Employers in the food, retail, arts, and construction sectors welcomed the Government’s plans to extend wage support for them until June, but many feel it is not enough. Safe mgmt measures and a labour crunch caused by border restrictions mean they will continue to feel the pinch. Mr Ivan Heng, the founder and artistic director of home-grown theatre company Wild Rice, said the 10 per cent wage subsidy “does not reflect the dire reality of the situation”. Although theatres are now open, shows are still being staged at a loss because safe distancing measures mean that even a sold-out run will have only a fraction of the seats filled. Over at the construction industry, firms are resuming Covid-delayed projects but face challenges such as manpower and cash flow issues, supply chain disruptions, as well as rising material and manpower costs. The industry relies heavily on foreign workers, who do not qualify for the JSS. F&B operators had hoped the JSS would last till the vaccination of Singapore’s population was complete, RAS said.... Continue Reading