950,000 HDB households to receive GST rebates in October
SINGAPORE - About 950,000 households living in Housing Board flats will be receiving their quarterly goods and services tax (GST) rebates in October. They will be disbursed through the GST Voucher (GSTV) - U-Save initiative, and credited via offsets to household utility bills, said the Ministry of Finance on Friday (Oct 1). The total amount distributed under the GSTV - U-Save and U-Save Special Payment initiatives this financial year will tally up to about $460 million. The amount that households will get is tagged to the type of HDB residence. Households in one- and two-room HDB flats typically receive rebates that amount to an average of about three to four months of their utility bills. With the addition of the U-Save Special Payment, the rebates will amount to about 4½ to six months of their utility bills. For those in three- and four-room HDB flats, the additional support will be equivalent to about 1½ to three months of their utility bills. The next round of GSTV - U-Save rebates for this financial year will be in January next year. The U-Save Special Payment was previously given in April and July, where households received additional rebates amounting to 50 per cent of their...
Foreign worker levy rebates for construction, marine and process sectors to go up from $90 to $250
SINGAPORE - About 15,000 firms in the construction, marine and process sectors will get higher foreign worker levy rebates between May and December, given the manpower shortages and increased costs brought about by Singapore's tightened border measures. The rebate for each worker will be increased from $90 to $250 per month, said the Manpower Ministry (MOM) in a statement on Saturday (May 8). These sectors play an essential role in Singapore's development, it said, adding that government agencies are working to transform these businesses and reduce their reliance on manpower through the industry transformation maps. This will help the affected sectors become more resilient to future shocks. "However, these efforts will take time to bear fruit," MOM said. "In the immediate term, the increased costs continue to weigh heavily on these firms." This is why the higher rebates are being given out. The first round of higher rebates for the month of May will be paid out in June. Employers can consider using these rebates to retain existing workers and bring in work permit holders from lower-risk countries or region, the ministry added. The Government will decide closer to December if there ...
950,000 HDB households to get additional GST rebate in April as part of Budget support package
SINGAPORE - About 950,000 households living in Housing Board flats will be receiving their regular goods and services tax (GST) rebates this month, and additional rebates to support them during this period of uncertainty. The additional rebates will amount to 50 per cent of their regular GST rebates over this financial year, as part of the Household Support Package announced at Singapore's 2021 Budget. These rebates will be disbursed through the GST Voucher (GSTV) U-Save and U-Save Special Payment initiatives, and will be credited in offsets to household utility bills. There will be four rounds of GSTV – U-Save rebates this financial year - in April, July, October and January 2022. The U-Save Special Payment will be given this month and again in July. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Kiat said in a Facebook post on Thursday (April 1): "At #SGBudget2021, I announced that households will receive 50 per cent more rebate this year to provide additional support for households during this period of economic uncertainty." "The additional amounts will be paid out in April and July. So effectively, households will receive double their regular amount in these two quar...
940,000 HDB households to receive final GST rebate payout in January
SINGAPORE - About 940,000 eligible households living in Housing Board flats will be receiving rebates on their utility bills this month through the goods and services tax (GST) voucher U-Save scheme. The scheme provides lower- and middle-income HDB households with quarterly rebates to offset their utility bills. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Saturday (Jan 2) said larger families will receive 2½ times the regular amount of rebates. About 155,000 households, with five or more members living together, will receive this higher rebate. In a Facebook post, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who is also Finance Minister, said: "I hope the higher payouts can better defray household expenses and will bring some cheer to families as we look forward to a new year." The value of the vouchers is pegged to the type of HDB homes, with $100 given to one- and two-room flats, $90 to three-room flats, $80 to four-room flats and $70 and $60 given to five-room and executive or multi-generational flats respectively. The value of the rebates, which began as a permanent scheme in 2012, was doubled this year as part of the Government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic's economic fallout. The additio...