2024-03-11
Passenger service on the fourth stage of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) from Tanjong Rhu to Bayshore will start on June 23, improving accessibility for those living in and travelling to the East Coast region, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said on March 5, 2024. The seven new MRT stations on the 10.8km stretch are Tanjong Rhu, Katong Park, Tanjong Katong, Marine Parade, Marine Terrace, Siglap and Bayshore. They will be connected to the first three stages of the TEL, from Woodlands North to Gardens by the Bay. In a statement, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said passengers can do […]
2024-03-04
SINGAPORE – In the 2050s, more than 100 flights departing Changi Airport each day could be powered by hydrogen instead of jet fuel, if estimates from a recently concluded study are anything to go by. According to the study, Singapore’s aviation sector may consume up to 50 tonnes of liquid hydrogen a day to power aircraft from the 2040s, with this potentially climbing to 600 tonnes daily a decade later in a high-demand scenario. CAG, CAAS, Airbus and Linde said the study’s liquid hydrogen consumption estimates were based on the premise that future hydrogen aircraft with capacities of about 100 […]
2024-02-29
SINGAPORE – As part of its efforts to tackle climate change, Singapore will be constructing the world’s largest facility to boost the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. The US$20 million (S$27 million) plant, once fully operational in 2025, will be able to remove some 3,650 tonnes of CO2 from the ocean yearly, while helping PUB to decarbonise its water treatment processes, the national water agency said on February 27, 2024. As PUB’s water treatment processes, including desalination, are energy-intensive, it is looking to invest in research and development to reduce energy use and help capture […]
2024-02-27
SINGAPORE – More than $100 million will be channelled over the next three years into helping social service agencies (SSAs) attract and retain talent. Under the new Transformation Sustainability Scheme, the agencies will be able to apply for funding of up to $200,000 each to improve their organisational capabilities in areas like volunteer management and innovation, said Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli on February 23, 2024. The scheme, to help such agencies better support social service professionals, was launched by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development. The scheme comes […]
2024-02-21
Non-oil domestic exports (Nodx) rose 16.8 per cent in January 2024, led by a jump in shipments of specialised machinery to make semiconductors, and non-monetary gold, data from Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) on February 16, 2024 showed. However, economists were heartened to see that on a month-on-month seasonally adjusted basis, Nodx rose 2.3 per cent in January after the 1.7 per cent decline the previous month. Both electronics and non-electronics exports grew. Notably, exports to China surged 101.3 per cent, driven by specialised machinery, non-monetary gold and measuring instruments. Non-electronics Nodx surged 21.2 per cent from a year earlier, extending the […]
2024-02-20
2024-02-19
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is partnering Singapore to set up a regional office in the South-east Asian nation to help drive Asia’s shift to cleaner energy, the agency and the Singapore Government announced on February 13, 2024. The IEA’s Regional Cooperation Centre is expected to start operations in the second half of 2024, and it will be the agency’s first office outside its Paris headquarters. The centre will provide policy guidance, technical assistance and training. It will also focus on deploying renewables and other clean energy technologies in the region, increasing cross-border power trade and improving access to finance […]
2024-02-07
On January 30, 2024, Global anti-graft watchdog Transparency International has ranked Singapore as the fifth least corrupt country in the world, with a score that also places the Republic as the least corrupt nation in Asia. Singapore scored 83 out of a possible 100 on the group’s 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), on a scale with zero for highly corrupt and 100 for very clean. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said the corruption situation in Singapore remains firmly under control. In the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2023, Singapore was ranked third for absence of corruption, the […]
2024-02-05
On January 30, 2024, The Republic attracted $12.7 billion in fixed asset investments in 2023 amid a challenging global environment that impacted business and investor sentiment, the Economic Development Board (EDB) said on Jan 30. In 2023, the chemicals sector took the lead in fixed asset investment commitments, accounting for about 35 per cent of the total, followed by electronics at 24.2 per cent, and research and development at 16.6 per cent. In all, the projects secured in 2023 are expected to create 20,045 new jobs when they are fully implemented in the next few years. Of the jobs to […]
2024-02-01
Around 3,000 of these companies are expected to generate $16.4 billion in revenue annually, and create 21,500 skilled jobs within the next three to five years, EnterpriseSG said in its annual review report on Jan 25, 2024. The other 15,000 companies partnered with EnterpriseSG on basic capability building, such as adopting digital solutions like inventory or human resource management systems. They also pursued initiatives to explore fresh market opportunities, such as participation in overseas trade fairs. About $10.2 billion of the $16.4 billion in projected revenue is expected to come from enhanced cost competitiveness through automation, process redesign and offshoring projects. FOZL Group […]
2024-01-29
Singapore and China will kick off their mutual 30-day visa-free arrangement on Feb 9, in time for the Chinese New Year holidays. The agreement, signed on Jan 25 by officials from both sides, will allow ordinary passport holders from Singapore and China to enter each other’s country without the need for a visa, and for a stay of up to 30 days. The exemption was announced in December 2023 when Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong was in China for an annual top-level meeting between the two governments on cooperation and joint projects. FOZL Group provides one-stop corporate services to local and overseas […]
2024-01-24
The Singapore Management University (SMU) on Jan 17 launched a new Urban Institute that will carry out research on Asian cities, to address challenges such as climate change and ageing infrastructure. The institute will bring together experts from different backgrounds to conduct research on urban cities in Singapore and South-east Asia. SMU chairman Piyush Gupta noted that cities are facing unprecedented challenges, from demographic shifts due to migration to the rising demand for access to education and jobs. The new institute will create a hub for urban planners, designers, economists, social scientists, and policymakers to work together to explore solutions, […]
2024-01-22
On January 16, 2024, Singapore has proposed a new governance framework for generative artificial intelligence, and is seeking international feedback on it. The new Model AI Governance Framework for Generative AI builds on an existing framework from 2019 that covers only traditional AI, and comes at a time when the generative AI scene is still developing. The framework, developed by the AI Verify Foundation and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), is part of Singapore’s contribution to the global conversation in this space, Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo said on Jan 16 (Tuesday). AI Verify is a toolkit meant […]
2024-01-16
On January 10, 2024, Amid rising demand for air travel in the Asia-Pacific region, an aviation innovation centre has been set up in Singapore to address airspace and manpower constraints through the use of technology. The centre was incorporated in August 2023 by CAAS as a company limited by guarantee. It will focus on the Asia-Pacific region, as air travel demand here is expected to grow robustly over the next few decades, the authority said. The centre will undertake research and development projects in four key areas: next-generation air navigation services, automated and smart airports, unmanned aviation systems and sustainable […]
2024-01-10
On January 8, 2024, Some 19,600 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats will be launched in 2024, including 2,800 flats with shorter waits of below three years. These will be launched across three sales exercises in February, June and October, down from four launches a year, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said in an interview with The Straits Times and Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao on Dec 28. The new classification of flats into Prime, Plus or Standard categories will take effect from the October launch, which will also be the largest in 2024, he added. FOZL Group provides one-stop corporate services to local and overseas companies, […]