Commentary

National Library Board: Building social capital

The National Library Board (NLB) was formed in 1995 as a statutory board under the Ministry of Information and the Arts to oversee matters related to the country's network of libraries. Public library services have since expanded to include 26 branches throughout Singapore.

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National Library Board: Building social capital

Commentary

Brexit to benefit Asia in the long run

The result is official. The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union on 23 June.

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Strategic planning, career growth, and the Singapore PME

Recently, I read with interest an article published by SBR on 15 July that strategic thinking ranks as the highest skill a CFO needs to acquire. This finding coincides with what I shared in a question-and-answer session when the commentator asked me what I thought was a critical skill a Singapore PME needs if he wants to prove himself invaluable to the organisation and therefore achieve both the purpose of career growth and being recession-proof.

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Harbinger of hope – Qatar Investment Authority's purchase of Asia Square Tower One

The recent acquisition of the 43-storey Asia Square Tower One by Qatar Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund, has provided the flagging Singapore real estate market with a much-needed shot in the arm.

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What will the Michelin Guide mean to Singapore restaurants?

The acclaimed Michelin Guide is being unleashed on an unsuspecting Singapore public on July 21st. Every restaurant in the country is either 1) preparing for queues and having to employ extra staff to cope or 2) closure. Extreme? Well, this is what has happened in other countries, so why not here?

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Should businesses in Singapore turn to portals for leads and sales?

HungryGoWhere, Green Book, PropertyGuru – what comes to mind with these websites? While they all belong to different industries, there is a commonality between them.

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Where are the hot jobs in audit, risk, and compliance in Singapore?

Professionals involved in the first, second, and third lines of defence have been in great demand, particularly within banking and financial institutions, in 2016. We saw active hiring within asset management and consultancy, as well as requirement for expertise in financial crime, market surveillance, compliance testing, and audit. If you possess niche skills in anti-bribery and corruption, you would most likely be sought-after.

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Striking the right balance between regulation and space for fintech innovation in Singapore

Singapore is an established financial hub and it represents a significant 25% to 30% of our GDP in the past four years. The financial industry is changing rapidly along with the disruption of technology. The traditional roles of banks are being challenged by financial technology (fintech) firms.

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Data centres – a bright spot in the property market

The data centre market is growing at a CAGR of 20%, and Singapore is uniquely positioned to be a major beneficiary. Financial behemoths like Citigroup and OCBC maintain their own facilities while others use colocation centres that are available from providers like Singtel.

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Why background screening is the last thing you should worry about

Picture this: you finally land an interview with the company of your dreams, making it seem like all the time and effort taken to put together your resume and cover letter weren't all in vain. You floor the interviewers with your glowing achievements and wicked charm, and before you know it, you're practically one foot in the door.

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4 things you need to know about social commerce

The concept of social commerce isn't a new one. Just August last year, Yahoo announced its acquisition of the community-powered social commerce website Polyvore. And in September, Twitter revealed its tie-up with Stripe Inc.'s Relay service, which allows merchants to sell products through a "buy button" that developers can easily place inside their apps.

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Here's why investors in Singapore should buy gold

For much of the past two decades, you'd have done better putting your money in a shiny inert metal, than investing in the STI.

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9 sources of assistance a retrenched PME can go to

Singapore is tiptoeing on the brink of a technical recession. Outlook is depressing for all and it is expected to show up in more retrenchment across industries.

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Singapore's REITs – high-risk investment or safe haven?

With the real estate market in a downturn, can REITs be far behind? After all, residential prices have been in a free-fall for over two years. They declined by 4% in 2014 and then again slipped another 3.7% in 2015.

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Electric cars in Singapore: Can we handle what's under the hood?

Electric vehicles have been garnering a lot of interest in the past two years. It is no longer just the futuristic ambition of an automaker or a technology company. These vehicles are already on the road in some countries and their numbers are set to increase. Previously the high price of such vehicles was the deterrent for ownership but Tesla's latest announcement of its Model 3 quickly changed that public perception.

Commentary

Transforming the legal industry in Singapore

While the legal and accounting industry has been relatively shielded from "disruption," this is set to change as technology enters the picture. The challenge for the legal and accounting industry is to figure out how to be more efficient as profit margins erode with the "Uberisation" of professional services, where technology aids the sharing economy in providing cheaper alternatives for clients.

Commentary

Delisting – not such a bad deal

The recent news of NOL and Otto Marine's planned delisting from the SGX should come as no great surprise. Nor, indeed, should it be seen as bad news for the local market. If the regional capital markets have taken a hit this year, then that could be doubly said for energy gas and shipping sectors.

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