If PAP Were Planning An Early Election Before Things Got Worse They Have Missed the Boat
Today’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) release of GDP for the first quarter 2019 actually shows an acceleration in annualized quarter-on-quarter growth to 3.8% despite the drop in year-on-year […]
US Tax Reform Could Raise US GDP by 1.4%. But How Much Will It Lower Singapore’s GDP?
The Republican tax plan is now almost certain to become law by the end of this year. As I write it has been passed by the Senate and the House […]
Plunging Exports Will Result in Many Years of Slow Growth Without a Change in Policy
In the light of the big drop in exports in January 2016 over the same month last year it is likely that growth for the final quarter of 2015 will […]
No idea what to do? Talk about the long-term instead
On the first day of CNY Lee Hsien Loong was up early and distributing mandarins and red packets to the Changi Airport workers unfortunate enough to be working on a […]
I Bet You Did Not Know This about Recession.
Regular readers of my scribblings will know that I have frequently drawn attention to the fact that Singapore has been on the verge of recession several times but only narrowly avoided […]
Perspiration without Inspiration. Singapore’s Role in the Asian Economic Boom.
The death of Lee Kuan Yew has shown that much of the rest of the world believes that he brought about an economic miracle in Singapore. Furthermore the world believes that […]
Singapore’s Economic and Immigration Policies are Insane
On Friday the Financial Times carried an excellent article by the eminent and long-standing economic commentator, Samuel Brittan. I have reproduced a screenshot of his article above. I remember as […]
Where have our reserves gone?
“Let me tell you the truth, as spending increases significantly sooner or later taxes must go up too.” Thus spake the PM in his National Day Rally Speech. Apart […]
In Search of Answers: My Correspondence with The Statistics Department
Whilst I continue with my attempts to hold the MOF up to proper scrutiny, we must not forget the discrepancies in our Budget. I have decided to make the following exchange of correspondence available as a public […]
We must move up the Value Chain rather than give up on Manufacturing.
The release of the unemployment statistics two days ago brought home the folly of current policy. http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_761247.html While the government prided itself on creating 121 thousand jobs last year two-thirds […]
You’ll be dead before you can spend it! Singaporeans enter the 20th year of unnecessary, self -imposed austerity.
Watching the Euro-zone unravel has so far almost been like a moral fable for Singaporeans. Be honest! Who out there isn’t feeling a sense of Schadenfreude? The original Greek or […]
Should we worry about inflation?
Recently there has been much concern over rising inflation in Singapore. Looking at the Consumer Price Index (CPI) the average figure for the year 2009-2010 was 2.8% (shown in blue). […]
What’s up Doc?
012: What’s up Doc? Or who needs a carrot when you own the farm? In a report in the ST dated 5th Feb 2011*, PM Lee is quoted as saying, […]
