Pedestrians walk along the Orchard Road shopping district in Singapore. (Source: wsj.com)
Singapore (VNA) –Singapore’s economy expanded by 2.5 percent in the first quarter of 2017, lowerthܫan the growth of 2.9 percent in the final quarter of 2016, according tostatistics released by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MIT) on April 13.
Growth dropped by 1.9 percent inQ1 on quarter-on-quarterseasonally-adjusted annualized basis, after a strong rebound of 12.3 percent ofthe final quarter of 2016.
In Q1, the manufacturing sector saw a yearly increase of 6.6 percent,down from 11.5 percent growth in the previous quarter. The sector was primarilysupported by robust output expansions in the electronics and precisionengineering clusters. On quarter – on - quarter basis, the sector shrank by 6.6percent following a surge by 39.8 percent in the 2016 QIV.
The services sector increased by 1.5 percent compared to the sameperiod last year, mostly driven by retails and wholesales trade as well astransportation and storage. However, on quarter – on – quarter basis, thesector slumped 2.2 percent, a reversal from the 8.4 percent expansion in thepreceding quarter.
The construction sector shrank by 1.1 percent after increasing by 2.8percent in the previous quarter, due to a slowdown in private sectorconstruction activities.
MTI said it will release the growth rate of Gross Domestic Products(GDP) in the January-March period, including performance by sectors, sources ofgrowth, inflation, employment and productivity, in its Economic Survey ofSingapore in May.
Meanwhile, Singapore's central bank, the Monetary Authority ofSin🏅gapore (MAS), said it will maintain🃏 the current neutral policy stance toadopt zero appreciation against the currencies of Singapore's key tradingpartners.-VNA
Quality of life, education facilities, and a transparent and professional business environment are elements making Singapore attractive to foreigners despite its high living cost.
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his spouse left Hanoi on March 24 afternoon, wrapping up his official visit to Vietnam from March 21 at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
Singapore and France have agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation in areas such as space technology, smart city planning, financial technology and health and biomedical sciences.
In his article, Oscar Sanchez Serra highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s founding of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper on June 21, 1925, which marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press rooted in a bold and far-sighted vision.
Several ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place in Port Dickson this September, including the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the 15th ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the 13th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered the urgent implementation of a national policy to crack down on all forms of call centre scams, online fraud, and illegal gambling, which are now considered threats to national security.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Pedestrians walk along the Orchard Road shopping district in Singapore. (Source: wsj.com) 
