DAILY NEWS

Daily News – 26 Aug 2020 (Wed)

Singapore Real Estate

Working from home: A new challenge for Asia’s office landlords
Developed economies are predominantly fuelled by the service sector (as against manufacturing), and with rapid technological advancements, it is easy to do more work from home. Does the Covid-19 pandemic spell “the death of the office”? We investigate here.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/working-from-home-a-new-challenge-for-asias-office-landlords

JTC launches Tampines North, Gul Circle industrial sites for tender
JTC on Tuesday launched two land parcels for tender. One of the sites is at Tampines North Drive 3 (Plot 2), while the other is at 160 Gul Circle. The land parcel at Tampines North Drive 3 (Plot 2) is the first of three confirmed list sites for the second half of the 2020 Industrial Government Land Sales (IGLS) programme.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/jtc-launches-tampines-north-gul-circle-industrial-sites-for-tender

Singapore Economy

Amid virus and global tensions, ‘Asean is not a pushover’: Tharman
Tensions between the United States and China will not disappear any time soon, but Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam is still optimistic about the outlook for Asean. The South-east Asian bloc should be able to navigate an increasingly complex world, while the planned Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade deal can set the region on a new path, Mr Tharman said at a panel on Tuesday.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/amid-virus-and-global-tensions-asean-is-not-a-pushover-tharman
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/economy/opportunity-for-asean-in-supply-chain-shifts-due-to-trade-war-virus-tharman

Singapore, Indonesia to discuss green lane
Singapore and Indonesia will start discussions on “green lane” arrangements to resume essential official and business travel between the two neighbours, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and his visiting counterpart Retno Marsudi said yesterday.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-indonesia-to-discuss-green-lane
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/singapore-indonesia-to-open-talks-on-reciprocal-green-lane-for-essential-travel

Views, Reviews, Forum & Others

As supply chains break, hope is not a strategy
The super-efficient global supply chains may be consigned to history soon. Political sparring between two of the world’s largest economies and the aftermath of Covid-19 have thrown a spanner into that shiny image of factories in China gobbling raw materials to make cheaper goods that move seamlessly through docks and airports to put everything from food on your plate, fuel into your car and smartphones into your hands.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/as-supply-chains-break-hope-is-not-a-strategy

Can ‘buy now, pay later’ help Singapore’s retailers bounce back?
The rest of 2020 and beyond will be an uphill battle for Singapore’s battered retail industry. Now in recovery mode as consumers once again head to the malls – albeit tepidly – it will be a slow recovery at best. A walk down Singapore’s shopping belt of Orchard Road, for example, shows just how badly the pandemic has hit the city’s retailers.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/can-buy-now-pay-later-help-singapores-retailers-bounce-back

Sustainability an essential focus for long-term investors
Amid the turmoil created by the Covid-19 crisis, what stood out was the continued shift towards sustainable or ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investing. Global sustainable funds saw strong capital inflows of around US$117 billion, versus a net outflow of US$30 billion for the broader fund universe over H1 2020.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/sustainability-an-essential-focus-for-long-term-investors

A vaccine that stops Covid-19 won’t be enough
Not long after the coronavirus first surfaced last December, an ambitious prediction was made: A vaccine would be available within 12 to 18 months, and it would stop the pandemic. Despite serious challenges – how to mass manufacture, supply and deliver a vaccine worldwide – the first prong of that wish could well be fulfilled.
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/a-vaccine-that-stops-covid-19-wont-be-enough-0

Update on COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) Situation

New cases at five-month low of 31
There were 31 new coronavirus cases confirmed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday, taking Singapore’s total to 56,435. This is the lowest daily figure in more than five months since March 22, when there were 23 cases.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/new-cases-at-five-month-low-of-31

Safety playbooks replace cocktail menus as nightlife operators fight to restart parties
Already reeling from losses in the millions due to prolonged closure, some nightlife operators in Singapore suffered another blow last week when the authorities suggested that they either “pivot” or close. Several owners of KTV lounges and nightclubs told The Business Times…
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/consumer/safety-playbooks-replace-cocktail-menus-as-nightlife-operators-fight-to-restart-parties

MOH to ensure Singapore has resources for coronavirus fight
As the pandemic rages on, Singapore will work to ensure it has the resources to treat coronavirus patients and deal with sudden surges in case numbers. Health Minister Gan Kim Yong yesterday said his ministry will continue to maintain “adequate quarantine and community isolation capacity” in case of a surge.
https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/moh-to-ensure-singapore-has-resources-for-coronavirus-fight

Covid-19 reinfection cases rare, experts say
News that a 33-year-old man in Hong Kong was reinfected with Covid-19 has sparked fears that people can get the disease more than once. But infectious diseases experts said such cases are rare and not a cause for worry, unless many more cases surface.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/covid-19-reinfection-cases-rare-experts-say

Visitors from NZ, Brunei must use TraceTogether while in S’pore
Visitors from New Zealand and Brunei who successfully apply to come to Singapore will be required to use the TraceTogether app at all times while in the Republic. They must also retain the app for 14 consecutive days after leaving Singapore, although there are no details on how this will be enforced.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/visitors-from-nz-brunei-must-use-tracetogether-while-in-spore

Singapore visitors to China must get tested before flight
From Friday, Singapore travellers to China will have to take a Covid-19 test within five days before their flight to the country, to ensure they are free of the coronavirus. They must also declare that, in the last 14 days, they have not had a fever at or above 37.3 deg C, and have not been in contact with patients with a fever or respiratory symptoms, among other things.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/singapore-visitors-to-china-must-get-tested-before-flight
*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