1.4. The Government's expenditure (including special transfers), as a percentage of GDP, increased from 15.9% in 2012 to 19.8% in 2015. The increase in 2015 is mainly due to higher spending on land and air transport, and on healthcare subsidies and expansion of healthcare infrastructure. The overall balance has declined from a surplus of 1.60/0 of GDP in 2012 to a deficit of 1.7% in 2015. The primary balance in 2015 was around -0.90/0 compared with around 1.80/0 in 2012.2 The government debt has declined from 2012; it stood at around 1050/0 of GDP in 2015.3 In 2015, gross official foreign reserves stood at around US$250 billion. The key themes in the Government's Budget 2015 included people development, supporting enterprises in innovation and Internationalization, investing in infrastructure, strengthening assurance in retirement, and supporting families and community; the Government also introduced revenue measures in the 2015 Budget to provide for increased spending needs.° The Budget 2016, announced in March 2016, indicates an increase in overall spending; it includes measures to support smaller businesses and investment in public infrastructure projects, as well as an increase in corporate income tax rebates, extension of special employment credit, and deferral of foreign worker levy changes.s 1.5. The main goal of the monetary policy conducted by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is price stability as a basis for sustainable growth. Singapore's monetary policy framework continues to be centred on the exchange rate. Under this system, the MAS manages the value of the Singapore dollar against an undisclosed trade-weighted basket of currencies (i.e. the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate (S$NEER)). The SNEER is allowed to fluctuate within a target band. Singapore thus has a managed float exchange rate regime. When necessary, the MAS intervenes in the foreign exchange market against the US dollar to maintain the S$NEER within the policy band or moderate sharp movements of the exchange rate. Amid the significant downshift in the inflation outlook, the MAS loosened its monetary policy in January 2015 after a moderately tight monetary stance in 2014, by reducing the rate of appreciation of the S$NEER policy band. The MAS further reduced slightly the rate of appreciation in October 2015 as the growth outlook had weakened. According to the IMF, Singapore's monetary policy/exchange rate regime continues to serve the economy well.6 The exchange rate system is free of restrictions on payments and transfers for current international transactions.
1.6. As in some other Asian economies, Singapore is faced with a rapidly aging population. Income inequality also remains a challenge for the Singapore economy. To tackle these, social