DPM Heng to speak at ST-BT Budget 2020 Roundtable

Singapore

WITH the annual Committee of Supply debate having come to an end last week, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat will share further views on Singapore's outlook amid the Covid-19 outbreak, as well as longer-term structural issues, at a roundtable organised by The Business Times and The Straits Times on Wednesday.

The ST-BT Budget Roundtable 2020, with OCBC Bank as the presenting sponsor, will feature Mr Heng alongside three other panellists.

They are OCBC Bank's head of global commercial banking Linus Goh, Ademco Security Group managing director Toby Koh and Institute of Policy Studies senior research fellow Faizal bin Yahya. The moderator for the session is The Straits Times Associate Editor Vikram Khanna.

The panel will discuss the latest assessment of the Covid-19 outbreak and its impact on both the global and Singapore economy, including the question of whether Singapore will be able to dodge a recession.

Also to be discussed are vulnerable sectors and how small and medium-sized enterprises are coping; other aspects covered include additional support measures that might be needed, if any; and the outbreak's impact on the banking sector.

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The roundtable will also address topics such as engagement with the region, how to encourage the hiring of older workers, and monetisation options for seniors living in public housing. Amid rising social expenditures, the panellists are also expected to address the age-old question of whether additional revenue-raising measures - beyond the upcoming Goods and Services Tax hike - will be needed.

Full coverage of the roundtable will be in Thursday's edition of The Business Times. Video highlights will be available on the websites of both The Straits Times and The Business Times. After the roundtable is over, Mr Heng will also do a live radio interview on MONEY FM 89.3 from 12.45pm to 1pm with presenter Elliott Danker.