Internet regulation in Singapore : a policy/ing discourse

Little has been written critically about Singapore's approach towards Internet regulation and policy/ing. This paper therefore seeks to disambiguate the social, cultural and political aspects of Internet regulation in Singapore. We provide an analysis of Singapore's Internet content regulation, and an update of the information (technology) scene in Singapore, including its converging broadcasting, (tele)communications and media areas, all of which impact upon 'Internet policy'. We begin with an introduction to Singapore's policy-making style and an up-to-date account of Singapore's information aims and agendas. We then explore the ideology behind Singapore's Internet policy, especially censorship of content, and examine what is known as the 'light-touch' regulatory framework. We conclude that media conservatism is likely to continue in Singapore despite recent moves that would appear to 'open up' Singapore society.

Building energy efficiency labeling programme in Singapore

The use of electricity in buildings constitutes around 16% of Singapore's energy demand. In view of the fact that Singapore is an urban city with no rural base, which depends heavily on air-conditioning to cool its buildings all year round, the survival as a nation depends on its ability to excel economically. To incorporate energy efficiency measures is one of the key missions to ensure that the economy is sustainable. The recently launched building energy efficiency labelling programme is such an initiative. Buildings whose energy performance are among the nation's top 25% and maintain a healthy and productive indoor environment as well as uphold a minimum performance for different systems can qualify to attain the Energy Smart Office Label. Detailed methodologies of the labelling process as well as the performance standards are elaborated. The main strengths of this system namely a rigorous benchmarking database and an independent audit conducted by a private accredited Energy Service Company (ESCO) are highlighted. A few buildings were awarded the Energy Smart Office Label during the launching of the programme conducted in December 2005. The labeling of other types of buildings like hotels, schools, hospitals, etc. is ongoing.

Microclimatic modeling of the urban thermal environment of Singapore to mitigate urban heat island

This study investigates the urban heat island effect in Singapore and examines the key factors causing this effect. The possibilities of improving heat extraction rate by optimizing air flow in selected hot spots were explored. The effect of building geometry, façade materials and the location of air-conditioning condensers on the outdoor air temperature was explored using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. It was found that at very low wind speeds, the effect of façade materials and their colours was very significant and the temperature at the middle of a narrow canyon increased up to 2.5 °C with the façade material having lower albedo. It was also found that strategically placing a few high-rise towers will enhance the air flow inside the canyon thereby reducing the air temperature. Adopting an optimum H/W ratio for the canyons increased the velocity by up to 35% and reduced the corresponding temperature by up to 0.7 °C.

Understanding asymmetries in macroeconomic aggregates : the case of Singapore

For robust policymaking and econometric modelling, it is essential to know whether macroeconomic aggregates contain asymmetric behaviour. The aim of this note is to investigate asymmetries in Singapore's macroeconomic aggregates using the Randles et al. (1980) Triples test. We examine both deepness and steepness asymmetries, and find that for Consumer Price Index (CPI) and unemployment rate there is evidence for deepness asymmetry. On the basis of this finding, we caution policymakers.

A study on energy performance of hotel buildings in Singapore

This paper presents a study on energy performance of Singapore's hotel buildings. Energy consumption data and other pertinent information were collected from 29 quality hotels through a national survey. Building features and operational characteristics contributing to the variations in hotel energy performance were discussed. The annual average total energy use intensity (EUI) in these hotels is 427 kWh/m2. Electricity and gas are used in all sampled hotels, and some hotels also use diesel to power standby generator or hot water boiler. We also investigated relationships between electricity consumption and number of occupied rooms in individual hotels; the weak correlations found indicate it is necessary to improve energy management when occupancy rate is low. Besides, Pearson correlations between hotel energy use intensity and possible explanatory indicators revealed that three-star hotels differ from high class establishments in energy use. Worker density and years after the last major energy retrofit were also found to be highly correlated to hotel building energy use intensity. Also discussed in this paper is the effect of weather conditions on electricity consumption of the hotels.

Biopharmaceutical innovation and industrial developments in South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan

South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan are well known as export-oriented developmental states which for decades employed industrial policy to target particular industries for government support. In the past fifteen years, these three countries all identified the biopharmaceutical industry as a strategic sector. This article explores, through economic analysis, the rationale for this decision and the strategies chosen for linking into the global bio-economy with the objective of catching up in biopharmaceuticals. The paper identifies three comparative advantages enjoyed by these countries in the biopharma sector: (1) public investments in basic research; (2) private investments in phase 1 clinical trials; and (3) a potentially significant contract research industry managing latter-stage clinical trials. Governments employ a range of industrial policies, consistent with these comparative advantages, to promote the biopharmaceutical industry, including public investment in biomedical hubs, research funding and research and development (R&D) tax credits. We argue that the most important feature of the biopharmaceutical industry in these countries is the dominant role of the public sector. That these countries have made progress in innovative capabilities is illustrated by input measures such as R&D expenditure as share of gross domestic product, number of patents granted and clinical trials, and volume of foreign direct investment. In contrast, output indicators such as approval of new chemical entities suggest that the process of catching up has only just commenced. Pharmaceutical innovation is at the stage of mainly generating inputs to integrated processes controlled by the globally incumbent firms.

Levy grant training scheme evolution : focus on Fiji and Singapore

This thesis examines the evolution of national training policy in Fiji since 1973 with a particular emphasis on the national levy-grant scheme that was introduced in Fiji in that same year. Developments in the Fiji National Training Council (FNTC) levy-grants scheme since its inception, including substantive amendments to the legislation in late 2002, form part of the scholarship. The thesis will provide an analytical narration of the training policy objectives and their transformation over a time span of almost three decades in the context of a small island nation. To inform this study, it was considered essential to compare the Fiji experience of levy grants schemes with other levy grants scheme. The author decided to use as the focal comparative benchmark the case of the Skills Development Fund (SDF) in Singapore. The SDF has been increasingly portrayed, by the World Bank, the International Labour Organisation and other influential agencies, as the best practice case when it comes to managing a training levy grants scheme. The thesis adopted a qualitative approach that utilized elements of case study, historical research, and key person interviews. The challenges of doing 'insider* research were explored because of its pertinence to the study. Because the study also involved the comparison of the policy experiences of two distinct countries, it was imperative to consider the issues and challenges of undertaking comparative research with particular reference to training matters- Given that training is often enmeshed with other human resources management issues, cognisance was taken of some of the broader debates in this regard. Following consideration of the methodological issues, the research paper explores the objectives of national training strategies and, in particular, issues relating to national competitiveness and skills development. The purpose is to situate the issue of training and skills development within the broader discourse of national development. Alternative approaches to the strategic role of training are considered both at the national and organisational level and some of the classic and current debates surrounding human capital investment are visited. The thesis then proceeds to examine the forms of, and rationale for government interventions in the area of training. One of the challenges both in practice and theoretically is to arrive at a consensual definition of training because of the constantly evolving context and boundaries in which training policies are fashioned. This provides the setting to examine the role that governments can and do play in skills development and how levy-grant schemes, in particular, contribute to the process. Three forms of levy grants schemes are identified and examined: levy-generating; levy-exemption; and levy-grant and reimbursement schemes. The levy-grant and reimbursement variant is the basic thrust of this thesis. In this regard, the UK experience with the levy-grant system from 1964 to 1981 is also reviewed. Some of the issues in relation to training levies are scrutinized including the levy as a sheltered source of training finance, levy rates, duration of levy, impact of levy on the quality and quantity of training, benefits to small businesses, links between training and strategic business objectives, repackaging of training to qualify for grants, and the process by which training levy policies are devised. In looking at the policy formulation, it was necessary to unpack the processes involved and explore the role of the state further. In relation to policy development and implementation, the consultation processes, role of bureaucrats, the policy context, and approaches to policy transfer are examined. In looking at the role of the state in policy development, the alternative roles of government are explored and the concepts of the 'developmental state' and the 'corporatist state* evaluated. The notion of the developmental state has particular relevance to this study given the emphasis placed by the Singaporean government on human resource development policies. This sets the scene for a detailed examination of the role of levy-grant training schemes in Fiji and Singapore. The Skills Development Fund in Singapore was developed as an integral component of national economic policy when the Singaporean government decided to break out of the 'low-skills' trap and move the economy towards a higher value adding structure. The levy-grant system was designed to complement the strategy by focusing on upgrading the skills of employees on lower incomes, the assumption being that employees on lower remuneration were more likely to need skills upgrading. The study notes that the early objectives of the SDF were displaced when it was revealed that the bulk of SDF expenditure was directed at higher level supervisory and management training. As a result, the SDF had to refocus its activities on small and medium enterprises and the workers who were likely to miss out on formal training opportunities. The Singaporean context also shows trade unions playing a significant role in worker education and literacy programmes financed under the SDF. To understand this requires some understanding of the historical linkages between the present Singaporean government and trade union leadership. Another aspect of the development of the SDF has been the constant shifting of the institutional responsibility for the scheme. As late as September 2003, the SDF was again moved, this time to the newly created Singapore Workforce Development Agency, with the focus turning to lifelong learning and assisting Singaporeans who are unemployed or made redundant as a result of the economic restructuring. The Fiji experience with the FNTC scheme is different. It evolved in the context of perceived skills shortages but there was a degree of ambiguity over its objectives. There were no specific linkages with economic policy. Relationships with other public training institutions and more recently, private training providers, have been fraught with difficulties. The study examines the origins of the policy, the early difficulties including perceived employer grievances, and the numerous external assessments of the Fiji levy-grant scheme noting that some of them were highly critical. The thesis also examines an attempted reform of the scheme in 1992-93 that proved unsuccessful and the more recent legislative reforms to the scheme in 2002 that have expanded the role of the scheme to encompass, inter alia, national occupational standards and accreditation activities. The thesis concludes by comparing the two schemes noting that the SDF is well entrenched as a policy instrument in Singapore whilst the FNTC is facing a struggle to assert its legitimacy in Fiji.