A British man's investment of close to half a million dollars and ambitions of building a company here have become just one more casualty of the coronavirus and the measures taken to counter it.
The man - he wants to be known only as Ben - came here four years ago and started an industrial servicing company.
But business dwindled early this year and eventually came to a stop when circuit breaker measures kicked in.
These have proven almost fatal for the firm, forcing Ben, 57, to pack up and return home today.
"Everyone has this image of foreigners working for big companies with big salaries. But that's not the case for me," said the Employment Pass holder who lives in a rented flat in the north-east of Singapore.
"Because I'm a foreigner, my company has to try to sustain without much support."
The firm, which does metal treatment work for offshore platforms and the oil and gas sector, is unable to carry out any operations and is close to going into the red, said Ben, who is registered as the director.
He has applied for the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) that will help him pay the wages of his sole employee, a Singaporean, for the next few months, but Ben has been unable to draw a salary since the start of the year.
The JSS subsidises a local employee's wages for a period of time.
"The support for Singaporeans, PRs and migrant workers has been outstanding. But it seems that people like me have been left out; I can't seem to find any help," said Ben, adding that he has called multiple government agencies, but many have said they are unable to help his situation.
While there are government-assisted loans available for small-and medium-sized enterprises, Ben is hesitant to apply. "I don't want to be in debt, who knows if I will be able to pay it back?"
His monthly expenses are at least $15,000, including paying his employee, warehouse rent and accounting fees. "And that is if I just breathe and don't eat," he said.
Ben had intended to apply for permanent residency in February, but the virus situation thwarted his plans.
With his savings running low, he has decided to head back to Britain to wait out the pandemic.
"I can't afford to stay; I'm going to run out of money to eat. At least in the UK, I will be with family."
Ben was due to depart early this morning, leaving close to $1 million worth of equipment idle in a rented warehouse.
He was initially hesitant to leave Singapore as this has been his main place of residence for the past few years. His Employment Pass expires in August.
"I plan to return once business can resume, assuming I have not gone bankrupt by then," said Ben, adding that he is aware that the next time he returns, it might be to close the business.
