MIRA INFORM REPORT

 

 

 

Report Date :

30.09.2008

 

IDENTIFICATION DETAILS

 

Name :

ELMICH (FAR EAST) PTE LTD

 

 

Formerly Known As :

ELMICH INDUSTRIES PTE LTD

 

 

Registered Office :

15 Joan Road 298899        

 

 

Country :

Singapore

 

 

Date of Incorporation :

15.07.1985

 

 

Com. Reg. No.:

198501561M    

 

 

Legal Form :

Exempt Pte Ltd             

 

 

Line of Business :

Specialise in Sesign and Supply of Waterproofing and Landscaping Solution

 

 

RATING & COMMENTS

 

MIRA’s Rating :

Ba

 

RATING

STATUS

PROPOSED CREDIT LINE

41-55

Ba

Overall operation is considered normal. Capable to meet normal commitments.

Satisfactory

 

Status :

Satisfactory

 

 

Payment Behaviour :

Regular

 

 

Litigation :

Clear

 


 

 

Subject Company  

 

 ELMICH (FAR EAST) PTE LTD

 

 

Line Of Business  

 

SPECIALISE IN DESIGN AND SUPPLY OF WATERPROOFING AND

LANDSCAPING SOLUTION

 

 

Parent Company    

 

-

 

 

Financial Elements

 

Sales                            : -

Networth                       : -

Paid-Up Capital                                        : S$1,500,000

Net result                       : -

 

Net Margin(%)                : -

Return on Equity(%)       : -

Leverage Ratio                : -

 

 

 


COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

 

Subject Company                      ELMICH (FAR EAST) PTE LTD

Former Name                         :   ELMICH INDUSTRIES PTE LTD

Business Address                  :   15 JOAN ROAD

Town                                       :   SINGAPORE                  

Postcode                                 :   298899

County                                     :   -

Country                                   :   Singapore

Telephone                                                       :   6356 2800                  

Fax                                          :   6353 0220

ROC Number                         :   198501561M                 

Reg. Town                              :      -

 

 

PREVIOUS IDENTIFICATION

 

ELMICH INDUSTRIES PTE LTD

DATE OF CHANGE OF NAME: 25/10/1996

 

ELMICH TRADING PRIVATE LIMITED

DATE OF CHANGE OF NAME: 21/10/1991

 

 

SUMMARY

 

All amounts in this report are in:  SGD unless otherwise stated.

 

Legal Form                             : Exempt Pte Ltd             

Date Inc.                                 : 15/07/1985

Previous Legal Form             : -

Summary year                         : -

Sales                                                               : -                            

Networth                                 :              -

Capital                                                            : -                     

Paid-Up Capital                     : 1,500,000

Employees                              : 22                      

Net result                                :  -

Share value                             : -

AUDITOR: B H CHIA & CO

 

BASED ON ACRA'S RECORD

NO OF SHARES   CURRENCY      AMOUNT

ISSUED ORDINARY        1,500,000                                    SGD      1,500,000.00

PAID-UP ORDINARY           -                                              SGD      1,500,000.00

 


REFERENCES

 

Litigation                                 :  No

Company status                      :  TRADING                     

Started                                    : 15/07/1985

 

 

PRINCIPAL(S)

 

TEH HOCK BENG MICHAEL               S0153746F      Director

 

 

DIRECTOR(S)

 

ONG HWEE PONG                      S1396882I      Director

Appointed on   : 26/05/1992

Street              : 31 CHUAN DRIVE

 CHUAN VISTA

Town                : SINGAPORE

Postcode         : 554840

Country           : Singapore

 

DAVID WILLIAM OLIVER               E7554442       Director

Appointed on   : 11/01/2005

Street              : 1 STAMFORD AVENUE, CABARITA

Town               : NEW SOUTH WALES

Postcode         : 2137

Country           : Australia

 

TEH HOCK BENG MICHAEL              S0153746F      Director

Appointed on   : 15/07/1985

Street              : 6 DOVER RISE

                        #01-03

                        HERITAGE VIEW

Town               : SINGAPORE

Postcode         : 138678

Country            : Singapore

 

LEE SIAN GHEE ALAN                 S0160551H      Director

Appointed on   : 06/05/1986

Street              : 21 ALMOND CRESCENT

Town               : SINGAPORE

Postcode         : 677779

Country           : Singapore

 

TAN GUEK CHYA PEGGY                S0187298B      Alternate Director

Appointed on   : 03/05/2006

Street              : 21 ALMOND CRESCENT

Town               : SINGAPORE

Postcode         : 677779

Country           : Singapore

 

TAN GUEK CHYA PEGGY                S0187298B      Company Secretary

Appointed on   : 13/12/1985

Street              : 21 ALMOND CRESCENT

Town               : SINGAPORE

Postcode         : 677779

Country           : Singapore

 

 

LIM CHOON SIONG                    S6927230D      Director

Appointed on   : 01/09/2008

Street              : 25 WEST COAST RISE

#03-05

MONTEREY PARK CONDOMINIUM

Town               : SINGAPORE

Postcode         : 127468

Country            : Singapore

 

 

ACTIVITY(IES)

 

WAX                                                                                                  Code:23630

 

DISINFECTANTS And GERMICIDES                            Code:6615

BASED ON ACRA'S RECORD

1) MANUFACTURE OF WAXES AND POLISHES AND DEODORIZING PREPARATIONS;

MANUFACTURING IN WATERPROOFING RELATED PRODUCTS

 

 

CHARGES

 

No Charges On Premises/Property In Our Database

 

 

PREMISES/PROPERTY INFORMATIONS

 

No Premises/Property Information In Our Databases

 

 

SHAREHOLDERS(S)

 

TEH HOCK BENG MICHAEL                              270,000   Private Person

Street  : 6 DOVER RISE

#01-03

HERITAGE VIEW

Town    : SINGAPORE

Postcode: 138678

Country : Singapore

 

LEE SIAN GHEE ALAN                                 288,000   Private Person

Street  : 21 ALMOND CRESCENT

Town    : SINGAPORE

Postcode: 677779

Country : Singapore

 

DAVID WILLIAM OLIVER                               150,000   Private Person

Street  : 1 STAMFORD AVENUE, CABARITA

Town    : NEW SOUTH WALES

Postcode: 2137

Country : Australia

 

ONG HWEE PONG                                      216,000   Private Person

Street  : 31 CHUAN DRIVE

CHUAN VISTA

Town    : SINGAPORE

Postcode: 554840

Country : Singapore

 

TAN GUEK CHYA PEGGY                                288,000   Private Person

Street  : 21 ALMOND CRESCENT

Town    : SINGAPORE

Postcode: 677779

Country : Singapore

 

LEE JUN-SHEN                                       288,000   Private Person

Street  : 21 ALMOND CRESCENT

Town    : SINGAPORE

Postcode: 677779

Country : Singapore

 

 

SUBSIDIARY(IES)

 

No Participation In Our Database

 

 

PAYMENT HISTORY AND EXPERIENCES

 

Trade Morality            : AVERAGE

Liquidity                       : UNKNOWN

Payments                     : REGULAR

Trend                          : LEVEL

Financial Situation     : UNKNOWN

 


FINANCIAL COMMENTS

 

EXEMPT PRIVATE COMPANY

WHERE THE SHARES OF A PRIVATE COMPANY ARE NOT OWNED BY ANY CORPORATE BODY AND THERE ARE NO MORE THAN 20 MEMBERS, THE PRIVATE COMPANY IS KNOWN AS AN EXEMPT PRIVATE COMPANY.

 

AN EXEMPT PRIVATE COMPANY ENJOYS A GREATER AMOUNT OF PRIVACY THAN A

PRIVATE COMPANY. IT IS NOT REQUIRED TO FILE ACCOUNTS WITH THE

REGISTRAR IF IT CAN PRODUCE A CERTIFICATE SIGNED BY ONE OF ITS

DIRECTORS, SECRETARY AND AUDITOR CONFIRMING THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

1. THE COMPANY IS AN EXEMPT PRIVATE COMPANY.

2. THE AUDITED ACCOUNTS HAVE BEEN TABLED BEFORE THE SHAREHOLDERS

AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.

3. THE COMPANY IS ABLE TO MEET ITS LIABILITIES.

 

THERE IS THEREFORE NO DISCLOSURE TO THE PUBLIC OF THE ACCOUNTS OF THE COMPANY ALTHOUGH THE ACCOUNTS STILL HAVE TO BE AUDITED EVERY YEAR AND APPROVED AT AN ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE COMPANY.

 

A PRIVATE COMPANY THAT IS WHOLLY OWNED BY THE GOVERNMENT MAY BECOME AN EXEMPT PRIVATE COMPANY IF THE MINISTER FOR FINANCE, IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST, DECLARES IT TO BE SUCH BY A GAZETTE NOTIFICATION.

 

EXEMPT FROM AUDIT

AN EXEMPT PRIVATE COMPANY IS EXEMPT FROM AUDIT REQUIREMENTS IF THE STARTING DATE OF ITS FINANCIAL YEAR IS BETWEEN 15 MAY 2003 AND 31 MAY 2004 AND ITS TURNOVER FOR THAT FINANCIAL YEAR DOES NOT EXCEED $2.5 MILLION. FOR FINANCIAL YEARS STARTING 1 JUNE 2004, THE AMOUNT OF THE TURNOVER HAS BEEN RAISED TO $5 MILLION. THESE COMPANIES ARE STILL

REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN PROPER ACCOUNTING.

 

 

BACKGROUND/OPERATION

 

THE COMPANY WAS INCORPORATED IN THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE ON

15/07/1985 AS A  LIMITED EXEMPT PRIVATE COMPANY UNDER THE

NAMESTYLE AS "ELMICH TRADING PRIVATE LIMITED"

 

SUBSEQUENTLY, ON 21/10/1991, THE COMPANY CHANGED ITS NAME TO "ELMICH

INDUSTRIES PTE LTD".

 

SUBSEQUENTLY, ON 25/10/1996, SUBJECT CHANGED TO ITS PRESENT NAMESTYLE AS "ELMICH (FAR EAST PTE LTD".

 

COMPANY HAS AN ISSUED AND PAID-UP CAPITAL OF 1,500,000 SHARES, OF A VALUE OF S$1,500,000.

 

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES:

SUBJECT IS REGISTERED WITH THE ACCOUNTING & CORPORATE REGULATORY

AUTHORITY (ACRA) TO BE PRINCIPALLY ENGAGED IN THE BUSINESS OF:

1) MANUFACTURE OF WAXES AND POLISHES AND DEODORIZING PREPARATIONS;

MANUFACTURING IN WATERPROOFING RELATED PRODUCTS

2) MANUFACTURE CHEMICAL PRODUCTS NEC(EG. DISINFECTANTS)

FROM THE RESEARCH CONDUCTED, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS GATHERED:

 

SUBJECT IS LISTED IN THE SINGAPORE LOCAL DIRECTORY UNDER THE

CLASSIFICATION OF: WATERPROOFING MATERIALS

 

BACKGROUND OF THE SUBJECT:

ELMICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1985 AND IS TODAY, A LEADING SOLUTIONS PROVIDER IN WATERPROOFING AND LANDSCAPE ENGINEERING. WE HAVE A REPUTATION FOR PROVIDING VALUE-ADDED SYSTEMS, SPECIALLY TAILORED TO LOCAL BUILDING AND CLIMATE CONDITIONS. ELMICH HAS BEEN AN ISO 9001 CERTIFIED COMPANY SINCE 1998.

 

BESIDES BEING A MAJOR DISTRIBUTOR OF HIGH PERFORMANCE AND PREMIUM WATERPROOFING MEMBRANES AND DRAINAGE SHEETINGS FROM THE WORLD'S LARGEST MANUFACTURERS, ELMICH ALSO DESIGNS AND MANUFACTURES LANDSCAPE ENGINEERING PRODUCTS SUCH AS TURFPAVE ® GRASS PAVERS, VERSICELL ® SUB- SOIL DRAINAGE MODULES, VERSIDRAIN ® 6P UNDER-SCREED DRAINAGE SHEETS, VERSITANK ® UNDERGROUND STORMWATER INFILTRATION AND STORAGE TANKS, VERSIPAVE ® HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE PAVER SUPPORTS AND VERSIJACK ® HEIGHT AND SLOPE ADJUSTABLE TELESCOPIC PEDESTALS.

 

ELMICH HAS THE SUPPORT OF A PROFESSIONAL, DEDICATED AND TECHNICALLY SKILLED SERVICE NETWORK THAT WORKS CLOSELY WITH SPECIFIERS AND END- USERS TO PROVIDE FAIL-SAFE, COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE LANDSCAPE, CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING INDUSTRIES.

IN RECENT YEARS, THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH OVERSEAS DISTRIBUTORS, PRODUCTS DEVELOPED AND MANUFACTURED BY ELMICH ARE GAINING WIDESPREAD USAGE IN INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET AND ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY ACCEPTED AND PREFERRED BY LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND ARCHITECTS WORLD-WIDE.

 

SUBJECT ENGAGES IN THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES:

* SPECIALISE IN DESIGN AND SUPPLY OF WATERPROOFING AND LANDSCAPING

SOLUTION

* MAJOR DISTRIBUTOR OF HIGH PERFORMANCE AND PREMIUM WATERPROOFING

MEMBRANES AND DRAINAGE SHEETINGS

 

PRODUCTS:

* WATERPROOFING

- VERSIDRAIN 6P

UNDER-SCREED MODULAR DRAINAGE SHEETING

- DURABIT

- BITULEN SK374

APP-MODIFIED BITUMINOUS TORCH-ON MEMBRANE

- SUPERFLEX

- EURATHANE 2000

BITUMINOUS ELASTOMERIC COATING AND ADHESIVE

- PLUVEX

INTERLOCKING CELLULAR DRAINAGE MAT

- VERSITANK

- VERSIWEB

HEIGHT AND SLOPE ADJUSTABLE PEDESTAL

- TURFPAVE XD

- ROOTGARD

MODULAR VERTICAL GREENING SYSTEM

 

TRADE NAMES/BRANDS:

* TURFPAVE ®

* VERSIDRAIN ® 6P

* VERSICELL ®

* VERSIJACK ®

* VERSIPAVE ®

* VERSITANK ®

MARKERT PRESENCE:

* AFRICA

* NORTH AMERICA

* SOUTH AMERICA

* EUROPE

* ASIA PACIFIC

 

SOME OF SUBJECT'S CLIENTS:

* LAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE

* MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

- SCHOOLS

* DP ARCHITECTS

* CPG CONSULTANTS

* SITE CONCEPTS L'SCAPE ARCH.

* HOUSING DEVELOPMENT BOARD

* SINGAPORE TELECOMS

 

INDUSTRIES SERVED:

* BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION

* ENVIRONMENTAL

 

QUALITY ASSESSMENT:

* ISO 9001

 

FROM THE TELE-INTERVIEW CONDUCTED, THE FOLLOWING WASGATHERED:

 

NO. OF EMPLOYEES:

*   2008: 22

NO OTHER TRADE INFORMATION WAS MADE AVAILABLE

 

REGISTERED AND BUSINESS ADDRESS:

15 JOAN ROAD

SINGAPORE 298899

DATE OF CHANGE OF ADDRESS: 28/10/1996

 

OVERSEAS ADDRESS:

52/8 AVENUE OF AMERICAS

NEWINGTON NSW 2127

AUSTRALIA

 

WEBSITE:

http://www.elmich.com.sg

 

EMAIL:

singapore@elmich.com

australia@elmich.com

 

MANAGEMENT

 

THE DIRECTORS AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT ARE:

 

1) DAVID WILLIAM OLIVER, AN AUSTRALIAN

- BASED IN AUSTRALIA

 

2) TEH HOCK BENG MICHAEL, A SINGAPOREAN

- HOLDS NO OTHER DIRECTORSHIP AS RECORDED IN OUR DATABASE.

 

3) LEE SIAN GHEE ALAN, A SINGAPOREAN

- HOLDS NO OTHER DIRECTORSHIP AS RECORDED IN OUR DATABASE.

 

4) PEGGY TAN GUEK CHYA (MRS PEGGY LEE), A SINGAPOREAN

- HOLDS NO OTHER DIRECTORSHIP AS RECORDED IN OUR DATABASE.

 

5) ONG HWEE PONG, A SINGAPOREAN

 

- HOLDS NO OTHER DIRECTORSHIP AS RECORDED IN OUR DATABASE.

 

6) LIM CHOON SIONG, A SINGAPOREAN

- HOLDS NO OTHER DIRECTORSHIP AS RECORDED IN OUR DATABASE.

 

ADVERSE ON DIRECTORS

 

DIRECTOR'S NAME                : TEH HOCK BENG MICHAEL

ADVERSE REPORT AGAINST DIRECTOR: NOT AVAILABLE FROM OUR DATABASE

PROPERTY OWNERSHIP             : 1

ANNUAL VALUE                   : S$31,200

CO-OWNER(S)                    : NIL

 

DIRECTOR'S NAME                : LEE SIAN GHEE ALAN

ADVERSE REPORT AGAINST DIRECTOR: NOT AVAILABLE FROM OUR DATABASE

PROPERTY OWNERSHIP             : 1

ANNUAL VALUE                   : S$90,000

CO-OWNER(S)                    : PEGGY TAN GUEK CHYA

 

DIRECTOR'S NAME                : PEGGY TAN GUEK CHYA

ADVERSE REPORT AGAINST DIRECTOR: NOT AVAILABLE FROM OUR DATABASE

PROPERTY OWNERSHIP             : 1

ANNUAL VALUE                   : S$90,000

CO-OWNER(S)                    : LEE SIAN GHEE ALAN

 

DIRECTOR'S NAME                : ONG HWEE PONG

ADVERSE REPORT AGAINST DIRECTOR: NOT AVAILABLE FROM OUR DATABASE

PROPERTY OWNERSHIP             : 1

ANNUAL VALUE                   : S$30,000

CO-OWNER(S)                    : KAN YIM MUI

 

DIRECTOR'S NAME                : LIM CHOON SIONG

ADVERSE REPORT AGAINST DIRECTOR: NOT AVAILABLE FROM OUR DATABASE

PROPERTY OWNERSHIP             : NIL

ANNUAL VALUE                   : N.A.

CO-OWNER(S)                    : N.A.

 

* ANNUAL VALUE IS THE ESTIMATED ANNUAL RENT THE PROPERTY CAN FETCH IF

IT WERE RENTED OUT. THE ANNUAL VALUE IS DETERMINED IN THE SAME MANNER

REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE PROPERTY IS LET-OUT, OWNER-OCCUPIED OR

VACANT.

 

 

Singapore’s Country Rating 2007

 

Investment Grade

 

IN SINGAPORE, THE POLITICAL SITUATION REMAINS STABLE.

 

SINGAPORE BOASTS THE BEST GOVERNANCE IN ASIA, WITH AN EFFECTIVE LEGAL SYSTEM FACILITATING DEBT COLLECTION AND TO A HIGH DEGREE OF FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY.

 

EXTERNAL ACCOUNTS HAVE REMAINED SUBSTANTIALLY IN SURPLUS, CONTRIBUTED TO THE DYNAMISM OF THE ELECTRONICS AND PHARMACEUTICALS SECTORS AND TO REPATRIATION OF PROFITS FROM SINGAPORE INVESTMENTS. THE FINANCIAL AND TOURISM SECTORS HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE LARGE CURRENT ACCOUNT SURPLUS.


SINGAPORE CONTINUES TO KEENLY WELCOME FOREIGN INVESTMENT AND OFFERS A VERY OPEN AND WELL-PLANNED ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT. IT HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTING AMBITIOUS DIVERSIFICATION STRATEGY, FOCUSED PARTICULARLY ON THE CHEMICALS AND PHARMACEUTICAL SECTORS.

 

THE GOVERNMENT USES FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT TO DEVELOP PRIORITY SECTORS (ELECTRONICS, CHEMICALS, BIOTECHNOLOGY). THE AIM IS TO ENCOURAGE THE GROWTH OF HIGH ADDED-VALUE ACTIVITIES AND TURN SINGAPORE INTO A REGIONAL HUB FOR FOREIGN INVESTORS INTERESTED IN ASIA.

 

CERTAIN SECTORS (MEDIA, LEGAL AND FINANCIAL SERVICES) ARE HOWEVER ONLY PARTIALLY OPEN TO FOREIGN INVESTMENT. THESE SECTORS ARE SLOWLY OPENING UP, BUT THE PROGRESS IS SLOW.

 

AFTER HIGH GROWTH IN 2006, BUOYED BY THE DYNAMISM OF BOTH EXPORTS AND HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION, A SLOWDOWN IS EXPECTED IN 2007.

 


ASSETS

 


WEAKNESSES

 

OVERVIEW OF SINGAPORE

 

PAST PERFORMANCE

 

SINGAPORE’S ECONOMY GREW BY 5.4% IN 4Q 2007, SLOWER THAN THE 9.5% GROWTH IN 3Q 2007. GROW MOMENTUM WAS LED BY CONSTRUCTION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES. FOR THE WHOLE OF 2007, THE ECONOMY GREW BY 7.7%, DOWN FROM 8.2% IN 2006.

 

THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR ROSE BY 0.2% IN 4Q 2007, SLOWER THAN THE 11.0% IN 3Q 2007. THE SMALL GROWTH WAS ATTRIBUTED TO A 28.0% CONTRACTION IN THE BIOMEDICAL MANUFACTURING SECTOR. ON THE OTHER HAND, ELECTRONICS, CHEMICALS, PRECISION ENGINEERING AND TRANSPORT ENGINEERING SECTOR  PERFORMED BETTER. OVERALL, THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR POSTED A 5.8% GROWTH IN 2007, DOWN FROM 12.0% IN 2006.

 

THE FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTOR ROSE SIGNIFICANTLY BY 16% IN 4Q 2007, FOLLOWING A 20% GROWTH IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER. MOST SECTORS EXPERIENCE STRONG EXPANSION WITH THE EXCEPTION OF STOCK BROKING AND FUND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES WHICH HAVE SLOWED DOWN. OVERALL, THE FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTOR POSTED A 17% GROWTH IN 2007, HIGHER THAN 11.0% IN 2006.

 

THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR REGISTERED A STRONG GROWTH. THE SECTOR GREW BY 24%, FOLLOWING 20% GAIN IN 3Q 2007. GROWTH MOMENTUM FOR THE WHOLE YEAR GREW 20%, ITS FASTEST GROWTH SINCE 1996.

 

THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE SECTOR GREW BY 6.0% IN 4Q 2007, SLOWER THAN THE 6.8% GROWTH IN 3Q 2007. NON-OIL RE-EXPORTS SAW GROWTH REDUCED FROM 9.0% IN 3Q 2007 TO 7.0% IN 4Q 2007. RETAIL SALES FELL BY 2.5% IN 4Q 2007, FOLLOWING A 1.5% GROWTH IN 3Q 2007. OVERALL, THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE SECTOR POSTED A 7.3% GROWTH IN 2007, DOWN FROM 10.0% IN 2006.

 

THE TRANSPORT AND STORAGE SECTOR ROSE BY 5.4% IN 4Q 2007, FROM 5.0% IN 3Q 2007. HIGHER GROWTH IN THE SEA TRANSPORT SEGMENT WAS OFFSET BY SLOWER GROWTH IN THE AIR TRANSPORT SEGEMENT. OVERALL, THE TRANSPORT AND STORAGE SECTOR POSTED A 5.1% GROWTH IN 2007, UP FROM 4.7% IN 2006.

 

THE HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS SECTOR GREW BY A SMALLER 2.5% FROM 4.9% IN 3Q 2007. VISITOR ARRIVALS ROSE 5.5% IN 4Q 2007, SIMILAR TO 5.4% RISE IN 3Q 2007. HOWEVER, THE AVERAGE OCCUPANCY RATE OF HOTELS DIPPED TO 86.0% IN 4Q 2007 FROM 88.0% IN 4Q 2006. VISITOR ARRIVALS ROSE 5.4% TO REACH A RECORD OF 10.3 MILLION IN 2007. OVERALL, THE HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS SECTOR POSTED A 4.4% GROWTH IN 2007, DOWN FROM 4.8% IN 2006.

 

THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS SECTOR ROSE 6.1% IN 4Q 2007, SLIGHTLY SLOWER THAN THE 6.6% IN 3Q 2007. BOTH THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND IT SERVICES SEGMENTS REMAINED HEALTHY DURING THE QUARTER. FOR THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SEGMENT, THE GROWTH OF INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE CALLS DURATION AND NUMBER OF SUBSCRIBERS FOR BOTH MOBILE PHONE SERVICE AND BROADBAND INTERNET REMAINED STRONG. OVERALL, THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS SECTOR POSTED A 6.3% GROWTH IN 2007, UP FROM 4.6% IN 2006.

 

THE BUSINESS SERVICES SECTOR EXPANDED BY 8.7%, HIGHER THAN THE 7.5% GAIN IN 3Q 2007. GROWTH WAS HEALTHY ACROSS ALL SEGMENTS, WITH GOOD PERFORMANCES IN THE BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVE OFFICES AND REAL ESTATE SEGMENTS. OVERALL, THE BUSINESS SERVICES SECTOR POSTED A 7.8% GROWTH IN 2007, UP FROM 6.9% IN 2006.

 

NEWS

 

SINGAPORE ECONOMY GROWS 7.2% ON STRONG SHOWING IN MANUFACTURING

 

SINGAPORE’S ECONOMY TURNED OUT TO BE SURPRISINGLY RESLIENT IN THE FIRST QUARTER, EASILY BEATING MARKET EXPECTATIONS WITH STRONG GROWTH OF 7.2%.

 

THE ADVANCE ESTIMATES ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY (MTI) REPORTED YESTERDAY WERE A MARKED IMPROVEMENT OVER THE 5.4% POSTED IN THE FINAL QUARTER OF LAST YEAR. EARLIER REPORTS HAD SUGGESTED MARKET EXPECTATIONS OF 5.9% GROWTH. ON A SEASONALLY ADJUSTED ANNUALISED BASIS, THE ECONOMY GREW AT A BREAKNECK RATE OF 16.9% QUARTER-ON-QUARTER. IT SHRANK 4.8% IN 4Q 2007.

 

HOWEVER, ECONOMISTS DO NOT BELIEVE THE STRONG PERFORMANCE SIGNIFIES AN UPTREND FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. THEY POINT TO A POTENTIAL RECESSION IN THE UNITED STATES AND RISING GLOBAL INFLATION.

 

MANUFACTURING AND SERVICES WERE CONTRIBUTORS TO THE BETTER-THAN-EXPECTED FIRST QUARTER GROWTH.

 

MANUFACTURING IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE EXPANDED BY 13.2% IN THE FIRST QUARTER, COMPARED TO A SMAL 0.2% RISE IN THE PREVIOUS THREE MONTHS. IT WAS ALSO CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN THE 3.9% REGISTERED IN 1Q 2007.

THIS WAS LARGELY DUE TO A SURGE IN BIOMEDICAL MANUFACTURING OUTPUT. THE REST OF THE MANUFACTURING CLUSTERS ALSO ENJOYED BETTER PERFORMANCES

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TRANSPORT ENGINEERING AND PRECISION ENGINEERING CLUSTER WHO ENJOY MODERATE GROWTH.

 

SERVICES INDUSTRIES GROW 7.6%, SIMILAR TO THE 7.7% IN 4Q 2007 AS WELL AS IN 1Q 2007. FINANCIAL SERVICES CONTINUED TO BE THE FASTEST-GROWING AMONG THE SERVICES SECTORS.

 

HOWEVER, THE FIGURE FOR THE SLOWING CONSTRUCTION SECTOR WAS LESS ROSY WITH GROWTH SLIPPING TO 14.6% FROM 24.3% IN 4Q 2007.

 

UNITED OVERSEAS BANK ECONOMIST HO WOEI CHEN SAID THIS WAS DISAPPOINTING,

AFTER THREE QUARTERS OF GROWTH ABOVE 20.0%. BUT SHE STILL EXPECTED THE SECTOR TO CONTRIBUTE TO GROWTH THIS YEAR, ON THE BACK OF INFRASTRCTURE PROJECTS SUCH AS THE INTEGRATED RESORTS AND THE PROPOSED SPORTS HUB IN KALLANG.

 

ECONOMISTS WERE SURPRISED BY WHAT THEY SAID AMOUNTED TO A CONTRACTION IN THE INDUSTRY BUT THEY REMAINED CONFIDENT THAT GROWTH WAS STILL HEALTHY AND IN LINE WITH THEIR FORECASTS FOR THE YEAR, WHICH RANGED FROM 10.0%

TO 25.0%.

 

CIMG-GK ECONOMIST SOGN SENG WUN SAID THAT RISING INFLATION, ESPECIALLY FOR FOOD PRICES, WILL BE A MAJOR CONCERN. “PEOPLE ARE FOCUSING ON ISSUES SUCH AS THE RISING PRICE OF RICE AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD PERSIST FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR”.

 

NONE OF THE ECONOMISTS INTERVIEWED REVISE FULL-YEAR GROWTH FORECASTS WHICH RANGE FROM 4.7% TO 5.5%. MTI HAS FORECAST A RANGE OF 4.0% TO 6.0% FOR THE YEAR.

 

OUTLOOK

 

AFTER THE LAST REVIEW IN NOVEMBER 2007, THE OUTLOOK FOR EXTERNAL DEMAND IN 2008 HAS WORSENED AND THERE ARE INCREASED DOWNSIDE RISKS.

COMPARED TO THE FORECAST THREE MONTHS AGO, THERE IS BROAD CONSENSUS NOW THAT THE US ECONOMY IS ENTERING A SLOWDOWN. THE LENGTH AND SEVERITY OF THE SLOWDOWN REMAINS TO BE SEEN, AND IT WILL AFFECT COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE AND KEY INDUSTRIES.

 

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE RISE IN DOWNSIDE RISKS, THE MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY LOWERED THE ECONOMIC FORECAST FOR THE SINGAPORE ECONOMY TO GROW BY 4.0-6.0% IN 2008, DOWN FROM THE GROWTH FORECAST OF 4.5-6.5% EARLIER.

 

CURRENT CONDITIONS INDICATE THAT THE US ECONOMY WILL LIKELY ENTER A MILD RECESSION IN THE FIRST HALF BUT ITS STRONG FUNDAMENTALS, COUPLED WITH FISCAL AND MONETARY STIMULUS, WILL ASSIST TO SUPPORT RECOVERY IN THE SECOND HALF. REGIONAL ECONOMIES WILL HAVE MODERATE BUT HEALTHY GROWTH. SINGAPORE’S GDP GROWTH WILL THEN BE IN THE UPPER HALF OF THE FORECAST RANGE. HOWEVER, IF THE US FALLS INTO A MORE SEVERE RECESSION, THE REGION WILL BE MORE SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED. THE IMPACT ON THE SINGAPORE ECONOMY WILL ALSO BE STRONGER, PARTICULARLY IN THE SENTIMENT-SENSITIVE AND EXPORT-ORIENTED SECTORS LIKE FINANCIAL SERVICES, WHOLESALE TRADE AND ELECTRONICS. IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, THE SINGAPORE ECONOMY WILL GROW AT A SLOWER PACE, NEARER THE LOWER END OF THE FORECAST RANGE.

 

IN THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, A NET WEIGHTED BALANCE OF 19% OF FIRMS, ESPECIALLY INSURANCE COMPANIES AND FIRMS PROVIDING CREDIT CARD SERVICES, REMAINS POSITIVE ABOUT THE BUSINESS OUTLOOK IN THE MONTHS AHEAD.

 

IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY, A NET WEIGHTED BALANCE OF 17% OF FIRMS,

EXPECT BUSINESS TO BE BRISK FOR THE COMING MONTHS.

 

MANUFACTURING FIRMS ARE CAUTIOUS ABOUT BUSINESS CONDITIONS FOR THE PERIOD ENDING JUNE 2008. A NET WEIGHTED BALANCE OF 2% OF MANUFACTURERS FORECAST BETTER BUSINESS, LOWER THAN THE 7% REGISTERED IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR AND THE 25% RECORDED IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER.

 

GENERALLY, WHOLESALERS ARE POSITIVE ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS PROSPECTS IN THE COMING MONTHS, WITH A NET WEIGHTED BALANCE OF 4% OF FIRMS EXPRESSING POSITIVE BUSINESS SENTIMENTS. THE MAJORITY OF WHOLESALERS OF PETROLEUM AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS, CHEMICALS AND CHEMICAL PRODUCTS, INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT AND COMPUTERS AND ACCESSORIES FORECAST BUSINESS OUTLOOK TO REMAIN THE SAME IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2008 COMPARED WITH THE LAST SIX MONTHS IN 2007.

 

A NET WEIGHTED BALANCE OF 12% OF RETAILERS PREDICTS LESS FAVOURABLE BUSINESS CONDITIONS FOR THE PERIOD ENDING JUNE 2008. AS A RESULT OF THE REDUCED CERTIFICATE OF ENTITLEMENT (COE) QUOTA, MOTOR VEHICLES RETAILERS ARE ESPECIALLY CONCERNED WITH THE SALES.

 

IN THE TRANSPORT AND STORAGE INDUSTRY, A NET WEIGHTED BALANCE OF 5% OF FIRMS FORECASTS LESS FAVOURABLE BUSINESS CONDITIONS FOR THE COMING MONTHS.

 

IN THE SERVICES INDUSTRY, A NET WEIGHTED BALANCE OF 8% OF FIRMS,

EXPECT BUSINESS TO BE BRISK FOR THE COMING MONTHS. THIS IS SMALLER THAN THE 18% REGISTERED IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR AND THE 23% RECORDED IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER. HOTELIERS REMAIN BULLISH ON BUSINESS CONDITIONS FOR THE COMING MONTHS, WITH A NET WEIGHTED BALANCE OF 35% OF HOTELIERS EXPECTING THEIR BUSINESSES TO RISE IN ANTICIPATION OF EXPECTED INCREASES IN ROOM RATES AND HIGHER OCCUPANCY RATES. IN THE CATERING TRADE INDUSTRY, A NET WEIGHTED BALANCE OF 27% OF CATERERS ANTICIPATES MORE FAVOURABLE BUSINESS CONDITIONS.

 

IN THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY, A NET WEIGHTED BALANCE OF 9% OF FIRMS PREDICTS A HIGHER DEMAND FOR THEIR SERVICES, IN PARTICULAR THE NETWORK OPERATORS.

 

IN THE BUSINESS SERVICES INDUSTRY, AN OVERALL NET WEIGHTED BALANCE OF 19% OF FIRMS EXPECTS POSITIVE SENTIMENTS. THESE INCLUDE ACCOUNTING, BOOK-KEEPING AND AUDITING, RENTING OF CONSTRUCTION AND INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY AND RENTING OF TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT.

 

EXTRACTED FROM: MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY, SINGAPORE

SINGAPORE DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS

THE STRAITS TIMES

 

 

FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES

 

Currency

Unit

Indian Rupees

US Dollar

1

Rs.46.96

UK Pound

1

Rs.83.91

Euro

1

Rs.66.36

 

 

RATING EXPLANATIONS

 

RATING

STATUS

 

 

PROPOSED CREDIT LINE

>86

Aaa

Possesses an extremely sound financial base with the strongest capability for timely payment of interest and principal sums

 

Unlimited

71-85

Aa

Possesses adequate working capital. No caution needed for credit transaction. It has above average (strong) capability for payment of interest and principal sums

 

Large

56-70

A

Financial & operational base are regarded healthy. General unfavourable factors will not cause fatal effect. Satisfactory capability for payment of interest and principal sums

 

Fairly Large

41-55

Ba

Overall operation is considered normal. Capable to meet normal commitments.

 

Satisfactory

26-40

B

Unfavourable & favourable factors carry similar weight in credit consideration. Capability to overcome financial difficulties seems comparatively below average.

 

Small

11-25

Ca

Adverse factors are apparent. Repayment of interest and principal sums in default or expected to be in default upon maturity

 

Limited with full security

<10

C

Absolute credit risk exists. Caution needed to be exercised

 

 

Credit not recommended

NR

In view of the lack of information, we have no basis upon which to recommend credit dealings

No Rating

 

 

This score serves as a reference to assess SC’s credit risk and to set the amount of credit to be extended. It is calculated from a composite of weighted scores obtained from each of the major sections of this report. The assessed factors and their relative weights (as indicated through %) are as follows:

 

Financial condition (40%)            Ownership background (20%)                 Payment record (10%)

Credit history (10%)                    Market trend (10%)                                Operational size (10%)

 

 

 

 

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