The Chamber held its first event of the year today on the very apposite topic “Geopolitical Risks & Economic Outlook 2025”. Our expert speakers, both from Chamber member companies, were Pamela Qiu, Partner and Head of South-East Asia, Control Risks and SICC Board Director and Selena Ling, Chief Economist & Global Head of Global Markets Research & Strategy, OCBC. Our speakers provided thoughtful and useful presentations of the key risks facing businesses today and the economic context respectively.

Pamela outlined Control Risk’s top five global risks and their implications for businesses. Key risks include the intensifying global trade war, the uncertain states of America, rising political violence, red line geopolitics and digital concentration risks. Selena provided an economic forecast of the region with a focus on China’s growth, an assessment of the potential impacts of more tariffs under a second Trump administration and commentary on Singapore’s economy with its projected 2-3% GDP growth for 2025. She also discussed the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) and which industry sectors will benefit from the tax incentives and other opportunities on offer.

A lively panel discussion moderated by Victor Mills, Advisor to the Board & Interim Chief Executive, SICC, further unpacked the implications of these geopolitical and economic trends on businesses in the region. We are living in a multipolar world where the risk spectrum is broader than ever. On the other hand, we are also fortunate to be living in a region of continued economic growth and human potential.

We extend our gratitude to Pamela, Selena and our engaged audience for making this session both insightful and enjoyable.