The Police will be charging a 45-year-old man in court on 20 March 2025 for multiple offences in relation to the Jobs Support Scheme (“JSS”), administered by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (“IRAS”). The offences include cheating, attempted cheating, falsification of accounts and provision of false information to public servant.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government introduced the JSS to provide wage support for employers to retain their employees. Under the JSS, the Government co-funded 25% to 75% of the gross monthly wages paid to each local employee through cash grants to help enterprises during the economic uncertainty. To ensure that JSS payouts were fairly and correctly disbursed, IRAS conducted reviews of higher risk cases using data analytics and information provided by the public. It could adjust or deny JSS payouts to employers who were unable to substantiate their eligibility.
The 45-year-old man was a director of an exempt private company. Between May and November 2020, he allegedly cheated IRAS into disbursing $5,150 of JSS grants by inflating the salaries of two employees for the month of April 2020. He was also alleged to have attempted to cheat IRAS into disbursing a further $33,719 by inflating the salaries of four employees for the months of May to August 2020. This sum was withheld by IRAS.
When IRAS asked the man to substantiate the salaries of the employees, he allegedly falsified the payslips of the employees and submitted them to IRAS. He also purportedly instigated the employees to provide false information to IRAS officers regarding their salaries.
The punishments for the various offences are as follows:
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
19 March 2025 @ 5:30 PM