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One-stop service: 15 min to sort out Singapore ERP woes
2008-05-29 08:15:00
One-stop service: 15 min to sort out Singapore ERP woes   But many motorists unaware of new facility; some turn up after paying admin fees LESS HASSLE: Mr Mervyn Louis (left), 37, having his in-vehicle unit checked at the Vicom inspection centre in Sin Ming, where he could also apply to have any ERP admin fee waived, or get his CashCard or IU replaced. — ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM   QUEUES formed yesterday at vehicle inspection centres intended to help motorists check their CashCards and in-vehicle units (IUs), and to apply to get their Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) administration fees waived. But most motorists were not aware of the new one-stop service which started yesterday. Some had paid up the fees and were there for technical checks. Those who made use of the service, like insurance agent David Chua, 52, who was at Vicom (Sin Ming), breezed through the process in 15 minutes. ‘I ticked the option on a form for fee waiver, got a new CashCard and I was done.’ Be...
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Tenants cashing in on rental Singapore flats
2008-05-29 08:12:00
Tenants cashing in on rental Singapore flats  Heavily subsidised HDB units, which are much in demand, are often sub-let to foreigners By Jessica Cheam  SOME tenants in heavily subsidised HDB rental flats have been illegally sub-letting their homes to cash in on surging demand for cheap accommodation. There are no official figures but tenants in some estates say that as many as one in five rental flats is rented out to foreign workers - a clear breach of HDB rules. The flats are often leased to workers from Malaysia, China and India - who are either unaware that they are renting illegally or do so because the units are the cheapest option. Property agents and tenants told The Straits Times that there is an increasing number of such flats put up for rent by people keen to cash in on foreign workers’ demand for cheap housing. A Malaysian, who declined to be named, told The Straits Times that she leases a two-room HDB rental flat in Toa Payoh with a friend for $700 a month. That...
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Singapore ranked 9th on costs of office occupancy: CBRE
2008-05-29 08:07:00
Singapore ranked 9th on costs of office occupancy: CBRE Highest increase in occupancy costs over 12 months is Ho Chi Minh City By KALPANA RASHIWALA   AFTER the sharp increase in prime office occupancy costs, Singapore has emerged as the ninth most expensive office market in CB Richard Ellis’s (CBRE) latest semi-annual Global Market Rents survey.   Mr Armstrong: ‘Pace of rental growth in S’pore is moderating and we sense the peak is close at hand.’  Singapore was ranked 11th in the last survey in November last year and 24th in the May 2007 survey. The last time it was one of the 10 expensive office markets in the survey was 1991, when it ranked sixth. However, on a brighter note - for those concerned about Singapore’s competitiveness - the latest survey shows that the island no longer holds the title of posting the highest increase in occupancy costs over a 12-month period. That ‘honour’ went to Ho Chi Minh City, which posted a 94.4 per ce...
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Singapore managed services market to grow 8%
2008-05-29 08:05:00
Singapore managed services market to grow 8% IDC says expected global slowdown not likely to affect market growth, writes AMIT ROY CHOUDHURY THE expected global slowdown is not likely to affect the Singapore managed services and outsourcing market which is expected to grow by 8 per cent this year, according to IDC. Mr Ho: ‘We do not expect any early termination of contracts…’  Speaking to BizIT, the research agency’s Adrian Ho noted that this year the enterprise ICT (infocomm technology) outsourcing and managed services market is expected to hit US$1.5 billion, up from US$1.4 billion it achieved last year. Mr Ho, who’s IDC Asia-Pacific’s research manager for managed services and enterprise networks, added that over a five- year period the market in Singapore is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 8.2 per cent. Value added managed services or discrete outsourcing is expected to have a five-year CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 7 pe...
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Achievements of the past 10 years- Singapore
2008-05-29 08:02:00
Achievements of the past 10 years- Singapore By CAROLINE SEAH THE Master Plan 2008 exhibition, launched at the URA Centre on May 23, is an important event for all here in the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). Not only is it the fruit of many months of brainstorming, discussions with various stakeholders and plain hard work, it also gives us an opportunity to share our excitement about the plans for Singapore’s future development. For those unfamiliar with the Master Plan, it is the statutory land use plan that URA develops to guide Singapore’s development over the next 10 to 15 years. The Master Plan is reviewed every five years, and details the land uses and development intensities for land parcels in Singapore. It translates broader, longer-term development strategies formulated as part of the Concept Plan, which is the plan that sets the direction for Singapore some 40 to 50 years ahead. Both the Concept Plan and Master Plan work to ensure that there is sufficient ...
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Plans to improve Singapore urban spaces
2008-05-29 08:00:00
Plans to improve Singapore urban spaces CHUA YANG LIANG gives an overview of the proposals in the Draft Master Plan 2008 and presents a wish list to planners BESIDES the three strategic commercial hubs of Jurong Lake District, Kallang Riverside and Paya Lebar Central, which will strengthen the CBD alongside with development plans for Tanjong Pajar and the Beach Road/Ophir-Rochor corridor, there were no major changes or surprises to the zoning, plot ratio and planning directions in the 2008 Draft Master Plan. This observation is based on our brief review of three areas in particular - Buona Vista, Paya Lebar, and Harbourfront (which includes Telok Blangah) that will house the interchanges of two major transit lines (existing and the future Circle Line). The 2008 Draft Master Plan maintains the time-tested planning vision that focuses on improving the overall quality of life, supported by a pro-business environment. It maintains the central planning philosophy found in the 2003 Master...
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Singapore Paya Lebar Master Plan is long overdue
2008-05-29 07:59:00
Singapore Paya Lebar Master Plan is long overdue We owe it to ourselves to give this culturally rich area our best shot - and preserve part of our heritage, says COLIN TAN   NOT many Singaporeans, especially younger ones, would know that Paya Lebar Central - the Master Plan area unveiled last week - was once a booming commercial hub.   Those of us who grew up in the area remember the old wet market at Geylang Serai as the heart of all the bustling activity. So it was amusing to see the area described in the weekend newspapers as a sleepy industrial estate. Apart from the city centre, it was one of the earliest and busiest commercial hubs in Singapore’s early history. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Paya Lebar boasted one of Singapore’s earliest department stores - operated by Emporium Holdings at the Haig Road-Geylang Road junction, next to the Lion City Hotel. The area was teeming with people - especially at night. It was lit by gas-filled halogen lamps from the st...
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Creating more buzz in the Singapore Central Area
2008-05-29 07:57:00
Creating more buzz in the Singapore Central Area By LEONARD TAY   OF ALL the changes made in the recent announcement of the new draft Master Plan 2008, those being effected within the Central Region in general and within the Central Area in particular would have the most telling impact on commercial land use in Singapore.   Marina Bay Financial Centre: About 44 per cent of the supply of new office space in Singapore will be in the new commercial area of Marina Bay, and would be of Grade A quality  The Central Area lies at the heart of the Central Region and includes the sub-zones of the Downtown Core, Singapore River, River Valley, Outram, Museum, Rochor, Newton and Orchard, as well as new areas for development comprising the sub-zones Marina East, Marina South and Straits View. In the years since the last Master Plan in 2003, the Central Area has been evolving from a land use that was predominantly commercial to include a wider diversity of other uses, such as residential, lifes...
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New vision for Singapore Kallang Riverside
2008-05-29 07:54:00
New vision for Singapore Kallang Riverside The area is set to evolve into the next prime area at the edge of the city, say NICHOLAS MAK and TEO JUNRONG   THE Kallang planning area, positioned along the picturesque Kallang River and within close proximity to the Central Business District (CBD), has enormous development potential. Made up of nine sub-zones, it covers a land area of about 920 hectares that includes 101 hectares of water body.   Taking sports to a new level: When the $1.2 billion Singapore Sports Hub is completed by 2011, it will add vibrancy to Kallang Riverside due to its close proximity to the area  Since the announcement of the 1998 Master Plan, planners have envisaged the Kallang area as an urban waterfront district. This vision includes it being a centre for sports, recreation and leisure with residential developments flanking the riverbanks. There were also plans to transform the Kallang planning area into a major commercial centre to capitalise on its proximi...
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Firms not doing enough to keep talent: recruiter-Singapore
2008-05-29 07:52:00
Firms not doing enough to keep talent: recruiter-Singapore They don’t expect top staff to just up and go but reality dictates otherwise By LEE U-WEN   THE drawback of a buoyant economy is that companies today are too focused on hiring talent and not doing enough to keep it, says a senior recruitment executive.   Ms Greybe: Many Asian companies do not have proper succession planning in place  Many Asian companies do not have proper succession planning in place should a key person suddenly decide to depart for greener pastures, and this lack of foresight could hamper plans for the future, said Christine Greybe, managing director of Hong Kong-based DHR International Asia. DHR is an executive search provider with 46 offices worldwide, including a small set-up in Singapore. Ms Greybe told BT: ‘I would say that 90 per cent of our clients contact us not because they need to back-fill a position, but because there’s a vacancy. And we’re talking about director, vic...
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Tian Hock wins Singapore Choa Chu Kang Drive tender
2008-05-29 07:50:00
Tian Hock wins Singapore Choa Chu Kang Drive tender   THE Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) yesterday awarded the tender for a residential site at Choa Chu Kang Drive to Tian Hock Properties. Tian Hock Properties, a unit of Far East Organization, was top bidder for the site at $116.01 million, or $203 per square foot per plot ratio (psf ppr). The 99-year leasehold site has a maximum gross floor area of 572,600 sq ft. On Monday URA closed the tender for the site, which attracted four other bids from companies such as Sim Lian Land. Market watchers’ estimates of the breakeven cost of a new development on the site range from $550-$600 psf, translating to a selling price of $610-$650 psf.   Source : Business Times - 29 May 2008 Singapore Property - Buy, Sell, Rent, Invest Mindy Yong (+65)91002985 mindy@mindyyong.com
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Singapore Nassim condo turns in surprisingly good sales
2008-05-28 07:51:00
Singapore Nassim condo turns in surprisingly good sales    A LUXURY condominium in the posh Nassim area has turned in surprisingly good preview sales, even as property analysts are predicting a sharp slowdown in the high-end home segment. Buyers have taken up 38 units at Nassim Park Residences, forking out a whopping $10 million or more for each apartment, sources said. The 100-unit development, which United Overseas Land (UOL) is building on the former Nassim Park site in Nassim Road, is understood to be priced upwards of $3,000 per sq ft (psf). The project consists of only four-bedroom and penthouse apartments. Each of the four-bedders is believed to be at least 3,000 sq ft in size, while the penthouses are between 6,000 sq ft and 7,000 sq ft. UOL declined to comment on the figures yesterday, but sources said the developer might not release some of the units and instead keep them for its own use. Nassim Park Residences is the first major luxury development to be released for sal...
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Malaysia Fuel ban: JB kiosks fear loss of business
2008-05-28 07:48:00
Malaysia Fuel ban: JB kiosks fear loss of business  As much as 90 per cent of their customers are Singaporeans By Arlina Arshad  RUNNING DRY: After the ban on foreign-registered vehicles filling up on fuel within 50km of Malaysia’a borders comes into force on Friday, Singapore motorists will have less incentive to drive to Johor Baru on shopping or eating trips. — PHOTO: JOYCE FANG   JOHOR petrol station operators and businesses are up in arms over the Malaysian government’s move to ban foreign-registered vehicles from topping up their fuel tanks at petrol stations within 50km of the country’s borders. Without business from Singaporeans, Johor petrol kiosks say they will ‘die’ because as much as 90 per cent of their business comes from Singapore motorists. It is understood the move will also hit petrol stations in the north patronised by Thais. With Singaporeans barred from topping up at Johor stations within 50km of the Singapore-Malaysia bord...
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Mid-tier, upscale Singapore hotels faring best: STB figures
2008-05-28 07:44:00
Mid-tier, upscale Singapore hotels faring best: STB figures   For first time, data groups hotels into classes, shows their performance By Lim Wei Chean  DOING WELL: Link Hotel in Tiong Bahru is among those in the mid-tier category, which are reported to be fairing the best, along with upscale hotels which would include the likes of Orchard Hotel. — ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO MID-TIER and upscale hotels have fared best among different types of hotels in the current tourism boom. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB), releasing the latest tourism statistics here, has grouped the hotels into four classes and released figures on their performance for the first time. The four are: Luxury hotels: those in prime locations or historic buildings (4,500 rooms); Upscale hotels: boutique hotels and those in prime locations, charging slightly lower rates (12,400 rooms); Mid-tier hotels: those in commercial zones (9,500 rooms); and Economy hotels: those with budget rooms in outlying districts (3,8...
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Singapore New flats under stricter rules in hot demand
2008-05-28 07:41:00
Singapore New flats under stricter rules in hot demand  By Jessica Cheam  DEMAND has been strong for the latest batch of Housing Board (HDB) flats - despite new rules designed to prevent frivolous applications. As at 5pm yesterday, 2,397 applications had poured in for the 1,485 premium flats launched by HDB just last Thursday. Housing experts say demand looks likely to stay healthy, although the total number of applications may drop as HDB’s new rules begin to deter time-wasting and frivolous applications. The latest flats are likely to be three times oversubscribed, they say - a drop from comparable sales earlier this year, which were about five times oversubscribed. HDB’s two newest projects - Compassvale Pearl in Sengkang and Punggol Sapphire - are being offered under HDB’s build-to-order (BTO) system, where flats are built only when a certain level of demand has been reached. HDB tweaked its application process last week to address concerns over relatively lo...
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Singaporeans likely to cut down on trips to Malaysia once petrol sale ban s
2008-05-28 01:16:00
Singaporeans likely to cut down on trips to Malaysia once petrol sale ban starts By Asha Popatlal, SINGAPORE: Some Singaporeans said they may cut back on trips to Malaysia once the proposed ban on the sale of petrol and diesel to foreign registered vehicles within a 50-kilometre radius of Malaysia’s borders takes effect. The ban is expected to kick in as early as this Friday in a move to prevent abuse of heavy fuel subsidies. However, Malaysia’s Domestic Trade Minister, Shahrir Samad, said on Tuesday that the ban is a temporary one. It will be lifted once a new subsidy mechanism to replace the existing scheme, where everyone is subsidised, is put in place. Still, the move is expected to affect hundreds of motorists who regularly cross over the border for cheaper oil. Malaysia’s diesel and petrol prices are among the lowest in Asia due to high government subsidies. The ban is expected to affect up to 300 petrol stations in the country. And Singaporeans who hea...
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Global investors see opportunities in nanotechnology in Singapore
2008-05-28 01:14:00
Global investors see opportunities in nanotechnology in Singapore By Timothy Ouyang, SINGAPORE: Global investors said they are seeing a lot of investment opportunities in nanotechnology opening up here in Singapore. The comment comes a day before the first ever NanoEquity Asia conference kicks off in Singapore. The conference is aimed at facilitating investment in nanotech start-ups and SMEs from around the region. It was touted to be the next explosive growth area after information technology here in Singapore and nano-technology is starting to have a huge impact on a wide range of industries. Marco Beckmann, CEO, Nanostart Investments, said: “We see products, new technologies that are just about to enter the market and they’re coming right out of Singapore. And sometimes, we see so many fast things that are developing here in Singapore that’s very promising and interesting for us.” Investors said there’s a growing trend globally to look for inves...
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Singapore URA releases 2 sites at Woodlands, Kallang Pudding Road for sale
2008-05-28 01:13:00
Singapore URA releases 2 sites at Woodlands, Kallang Pudding Road for sale SINGAPORE: The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has launched an industrial site at Woodlands Industrial Park E5 for sale by public tender. The site has an area of 1.68 ha and is zoned for a Business 2 development. The tender for the site will close at noon on July 22. The URA also released the detailed sales conditions for a reserve list site at Kallang Pudding Road for industrial development. The 0.57 ha site is zoned for a Business 1 development. Businesses are grouped under Business 1 and Business 2 zones, according to their impact on the environment. Under the government’s reserve list system, a site on the reserve list would only be put up for tender if a developer’s indicated minimum bid price in his application is acceptable by the government. Both sites have a gross plot ratio of 2.5 and have a lease period of 60 years. - CNA/so Source : Channel NewsAsia - 28 May 2008 Singapore P...
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April visitors hit 826,000, a record for the month- Singapore
2008-05-28 01:08:00
April visitors hit 826,000, a record for the month- Singapore By WEE JUN KAI SINGAPORE welcomed 826,000 visitors - 0.8 per cent more than in the same month a year ago and a new April record. River cruise: Promotions and marketing efforts drew a record number of April visitors Visitor days were estimated at 3.3 million days, an increase of 9.9 per cent from April 2007. Indonesia (131,000 visitors), China (107,000), Australia (63,000), India (63,000) and Malaysia (53,000) were the top five visitor-generating markets. They accounted for 51 per cent of arrivals for the month. Among the top 15 markets, Vietnam, China, and Australia registered the highest growth at 22 per cent, 8 per cent and 8 per cent respectively. Factors that contributed to the growth included travel and airline promotions, strong branding and marketing efforts. Singapore’s gazetted hotels reaped an estimated $186 million in room revenue, representing growth of 30.1 per cent from April 2007. The average room r...
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Lower-income Singapore families got more in Growth Dividends
2008-05-28 01:04:00
Lower-income Singapore families got more in Growth Dividends LOWER-INCOME households received the lion’s share of the $407 million in Growth Dividends paid out last month, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said in a written reply yesterday. He was responding to a question from Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong, who wanted a breakdown of how much families with different incomes had received in dividends. Mr Tharman said that the wealthier a family, the smaller the amount of dividends its members received. For example, family members in households whose incomes placed them in the 11th to 20th percentile received an average of $140 in Growth Dividends. By contrast, a family member in the top 10 per cent of households by income received an average of $80 in dividends. Mr Tharman noted that, besides the dividends, households would get a slew of other benefits this year, such as this year’s instalment of goods and services tax credits, utility rebates and Medisave top-ups...
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24 hours to report all Singapore accidents to insurers
2008-05-28 01:02:00
24 hours to report all Singapore accidents to insurers From Sunday, motorists who don’t inform insurers in time will forfeit part of their no-claims discount or even insurance cover By Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent REPORT EVEN MINOR ONES: Under the new rule, motorists must report all road accidents, even when there is no visible damage. — PHOTO: JOSEPH NAIR FOR THE STRAITS TIMES FROM Sunday, motorists must report all accidents - no matter how minor - to their respective insurers within 24hours or part of their no-claims discount (NCD) will be docked. Worse, their insurers might not cover them if a claim is filed against them. This tough stance is the latest attempt by the insurance industry to curb runaway claims, which drove motor underwriting losses to a five-year high of $103.2 million last year. The picture continues to look bleak this year: In the first quarter, motor-underwriting losses hit $35.3 million - nearly treble that for the same period last ...
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Singapore Katong Mall on sale for up to $250m - amid controversy
2008-05-27 00:39:00
Singapore Katong Mall on sale for up to $250m - amid controversy Public tender comes after a contentious collective sale approval last year By Jessica Cheam ATTRACTIVE LOCATION: Located at the junction of East Coast Road and Joo Chiat Road, Katong Mall could be rebuilt into a mixed development comprising residential and commercial units. — ST FILE PHOTO ONE of the landmarks of the east, Katong Mall, was put up for sale yesterday at an indicative price of $220 million to $250 million - amid some controversy. The 99-year leasehold property comprises strata-titled commercial units used as shops and other businesses. But the site can be rebuilt into a mixed development comprising residential and commercial units, said its marketing agent Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). Its public tender comes after a contentious collective sale approval process in September last year. About 35 minority owners claimed they were not consulted in the drawing up of the sale agreement, and that the s...
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Five bids for Singapore Choa Chu Kang tender
2008-05-27 00:38:00
Five bids for Singapore Choa Chu Kang tender A UNIT of property giant Far East Organization has put in the top bid for a condominium site at Choa Chu Kang Drive, about five minutes’ walk from Choa Chu Kang MRT Station. Tian Hock Properties offered $116 million for the 204,514 sq ft plot, which works out to about $203 per sq ft per plot ratio (psf ppr). The site drew a respectable five bids when its tender closed yesterday, possibly due to the perceived strength of the mass-market condo segment, experts said. Far East’s offer topped those of Sim Lian Land, Hong Leong Holdings, GuocoLand and Hiap Hoe. But property consultants said the bid amounts remained low, reflecting a continuing caution and lacklustre demand in the overall property market. Mr Li Hiaw Ho, executive director of CB Richard Ellis Research, estimated the site’s breakeven cost at about $600 psf, based on the top bid. The units could be sold for $650 psf in about a year, he added. Homes at nearby c...
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A place for a meeting of minds Singapore
2008-05-26 23:52:00
A place for a meeting of minds Singapore one-north, encompassing Biopolis and Fusionopolis, is Singapore’s icon of the knowledge economy, reports CLARISSA TAN THERE I was, standing in the middle of a gleaming complex of buildings, with blocks bearing names like Chromos, Proteos, Genome and Matrix. I was, of course, at Biopolis, conceived to put Singapore on the global map of the biomedical sciences industry. Biopolis itself is only one part of a vast development called one-north that is emerging around the Buona Vista area. Brain space: Biopolis (above) was conceived to put Singapore on the global map of the biomedical sciences industry; global pharmaceuticals corporation Novartis houses its Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases at Chromos. The institute ‘is dedicated to discovering treatments for diseases of the developing world, including tuberculosis, malaria and dengue fever’, says its chairman Paul Herrling This 200 ha area is ‘Singapore’s icon...
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Bids for Singapore residential site fall short of expectations
2008-05-26 23:51:00
Bids for Singapore residential site fall short of expectations URA closes tender after top bid of just $203 psf ppr for the 99-yr leasehold site By EMILYN YAP A RESIDENTIAL site in Choa Chu Kang Drive has attracted a top bid of just $203 per square foot per plot ratio (psf ppr), reflecting weak sentiment in the property market. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) yesterday closed the tender for the 99-year leasehold site, which has a maximum gross floor area of 572,600 square feet. The tender drew five bids - Tian Hock Properties came out tops with an offer of $116.01 million, or $203 psf ppr. This was 7.4 per cent higher than the next highest bid - from Sim Lian Land, at $108 million or $189 psf ppr. The lowest offer came from HHA Properties - at $80.2 million or $140 psf ppr. Analysts had expected bids ranging from $230 to $270 psf ppr, or $131.7 million to $154.6 million in all. ‘The lower quantum of the bid prices is a reflection of the current subdued mood in the res...
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Looking at a brighter future - Singapore
2008-05-26 23:49:00
Looking at a brighter future - Singapore Scrawl has 3-year marketing/distribution masterplan to compete in global entertainment and animation industry, reports IAN POH THE dust has barely settled, but Scrawl Studios is not about to bask in the glow of recognition and rest on its laurels. Big win: The Scrawl team after winning the EE2008 award. Scrawl was judged to possess a good business model, vision, good quality control and operating procedures and the ability to meet key performance indicators The newly crowned Emerging Enterprise 2008 (EE2008) award winner has a three-year marketing and distribution masterplan to compete in the global entertainment and animation industry - an industry that is expected to grow almost 8 per cent a year over the next five years to be worth US$90 billion globally by 2012. ‘This growth will be driven by emerging modes of content distribution and consumption, in particular the new media space,’ said Seng Choon Meng, CEO of the homegrown ...
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Developer joins bid for Shaw Brothers - Singapore
2008-05-26 23:47:00
Developer joins bid for Shaw Brothers - Singapore Yeung Kwok-keung has HK$3b loan from chairman of Henderson Land By JANE MOIR IN HONG KONG A GUESSING game over who will bid for Run Run Shaw’s flagship Shaw Brothers intensified over the weekend as a property developer emerged as a prime contender. Businessman Yeung Kwok-keung has received HK$3 billion (S$523.2 million) in financing from Henderson Land Development chairman Lee Shau-kee to make a bid for Shaw Brothers, according to local press reports. Mr Yeung is chairman of mainland property company Country Garden (Holdings), and his apparent interest in the media firm has perplexed some observers, fuelling speculation that he may be a front man for another interested party. Earlier this month, media tycoon Mr Shaw announced that he is looking to sell his stake in entertainment flagship Shaw Brothers, the largest shareholder of Hong Kong’s No 1 broadcaster. According to an announcement by Shaw Brothers, the 100-year-ol...
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Singapore Govt agencies asked to tighten CBD space usage
2008-05-26 23:45:00
Singapore Govt agencies asked to tighten CBD space usage New exercise targets efficient use to free up more space for private sector By ARTHUR SIM (SINGAPORE) Government agencies in the Central Business District have been told to re-evaluate their office space needs in light of the current office space crunch, even if these agencies own their buildings. It is understood that the Ministry of Finance (MOF), which oversees all government office relocation projects for government ministries and statutory boards, has recently issued a directive asking these government bodies to look into the possibility of compacting their offices. Asked to comment, a spokesman for MOF said: ‘MOF and MND (Ministry of National Development) are working with government agencies to make more efficient use of office space. This is part of the government’s effort to better manage its resources.’ While MOF did not reveal to what extent this exercise is being undertaken, it is expected to be o...
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Superintendent of detention centre sacked over Singapore Mas Selamat’
2008-05-26 23:43:00
Superintendent of detention centre sacked over Singapore Mas Selamat’s escape By Wong Siew Ying, SINGAPORE: The superintendent of the Whitley Road Detention Centre has been sacked over security lapses that led to the escape of Jemaah Islamiyah detainee Mas Selamat Kastari on February 27. His deputy has been demoted, with a corresponding pay cut. The two were the most senior officers in charge of the ground management of the detention centre, and were among six Internal Security Department (ISD) officers charged over the escape. Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng disclosed this when he updated Parliament on the disciplinary action taken after Mas Selamat’s escape. Mr Wong said: “These two officers have been held accountable for the lack of supervision over the subordinate officers implicated, which resulted in lapses that enabled Mas Selamat to escape from WRDC. “The superintendent has also been held accountable for failing to t...
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Singapore Katong Mall up for collective sale by tender
2008-05-26 23:40:00
Singapore Katong Mall up for collective sale by tender SINGAPORE : Katong Mall is up for collective sale by tender. Under the Master Plan, the 99-year leasehold 78,158 square foot commercial development site has a gross plot ratio of up to 3.6, with an allowable building height subject to evaluation. It has the potential to be redeveloped into a commercial or retail development with a gross floor area (GFA) of up to 281,369 square feet, subject to relevant authorities’ approval. To give developers more redevelopment options for the site, Outline Planning Permission has also been obtained for a mixed redevelopment of residential cum commercial development, with an approved plot ratio of up to 3. This translates to a permissible GFA of up to 234,474 square feet, and could yield up to some 100 residential and 185 commercial/retail units with an average size of 1,200 square feet and 400 square feet respectively. Sole marketing agent Jones Lang LaSalle said the tender will clo...
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