Export
Issue No. 3 - December/ 2001/january
Our man in Singapore
Doing business in Asia is a game of connections, and there is no one better placed than Mr Tay Joo Soon to facilitate business in Singapore and Malaysia. Mr Tay, the longest-serving commercial representative of the SA Government, has been leading the SA Government’s Commercial Representative Office in Singapore for more than 20 years and in 2001 alone he has been instrumental is developing millions of dollars worth of business for SA firms.
Appointed by the Dunstan Government in 1975, Mr Tay has watched interest in developing overseas trade fluctuate across successive governments. The past seven or eight years have been the most active of his tenure.
"My priorities are twofold," Mr Tay says. "They are to promote export from South Australia and to attract investment to the State."
Outbound traffic takes SA products to the commercial hub of southeast Asia. Singapore hosts several important trade shows on a regular basis; a significant recent event was the biennial Hotel Asia Exhibition in April, which saw 15 SA firms display their best.
By making contact through the Department of Industry and Trade, exporters can dovetail marketing plans with these major events. Seafood aquaculture firm, SA Mariculture won about $3million worth of orders for its abalone product lines after attending the Food Agri21 show in March.
Inbound traffic - including business migration - has Mr Tay introducing high-net-worth buyers and investors to the commercial and personal attractions of South Australia. Enquiry about quality of life in SA is regular, with many business migrants looking for good opportunities to transfer their wealth here.
Singaporeans have traditionally favoured property investment opportunities - hotel developments such as the Stamford and Playford. Hotel development remains attractive, particularly since 11 September, and occupancy rates for SA hotels remain high. But interest is diversifying rapidly. Mr Tay has fielded queri...
