DAILY NEWS

Daily News – 23 September 2021 (Thu)

Singapore Real Estate

Loft68 at Geylang up for sale with S$14.9m asking price
Loft68, an apartment building located at 6 and 8 Lorong 19 Geylang, is up for sale with an asking price of about S$14.9 million, Mount Everest Properties said in a statement on Wednesday.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/loft68-at-geylang-up-for-sale-with-s149m-asking-price

Gilstead Road site up for sale with S$91.8m asking price
A freehold residential site located at Gilstead Road has been put up for sale via tender. The owners, a family, are asking for S$91.8 million, which translates to a land rate of about S$2,001 per square foot per plot ratio, including the estimated development charge.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/gilstead-road-site-up-for-sale-with-s918m-asking-price

Check out view from yet-to-be-built properties and map out drone flight paths on new OneMap3D
Singapore – Property buyers can now get a glimpse of the view from yet-to-be-built properties, thanks to a new three-dimensional (3D) map. Drone pilots will also be able to view no-fly zones and map out flight paths using OneMap3D.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/check-out-view-from-yet-to-be-built-flats-and-map-out-drone-flight-paths-on-new-onemap3d

Companies’ Brief

Keppel prices 8b yen worth of medium-term notes at 0.99%
Keppel Corp has priced 8 billion yen (S$98.7 million) in notes due 2027 at 0.99 per cent per annum, it said on Wednesday evening. The notes are expected to be issued on or around Sept 29, under the conglomerate’s US$5 billion multi-currency medium-term note programme.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/keppel-prices-8b-yen-worth-of-medium-term-notes-at-099

Pan Pacific Hotels to open 13 new properties by 2024
Pan Pacific Hotels Group will launch 13 new properties across 10 key gateway cities by 2024, it said in a press statement on Wednesday. The move adds more than 3,300 rooms to the group’s inventory, and brings its total portfolio to 48 hotels, resorts and serviced suites across 29 cities.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/pan-pacific-hotels-to-open-13-new-properties-by-2024?login=true
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/pan-pacific-hotels-to-launch-13-new-properties-by-2024

Corporate digest
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/corporate-digest-1453?login=true

Views, Reviews, Forum & Others

Medically-eligible but vaccine-shy people exact a cost on society
Making Covid-19 vaccination mandatory for the medically eligible might seem like an obvious policy decision. Indeed, in Monday’s Views From The Top column in The Business Times, a majority of business leaders featured were in favour of doing so.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/medically-eligible-but-vaccine-shy-people-exact-a-cost-on-society?login=true

It’s time to transform procurement and sourcing
During her recent visit to Singapore, US vice-president Kamala Harris’ itinerary included a meeting with key senior managers involved in managing supply chains in Asia. The topic of discussion – resilience and sustainability of supply chains.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/its-time-to-transform-procurement-and-sourcing?login=true

Leaders must address climate change fears
Three surveys last week on public attitudes towards climate change revealed significant concerns of a broad sweep of people across the globe. Overwhelmingly, the public in nations rich and poor see climate change as a threat.
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/st-editorial/leaders-must-address-climate-change-fears

Evergrande and the end of China’s ‘build, build, build’ model
(Financial Times) A dramatic video filmed in the south-western city of Kunming in August hints at the scale of China’s property bubble. Onlookers can be heard screaming in awe as 15 high-rise apartment blocks are demolished by 85,000 controlled explosions in less than a minute.
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/evergrande-and-the-end-of-chinas-build-build-build-model

Takeda breaks ground on its first zero carbon building in Singapore worth US$14m
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Asia’s largest drugmaker from Japan, on Wednesday broke ground for its first emissions-free building in Singapore, paving the way for the company to become net-zero in two decades.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/takeda-breaks-ground-on-its-first-zero-carbon-building-in-singapore-worth-us14m
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/takeda-breaks-ground-on-first-zero-emissions-building-in-spores

Singapore endorses WTO initiative to regulate requirements for domestic service providers
[Singapore] Singapore will join a World Trade Organization (WTO) initiative regulating standards for domestic service providers. The initiative “will establish enhanced rules to improve the overseas business environment for Singapore’s services exporters”…
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/singapore-endorses-wto-initiative-to-regulate-requirements-for-domestic-service
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/economy/spore-endorses-wto-initiative-to-regulate-requirements-for-domestic-service

Bank of Singapore positive on China amid regulatory pain
China’s heavy-handed clampdown across sectors has knocked market sentiment in recent months, fanning fears of more regulatory implications to come. Still, despite near-term caution, Bank of Singapore remains long-term positive on the market, viewing the barrage of fresh measures as an important transition for the country rather than a negative policy.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/banking-finance/bank-of-singapore-positive-on-china-amid-regulatory-pain?login=true

Singapore bank shares may drag on Evergrande fallout; but analysts don’t see direct risk
Singapore banks have limited onshore China exposure and so will likely avoid direct hits from the Evergrande fallout, said analysts. But investors should watch share price impact, as the bank stocks are vulnerable to a drag from negative sentiment.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/singapore-bank-shares-may-drag-on-evergrande-fallout-but-analysts-dont-see-direct

Update on COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) Situation

S’pore doing its best to scale up Covid-19 operations, make sure all patients well cared for: PM Lee
Singapore – Singapore is doing its best to scale up its Covid-19 operations amid growing case numbers, to ensure all patients are well cared for, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Sept 22).
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/singapore-is-doing-its-best-to-make-sure-all-covid-19-patients-are-well-cared-for

50-year-old among three Covid-19 deaths; new high of 1,457 cases
[Singapore] A total of 1,457 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Singapore on Wednesday (Sept 22), said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in its nightly update. Three Singaporeans have also died of Covid-19 complications, taking the Republic’s Covid-19 death toll to 68, said MOH.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/50-year-old-among-three-covid-19-deaths-new-high-of-1457-cases
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/community/50-year-old-among-3-covid-19-deaths-1457-new-cases-in-spore

Government monitoring hospital capacity closely as Covid-19 cases remain high: Ong Ye Kung
Singapore – Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Tuesday (Sept 21) that the Government is monitoring hospital capacity closely and may have to impose more restrictions if the Covid-19 situation worsens. Singapore already has a suite of measures in place, and to go further would be a “last resort”, he added in Mandarin in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/government-monitoring-hospital-capacity-closely-as-covid-19-cases-remain-high-ong

No visitors to hospital wards for 4 weeks from Sept 24 amid surge in Covid-19 cases
Singapore – No visitors will be allowed in hospital wards for four weeks, from Friday (Sept 24) to Oct 23, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Wednesday. This restriction, which applies to all public, community and private hospitals, comes amid the rise in Covid-19 cases in the community, and with more cases detected among hospital staff, patients and visitors.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/no-visitors-to-hospital-wards-allowed-from-sept-24-to-oct-23-amid-surge-in-covid-19

Clearbridge Health receives second batch of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines in Singapore
Clearbridge Health on Wednesday said its second batch of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines have arrived in Singapore. The vaccines will be available at Medic Surgical & Laser Clinic, operated by the group’s subsidiary, the integrated healthcare group said in a bourse filing.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/clearbridge-health-receives-second-batch-of-sinopharm-covid-19-vaccines-in?login=true

‘This is poor planning’: Covid-19 home recovery patients voice confusion, frustration over what to do
Singapore – Frustration and confusion are mounting on the ground as Singapore’s healthcare system works to cope with the latest surge in Covid-19 cases. While some people have said they are unable to contact the Ministry of Health (MOH) for official advice on their specific situations, others have complained about the long lag times between testing positive and being taken to a recovery facility.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/home-recovery-with-no-support-among-issues-aired-amid-surge-in-covid-19-cases

askST: What should I do if I get Covid-19 but MOH has not called me?
Singapore – Some people infected with Covid-19 and recovering from home have voiced concerns about being unable to isolate themselves at home safely. There are also worries about infecting family members while waiting for instructions from the Ministry of Health.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/askst-what-should-i-do-if-i-get-covid-19-but-moh-has-not-called-me

*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