10,000 HDB blocks, multi-storey car parks to be fitted with cameras by end-2016
By Hetty Musfirah | Posted: 07 March 2013 2032 hrs
SINGAPORE: All 10,000 HDB blocks and multi-storey car parks will be fitted with police cameras by the end of 2016.
Second Minister for Home Affairs S Iswaran said such cameras are deployed primarily to deter and solve crime, including cases of loanshark harassment.
Addressing concerns raised by several MPs in Parliament on Thursday, Mr Iswaran said the police is also prepared to share the footage from its cameras with other agencies such as the Land Transport Authority or National Environment Agency to tackle problems such as illegal parking or high-rise littering.
As for community disputes, Mr Iswaran revealed that an inter-agency effort is underway to study how such disputes can be better addressed.
Mr Iswaran said the study covers aspects such as enhancing mediation processes and introducing calibrated penalties for those who persist in their anti-social behaviour.
He said community leaders and residents will need to continue to play their part in encouraging a spirit of "give and take" in dealing with community disputes.
He said a similar approach should also be taken towards the disamenities posed by foreign worker congregations.
Still, the Home Ministry is working with other government agencies to study further restrictions on the sale of alcohol in residential estates and the consumption of alcohol in public.
- CNA/de
- wong chee tat :)
Friday, March 8, 2013
REITs will continue to be popular in Singapore: experts
REITs will continue to be popular in Singapore: experts
By Toni Waterman | Posted: 07 March 2013 2357 hrs
SINGAPORE: If the stellar performance of Mapletree Greater China Commercial Trust on its trading debut was anything to go by, experts say real estate investment trusts (REITs) will continue to be popular investment vehicles in Singapore.
They add that Singapore's strong currency and diversified offerings are among the sector's biggest draws.
REITs provide annual returns ranging from 2% to 6% - higher than placing money in bank deposits.
Eddy Loh, an equity strategist at Barclays, said: "I think investors are still very keen to peruse dividend-yielding instruments, particularly in Singapore, which actually generate stable income growth and dividend payout."
Singapore now leads the region with the highest REIT dividend yields, topping counterparts like Australia and Hong Kong.
For instance, Mapletree Industrial REIT offers dividend yields of about 6.8%.
Barclays' Eddy Loh said: "It's a question of the mix of the REITs we have in Singapore. We do have a good spread of REITs ranging from retail, commercial to industrial. The strength of the Singapore dollar has also attracted a lot of investors, because it does actually enhance their returns, especially in US dollar terms."
Meanwhile, property consultants CBRE said REIT markets rose 30 percent globally last year and that Singapore's high-yielding trusts are due in part to good sponsors.
But experts say dividend yields could continue to wane as stock prices rise and investor confidence strengthens.
Earlier this week, Citi Research said the sector could face tighter yields, adding that it favours Singapore developers instead of S-REITs.
Still property consultants said REITs remain a sound investment and the outlook for the year is robust.
CBRE's executive director of international valuation (Asia), Danny Mohr, said: "We think the REIT market is quite strong. Obviously Mapletree listing today, the amount of capital coming into Asia is quite strong compared to last few years. We hear of a potential listing in Singapore, the same in Japan. So I think this year will be quite strong for the REIT sector."
So far there has been no other REIT listings that have been formally announced yet for 2013.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
By Toni Waterman | Posted: 07 March 2013 2357 hrs
SINGAPORE: If the stellar performance of Mapletree Greater China Commercial Trust on its trading debut was anything to go by, experts say real estate investment trusts (REITs) will continue to be popular investment vehicles in Singapore.
They add that Singapore's strong currency and diversified offerings are among the sector's biggest draws.
REITs provide annual returns ranging from 2% to 6% - higher than placing money in bank deposits.
Eddy Loh, an equity strategist at Barclays, said: "I think investors are still very keen to peruse dividend-yielding instruments, particularly in Singapore, which actually generate stable income growth and dividend payout."
Singapore now leads the region with the highest REIT dividend yields, topping counterparts like Australia and Hong Kong.
For instance, Mapletree Industrial REIT offers dividend yields of about 6.8%.
Barclays' Eddy Loh said: "It's a question of the mix of the REITs we have in Singapore. We do have a good spread of REITs ranging from retail, commercial to industrial. The strength of the Singapore dollar has also attracted a lot of investors, because it does actually enhance their returns, especially in US dollar terms."
Meanwhile, property consultants CBRE said REIT markets rose 30 percent globally last year and that Singapore's high-yielding trusts are due in part to good sponsors.
But experts say dividend yields could continue to wane as stock prices rise and investor confidence strengthens.
Earlier this week, Citi Research said the sector could face tighter yields, adding that it favours Singapore developers instead of S-REITs.
Still property consultants said REITs remain a sound investment and the outlook for the year is robust.
CBRE's executive director of international valuation (Asia), Danny Mohr, said: "We think the REIT market is quite strong. Obviously Mapletree listing today, the amount of capital coming into Asia is quite strong compared to last few years. We hear of a potential listing in Singapore, the same in Japan. So I think this year will be quite strong for the REIT sector."
So far there has been no other REIT listings that have been formally announced yet for 2013.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification for March 2013
Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification for March 2013
Published:
Version: 1.0Details
- wong chee tat :)
Over 90 per cent of students pass 2012 GCE A-level exams
Over 90 per cent of students pass 2012 GCE A-level exams
By Shah Salimat | Yahoo! Newsroom – Fri, Mar 1, 2013- GCE 'A'-Level exam results released by the Ministry of Education Friday afternoon (Yahoo! file photo)
Of
the number of students that sat for the GCE A-level exam held last
year, 90.6 per cent achieved at least 3 H2 passes, with a pass in
General Paper or Knowledge and Inquiry.
This share was slightly lower than the 90.8 per cent recorded the year before.
According to the exam results released by the Ministry of Education Friday afternoon, a total of 14,025 students sat for the A-level exams last year.
The exam is conducted jointly by the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), MOE and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB).
Meanwhile, in a statement, Raffles Institution said a number of students from their six-year through-train programme had already received university and scholarship offers, even before the release of the A-level results.
53 students have been offered places at Cambridge University and 39 at Oxford University. 28 students have received early decision offers from top universities in the United States such as Harvard and Princeton, RI said.
45 students from the school have received provisional scholarships from various scholarship agencies such as the Public Service Commission and the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, it added.
School candidates have been issued with their result slips by their respective schools from 2.30pm on Friday afternoon. Private candidates will receive their results by post and can also access their results through the SEAB website from 2.30pm Friday afternoon.
- wong chee tat :)
This share was slightly lower than the 90.8 per cent recorded the year before.
According to the exam results released by the Ministry of Education Friday afternoon, a total of 14,025 students sat for the A-level exams last year.
The exam is conducted jointly by the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), MOE and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB).
Meanwhile, in a statement, Raffles Institution said a number of students from their six-year through-train programme had already received university and scholarship offers, even before the release of the A-level results.
53 students have been offered places at Cambridge University and 39 at Oxford University. 28 students have received early decision offers from top universities in the United States such as Harvard and Princeton, RI said.
45 students from the school have received provisional scholarships from various scholarship agencies such as the Public Service Commission and the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, it added.
School candidates have been issued with their result slips by their respective schools from 2.30pm on Friday afternoon. Private candidates will receive their results by post and can also access their results through the SEAB website from 2.30pm Friday afternoon.
- wong chee tat :)
New measures for above-35 singles to buy selected HDB flats: Khaw
New measures for above-35 singles to buy selected HDB flats: Khaw
By Shah Salimat | Yahoo! Newsroom – - Yahoo! Newsroom - New measures are introduced to allow above-35 singles to be able to purchase selected HDB flats (Yahoo! file photo)
Singles
aged 35 and above, earning $5,000 and below, will be able to buy new
two-room flats directly from the Housing Development Board (HDB)
beginning July this year.
The news was announced by Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan in Parliament Friday as Budget debates continue.
The new two-room flats will be only available for singles in non-mature estates, between 35 to 45 square metres. Khaw said that the measure would probably be launched at the Sengkang precinct.
“Firefighting for first-timers is over… but it is still uncomfortable, I know,” said Khaw in Parliament. “We’ll do all we can to prevent property bubbles.”
Quotas for second-time buyers in non-mature estates will double to 30 per cent, of which a tenth of this will be reserved for widows and divorcees with children below 16. These quotas will apply for two-room and three-room flats.
To further assist divorcees who face debarment from subsidized flats, the period will be shortened from 5 years to 3.
The second-time buyer quota increment will be applied in the Build-to-Order (BTO) launch in May.
All married couples eligible for rental flats
Also announced were measures to extend the eligibility of direct-from-HDB flats to couples who are already married but do not have children yet.
All married HDB first-timers, with or without children, will now be able to rent rental flats provisionally under the Parenthood Priority Housing Scheme (PPHS). This is set to take into effect from the May BTO launch onwards.
Khaw promised that such married couples will be eligible for an interim flat under the scheme. However, he said that if a shortage in housing occurs in the future, priority will go to couples will children. More details are expected from HDB at the April BTO launch.
“We’ll do more to reduce BTO prices relative to income,” said Khaw.
Foreigner restrictions and elderly schemes
To avoid enclaves to be formed by foreigners in HDB flats, Khaw announced plans to impose a quota on the number of flats rented out to foreigners, although he admitted he was still undecided on the percentage.
Non-Malaysian non-citizens will now have to renew their tenancy agreements every 1.5 years, shorter than the current 3-year subletting period for flats and rooms. Malaysians are excluded as Khaw believes they have less difficulty integrating. This measure will take place with immediate effect.
Khaw also announced a new Studio Apartment Priority Scheme, where half of the supply of new studio apartments will be reserved for seniors who buy flats near their current flat or those of their children.
Khaw expects an additional 63,000 housing units – made up of HDB flats and non-landed private housing units – to be made in 2016 to cater to growing demand. This is some 13,000 units more than the expected number of housing units to be made next year.
With Nurul Azliah Aripin reporting from Parliament
- wong chee tat :)
The news was announced by Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan in Parliament Friday as Budget debates continue.
The new two-room flats will be only available for singles in non-mature estates, between 35 to 45 square metres. Khaw said that the measure would probably be launched at the Sengkang precinct.
“Firefighting for first-timers is over… but it is still uncomfortable, I know,” said Khaw in Parliament. “We’ll do all we can to prevent property bubbles.”
Quotas for second-time buyers in non-mature estates will double to 30 per cent, of which a tenth of this will be reserved for widows and divorcees with children below 16. These quotas will apply for two-room and three-room flats.
To further assist divorcees who face debarment from subsidized flats, the period will be shortened from 5 years to 3.
The second-time buyer quota increment will be applied in the Build-to-Order (BTO) launch in May.
All married couples eligible for rental flats
Also announced were measures to extend the eligibility of direct-from-HDB flats to couples who are already married but do not have children yet.
All married HDB first-timers, with or without children, will now be able to rent rental flats provisionally under the Parenthood Priority Housing Scheme (PPHS). This is set to take into effect from the May BTO launch onwards.
Khaw promised that such married couples will be eligible for an interim flat under the scheme. However, he said that if a shortage in housing occurs in the future, priority will go to couples will children. More details are expected from HDB at the April BTO launch.
“We’ll do more to reduce BTO prices relative to income,” said Khaw.
Foreigner restrictions and elderly schemes
To avoid enclaves to be formed by foreigners in HDB flats, Khaw announced plans to impose a quota on the number of flats rented out to foreigners, although he admitted he was still undecided on the percentage.
Non-Malaysian non-citizens will now have to renew their tenancy agreements every 1.5 years, shorter than the current 3-year subletting period for flats and rooms. Malaysians are excluded as Khaw believes they have less difficulty integrating. This measure will take place with immediate effect.
Khaw also announced a new Studio Apartment Priority Scheme, where half of the supply of new studio apartments will be reserved for seniors who buy flats near their current flat or those of their children.
Khaw expects an additional 63,000 housing units – made up of HDB flats and non-landed private housing units – to be made in 2016 to cater to growing demand. This is some 13,000 units more than the expected number of housing units to be made next year.
With Nurul Azliah Aripin reporting from Parliament
- wong chee tat :)
S'pore govt unveils plans to boost infocomm and media industry
- (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) - Consumers can expect faster Wi-Fi access from Wireless@SG from April onwards.
Faster free public Wi-Fi network access islandwide.
Digital free-to-air television channels by the end of the year.
Over S$182 million in budget more for locally-produced programmes on culture and heritage.
These were among the wide-ranging plans to boost the info comm and media infrastructure announced by Minister for Communications and Information (MCI) Yaacob Ibrahim in Parliament on Friday.
Wi-Fi speeds on Wireless@SG will be bumped on from 1Mbps to a maximum 2Mbps from next month.
"IDA will enhance our national wireless infrastructure by expanding the capacity and speed of Wireless@SG," said the Minister during the debate on the recently unveiled Budget.
Aside from faster speeds, the login process
for Wireless@SG will also be simplified from next April with users only
needing to log-in once instead of repeated sign-ins currently. This will
be possible because Digital free-to-air television channels by the end of the year.
Over S$182 million in budget more for locally-produced programmes on culture and heritage.
These were among the wide-ranging plans to boost the info comm and media infrastructure announced by Minister for Communications and Information (MCI) Yaacob Ibrahim in Parliament on Friday.
Wi-Fi speeds on Wireless@SG will be bumped on from 1Mbps to a maximum 2Mbps from next month.
"IDA will enhance our national wireless infrastructure by expanding the capacity and speed of Wireless@SG," said the Minister during the debate on the recently unveiled Budget.
"This will complement our mobile networks and allow subscribers to more seamlessly shift from 3G/4G networks to Wireless@SG," said Dr Yaacob.
Turning to the media industry, free-to-air channels 5, 8, Suria and Vasantham will begin broadcasting in hi-definition by the end of the year. Other channels like Octo would do so only in 2016.
By April, consumer labels to identify digital TV sets will be available on televisions and separate set-top boxes.
The Media Development Authority (MDA) will ensure low income and the elderly will also benefit from this.
Dr Yaacob also said the MCI is still reviewing their media convergence plan and are looking at these areas: content regulation, encouraging local content, copyrights and licensing framework.
Regarding local content, Dr Yaacob said it would devote another S$182 million to increase the quality and quantity of public service broadcast (PSB) programmes over the next four years to focus on local heritage and culture.
This amount is on top of a S$630 million budget that had been earmarked for public service programmes earlier in July 2012, spread across five years till 2016.
- wong chee tat :)
System Updates: Disk Maintenance
The file server is temporarily offline for disk maintenance.
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Mapletree Greater China Commercial Trust makes strong debut
Mapletree Greater China Commercial Trust makes strong debut
By Brandon Tanoto | Posted: 07 March 2013 1854 hrs
SINGAPORE: Mapletree Greater China Commercial Trust (MGCCT) - Singapore's largest share sale in two years - jumped by as much as 12.4 per cent on its trading debut on Thursday.
The REIT, the fourth sponsored by Mapletree Investments, opened at S$1.02 and closed the session at S$1.03 - some 10.7 per cent higher than its initial public offering price of S$0.93 per unit.
The REIT was nearly 30 times oversubscribed and had raised close to S$1.7 billion in its IPO.
The REIT includes the Festival Walk shopping mall in Hong Kong and the Gateway Plaza office complex in Beijing, China.
Mapletree Investments - a unit of Temasek - currently has five assets in China under its private funds portfolio.
The trust's sponsor said these may potentially be acquired by the REIT in future.
Mr Chua Tiow Chye, Board Director of Mapletree Greater China Commercial Trust Management, said: "For MGCCT, we're focusing on the first-tier cities, as well as top tier, second-tier cities like the inland cities of Chongqing, Chengdu and Wuhan. In the first-tier cities, it will be the three regions of Shanghai, Suzhou and the Nanjing area - so these are actually the main growth areas of China which contribute more than 50 per cent of the GDP for the overall China market."
Meanwhile, MGCCT has introduced a new management fee structure to reward management for distribution per unit (DPU) growth.
Mapletree Investments said it will consider implementing this scheme for the three other REITS it sponsors - namely Mapletree Logistics Trust, Mapletree Industrial Trust and Mapletree Commercial Trust - if the firm receives feedback or requests from investors to do so.
- CNA/de
- wong chee tat :)
By Brandon Tanoto | Posted: 07 March 2013 1854 hrs
SINGAPORE: Mapletree Greater China Commercial Trust (MGCCT) - Singapore's largest share sale in two years - jumped by as much as 12.4 per cent on its trading debut on Thursday.
The REIT, the fourth sponsored by Mapletree Investments, opened at S$1.02 and closed the session at S$1.03 - some 10.7 per cent higher than its initial public offering price of S$0.93 per unit.
The REIT was nearly 30 times oversubscribed and had raised close to S$1.7 billion in its IPO.
The REIT includes the Festival Walk shopping mall in Hong Kong and the Gateway Plaza office complex in Beijing, China.
Mapletree Investments - a unit of Temasek - currently has five assets in China under its private funds portfolio.
The trust's sponsor said these may potentially be acquired by the REIT in future.
Mr Chua Tiow Chye, Board Director of Mapletree Greater China Commercial Trust Management, said: "For MGCCT, we're focusing on the first-tier cities, as well as top tier, second-tier cities like the inland cities of Chongqing, Chengdu and Wuhan. In the first-tier cities, it will be the three regions of Shanghai, Suzhou and the Nanjing area - so these are actually the main growth areas of China which contribute more than 50 per cent of the GDP for the overall China market."
Meanwhile, MGCCT has introduced a new management fee structure to reward management for distribution per unit (DPU) growth.
Mapletree Investments said it will consider implementing this scheme for the three other REITS it sponsors - namely Mapletree Logistics Trust, Mapletree Industrial Trust and Mapletree Commercial Trust - if the firm receives feedback or requests from investors to do so.
- CNA/de
- wong chee tat :)
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