Isimemezelo sabaphathi bezomnotho base-Singapore ukuthi izwe eliyisiqhingi “lisehlile ngobuchwepheshe” kusukela ngo-2002 liye laheha i-Singapore njengezulu lezokuvakasha kanye nokuthenga eMpumalanga Ekude.
UNdunankulu waseSingapore u-Lee Hsien Loong exwayisa abantu bezwe lakhe mayelana nezinxushunxushu zezezimali ngoMeyi uthe: “Umnotho waseSingapore uzothinteka kakhulu ngenxa yeziyaluyalu zezimali zomhlaba. Amafu esiphepho amnyama ahlangene.”
Njengoba izivakashi zihlala ekhaya noma ziya ezindaweni zamaholide eziseduze nasekhaya, noma amazwe aseduze ngenxa yokusebenzisa imali ephansi, amahhotela aseSingapore nezimboni ezihlobene nezokuvakasha “kungenzeka zihlupheke,” ngokusho kwabahlaziyi bezomnotho.
Ukufika kwezivakashi ezihamba kancane, okukhombisa ukwehla ngamaphesenti angu-7 kusukela ngoJuni, manje kungase kumise ukuqagela kwezivakashi zaseSingapore zokufika kwezivakashi eziyizigidi ezingu-10.8 kulo nyaka.
Isikhumulo sezindiza saseSingapore iChangi Airport sibike ukuthi sisingethe izigidi ezi-2.8 ngoSepthemba, sehle ngamaphesenti angu-0.4 kusukela ngonyaka odlule. "Ukwehla kokuqala kwezimoto zanyanga zonke kusukela ngoFebhuwari 2004", kusho okhulumela isikhumulo sezindiza iChangi.
Izinombolo nazo zehlile kunkampani ethwala izwe laseSingapore, iSingapore Airlines, ethi ithwale abagibeli abambalwa ngamaphesenti angu-1.6, uma kuqhathaniswa nonyaka odlule.
Abagxeki manje sebeqala ukungabaza ukuthi ingabe imali eyizigidi ezingama-US$28 esetshenziswe Ibhodi Lezokuvakasha lase-Singapore (STB) ngo-April 2008 ukuguqula umugqa wayo oyinhloko wezitolo nokuzijabulisa, u-Orchard Road, ukuze uqhudelane no-Oxford Street waseLondon ube yimali esetshenziswe kahle.
Ezinye izitolo, ezamukele izinhlelo zokuthi “makeover” yize kudingeke ukuthi zivale iminyango yazo ukuze zilungiswe azizange zidikibale ngenxa yokuwohloka komnotho. “Anginandaba ngempela nokuwohloka komnotho,” kusho imenenja jikelele yendawo yokudlela uJohn Ford. “Kuzophazamisa ibhizinisi kancane, kodwa abantu badinga ukuphuma. Abantu bafuna ukuphuma.”
"Wonke amakhasimende ajwayelekile abuyile," kwengeza u-Oh Ichikawa, umqondisi ophethe wesitolo sokudla saseTamaya saseJapan, esivale iminyango yayo izinyanga ezine.
Ukulungiswa kwe-Orchard Road, okuhlelelwe ukuqedwa ngoFebhuwari 2009, kuhlanganisa ukwakha “izindawo zokuphumula” ze-Green Room kanye nokuhlehlisa izindlela zokuhamba ukusuka e-Tanglin kuya ku-Ngee Ann Street.
Ngokusho komqondisi we-STB u-Andrew Phua, ibhodi labavakashi belihlezi lihlela “iminyaka eminingi ezayo.” Wathi, “Abaningi bagxumela phezu kwe-bandwagon.”
