Social Reserves
Social Reserves refer to the intangible ties that bind a country together. As a resource, they may be compared to a country's financial reserves. The term bears some similarity to the Bhutanese concept of Gross national happiness in that it attempts to value quality of life in a way that goes beyond traditional economic indicators. The term was coined in November 2013 by Singapore President Dr Tony Tan at an event organised by St. Joseph's Institution, Singapore. Speaking in a lecture series on leadership, President Tan said: :”The social reserves of a nation are the intangible ties that bind us to one another, and make a nation greater than the sum of individual citizens. heyare the goodwill that makes us look out for one another even during difficult times, the resilience to overcome challenges and constraints, and the tenacity to progress as individuals and as a nation.” Singapore maintains large financial reserves, primarily through two sovereign wealth funds. The Gover ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Reserve (accounting)
In financial accounting, reserve always has a credit balance and can refer to a part of shareholders' equity, a liability for estimated claims, or contra-asset for uncollectible accounts. A reserve can appear in any part of shareholders' equity except for contributed or basic share capital. In nonprofit accounting, an "operating reserve" is the unrestricted cash on hand available to sustain an organization, and nonprofit boards usually specify a target of maintaining several months of operating cash or a percentage of their annual income, called an operating reserve ratio. Types of reserves in accounting treatment There are different types of reserves used in financial accounting, including capital reserves, revenue reserves, statutory reserves, realized reserves, unrealized reserves. Equity ''reserves'' are created from several possible sources: * Reserves created from shareholders' contributions, the most common examples of which are: ** ''legal reserve fund'' – it is requ ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bhutan
Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , Bhutan ranks List of countries and dependencies by area, 133rd in land area and List of countries and dependencies by population, 160th in population. Bhutan is a Democracy, democratic constitutional monarchy with a King of Bhutan, King as the head of state and a Prime Minister of Bhutan, prime minister as the head of government. The Je Khenpo is the head of the state religion, Vajrayana Buddhism. The Himalayas, Himalayan mountains in the north rise from the country's lush subtropical plains in the south. In the Mountains of Bhutan, Bhutanese Himalayas, there are peaks higher than above sea level. Gangkhar Puensum is Bhutan's highest peak and is the highest unclimbed mountain in the world. The wildlife of Bhutan is notable for its diversi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gross National Happiness
Gross National Happiness, (GNH; ) sometimes called Gross Domestic Happiness (GDH), is a philosophy that guides the government of Bhutan. It includes an index used to measure a population's collective happiness and well-being. The Gross National Happiness Index was instituted as the goal of the government of Bhutan in the Constitution of Bhutan, enacted on 18 July 2008. History The advent and concept of "Gross National Happiness" (GNH) germinated in the mind of Bodhisattva Druk Gyelpo, the 4th King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, groomed with the evolution of "Gaki Phuensum" (Peace and Prosperity) and the modernization period of Bhutan during the reign of Druk Gyelpo, the 3rd King of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. The term "Gross National Happiness" as conceptualized by the 4th King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, in 1972 was declared, "more important than Gross Domestic Product." The concept implies that sustainable development should take a holistic approach towards noti ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tony Tan
Tony Tan Keng Yam (; born 7 February 1940) is a Singaporean banker and politician who served as the seventh president of Singapore between 2011 and 2017. Prior to entering politics, Tan was a general manager at OCBC Bank. He made his political debut in the 1979 by-elections as a People's Action Party (PAP) candidate contesting in Sembawang GRC and won. He later served as Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore from 1995 to 2005. After resigning from the cabinet in 2005, Tan was appointed deputy chairman and executive director of GIC, chairman of the National Research Foundation, and chairman of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). He stepped down from all his positions in 2010 before contesting the 2011 presidential election as an independent candidate. Tan won the 2011 presidential election in a four-cornered fight and served as the president of Singapore until 2017. He did not seek re-election in the 2017 presidential election, which was reserved for Malay candidates following ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sovereign Wealth Fund
A sovereign wealth fund (SWF), or sovereign investment fund, is a state-owned investment fund that invests in real and financial assets such as stocks, Bond (finance), bonds, real estate, precious metals, or in alternative investments such as private equity funds or hedge funds. Sovereign wealth funds invest globally. Most SWFs are funded by revenues from commodity exports or from foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank. Some sovereign wealth funds may be held by a central bank, which accumulates the funds in the course of its management of a nation's banking system; this type of fund is usually of major economic and fiscal importance. Other sovereign wealth funds are simply the state savings that are invested by various entities for investment return, and that may not have a significant role in fiscal management. The accumulated funds may have their origin in, or may represent, foreign currency deposits, gold, special drawing rights (SDRs) and International Moneta ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Government Of Singapore Investment Corporation
GIC Private Limited is a Singaporean sovereign wealth fund that manages the country's foreign reserves. Established by the Government of Singapore in 1981 as the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, from which the acronym "GIC" is derived, its mission is to preserve and enhance the international purchasing power of the reserves, with the aim to achieve good long-term returns above global inflation over the investment time horizon of 20 years. With a network of 10 offices in key financial capitals worldwide, GIC invests internationally in developed market equities, emerging market equities, nominal bonds and cash, inflation-linked bonds, private equity and real estate. The Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute (SWFI) had estimated the fund's assets at US$800 billion as of May 2025 while ''Forbes'' estimated the fund's assets at US$744 billion after legislation were passed to transfer about US$137 billion from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country's centr ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Foreign Reserve
Foreign exchange reserves (also called forex reserves or FX reserves) are cash and other reserve assets such as gold and silver held by a central bank or other monetary authority that are primarily available to balance payments of the country, influence the foreign exchange rate of its currency, and to maintain confidence in financial markets. Reserves are held in one or more reserve currencies, nowadays mostly the United States dollar and to a lesser extent the euro. Foreign exchange reserves assets can comprise banknotes, bank deposits, and government securities of the reserve currency, such as bonds and treasury bills. Some countries hold a part of their reserves in gold, and special drawing rights are also considered reserve assets. Often, for convenience, the cash or securities are retained by the central bank of the reserve or other currency and the "holdings" of the foreign country are tagged or otherwise identified as belonging to the other country without them actuall ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Temasek Holdings
Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited ( ) is a Singaporean State ownership, state-owned multinational investment firm. Incorporated on 25 June 1974, Temasek has a net portfolio of US$288 billion (S$389 billion) as of 2024. Headquartered at Orchard Road, Singapore, it has 14 offices in 10 countries around the world, including in Beijing, Brussels, Hanoi, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, New York City, Paris, Milan, San Francisco, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Washington D.C. It is an active shareholder and investor, with four key structural trends guiding its long term portfolio construction—Digitisation, Sustainable Living, Future of Consumption, and Longer Lifespans. Temasek's portfolio covers a broad spectrum of sectors. Its key focus investment areas include Consumer, Media & Technology, Life Sciences & Agri-Food, and Non-Bank Financial Services. Temasek has held overall corporate global credit ratings of “Aaa/AAA” by rating agencies Moody's and Standard & Poor's respectively sinc ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Investment Company
An investment company is a financial institution principally engaged in holding, managing and investing securities. These companies in the United States are regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and must be registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Investment companies invest money on behalf of their clients who, in return, share in the profits and losses. Investment companies are designed for long-term investment, not short-term trading. Investment companies do not include brokerage companies, insurance companies, or banks. In United States securities regulation, there are at least five types of investment companies: * Open-End Management Investment Companies (mutual funds) * Face-amount certificate companies: very rare * Closed-End Management Investment Companies (closed-end funds) * UITs ( unit investment trusts): only issue redeemable units * Exchange-traded funds ( ETFs) In general, each of these investment companies must register under th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Government Of Singapore
The government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of Singapore, Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to consist of the President of Singapore, President and the Executive. Executive authority of Singapore is vested in the President but exercised on the advice of the Cabinet led by the Prime Minister. The President, acting as the Head of State, may only act in their discretion in appointing the Prime Minister, acting as the Head of Government; as well as withholding consent for the dissolution of Parliament; along with performing key checks on the Government in addition to the ceremonial duties of the Head of State inherited from the Westminster system. The Cabinet, consisting of the Prime Minister and ministers appointed by the President on the Prime Minister's advice, is responsible for heading the Executive through ministries and other Statutory boards of the Singapore Government, statutory boards. At the end of the term or at any time during the term, once the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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President's Challenge
President's Challenge is an annual campaign in Singapore supported by the kindness and generosity of people from all walks of life, regardless of culture, religion or family background, to help those less fortunate — specifically for the beneficiaries that are annually selected by the President's Office. It was established by President S. R. Nathan in 2000 and continued by his successors President Tony Tan, Halimah Yacob and incumbent President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Many partners of the President's Challenge come from schools, private organisations, ministries and government bodies. The Challenge has raised over $170 million and rallied over 87,000 volunteers since its establishment in 2000. Overview Before the establishment of President's Challenge, there were several charity projects under the President S. R. Nathan's name. In 2000, President S R Nathan initiated the consolidation of all these events under a single umbrella of President's Challenge so that it will be a s ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Index Numbers
In economics, statistics, and finance, an index is a number that measures how a group of related data points—like prices, company performance, productivity, or employment—changes over time to track different aspects of economic health from various sources. Consumer-focused indices include the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which shows how retail prices for goods and services shift in a fixed area, aiding adjustments to salaries, bond interest rates, and tax thresholds for inflation. The cost-of-living index (COLI) compares living expenses over time or across places.Turvey, Ralph. (2004) Consumer Price Index Manual: Theory And Practice.' Page 11. Publisher: International Labour Organization. . ''The Economist''’s Big Mac Index uses a Big Mac’s cost to explore currency values and purchasing power. Market performance indices track trends like company value or employment. Stock market indices include the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500, which primarily cover U.S. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |