DAILY NEWS

Daily News – 25 Jun 2020 (Thu)

Singapore Real Estate

Private housing supply cut due to Covid-19 fallout
The supply of private residential housing from confirmed sites under the government land sales (GLS) programme for the second half of this year has been reduced to take into account the fallout from the global Covid-19 situation, the Ministry of National Development (MND) announced yesterday.
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/property/private-housing-supply-cut-due-to-covid-19-fallout

Fear of missing out? Beware agents’ hype on new home sales and prices
There has been much hype generated by some property agents about the relatively strong primary-market private housing sales volumes during the recent “circuit breaker” lockdown period – despite restrictions that curtailed developers’ ability to launch new projects.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/fear-of-missing-out-beware-agents-hype-on-new-home-sales-and-prices

Latest government land sales programme offers two plum sites in mature estates
The latest government land sales (GLS) programme should bring some relief to developers in these grim Covid-19 times as it continues to trim supply for home units while offering two plum sites in mature estates.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/latest-government-land-sales-programme-offers-two-plum-sites-in-mature-estates

Companies’ Brief

CapitaLand rolls out tech solutions at business parks, offices in Singapore
Property giant CapitaLand on Thursday said it is rolling out digital solutions at its business parks and offices in Singapore to help tenants cope with the “new normal” as their staff return to work in Phase Two’s reopening.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/capitaland-rolls-out-tech-solutions-at-business-parks-offices-in-singapore
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/capitaland-rolls-out-tech-solutions-to-safeguard-business-parks-offices

Analysts largely positive on MIT’s proposed US data centres deal
Market watchers are largely positive on Mapletree Industrial Trust’s (MIT) latest proposed acquisition, which is set to increase its exposure to US data centres. Earlier this week, MIT’s manager had announced a plan to buy the remaining 60 per cent stake in 14 data centres in the US from its sponsor for an estimated US$218 million.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/analysts-largely-positive-on-mits-proposed-us-data-centres-deal
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/mit-raises-410m-from-upsized-placement

Views, Reviews, Forum & Others

Weaker US dollar will hurt some companies but may give cheer to market
The US dollar is expected to weaken moderately as economies exit from lockdowns and more money flows into riskier assets. This will be bad news for Singapore-listed companies with significant exposure to the United States, but should be broadly positive for the local equity market.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/banking-finance/weaker-us-dollar-will-hurt-some-companies-but-may-give-cheer-to-market-0

Rise of contactless card payments in new normal
From telecommuting to dining out while adhering to social distancing measures, Singaporeans will find themselves faced with changes to their daily lives as we enter Phase Two of the “new normal”. Another interesting change in our new reality includes our drastic shift to a cashless society, catalysed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/rise-of-contactless-card-payments-in-new-normal

Lab to drive innovations in building technology for post-Covid era
Johnson Controls on Wednesday said it is partnering the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) to set up a S$50 million innovation lab to drive artificial intelligence-based innovations for the Republic’s built-environment industry.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/lab-to-drive-innovations-in-building-technology-for-post-covid-era
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/johnson-controls-edb-to-set-up-50m-lab-for-ai-innovations

Industry road maps see a rejig, but tech, resilience remain core
While the Covid-19 pandemic prompted a “rejig” in Singapore’s industry standards road map, technology and resilience will still be core to a new five-year plan, policymakers here told the press on Wednesday.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/industry-road-maps-see-a-rejig-but-tech-resilience-remain-core

TPG gets green light to run localised 5G
The coronavirus pandemic is not showing signs of slowing Singapore’s 5G plans, and any such “slippage” would be short term, Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran told the press on Wednesday.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/tpg-gets-green-light-to-run-localised-5g
https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/singapores-5g-network-operators-finalise-vendors
https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/5g-testing-facility-to-open-in-one-north-in-september

5G to enhance enterprise digital transformation
The year 2020 is when 5G goes mainstream. In April, South Korea passed six million 5G subscribers with 10 per cent penetration, and published statistics showed 25 per cent of all mobile traffic in South Korea is now on 5G networks. In China, it was reported that 198,000 5G base stations have been built, with its mobile 5G subscriber base reaching 50 million.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/5g-to-enhance-enterprise-digital-transformation

Update on COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) Situation

Singaporean hospital nurse among seven new cases in community
One of the seven new coronavirus patients from the community confirmed yesterday is a nurse at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH). The Ministry of Health (MOH) said the 31-year-old Singaporean man had gone to work before being admitted to hospital.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/singaporean-hospital-nurse-among-seven-new-cases-in-community

Fatality rate for Covid-19 low in Singapore
The fatality rate for Covid-19 in Singapore is much lower than that in many other countries globally. For every one million people in Singapore, four have died from the coronavirus. This death rate contrasts with the hundreds of Covid-19 deaths for every one million people in countries such as Italy and Britain.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/fatality-rate-for-covid-19-low-in-spore
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/why-spore-has-relatively-low-covid-19-death-rate

Coronavirus: Self-check temperature kiosks being rolled out for commuters
Contactless kiosks that allow users to take their own temperature within two seconds are being rolled out at busy bus interchanges and MRT stations. They are part of an initiative to encourage people to monitor their temperature regularly, said the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) yesterday.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/self-check-temperature-kiosks-being-rolled-out-for-commuters
*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