Singapore is to extend financial support for Singaporean seafarers under the seafarers relief package (SRP) by another three months.

The eligibility period has been extended to 31 December 2020 from the previous period which ran from 1 May to 31 July 2020.

The SPR is backed by the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA), the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU) and the Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS).

Under this reprieve, the initial cap of three months of up to $2,400 ($1,770) will be extended up to six months, and up to $4800, the MPA said.

“Seafarers play a key role in keeping global supply chains flowing,” said Singapore’s senior minister of state for transport, Chee Hong Tat.

“Just as they work hard during Covid-19 to ensure essential goods reach all of us, we too need to support them and help them return to their families safely.”

Chee said Singapore has been “doing its part” as a global hub port to facilitate crew changes while protecting the health and safety of seafarers.

Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State, Chee Hong Tat recently met with seafaring cadets at Singapore's Wavelink Maritime Institute. Photo: MPA

“Following the establishment of the crew facilitation centre since 1 September, the number of crew changes per day has more than tripled.

“We have also extended the seafarer relief package by another three months. I hope this will be of some help to Singaporean seafarers whose jobs have been affected by the pandemic.”

SMOU General Secretary Mary Liew said: “While tripartite partners continue to accelerate efforts to facilitate crew change at the Singapore port, we also want to continue to offer assistance to our Singaporean seafarers who have been affected and are unable to sign on ships during this challenging time.

“We hope that the extension of the SRP relief package will lighten the financial burden of our seafarers and their families.”

SOS president Kam Soon Huat, added: “SOS strongly supports the extension of SRP amidst the ongoing challenges faced by Singaporean seafarers and their dependents.

“We understand their concerns and we want to be there for them as much as we can during this difficult phase of their seafaring career.”

The SRP is part of the MPA’s MaritimeSG Together package, which was introduced in April 2020 to provide support to the maritime industry in the wake of the global Covid-19 outbreak.