Breakfast with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek

Just how open-minded are we as a society and how willing are employers when it comes to hiring ex-offenders? In recent engagement sessions, NTUC found that ex-offenders and inmates still face discrimination, even though the situation has improved over the years. We hear more from Patrick Tay, Assistant Secretary-General at NTUC and Yeo Yun Luo, Project Manager, Cushman & Wakefield. [Find Us on Podcast Platforms] Awedio | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | OmnyStudio [Contact Us] Presenters: Lynlee Foo Producer: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)

Growth in China is set to pick up with the faster-than-expected easing of the country’s zero-COVID rules on January 8th and this will be a boon for the Singapore economy in two ways. Two months down the line, how beneficial has this move been for Singapore’s economy? We speak to Dr. Sumit Agarwal, Professor of Finance, Real Estate and Economics at NUS Business Schoolto get his insights on the impact of China’s reopening for businesses here.

Parking.SG, RedeemSG, ScamShield - do have any of these apps downloaded on your phone? Do you know who are the innovators behind these apps that help to solve daily problems or issues that Singaporeans face?  Well, the team is from Open Government Products. They are the creators behind those useful apps and they have more upcoming products , including A.I. chatbots.  On Mind Your Business, Lyn Lee Foo and Ryan Huang speak with Sonjia Yan, Product Manager at Open Government Products for a lowdown of how a product goes from ideation, to testing, to launch.  This podcast is produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

Did you know that most of our international waters are not protected (for conservation)? Well to be exact - only 1.2 per cent of it is! But all that’s going to change following the recently signed UN High Seas Treaty - which aims to push that to 30 per cent by 2030. But how will all of that work? Professor Rashid Sumaila, who’s Director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit at The University of British Colombia’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries shares his perspective. [Find Us on Podcast Platforms] Awedio | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | OmnyStudio [Contact Us] Presenters: Lynlee Foo Producer: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)

Francis Tan, Senior Investment Strategist, UOB discusses if outgoing Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda is likely to shake the boat in his last meeting, and also what further interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve will mean for stock markets this year. 

Cigarettes are now more expensive in Singapore after Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong announced that tobacco taxes will increase by 15 per cent during Budget 2023.  The latest tax increase is expected to generate an additional S$100 million in revenue each year. But beyond providing a boost to the economy, will the tax increase help to lower the smoking prevalence in Singapore? Yvette van der Eijk, Assistant Professor, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, NUS explains why this tobacco tax model needs to be maintained to make more people kick the habit.

Will Ukraine finally get extra help as the EU edges closer to a landmark move to send more ammunition to help its troops, amid major questions regarding funding and scale? Iwona Piórko, the European Union Ambassador to Singapore share her perspective. Ambassador also dives into details of the recently launched EU-Singapore Digital Partnership means for companies and sectors. 

An eye-catching 60 metre tall building with a massive 3D projection screen that glows at night. We are referring to a vertical car vending machine or building - Ten Square at Selegie Road. It sits on the unique plot geometry and bustling intersection location that makes it a local landmark, just like Times Square in New York. Many careful thoughts have gone behind the design and concept of this second instalment of its owners - from the use of sustainable materials that can be fully illuminated, to looking at ROI not in terms of dollars and cents, but in terms of social impact - doing good to others. On Mind Your Business, Lyn Lee Foo and Ryan Huang speak to the mastermind behind it all - Gary Hong, General Manager of Autobahn Motors - who has more plans in the pipeline to help solve problems he foresees with EVs and autonomous cars here.  This podcast is produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

Shane Oliver, Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist, AMP Capital discusses what policy makers today can learn from the era of double digit inflation woes during the 1970's and the mistakes that were made.

Singapore is known to be a prominent financial and technology hub in the region. Still, when it comes to the semiconductor supply chain, the city-state has been dwarfed by its regional peers. But things may be changing. Walter Kuijpers, Partner, Advisory at KPMG in Singapore shares his insights on why big western chipmakers and related suppliers are moving to ramp up production here as they work to meet growth in demand in the medium to long term and spread their supply chain risks.