After initial successes in the ongoing fight against COVID-19, Singapore has experienced an apparent
resurgence in cases of the highly infectious virus. The Government
has responded by extending the 'circuit breaker' which was
initially expected to end on 4 May 2020. This has placed curbs on
social mobility and has caused disruptions to typical patterns of
consumer behavior. Many local businesses are under pressure and
those operating in the tourism, travel and the recreational sector
have been the hardest hit.
The Singapore Government has been decisive and proactive in
supporting businesses with the view to smoothing the economic
impact. A key part of this support package is the Jobs Support
Scheme (JSS). This
measure is intended to provide short term financial support to
local businesses with a view to preserving pre-pandemic levels of
employment, and shortening the period before the economy
recovers.