Professional Documents
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SC76 - Singapore Schedule of Specific Commitments in GATS
SC76 - Singapore Schedule of Specific Commitments in GATS
15 April 1994
ON TRADE IN SERVICES (94-1073)
SINGAPORE
____________________
SINGAPORE - SCHEDULE OF SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
I. HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS
ALL SECTORS INCLUDED
IN THIS SCHEDULE
I. Presence of natural persons unbound, I. Unbound
except for intra-corporate transferees (see
below)
GATS/SC/76
Page 1
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 2
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
supervisory, professional or
managerial employees, have the
authority to hire and fire or
recommend hiring, firing, or other
personnel actions (such as promotion
or leave authorization), and exercise
discretionary authority over day-to-day
operations. Does not include first-line
supervisors, unless the employees
supervised are professionals, nor does
it include employees who primarily
perform tasks necessary for the
provision of the service.
b) Executives - persons within the
organization who primarily direct the
management of the organization,
exercise wide latitude in decision-
making, and receive only general
supervision or direction from higher-
level executives, the board of
directors, or stockholders of the
business. Executives would not
directly perform tasks related to the
actual provision of the service or
services of the organization.
SINGAPORE (continued)
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
GATS/SC/76
Page 3
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 4
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
- All branches of foreign companies
registered in Singapore must have at least 2
locally resident agents. (To qualify as
locally resident, a person should be either a
Singapore citizen or Singapore Permanent
Resident or Singapore Employment Pass
holder.)
IV. Specific commitments in market access in IV. None
any sector or subsector, through any mode
of delivery, shall not be construed to
override the limitations established in the
financial services sector
SINGAPORE (continued)
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
2) None 2) None
3) As in mode 1 3) None
2) None 2) None
3) As in mode 1 3) None
GATS/SC/76
Page 5
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 6
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Medical Services 1) Unbound* 1) None
2) None 2) None
2) None 2) None
3) None 3) None
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Veterinary Services 1) None 1) None
2) None 2) None
3) None 3) None
GATS/SC/76
Page 7
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 8
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
i) Industrial engineering and registered in the names of registered
services Professional Engineers or allied
j) Chemical engineering professionals
services
- Professional engineering work in Singapore
will be under the control and management
of a director of the corporation who is a
registered owner of at least one share of
the corporation; who is a registered
Professional Engineer ordinarily resident in
Singapore and who has a valid certificate
Unlimited Corporation
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
- The business of the corporation, so far as it
relates to professional engineering work,
will be under the control and management
of a director of the corporation who:
- is a registered Professional Engineer
ordinarily resident in Singapore;
- has in force a practising certificate
authorizing him to engage in such
professional engineering work; and
- is a member, or a registered owner of
at least one share, of the corporation
Partnership
GATS/SC/76
Page 9
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 10
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Architectural Services 1) None 1) None
2) None 2) None
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Unlimited Corporations
GATS/SC/76
Page 11
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 12
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Partnership
2) None 2) None
3) None 3) None
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Translation/Interpretation 1) None 1) None
Services
2) None 2) None
3) None 3) None
2) None 2) None
3) None 3) None
3) None 3) None
GATS/SC/76
Page 13
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 14
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Public Relations 1) None 1) None
Consultancy Services
2) None 2) None
3) None 3) None
3) None 3) None
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Information Technology 1) None 1) None
Consultancy Services
2) None 2) None
3) None 3) None
2) None 2) None
3) None 3) None
GATS/SC/76
Page 15
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 16
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Commercial Market 1) None 1) None
Research
2) None 2) None
3) None 3) None
3) None 3) None
3) None 3) None
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Courier Services in 1) Unbound 1) None
respect of documents and
parcels, excluding letters 2) None 2) None
and postcards
3) Unbound 3) None
2) None 2) None
3) None 3) None
GATS/SC/76
Page 17
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 18
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Restaurant and Catering 1) None 1) None
Services
2) None 2) None
3) None 3) None
2) None 2) None
3) None 3) None
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Audio-visual Services 1) None 1) None
GATS/SC/76
Page 19
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 20
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Value-added Network 1) Provision of VAN services is subjected to 1) None
(VAN) services licence from the Telecommunication
Authority of Singapore (TAS)
The services covered
are: The basic requirements for VAN licence
- electronic-mail are:
- voice-mail
- on-line information - Foreign companies are required to
and data-base either set up a local branch of their
retrieval company duly registered with the
- electronic data Registry of Companies and Businesses
interchange in Singapore, or grant a power of
- on-line information attorney to a local agent for the
and/or data provision of their VAN services in
processing Singapore
- VAN does not carry traffic which
resembles any of the basic
telecommunication services
2) None 2) None
3) Same as mode 1 3) None
4) Unbound except as indicated in the 4) Unbound
horizontal section
SINGAPORE (continued)
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Computer Services 1) None 1) None
GATS/SC/76
Page 21
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 22
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
- pilotage;
- towing and tug
assistance;
- provisioning fuelling
and watering;
- garbage collecting
and ballast; waste
disposal
- port captain's
services;
- navigation aids
emergency;
- repair facilities;
- anchorage; and
- other shore-based
operational services
essential to ship
operations,
including
communications,
water and electrical
suppliers.
SINGAPORE (continued)
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Maritime Auxiliary 1) None 1) None
Services:
2) None 2) None
Shipping agency services
3) None 3) None
GATS/SC/76
Page 23
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 24
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Financial Services, including
insurance:
The commitments on financial services are made in accordance with the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and the Annex on Financial
Services. All the specific commitments in this sector are subject to entry requirements, domestic laws, guidelines, rules and regulations, terms and conditions
of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) or any other relevant authority or body in Singapore, as the case may be, which are not inconsistent with the
commitments herein.
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
b) Non-life insurance 1) Unbound 1) Unbound
services including
disability income, 2) None except for compulsory insurance of 2) None
accident and health Motor Third Party Liability and
insurance and contracts Workmen's Compensation which can be
of fidelity bonds, purchased only from licensed insurance
performance bonds or companies in Singapore
similar contracts of
guarantee 3) Unbound for foreign acquisition of equity 3) None
stakes in locally-owned insurance
companies. Unbound for issuance of new
insurance licences and establishment of
new representative offices.
GATS/SC/76
Page 25
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 26
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
d) Insurance intermediation 1) Unbound 1) Unbound
comprising broking and
agency services 2) Agents are not allowed to act for 2) None
unregistered insurers. With the exception
of reinsurance risks and risks insured by
protection and indemnity clubs, brokers can
only place domestic risks outside Singapore
with the approval of MAS.
3) Unbound 3) Unbound
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
B. Banking and Other
Financial Services
The commitments on financial services are made in accordance with the GATS and the Annex on Financial Services. All the specific commitments in this
sector are subject to entry requirements, domestic laws, guidelines, rules and regulations, terms and conditions of MAS or any other relevant authority or
body in Singapore, as the case may be, which are not inconsistent with the commitments herein.
GATS/SC/76
Page 27
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 28
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Commercial banks Banks, with MAS' approval, can operate
foreign currency savings accounts only for
No new full and restricted banks. non-residents
Unbound for new offshore banks.
Representative offices cannot conduct Restricted banks can only accept foreign
business or act as agents. currency fixed deposits from and operate
current accounts for residents and
A single/related group of foreign non-residents. For Singapore dollar
shareholders can only hold up to 5 per cent deposits, they can only accept fixed
of a local bank's shares. Aggregate deposits of S$250,000 or more per deposit.
foreign ownership of each domestic bank's
shares has been increased from 20 per cent Offshore banks can accept foreign currency
to 40 per cent. fixed deposits from residents and
non-residents. For Singapore dollar
deposits, they can only accept fixed
deposits of S$250,000 or more per deposit
from non-residents.
Merchant banks Merchant banks
Unbound for establishment of new Merchant banks can operate from only one
merchant banks office (excluding back-office operations).
Location and relocation of merchant banks
require MAS' prior approval.
SINGAPORE (continued)
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Merchant banks can, with MAS'
authorization, raise foreign currency funds
from residents and non-residents, operate
foreign currency savings accounts for
non-residents and raise Singapore dollar
funds from their shareholders and
companies controlled by their shareholders,
banks, other merchant banks and finance
companies
Finance Companies Finance Companies
No new finance companies. Unbound for Location of finance companies and
foreign acquisition of shares in finance relocation of sub-branches require MAS'
companies and transfer or sale of foreign prior approval. Foreign-owned finance
shareholdings in existing finance companies companies cannot establish off-premise
to foreign parties. All finance companies, ATMs, ATM networking and new
local and foreign-owned, can only conduct sub-branches.
Singapore dollar business.
4) Unbound except as indicated in the 4) Unbound
horizontal section
b) Lending of all types 1) Unbound 1) None
including consumer
credit, mortgage credit, 2) None 2) None
factoring and financing
of commercial 3) i) Provision of credit and charge card 3) Each offshore bank's lending in Singapore
transaction services require MAS' prior approval dollars to residents shall not exceed
S$100m in aggregate
GATS/SC/76
Page 29
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 30
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
ii) Singapore dollar loans, by local and Offshore banks should not use their related
foreign-owned financial institutions, to merchant banks to circumvent the S$100m
non-residents, non-resident controlled lending limit
companies and to residents for use
outside Singapore require MAS' prior Unbound for establishment of off-premise
approval cash dispensing machines for credit and
charge cards
2) None 2) None
3) None except as indicated for activity B(b) 3) None except as indicated for activity B(b)
above above
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
Bankers' drafts can only be issued by
banks
GATS/SC/76
Page 31
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 32
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
f) Trading for own account 1) Unbound except for trading in products 1) None
or for account of listed in B(f) for own account. Trading in
customers, whether on money market instruments, foreign
an exchange, in an exchange, as well as exchange rate and
over-the-counter market interest rate instruments can be conducted
or otherwise, the with financial institutions only.
following:-
2) None 2) None
- money market
instruments (including 3) Banks and merchant banks are required to 3) None except as indicated for activity B(b)
cheques, bills, set up separate subsidiaries to trade above
certificates of deposits) financial futures for customers
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
centres and the supervisory authorities
of those centres agree to the offer of
such products in their markets;
- the financial institution's parent
supervisor and its head office must be
aware and have no objection to the
offer of such products in the
Singapore branch/subsidiary, and
GATS/SC/76
Page 33
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 34
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
3) Foreign stockbroking companies can 3) None except as indicated for activity B(b)
establish only as non-members of the Stock above
Exchange of Singapore (SES).
Representative offices cannot conduct
business or act as agents. Unbound for
new membership on SES and for foreign
acquisition of new and existing equity
interests in SES member companies.
Unbound for new international
memberships. International members can
deal in foreign securities and SES-quoted
securities with non-residents and resident
companies which are substantially or
beneficially owned by non-residents. They
can also deal with residents in foreign
currency denominated securities quoted on
SES. For Singapore dollar denominated
securities quoted on SES, they can deal
with residents only for transactions above
S$5m each.
Banks' and merchant banks' membership
on SES must be held through subsidiaries
Unbound for new primary and registered
dealers of Singapore Government Securities
4) Unbound except as indicated in the 4) Unbound
horizontal section
SINGAPORE (continued)
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
h) Money broking 1) Unbound 1) Unbound
2) None 2) None
GATS/SC/76
Page 35
GATS/SC/76
SINGAPORE (continued) Page 36
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
j) Settlement and clearing 1) Unbound 1) Unbound
services for financial
assets, including 2) None 2) None
securities, derivative
products and other 3) Unbound. The settlement and clearing 3) Unbound
negotiable instruments services for securities, financial futures and
Singapore dollar cheques and interbank
funds transfer are provided by the Stock
Exchange of Singapore, the Singapore
International Monetary Exchange and
Banking Computer Services Pte Ltd,
respectively.
Modes of supply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national treatment Additional commitments
1) Provision and transfer of 1) Unbound 1) Unbound
financial information,
and financial data 2) Unbound 2) Unbound
processing and related
software by providers of 3) MAS' approval is required and subject to 3) None
other financial services domestic laws on protection of
confidentiality of information of customers
of banks and merchant banks
GATS/SC/76
Page 37