Today's Budget statement will come under the spotlight tomorrow when a panel of experts tackles the issues and initiatives raised in what is looming as one of the more crucial policy documents in recent years.

The impact the coronavirus outbreak is already having on the economy has raised expectations that support measures for individuals and businesses will be front and centre.

Measures will also target harder hit sectors like tourism, as visitor arrivals to Singapore are projected to fall between 25 per cent and 30 per cent this year.

The panel discussion will be held by The Straits Times and the United Overseas Bank (UOB) and comprises UOB senior economist Alvin Liew, Nominated MP and Associate Professor of Economics at Singapore University of Social Sciences Walter Theseira, Singapore Business Federation chief executive Ho Meng Kit and Labour MP Patrick Tay, who is also assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress.

The session, which will be moderated by The Straits Times' associate editor Vikram Khanna, will tackle topics such as how far the Budget initiatives will go in addressing some of Singapore's key economic priorities.

Panellists are also likely to look at whether the measures are adequate, given that companies are counting on the Budget to beat the downturn, with some businesses even looking to the substantive Resilience Package of 2009 as a model.

That package focused on helping viable companies to stay afloat and keep employment figures up.

The foreign worker policy that has been brought up recently in Parliament is likely to attract comments as well.

The experts will also discuss how the coronavirus outbreak might further impact the economy in terms of growth and job prospects, and if there are other big uncertainties still looming this year.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry has downgraded the growth forecast for the year to between -0.5 and 1.5 per cent as the virus outbreak hit supply chains and consumer sentiment.