Anthony Kang (pictured), the re-elected president of the 4As, said he wants to introduce an advisory list of clients with a poor track record of paying their agencies within his third term (Media, 2 May).
He said the 4As would also look at challenging an arrangement with media owners whereby agencies have to pay a bank guarantee for their clients when they buy media.
“Singapore is one of only a few countries in which agencies must pay a bank guarantee. Agencies are effectively bankers for their clients, and if a client folds, agencies have to bear the cost,” Kang said.
“[Recently], some agencies have closed because their clients have closed,” he added. “But media owners should shoulder some of the responsibility.” Singapore’s courtship with pitch fees is unlikely to bear fruit within Kang’s tenure.
He said: “I’m not sure [pitch fees] are necessary. The Government calls for tenders without pitch fees. It is unlikely non-government clients will pay a fee.”
In recent years, pitch fees have been introduced in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
