First Batch Of Job Aid Disbursed

The Government today disbursed the first tranche of wage subsidies under the Employment Support Scheme (ESS) to a total of 49,500 applicants who include employers and self-employed people (SEP).

As of 6pm, the scheme had received 160,000 applications from employers and 230,000 from those self-employed.

The Government explained that 25,500 applications submitted by employers have been processed and that the ESS Secretariat notified successful applicants of the results via SMS and email on June 10.

Arrangements are underway to deposit the wage subsidies into the applicants' assigned bank accounts.

The Government noted that 98% of the first batch of recipients receiving wage subsidies comprises micro or small and medium-sized enterprises with less than 50 employees.

The wage subsidy, totalling $4.8 billion, will be a timely relief to help employers and employees get through the hard times.

Employers who receive wage subsidies for the first tranche have undertaken not to make redundancies during June to August and to spend all the wage subsidies on paying wages to the employees.

In addition, the first batch of 24,000 successful SEP applicants will each receive a one-off lump sum subsidy of $7,500 into their assigned bank accounts. The total sum of subsidy involved is $180 million.

Thanks to the joint effort of the ESS processing agent, Mandatory Provident Fund trustees and relevant departments, the Government has managed to effect the disbursement one week ahead of the original target.

The application period for the first tranche of the scheme will be closed after midnight on June 14. Applications should be submitted through the ESS online portal.

Email [email protected] or call the ESS hotline 1836 122 for enquiries.