Growth of over 2.5% expected despite global risks: PM Lee

Singapore

NOTWITHSTANDING global risks stemming from trade tensions, Singapore is likely to have "another good year" ahead, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

Economic growth this year is expected to be 1.5 to 3.5 per cent "and if all goes well, we should do better than 2.5 per cent," he said at the labour movement's May Day Rally.

This comes after last year's better-than-expected growth of 3.6 per cent, with more new jobs, rising average wages and the highest productivity growth in seven years.

Yet, Mr Lee cautioned that Singapore's performance depends on the external environment.

Major economies such as the US, Europe and China "should be all right this year", but US-China trade ten…