1、2023年新加坡总理吴作栋理国庆群众大会演讲 名人演讲稿 WhentheSingaporeteamsuccessfullyclimbedMountEverest(中国称珠穆朗玛峰)in2023,Icheered.IspoketoKhooSweeChiowandhisteam-mateslater. Theytoldmethattheyclimbedupinstages,fromBaseCamp(探险队等的营地)toCamps1,2,3and4,beforetheymadetheirassaultforthesummit.Theclimbbecamemoredifficultanddangero
2、usthehighertheywent.Theairbecamethinnerandtheslopesteeper.Youhadtobedisciplined,determined,andwellprepared.Andyouhadtohaveluckonyourside.Therecouldbeavalanchesandrockfails,ortheweathercouldchangesuddenly.SweeChiowtoldmethatthemostimportantqualityneededtoclimbMountEverestwasmentalstrength. Theclimbup
3、MountEverestprovidesavividimageforSingaporesownclimbupthemountainofeconomicdevelopment. SeniorMinisterbroughtSingaporeuptoCamp2-fromlabourintensivetoelectronicsandhighervalue-addedindustries.Inthelast10years,wehaveclimbedhighertoCamp3,withwaferfabs(waferfabrication的口语表达,晶体管加工),chemicals,andfinancial
4、services.Now,wearemakingourwaytoCamp4,todoIT,lifesciences,andotherknowledge-basedactivities.IfwemakeittoCamp4,wecanthentrytoscalethesummitwherecountriesliketheUS,JapanandSwitzerlandare. Butletmewarnyou.AsintheMountEverestclimb,thegoingwillgettougherfromhere.Aswegohigherupthemountainofeconomicdevelop
5、ment,progresswillbeslower.Wewillnotseethesamehighgrowthratesasinthepast.Wewillhavetoworksmarterandacquiremoresophisticatedcapabilitiestoovercomecomplexchallenges.Wewillbetemptedtorelax.Indeed,someSingaporeanshaveasked:DoweneedtobeNumberOneineverythingWewillneedgreatmentalstrengthtocontinuepushingour
6、selvestoexcel.Ifwedonotdoso,othersnowbehinduswillpushusoffthetrack. Tonight,Iwanttofocusonthisnextstageofoureconomicclimb. THECURRENTDOWNTURN Butfirst,letmetouchonthecurrenteconomicdownturn. WhenImetthemediaearlierthisweek,theytoldmethatSingaporeanswouldexpectmetospeakindetailontheslowdown,andoffers
7、olutions. IexplainedwhyIdidnotintendtodoso.Wehavealreadydiscussedonmanyoccasionsourshort-termproblems.Iwanttodealwiththelong-termchallenges.Ofgreaterconcerntomearethefundamentalshiftsintheglobaleconomicenvironment,andthefactthatmanyofthejobswhicharelostduringthisslowdown,mightneverreturnafterrecover
8、y.Weneedanewstrategytorespondtothesedevelopments. Moreover,duringthe2023Asianfinancialcrisis,wehadputinplaceamajorpackageofrebatesandcost-cuttingmeasures.Partsofthisarestillineffect,includingtheCP17cut.Then,inthisyearsbudget,RichardHucutcorporateandpersonaltaxes,andgaverebatesonS&Ccharges,rental
9、sandutilitybills.Recently,GeorgeYeoannouncedanotherpackagetodealwiththecurrenteconomicslowdown. Letmeassureyouthatiftheslowdowndragson,wehavethemeansandabilitytodomoretohelpyou.Andwewillhelpyou.MyMinistersandIarewatchingtheeconomyveryclosely.Weareworkingoutpossibleadditionalmeasures,justincasetheeco
10、nomycontinuestoworsenandweneedtoadministerasecondpackage. Ourcurrentproblemistheconsequenceofbeingasmall,openeconomy,highlydependentonexternaltradeandforeigninvestment.WhentheUSandothermajoreconomiesweregrowing,wecaughtthestrongwindsandsurgedahead.Nowthatthewindshavedied,ourgrowthhasslowedtoalmostas
11、tandstill.Wedonothavealargedomesticmarkettogoagainstchangesinthewindintheexternalenvironment.Wejusthavetocopewiththem.WhattheGovernmentcando,however,istomakesurethattheeconomystayscompetitiveoverthelongterm,andsoftentheimpactofdownturnsonbusinessesandworkersthroughcost-cuttingmeasuresandrebates. Wea
12、redoingtherightthings,Inarecentsurveyof12AsiancountriesbyPERC,aHongKong-basedrisk-analysisconsultancy,Singaporerankednumberoneforqualityofgovernmentpolicies.PERCreportedthat:Singaporeisaposter-boyofhowtopursueeconomicdevelopment.Nowthattheeconomyisslowinginresponsetothedownturninelectronicexportstot
13、heUS,the(Singapore)governmentiscomingupwithnewmeasurestobolstergrowth.Yetitisnotpanicking,norisitradicallychangingotherpoliciesthathavebeenasourceofstabilityandfortifiedinvestorconfidence.(AsianIntelligence,July25,2023) Sodonotloseconfidence.Donotwalkaroundwithyourheadaningsolow,asifwehavebeendiagno
14、sedwithagravecondition.Wemightbealittleoutofsorts,butitisnotlife-threatening.Whentheglobaleconomyrecovers,sowillwe.Weshouldthereforekeepourspiritsup,andfightoffanygloom.Thereisabiggerbattleafterthis.Wecansucceedonlyifourmoraleishigh. THELASTTENYEARS Letusplanthenextstageofoureconomicclimbevenaswedea
15、lwiththecurrentslowdown. Ihadearliergiventhemediaabookletontheprogresswemadeinthe2023s.Acopyhasalsobeengiventoyou. Thisrecordofourachievementssetsthecurrentdownturninperspective.Thelastfewyearshavebeenvolatile-goodgrowthin2023,sharpdownturnin2023,recoveryin2023,10percentgrowthin2023,andnowanotherdow
16、nturn.Buttakingalongerviewoverthelastdecade,wehavemadeconsiderableprogress. Thisshouldgiveustheconfidencethatwecanclimbhigher.Wehavestrongfundamentals.WehaveatestedteamofexperiencedMinisters,MPs,grassrootsandunionleaders,andcivilservants.Wehavecapablepeopleintheprivatesectorandaunitedpopulation.Andwehavetheresourcestoinvestinnewventuresandcapabilities.
