Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

As we edge closer to concepts like Web 3.0 and the metaverse, the bridging of worlds between virtual and reality will shine a spotlight on how technology can help to shape the future of Singapore’s smart cities ambitions. In the Spotlight on Prime Time, Bharati Jagdish speaks with Jacques Beltran, Vice President, Cities & Public Services, Dassault Systèmes to find out more.  Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

Inflation remains on the top of minds of investors as they continue to mull the latest September ‘s consumer price index figures. If you recall, the reading came in hotter than expected at 8.2% on-year from September, while annual core inflation rose from 6.3% in August to 6.6% in September, the highest yearly increase in 40 years. Meantime, market participants continue to digest the slew of earnings reports at the start of a new corporate earnings season for clues on how inflation and interest rate hikes have eaten into top and bottom lines. So what are the implications of these reports coming out of the US?  Plus - back home, the Monetary Authority of Singapore has undertaken its fifth round of monetary tightening since last October to mitigate the impact of rising imported inflation. But how effective will this be?  On Market View, Prime Time's finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked key developments of the week with Julian Wee, Investment Strategist at Credit Suisse.

9 in 10 Singaporeans are saying that investing can help protect their wealth amid inflationary pressures. Yet, lack of capital, fear of losses and lack of knowledge were the most cited challenges by investors. Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish speaks with Gavin Chia, Singapore Managing Director, moomoo to find out how we can better address your financial concerns.

Singapore's GST hike will go ahead as planned in January. But the government will review the measures to offset its impact.  In The Straits Times’ The Big Story, Multimedia Correspondent Cheow Sue-Ann speaks with Irvin Seah, Senior Economist, DBS about inflation and the impact of tightening monetary policies on Singaporeans. They also discuss ways Singaporeans can better navigate the choppy waters ahead.

New variants of the rapidly mutating coronavirus are still popping up around the world, and a new iteration of COVID on the rise in Asia may be the most immune-evasive yet. The XBB strain is causing a small surge in cases in several countries, including Singapore. What is this new XBB strain, should we be worried and how can we better protect ourselves from getting infected? Prime Time's Bharati Jagdish speaks with Dr. Loh Jiashen, Infectious Diseases Specialist, Farrer Park Hospital, to find out more. Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

The metaverse is opening up a host of possibilities for users around the globe that stretch far beyond just gaming. Having come a long way from the early days of so-called virtual weddings, where most only appear in video games like The Sims or Maplestory, it is just a matter of time before we see a wedding in the metaverse!  And Singapore hosted its first such wedding on September 17 - when the CEO of music-focused media company Bandwagon Clarence Chan got hitched to his bride, public relations practitioner Joanne Tham. In the Spotlight on Prime Time, Bharati Jagdish speaks with the masterminds behind that first metaverse wedding in Singapore, George Wong, Head of Growth, Sandbox Singapore and Loretta Chen, Co-founder, Smobler Studios, and how they are taking virtual reality to the next level.  Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg) Highlights from the conversation: 01:56: A peek at what goes on behind a metaverse wedding  07:27: What exactly is the metaverse and how do you marry the physical world with the virtual world? 09:37: Is it cheaper to have an event in the metaverse? 14:06: There has been talk about abuse or violence in the metaverse, how can such problems be prevented? 

With more than half of surveyed organisations in the Asia Pacific scaling up their use of digital technologies, adaptability in cloud adoption is inescapable and essential. So how do companies cope with securing the immense flood amount of data? And how can businesses protect their most vital assets while keeping up this rat race of cloud transition? Prime Time's Bharati Jagdish speaks with Rafi Katanasho, APAC Chief Technology Officer, Dynatrace to find out. 

According to GlobalData’s deals database, financing deals worth some US$492.3 million were announced in Asia Pacific in August this year. This was a drop of nearly 40% over the previous month and close to a 45% ((44.6% drop)) when compared on a yearly basis.  But yet some VC investors seem to be actively funding projects and startups in the meantime. So how do they view the industry, and what are they eyeing for in the longer term?  On Market View, Prime Time's finance presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with Elvin Zhang, Director, Venture Funds and Direct Investments of Financial Services and Energy at Sinarmas for more. They also looked into opportunities within the energy sector amid the current investing climate. 

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. As ransomware continues to be a growing cybersecurity threat to businesses, In the Spotlight on Prime Time, Bharati Jagdish speaks with Jacqueline Jayne, Security Awareness Advocate, KnowBe4 on how businesses can take preventive measures to mitigate the risks and also be prepared to deal with a ransomware incident, before it happens. Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

According to the latest data from jobs portal Indeed, there’s a growing demand for workers in hospitality and tourism. Other sectors that have seen a rise in hiring also include insurance, veterinary and real estate. With loosening pandemic restrictions and reopening of borders, what other opportunities can jobseekers look out for? And how challenging will it be for recruitment across industries and occupations? Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish speaks with Callam Pickering, APAC Economist for Indeed to find out.