DUSHANBE, February 7, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Umed Davlatzod met here on February 6 with Mr. Harry Chan, Management Director, FiF Technologies LLP (Singapore).

According to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT), the two discussed issues related to attraction of Singaporean investments for development of Tajikistan’s economy.

They outlined sectors like transportation, communications, industry, agricultural and banking system, as areas of which could drive the bilateral trade between Tajikistan and Singapore, the source said.

Singapore is a Southeast Asian city-state.  Today, Singapore has a highly developed market-based economy, based historically on extended entrepot trade. Along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan, Singapore is one of the original Four Asian Tigers. The Singaporean economy is known as one of the freest, most innovative, most competitive, and most business-friendly. The 2011 Index of Economic Freedom ranks Singapore as the freest economy in the world behind only Hong Kong.  According to the Corruption Perceptions Index Singapore is also consistently ranked as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, along with New Zealand and the Scandinavian countries.

Singapore is the 14th largest exporter and the 15th-largest importer in the world. The country has the highest trade to GDP ratio in the world at 407.9 percent, signifying the importance of trade to its economy.