Singapore

Singapore's central bank intends to make it easier for stores to accept whatever smartphone payment app each customer might prefer. (Photo by Tsubasa Suruga)
Finance

Singapore's latest QR payments test promises to go easier on merchants

New system allows stores to accept 23 payment methods by going through one operator

1 November 2023
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, left, and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong shake hands after a joint news conference in Singapore on Oct. 30. (Pool photo via Reuters)
International relations

Singapore and Malaysia eye special economic zone on border

PMs Lee and Anwar discuss bilateral projects; expect agreement in January

30 October 2023
Wind turbines in Vietnam. Singapore is looking to regional power grids for clean energy sources to overcome the city-state’s land constraints.
Energy

Singapore taps Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia for low-carbon energy

Sembcorp Utilities and Keppel look to pipe in electricity produced from renewables

27 October 2023
YouTrip is seeking to expand its footprint in Southeast Asia following a fresh $50 million in funding from investors. (Photo by Tsubasa Suruga)
Startups

Singapore's multicurrency wallet YouTrip to enter Malaysia, CEO says

Startup secures $50m in funding to tap regional travel and business demand

26 October 2023
Established in 2020 with branches in France and the U.S., Qosmosys seeks to make lunar access more accessible. (Screenshot from Qosmosys' website) 
DealStreetAsia

Singapore's Qosmosys announces $100m seed funding

Lunar tech startup developing moon transportation vehicle ZeusX

25 October 2023
Online lending services like Akulaku are becoming a go-to source of credit for younger borrowers in Indonesia. (Photo by Tsubasa Suruga)
Finance

Southeast Asia's fintechs fill lending gap with data

Major banks join race to offer more consumer financing to underserved

24 October 2023
TSMC subsidiary Vanguard International Semiconductor has long focused on 8-inch chip production but is now looking to expand into more advanced 12-inch production.
Semiconductors

TSMC affiliate eyes Singapore for its most advanced chip plant

VIS is moving into 12-inch wafers as it looks to tap automotive industry demand

23 October 2023
Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, the heir apparent to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, says the city-state aims to cut its carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2050. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Comment

Singapore aspires to become Asia's renewable energy hub

The dot on the map of ASEAN hopes to repeat its outsize trade and finance success

23 October 2023
Road to nowhere: China's Belt and Road Initiative at tipping point highlighted the debt crises and corruption in some of the focal points of the BRI project, including Sri Lanka and Pakistan. 
Announcements

Nikkei Asia wins two golds at WAN-IFRA Asia awards

Media outlet honored for reporting on Belt and Road Initiative, online fraud

20 October 2023
U.S.-based bank Citigroup said it will open two new wealth advisory hubs in Singapore.
Wealth Management

Citi expands Singapore wealth arm amid wider Asia retail retreat

Bank doubles down on city-state as a venue to manage private clients

18 October 2023
A Standard Chartered branch in Singapore. The bank's venture into crypto reflects a trend of brand-name traditional finance houses muscling into the space.
Cryptocurrencies

StanChart muscles into Asian crypto space as established banking player

Bank's Zodia unit to face off against Binance in Singapore and Japan

17 October 2023
Under Singapore's regulation, licensed ride-hailing operators like Grab are prohibited from imposing exclusive arrangements that prevent their driver partners from driving for a rival platform. 
Transportation

Grab's plan to buy Singapore taxi raises concerns from watchdog

Local authorities to further review proposal amid fears from rivals over competition

16 October 2023
GDS Holdings last month began operating in Malaysia its first data center outside its home country China. (Photo courtesy of GDS)
Technology

Malaysia courts new data centers in bid to be next Southeast Asia hub

Cheap prices, tax breaks aid push to replicate neighboring Singapore's success

14 October 2023
Singapore's economy grew 0.7% in the July to September quarter of 2023.
Economy

Singapore to double monetary policy statements from 2024

Decisions to be issued 4 times a year; Q3 GDP growth inches up to 0.7%

13 October 2023
Former Singaporean Ambassador Bilahari Kausikan regards China's attempts to influence other countries as a form of psychological manipulation. (Nikkei montage/Source photos courtesy of Straits Times Press Books)
Books

Books: Veteran Singapore diplomat makes a case for 'realism'

Bilahari Kausikan says ASEAN has overstepped, warns countries hosting Chinese diaspora

12 October 2023
Orion Capital Asia provides medium-term secured loans to midmarket businesses that have been underserved by traditional banking channels. (NIKKEI montage/Source photo by Reuters. Logo from Orion Capital Asia's website)
DealStreetAsia

Singapore's Orion Capital Asia raises $205m for latest fund

Company targets direct lending opportunities in Asia-Pacific region

11 October 2023
Singapore will raise bus fares and fees for utilities in December. (Photo by Fumika Sato)
Inflation

Singaporeans face higher bills and fares as inflation bites

Government announces support measures for lower-income families

10 October 2023
Japan's office towers and other pieces of commercial real estate have more stable occupancy rates and profitability compared with those in other APAC countries.
Market Spotlight

Foreign investors flock to Japan to buy warehouses and offices

Low borrowing costs stand out amid 'higher for longer' interest rates elsewhere

9 October 2023
The Malaysian Health Minister will table an amendment to the Tobacco Act, which is part of the Generational End Game policy, aiming to restrict tobacco products to people born after 2007.
Your Week in Asia

Malaysian tobacco ban bill, Singapore GDP, New Zealand election

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

8 October 2023
The new finding comes as the city-state expands its efforts in attracting global tech companies and talent from abroad, while also upskilling its own aging population. (NIKKEI montage/Source photos by  Reuters and AP)
Technology

Singapore's digital economy nearly doubled in five years: study

Digitalization across sectors totals $77bn in 2022, accounting for 17% of GDP

6 October 2023
Eureka Robotics aims to expand the staff at its Japanese office to around 30 or so over the next two years. (Photo by Tsubasa Suruga)
Startups

Singapore startup lends Japan's aging factory workers robot hand

University spinoff Eureka Robotics seeks to automate industrial production

5 October 2023
Investors Whampoa Group and Saison Capital see promise in the tech sector as global crypto trading volumes improve. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Whampoa Group and Saison Capital's website)
DealStreetAsia

Singapore-based Whampoa, Saison Capital ramp up Web3 focus

Investors keen to place tech bets as crypto trading shows renewed promise

4 October 2023
The Monetary Authority of Singapore will look into whether further measures are necessary to ensure Singapore's approach to single family offices remains rigorous.
Crime

Singapore focuses on money laundering laws, denies China pressure

Case involving Chinese suspects with $2bn illicit gains spurs regulatory review

3 October 2023
Quinn Emanuel expects to open its Singapore office at the end of the year. (NIKKEI montage/Source photos by AP. Logo from Quinn Emanuel Trial Lawyers' website)
Business trends

Quinn Emanuel joins stampede of foreign law firms into Singapore

City-state's appeal grows as global legal community scales back in China

3 October 2023
Sea's e-commerce platform, Shopee, has become the biggest online shopping site in Southeast Asia.
Markets

Thai, Singapore tech firms surge in market value

Delta and Sea worth more since pandemic while conglomerates falter

3 October 2023