by Ernie B. Calucag The Singapore government on Monday said that it is closely monitoring the transactions within the shoebox apartments market as these tiny homes are slowly becoming a hot property in Singapore. “The market is a lot cooler than it was say one year ago, although there are little pockets of hot activities...

by Ernie B. Calucag Mainboard-listed Chinese multimedia firm KXD Digital Entertainment said Monday that it has made a court application to be wound up as it is unable to pay its debts. KXD, which has been caught in a police investigation, has proposed the appointment of Yit Chee Wah Steven of FTI Consulting (Singapore) to...

by Ernie B. Calucag Singapore’s inflation is likely to remain elevated at around 5 per cent in the next few months, Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang told Parliament on Monday. “Barring external shocks, we expect this to ease gradually in the second half of the year to bring full-year CPI inflation to between...

Source: Reuters Older drivers may now be able to stay on the road for longer thanks to new technology being developed by scientists that uses pictures of mail boxes or pubs as visual turning cues. Nicknamed “Granny Nav”, the technology is being developed as part of a GBP12-million (US$19.34-million) programme by the UK’s Research Council...

by Ernie B. Calucag The residential site at Farrer Drive will be launched for sale by public tender in about two weeks, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said on Friday. URA said it has accepted an application from a developer for the 0.63-hectare site to be put up for public tender after it was made...

by Ernie B. Calucag Singapore’s economy will be the major issue to be aired in Parliament when the House sits on May 14. Topics such as inflation, restructuring, wages and productivity have taken up the majority of the 87 questions tabled for oral reply on Monday. Given the increasing inflation in the country, MP Lim...

by Ernie B. Calucag Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited (OCBC), Singapore’s second largest lender, on Friday reported a 32-per cent jump in first-quarter net profit, thanks to a quality loan book, strong trading and investment income as well as bigger contribution from its insurance arm. OCBC booked a quarterly net profit of S$832.0 million for 1Q2012,...

by Jared Heng Singapore’s Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) Friday announced proposed enhancements for the national eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) filing system. When implemented, these will be the first major enhancements since the XBRL system was first introduced to the business community in 2007. ACRA said the move was in response to feedback...

by Ernie B. Calucag Singapore Airlines (SIA) said Thursday that it is looking at exploring regional partnerships, particularly in India and China, to drive its growth going forward. The airline posted its first quarterly loss in more than two years on Wednesday, hammered by rising fuel costs and slower demand and increasing competition on long-haul...

by Ernie B. Calucag The Singapore High Court has dismissed the application of Yeap Wai Kong, a former director of China Sky Chemical Fibre Co Limited, to quash the Singapore Exchange’s (SGX) public reprimand of him on December 16 last year. In a statement, SGX said that the High Court found that the exchange has...

by Jared Heng Singapore’s Corporate Governance Council Thursday released its Risk Governance Guidance for Listed Boards. The Guidance is a key initiative by the Council to strengthen corporate governance practices of listed companies in Singapore. According to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the Guidance is meant to provide key information on risk governance to...

by Ernie B. Calucag   Singapore’s office vacancy rates are expected to rise further across all grades and micro markets, with a peak expected in 2013, said property consultant CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) in a report Wednesday. In the core central business district, which covers Raffles Place, Marina Centre, Shenton Way and Marina Bay, the...