Everything About the New Support Package During P2HA, Whereby Hawkers Will Each Receive $500 Cash

If your business requires people to leave their homes, you’ve probably suffered huge losses during the pandemic.

Eateries, companies offering chauffeur services, KTV lounges, and exercise facilities have seen their revenue decline significantly thanks to the impact of COVID-19.

Fortunately, the government is stepping in once again to help.

Everything About the New Support Package During P2HA

A new S$1.1 billion support package to cushion the financial blow of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) will be provided to affected businesses and workers.

The package was announced by the Ministry of Finance in a press release today (23 July).

As you know, under Phase 2 (HA), dining out is restricted, strenuous exercise in indoor facilities suspended, and caps on social gatherings and household visitors reduced.

Phase 2 (HA), implemented for the second time in three months, has frustrated both business owners and workers who were just getting back to work as more restrictions were being eased.

To support these businesses and workers, the government put together a package partly funded by money set aside earlier in the event of extension of support measures,” MOF said.

So, what are these measures?

Hawkers Will Each Receive $500 Cash

In the past week or so, several markets and hawker centres have been ordered to close after cases of COVID-19 infection were found there.

What’s more, dining out is not allowed during Phase 2 (HA), meaning hawkers will lose even more revenue.

Previously, the government announced an additional one-month of subsidies for fees for table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing services, as well as one-month of rental waivers for stallholders in hawker centres and markets managed by the NEA or NEA-appointed operators.

Now, the authorities have introduced a new Market and Hawker Centre Relief Fund.

Under this fund, all stallholders of cooked food and market stalls in centres managed by NEA or NEA-appointed operators will receive a one-off cash assistance of S$500 each.

Enhanced JSS for Affected Sectors

For the period of Phase 2 (HA) – 22 July to 18 Aug – the government will also enhance the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) for affected sectors.

In sectors where tightened measures require businesses to suspend many, if not all, of their activities, the JSS will be enhanced to 60%.

These sectors include food & beverage (F&B) businesses, gyms, fitness studios, performing arts organisations, and arts education centres.

Other sectors which are significantly affected by the new measures will have their JSS enhanced to 40%.

These sectors include:

• retail
• affected personal care services
• tourist attractions
• licensed hotels
• cruise and regional ferry operators
• MICE organisers
• travel agents
• museums
• art galleries
• cinema operators
• other family entertainment centres

JSS support for these sectors will taper to 10% from 19 to 31 August 2021, MOF said.

Extended COVID-19 Recovery Grant-Temporary

Workers impacted by the tightened measures will be pleased to know that the government is also extending the COVID-19 Recovery Grant-Temporary until 31 Aug 2021, nearly two weeks after Phase 2 (HA) ends.

The grant provides:

• a payout of up to S$700 for those who were placed on involuntary no-pay leave
• a payout of up to S$500 for those who lost at least 50% of their income for at least one month due to tightened measures since 16 May 2021

Those who previously applied for a payout can apply for a second one if they still need financial assistance, MOF said.

Other Measures

In addition, the support package will provide rental relief for commercial properties, an extension of the Food Delivery Booster Package, and a continuation of the E-commerce Booster Package.

The authorities will also enhance the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund from 22 July to 30 September 2021.

At the moment, the fund provides eligible drivers with S$10 per vehicle daily for 60 days from July 2021, and S$5 per vehicle each day for the next 30 days.

With the new support package, eligible drivers will receive an additional S$10 per vehicle daily from 22 July to 31 August 2021, and an additional S$5 per vehicle each day in September 2021.

Businesses Called For More Financial Relief

Days ago, after the tightened measures were announced, several business associations called upon the government for more rental relief, wage support, and loan moratoriums during Phase 2 (HA).

The F&B industry was one sector that was of particular concern.

Fortunately, it seems that their call has been answered.

In its press release, MOF said: “In putting together this support package, the Government has taken into account the feedback from workers and businesses, and engaged business and trade association leaders to understand their concerns.”

Read Also:

• Ong Ye Kung: KTV Visitors Not the Reason for New COVID-19 Restrictions
• S$32M in JSS & JGI Payouts Denied to 1,300 Employers in Mar 2021

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