Opening Remarks by Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling at the announcement of the Second Package of Support Measures in response to the Middle East Situation

Thank you and good afternoon.

In his remarks, Minister Siow shared that inflation is expected to remain elevated into next year.

Against this backdrop, we are boosting our support for our businesses, especially for our small and medium enterprises (or SMEs). We do this because we understand that many are concerned about higher operating costs and cashflow. We aim to help them better manage their costs in the near term, while giving them the support they need to make business adjustments for the long run.

To assist our businesses, we will provide additional help in three ways.

First, we will make a time-bound enhancement to the Enterprise Financing Scheme (or EFS), from September 2026 to March 2027. This will enable our local enterprises to better access financing to meet their cashflow needs.

1. We will increase the Government’s risk-share from 50% to 70% for the EFS – SME Working Capital Loan and EFS – Project Loan. Businesses will have improved access to financing for their cashflow.

2. We will also enhance the coverage of the EFS – Project Loan. Currently, it supports financing for overseas projects. We will expand its coverage to also cover and support domestic projects by local construction enterprises, amidst higher costs. This will make it easier for them to secure financing to manage higher costs amidst a challenging environment.

Second, we will provide a one-off SME Cash Grant to support our SMEs with their cashflow needs.

1. Active SMEs with at least one local employee will be eligible for this grant.

2. SMEs will receive a grant of $500 per local employee, up to a cap of $2,500 per company.

3. Eligible sole proprietorships, partnerships, and limited liability partnerships with at least one local business owner but no local employees will also receive a flat $500 grant.

4. The grant will be disbursed in November 2026.

Third, we will provide rental support for stallholders in markets and hawker centres managed by the Government and Government-appointed operators.

1. Cooked food stalls will each receive $1,200.

2. Market stalls will each receive $600.

3. To help our stallholders over this period, the support will be disbursed across six months, from September 2026 to February 2027.

4. They will be separately notified of the details, such as eligibility criteria.

Beyond these measures, we are continuing to work closely with sector agencies to support and strengthen our businesses through this challenging time. We are keeping a very close watch on how businesses fare, and we stand ready to provide additional targeted support when needed as the situation evolves.

各位媒体朋友们，大家下午好。刚才萧部长提到，我们当前正面对国际局势的动荡和挑战，萧部长也介绍了政府为帮助本地家庭而推出的措施。接下来，我将精简地和大家分享政府如何从三方面，帮助中小企业减轻一些成本上升的压力。我们将从融资支持、现金补助和租金援助这三方面着手，为本地中小企业提供援助。

首先是融资支持。从今年9月到明年3月，企业融资计划 (Enterprise Financing Scheme；简称EFS) 下的中小企业流动资金贷款（SME Working Capital Loan）和项目贷款（Project Loan），政府所承担的风险的比例，将从50% 上调到70%。EFS项目贷款的范围，也将从海外项目扩大到涵盖新加坡的建筑公司在本地的项目，让本地企业受惠。

第二是现金补助方面。凡是有聘用本地员工的中小企业，每聘用的一名本地员工，可获500元的补助，顶限是2500元。个体经营者，合伙人或是有限责任合伙公司，只要有至少一名业主或是一位合伙人是新加坡公民，就算没有本地员工，也可以获得一次性500元的补助。这项补助将在今年11月发放。

第三是租金援助方面。政府以及政府指定的经营者所管理的巴刹和小贩中心的摊主，都将获得租金补贴。巴刹摊位可获得600元的补贴，熟食摊位则可获得1200元的补贴。补贴将从今年9月开始，分6个月发放。

政府会继续密切关注国际局势的发展，以及外部环境对本地企业的影响。步入8月份，我们即将欢庆新加坡建国61周年。61年来，我们和国人一起经历过许许多多的挑战和危机，也很多次把危机转变成为契机。我们有信心，这一次也能够一起战胜眼前的挑战，共同放眼未来的发展。

Thank you.