SINGAPORE - A $640 million support package will be rolled out for businesses affected by the one-month extension of tighter measures under the stabilisation phase.

The package includes wage support and rental waivers from next Monday (Oct 25) to Nov 21.

Here's what you need to know.

1. Enhancement of Jobs Support Scheme

The scheme, which provides wage support to help businesses retain their local employees, will be extended for sectors significantly affected by the tightened measures.

These include food and beverage establishments, retail outlets, cinemas, museums, art galleries, historical sites, family entertainment venues, the tourism sector, gyms and fitness studios, as well as the performing arts and arts education sectors.

These sectors have been receiving 25 per cent in wage support since the stabilisation phase began on Sept 27. This was set to end on Oct 24.

With the extension, these sectors will continue to receive 25 per cent wage support until Nov 21.

2. Rental waivers

A half-month rental waiver will be given to the following groups:

- Qualifying tenants of government-owned commercial properties

- Cooked food and market stallholders in food centres managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) or NEA-appointed operators

- Qualifying tenant-occupiers and owner-occupiers of privately owned commercial properties. They will receive a rental relief cash payout under the Rental Support Scheme (RSS)

The RSS was announced in May this year to support businesses on rental costs. The second payout for the second phase two (heightened alert) period started on Sept 22.

More details on the third payout will be made available on the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) website in late October.

3. Extension of Covid-19 Driver Relief Fund payouts

The extension of this fund, which was slated to end on Nov 30, will see taxi drivers and private-hire car drivers receiving support of $10 per vehicle per day in November and $5 per vehicle per day in December.

It was previously announced that drivers would receive $5 per vehicle per day in November.

The fund was launched in January this year to provide sector-specific support for taxi and private-hire car drivers affected by Covid-19, and has been extended several times due to Covid-19 curbs.

The latest extension will cost an additional $16 million and is expected to benefit about 50,000 drivers. This brings the total amount set aside by the Government for the taxi and private-hire car sectors to about $520 million since February last year.

Drivers do not need to apply to receive the payouts. Those who are already receiving payouts will automatically receive the extended payouts from their operators.

Taxi main hirers will continue to receive payouts in the form of rental rebates, while private hire car drivers will receive the payouts through their e-wallets or directly into their bank accounts.

Drivers who do not qualify for the fund, including taxi relief drivers, may apply for the Ministry of Social and Family Development's Covid-19 Recovery Grant (CRG) if they meet the eligibility criteria. Drivers will not be eligible for the CRG if they are receiving payouts under the Covid-19 Driver Relief Fund.