Singapore Economy and Communication

ECONOMY

Business etiquette

A suit and tie or costume are appropriate for business visits. English is predominantly spoken in business circles. Chinese residents are addressed by their family name; Malays do not have surnames, but put the first letter of their father’s name in front of their own first name. As in Europe, appointments should be made and business cards exchanged; business cards are only used in government circles. Great importance is attached to punctuality.

Singapore
The official language of business in Singapore is English and business is more or less based on the western model, but Asian – especially Chinese – business ethics predominate: Feng Shui are often used in office design-Master consulted to create the best environment for prosperity and harmony, and a fishbowl is often found on the trading floor to keep money flowing in the right direction. Business cards are exchanged at all private and business meetings, and as a courtesy they are always given and accepted with both hands. Corporate celebrations and events are very popular, and long breaks are often taken at lunchtime so that you can refresh yourself at the sumptuous buffets. Singapore has 12 public holidays a year and almost everything is closed over the Chinese New Year in February. Many of the foreigners resident there use this long weekend for a short trip.

Business people dress quite formally. Because of the tropical climate, men tend to wear lighter colored suits, except for formal occasions, and the jacket is often removed. Women choose costumes or pantsuits, while their Malaysian colleagues choose national dress. As in many other countries, some companies dress more casually on Fridays, but this is limited to the departments without customer contact.

Locals and foreigners alike have long working days, and a 10 to 12 hour working day is not uncommon.

Opening hours

Business hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sat 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Economy

International Enterprise Singapore
Goethestrasse 5, D-60313 Frankfurt / M.
Tel: (069) 920 73 50.
Internet: www.iesingapore.gov.sg

Singapore Business Federation
(Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry)
19 Tanglin Road, Level 7, Tanglin Shopping Center, Singapore 247909
Tel: 68 27 68 28.
Internet: www.sbf.org.sg

Singapore International Chamber of Commerce
# 10-01 John Hancock Tower, 6 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048580
Tel: 62 24 12 55.
Internet: www.sicc.com.sg

Business contacts

International Enterprise Singapore
Goethestrasse 5, D-60313 Frankfurt / M.
Tel: (069) 920 73 50.
Internet: www.iesingapore.gov.sg

Singapore Business Federation
(Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry)
19 Tanglin Road, Level 7, Tanglin Shopping Center, Singapore 247909
Tel: 68 27 68 28.
Internet: www.sbf.org.sg

Singapore International Chamber of Commerce
# 10-01 John Hancock Tower, 6 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048580
Tel: 62 24 12 55.
Internet: www.sicc.com.sg

COMMUNICATION

Overview

As a country located in Asia according to constructmaterials, the Singapore Post has a dense network of post offices which are conveniently located all over the island. These offices provide a wide range of postal, telecommunications services and act as switching offices. Most of the post offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday until 1:00 p.m.

Phone

The country code is 0065. Public telephones can be used with telephone cards and sometimes also with credit cards. The cheapest way to make calls in public telephone booths is with prepaid cards. These are available from post offices and many shops. Payphones are only for local calls.

Emergency numbers are: Police 999 and Fire Brigade 995.

Cellphone

GSM 900 (D-Netz) and 1800 (E-Netz). Network operators: M1 (Internet: www.m1.com.sg), StarHub (Internet: www.starhub.com) and SingTel (Internet: info.singtel.com/). The network coverage is very good. It is usually worth buying a local SIM card. Roaming contracts exist.

Internet

There are numerous internet cafes in Singapore. The main internet providers are StarHub (internet: www.starhub.com) and Singnet (internet: myportal.singtel.com/web/guest/home). The whole of Singapore is covered by the free Wi-Fi service Wireless @ SG. Tourists can register for this service either online or by telephone (Internet: www.singtel.com/personal/internet/broadband-on-the-go/wireless-sg.html).

Post Office

Airmail to Europe takes about a week. Some hotels have smaller post offices. Post office opening times: Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sat 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The post office counters at the airport and in Orchard Point are open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Radio

Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.

CULINARY

Regional specialities

• Beef Rendang(beef with coconut milk and curry)
• Chicken Sambal(spicy, seasoned chicken)
• Saté(bamboo sticks with marinated chicken, beef, pork or lamb, grilled over charcoal, served with peanut sauce, cucumber, onions and rice)
• Char kway teow(fried rice noodles in soy sauce and chilli with prawns and mussels, often with other ingredients such as egg)
• Chilli crab(fresh crab with spicy tomato sauce)
• Gado gado(fruit and vegetable salad with peanut sauce)
• Hainanese chicken rice(steamed chicken with rice cooked in the chicken broth, served with ginger and chili sauce)
• Ikan assam(fish in sour tamarind sauce)
• Laksa(spicy noodle soup with coconut, often with shrimp or chicken, as well as tofu and bean sprouts)
• Masala dosa(rolled pancake with vegetarian curry; a popular breakfast)

Useful information

In Singapore, eating out in the open air is common, and the 8,000+ food stalls make it difficult to choose. Hygienic standards at the food stands are strictly controlled, the food is completely harmless. There are a few cafeterias, but table service is generally the norm.

There is table and counter service in the bars and cocktail bars. Dispensing times are not stipulated by law. During the “happy hour” (5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) drinks are offered at lower prices.

The consumption of food and beverages in public transport and public buildings is prohibited, there is a risk of severe fines.

Tip

It is not customary to tip in restaurants; As a rule, a service surcharge of 10% is already added to the bill. Otherwise 10% of the invoice amount is appropriate.

Regional drinks

• Bandung(milk drink with rose syrup)
• Bubble tea(sweet, milky tea with tapioca balls that are sucked through an extra thick straw)
• Kopi(coffee with condensed milk, also available as Kopi-O (black coffee with sugar))
• Sarsi(local type of beer usually sold by the can; often enjoyed with ice)
• Singapore Sling(cocktail made from gin, cherry liqueur, Cointreau, Bénédictine, pineapple and lime juice, grenadine and Angostura bitter; the famous cocktail was designed for the Raffles Hotel in Singapore in the early 20th century)
• Sugar cane juice
• Teh tarik(tea with condensed milk that is poured from one cup to the other several times to cool it down and create a milk foam)
• Tiger Beer(ubiquitous local beer, although many small breweries with more interesting beers have appeared in recent years)

Minimum age for consuming alcoholic beverages

In Singapore you can drink alcohol from the age of 18.