S'pore back to A1 rating The Straits Times Jun 29, 2010 SINGAPORE is the safest place for doing business in Asia, regaining the top ranking after leading international credit insurance and credit management services group Coface upgraded country risk ratings from A2+ to A1. The group announced the ratings for Singapore and Asean countries on Tuesday at its conference held for the first time here, gathering over 500 local and regional business leaders, risk specialists and economists . Coface's country rating reflects the extent to which a country's economic, financial, and political outlook influences financial commitments of local companies. Delivering the keynote address at the country risk conference, Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang said as trade activities grow globally and in the region, there will be a higher demand for risk management solutions. 'A vibrant insurance marketplace will be able to respond to these needs. Singapore can play a key role in providing political risk insurance to companies engaged in cross border investments in the region. We have therefore made efforts to boost capacity and attract expertise in the underwriting of specialised risks, including areas such as trade credit and political risks insurance,' he said. On the global upturn, he noted that the economic recovery in Asia is outpacing the rest of the world, underpinned by four key factors, including forceful fiscal stimulus measures, abundant liquidity and a strong resumption in global and regional trade flows. He credited China for leading the pace, as it has been a key source of demand for the region during the downturn. Mr Lim added that Singapore's plans to be a major hub for commodity derivatives trading and risk management are also on track. The Coface conference covered international and regional trade post-crisis, focusing on the issues of China-led growth and intra-Asean trade in the second half year. This conference is part of an annual series of conferences held in 12 countries this year around the world, with Singapore being the most recent addition.
Mah Bow Tan proposes Learning Network for Cities Channel NewsAsia 29 June 2010 1109 hrs SINGAPORE : National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan has suggested the idea of a Learning Network for Cities to promote a community of best practices for liveability and sustainability. Speaking at the opening plenary session of the World Cities Summit on Tuesday, Mr Mah says the network will bring together decision makers, practitioners and experts to share their knowledge and practices on key aspects of sustainable development such as infrastructure-financing and the use of green technology. The network will be discussed at the World Cities Summit Mayors' Forum on Wednesday and further details will be shared during the closing plenary. Mr Mah said the need for sustainable development has never been stronger. Today, the global population stands at 6.8 billion and is projected to reach 9 billion in the next 40 years. With the global population growing rapidly, the limitation of natural resources in meeting the needs of the world's population is increasingly evident. He said cities hold the key to the future. The statistics are compelling and familiar. Cities are growing at an unprecedented rate. Every day, about 200,000 more people move into cities and towns. Every three days, a new city the size of Seattle or Amsterdam springs up. By the year 2050, 70 per cent of the global population will be residing in cities, as compared to the 50 per cent today. Mr Mah said this means city planners and developers need to rapidly scale up their urban infrastructure to provide for some 6.4 billion city dwellers, who will need good access to energy, water, mobility and affordable housing. Cities, by virtue of their high human density and economic growth, are the hotspots of climate-changing practices such as high energy consumption, pollution and deforestation. Yet, precisely because of their high human density and economic capabilities, Mr Mah said cities own the very resources, the economic and human capital, as well as technology, to counter the problems that they have caused. He said a great city must be economically vibrant, foster a strong sense of place, and more importantly, sustain its existence over time. A man takes a photograph of a scale model of Singapore's urban district, exhibited at the World Cities Summit in Singapore
NBA players, coaches in Singapore to train youths Channel NewsAsia 28 June 2010 2100 hrs By Surekha Yadav SINGAPORE : NBA stars and coaches are in town to train and mentor 51 youths at the Basketball without Borders (BWB) Asia clinic. Among the five NBA stars are Houston Rockets guard Trevor Arziza and Atlanta Hawks centre Al Horford. The youths at the clinic come from 21 countries in the region, including four from Singapore. The four-day camp ends with an All-Star Game, featuring the youth players. The match will be broadcast "live" over the SuperSports Arena channel. It is the first time the BWB is being held in Southeast Asia. The BWB Asia clinic 2010 is a partnership between the NBA and Singapore Sports Council to further interest in the popular sport. Al Horford said: "When I was growing up, I always wished I had an NBA player to teach or help me with the game, so now that I have that the opportunity to do it, I like to help kids with the game." -
Friday June 25, 2010 Smuggling of sand a security threat PETALING JAYA: The ease with which sand can be smuggled out of the country has raised concerns of border security here. A security official said a proper investigation must be carried out to check the alleged rampant smuggling of sand into Singapore. “This is a very serious matter as it concerns national security,” he said, adding that if sand could be easily smuggled out of the country, it could pose a security threat at the country’s exit and entry points. The Star reported yesterday that sand worth millions of ringgit was being smuggled into Singapore via Sungai Johor. Checks by the Starprobe team revealed sand-laden barges from Johor heading towards a private jetty in Pulau Punggol. Further checks showed that sand was also being smuggled by lorry-loads across the Causeway. Observers said tonnes of sand were hidden underneath layers of bricks to avoid detection. The smugglers also seem to be using the service of tontos. “They seem to know when the authorities are going to conduct spot-checks. “Once the tontos alert them, lorries will suddenly make a U-turn and go elsewhere. “They wait by the roadside and resume journey only when the ‘coast is clear’,” said an observer. Although Singapore had always maintained that it was only importing silica from Malaysia, and not sand, another official has called on Singapore to assist Malaysian officials to put a stop to the smuggling of sand from Johor and other states into the republic. It has been widely reported that due to the rapid reclamation and construction needs in Singapore, Malaysian contractors could be colluding with their partners in Singapore to smuggle sand to the republic despite the ban on sand exports by Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia. A check revealed that new sites where sand was being stockpiled include the coastal stretch of the Western Catchments area and the northeastern tip of the NSRCC Kranji Sanctuary Golf Course.
Dear Loh, Can you give me a quick run down of touristy and young-family-friendly things to do whilst in Singapore? Perhaps bringing some badminton shoes would not go amiss?
Hi Cheung Welcome to Singapore in advance! There are more places to visit in S'pore than say 5 years ago and a number of the old attractions have been unpgraded. If you google "Tourist places in Singapore" you may find some agreeable suggestions. For one with a young family I think the following places would be interesting: * Singapore Botanic Gardens, esp the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden http://www.google.com.sg/search?hl=...den&meta=&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=jacob&gs_rfai= * Sentosa Island, which has many attractions including the new (Genting) Resorts World Singapore's "Universal Studios" which you can spend at least a half day there. You can take a mono train ride to RWS from Vivo City, a modern shopping complex where you can also spend some time in, like taking meals at the Food Republic on the top floor and let your child wade in the pool on the open deck. From here you can catch a bird's eye view of RWS. The RWS currently runs a show called "Voyage de la Vie" which is touted as "A Theatrical Circus Spectacular". There are some circus acts such as magic, juggling, acrobatics, apart from the song and dance. http://www.rwsentosa.com/ Children also like to ride the luge and visit the Underwater World. * Singapore Zoo and Night Safari for children who like animals, although the two China giant pandas will arrive only next year. http://www.newasia-singapore.com/pl...m/singapore_zoological_gardens_200705319.html Or if you like nature, you can go for walks in our nature reserves and beach parks like Changi Beach Park, apart from our Botanic Gardens. Or you may wish to go for a 'high rise' walk such as what I had posted here recently on Alexandra Bridge. Or the MacRitchie Reservoir Park which has a tree top walk bridge. http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_visitorsguide&task=naturereserves&id=49&Itemid=75 Not forgetting our newest attraction at Marina Bay, which has many recent additions, including the Double Helix Bridge, the Marina Bay Barrage, and of course Marina Bay Sands, the integrated resort with the Skypark where you can get a glimpse of the surroundings. As for badminton, it can be easily arranged at my club which now has four new courts. Our group plays on Wed (8-10 pm) and Sun (3-6 pm). Other days can also be arranged specially for you with advance notice.
GWI opens office in S'pore The Straits Times Jun 30, 2010 By Carmen Woo A LEADING international water information service is setting up its Asia office in Singapore, joining a fast evolving cluster of water businesses that are making Singapore the centre of the water world. Global Water Intelligence, the leading information service for the international water industry, will open its an office in national water agency, PUB's WaterHub, where the Singapore Water Association, International Water Association, Netherlands Water House, and the Singapore Society for Trenchless Technology are also located. Global Water Intelligence will be using the centre to further its interests in market research, data tools for business and professional development. 'For some time we have been watching the opportunity in the water sector drift eastwards, and the global financial crisis has accelerated this trend,' said Christopher Gasson, managing director of Global Water Intelligence. 'We need to position ourselves to make the most of these opportunities, and PUB's WaterHub is the perfect place to develop our next generation of business information services.' GWI has also opened an office in Austin, Texas, to gather more detailed market information about the North American water market. Mr Gasson explained: 'The water industry has been a late-comer to globalisation: it is still an intensely local business. However, as the scale of the water challenge grows, communities are looking internationally for solutions. Our role at Global Water Intelligence is to tear down the information barriers that stand in the way of this trend. We will be developing a new line of services in Singapore to make this happen.'
Tender for desalination plant The Straits Times Jun 30, 2010 By Lee Jia Xin NATIONAL water agency PUB is calling an open tender for the second and largest desalination plant to be built at Tuas. To be completed by 2013, the plant will add another 318,500 cubic metres of desalinated water a day to Singapore's water supply. The successful bidder will enter into a 25-year water purchase agreement to supply desalinated water to PUB, commencing from mid-2013. The agreement will set out the tariff structure, terms and conditions for the purchase of desalinated water, said PUB in a statement on Wednesday. The tender comes two days after PUB unveiled its 50-year plan to ramp up Singapore's water self-sufficiency. It aims to do this by doubling its reliance on Newater and desalinated water. PUB expects the water demand to double in the next 50 years as the population and economy continues to grow, with about 70 per cent of the demand coming from the non-domestic sector, and domestic consumption making up the other 30 per cent. By 2060, Singapore plans to triple the current Newater capacity so that Newater can meet 50 per cent of its future water demand. There are also plans to ramp up desalination capacity by almost 10 times so that desalinated water will meet at least 30 per cent of its water demand in the long term. The desalination plant project is PUB's fourth, the first three being the SingSpring desalination project, the Keppel-Seghers Ulu Pandan Newater Plant and the SembCorp Changi Newater Plant. The tender for Singapore's second desalination plant will close on Sept 30 and it is expected to be awarded in the first quarter of next year. The new plant will add another 318,500 cubic metres of desalinated water a day to Singapore's water supply. -- ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA
S'pore to import gas: MM The Straits Times Jun 30, 2010 By Rachel Chang SINGAPORE will be importing liquified natural gas from Qatar and storing it in a facility currently under construction on Jurong Island. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew confirmed the country's plans to diversify its gas supply, currently made up of gas piped in from Malaysia and Indonesia, during a dialogue session on Tuesday. The partnership with Qatar, the world's biggest natural gas producer, comes amid uncertainties with the current suppliers, said Mr Lee during the session, which was part of the Singapore International Water Week and World Cities Summit 2010. 'We are buying gas from our neighbours, they are thinking of upping the price in spite of the contract,' he said to an audience of 700 senior officials and delegates. Earlier this month, Indonesian government officials announced in Parliament a decision to renegotiate Indonesia?s natural gas export contracts with Singapore, due to its own domestic gas needs. Singapore's partnership with Qatar has been anticipated ever since the Gulf emirate's Qatar Petroleum International bought into Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore last November. MM Lee answers questions at the dialogue session. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew confirmed the country's plans to diversify its gas supply, currently made up of gas piped in from Malaysia and Indonesia, during a dialogue session on Tuesday. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
SGH globally accredited for nursing practices & patient care Channel NewsAsia 29 June 2010 1723 hrs By Evelyn Choo SINGAPORE : The Singapore General Hospital (SGH) has received global recognition for its nursing practices and patient care. It is the first hospital in Asia to be accredited under the "Magnet Recognition Programme". With this accreditation, SGH now stands alongside the top five per cent of hospitals in the world which also have been recognised. It is a morale booster for the 3,300 nurses at SGH. They now don gold pin badges on their uniforms - a sign that the hospital has attained 'Magnet' status. Deputy director of Nursing, Lim Swee Hia, said: "Getting this 'Magnet' recognition for Singapore General Hospital is like getting an Olympic Gold Medal for all the staff in the hospital. "And I can say is that getting 'Magnet' recognition is not just for the nurses (in SGH), but I think it's across for all the nurses in Singapore." In the past three years, the nursing department has emphasised greater communication. Junior nurses are encouraged to manage committees and voice their concerns in weekly meetings. The change in work processes seems to reflect the low attrition rate of five per cent. And the hospital believes a healthy working environment translates to quality patient care. Advanced practice nurse Lim Su Fee, who has worked in SGH for 20 years, said: "Even upon discharge, our relationship with her (the patient) doesn't end, when the patients get discharged. It's actually a long-term relationship. "So I still provide contact with them, and occasionally they still call me for advice over the phone." Singapore is the latest among five countries to have their hospitals or medical centres receive the 'Magnet' accreditation. The other countries are the United States, Lebanon, New Zealand, and Australia. The American-based programme selects applicants according to their ability to attract and retain professional nurses. It also looks at patient outcomes and patient satisfaction. Singapore General Hospital
Out-of-box solutions needed to address sustainability, liveability | Posted: 30 June 2010 2354 hrs By Hetty Musfirah SINGAPORE : Senior Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu has said there is a need to find out-of-the-box solutions to resolve the challenges in addressing sustainability and liveability for Singapore. She was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Ministerial Dialogue at the World Cities Summit on Wednesday. The dialogue on "Leading the Change: Building Liveable and Vibrant Cities" brought together mayors and ministers from various cities. Ms Fu said she was inspired by some of the innovative solutions that were shared during the dialogue. She added: "We have to find creative and innovative solutions to also address issues such as sustainability and liveability for Singaporeans. It is important for us to communicate that vision to our people clearly so that they are on board, and that they can be together with us, joining us in the next journey." Ms Fu also gave her views about Singapore coming in third out of 64 cities, behind Geneva and Zurich, in the Global Liveable Cities Index. She said: "It does not mean that we have arrived. It does not mean that we are completely satisfied with where we are. So we have to continue to look at new ways. "As we develop Singapore in the next phase, we are going to get more urbanised, more dense. Then this issue about liveability is really going to be more critical. "It's for us to decide what Singapore should be and we have to make our own definition as to what is liveable and what's a vibrant city. There's no fixed model. "It does not mean that we have to be number one on every rating, but we have to know what we want for Singapore and that ultimately our objective is to create a home for Singaporeans." Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State for National Development
New Tuas water purification plant to boost Singapore's disaster-relief efforts Channel NewsAsia 30 June 2010 1809 hrs SINGAPORE : A new multi-million dollar water purification plant in Tuas later this year is expected to put Singapore on the world map for disaster-relief efforts. And the Economic Development Board hopes more private sector companies will leverage on Singapore's focus on water development to spur their non-profit initiatives. When Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar in 2008, supplies were scarce, and water was in immediate shortage. It was pocket-sized water purification packets, called PUR Packets, that helped tide many villagers over. Geoff Shepherd, director, Humanitarian Emergency Affairs, World Vision (Asia Pacific), said: "In West Sumatra, for instance, we gave them a kit to do it. And they can produce the water within half an hour, so it is quite simple. And we just need to give them a demonstration as we distribute the sachets. So from that perspective, it is really easy." The powdered solution attracts toxic particles and dirt in contaminated water, pulling them down to the base. After waiting for another 20 minutes, the water is then filtered through a piece of cloth, resulting in a clean cup of drinking water. To meet increasing demand, its manufacturer is building a new production facility in Singapore. Deb Henretta, group president, Asia, Procter & Gamble, said: "Singapore is in the heart of Asia. So it provides a fairly central location for us. And since it would be supporting disaster-relief efforts for all of Asia and even extending into Africa, Singapore was a nice location. "Singapore also has excellent access to air and ocean shipping routes, and that obviously becomes very important, allowing us to get our packets to our NGO and government partners." Tan Choon Shian, deputy managing director, Singapore Economic Development Board, said: "The business has grown, the technology is useful. And we find that there are countries and cities around Asia that find the solutions from Singapore useful. "This project, the P&G PUR project, is interesting because it is another dimension of water management. And we will always welcome different kinds of capabilities, different kinds of connectivity that will add to our water-related cluster." The Tuas water purification plant is expected to produce more than 200 million packets a year - ready to be shipped to Asian and African countries. Mr Tan said: "Since we are going to invest in the capabilities to take care of our own needs, our own people; if that capability can be leveraged into a business to serve a larger market, from an economics point of view, it makes sense. Also from the point of view of contributing some good to the rest of the world."
Floods in Singapore again and this is the third time www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_548173.html. Just "creating "new" or "extra" water are probably less cost-effective than "capturing" all these waters from the floods which eventually go down the drain. Now these constant floods are an embarrassment if they are now resolved sooner than later.
How very true that an out-of-the-box solution is badly needed to solve these constant floods. Let us wait and see what happens.
I've told you many times before not to worry about S'pore. More relevant for you to think of some of the problems relating to where you are living and where you came from and make your contributions there. We have leaders here who will come up with solutions and improve on them whenever necessary. As I've said "Singapore Also Can".
Loh, everyone knows that bureaucrats or "leaders" cannot think out-of-the-box. That is why they are bureaucrats, used to being heard and obeyed but never challenged. You need perhaps special people to do this, people like those that will come and meet bureaucrats in shorts and singlets wearing flip flops. Now you get a sense of what thinking out-of-the-box people can come in but almost never in suits, ties, and eager to shoepolish.
So true, we have people here preaching to others to think out of the box,but they themselves are even having a worse problem, not only are they unable to think out of the box, they can't even think and learn,more like donkeys. They don't even understand how floods occur even after Engineers have explained in detail but read newspaper reports of bureaucrats words. They claim other people indulge in "academic criticism"but they are the ones most guilty, no responsibility, all empty talk and never having to put their money where their mouths are.Just good at inciting with no constructive solutions, who doesn't know ma is female? Might as well demand why bureaucrats in China in China cannot think how to stop typhoons hitting South China.
Let us compare two simple threads and see which is inside the box thinking and which outside the box. One is 'Singapore Also Can' and the other 'Malaysia Boleh'. The former is so inside the box that it is to all intents and purposes out of bounds to everyone except Loh. Bbn, what is your opinion?
