Source: NatWest IPB Survey; click to enlarge
Expats rate Singapore as the best country to open a business, followed by Hong Kong and the US. These were the results of the fourth annual NatWest International Personal Banking (IPB) Quality of Life Index. NatWest found expats in Spain, Portugal and France least positive about their business environments.
The study, conducted in cooperation with the Centre of Future Studies, looked at which countries make it easiest for expats to do business. Criteria included overall business climate, tax regimes and bureaucracy.
74% of respondents said cheaper resources were the biggest advantage of doing business abroad, while 65% cited foreign tax policies. A full 71% were in agreement that regulations and bureaucracy were the biggest challenges.
Dave Isley, head of NatWest International Personal Banking, commented:
It is interesting the see that Singapore, Hong Kong and the USA are fruitful entrepreneurial countries according to the index yet China and UAE rank so low. Given the current economical climate, it is no surprise that expat entrepreneurs in Portugal, Spain and France do not feel they have a positive business outlook.
Way to go! The best economy in Southeast Asia!