Singapore Real Estate
Singapore property investment sales may dive up to 70% in 2020
Singapore property investment sales will take a hammering in 2020, and could plunge as much as 70 per cent. With a looming global recession, full year 2020 investment sales could dive to S$10-S$15 billion, a 54 to 70 per cent drop from 2019’s S$32.9 billion, said Christine Li, Cushman & Wakefield head of research for Singapore and Southeast Asia.
https://www.businesstimes.com.
https://www.straitstimes.com/
Companies’ Brief
CDL to expand EV charging points in new and existing developments
In a move towards a low-carbon future, City Developments Limited (CDL) will look into expanding electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in its new residential and commercial developments, as well as existing managed properties.
https://www.businesstimes.com.
https://www.straitstimes.com/
Keppel prices S$250m notes due 2025
Keppel Corporation has priced S$250 million worth of five-year notes, at 2.25 per cent per annum. The notes are expected to be issued on or about April 20, 2020 and are expected to be listed on the Singapore bourse on, or about the following business day after the issuance.
https://www.businesstimes.com.
Views, Reviews, Forum & Others
Covid-19 putting Singapore on global deeptech radar
Armband monitors. Rapid test kits. Vaccines. Artificial intelligence (AI) that can analyse thousands of CT scans in a flash. Singapore’s pioneering capabilities in such areas of deeptech have come to light in the global war to contain – and beat – the novel coronavirus. This country has invested billions on nurturing research institutes, building top-class medical labs and developing deeptech ecosystems, with the aim of harnessing the power of tech for good – and now the pandemic is putting these ecosystems to the test.
https://www.businesstimes.com.
Forum: Gradual restart of economy after circuit breaker
The majority of people in Singapore are observing the circuit breaker measures aimed at bringing down Covid-19 infection numbers (PM makes special appeal to older S’poreans to stay home, April 11).
https://www.straitstimes.com/
Big oil deal fails to energise SGX’s oil and gas counters
The biggest-ever output cuts by the world’s largest oil producers over the Easter weekend failed to energise oil and gas related stocks on the Singapore Exchange with the counters reflecting crude’s dispirited reaction so far.
https://www.businesstimes.com.
Risk alert, as China presses ahead with digital currency plans
After talking about it since 2014, China seems to have finally decided to move on its digital currency plan. Beijing’s central bank recently sent out its strongest signal yet that this year is likely to see the plan come to fruition.
https://www.businesstimes.com.
Scam linked to Covid-19: Victims lose $110k to fake officials
Scammers stole more than $110,000 in a new Covid-19-related ruse in which callers impersonate staff from the Ministry of Health (MOH) before referring victims to purported officials from China. The police said in a statement yesterday that since last month, they have received at least five reports of this new variant of the China officials impersonation scam.
https://www.straitstimes.com/
Regulators issue updated guidelines for virtual shareholder meetings
Companies that need “certain essential persons” to be in the same physical location to facilitate a virtual general meeting can now do so, provided that there are no more than six people at the venue, and safe-distancing measures are complied with.
https://www.businesstimes.com.
https://www.straitstimes.com/
Getting ultra-rich to open their wallets and finance recovery
The Group of 20 members should marshal the vast resources of billionaires and other ultra-rich individuals around the world when the coronavirus pandemic ends. A portion of their extraordinary wealth is urgently needed to boost research to counter future pandemics, regenerate health services and economies, and to deal with the impact of natural disasters.
https://www.businesstimes.com.
Singapore Budget 2020
Law to come down hard on those who abuse virus relief fund: Shanmugam
Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has warned that the government will “come down quite hard” on people who abuse the Covid-19 Temporary Relief Fund. “We take this very seriously,” he said at a “door-stop” interview via Zoom video conference, adding that the culprit would face “a heavy jail sentence” if he or she is found to have broken the law.
https://www.businesstimes.com.
https://www.straitstimes.com/
Update on COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) situation
Coronavirus: Rising number of local unlinked cases in past 14 days
Almost three in four Covid-19 cases involving Singaporeans and permanent residents and with links that have yet to be established surfaced in the past 14 days, the latest situation report by the Health Ministry (MOH) showed.
https://www.straitstimes.com/
Up to 70% of those infected may show no symptoms, making coronavirus tough to tackle
Asymptomatic persons with the coronavirus disease are more common than was previously thought – some research says potentially as many as 55 per cent to 70 per cent of infections – and they can go on to infect others without anyone ever finding out.
https://www.straitstimes.com/
Coronavirus: Over 200 fines issued for breach of rules on safe distancing
As Singapore enters its second week of its month-long circuit breaker period, people here are still trying to come to terms with keeping to themselves – despite the price. More than 200 composition fines of $300 each were issued to those who flouted elevated safe distancing measures yesterday, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) said last night.
https://www.straitstimes.com/
‘Serious risk’ of virus spread in more worker dorms: MOM
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is stepping up checks on foreign workers who live in converted factory areas, as it warned on Monday that they are at serious risk from the coronavirus that has claimed nine lives here.
https://www.businesstimes.com.
https://www.straitstimes.com/
*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
Global Economy & Global Real Estate
Economic pain will persist for US economy long after coronavirus lockdowns end
https://www.straitstimes.com/
Agents wonder if virtual property tours are enough to seal million-dollar deals
https://www.businesstimes.com.
Amazon seeks 75,000 workers as orders pile up amid pandemic
https://www.businesstimes.com.
IMF approves debt relief for 25 poor countries
https://www.businesstimes.com.
https://www.straitstimes.com/
Coronavirus: Spain restarting some sectors; Italy, France, UK remain guarded
https://www.straitstimes.com/
New Zealand’s jobless rate could hit 26% if virus curbs extended: treasury
https://www.businesstimes.com.
https://www.straitstimes.com/
Coronavirus: Australia’s political foes drop partisanship in rare show of unity
https://www.straitstimes.com/
Australian unemployment rate to double as coronavirus hammers economy
https://www.straitstimes.com/
Sagging demand a drag on Chinese recovery
https://www.straitstimes.com/
Coronavirus hits another SoftBank star as Oyo furloughs thousands of workers
https://www.businesstimes.com.
https://www.straitstimes.com/
March hotel occupancy rate in Japan lowest on record: survey
https://www.businesstimes.com.
Commodity currencies down despite Opec+ output deal
https://www.businesstimes.com.
Covid-19 gives boost to touchless tech in Japan
https://www.straitstimes.com/
South Korea’s early April exports tumble as global demand falls
https://www.straitstimes.com/
Saudi quarantine offers temporary lifeline to struggling hotels
https://www.businesstimes.com.
Additional Articles of Interests – Local & Overseas Real Estate
Local & Overseas Real Estate – Full Article
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