A look at Gen Zs' attitudes toward jobs, savings and retirement
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CNA
9 hours ago
- CNA
The furniture buyers who shop on Taobao - and the local makers who are feeling the heat
With young home owners skipping furniture showrooms for online platforms like Taobao and Shopee, CNA explores how Singapore craftsmen and retailers are adapting to a new era of competition.
CNA
10 hours ago
- CNA
BlueSG announces sudden pause to car-sharing service from Aug 8, catching users off guard
SINGAPORE: Electric car-sharing firm BlueSG announced on Monday (Aug 4) it will temporarily pause its operations from Friday (Aug 8) at 11.59pm. Calling it a "strategic pause", BlueSG said in a Facebook post that it is gearing up for the "next generation of car-sharing" in 2026. The upgrade will involve a new platform, a refreshed fleet with a new range of vehicles, an expanded network of pickup and drop-off points, as well as "greater reliability and a smoother user experience", BlueSG added. Users with remaining credits or subscriptions with the platform will be fully refunded by Aug 31. "We apologise for the temporary disruption which may cause inconvenience, but we assure you that we'll be returning with a smart, more seamless experience that will make your journey with BlueSG easier, more reliable and enjoyable," it said. User accounts will remain accessible until Aug 31 at 11.59pm, the company said on its website. BlueSG is the only car-sharing platform that offers point-to-point services in Singapore. CNA has contacted BlueSG for more information. Following the announcement, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) said it was aware of BlueSG's plan to temporarily pause services. "CASE has worked with BlueSG to create a dedicated channel to address matters related to the refund of credits and outstanding bills," the association said in a media release on Monday. Customers who require assistance are advised to approach CASE via its hotline at 6277 5100 or its website at HOW ARE USERS AFFECTED? The company said on its website that all refunds will be processed by Aug 31. Users will not be charged for subscription and/or rentals after the service temporarily ceases operations on Friday. If a user's subscription was billed after Jul 8, the full one-month subscription will be refunded through the original payment method. Some users' subscriptions may have been processed before the cut-off if their billing cycle falls between Aug 4 and Aug 8, BlueSG noted. In that case, a full refund will be issued automatically. Users will be required to update their contact details within the BlueSG app by Aug 16 to a PayNow-linked number. All refunds will be made through that channel. Refunds will be processed in batches starting from Aug 16, BlueSG said. BlueSGs customer service team will provide support until Aug 31 through phone, live chat and emails, it said. From Sep 1 to Oct 1, support will continue via email. ONLY FOUR DAYS' NOTICE GIVEN Some BlueSG users were taken aback by the move, given the short four-day notice, and lamented the temporary loss of Singapore's only point-to-point car-sharing service. Others raised questions online as to whether an upgrade would mean higher prices when the service relaunches in 2026. Mr Joel Tan said that he was surprised as he thought BlueSG was "doing fine". "This is the second or third time that they have upgraded the system, and much scrutiny was on them during the most recent upgrade," the 33-year-old educator said. However, Mr Tan also noted that the current BlueSG fleet was "not exactly the best", with some cars already being "prone to wear and tear". Mr Tan said he uses BlueSG four times a week and has a basic membership which costs S$8 (US$6) a month. "I guess we will just wait for the new system to be out, but I am very curious to find out why they must stop all operations during the transition," he added. He said that he was not too concerned over the pause, "on the condition that they do not charge fees (during the period)", but added that the pause will affect convenience when it comes to travelling. Mr P Ong, who uses BlueSG's free membership plan, said that though he was "quite surprised" by the move, it does not affect him much as he also uses other car-sharing services. The 24-year-old student said that he "used to rely" on BlueSG during peak hours when ride-hailing prices surged. "I also appreciated BlueSG's Point A to Point B rental model, but in practice, I often had to walk quite far just to find a car." "It was also sometimes hard to find parking near my destination," he added. "So, unless I planned ahead, it wasn't very convenient." A BlueSG user who only wanted to be known as Jeremy said that the temporary closure will impact his weekly routine and that he will now have to consider other transport options. "I might have to explore owning a car, but that comes with significant cost considerations, so I'll need to evaluate carefully," the 30-year-old manager said. When asked if he was worried about refunds and bills, he said that he had no major concerns. "The (BlueSG) system has generally been reliable, so I'm not overly worried, though of course, I'll be watching how they handle this transition," he added. "I understand this pause may be part of their obligations or business restructuring, and rather than dragging things out, I think it's better they address the issues head-on." Some users also took to social media to voice their disappointment. Lamenting the move on Reddit, one user said that BlueSG is his primary mode of transport to work because there is no need to worry about parking fees or topping up petrol. Another conveyed his disbelief at the company's lengthy pause for a "platform upgrade", calling the situation "fishy". DISRUPTIONS IN 2023 In December 2023, BlueSG customers faced major disruptions when using its services. This included inaccurate charges and users being unable to find their reserved cars or parking spots, for instance. At the time, BlueSG's former chief executive officer Kelvin Tay said that the glitches were due to "unexpected technical complexities" after systems migration updates.
Straits Times
14 hours ago
- Straits Times
Japan ready to compile extra budget to cushion US tariff blow, PM Ishiba says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, wearing a formal attire, walks toward the upper house hall to attend an opening ceremony of the parliamentary session in Tokyo, Japan August 1, 2025. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Monday the government is ready to compile an extra budget to cushion the economic blow from U.S. tariffs, a move that would add strain to the country's already worsening finances. After suffering a stinging defeat in last month's upper house election, Ishiba's minority coalition is under pressure to heed opposition parties' demand to boost spending and cut Japan's sales tax. "We will compile one if necessary, taking into account discussions with other parties," Ishiba told parliament when asked by an opposition lawmaker whether the government would compile an extra budget that includes tax cuts. If the government were to compile a stimulus package, an extra budget to fund the spending would be submitted to an extraordinary parliament session likely to be convened in September. Japan's trade deal struck with President Donald Trump last month lowers U.S. tariffs for imports of goods including its mainstay automobiles, easing the pain for the export-reliant economy. But there is no clarity on when U.S. tariffs for automobiles and auto parts will be cut to 15% from the current 25%, clouding the outlook for Japan's fragile recovery. Compiling an extra budget has become a regular practice in Japan as politicians call for increasing spending to support the economy, keeping its fiscal policy loose even as other countries rolled back crisis-mode spending after the COVID-19 pandemic. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Live: Ong Beng Seng pleads guilty in case involving ex-transport minister Singapore Ong Beng Seng pleads guilty to abetting obstruction of justice in case linked to ex-minister Iswaran Singapore The past and future of Choa Bungalow, a 'last reminder' of Marine Parade's former shoreline Multimedia How Singapore is rethinking nature in the city Business Buyers take up over 900 condo units at three new launches in Singapore over the weekend Business Are Gen Z-ers in Singapore worried about generative AI coming for their jobs? World Trump is winning his trade war, but Americans will pay the price Singapore No plans to fully liberalise cross-border ride-hailing services between Singapore and Johor: LTA Ishiba has not commented on the possible size of an extra budget, but some analysts expect it could reach around 10 trillion yen ($67.68 billion), which would require additional debt issuance. The extra budget would come on top of a record 115.5 trillion yen budget for the current fiscal year. Of the total, 24.5% is being spent on financing debt. Such deficit funding costs will likely rise further as the Bank of Japan eyes more interest rate hikes, analysts say. With rising food costs hurting consumption, opposition parties have called for slashing or eliminating Japan's sales tax rate, which is set at 10% except for 8% for food. Ishiba, who is regarded as a fiscal hawk, has been cautious about cutting the sales tax, which funds social welfare costs for a rapidly ageing population. A flurry of big spending packages and ballooning social welfare costs for a rapidly ageing population have left Japan with a debt pile 250% the size of its economy - the highest among major economies. REUTERS
