DAILY NEWS

Daily News – 21 January 2022 (Fri)

Singapore Real Estate

Former Caldecott Broadcast Centre to be redeveloped into 15 leasehold GCB plots
Real estate and healthcare company Perennial Holdings is planning to redevelop the former Caldecott Broadcast Centre site into 15 Good Class Bungalows (GCBs), making it the first major 99-year leasehold GCB site to be launched.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/former-caldecott-broadcast-centre-to-be-redeveloped-into-15-leasehold-gcb-plots
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/property/former-caldecott-broadcast-centre-site-to-be-redeveloped-into-15-leasehold-good-class-bungalows

Singapore Economy

Inflation, GST hike key concerns raised at SBF panel discussion on business outlook
Inflation, as well as the impending Goods and Service Tax (GST) hike, and how it would affect the costs incurred by businesses here, took up the bulk of a panel discussion by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) on Thursday (Jan 20).
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/inflation-gst-hike-key-concerns-raised-at-sbf-panel-discussion-on-business
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/economy/spore-firms-looking-to-government-support-for-tech-adoption-talent-development-amid-greater-optimism-survey

KPMG proposes S$1b green energy investment fund in Budget 2022 wishlist
With sustainability now a top priority for many governments and corporates around the world, professional services firm KPMG is calling for the government to advance Singapore’s “green” agenda by setting up a S$1 billion fund to drive green innovation while getting tough against greenwashing.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/kpmg-proposes-s1b-green-energy-investment-fund-in-budget-2022-wishlist

Companies’ Brief

Keppel data centre fund hits US$1.1b of commitments at final close
Keppel Data Centre Fund II has achieved US$1.1 billion worth of total commitments at its final close with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) joining as its latest investor. In a press statement on Friday (Jan 21), Keppel Capital said AIIB made a US$100 million investment in the fund through a parallel fund structure, and another US$50 million through co-investments.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/keppel-data-centre-fund-hits-us11b-of-commitments-at-final-close

Yanlord bags 4.02b yuan in pre-sales in second phase of Shanghai project launch
Mainboard- listed Yanlord Land Group has sold all 226 apartments in the second phase of a Shanghai residential project’s launch, the group announced on Thursday (Jan 20). Yanlord Land’s Yanlord Arcadia development has clinched contracted pre-sales of about 4.02 billion yuan (S$852.5 million) from the launch, which opened on Tuesday.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/yanlord-bags-402b-yuan-in-pre-sales-in-second-phase-of-shanghai-project-launch

Hatten Land to come up with alternative options for Gold Mart divestment
Tayrona Capital Group Corp has shared certain bank documents with Hatten Land to prove its availability of funds for its payment consideration of US$83 million, Hatten Land said on Thursday (Jan 20) in response to queries from the Singapore Exchange.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/hatten-land-to-come-up-with-alternative-options-for-gold-mart-divestment

Views, Reviews, Forum & Others

Why did almost nobody see inflation coming?
In 2008, as the global financial crisis was ravaging economies everywhere, Queen Elizabeth II, visiting the London School of Economics, famously asked: “Why did nobody see it coming?” The high inflation of 2021 – especially in the United States, where the year-on-year increase in consumer prices reached a four-decade high of 7 per cent in December – should prompt the same question.
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/why-did-almost-nobody-see-inflation-coming

Shield retail investors from crypto risks
Singapore has a well-earned reputation as a crypto-technology hub. It has encouraged the development of blockchain technologies and has a robust licensing framework for the crypto industry, which is thriving here.
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/st-editorial/the-straits-times-says-shield-retail-investors-from-crypto-risks

Crypto players concerned advertising curbs may dent Singapore’s crypto hub drive
Some players in the crypto industry were caught by surprise when the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) issued guidelines against public promotion of digital payment token (DPT) services, noting that this was a departure from the consultative approach the regulator typically takes when it comes to developments in this nascent space.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/banking-finance/wealth-investing/crypto-players-concerned-advertising-curbs-may-dent-singapores
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/crypto-watchers-disagree-over-impact-and-necessity-of-mas-guidelines

All organisations should adopt anti-SMS spoofing measures, say cyber-security experts
Singapore – A day after banks were told to put in place more stringent measures to bolster the security of digital banking within the next two weeks, cyber-security experts said all organisations should adopt anti-SMS spoofing measures.
https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/tech-news/all-organisations-should-adopt-anti-sms-spoofing-measures-say-cyber-security-experts

4 common types of scams and how to recognise them
Singapore – Scams are on the rise. Nearly 470 OCBC Bank customers lost at least $8.5 million to a spate of SMS phishing scams last month, and other banks such as DBS and UOB recently warned of similar scams impersonating bank employees.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/4-common-types-of-scams-and-how-to-recognise-them

Update on COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) Situation

Singapore’s Covid-19 weekly infection growth rate rises to 2.17; 1,001 new Omicron cases
Singapore – The weekly Covid-19 infection growth rate rose to 2.17 on Thursday (Jan 20), up from 1.96 the day before, reported the Ministry of Health in its daily update. This is the first time since Sept 19, 2021, that Singapore’s weekly infection growth rate has gone over two.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/weekly-infection-growth-rate-rises-to-217-1001-new-omicron-cases

Nearly all in Singapore are on Covid-19 contact tracing programme TraceTogether
Singapore – Nearly all the people in Singapore are now on the national Covid-19 contact tracing programme TraceTogether, 21 months after its launch. A spokesman for the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) told The Straits Times on Wednesday (Jan 19) that almost all of Singapore’s population above the age of six are on board the programme. It did not provide specific numbers.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/nearly-all-in-singapore-are-on-covid-19-contact-tracing-programme-tracetogether

askST: Will there be changes to the Vaccinated Travel Lane scheme from Jan 21?
Singapore – A precautionary move to limit the number of travellers arriving in Singapore for the last four weeks will end on Friday (Jan 21). The Government had stopped new ticket sales for vaccinated travel lane (VTL) flights and buses for travel into Singapore from Dec 23 to Jan 20, in response to a growing number of imported Covid-19 cases.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/askst-will-there-be-changes-to-the-vaccinated-travel-lane-scheme-from-jan-21

About 100,000 people have entered Singapore from Malaysia via land and air VTLs
Singapore – About 100,000 people have entered Singapore from Malaysia under a quarantine-free travel scheme that started on Nov 29. Of these, about 55,000 people have entered via the Causeway under the land vaccinated travel lane (VTL), and some 44,000 people have entered via the VTL for air travellers from Malaysia.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/about-100000-people-have-entered-singapore-from-malaysia-via-land-and-air-vtls

*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