Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said Singapore may not repeat the old measurement during the Omicron wave, as the country cannot afford it cost one more time.  The Minister suspects that BA4 or BA5 sub-variant of Omicron may sweep through the country in the coming months. But he still holds great belief that Singapore has high resilience as the country vaccination rate is high.    In The Straits Times’ The Big Story, Assistant video editor Harianto Diman spoke with Professor Dale Fisher, NUH's Division of Infectious Diseases to discuss more.

According to Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, Singapore might experience a Covid-19 wave soon. At his ministry's annual work plan seminar yesterday, Mr Ong said that the next wave could reach Singapore in a “matter of months, maybe July, maybe August”. On SGExtra Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish spoke with Linette Lai, The Straits Times to find out more.

Federal Reserve officials from both the hawkish and dovish wings of the US central bank are determined to raise interest rates, even if the report states that US economic growth is shifting into a lower gear. While stocks show a decline in recent weeks on optimism that inflation may be easing, many are still pessimistic. In Market View, Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish spoke with David Kuo, the Smart Investor to find out more.

Covid-19 pandemic has forced most companies into virtual settings which signifies a lack of information safety. Singapore is known to be among the targets of cyber attacks but business seems still struggling to react on time. On SGExtra Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish spoke with Alvin Rodriguez, Asia Pacific, Infoblox to find out more. 

Explaining long Covid to others is among the toughest challenges for sufferers, who need targeted help and rehabilitation while they slowly recover from symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating and chest pain. Patients and doctors here call for greater awareness of the condition, which can affect one's personal life and workplace performance for the six months or more it takes for recovery. In The Straits Times’ The Big Story, Multimedia journalist Hairianto Dirman spoke with correspondent Akshita Nanda about the effects of long Covid.

The search is on for small and medium-sized enterprises with innovative sustainability solutions that address issues such as energy consumption and waste, among others. The DBS Foundation has launched a new grant programme for SMEs looking to kickstart their transition towards becoming more sustainable businesses. In The Spotlight, Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish spoke with Claire Wong, DBS Foundation to find out more.

As companies prepare for the changes brought about by the ‘future of work,’ what actions can businesses take to ensure that women can not only participate, but lead in the workplaces is under great concern. On SGExtra Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish spoke with Max Loh, EY Singapore & Brunei to find out more.  Following the White Paper on Singapore Women’s Development, the Ministry of Social and Family Development launched the Celebrating SG Women Exhibition. It gives visitors a glimpse of how far women in Singapore have come from pre-independence, how they have succeeded in Singapore society today and the progress the nation will continue to make for the future. The exhibition aims to spur Singaporeans to build a fairer and more inclusive society, where men and women partner with each other as equals and pursue their aspirations freely and to the fullest.  It will be at Bukit Panjang Plaza from 28 May - 12 June. For more information on the exhibition, please visit http://go.gov.sg/celebratingsgwomen    

According to The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Survey, Americans see the jobs market as not being quite as strong as it was a few months ago. Weaker economic growth also continues to remain a reality. The US’ real GDP decreased at an annual rate of 1.5% in the first quarter of this year. Therefore, how to recalibrate investments in this environment is under great concern.  In Market View, Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish spoke with Leonard Eng, TD Ameritrade Singapore to find out more.

Singapore is on a mission to build a new name as the global leader in sustainable energy solutions. The government has rolled out initiatives like the Low-Carbon Energy Research Funding Initiative to support R&D and demonstration projects in low-carbon energy technology solutions.  In The Spotlight, Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish spoke with Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar, Nanyang Technological University to find out more.    

The Housing Board is considering offering open-plan flats to give home buyers flexibility. What does that that mean for the future of public housing here? And what do you need to know about May's BTO launch? More than 4,500 flats across five estates were launched on Friday, including two projects under the Prime Location Public Housing PLH model.  On Powering Your Property, Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish spoke with Nicholas Mak, Head of Research & Consultancy, ERA Real Estate to find out.