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Singapore Breaks Two-Decade Streak with Execution of Female Convict

The city’s highest court had dismissed the appeal against Saridewi Djamani’s conviction on October 6 last year….reports Asian Lite News

For the first time in 20 years, Singapore on Friday executed a woman convict who was found guilty of trafficking 30 grams of heroin in 2018.

Singaporean national Saridewi Djamani, 45, is the second drug convict to be executed this week, after fellow Singaporean Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, and the 15th since March 2022, reports the BBC.

Under Singapore’s anti-drug laws, which are some of the world’s toughest,  death penalty is imposed on anyone caught trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis or 15 grams of heroin.

In a statement, Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said that Saridewi, who was sentenced to death on July 6, 2018, was accorded “full due process” under the law.

The city’s highest court had dismissed the appeal against her conviction on October 6 last year.

A petition for presidential pardon was also unsuccessful, according to authorities.

Her execution came just two days after Aziz was hanged on Wednesday, following his conviction of trafficking 50 grams of heroin in 2017.

According to Amnesty International, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Singapore are the only four countries to have recently carried out drug-related executions.

ALSO READ: India, Singapore extend MoU on cooperation till 2028

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India to launch 7 Singaporean satellites on July 30

ISRO will start the registration of the public wanting to witness the launch from Monday evening onwards…reports Asian Lite News

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be launching seven Singaporean satellites on July 30 using its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

ISRO will start the registration of the public wanting to witness the launch from Monday evening onwards.

According to the space agency, the PSLV rocket with the code PSLV-C56 will carry the Singaporean DS-SAR satellite weighing about 360 kg as the main passenger.

The other six co-passengers are small satellites — VELOX-AM, ARCADE, SCOOB-II are from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; NuLIoN belonging to NuSpace Pte Ltd, Singapore, Galassia-2 from National University of Singapore and ORB-12 STRIDER from Aliena Pte. Ltd., Singapore.

ISRO said the PSLV-C56 rocket is configured in its core-alone mode — without the additional strap-on motors to give additional thrust during the initial flight stage.

It would launch the DS-SAR satellite into a Near-equatorial Orbit (NEO) at 5 degrees inclination and 535 km altitude.

The DS-SAR satellite is developed under a partnership between DSTA (representing the government of Singapore) and ST Engineering.

Once deployed and operational, it will be used to support the satellite imagery requirements of various agencies within the government of Singapore.

ST Engineering will use it for multi-modal and higher responsiveness imagery and geospatial services for their commercial customers.

DS-SAR carries a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). This allows the DS-SAR to provide for all-weather day and night coverage, and capable of imaging at one metre resolution at full polarimetry.

On the other hand, the VELOX-AM, is a 23 kg technology demonstration microsatellite; ARCADE Atmospheric Coupling and Dynamics Explorer (ARCADE) is an experimental satellite; SCOOB-II, a 3U nanosatellite flying a technology demonstrator payload: NuLIoN by NuSpace, an advanced 3U nanosatellite enabling seamless IoT connectivity in both urban & remote locations; Galassia-2, a 3U nanosatellite that will be orbiting at low earth orbit and ORB-12 STRIDER satellite is developed under an International collaboration, ISRO added.

The Indian space agency said the PSLV-C56 rocket will blast off from the first launch pad at the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh.

The proposed rocket mission is the second one for ISRO in a space of about two weeks.

On July 14, ISRO rocket LVM3 put into orbit the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft.

The NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) the commercial arm of the Department of Space has procured the PSLV-C56 rocket to launch the satellites from Singapore.

Following this mission will be another interplanetary mission.

And this time the Sun Mission for ISRO.

The ISRO will be sending up its Aditya L1, a coronagraphy satellite, on a PSLV rocket to study the solar atmosphere towards the end of August.

According to ISRO, the spacecraft will be placed into a halo orbit around the first Lagrange point, L1, of the Sun-Earth system.

The satellite around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without occultation/eclipses.

The Aditya L1 mission is slated to happen a couple of days after ISRO attempts to land on the lunar soil its lander that is being carried by the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft.

After that will be the orbiting of Anwesha satellite and XPoSAT- a X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite with the ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).

It will be the country’s dedicated polarimetry mission to study the dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions, the government said.

The launch of the Radar Imaging Satellite- RISAT-1B aboard the PSLV rocket is planned in the second half of 2023.

The Indian space agency with its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) plans to orbit INSAT-3DS and two IDRSS (Indian Data Relay Satellite System) satellites.

These rocketing missions apart, ISRO will be testing the various systems that will go into its LVM3 rocket for the maiden human space mission.

Looking back at the year, ISRO had two successful commercial launches and three of the nation’s satellites.

The two commercial missions were the launch of 36 satellites belonging to the UK-based OneWeb with the LVM3 rocket in March and the TeLEOS-2 satellite with two piggyback payloads in April.

In February, ISRO launched the earth observation satellite EOS-7 with the SSLV rocket, the navigation satellite NVS-01 in April with the GSLV rocket and the prestigious Chandrayaan-3 mission with the LVM3 rocket in July.

ALSO READ: India, Japan drive decarbonisation in steel

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Singapore at high risk of technical recession

Singapore’s small and open economy relies heavily on trade, but external demand has been weakening amid a slowdown in the global economy…reports Asian Lite News

After Germany entered recession, Singapore fears slipping into a ‘technical recession’ in the second quarter as the country’s exports outlook weakened following a slowdown in global demand, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported citing economists.

Singapore’s economy is heavily dependent on exports, which has been weakening after several agencies earlier forecasted a slowdown in global economies in 2023.
“There remains a high risk that the economy slips into a technical recession, either in (the second quarter) or in the second half of the year,” CNA, Singapore’s state broadcaster reported Shivaan Tandon from Capital Economics, as saying.

A technical recession is often defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth in the real GDP.

“While advanced economies have held up better than initially expected, we expect that resilience to fade in the second half of the year which will weigh heavily on demand for Singapore’s exports,” he added.

He further stated that these dynamic raises the risk of a technical recession given the export-driven nature of Singapore’s economy.

These comments came after the official data for the first quarter showed the economy declined 0.4 per cent, reported CNA.

This marks a reversal from the 0.1 per cent growth in the fourth quarter of 2022, leaving the economy at risk of a technical recession which is defined as two consecutive quarter-on-quarter contractions.

Singapore’s small and open economy relies heavily on trade, but external demand has been weakening amid a slowdown in the global economy, still-strong inflationary pressures and a downturn in the global semiconductor industry.

The country’s key non-oil domestic exports (NODX) have since chalked up a seven-month losing streak. Authorities on Thursday also downgraded the 2023 forecasts for NODX following a “worse-than-expected” performance in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, Maybank economists Chua Hak Bin and Lee Ju Ye, with the weaker performance in the external-oriented sector, see Singapore’s economy stagnating, instead of staging a rebound, in the coming quarters, according to CNA.

They added that Singapore may slip into a technical recession “if the boost from China’s reopening fails to materialise in the second quarter”.

Earlier, the German economy was in recession in early 2023 after household spending in Europe’s economic engine finally succumbed to the pressure of high inflation, according to Reuters.

Gross domestic product fell by 0.3 per cent in the first quarter of the year when adjusted for price and calendar effects, a second estimate from the statistics office showed on Thursday. This follows a decline of 0.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2022. A recession is commonly defined as two successive quarters of contraction, as per the report in Reuters.

Germany’s Finance Minister Christian Lindner, on Thursday, said that the GDP data showed “surprisingly negative signals.”

He added that comparing Germany with other highly developed economies, the economy was losing the potential for growth.

“I don’t want Germany to play in a league in which we have to relegate ourselves to the last positions,” Lindner said, referring to the forecasts of the International Monetary Fund, which predicted a recession in 2023 only in Germany and Britain among European countries, according to Reuters. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Germany enters recession

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Stalin woos investors in Singapore, signs 6 MoUs

During Stalin’s Japan visit, various MoUs are also expected to be signed and the Tamil Nadu delegation will also visit Osaka to meet investors…reports Asian Lite News

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin who is on an official visit to Singapore met with the country’s transport minister S Iswaran and discussed improving economic and bilateral ties between the two countries.

The meeting took place on Wednesday. Stalin also signed six memoranda of understanding (MoU) with businesses during the ‘Investors’ First Port of Call,’ according to a press release issued by the chief minister’s office.

Stalin also invited the Singapore minister Iswaran, who holds responsibilities spanning land, air, and sea transport, to attend the World Investors Conference to be held in Chennai in January 2024.

The Chief Minister had left Chennai on Tuesday on a two-nation tour of Singapore and Japan tour, aiming to attract investors towards the state ahead of the Global Investors Summit in Chennai next year.

Stalin discussed with the Singapore Minister the possibility of working together in the fields of green economy and digital economy, the possibility of manufacturing semiconductors and electronic spare parts. Easwaran also requested the Tamil Nadu government delegation led by the Chief Minister Stalin to send a team of the Tamil Nadu Government to the Fintech Conference to be held in Singapore in October according to Tamil Nadu officials.

On Wednesday in Singapore, Stalin visited the Singapore Temasek, Sembcorp. He met and spoke to the CEOs of CapitaLand companies. Highlighting the favourable conditions for starting a business in Tamil Nadu, he requested to make business investments in Tamil Nadu and invited them to participate in the World Investors Conference, read an official statement of the Tamil Nadu government.

“I am going to Singapore and Japan. Industry Minister and some government officials are coming with me. The main goal of this trip is to invite investors ahead of Global Investors Meet which is scheduled for January 2024 at Chennai,” Stalin said in a statement ahead of his visits.

“Last year we went to Dubai and got investments of Rs 6100 crore with which created employment opportunities for 15,100 persons. We also signed MoU with six firms,” the statement added.

During Stalin’s Japan visit, various MoUs are also expected to be signed and the Tamil Nadu delegation will also visit Osaka to meet investors.

While he embarked on a two-nation visit the Tamil Nadu CM had said that investments worth Rs 2,95,339 crore have been attracted with investments with 226 firms in the last two years.

“Since DMK formed government in the state. In the last two years, MoU has been signed with 226 firms and investments of around Rs 2,95,339 crore have been attracted. If the implementation is fully completed 4,12,565 more employment opportunities would be created,” the Chief Minister said. (ANI)

ALSO READ-MK Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi joins his cabinet as minister

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Singapore’s envoy praises Kashmir’s beauty

India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Monday said that there cannot be a better place than Kashmir for shooting movies. He made the remarks at the third G20 Tourism Working Group (TWG) meeting in Srinagar…reports Asian Lite News

Singapore’s High Commissioner to India Simon Wong has praised the beauty of Kashmir and said that he is “very happy” to be in Srinagar.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Simon Wong said, “Very happy to be in Srinagar. Pure beauty. Thank u so much for your warm welcome. HC Wong.” On Monday, Simon Wong arrived in Srinagar to attend the 3rd G20 Working Group Meeting on Tourism. He tweeted, “Just landed in beautiful Srinagar for the #G20Kashmir 3rd Working Group Meeting on Tourism. Looking forward to discovering the wonderful sustainable tourism destinations and experiences in J&K! HC Wong.”

In a tweet, Simon Wong also shared glimpses of the 3rd Working Group of Tourism. He also shared a video of actor Ram Charan dancing to the tunes of ‘Naatu Naatu’ song from RRR movie.

He tweeted, “Wow ! What a way to start the first session of 3rd Working Grp of Tourism. #RRRMovie. @AlwaysRamCharan. #NaatuNaatu. Dance Off! HC Wong.”

The 3rd Tourism Working Group meeting is being held at Srinagar from May 22-24. Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy, along with Amitabh Kant G20 Sherpa at Srinagar Airport welcomed the guests at the airport.

An ethnic and magnificent display of traditional dance forms by local Artists, showcasing Jammu and Kashmir’s cultural heritage, was also done. The security measures have been heightened in Srinagar. The Ministry of Tourism in the press release said that G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar aims to strengthen economic growth, preserve cultural heritage, and promote sustainable development of the region.

India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Monday said that there cannot be a better place than Kashmir for shooting movies. He made the remarks at the third G20 Tourism Working Group (TWG) meeting in Srinagar.

“You will see a vast number of films being shot here. Much like many Indian films are being shot abroad. But, in India, let me tell you, having travelled across the world, there is and I can tell you very sincerely that there is the finest destination anywhere in the world to shoot a movie and to shoot a romance that it cannot be a better place than Kashmir,” Amitabh Kant said.

Amitabh Kant said that the government of India and the government of Kashmir will make efforts to assist the filmmakers in film shoot locations and help them with shifting their film destination from other parts to Kashmir. He said that the government of India will help filmmakers in creating great stories in Kashmir.

“The government of Kashmir, the government of India will all go out of the way to assist you in your film shoot location. Help you to shift your film destination from any other part to Kashmir. We will help you to bring more and more romance in your films. We will help you to bring more and more glamour to your films. We will help you to bring more and more nature to your films. And we will help you to really create great stories from this great destination,” Amitabh Kan said. (ANI)

ALSO READ-G20 meeting in Kashmir will spread message of peace, says Kant

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Singapore, Mauritius to discuss film tourism

The meeting aims to strengthen economic growth, preserve cultural heritage, and promote sustainable development of the region…reports RAJNISH SINGH

As Srinagar is decked up to host the third Tourism Working Group Meeting of G20 members on Monday, seven countries, including Spain, Singapore, and Mauritius are discussing film tourism in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.

Spain, Singapore, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil and India are among seven countries to discuss the global perspective of film tourism, as well as, its economic benefits and impact in J-K. The side event on ‘Film Tourism for Economic Growth and Cultural Preservation’ is part of the mega third Tourism Working Group Meeting to be organized at Srinagar between May 22-24.

Unveiling the draft of a national strategy for film tourism is the key agenda, and the speakers will highlight various challenges and country-specific enablers to promote destinations through films giving a fillip to tourism in J-K.

The “3rd G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting” will start in the afternoon on Monday with all the invited countries and the international organisations having the highest participation registered compared to the previous two such meetings organized at Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch and West Bengal’s Siliguri.

The meeting will deliberate on five key priority areas: Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skills, MSMEs and Destination Management.

The meeting aims to strengthen economic growth, preserve cultural heritage, and promote sustainable development of the region.

The stage is set for discussions and deliberations on final deliverables and there are two key deliverables of the Tourism Working Group, which include the Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a vehicle for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) and G20 Tourism Ministers’ Declaration, Secretary Ministry of Tourism Arvind Singh had said on Sunday while addressing a press conference at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC).

“This is the only working group meeting taking place in Srinagar as part of the G20 effort with excellent response from all the member countries, all the invited countries and the international organisations, having the highest participation registered compared to the first two Tourism Working Group Meetings at Rann of Kutch and Siliguri,” said Singh.

The officer further said G20 member countries, invited countries, and international organizations will give valuable inputs and feedback on these two draft documents and after negotiations with G20 Member Countries on these drafts, final versions will be placed in the ‘Fourth Tourism Working Group Meeting’.

Singh informed that the ‘3rd Tourism Working Group Meeting’ will deliberate on the five key priority areas: Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skills, MSMEs and Destination Management. “These priorities are key building blocks for accelerating the transition of the tourism sector and achieving the targets for 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”

The officer said that side event on ‘Film Tourism for Economic Growth and Cultural Preservation’ will be organized on May 22 and 23, focusing on strategies to promote film tourism in J-K.

The event will witness the participation of G20 member countries, invited countries, international organizations, and industry stakeholders.  (ANI)

ALSO READ-‘Idea is to increase number of foreign tourists visiting J&K’

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Singapore hangs Tamil man for cannabis smuggling

Suppiah was convicted of abetting by engaging in a conspiracy to traffic 1,017.9 g of cannabis from Malaysia to Singapore in 2013, and sentenced to death in 2018….reports Asian Lite News

Singapore on Wednesday executed a 46-year-old Tamil man convicted of conspiracy to smuggle 1 kg of cannabis, ignoring pleas from the family, activists and the UN to reconsider capital punishment.

Tangaraju Suppiah was hanged at Changi Prison at dawn, the BBC reported quoting his family members.

A day before the execution, a Singapore court dismissed an application by Suppiah to have his case reviewed.

“The family said they weren’t going to give up on him right until the end. It has been such a harrowing experience for them,” anti-death penalty activist Kirsten Han told the BBC on Wednesday.

“They still have a lot of unresolved questions about his case, and the evidence against him.”

Suppiah was convicted of abetting by engaging in a conspiracy to traffic 1,017.9 g of cannabis from Malaysia to Singapore in 2013, and sentenced to death in 2018.

The move came even as the UN Human Rights Office had asked Singapore on Tuesday to “urgently reconsider” the capital punishment.

Tamil man to be executed in Singapore over Cannabis charge: Report

Stating that Suppiah was convicted on weak evidence, anti-death penalty activists said he was not given adequate access to an interpreter and had to argue his last appeal on his own since his family was unable to secure a lawyer.

Slamming the execution, British billionaire Richard Branson said that Singapore “may be about to kill an innocent man” on the back of “more than dubious circumstances”.

Singapore’s Home Affairs Ministry said on Tuesday that Tangaraju’s guilt had been proven beyond a reasonable doubt, adding that Branson’s comments showed “disrespect” for Singapore’s judges and criminal justice system.

Suppiah’s execution was the first to be carried out by Singapore after a gap of six months.

The city-state, which has some of the world’s toughest anti-drug laws, awarded 11 capital punishments in 2022.

The Singaporean government says that the death penalty is an effective deterrent against drug crimes and that it is widely supported by the public.

ALSO READ: Historic ferry link rekindles Indian-Lankan Tamils ties

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High Commissioner of Singapore dances at G20 meet

G20 delegates experienced tea plucking on the sidelines of the first-day event…reports Asian Lite News

High Commissioner of Singapore in India Simon Wong danced with folk artists at a G20 meeting in West Bengal’s Darjeeling.

“A wonderful evening at the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting. Moonlight tea picking was the highlight. HC Wong,” Singapore in India tweeted on Saturday. G20 delegates experienced tea plucking on the sidelines of the G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting in Darjeeling.

During the three-day meetings, the foreign delegates would get to experience the tea industry, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and adventure tourism.

“Our second meeting for tourism has taken place here in Darjeeling. This is a new experience for the G20 delegates. The workers who work here are also getting encouragement after this. Tea tourism will increase in the upcoming years,” Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy said.

Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy said that tea tourism will increase in the coming years, after attending the first-day event at the second G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting here on Saturday.

Union Minister said, “Our second meeting for tourism has taken place here in Darjeeling. This is a new experience for the G20 delegates. The workers who work here are also getting encouragement after this. Tea tourism will increase in the upcoming years.”

Meanwhile, the G20 delegates experienced tea plucking on the sidelines of the first-day event.

Darjeeling, the Queen of the Himalayas and one of India’s leading tourist destinations, along with Siliguri, located in the foothills of the Himalayas, has been chosen to host the second Tourism Working Group meeting from April 1-3, 2023.

Around 130 participants are attending the event.

The delegates from the G-20 member countries will get the opportunity to discuss the ways of reviving the tourism sector which got affected due to the Covid pandemic, in this three-day meeting from April 1 to April 3.

On the first-day event, Chief coordinator of G20 Harshvardhan Shringla said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed us to showcase India to the world as we are ready to host the G20 Summit in September this year. I recall him saying that, “each part of India has its own uniqueness, heritage, beauty and culture and that our G20 meetings should not be confined to the national capital, New Delhi, alone.”

To explore India during the G20 meeting, Shringla said, “The delegates from the G-20 member countries will get the opportunity to discuss the ways of reviving the tourism sector which got affected due to the Covid pandemic, in this three-day meet.”

During his speech, he also pointed out, “India, especially the North Eastern part of the country will get a big opportunity to showcase the rich cultural heritage and tourism potentials dominated in the region.

“Around 10 ambassadors from different countries including Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, G20 Chief Coordinator HarshVardhan Shringla, Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism participated in the program in Siliguri and Darjeeling on the first day of the second G20 Tourism Working Group meeting. (ANI)

ALSO READ-‘G20 shows world ready for India’

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UK, Singapore ink New Green Economy Framework

British High Commissioner to Singapore Kara Owen said, “Today marks a very significant milestone for the UK-Singapore partnership as we sign an innovative and real-world focused UK-Singapore Green Economy Framework…reports Asian Lite News

The Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the Republic of Singapore have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a bilateral Green Economy Framework. This agreement, a first-of-its-kind for the UK, was signed during a virtual call between the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero’s (DESNZ) Secretary of State, The Rt Grant Shapps MP, and Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations from the Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), S Iswaran, on 1 March 2023.

Building on the successful UK-Singapore Free Trade Agreement and Digital Economy Agreement, the innovative UK-Singapore Green Economy Framework combines elements of climate, economic and trade policy. This will enable both countries to achieve national decarbonisation targets in alignment with the Paris Agreement while enhancing energy security and promoting green growth through new investment, job creation and export opportunities. This collaboration will take place across three key pillars: green transport, low carbon energy technologies, and sustainable finance and carbon markets.

Expanding on the UK’s legacy of our successful COP26 Presidency, and Singapore’s COP-honed expertise facilitating the negotiations on international rules for carbon trading, the ambition of this government-to-government agreement is to facilitate more collaboration between UK and Singapore industry and academic partners. This will result in new commercial pilot projects, trade and investments, and research and innovation. The Framework will be implemented through different mechanisms, including government policy dialogues, business matchmaking, industry workshops, and research partnerships.

Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero Grant Shapps said, “The war in Ukraine has demonstrated the vital importance of shoring up our energy security, and moves towards ever-greater energy independence. Today’s agreement with Singapore – the first of its kind in the UK – will make the most of the expertise and innovation of both our countries.  It will help us move towards greener, home-grown alternatives to fossil fuels like renewables, creating high tech jobs and businesses of the future and, ultimately, bringing down costs for consumers.”

British High Commissioner to Singapore Kara Owen said, “Today marks a very significant milestone for the UK-Singapore partnership as we sign an innovative and real-world focused UK-Singapore Green Economy Framework. The framework will help both the UK and Singapore work towards their ambitious net zero targets and contribute to the development of a vibrant green economy private sector ecosystem that can have an impact beyond our two shores. In action, this Framework will leverage the UK and Singapore’s strengths in areas like low carbon technology, shipping and finance to deliver long-term sustainable policy, regulation and technical solutions and projects between our private sector and academic communities.”

Singapore is an important partner to the UK in working towards a sustainable and net zero future. With significant and ever-growing investments in UK’s renewable energy sector, the UK-Singapore Green Economy Framework will further strengthen our existing, long-term collaboration by creating new growth opportunities for both countries.

ALSO READ-Ukraine war looms over crucial G20 meet

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PM Modi hails UPI-Pay Now link as gift for India, Singapore

The UPI-PayNow linkage will enable users of the two fast payment systems in either country to make convenient, safe, instant, and cost-effective cross-border funds…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday described the launch of the UPI-Pay Now link as a gift for the citizens of both India and Singapore.

Expressing his views after witnessing the launch of cross-border linkage between India and Singapore using their respective fast payment systems, namely Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and PayNow, along with his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, Modi said: “After today, people in Singapore and India will be able to transfer money from their mobile phones in the same way as they do inside their respective countries. This will help the people of both countries to transfer funds from their mobiles instantly, at a low cost.”

The facility was launched through token transactions by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das and managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Ravi Menon, using the UPI-PayNow linkage.

“With this facility, a cheap and real-time option of remittance transfer between the two countries will be possible. This will especially benefit our overseas brothers and sisters, professionals, students and their families,” Modi further said.

He added: “The good thing is that UPI’s partnership with different countries is also increasing. Singapore is the first country with which person to person payment facility has been launched today.”

The UPI-PayNow linkage will enable users of the two fast payment systems in either country to make convenient, safe, instant, and cost-effective cross-border funds transfers using their respective mobile apps.

Funds held in bank accounts or e-wallets can be transferred to or from India using just the UPI-ID mobile number, or virtual payment address (VPA).

To begin with, the State Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Indian Bank and ICICI Bank will facilitate both inward and outward remittances, while Axis Bank and DBS India will facilitate inward remittances.

For Singapore users, the service will be made available through DBS-Singapore and Liquid Group (a non-bank financial institution). More number of banks will be included in the linkage over time.



Customers of the above mentioned participating banks can undertake cross-border remittances to Singapore using the bank’s mobile banking app or internet banking.

Initially, an Indian user can remit up to Rs 60,000 in a day (equivalent to around SGD 1,000). At the time of making the transaction, the system will dynamically calculate and display the amount in both the currencies for convenience of the user.

The UPI-PayNow linkage is the product of extensive collaboration between RBI, MAS, and payment system operators of both countries through NPCI, International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Banking Computer Services Pte Ltd. (BCS), as well as participating banks and non-bank financial institution.

This interlinkage aligns with the G20’s financial inclusion priorities of driving faster, cheaper and more transparent cross-border payments and will be a significant milestone in the development of infrastructure for cross-border payments between India and Singapore.

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