Businessman from Pakistan thrives here

AS AN immigrant society, Singapore has always been welcoming entrepreneurial and talented people from overseas to come to its shores. They are encouraged to contribute to economic activity in the country and possibly settle down here and make the Republic their new home.

One such fairly new immigrant is businessman Shamsher Zaman, managing director of Linkers (Far East) Pte Ltd (LFE), who came from Pakistan 4 decades ago, worked hard to grow his business here and now proudly calls Singapore home.

"As a professional entrepreneur, my choice of locating to Singapore has served my company well over the past 4 decades," says Zaman in an interview with The Business Times on the occasion of Pakistan's national day on March 23.

"Singapore's strategic location, friendly business environment and its connectivity to the region, excellent financial and logistic infrastructure, reliable legal, regulatory and tax framework and innovative technology has helped us to develop the business and to reach out to the customers worldwide," he adds.

"LFE's business strategy is geared to long-term profitable growth, thereby, securing a sustained increase in corporate value by building long-term relationships and strategic business partnerships through professionalism, a comprehensive product range, customer care and strong after sales service."

LFE was incorporated in Singapore in 1982. The company acts as marketing agent and distributor, representing several leading producers in Asia. The products handled include a wide range of industrial chemicals and polymers which are used as raw materials in many industries.

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Since its setting up in Singapore, LFE has been constantly expanding its business globally directly from here and through its branch and associate offices overseas in several countries in South-east Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. It is now doing business with more than 40 countries worldwide making it a global player in the area of its specialisation.

Besides running his business, Zaman is active in public life in Singapore contributing back to the country that has been so good to him. He has been Singapore's Ambassador to Jordan since January 2016. Among the other positions he holds is chairman of Singapore Business Federation's Middle East Business Group and vice chairman of its South Asia Business Group. Singapore Business Federation is Singapore's apex business chamber.

Zaman also plays an active role in the Singapore Chemical Industry Council being its founding board member and director. The industry association represents Singapore's energy and petrochemicals cluster.

In recognition of his success as a leading businessman, in 2005 he was awarded the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year Award jointly organised by the Association of Small & Medium Enterprises (ASME) and the Rotary Club of Singapore, sponsored by OCBC & supported by ESG (Enterprise Singapore).

"LFE's achievements have been recognised through our winning a wide range of most prestigious corporate awards and accolades including the Enterprise 50 Award for 6 consecutive years from 2005 to 2010," says Mr Zaman.

The Enterprise 50 award, established in 1995, recognises the contributions that local privately-held companies have made in economic development at home and abroad. The award is jointly organised by The Business Times in collaboration with KPMG. The award is given to 50 most enterprising, privately held local companies in Singapore every year.

"As a true Singaporean company that has grown wings to become a global player, LFE looks to the future with confidence as it is poised to venture into new frontiers to achieve an even higher level of growth," Zaman tells BT.

Turning to Singapore's relations with the country of his birth, he says that Pakistan has a robust economic relationship with the Republic. Top traded products between the two countries include mineral fuels, mechanical appliances, plastic articles and essential oils.

"Pakistan, with a population of over 220 million people, is strategically located to become Asia's premium trade, energy and transport corridor. It is also the gateway to the energy rich Central Asian states, the Gulf States and the Far Eastern Tigers. Fifty-five per cent of the population is below the age of 19 which bodes well for long term sustainable economic growth," says Zaman.

Pakistan has a strong middle class. A large part of the workforce is proficient in English. Pakistan possesses a big pool of trained engineers, bankers, lawyers and other professionals with many having substantial international experience.

"As the consumer market in Pakistan is growing rapidly, it offers a rich source of opportunities for Singapore companies in the areas of food processing, education, logistics, textile, automobiles, ICT, housing and construction, tourism and hospitality.

"Several MNCs like Nestle, Unilever, Telenor, P&G (Procter & Gamble), Honda, Toyota and Suzuki have been present in Pakistan for long and are further expanding their operations," says Zaman.

Pakistani companies seeking to export their goods and provide their services to Asean, China and the rest of the Far East region can use Singapore as a base to market their products and services, tap into its globally connected infrastructure, and find business partners among thousands of MNCs headquartered here as well as Singapore SMEs, he adds.

Pakistani companies will also be able to tap into Singapore's extensive free trade agreements. "With our high level of expertise and familiarity with Chinese operations and Chinese partnerships with Singapore companies, Singapore can also play a role in Pakistan and China's strategic relationship," says Zaman.

"While much activity will take place directly between Pakistan and China, Pakistani companies could also tap on the knowledge, connections and expertise of Chinese businesses by partnering with Singapore companies."

Currently businessmen and business organisations have limited understanding of each other. Exchange of business delegations, business seminars and focused group meetings will enable better understanding of the potential which can result in significant business development between the two countries, he adds.