Singapore extends relief measures for maritime firms, seafarers till June 2021

SOME relief measures under the MaritimeSG Together Package will be extended to continue supporting the more affected sectors in the maritime industry as they cope with the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Tuesday said it will extend certain measures under the package to June 30, 2021, bringing the cumulative amount of support to S$33 million.

The package was introduced in May this year to assist companies and individuals during the pandemic, and would have expired after Dec 31, 2020.

MPA is extending measures such as:

Other measures that were not extended will cease with effect from Jan 1, 2021.

As passenger volumes remain low due to the pandemic, MPA will continue to offer economic relief to passenger-vessel owners and operators, as well as passenger terminal operators.

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This will entail the extension of a 50 per cent port-dues concession for passenger-carrying vessels, which include regional ferries and cruise ships with a port stay of not more than five days.

A 50 per cent rebate on counter rental for regional ferry service operators at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal (TMFT) and on overnight berthing fees for their ferries at both TMFT and Regional Ferry Terminal at HarbourFront Centre will also be available till next June.

The 100 per cent waiver of public licence fees for passenger terminal operators - SATS-Creuers and Singapore Cruise Centre - in FY2019 will be extended for one more year, for FY2020.

For maritime companies facing challenges in managing their cash flows and meeting financial obligations, MPA will further extend credit terms of up to an additional 45 days (beyond the existing 30-day standard credit terms) until next June.

To encourage more people to upskill and reskill, the statutory board will also make available for another six months the Internship Reimbursement Scheme and the increased co-funding support under selected Maritime Cluster Fund programmes.

Meanwhile, seafarers are facing uncertainty due to increased border-control measures and crew-change restrictions during the Covid-19 period. The Seafarers Relief Package will thus be extended for eligible Singaporean seafarers who are unable to secure shipboard employment between Jan 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021. They can apply to receive up to S$700 per month in financial assistance, for a maximum of six months.

This is meant to support some 500 Singaporean seafarers working behind the scenes to enable continued seaborne trade, MPA said in a press statement.

The Achievement Award scheme will be extended for a year, till Dec 31, 2021. The scheme rewards eligible Singaporean and Singapore permanent resident seafarers up to S$10,000 for obtaining the Singapore-issued Certificate of Competency 1 and thereafter accumulating at least six months of working experience onboard vessels as senior shipboard management.

"This will encourage more seafarers to build up their proficiencies to assume key shore roles such as marine and technical superintendents," MPA noted.

Quah Ley Hoon, chief executive of MPA, said that the disruption from the coronavirus pandemic has affected businesses, jobs and individuals, with some in the maritime industry still facing challenges.

The statutory board "is committed to support maritime companies, individuals and Singaporean seafarers through the extension of our relief measures so that Maritime Singapore can continue to remain resilient", she added.