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The Republic of Cyprus or simply Cyprus is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the third largest and most populous island in the Mediterranean Sea. Cyprus is north of Egypt, south of Turkey, west of Lebanon and Syria, north-west of Israel and finally – south-east of Greece.

As Cyprus is a former British colony, around 80% of the population is relatively fluent in English. Similarly, the legal system is also developed on the basis of the common law practiced in England. Cyprus is a free market economy which offers various opportunities including efficient tax planning for international companies. With top-notch accounting and legal services and an excellent geographic location, Cyprus is a great place to do business. The country is considered a leader among tax planning jurisdictions, so incorporating a company in Cyprus is an ideal way to protect your business. During the past decade, Cyprus' role in international tax planning has grown dramatically. As an EU member state, Cyprus has earned a reputation as a legitimate and reliable jurisdiction with over 40 double taxation treaties and some of the lowest taxes in the EU.

Advantages of acquiring a Cyprus shelf company
Once you have decided that Cyprus is the right jurisdiction for your company, you can either incorporate a new company or purchase a ready-made company. Ready companies are legal entities that were formed some time ago and have been “sitting on the shelf” ever since for investors to buy and run that business. Based on this comparison, ready-made companies are also referred to as shelf companies. Buying a shelf company has several advantages.

The main goal of a shelf company is to provide the investor with a company with a clean history, as older companies are often perceived as more trustworthy, reputable and reliable than newly formed companies. Acquiring a shelf company is also faster compared to the process of forming a new company. This turns out to be a great advantage for many entrepreneurs who need to start trading as soon as possible.

Acquisition of a Cyprus shelf company
Buying a shelf company in Cyprus is usually a simple and quick process. Companies specializing in the sale of shelf companies offer full service. This means that along with the company itself, they can also provide a full set of corporate documents, company secretary, registered office, nominee shareholders and directors, company bank account with internet bank and debit cards, VAT number and even support for the first year of operation possibly.

Usually the process of a shelf company acquisition is completely organized by the service provider and it only takes 24 hours before you can start trading. The process of buying a ready-made company can differ between different service providers, but usually 4 steps are required to buy a ready-made company:

Step 1. You select a company from a list provided on your service provider's website;

Step 2. Your service provider will send you a bill that needs to be paid;

Step 3. Submit a signed Know Your Client form, a copy of your passport and a utility bill in your name;

Step 4. The service provider prepares your chosen company and all the required paperwork including: all the company incorporation documents, an open share transfer agreement in your name, a Deed of Trust prepared for you by the shareholders and nominee directors and some other informative ones Documents . All documents will be sent to your address on the same day. Since the company is already registered and has a VAT number, you can start trading the same day.

It is important for you to carefully consider which service provider is the most suitable for your needs as their offered service packages differ along with the prices and reliability. It is up to you to do a full due diligence for you to be able to trust your service provider. For example, while some service providers offer shelf companies with an already opened bank account, others offer an opportunity to open it only after the acquisition of the company, which will typically take several days.

Typically, shelf companies have a legal structure of a Private Limited Liability Company, which is also the most popular type of structure among newly incorporated companies. The popularity of this structure can be explained by the limited responsibility shareholders have in regards to the company’s debt and other liabilities. Also, the minimum capital is smaller in comparison to Public Limited Liability Companies – 5,000 EUR.

Offshore Shelf Company
In case you are not planning to do business in Cyprus, you may benefit from even more beneficial tax structure. As an international entity you are allowed to conduct any legal business activity, make investments, trade portfolios of bonds and stocks as well as buy and sell real estate outside of Cyprus and not pay corporate tax at all.

The logistics performance index of Montenegro is 2.88. It indicates satisfactory performance - in general, traffic is handled well, some shortcomings in certain areas are possible, but overall the logistics system is reliable and ready to handle predictable traffic volumes.

Inch performance is rated at 2.83. This indicates satisfactory performance - the customs clearance procedure is generally effective, although a long time can occasionally be a problem; the customs system certainly does not discourage international business activities; required documents and fees are generally publicly available.

Infrastructure quality in Montenegro is rated at 2.84. It indicates satisfactory quality - roads, railways, ports and other facilities are capable of handling significant traffic at all times, and are also suitable for various types of transport vehicles and ships.

The international shipping quality is 3.15. It indicates satisfactory performance - the services are reasonable and the prices are not too high and usually correspond exactly to the quality, although there is still room for improvement.

The competence of logistics service providers is rated at 2.45. The providers are of mediocre competence - they can ensure a certain quality of their services, sometimes even outstanding, although their overall performance can still be deficient in many aspects.

Tracking options for shipments are rated at 2.76. It indicates satisfactory performance - the tracking systems provide all the basic information, as well as additional data about shipments; Mostly it also has a well-established cooperation with foreign and international tracking systems and usually offers information in several languages.

Tracking options are rated at 3.19. This indicates satisfactory performance - most shipments arrive on time and within scheduled time frames; late arrivals are still possible, albeit uncommon.

In Montenegro, 100% of the population has access to electricity. Montenegro has 5 airports nationwide. There are 10,088 internet hosts in Montenegro. The number of road motor vehicles per 1000 inhabitants in Montenegro is 26.

Road network
The total road length in Montenegro is 7,763 km (4,825 miles). Of these, 0 km (0 miles) of roads are classified as freeways, dual carriageways, or freeways.

Gas price
On average, one liter of petrol costs USD 1.6 in Montenegro. A liter of diesel would cost $1.06.

Multinational companies and governments around the world are increasingly looking to Africa as a new business destination. Africa's economy has grown at a rate of around 5.3% per year over the last decade and six of the world's ten fastest growing economies are located here. These countries have a fast-growing middle class that contributes to rapid urbanization that is increasing faster than their cities' infrastructure can keep up. It is a common misconception that many economies in Africa are heavily dependent on energy production. In reality, the oil and gas sector accounted for only 11% of Nigeria's GDP in 2014, while the construction sector accounted for 20%.

When considering doing business in Africa, it is not a matter of choosing just one country or all 54; a regional approach makes more sense. Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, refers to sub-Saharan countries such as Angola, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria. Many companies already doing business in Africa are separating their operations in North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa due to the stark economic, linguistic and cultural differences between the two regions. Here are our top 5 African countries for doing business:

Mauritius
Mauritius is known for offering an extremely favorable business environment for investment and business growth. The process of incorporating a company and starting new business activities in Mauritius is believed to be straightforward and relatively easy. Mauritius' economy is mainly based on textiles, tourism, sugar and financial services, although recently other sectors such as renewable energy and information technology are expanding rapidly. The World Bank ranked Mauritius 49th in its Doing Business 2017 ranking, largely due to its pro-business approach to dealing with building permits, enforcing contracts and protecting minority investors. Another ranking of African countries places Mauritius first based on factors such as law and security, economy, human development and human rights.

Rwanda
Despite nearly a decade of Rwanda's civil war, the country's leaders and citizens alike have worked to achieve a healthy business climate and a strong overall economy. According to the World Bank, Rwanda is the second easiest place to do business in Africa and ranks 56th in the Doing Business ranking. This is because the procedures for registering a property, obtaining credit and trading across borders have been greatly simplified. Tourism is currently the fastest growing sector in Rwanda. According to our research, businesses can be incorporated and operating in as little as three days.

Botswana
Since gaining independence, Botswana has had one of the fastest per capita economic growth rates in the world. As the government works to diversify the country's profitable industries, diamond and other precious metal mining is currently the main contributor to the country's economy. Recently, Botswana has managed to reduce the time it takes for various processes including import and export and business formation procedures. In addition, technological upgrades have reduced the average court length for commercial disputes to 625 days (from 987 days in 2008). Thanks to these improvements, Botswana ranks 71st in the World Bank's Doing Business 2017 ranking.

South Africa
South Africa's key industries are automobile manufacturing, tourism, mining and information and communication technologies. South Africa has managed to simplify its import and export procedures, resulting in less time and fewer documents required. In addition, the South African authorities have simplified tax legislation, reducing the number of hours required to prepare tax reports. The World Bank ranked South Africa 74th for ease of doing business in 2017.

Kenya
Another country to keep an eye on is Kenya, which is currently making huge investments in sectors such as telecom, transport and energy. With a tech-savvy workforce and high-speed internet, Kenya stands out as one of the top countries in Africa for tech startups, while its diversified economy, strong ownership rights, excellent tourism sector and improving infrastructure make it a great location for general start a new company. If you have further questions about company formation or banking in Africa. Please contact us now.

With the right documentation and initial expenses, it is possible for a foreign citizen to open a bank account in Argentina. This international account and investment opportunity offers several advantages based on economic regulations and tax structures. Interest rates, tax laws and fees vary depending on the country in which you invest; Careful research and strategic financial actions could result in significant portfolio growth.

If one is considering opening a bank account in Argentina, one must enlist the help of international experts to guide them through the process.

Legal forms in Argentina
Each international jurisdiction adheres to different legal structures for taxation and banking. Confidus Solutions helps you understand the nuances of each country's legal structure. In order to do business in Argentina, it is crucial that you have a thorough understanding of the financial and legal ramifications.

Initial investments
The vast majority of bank accounts in Argentina require an initial financial outlay to secure the account opening. This value differs from bank to bank and also depends on variable exchange rates. An international financial expert will help navigate these conversions, as well as the various fees and minimums associated with maintaining a bank account. Make sure you understand the interest and growth rates associated with each prospective international bank account so you can maximize your returns while minimizing risk.

Tax structures in Argentina
To get the best results and avoid bureaucratic and legal pitfalls, enlist the support of an expert in international finance and economics. This initial investment in proper processes and research will help avoid a litany of long-term costs and fees related to unforeseen errors and legal errors. Language skills, financial know-how and bureaucratic experience ensure that your account opening is processed smoothly and without unintended consequences.