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Singaporeans are world’s 6th best English speakers
A new telco is coming: M1, StarHub brace for earnings cuts
Investors wary over Sheng Siong’s upcoming store closures
The 6th edition of the EF English Proficiency Index, which ranks 72 countries and territories based on test data from over 950,000 adults who took EF’s online English tests in 2015, has placed Singapore on the 6th spot. Singapore scored 63.52 whilst the top ranking Netherlands gained 72.16. Netherlands is followed by Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
It is going to be doomsday for the two lesser telco giants StarHub and M1 as they face another competitor which will definitely shake up the telco scene. According to DBS Group Research, the new telco will secure 7% revenue share by 2022 once it enters in late 2018, citing the trend in Malaysia after U-Mobile entered the sector in September 2007.
After Sheng Siong Group’s latest 3Q16 results in late October, OCBC Investment Research notes that it has seen a correction in its share price to current levels. The research house acknowledges the concerns on growth ahead and the anticipated store closures next year for its ~41.5k sq ft Woodlands store and most likely, the 45k sq ft store in The Verge.
Upgrade yourself today: The 10 most wanted IT skills in Singapore BY AMOS TAY Our dynamic workforce requires its workers to upgrade their skill sets constantly. With government subsidies and support, improving yourself does not have to be too expensive. Through the SkillsFuture credit scheme, you can access over 10,000 courses available on the SkillsFuture directory. These courses will help you stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and strategies in your industry.
Disruption defines three challenges for Singapore BY MARCUS LOH Singapore’s ability to navigate the challenges of disruption rests on becoming a Learning Nation, and ensuring industry-readiness and re-employability. Disruption is regarded as the new normal. Clayton Christensen in 1995 explained disruption as an innovation that “creates a new market and value network and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established market leading firms, products, and alliances.”
MOST READ COMMENTARY The ups and downs of the Singapore shipping and offshore sector BYJUNE HO It seems that every week brings a raft of new ‘bad news’ stories for the Singapore shipping and offshore oil and gas sectors as well as their investors. Swissco Holdings, OW Bunkers, Swiber Holdings, Rickmers Maritime, Ezra Holdings, Marco Polo Marine are all reminders of just how far the markets have fallen, and clearly show how few options companies (and investors) have when things turn bad.
4 SINGAPORE BUSINESS REVIEW JANUARY 2017