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...
The Ministry of Health (MOH) will place
tuberculosis (TB) under the Sixth Schedule of the Infectious
Diseases Act (IDA) with effect from 1 December 2008, This will
further strengthen public health measures against the spread of the
disease, especially amongst air travellers...
There were 700[2]new cases of TB
notified among Singapore residents in the first 6 months of 2008, as
compared to 1,256 cases last year. The projected incidence of TB in
2008 is 38.4 per 100,000, which is higher than the 35.1 per 100,000
in 2007...
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...
More than 10,100 Singaporeans have
signed Advance Medical Directives (AMDs). Over the years, 19 AMDs
have been revoked and 6 have been put into effect...
Our AMD rate of 0.4% is low. But this is
the experience in many other countries too. For example, in
Australia the sign-up rate is even lower, at 0.2%. The US is unique
in having a much higher sign-up rate compared to the rest of the
world. Their rate is around 20% in adult population...
Euthanasia is only allowed in Belgium
and the Netherlands. In Switzerland and the states of Oregon and
Washington in the U.S., doctor-assisted suicide is permissible, but
not euthanasia...
My Ministry is promoting Advance Medical
Directive (AMD) and palliative care. AMD is about letting nature
takes its course for the terminally ill at the last stage of their
lives; AMD is about not mindlessly postponing death through futile
medical interventions. AMD is not euthanasia or doctor-assisted
suicide. I do not think that Singaporeans are ready to accept
euthanasia...
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.
In view of the continued deterioration in
the outlook for external and regional demand, MTI has moderated the GDP
growth forecast for 2008 further downwards to around 2.5%.
The economic downturn is expected to
last for several quarters, well into 2009...
In all, 48,424 pupils (or 97.1%) have
been assessed as suitable to proceed to secondary school. Of these
pupils, 63.6% are eligible for the Express course, 21.6% for the
Normal (Academic) and 12.0% for the Normal (Technical) course.
There are 1,432 pupils (or 2.9%) who are
assessed to not yet be ready for secondary school in 2009 or more suited
for vocational training...
Resale transactions increased by about 4%,
from about 7,760 cases in 2nd Quarter 2008 to about 8,110 cases in 3rd
Quarter 2008 (see
Annex C)...
Subletting transactions fell slightly by
about 4% from about 4,120 cases in 2nd Quarter 2008 to about 3,960
cases in 3rd Quarter 2008 (see
Annex F). The total number of HDB flats approved for subletting
rose to about 21,400 units, compared to about 20,200 units in 2nd
Quarter 2008...
Ms Olsen has also asked when the
projected GDP boost would be achieved and if the IRs’ business will
be affected by the financial turmoil. It would be fair to say that
due to the global financial crisis and the slowdown already evident
in our tourism sector, there may be some impact on the IRs’ business
when they open. It is, however, premature to try to ascertain in
quantitative terms what the exact impact will be, given the volatile
economic conditions.
What we do know is that both IRs remain
optimistic that their product offerings will draw visitors from
their target market segments. On the Government’s part, the STB will
continue to work closely with both IRs and monitor the situation.
The total issue size of the Pinnacle Notes
Series 9 and 10 was S$26 million, sold to about 700 retail investors
through five distributors: DMG & Partners Securities, Hong Leong
Finance, Kim Eng Securities, OCBC Securities and UOB Kay Hian.
Investors who consider they have a genuine
claim that they were mis-sold the product or that the product was
misrepresented to them should lodge their complaints with the financial
institutions (FIs) that sold them the products.
To provide noteholders with an
independent opinion on the options that best serve their interests,
MAS has appointed Deloitte & Touche Corporate Finance Pte Ltd (DTCF)
as an independent financial adviser on the Lehman Minibond notes
programme...
MAS understands that noteholders are
anxious to know what they should do and what to expect next. At the
moment, there is no action required on their part. MAS and the
trustee will continue to keep noteholders updated on all
developments including any options for them to
consider...
On 10 Nov 08 at about 3.30pm, Security
Officer Lance Corporal (LCP) Rosli Bin Mohd Sa’ad was on duty at a bank
at a shopping centre along Geylang Rd when he spotted a Malay man
behaving suspiciously in the banking hall.
Sensing that something was amiss, LCP Rosli
decided to conduct a check on the subject. When confronted, the subject
became agitated and a scuffle ensued that attracted the attention of
some of the bank staff, who came forward to assist in subduing the Malay
man.
This downturn is just beginning. No one can
say how long it will last and how deep the downturn will be. Recovery
will come when the property market in America reaches bottom and begins
to rise. That may not be for many months or even years.
Fortunately, in Singapore, having
learned from the 1997/98 financial crisis, we have not allowed a
speculative rise in residential property prices. Few citizens have
bought homes that they cannot afford to service their instalments on
their mortgages. High price condominiums and office properties have
declined in prices...
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 Termination of Pregnancy Act was enacted
in 1974, to provide for the safe termination of
unwanted pregnancies by trained persons in
appropriately equipped facilities.
It is to safeguard the health and well-being
of the woman who has, for various reasons, decided to
terminate her pregnancy. This is intended to ensure
that all children born in Singapore are wanted
children, who will be properly cared for, and will
have opportunities to develop to their full
potential...
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 Ministry of Education (MOE) will be
appointing 50 Principals at the 11th Appointment
Ceremony for Principals to be held on 30 Dec 2008.
They comprise 27 newly-appointed Principals and 23
serving Principals/HQ officers who will take up
appointments in other schools...
MAJ Tan was talking with his colleagues
after completing a 1.2km self-paced run when he suddenly collapsed. He
was given prompt medical attention and evacuated to the National
University Hospital (NUH) at about 8.45am.
From 1 January 2008, all dental schools
accredited by the American Dental Association and the Canadian Dental
Association will be added to the Schedule of the Dental Registration
Act.
The addition of 48 American dental schools
and 7 Canadian dental schools will increase the number of recognised
foreign dental schools in the Schedule from the current 34 to 89. The
list of new and current dental schools can be found in Annex A...
The School received an overwhelming response
to the Talent Academy to recruit this batch of pioneer students for
2008. Over 1,000 applicants came for the Talent Academy.
Today, the School welcomes its first batch
of 239 students who come from diverse social backgrounds and 129 primary
schools...
Growth of the Singapore economy moderated in
the fourth quarter of 2007. Advance estimates[1] show that real gross
domestic product (GDP) rose by 6.0 per cent on a year-on-year basis in
the fourth quarter, following a 9.0 per cent gain in the previous
quarter...
Police arrested eight Chinese male subjects,
aged between 14 and 27 years old, for unlicensed moneylending related
harassment activities in Hougang, Sengkang and Pasir Ris in a 20-hour
operation which ended on the morning of 27 December 2007...
High growth has benefited all Singaporeans.
A record 172,000 jobs were created in the first three quarters of the
year. Unemployment is down to 1.7%, the lowest in almost a decade.
Companies are reporting bigger profits, and
workers are enjoying higher bonuses and wages. Low-income workers
too are earning more, unlike in some previous years...
The Fund will provide for three programmes:
training opportunities to strengthen English language teaching in the
region, opportunities for needy students in our polytechnics and the
Institute of Technical Education to gain overseas exposure, and
scholarships for deserving students from Singapore and China to pursue
their undergraduate studies in Singapore universities.
The Ministry of Education will administer
the fund...
The Government will make the first payment
of the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme on 1 Jan 2008. About
287,000 workers will receive a total of $146 million in WIS benefits,
for work done in the first half of 2007...
MOE will be introducing a new Education
Scheme of Service (2008) from 1 April 2008 to better recognise and
reward good teachers. The new scheme will be more market responsive and
there will be a stronger link between pay and performance.
Officers will be placed on a salary range
system with merit increments that are based on one’s performance,
potential and market wage movements. This will replace the current
salary scale system with fixed annual increments. With the revision to
the salary ranges, a one-off salary increment of up to 4% will be made
to the salaries of eligible officers on the new scheme...
Come January 2008, each eligible household
will receive the second instalment of these U-Save rebates, amounting to
between $50 and $110, depending on flat type...
MediaCorp Radio has paid a $5,000 fine
imposed by the Media Development Authority (MDA) for airing a discussion
on a sex-related topic during Class 95FM's "The Morning Express"
programme in August this year.
The programme, aired between 7am to 8am
on 21 August 2007, contained a prolonged discussion between the DJs
on "whether men and women should make noise during sex" and "whether
noisy men turn women off"...
The Next Gen NBN is expected to be available
nationwide by 2015, although consumers can begin to look forward to a
range of new and exciting Next Gen Services such as high-definition
video conferencing, telemedicine, Grid Computing-on-Demand, security and
immersive learning applications on the Next Gen NBN from about 2010...
Persons with congenital illnesses can join
MediShield to obtain coverage for medical treatment that is not related
to their congenital condition...
As for children attending special
schools or with special needs, the basis of coverage is the same as
the basis for other children, that is, they should be healthy at the
point of entry and have no pre-existing illnesses...
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...
The trading of OTC commodity derivatives has
also flourished over the years. Last year, total trading volume amounted
to approximately US$600 billion, accounting for almost 8% of global
trades.
Singapore is also home to the largest REIT
market in Asia ex-Japan with a total market capitalization in the region
of USD$20 billion.
The Merrill Lynch report also noted an
interesting investment trend for HNWIs in Singapore. On the average,
alternative investments (including structured products) account for
almost 10% of total portfolio allocation for 2006...
Tattooing procedures carry the risk of
transmitting infectious diseases, like HIV, hepatitis B and C. However,
if sterilised or disposable needles are used and proper infection
control measures are followed, the risk of infection is very small...
In the past 30 years, there have been no
reports of infectious disease transmission or serious complications from
a body tattooing procedure in Singapore. There is no compelling need to
regulate the industry...
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...
This year, 11,568 (99.3%) students from the
N(A) course and 6,307 (97.7%) students from the N(T) course will be
awarded the N-Level certificate. The N-Level certificate is awarded to a
candidate who obtains a passing grade of Grade 5 or better in at least
one subject.
In addition, 110 N(T) students offered one
or two N(A) subjects and 60 (54.5%) of them have obtained at least a
Grade 5 or better in their N-Level Examination.[1]...
From Jan 2008, the Government will
increase the annual contribution rate to Edusave accounts of
eligible pupils by $10 to $180 for those at the primary level, and
by $20 to $220 for those at the secondary level.
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...
Confidence tricksters continue to use the
"Kidnap Hoax Scam" with 9 cases reported between 1 and 29 November 07
and 19 cases reported between 1 and 6 Dec 07...
Another ruse used by the cheats is to
impersonate themselves as police officers or staff from the Supreme
Court...
This method of cheating surfaced in
September 07 which prompted police to alert members of public. As of 6
December 07, a total of 224 reports were received. The culprits were
unsuccessful in 195 cases, but in 29 cases the victims were cheated of
more than S$275,500 cash...
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..
Since 17 Oct 07, HDB, SCDF and NEA have been
mounting joint inspections with the Town Councils to enforce the ODA
guidelines. Sixteen joint inspections, one in each of the 16 Town
Councils, involving a total of 1,180 commercial units, have been carried
out to-date.
Upon the first joint inspection, an average
of 41% of the shops at each site were found to have infringed the ODA
guidelines. Some of the common infringements include installation of
drop-down screens and lack of 1-metre distance between rows of goods...
The National Environment Agency has
commissioned a book that traces the social history of this uniquely
Singapore icon.
"Singapore Hawker Centres - People, Places, Food" is the
definitive account on hawkers, their food and their stories. It also
features environment and public health officials who have been
instrumental in transforming hawking from a public health nightmare to a
respectable trade...
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...
From 1 Dec 2007, owners of commercial
vehicles such as vans and mini-buses with unladen weight not exceeding
1,800 kg will enjoy lower season parking charges if their vehicles can
fit into a car lot...
About 900 season parking ticket holders are
expected to benefit from the revision. Instead of paying the higher
season parking charge of between $120 and $185 per month for heavy
vehicles, they will now pay the lower season parking charge of $65 for
surface car parks and $90 for multi-storey car parks in residential
estates, and between $80 and $180 in commercial areas...
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.
Effective from 1 January 2008, all new
products must comply with the ACD requirements and notify HSA prior to
sale.
All existing products that are currently
sold in the local market will be given 12 months to notify HSA and to
fully comply with the requirements by 1 Jan 2011...
Between 24 October to 18 November 2007,
Singapore police conducted a series of island-wide raids targeted at
illegal soccer bookmaking activities and arrested a total of 20 persons
for illegal soccer bookmaking and gambling activities...
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%...
A representative sample of our pupils – 7000
Primary 4 pupils from all primary schools in Singapore – took part in
the study in October 2005...
Singapore ranked 4th among 45 education
systems which participated in PIRLS 2006, an improvement from rank 15th
in PIRLS 2001 (see Table 1, Annex B). Singapore’s average score also
improved from 528 in 2001 to 558 in 2006...
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 International Olympic Committee (IOC)
just announced that Singapore, together with four cities, have been
shortlisted to host the inaugural Games. The other cities remaining in
the race are Athens, Bangkok, Moscow and Turin.
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...
A total of 49, 817 Primary 6 pupils sat for
the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) this year, a decrease of
798 (or 1.6%) over the 2006 cohort. Of these, 5176 were from the EM3
course...
In all, 48, 665 pupils (or 97.7%) have been
assessed as suitable to proceed to secondary school. Of these pupils,
63.5% are eligible for the Express course, 22.2% for the Normal
(Academic) and 12.0% for the Normal (Technical) course.
There are 1,152 pupils (or 2.3%) who are
assessed to be not yet ready for secondary school in 2008 or more suited
for vocational training...
At about 6.00 pm today, Chee Siok Chin and
John Tan had walked into Orange Grove Road, which is an area gazetted as
a Protected Area.
Police officers deployed along the
stretch of road first engaged the pair at the junction of Orange
Grove Road and Orchard Rd and advised them that they were about to
enter the protected area and that they should not do so...
They were warned repeatedly that they had
entered the protected area, and should they refuse to leave, they would
be removed. When they ignored the repeated warnings, and still refused
to leave and continued to move forward, police officers led them into a
police vehicle to bring them out of the protected area...
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...
HDB’s Resale Price Index (RPI) rose by 6.6%
in 3rd Quarter 2007 over the previous quarter, with price increases
across most flat types and towns.
The median Cash-Over-Valuation (COV) amount
among all resale transactions conducted in 3rd Quarter 2007 was $17,000
(see Annex C). Cases requiring COV constituted 80% of all resale
transactions in this quarter, with 20% of resale transactions done at or
below valuation...
Most older HDB shops were built with
electrical loads lower than current norms. Over time, the electrical
load requirements in shops have increased with the proliferation of
air-conditioning, more lighting and other electrical appliances.
Currently, the charges for electrical
upgrading for shop tenants and shop owners are $45 per amp and $85
per amp respectively. From 14 Nov 2007, electrical upgrading up to
1 phase 60 amp will be free for tenants while shop owners will pay
the revised charge of $45 per amp...
The lower charges/free upgrading will
benefit about 1,200 owners and 1,300 tenants of HDB shops with an
existing electrical supply of less than 1 phase 60 amps...
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...
The National Infocomm Club Awards recognise
the creativity of Infocomm Club students in using technology to educate
and connect to the wider community, or within schools...
Primary Category
Top Winner : River Valley Primary School (Project: The Adventures
of Respect)
Merit Winner : Chua Chu Kang Primary School (Project: Intelligent
Communicators)
Merit Winner : Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School (Project: HOPE)
Secondary / Junior College
Category Top Winner : Raffles Institution
(Project: E-learning Packages for Down Syndrome Youths)
Merit Winner : Hwa Chong Institution (Project: Spiderportal)
Merit Winner : Victoria Junior College (Project: Automated Quiz
Management System)...
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.
Computer gaming establishments are only
allowed to be set up at shopping, recreational or commercial centres.
This includes HDB Town Centres, which are part commercial and part
residential.
In addition, licensees of computer gaming
centres are required not to admit persons below 16 years of age before
6.30 pm on a school day.
Further, the licensee has to ensure that
students wearing school uniforms are not admitted into the establishment
at any time, and is not allowed to provide a change of clothes to
students...
Police raided 3 internet cafes at in Geylang
on 9 November 07, which resulted in the arrest of 15 men and 3 women
aged between 18 and 47 years old.
Acting on information received, Police
quickly established that three Internet cafes along Geylang Lorong 17
and 18 were involved in the provision of illegal online gambling
games...
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...
As the general review into Ren Ci’s past
transactions also disclosed other gaps in corporate governance and
internal controls, MOH commissioned EYA to carry out a more in-depth
evaluation.
The follow-up reviews have since identified
some possible irregularities in certain financial transactions involving
Ren Ci and certain external organisations. Hence, MOH is commencing an
Inquiry into Ren Ci to establish a fuller and better understanding of
these irregularities...
From 2008, all the nine primary Gifted
Education Programme (GEP) centres will introduce initiatives to promote
greater interaction between GEP and non-GEP pupils, allowing them to
learn, work and play together on a daily basis...
The number of people falling prey to lottery
scam fraudsters remains a concern to Police. In the past month, on
average, 1 Singaporean falls victim to it daily. So far this year, more
than 210 victims have been cheated of over S$2 million...
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.
While alphanumeric domain names already
exist, (eg, www.in2015.sg), fully numeric ones like www.123.sg have not
been allowed till now...
SGNIC, the national registry for domain
names, will now also allow pure numeric domain names in all the seven .sg
categories (ie. .sg, .com.sg, .net.sg, .org.sg, .gov.sg, .edu.sg, .per.sg).
The registration for pure numeric domain names will be phased
accordingly:
- 05 November – 28 December 20071:
All qualifying applicants including businesses and individuals can
register. Trademark owners2 will get priority over other
applicants. Example: A company with "123" as its trademark will get
priority for 123.sg, or in any other .sg domain category...
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...
MOE and MOH have jointly agreed for NUS and
NHG to establish a new governance structure for the NUS School of
Medicine (NUS-SoM) and the National University Hospital (NUH)...
Under the new governance structure, NUH and
NUS-SoM will be repositioned as a joint operating entity. This new
NUH-SoM entity will be governed by one Governing Board which will
include senior members from NHG, NUS, MOH and MOE...
From Jan 2008, eight secondary schools will partner the polytechnics to
offer to their Express and Normal (Academic) students, three new ‘O’
level subjects in applied disciplines: Creative 3D Animation,
Fundamentals of Electronics and Introduction to Enterprise Development.
These new Applied Subjects will be reflected in the students’ GCE ‘O’
level Examination Certificates and be recognised for admission into
Junior Colleges and Polytechnics...
The Commissioner of Charities (COC) has
appointed Ernst & Young Associates Pte Ltd and Deloitte & Touche
Financial Advisory Services Pte Ltd to conduct the governance review of
the first seven large charities under his direct purview.
These charities were selected on the basis
of their high total annual income which exceeds $10 million a year....
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...
I believe that the next big frontier
is pre-school education. The literature consistently suggests that
early intervention through a high quality pre-school education can
help make up for deficiencies in home environments by way of
ensuring school readiness.
Yet 2006 figures show that five
percent of children entering primary school have not attended
preschool. We want to ensure that as many children as possible are
in preschool, so that they get a good start in life...
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...
HSA is adopting a phased approach in
implementing the new regulations to minimise the impact to the
supply of medical devices and to provide sufficient time for the
industry to meet the new standards and requirements. The control
measures will be implemented in three phases, starting from 1
November 2007:..
Upon arrival at the Istana, Police officers
observed that Chee Soon Juan and some of his SDP supporters were staging
a demonstration with various placards at the Istana Park.
Police issued repeated warnings against Chee
Soon Juan and four persons who were part of his demonstration group, as
they have contravened the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and
Nuisance) (Prohibition of Assemblies and Processions - Istana) Order...
Despite repeated warnings to disperse, Chee
Soon Juan and the others refused to comply and persisted with his
unlawful demonstration. The Police seized the placards and arrested Chee
Soon Juan and others...
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...
This year, 23 of the 36 newly-appointed
Principals are aged 40 and below, which is the largest number of young
newly-appointed Principals in the last ten years.
Among them, the youngest are Mdm Eugenia Tan
and Mrs Clara Lim-Tan at age 35. They will be heading Crescent Girls'
School and CHIJ (Kellock) respectively...
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...
Five schools will be piloting various models
of boarding programmes starting from 2008, to support the all-round
development of their students...
Anglo-Chinese School
(Independent) Year 1 – Year 4 Integrated
Programme (IP) students will board together to forge bonds across
levels, through activities such as inter-hall games. Each IP student
will board for at least two semesters in total.
Hwa Chong Institution
Sec 3, Sec 4, JC1 and JC2 students will have the opportunity to
board together on an optional basis, to forge bonds across levels.
Boarding will take place for one term (3 months)...
About 52% of the agencies which took part
this year attained a Grade B and above as compared to the 24% in 2006.
This is a marked improvement and a good testimony to the rising
standards of the security agencies...
Of the 270 agencies in Singapore , 86
did not participate in the grading exercise. Of these 86, 8
agencies were newly licensed in the period of assessment and
therefore could not be graded...
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...
Currently, the criteria for promoting the
N(A) students to Sec 5N comprise a pass in English Language (EL)
and the aggregate score of their best 3 subjects at the
‘N’ level examinations. MOE will introduce the following refinements:
(a) Include both EL and
Mathematics as compulsory subjects for computation in the aggregate
score; and
(b) Increase the number of
subjects to be included in the aggregate score to 5...
The refined promotion criteria will
apply to the 2009 Sec 4N(A) cohort onwards...
By early 2008, all ships in Singapore can
have access to mobile wireless broadband, allowing real-time and
data-intensive communications between the ships and their customers and
business partners...
WISEPORT is one of the initial projects
under the Infocomm@SeaPort programme, which aims to provide a mobile
wireless broadband network within 15km from Singapore's southern
coastline...
The School Excellence Award (SEA)
recognises schools for their excellence in both education
processes and outcomes. It is the highest and most prestigious
award in the MoA framework.
This year, 5 schools will be presented
with the SEA trophy. They are:
1) Crescent Girls' School
2) Tanjong Katong Secondary School
3) Nanyang Girls' High School
4) Hwa Chong Institution
5) Victoria Junior College
The profile of the population by gender and
education in the drug rehabilitation centres, penal institutions, and
juvenile homes as of Jun 2007 are set out in the tables below:...
Police have arrested five Singaporeans for
peddling pirated and counterfeit merchandise on the Internet.
The four women and a man, aged between
24 and 34 years, were arrested at various locations in a 12-hour
island-wide operation conducted on 24 September 2007...
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...
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...
The Government is introducing the Medisave
Contribution Draw (MCD) to encourage low-income self-employed persons (SEPs)
and informal workers to contribute to their Medisave accounts...
The MCD will consist of four quarterly draws
for each year of work done...
The MCD will run for three years and will be
reviewed thereafter...
Our laws are an expression and
reflection of the values of our society and any public discourse
in Singapore on such matters should be reserved for Singaporeans.
Foreigners will not be allowed to
interfere in our domestic political scene, whether in support of
the gay cause or against it.
The Family SPT is for HDB residents who
require SPT to two different car parks because of family arrangements...
For such residents, who have already bought
a regular SPT to park at their own residential car park, there is a need
for a second SPT to park at another car park for visiting their parents,
children, grandparents, siblings or their in-laws.
The Family SPT will be sold at 50% of the
regular SPT price applicable to the car park where the Family SPT is to
be purchased.
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...
In July this year, Parliament passed the
Optometrists & Opticians Act. The Act which aims to raise the standard
of eye care in Singapore will come into effect on 1 January 2008...
Applications for registration by the
Optometrists and Opticians Board have just started. Optometrists
and opticians are advised to apply for registration before 15
December 2007, in order to continue practising as optometrists or
opticians from January 2008...
CPL Teo was assigned patrolling duties
on the night of the incident. Procedures require patrolling duties
to be conducted on 2 hour shifts and in pairs, to ensure mutual
support and responsibility while on duty. Guards on patrol duties
are also required to make situational reports to the Guard Room at
half hourly intervals.
These procedures were not carried out
properly on the night that CPL Teo was on duty. If they had been
properly enforced, it would have been extremely difficult for him
to have left camp undetected, and even if he had managed to slip
out, his absence would probably have been detected and reported
earlier...
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.
As part of the Ministry of Education’s (MOE)
continuing efforts to renew and support our schools, eight more schools
will be upgraded from 2009 to 2011 under the tenth phase of the
Programme for Rebuilding and IMproving Existing Schools (PRIME)...
Schools undergoing PRIME will also benefit
from the Flexible School Infrastructure (FlexSI) framework and the
provision of an indoor sports hall as part of the upgrading plan.
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...
Government
NEWS SNIPPETS
