BCCS First to Get Global Accreditation
Welcome to the Chamber's digital museum. Explore our 70 years of heritage in supporting business and trade between UK and Singapore.
Mr Gan Kim Yong,
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade & Industry
Let me take this opportunity to congratulate BritCham on its 70th anniversary this year. Over the last 7 decades, BritCham has played an instrumental role in strengthening business-to-business linkages between the UK and Singapore. Today, more than 6000 UK businesses have chosen to establish their presence in Singapore. I hope that in the years ahead, we can deepen our trade and investment links, and continue to be a sterling example of what we can achieve through economic cooperation and integration.
HE Nik Mehta OBE
British High Commissioner
On behalf of the British Government and the British High Commission in Singapore, I congratulate the British Chamber of Commerce on your platinum year.
Celebrating a milestone birthday always makes us reflect on the past. The UK-Singapore relationship is a unique and longstanding one – and trade has always been at the heart of it. We now have more than 6,000 British entities registered in Singapore, a bilateral trading relationship worth £22 billion, and UK trade with Singapore accounts for 40% of our total trade with Southeast Asia. Our bilateral relationship supports 117,000 jobs in the UK.
For 70 years, the close cooperation between the British High Commission and BritCham has been instrumental to the success of the UK-Singapore bilateral relationship, shaping the landscape for the future with the ultimate goal of doing the best for British business, not just in Singapore but across Southeast Asia.
Dr Tan See Leng,
Minister for Manpower & Second Minister for Trade and Industry
My warmest congratulations to the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore on your momentous 70th anniversary!
As part of Singapore’s business ecosystem, the Chamber plays a pivotal role as a bridge between the Ministry of Manpower and the British business community on various issues relating to manpower policy, talent attraction, development and retention.
The Chamber has a deep legacy of fostering meaningful partnerships and advocating for the interests of businesses and workers. We value the trust of the British business community in Singapore. As we look towards the future, I am confident that the Chamber will continue to be a driving force to facilitate connections among its members, industry leaders and the Government to support business growth and development in Singapore.
Thank you for the close partnership over the years. We look forward to exploring new avenues of collaboration and mutual support to benefit the business community and workers in the years ahead!
Martin Kent
His Majesty's Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific
Congratulations to the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore for 70 years of deepening UK-Singapore trade links.
The UK and Singapore are like-minded partners with shared historical ties and excellent economic relations. Our two nations share a close trading relationship worth £22 billion, which is further strengthened by the pioneering Digital Economy Agreement, the Green Economy Framework and our Strategic Partnership. Singapore is the UK’s largest trade and investment partner within ASEAN. The UK is amongst Singapore’s top three European trading partners and Singapore’s top investment destination in Europe.
BritCham has been, and will continue to be, an essential partner in driving this success. Much of the UK Government's work in supporting British businesses' growth in Singapore would not be possible without BritCham.
The UK Government is committed to helping British businesses make the most of the opportunities in Singapore and the wider region. I look forward to our continued partnership in growing UK-Singapore trade.
Alvin Tan,
Minister of State for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry
I congratulate the British Chamber on your 70th anniversary. 70 years ago in 1954, Philip Mawrey, who was the father of the British Chamber, launched the UK Manufacturer’s Representatives Association (UKMRA) to provide trade support for British business interests in Asia. 20 years later, UKMRA became the British Business Association, which in 1985, hosted Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during her visit to Singapore. At a speech on 8th April 1985 at the Shangri-La Hotel, she shared about the British Business Association and how it was important to British companies, “particularly since so many British firms use Singapore as a springboard to other markets in the region”, very similar to what Singapore is as a launchpad to other markets in Southeast Asia and beyond. Then she praised the association saying, “there can be no better testimony to the success of your work than the fact that British exports to Singapore have doubled in the past five years”. Fast forward 40 years later, the UK remains an important partner for Singapore.
Grace Fu,
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and
Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations
Heartiest congratulations to the British Chamber of Commerce on your 70th anniversary!
BritCham has been instrumental in driving the growth of the British business community in Singapore, and a key partner in the implementation of various bilateral economic agreements such as the UK-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, Digital Economy Agreement, and Green Economy Framework. The UK and Singapore are like-minded partners in the pursuit of sustainable and resilient economic growth. With BritCham’s strong support, I am confident that the bilateral trade and investment relationship will continue to grow from strength to strength, and present new opportunities for our business communities.
I deeply appreciate BritCham’s invaluable work in supporting British businesses in Singapore, and I look forward to the deepening of business-to-business linkages between Singapore and the UK in the years to come.
Mr Kok Ping Soon
CEO, Singapore Business Federation
Congratulations to the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore on your 70th anniversary! As a champion of sustainability and innovation, BritCham is a valued member of Singapore’s trade and associations and chambers (TACs) network, recognising and celebrating the successes of Singapore businesses through initiatives such as the Annual Business Awards.
Thank you, BritCham, for your strong partnership. We look forward to building an even more synergistic TAC community together, collectively amplifying our efforts across Singapore’s business ecosystem.
Partner Stories
David Kelly
Executive Director,
British Chamber of Commerce Singapore
The British Chamber of Commerce celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.
To honour our heritage and history, we look back at our leaders and members who have worked with the Chamber, and curated our best moments in this digital museum. We invite you on this journey as we unravel our 70 years of supporting business, trade and community.