
(Photo: straitstimes.com)
Singapore (VNA) – Singapore’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI), anearly indicator of manufacturing activity, posted a reading of 51.5 points inAugust, the highest figure since November 2014, reported the SingaporeInstitute of Purchasing and Materials Management (SIPMM).
The country’s PMI reading in July was 51 points.
A reading above 50 points shows better business conditions from the previousmonth while the one under 50 indicates the contraction.
Almost all indicators showed signs of improvements with new orders, newexports, factory output and inventory levels all expanding at a faster pace.
Earlier, the Singaporean Government forecast the country’s GDP growth in 2017at 2.5 percent in the context of better performance in the second quarter ofthe year. The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that the country’s GDPexpanded 2.9 percent during the April-June period, spurred by the recovery of themanufacturing sector.
The Singaporean economy grew 2.7 percent in the first six months of the year.
Singapore is an Asian economy that depends much on export activities and hasbenefited from the increasing demands in foreign markets since the end of2016.-VNA