The maritime sector will be getting extra help to tide it over the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday.
Under the supplementary budget announced in Parliament, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) will grant a 50 per cent concession in port dues for passenger vessels till the end of the year.
The concession, announced last month, was originally due to end in August.
MPA will also be working with the Singapore Cruise Centre to support regional ferry operators. It will provide a 35 per cent rebate to these operators to offset rental fees for overnight berthing of vessels and counter rentals at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.
This is on top of the 15 per cent rebate that the Singapore Cruise Centre has already offered. The rebates will last three months from March.
MPA will also grant the two passenger terminal operators - Singapore Cruise Centre and Sats-Creuers Cruise Services - a full waiver of their public licence fees for the 2019 financial year.
Singapore Cruise Centre manages the HarbourFront Cruise and Ferry Terminal, and the Tanah Merah and Pasir Panjang ferry terminals.
Sats-Creuers Cruise Services is the operator of the Marina Bay Cruise Centre.
Toh Ting Wei
