InCar Trust helps Dutch volunteer organisation Nature Projects

(Paramaribo 30/07/2006) InCar Trust, Suriname's independent trust company, has assisted the Dutch volunteer organisation Nature Projects in forming relationships with local organisations and identifying projects for which Nature Projects can provide volunteers.

"As trust company we feel it is important to play a part in securing the natural wealth of Suriname, not only the financial wealth of local investors", explains Satish Singh, Managing Director of InCar Trust. "When we were approached by Nature Projects to assist them in organising their activities in Suriname, we gladly accepted. Suriname is a natural treasure that can be enjoyed by the world, but local organisations need help in assuring that our wealth is kept intact. A dedicated organisation such as Nature Projects can help provide the expertise and manpower that is required to ensure that the environment we live in remains as it should".

Nature Projects was founded in January 2003 by Steven van de Vijver, Alex Klusman and Jasper van den Driest, who had a strong urge to personally contribute to the preservation of endangered nature. Nature Projects wants to give everyone who feels this same urge, concrete possibilities to make a personal contribution to nature.

The goal is to support local initiatives in the area of the preservation of nature in various ways. This support consists mainly of delivering manpower and, where possible, the necessary materials and expertise to carry out projects. The way in which Nature Projects tries to realise its goal is by bringing volunteers in touch with international activities directed at the preservation of nature.

Another more indirect but equally important goal of Nature Projects, through close cooperation with local aid programmes/organisations, is to create a mutual understanding and respect in order to lay the basis for lasting and continuous development.

"InCar Trust has been instrumental is expanding our contacts in Suriname and allowing us to achieve a tremendous amount in a very short time", says Ilia Riaskoff, representative of Nature Projects and in charge of organising the Suriname activities. "In the three weeks I have been in Suriname I have been able to see many parts of this beautiful country and a lot of projects that Nature Projects can assist. For myself personally it has been a great and rewarding experience".

Nature projects can be contacted by emaill: mailto:info@natureprojects.org or by telephone: +31 6 17652333 (Steven van de Vijver).

InCar Group brings Suriname developed remittance system to India

(Amsterdam 20/07/2006) InCar Group, the the Netherlands and Suriname based services group, will as agent promote the Electronic Postal Exchange (EPW), developed by the Suriname postal and financial transactions company Surpost N.V., in India. The system will be presented to banks that have a large branch network in India as well as branched in countries with large NRI populations.

"Remittances by expatriate nationals to their countries of origin account for larger and larger flows of capital around the world", says Carlo Godlieb, Managing Director of Surpost. "A substantial part of this capital is moved through the informal sector of underground banking, the other part through traditional banks and organisations such as Western Union, often at substantial cost to the remitter. Our system provides a fast and cheap alternative".

The innovative system was developed in Suriname and was recently presented to the Dutch and Suriname public. With more than 100 million euros remitted from The Netherlands to Suriname, the need for a cheaper alternative to Western Union and a safer alternative to underground banking was high. This market has also been an ideal testing ground for the system, which has been set up with Interpay, the Netherlands company that handles more than three billion payment transaction per year.

The EPW system works as follows:

The recipient of funds buys a dedicated numbered bank card that will act as electronic wallet. The person that wishes to transfer the funds deposits the money on the bank account of the service provider and notes the card number of the recipient on the transfer form. This can be done using internet and telephone banking, cash deposit at the bank or paper transfer form. The transfer is done in real time and the recipient can use his card to withdraw all or part of the transferred money at ATMs or other cash points such as shops or banks.

All transfers are registered in a central system that can report to the Central Bank or regulatory bodies thus making the flow of capital transparent.

"We are proud as a Suriname based organisation to be able to promote this innovative product to the Indian financial world", says Anand D. Ramkisoensing, director of InCar Consultancy. "In Europe the cost of transferring money via this system is 50% lower than Western Union and MoneyGram. We feel that it is ideal for the Indian market as India is one of the top receivers of remittances. Also, many recipients might not have bank accounts. As the EPW card also acts as electronic wallet it can give users more options. The system can also be very effective within India since transfering funds within the Indian is also oftentimes slow and difficult".

The EPW system is fully developed and can be integrated with existing banking systems.

InCar Group to promote Aruban Free Zones in India

(Amsterdam 19/07/2006) InCar Group, the Netherlands and Suriname based services group, has entered into a partnership with Ruben Oduber, Mediator for the Cabinet of the Prime Minister of Aruba, to promote the Aruban Free Zones in India and to offer additional sales and marketing services to Indian companies that wish to utilise the free zones.

Aruba offers companies in the free zone a range of incentives to start activities in the island:

• 2% profit tax rate on export activities
• No duties on goods imported and exported through the free zone
• Service companies (excluding financial services) are welcome to operate from the free zone
• Retail sales allowed to tourists
• Secure free zone environment (24 hour security service)
• Special access to US markets (CBI) and European markets (OCT)
• Very attractive rental rates for space in the free zone
• Exemption from payment on the foreign exchange commission
• Possibility to sell goods to the local market
• Goods do not have to physically go through Aruba
• Very swift clearing of imported goods
• Minimal official documentation requirements for re-export
• Excellent and very good shipping and airline connections
• Modern harbour and airport facilities
• Multi-lingual and educated workforce

"Aruba offers Indian companies the opportunity to have a sales and production hub that allows for easy and low or no duty access to the American, South American and European markets as well as a low tax environment", says Benjamin Bremmer, director of Amsterdam based InCar Consultancy Ltd. "With international competition heating up it is important for Indian companies to open new markets. From Aruba important large markets such as Brazil and Venzuela can be targeted and served, but as Caribbean territory of the Netherlands Aruba also has preferential low and no duty access to the vast American and European Union markets".

InCar Group can assist Indian companies in setting up their operations in Aruba, be they sales offices or production facilities. For companies that do not wish to have their own office in the island, InCar Group can act as sales and marketing agent whilst giving companies all the advantages of routing their sales through the Free Zones.

Aruba is an island of 77 square miles (193 square km) in the Southeast Caribbean, located approximately 19 miles (30 km) north of Venezuela and at the center of many world trade routes. The island has a modern port capable of handling very large ships. The main harbour, which is located in the capital of the island, Oranjestad, can accommodate large cruise ships and has a fully automated cargo container terminal. Services as United States Customs Pre-clearance, INS and Department of Agriculture are available at the airport, making it unique in the region.

As a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Aruba has complete autonomy over its internal affairs. The Kingdom retains responsibility for defence matters, foreign affairs and the judicial system on Aruba.