Jobs Support Scheme disburses over S$28.1 billon in total; S$32.2 million to be recovered after error

SINGAPORE — More than S$28.1 billion will have been paid out by the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS), which was introduced during the pandemic and will end this month, said the authorities.

In a joint statement on Tuesday (March 29), Enterprise Singapore (ESG), Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) and Ministry of Finance (MOF) also said that S$32.2 million was erroneously disbursed to 38 entities, which have since committed to returning the funds. 

The final round of payouts under the JSS, to be made from March 31, will see more than S$145 million disbursed to over 19,500 employers to support the wages of over 289,500 local employees, they said.

The March payout will cover wages from November to December last year.

The JSS, introduced in Feb 2020 as Covid-19 started having an economic impact on Singapore, has provided wage support for employers to help them retain local employees during the  pandemic.

The scheme is estimated to have saved 165,000 local jobs from March to December 2020, and helped support local wages, added ESG, IRAS and MOF.

Employers who have registered for PayNow Corporate as of March 27 or have existing Giro arrangements with IRAS can expect to receive the scheme pay-outs from March 31 while other employers will receive their cheques from April 22.

ERRONEOUS PAYMENTS

To qualify for enhanced JSS payouts, employers must be in the stipulated sectors and satisfy criteria such as holding a valid food licence and being registered under the Singapore Standard Industrial Classification codes as operators of food services, for the food services sector.

The erroneous payments had arisen when ESG and MOF had earlier extended the payouts to several entities with valid Singapore Food Agency licences, but without any Singapore Standard Industrial Classification codes.

The extension had been on the assumption that these entities were stallholders offering food services, and should qualify for the pay-outs, even without the relevant codes. 

Subsequent checks in Jan 2022 found that among those who received the payouts were 38 entities such as unions, clubs, associations and religious organisations, which had a food licence to run, for example, a small canteen, but were clearly not in the food services business.