Covid-19: Call for bold measures in Singapore's second support package

Aid should be more direct and speedy, and should bring down costs as well as keep liquidity in the business ecosystem, says head of SME association

Mindy Tan

Published Tue, Mar 24, 2020 · 09:50 PM

Singapore SMEs

Singapore

THE government's second support package will need to bring out the big guns if Singapore wants to avert severe fallout from the novel coronavirus pandemic within the next few months, businesses, associations and consultants told The Business Times on Tuesday.

"We are looking for a broad-based, multi-faceted package that supports businesses at all levels," said Kurt Wee, president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME). "Bold measures are needed. We should not wait for the impact to be reflected in economic figures before we do something about it."

The second support package is expected to be sizeable, with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance M…