Singapore Morning News For January 19

Ageing population to drag down S’pore’s annual GDP per capita growth for decades: IPS study
If fertility rates in Singapore remain at current levels, the ageing population will cause a drag of 1.5 percentage points on per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth every year until 2060.
— Today Online

Review of Singapore Government’s Budget: 2009-2017
The government of Singapore is set to announce its budget plans for 2018 on Monday, 19 Feb 2018. While many media outlets have been speculating what we could expect to hear from Minister Heng Sweet Keat next week, few have covered what actually has been happening with the government spending for the last few years.
— The Online Citizen

Singapore startups to step up 2018 fund-raising for global expansion: KPMG
SINGAPORE startups are likely to step up their canvassing for venture capital (VC) funding in 2018 for regional and global expansion.
— The Business Times

Lawyer fined S$10,000 for falsifying degree transcript
A 29-year-old lawyer has been fined S$10,000 for falsifying her law degree certificate and transcript so as to improve her chances of getting a job with the Singapore Legal Service.
— Channel NewsAsia

Factbox: Shell oil heist – the story so far
Singapore authorities say they have uncovered a complex, cross-border scheme to steal large quantities of oil from Shell’s biggest refinery.
— Reuters

Bottle drop: Asia drinks giant F&N launches recycling vending machines in Singapore
Beverage manufacturer Fraser and Neave (F&N) and NTUC FairPrice supermarkets in Singapore have launched a ‘reverse vending machine’ to boost environmentally-friendly consumer behaviour in the city state, where household recycling rates remain stubbornly low.
— FoodNavigator-Asia

Golden era for Malaysia-Singapore ties
The prime ministers of Malaysia and Singapore convened this week for the eighth annual Leaders’ Retreat, where a range of cross-border projects, joint developments and bilateral initiatives underscored the high level of co-operation currently enjoyed between the two sides
— Asia Times

Fewer COEs available for February to April period
The total Certificate of Entitlement (COE) quota for February to April will be 25,636, a 1 per cent decrease from the previous quarter, according to figures released by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Thursday (Jan 18).
— Channel NewsAsia (video)

Singapore Pushes Automated Defense Systems
Money, it has. People are in shorter supply. Singapore spends more on defense than the other countries in Southeast Asia, almost all of which are much larger. But the wealthy city-state’s declining birth rate is a growing problem.
— Aviation Week

First review of Employment Act in six years
Professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) earning more than $4500 a month may soon be legally entitled to basic rights such as public holiday and sick leave entitlements, receiving their salary on time, and redress for wrongful dismissal
— The Straits Times (paywall)

Singapore’s government hired Instagram influencers to promote its budget
Some governments may be alarmed about the political influence of social media, but Singapore is embracing it to reach its younger constituents.
— Quartz

Asean Secretary-General meets Singapore Prime Minister
THE Secretary-General of Asean, Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi, paid a courtesy call on Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana in Singapore on Tuesday.
— Borneo Bulletin

Human Rights Watch: New restrictions in Singapore limit critical voices
Singapore’s government imposed further restrictions on free speech and peaceful assembly while harassing and prosecuting critical voices in 2017, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2018.
— The Online Citizen

Google, Temasek investing in Indonesia’s Go-Jek as ride-hailing rivalry deepens-sources
Google, Singapore investor Temasek and China’s Meituan-Dianping are investing in Go-Jek as part of a US$1.2 billion (S$1.59 billion) fundraising round, bolstering the Indonesian ride-hailing firm in its battle with deep-pocketed rivals Grab and Uber, sources said.
— Today Online

Singapore’s Kit Trading raising money for crypto arbitrage fund
As Bitcoin continues its wild ride, a Singapore hedge fund unit is raising US$10 million for a cryptocurrency arbitrage fund to trade off price movements.
— The Business Times

Singapore Expected to Introduce Deferred Prosecution Agreement Regime
Singapore Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam announced earlier this week that the government is considering the inclusion of Deferred Prosecution Agreements in the latest round of amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code and Evidence Act.
— The National Law Review

Singapore-based start-up wants to better the odds for stroke victims
The problem is simple enough: Current methods of managing and predicting strokes are insufficient.
— Channel NewsAsia

Most Singaporeans believe family and government should take care of elderly: Poll
Should each generation take care of itself? How should Singapore pay for higher social spending on the elderly?
— Today Online

Commentary: A Changi Airport East for all, yet who should fund its bill?
As speculation on how the big price tag on the new Changi Airport East development will be funded continues, Boston Consulting Group’s Hean-Ho Loh sheds light on where he thinks the money can come from.
— Channel NewsAsia

Feature photo Walter Lim

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Singapore morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Singapore news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Singapore Morning News For January 19 added by Leakhena Khat on January 19, 2018
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Leakhena Khat

Leakhena is a junior journalist at AEC News Today who is also currently studying International Relations, which she finds adds perspective to her work reporting on the Asean Community.

“I love what I am doing so much as it gives me a lot of great experience and provides challenges to my mind.