Singapore

COVID-19 has prompted stimulus measures, but Southeast Asian governments may be missing the chance to go green: Experts
4Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, Singapore, USA, World

COVID-19 has prompted stimulus measures, but Southeast Asian governments may be missing the chance to go green: Experts

Governments around the world are injecting money into their respective economies amid the pandemic. In Southeast Asia though, analysis shows little of those funds are being earmarked for green projects. BANGKOK: Earlier this month, a group of diplomats, politicians and journalists gathered at the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok to discuss an issue of global importance - how to manage a green recovery from COVID-19. This year was meant to be a critical year, they argued, for tackling climate change, where big decisions would be made and transformative policies imagined to avoid future calamity. Instead, they noted that major climate conferences had been postponed and a crisis of potentially staggering magnitude had drifted back to being tomorrow’s problem. The event, hosted by the em...
Read More
Ships carrying ammonium nitrate to Singapore, port storage facilities inspected as part of regulations: MPA
4Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
Singapore, World

Ships carrying ammonium nitrate to Singapore, port storage facilities inspected as part of regulations: MPA

The dangers of the explosive material have been in the spotlight since the Beirut blast on Aug 4 which killed more than 170 people. SINGAPORE: Ships passing through Singapore ports occasionally carry ammonium nitrate, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Wednesday (Aug 12) as it outlined how the explosive chemical is regulated for safety. Vessels carrying ammonium nitrate have to inform port authorities of their cargo before arrival. They will only be able to unload or store the material when approval is given, MPA said in response to queries from CNA. "MPA carries out inspections on-board vessels to ensure that regulations are being complied with," it added. The dangers of ammonium nitrate have been in the spotlight since Aug 4 when 2,750 tonnes of the ch...
Read More
Commentary: Singapore needs better public opinion polls to sharpen focus for national agenda
3Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
China, Market, Singapore, World

Commentary: Singapore needs better public opinion polls to sharpen focus for national agenda

In a world of rapid seismic changes, we would need regular, published polls on public sentiments regarding policy matters to understand emerging gaps, says SUSS’ Leong Chan-Hoong. SINGAPORE: A new Cabinet was announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday (Jul 25), with key ministries shored up with new faces from this election that would bring to bear their experience in public engagement and from the private sector. The new Cabinet has their job cut out for them. Singapore is now in the throes of a worldwide economic recession. COVID-19 has disrupted our strategic advantage in aviation, tourism and as a regional business hub. Gross domestic product (GDP) has contracted by 0.3 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020, while the second quarter saw a deeper dec...
Read More
Targeted measures needed to help different types of companies, says Chan Chun Sing
2Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
Market, Singapore, World

Targeted measures needed to help different types of companies, says Chan Chun Sing

SINGAPORE: Support measures must be “targeted” in order to help the different types of businesses survive the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing on Thursday (Aug 13). Speaking during an interview on CNA’s Asia First, he said there are three different types of companies. The first type refers to those that continue to see a growing market despite the pandemic-fuelled downturn, such as those in the biopharma and precision engineering industries. The second category includes those in sectors such as retail, and food and beverage where demand has shrunk temporarily but will eventually recover. The third type of companies has been the hardest hit, according to Mr Chan, as “demand is not likely to come back in the short to medium term”. Thi...
Read More
New SCDF vehicle, dubbed ‘first in the world’, can treat first responders with signs of heat injury
2Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
Singapore, World

New SCDF vehicle, dubbed ‘first in the world’, can treat first responders with signs of heat injury

SINGAPORE: Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) firefighters battling a raging industrial blaze can spend hours doing backbreaking work while enduring intense heat. Their body temperatures spike, not helped by the bulky protective equipment they have to wear. These responders work in 30- to 40-minute shifts before rotating with another team. This is when they remove their gear, have a drink and rest under shade. But because they are so acclimatised to the heat, they might not realise their body temperatures have hit alarming levels. Some can exceed 39.5 degrees Celsius, putting them at a higher risk of heat stroke. Left unchecked, heat injuries can have serious consequences, including multiple organ failure and death. The key is to reduce the body temperature as quickly as possib...
Read More
Jobless because of SARS, she built a thriving hostel. Now with COVID-19, it’s closing
1Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
Market, Singapore, USA, World

Jobless because of SARS, she built a thriving hostel. Now with COVID-19, it’s closing

Last month, Viji Jagadeesh had only eight guests at Mitraa Inn, not even enough to cover the Internet bill. CNA Insider looks at how hostels like hers could face a wipe-out, in a series on micro SMEs beaten down or changed drastically by the coronavirus pandemic. SINGAPORE: During the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, Viji Jagadeesh lost her job when the accounting firm she was working in struggled with poor business. After being jobless for more than a year, she started a small outfit with 12 beds, offering short-term rental to budget travellers. Three years later, Viji opened hostel Mitraa Inn with 60 beds, riding the low-cost aviation boom which saw a spike in budget travellers in Singapore. Her business flourished and, over the years, became one of the ...
Read More
Japan’s foreign minister to make official visit to Singapore from Aug 12
1Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
Singapore, World

Japan’s foreign minister to make official visit to Singapore from Aug 12

SINGAPORE: Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs Motegi Toshimitsu will make a three-day official visit to Singapore from Wednesday (Aug 12). He will call on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana and be hosted to lunch by Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, said Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Tuesday. This will be Mr Motegi's first official visit to Singapore as foreign minister. It comes after Japan announced last month that it will proceed with discussions on the resumption of essential travel with 12 places, including Singapore. "Singapore welcomes the Japanese government’s decision to include Singapore as one of its partners to commence such negotiations," MFA had said on Jul 23. It added then that the establishment of a "reciprocal ...
Read More
Government to mesh economic, social policies more tightly for post-COVID-19 world: Heng Swee Keat
1Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
Singapore, World

Government to mesh economic, social policies more tightly for post-COVID-19 world: Heng Swee Keat

SINGAPORE: The Government will tighten coordination between its economic and social policies to ensure that Singaporeans can have access to jobs and opportunities in the post COVID-19 economy, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Friday (Aug 28). This is part of its efforts to more closely align different public policy areas to tackle the complex challenges and new opportunities arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Vulnerable workers will receive additional support and social mobility will continue to be a feature of Singapore society, he said. To better understand the concerns of citizens and develop “more citizen-centric” policies, the Government is growing new capabilities in data analytics and citizen engagement, Mr Heng added in an addendum by the Prime Minister’s Of...
Read More
10 arrested for dangerous riding after police probe video of PMD, e-bike riders on Sheares Avenue
31Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Singapore, World

10 arrested for dangerous riding after police probe video of PMD, e-bike riders on Sheares Avenue

SINGAPORE: Eight men and two women have been arrested for dangerous riding, after a video online showed a group of riders on personal mobility devices (PMD) and power-assisted bicycles (PAB) travelling with a motorcyclist along Sheares Avenue. The suspects are aged between 16 and 25, said the police in a news release on Monday (Aug 3), adding that they were alerted to the video on Jul 13. The video, posted on Facebook page SG Road Vigilante, shows several riders on major roads at night, including Sungei Road and Ophir Road. They were also seen riding up Benjamin Sheares Bridge towards Sheares Avenue. The video ends with them gathering at an open space. The police said the suspects were arrested between Jul 17 and Jul 20. Two PMDs, device parts of a PAB and mobile phones were ...
Read More
Government to implement programmes that boost investment, create more ‘good jobs’ for Singaporeans: Chan Chun Sing
31Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Market, Singapore, World

Government to implement programmes that boost investment, create more ‘good jobs’ for Singaporeans: Chan Chun Sing

SINGAPORE: Despite a changing world economy disrupted by COVID-19 and geopolitical tensions, the Government will implement new programmes to bring in business investments, support local entrepreneurship and create “good jobs" for Singaporeans, said Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing on Wednesday (Aug 26). Mr Chan was outlining how his ministry will support key priorities laid out by President Halimah Yacob at the opening of Singapore’s 14th Parliament on Monday. Mdm Halimah had said the Government will provide greater social support and strengthen safety nets for Singaporeans in the long term amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Chan said on Wednesday that Singapore is confronting the crisis “from a position of strength”, given the country’s reputation for “transparency, rule ...
Read More