THE UNIT TRUSTS INDUSTRY IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Although the unit trusts industry in Singapore has been around for the past 39 years, it is only recently that we have seen a copiousness of unit trust funds. Of late, the government has been increasingly supportive of the fund management industry and there is little doubt that we will see tremendous growth in the unit trusts industry in the near future. As the unit trusts industry starts to take off, it is of interest to understand its development over the years. A survey of existing literature reveals that there has been no chronological documentation of the industry. Where existing literature is lacking, this thesis attempts to provide. In this study, I endeavor to answer the question of why there was hardly any growth in the first 35 years of the industry, as well as look into some of the significant recent developments in the industry.