The Second

Singapore Economic Roundtable

edited by Manu Bhaskaran, Vikram Khanna

The Second Singapore Economic Roundtable includes:

•  Recent macroeconomic developments in Singapore,
  by Edward Robinson, Principal Economist, Monetary
  Authority of Singapore

• Singapore’s economic outlook and fi scal policy, by Ray
  Farris, Director, Head of Asian Fixed Income Strategy,
  Credit Suisse First Boston (Singapore)

• The US Dollar outlook and its impact on Singapore’s
  monetary policy, by Cliff Tan, Director, Asia-Pacifi c
  Economic & Market Analysis, Citigroup (Singapore)

The Second Singapore Economic Roundtable raises constructive comments about Singapore’s economic policies
and outlook, showing

• an underlying concern that there are insuffi cient automatic stabilisers in the economy;

• a strong sentiment that overall fi scal and exchange rate policy may be too tight;

• an acknowledgement of the heightened uncertainty in
  economic policy making due to structural changes; and

• a clear consensus that policy makers need to be more
  transparent in providing data on fi scal policy.

The frank discussion at the Roundtable throws up important
questions, such as whether multinational corporations
are gaining too much from government incentives at the
expense of small- and medium-sized enterprises, thereby
discouraging entrepreneurship. This second report will
hopefully act as a catalyst towards greater openness in the
Singapore economy.

Contents:

1. Opening Remarks

    By Professor Tommy Koh
    Director, Institute of Policy Studies, Singapore

    By Mr Patrick Daniel
    Managing Editor, English/Malay Newspapers Division
    Singapore Press Holdings

2. Recent Macroeconomic Developments in Singapore

    Mr Edward Robinson
    Principal Economist, Economic Policy Department
    Monetary Authority of Singapore

3. Singapore’s Economic Outlook and Fiscal Policy

    Mr Ray Farris
    Director, Head of Asian Fixed Income Strategy
    Credit Suisse First Boston

4. Comments on Singapore’s Economic Outlook and Fiscal Policy

    Mr Nizam M Idris
    Deputy Head of Research
    IDEAglobal Ltd

5. Discussion on Singapore’s Economic Outlook and Fiscal Policy

6. The US Dollar Outlook and its Impact on Singapore’s Monetary Policy

    Mr Cliff Tan
    Director, Asia-Pacific Economic and Market Analysis
    Citigroup, Singapore

7. Comments on the US Dollar Outlook and Singapore

    Associate Professor Tilak Abeysinghe
    Deputy Head, Department of Economics
    Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
    National University of Singapore

8. Discussion on the US Dollar Outlook and Singapore
 

9. Conclusion

The Participants: Chairpersons, Presenters, Commentators, Discussants and Observers

Curricula Vitae of Presenters

Abbreviations

Manu Bhaskaran and Khanna, Vikram, eds. 2004. The Second Singapore Economic Roundtable. Singapore: SNP Reference.

(71 pages, ISBN 981 248 080 3)