SCCI – Singapore Chamber of Commerce Indonesia

30Aug, 2018
Singapore and Malaysia to announce joint decisions on HSR and RTS soon

SINGAPORE: Singapore and Malaysia will announce their joint decisions on the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) link and Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) projects soon, said Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan on Thursday (Aug 30).

In a Facebook post recapping a meeting with Malaysia’s Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, Mr Khaw said the two were “brainstorming ideas on how to further our bilateral relationship”.

(read more: Channel News Asia)

 

30Aug, 2018
Light Rapid Transit (LRT) in Jakarta is doing a trial run

Ready to run: A light rapid transit (LRT) train is ready to depart for a test run from Velodrome Station in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, on Wednesday. (JP/David Caessarre)About 10 meters above the ground, a silver train glided on elevated light rapid transit (LRT) railway connecting Velodrome Station in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, and Kelapa Gading Station in North Jakarta.

(read more: The Jakarta Post)

29Aug, 2018
Breakfast Business Talk & Networking Event | Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Singapore Chamber of Commerce Indonesia (SCCI) proudly presents:
Breakfast Business Talk & Networking Event
“The impact of the global trade wars on Indonesia and ASEAN”
Wednesday, September 5, 2018 | starts at 07.30 am
Venue: 
This event will be held at Adonara Room – The Financial Club, Graha CIMB Niaga 28th floor, Jalan Jenderal Sudirman Kav. 28, South Jakarta.
https://goo.gl/maps/8T2JfSq9rK42
Ticket:
Rp 400,000 (non-member)
Rp 300,000 (member)
Guest Speakers:
 
inquiry: info@singchamindonesia.com
27Aug, 2018
China’s July industrial profit growth cools for third straight month

Profit growth for China’s industrial firms cooled for a third straight month in July in a further indication that demand in the world’s second-biggest economy is cooling even as U.S. trade pressure mounts.

Industrial profits in July rose 16.2 percent from a year earlier to 515.12 billion yuan ($74.94 billion), slowing from a 20 percent increase in June, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Monday.

Profit growth eased in July as producer price inflation moderates, He Ping of the statistics bureau said in a statement accompanying the data.

For the first seven months of the year, industrial firms have reported profits of 3.9 trillion yuan, up 17.1 percent from the same period last year.

26Aug, 2018
Europe set to ban use of halogen light bulbs from Sept. 1

The European Union is set to ban the use of halogen bulbs and households are expected to switch to more energy-efficient lights, starting next month.

A continent-wide switchover to light-emitting diodes (known as LEDs) is underway that will slash emissions and energy bills, according to industry, campaigners and experts.

LEDs consume five times less energy than halogen bulbs and their phaseout will prevent more than 15 million tons of carbon emissions a year.

The new notification will enforce a ban on the production and import of globe and candle-shaped halogen bulbs. Manufacturers and shop owners will not be allowed to store, import or sell the classic-style halogen lights starting on Sept 1. However, it is not a total ban.

(read more: The Jakarta Post)

23Aug, 2018
Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians, defaulted on his NS obligations: Mindef

Singapore-born writer Kevin Kwan, whose book inspired the movie Crazy Rich Asians, defaulted on his national service obligations, the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday in response to queries from The Straits Times.

“Mr Kevin Kwan failed to register for National Service (NS) in 1990, despite notices and letters sent to his overseas address. He also stayed overseas without a valid exit permit. Mr Kwan is therefore wanted for defaulting on his NS obligations,” Mindef said.

It added: “In 1994, his application and subsequent appeal to renounce his Singapore citizenship without serving NS were rejected.”

The film’s weekend takings of over US$35 million (S$47.9 million) in the US has far exceeded expectations for the romantic comedy. It was also No. 1 at the US box office over the weekend.

The movie, which was filmed in large part in Singapore and featured nearly 300 crew members who are Singaporean or Singapore permanent residents, had also been hailed as a breakthrough for racial representation in Hollywood and as a good showcase for Singapore.

The movie was supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the Singapore Film Commission.

(source: The Straits Times)

22Aug, 2018
Apple reports an almost 40 per cent fall in 2nd quarter earnings as global smartphone shipments slow

Shares in AAC Technologies Holdings, a major supplier of components to Apple, briefly fell to their lowest intraday level in 18 months on Wednesday after a slowing global smartphone market pushed the company’s earnings in the latest quarter below expectations.

22Aug, 2018
Asian markets mostly up ahead of trade talks, Trump fears ease

Asian markets mostly rose Wednesday before keenly awaited trade talks between China and the United States, while early worries over a double whammy for Donald Trump also eased.

While not expecting a major deal when officials from Beijing and Washington meet, investors are hopeful they can find a way out of the months-long row that has seen tariffs imposed on billions of dollars of goods and stock markets tumble.

Recent comments from US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, signaling plans to delay a final decision on whether to impose duties on auto imports, have also provided some cheer.

Tokyo and Hong Kong both ended 0.6 percent higher, while Seoul and Taipei each put on 0.1 percent and Wellington closed up 0.5 percent. Manila and Jakarta were also well up.

However, Shanghai finished 0.7 percent down while Sydney shed 0.3 percent, with political uncertainty in Canberra adding to selling pressure.

(read more: The Jakarta Post)

21Aug, 2018
Indonesia should find new markets for palm oil: Minister

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani has said that Indonesia should be aggressive in looking for new palm oil markets because of various problems in the traditional markets, such as negative campaigns against the commodity and the impact of the ongoing trade war.

“We should not act defensively or just wait and see,” said Sri Mulyani when speaking in a seminar on palm oil organized by the Indonesian Oil Palm Estate Fund (BPDP-KS) in Jakarta on Monday as reported by kompas.com.

“When I worked for the World Bank, I visited many countries in Africa and Latin America. They already had initiatives to develop palm oil. Many companies in Asia, particularly Malaysia, wanted to enter the palm oil business [there].”

She expressed confidence that the export potential of palm oil remained high amid current challenges, particularly in nontraditional markets.

As the largest palm oil producing country, Indonesia produced 37.8 million tons of CPO in 2017, with exports valued at US$21.25 billion, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

(read more: The Jakarta Post)

21Aug, 2018
More Singaporeans visit food delivery websites than supermarkets: Nielsen

Eating out is no longer just for special occasions; it has become a way of life for Singaporeans, according to the latest Nielsen Out-of-Home Dining Survey.

According to the report, which included 202 respondents in Singapore in August, one in four people (24 per cent in 2018 compared to 19 per cent in 2015, when the last survey was held) eat out daily. More than half (55 per cent in 2018 vs 51 per cent in 2015) do so on a weekly basis.

Of the three meals, dinner (72 per cent in 2018 vs 78 per cent in 2015) is the most popular one to be eaten outside, followed by lunch (66 per cent in 2018 vs 58 per cent in 2015) and breakfast (15 per cent in 2018 vs 13 per cent in 2015).

It’s not just dishes that more Singaporeans are buying online; pre-portioned meal kits that help you prepare home-cooked meals are also more popular here than elsewhere in the world.

Compared to the global average of 33 per cent, 44 per cent of Singaporeans have visited restaurant delivery websites or meal-kit-delivery services online.