A Facebook group of local taxi drivers has been abuzz following a call for those in difficulty during the Covid-19 outbreak to be allowed to use some of the money in their Central Provident Fund (CPF) accounts.
One man said: “During this difficult times. It would be great if our leaders r able to let Singaporeans withdraw a small sum of their OWN cpf money.”
The man, addressing concerns that the money would be misused, said people would not go on holiday because of a lack of flights and the Covid-19 situation.
He said it was more for paying outstanding bills and daily necessities.
More than 100 people have responded to the post, with many supporting the idea. However, many also felt it was far-fetched and unlikely to happen.
Singapore will spend S$4 billion on a slew of new measures and enhancements to existing schemes to stabilise its economy amid the near-term uncertainties caused by Covid-19, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced in his Budget Statement in Parliament on Feb 18.
Sectors that have taken a direct hit from the coronavirus outbreak, such as tourism, aviation, retail, and food services, will receive additional help, he said.
For the transport sector, the authorities also announced a S$77 million Point-to-Point Support Package for taxi and private-hire car drivers.
The Government will contribute S$45 million towards the package, with the remaining provided by taxi and private-hire car operators. /TISG