Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Receiving and showing care, is there any way to do them right? Income Insurance has recently released findings from its online ‘Real Care’ survey. And it examines how Singaporeans show and receive care with loved ones including family and friends in today’s digital era where expressions of care are often reduced to virtual emojis and text messages. Dhiren Amin, Chief Customer Officer, Income shares the findings from the study and if there is a way to make everyone, no matter the age, have the same idea when it comes to receiving and showing care. 

As Singapore transitions into a new endemic Covid-19 normal, the government has released the White Paper on Singapore's response to Covid-19. But was there a need to release such a white paper? Does the paper strike a balance between being both candid and self-critical? Dr. Felix Tan, Political Observer, Nanyang Technological University shares his views. 

We’re going to speak to global food corporation Cargill today. And in case you’re wondering - we are not going to talk about commodities.  But instead we’re going to talk about their ocean transportation unit, with the company being one of the world’s biggest ship charterers.  The company is seeing several developments relating to its cargo shipping business of late. It has signed a longer-term charter deal for two dry bulk ships which will be delivered at the end of 2025 and at the start of 2026. In addition, it is also stepping up a push to resurrect wind power for cargo ships, which Cargill believes could reduce fuel consumption by 20 to 30. But what do the developments suggest about the demand for shipping services and the longer term opportunities in the global cargo shipping industry, which is expected  to grow to 13.19 billion tons in 2028? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Lim Ying Ying, Ocean Transportation Lead for Asia Pacific and Managing Director of Cargill Ocean Transportation Singapore.

With the rise of F&B delivery services, it’s no surprise that the ‘gig economy’ has gained traction in Singapore, as more people start to embrace flexible work options and opt for freelance work. How will the increase in CPF for gig workers in the F&B industry's food delivery sector and the adjustment of CPF contribution rates affect gig workers and F&B delivery businesses? On Culture Club, Drive Time's Elliot Danker speaks with Jonathan Lim, Co-founder and CEO, Oddle to find out. 

French president Emmanuel Macron is to stretch out the hand of friendship to Britain when he meets UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for a Franco-British summit in Paris on Friday. The two leaders are expected to agree new measures to tackle the 'small boats' crisis, boost defence co-operation and seek to restore social ties between Britain and France. On Euro Watch, Drive Time's Elliot Danker speaks with Chris Humphrey, Executive Director, EU-ASEAN Business Council to find out more about the key headlines out of the region. 

How can criticism be constructive? And how should one react to being criticised, both in sports and in life? 

Singapore shares opened on a positive note today after Wall Street equities ended mixed overnight. The Straits Times Index gained 0.2 per cent in early trade to 3,231.92 points after 40.1 million securities changed hands. In terms of companies to watch, we have Sabana Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust. That’s because a partial offer by VolareGroup to acquire an additional 10 per cent of the Reit has been declared unconditional in all respects.  We’re also tracking Lippo Malls Indonesia Retail Trust after Fitch Ratings downgraded the trust’s long-term issuer default ratings from CCC+ to CCC. On Market View, the Drive Time team unpacked the developments with Terence Wong, CEO, Azure Capital.

Alternative accommodations have been a hot niche category growing on Booking.com globally. However, Singapore differs from its global counterparts, with hotels being a top favourite. What are the reasons behind this?  In The Spotlight, Drive Time's Elliot Danker speaks with Nuno Guerreiro, Regional Director, South Asia, Oceania & Chains, Booking.com to find out. They also discuss Booking.com's annual Traveller Review Awards 2023 for Singapore as well as travel trends that are shaping up for the rest of the year. 

Today we’re going to take a look at something that is close to our heart - ageing and eldercare. According to a UN report, there were 703 million persons aged 65 years or over in the world in 2019, and that number is projected to double to 1.5 billion in 2050.  And as the world population ages, one of the most urgent needs for families is caregiving , with demand outstripping the pool of qualified operators.  What that means is that those in their thirties and forties - also known as the “sandwich generation” - end up shouldering most of the burden.  But what that also presents is an opportunity for tech startups and investors in almost every market in the world. Question is how are businesses bridging that gap? Homage is a platform that pairs caregivers with family. The platform focuses on on-demand holistic home and community-based caregiving to seniors and adults for illnesses such as Dementia and Stroke. On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Azusa Hanai, Chief Product Officer, Homage for more.

Home ownership for Singaporeans continues to be a focus, particularly in the Build-To-Order space. From new measures to help first-timers get their HDB flats to ‘scary’ red-themed blocks in the Tampines North BTO project - the whole public housing system is under the spotlight once more. On Culture Club, Drive Time's Elliot Danker speaks with Nicholas Mak, Head of Research & Consultancy, ERA Realty  for a deep dive into the latest real estate trends in Singapore.