Singapore Government News

The City of Edinburgh Council, UK is set to achieve savings of £190,000 per year following the launch of its new website which provides easier ways for users to make payments, request information and ask for help.

A survey released last week by Savills PLC reported that Hong Kong residential real estate is the most expensive in the world.

Supposed guardians of world financial integrity now making 3 current difficult situations worse: decades-long stagnation in Japan; financially desperate US states; rampant socio-economic inequality fueling people power movement sweeping Arab world

China is constructing the second largest free trade centre in Asia. Costing an estimated US$1.5 billion the free trade zone will help traders re-export Chinese goods from Thailand, avoiding pricey tariffs.

Brand New Technology for Singapore Offers Round the Clock 24/7 Protection for Your Loved One! e-Alert Panic Pendant is Singapore's 1st TALK-THRU Wearable Pendant.

Mon, we called 4 Obama 2 use Ariz murders 2 claim legacy of ML King Tues NY Times said he wd meet victims & families @ Tucson memorial svc Will he take next 2 steps: give speech of his life & use as guide 4 campaign vs violent right-wing rhetoric?

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has issued a statement indicating that China will tighten its restrictions on foreign real estate investment.

It seems the humble Christmas tree is now a symbol of prosperity and this year the race is on for the title of "The most expensive tree in the world."

N-most province, nearly full employment, high per capita income, German AND Italian-speaking, Rome owes IT $ so slowly taking over infrastructure Only 2 pol leaders last 50 yrs Done well so far but not clear if well-suited 4 more globalized econ

US Treasury hid $40 bn likely taxpayer loss on AIG bailout TARP Insp Genl says "US govt has obligation, when describing potential losses, to give complete information” Ideal chance 4 O 2 replace Geithner w income-equalizing Stiglitz/Roubini/Krugman

Shock of recent IMF meeting: extent to which Western leaders openly acknowledge Asian econ global dominance 4 present & future Analytically good but unclear how they will deal w new situation, both as "group" of some sort & individual countries

A survey ranks Singapore as #3 in the world for low risk of recruiting, employing, and relocating employees.

Intense China rivalry, fastest-growing mrkt 4 German corps, but proximity gives Japan edge Euro plunge v-a-v yen helps tho econs, execs say initial cost secondary factor given sectors where 2 compete eg specialized factory machines, heavy equipment

Singapore has announced changes to its Permanent Residency scheme for million dollar investors with the view of attracting only serious minded entrepreneurs.

Peak oil: global reserves top out & production falls, creating permanent supply crisis G mil study sees shifts in global power bal, new relationships of interdependency, decline of western nations, total market collapse, on-going economic crises

Joint SEC/CFTC "investigation" of May 6 Flash Crash not reassuring at all Details bit of HOW but ignores WHY &, crucially, how to AVOID such events in future Culprits clearly high-speed traders & runaway computer algorithm Investors flee equity mrkts

Singapore is all set to groom itself into a regional talent hub that will serve to complement its position as a leading business hub in the region.

REAL China econ story: systematic, concerted drive 2 b THE global leader in clean/green high-tech Many aspects govt help pioneered by US during equiv growth 19th C Many US corps getting help & end result will b cleaner world ecology Benefit 2 all

A survey conducted by HSBC unveils that Singapore's expatriate population earns the highest income in the world as compared to their counterparts in other countries.

Meeting on LANXESS' butyl rubber plant in Singapore and innovation processes; Visit to high-tech rubber pilot plant; LANXESS' Global Head of Human Resources speaks at Singapore Human Capital Summit

Hard to imagine good outcome to Chinas escalation of tensions w Japan Potentially explosive & destructive situation for all: C, J, E Asia, whole world Only + way out 4 J 2 seize chance 4 radical home / foreign change 2 help itself & rest of region

Finding workers w skills for even manual labor jobs a challenge ~ 22% of 25 mn avail 4 work force this year not qualified “We have problem hiring, even tho we have jobs” Tens of 1000s of jobs unclaimed because not enough qualified professionals

Rising frictions btwn China & neighbors make clear US role in E Asia far from over Asian countries suspicious of China see US as natural ally “US has been smart helping countries in region. China 'threat', thx to own actions, is being revived.”

Tension from minor incident in key place: islands in E China Sea ~ 300 km from vital natural gas fields directly btwn C & J. 2 sides agreed 2008 jointly develop deposits Breakthru in relations now threatened by minor event. BOTH sides need 2 chill

The recently released 'Economic Freedom of the World Index' places Singapore in the second spot making it the second freest economy in the world.

W 1.2 bn ppl India very young: ~ ½ population < 25 Cd pass China, w vast young work force vs strain of supporting rapidly aging older populace But if total population 2 high, asset will become burden So leaders trying 2 control issue b4 it's 2 late

Philippines, Other ASEAN Countries Eye Nuclear Power for Energy Needs

New type of ultranationalists: openly anti-foreign, seeking attention w unruly street demos Local news media dub them Net far right, loosely organized via Net Differ from existing ultranationalist groups, legit part of "conservative" establishment

Sovereign debt crisis global, far from over Black Sept 2008 permanent shock to tax revenues, transfer liabilities & risk from private to public sector w/out = transfer of resources Deepened conflict btwn bond & other stakeholders 4 finite resources

Plunging home sales, bleak job mkt, Q3 growth 1.6% has left US hopes pinned to HOPING things SOMEHOW get better Economists debate policy ideas, but sterile exchanges seem irrelevant & unreal Deep intellectual void @ center of US econ policymaking

With the rising tide of complaints from foreign businesses over China's restrictive foreign investment environment, do countries like Singapore that are open to foreign investors stand to benefit?

Detailed analysis of China plans in 4 key areas @ high-value-added end of scale: solar power / automobiles, esp electric cars / low-emission & fuel-consuming power plants / magnetic levitation high-speed trains – & how using W technology to do it

W Africa Benin rare success story in continent not full of them Long taken pride in stable political life: no military in streets, Parliament not in pocket of president, relatively free press Now tho shaken by massive Ponzi scheme thru whole society

De-linking yuan/$ wd barely dent US trade deficit US lacks domestic industry to make most things currently buys from China Take lesson from recent history w Japan Yen-revaluation did nothing Key: get China to INVEST in US to avoid tariff war etc

Academic economics culpable 4 today's US global mess w models assuring powerful markets self-regulated efficient self-correcting Efficient markets hypothesis, prices fully reveal all relevant information, ruled Econ broken as is paradigm – & shd be

Last 5 years Portugal launched clean energy revolution ~45% of electricity will come from renewable sources this yr up from 17% 2005 Land-based wind power up 7 X same period Required NO rise in taxes / public debt Will cost ~ $2.3 bn/yr LESS 2 run

Singapore maintains its position as Asia's most competitive economy in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011.

Restrictive immigration policies in the West including US, UK, Australia and Europe may prove to be beneficial to immigrant friendly nations such as Singapore.

Rush for key steel ingredient has created huge new fortunes in India Mining scandals emerged in 5 Indian states w > 20,000 complaints of illegal mining filed nationally past 3 months Politicians in many states accused of enriching selves or friends

Faced w steepest & longest decline in tax collections ever, state, county, city govts have made life-changing cuts in core services like education, transportation & public safety that recently wd have been unthinkable Services likely worse b4 better

Chinese-owned mine in S Peru desert site of major continuing violent clashes w local workers They claim Shougang Co repeatedly reneged on key promises re wages, housing & pollution Bad sign 4 C policy securing commodities directly from 3rdW govts

Striking result Eurozone crisis: emergence of “tough” Germany created tensions in EZone But G's 2.2% Q2 growth "confirms" value of earlier austerity & kurzarbeit/short work: not firing workers in crisis so avail 2 grab new opportunities as arise

Govt suspects banks evading rules to rein in rampant lending & excess credit driving rising property prices & inflation If banks & trusts secretly repackage old loans & moving them off balance sheets, regulators worried China could end up like West

Wall St planning 2 influence regulators & invent products that bend new regulations 2 their advantage: checking / derivatives / proprietary trading / whatever Banking chiefs concede they intend to pass most costs associated w bill to customers Enjoy

S Korea & China open free-trade talks next yr: SK amb 2 C Cd b 1st step -> 3-nation zone w Japan that cd rival EU & NAFTA If SK & J ok, would lift tariff barriers among 3 of 4 largest Asian econs But political blockages, both current & historical

Tragic battle of right vs. right: public workers dependent on private corps as ONLY source of retirement $ vs. public fearing own econ present & future Both must pay 4 mistakes of rating agencies / TBTF derivative plays / pols aware of underfunding

Kashmir long THE flashpoint btwn India & Pakistan since two countries born in 1947. Indian mil successfully crushed "standard" insurgency. Now tho I faces "intifada"-like revolt from young AND old. Peaceful resolution key 4 future Indian prosperity

150 newly-registered lobbyists worked in exec branch financial agencies, SEC lawyers 2 Fed Reserve bankers. Dozens of former govt lawyers NOT registered as lobbyists scour newly passed financial regulations for corporate clients. Why do you think ?

We have consistently argued political leadership of US & EU have been following Japan down path of deflation & Lost Decade/S Now James Bullard, president of Fed Reserve Bank St. Louis: US risks becoming “enmeshed in a Japanese-style deflation" soon

With exception of Cheney / Bush regime, Obama has consistently been one of most pro-BIG business Presidents in modern US history. Yet all he seems to get for it is shocking lack of respect - a disturbing marker of deterioration of US public discourse