From January 1, 2008, non-PR foreigners will
not receive any healthcare subsidy. PRs will continue to be subsidised
for hospital services, but at 5 percentage points less than citizens.
From July 1, 2008, another 5
percentage-point reduction will be applied...
From 1 November 2007 onwards, persons who
move into or out of Singapore physical currency1 or bearer
negotiable instruments2 (CBNI) the total value of which
exceeds SGD 30,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) will be
required to give a report by filling up a form and submitting it to the
authorities.
The form is available at all checkpoints,
police establishments, Singapore Visitors Centres and branches of
Singapore Post...
A-cubemicro.com
specialises in office cleaning, commercial property cleaning,
carpet cleaning, one-time house cleaning, pre-move in house
cleaning, weekly house cleaning, part-time maids, full-time maids
(provided by our reliable licensed partner company), babysitting,
babysitters, childcare, confinement nanny, marble polishing,
parquet polishing, parquet varnishing, house moving, house movers,
curtain laundry, dry cleaning, carpet tile supply & installation,
renovation, interior design, air-con servicing & repairs, house &
office painting, lawn mowing & grass cutting, high pressure water
jet cleaning & spraying. Email:
alphalht@singnet.com.sg now! Pls also visit 1st website: A-cubemicro.com 2nd
website: www.house-office-carpet-cleaning.com now!
Asiaxpat.com.sg
Expatriates in Singapore - the online information resource for expats
living, moving to and working in Singapore.
BritishDragonBoatTeamInSingapore
is the website of the British Chamber Of Commerce Guinness Dragon Boat
Team in Singapore. Dragon Boating is a great way to get fit, meet fellow
ex-pats. Come along and join us. You don't have to be experienced, fit or
British.
ContactSingapore
Step-by-step guide to applying for a job, flying into Singapore, getting
an employment pass, and applying for visas for your spouse and children.
EscapeArtist.Com The website
on overseas living for international job seekers and expatriates.
ExpatSingapore For
expatriates planning to relocate to Singapore. Provides excellent
information on Singapore.
Graaskov.co.uk
is the website of the Graaskov family in Singapore.
US-partnersingapore.com
is the website of the US-Singapore Business Partnership Programme.
Launched in March 2002, it aims to let US and Singapore firms forge new
links through the Internet.
XpatXperience
The Expatriate Information Resource is a Web site by expatriates for
expatriates with information for those intending to move to and those
already living in Singapore. Information about getting a driving
license, cost of living, public transport etc. Also features an event
calendar, e-cards, forum and much more!
The Land Transport Authority’s (LTA)
next-generation e-payment system for public transit, Symphony for
e-Payment (SeP), is ready for implementation...
With SeP, commuters will be able to use
cards issued by any card issuer for transit purposes as long as the
card complies with the CEPAS standard and includes the transit
application. Commuters can eventually use CEPAS-compliant cards for
Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) payments in vehicles fitted with the
new generation In-vehicle Unit (IU), Electronic Parking System (EPS)
carparks and other electronic payment systems that support the CEPAS
standard...
To give more priority to buses on our
roads the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will introduce a pilot
scheme to make it mandatory to give way to all buses exiting at 23
selected bus stops located along three roads...
In the first 10 months of 2008
(January-October), there were a total of 382 reported new HIV cases
among Singapore residents. In comparison, there were 423 HIV cases
notified for the whole of 2007. It can be expected that the total
number of notified HIV cases in 2008 will exceed that of last year.
There has been an increase in the number
of HIV tests done in Singapore in 2008, compared to 2007. The total
number of HIV tests carried out for Singapore residents by local
laboratories from January through September 2008 was 124,559,
compared to 102,490 over the same time period in 2007. This
represents a 22% increase this year...
There were 1,928,300 residents in the
labour force in June 2008, comprising 1,093,200 males and 835,100
females. The resident labour force grew by 2.7%[1] from 2007 to 2008
(June periods), up from 2.0% in the preceding year. This was driven
by both growth in the resident population and female labour force
participation rate.
Despite the more challenging economic
outlook, the employment rate for the resident population aged 25 to
64 rose to a new high of 77.0% in 2008 from 76.5% in 2007. The
improvement mainly resulted from more females who were previously
outside the labour force becoming employed...
The three-year time frame for school
buses to retrofit seat belts is to minimise the disruption to the
transport of these children that are displaced...
The five-year timeframe for the
remaining small buses takes into consideration the fact that
priority will be given to school buses during the first three years,
and the capacity of the workshops to handle the retrofitting work.
Preliminary estimates show that employment
grew by 57,800 in the third quarter this year. This was lower than the
gains of 71,400 in the preceding quarter and 58,600 in the third quarter
of 2007...
Preliminary estimates show that 2,000
workers were retrenched in the third quarter of 2008, up from 1,798
in the previous quarter and 1,827 in the third quarter of 2007...
The Ministry of Health will increase the
number of anonymous HIV test sites in Singapore from the current three -
Anteh Dispensary, Cambridge Clinic, and the Action for AIDS Anonymous
HIV Testing and Counseling Clinic - to seven, with
effect from 1 November 2008...
The outbreak of Salmonellosis linked to the
Prima Deli factory has ceased. There have been no new cases with
reported onset of illness following the factory closure on 4 Dec 07...
AVA will allow the company to resume its
factory operations in two stages under supervision.
With immediate effect, Prima Deli will
be allowed to produce food products that undergo high heat treatment
such as baked products and frozen dough to be baked in the outlets.
If there is no operational hygiene deficiency, full factory
operation may be resumed to produce the other products containing
ingredients not subjected to heat treatment such as cakes with
toppings...
Police would also like to advise revellers
and shoppers to be vigilant against opportunists who might commit molest
in crowds. Most of these molest cases happen in crowded areas where the
suspect would touch the victim and move away. In some, the suspect would
spray foam onto the victim and commit molest in the process...
Total employment expanded by 58,600 in Q3
07, up substantially from the increase of 43,000 in Q3 06, making it the
second highest quarterly increase after the 64,400 recorded in Q2 07...
1,827 workers were retrenched in Q3 07, an
improvement from 2,472 in Q3 06 and 1,918 in Q2 07[2]. This brings the
total number retrenched in the first nine months of 2007 to 5,709, much
lower than 9,388 in the same period last year...
In enforcement operations conducted over a
13 day period, 14 errant taxi drivers were nabbed at several spots such
as Boat Quay, CHIJMES, Clarke Quay, Mustafa Centre, Orchard Towers and
Shenton Way.
Of these, 6 taxi drivers were found
overcharging and 8 were caught for refusing to convey passengers. None
was found touting...
From January 1, 2008, non-PR foreigners will
not receive any healthcare subsidy. PRs will continue to be subsidised
for hospital services, but at 5 percentage points less than citizens.
From July 1, 2008, another 5
percentage-point reduction will be applied...
With effect from 1 January 2008, the S Pass
quota for all sectors will be increased from 15% to 25%. The new S Pass
quota will come entirely from companies' Work Permit quota which will be
increased for all sectors. Companies can therefore employ more S Pass
holders, in lieu of Work Permit holders, hence improving the quality of
their foreign workforce...
To strengthen our
global talent attraction and retention efforts, refinements will be made
to the PEP scheme. Foreign professionals whose last drawn fixed monthly
salary overseas was at least S$7,000 will be eligible for a PEP. The PEP
will also be granted to former P1 Employment Pass holders upon
application.
These changes
will take effect from 1 March 2008. Existing and new P1 pass holders
working in Singapore that apply for the PEP ahead of the 2-year
requirement will be accorded in-principle approval. They can apply to
take up the PEP at the end of 2 years on their current P1 pass...
The continued tightening of the labour
market this year has also led to significant gains in income and a
reduction in the number and share of low wage workers...
Excluding the
extreme age bands, the employment rate for those aged 25 to 64 edged up
to a new record of 76.5% from 75.5% a year ago. Supported by efforts to
improve employability of older workers, the employment rate of older
residents aged 55 to 64 rose by 2.5%-points over the year to 56.2% in
June 2007..
By the first quarter of 2008, over 4000
patients yearly at the community hospitals will be able to enjoy better
patient care, improved drug safety, fewer repeat tests and hence lower
costs with the extension of the Electronic Medical Records Exchange (EMRX)...
The extension marks the first step in the
Ministry of Health's plans to extend the EMRX beyond the public
sector...
MOH and theAgri-Food & Veterinary Authority
(AVA) conducted joint inspections of Prima Food Pte Ltd which produces
the chocolate cakes for all Prima Deli retail outlets.
Food and environmental samples were taken
for laboratory analysis. Preliminary results on 03 December 2007 for the
food samples are suggestive of Salmonella as the likely causative agent...
As at 03 December 2007, there were a total
of 106 cases including six hospitalised cases, all of whom have been
discharged. Six cases tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis. The
last case had onset of illness on 26 November 2007.
Out of the164
Singaporeans detected to be HIV infected in the first six months, about
93% of the new cases detected this year were males and 7% were females.
Sexual transmission remains the main mode of HIV
transmission among Singaporeans. Of the 164 cases reported in the first
6 months of 2007, 155 cases acquired the infection through the sexual
route, with heterosexual transmission accounting for 67% of infections,
homosexual transmission 24% and bisexual transmission 3%. Intravenous
drug use (4 cases) accounted for 2%...
Early last year, MDA worked with industry
players to successfully kick-off a series of trials on High Definition
TV. Today, HDTV is available to Singapore households over free-to-air,
cable and Internet Protocol or IPTV.
We view the delivery of digital TV services
to mobile devices as a promising new way to deliver media services to
consumers anytime, anywhere. Hence, MDA has proposed a policy framework
to enable the early deployment of commercial mobile broadcasting...
In his Opening Address, Dr Vivian
Balakrishnan announced the increase of up to 25 per cent in funding for
the 17 social service agencies that are running the Guidance Programme
(GP) - a six-month programme for first-time young offenders to divert
them away from being charged in Court...
Towards the end of the 6-month
programme, the social worker will assess the youth’s overall
progress and make an appropriate recommendation to the Police
Investigation Officer.
Depending on the risks and needs of the
youth, the programme may be extended for up to
six months. The youth, if he completes the programme successfully,
may be let off with a stern Police warning in lieu of prosecution...
The Board of Film Censors (BFC) will be
launching a video games classification system next year to provide more
choice for adults while protecting the young.
In the interim period, the BFC has decided
to selectively use games rating to enable highly anticipated games to be
launched in Singapore...
MTI forecasts the Singapore economy to grow
by 4.5-6.5 per cent in 2008. This represents a moderation in growth
towards the economy's underlying potential rate, following four years of
above-trend growth.
The market consensus is that the US
economy will slow down in the first half of 2008 as a result of
weaker credit and housing markets before resuming healthy growth
in the second half. This would support GDP growth in Singapore in
the upper half of the 4.5-6.5 per cent forecast range...
Part II of the Bill establishes the
National Registry of Diseases and sets out its functions. These
include the collection of information on reportable diseases,
establishment of registers, compilation and publication of
statistics, and the provision of information for supporting health
services and national public health policies...
Clause 6, in Part III of the Bill,
makes the notification of reportable diseases mandatory for
managers of all healthcare institutions. The burden is placed on
the manager as he has the management and control of the
institution. Very limited data will be required to make a
notification...
Apart from the meetings held in
Shangri-La Hotel, there will be several other key events, which
the Leaders and delegates will attend as part of the official
programme. They include the following:
a Gala Dinner at Raffles City
Convention Centre on Tuesday, 20 Nov 2007 .
b Reception at the Asian Civilisations Museum on Wednesday, 21 Nov
2007.
c Dinner at Istana on Wednesday, 21 Nov 2007...
As part of the security and traffic
arrangements, Police will deploy resources to conduct roadblocks and
security checks at and around all the event venues.
Come 25 November 2007, Singaporeans who have
forgotten their Singapore Personal Access (or SingPass) password will be
able to get it reset almost immediately...
The new hotline, SingPass website and system
administration will be managed by CrimsonLogic Pte Ltd, who was
appointed by the Government through a competitive tender to develop,
operate and maintain SingPass in April 2006. SingPass was previously
managed by the Central Provident Fund Board...
Over a five day period from 30 October - 3
November 2007, 26 taxi drivers were found overcharging, seven were found
touting while the rest were caught for refusing to convey passengers, in
enforcement operations conducted at several spots such as Sentosa,
Clarke Quay, Orchard Towers and Boat Quay...
With the planned landscape and
infrastructural enhancements, Singapore’s premier shopping street will
have state of the art lighting highlighting its lush tree-lined
boulevard, new creative spaces for staging events and a more integrated
and engaging pedestrian mall...
Orchard Road's infrastructure works will be
carried out in phases to minimise disruption to businesses and the public, while
access points to buildings will be maintained at all times...
Since the opening of Phase 1 of the
Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) on 26 October 2007, the speed
cameras installed in the KPE tunnel have captured a total of 3,378
vehicles speeding above the prescribed road speed limit of 70km/h in the
first six days.
Employment continued to grow strongly as the
economy maintained its rapid expansion. Preliminary estimates show that
employment grew by 57,600 in the third quarter of 2007...
Services continued to lead the employment
gains, adding 34,500 workers in the third quarter of 2007. Manufacturing
posted gains of 11,800. Driven by the growth in building activities,
construction increased its workforce by 10,800, continuing the rapid
increase of the previous quarter...
From 1 November 2007 onwards, persons who
move into or out of Singapore physical currency1 or bearer
negotiable instruments2 (CBNI) the total value of which
exceeds SGD 30,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) will be
required to give a report by filling up a form and submitting it to the
authorities.
The form is available at all checkpoints,
police establishments, Singapore Visitors Centres and branches of
Singapore Post...
The new section 376C (Commercial sex
with minor under 18 outside Singapore) will have extra-territorial
effect so that it would be an offence for Singapore citizens and
Permanent Residents to solicit or engage in commercial sex with
minors under 18 in other countries...
Feedback received highlighted concerns over
female sexual abuse of male minors. On further consideration, we accept
that these younger male children could be exploited by older women.
Consequently, we have decided to make it an offence for a woman to
engage in penile penetrative sexual acts with a male minor under 16 and
to have commercial sex with a male minor under 18...
Whilst prostitution per se is not an
offence, new section 376B (Commercial sex with minor under 18)
will make it an offence for a person to solicit, communicate or
obtain sexual services from a minor under 18 years of age...
In 2006, out of the 6,406 VCH cases, Police
initiated action on behalf of the victims in 468 cases, which accounted
for 7.3 % of the VCH cases reported...
Police will initiate prosecution into VCH
cases where there is harm to the public interest and safety, and when it
is assessed that the assailant is a bully who is taking advantage of the
weak and vulnerable - especially young children, senior citizens and
physically or mentally-disabled persons...
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)
has launched a dedicated microsite1 for Changi Airport's Terminal 3 or
T3 to provide visitors the opportunity to explore Changi's newest and
largest terminal from anywhere in the world.
Themed "Explore Paradise", the microsite is
an interactive one-stop link for visitors to intimately discover T3
through virtual tours, fun downloads, visuals and contests. Visitors can
also obtain informative details of the new terminal from the microsite...
MOH is building a regional hospital in
Yishun to better serve residents from the Northern region of Singapore.
Spanning over 3.4 hectares, the 550-bed hospital will offer a
comprehensive range of medical and healthcare services.
The new public sector hospital will be named
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, following the promise of a donation of $125
million from the family of the late banker and philanthropist Tan Sri
Khoo Teck Puat...
Under the new Act, only dealers who deal in
secondhand goods that are listed in the Schedule will be regulated. This
will be regardless of whether such dealings take place at a shopfront,
via a makeshift stall or over the Internet.
The list of items was drawn up based on
crime data of commonly stolen items. While the existing Act has a wider
list of items, the new regulatory regime has a reduced list which
comprises commonly stolen items. This allows a sharper regulatory focus
in preventing fencing1.
Dealers who deal in items which are not in
the new list will not be regulated. The list of items may also be
revised according to crime trends...
A series of road works will be undertaken in
the city centre, which includes road widening works along Raffles
Boulevard from Nicoll Highway to Temasek Avenue.
Other works in the city centre will include
modifications to existing roads, such as the removal of road kerbs and
traffic islands along the confirmed F1 track alignment...
Singapore Changi Airport marks a page in the
Business Traveller United Kingdom (UK) magazine for being the longest
"Best Airport in the World" title holder for the past 20 consecutive
years...
Nonetheless, financial markets have
rebounded recently and underlying economic conditions remain
supportive. GDP growth is therefore on track to come in at the
upper end of the 7-8% forecast range this year, up from the
4.5-6.5% forecast during the April review...
In the Singapore economy, growth will
be led by non-IT manufacturing, construction and business
services, which have built up a strong momentum and are more
dependent on regional and domestic sources of demand as well as
developments in specific product markets.
At this stage, our assessment is that
the Singapore economy is likely to expand at a slower rate in 2008
than in the recent past, reflecting weaker global economic growth.
Singapore’s GDP growth rate is expected to come in within its
potential of 4-6% next year...
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
has issued a consultation paper proposing to exempt card issuers from
complying with the maximum credit limit when issuing credit or charge
cards to individuals with an annual income of at least $120,000 or net
personal assets exceeding $2 million[1].
With the proposed exemption, card issuers
may determine the appropriate credit limits for this higher income group
in line with their assessment of the credit worthiness of these
individuals...
Therefore, we propose to amend the IDA to
empower the Director of Medical Services (DMS) to obtain left-over
samples, and send them for the tests and examinations for the purpose of
monitoring the infectious disease situation in Singapore...
The Ministry proposes to expand the IDA to
empower DMS to close any premises as non-food establishments may also be
the source of an outbreak...
We propose to amend the IDA so that when
required, the DMS may require medical practitioners as well as other
categories of health care workers (e.g. TCM practitioners, dentists,
pharmacists, etc.) to obtain disease related information from their
patients...
MOH proposes to expand the IDA to
address the situation where an individual who, although unaware
that he is HIV-positive, has reason to believe that he has been
exposed to the risk of contracting HIV or AIDS (e.g. by having
unprotected casual sex with multiple partners)...
The Ministry of Health and the Singapore
Medical Council (SMC) will be including an additional 19 leading
international medical schools to the Schedule of the Medical
Registration Act with effect from 1st October 2007...
Included are 6 medical schools from China, 4
from India, 4 from Japan, 2 from Taiwan and 1 from South Korea. 2 more
medical schools from Europe have also been added...
Singaporeans graduating from any of the 159
international medical schools can also come back to Singapore, to
supplement the number graduating from our own medical schools...
Singapore and the United Kingdom (UK) have
concluded a landmark Open Skies Agreement (OSA) on 2 October 2007,
removing all restrictions on air services operated by carriers of both
countries.
With this agreement, Singapore Airlines (SIA)
will now be able to operate as many services as the Singapore-UK market
could support...
Similarly, UK carriers will be able to
operate any number of services beyond Singapore to any other city
in the world. These rights, which will be effective from end-March
2008, come nearly two decades after Singapore first made its
request to the UK...
According to the latest survey by the Bank
for International Settlements (BIS), average daily foreign exchange (FX)
turnover volume in Singapore jumped 84% from the previous survey in
2004, to reach US$231 billion in 2007.
The survey ranks Singapore as the
fifth largest FX centre in the world and the second largest in
Asia, closely behind Tokyo...
The survey also ranks Singapore as eighth
largest centre globally in terms of over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives
trading, up from twelfth position in 2004...
It will
be made an offence to engage in penetrative acts
such as oral and anal sex with a minor under the age
of 16, with or without the consent of the minor;
It will
be made an offence to obtain commercial sex from a
minor under the age of 18, or communicate with any
person for such a purpose; and
A new
offence of sexual grooming of minors under the age
of 16 will be introduced...
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has revoked
the licences and forfeited the security deposits of three employment
agencies (EA) - Ms Bushra Employment Agency, CM Manpower Centre Pte Ltd
and Angel Maids Agency.
These EAs have breached the Employment
Agencies Act by illegally deploying foreign domestic workers (FDWs)
to perform work at households when they have not obtained valid
work passes1...
Clause 11
of the Bill makes it mandatory for anyone physically
carrying currency and bearer negotiable instruments or
CBNI, above S$30,000, into or out of Singapore, to
declare this to the authorities at the checkpoints...
The threshold amount of
S$30,000 is based on the recommendation by the FATF,
and includes not only currency in circulation, but
also bearer negotiable instruments such as travellers
cheques, money orders, cheques, bonds and promissory
notes...
Hence, for clarity, a crossed cheque
made payable to a specific person with the word “bearer” deleted
is not considered a bearer negotiable instrument because only the
person named on the cheque can receive the amount stated on it.
The new measure would be
non-discriminatory and will be imposed on all travellers,
including citizens, residents and foreigners, entering and exiting
the country.
The penalties for non-declaration and false
declaration are a maximum fine of S$50,000 or a term of imprisonment of
up to 3 years or both...
Employers may now apply for the FDW Levy
Concession (Persons with disability) from 15 September 2007.
The FDW Levy Concession (Persons with
disability) will help families of persons with disability reduce costs
of caregiving where a full-time caregiver is needed...
Employers applying for the levy concession
will need to obtain a medical assessment on the functional ability of
the person with disability in performing his/her activities of daily
living...
Total employment grew by an all-time
quarterly high of 64,400 in Q2 07, surpassing the increase of 49,400 in
Q1 07 and 36,400 in Q2 06. This brought employment growth in the first
half of 2007 to 113,800, compared with 81,500 in the same period last
year.
With the robust employment gains, the
seasonally adjusted overall unemployment rate declined significantly to
2.3% in Jun 07 from 2.9% in Mar 07. The resident1
unemployment rate also fell to 3.1% from 4.0% over the same period. An
estimated 76,100 (or 60,200 after seasonal adjustment) residents were
unemployed in Jun 07...
The Ministry of Manpower will require
employers to purchase and maintain insurance for the medical expenses of
foreign workers from 1 January 2008.
This requirement is being implemented in
tandem with the withdrawal of healthcare subsidies for foreigners1,
which was previously announced by the Ministry of Health. The
requirement will apply to:
All new and existing foreign workers
on Work Permit or S Pass from 1 January 2008.
All new foreign domestic workers, and
existing foreign domestic workers when employers renew their Work
Permits, from 1 January 2008.
The PTC approved a 1 to 2 cent increase in
adult EZ-Link fares for buses. Senior citizen concessionary EZ-Link bus
fares, which are flat fares pegged to the lowest adult EZ-Link fare band
will also increase by 2 cents...
There will be no increase to all rail
fares, some EZLink adult bus fares, as well as cash fares for
buses, child/student fares and the prices of monthly student/NS
men concession passes...
"For the safety of spectators,
safety barricades will be lined up around the perimeter of the race
circuit. This is similar to the arrangement adopted by most of the
countries hosting F1 races...
"To ensure security for the event,
Police will conduct checks on bags and personal belongings at designated
access points to prevent smuggling of any weapons or prohibited
items. Spectators who refuse to have their bags check can be denied
entry. Spectators who appear to be highly intoxicated could also be
denied entry..."
"As of 1 Aug 2007, the Ministry of Health (MOH)
is allowing HIV testing with rapid HIV test kits to be offered in
medical clinics. Rapid HIV tests are screening tests that produce very
quick results, in approximately 20 minutes...
"Rapid HIV testing can only be conducted in a medical clinic by trained
clinic personnel, and only clinics which have participated in an MOH
training workshop on Rapid HIV Testing are allowed to offer rapid HIV
testing..."
MOH is setting up two new specialty centres
for cancer and heart disease at the National University Hospital to meet
the rising demand for tertiary care in these specialties...
Cancer and heart disease are the top
two killers, with cancer taking 4000 lives in Singapore each year.
They will remain the major causes of death and morbidity. New
cancer cases are projected to increase from 9,000 per year to
13,000 by 2015. For cardiology, outpatient attendances are
projected to grow from 200,000 per year to 320,000 by 2015. We
must ramp up our capacity and capabilities to meet this rapidly
growing demand...
"First, let me clarify that the minimum
annual income requirement to qualify for a credit card has not been
relaxed, and remains at $30,000.
"There are no plans to change this. When Mr
Palmer mentioned the relaxation in the minimum annual income for credit
cards, I presume he was referring directly to payment instruments with a
maximum credit limit of $500.
"MAS has exempted payment instruments with a
credit limit of less than $500 from MAS' rules to provide some leeway to
the market to innovate and develop convenient payment instruments..."
"The difference in the inflation rates
between the lowest 20% and the higher income groups also narrowed.
"This was due primarily to lower electricity
tariffs and domestic refuse removal fees which have relatively larger
weights for the low income group.
"The main items contributing to the price
increases during the first six months of 2007 for all income groups were
taxi fares, cooked food, holiday travel, accommodation, school & tuition
fees as well as hospitalization fees..."
"The drug addiction situation in Singapore
is under control, even though 999 drug abusers were arrested in the
first half of this year, compared to 446 over the same period last year.
"Of the total number of abusers arrested,
Buprenorphine abusers formed the majority, at 41%, with heroin abusers
at 30% and synthetic drug abusers at 25%.
"One reason for the increase of 553 abusers
is that the Central Narcotics Bureau gazetted Buprenorphine as a
controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act in August last year..."
"The Singapore Airlines A380 flies its First
Flight from Singapore to Sydney on Thursday 25 October and the return
leg on Friday 26 October.
"A majority of seats on both legs of the
First Flight will be auctioned on eBay, the global online marketplace,
progressively over two weeks from Monday evening (Singapore time), 27
August 2007..."
"The LTA has completed its review of traffic
conditions on the roads and will be extending the coverage of ERP at the
following locations. The changes take effect from 1 November 2007..."
"By 2012, we will require employers to offer re-employment to workers
reaching 62, up to age 65, and eventually to 67. This change will
precede the raising of the Draw Down Age (DDA). By 2012, employers
will be required to offer re-employment up to age 65 but the DDA to
65 will only be effected in 2018 – a significant time lag to help
workers and employers adjust...
"1% additional bonus interest will be
paid on the first $60,000 in a CPF member's combined accounts, with not more than
$20,000 from the OA accounts. This will enhance CPF's existing
risk-free framework...
"While our employment rates are among the highest in the world, our
residents are also among the longest living. The present DDA of 62
years is hence too early and results in the majority of members
prematurely depleting their savings. Thus, we will do the following: a.
progressively raise draw down age..
"Even after changes to DDA, there will be those who live longer than
85. We want to ensure that they have a stream of income for life. The Government will therefore be looking at making annuities
compulsory for members to protect them against outliving their
retirement savings...
On 19 August 2007 at about 3.15pm, an
Iranian man was arrested for an offence of theft by sleight of hand. The
man had earlier managed to steal money from foreigners by asking to see
their foreign currency.
"The Singapore Fireworks Celebrations has
lined up two fireworks displays, on 17 and 18 Aug, at the Marina Bay
area to tie in with this year's National Day celebrations..."
"While the figures for outraging of modesty
and cheating and related offences were not significantly different,
index crimes that were significantly higher in Jan-Jun 2007 from the
same period in 2006 were rape, motor vehicle theft, robbery and snatch
theft.
"However, there is no cause for alarm. For
rape, which saw the greatest percentage increase of 32%, the vast
majority of cases (90%) involved offenders who are known to their
victims..."
"Following consultation with the
Singapore Hotel Association (SHA), the Ministry of Trade and
Industry (MTI) has decided on the following rates for the Formula
One (F1) levy on hotel room revenues:
a. 30% of the total revenues from
rooms and room packages for trackside hotels; and
b. 20% of the total revenues from
rooms and room packages for all other tourist hotels[1]..."
"More than 17.7 million passengers
went through Changi Airport in the first six months of the year,
representing a 5.4% increase over the same period last year..."
"A fortnight ago, on 27 July 2007, the
Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA, or the World Motor
Sports Council) set the date of the first Singapore Grand Prix as 28
September 2008.
"The 5.05km long street circuit offers a
number of overtaking opportunities, fast turns and technically
challenging sections for F1 race drivers, which, in turn, will present
viewers with compelling race action to keep them on the edge of their
seats.
"More than 70 per cent of the street circuit
is made up of Singapore’s existing road network. The Paddock building
will house the control tower, garages for the teams, hospitality
lounges, Press Room and other facilities..."
"All licensed dogs must be
microchipped with an ISO compliant microchip.
"Dogs that were licensed before 1 Sep
07 will be exempted from the requirement. However, owners of such
dogs are strongly encouraged to have their dogs microchipped for
better traceability...
"Under the new Rules1, the
annual licence fee for all unsterilised dogs (both male and
female) is $70 while the licence fee for sterilised dogs is
$14..."
"Preliminary estimates show that total employment grew
by a record quarterly high of 61,900 in the second
quarter of 2007, as the economy continued its strong
growth...
"Employment grew in all
the major sectors, led by services which added 33,600
workers. Manufacturing posted gains of 16,600, higher
than earlier quarters..."
"Upon approval by the Accreditation
Council, dating agencies and practitioners will be awarded the SDU
Trust Mark. They will also be listed in two national registries
that SDU will be setting up - Registry of Dating Agencies (www.rda.gov.sg)
and Registry of Dating Practitioners (www.rdp.gov.sg).
"Singles should see the first batch of
accredited dating agencies and practitioners by early 2008..."
"The aim
of the treatment and rehabilitation regime is to give
first and second time abusers a chance at
rehabilitation without the stigmatisation of a
criminal record...
"Recalcitrant abusers with two previous records for
consumption of cannabis or cocaine or that of opiates,
synthetic drugs or buprenorphine who are arrested
again for the consumption of any of these drugs would
be liable for long term imprisonment under the Long
Term (LT) Imprisonment Regime, if convicted..."
"The
National Library Board (NLB) announced today that
after eight eventful years at Ngee Ann City, the
library@orchard will be moving out from its current
premises at Ngee Ann City on 30 November 2007...
"The
library@orchard will re-open in 2010 at a new location
– *scape the youth community space, and possibly
another redeveloped site along Orchard Road..."
"Subscribers who opt for the Set-Top Box with
recording function can pause, rewind and record live
TV programmes so that they no longer have to miss
anything.
"The mio
TV website allows subscribers to programme their
recordings even when they are not at home, and an
upcoming service that will enable them to do it via
their mobile phones..."
"In 2006, about 57,000 persons were granted
permanent residency status in Singapore. These new permanent residents (PRs)
came predominantly from Asian and South-East Asian countries...
"In 2006, about 13,000 persons were
granted Singapore Citizenship (SC). These new SCs came
predominantly from Asian and South-East Asian
countries..."
"Advance estimates1 show that real
gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 8.2 per cent on a year-on-year
basis in the second quarter, up from 6.4 per cent in the previous
quarter...
"Underpinned by strong growth in the
biomedical manufacturing and transport engineering clusters, the
manufacturing sector is estimated to have grown by 10.2 per cent the
second quarter, up from 4.4 per cent in the previous quarter..."
Singapore Changi Airport has launched a new
magazine for passengers, entitled Changi Class. Changi Class replaces
the fortnightly tabloid, Changi Express. The complimentary monthly
publication will be available at Changi Airport's Departure Transit
Malls from 5 July 2007..."
"Only temporary medical registration for service provision is being
phased out by 31 Dec 2007.
"Existing temporary registered doctors brought in as service providers
before 1 Jan 2008 can still continue to work here until they either
become conditionally registered (acquired recognized postgraduate
qualifications) or they have completed their 4-6 years of service in
Singapore..."
"Overall prices of
private residential properties rose 4.8% in the 1st Quarter 2007,
compared with the 3.8% increase in the previous quarter
"Prices of non-landed properties rose 5.3%
in the 1st Quarter 2007, compared with the 4.3% increase in the previous
quarter. Prices of apartments rose 5.1% while those of condominiums rose
5.4%..."
"As at June 2006, nearly all private sector
establishments surveyed (97%) hired Singapore citizens aged 40 to 49.
However, the proportion employing workers in their 50s declined to 89%
and more sharply to 54% for those older.
"Seven in ten employers cited relevant skills
and work experience as the most common reason workers in their 40s and
50s fit into organisations. Although this was also important for older
workers aged 60 & over (52%), the top reason cited for employing them
was their lower likelihood to job-hop (61%)..."
"Under the Act, marketers -
particularly those based in Singapore or who have operations here
- who continue to spam the “not interested” group face potential
financial penalties. The statutory penalty is $25 for each
electronic message, up to a total of $1 million..."
"The Malaysian Department of Veterinary
Services (DVS) informed the Agri- Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) this
morning (6 Jun 2007) that it had detected an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu
in chickens in a village household in Sungei Buluh, Selangor.
"About 60 chickens had died as a result of
the outbreak. Although the poultry and layer farms in Selangor that have
been approved to export to Singapore are bio-secured, AVA is suspending
poultry and egg imports from Selangor as a precautionary measure with
immediate effect..."
Ms. Tay Bee Bee,
Director Monetary Authority of Singapore
"Over the last 3 years, Singapore managers
originated more investment CDOs than any other country in Asia ex-Japan,
with an estimated S$6 billion of CDOs in 2006...
"In Asia, Singapore has been pro-active in
providing clarity and certainty on the treatment of CDOs into our
regulatory regime. Banks have been allowed to invest in all tranches of
CDOs, while insurance companies have been permitted to invest in the
equity tranches of CDOs since January 2006..."
"Airlines, airport agencies, ground
handlers, shop tenants and other airport business partners operating at
Changi Airport's new Terminal 3 can start to move in and set up their
offices and systems to prepare for operations...
"Terminal 3 and its associated works cost
S$1.75 billion. It will have a handling capacity of 22 million
passengers per year, bringing the total annual passenger handling
capacity of Changi Airport to about 70 million..."
"For the first quarter of 2007, SPF arrested
920 persons for drink driving, an increase of 22% over the same period
in 2006. Slight injury accidents related to drink driving increased from
about 200 cases in 2004 to 260 cases in 2006.
"Fatal and serious injury accidents related
to drink driving have remained stable over the past 3 years, registering
38 cases, 28 cases and 32 cases in 2004, 2005 and 2006 respectively..."
"Land Transport Authority (LTA), Traffic
Police (TP) and the Tampines Grassroots Organisations (GROs) will be
conducting a study in the Tampines Town to assess the feasibility of
allowing cycling on footways with effect from 27 May 2007.
"The study will last for one year and end on
30 May 2008...
"Currently, under Rule 28 of the Road Traffic
Rules, enacted in 1981, cycling on footways is prohibited. Like any
other vehicles, bicycles are to be ridden on the roads and cyclists are
required to abide by all relevant traffic rules and regulations..."
"Following the implementation of new
regulations governing charity registration, public fund-raising appeals
and large charities on 1 May 2007, the Commissioner of Charities (COC)
announces today the removal of three charities from the Register of
Charities with immediate effect.
"These are the Children of Singapore
Foundation, Children's Lukaemia Foundation Limited, and Club Sunshine
Limited (previously known as Kids-In-Distress Foundation Limited[1]).
"The COC has also decided not to grant
charity status to Kidney Fund Organisation..."
"Preliminary estimates show that total
employment grew by 48,000 in the first quarter 2007. This is higher than
the gains of 45,000 in the same period a year ago, but seasonally lower
than 51,500 in the fourth quarter of 2006.
"All major sectors added workers, led by
services with gains of 33,400 workers. Manufacturing posted increases in
employment of 9,500..."
Hello Music Land introduces audiences to the wonderful world of music
through a combined cinema and live musical stage show which offers
families an incredible cross-platform entertainment experience.
"Specifically, the re-employment rate of residents
retrenched from PMET jobs rose from an average of 65%
in 2005 to a post-Asian crisis high of 73% in 2006.
"This exceeds the rate
for the other two occupational groups, unlike in past years when
clerical, sales & service workers were the most re-employable...
"In 2006,
private sector establishments each with at least 25
employees retrenched 12,359 workers..."
Kingfisher
Marine announces the launch of Azurea, an new
membership scheme that provides easy and affordable
access to the exclusive world of lifestyle yachting...
Azurea is specifically designed for
the busy professional who wants to simply climb on board with his
family or friends and go boating!
The scheme removes all of
the uncertainties associated with chartering and
relieves members of all the responsibilities and
expense normally associated with ownership.
"Singapore will be implementing new aviation
security measures for hand-carry luggage on flights departing Singapore
from 8 May 2007 (Tuesday), 1200hrs..."
"Together with the two IRs, these will help
us achieve our target to attract 17 million visitors and generate S$30
billion in tourism receipts by the year 2015...
"In terms of manpower, the two IRs
combined are expected to create some 50,000 to 60,000 additional
jobs throughout the economy when both are fully operational..."
"Part I of
the Bill defines spam. A message is “spam” when it is
an unsolicited commercial electronic message sent more
than 100 times, with the same or similar
subject-matter, during a 24-hour period, or more than
1,000 times during a 30-day period, or more than
10,000 times during a one-year period...
"An opt-out approach
is adopted under the Bill as it balances the need of companies and
marketers to send unsolicited messages for business reasons...
"In order to balance
between consumer interests and industry needs the Bill will
require that each message contains a valid unsubscribe facility,
an ‘<ADV>’ label to mark it out as an advertisement,
accurate header information or subject titles and functional
contact details of the sender...
"The unsubscribe
process has been structured to be consumer-friendly so that even
individuals who receive small volumes of spam have a means of
recourse, without resorting to legal action. The Bill makes it
mandatory for senders to allow recipients to unsubscribe via the
same medium through which the spam was received. This ensures that
unsubscribing from spam can be done easily and conveniently by
replying to an email or SMS..."
"When asked, the man did not declare any
items. Subsequent screening revealed images that appeared to be guns
within his baggage. A physical check of his check-in carton revealed 20
sets of pellet guns and 5 bottles of pellets. He was subsequently
detained for investigation.
"Police investigated a total of 38 cases
involving airsoft guns in 2006. Since the beginning of this year (2007),
Police have investigated 21 such cases. Most of these airsoft guns were
detected at the airport and other checkpoints, as well as the Singapore
Post Centre..."
"Fly high for the best view of Singapore for
the affordable price of just $29.50! Singaporeans can now snap up the
experience of a life-time on the Asia's latest world-class iconic
attraction - the Singapore Flyer - at a fraction of the price of tickets
on other observation wheels around the world...
"The iconic landmark attraction is set
to usher in 2008 with a big bang when operations take flight early
1st quarter..."
"The attraction will run two shows
every night, 365 days a year. The open-air styled viewing gallery
can comfortably seat 2,500 visitors. Each show lasts 25 minutes..."
"Organised by the National
Arts Council (NAC), the competition serves as a
valuable platform to nurture and showcase young
musicians in Singapore. NAC is now inviting
participation in the prestigious event to be held from
5 to 15 December 2007...
"Registration for the
Competition is now open. Applications close on 6pm, 31
August 2007..."
"The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of
Singapore has been informed that Menu Foods, Inc., a manufacturer based
in Canada is recalling all its "cuts and gravy" style dog and cat food
produced at its facility in Emporia, Kansas between December 3, 2006 and
March 6, 2007...
"According to the recall information
available so far, the products are sold in the United States,
Canada and Mexico.
"Nevertheless, the AVA is currently
carrying out investigations to determine if the products had been
exported to Singapore..."
"Total
employment creation for the whole of 2006 rose to an
all-time high of 176,000, surpassing the previous
year’s gains of 113,300. This brought the total number
employed to 2,495,900 persons as at December 06...
"On
average, 67,500 residents were unemployed in 2006,
down from 74,900 in 2005 and the high of 91,200 in
2003..."
"Resorts World at Sentosa will welcome some 10
million tourists, excluding local visitors, by 2015,
generating S$15 billion in tourism receipts, half of
Singapore’s target.
"Spending per diem on entertainment and sightseeing
is expected to be more than six times higher than
current spending levels...
"In
anticipation of the increase in tourist traffic to
Sentosa Island, Resorts World at Sentosa is also
committed to significantly enhance the existing
infrastructure of the island by building a new
three-lane bridge, adjacent to the existing Sentosa
Gateway Bridge...
"Since the beginning of the year, there have
been 124 cases of snatch theft reported. Of these cases, 67 cases
involved the stealing of handphones...
"More recently on 6 Mar at about
6.45am, a teenaged male victim lost his handphone to a snatch
thief when he was hit on the back of the head whilst walking near
Tampines St 41. The culprit picked up the $100 mobile phone that
the victim dropped and fled with it..."
"Theft and related offences 2,
which accounted for more than half (61%) of overall crime
reported, fell by 2,192 cases from 22,711 to 20,519 cases in 2006.
"The overall decrease was largely due
to fewer cases of shop theft, theft from person and
other theft3 . In addition,
handphone crimes4 also dropped from 4,825 to 4,594
cases...
"Youths made up 19% of total persons
arrested in 2006, compared to 23% last year..."
"Older persons aged 50 &
over made up close to one-quarter (24%) of the
resident workforce in 2006.
"Reflecting their
relatively less educated profile, the majority (68%)
of older workers were employed in lower-skilled jobs
such as cleaners, labourers & related workers (18%),
plant & machine operators & assemblers (16%) and
service & sales workers (15%).
"These occupations also
registered an above-average incidence of older workers
especially for cleaners, labourers & related workers
where more than half (53%) were aged 50 & over...."
"The Naturalisation Eligibility Tool
is a free online self-assessment system, to assist foreigners
working and staying in Singapore to assess if they are eligible
for either Singapore Permanent Residence (SPR) or Singapore
Citizenship (SC)...
"Overseas foreigners are also able to
use the system although theirs will only be a hypothetical
assessment. These overseas foreigners are given the option to
provide their contact particulars to enable ICA to contact them if
necessary..."
In 2005, as part of Police’s overall
enforcement strategy, more resources were diverted to ensure greater
police presence on our roads to deter motorists from flouting traffic
rules.
"The public had by then become more aware of the PSLC
deployment through Traffic Police’s website and radio.
"This contributed to the number of
summonses issued for speeding falling 37% to 51,800 in 2005 as
compared to 2004. In 2006, the number of summonses issued for
speeding decreased 13% to 45,130 compared to the 51,800 summonses
issued in 2005..."
"To ensure that our security concerns of
mail integrity and accountability are met, SingPost will continue to
hold the full set of letterbox masterdoor keys...
"As national stamps carry the
country's name and to prevent consumer confusion over which PPL
the national stamp belongs to, SingPost will continue to be the
only one to issue these stamps...
"For greater operational efficiency,
Singapore will keep a centralised postal code management system.
SingPost will continue to manage this centralised system, while
providing access to the postal codes database to all interested
PSOs..."
"76% of the
resident population aged 25 to 64 were employed, the highest since the
data was first compiled in 1991, up from 73% in 1996...
"12% or
172,000 of resident employees were engaged on term contracts in
June 2006 while the remaining 88% were permanent employees3. On
average, employees on term contract drew lower pay than those on
permanent appointments...
"The share
of degree holders almost doubled to 23% from 12% a decade ago..."
"A measured step of lowering the minimum
annual income threshold for unsecured credit facilities from $30,000 to
$20,000. A more conservative maximum credit limit of twice the
borrower's monthly income will be set for individuals in this $20,000 to
$30,000 income group, with no access to credit cards...
"Create appropriate modifications to
the moneylenders regime. For instance, for unsecured loans of
$3,000 and below, no minimum income requirement would be imposed
but such loans would be subject to an interest rate cap..."
"Preliminary estimates show that total
employment grew by 48,800 in the fourth quarter of 2006, considerably
higher than the gains of 35,300 in the same period a year ago, and up
from 43,000 in the third quarter of 2006...
"Total retrenchment for the whole of
2006 was 12,200. Although this is higher than 10,294 in 2005, it
is only about half the number retrenched in 2001 (25,838).
Manufacturing formed the bulk of retrenchments (8,800), followed
by services (3,000) and construction (400) in 2006..."
"The number of persons killed increased from
173 to 190 in 2006. The number of persons injured increased from 8,226
to 9,706 in 2006, of which 104 suffered serious injuries...
"There was an overall increase in the
number of speed-related accidents, from 1,445 to 1,657 cases in
2006, with the number of speed-related fatal accidents increasing
by 15 cases, from 51 to 66. More than 1 in 3 of all fatal
accidents were speed related..."
"From
2001-2004, an average of 35,250 new permanent
residents (PR) and 7,130 new Singapore citizens (SC)
were granted per annum. In 2005, about 52,300 new
PRs and 12,900 new SCs were granted.
"The
average numbers of new PRs and SCs are 38,700 and
8,300 respectively, for the period 2001-2005.
"We
could expect to add about 200,000 new PRs and 40,000
new SCs in the next 5 years if we get the same
numbers of new PRs and SCs as in the last 5
years..."
"The heaviest patient attendances were
seen at Ang Mo Kio (27,041) and Jurong (24,275), more than double
the volumes seen at polyclinics such as Queenstown (9,345), Marine
Parade (10,393) and Outram Polyclinics (10,550) - the lowest in
attendances among polyclinics..."
"With
effect from 1 January 2007, the public bus and taxi
companies, namely, SBS Transit Ltd, SMRT Buses Ltd,
Comfort Transportation Pte Ltd, Yellow-Top Cab Pte
Ltd, CityCab Pte Ltd, SMRT Taxis Pte Ltd, Trans-Cab
Services Pte Ltd, Smart Automobile Pte Ltd and
Premier Taxis Pte Ltd, will handle all properties
found in their vehicles and handle all reports on
lost and found properties made by their customers
and drivers..."
"The
5-day workweek is the norm, with higher share of
employees now on this arrangement than two years
ago. Close to two in five (40%) full-time employees
in the private sector worked 5 days a week in 2006,
up from 34% two years ago.
"Lagging significantly behind, were the 5½-day
(15%), 6-day workweek (16%), and shift work (17%)
each accounting for less than one in five employees
in 2006..."
"From January 2007, PR in Government
and Government-aided schools, junior colleges (JCs) and the
centralised institute (CI) will pay about 20% more for school
fees. They currently pay the same fees as citizens at the
secondary and pre-university levels.
"FS, whose fees are already higher than
those for citizens and PR, will have their fees increased by about
30%. The new fees for FS will take effect two years from now (2009
), to give time for them to decide if they wish to apply to become
permanent residents..."
"Cumulatively in the first nine months
this year, the economy added 124,500 workers, surpassing the gains
of 113,300 for the whole of 2005. This employment creation is the
highest ever recorded1..."
"From October 2007, PRs will
continue to be subsidised for hospital services, but at 5
percentage-points less than Singapore citizens.
"From October 2008, another 5
percentage-point reduction will be applied. This way, Singapore
citizens will enjoy greater subsidy than PRs, by a total of 10
percentage- points.
"As for the other foreigners, there
will be no more healthcare subsidy from October
2007. ..."
"Come 2007, Singaporeans will be ushering the
new year with at least 24 months, or two years, of free (basic tier)
wireless connectivity at up to 512 kbps speeds almost everywhere -
thanks to IDA's 'Wireless@SG' programme...
"The three operators are extending this
two-year free offering with unlimited usage to all residents and
visitors in Singapore, including tourists and business travellers.
The sign-up details will be made known from December 2006 by the
operators..."
"There has been an increase in the number of
persons attending the polyclinics for acute diarrhoea over the past
three weeks...
"However, in view of the recent outbreaks of
norovirus gastroenteritis in two schools affecting a large number of
school children, the Ministry would like to advise the public to be
vigilant about diarrhoeal illnesses..."
"The SII anticipates offering its front and
back office qualifications in Singapore, otherwise known as the
Certificate and IAQ suite. It has appointed Mona Poomy as its VP based
in Singapore.
"SII
examinations are approved by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
and there are a large number of international banks with offices in
Singapore who are keen that their workforce are trained to the same
standard of competence as those in the UK..."
"The focal point of the proposed Spaceport
Singapore will be suborbital spaceflights. As each suborbital vehicle
reaches its maximum altitude of 100 kilometers, passengers will
experience up to five minutes of continuous weightlessness, all the
while gazing at the blackness of space set against the horizon of Earth..."
The Ministry of Manpower will introduce a
Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) from 1 January 2007 to help us better
attract and retain global talent...
The PEP allows the holder to remain in
Singapore for up to six months in between jobs to evaluate new
employment opportunities. This helps us to retain selected global talent
who would otherwise have to leave Singapore...
The PEP will be issued only once with a
validity of 5 years. It will be nonrenewable. A PEP holder will retain
the dependant privileges of his original EP type and the minimum annual
basic salary requirement of S$30,000 will continue to apply throughout
the 5-year duration...
"To lower the minimum income threshold
for unsecured credit facilities to $20,000 from $30,000. The minimum
income requirement for credit cards remains at $30,000.
"To set the maximum aggregate credit
limit of all unsecured personal credit facilities and credit cards
granted by a financial institution at four times monthly income for
individuals with at least $30,000 in annual income. For individuals
with annual income of at least $20,000 and below $30,000, the maximum
aggregate credit limit will be twice their monthly income..."
"While some heroin addicts appeared to have
benefited from Subutex, many others seem to have merely shifted their
addiction from heroin to Subutex.
"In addition, many more who have never tried
drugs before have become new addicts. Within 4 years of introduction, we
now have at least 3800 Subutex users, 45% of them Malay, 43% Chinese and
10% Indian...."
"From the
fourth quarter of 2007, consumers can switch between
telecoms service providers easily and yet have full
use of their existing number, rather than having to
update family members, friends and business contacts
about a new one...
"Currently, mobile subscribers can switch telecoms
service providers and keep their numbers. But he gets
in essence a call-forwarding service as a call to his
old number is routed to his new one. His contacts will
see only this new number when he makes out-going calls
and sends messages (SMS)..."
"Crimes
involving handphones being stolen, which was one of
the key concerns in 2005, decreased significantly,
from 2,423 to 1,962 cases, in the first half of
2006...
"The
drop in handphone crimes, despite the continued high
mobile phone penetration rate in Singapore3
, may be in part due to enhanced public education on
such crimes as well as tighter enforcement against
errant second-hand handphone dealers..."
"This contract is designed to help
smoothen employer/employee relationships from the onset, by
minimising any ambiguities on the employment terms.
"For example, the contract will
include the stipulation of the minimum of one
day-off entitlement for the Foreign Domestic Workers
(FDWs).
However, if the day-off is not taken, the employer will have to
compensate the FDW in cash..."
Mr
Heng Swee Keat, Managing Director, Monetary
Authority of Singapore
"The Singapore economy grew by a robust 6.4%
last year...
"Barring any unexpected shocks in the
external environment including an escalation in geopolitical risks in
the second half of this year, GDP growth for the year as a whole is
likely to be in the range of 5 to 7%..."
"Continued hiring increases means good news
for Singapore's workforce, while increased optimism continues to fuel
increasing economic growth...
This optimism is reflected in planned salary
increases and 7% of employers expecting to pay 15% or more, the highest
figure for any market surveyed in Asia...."
"This large scale exercise will involve over
1,000 personnel from MOH, the Ministry of Education (MOE), home-front
and related agencies such as the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS),
Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA), Maritime Port Authority (MPA)
and the People's Association..."
Food outlets such as hawker centres,
coffeeshops, cafes and fast food restaurants will be smoke-free from 1st
July. To protect patrons from second-hand smoke, smokers are reminded to
light up only at designated smoking corners.
Under this new regulation, smoking is banned
within the indoor refreshment areas (IRA) of all foodshops (Eg.
Coffeeshops, Cafes, Restaurants). They can designate up to 20% of the
floor area in their outdoor refreshment areas (ORA) as a smoking corner
upon NEA’s approval....
All the major sectors registered increases
in employment. The bulk of the employment gains continued to come from
the services sector (28,000)...
Some 10,100 residents or 18% of the
unemployed residents have been looking for work for
at least 25 weeks in Mar 06, about half the 20,200
or 30% a year ago...
"...the victim was told that
the buyers' funds were in blackened United States currency 'notes' held
at the South African Embassy in Singapore. The victim was told to pay
the suspect a sum of USD2,100 purportedly as 'late charges' to secure
the release of the funds..."
Terminal 3 will also employ
state-of-the-art technologies to create a seamless environment for
passengers transferring between the three terminals at Changi
Airport.
These include a new People Mover System
with a total of seven train stations located at
various points within the three terminals, and a
high-speed baggage system to facilitate quick
transfers of bags between terminals...
HITS contains the IMEI numbers of handphones
that have been reported stolen. This system allows the public to verify
if the handphone they intend to purchase is stolen or not.....
In Singapore, the number of HIV-positive
people has climbed steadily from the first case detected here in 1985 to
2,641 by December 2005. Three out of four (74.77%) who are infected are
actively employed...
In 2005, out of the 255 new cases reported,
a great majority (87%) comprised the age group of 20 - 59 years old,
with those aged 20 - 49 years accounting for as much as 70% of all new
cases...
Amid
favourable economic conditions, the incidence of
retrenchment dropped to a twelve-year low in 2005...
The incidence of retrenchment for
professionals, managers, executives & technicians (PMETs) dropped to an
eight-year low of 8.0 per 1,000 and a thirteen-year low of 4.8 per 1,000
for clerical, sales & service workers...
In 2005, on average 61% of local2
retrenched workers found re-employment within 6 months of their
retrenchment, slightly higher than 59% in 2004. The improvement was more
pronounced for the better educated workers...
Robbery
and theft cases involving handphones taken remain a key area of
concern for the Police. The number of such cases increased
significantly by 1,414 cases, from 3,411 to 4,825 cases in 2005.
Handphone crimes increased most notably for theft in dwelling
(excluding shop theft) from 832 to 1,119 cases (+287 cases), and for
other thefts (from 1,096 to 1,837 cases in 2005).
Robbery (from 344 to 488 cases), snatch thefts (from
162 to 283 cases) and cheating and related offences
(from 275 to 343 cases) also saw notable increases.
The increase in handphone crime may be due to the rise in
mobile phone penetration rate in Singapore indicating a
larger pool of potential victims...
"Ever
since September 11 and the arrest of the Jemaah
Islamiyah members in Singapore, we have stepped up
our security measures...
"Exercise Northstar V is the largest scale
exercise we have conducted so far. We simulated a scenario with multiple
bomb explosions and a chemical agent release in 4 MRT stations and 1 bus
interchange, to stretch ourselves and test our capabilities..."
"Q2: Whether the NKF made or caused to be
made misleading claims as to patient numbers, patient subsidies and
treatment costs?
"KPMG found that figures relating to the
number of kidney patients, patient subsidies and treatment costs were
inflated or misleading in its press releases and fund raising
promotional materials.
"In the amount of funds that was
raised and used for dialysis. KPMG found that based on the financial
statements for the year ended 31 December 2003, approximately 10 cents
out of every charity dollar went towards subsidizing patients’ direct
treatment costs.
"In the NKF’s Investment Report 2004,
it was reported that “out of every dollar NKF raised in 2003, $0.52 went
to our beneficiaries and programmes for the year,…”
"Previously, some wives were not aware of
their spouse's HIV status and so they were at risk of the HIV infection.
Since July this year, we have informed the wife when the infected
husband had not informed her of his positive HIV status.
"Over the last 5 months, 41 women have been
informed by hand-delivered letters that their partner is infected and
that they should go to CDC for testing..."
"This brings the total number of HIV infected
Singaporeans including 25 children to 2584 as of Oct 2005. Of
these, 999 are asymptomatic carriers, 631 have full-blown AIDS and 954
have died.
"Heterosexual transmission has been the most
common mode of HIV transmission among Singaporeans since 1991.
Most of these cases contracted the infection through casual sex and sex
with prostitutes in Singapore and overseas..."
"Mdm Tan had returned to Singapore from China
on 30th September 2005 at about 7.40 pm through the Changi International
Airport Terminal 2. ICA officers noticed that she had brought two roast
geese from China with her to Singapore.
"Mdm Tan was informed she had to surrender
the two roast geese for disposal, as she did not have a licence to bring
them in. She hindered the ICA officers in the execution of their duties
by refusing to surrender the roast geese brought from China and
subsequently throwing the roast geese onto the floor..."
Expatriates in Singapore
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