Services
Corporate secretarial and compliance services
Once a company exists, someone has to keep it in good standing. We act as named company secretary and maintain the statutory record so a due diligence exercise, bank review or sale process doesn’t turn into an archaeology project.
| Annual return filing | Required in all four jurisdictions, deadlines vary by financial year end |
| Named company secretary | Mandatory in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong; not a statutory requirement in most UAE structures |
| Statutory registers maintained | Members, directors, charges and (where applicable) beneficial ownership |
| Typical engagement | Ongoing annual retainer alongside incorporation or a takeover of an existing company’s secretarial function |
What’s included
- Named company secretary and statutory compliance officer duties
- Minutes, resolutions and statutory register maintenance
- Annual return and annual general meeting filings
- Changes to directors, shareholders, share capital and constitution
- Company secretarial takeovers from another provider, including due diligence on the existing record
Frequently asked questions
Is a company secretary a legal requirement?
In Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, yes — every company must appoint a qualified company secretary within a set period of incorporation. The UAE generally does not impose this requirement, though good governance practice still recommends it for structured entities.
What happens if I switch company secretary providers?
We run a structured handover: request the statutory registers and filing history from the outgoing provider, audit them for gaps, and correct anything missing before taking over ongoing compliance.
What’s the penalty for late annual return filing?
Penalties vary by jurisdiction and escalate with delay — in Singapore, ACRA imposes late filing penalties that increase the longer a return is outstanding, and persistent non-compliance can affect directors’ standing. We track deadlines so this doesn’t happen.