Page 15

The Business Times Online Edition - Singapore

Total news: 1992
Last news: 6 hours 56 minutes ago

(SINGAPORE) The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is counting on international association meetings and trade shows to fuel the growth of the MICE industry here, as corporate meetings could be shelved amid the economic crunch. - [Read more]

CHRISTMAS is just six weeks away and the festive spirit is alive and well - recession or otherwise. Orchard Hotel has set up a seven-metre-high chocolate castle made of several thousand eggs, assorted nuts and 385 kg of icing sugar in its lobby. - [Read more]

SINGAPORE was placed in third spot both as a preferred destination for conferences - up one notch from last year - as well as in the category of best new country for business, according to the study Country Brand Index (CBI) 2008. - [Read more]

THE Ministry of Finance has received 52 responses in the public consultation exercise on the draft circular on research and development (R&D) for income tax purposes that took place in August and September. - [Read more]

WITH four months to go before Budget 2009 is delivered in Parliament, economists say that it is highly unlikely that Singapore will go the way of countries such as China and introduce a one-off help package to stimulate the economy. - [Read more]

GREEN development in the building space is likely to take a backseat among some organisations given the economic slowdown because the benefits are not tangible in the short-term, a building consultant said. - [Read more]

SOME investors who are now seeking compensation from the soured Lehman Minibond purchases went in with their eyes open, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said yesterday. - [Read more]

(SINGAPORE) It is full steam ahead for Singapore-based Tolaram Groups expansion in the petrochemical sector in Nigeria, where it is banking on the countrys abundant natural resources and the increasing emphasis on clean energy. - [Read more]

LAST weeks column discussed some of the reasons for banning the short-selling of structured warrants. To recap, a short-sale of an in-the-money warrant just before expiry can create huge settlement problems because the issuer is only obliged to pay legitimate warrant holders and not those who bought fictitious or non-existent warrants from a short-seller. Moreover, buying-in may be a problem because there isnt a market price for the warrant any more. - [Read more]

THE coming years will be difficult for Asia but beyond that, the story of growth and Asias rising economic power will continue to unfold. - [Read more]

KEPPEL Fels has emerged overall winner of this years Manufacturing Excellence Award (Maxa), the first time a homegrown firm has clinched the top accolade. A global leader in designing and building jack-up and semi-submersible rigs, Keppel Fels impressed the judges with its overall edge in innovation, operating systems and sustainability. In particular, the judges noted how it changed its business model from ship-repairer to becoming a rig builder, and then took on design jobs. - [Read more]

THE Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded six contracts worth a total of $1.13 billion for the entire Downtown Line (DTL) project - even before the operator for the new rail network is appointed. - [Read more]

FRENCH company Soitec, the worlds leading supplier of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers, yesterday inaugurated a $700 million wafer fabrication plant at Pasir Ris. - [Read more]

THE fight for talent is driving down personal taxes around the world amid increased labour mobility, says a KPMG International survey. Top personal income tax rates around the world have fallen by an average of 2.5 percentage points in the past six years. - [Read more]

SAVILLS analyst Ku Swee Yong will leave the property firm at the end of this year and join a European private bank as a real estate adviser, sources have told BT. - [Read more]

ADAPTABILITY and relative strengths will be vital for manufacturers coping with the challenges of the current economic climate, say the judges of a manufacturing award. But they have no doubt that Singapore-based producers have these qualities to see them through. - [Read more]

TAXES in Singapore and Hong Kong are seen by tax practitioners in these jurisdictions as fair, given their simplicity, transparency and the low compliance cost involved, says an ACCA survey released yesterday. - [Read more]

SMRT Corp will spend $12 million over the next two years fitting a dynamic route map and information system on its trains so travellers can better track their journey. - [Read more]

THE iconic 16m Christmas tree at Takashimayas atrium will be greener than usual this year. - [Read more]

THE next few quarters will be critical for Singapore as industrial economies and various sectors continue to suffer due to the global financial slowdown, said Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. - [Read more]