Competition ended on 15 September 2020

As Singapore heads towards a new phase of recovery, the ESS webinar series turns the spotlight back again on the Covid-19 pandemic. Tensions between public health and economic considerations developed as the Covid-19 pandemic pushed both systems to the edge. ESS has lined up a panel consisting of public health and economic experts to help us understand if the dust is settling from the implications of Covid-19 and the interventions taken in both public health and the economy. The speakers will also explore whether public health and economy outlook will continue to be as unpredictable and whether tensions will continue to abound. Expect some of these topical issues to be covered: Are appropriate treatments now available for Covid-19 patients? When will be vaccines available and how long will it take for the population to be immunised? Are the current public health measures enough to prevent a resurgence? Are there signs that the Singapore economy is reopening and recovering well? Have the stimulus measures taken effect? Are the parts of the economy and population that need more help?

Main takeaways from the Webinar: 1. The USD still currently dominates the world reserve currency by a far majority, but a sudden shift is not unlikely 2. There are a few contenders to the USD. Namely Euro, RMB and a possible shift to cryptocurrencies without a sovereign issuer 3. How Singapore adopts to such alternatives (if any), depends on her future trading patterns and trading partners Keywords: USD, Euro, RMB, Cryptocurrencies, Trade, ASEAN

Main takeaways from the Webinar: 1. The Singapore economy is not in trouble, and the government has fared relatively well in tackling the ever-evolving situation. 2. Save the worker, not the job. Call it Creative Destruction or Structural Transformation, our economy and business models will change. 3. Even if a vaccine to Covid-19 is found, the hastened changes will continue. We should use this chance to reinvent ourselves so we can ride the winds of recovery when it happens eventually. Keywords: Uncertainty, K-shaped Recovery, Structural Transformation, Retraining, Incentivising Innovation

The main takeaways from the webinar are: First, the New Normal caused by Covid-19 is here to stay for the medium term; it will impact our consumption patterns, business models, and even personal lives. Second, the key to navigating this New Normal is to stay nimble; new opportunities abound as long as people are willing to adapt and last but not the least, the Digital avenues of interaction and commerce should complement, rather than substitute traditional methods. Keywords: New Normal, Gig economy, Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Web-based Learning, Digital Platforms