singapore

Bill Gates among star speakers at S’pore’s biggest fintech fest

elean 7 12 月

2 minutes

Singapore's biggest fintech festival and innovation week kicks off today with a star-line up of speakers, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Google chief executive Sundar Pichai and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who is also Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies and Minister for Finance, will open the Singapore FinTech Festival and Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SFF x Switch 2020) by speaking on the state of the economy. Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year's festival will largely be held online from today till Friday. Events will happen round the clock and participants can visit technology exhibitions, attend masterclasses by fintech and deep tech experts, as well as network with private equity and investment firms from around the world, said a joint statement from organisers Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Enterprise Singapore. There will also be live sessions with climate scientists in the polar regions, the Amazon forest and the Himalayas. About 1,400 speakers are slated to speak, among them finance and technology leaders, entrepreneurs and policymakers, including Facebook co-founder Ed...

Weekly Podcasts: Digital banks to jazz up Singapore; green recovery from Covid-19

aseanpr 5 12 月

2 minutes

ST & BT Podcasts of the week (Dec 5) SFF x Switch 2020 Ep 1: New digital banks to jazz up Singapore (featuring Monetary Authority of Singapore's managing director Ravi Menon) Editor Says Ep 6: As the media goes, so goes democracy (featuring The Straits Times editor Warren Fernandez) Health Check Ep 49: Recognise porn addiction; treatment options (featuring Andrew da Roza, addictions psychotherapist at Promises Healthcare) Green Pulse Ep 38: Road to a green recovery from Covid-19 (featuring Singapore Management University assistant professor of strategic management, Simon Schillebeeckx) Green Pulse Ep 39: Singapore’s great green transition (featuring Singapore Management University assistant professor of strategic management, Simon Schillebeeckx) SFF x Switch 2020 Ep 2: Tech boom in the time of Covid-19 (featuring Monetary Authority of Singapore's managing director Ravi Menon) SFF x Switch 2020 Ep 3: How the Singapore FinTech Festival adapted to Covid-19 (featuring Monetary Authority of Singapore's managing director Ravi Menon) The Big Story Ep 61: Cell-cultured meat could be sold in Singapore in world first (featuring ST science and environment correspondent Audrey Tan) Life Weeken...

Company briefs: Millennium & Copthorne Hotels

elean 5 12 月

2 minutes

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels City Developments' subsidiary Millennium & Copthorne (M&C) Hotels announced on Thursday that its hotels in Singapore and London have had a jump in bookings for staycations and at its restaurants, on robust domestic demand ahead of the year-end festive season and Chinese New Year next year. Singapore hotels under M&C recorded bookings for 31,480 room nights from August to last month, up nearly sevenfold from the 4,698 room nights in the four months prior. THE BUSINESS TIMES Affirm Holdings Affirm Holdings, whose major investors include GIC, has agreed to buy Canadian buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) firm PayBright for C$340 million (S$352 million), as the lending start-up looks to expand outside the United States. The deal marks the first major sign of consolidation in the BNPL sector, which is riding on an online shopping boom accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic and is now seeing intensifying competition. REUTERS Boeing Boeing sealed a landmark order for its 737 Max jet from Ryanair Holdings, boosting the United States planemaker's efforts to revive its best-selling model after a 20-month grounding. Dublin-based Ryanair will add to an existing Max purchase by...

M&C reports spike in bookings for Singapore, London hotels amid holiday season

elean 4 12 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE (THE BUSINESS TIMES) - City Developments Limited's (CDL) subsidiary Millennium & Copthorne Hotels announced on Thursday (Dec 3) that its hotels in Singapore and London have had a jump in bookings for staycations and its restaurants on robust domestic demand ahead of the year-end festive season and Chinese New Year next year. Singapore hotels under M&C recorded bookings for 31,480 room nights from August to November, up nearly sevenfold from 4,698 room nights in the four months prior. M&C owns or operates over 2,000 hotel rooms in Singapore, including Orchard Hotel Singapore, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Copthorne King's Hotel, M Social Singapore, M Hotel and Studio M. "Across major cities, we are seeing a clear trend of travellers choosing to holiday within their home countries as air travel is likely to remain restricted through 2021 due to the pandemic," said Lee Richards, M&C's vice-president (operations) for South-east Asia. "Our hotels worldwide are responding to this trend in domestic demand with digital marketing strategies and promotions." M&C operates 66 hotels in Asia, Europe and the UK, the US and New Zealand under the Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) g...

Two deals inked to facilitate S’pore-EU cooperation

elean 4 12 月

2 minutes

Two agreements to facilitate cooperation and business activities between Singapore and the European Union (EU) were signed yesterday. One is an administrative arrangement between Singapore and the European Commission on cluster cooperation and the other is a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and the European Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (EuroCham). They were both inked at a hybrid actual/virtual event, with the physical signing taking place at InterContinental Singapore. The event marked the first anniversary of the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) coming into force. The EUSFTA kicked in on Nov 21 last year. The administrative agreement will provide a framework for facilitating cooperation and business activities between industry clusters in Singapore and the EU, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the European Union Delegation in Singapore said in a joint release yesterday. Activities under the framework include regular exchanges and business matchmaking events where Singapore and European business communities can connect and develop strategic partnerships. Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran, who ...

S’pore has to raise auditing standards, says MAS chief

elean 4 12 月

3 minutes

Singapore needs to raise its auditing and accounting standards to boost the nation's environmental, social and governance (ESG) credibility following a series of corporate scandals, according to the country's top central banker. "There have been several failures that are due to lapses in accounting, auditing and some fraudulent activities are not as easily detected," said Mr Ravi Menon, head of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). "It is an area that needs to be addressed." While Singapore's corporate disclosure level improved this year, it lags behind neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Thailand, according to a report published in October by the Securities Investors Association (Singapore). Compliance around ESG standards is becoming an existential question for firms as sustainable investing assets swell to more than US$30 trillion (S$40 trillion), according to a report by the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance. Singapore has had its share of high-profile corporate scandals in recent years. Hyflux, a water-treatment firm, owes about $2.8 billion to some 34,000 retail investors and banks, while commodity trader Noble Group Holdings remains under investigation by t...

MOE’s four main strategies to prepare students for post-Covid 19 environment

aseanpr 3 12 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE -The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated many large-scale societal, economic and technological trends, and this will have lasting effects on how people live, work and interact with each other, Education Minister Lawrence Wong said. To better prepare students for this fast-changing environment, the Ministry of Education (MOE) will adopt four main strategies, he said on Thursday (Dec 3). It will step up efforts to maximise opportunities for disadvantaged students, build multiple pathways for students to hone their strengths, help them develop attitudes and skills beyond book knowledge, and focus more on interdisciplinary learning. "There are major trends that are already under way which will continue to accelerate, things like online shopping, digital entertainment, virtual communications and even virtual presence... And these trends will surely continue after Covid-19,'' said Mr Wong. "There will be unequal recovery across industries and across countries, post-pandemic, and there will surely be lasting effects on how we live, work and interact with each other for the foreseeable future." Mr Wong was speaking on the future of education at the first session of a webinar series...

Singapore Fintech Festival and the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology to feature world�s first 24-hour hybrid digital and physical event

indie 3 12 月

6 minutes

SINGAPORE, Dec 3, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - The Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF) and the Singapore Week of Innovation and TeCHnology (SWITCH), the world's first week-long round-the-clock, hybrid digital and physical event, will run from 7 to 11 December 2020. Organised by Monetary Authority of Singapore and Enterprise Singapore, the event will feature a unique hybrid format that combines a 24-hour online event platform with global satellite events around the world.SFF x SWITCH 2020 will feature a digital city that will allow participants access to over 650 speakers from the global innovation and tech community, 150 content partners, 200 sessions to engage participants and more than 900 exhibitors on the Digital Singapore platform. Participants can access live content broadcasts running round-the-clock and on-demand sessions. Established speakers participating at SWITCH include:- Dr Chi Youngcho, President and CIO, Hyundai Motor Group- Timothy Draper, Founding Partner, Draper Associates- Henry Ma, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, WeBank- Professor H.S. Philip Wong, Willard R. and Inez Kerr Bell, Professor of School of Engineering, Stanford University - Albert, C...

Tiger Broker Singapore’s Parent Company UP Fintech Sees 1 Million Customers Worldwide, Driven by More Than Triple Increase in Quarterly Account Openings in Singapore

indie 2 12 月

7 minutes

SINGAPORE, Dec 2, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Xiaomi-backed Tiger Brokers Singapore today announced a 3-fold momentous growth in account openings during 3Q 2020 as compared to 2Q 2020. Tiger Brokers Singapore also saw an increase in trading value by 540 per cent as compared to 2Q2020. The Technology and Electronic Vehicles (EV) sectors has seen the most amount of interest with demand for companies such as APPLE, TESLA, NIO, due to investors' positive expectations for the companies in the long run. This growth was driven by an increased interest in investing during this period, due to a digitally-driven lifestyle cultivated during the pandemic where more Singapore investors tried online trading. A recent report (e-Conomy SEA 2020) showed a regional trend towards the digitalisation in finance, where Investment Assets under management in the region is expected to grow to US$84 billion in 2025 at a Compound Annual Rate Growth (CAGR) of 32 per cent. The online trading platform launched in February this year, and 30 per cent of its users in Singapore aged between 18-24 years old.Tiger Brokers Singapore also enhanced their platform during this period, providing access to top exchanges around ...

Learn more about Singapore Army at virtual exhibition as it marks 55th anniversary

aseanpr 1 12 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Step into the boots of a soldier and take down your enemies in a forest in Mandai, or solve jigsaw puzzles of pictures related to the army. These games are part of the activities in the Singapore Army's first virtual exhibition, launched on Tuesday (Dec 1) to commemorate its 55th year since the passing of the Singapore Army Bill on Dec 23, 1965. Visitors can also learn more about the Army's history, weapons and vehicles at the exhibition, which is accessible on laptops or smartphones online till Dec 13. Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How, who launched the exhibition, said the Army has come a long way from its modest beginnings, from two infantry battalions when Singapore became independent to the third-generation, networked force of today. "Over the past 55 years, our Army has given strength and confidence to Singapore and Singaporeans, especially in times of crisis. This enduring commitment was exemplified most recently in our national fight against Covid-19," he said in a pre-recorded message. Mr Heng said more than 5,000 Army personnel stepped forward to contribute during the pandemic, in areas such as contact tracing, taking care of migrant workers a...

Large firms step up to help SMEs as govt aid tapers off

elean 30 11 月

4 minutes

Several large companies are helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) stay afloat as the coronavirus outbreak continues to take a toll on their finances and operations. The initiatives involve providing much-needed relief and training to firms at a time when some government assistance is tapering off as the economy gradually reopens. American software company Salesforce has partnered the Singapore Business Federation to hand out $960,000 in cash grants to eligible SMEs. The programme is expected to benefit 120 firms, which will each receive a grant of $8,000. They can use the funds for their immediate cash-flow needs, such as rent and operating costs, to pay staff wages and to upgrade their skills or to digitalise. Singapore-registered SMEs with at least 30 per cent local shareholding, an annual revenue of $150,000 to $2 million, and which employ between five and 50 employees, are eligible to apply. Applications opened last Monday and close on Dec 23. Firms can go to this website to find out more. Salesforce Singapore vice-president and general manager Cecily Ng said it is the right time for Singapore businesses to tap the grant money to fuel growth, given that the economy ...

Singapore, Hong Kong office Reits prove resilient in post-virus world

elean 28 11 月

3 minutes

The office may never reach its past heights in the post-pandemic world, but the outlook for Singapore and Hong Kong offices is promising. Relatively small homes in these cities, short commutes to work and new tech firm tenants bode well for property trusts that focus on these markets. Domestically focused real estate investment trusts (Reits) in these hubs have outperformed their peers in Australia and Japan this year, and continue to rise on the back of a rotation to economically sensitive stocks. Hong Kong's Champion Reit, whose tenants include Citigroup, Singapore's Keppel Reit and Mapletree Commercial Trust, has beaten baskets of equally weighted trusts in Australia and Japan, according to Bloomberg-compiled data. To be sure, no one expects Singapore and Hong Kong offices to be left unscathed from the pandemic. Companies like Citigroup, Mizuho Financial Group in Singapore and Macquarie Group in Hong Kong are giving up office space as demand wavers and they confront a future of some remote work. Singapore's vacancy rates have already risen to 4.9 per cent in the third quarter from 3.3 per cent a year earlier, while the rates for Hong Kong's Grade A office spaces were up at 9 per...

NS registration starts on Dec 2 for men born between Oct 1, 2003, and Jan 1, 2004

aseanpr 27 11 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Male Singapore citizens and permanent residents born between Oct 1, 2003, and Jan 1, 2004, must register for national service from next month. Registration begins on Dec 2, and ends on Dec 22, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Friday (Nov 27). Registrants may apply online or in person at the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) Podium at 3 Depot Road. Online registration is recommended, as there might be a queue for walk-in registration. Registrants can apply online or in person to postpone their enlistment to complete their studies in Singapore. They must do this after they register for NS but before they start service. If successful, the registrant will receive further notice as to when he must report for enlistment and go for his medical examination. All other registrants who do not meet the postponement criteria or are unsuccessful in applying for it, must pick a date between Jan 27, 2021 and March 2, 2021 for their medical screening, and turn up on the appointed date at CMPB from 8am to 1pm. Under the Enlistment Act, all male citizens and Singapore PRs are liable for NS registration upon reaching the age of 16½ years old. More on this topic Related Story SAF t...

Less than half of Singapore households have switched to electricity retailers

aseanpr 27 11 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Less than half of the 1.4 million households in Singapore have switched to an electricity retailer since the launch of the Open Electricity Market (OEM) around two years ago, said the Energy Market Authority (EMA) on Thursday (Nov 26). The EMA reported that most households are still purchasing electricity from SP Group, the primary supplier of electricity in Singapore prior to the liberalisation of the energy market in November 2018. While 40 per cent of households in Singapore switched to electricity from OEM retailers in the first year of the scheme, it rose marginally by another eight percentage points as at the end of October. The OEM scheme was rolled out to provide households more choices when it comes to choosing energy retailers. There are now 12 OEM suppliers in Singapore. Among these retailers, Keppel Electric has the largest market share at 23.4 per cent followed by Geneco with 21 per cent. In a consumer satisfaction survey (CSS) conducted by the EMA between November 2019 and June this year, nine in 10 households indicated they were satisfied with the service provided by their OEM suppliers. Based on the survey in which more than 7,000 households took part, D...

Thailand beats S’pore again as top IPO market in South-east Asia

elean 27 11 月

3 minutes

Thailand's initial public offering market has chalked up another stellar performance, beating Singapore for the second year running as the top IPO market in South-east Asia by value of funds raised, according to research from professional services firm Deloitte. Singapore had eight listings that raised a total of US$852 million (S$1.14 billion) in the first 101/2 months of this year. This was dwarfed by the US$3.9 billion raised from 23 IPOs in Thailand in the same period. Last year's competition was keener, with Thailand raising US$3 billion from 34 listings, compared with the US$2.26 billion from 11 listings in Singapore. Thailand, South-east Asia's second-largest economy, also outdid the combined performance of the region's largest economy Indonesia, Singapore and the three other countries in Deloitte's research - Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. They raised a total of US$2.54 billion this year. Disruptive events advisory leader at Deloitte Thailand Wilasinee Krishnamra said: "Largely driven by home-grown companies and fuelled by increasing investor interests in firms focused on consumer businesses, (Thailand's IPO market) continues to appeal strongly to investors and fund...

ATF Online+ Announces Full Event Line-up

indie 26 11 月

7 minutes

Mornings with Industry Leaders: Adam Lewinson, Dr Michael Gryseels, Archana Anand, Jon Penn, Jimin Fang, Priya Dogra and Jacques du Puy (L-R) Singapore - Nov 26, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) 2020 returns in less than a week with a jam-packed schedule tailored for the online audience. Charging forward into 2021 and into the realm of content connectivity, commerce and beyond, the programme line-up will see industry leaders discuss and provide insights on a range of topics from digital transformation to partnership announcements and an exclusive look at how China's Film & TV Industry has developed in 2020 with a 2021 forecast. Leading the line-up are key Asian brands at the forefront of digital innovation and adoption. Dr Michael Gryseels, President of True Digital Group from Thailand and Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer of Zee5 will expound on the significance of sustainable models and investments in the digital economy while industry heavyweights such as WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks who are also doubling down on digital transformation efforts will be sharing strategies for manoeuvring the challenges in the year ahead. At the forefront of pa...

ATF Online+ Announces Full Event Line-up

indie 26 11 月

7 minutes

SINGAPORE, Nov 26, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) 2020 returns in less than a week with a jam-packed schedule tailored for the online audience.Mornings with Industry Leaders: Adam Lewinson, Dr Michael Gryseels, Archana Anand, Jon Penn, Jimin Fang, Priya Dogra and Jacques du Puy (L-R)Charging forward into 2021 and into the realm of content connectivity, commerce and beyond, the programme line-up will see industry leaders discuss and provide insights on a range of topics from digital transformation to partnership announcements and an exclusive look at how China's Film & TV Industry has developed in 2020 with a 2021 forecast.Leading the line-up are key Asian brands at the forefront of digital innovation and adoption. Dr Michael Gryseels, President of True Digital Group from Thailand and Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer of Zee5 will expound on the significance of sustainable models and investments in the digital economy while industry heavyweights such as WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks who are also doubling down on digital transformation efforts will be sharing strategies for manoeuvring the challenges in the year ahead.At the forefront of partner...

Public service report card: Incomes of Singaporeans rise and inequality falls, but growth hit by Covid-19

aseanpr 26 11 月

6 minutes

SINGAPORE - Even as Singapore wrestles with the fallout from Covid-19, the Government has managed to boost incomes and reduce wealth inequality, while making sure necessities such as housing and healthcare remain affordable. Singapore also continues to be business-friendly and internationally competitive. These are among the key achievements of the public service up till 2019 in most cases, according to a new report released by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Thursday (Nov 26). The Singapore Public Sector Outcomes Review (Spor), a stock-take of the sector's work that is unveiled every two years, rounds up key figures in such areas as the economy and social support. But unlike past editions, this year's review has a special section in recognition of the whole-of-nation effort to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Titled "Emerging Stronger as One", it highlights how Singaporeans, businesses and the community have stepped forward to partner the Government to help those in need. Here are four key takeaways from the report: 1. Lower income inequality, more work opportunities For the first time in five years, 2019 shows Singapore's Gini coefficient - a measure of income inequality - dippin...

Events sector gearing up to help Republic retain its edge

elean 25 11 月

4 minutes

With several pilot events under way and others to come, Singapore's meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice) industry is gearing up to ensure that the Republic retains its position as a leading Mice hub. Experts said that there is a first-mover advantage to be captured, and Singapore's handling of the coronavirus crisis means that it is ready to reinforce its position as a global Mice destination, but with the necessary precautions in place. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is currently processing up to 50 applications to hold pilot Mice events with up to 250 participants each. At least 20 pilot events have been approved so far. Applications opened early last month, with event organisers required to comply with strict safe management measures and guidelines. The pilot events like last month's Singapore International Energy Week and the upcoming TravelRevive, where prototypes such as meeting pods for Mice events are put in place, provide insights that enable measures and guidelines to be refined, said Dr Edward Koh, executive director of conventions, meetings and incentive travel at STB. Pilot antigen rapid testing for Covid-19 will be scaled up at TravelRevive to p...

Public more vigilant in reporting possible family violence as Govt steps up awareness efforts

aseanpr 23 11 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - More people are reporting possible incidents of family violence as the Government ramps up efforts to raise awareness and detection of the issue, including training pharmacy staff to detect signs of abuse in customers. The Ministry of Social and Family Development's Adult and Child Protective services saw a 25 per cent increase in the monthly average number of enquiries post-circuit breaker, in the months of June to September, compared to April and May. Explaining the reason for the increase, Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State for Social and Family Development as well as Education, on Monday (Nov 23) said that the public is more vigilant. But she noted that the number of incidents investigated remains at a monthly average of 118 from January to September this year. Speaking at the National Family Violence Networking System Conference held online, Ms Sun also announced that MSF is partnering Unity pharmacies to detect signs and symptoms of family violence. It will train 46 staff of the NTUC FairPrice-owned chain, which has more than 60 stores around Singapore. On Tuesday, Unity pharmacists will be trained to better identify possible victims of family violence. "This can h...

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