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This stance will change the price of goods and services in SG. I think it is a necessary policy move at some juncture, but the effects on the population may not be very positive. http://www.straitstimes.com/business/economy/mas-sets-zero-appreciation-path-for-singdollar-with-switch-to-neutral-policy-stance Monetary Authority of Singapore sets zero appreciation path for Singdollar with switch to neutral policy stance Marissa Lee SINGAPORE - The central bank will set the rate of the Singapore dollar's appreciation to zero per cent, in a move to support economic growth against a dimmer global economic outlook since its last meeting. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), which uses the currency rather than interest rates to guide the economy said on Thursday (April 14): "This is not a policy to depreciate the domestic currency, and only removes the modest and gradual appreciation path of the S$NEER policy band that was in place." The Singapore dollar tumbled 0.9 per cent to $1.36 levels to the US dollar on the news. At 8:36am, the Singdollar was trading at $1.3626 to the greenback from Wednesday's close of $1.3501. The Singapore dollar has strengthened more than 5 per cent versus the greenback this year as traders pushed back forecasts for when the Federal Reserve will raise US interest rates due to heightened global risks. Thursday's shift to a "neutral poliy stance" is a departure from the policy of modest and gradual S$NEER appreciation that the MAS had adopted since April 2010, after the last financial crisis. The Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate, or S$NEER, is a trade-weighted exchange rate in which the currencies of Singapore's larger trading partners bear more weight. The MAS move comes as a surprise to the market - 12 of 18 private sector economists polled by Bloomberg had expected the MAS to maintain its current policy stance at the scheduled bi-annual meeting, rather than ease. MAS eased policy in January and October last year, both times reducing the slope of the Singapore dollar's appreciation path. MAS said on Thursday: "Compared to expectations in October 2015, the Singapore economy is now projected to expand at a more modest pace this year, against the backdrop of a less favourable external environment. MAS Core Inflation is likely to pick up gradually over 2016 as the disinflationary effects of Budgetary and other one-off measures fade. However, the increase in core inflation will be milder than earlier expected." "CPI-All Items inflation will remain negative throughout 2016. Over the medium term, core inflation is expected to average slightly below 2 per cent." The central bank adjusts the pace of appreciation or depreciation of the Singdollar by changing the slope, width or centre of the band. It does not disclose details of the basket, the band, and the pace of appreciation or depreciation. The MAS holds its next policy meeting in October.

Two-wheeled revolution: Pyongyang installs bike lanes In a bid to reduce the number of pedestrian accidents, authorities in the North Korean capital have installed cycle lanes on major thoroughfares in the city. POSTED: 14 Jul 2015 11:55 SEOUL: North Korea has installed cycle lanes on major thoroughfares running through Pyongyang in an apparent bid to cut down on pedestrian accidents as more people have the cash to spend on bicycles to get around. Bicycles are an expensive but popular mode of transport for many in an impoverished and reclusive country where private car ownership, although on the rise, is still rare. They are often used by women to transport goods to semi-tolerated markets, where one of the most common services sold for profit is bicycle repair. Concrete paving stones on some long stretches of pavement in the central area of Pyongyang have been replaced by a strip of smooth cycle path marked with white outlines of bicycles, according to photos seen by Reuters. One image from early July showed a freshly laid bicycle path leading to the towering 105-storey Ryugyong hotel, the uprooted paving stones still on the pavement. North Korean cyclists are not supposed to ride on urban roads and have for years used an unmarked narrow strip of pavement shared with pedestrians, residents and visitors said. "This causes a lot of accidents and collisions and as a result people ride slowly and ring their bells very frequently," said Simon Cockerell of Beijing-based Koryo Tours, which takes Western tourists into North Korea. Pyongyang - the name of the showpiece capital means "flat lands" - is geographically bicycle-friendly, but has in the past introduced and then lifted bans on bikes in the city centre. Cockerell said the number of cyclists in Pyongyang appears to have increased by roughly 50 percent in the past few years, although the thought of riding a bike might be unsophisticated for many image-conscious Pyongyang residents. "They are not the most common form of transport for the average Pyongyang resident and many people I have spoken to about bikes there - mostly men - have scoffed at the idea that they would ride a bike," said Cockerell, whose company offers bicycle tours of North Korea. - Reuters/rw Article from : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/two-wheeled-revolution/1982720.html

Replying to media enquiries, LTA also said, “We are currently embarking on a sizable scale of expansion projects for passengers, pedestrians and cyclists. Coordination is very important.” “We should have better internal coordination for this new bicycle path along Yishun Central, to discover earlier the need of a new bus-stop along the same stretch of road,” it said. Again, stressing that it was an isolated incident, it said, “This is an isolated incident. Nonetheless, we have used it as an example to improve coordination between different projects, so as to avoid inconvenience and concerns.” http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/01/19/new-bicycle-lane-demolished-upon-completion-by-lta/ I wonder how many more goes unnoticed and unreported?

Hi guys, I am graduating soon and are looking for jobs already... got a couple of interviews and some pending ones coming... My doubt is whether, as an IT personnel, to start from a state board job or a non-state board one would probably be more beneficial for me future career status. All I have been hearing is that starts from a private firm and progress on to the government sector will be the best. However, I dun quite understand 'best'. From my perspective, if i were to start anywhere, the next job I'd hopped to will definitely pay more than my last salary. The question is whether I am allowed to ask for a larger raise if I jumped from a private firm to a government sector firm ? If the raise in salary for the next job is constant in the equation then perhaps starting in a government firm would be the choice since it yield a higher starting salary. Any advice from some of the bros already in the industry ? Thanks !

Hi Bro and Sis, Both shows I like very much! Esp 黄金路 (The Golden Path) Just curious to know what are your choices? Cheers!

Currently Channel 8 show this 9pm show, "The Golden Path 黄金路" Personally, I like this show a lot! It is one of the few good show recently from Mediacorp. Li Nan Xing play very well in this this character and also the bad guy Tay Ping Hui! Any comments?

just go MOBTV and register for an account and activate the following promo code "MOBTV-2W33K5". Its a 2 weeks trial code. And you can DL all the episodes.. Its a trial code.. Nv steal from other ppl so I deem its legal rite..

I'm using the portable harddisk to save files from other location in another office to my office own pc "C" drive. But error arises when I tried to save files from harddisk to my own pc, claiming "file name to long" & unable to view the files nor delete it off unless I saved the file to other path, then able to delete... I was told that this is due to MS problem but how to go about it as I always face problems whenever I had successfully pulled files & saved the works that I've done.. (I need to save back to other site since using different server) Hence, having the files to be saved at my own location is much more safer. For example : In another office server, file name as : abcdefghijklmnop... saved into portable harddisk successfully.. When tried to save this file into my office server, it prompted error in saving yet it was still transferred to the designated path.. Can't view nor delete.. Moved to desktop, deleted successfully. How come ya? And is there any way to solve this problem... any expert around...

any1 know wat is the restaurant name that they used for filming? wanted to go there try out the food,as my mum said that restaurant used to be near cantoment rd.

anybody know how to remove the memory mark, stain or watsoever u call that on the windscreen? those marking of the path of the wiper that will appear whenever the the windscreen is wet. anyway to remove them for good?