SINGAPORE, 27 July 2021: Following the tightening of Covid-19 preventative measures, Singapore’s Ministry of Financed announced additional financial support at the weekend for businesses and workers, including those in tourism.
Singapore introduced tightened safe management measures from 22 July 2021 to 18 August 2021 but has pledged financial support of around SGD1.1 billion to cushion the impact on workers and businesses.
This will include enhanced Jobs Support Scheme for affected sectors, rental relief for commercial properties, and an enhanced Covid-19 Driver Relief Fund for taxi and private hire car drivers, support for market and hawker centre stallholders, as well as making the Covid-19 Recovery Grant-Temporary available until end-August.
A core element will enhance the country’s Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) for affected sectors through to 18 August 2021. JSS support will be enhanced to 60% for sectors where the tightened measures require them to suspend many, if not all, of their activities.
These include food & beverage (F&B) businesses, gyms, fitness studios, performing arts organisations and arts education centres.
It will also enhance JSS support to 40% for sectors that are significantly affected by the restrictions. These include the retail sector, affected person care services, tourist attractions, licensed hotels, cruise and regional ferry operators, MICE organisers, travel agents, museums, art galleries, cinema operators and other family entertainment centres.
To support taxi and private hire car drivers, the government will enhance the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund (CDRF) until the end of September 2021. Currently, CDRF provides eligible drivers with SGD10/vehicle/day for 60 days from July 2021 and SGD5/vehicle/day for the next 30 days. Under this latest enhancement, eligible drivers will receive an additional SGD10/vehicle/day through to 31 August and an additional SGD5/vehicle/day in September.
Hawkers and market stallholders whose livelihoods have been adversely affected are eligible for one-off cash assistance of SGD500 per stallholder.
