Singaporeans leading meaningful sliver years graceful society

Singapore is a city state with a population of 4.5 million people, of which 3.6 million are citizens or permanent residents.

1. Singapore has the third highest rate of ageing in Asia. Only Japan and the Republic of Korea have higher rates.
2. Presently 12 Singaporeans is aged 65 or above
3. By 2030, this ratio will become one out of 5

Studies attribute the trend to low fertility rates since the late 1970s, and healthcare improvements that have extended life expectancy.

An ageing population brings both challenges and opportunities. The next five years provides a window of opportunity to put in place policies and programmes to meet the emerging needs of an ageing population. Looking at it positively, the government hopes to develop Singapore as a thriving business and research centre on ageing. One of the important strategic to focus an an Active Ageing.

To achieve 'Successful Ageing for Singapore', i.e. to ensure that all levels of society - the individual, the family, the community and the nation - are well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities of an ageing Singapore.

To enable Singaporeans to age with dignity and security, as integral members of society, in a vibrant and socially cohesive nation.

Share your views about this silver ageing issues of your country with us.

We welcome your comments.

Singapore MRT Circle Line-Sneak Peek Before Official Opening Next Week

Extracted this article from Channel News Asia on 24 May 2009 to share the good news of the pre-opening of New Circle Line.

SINGAPORE: About 10,000 residents were treated to free rides yesterday, Saturday, 23 May 2009, on the five new Circle Line Stations. It is part of the open house experience at the new Circle Line Stations. The 24 remaining stations will be progressively operational from next year, 2010, according to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), and the first five stations will still give commuters faster access to regional centres.

Commuters will be able to change trains at Serangoon Interchange for the North—East line, and Bishan Interchange for the North—South line.

I am sure most of us are very excited and look forward to the convenience we will be able to enjoy from the new Circle Line.

Prices of properties around the vicinity also look set to benefit.

In the near—term, analysts said they expect property prices around the first five stations of the circle line to increase by three to five per cent.

Prices are expected to increase even further when the circle line is fully operational.

55,000 commuters are expected to use the first five circle line stations daily.

Share your comments or joy with us here. We welcome your comments here.

Singapore Tourism Board promotes stopover in Spore - US$1

Stopping in Singapore for US$1 - Fabulous Singapore Stopover package organised by Singpaore Airlines, Changi Airport and the Singapore Tourism Board - promotional hotel rate simply cannot resist. Awaresome deal.

This stopover deal began on April 15 2009, and may be booked until June 15 for travel up to Sept 30, 2009. The six hotels offering US$1 one-night stays are :

1) Peninsula Excelsior

2) Allson Hotel

3) Hotel Royal

4) Hotel Royal@Queens

5) Hotel Re!@Pearl's Hill

6) Paramount Hotel

The US$1 one-night stays include unlimited free use of the SIA Hop-on bus to visit attractions and free entry to places of interest such as Sentosa, The National Orchid Garden and the zoo.

Many visitors from London to Australia, or Australian to Hong Kong, others such as to Holand, have gladly took up the offer to stay. As quoted by some of these tourists, Singpore is a good place to take a break rather than travel for 28 hours straight.

Welcome to Singapore. Anything to share, drop your comments here, most welcome.

DV V502 Digital Camcorder

This model DV V502 Digital Camcorder was selling at S$99.00 in a newspaper advertisement.

According to the advertisement, the original price was S$299.00

Features such as :

a) 5-in-1 multi function : digital camcorder, camera, voice recorder, PC camera & mass storage.

b) 270 degree swivel-reversible 2.4"TFT display.

c) 1 year warranty.

What do you think of this, a good buy ?

Is this part of the marketing strategies and what are the objectives ?

1) Establishing a relatively low price for a product or service usually to stimulate demand and acquire market share. It is basically penetration pricing.

2) It is also advantages for seller having high volume production when economic of scale is achievable.

3) Using price as a method to build long-term relationship with the best customers.

4) Focusing on giving better deals to your best customers.

There should alot more marketing strategies and how do we apply these strategies to our online internal business is something we are very interested to know.

Do share your comments with us.

Volun-tourism Singapore volunteers serve and see the world

Lately more and more Singaporeans are signing up to help in community projects overseas and sightsee. It aims to nurture socially responsible citizens to identify and contribute to the needs of communities at home and overseas. It is also an eye-opener to many and exposure to serving others and to conditions outside of the comfort zone of most Singaporeans is invaluable experiences for them.

Organisations such as :

1) National Youth Council - The Youth Expedition Project -since 2000, has sent more than 14,000 people to South-east Asia, India and China to interact with the local communities and tackle their needs in areas such as education, environment and health care. For more info:www.yep.sg

2) The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) of Singapore - Its International Service Programmes - to various community service work from building houses to teaching the local children. Lately they have organised a subsidised 12-day trip at $1,000 to Siem Reap in March 2009. This include return airfare, accoummodation at the Boys' Brigade Learning Centre and simple meals. For more info: Call Centre : 65-6586-2331 or email: iternational@gmca.org.sg for more details.

3) Ngee Ann Polytechnic - part of the polytechnic's Community Involvement Programme - in September 2007 - about 17 students took part in a trip to Nias, Indonesia. Each student volunteers paid a subisidised fee of $500 for the 10-day trip. It covered the return airfare, accommodation at the Farmers' Training Centre on the island and meals.

4) Private companies are also arranging volun-tourism trips. TakeMeToAsia, an online travel company ( www.takemetoasia.com or www.takemetovolunteertravel.com ) started launchng such services two years ago. Such trips will cover Asian countries and typically last a few days and cost from a few hundred dollars to a few thousands. depending on the destination. An upcoming trip to Chiangmai costs $650. excluding air tickets.

Opinions for volun-tourism trips differ individually. Some people think volun-tourism is all work and no play. But others beg to differ. For some, such trips give them a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city life.

What is your opinions on this ? Do drop me your comments.

Singapore - What are all your plus points ?

Glad to do a summary of the few Global rating affirming Singapore creditworthiness.

1) ST Apr 12, 2009 - Doing business ? Singapore is fourth best. Republic goes up four spots in Forbes annual world ranking. Its survey ranked 127 countries according to criteria such as taxes, red tape, investor protection, stock market performance, promotion of free trade and freedom of expression and organisation.

2) ST Apr 23, 2009 - Singapore named best Asian seaport for the 21st time in 23 years, beating Hong Kong and Kang in Malaysia. - It received the honour at the 23rd Assian Freight and Supply Chain Awards (AFSCA) in Hong Kong recently. Winning the award affirms the confidence the maritime community has in Singapore as its port of choice in Asia.

3) ST Apr18, 2009 - Singapore retains AAA rating from Fitch, a Global ratings agency. Singapore's strong external finances, solid public finances, stable political stiuation and flexible government policies are the plus points of the creditworthiness. Singapore's international reserves, including gold, are maintained at a record high of US$174 billion (S$261 billion).

4) ST Apr 8,2009 - Singapore remains Asia's least corrupt country. Perc, The Political and Economic Risk Consultancy made this observation in its latest annual survey of perceptions of corruption in the region. Foreign investors view Singapore's " clean" image as an attibute that gives it a competitive advaantage over most other countries in the region.

About 1,750 loacl and foreign executives in teh region, Australia and United Stated were interviewed face to face, by direct mail and email for this survey.

5) ST Feb 20, 2009 - Singapore is the most wired nation on earth with the household broadband penetration rate hitting 99.9 per cent last December - figure given by IDA, Infocomm Development Authority. Following behind with have South Korea ( 92 per cent ), Hong Kong ( 83.8 per cent ) and Taiwan ( 76.8 per cent ). With high subscriber rates for broadband usage, charges per month are easily less than S$47, previously charge, and with much higher access speed.

Last but not least, according to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Singapore has carved out a niche for offering affordable quality education. Students have the advantages of being able to study at some of the world's leading institutions, at a fraction of what it would cost in Britain and the United States, due to lower fees and the comparatively low cost of living.

With all these plus points, would you consider coming to Singapore ?

We look forward to welcome you.

Share with us your comments.

First Suzhou then Guangdong - transformation

Extracted some data from wikipedia.org gave us a idea of how the suquence of events leading to the development of a modern Suzhou industrial park :

As China's modernization drive gained momentum in the late 1980s, many Chinese delegations visited Singapore, a southeast Asian nation that achieved economic miracle within 30 years of independence. The Chinese visitors were eager to learn modern management methods, while Singapore was also planning Economic Regionalization, which focused on overseas investment.

In 1992, the idea of developing a modern industrial township with Singapore experience was broached. During his tour of southern China that year, China's late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping said: "Singapore enjoys good social order and is well managed. We should tap on their experience, and learn how to manage better than them."

After rounds of discussions and site surveys, both governments decided to join hands in developing a modern industrial park in the east of Suzhou. The China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (CS-SIP) was thus born on Feb. 26, 1994 when Chinese Vice Premier Li Lanqing and Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew signed the Agreement on the Joint Development of Suzhou Industrial Park in Shanghai.

Next, China's Guangdong province, with a population of 500 million people, and grew rapidly over the past 30 years is in the process for " second transformation" and economic restructiing. It is aiming for 8.5% growth for this year.

China's top economic planning agency recently released an ambitious 12-year plan to move export-dependent Guangdong 's industries up the value chain and shift the province's focus to high-end manufacturing , high technology, modern services and finance.

Last September, with a business delegation of more than 400, led by Mr WangYang, Guangdong party secretary, arriving in Singapore to boost economic cooperation between the two sides.

Singapore and Guangdong, both sides jointly will study plans to build a "knowledge City" in the southern Chinese province. Knowledge City will be driven by the corporate sector but will enjoy strong support from the Singapore Government

Mr Wang was impressed by Singapore's ability to build up a workforce that is equipped with practical skills. Being among the world's advanced countries, Singapore has done a good job at fusing the Eastern and Western cultures and able to bring out the best in that combination. Singapore SM Goh recent five-day official visit to Guangdong, hopes to understand how Singapore could add value to the province which had modernised and prospered so dramatically since his visit to Guangdong back in 1971.

With the two leaders witnessing the signing of an agreement to establish the Singapore-Guangdong Collaboration Council, which aims to strengthen economic ties. We look forward to more economic gain for the two countries.

Do you have something from your country to share with us ?

We welcome you to drop us your comments.