The Business Times

IMF sees Singapore growth slowing to 1.5% in 2023 as global headwinds offset China boost IMF said Singapore’s economy will grow by 1.5% this year, slower than the 3.7% growth achieved in 2022.

SMEs upbeat about 2023 prospects; GST hike, energy prices and inflation still top concerns: poll Nearly half (43%) of polled SMEs said they were looking to the government to provide support and relief to cope with the ec…

Economists see uneven employment growth in Singapore in 2023 Hiring activity is expected to be more lacklustre in outward-oriented sectors such as manufacturing, finance and tech.

Job switching rates in Singapore reach 6 year high: MOM Involuntary unemployment also fell, with dissatisfied workers choosing to leave amid a tight labour market.

Malaysia’s ex-PMs Mahathir, Muhyiddin sued for cancelling high-speed rail project with Singapore The plaintiff is seeking to compel the defendants to pay RM1 million (S$308,000) in damages and compensation to every Malay…

Adani drops off list of world’s top 10 richest people The Indian tycoon has fallen from fourth place to 11th on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with a personal wealth wipeout of US$34 billion in just three trading days…

Pay up on 1MDB settlement, Anwar tells Goldman “My only appeal is for them to settle this deal with Malaysia because 1MDB is known throughout the world... Goldman Sachs should come out clean and deal with Malaysia.”

Condo, HDB rental volumes rebound in December, rents continue climb: SRX, 99.co Rents in December were up 3% from the previous month and 34.4% from the year before.

Singapore’s employment grows by ‘unprecedented’ 231,700 in 2022 on return of non-resident workers This was driven mainly by a growth in non-resident employment in the construction and manufacturing sectors, which are typ…

Changi Airport sees strongest traffic in December 2022, near pre-Covid levels The airport handled 32.2 million passengers in 2022, or about half of the traffic in 2019.

#BTExplains: Why are markets shorting the Singapore dollar? In short: because a) inflation is stabilising and b) currencies are expected to rebound against the Singapore unit.

#Budget2023 lookahead: Green players eyeing government boosts for blended finance, carbon tax and SME support Moves deemed necessary are initiatives to boost blended financing, more aggressive carbon taxation and greater…

#BTOpinion: Making property groups disclose revalued net asset value would benefit investors Listed property groups typically trade at huge discounts to book values, which do not capture upside from property development…

#Budget2023 lookahead: Manpower moves to watch in Budget 2023 The Progressive Wage Model could be expanded to cover skilled non-degree holders whose incomes are stagnating, observers say. ➡️Check out our microsite at bt.…

CDL in talks to acquire St Katharine Docks development in London Asset manager Blackstone is in talks to sell London's St Katharine Docks marina to City Developments Limited for around £400 million (S$650.9 million) acco…

Tech industry group calls for support for digital trust, talent, sustainability in Budget 2023 SGTech is proposing a “multi-stakeholder approach” to help experienced local PMETs and mid-career hires secure “higher-value…

Parliament to debate housing affordability next Monday The debate will debunk “spurious claims” and hear “constructive views and suggestions” on how Singaporeans’ home ownership aspirations can be fulfilled, says Senior…

Singapore hotel average room rates up in Dec from previous month; other measures down slightly The average room rate was up 27.7% from the year-ago period to S$285.84.

📊Results round-up: 1. CDL Hospitality Trusts’ H2 DPS up 17.3% to S$0.0359 on continued global travel recovery 2. Sabana Reit H2 DPU falls 7% on higher interest expenses 3. CapitaLand Ascott Trust’s H2 DPS rises 47% on h…

Singapore, Malaysia discuss how to progress on ‘outstanding bilateral issues’ during Anwar visit Both countries also inked three agreements during the Malaysian PM’s first official visit.

Tax hike for top earners did not hurt spending, while handouts boosted consumption: Singapore study High-income earners whose annual incomes exceeded S$160,000, did not change their spending habits significantly, despite…

Condo resale volumes drop 14% in December, prices continue to rise: SRX, 99.co More than half of the resale transactions were in the Outside Central Region (OCR), where the highest transacted price in OCR was S$3.05 mill…

With a fresh rate hike likely this week, US Federal Reserve may disappoint the bulls again The Fed is widely expected to raise rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday (Feb 1), a step down from a 50-basis point increase in…

#Budget2023 lookahead: Singapore could introduce unemployment support as early as Budget 2023 Any unemployment support measures will likely be for vulnerable workers, such as those who are older, have lower-income, or ar…

Zilingo board confirms winding up; appoints provisional liquidators Zilingo’s board said the company is not able to continue business due to its liabilities.

Malaysian PM Anwar to make official visit to Singapore on Jan 30 He will attend an official welcome ceremony at the Istana, call on President Halimah Yacob and have a meeting with PM Lee Hsien Loong, who will also host a…

Property market in Vietnam faces headwinds, but market watchers see positives in the longer term Property prices in Vietnam have skyrocketed in recent years and become increasingly unaffordable, particularly since the pa…

#BTOpinion: ‘We need pleasure to survive’ Should I eat that bacon cheese roll? How much drinking is actually OK? Can I smoke that cigar? Happiness experts share how to find balance while keeping health warnings in mind.

#BTOpinion: Want to create a billion-dollar company? Just S$16 will do The days of unicorns running rampant may well be over. These creatures, as beautiful as they may be, are after all mythical.

#BTLifestyle: How to live better, according to philosophers Rather than seeing the glass as half-full, we should acknowledge the glass is what it is – half-full and half-empty.