CapitalMalls Asia is getting a headstart on the corporate bond market this year, with a S$200 million sale that the company hopes will be snapped up by retail and institutional investors alike. Lim Beng Chee, CEO of CapitaMalls Asia, said: "If you look at our balance sheet, as of today, our gearing is still relatively low. And as part of the corporate development, it is good to tap on some debt capital....
General
The rate of increase in private residential property prices continued to moderate for the 9th consecutive quarter since Q4 2009. Flash estimates by the Urban Redevelopment Authority showed that the private homes index rose to 206.2 points in Q4 2011, up 0.2 per cent, compared to the 1.3 per cent increase in Q3. Prices of non-landed private residential properties increased by 0.5 per cent in the Core...
The Housing and Development Board's flash estimate of the Q4 2011 Resale Price Index (RPI) is 190.4, an increase of 1.7 per cent over Q3. The increase is lower than the 3.8 per cent seen in the previous quarter. The RPI provides information on the general price movements in the public residential market. Transacted prices of individual flats (by block and flat type) can be found on HDB's website and...
Residents living in the southern part of Singapore can enjoy a new leisure playground with the official opening of the Labrador Nature & Coastal Walk. The 2.1km Walk comprises three distinct segments - Alexandra Garden Trail, Berlayer Creek and Bukit Chermin Boardwalk. The Labrador Nature & Coastal Walk was conceptualised and developed by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and will be...
A study of an unprecedented scale is taking place beneath the Singapore Science Park in the western part of the country. It is for a science complex of about 30 storeys below the surface (at the 80- to 100-metre layer). It will be used to house research labs, offices and a data centre. The area being studied lies between Science Parks 1 and 2, and the objective is to link the underground science city to...
In land-strapped Singapore, underground space has been named a strategic resource by the high-level Economic Strategies Committee. A masterplan is in the works to map out possible uses and the Ministry of National Development said details will be released this year. Underneath the bustling Chinatown lies a vast labyrinth of interconnected tunnels snaking across Singapore. The Downtown railway line,...
The government has tweaked the Interim Rental Housing (IRH) scheme to better help needy families with temporary housing at subsidised rates, while they work out a more permanent solution. National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said it will exercise greater oversight of the scheme to ensure that the private operators managing the scheme serve Singaporean families first. He said in his blog on Friday...
As more and more MRT stations are built in Singapore, there has been much discussion over whether the presence of an MRT station will boost the prices of residential units nearby. Let's use the recently completed Circle Line for discussion. According to one school of thought, when the Circle Line and the locations of its stations were first announced in the early 2000s, prices of developments within...
The Ministry of Finance said on Friday that about 800,000 Singaporean HDB households can expect to receive S$40 million worth of Utilities-Save (U-Save) rebates. A Singaporean household may receive up to S$90 in rebates, depending on HDB flat type. Those in one- and two- room flats will get S$90, those in three-room flats will get S$50, those in four-room flats will get S$45, those in five-room flats...
Six blocks of HDB flats in Boon Lay Drive have been chosen for the government's Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS). They are blocks 167 to 172, comprising 650 units. Under SERS, selected old sold flats are redeveloped to optimise land use. Residents are then given the option to upgrade to new flats nearby with fresh 99-year lease. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) will build about 710...