Over $400m in JSS payouts for employers from Dec 31

About 24,400 employers will receive wage support payouts totalling more than $400 million from Dec 31 under the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS).

These payouts will support the wages of more than 380,000 local employees, the Ministry of Finance and the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) said in a joint statement yesterday.

With this payout, more than $28 billion of JSS support would have been disbursed since the introduction of the scheme at the Unity Budget in February last year.

Employers who have made mandatory Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions for their local employees for the months of August to October this year by the stipulated deadlines will qualify to receive the payout.

The December tranche of funds will cover wages from August to October, and includes the enhanced JSS payout for the Covid-19 phase two (heightened alert) and stabilisation phase periods.

Sectors that will receive the enhanced JSS support include food and beverage, gym and fitness, and retail, which were significantly affected during periods of tightened Covid-19 curbs.

The payout for wages paid from Nov 1 will be disbursed next March.

Eligible employers will be notified of their payout amount later this month, and can also log on to myTax Portal to view the electronic copy of their letter.

Employers who have registered for PayNow Corporate as at next Monday or have existing Giro arrangements with Iras can expect to receive the JSS payouts from Dec 31.

Other employers will receive their cheques from Jan 14.

Among employers which have benefited from JSS payouts is theatre company Teater Ekamatra, which has five employees now.

Its managing director Shaza Ishak said: "One of the most important aspects of riding out the pandemic was to keep people employed and to continue working towards the future."

She added that the scheme would help support industries badly hit by the pandemic.

About $12 million in payouts for December are withheld from 443 employers, pending review and submission of supporting documents to substantiate their eligibility, as part of Iras' anti-gaming efforts.

These 443 employers make up about 1.8 per cent of all employers that qualify for the payouts.

Employers will receive their payouts once Iras has verified the authenticity and accuracy of the information submitted.

Their payouts will be adjusted or denied if issues are found during the review.

In the statement, the two agencies stressed that it is vital that employers contribute the right amount of CPF for their employees, based on actual wages paid, as employers' CPF contributions are used to determine the amount in JSS payouts.

Those found attempting to abuse the JSS will not only have their payouts denied, but can also be charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code, where they may face up to 10 years' jail and a fine. More information on the scheme can be found at https://go.gov.sg/jss