Singapore works to boost stock market

Singapore is working to boost its stock market, startups and entrepreneurs via a slew of new initiatives aimed at enhancing the country’s role as a financing hub.

Singapore is working to boost its stock market, startups and entrepreneurs via a slew of new initiatives aimed at enhancing the country’s role as a financing hub.

In an announcement on September 17, the Government of Singapore underlined that the plan is meant to increase the country’s attractiveness as a location for capital raising for local and regional companies.

State investment firm Temasek Holdings and stock exchange operator Singapore Exchange Ltd. (SGX) will join the effort.

The Singaporean government and Temasek will set up a new fund that will have a starting tranche of 1.5 billion SGD (1.1 billion USD) to pump into public fundraising and pre-initial public offerings (IPO) financing of high-growth companies.

The Economic Development Board’s investment arm will start a Growth IPO Fund of as much as 500 million SGD initially to invest in companies that are technology innovators and two or more funding rounds away from listing publicly.

The fund will partner with the companies to help them expand, with a view toward an IPO in Singapore.

SGX will work with companies to provide customised capital market solutions, ranging from private fundraising to enhancing liquidity.

In addition, Temasek will launch a strategy to promote domestic investment, in a bid to foster its bourse which has struggled with tepid listings and low equity trading liquidity./.

VNA