerful,
educational, often moving and widely talked about. The
exhibition is not only a showcase of the images and their
makers but it also offers the opportunity to learn more
about the background of the images and photographers.
To this end, a free exhibition app has been developed
which guides the public through the exhibition, whilst
giving additional information about the story behind the
photos and those who shot them.
Where and when will the exhibition take place?
The exhibition will take place at the Raffles Hotel, on the
side of North Bridge Road, from 8 through 30 March. It
is held outdoors so you can easily drop in, planned or
unplanned. The exhibition is free of charge and open from
sunrise until 10 PM when lights go out.
Where else does the exhibition go?
Singapore is unique: it’s the last city where you can view
the 2013 collection as its journey across the globe ends 31
March 2014. Over the past year it has been exhibited in
nearly 100 cities across 45 countries.
Next year will you be responsible for the World Press
Photo Exhibition Singapore?
If this exhibition is successful and our sponsors are happy,
we will definitely aim to host the 57th exhibition. To any
reader: please feel free to reach out if you’re motivated to
support the exhibition! [email protected]
For more information please visit: www.
worldpressphoto.asia and www.worldpressphoto.org
We hope to welcome you at the exhibition!
Extra
English and Dinglish
By Jacinta Noonan
It has come to my attention that there is some confusion
about how to spell words like Spend and Spent. The reason
that these irregular English verbs are especially tricky for
the Dutch is because you have a spelling rule that my Dutch
grammar books tells me goes something like this …….
Regelmatige werkwoorden in de voltooid tegenvoordige
tijd….. and the rule has something to do with the last letter
of the stem and so on and so on. And it would appear that
this rule has something to do with regular verbs, whereas
the problem you have with English spelling is only when we
are dealing with irregular verbs.
So what advice can I offer you? Well, most importantly
when you are feeling unsure, you must NOT try to apply
Dutch logic to English spelling. This is what trips you up.
Remind yourself that these are irregular verbs and there is
no rhyme or reason why we spell them the way we do. As I
used to tell my students, you just have to learn them! Let’s
have a look at some examples.
I spend most of my salary every month on new shoes.
The word spend in this sentence is in the present
simple form, the verb is irregular. Don’t even go into an
internal discussion with yourself about whether it should
be t or d on the end of the word as there is a 50% chance
you will spell it incorrectly. This is Dutch logic for the
Dutch language and does not apply to English. Let’s now
look at what happened last month with my shoe buying
obsession.
Last month I spent so much money on shoes that my bank
account is now in the red.
The best tip I can suggest is to train yourself to
remember …….. spend for the present, spent for the past.
Remember, there is NO logic a lot of times when it comes to
English spelling.
Here are some other similar words for you to learn.
Present tense
Build Lend Bend Send Past tense
built
lent
bent
sent
17
Bizz News
Household assets
shrink as house prices
fall
Dutch household assets shrank 10%
to an average of €27,000 between
January 2011 and January 2012, the
national statistics office CBS said. In
2008, before the crisis began, average
household assets totalled €47,000. The
drop is largely due to the fall in house
prices. Some 57% of Dutch households
own their own home, the CBS said.
Shell issues profit warning, blames weak
conditions, exploration costs
Oil giant Shell warned its fourth-quarter earnings will be ‘significantly
lower’ than last year. The announcement, two weeks before the
company is due to publish its Q4 figures, surprised analysts and sent the
company’s share price down sharply on the Amsterdam stock exchange.
In a statement, Shell said its fourth quarter earnings on a current cost of
supplies are expected to be approximately $2.9 bn. In 2012, the company
booked profits of $5.6bn in the fourth quarter. Over 2013 as a whole,
like-for-like earnings are likely to reach $19.5bn, compared with $25.3bn in
2012. Shell said it has been hit by ‘weak industry conditions in downstream
oil products, higher exploration expenses and lower upstream volumes.’
Chief executive Ben van Beurden, who took over at the beginning of this
year said, “Our 2013 performance was not what I expect from Shell.”
New investment fund
launched to raise
cash for Dutch firms
The three biggest Dutch banks and
asset manager Robeco are hoping to
raise €1bn from a new investment
fund to support small and mediumsized Dutch firms. The fund is
targeting pension funds and insurance
companies and will invest in companies
with a minimum turnover of at least
€25m. Tougher capital requirements
mean banks are now more reluctant
to invest in companies, leading to
fears that economic recovery is
being hampered. Firms will be able
to apply for investments of between
€5m and €25m – a sum which will be
matched by either Rabobank, ING or
ABN Amro. In order to spread the risk
further, the fund will invest in some
80 different companies. Backers of the
NL Ondernemingsfonds, which was
launched, are now trying to convince
pension funds and insurers to come up
with the start capital. Robeco’s Erik van
Leeuwen told the FD the fund already
has sufficient ‘soft commitments’.
The Netherlands leads the world in
affordable, available food: Oxfam
The Netherlands is the best country in the world for having the most
plentiful, nutritious, healthy and affordable diet, according to a new
ranking by international aid group Oxfam. The Netherlands beats France
and Switzerland into second place. Chad is last in 125th spot behind
Ethiopia and Angola. European countries occupy the entire top 20 bar one
– Australia ties in 8th place – while the US, Japan, New Zealand, Brazil and
Canada all fall outside. African countries occupy all the bottom 30 places
in the table except for four – Laos, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. The
Good Enough to Eat index compares 125 countries and looks at challenges
people face in obtaining food, the quality and price of food and the impact
on health. The Netherlands scores so well because food is relatively
cheap, varied and good quality. But almost one in five Dutch residents is
overweight, the research points out.
Ahold sales drop in important Christmas quarter
Supermarket group Ahold booked turnover of €7.5bn in the fourth quarter of 2013, down 1.1% excluding the effect of
the high euro exchange rate against the dollar. For the full year 2013, consolidated net sales reached €32.6bn, an increase
of 2% at constant exchange rates. At current exchange rates net sales were down 0.2%, the company said in a trading
update. In the Netherlands, market conditions remained ‘challenging’, Ahold said and sales growth of 0.7% was mainly
driven by the strong performance of its online businesses, both at albert.nl and bol.com.
Franchises
Meanwhile, franchisees who run Ahold’s Albert Heijn supermarkets have decided not to pay all their bills to the parent
company because of a dispute over extra charges. The franchise-holders say they are required to settle bills with Albert
Heijn within 10 days of delivery but that the supermarket chain does not pay its suppliers for between 60 and 120 days.
Some 250 out of around 850 Albert Heijn stores are currently run on a franchise basis.
18
Bizz News
Discount supermarkets, fast food chains benefit from the crisis
Discount groups such as supermarket Lidl, fast food company McDonalds and the Van der Valk restaurant chain are
benefiting from the economic crisis, according to research by the Dutch food services institute FSIN. They have managed
to increase their turnover by up to 22% over the past five years, FSIN says. Coffee houses and the V&D department store
restaurant concept are also doing well, the research institute says. Cafes were hardest hit, with a 22% decline in turnover,
while specialist food shops like butchers and greengrocers saw sales down 13%. Snackbars and company canteen turnover
also fell by 16%. The figures will be published at the Horecava hospitality industry trade fair in Amsterdam’s Rai.
Eating out
Meanwhile, FSIN director Jan-Willem Grievink told the Telegraaf cafes and restaurants in the Netherlands are the most
expensive in western Europe. ‘Despite the introduction of cheaper menus, eating out is still 20% more expensive in the
Netherlands than in Belgium or Germany,’ he said. The difference in prices as compared with supermarkets is also too
big, making it much cheaper to eat at home. ‘Shopping for food is cheap in the Netherlands,’ Grievink told the Telegraaf.
‘If you want cheaper food, go to Spain or Poland. Daily groceries are even a little more expensive in Greece.’ In addition,
the Dutch have cheap tastes compared to other countries. ‘We like traditional Dutch food. The Netherlands is a country
of smoked sausage, fried eggs and ham, liver sausage on bread and mashed potato-based dishes,’ he is quoted as saying.
‘We eat cheap products. A German buys ham from Schwarzwald, which is more expensive. We are more easily satisfied
on quality. That is deeply ingrained in our culture. But we are slowly coming to realise delicious things cost more.’
Dutch farm exports reach a record
ABN Amro CEO in drag
entertains staff as
brothel-owning sister
Dutch farm exports reached a record €79m last year, a rise of 5% on
2013, says junior economic affairs minister Sharon Dijksma. She made
the comments in Berlin where she was attending the agricultural trade
fair, Grüne Woche. Most Dutch exports go to other EU countries with
30% heading for Germany. The Netherlands is second only to the US
in terms of agricultural exports and that is something which should be
cherished, she said. At the end of last year, it emerged the Netherlands
had overtaken Mexico to become the world’s biggest exporter of
tomatoes.
Average retirement age rises to almost 64
The average retirement age rose again to 63.9 years in 2013, an increase
of 0.3 percentage point on 2012, the national statistics office CBS said.
Nevertheless, over half of the working population still stop working before
they turn 65, the CBS figures show. The state pension age is currently 65
and two months and is rising to 67 over the next few years. In 2006, the
average retirement age was 61 but has been rising steadily since then.
Just 6% of workers now retire before they reach the age of 60.
vanaf € 24,*- per dag
Autohuur tarieven
all-in
ABN Amro chief executive Gerrit Zalm
entertained staff at the bank’s traditional
New Year cabaret by appearing in
drag as his ‘sister’. Rather than the
usual speech about market conditions,
‘Priscilla Zalm’ outlined how she advised
her brother to lead the bank. Priscilla
claimed to have run a brothel for years.
“Had the bank not learned to make the
customer all important?”, she asked,
pointing out that she had never done
it differently. “We embrace the client,
we look for a connection with him and
we are happy to see him come back,”
quotes Priscilla as saying. Nor did she
have any trouble attracting outstanding
female personnel, Zalm said. ‘Women on
top, that is our motto.’
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19
Singapore
Renting a house or
apartment in Singapore
By Hester Calkhoven
Photos Hester Calkhoven
Singapore has a large rental market due to the number of
expats coming and going all the time. To be certain that you
find the place that is right for YOU, and not just convenient
and profitable for the estate agent, it is important to
select a specialized expat real estate firm that has a deep
understanding of the market, spends time and effort to
understand your requirements, and offers a wide range of
services. Ideally, your agent will be familiar with expat life
in Singapore and will advise you on where to find schools,
public transport, supermarkets, etc.
Once you have selected the property you wish to
rent, you will need to follow a process of negotiation and
documentation to secure the property.
Agreement on Terms and Conditions
To save time and avoid possible misunderstandings later, it
is important to agree upon the most important terms and
conditions to be included in the rental agreement before
putting anything in writing. Landlords can often be reluctant
to change terms once they have been included in a Letter
of Intent (see below), so this is the time to negotiate and
be explicit about what you want and are prepared to agree
to. A good real estate agent is essential here as they have
extensive experience in documenting terms and conditions
that you may not have considered, such as provision of hot
water in the kitchen, which is not standard in Singapore!
Before you start negotiating, make sure you agree on
basic terms such as length of the lease and rent, and then
prepare a checklist of anything that you specifically require
from the landlord, for example a new washing machine or
re-varnishing of floors, etc. You should also be clear on and
agree to your responsibilities for air-conditioning, pool and
garden maintenance. Your real estate representative will be
able to make suggestions and guide you through this process.
20
Letter of Intent
Next, you need to prepare a Letter of Intent or LOL as it’s
commonly referred to. A Letter of Intent is a formal letter
presented by the tenant to the landlord, which contains the
tenant’s offer to rent a residential property. If the landlord
signs the Letter, this is taken as an official sign of acceptance
of the tenant’s offer.
The Letter of Intent should spell out the tenant’s
intention to rent the property and the terms and conditions
for both parties. As mentioned above, these should have
been informally agreed to prior to the preparation of the
Letter. Be very precise when including these terms and
conditions, especially when it comes to the payment and,
more importantly, re-payment of security deposits. You
don’t want to have a nasty surprise at the end of the tenancy
because the return of the deposit was not clearly defined.
Once both parties have signed the Letter of Intent, the
tenant will be required to pay a deposit of one month’s
Singapore
rent. This is known as a good faith or holding deposit and
should ensure that your landlord will not offer the property
to other prospective tenants until a Tenancy Agreement
(lease) has been signed. Your real estate representative
should always include a few lines in the Letter to ensure this.
After the Tenancy Agreement has been signed, the holding
deposit will form the first month’s rental.
A Letter of Intent should always carry a clause specifying
an expiration date. If a landlord does not sign the Letter
within a certain period, the Letter will expire and the
landlord will then be required to return the holding deposit
immediately.
Tenancy Agreement
The Tenancy Agreement is prepared by the landlord and is,
in essence, a more detailed version of the Letter of Intent,
stating both parties’ obligations.
Generally speaking, Tenancy Agreements in Singapore
are well balanced in terms of the obligations of each
party. However, there are still certain landlords who will
insist on including outdated and very one-sided clauses.
For example, it used to be standard practice in Singapore
that all legal fees incurred were the responsibility of the
tenant, including legal fees incurred by the landlord. Some
landlords will still try to include this, so to protect yourself,
make sure you negotiate to remove or amend the clause
before signing the Tenancy Agreement.
Always obtain your real estate agency’s input and if in
any doubt about any clause, contact your legal firm for their
advice.
The standard lease term in Singapore is 24 months
and most landlords will not accept a shorter lease period.
Normally, there will be a clause allowing for renewal, but
this is usually subject to review of the rental price by the
landlord, based on prevailing market rates. The tenant is
usually required to give two to three months’ notice in
advance to the landlord if he or she wishes to renew it.
If the tenant is a foreigner, he or she is required to
provide the landlord with a copy of his or her passport and
identification card or employment pass. The landlord needs
to verify that the tenant has the right to stay in Singapore, as
he will be deemed to have committed an offence if he rents
out residential property to an illegal immigrant.
Termination of lease
The expatriate job market is a fluid one, and changes to
employment status can occur with little or no notice. For
this reason, expatriates should always insist on inclusion of
a Diplomatic Clause. This clause should allow an expatriate
tenant to terminate the Tenancy Agreement after a period
of 12 months, as long as the tenant has given two months’
notice, resulting in a minimum lease term of 14 months. The
clause will also provide for restoration of the security deposit.
The security deposit is a deposit paid by the tenant once
the Tenancy Agreement has been signed. It is held by the
landlord and is only returned to the tenant when his or her
Tenancy Agreement expires and when he or she has fulfilled
the terms and conditions included in the Agreement. Unlike
in many other countries, the security deposit held by the
landlord will not be placed in an interest-earning account
and it will therefore be refunded to the tenant interest-free.
In standard-term leases, the security deposit will amount to
two months’ rent.
The final amount returned will depend on the tenant’s
fulfillment of any terms and conditions. The landlord also
reserves the right to deduct any expenses incurred should a
tenant cause any damage to the property or inventory.
Securing the return of the full security deposit is
undoubtedly one of the most stressful times for the tenant.
Many landlords see this as an opportunity to try and charge
the tenant for any damage to the property, regardless of
whether the current tenant caused it. It is therefore of
paramount importance to make a detailed report of any
damage found in the property at the beginning of the
Tenancy Agreement, so that there can be no false accusation
later as to who caused it. A good real estate firm will prepare
a detailed written and photographic damage report for you,
which will allow you to be sure that any damage is properly
registered as pre-existing. Once again, it is essential to work
with an established real estate firm who can support you
with all issues involved in terminating the lease.
If the Diplomatic Clause is used, the landlord will ask for
reimbursement of the pro-rated commission paid to his real
estate agency. This means that you will have to reimburse
him for part of the commission fees according to the
number of months that you have rented the property.
It is clear that before entering the Singapore rental
market, you should have an experienced and professional
real estate firm on your side.
Hester Calkhoven, established Executive Homes in 2010
having worked for various real estate agencies in both
Singapore and Hong Kong since 1995. She is a qualiﬁed
estate agent and also holds a license to operate a real
estate company. She is registered with the Singapore
Council of Estate Agents and is a full member of the
Singapore Accredited Estate Agencies (SAEA).
21
Singapore
Second cruise terminal
significant for Singapore
and ASEAN travel
By Petra Pronk
In October 2012, the Singapore second cruise terminal was
officially opened. After a few try outs between May and
September Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore (MBCCS)
was ready for berthing of the largest cruise ships in the
world and opened by Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Teo Chee
Hean. This second cruise terminal will give Singapore’s
tourism industry a boost and should solve some of the
berthing limitations for larger cruise ships of Singapore
Cruise Centre @ Harbour front. More than a million
tourists every year come to Singapore on a cruise. With a
smooth operation between Changi airport and the cruise
terminals, the cruise industry will see numbers steadily
increase in the years to come.
Historic perspective
Clifford Pier was the landing point of sea passengers and
immigrants who came to seek a new life in Singapore.
Named after Governor Sir Hugh Charles Clifford,
Clifford Pier was opened in 1933, replacing Johnston
Pier which once stood nearby, opposite the Fullerton
Square. Johnston Pier, built in 1855, was named after the
prominent merchant Alexander Laurie Johnston.
To many local people, Clifford Pier is also known as the
Red Lamp Pier as there used to be a red oil lamp hanging
at the pier to serve as a directional sign to seafarers.
Nowadays, for the many tourists and expats, this location is
marked by the Lantern Bar at the Fullerton Bay hotel.
22
The pier was later used as a terminal for tourists and
day trippers who boarded small boats and ferries heading
for the Southern Islands. Clifford Pier ceased operations on
1 April 2006 after the dam at Marina Barrage was built, and
was replaced by the Marina South Pier.
MBCCS
Finally more tangible and visible by the opening of the
new motorway, the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE),
the second cruise terminal doubles Singapore’s berthing
capacity for larger cruise ships and allows the world’s
largest cruise ships to make a stop-over in Singapore.
The terminal, which is operated by SATS-Creuers Cruise
Services (SCCS), saw its first ship dock in May 2012.
MBCCS establishes Singapore as the regional cruise hub
with no real alternative or competitor in the region.
The purpose-built 28,000-square-meter terminal has
effectively doubled Singapore’s berth capacity. With deep
water, a large turning basin and no height restrictions, the
terminal has the capability to dock ships of up to 220,000
gross register tonnage (GRT) and measuring up to 360m in
length with a hull draft of up to 11.5m.
The impetus for construction came from difficulties
many cruise operators had with the current Singapore
Cruise Centre, which is in a narrow channel with a dead
end. The geographical limitations of the site impose height
and berth limits on the cruise operators.
Singapore
In March 2009, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI)
and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) revealed the new cruise
terminal’s design.
Nautical design
The S$500 million terminal was designed by RSP Architects
Planners and Engineers Bermello, Ajamil and Partners as
an architectural icon with the capability to accommodate
some of the world’s largest ships.
The terminal features a spacious arrival and departure
hall as well as a large ground transportation area (GTA) to
ensure a smooth and seamless experience for passengers.
Waves and nautical elements take centre stage with an
undulating roofscape that mimics the breaking of waves
on the shore - featuring an angular rather than curvilinear
form, with alternating panels of aluminium and glass
along the length of the terminal. When viewed from the
towering heights of a cruise liner, the roof becomes a
multi-dimensional mosaic of shapes and patterns.
Reclaimed
The terminal complements several other developments
in the Marina Bay area, such as the Marina Bay Financial
Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Marina Barrage, and Gardens by
the Bay. All part of the reclaimed land areas along the East
Coast Parkway.
SATS moving into maritime
SCCS is a joint venture between SATS and Creuers del
Port de Barcelona (Creuers). They were appointed as the
operator for the terminal for a ten- year term, with an
option to extend for another five years. The combined
experience of SATS – the leading provider of gateway
services and food solutions in the region – and Creuers
– the largest port operator in Europe – was a large
contributing factor to SCCS being selected to take the
terminal forward.
SATS, being a healthy home grown company, best
known for the in-flight services leaving from Changi airport,
are taking further action to move into the maritime sector.
On 26 September 2013, SATS announced that, through
their subsidiaries, SATS Airport Services and SATS-Creuers
Cruise Services (SATS-Creuers), they entered into a sale
and purchase agreement to acquire the entire issued share
capital of Singapore Cruise Centre for S$110 million from
Temasek.
SATS Airport Services will own approximately 92% of
Singapore Cruise Centre while SATS-Creuers will hold the
remaining 8%.
Singapore Cruise Centre is a Singapore-based terminal
operator which manages and operates: International
Passenger Terminal (cruise ships) and Regional Ferry
Terminal at Harbour Front, Regional Ferry Terminal at Tanah
Merah, and Domestic Ferry Terminal at Pasir Panjang.
With this acquisition, SATS-Creuers now operates two
of the largest cruise terminals in the world.
The presence of SATS at both the airport and cruise
terminals helps to enhance the service experience of
cruise lines and passengers. SATS will be able to extend the
Cruise-Fly™ and Fly-Cruise products to cruise terminals,
enabling passengers to enjoy convenient, seamless
transfers to and from Singapore Changi Airport and will
contribute to Singapore’s tourism industry and economic
development.
23
know your tax
Counting the days!
By Yvette Gorter – Voskamplawyers
Singapore is doing well attracting foreign companies.
With this, more and more expats seem to be appearing at
Changi Airport, flying in and out of the country. We often
see that these expats are either sent to Singapore for a
relatively short period of time to execute a project, or are
on an assignment for a couple of years to fulfill a role which
often requires them to frequently travel around the region.
Are there any planning possibilities for these inbound
employees with respect to Singapore income tax?
Short term assignments
The general rule is that income from any employment
exercised in Singapore is taxable in Singapore.
Income earned by employees who work in Singapore
for less than 60 days in a calendar year and who cannot be
considered tax residents will generally be tax exempt.
Dutch employees sent to Singapore for more than
60 days but less than 183 days in a calendar year may
not become tax liable in Singapore, due to the tax treaty
between Singapore and the Netherlands. For example this
is the case if the employee is not seconded to a subsidiary
or branch in Singapore and the Dutch employer continues
to bear the cost of the employee. Do note however that
there are filing requirements for claiming this exemption.
If an employee is seconded to the local subsidiary or
if the overseas company has operations in Singapore, the
tax treaty may allow Singapore to levy tax on part of the
employment income earned while working in Singapore.
Generally this income will be taxed in Singapore at a rate
of 15%; as this rate is generally lower than the income tax
rate in the Netherlands, the overall income tax burden of
the employee might be reduced. Employers can take this
into consideration when negotiating secondment terms
with the employee.
Long term assignments
We notice that when most companies send their
employees to Singapore for an extended period of time,
such employees will be assigned to its local subsidiary. For
the duration of the secondment, the employee is typically
regarded as a tax resident in Singapore. What kinds of tax
planning opportunities are available to these employees?
The Not-Ordinarily-Resident (“NOR”) scheme was
introduced for employees based in Singapore but who
travel frequently for work. An employee who qualifies for
the NOR scheme can enjoy favorable tax concessions for a
period of five years. One benefit under this scheme is that
the employee will only be taxed based on the number of
days spent in Singapore. The other benefit is that certain
amounts of contributions to overseas pension funds and/
or social security schemes made by the employer on the
employees’ behalf may be tax exempt.
To qualify for the NOR scheme the employee must
spend at least 90 days outside Singapore for business
reasons and have an employment income of at least
S$160,000 per year. The NOR scheme does not apply to
Singaporean citizens or permanent residents.
So regardless of whether you are here for a short time
or for an extended stay in Singapore, counting the days
inside – and outside – Singapore can prove to be beneficial
for personal income tax purposes. With an employee
seconded to Singapore on a net contract, this could also
benefit you as employer.
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Not to miss
Singapore International Jazz Festival 2014
27 Feb – 2 Mar
The inaugural Singapore International Jazz Festival (Sing Jazz 2014). Sing Jazz
2014 will feature four days of memorable performances by a multitude of
international jazz stars alongside the cream of local and regional talent. By
featuring an impressive array of multi-awarded international artists at the iconic
Marina Bay Sands setting, Sing Jazz 2014 is positioned to establish itself as a
landmark festival to Singapore’s annual cultural calendar.
More Information www.sistic.com.sg
SINGAPORE ROCK FESTIVAL
5-6 Mar
Fort Canning Park
The very first Singapore Rock Festival! Seven of the hardest and heaviest rock bands
join forces for two nights, on one stage in Singapore for an electrifying line-up at
Fort Canning Park! Co-Headliners ‘Rob Zombie’ and ‘Korn’ will be joined on the first
day by acclaimed hard rock bands ‘Five Finger Death Punch’ and ‘Black Veil Brides’.
Heavy grunge heavyweights ‘Alice in Chains’ headlines the second night along with
‘Alter Bridge’ and ‘Newsted’ (led by former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted)!
RISING SON
27 Mar – 12 Apr
DBS Arts Centre
This is part one of the Family Trilogy written by Dick Lee. Set against the backdrop
of the Japanese occupation, it tells the coming-of-age stories of his father, aunt
and a Japanese army lawyer next door. Through the play, Dick hopes to offer the
younger generation an insight into how everyday life was during the Japanese
occupation, and the older generation, a different perspective of the period. More Information www.sistic.com.sg
The Merchant of Venice
Fort Canning Park
From the company that brought Othello, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, A Midsummer
Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing.
Spread your picnic blanket, uncork that bottle of wine and lose yourself in
the rich world of The Merchant of Venice, one of Shakespeare’s most beloved
plays. With a fairy-tale wooing, a twisted revenge, mistaken identities, a beautiful
heroine with a quick wit, and one of Shakespeare s most sympathetic villains, The
Merchant of Venice has something for everyone.
26
30 Apr – 25 May
column
Being hospitalized
in Singapore
by Richard Soemita
A few months ago I had a little accident on my bike and,
as a result, had a small lump on my head that didn’t go
away but gave me a headache whenever I pressed it. I
finally decided to go to the doctors to check it out. But
my general practitioner referred me to a hospital to have
this checked properly since he couldn’t do much apart
from writing antibiotics. I decided to go to this established
private hospital since the standard time for making an
appointment at a government hospital takes decades. So
on a casual Saturday at 10am, I had my appointment and
was welcomed in this glossy, carpeted lobby with large TV
screens and attractive smiling receptionists. The doc did
his bit and found no discrepancy with what I had already
researched on the internet. However, he recommended
an MRI brain scan and, after he checked with Pamela
Anderson from reception, he told me the good news that
there was a spot available at 6pm. Incredible that time was
not an issue. In Holland after 5pm Friday afternoon you
would either die or suffer till Monday morning! I agreed
to stay and took the 6pm slot just to get it over with. I was
then led to Administration and was given the quotation of
$2,500 +/- since there could be additional charges added
to it which could not be foreseen.
Unfortunately, I’m a bit claustrophobic and therefore
requested a sleeping pill to numb me when I had to go
through the MRI ‘tunnel’. No issue at all, they just called
the anesthetist to come down and put me out. Before
I could explain my phobia to him, he injected 10ml of
propofol in my arm and was gone in seconds! Later he told
me that it is the same stuff that Michael Jackson overdosed
on. After an hour I was then wheeled out of the scanning
room to a suite with a fantastic view of the city. It appeared
that I got 200ml of propofol and was basically in cloud coocoo land during the entire scan. I was so dizzy and could
barely sit up. The next minute I was handed a menu which
was nearly as good as Equinox. The nurse also asked if I
could select my breakfast and lunch for the next day. The
suite was spacious and included free Wifi, a safe locker,
large TV, large bathroom, a toilet bag stuffed with goodies
and a fantastic view of the city i.e. nearly as good as the
Swissotel. My wife could also stay over but the extra bed
in the room would cost $50 and $65 including breakfast.
Dinner was great and just when I thought I’d snooze away
like Michael Jackson I was woken up for my first blood
pressure check. This continued every 3 hours until I finally
fell asleep at 6am in the morning.
When my wife walked in the next day (Sunday) she
thought that I had caught dengue. At this stage I was so
fed up and dog tired that I just wanted to walk out. But
the nurse told me that the doctor was kind enough to
come to the hospital to discuss the results with me, and
would be arriving in an hour. She was also a bit upset that
I cancelled my lunch and didn’t want to ‘relax’ until 2pm,
the check-out time. With a friendly smile she said that it
was also possible to extend my stay till 5pm discounted at
50%! Then the doc walked in and broke the good news to
me that nothing was found on the first scan and as a result
they decided to do a second one just in case. The lump
was just a concussion and there was nothing to worry
about.
He concluded his diagnosis by asking me if that’s what
I also found on the internet! By now my blood pressure
went sky-high and I tried very hard not to have a heart
attack. The thought of being kept there for a week! But…
we first had to go back to Admin to settle the bill. I sat in
front of the admin clerk who gave us this big smile. At one
moment I thought he was writing an essay when finally
he handed over the print out showing a total of $5,500.
Where was the bed on wheels when you needed it the
most? The medical industry in Singapore has become
commercial. At every visit the doctors ask me if I need a
scan, health check or even Viagra.
My dentist thinks that my teeth need to be whitened or
replace the white fillings with gold. And last but not least
Susan Lim, Asia’s first liver-transplant surgeon, charged the
Brunei queen’s sister $25 million a few years ago for a 7
months treatment. You can actually buy a hospital in Africa
for that! Meanwhile the patient passed away and Lim was
fined $10,000 and warned not to overcharge again. The
Singaporeans have this saying: never get sick, just die.
27
Embassy News
New passports valid for 10 years
Global Nuclear Security Summit to
be held in the Netherlands 2014
Next year, the Netherlands will host the Nuclear
Security Summit (NSS), which will be held on 24 and
25 March in The Hague. The goal of the Summit is the
prevention of nuclear terrorism around the world.
There is a substantial amount of nuclear material in
the world. If it were to fall into the hands of terrorists,
the consequences would be dire. The international
community must therefore do its utmost to prevent that
from happening.
The Nuclear Security Summit is a global conference
at the highest political level. Fifty-three countries will be
taking part, most represented by their prime minister or
president. The heads of four international organisations,
including the United Nations, will also participate. Five
thousand delegates are expected, along with 3,000
journalists.
The NSS is an initiative of President Barack Obama.
The first Summit was held in Washington in 2010, and
the second in Seoul in 2012. At Mr Obama’s request, the
Netherlands will host the penultimate summit in 2014.
The Netherlands is internationally renowned for its
commitment to international peace, justice and security.
The Summit’s host city, The Hague, is home to 160
international organisations.
The Netherlands is also a major player in the
nuclear industry. It produces 30% of the world’s medical
isotopes, which are used to diagnose vascular diseases
and fight cancer. The Netherlands Forensics Institute
plays a leading role in the field of nuclear forensics.
Starting from March 9, 2014 new passports and ID cards
will be valid for 10 years. However, passports and ID’s for
persons younger than 18 will still be valid for 5 years. The
new fee structure for passports and ID cards will also be
used from that date forward.
The new fee structure is based upon the cost of
providing passports and ID cards. For a passport request
made outside the Netherlands, the fee has been set
at € 131,11 for adults. Dutch nationals living outside
the Netherlands can also request a passport at several
municipalities, including the Haarlemmermeer desk at
Schiphol. The other municipalities are Den Haag, Oldambt,
Enschede, Montferland, Echt-Susteren, Maastricht, and
Bergen op Zoom. Those fees should be lower and have
been set at €101,75 for a passport request by a Dutch
national currently not residing in this municipality.
More information is available on the embassy website.
Registration Open European
Elections
Parliament Elections on May 22, 2014
In May 2014 the European elections will take place. In
order to vote in this election, it is necessary that Dutch
citizens abroad register first in The Hague, before they can
sign up to participate in the elections.
Registration is possible from November 22 through
a form on the website of the municipality of The Hague.
This form must then be sent by post or by e-mail. If you
have no access to the internet, you can pick up the form
at the embassy. The completed registration form and a
copy of proof of Dutch nationality must be received by
April 10, 2014 at the municipality of The Hague
New Facebook page
Please visit the Embassy’s new Facebook page and
share your thoughts and ideas. We look forward
to hearing from you! https://www.facebook.com/
DutchEmbassySingapore.
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28
23/3/12 10:34 AM
ADB News
Question: Why did you come to Singapore, and why did you decide to join ADB?
Name : Catharina van Bentum
Name : Robert van Lith
The urge for adventure and life and work abroad made
my choice easy when my boyfriend was offered a job
in Singapore. I gave up my job as a corporate lawyer in
Amsterdam and moved to Singapore last December. I joined
Voskamp Lawyers in January. Singapore has treated me well
ever since I arrived. It was great to celebrate Christmas and
New Year’s Eve in 25°C! I joined ADB because I believe that
ADB is a great way to get to know other Dutch people in
Singapore.
During my previous job as project director for Acer, I
experienced my passion for Asia. When I was offered a job
here in Singapore by my brand new Taiwanese company
UITOX, the commitment of bringing over the family was a
no-brainer. Started from scratch in July, today we are an
operational on-line department store called “SOSOON” with
a USP “within 24 hrs delivery, 24/7”.
Hopefully ADB provides the platform of Business People,
having this typical Dutch mindset of entrepreneurship.
Name : René Koopman
Name : Robin Musch
Last October I traded my beloved Amsterdam for Singapore,
by now maybe even more beloved, to work as a registered
foreign (banking) lawyer at Baker & McKenzie.Wong &
Leow. Two months later my girlfriend joined me. The end
of the calendar year proved to be a good time to join the
ADB, allowing me to easily meet new people and see
some familiar faces at the Christmas drinks and at the
Ambassador’s New Year’s reception. The Dutch Singapore
community surely knows how to make one feel welcome
and at home.
During my stay in Singapore last year, I very much enjoyed
the atmosphere, weather, food and business environment.
So, after having worked for 5 years as a lawyer at a UK law
firm in Amsterdam, I quit my job and my girlfriend and I
moved to Singapore. My first night in Singapore was at an
ADB-borrel at the Hollandse Club, which was a great start to
my stay here.
I will continue to work as a corporate and commercial
lawyer in Singapore. I am looking forward to meeting all of
you at a next ADB-borrel.
Name : Jurrie-Jan Tap
Name : Gosse de Vries
After five years in China we had just returned to The
Netherlands when an opportunity came up to relocate
to Singapore. In China, I was working for a Netherlands
based supply chain organization and an active member of
BenCham, the Benelux Chamber of Commerce.
I joined Australia headquartered Linfox Logistics in
November with Asia wide responsibilities. I expect ADB will
facilitate introductions in the region. ADB came across as
informal, with a low entry barrier and allowing for personal
participation rather than through a corporate membership,
which suited me well.
As per November 1, 2013 I have been appointed
Managing Director of the Intertrust Singapore office.
Previously I was the Managing Director of the Curacao
office for 4.5 years and before that I was stationed
in New York as the Managing Director of the North
American office of Intertrust. The main reason I joined
the ADB is thanks to the persuasiveness of my colleague
Kuan Yoe The.
29
ADB News
Name : Edmée Grote
Name : Fabian Borsboom
Since August 2013, I am really pleased to be working for
Meelunie Singapore Pte Ltd. Together with my boyfriend
Philip Wegener we decided to move to buzzing Singapore.
He is doing his MBA at INSEAD for the coming 10 months.
But we are planning to spend a bit more time in this city as
it is great working and living here. So why not meet fellow
Dutch with similar interests in the life and business of SEA.
Looking forward meeting some of you.
In May 2010, I arrived with my wife, Petra (who has been
an ADB member since 2010) and two kids (my third kid was
born in 2012) in Singapore. Work was, of course, the main
reason to come to Singapore and I work for ING Bank as a
market risk manager. Although I’ve been here for more than
3 years already, ADB will provide me with an opportunity to
meet people and extend my network, both from a personal
and a business perspective.
Name : Franka de Vos van
Steenwijk – Houben
Name : Johannita van Beuningen
After living and working in Shanghai for 2.5 years, my
husband and I decided on a move to Singapore. Having given
birth to our fourth child late last year, I’m now eager to
reconnect with the Dutch business community and believe
ADB provides a great platform for this. With wide-ranging
experience across finance, logistics and international trade
development, plus language skills in English and Mandarin,
I’m looking forward to helping Dutch businesses flourish in
Singapore and beyond.
I have moved to Singapore to explore the possibilities on
the job market. My husband and I lived in Asia before, in
Hong Kong, and the desire to move back never faded. I
was pleasantly surprised to secure an opportunity within 2
weeks and I stayed. It was an excellent experience to work
in Asia again and I am now determined to find another role
and to stay longer.
I am interested in meeting entrepreneurial people in
Singapore.
Name : Maja Cadra
Name : Sabine Bussink-Schurink
Sunshine, multicultural city, Asia, helper at home –
individually each one of these is an attractive point, but
when combined together in an offer to move to Singapore
they became irresistible – at least in my case.
After spending a full year simply enjoying myself I have
accepted an assignment to do business development for
Litehauz, a Danish environmental consultancy focusing on
offshore and shipping industries.
Joining ADB was a very natural starting point since I
understand and appreciate Dutch way of doing business
having lived and worked in the Netherlands for almost eight
years.
Four months ago we moved to Singapore for my husband’s
(Eduard Schurink) job at PWC. We settled down very quickly
with our two young children Emilie (3 years) and Jonas (8
months) at a great condo next to the Botanic Garden. That
gave me the opportunity to start my own business, called
“Mom in Balance Singapore” (a good reason to join ADB!).
This franchise formula comes from a successful Dutch
company. We offer prenatal and postnatal outdoor exercise
programs for moms (to-be) to stay fit and active during
their pregnancy and early years of motherhood. See also:
www.mominbalance.com.sg and www.facebook.com/
MominBalanceSingapore
30
ADB News
Name : Erica van Dijk
Name : Hugo Heitling
As a recent graduate I am very lucky to have gotten my first
job as a veterinarian in beautiful Singapore. I’ve just started
to work at the Animal Practice clinic near Kovan MRT.
My boyfriend and I are planning on staying here for a
long time, so we would love to meet all of you and maybe
share a drink together. See you soon!
Early May 2012, I moved to Singapore to work for a
Singaporean company (EMAS AMC) as a project manager for
construction of a new pipe lay vessel. Since then, time flew
by rather quickly and I’ve already been in Asia for almost
2 years. Time to start blending in and get a bit more into
networking and socializing, as such I decided to join ADB.
New members
Alexander van Overveld, Nokia Solutions
and Networks Singapore Pte Ltd
Marcel Huijskens, Integrc Asia
Amcke Becker, Friesland Campina
Michiel Molenaar, Shell
Anouk van der EL, TimeCapsules
Arjan Huizing, Hoogwegt Singapore
Pte Ltd
Bas Wiebe, SEMCO Salvage and
Towage Pte Ltd
Catharina van Bentum
Caroline Goulmy
Edmee Grote, Meelunie Singapore Pte Ltd
Elbert van de Wiel, Concordia
Agritrading Pte Ltd
Ellen Deckers, Freelance
Elizabeth Ipenburg
Erica van Dijk, Animal Practice Pte Ltd
Erik Blokhuis, SWTS Pte Ltd (Pon Asia)
Ernst van der Vliet, Maersk Drilling
Holdings Singapore
Fabian Borsboom, ING Asia
Franka Houben
Gosse de Vries, Intertrust
Merel Schwaanhuyser
Peter-Paul Nijsten, Raffles
(International) Executive Search Pte Ltd
René Koopman, Baker & McKenzie.
Wong & Leow
Robin Musch, Law Firm
Robert van Lith, Uitox
Rolf Geling, McDonald’s APMEA
Sabine Bussink, Mom in Balance
Tim van Bijsterveldt, Accenture
Tom van Breda, BAM International
Willem Jan Mulderij, Comarco
Willeke Lankamp, Self-employed
Xander Vissering, Philips Healthcare
Gert Jan van der Lee, Jacobs
Engineering Singapore Pte Ltd
Jack van Lint, Oil Tanking
Jan van der Knaap, Jacobs Engineering
Services
Jan Willem de Braal, Nile Dutch
Jenny Born, Embassy of the Kingdom
of the Netherlands
Jeroen Goldman, AON
Jeroen Bos, Double Effect
Joeri Gianotten, Accelerasia
John Bouma
Joost van Doodewaard, SKF Marine
Magdalena Wichman, Mercuri Urval
Mattijs Sibbing, Sib Asia
Marije van der Lint, Intertrustgroup
Mette Nolte, Accenture
Peter van ‘t Westende
Leaving members
Albert Stevens, INCD
Ashwin Chandoesing
Piet Sinke
Pim Hulsebosch, Hulsebosch
Rob Mars, M3 Management &
Consultancy Pte Ltd
Hugo Heitling, EMAS AMC
Bastiaan van Beijsterveldt, Jones Lang
Lasalle
Ian ter Haar, Royal Vopak
Berend Jan Zonneveld, Mammoet
Imraan Ramdjan, De Ideaz
Bert Janssen, KLM Cargo
Johannita van Beuningen
Bert-Jan van Essen, Credit Suisse
Jurrie-Jan Tap, Linfox Logistics
Cees Visser, Unilever
Walter van den Boor, IPP Financial
Services
Lisette Davis, Sidra Marketing
Cecile Goldman
Wiebe Helder, Cargobase
Maarten Goeman, ING
Erik Pieter Weerts, KPMG
Wouter van Marle, Philips Healthcare
Maja Cadra, Litehauz ApS
Erik Vledder
Yan Vermeulen, BMES
Roel Groothuis
Rutger Oudejans, Provini
Sander Mutsaers, ING
Sebastian de Vries, Double Effect
31
ADB News
Company Visit Danone Nutrition
4 Mar
We are very excited to have Danone welcome us to their office
and Asia Pacific R&D lab in Biopolis! During this company visit
you will get a behind the scenes view on Danone in general,
the different Nutrition businesses and their cutting edge R&D.
Furthermore, we will take tours of the Research Lab in smaller
groups with a guide to get specific explanation on the research
Danone is doing here in Singapore.
Date :March 4, 2014
Time :6pm - 9.30pm
Location:Biopolis (exact location will follow)
Participants limit: 50 (selection will be based on ‘lucky draw’
after the sign up closing date)
Sign up closing date: Feb 26
Drinks and simple dinner will be available.
ADB Annual General Meeting
17 Mar
All ADB members are invited to attend the AGM, traditionally
preceded by a typical Dutch meal (“Zuurkool met worst”).
This year we have a special guest, Dutch Ambassador Jacques
Werner. Before the start of the AGM, Ambassador Werner will
share his experiences of his first months as Ambassador of
Singapore and Brunei in which he will also present his key points
(strategy) going forward including a Q&A session.
Date
Time
: March 17, 2014
: 7pm - 10pm (Start with dinner, followed by a
presentation from the Ambassador, including Q&A
session. AGM will start afterwards and close with
networking drinks.)
Location:Hollandse Club, 22 Camden Park
Kindly sponsored by:
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Frank Kuijsters, Chief Editor
Arthur Claringbould
Jacinta Noonan
Richard Soemita
DESIGN
Jennifer Phua
SECRETARIAT
This magazine is distributed free of
charge to all members and relations
of the ADB.
MAILING ADDRESS
ADB Singapore
c/o 22 Camden Park
Singapore 299814
Telephone: +65 8189 8529
Email: [email protected]
WEBSITE www.adb.org.sg
32
PRINTER Khoo Sun Printing Pte Ltd
MITA 373/03/2001
We invite members to contribute to
the next issue.
The contents of this magazine are
partly based on information received
from third parties. The Committee
does not take responsibility for the
correctness of the articles.
Membership fee is S$ 125 per
calendar year. For registration, please
see the website www.adb.org.sg
Membership is renewed
automatically effective the first
month of the new calendar year.
Make your cheque payable to
“ADB Singapore” and send to ADB,
c/o 22 Camden Park, Singapore
299814.
Termination of membership must
be received by ADB Secretariat in
writing before 1 January. If there
are any changes in your personal
particulars, please update your
profile in the Macoocoo-system.
Making the purest water
drinkable since 1873

EVENT BusiNEss EXTRA

Transcription

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