In a commentary, SMU Associate Professor of Economics (Practice) Tan Swee Liang from the School of Economics opined that there is room for greater optimism with the uptick in the Singapore economy. The Ministry of Trade and Industry had recently announced a 4.3 per cent growth for the first quarter of 2018 while the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) had said they would allow the Singapore dollar to rise in the first tightening of monetary policy in six years. Associate Prof Tan sees continued strong demand from China and the US, with the former’s share of Singapore’s exports rising. She also commented that MAS' tightening of the exchange rate-based monetary policy also do not necessarily translate to a loss in Singapore’s international competitiveness.