Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
1)
Introduction......2
2)
Economic History....4
3)
Sectors....10
4)
5)
Singapore Workforce.................17
6)
7)
Public Finance...20
8)
9)
Balance of Payment...30
10)
International Relations...34
11)
12)
Current Scenario....44
13)
Conclusion.....49
14)
Bibliography......................................................51
INTRODUCTION
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign citystate and island country in Southeast Asia. It lies off the southern tip of the Malay
Peninsula and is 137 kilometers (85 miles) north of the equator. The country's
territory consists of the lozenge-shaped main island, commonly referred to as
Singapore Island in English and PulauUjong in Malay, and more than 60
significantly smaller islets.Singapore is separated from Peninsular Malaysia by the
Straits of Johor to the north, and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore
Strait to the south. The country is highly urbanized, and little of the original
vegetation remains. The country's territory has consistently expanded through land
reclamation.
Singapore is one of the world's major commercial hubs, with the
fourth-biggest financial centre and one of the five busiest ports. Its globalised and
diversified economy depends heavily on trade, especially manufacturing, which
represented 26 percent of Singapore's GDP in 2005. In terms of purchasing power
parity, Singapore has the third-highest per capita income in the world but one of
the world's highest income inequalities. It places highly in international rankings
with regard to education, healthcare, and economic competitiveness. Just over five
million people live in Singapore, of which approximately two million are foreignborn. While Singapore is diverse, ethnic Asians predominate: 75 percent of the
population is Chinese, with significant minorities of Malays, Indians, and
Eurasians. There are four official languages, English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil,
and the country promotes multiculturalism through a range of official policies.
ECONOMIC HISTORY
I Pre-Independence Economy
II Post-IndependenceEconomy
Since 2004, Singapore's annual real GDP growth has averaged 7.9%
and GDP per capita increased from US$26,198 to US$35,163 in 2007,
underpinned by sound macroeconomic policies. Inflation has beenlow for the most
part, averaging 1.3% annually; inflationary pressures, however, have risen since
the second half of 2007, reflecting both domestic cost pressures and rising
international prices, with the inflation rate hitting over 6% by early 2008. In res
ponse, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) tightened its monetary
policy, allowing a significant appreciation of the Singapore currency in order to
curb the cost of imported food and energy. Unemployment fell from 3.4% in 2004
to2.1% in 2007, reflecting broad-based employment generation. National saving
continued to exceed domestic investment by an average of 21% of GDP during the
period under review, and the counterparts of the excess saving, which has been
invested abroad, are persistently large current account surpluses. Singapore's
official reserves reached nearly US$163 billion in 2007,equivalent to about six
months of imports of goods and services.
IVEconomic Trends
Gross Domestic
Year
Product
($ millions)
2005
194,360
2007
224,412
2008
235,632
2009
268,900
2010
309,400
2011
270,020
2013
US Dollar
Exchange
1.64 Singapore
Dollars
1.42 Singapore
Dollars
1.37 Singapore
Dollars
1.50 Singapore
Dollars
1.32 Singapore
Dollars
1.29 Singapore
Dollars
1.25 Singapore
Dollars
PPP per
Nominal per
capita GDP
capita GDP
(as % of
(as % of USA)
USA)
67.54
103.03
74.61
107.92
73.71
107.27
78.53
108.33
82.13
119.54
SECTORS
I Overview
Manufacturing
11%
Others
28%
Commerce
33%
Construction
3%
Transport&
Communication
14%
Financial
Services
4%
Business
Services
7%
10
Others
16%
Construction
4%
Manufacturing
27%
Transport&
Communication
12%
Financial
Services
11%
Commerce
17%
Business
Services
13%
11
II Manufacturing Sector
Singapore is the 14th largest exporter and the 15th largest importer in
theworld. Historically, international trade has strongly influenced the economy.
According to the WTO, Singapore has the highest trade to GDP ratio in the world
at 407.9 percent. Due to its geostrategic location and developed port facilities, a
large volume of Singapore's merchandise exports involve entrept trade with 47
percent of exports consisting of re-exports.As a strong advocate of free trade,
Singapore has relatively few trade barriers. Trade partners with Most Favored
Nation (MFN) have zero tariff rates applied to their products apart from six lines
for alcoholic beverages. There is however some import restrictions based mainly
on environmental, health, and public security concerns.
(including
electronics),
consumer
goods,
13
IV. Tourism
14
chemicals,
textile/garments,
electronic
components,
15
16
SINGAPORE WORKFORCE
In 2000, Singapore had a workforce of about 2.2 million. The country
has the largest proficiency of English language speakers in Asia, making it an
attractive place for multinational corporations. The National Trades Union
Congress (NTUC), the sole trade union federation which has a symbiotic
relationship with the ruling party, comprises almost 99% of total organized labour.
Government policy and pro-activity rather than labour legislation controls general
labour and trade union matters.
The Employment Act offers little protection to white-collar workers
due to an income threshold. The Industrial Arbitration Court handles labourmanagement disputes that cannot be resolved informally through the Ministry of
Manpower. The Singapore Government has stressed the importance of cooperation between unions, management and government (tripartism), as well as the
early resolution of disputes. There has been only one strike in the past 15 years.
Singapore has enjoyed virtually full employment for long periods of
time. Amid an economic slump, the unemployment rate rose to 4.0% by the end of
2001, from 2.4% early in the year. Unemployment has since declined and as of
2012 the unemployment rate stands at 1.9%.
In 2000, there were about 600,000 foreign workers in Singapore,
constituting 27% of the total work force. As a result, wages are relatively
suppressed or do not rise for all workers. To have some controls, the government
imposes a foreign worker levy payable by employers for low end workers like
domestic help and construction workers. In 2012, the Ministry of Trade and
17
Industry (MTI) reported that Singapore should continue to fine-tune the calibration
of its inflow of foreigners as the country continues to face an ageing population
and a shrinking workforce. Singapore Parliament accepted the recommendations
by its Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) for the optimal ratio of the level of
immigration and foreign manpower for both high and low skilled workers. The
Government recognizes that the current overall foreign workforce should
complement the local resident workforce and not replace the Singaporean Core
concept, and helps companies greatly as they raise productivity through business
restructuring and workforce retraining; raise resident labor force participation rate.
18
19
PUBLIC FINANCE
Government spending in Singapore has risen since the start of the
global financial crisis, from around 15% of GDP in 2008 to 17% in 2012. The
government's total expenditure as a percentage of GDP ranks among the lowest
internationally and allows for a competitive tax regime. The government has no
foreign debt and consistent budget surpluses. Singapore government debt is issued
for investment purposes, and not for fiscal needs.
Personal income taxes in Singapore range from 0% to 20% for
incomes above S$320,000. There are no capital gains or inheritance taxes in
Singapore. Singapore's corporate tax rate is 17% with exemptions and incentives
for smaller businesses. Singapore has a single-tier corporate income tax system,
which means there is no double-taxation for shareholders.
Singapore introduced Goods and Services Tax (GST) with an initial
rate of 3% on 1 April 1994, increasing government's revenue by S$1.6 billion
(US$1b, 800m) and establishing government finances. The taxable GST was
increased to 4% in 2003, to 5% in 2004, and to 7% in 2007.
The Singapore government owns two investment companies, GIC
Private Limited and Temasek Holdings, which manage Singapore's reserves. Both
operate as commercial investment holding companies independently of the
Singapore government, but Prime Minister Lee HsienLoong and his wife Ho Ching
serve as chairman and CEO of these corporations respectively. While GIC invests
abroad, Temasek holds 31% of its portfolio in Singapore, holding majority stakes
in several of the nation's largest companies, such as Singapore Airlines, SingTel,
20
21
MONETARY POLICY
The Monetary Authority of Singapore is Singapore's central bank and
financial regulatory authority. It administers the various statutes pertaining to
money, banking, insurance, securities and the financial sector in general, as well as
currency issuance. The MAS has been given powers to act as a banker to and
financial agent of the Government. It has also been entrusted to promote monetary
stability, and credit and exchange policies conducive to the growth of the
economy.
Unlike many other central banks such as Federal Reserve System or
Bank of England, MAS does not regulate the monetary system via interest rates to
influence the liquidity in the system. Instead, it chooses to do it via the foreign
exchange mechanism. It does so by intervening in the SGD market.
Singapore is among the top ten most sophisticated financial markets in
the world. Over the years, MAS liberalized its rules and regulations on the
financial market enabling it to capture an increasing proportion of worlds financial
transactions. Except for prudent regulation of the banking and financial system and
money market operations for maintaining liquidity in the financial systemthe MAS
does not engage in controlling the interest rates or the money supply. The main
monetary policy instrument that the MAS use is the exchange rateto control
imported inflation.
Interest rates in Singapore closely follow the US rates and the money
supply fluctuates in response to demand. With the tightening of the US monetary
policy in 2006 the 3-month US$ SIBOR rose steadily to reach 5.36% by the end of
22
the year. The domestic 3-month interbank rate followed this trend closely and
settled to 3.44% by the end of the year. The longer term interest rates also followed
a similar trend; the benchmark 10-year Singapore Government Securities (SGS)
rate settled to 3.04 by the end of 2006. The retail interest rates, on the other hand,
remained very stable with the average prime lending rate at 5.33% and the deposit
rates below 1%. With 1% price inflation, the real interest rates on deposits were
negative.
23
FISCAL POLICY
The pivotal role the public sector has played in Singapores
transformation is well acknowledged. Despite such heavy involvements, based on
the philosophy of fiscal prudence, the Singapore Government has kept both
government revenue and expenditure at relatively low levels (around 15% of GDP)
and yet generated healthy and persistent budget surpluses. On the revenue side,
however, the Government has adopted an unconventional accounting method by
excluding two items, receipts from the sale of land and capital goods and the net
investment income generated by investing government reserves. Only up to 50% of
the latter is included in the budget. If these items are taken into account, the actual
budget surplus would bemuch larger than the reported one.Although the reported
surplus has varied from2 to 8 percent of GDP over 1990-2005 the adjusted surplus
remained positive and varied from 3 to 19 percent of GDP. These surpluses have
yielded a robust fiscal position for Singapore with total public assets standing at
$437 billion by the end of March 2005.
I. Tax Policy
In general, the fiscal measures have been pro-business. The corporate
tax rate has come down steadily from 40% prior to 1986 to 20% in 2005. Faced
with competitive pressures from economies like Hong Kong where the corporate
tax rate as of 2007 was 17.5% and other emerging economies with even lower
rates, the Singapore Government announced a further reduction of its corporate tax
rate to 18% to be effective from the fiscal year 2008. Business firms also receive
24
The Government also reduced the personal marginal income tax rate
steadily over the years to enhance work effort. The highest marginal income tax
rate in 1980 was 55% for assessed income exceeding S$600,000. In 2007 this was
20% for assessed income exceeding S$320,000. The income-share weighted
average marginal income tax rate has come down from about 10% in 1980 to about
6% by 2007. Effectively, an average Singapore worker pays very little income tax
compared to the OECD counterparts. Obviously this blurs the picture since there
are many other tax and non-tax charges including the goods and services tax (GST)
that would add up to a much higher effective tax rate. Moreover, Singapore does
not have a social welfare network similar to that of many OECD countries and
only recently has the Government come to address this issue openly.
II Expenditure Policy
Government considers that welfare paymentsnot only drain fiscalresources but also
erode work ethics and create an entitlement mentality. The basic philosophy of the
Government has been to provide equal opportunity for every individual to enhance
his/her human capital and become self-reliant. Individual welfare is left to
himself/herself and to the family and the community. Government subsidies are
designed essentially along this line. Public education is almost free upto the
university level. Public housing is provided at highly subsidized rates. Healthcare
is basically a co-pay system but it is also subsidized for low income groups;
subsidies in public hospitals range from 80% in class C wards to 20% in class B1
wards. Beyond thisthere has hardly been any social welfare until recently.
27
To help the low income Singaporeans who are mostly older workers
the Government in 2006 introduced, instead of welfare, a workfare bonus
scheme. Instead of an unemployment allowance an individual receives the
28
workfare allowance only if he/she makes an earning. In the 2007 Budget the
Government expanded the workfare scheme under the Workfare Income
Supplement (WIS) program and introduced it more as a permanent feature. These
transfers (somewhat similar to the US earned income tax credit scheme) depend on
age, income level and whether or not the recipient had an employment at least for
three months withinthe six month period prior to the claim. Again to save more for
retirement most of the workfare transfers are made to the individuals CPF
account; the Government in 2007 set the cash to CPF ratio at 1:2.5. Although the
WIS was a welcome move, settingaside too much in the CPF was seen as not
much help for the poor who are struggling with their daily subsistence. The
Governments stand on this is to set aside more funds to help these people upgrade
their skills and improve their earning capacity. At present, there are some
proposals that are being discussed to address old-age social security and healthcare
in Singapore.
29
BALANCE OF PAYMENT
The balance of payments (BOP) is the statistical record of economic
transactions between domestic residents (households, firms and governments) and
foreigners. There are two sides to these external accounts namely the current
account balance (CAB) and the capital and financial account balance (KAB).
financial assets (e.g. patents and copyrights). The capital account balance has
consistently recorded a small negative balance, and its contribution to the overall
KAB has been relatively small in Singapore (averaging 0.2% of GDP since 1993).
The KAB has therefore beendominated by flows fromthe financial account.
Comprising the financial account is the direct investment account, portfolio
investment account, as well as "other investment" account, which represents
financial flows intermediated through the banking system (e.g. trade credit, loans
and advances, currency and deposits).
31
Net outflows from the capital and financial account have increased
since the Asian crisis, and at a more rapid rate than the expansion in the current
account balance during that period. The capital and financial account deficit has
risen from around 7% of GNI over the pre-crisisperiod of 1993-97, to an average
of 15% over the period 1998-2002, in line with the increase in the current account
surplus. More recently, the capital and financial account deficit has surged to 28%
of GNI in 2003, largely reflecting a sharp increase in outflows from the other
investment account. In particular, net outflows from the "other sectors" and
official category within the other investment account amounted to S$35 billion
in 2003, compared with S$9.1 billion in the previous year.
post-crisis period, reflecting larger capital outflows rom the capital and financial
account in recent years, which have offset a greater part of the inflows from the
current account.
In line with the rise in the current account surplus over the years,the
size of the overall BOP surplus hasincreased from an average of 6.6% of GNI in
the 1980s to around 10% of GNI between 1990-97. Since then, however, it has
fallen to around 3.3% of GNI in the post-crisis period of 1998-2002. More
recently, the overall BOP has risen to 7.5%(or S$11.8 billion) in 2003, largely
reflecting the surge in the current account surplus due to the strong export-led
recovery.
33
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Singapore maintains diplomatic relations with 186 countries although
it does not maintain a high commission or embassy in many of those countries. It is
a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth, ASEAN and the NonAligned Movement. Due to obvious geographical reasons, relations with Malaysia
and Indonesia are most important. Historical baggage, including the traumatic
separation from Malaysia, and Konfrontasi with Indonesia, have caused a siege
mentality of sorts. Singapore enjoys good relations with the United Kingdom
which shares ties in the Five Power Defense Arrangements (FPDA) along with
Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. Good relations are also maintained with the
United States; the US is perceived as a stabilizing force in the region to
counterbalance the regional powers.
Singapore supports the concept of Southeast Asian regionalism and
plays an active role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of
which Singapore is a founding member. Singapore is also a member of the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum which has its Secretariat in
Singapore.
As part of its role in the United Nations, Singapore held a rotational
seat on the UN Security Council from 2001 to 2002. It participated in UN
peacekeeping/observer missions in Kuwait, Angola, Kenya, Cambodia and Timor
Leste.
34
I. Foreign Policy
35
On the bilateral front, Singapore has signed FTAs with New Zealand,
Japan, the European Free Trade Association, Australia,the United States, Korea,
India, Jordan, Panama, and a four-party agreement with Chile, New Zealand, and
Brunei. Discussions are ongoing with China, Canada, Pakistan, and Ukraine.
36
Singapore recently concluded FTA negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council
in January 2008 and with Peru in September 2007. Both agreements are
undergoing checks bythe respective legal counsels and would be signedwithin the
year. Singapore views its bilateral FTAs as a critical complement to the efforts at
the multilateral level. We have painstakingly ensured that Singapore's FTAs are
comprehensive, WTO-consistent and in many aspects, WTO-plus. They are
comprehensive in that they cover all aspects of trade, including Goods, Services
and Investment. They are WTO-consistent in that elements in the FTAs are based
on, and are not in conflict with, WTO rules. They are WTO-plus in that they go
beyond existing WTO obligations to achieve a freer and more predictable trading
environment. Singapore's bilateral agreements have set the stage for broader trade
agreements.The FTAs with Japan and Korea for instance have set the platform for
ASEAN to negotiate the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(AJCEP) and ASEAN-Korea Free Trade Agreement (AKFTA). Moreover, the
high-standard, comprehensive agreements can catalyze further trade liberalization
by binding domestic reforms, and eventually regionalizing or multilateralzing
those liberalization measures.
37
I. The 60s
With a GNP per capita of less than US$320, Singapore was a thirdworld nation with poor infrastructure and limited capital. Low-end commerce was
the mainstay of the economy and the handful of industries that existed produced
only for domestic consumption, leaving no room for direct foreign investment.
To create job opportunities following the massive unemployment and labour
unrest, an environment conducive to industrial development had to be formed, thus
leading to the birth of the Jurong Industrial Estate the first of many such estates
onthe island.It was during this exciting period of growth that the Singapore
Economic Development Board (EDB) was established with a budget of $100
million to take on the challenge of convincing foreign investors that the country
was a good place for business.These two developments marked the start of
Singapores industrialisationprogramme that began with factories producing
garments, textiles, toys, wood products and hair wigs. Along with these labourintensive industries were capital and technology-intensive projects from companies
such as Shell Eastern Petroleum and the National Iron and Steel Mills.The success
of this programme over time meant new issues had to be tackled, namely the lack
of raw resources that once came from Malaysia and rapidly growing local demand.
Singapores solution then was to develop its export-oriented industries, as EDB
38
opened its first overseas centres in Hong Kong and New York to be better placed
to woo foreign investors.
II.The 70s
The OverseasTraining
Programme and Joint Government Training Centres with Tata of India, Philips of
Holland and Rollei of Germany were also drawn up to place young Singaporean
39
Although the world recession in 1975 slowed progress slightly, the citys economy
remained nimble and flexible as EDB pushed for more industrial projects and
manufacturing eventually became the largest sector in the economy surpassing
trade.
41
local skill pool and subsequently, become a hub of skilled manpower and
headquarters for decision-making.
V. The Milleneum
In 2006, the government set aside more than $13 billion to promote
R&D over the next five years as part of its goal to increase gross expenditure on
R&D (GERD) from 2.25 per cent to 3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP)
within that period.
The National Research Foundation was set up in the same year to
develop, coordinate and implement national research and innovation strategies
under the national R&D agenda. To date, most of the R&D activity has been
focused on environmental and water technology, biomedical sciences and
interactive and digital media.To further facilitate Singapore becoming an
information-led economy, a strong Intellectual Property (IP) protection and
enforcement environment was put in place - resulting in the citys ranking as the
first in Asia for IP protection today.Based on this foundation built over the years,
Singapore has put in place a strong and established network of public and private
sector R&D centres which currently work closely together with companies to
commercialise new technologies, processes and products.
42
CURRENT SCENARIO
I. Overall Performance
The economy expanded by 4.9 per cent compared to the same period
last year. The main drivers of economic growth were the manufacturing, wholesale
& retail trade, finance & insurance and business services sectors. Employment
grew by 24,900. The consumer price index increased by 1 per cent compared to a
year ago.
All sectors registered positive growth. The manufacturing sector
expanded by 9.8 per cent compared to the same quarter last year, while the
construction sector grew by 6.7 per cent. Both the finance & insurance and
wholesale & retail trade sectors grew by 5.4 per cent. The main drivers of
economic growth in the first quarter were the manufacturing, wholesale & retail
trade, finance & insurance and business services sector. Together, they accounted
for about 80 per cent of overall economic growth.
43
year ago. Lastly, manufacturing shed 1,200 workers in the first quarter, comparable
to the reduction a year ago.
Labour productivity grew by 0.9 per cent in the first quarter compared
to the same period a year ago. This is the highest quarterly growth rate since the
third quarter of 2011. The manufacturing (8.8 per cent), wholesale & retail trade
(2.6 per cent) and finance & insurance (2.6 per cent) sectors registered the highest
productivity growth rates. The sectors with the sharpest declines in productivity
were accommodation & food services (-3.5 per cent) and information &
communications (-3.2 per cent).
domestic exports increased by 10 per cent, while non-oil domestic exports declined
by 1.0 per cent. The decline in non-oil domestic exports was largely due to a fall in
electronic domestic exports. Total imports increased by 6.8 per cent, driven by an
increase in both oil and non-oil imports. Within non-oil imports, non-electronic
imports rose by 6.4 per cent while electronic imports increased by 1.6 per cent. Oil
imports rose by 12 per cent.
The capital and financial account recorded a larger net outflow of $15
billion in the first quarter, from $10 billion in the previous quarter. This was
underpinned by a reversal from a net inflow to a net outflow position in the other
investment account. In comparison, net direct investment inflows increased while
net portfolio investment outflows fell. However, the combined lift they provided to
net inflows was not sufficient to offset the reduction in the other investment
account. The reversal from net inflows to net outflows in the other investment
account was due to a sharp fall in net inflows to the domestic banking sector
(deposit-taking corporations).
IV. Conclusion
The Singapore economy grew by 4.9 per cent on a year-on-year basis
in the first quarter, similar to the rate of growth achieved in the previous quarter.
On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally-adjusted annualized basis, the economy grew
by 2.3 per cent, moderatingfrom the 6.9 per cent growth in the preceding quarter.
the US, the economy is expectedto post modest growth in 2014, supported by
rising private consumption expenditure and a recovery in business investments.
The Eurozone economy is expected to return to growth this year, on the back of a
reduced pace of fiscal tightening and an accommodative monetary policy. InAsia,
Chinas growth is expected to moderate slightly in 2014 as the government
continues with credit tightening measures and reforms to re-balance the economy.
The ASEAN economies are likely to remainresilient, supported by robust domestic
demand.
47
CONCLUSION
A wonder created out of a tear drop is an apt way to describe
what Singapore is today compared to what it was just over forty years ago in 1965
when Singapore was thrown out of the Malaysian Federation.
Today, Singapore is an ultra industrialized society and entrept trade
continues to play a central role in its economy. The Port of Singapore is now the
world's busiest transshipment port , surpassing Hong Kong and Rotterdam.
Singapore's tourism industry is also thriving, attracting over 10
million visitors annually. The country's medical tourism and culinary tourism
industries have also become quite marketable, thanks to its mosaic of cultural
heritage and advance medical technology.
Banking has grown significantly in recent years and many assets
formerly held in Switzerland have been moved to Singapore due to new taxes
imposed by the Swiss. The biotech industry is burgeoning, with drug makers such
as GlaxoSmithKline, Pflizer, and Merck & Co. all establishing plants here, and oil
refining continues to play a huge role in the economy.
Despite its small size, Singapore is now the fifteenth largest trading
partner of the United States. The country has established strong trade agreements
with several countries in South America, Europe, and Asia, as well. There are
currently over 3,000 multinational corporations operating in the country,
accounting for more than two-thirds of its manufacturing output and direct export
sales.
48
With a total land area of just 433 square miles and a small labor force
of 3 million people, Singapore is able to produce a GDP that exceeds $300 billion
dollars annually, higher than three-quarters of the world. Life expectancy is at an
average of 83.75 years, making it the third highest globally. The corruption
minimal and so is the crime. It is considered to be one of the best places to live on
earth, if you don't mind the strict rules.
Singapore's economic model of sacrificing freedom for business is
highly controversial and heavily debated. But regardless of philosophy, its
effectiveness is certainly undeniable.
49
BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore
http://http://www.singstat.gov.sg/
http://www.heritage.org/index/country/singapore
http://www.sgs.gov.sg/The-SGS-Market/The-Singapore-Economy.aspx
http://geography.about.com/od/economic-geography/a/SingaporeEconomic-Development.htm
http://www.internations.org/singapore-expats/guide/16061-economyfinance/the-economy-of-singapore-16045
http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/singapore/?page=full
http://www.mas.gov.sg/monetary-policy-and-economics/the-singaporeeconomy.aspx
http://www.mas.gov.sg/monetary-policy-and-economics/the-singaporeeconomy/recent-economic-developments-in-singapore.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Singapore
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