Asia Competitiveness Institute, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
As Indonesia joins other countries in charting its economic recovery beyond the pandemic, economic onlookers have been keenly watching the country’s special economic zones. The Nongsa Digital Park in Batam was recently endorsed as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) by President Joko Widodo- This signals the central government’s support for regional and international businesses looking […]
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It has been over a year since the onset of COVID-19. Governments around the world have undergone an unprecedented challenge to contain the pandemic while minimizing the economic costs. Policy responses have been vastly different across countries, from strict quarantine measures in China, to minimal economic intervention in Sweden. Despite varying degrees of stringency, these […]
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As the world evolves into an increasingly interconnected community, multinational corporations (MNCs) and regional trade agreements (RTAs) play an integral role in shaping the changing economic landscape. In 2014, MNCs accounted for 55% of global exports and 49% of imports, with a large part consisting of intermediate goods trade within MNC networks. According to WTO’s Regional Trade […]
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Social segregation occurs when groups from differing socioeconomic backgrounds living in the same city have little opportunity of interaction with each other. This has profound impacts on socioeconomic outcomes. The measure of social segregation has traditionally been carried out through the use of census records. However, one key issue with relying on this method is that it is dependent on residential data. Increasingly, our social […]
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Highlights this year New York remains the most expensive cities for both ordinary residents and expatriates. Among cities in Asia, Hong Kong jumped two spots to top the ranking as the most expensive city for expatriates while Tel Aviv took the top spot for ordinary residents. Singapore’s ordinary resident has the highest purchasing power for cities in Asia. Out of the 15 cities analysed, New York has the highest cost […]
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India’s deadly second wave of coronavirus has left millions of its population infected and has placed extreme stress on the nation’s crumbling healthcare system. At its peak on 8th May 2021, India recorded more than 400,000 cases in a single day, accounting for over half the world’s daily cases and setting a global record that no country wants. According to […]
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Special highlight: Letter of Intent (LOI) signing ceremony between ACI-LKYSPP-NUS and Universitas Diponegoro Asia Competitiveness Institute and Universitas Diponegoro have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to extend research collaboration on Indonesia and Central Java’s economic landscape. The LOI was represented by Professor Paul Cheung Director, Asia Competitiveness Institute, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public […]
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An important question facing workplace policy is whether there are significant differences in productivity levels between working from home and working in office? ACI research examines this question through temporal and geographical variation in state-imposed closure of workplaces during the COVID-19 pandemic to estimate whether WFH changes work patterns. The study looks into a census […]
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Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a crucial source of financing for emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). When foreign firms invest in a particular economy, there are several spillover effects related to productivity levels, higher wages, and R&D opportunities. As such, policy makers are always on the lookout to identify factors that motivate multinational corporations […]
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For better or for worse, the COVID-19 pandemic has re-shaped the global economy. Online businesses featuring remote communication have waxed, and traditional industries that involve in-person contact have waned. Such a huge economic shift has given rise to structural unemployment, predominantly of low-skilled workers in shrinking industries. Although the government can provide subsidies in the […]
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