SINGAPORE The green trucks of the partly Finnish-owned Family Movers are a familiar sight on the streets of Singapore. They transport moving loads between the warehouse on the outskirts of the city and the apartments in the city center.
In the video below, you can get on board the moving truck.
Singapore is a small country heavily influenced by immigration. It is only the size of the capital region of Finland in terms of area, but more people live there than in the whole of Finland, about six million.
Only 3.4 million of the residents are citizens of Singapore. The remaining two and a half million are foreign workers who spend an average of 4-5 years in the country.
There is enough work for moving companies. This year, according to unofficial estimates, up to half a million people have moved to the country, of which a hundred thousand have arrived with a migration load.
The native population is decreasing, but the number of inhabitants is increasing
Family Movers of green trucks is part of the CFM Alliance Group, which is the third largest moving company in Singapore.
The group employs 120 people on a permanent basis, and up to 400 in busy times. Its turnover this year is about 30 million Singapore dollars, or a good 21 million euros.
CFM Alliance is partly Finnish-owned. A CEO who has lived in different parts of the world Carl Häggström and chairman of the board Take Massala got together a few years ago and invested in the ever-growing business.
When Massala himself first moved to Singapore in 2005, there were only 4.2 million people living there. If Finland’s population had increased at the same rate as Singapore’s, Finland’s population would now be over seven million.
The local native population does not increase, but even decreases due to the low birth rate. But the economy is growing and therefore more foreign labor is constantly needed here.
– Our market is growing at the same pace as the population, Massala simplifies.
Singapore could be much more populous, as there are significantly more willing immigrants than those who receive a work permit.
The Singapore government has tightened the rules for issuing work permits. The small area of land simply does not have room for everyone planning to move.
The economy keeps growing
Forklifts quickly move moving loads in CFM Alliance’s approximately 6,500 square meter warehouse.
Art and pianos, which would be damaged in hot and humid tropical weather, are stored in a separate cold storage. In Singapore, the temperature is 25–35 degrees all year round.
– Freight transport prices have been high in the last couple of years. But now the prices have fallen, so we look to the future with confidence, says Häggström.
According to the CEO’s calculations, this means a growth forecast of approximately 5–10 percent in the next few years’ transactions.
There is good reason for optimism. The Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry’s forecast for this year’s economic growth is 3.5 percent and for next year around three percent, i.e. the same steady pace that the country has enjoyed for a long time.
Singapore has no natural resources, not even its own water reserves. The most important resource is people. Thanks to them, the country is the center of trade, transportation and finance in Southeast Asia.
In recent years, Singapore has overtaken Hong Kong to become the third largest financial center in the world, right after New York and London. Singapore’s cargo port is currently the second largest in the world, and the government plans to make it the largest by the 2040s.
“The best place in the world for a family with children”
Singapore attracts talent from all over the world. The motivator is the opportunity to earn better than at home. For the same reason, more and more companies have moved their operations here.
According to CEO Häggström, many things speak for Singapore. English is one of the four official languages. The business culture is uncomplicated in a Western way.
– If you compare to Finland, it is easier to make decisions here. The operation is more straightforward, Häggström compares.
Otso Massala adds a stable society, access to capital, good public services and light taxation to the list.
The corporate tax rate in Singapore is 17 percent and the highest for individuals is 22 percent.
Originally from Lappeenranta, Massala went out into the world and lived in eight countries. He returned to Singapore five years ago from the United States. The family came along, i.e. wife Sanna, who works as a graphic designer, and two sons who are growing up.
– In terms of a family with children, Singapore is perhaps the best place in the world. Health care is good. For a parent of a teenager, it is important that it is safe here and that there are many different things for children to do, Sanna Massala says.
139 jobs per hundred job seekers
Singapore maintains security with strict legislation. The country has the death penalty. You can be fined for spitting on the street.
The political system of the country, which turns 60 next year, is partly described as an authoritarian “Asian democracy”, which differs in many ways from European liberal democracy.
Since independence, the people’s party PAP has been in charge of the government. However, the elections are free and there is no corruption in the administration.
Western countries have criticized Singapore’s government for not caring about human rights and freedom of speech as much as it does about business. In the press freedom comparison of the organization Reporters Without Borders, Singapore is only ranked 126th, while Finland ranks fifth among the world’s countries.
The government is also criticized for bluntly dividing those who aspire to land into top talent and cheap labor.
People who work in low-wage jobs mainly come from the neighboring countries of Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. The guest worker has to make an effort to keep up with society’s rapidly rotating cart.
– There is a lot of emphasis on lifelong learning and the acquisition of new skills. Self-development is crucial if you’re going to make it here, Nanyang Institute of Education and Management Dean Fanny Chan says.
Despite the tough competition and difficulties, there are enough willing entrants because there are plenty of jobs.
Singapore currently has an average of 139 jobs per hundred job seekers.