Singapore Chronicles- Economy

SINGAPORE CHRONICLES

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Singapore’s Independence, the Institute of Policy Studies and Straits Times Press are jointly launching the Singapore Chronicles series in 2015. This 50-volume series seeks to record, explain and offer insights into what makes Singapore, Singapore. Covering a wide range of subjects, from the philosophical to the mundane, the fundamental to the practical, these Singapore Chronicles titles include Constitution, Presidency, Housing, Transport, Demography, CPF, Sports and Food. Each volume in this series will serve as a primer on the subject. Written by leading experts, they will focus on key aspects of the subject, providing analysis as well as an historical account. Readers will gain an insight into what makes Singapore tick and also why it has chosen certain “paths un-trodden”.



ECONOMY

This book gives a concise account of the Singapore economy, beginning withits origins in the colonial era and continuing with its evolution after World War II. It notes the social and institutional changes, as well as economic development, in the years leading up to Independence in 1965. The book charts how, faced with the closure of British military bases, independent Singapore embarked on its transformation to a global economy. It examines closely the roles played by an interventionist state, foreign investment, labour market stability and other factors in effecting the transformation. The book analyses how the economy was restructured after the recession of the mid-1980s; and how it responded to domestic and foreign challenges such as an ageing population and the economic rise of China. It concludes with a glimpse of the way ahead.