Singapore losing attractiveness as Southeast Asia base for multinationals: media
Multinational corporations are increasingly locating some Southeast Asian regional headquarters functions outside Singapore to save money and pursue expanded opportunities.
Sakata Inx, a Japanese maker of printing ink, established a regional head office in Malaysia this February. The regional headquarters will oversee business in South Asia and Southeast Asia, including India, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, with operations to begin in late 2024 or early 2025.
A corner of Singapore. Photo courtesy of asia.nikkei.com
Sakata Inx already had a market presence in Southeast Asia but had not set up a regional headquarters there so far. The new head office will make it easier to serve customers in Asian countries, a company representative was quoted by Nikkei Asia as saying.
The new headquarters will add an extra 1 billion to 2 billion JPY ($6.6-13.1 million) to operating profit under the company's medium-term business plan through 2026. Tax advantages were the deciding factor in choosing Malaysia, a spokesperson said.
Thailand is one of the leading candidates for drawing regional headquarters. The country is often picked in conjunction with plans to expand production and sales.
Nissin Foods Holdings moved its Southeast Asian headquarters from Singapore to Thailand in 2020. The Thai government is also working to lure multinationals via tax incentives.
Among the Japanese companies with regional headquarters in Singapore, 31% had partly relocated their functions to another country or were considering doing so in a poll released this March by the Japan External Trade Organisation. The share was up significantly from 7.4% in the fiscal 2019 survey.
Instead of shifting all headquarters functions out of Singapore, many Japanese companies have favoured relocating specific functions, such as sales or corporate planning.
Thailand was the most popular destination among respondents that had moved or were considering moving functions to another country, with 19 companies. Malaysia came in second, with five.
However, experts held that Singapore still has the advantage in location, language proficiency, and financial services. It does not appear that the city-state will be dethroned as the prime spot for regional headquarters.
Earlier, a string of companies led by financial groups have moved from Hong Kong to Singapore since 2019
- Read More
PV Power's arm posts 5-fold jump in Q3 profit on margin recovery
PetroVietnam Power Nhon Trach 2 JSC (HoSE: NT2) reported a sharp rebound in third-quarter earnings as improved margins and higher revenue lifted profits nearly fivefold from a year earlier.
Companies - Wed, October 22, 2025 | 8:37 am GMT+7
TCBS overtakes SSI to become Vietnam’s largest securities company by market cap
Over 2.3 billion shares of Techcom Securities JSC (TCBS) debuted on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HoSE) on Tuesday. The stock, TCX, recorded the highest price and the largest market capitalization in the Vietnamese securities sector.
Finance - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 10:27 pm GMT+7
Indonesia’s palm oil industry becomes investment magnet
Indonesia’s palm oil sector attracted IDR52.7 trillion, or approximately $3.2 billion, in investment during the first nine months of this year, with the money going into enabling the country to capture more value out of its top commodity, the country’s Ministry of Investment reported.
Southeast Asia - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 9:34 pm GMT+7
Indonesia reports strong job, investment growth
The Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs reported strong job and investment growth during the first year of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, compared with the first year under his predecessor.
Southeast Asia - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 9:29 pm GMT+7
Singapore grants conditional approval for 1GW low-carbon power import from Malaysia
Singapore has granted conditional approval to import 1 GW of low-carbon electricity from the Malaysian state of Sarawak, marking a new phase in the energy partnership between the two countries.
Southeast Asia - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 9:26 pm GMT+7
Margin lending in Vietnam’s stock market hits record, but not worrisome
Despite margin debt in Vietnam’s stock market surging sharply, experts believe that current margin pressure is not yet a major concern as top securities firms have significantly strengthened their capital buffers.
Finance - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 4:23 pm GMT+7
Lenders in Vietnam now in low-rate lending race: ACB exec
The biggest “headache” for banks in Vietnam now is that profit margins are getting thinner, said CEO of Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) Tu Tien Phat.
Banking & Finance - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 4:00 pm GMT+7
PV Gas - 35 years of innovation and technological leadership in Vietnam’s gas industry
Over the past 35 years of establishment and development (1990-2025), PV Gas, a subsidiary of state-owned giant Petrovietnam, has affirmed its pioneering position in Vietnam’s gas industry, marked by a series of groundbreaking achievements in science and technology.
Companies - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 3:45 pm GMT+7
Vietnam's consumer finance major F88 achieves 90% of year's profit target after 9 months
F88 Investment JSC (F88), a leading consumer finance company in Vietnam, reported a cumulative pre-tax profit of VND603 billion ($22.88 million) in the first nine months of 2025, a 2.5-fold increase year-on-year, reaching 90% of its full-year target of VND673 billion.
Companies - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 3:15 pm GMT+7
Vietnam corporate earnings to be driven by credit expansion, trading activity, property recovery
With Q3 earnings season underway, results are expected to come in broadly in line with expectations. Financials should remain the largest contributors, benefiting from credit expansion and trading activity, while real estate continues to recover as project launches and sales rates improve, writes Tung Dang, associate director at Dragon Capital.
Economy - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 2:33 pm GMT+7
Inland port opens in southern Vietnam province Tay Ninh, set to become border logistics hub
The 16.5-hectare Tan Cang-Moc Bai inland port in Tay Ninh province, southern Vietnam has been opened, offering logistics services and handling customs clearance for imports and exports.
Infrastructure - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 12:03 pm GMT+7
State-managed property trading centers will help curb speculation, price manipulation: expert
Establishment of state-managed real estate trading centers is expected to create a transparent transaction channel, helping control and limit speculation and price manipulation in the Vietnamese market.
Real Estate - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 8:37 am GMT+7
Vietnam's benchmark VN-Index records sharpest drop in 25-year history
VN-Index, which represents the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), saw the sharpest decline in its 25-year history on Monday, down by 94.76 points, or 5.47%, to 1,636.43.
Finance - Mon, October 20, 2025 | 5:49 pm GMT+7
Construction contractor Coteccons sets record FY2026 targets, capital base hike via share issue
Coteccons Construction JSC (HoSE: CTD), one of Vietnam’s largest construction contractors, has set ambitious targets for its fiscal year 2026, driven by a record order backlog and its push into international markets.
Companies - Mon, October 20, 2025 | 4:50 pm GMT+7
Real estate, gold markets to be fully established by 2026: Prime Minister
Vietnam plans to complete comprehensive legal framework for its financial, real estate, and gold markets by 2026 as part of a broader effort to modernize market infrastructure and accelerate economic growth, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Finance - Mon, October 20, 2025 | 3:33 pm GMT+7
Vietnam breaks ground on nation’s most advanced domed stadium in Hung Yen province
Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security has broken ground on a 60,000-seat domed stadium in the northern province of Hung Yen, set to become the country’s most technologically advanced sports venue.
Society - Mon, October 20, 2025 | 2:48 pm GMT+7


















