Singapore’s economy looks upbeat

Singapore’s 2013 economic growth was revised upwards from 3.7% to 4.1%, thanks to a last-minute surge in manufacturing. Does this portend better times to come? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his views on Singapore’s economic performance on Channel NewsAsia – Business Central

Perera commented that Singapore’s economic growth exceed expectations and this reflected an improving climate for exports, mainly driven by developed country growth. This would last into 2014 because of the on-going recovery in the US, improvements in Northern Europe, the momentum from Abe-nomics in Japan and a still-respectable showing from China.

On the other hand, the domestic retail sector was losing some ground. Perera shared that this was partly due to a slowdown in tourist arrival and spending growth, as a result of slower growth in regional economies like China and India. In contrast, the wholesale market will see some forward momentum on the back of a stronger export sector in 2014.

While Singapore’s financial services sector was a strong engine of growth in 2013, Perera explained how the sector’s growth would weaken in 2014 as a result of an outflow of offshore funds to the US and a cooling property market depressing mortgage loan growth.

https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/media/singapores-economy-looks-upbeat/

Comments

The Philippines - Asia's next economic powerhouse

The Philippines is emerging as one of Asia’s most dynamic economies, with a forecasted growth rate of 6.9 per cent in 2018 driven by investment and private consumption. The economy recorded growth of over 6 per cent in 2017, for the sixth straight year, thanks to buoyant government spending, exports and a recovery in the agricultural sector. Will this Southeast Asian tiger be able to maintain its momentum? A growing economy While advanced economies like the United States, Europe and Japan are growing at slow rate, a number of emerging economies like the Philippines continue to surge ahead. With annual growth expected to reach 6.9 per cent by 2018, the Philippines now ranks as the 10th fastest growing economy globally. Owing to strong domestic demand and government projects, the country’s economy is on the rise. The government’s expansionary fiscal policy has aided capital formation and credit growth, whereas low inflation has strengthened private consumption. Path...

Gazing into the crystal ball for 2020

A new year means hopes for better global economic growth. What lies ahead? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights in Business Times – Singapore. A return of normalcy for global economic growth is foreseen despite uncertainties for Brexit and the US-China trade war. The RCEP trade agreement further promises a boost to global growth. Leon further pointed out rising tension due to US’s rigid stance against North Korea, China and Iran. Risk of political fragmentation and global trade is likely with countries set to align to either Chinese or the US spheres of influence. However, hopes of a more rational and rule-based governance remain. Read more: https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/media/gazing-into-the-crystal-ball-for-2020/

Will the tech sector create new employment opportunities for persons with disabilities?

One billion people, or 15 per cent of the world’s population, are people with disabilities. The employment rate of working age Americans with disabilities in 2016 was 36 per cent, versus 79 per cent for those without disabilities. Tech giants are in favor of employing people with autism because of their ability to focus on details and identify patterns useful for cyber-security. Will the tech sector create new employment opportunities for persons with disabilities? Read more : https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/will-the-tech-sector-create-new-employment-opportunities-for-persons-with-disabilities/

Flexibility – The pathway to female advancement in the workplace

In today’s world, many women wear two hats – as care-givers in the home and as breadwinners in the workplace. Many professional women aspire to develop their careers in the same way as men. Why then do so few women hold the position of CEO in large organizations? Spire Research and Consulting conducted a pro bono survey among women executives in China, Malaysia and India to understand the aspirations of professional women, the career impediments they face and what they feel should be done to overcome them. Our findings were published in the Japanese media: Yomiuri News, Yahoo News Japan, JChere News, Mynavi News, Shogakkan Biz Lady, Antenna, Livedoor, Excite and Ameba. https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/media/flexibility-the-pathway-to-female-advancement-in-the-workplace/ The world is witnessing a dramatic social change that is still incomplete. Today’s women are more likely to hold a paid job and enjoy more economic freedom than women in previous generations. But this change...

Android market in India

- Saurabh Sharma, Country Manager, Spire Research and Consulting India can easily be considered as an Android country since 91% of its market share belongs to devices using Google’s mobile operating system. It is an open-source, Linux-based operating system designed specifically for smartphones and computer tablets. This facilitates easy accessibility for programmers to provide enhanced services as well as improve the core functionality of the device. According to statistics, the Android platform has breached 80% market share globally in the third quarter of 2013. With 40 million smartphones in the country, Indian users have an easy access to smartphones to stay connected online. With more consumers wanting to get their hands on smartphones and computer tablets, this has unsurprisingly pushed for the dominance of Androids across markets. Moreover, Androids is adopted by all major smartphone players in India – local players such as Karbonn and Micromax, as we...

The Knowledge to Decide

Search This Blog