Latest news with #AZMIATHNI
Straits Times
20 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Woodlands Checkpoint extension works to begin in Q3 2025; about 0.79ha of private land to be acquired
The first phase of redevelopment will involve extending the Woodlands Checkpoint at the Old Woodlands Town Centre. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Woodlands Checkpoint extension works to begin in Q3 2025; about 0.79ha of private land to be acquired SINGAPORE - The Woodlands Checkpoint will be redeveloped and extended over the next 10 to 15 years, with the first phase of construction works set to begin in the third quarter of 2025. In a joint statement on June 4, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said that this will serve as a long-term solution to the chronic congestion at the land crossing. The first phase of redevelopment will involve extending the Woodlands Checkpoint at the Old Woodlands Town Centre. 'This extension will comprise new automated clearance facilities for cargo vehicles, arriving cars, and arriving motorcycles,' the statement said. The BKE will also be extended to create a direct route for vehicles exiting the checkpoint to access the expressway, so as to reduce traffic congestion on local roads during peak hours, it added. Daily traveller volume at the Woodlands Checkpoint increased by 22 per cent to 327,000 in 2024 from 269,000 in 2023. A record 376,000 travellers had crossed the checkpoint on Dec 20, 2024, amid the year-end school holidays. By 2050, the average daily number of travellers passing through the checkpoint is projected to reach 400,000. To facilitate the redevelopment project, the Government will acquire two separate small land parcels - totalling bout 0.79 ha and owned by the Malaysian government. The land parcels, which are located near the middle of the redevelopment profile, are vegetated and not in use , the statement said, adding that the SLA has gazetted the acquisition of the land parcels on June 4. 'SLA and ICA will work closely with the Malaysian Government through the acquisition process,' it added. Subsequent phases of the project will include the building of additional clearance facilities and retrofitting the existing checkpoint. Once completed, the redeveloped checkpoint will allow ICA to improve clearance efficiency across all transport modes and reduce the average travel time from the current one hour to 15 minutes during peak periods. Additionally, the authority would also be able to incorporate more automation to increase efficiency, conduct security checks away from the checkpoint's core structure to mitigate security risks, and provide holding areas for traffic within the checkpoint to reduce congestion at the BKE and along the peripheral roads. 'The redeveloped Woodlands Checkpoint will enhance the immigration clearance experience for travellers crossing the Causeway,' the statement said. 'ICA will continue to leverage technology and develop innovative solutions to facilitate cross-border travel and trade, while keeping our borders secure.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Katong Plaza and Novotel on Kitchener Rd to be redeveloped
Katong Plaza and Novotel Singapore on Kitchener hotel were in the past two years sold to new owners. ST PHOTOS: AZMI ATHNI, ARIFFIN JAMAR New hotels to replace Katong Plaza and Novotel hotel in Kitchener Road SINGAPORE – The Novotel Singapore on Kitchener hotel and Katong Plaza are set to be replaced by new hotels. Both properties date back to around 1981, with the Kitchener Road hotel branded with different names along the way. They were in the past two years sold, and the new owners have recently secured at least provisional planning approvals from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). Worldwide Hotels subsidiary Midtown Development has permission to redevelop the Kitchener Road property into a hotel with 1,625 rooms and 1,214 sq m of retail space. The hotel opened in 1981 as President Merlin Hotel – a part of the President Hotel and Shopping Complex that also included the President Shopping Centre which opened in 1970. The hotel was later rebranded as New Park Hotel in 1990 after a $30 million facelift. In 2007, it became Parkroyal on Kitchener Road, while the shopping centre was demolished in 2017 to make way for Centrium Square. In 2023, UOL sold Parkroyal on Kitchener Road for $525 million to Worldwide Hotels, a Singapore-based firm that owns chains such as Hotel 81 and Hotel Mi. The hotel reopened in November that year as the 543-room Novotel Singapore on Kitchener , a brand under French multinational hospitality company Accor . The hotel is on a freehold 7,780.1 sq m site and has a gross floor area of 37,827.71 sq m. A spokesperson for Worldwide Hotels told The Straits Times on June 3 that it is unable to share further details about the new hotel. Katong Plaza in Brooke Road, which opened around the start of 1981 , is set to make way for a hotel with 374 rooms and 537 sq m of retail space. The strata-titled mixed-use development near Marine Parade MRT station with 132 retail units and 14 residential apartments was in 2024 sold to Fragrance Group for $180 million . At the time of the sale, the building's owners had outline permission from the URA to convert it for hotel use. The existing building is on a freehold 3,162 sq m site and has a gross floor area of 9,488 sq m. The Fragrance Group did not respond to requests for comment. When ST visited the building on May 30, most of the retail tenants had vacated their units. Some were packing up and said they had to leave by end-June. A notice dated April 16, put up alongside minutes of the building's collective sale committee's meetings, stated that owners choosing to stay in the building until July 2025 will be responsible for covering all expenses such as air-conditioner and lift maintenance fees. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner John Ng, 70, who has operated a clinic in the mall since April 2006, said he is disappointed to leave behind neighbours of almost two decades. 'We all knew each other and were very friendly. Everyone trusted each other and I could leave my clinic unattended, knowing others would help to keep watch,' said Mr Ng. He was in the process of relocating his clinic to Kreta Ayer in Chinatown . Items at a traditional Chinese medicine clinic being kept on May 31, ahead of the closure of Katong Plaza. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Mr Alan Cheong, Savills Singapore's executive director of research and consultancy, expects that the Katong site will house a mid-tier hotel, given the planned number of rooms. He also pointed out that the Kitchener Road hotel is likely to be an economy-tier type geared towards mass market tourism. He added that Worldwide Hotels' plan to triple the number of rooms is 'logical', as the move will help to boost its earnings. Asked if there is sufficient demand for rooms in the Farrer Park and Marine Parade areas to justify the planned supply, analysts said Singapore's hotel market has performed strongly in the past 12 to 18 months. Mr Edwin Loo, an associate director at real estate consultancy Cistri, said: 'Much of this growth is in the mid-market and upscale segments, reflecting Singapore's success in attracting event-focused visitors as well as visitors from emerging Asia who are willing to spend but remain price-sensitive given Singapore's relatively higher room rates when compared with other regional destinations.' But he noted that the site of Katong Plaza, which is next to Roxy Square, is relatively long and narrow. Mr Edwin Loo, an associate director at real estate consultancy Cistri, felt that the planned redevelopment of Katong Plaza would be boosted if neighbour Roxy Square is also roped in. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI 'An integrated development incorporating both of these sites would have resulted in a better outcome in terms of land optimisation and urban design, especially considering the need to accommodate the extensive pickup, drop-off and coach parking requirements at the ground level and the potential for a larger site to provide greater amenity for the community,' he said. Ng Keng Gene is a correspondent at The Straits Times, reporting on issues relating to land use, urban planning and heritage. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Iata flags policy shortcomings, even as more airlines pledge to use greener fuels
An Airbus A350-1000 refuels with Sustainable Aviation Fuel for the flying displays at the Singapore Airshow 2024. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Iata flags policy shortcomings, even as more airlines pledge to use greener fuels – More airlines around the world are committing to using greener jet fuel in a bid to reach their goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. But there are headwinds, with the global trade body representing the industry flagging policy shortcomings that have hindered the production and adoption of such fuels. These are made mainly from waste materials like used cooking oil, and are said to reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent compared with regular jet fuel. The International Air Transport Association (Iata) said on June 1 it expects the production of such greener aviation fuels to reach 2 million tonnes in 2025, a dip of 0.1 million tonnes from its earlier projections in December 2024. While this is double the 1 million tonnes of greener jet fuel produced in 2024, the 2025 figure forms just 0.7 per cent of airlines' projected total fuel consumption this year, Iata noted. According to the association, 81 airlines have inked agreements to buy and use greener jet fuel, up from 70 in 2023, and this number is growing steadily. Singapore Airlines and its low-cost arm, Scoot, are among those that have pledged to increase sustainable fuel use. 'The problem is not the (airline) industry. The problem is the energy source,' said Dr Marie Owens Thomsen, Iata's senior vice-president for sustainability and chief economist. Speaking to reporters on the first day of Iata's three-day annual general meeting in New Delhi, she called for government policies that maximise the production of renewable energy in all forms. Dr Thomsen also called on governments to redirect some of the subsidies given to fossil-fuel companies to those producing renewable energy, including sustainable jet fuel. These subsidies amount to US$1 trillion (S$1.3 trillion) a year globally. Unless policies and behaviours change, she said the aviation sector will not meet its 2050 net-zero emissions target. 'It's not impossible. It's just that at the pace, with the investments and with the policies currently, it is a resounding no,' she noted on the sidelines. She flagged other urgent priorities for governments around the world, including the need for policies to adapt and fix unintended consequences. Iata on June 1 highlighted the sustainable jet fuel mandates rolled out in Europe and Britain. They require suppliers to add a proportion of sustainable aviation fuel into the jet fuel they deliver to airports – starting with a 2 per cent blend in 2025. But the cost of greener jet fuel – which is already two to three times more expensive than regular fuel – has doubled as suppliers have passed on added compliance costs to airlines, Iata said. The expected cost of green fuel needed to meet the mandates is US$1.2 billion at today's market prices, and the compliance fees have added another US$1.7 billion to airlines' jet fuel bills, it added. Said Dr Thomsen: 'We want to shout about it, loud and clear to everybody, so that other countries that might be thinking of mandates will think again.' In contrast, she added that she found Singapore's approach to driving greener jet fuel adoption to be 'innovative'. The Singapore Government will require flights departing from the city-state to use sustainable jet fuel, with an initial national target of 1 per cent use in 2026, and passengers will be charged a levy to help finance the cost. Early government estimates in 2024 suggest that economy-class passengers may have to pay $3 more for short-haul flights, $6 more for medium-haul flights, and $16 more for long-haul flights. This money will go towards the bulk purchase of greener jet fuel that airlines will need to use at Changi and Seletar airports. More details are expected to be announced in 2025, closer to the roll-out in 2026. Dr Thomsen said raising ticket prices and a central fuel procurement system are not policies that Iata would have suggested. But she added that there is greater faith that Singapore will reassess its policies and take a different course of action if the Government's plans do not work as intended. 'The interesting and somewhat exciting nature of the market at the moment is nobody knows how to do this. Nobody has the solution,' she said. 'Let's see if this works and what can be done.' On green jet fuel production, Iata's head of net-zero research and programmes Preeti Jain said there are about 300 projects identified globally, with about 160 of them set to come online by 2030. In Asia-Pacific, there are 28 such projects with a projected capacity of 7 million tonnes. But whether these projects can be realised is a question, with Ms Jain noting delays and slow progress despite the abundance of raw materials in the region. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
Some 800 seniors in 14 active ageing centres to benefit from new dementia prevention programme
The dementia prevention community programme will be rolled out to 14 active ageing centres by 2029. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Some 800 seniors in 14 active ageing centres to benefit from new dementia prevention programme SINGAPORE – About 800 seniors with mild or no cognitive impairment and their caregivers are set to benefit from a dementia prevention community programme which will be rolled out to 14 active ageing centres (AACs) by 2029. The IMPRESS-MIND2S programme is funded to the tune of about $3 million by the National Innovation Challenge on Active and Confident Ageing grant. It is slated to be piloted at the NTUC Health active ageing centre in Redhill in August 2025 for a start, with 60 seniors benefiting from the programme. The initiative, launched by healthcare cluster SingHealth, was announced by Senior Minister of State for Health Tan Kiat How on May 30 at the SingHealth Community Forum held at Singapore General Hospital. Under the programme, community nurses will use established screening tools like tests to detect those who have mild cognitive impairment and will benefit from the programme. These selected seniors will then receive personalised health coaching to manage dementia risk factors like diet, exercise, stress management and sleep; and have structured physical activity sessions at AACs. Seniors will also use elderly-friendly tablets called SilverPads to play specially designed games to improve their memory and executive function. Their caregivers will also receive education and support – for example, referrals to respite care and caregiver support groups – to lighten caregiver burden. All in, seniors are expected to attend about three sessions at their AACs a week. SingHealth worked with community partners such as Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities, Montfort Care, NTUC Health and Alkin Singapore to co-create the programme. Mr Tan pointed out that based on the second Well-being of the Singapore Elderly study, in 2023, one in 11 seniors aged 60 years and above had dementia. 'This goes beyond another health programme: it is a personalised approach to detecting and delaying cognitive decline, working with seniors who have mild or no cognitive impairment, and their caregivers. ' What makes this approach different from others is how it weaves interventions into daily life, with activities designed to naturally fit into seniors' existing routines,' said Mr Tan. Prof Low Lien Leng, director at SingHealth Centre for Population Health Research and Implementation, said that there is strong evidence that if dementia risk factors are controlled and cognitive function is improved, the risk of developing dementia is lowered. But such measures have not been implemented in the community, and the pilot will offer insights on how that can be done while keeping seniors interested and engaged. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Me and My Money: Ex-national shuttler smashes his way into finance as CEO of family office
Former national badminton player Kendrick Lee says the lessons he learnt as a young man still influence his financial decisions as an adult. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI SINGAPORE – Mr Kendrick Lee at age 40 has already lived two lives. The first was as a national badminton player, one of whose highlights was bearing the Singapore flag in 2007 at the South-east Asian Games in Thailand. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
