Three-Minute Digest
Room to enhance all kinds of taxes
THERE is room for Singapore to "enhance all kinds of taxes", Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said yesterday, as he laid down the principles that will underpin the government's response to rising fiscal demands.
Economists divided over Reit impact
CALLS in Parliament for the government to rein in industrial and commercial rents or reverse JTC's land divestment programme to "buy back some of the Reits" have sparked mixed responses from market watchers, with some in agreement and others cautioning against tinkering with free market principles.
Managing costs by raising productivity
WHILE the government will continue to try to mitigate business cycles by stepping in when the market hots up, the only permanent solution to address climbing costs is to raise productivity, said Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
SGX securities trading in Feb falls 35%
SECURITIES trading on Singapore Exchange extended its downtrend, falling 35 per cent from a year ago to $20.9 billion in February, amid uncertainties in global markets and the regulators' raft of tougher measures on stock trading.
No plans to shift monetary policy: MAS
THE current practice of managing Singapore's exchange rate as the monetary policy tool to keep inflation in check has served the country "very well" for over 30 years, said Monetary Authority of Singapore board member Lawrence Wong.
Silver lining seen in Italian economy
THE macroeconomic figures coming out of Italy so far this week do not paint an optimistic picture for the near-term prospects of new Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. But analysts say that there is still reason for hope.
Air France-KLM gets luxury makeover
AIR France-KLM Group, Europe's largest airline, is getting a makeover ranging from high-end seats to bigger entertainment screens as chief executive officer Alexandre de Juniac attempts a turnaround from near bankruptcy.
