The Business Times
Paige Lim

Paige Lim

CORRESPONDENT

Paige is a reporter with The Business Times, covering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and macroeconomics. She previously worked in marketing communications and contributed film features on a freelance basis.

emailpaigelim@sph.com.sg
email@PaigeLimBT
The progressive wage model covers lower-wage sectors such as cleaning, security, retail, food services and waste management.

About 1 in 5 eligible employees not paid in line with Progressive Wage standards: MOM

The ministry does not, however, track training or working hour requirements by the various Progressive Wage Model sectors

Retail food establishments include restaurants; cafes; fast food outlets; food courts; hawker centres; coffee shops and canteens; food and drinks kiosks mainly for takeaway and delivery; pubs; stalls selling cooked food and prepared drinks; and food caterers.

Of F&B closures in 2025, 82% of those registered for up to 5 years had never made a profit: MTI

From Jan 1 to Oct 23, there were 3,357 new retail food establishments and 2,431 closures, going by data from Acra

Beyond Agoda's case, MOM has not received any complaints on clauses discouraging workers from approaching the authorities or unions over the last three years.

Agoda layoffs: Clauses that deter workers from going to authorities ‘should not be included’

MOM does not proactively monitor severance agreements but will investigate upon complaints, says Manpower Minister Tan See Leng

Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said the government “is mindful not to over-regulate and be intrusive into private contractual agreements” between employers and workers.

MOM reviewing NTUC’s call for employers to give advance notice of retrenchments: Tan See Leng

This comes in the wake of online travel booking platform Agoda’s recent layoffs

To prevent workers and employers from being embroiled in litigation and facing high legal costs, workplace discrimination claims will mainly be heard in the Employment Claims Tribunals.

Singapore aims for workplace fairness law to kick in end-2027, from previous estimate of ‘2026 to 2027’

The government will step up education and outreach efforts in the meantime, says Manpower Minister Tan See Leng

The electronics sector PMI declined 0.3 point to 50.4 in October, compared to a reading of 50.7 in the month before.

Singapore factory activity dips to neutral in October as electronics expansion slows

The overall purchasing managers’ index is down 0.1 point to 50

This year's Orchard Road Christmas light-up will take place from Nov 8 to Jan 1, 2026.

Orchard Road Christmas light-up ‘on track’ for higher visitorship this year, possibly from more tourists

STB has projected international visitor arrivals to hit 17 million to 18.5 million in 2025

Pixgeneric / Generic photograph of shoppers buying canned food and groceries at Giant Tampines Hypermarket on Aug 19, 2025. Can be used for stories on budget, inflation, food security, agriculture, farming, supermarket, local, demand and supply, food resilience, retail, Cold Storage Singapore, import, consumer, produce, product, price, business, income and money. 

Singapore’s core inflation inches up to 0.4% in September, above forecasts

Headline inflation picks up to 0.7%, from 0.5% in August

American ginseng on display at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai in 2024. It is the world’s first import-themed expo held at the national level.

SBF to lead 57 Singapore companies to take part in 8th China International Import Expo

Since 2018, local firms have generated over S$533 million in trade value by participating in the fair

When BT visited Eccellente by Hao Mart at Taste Orchard on Sunday, the shelves and freezers on Level 2 had been entirely emptied of stock.

Hao Mart proposes settlement to Taste Orchard tenants, asks for details of unamortised unit fit-out costs

They will also have their security deposits refunded, and have been asked to provide estimated reinstatement amounts, with waivers subject to assessment

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