Weaker dollar to boost export earnings SINGAPORE — Singapore’s economy shrank the most on record in the last quarter of 2008 and the government forecast a 5% contraction this year and a possible fall in consumer prices, which may prompt a one-off currency devaluation.
A government declaration that the economy was suffering its worst ever recession and official forecasts of a continued slump suggested to analysts the central bank could push down the center of the trading band for the Singapore dollar, effectively devaluing it to help the key export sector. The grim figures, largely a reflection of Singapore’s exposure to the slump in global trade, also pave the way for an expansionary budget on Thursday as the government scrambles to shelter the economy from the worst global financial crisis in decades. "The Singapore economy is going through its sharpest, deepest and most protracted recession," the Trade Ministry’s Second Permanent Secretary Ravi Menon told journalists. http://www.bworldonline.com/BW012209/content.php?id=022 http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/1/22/business/3082802&sec=business Kind Regards, Aditya www.trendtrader.co.cc Disclaimer: Stock Trading, forex trading, commodity trading, managed futures, and other alternative investments are complex and carry a risk of substantial losses. They are intended for sophisticated investors and are not suitable for everyone. The ability to withstand losses and to adhere to a particular program in spite of losses are material points which can adversely affect investor returns.
