Now that the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore has been accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce, UK, it can now become an even more trusted partner in the business-to-business network.
The British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore has achieved another key milestone in its 60 years of existence by becoming the first Overseas Chamber of Commerce to receive a full accreditation from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), UK, under the Overseas Business Network initiative (OBNi) programme launched by the British Prime Minister the Rt Hon David Cameron MP in Nov 2012.
Congratulating the team, British High Commissioner to Singapore HE Mr Antony Phillipson, said,
“I am delighted that the British Chamber of Commerce has achieved the distinction of being the first overseas Chamber to be awarded accreditation by the BCC. This is testament to an enormous amount of work by Brigitte Holtschneider and Judith Slater and their respective teams at the Chamber and here at the High Commission. It further reinforces the partnership between us, and the real winners will be UK exporters looking to find success in this exciting and dynamic market.”
The programme aims to transform the support available for British SMEs seeking to do business in high-growth, hard-to-access markets across the world. Chambers and business groups in a further 20 markets are expected to achieve accreditation in this financial year alone, meaning that UK exporters can be confident in finding a high-quality first point of contact for their business in these markets.
The British Prime Minister has set an ambitious target of increasing exports from the UK to £1 trillion by 2020. As part of an ongoing partnership between the BCC, UKTI and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, this target will be driven forward by a new global network of accredited chambers and business groups, providing in-market, practical help and advice for UK exporters.
Companies in Singapore can now further benefit from this initiative via Chamber membership and events to identify new opportunities and expand their businesses.
John Longworth, Director General of the BCC, said,
“We are delighted to welcome Singapore into our network and look forward to many more accreditations in the months ahead. It is crucial that business people have a single approved provider in new markets, and are confident that, as they step off the plane, they can easily be connected with new exporting opportunities.
“With the right attitude and sheer determination, there is no reason why the UK can’t meet the huge challenge set by the Prime Minister of increasing exports to £1 trillion by 2020.
“The BCC is delighted to be working with the UK government to create a strong, global business-to-business network for British business, giving companies that haven’t exported before the tools and the confidence to seek out opportunities in new markets across the world.”
The services on offer by the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore are on par with those offered by the UK’s international competitors, and are available to all British businesses looking to take advantage of the array of opportunities in this fast-growing market. Now, UK companies will be able to get in-market advice and support on how to export their goods and services in Singapore, provided by a trusted and accredited business-to-business network.