Singapore’s economic growth forecast for 2013 has been revised to between 2.5 and 3.5 percent, from one to three percent previously.
In his National Day message, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said: “We have made steady progress this past year…Our economy is holding steady amidst global uncertainties. We are attracting more quality investments. Unemployment remains low.”
He added that the economy grew by two percent in the first half of the year. The new forecast is supported by the recovery of big economies like Japan and the US.
Commenting, CIMB economist Song Seng Wun said: “There are signs that the external economy is showing more signs of stability, be it in the US, Europe or here in Asia…Net exports are likely to add to growth in Singapore and around the region, and that coupled with resilient demand should see a firmer growth trajectory.”
Meanwhile, Francis Tan, an economist at UOB, said the revised forecast is “quite strong growth but it’s within UOB’s forecast…UOB’s forecast of three percent full year GDP growth remains unchanged at this stage”.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
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