Singapore, August 30, 2012
—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and International Enterprise Singapore, part of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday to jointly identify growth sectors in Africa for Singapore-based companies to invest in and to share business leads and opportunities through partnerships.
The signing took place on the sidelines of the two-day Africa Singapore Business Forum, which opened on Wednesday. The forum is hosted by International Enterprise Singapore to provide a platform for Singaporean and other Asian companies to connect with potential business partners from Africa.
“Africa, with its growing middle class, holds many promising opportunities for investors, while Singapore has strong expertise in urban and industrial planning, transport, agribusiness and information communications technology,” said IFC Singapore Country Manager Babatunde Onitiri. “IFC’s strong network and Singaporean enterprises’ technical expertise will help create a competitive edge in supporting Africa’s economic development.”
Lim Ban Hoe, group director for Middle East and Africa at International Enterprise Singapore, said its partnership with IFC will help Singaporean companies overcome initial hurdles in engaging with business partners in Africa’s diverse continent with 54 countries.
“The memorandum of understanding allows us to bring together Singapore’s expertise in key sectors, and the extensive developmental experience that a multilateral organization like IFC has in Africa. This partnership will unlock the potential of the African growth story and translate it into tangible and impactful projects for mutual growth,” Lim said.
IFC opened its office in Singapore in September 2011 to tap the city state’s experience in urban and infrastructure development. The move is part of IFC’s initiative to pave the way for successful Asian companies to grow their businesses in emerging countries while benefiting local economies.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. We help developing countries achieve sustainable growth by financing investment, mobilizing capital in international financial markets, and providing advisory services to businesses and governments. In FY12, our investments reached an all-time high of more than $20 billion, leveraging the power of the private sector to create jobs, spark innovation, and tackle the world’s most pressing development challenges. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
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About International Enterprise Singapore
International Enterprise (IE) Singapore is the government agency driving Singapore’s external economy. We promote international trade and spearhead the overseas growth of Singapore-based companies to grow Globally Competitive Companies.
IE Singapore attracts global commodities traders to establish their home base in Singapore. Today, Singapore is a thriving trading hub for the energy, agri-commodities and metals & minerals trading clusters.
Through our Global Company Partnership, we work with Singapore-based companies to customize total solutions in capability building, market access and financing for their internationalization.
Our global network of overseas centers in over 35 locations provides the necessary connections in many developed and emerging markets.
