SINGAPORE on Friday announced S$650 million in support for sectors expected to be significantly affected by restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19.

"We had all hoped that we could put these restrictions behind us," said Finance Minister and Covid-19 taskforce co-chair Lawrence Wong. "But the reality is that with the current infection trajectory, our healthcare system and our health care workers are facing many pressures. And that's why we had to make this very difficult decision to apply some brakes, and to slow down the rate of transmission."

A large portion of this sum will go towards an enhancement of the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS), increasing wage support for employers.

"We recognize that businesses will be impacted by these restrictions," Mr Wong said. "They are not the same as the heightened alert restrictions because businesses can still open, but with the reduction of group sizes there will be an impact on F&B, retail and other businesses that are dependent on footfall."

Affected businesses in some sectors will get wage support of 25 per cent under the JSS from Sept 27 through to Oct 24.

These sectors include F&B, retail, cinemas, museums, art galleries, historical sites, family entertainment, gyms and fitness studios, and performing arts and arts education.

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The wage support will also be extended to qualifying licensed hotels, licensed travel agents, gated tourist attractions, cruise operators, regional ferry operators and MICE organisers.

In addition, the government will provide a two-week rental waiver for qualifying tenants on government-owned commercial properties.

Qualifying tenant-occupiers and owner occupiers of privately-owned commercial properties will also be given a two-week rental relief cash payout under the Rental Support Scheme (RSS).

These support measures will offset rent for half the duration of the stabilisation phase, Mr Wong said.

Cooked food and market stallholders in centres managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) or NEA-appointed operators will also receive a two-week rental waiver.

Meanwhile, the Covid-19 Driver Relief Fund payout will be extended to taxi and private hire car drivers at S$10 and S$5 per vehicle per day in October and November 2021, respectively.

Mr Wong said the support measures announced on Friday will be funded from higher-than-expected revenues collected to date, and there will be no further draw on past reserves.

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