Infocus International Announces the New Dates for Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreements Online Course
Singapore, Mar 21, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Back by popular demand, Infocus International Group has announced the new dates for the Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreements (RE PPAs) online workshop that will be commencing live on the 7th of June 2022. Unlike past fossil-fuel based Independent Power Project (IPP) models that featured standardized take-or-pay contracts - today's renewable energy markets demand more innovative incentives to attract RE supply, conform to RE generation availability, ensure power system reliability, as well as more attractive and sustainable mixtures of fuel sources. This interactive 5-session workshop will provide clear explanations of the new models of RE PPAs risk allocation, of ensuring project bankability, of allowing RE generators to compete in energy markets and power pools. The practical models for RE investment credit enhancements will be demonstrated through a series of real case examples of RE PPA contracts, renewable project finance transactions, and competitive energy markets. Case Studies will include real examples from Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America.Furthermore, this online worksh...
Infocus International Brings Back Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreements Online Workshop
Singapore, Nov 25, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Back by popular demand, Infocus International Group, a global business intelligence provider of strategic information and professional services, has announced the new date for the Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreements (RE PPAs) online workshop which will be commencing live on 19 January 2022. Unlike past fossil-fuel based Independent Power Project (IPP) models that featured standardized take-or-pay contracts - today's renewable energy markets demand more innovative incentives to attract RE supply, conform to RE generation availability, ensure power system reliability, as well as more attractive and sustainable mixtures of fuel sources. This interactive 5-session workshop will provide clear explanations of the new models of RE PPAs risk allocation, of ensuring project bankability, of allowing RE generators to compete in energy markets and power pools. The practical models for RE investment credit enhancements will be demonstrated through a series of real case examples of RE PPA contracts, renewable project finance transactions, and competitive energy markets. Case Studies will include real examples from Southeast Asia...
HDB to automate grants system for flats after monies were wrongly disbursed to 12 applicants
SINGAPORE - The Housing Board's grants disbursement system, which among other things determines an applicant's eligibility, is being automated. The updated system will be able to accurately assess eligibility even when applicants fail to declare material information to HDB, such as ownership of property or alternate income streams, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said in Parliament on Monday (Sept 13). His remarks were made after the Auditor-General's Office (AGO) in July found that housing grants totalling $405,000 were disbursed to 13 ineligible applicants. Mr Lee said HDB has taken immediate steps to recover CPF housing grants that were erroneously given to 12 ineligible applicants. A 13th applicant that was flagged by AGO was correctly assessed, he added. The eligibility status of another 1,055 applicants flagged by AGO is being verified by HDB. Checks should be completed by or before the end of the year and results will be reported, said Mr Lee. AGO's findings came after it carried out a data analysis of resale flat buyers who had applied for and obtained either the Family Grant or Singles Grant from April 1, 2018 to September 30 last year. Of the 22,627 who had appl...
Suzuki and Daihatsu Join Commercial Japan Partnership for Dissemination of CASE Technologies in Mini-commercial Vehicles
TOKYO, Jul 21, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Suzuki Motor Corporation (Suzuki) and Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. (Daihatsu) announced that they joined the Commercial Japan Partnership (CJP) commercial vehicle project today to accelerate their carbon neutrality initiatives in minivehicles through the dissemination of CASE technologies and services. As part of their participation in the project, Suzuki and Daihatsu are to each acquire 10 percent of issued shares of Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies, the joint venture for the CJP initiative, from Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota).Minivehicles, in which Suzuki and Daihatsu excel, account for about 31 million of the approximately 78 million vehicles owned in Japan and serve as an essential lifeline in the daily lives of people, especially in rural areas. Also, mini-commercial vehicles cover areas that are accessible to them because of their size and support last-mile logistics. Although minivehicles can play important roles in the realization of a carbon-neutral society and the spread of CASE technologies and services, in this era of profound transformation, there are many issues that minivehicle manufacturers are unable ...
Consumer watchdog Case gets new executive director
SINGAPORE - The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) has appointed a new executive director. In a statement on Monday (April 19), the consumer watchdog announced that Ms Lee Siow Hwee replaced incumbent Loy York Jiun at the beginning of the month. Mr Loy, 47, has returned to the National Trades Union Congress, from which he was seconded as deputy executive director of Case on April 1, 2016. He was appointed as executive director in 2017. Ms Lee, 42, has served in the People's Association for 18 years in roles, including as deputy general manager of Central Singapore Community Development Council as well as constituency director of Moulmein-Cairnhill and Jurong Central constituency offices. During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, she led several national assistance schemes to support affected households and local businesses in central Singapore. These included the CDC Student Meals Scheme, which helped families living in flats under the Public Rental Scheme with children studying in primary and secondary schools defray the cost of buying meals while on home-based learning. Case president Lim Biow Chuan said: "With Siow Hwee's extensive experience in working with sta...
Auditor EY replaces Germany boss after Wirecard scandal
FRANKFURT AM MAIN (AFP) - Auditing group EY on Thursday (Feb 25) announced that it was replacing the head of its German office as it moves to "restore trust" following the collapse of fraud-hit payments firm Wirecard. EY Germany boss Hubert Barth, who was in the job for five years, will stay at the company and be assigned to a new role "on a European level", the Ernst and Young group said in a statement. Taking his place will be a leadership duo consisting of Henrik Ahlers, a senior executive at EY Germany, and Jean-Yves Jegourel, vice-chair at EY's global assurance division. EY, one of the world's "Big Four" accountancy giants, said the reshuffle was part of a reorganisation of its European operations. It added that the new leadership would focus on "further strengthening the quality and growth of the German office". But the move also comes after EY faced fierce criticism for its role in the downfall of disgraced German firm Wirecard, whose books it had been checking since 2009. "EY's top priority is to contribute to clearing up the Wirecard case and to restore trust that has been lost," the group said, adding that it was working "on measures and initiatives to increase confidence...
Full refunds for hotel guests after cases at Crowne Plaza Changi
Guests at the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport who wish to cancel their bookings can do so at no charge, the hotel said after two Covid-19 cases among its staff forced it to close for two weeks. Those with pre-paid reservations will receive a full refund, it said in a statement to The Straits Times. They will also be given the option of staying in another hotel under its parent, the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG). A third linked case was confirmed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday, with a special operation under way to test 234 staff working at the hotel. The latest case is a 20-year-old Singaporean who works at Azur, a restaurant in Crowne Plaza Changi Airport. The man was identified as a close contact of the first case at the hotel, and quarantined on Tuesday. He developed symptoms on Thursday, was swabbed and found in preliminary tests to be positive for the more infectious B117 strain. MOH said that of the 233 hotel staff who have been swabbed, 129 test results have come back negative. The rest are pending. The hotel said its current guests will be given the option to move. A spokesman said: "If they prefer to check out before the end of their stay, they will be compens...
Teen accused of murdering father has his case adjourned to Feb 17
SINGAPORE - The case of the 14-year-old boy accused of murdering his own father has been adjourned to Feb 17 after the police said they needed more time to complete their investigation. One of his defence lawyers, Mr Shashi Nathan, told The Straits Times that medical, psychiatric and forensic reports linked to the case are also not ready. With the adjournment, the teenager will remain in remand at a boys' home. He was not offered bail at the Youth Courts on Wednesday (Jan 6), as he faces a murder charge. Details about the boy and his family cannot be revealed, as those under 18 are covered under the Children and Young Persons Act. The Singaporean is accused of murdering his 49-year-old father in a condominium unit in Flora Road, near Loyang Avenue, at around 10am on Dec 11 last year. The man was found injured and motionless. He was taken unconscious to Changi General Hospital where he later died. The boy, who was in the same unit, was arrested. The teenager is represented by lawyers from Withers KhattarWong. While offenders convicted of murder could receive the death penalty, those below 18 years old do not get the death sentence but may be imprisoned for life. More on this topic R...
Covid-19 case on cruise: S’pore has necessary protocols in place, says Chan Chun Sing
SINGAPORE - The Covid-19 case detected on a cruise to nowhere illustrates the importance of having protocols in place to quickly contact trace and isolate close contacts, said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing. "We have put in place the necessary protocols to make sure that we can assure ourselves and assure the public that something like that can be managed," he told reporters on Wednesday (Dec 9). The minister's comments come after the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Quantum of the Seas had to turn back on day three of a four-day cruise to nowhere after an 83-year-old Singaporean passenger tested positive for the coronavirus. Various agencies are now going through the steps to contact trace and monitor passengers who came into contact with the patient, Mr Chan said. He was speaking to reporters during a visit to Siemens Advance Manufacturing Transformation Centre in Tuas, where he met with trainees of the additive-manufacturing training course under the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme. The Covid-19 case on the cruise was not unexpected, he said. "We have always made the assumption that someday, something may happen." In resuming economic activities, Singapore adopts a...
Covid-19 case on cruise: Safety rules for cruises to nowhere
SINGAPORE - After a confirmed Covid-19 case was discovered on board Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas cruise ship, the vessel had to return to Singapore, arriving on Wednesday (Dec 9) on the third day of a four-day cruise to nowhere. The ship, which is the second to sail from Singapore as part of a safe cruise pilot scheme by the Singapore Tourism Board, has isolated all guests and crew who had close contact with the guest. All of them tested negative for the coronavirus. Genting Cruise Lines launched Singapore's first pandemic cruise to nowhere on Nov 6, with 1,400 passengers on the World Dream mega-ship. Here is a look at the safety regimes and protocol on the Quantum of the Seas. CruiseSafe standards All ships sailing out of Singapore will have to receive CruiseSafe certification and adhere to its safety and hygiene guidelines to screen for and prevent the spread of Covid-19. These standards include: - Putting in place infection control measures at every stage of a passenger's journey, including a mandatory Covid-19 test prior to boarding - Strict and frequent cleaning and sanitisation protocols on ships - Safe management measures aligned with prevailing national policy at t...
Court of Appeal allows Singaporean death row inmate to argue his case on scheduling of executions
SINGAPORE - The Court of Appeal on Friday (Oct 23) gave the green light for Singaporean drug trafficker Syed Suhail Syed Zin, 44, to argue his case that death row inmates are not being treated equally in the scheduling of executions. Suhail is seeking judicial review of the Singapore Prison Service's decision to carry out the death sentence on him before those who were convicted before him, which he contends is a violation of his right to equality under the Constitution. The decision by the apex court to grant permission for judicial review came after Suhail's lawyer, Mr M. Ravi, cited the case of Malaysian drug trafficker Datchinamurthy Kataiah, who was given the death sentence before Suhail in 2015. Mr Ravi also pointed out that Datchinamurthy's inmate number is 944, while Suhail's is 949, to support his case about the sequence in which they were put on death row. Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, giving the decision of the three-judge apex court, said that on the face of it, there is an inconsistency between the known facts and an affidavit submitted to the court by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Based on this apparent inconsistency, the threshold to grant permission for judic...
WP’s Sylvia Lim files new motion on issues raised by ex-maid Parti Liyani’s case
SINGAPORE - The Workers' Party (WP) has filed a fresh motion in Parliament pertaining to the issues raised by a court case involving Ms Parti Liyani, the former domestic worker of former Changi Airport Group and Surbana Jurong chairman Liew Mun Leong. WP chairman Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC) filed the private member's motion, which was supported by fellow WP MP He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC), the party said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Oct 21). The motion states: "That this House affirms that fairness, access and independence are cornerstones of Singapore's justice system, and calls on the Government to recognise and remedy its shortcomings in order to enhance justice for all, regardless of means or social status, including facilitating a review of the justice system." Ms Parti was sentenced to jail for two years and two months last year for stealing $34,000 worth of items from the Liew family. The Indonesian domestic worker had her conviction overturned by High Court Judge Chan Seng Onn, who questioned the motivation of the Liew family in making the police report and also raised issues with the police investigations. Ms Lim had filed an adjournment motion on the topic last month, whic...