The rapid development of the financial sector, including long-term lending and project finance in Singapore, has contributed to the successful implementation of multi-million dollar projects in industry, energy, infrastructure, transport, trade, real estate, healthcare and other areas.

Singapore, a small state in Southeast Asia, has undergone major economic changes since the end of World War II.

As a result of these transformations, this former British colony is now one of the most economically developed countries in the world, significantly influencing the geopolitical situation in the region.

Today, innovative financial instruments play an important role in the development of big business and international cooperation between Singaporean companies and foreign partners.

Brief overview of economy of Singapore

Southeast Asia is the most politically, culturally and economically diverse region on the planet.

Here, the highly developed countries and the poorest countries in the world coexist side by side. Singapore is of exceptional interest among the most investment-attractive countries that have achieved a high level of development.

A small island state, devoid of valuable minerals, is surrounded by much stronger neighbors, both in territory and in economic power. It is important that the region is torn apart by political, ethnic and religious contradictions. The Lion City, as Singapore is sometimes called, has managed to create an efficient political and economic system that has allowed not only to survive on the world stage, but also to effectively use the available local resources for the prosperity of business and society.

Singapore is a city-state with an open economy based primarily on the international trade.

It is the leading financial, shipping and trade center in the Asia-Pacific region and a gateway for expanding trade and investment in the rest of Asia.

Singapore’s policy is aimed at developing friendly relations with all neighboring countries, supporting activities within the ASEAN framework, liberalizing international trade, and establishing close trade and economic ties with all interested partners.

Singapore’s Gross Domestic Product reached US$397 billion in 2021, which is impressive given its population of just 5.45 million. Economic growth at the level of 3.8-4.5% per year contributes to the further development of this promising market by foreign companies and the attraction of additional investments in all key sectors. This is also facilitated by the balanced policy of local authorities.

The Singapore government pursues a business-oriented economic policy, creating an attractive investment climate in almost all areas.

Singapore’s economy is dominated by services, the most important of which are trade, banking and financial services, and infrastructure and transportation.

Industrial production is also important, especially high-tech industries with high added value. A favorable investment climate and stability facilitate the implementation of capital-intensive projects based on project finance (PF) and other advanced financing schemes.

Singapore is considered to be a well organized country in terms of legal, tax, regulatory and political issues.

It is highly trusted by large foreign investors due to its economic and social stability, a well-developed financial sector operating in accordance with the best international standards, as well as a large number of high-qualified specialists in the local labor market.

Singapore has been pursuing a successful pro-export policy in recent decades. The electronic industry, shipbuilding, mining machinery and petrochemical industries are at a high level, attracting the attention of investors from all over the world. Singapore is also one of the world leaders in biotechnology, medicine and many other science-intensive fields.

The prosperity of Singapore is largely based on its favorable location, as the city plays the role of a world trade center.

The weaknesses of the Singaporean economy are the lack of raw materials, which makes local investment projects highly dependent on the import of minerals, raw materials, semi-finished products and energy.

But this fact did not prevent Singapore from becoming the third oil refining center in the world after Rotterdam and Houston. Agriculture plays a minor role in the local economy, so almost all necessary food is imported.

Some features of project finance and lending in Singapore

Project financing is a method of attracting long-term debt financing for large investment projects, in which the source of debt servicing is the cash flows that the project generates or will generate in the future.

This method came to Southeast Asia later than to the European market, where it showed itself in the financing of large oil and gas projects. Despite the high cost of organizing PF schemes, this method allows companies to attract huge financial resources on an off-balance sheet basis, using special formally independent companies (SPV, SPC).

Lending and project finance in Singapore is traditionally well developed and has a long history of commercial success.

This market is replete with large-scale public-private projects (PPP) designed to develop infrastructure, energy, manufacturing and trade.

This concept has been widely used by Singaporean companies for the construction of water treatment facilities, marine infrastructure, waste processing plants and other facilities. Since the mid-2000s, official guidelines have recommended increased use of project finance to modernize and expand high-value facilities worth over S$50 million (about US$35 million).

Major projects in Singapore are financed by dozens of financial institutions, among which we should mention such reputable institutions as Standard Chartered Bank, United Overseas Bank, BNP Paribas, Bank of America and a number of others.

Singapore banks play a huge role in project finance schemes throughout the region. According to some reports, more than half of all project finance loans issued to companies in Southeast Asia are issued by financial institutions in Singapore. In 2018, the Infrastructure Asia was created, which is designed to help Asian businesses in the development of large infrastructure projects.

An important feature of the implementation of investment projects in Singapore is the smaller scale and, accordingly, the lower cost of projects compared to countries such as India, China, Japan or Saudi Arabia.

This is reflected in a peculiar approach to contractual relations, financing terms and capital structure. In particular, financing without recourse to the borrower is used less frequently.

Non-recourse financing gives the lender the right to repay the debt only from the profit generated by the project. From the borrower’s point of view, the risk is limited to the funds that he has invested in the project. Thus, most of the risk lies with the providers of capital.

To finance expensive projects, partners use innovative mechanisms to ensure the safety of capital, increase the creditworthiness of companies and collateral. This includes mezzanine financing, the collateralization of a loan with highly liquid assets, the issuance of bonds, and more.

For example, a bank may issue a large long-term loan for the construction of a new facility.

Large investors provide liquidity by issuing asset-backed securities.

The borrower provides this liquidity to lending banks in exchange for long-term loans, which are converted into securities and contribute to a credit rating upgrade.

Singapore law does not restrict foreign participation in special purpose vehicles that are registered in the country. Exceptions are such sectors as banking, media, as well as some projects in licensed industries. Restrictions usually relate to the ownership of a controlling stake in a company, which is important to consider when designing a project finance structure in Singapore.

In general, the local system is quite liberal and does not require special permissions to organize project finance schemes. Additional costs associated with obtaining permits and licensing may be required only for the registration of land, the operation of communal infrastructure, as well as some issues related to energy, telecommunications, access to water and waste management.

When planning investment projects in Singapore, investor should also take into account laws that allow the authorities to forcefully buy land from private companies for public purposes.

These rules are rarely enforced and are all clearly defined in local legislation.

Project finance services in Singapore: Our core business service

Contact our consultants and learn more about CP Finance UK Finance opportunities in international project finance.

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Investment lending and long-term bank loan has a positive impact on all areas of economic activity, contributing to the implementation of capital-intensive projects, the introduction of innovative technologies and the global energy transition.

Experts say that the most important macroeconomic goals of  lending and long-term bank loans are the promotion of rationalization of production and sales, as well as obtaining maximum profit at the lowest possible cost.

In practice, the implementation of investment projects is accompanied by a number of difficulties, among which the greatest concern is the risk of non-payment of debt. An adequate assessment of the creditworthiness of the business, along with a rational structure of the loan agreement, helps to reduce this risk.

Risk factors of non-payment of lending and long-term bank loan include:

• Uneven economic development of regions, low production activity of enterprises and weakness of entire industries after a long and devastating pandemic.

• The crisis of the world economy, which is expressed not only by a drop in production and poor financial health of companies, but also by the destruction of strong economic ties due to geopolitical tensions.

• Weak support of credit activity in developing countries, inadequate legislation and an unsatisfactory state of the judicial system.

Lending and long-term bank loan for 15-20 years

Lending and long-term bank loan is documentary evidence of the economic efficiency of the company, the availability of a well-prepared business plan and securing the loan with the borrower’s assets.

In many cases, banks require the borrower to participate in the planned investment.

Depending on the type and scope of the project, the initial contribution of the initiator ranges from 10% to 20% of the project cost. The application of such a solution is based on the assumption that the borrower risking his own assets will be more interested in the success of the project.

The amount and terms of lending are selected individually, depending on the investment needs of the borrower.

Lending and long-term bank loans are usually provided for 15-20 years or more to finance investments associated with expanding a business.

The loan can be repaid according to a customized payment schedule adapted to the schedule of each project. The right choice of instruments for financing investment activities helps large companies around the world to grow their business, gaining a strategic advantage over competitors in an environment of risk and uncertainty.

In the context of the recovery of the world economy after the global crisis caused by the pandemic, it becomes important to improve lending, revive the role of lending in the formation of working capital and the implementation of investment projects.

CP Finance UK offers a wide range of financial services for large businesses, including lending and long-term bank loans for 15-20 years.

We provide funds for the implementation of investment projects in the field of energy, infrastructure, processing of minerals, industry, agriculture, environment, real estate and tourism.

Decision making on issuing a large long-term loan

The development of an optimal algorithm for assessing creditworthiness should ensure an increase in the efficiency of the bank in providing credit for business activities by minimizing risks and improving the conditions for providing financing.

At this stage, the bank may have difficulties in verifying the accuracy of the information provided by the client, and the potential borrower has problems with collecting documentation, which is accompanied by additional material costs (for example, the assessment of the value of the collateral and its notarization).

The assessment of the customer’s creditworthiness consists of internal and external diagnostics.

Banks make decisions based on a comprehensive assessment of the creditworthiness of the borrowing company, a detailed study of the business plan and a specific investment project, as well as an analysis of the market situation.

This may require additional time and expense to carry out the related activities.

Documents required to provide a lending and long-term bank loan from commercial banks includes:

• Data on loans received from other banks.

• A business plan for a starting company with no operating history.

• Accounting reports and statistical data on the results of the company’s activities, as well as materials of audits.

• Documents confirming ownership of property that can serve as collateral.

• Feasibility study of the project, indicating the payback period and sources of repayment of borrowed funds.

• Copies of the constituent documents of the company (charters, regulations, registration certificates, including documents confirming the authority of persons to conclude a loan agreement with a bank).

Banks may also require other documentation, which contains additional information about the peculiarities of the financial and economic activities of the borrower.

When assessing the collateral, additional costs are taken into account that arise during the sale (for example, transportation costs, intermediary services of trading companies).

In the practice of commercial banks, common forms of securing the obligations of the borrower to the bank are a pledge of property, a guarantee or surety of a third party, assignment of the borrower’s claims, liability insurance for non-payment of a loan and bankruptcy insurance.

A guarantee is a written commitment by a third party to repay a debt if the borrower refuses to pay.

For a bank, using a guarantee as a loan security instrument requires an assessment of the guarantor’s risk as well as the borrower’s risk.

A surety is an agreement with unilateral obligations, through which the guarantor undertakes an obligation to the lender to pay the borrower’s debt, if necessary.

Surety agreements are regulated at the legislative level and are used with numerous restrictions and reservations, which is important to know before signing.

The importance of long-term loans for the global economy

Bank lending and long-term bank loan to large businesses leads to the following positive effects:

• Increased business activity.
• Increased efficiency of production and commercial activities.
• Increasing the profitability of business entities.
• Increasing the volume of production of goods and services.
• Meeting public demand.

A positive moment in the orientation of the policy of commercial banks towards credit provision of business activity is the possibility of increasing the efficiency of the loan portfolio through diversification.

This approach is especially acceptable when lending to large businesses, given its high stability and relative reliability.

A long-term loan participates in the circulation of capital at all its stages, including the purchase of equipment, raw materials, energy and fuel, the construction of new production facilities, as well as the sale of goods and services on world markets. The main sources of loans are surplus funds generated by enterprises in the course of economic activity, as well as the money savings of the state and households mobilized by banks.

The key principles of lending are debt repayment, timeliness, targeting of borrowed funds, availability of debt collateral and a guarantee.

The objective need for long-term business lending arises in connection with the peculiarities of money circulation, production and marketing factors, differences in the timing of foreign economic operations, as well as the need for large investments to expand economic activities with insufficient borrower resources.

Regional and international financial institutions such as the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the Inter-American Development Bank and other reputable institutions play an important role in providing long-term large loans for business.

They provide active assistance in obtaining loans to companies from different countries, but primarily from developing countries.