Singapore narrows 2022 GDP growth forecast to 3% to 4% amid further deterioration in global economic outlook

SINGAPORE: Singapore has trimmed its growth forecast with regard to 2022, as the worldwide economic environment weakens additional amid challenges for example inflation and chronic supply chain interruptions.

The Ministry of Business and Industry (MTI) said on Thursday night (Aug 11) how the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) with this year is now expected to come in between a few and 4 %, narrowing from the previous 3 to 5 per cent range.

Policymakers acquired warned in May that growth would likely are available in at the lower half of the 3 to 5 per cent prediction range for this year.

MTI said a global economic environment has “deteriorated further” since its last assessment in May.

Stronger than-expected inflationary pressures and aggressive monetary plan tightening by main banks are set to weigh on development in major sophisticated economies, such as the United States and Eurozone.

China continues to grapple with a deepening home market downturn and recurring domestic COVID-19 outbreaks; and supply string disruptions are likely to persist for the rest of the year given how factors such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and China’s zero-COVID policy remain.

“The external demand perspective for the Singapore economy has weakened compared to three months ago, ” MTI said in the report.

Meanwhile, downside risks in the global economy remain “significant”.

Included in this are the possibility of further escalations in the Ukraine battle, disorderly market adjustments to monetary policy tightening in superior economies, an escalation in regional geopolitical tensions and the flight of the COVID‐19 pandemic.

This means that the particular outlook for some outward-oriented sectors in Singapore has dimmed, stated MTI.

For example, the growth potential customers of Singapore’s chemical substances cluster and the energy sources and chemicals segment of the wholesale trade sector have been adversely affected by the weakening economic outlook in China, which is an essential market for petroleum and chemicals items from Singapore.  

Growth within the water transport and finance and insurance plan sectors is also likely to be dampened by projected slowdown within major external economies.

On the other hand, Singapore has transited to living with COVID-19 with all the progressive removal of nearly all domestic and edge restrictions. This has subsequently supported the recovery of some segments of the economy, such as aviation- and tourism-related sectors.