Robust recovery in Singapore on way

Singapore is lifting all border restrictions imposed because of the pandemic, which is expected to speed up the city-state's economic rebound, reinstating its status as one of the global hubs for travel and business, experts say.

From Monday, Singapore no longer required travelers to show proof of vaccination on arrival. Unvaccinated travelers neither need to show proof of a negative pre-departure test nor buy travel insurance. Commuters are also no longer required to wear masks while using public transport.

The Singapore government announced the lifting of restrictions on Thursday for its full return to normal social and economic life. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the high vaccination rate among Singapore's 5.6 million people "is one of the key reasons why we could progressively restore normal lives, while maintaining one of the lowest mortality rates in the world".

Lawrence Loh, director of the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at the National University of Singapore's Business School, said the country's border management policies have always been "based on science and evidence".

Even though Singapore has been relaxing COVID-19 measures since last year, "the latest lifting of all curbs will definitively reinforce the notion that Singapore is open to the world for business and travel", Loh said.

'Last-leg measures'

Radhika Rao, a senior economist at DBS Bank in Singapore, said: "The rules that have been eased were the last-leg measures, mainly unwinding mask-wearing in public transport and health facilities. With this Singapore has returned to normal endemic conditions, further boosting recovery prospects."

Singapore "had completely returned to business as usual" last year as shown by its hosting of several in-person events such as the Singapore Grand Prix in October. That was the first time the Formula One motor race had been held since 2019. The annual event was not held in the following two years because of the pandemic.

Fazal Bahardeen, founder and chief executive of the Singapore-based Muslim lifestyle and travel consultancy CrescentRating, has seen business picking up as Singapore gradually eased restrictions in the past few months.

The city-state is not only looking forward to the return of global travelers but also to increasing interest in travel packages that are more environmentally sustainable and beneficial to local communities. Such awareness was developed at the height of the pandemic as more people had time to reflect on their travel preferences, Fazal said.

Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry said on Monday that the economy grew 3.6 percent last year; it had forecast growth of 3.8 percent. It maintains its forecast of Singapore's GDP rising by up to 2.5 percent this year.