S'pore's future as financial centre to be innovation-driven

AS the nation celebrates its Golden Jubilee, much has been written about the ability of the "Little Red Dot" to continue as a leading regional and global financial hub of the future.

Some have said Singapore's easiest days as a financial hub are over, pointing to rapid evolution in capabilities of neighbouring nations as their financial markets become more vibrant. Others foretell a more innovative future for this sector, one in which Singapore will continue to punch above its weight for many years to come.

During Bloomberg's 25 years in Singapore, we have witnessed the country evolve rapidly from a shipping and manufacturing hub to an established international financial centre.

Today the country is Asia's biggest foreign exchange centre, serving as a hub for regional treasury, commodities trade financing, and offshore renminbi clearing. It also continues to function as a neutral gateway to Asean, India and, in some respects, China. It has the potential to play a central role in creating more efficient markets under the Asean Econ…