SINGAPORE - Over 38,400 tenants and owner-occupiers will receive funds directly from the Government from Friday (Aug 6) to tide over the latest round of tightened Covid-19 safety measures.

       In a Facebook post on Thursday, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said the financial aid comes two weeks ahead of schedule.

       This Rental Support Scheme payout will be equivalent to half a month of rent for the period of May 14 to 29.

       "We will provide the rental support directly to tenants, without going through their landlords. This lets tenants receive the cash promptly and reduces compliance burden for landlords," he said in the post.

       "I hope this rental relief will help with your cash flow in this period of Heightened Alert."

       Mr Wong, who is co-chair of the task force tackling Covid-19 here, said that in total, more than $216 million will be paid out to eligible tenants and owner-occupiers. A second payout will be disbursed in October.

       Under the current phase of tightened Covid-19 safety measures, dining in is prohibited and group sizes have been restricted to two.

       In May, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced that rental relief will be offered to small and medium-sized enterprises as well as non-profit organisations with an annual revenue of not more than $100 million that are tenants of qualifying commercial properties.

       These commercial properties include shops, private schools, theatres, childcare centres, sports and recreational buildings, premises of tourist attractions and meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions venues.

       The measure is part of an $800 million support package announced by Mr Wong to help businesses and workers cope with the impact of Covid-19 restrictions.

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