CITY Developments Limited (CDL) will be rolling out support initiatives for its tenants in light of the recently heightened Phase 2 restrictions. This includes providing more flexibility in rental payments for tenants facing severe cash flow issues, the real estate company announced on Tuesday.

According to CDL, the company has committed over S$40 million in property tax and rental rebates to tenants in Singapore and overseas since the beginning of the pandemic last year.

CDL will also provide marketing and operational support through its online retail and food delivery platform CDL eMall. This includes the absorption of its onboarding cost, zero commission charges and free delivery services.

The company launched CDL eMall at end-2020 to provide its tenants at City Square Mall, Palais Renaissance and Republic Plaza with an alternative sales channel, extend their customer reach and enhance their online presence.

Starting May 19, CDL will also extend the grace period for delivery drivers at City Square Mall to 30 minutes.

"As the fight against Covid-19 pushes on with the latest tightening of measures under Phase 2's heightened alert, CDL has begun reaching out to affected tenants, starting with those most adversely impacted," said Yvonne Ong, chief executive officer for commercial at CDL.

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In compliance with the government's latest guidelines on reduced capacity at malls - from one person per 10 square metres (sq m) to one person per 16 sq m - CDL has also redirected its traffic flow to a few designated entrances, which implement TraceTogether-only entry.

"We are better positioned to manage the situation as compared to a year ago and will work closely with our tenants to navigate the challenges together, through adjusting our operations and rendering necessary assistance and support during this time," added Ms Ong.

With almost 400 tenants, CDL's Singapore retail segment accounts for 34 per cent of its commercial portfolio net lettable area.