Restaurant Association of Singapore expresses disappointment towards landlords for ignoring rental rebates

Revealing that some who did follow through provided less than what was initially promised

On Monday, Channel News Asia reported that the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) said that they are “deeply disappointed” with landlords who did not push through with their announcements of implementing rental rebates for tenants.

RAS informed the media that the majority of food and beverage (F&B) companies “have yet to receive any offers or confirmation” regarding the said debates, while some received less than what was agreed on.

Apart from Changi Airport Group, Jewel Changi, NParks, and JTC who have sent their tenants written notifications of rental rebates, “all other landlords and mall owners have been slow to react.”

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“We are deeply disappointed in the landlords’ lack of follow-through in spite of public announcements of support for the industry during this crisis,” said Edwin Fong, executive director at RAS.

The F&B industry is one of the sectors that have been greatly affected by the coronavirus outbreak, as tourists limit their overseas travels and locals avoid going to public places.

With some operators estimating their revenue to drop to as much as 80 percent in the next few months, the association on Feb 13 requested for 24 major landlords to support their tenants by providing them with a 50 percent rental rebate for three months.

The association also wanted to emphasise that Jewel Changi Airport had already delivered a 50 percent rental rebate for their tenants for the months of February and March, hoping that others will follow their example.