Presentation at the Singapore Economic Policy Forum, 24 October 2025
"Economic Uncertainty is not just noise, it gives meaningful signal," said Yeow Hwee. Using the 1-2-3-4 Framework, he explained how Economic Uncertainty is shaping economic landscape today.
Money FM 89.3, 10 July 2026
The Big Story: A new support package for drivers is here. But why aren't they fully on board?
Yeow Hwee analyzed the driver support package as essential ‘early insurance’ for workforce transition, noting that labor adaptation inherently takes longer than technological deployment. He emphasized that to overcome behavioral frictions, policymakers must address the direct opportunity costs of retraining by offering modular, flexible upskilling that aligns with actual labor demand.
Money FM 89.3, 19 June 2026
The Big Story: $50 more for electricity bills? EMA warns rise in electricity cost despite peace deal
Yeow Hwee explained that Singapore’s regulated electricity tariffs operate on a quarterly lag, meaning upcoming retail price hikes are a delayed pass-through of historical fuel costs contracted during peak geopolitical uncertainty. He cautioned that despite recent peace resolutions, energy prices are unlikely to immediately revert to pre-war baselines due to global suppliers embedding structural risk premiums and sustained energy demand from the AI sector.
Money FM 89.3, 11 June 2026
Yeow Hwee shared insights about the economic impact of the accelerated $500 CDC voucher rollout, discussing how this fiscal injection serves as a targeted buffer for households continuing to face cost-of-living pressures amid broader geopolitical and supply chain uncertainties.
Money FM 89.3, 16 April 2026
Why Singapore Is Acting Early With S$1 Billion Support Amid the Middle East War
Yeow Hwee explained how early intervention can help manage inflation expectations, why targeted measures matter in a small open economy like Singapore, and what this signals about the risks to growth and prices in the months ahead.
Yeow Hwee explained the importance of managing inflation expectations in tackling stagflation. Fiscal policies should also be well-calibrated to support households through the hardship without contributing additional inflationary pressure to the economy.
Budget 2025 is not just a goodie bonanza, it signals where money needs to be spent in the future, say economists in this episode.
The Straits Times, 4 June 2026
Yeow Hwee observed that while competitive starting salaries provide a meaningful baseline, wage alone is insufficient for long-term labor recruitment. He emphasized that resolving systemic shortages requires optimizing non-monetary job attributes.
Yeow Hwee cautioned that while a 6 percent year-on-year GDP expansion is exceptionally strong for a mature economy, Singapore’s high exposure to external shocks means policymakers must watch closely whether this AI-driven manufacturing boom translates into broader, more resilient household economic confidence.
Yeow Hwee explained that energy prices are positioned for sustained elevation, as forward market expectations are now heavily anchored to three risk factors: the strictness of trade embargoes, the contagion risk of supply chain frictions, and the timeline for diplomatic de-escalation.
Yeow Hwee highlighted that Singapore's increasing fiscal spending to endowment and trust funds reflects a shift from short-term, immediate, relief transfers to long-term productivity initiatives.
Yeow Hwee pointed out that instead of direct monetary handouts, the new scheme brought consumers, importers, and suppliers into a unified deposit-refund loop, which is essential to structurally shift behaviors and lift low national recycling metrics.
Yeow Hwee explained that while the e-commerce boom initially inflated delivery wages, the normalization of consumer demand coupled with fragmented subcontracting structures has allowed corporate logistics platforms to aggressively rationalize costs by passing financial risks down to the final delivery tier.
Yeow Hwee explained that as central banks lower interest rates, the opportunity cost of holding cash or short-term bonds decreases, naturally shifting trader demand toward tangible stores of value like silver.
The Straits Times, 19 November 2025
‘Job hugging’ up as resignation rates in S’pore at record lows, average job tenure rises to 8 years
Yeow Hwee observed that record-low resignation rates are a reflection of a deeply cautious labor market where retrenchments across diverse tiers have eliminated the concept of a guaranteed 'safe' industry, incentivizing workers to hold onto existing roles amidst structural AI disruption.
Yeow Hwee analyzed how tightening visa restrictions and shifting funding landscapes overseas are rewriting the strategic math for global talent, acting as a structural catalyst that accelerates the reverse brain drain of high-tier academics back to local ecosystems.
The Straits Times, 11 February 2025
Inflation eases in 2024 on lower prices of cars, clothing, some food items in Singapore
Yeow Hwee observed that consumers mitigate localized price pressures by substituting with lower-cost alternatives, in which high-income households have more capacity to switch and keep their budget largely intact.
The Straits Times, 21 November 2024
World’s biggest chocolate maker making strides in cocoa production that are good for farmers
Despite the strides, Yeow Hwee noted that retail price remains the dominant consumer constraint during inflation, meaning green supply chains must be paired with visible consumer metrics like carbon scorecards to shift purchasing habits.
Yeow Hwee noted that the spike in March retail sales could be a temporary, one-off effect driven by the massive influx of tourism and consumer spending during the Taylor Swift concerts.
Yeow Hwee emphasized that soaring electricity prices can serve as a powerful catalyst for both households and policymakers to pivot toward renewable energy, transforming eco-friendly adoption into a strategic shield against long-term market volatility.