Daily Briefing: Singapore eyes testing new contracting models; How F&B players can survive and thrive

And here are 8 REITs worth investing in this year.

From PropertyGuru via Yahoo!: In a bid to reduce occurrences of design reworks that lead to wastage and inefficiency, the government is considering to test collaborative contracting models for its construction projects. At present, most of the public contractual arrangements in Singapore follow work procedures that are linear in nature. “So the risks are passed down from owner (and) developer to architect, to engineer, to the contractor and then to the sub-contractor,” said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong. Given that the requirements of the construction project are becoming more complex and varied, Wong feels that the current work process is “outdated”.

From Vulcan Post via Yahoo!: Singapore is known to be a foodie paradise, so it’s no surprise that there are tons of food and beverage (F&B) joints popping up all over the island every other month. That’s also probably why many F&B properties tend to spend a great deal of time and money refining food preparation techniques, menu selection, and even restaurant decor. Yet, they often ignore the area that can have the biggest impact on their business – technology. In 2015, SPRING has reported that almost half (40%) of F&B establishments don’t survive beyond 5 years of operation – a pretty depressing percentage, given how glamourous opening a new F&B business can sometimes be made out to be.

From Zuu Online via Yahoo!: Lippo Malls Indonesia Retail Trust is a pure-play retail REIT, with all the underlying mall portfolios located in prime districts in high growth nation Indonesia. Buying into this REIT effectively allows investors to gain access to rising wages and disposable income growth in Indonesia where all the combined factors translate into higher spending at prime malls. Check out the other seven REITs worth investing for.