Singapore, 22 October 2025 — The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Singapore Exchange (SGX) are preparing to announce a new package of incentives next month aimed at revitalising Singapore’s equities market by boosting listed-company performance and deeper investor engagement.
What Could the Measures Include?
According to the Bloomberg report, the upcoming measures will likely focus on:
- Incentives for listed companies to enhance shareholder value, such as improved returns, dividends, or buy-backs;
- Programmes to drive investor participation, particularly among retail and regional institutional players;
- Supportive structural reforms to bolster Singapore’s attractiveness as a regional capital-markets hub, building on prior initiatives.
Strategic Context: Why the Push Matters
Singapore’s equity market has faced headwinds in recent years including lower new listings, investor liquidity challenges and competition from overseas exchanges. The new policy push aims to:
- Re-energise the SGX ecosystem and expand the depth and vibrancy of the local market;
- Encourage companies listed in Singapore to better engage investors through performance/returns-oriented commitments;
- Strengthen Singapore’s appeal in the ASEAN region as a listing venue and capital-markets node.
This follows an earlier MAS/SGX review and measures including tax rebates for primary and secondary listings.
Implications for ASEAN & Malaysian Investors
For Malaysia-based and regional investors, Singapore’s initiative offers several important take-aways:
- Competitive Listing Landscape – If Singapore improves its listing incentives, Malaysian-based firms (or regional issuers) may face increased competition for regional capital and investor attention.
- Capital-flows Potential – Enhanced listings and investor programmes in Singapore could attract capital flows through the region; Malaysian investors may find clearer pathways or larger-cap regional stocks via Singapore.
- Corporate Engagement Model – Listed companies in Malaysia may draw lessons from Singapore’s push: stronger emphasis on shareholder value (dividends, buy-backs), investor-education and transparency could become more prominent themes.
- Regional Market Alignment – As Singapore upgrades its market, Southeast-Asian regional markets (including Malaysia) may feel pressure or inspiration to align market-access, listings incentives and investor-participation frameworks accordingly.
What to Watch Ahead
- Formal announcement timing: Market participants will closely watch for MAS/SGX to disclose the specific incentive package and its effective date.
- Details of the scheme: The extent of tax rebates, performance-criteria, listing-access changes or investor-engagement programmes will drive market reaction.
- Impact on SGX and company behaviour: Whether Singapore-listed firms respond with higher payouts, stronger governance or listing growth will signal the initiative’s traction.
- Spill-over into regional capital-markets: How ASEAN peers (including Malaysia) respond in capital-markets policy, listing incentives or investor-engagement will matter for regional investment flows.
