FEBRUARYASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK9NEWSROOMINDONESIA ADVANCES TO B40 BIODIESEL WITH 40% PALM OIL BLENDSingapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced that the number of travelers entering and leaving Singapore in 2024 increased by nearly 20% compared to 2023, surpassing pre-COVID levels recorded in 2019. ICA cleared over 230 million travelers in 2024, up from around 192 million in 2023 and exceeding the 217.3 million recorded in 2019.The surge in traveler numbers was largely driven by a significant increase in land checkpoint crossings, which accounted for more than 75% of total traveler volume. On December 20, 2024, land crossings hit a record high, with over 562,000 travelers passing through the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints in a single day.To enhance border security and streamline immigration clearance, ICA introduced several innovations in 2024, including passport-free clearance for Singapore residents at major checkpoints and automated clearance for all foreign visitors. As of January 31, 2025, approximately 47 million travelers have cleared immigration without presenting passports. ICA highlighted that Singapore is likely the first country in the world to implement automated clearance for all travelers.The full rollout of passport-less clearance at Changi Airport has significantly improved efficiency, reducing the average clearance time per traveler by 60%, from 25 seconds to 10 seconds. At land checkpoints, travelers arriving and departing by car or motorcycle can now use QR codes instead of passports, cutting immigration clearance time by more than 30%.While traveler volume surged, cargo volume declined by 5.8% in 2024 due to a continued drop in parcel clearances since 2021. The volume of low-value goods also decreased by 9.4% over the same period. After some delays at the beginning of the year, Indonesia anticipates that its B40 biodiesel program will be fully implemented next month, according to Eniya Listiani Dewi, an official in the energy ministry.As of Friday, the amount of palm oil-based biodiesel distributed this year was around 1.2 million kiloliters, Eniya Listiani Dewi said.The percentage of biodiesel that is made from palm oil has increased from 35 percent (B35), which was the previous level that was enforced in January 2023, to 40 percent (B40) in the B40 stage of the biodiesel program. Conventional diesel makes up the remaining 60% of the blend.Fuel distributors were allowed till the end of February as a transition time since Indonesia had intended to debut on January 1st but encountered some delays because of regulatory concerns. Eniya stated that the changeover period would not be extended.Indonesia, the world's biggest palm oil producer, has allocated 15.6 million KL of biodiesel for distribution in 2025. SINGAPORE TOURISM LEVELS SURPASS PRE-COVID LEVELS
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