DAILY NEWS

Daily News – 9 November 2021 (Tue)

Singapore Real Estate

Thomson View up for collective sale again with S$950m reserve price
Thomson View Condominium has been put up for collective sale again, with a reserve price of S$950 million. The 99-year leasehold property will be the largest residential site by price quantum to be launched for collective sale this year, said exclusive marketing agent OrangeTee Advisory in a statement on Monday (Nov 8).
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/thomson-view-up-for-collective-sale-again-with-s950m-reserve-price
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/property/thomson-view-launches-singapores-biggest-residential-en-bloc-sale-this-year-at-950

Owners of Bukit Timah Road mixed-use site seek S$85m in en bloc tender
SIXTH Avenue Centre, a mixed-use boutique site located at 805 Bukit Timah Road, will be launched for collective sale via tender on Tuesday (Nov 9), exclusive marketing agent Cushman & Wakefield said on Monday (Nov 8).
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/owners-of-bukit-timah-road-mixed-use-site-seek-s85m-in-en-bloc-tender

Pandemic fallout blunts textbook policy of raising land supply to curb rising home prices
Private home prices in Singapore rose for the sixth consecutive quarter in the third quarter of 2021, up 1.1 per cent. Developers sold 3,550 new homes excluding executive condominium units in the latest quarter. Pasir Ris 8 sold around 85 per cent of its 487 units at its launch weekend in July, where there were multiple rounds of price hikes.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/pandemic-fallout-blunts-textbook-policy-of-raising-land-supply-to-curb-rising-home

Singapore Economy

S’pore to see strong recovery in 2021/22 despite pandemic resurgence risks: Economists
Singapore – Backed by targeted government support and external demand, Singapore’s economy has rebounded since the second half of 2020 and is now expected to grow “strongly” this year and next, economists from the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (Amro) said on Monday (Nov 8).
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/economy/spore-to-see-strong-recovery-in-202122-despite-pandemic-resurgence-risks-economists
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/economists-expect-singapore-to-make-strong-recovery-in-202122-despite-pandemic

Collaboration on digitalisation, sustainability key to Singapore, China’s future

To bounce back stronger and make headway in a future beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, Singapore, China and the rest of Asia should work together to address the 2 major trends of digitalisation and sustainability, said government and business leaders at a Business China event on Monday (Nov 8).
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/collaboration-on-digitalisation-sustainability-key-to-singapore-chinas-future
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/collaboration-on-digitalisation-sustainability-key-to-spore-chinas-future

Singapore in talks to ‘reconnect’ with more Asean countries
Singapore is in talks to “reconnect” with more Asean neighbours, with 8 countries in the region being upgraded in the Republic’s travel risk classification system, said Transport Minister S Iswaran on Monday (Nov 8) shortly after news broke of the upcoming Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) with Malaysia.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/singapore-in-talks-to-reconnect-with-more-asean-countries

Companies’ Brief

Corporate Digest
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/corporate-digest-149

Views, Reviews, Forum & Others

Ecosystem pathways for smart construction
From the construction of smart buildings and infrastructure to its underlying technologies, the engineering and construction (E&C) sector has a crucial role to play in enabling Singapore to fulfil its ambition of becoming a Smart City.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/ecosystem-pathways-for-smart-construction

Tackling an uneven recovery in Singapore’s labour market, post-Covid
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a severe and uneven impact on the labour market in Singapore, with employment falling at a record pace in 2020 and remaining weak in 2021. The impact has been especially acute on the retail, travel-related, and food and beverage industries;
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/tackling-an-uneven-recovery-in-singapores-labour-market-post-covid

Inequitable vaccine distribution, climate change and inflation possible growth risks for Asia Pacific’s economic recovery: Report
Even as Asia-Pacific is set for a “sharp recovery” thanks to unprecedented policy support and the accelerated distribution and adoption of vaccinations, stakeholders remain deeply concerned about the impact fragmented travel rules will have on the recovery of their economies, according to the sixteenth State of the Region report.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/global-enterprise/inequitable-vaccine-distribution-climate-change-and-inflation-possible-growth

Update on COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) Situation

S’pore reports 2,470 new Covid-19 cases; weekly infection growth rate at 0.84
Singapore – There were 2,470 new Covid-19 infections reported on Monday (Nov 8), down from 2,553 the day before, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in its daily report. The weekly infection growth rate was at 0.84 on Monday, up from 0.81 on Sunday.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/spore-reports-2470-new-covid-19-cases-weekly-infection-growth-rate-at-084
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/singapore-reports-2470-new-covid-19-cases-weekly-infection-growth-rate-at-084

5 people from same household can dine out together from Nov 10
In a move anticipated by the food and beverage (F&B) industry, Singapore will allow up to 5 people from the same household to dine out together from Wednesday (Nov 10), up from the current limit of 2. Even so, it was the decision to allow “soft recorded music” again that came as “a pleasant surprise”…
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/5-people-from-same-household-can-dine-out-together-from-nov-10
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/households-can-dine-out-in-groups-of-up-to-5-from-nov-10-as-covid-19-cases

Covid-19 patients unvaccinated by choice to pay their own medical bills from Dec 8
Covid-19 patients who are unvaccinated by choice will have to foot their own medical bills from Dec 8, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung at a multi-ministry taskforce briefing on Monday (Nov 8). This will apply to all unvaccinated Covid-19 patients admitted on or after Dec 8 to hospitals and Covid-19 treatment facilities.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/covid-19-patients-unvaccinated-by-choice-to-pay-their-own-medical-bills-from-dec

‘Perfectly safe’ to have a different mRNA vaccine when getting booster jab: Kenneth Mak
Singapore – Taking a different mRNA vaccine as a booster will lead to an equally effective outcome as sticking to the same vaccine, said Singapore’s director of medical services Kenneth Mak. Speaking at a press conference on Monday (Nov 8), Associate Professor Mak cited from his personal experience to assure the public.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/mixed-or-not-mrna-booster-shots-are-equally-effective-kenneth-mak

5 takeaways from Covid-19 press conference on Nov 8
Singapore – On Monday (Nov 8), the multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19 here held a press conference to announce further developments in Singapore’s fight against the virus. Here are five highlights:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/antibody-levels-not-the-only-immunity-marker-5-takeaways-from-covid-19-press

Singapore to decide on Covid-19 vaccine for kids aged 5 to 11 in November
Singapore – An expert committee will make a recommendation on whether to extend the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to children aged five to 11 in the second half of November, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Monday (Nov 8).
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-to-decide-on-covid-19-vaccine-for-kids-aged-5-to-11-in-november

As S’poreans explore the world again, demand rises for Covid-19 pre-departure tests
Singapore – Now that more planes are in the air, clinics like ATA Medical are experiencing heightened demand from travellers for Covid-19 pre-departure tests. Recently, its health-screening rooms were converted to swabbing stations for Singapore residents poised to travel.
https://www.straitstimes.com/life/travel/as-sporeans-explore-the-world-again-demand-rises-for-covid-19-pre-departure-tests

Singapore-Malaysia VTL starts Nov 29; businesses look to reopening of land links
Businesses welcomed the news of an upcoming vaccinated travel lane (VTL) between Singapore and Malaysia but eagerly await the resumption of travel via land links which is seen as just as – if not more – important.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/transport/singapore-malaysia-vtl-starts-nov-29-businesses-look-to-reopening-of-land-links
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/singapore-malaysia-to-start-vtl-for-quarantine-free-air-travel-from-nov-29

S’pore eases border measures for more South-east Asian countries; new VTLs launched with Finland and Sweden
Singapore – Passengers arriving from Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines are among those who will see more relaxed border measures from Nov 11, the authorities in Singapore announced on Monday (Nov 8).
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/spore-eases-border-measures-for-more-south-east-asian-countries-new-vtls-launched-with

*For more information, please visit the Ministry of Health (MOH) website at www.moh.gov.sg and refer to go.gov.sg/mohupdates for updates on the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) situation