Lim Tean: What economic benefits does Singapore derive from granting KTV operators a $50K grant to “Pivot” into an “F&B” outlet?

Singapore — Opposition People’s Voice (PV) party leader Lim Tean took to social media to ask if there were economic benefits to extending a S$50,000 grant to KTV operators to pivot them into a food and beverage establishment.

The questions, directed at former and current Ministers of Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing and Gan Kim Yong, were posted on Mr Lim’s Facebook page on Saturday (Jul 17).

He asked why Enterprise Singapore, a government agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) thought it’s necessary to offer KTV operators a S$50,000 grant to temporarily convert their operations from nightlife venues to F&B outlets.

Mr Lim also asked how many grants were given and if MTI or Enterprise Singapore inspectors “checked whether the grants were used for the correct purposes.”

“What economic benefit did Enterprise Singapore think a KTV turned into F&B outlet would bring to Singapore?” he asked.

“Do MTI and Enterprise Singapore now acknowledge there was a serious lapse of judgment for such grants to be handed out to KTV operators?” he added.

KTV lounges are making headlines after the first Covid-19 case linked to the venue, thus creating a cluster, was reported on Jul 12.

The KTV cluster had been steadily increasing daily, with 23 new cases reported on Sunday (Jul 18), bringing the total to 171.

“First time I’m hearing about this grant. Why need to give grants so freely yet when asked to help the elderly cleaning the tables at hawker centre or help the elderly poor with monthly assistance, they talked and discussed for so long with plenty of reasons but yet refused to give out a cent,” commented Facebook user Yeow H Tan on Mr Lim’s post.

Others agreed with the questions and requested an explanation.

“$50k is a lot of money, but why give them the grant to pivot into an F&B outlet. We are at full liberty to know why perhaps MTI would care to explain to the general public,” said Facebook user Derence Lye. /TISG

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Family KTV owners petition to separate themselves from nightlife operators