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JCB starts Red Guahan Shuttle Free Ride Campaign in Guam

TOKYO, Jan 23, 2023 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., Japan's only international payment brand, and T.P. Micronesia, Inc. (Lam Lam Tours and Transportation), one of the JTB Corp. group companies, start "Red Guahan Shuttle Free Ride Campaign" in Guam from January 23 to May 22, 2023. JCB offers beneficial campaigns and convenient services to JCB cardmembers across the world. For more information, please visit JCB Special Offers. https://www.specialoffers.jcb/en/From January 23 to May 23, 2023, JCB provides a free ride on the Tumon Shuttle route of the Red Guahan Shuttle that connects Guam's major shopping centers, Micronesia Mall and Guam Premier Outlets, via the hotel district. JCB cardmembers simply present JCB Cards[1] to the driver when you board the bus to get free ride. This campaign is eligible for up to two passengers, the cardmember and one accompanying passenger[2]. For more information, please visit: https://www.specialoffers.jcb/en/campaign/detail/red_shuttle_bus/60029/About Red Guahan ShuttleThe Red Guahan Shuttle is a fixed route bus service that provides transportation in Guam, connecting Guam's hotel districts to places such as major shopping centers, the famous Two Lovers Point with its spectacular view, and the Chamorro Village Night Market held every Wednesday night.About Lam Lam Tours and TransportationLam Lam Tours and Transportation is a bus company established in 1975 that owns a fleet of large buses, limousines, trolleys, and other vehicles and provides a variety of transportation services in Guam, including the Red Guahan Shuttle, shuttles between the airport and hotels, and chartered buses.About JCBJCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes about 41 million merchants around the world. JCB Cards are now issued mainly in Asian countries and territories, with more than 150 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase its merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/ContactAyaka NakajimaCorporate CommunicationsTel: +81-3-5778-8353Email: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jp[1] Prepaid cards and virtual cards are not eligible.[2] Those who are not eligible must purchase a ticket. (Children 5 years old and under travel free of charge) Copyright 2023 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

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CTG DUTY-FREE HK Public Offering Has Been Fully Applied with High Multiple Order Coverage From International Placing

HONG KONG, Aug 18, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - On August 15, 2022, China Tourism Group Duty Free Corporation Limited ("CTG DUTY FREE") launched its global offering of H shares. CTG DUTY-FREE recently held its H-share global offering press conference in Beijing to officially launch its global offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Mr. Peng Hui, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director; Mr. Chen Guoqiang, Executive Director and General Manager; Mr. Wang Xuan, Executive Director and Standing Deputy General Manager; Mr. Chang Zhujun, Deputy General Manager, Secretary to the Board and Joint Company Secretary, and Mr. Yu Hui, General Accountant, attended the press conference and had communicated with reporters from domestic and international media.At the press conference, the representative of the Company's sponsors provided an overview of the global offering to the media. CTG DUTY-FREE plans to issue approximately 103 million H Shares under the stock code of 1880.HK. The offer price range is HK$143.5 to HK$165.5 per H Share, and the offering starts on August 15, 2022.The Company has successfully procured nine cornerstone investors, including China State-Owned Enterprise Mixed Ownership Reform Fund Co., Ltd., AMOREPACIFIC Group, COSCO Shipping (Hong Kong) Co., Limited, Rongshi International Holding Company Limited, Shanghai Airport Investment Corporation Limited, Luzhou Laojiao Co., Ltd., China Structural Reform Fund Corporation Limited, Hainan Free Trade Port Construction Investment Fund Co., Ltd., and The Oaktree Funds.The management of CTG DUTY-FREE stated that to consolidate its leading position as the world's largest travel retail operator, the Company will continue to build competitive barriers in its existing business and maintain its industry leadership through ongoing efforts to develop offshore duty-free business, expand traditional retail channels in China, and further develop high-quality duty-paid merchandise sales. The Company will actively expand new business and explore more profit growth opportunities, such as building more integrated travel retail complexes, opening downtown duty-free stores ahead of competitors, and exploring overseas channels. The Company will also reinforce its competitive advantages by deepening the relationship with upstream suppliers and domestic and overseas channels through the capital operation. For example, it will expand the upstream supply chain through direct cooperation with upstream brands or direct investment while seeking acquisition opportunities in domestic and overseas markets. The Company will further strengthen its core capabilities, including operation management, procurement capability, supply chain management (logistics and distribution system), information system management and digitalization and marketing capabilities to achieve continuous development. In addition, the Company will attract and retain top-notch strategic talents to preserve corporate human resources.Concerning the H-share offering, the Company's management also responded to the concerns of the media and investors.Regarding the possible positive influences of listing in Hong Kong, the management indicated that globalization is one of the key strategic goals for the Company's long-term development. Hong Kong features an open and mature capital market, which international investors have widely recognized for many years. The listing in Hong Kong will bring three benefits to the Company. First, it will help further enhance the Company's brand influence and visibility in the international market and support the Company in consolidating its leadership as a global travel retail operator. Second, it will facilitate the Company's construction on both domestic and overseas financing platforms and promote its further development with support from domestic and overseas capitals. Third, it will build up the Company's capital barriers and enables the Company to allocate more funding to the construction of projects such as Haikou International Duty Free Complex, Site II, Phase I of Sanya International Duty Free Complex, and downtown duty free stores. Fourth, it will promote the Company's globalization and continuous expansion of overseas business.Regarding whether CTG DUTY-FREE will open stores in travel destinations for Chinese consumers, the Company mentioned that since its establishment in 1984, it had expanded its business operation around the changing consumer patterns and needs. An increasing number of Chinese people are travelling abroad, and Chinese tourists have become a significant consumer group in the global duty free and travel retail industry. Previously, the Company opened and operated nine overseas duty free stores following the footprints of Chinese tourists, all of which have achieved good results. Next, the Company will continue to open stores in popular destinations among Chinese travelers, its major consumer group, to enhance the Company's performance and generate better investment returns for shareholders.Concerning the impact of the recent COVID-19 pandemic in Hainan province on CTG DUTY-FREE, the Company commented that the influence was only an effect and will not have a more significant effect on the Company's operation in the mid to long term. From 2021 and March to May 2022, Hainan and Shanghai have suffered from COVID-19 resurgence one after another. In the face of challenges, the Company made comprehensive efforts offline and online to ensure a stable business operation. Specifically, the overall passenger foot traffic in Hainan Province in 2021 was only 97.4% of the pre-pandemic level. Still, the Company generated revenue of RMB47.1 billion in Hainan, 3.5 times the corresponding revenue in 2019. In addition, from March to May 2022, the Company's operations were impacted by the epidemic to a certain extent, but the Company's operations have recovered rapidly since late May. Since June, the Company's monthly sales have improved significantly, and the revenue in June increased 13% year-on-year. Moreover, in the first half of 2022, the gross margin of the Company's core business improved by 5.5 percentage points compared with the second half of 2021 and remained stable. Looking ahead to the second half of this year and afterward, the Company is expected to successfully launch several new projects, including Haikou International Duty Free Complex and Site II, Phase I of Sanya International Duty Free Complex, which will assist the Company's business expansion. Moreover, for the mid and long term, the Company has already made a full deployment in downtown stores and port stores, which will also contribute to the Company's revenue growth in the future.The Hong Kong Public Offering was closed at noon on 18 August 2022. It is said that the Hong Kong Public Offering has been fully applied, and the reactions from both retail investors and margin are positive. It is also said that the Company's international placing was fully covered within an hour after the opening of the book building last Friday. Prior to that, best-known international and Chinese institutions have actively placed orders to participate in the Company's global offering of H shares. The information said a high multiple order coverage was achieved within two days. Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

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ComfortDelGro offers accident-cum-Covid-19 insurance for passengers

SINGAPORE - Leading taxi operator ComfortDelGro has introduced a paid insurance scheme against accidents and Covid-19 for passengers who book a fixed-fare cab via its phone app. For 30 cents per ride, passengers using ComfortRide - the taxi giant's equivalent of non-metered fares offered by private-hire companies - are covered for accidents which result in death or permanent total disability, with payouts of up to $50,000. The cover is for 24 hours from the time they board a Comfort or CityCab taxi. The plan also offers a $500 payout for anyone who takes a Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction test and tests positive within 14 days from the date of the ride. ComfortDelGro told The Straits Times that two-thirds of all of its taxi rides are via ComfortRide now, which means metered fares - once the mainstay of taxi operators - make up the minority now. The dual-pronged insurance cover is an industry first here. Private-hire operators such as Grab, Gojek and Ryde have been offering their passengers accident insurance for some time now, but none have paired it with Covid-19 coverage. While accident insurance offered by the private-hire operators is free of charge, none offer cover which extends hours beyond the duration of a commute. These companies also charge a "platform fee" starting from 30 cents, while ComfortRide does not. ComfortDelGro's policy is underwritten by HL Assurance, and can be activated via the ComfortDelGro Taxi app. ComfortDelGro said on Wednesday (Oct 20) that it will offer the insurance free of charge "for a limited time period". The company would not say how long this period is but that it would review it "depending on demand". ComfortDelGro Taxi chief executive Ang Wei Neng said: "Covid-19 is not going away soon. As the only point-to point-transport operator to offer this insurance, we hope it will give our passengers peace of mind when they travel on board our taxis - and even thereafter." More on this topic   Related Story Great Eastern offers free Covid-19 protection coverage for S'pore residents   Related Story Motor insurers in S'pore back in the black as road accidents taper during Covid-19 lockdown

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Queues form early for free masks on morning of Temasek Foundation’s fifth distribution exercise

SINGAPORE - People began queueing for free masks early on Thursday morning (Aug 26) as Temasek Foundation kicked off its fifth Stay Prepared initiative. Each household can collect 50 medical-grade surgical masks and 25 N95 respirator masks at selected malls and supermarket outlets islandwide from Thursday to Sept 26. The exercise was announced earlier this month and initially scheduled to start after National Day. However, it was pushed back to Aug 26 to give participating organisations more time to test the distribution system. On Thursday morning, over at Lot One shopping mall in Choa Chu Kang, signs were placed in the mall to direct people to a collection point at the customer service counter on the second floor. Some people began queueing for the masks before 10am, and mall staff could be seen directing the early birds to come back later, or to scan a QR code and join a virtual queue. One such early bird was retired typist Madam Tan, who arrived at the mall around 9.30am. "I came because (I thought) people may be kiasu, I was worried people would come and queue early," said the retired typist, who declined to give her full name. She said that when she had previously tried to collect free Vitamin D supplements during Temasek Foundation's distribution exercise in March this year, supplies had run out by the second day, so she thought it best to arrive early for this month's mask distribution exercise. Other seniors in the queue could be seen telling one another about their experiences with previous distribution exercises and why they were staying to wait. Retired seamstress Chong Fong Xing, 71, said she felt the distribution exercise was a convenient way for people to get their masks. "The staff told us to go home and come back later, but it's troublesome, so we might as well stay here," she said, adding that she was happy to wait. Meanwhile at Junction 8 mall in Bishan, the situation was less organised. Checks by The Straits Times found only one generic banner placed along the main walkway, with no clear instructions on where people should go to pick up the masks. Most of those in line were seniors, some of whom were unhappy about having to wait to collect their masks. Retiree Mr Low, 68, said he felt that communication about where to collect the masks had been poor. He added that staff should have been more flexible about allowing people to collect the masks before the 11am collection time. More on this topic   Related Story askST: What is a mask with 'higher filtration capability' and how do I select one?   Related Story How often do you wash your mask? This is how a mask worn for 6 hours looks like "The majority of us are senior citizens. There are at least 10 of us here now... Why can't they let us collect the masks? The (staff member) is already waiting at the counter. "Have some discretion, flexibility and compassion for people. If we come early, let us collect the (masks)," he said, adding that a majority of those in line were retirees going for their morning shopping. Additional reporting by Timothy Goh

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Steady queue at supermarkets, pharmacies for free oximeter on first day of collection

SINGAPORE - A steady queue formed at various supermarkets and pharmacies on Monday (July 5) morning, the first day of the distribution of free oximeters to every household to curb Covid-19 infection spread. The device, given out by Temasek Foundation, checks the oxygen level in the blood to detect early signs of a deterioration in health. It is meant to help the nation manage the spread of new and more infectious variants of the Covid-19 virus. When The Straits Times visited supermarkets and pharmacies in Bishan, Clementi and Serangoon on Monday morning, a steady stream of 10 people were in line at each outlet. Most of the people who collected their oximeters are either the elderly, or family members with seniors or children at home. Housewife Elaine Lee, 70, who was collecting her oximeter at Guardian in Junction 8, said that her husband , also 70, is sick. The device will help to monitor their health. "I got this so we will be less worried," she said. Housewife Anna Tan, 73, who was collecting her oximeter at Unity in Clementi Mall said she could not be vaccinated. "After a health screen, I was identified to have possible allergies to the vaccine...I want to get the oximeter for peace of mind," she said. Housewife Joe Kashi, 44, said she is worried for her three young children as Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have not yet been approved for children under the age of 12. "I'm worried because there are new Covid-19 variants, which can be especially contagious," she said. Student Sahana Rajendrakumar, 16, who was collecting her oximeter at Watsons in Clementi Mall said her parents are in their 40s and 50s. Although they have been vaccinated, she is still concerned for their health. "Vaccination does not guarantee 100 per cent immunity. The oximeter can be a good way to check if oxygen levels drop to a low level, and get to the hospital faster," she said. Collection of the devices will last until Aug 5 at the more than 300 FairPrice, Sheng Siong, Giant, Cold Storage, Watsons, Unity and Guardian outlets. Leaflets were distributed in the letter boxes of every household between June 28 and July 3 to allow each to receive one device. However, some residents had mistakenly thrown out the leaflets, which is the only way for claiming the device. Temasek Foundation said it was not able to issue new ones. On Monday (July 5), some pharmacies had to turn away people who tried to collect the oximeters without the leaflet. A part-time sales assistant at Guardian in Junction 8, who only wants to be known as Ms Rinah, said that one person tried to use his NRIC to collect the oximeter this morning but was turned away. "No instructions have been given so far on how to help those without their brochures," Ms Rinah said. More on this topic   Related Story Each household in S'pore to get one oximeter to monitor blood oxygen levels   Related Story Residents appeal for new redemption leaflets for free oximeter ST understands that another pharmacy at Clementi Mall had to turn away six peolple who did not bring their leaflet. Retiree ST Quek, 68, said he had initially thought the Temasek leaflet was only an information pamplet. Mr Quek, who was collecting his oximeter at Cold Storage in Nex, said: "Perhaps the NRIC can be used to track which household has collected the device." Additional reporting by Cha Hae Won, Gabrielle Ng and Joyanne Li

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E-sports: Singapore to host US$2 million Free Fire World Series

SINGAPORE - Bigger and richer e-sports events are firing their way into Singapore, as local publisher and game developer Garena announced on Friday (March 19) that the Free Fire World Series 2021 Singapore (FFWS 2021 SG) will be held here in May. It is the third e-sports tournament that will take place in Singapore this year after January's Mobile Legends: Bang Bang M2 World Championship and the upcoming One Esports Dota 2 Singapore Major Presented By PGL, which starts next Saturday and ends on April 4. The latest event boasts a prize pool of US$2 million (S$2.7 million), making it the richest to be held this year. The M2 World Championship had a prize pool of US$300,000, while the One Esports Dota 2 Singapore Major will hand out a total of US$500,000. The event is supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and will be organised in collaboration with various industry experts and organisations, including the Singapore Cybersports and Online Gaming Association (SCOGA). Free Fire is a battle royale mobile game developed by Garena and the world series will see 22 teams from 14 regions within the game's ecosystem competing for the title. The regions are Singapore, Bangladesh, India, Latin America, Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan, Europe, Thailand, Taiwan, Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States, Middle East and North Africa, as well as Malaysia and Cambodia and Philippines. The tournament will take place in two stages: the play-ins on May 22 and finals on May 29. The play-ins will feature 12 teams who placed either first or second in their regional-level tournaments. The top two teams from the play-ins will then join the top 10 seeds from each regional-level tournament in the final. The series here marks the physical return of the Free Fire tournament after Covid-19 forced it to move online last year. The previous edition of the FFWS was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2019 and was watched by more than two million online viewers at its peak - then the world record for a mobile e-sports tournament. Garena's global e-sports manager Justin Lye said: "We know how highly anticipated the World Series is to our players and fans, so we've been working together with the relevant authorities to ensure we give them the biggest Free Fire tournament we've ever hosted. "Safety has been and will continue to be our biggest priority as we carry out the event." Jean Ng, the STB's executive director for attractions, entertainment and tourism concept development, said: "We are proud to support our homegrown gaming company Garena as they prepare for FFWS 2021 SG - one of the world's leading e-sports tournaments. Free Fire Esports in 2021 | Free Fire E-sports "The return of such events testify to Singapore's growing reputation as an e-sports destination, as well as our ability to host such events safely." SCOGA co-founder Nicholas Khoo believes that hosting an event like this will be a boon for Singapore's e-sports ambitions, adding: "This is definitely a milestone event and we are looking forward to hosting all the participants safely." More on this topic   Related Story E-sports: NTUC Club steps up community gaming outreach with eight-team invitational   Related Story The Business of Sport: Potential of e-sports 'limitless', say co-founders of local sports media agency

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Cash Frenzy became the fastest-growing free slots game, ranked Top3 in card category

Cash Frenzy is one of the most popular free slot games worldwide. Up to Oct. 2020, this Dark horse of free slots game has been staying on Top 3  grossing games in Google Play store and Top 10 in Apple store for more than one year. 10M+ download with 4.7 rate and 709k+ comment after launched only 2 years means Cash Frenzy becomes the fastest-growing free Vegas slots game in the intensely competitive Slots Game market. Cash Frenzy was first released at Aug.2018, ranked Top 10 on both IOS store and Google Play store in 2019, then have seen explosive growth during the beginning of 2020. As the developer Phoenix Studio said:' We are dedicated to provide joyful and immersive experience for both slot lovers and casual players. Especially in this special period, we hope our game can be a consolation for all the people who need entertainment and pleasure。As our group and our games are always aiming to be 'Playercentric' .' Slots game is quite special than any other game industry. It has to obey the classic Vegas slots rules to offer the players sense of security, at the main time, it has to output original and attractive design to preserve the clients. 'We kept add new slots machines and optimize our app weekly. As we have numerous themes and different slots，players will always find their favorite free slots games.'As Phoenix Studio said'The last thing we want is to find players get bored with our slots.' The latest dates from Sensor Tower shows that Cash Frenzy was downloaded more than 600K times, achieved 11 million dollars worldwide in Oct, 1.4K+ positive rates during last 3 months.The exquisite game design, superior algorithm and efficient services makes this young free slots game climbs faster than any other.   About Cash Frenzy Cash Frenzy is a free slots game online focused on slots machines, which keeps in Top 10 Grossing card games steadily. It is designed for entertainment purpose, players can reach all the slots games for free. The developer of Cash frenzy believed that even without purchases, players can reach the exciting feelings as they are sitting in the presence of a Vegas slots machine.   Google Play: Cash Frenzy Amazon App Store: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JHXZZKS Huawei AppGallery: https://appgallery.huawei.com/#/app/C101118909     Media contact Company Name: Phoenix Studio City, State, Country: Hong Kong Address: No. 111 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, Hongkong Contact Person: Paul Zhang Tele: 852 60970745 Website: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1404165333

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SFA directs recall of 2 ‘gluten-free’ cereal products for containing the protein

SINGAPORE - Two cereal products which are labelled as gluten-free are being recalled for containing the protein, said the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on Tuesday (Nov 3). The products - Blue Frog Zesty Raspberry with Coconut & Toasted Almonds Gluten Free Cereal and Blue Frog Apricot with Vanilla & Hemp Heart Gluten Free Cereal - were imported into Singapore by Home & Health Distributors. SFA has instructed the Singapore-based importer to recall these products after government agency Food Standards Australia New Zealand stated that they were recalled in the two countries for containing an undeclared gluten allergen. The affected raspberry cereal packages bear the best-before dates of Feb 13, 2021, to Aug 6, 2021. The apricot cereal packets bear the best-before dates of Feb 19, 2021, to Aug 6, 2021. Those who are allergic to gluten should not eat these cereal products and seek medical advice if they have concerns, added the agency. Under the Sale of Food Act, cereals containing gluten must be clearly labelled to protect public health. Consumers can contact the importer on 9160-9443 for an exchange or refund of the affected products. More on this topic   Related Story SFA recalls peaches from US due to possible salmonella contamination   Related Story SFA recalls mushroom products with excessive sulphur dioxide levels

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