Abhijit Ghosh

What stands out in the Singapore Budget 2026 is the pivot from broad relief to targeted support to go global, boost innovation, achieve growth leveraging on AI, and anchor high value-added R&D in Singapore. This is a scale-up budget for Singapore based businesses which are ready to transform and remain relevant in a fragmented world.

Neha Shah

The MAS will expand the Equity Market Development Programme (EQDP) from S$5 billion to S$6.5 billion, following Budget 2026’s top-up of the Financial Sector Development Fund. Launched in February 2025 to strengthen Singapore’s fund management industry and boost participation in local equities, the EQDP has already allocated S$3.95 billion to nine asset managers and continues to see strong interest. The expansion will support more high‑quality managers investing significantly in Singapore equities, crowd in third‑party capital, and deepen funding for fundamentally strong listed companies. The EQDP expansion should make Singapore’s equities market deeper, more liquid, and more resilient, while improving its appeal to long-term institutional investors. 

Mriganko Mukherjee

Singapore doubles down on its commitment to developing a robust eco-system for Singapore enterprises, from raising capital as start-ups, to seeking support at growth-stage, to accessing Singapore’s public markets. 

A S$1bn (US$0.8bn) investment via the Startup SG Equity scheme, an additional S$1.5bn (US$1.19bn) Anchor Fund, and a whopping 5-year commitment of S$37 billion (US$29.34bn) towards research, innovation and enterprise will encourage the next generation of founders and innovators from the city-state.

Adnan Begic

Reinforcing Singapore’s commitment to a fair and globally aligned tax framework

From FY2027, Singapore is expected to see higher corporate tax collections as it implements the Pillar Two domestic top-up tax, raising large MNEs’ effective tax rate to 15%.

This marks a significant step in aligning with global BEPS reforms while reinforcing Singapore’s commitment to a fair and internationally consistent tax regime.

The next chapter will be equally important — how these increased collections are deployed to sustain momentum in AI, innovation, and long-term competitiveness.

Andy Winthrop

Budget 2026 underscores Singapore’s push to deepen connectivity with emerging partners like LATAM while advancing landmark agreements such as the EU‑SG Digital Trade Pact. These moves reinforce Singapore’s role as a gateway economy, where customs agility and strategic engagement will define competitive advantage.