Chapter 8 Singapore Country Report
Chapter 8 Singapore Country Report David S. Jones Policy and Management Consultant November 2014 This chapter should be cited as Jones, D. S. (2014), ‘Singapore Country Report’, in Zen, F. and M. Regan (eds.), Financing ASEAN Connectivity, ERIA Research Project Report FY2013, No.15.Jakarta: ERIA, pp.327-350. CHAPTER 8 Singapore Country Report David S. Jones Policy and Management Consultant Introduction Singapore is a city-state comprising a small island measuring 704 sq. km (including over 123 sq. km of land reclaimed from the sea). Its population in 2013 was 5.46 million (targeted to exceed 6 million). There are over 7,244 people per sq. km, the highest in the ASEAN region. Not surprisingly, much of the country is built up, consisting of houses, apartment blocks, office and retail buildings, public amenities, infrastructure facilities, and factories and workshops. It lacks natural resources, the most serious of which is a sufficient natural water supply, though it is well endowed with sheltered deep-water harbours and anchorages. Singapore has experienced strong economic growth over the last 30 years or more, enabling its population to achieve the highest income per capita in East Asia. In tandem with its economic development, small size and dense population, Singapore's government also places a high premium on the creation of an advanced infrastructure and on the adoption of appropriate funding arrangements. This paper first provides an overview of Singapore's government administration, economy, and public finance. The main part of the paper examines the institutional framework and financial arrangements to facilitate the development and operation of the different infrastructure sectors.
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