Singapore

U.S. aircraft carriers hold joint drills after ASEAN lambastes Beijing over South China Sea
6Jul By News DeskNo Comments
Singapore, World

U.S. aircraft carriers hold joint drills after ASEAN lambastes Beijing over South China Sea

Two U.S. aircraft carriers kicked off joint exercises in the Philippine Sea on Sunday, a day after Southeast Asian leaders delivered some of their strongest remarks opposing Beijing’s claim to virtually the entire South China Sea on historical grounds. The USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Groups began the drills to bolster the United States’ “responsive, flexible, and enduring commitments” to mutual defense agreements with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, the Navy said in a statement. The dual carrier exercises also came exactly a week after the Nimitz and another carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt conducted their own joint operations in the area. It is rare to see three U.S. aircraft carriers operating at the same time in the Western Pacific and even more unusual...
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China’s Hopu teams up to take Singapore’s Perennial Real Estate private
4Jul By Team FPNo Comments
Singapore, World

China’s Hopu teams up to take Singapore’s Perennial Real Estate private

SINGAPORE: Chinese buyout firm Hopu is partnering with key shareholders of Perennial Real Estate Holdings, including Wilmar International and its CEO, to take Perennial private in a deal that values it at S$1.58 billion. The consortium, which includes firms owned by entrepreneur Ron Sim and Perennial's CEO, said late on Friday (Jun 12) that the offer comes at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has roiled the global economy. Perennial is a Singapore-listed real estate and healthcare firm. The acquirer said it has secured undertakings from about 82 per cent of Perennial's shareholders, and that Hopu will provide funding to purchase the rest of Perennial's shares from the non-consortium shareholders. "Perennial will require a significant amount of capital to pursue its growth objective...
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Virtual tours and opportunities: The Singapore property market during COVID-19
4Jul By Team FPNo Comments
Market, Singapore, World

Virtual tours and opportunities: The Singapore property market during COVID-19

Singapore is now in the first phase of the post-circuit breaker period. Some sectors of the economy have reopened, but it isn’t quite business as usual in the property sector. Money Mind reports. SINGAPORE: Singapore is now in the first phase of the post-circuit breaker period. Some sectors of the economy have reopened, but it isn’t quite business as usual in the property sector. Developers’ show galleries remain closed, and property agents are still unable to conduct face-to-face meetings or viewings with prospective buyers. Amid these challenging operating conditions, new private home sales fell 12 per cent in the first quarter. In the same period, prices fell 1 per cent. Most market watchers expect prices to continue this downward trend. Ms Christine Sun, head of research and c...
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[Market] Singapore life insurance sales rise 10% amid Coronavirus scare
20Jun By Team FPNo Comments
Asia, Market, Singapore

[Market] Singapore life insurance sales rise 10% amid Coronavirus scare

While Coronavirus has destroyed many lives and economies, Singapore's life insurance industry saw new business, in terms of total weighted premiums, grow 10 per cent to $965.8 million for the first quarter from January to March 2020.A year ago, total weighted premiums amounted to $877.8 million.“This comes as more consumers took action to secure their financial future in view of Covid-19's drastic impact on the global and local markets”, said the Life Insurance Association (LIA), Singapore."However, with circuit-breaker measures, climbing unemployment and an impending recession, the life insurance industry may see the knock-on effect in the coming quarters," LIA president Khor Hock Seng said.Sales of annual-premium policies grew 3 per cent year on year, resulting in $672.4 million in total...
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Pakistan bars Afghan goods, but exports freely into Afghanistan
15Jun By Mike Trudell1 Comment
Market, Singapore

Pakistan bars Afghan goods, but exports freely into Afghanistan

Afghan traders and merchants on Thursday voiced their concerns about Pakistani products coming into Afghanistan flow as usual, but Afghan business people still not being able to export goods to the Pakistani ports.Merchants called on the Afghanistan government to take action and raise the issue of the barring of Afghan exports with the Pakistani government.“Our trucks have been stopped in Torkham for the past three months, we don’t know what to do, the products are on the verge of destruction,” said Hejratullah Hamdard, a merchant.“We don’t know when the government will take reciprocal action against Pakistan,” said Navid, a merchant.This comes as the harvest of vegetable and fresh fruits are at their peak in Afghanistan, and the Afghan traders are losing millions of dollars because of the...
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China’s foreigner ban leaves global businesses in limbo
14Jun By Mike TrudellNo Comments
Singapore

China’s foreigner ban leaves global businesses in limbo

Foreign nationals who live in China or planned to visit say they have been left in limbo as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, with many unsure of when they can return to work or get a refund for their trip.China imposed a travel ban on most foreigners entering the country in March as the outbreak gathered pace overseas.Even those with valid residence or work permits, or who run businesses, have been shut out, and there was further doubt about when the restrictions would be lifted after a new cluster of infections was detected in Beijing over the weekend.Jessie Lim, the founder of Frequency Advertising & Event, has been stranded in Singapore since travelling there in January."(The ban) really shocked me," she said, adding that her Chengdu-based firm earned nothing in the first three...
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First national standard on e-commerce transactions launched in Singapore
13Jun By Mike TrudellNo Comments
Singapore

First national standard on e-commerce transactions launched in Singapore

As coronavirus prompts everyone to go online, Singapore launched its first standard on e-commerce transactions formulated to help businesses improve their online retail processes and policies.It covers e-commerce transactions from pre- to post-purchase activities and will serve as a practical reference for e-retailers and online intermediaries such as e-marketplaces.“The launch of the new standard - Technical Reference 76 (TR 76) - will help build trust and transparency in online transactions”, Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and the Singapore Standards Council said on Friday.Amid the coronavirus outbreak, e-commerce transactions have shot up with online retail sales generating an estimated 17.8% of total retail turnover in April, up from 5.5% in January.In comparison, online sales accounted fo...
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Singapore start-ups can now apply to Fortitude Budget’s $285 million fund
7Jun By Mike TrudellNo Comments
Singapore

Singapore start-ups can now apply to Fortitude Budget’s $285 million fund

Promising start-ups in Singapore can now apply for special funding earmarked for them in the Fortitude Budget, to help them sustain innovation, gain access to credit, and bridge the financing gap they face amid the Covid-19 pandemic.The Special Situation Fund for Start-ups (SSFS) will be administered by EDBI, the corporate investment arm of Economic Development Board, and Seeds Capital, the investment arm of Enterprise Singapore, said both organizations in a joint statement on Friday.Under the scheme, EDBI and Seeds Capital will invest in selected start-ups with private sector co-investors in a one-to-one ratio.The SSFS will support early to late-stage innovative start-ups, though EDBI will focus on late-stage start-ups with larger funding needs and a wider employment base, while Seeds Cap...
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Europe should give up overdependence on China, consider India as alternative: Experts
5Jun By Mike TrudellNo Comments
Singapore

Europe should give up overdependence on China, consider India as alternative: Experts

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and experts on Thursday said that the European Union that has been hit hard economically due to Wuhan-originated coronavirus and that India being a diplomatic nation provides a conducive atmosphere for the European investors.  “The countries were relying too much on China and they needed to look for other markets,” Thierry Mariani, a Member of the European Parliament and Former Minister of State for Transport of France said at a webinar.The event was organized by the Economic Development Foundation, Istanbul (IKV), a non-governmental research organization specialized on the EU and Turkey-EU relations.Mariani further said: "For me, this new Silk Road is just one opportunity but it cannot be said that it is the only opportunity. If we want to have pe...
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Eligible Singaporeans to receive care and support package cash payments from June 18: MOF
4Jun By Mike TrudellNo Comments
Singapore

Eligible Singaporeans to receive care and support package cash payments from June 18: MOF

Singapore’s Ministry of Finance on Thursday announced that “eligible” Singaporeans will receive cash from June 18 as part of the the Care and Support Package.“Those eligible will receive cash payments of S$300 or S$600 via PayNow on June 18”, the Ministry said.Citizens who do not have PayNow linked to their NRIC by June 11 but have previously provided their bank account details for receiving Government payouts will receive the cash on June 25 via direct bank crediting, with the rest receiving the payments via cheque between Jun 30 and Jul 9.In addition, parents with at least one Singaporean child aged 20 and below in 2020 will each receive an extra S$300.Singaporeans aged 50 and above in 2020 will each receive an extra S$100 cash, in place of the earlier announced PAssion Card top-up."As p...
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