Poll: Singapore seen emerging Asia's
weakest economy
Thursday, 11 December 2008 
Susan Fenton
Reuters
Singapore is poised to be emerging Asia's worst-performing economy
next year, when it is likely to remain entrenched in recession as
the global downturn erodes demand for its exports, a Reuters poll
shows.
The poll predicts the island state's gross domestic product (GDP)
will contract 1.1 percent in 2009. That marks a rapid deterioration
in the economic environment from two months ago as the global
financial crisis has deepened -- a similar poll in late September
forecast 4.6 percent GDP growth in 2009.
"Singapore is particularly open to external trade -- its
export-to-GDP ratio is more than 180 percent, compared with an Asia
average of 60-70 percent," said Eric Tsang, an analyst at Calyon in
Hong Kong.
"So as U.S., European and Japanese consumers spend less that will
hurt Singapore's exports and have a knock-on effect on the rest of
the economy."
Economists see some rebound in 2010, forecasting 4.2 percent
growth, but that would be well below average annual growth of 6.8
percent between 2003 and 2007.
Singapore slipped into recession -- defined as two quarters of
negative quarterly growth -- in the third quarter.
Philip McNicholas, an economist at Ideal Global in Singapore, said
the first quarter of next year would be especially tough -- he
forecasts GDP will drop at an annualised rate of 15 percent,
seasonally adjusted, as exports plunge.
"That will be mainly due to a collapse in U.S. sentiment,"
McNicholas said. "The U.S. plans a fiscal stimulus package early
next year, but it's got to get that through Congress and to the
people, so that may not be until the end of Q1 or the start of
Q2."
The government pledged $1.5 billion last month to help firms secure
credit and said it was prepared to run a bigger budget deficit to
boost the economy.
Manufacturing accounts for about a quarter of the economy and
factory output fell 12.7 percent in October from September,
seasonally adjusted, and 12.6 percent from a year earlier, led by
sliding electronics and drugs output.
Manufacturing is expected to be harder hit next year as the
downturn in advanced economies accelerates and job losses in the
sector will rise as a result, analysts say.
Rising unemployment will dent consumer spending, which is not being
helped by a decline in tourism since August.
As the weak economy will encourage the authorities to keep monetary
policy loose, the Singapore dollar is likely to remain sluggish,
the poll forecast.
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