Gold vaults in Singapore
In my last article, I wrote about Singapore’s push to become a regional gold trading and storage hub. That move gained global context amid Venezuela’s desperate attempt to repatriate over US$1 billion in gold reserves held at the Bank of England—a request refused when the UK declined to recognize President Nicolas Maduro’s government. This high-profile dispute could set the stage for landmark legal battles as Singapore attempts to build its legal framework to attract central banks and high net worth individuals to store their precious metals in gold vaults in Singapore.
In my view, the key for Singapore to become a regional gold trading and storage hub is the development of a set of robust legal framework for gold vaults. In terms of tax, Singapore has already exempted Investment-Grade Precious Metals (IPM) – gold of at least 99% purity – from Goods and Services Tax (GST). There are also maximum-security facilities like Le Freeport and The Reserve for safe storage of precious metals. The lesson learned from Venezuela case was that the legal frameworks must address political intervention, legal ambiguity and custodian risk.
The recent developments have raised my interest in gold vaults. Obviously, storing substantial silver or gold bars under one’s mattress isn’t a strategy that lets anyone sleep soundly at night.
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