Singapore as a fund location – What’s new?

IQ-EQ is delighted to co-host a webinar, organised in partnership with KPMG and CNPLaw, which will examine trends in onshore platforms in Singapore, as well as some of the key commercial, tax and legal considerations in deciding which structure may be appropriate for India focused funds.

Asia-based asset managers have traditionally used offshore funds however, in recent years, Singapore has emerged as one of Asia’s preeminent asset management hubs and this growth is set to accelerate as domestic fund regimes like the Variable Capital Companies (VCC) are being introduced, designed to compete with other global fund structures.

Investors have had significant exposure to Singapore investment platforms and structures, especially funds with an Asia-Pacific/ASEAN mandate. Singapore’s popularity as a fund investment platform has risen as demand for tax friendly fund jurisdictions or "offshore jurisdictions" declines due to the recent blacklisting of certain jurisdictions by the European Union and the introduction of economic substance requirements which increase the costs of set up and maintenance in these fund domicile locations.

The session will be a panel discussion, followed by a Q&A session, covering aspects such as:

• Various fund regimes in Singapore, with an update on the VCC regime and its use on various fund strategies;
• Licensing requirements in Singapore for fund management; and
• Insights from an Indian tax point of view on the use of a Singapore fund into India or a Singapore feeder into an AIF.

IQ-EQ’s Jimmy Leong will be speaking alongside Anulekha Samant, Tax Partner, Asset Management, KPMG Singapore, Amit Dhume, Partner, CNPLaw and Kalpesh Desai, Partner, Deal Advisory, M&A Tax and Private Equity Tax, KPMG India.