Vote on bigger role for Japan's military

Two security Bills seeking to expand the role of Japan's Self-Defence Forces will be put to a vote in the Lower House of the Diet today. Backed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the Bills are expected to sail through the House, where he leads a coalition with a more than two-thirds majority. If cleared, the Bills go to the Upper House, which will have until Sept 27 to enact the legislation before the Diet session ends.

Help for SMEs to tackle labour crunch

A non-profit body has been set up to help owners of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) here cope with the labour crunch. The Workforce Advancement Federation will work with the Workforce Development Agency on schemes to help SMEs train their employees and refine human resource policies. Minister of State for Trade and Industry Teo Ser Luck will officially launch the new federation today.

Release of external trade data

Singapore's external trade data for last month will be released today.

The signs do not point to a robust set of figures after non-oil domestic exports unexpectedly fell 0.2 per cent year on year in May. Total shipment of electronics will likely continue its dismal run and offset any potential improvement in the more vibrant but volatile sectors such as pharmaceuticals.