• the green bond grant scheme defrays the additional costs of obtaining an external review for green bonds. • foreign green bond issuers include indian renewable energy development agency as well as canadian insurer manulife. infrastructure financing is another avenue for investors looking to opportunities in asia. and singapore, as a full service asian infrastructure financing hub, is a good place to look for such opportunities. • singapore has strong connectivity to the region and has deep capabilities in project development, urban solutions, and financial and professional services. we have set up infrastructure asia : a go - to knowledge centre for infrastructure players and investors in asian infrastructure. • the office will facilitate infrastructure investment and financing, availing investors to infrastructure investment opportunities. singapore is developing two significant initiatives to facilitate the take - off of asian infrastructure financing. first, an infrastructure debt distribution facility to help crowd - in institutional investors. • we are working with industry partners to securitise a pool of brownfield regional project finance loans from banks into a collaterialised loan obligation that institutional investors, including insurance companies and pension funds, can invest in. second, creation of investment benchmarks to make infrastructure an investable asset class. • this will allow investors to compare the returns of privately - held infrastructure debt and equity against other asset classes. http : / / www. imas. gov. sg / news - and - publications / speeches - and - monetary - policy - statem... 21 - 07 - 18 connecting global markets supporting asias growth page 7 of 7 let me conclude. the asian growth story will dominate the investment agenda in the next decade. capital and investment will continue to flow into asia. as an international financial centre, singapore ’ s role is to connect global investors to asia, and to bring asian opportunities to global investors. and that is why nomura has gathered you here. i wish you a stimulating forum, fruitful investments, and an enjoyable stay. thank you. last modified on 05 / 06 / 2018 copyright © 2018 monetary authority of singapore http : / / www. imas. gov. sg / news - and - publications / speeches - and - monetary - policy - statem... 21 - 07 - 18

connecting global markets supporting asias growth page 1 of 7 " connecting global markets, supporting asia ’ s growth " - presentation by mr ravi menon, managing director, monetary authority of singapore, at nomura investment forum asia on 5 june 2018 ladies and gentlemen, good morning. thank you for inviting me to speak at this important investment forum. asia ’ s dynamism and growth will be the defining investment theme of the next decade. • asian assets have become an essential component of a balanced and diversified portfolio. • the expansion of nomura ’ s forum from an asian equity event previously to one that showcases the full suite of investment products in the region reflects the growth in investment opportunities in asia. • like nomura which serves investors looking to invest in asia, singapore aims to connect investors to opportunities in the region. asia will remain the fastest growing region in the world over the next five years. • the imf puts asia at the top of the global growth league, with a projected annual growth rate of 6. 4 %. • india at 7 - 8 % p. a., china at 6 % p. a., and the asean - 5 economies – indonesia, thailand, malaysia, philippines and singapore – at around 5 % p. a. the size of the asian middle class is set to double by 2025, from 2015 levels. http : / / www. imas. gov. sg / news - and - publications / speeches - and - monetary - policy - statem... 21 - 07 - 18 connecting global markets supporting asias growth • page 2 of 7 the rapid expansion of the asian middle class will spur urbanisation and demand for financial services, especially wealth management and insurance. global investors are flocking to participate in the asian growth story • there has been a growing diversity of institutional investors – from asia, europe and the americas. two key trends in the asian landscape warrant investors ’ attention : • the expansion of asian enterprises ; and • the demand for infrastructure development. more asian companies are expanding regionally and globally. • companies from asia have become increasingly active in cross - border m & a as they seek to expand their regional and global footprint. the need to fund this expansion has led to a surge in capital raising in asia and increased the depth and diversity of asian assets. • dollar bond issuance by asia - ex japan companies climbed to a record high of around us $ 400 billion last year, up 40 % from 2016. • about one - third of