In forceAmendedUpdated to 1 Jul 2026

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COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 · Updated to 1 Jul 2026 · Part 2 · Temporary Relief for Inability to Perform Contracts

7. Additional relief for inability to perform event contract or tourism-related contract

Amended

Last amended by an amending law of 2020.

(1)

This section applies to a case mentioned in section 5 where the scheduled contract is an event contract or a tourism‑related contract and (to avoid doubt) does not limit the operation of that section.

(2)

Despite any law or anything in the contract, another party to the contract may not, after being served with the notification for relief in accordance with section 9(1), at any time (whether during or after the prescribed period) forfeit any deposit (or part of any deposit) taken under the contract on the basis of the subject inability, unless the notification for relief is withdrawn or an assessor has made a determination that the forfeiture of the deposit or any part of the deposit is just and equitable in the circumstances of the case.

(3)

Despite any law or anything in the contract, if the other party to the contract has already forfeited any deposit (or part of any deposit) taken under the contract on the basis of the subject inability, including at any time between 1 February 2020 and the date of commencement of this Part, the other party must on receipt of the notification for relief served in accordance with section 9(1), as soon as practicable restore the deposit or part of the deposit as if it had not been forfeited.

(4)

Despite any law or anything in the contract, the fact that the subject inability was to a material extent caused by a COVID-19 event is a defence to a claim for the payment of a cancellation fee under the contract in respect of the subject inability.

(4A)

Subsection (4) does not apply if —

(a)

the notification for relief is withdrawn; or

(b)

on an application under section 9(2), an assessor makes a determination that the case in question is not one to which section 5 applies, or that the payment of the cancellation fee or any part of it is just and equitable in the circumstances of the case.

(5)

To avoid doubt, subsections (3) and (4) do not affect any judgment, arbitral award, compromise or settlement given or made before the service of the notification for relief.

Terms defined in this Act

assessor
Defined · s 2
“assessor” means a person appointed to the panel of assessors under section 11;
Open s 2
COVID‑19 event
Defined · s 2
“COVID‑19 event” means —(a)the COVID‑19 epidemic or pandemic; or(b)the operation of or compliance with any law of Singapore or another country or territory, or an order or direction of the Government or any statutory body, or of the government or other public authority of another country or territory, being any law, order or direction that is made by reason of or in connection with COVID‑19;
Open s 2
event contract
Defined · s 2
“event contract” means a contract for the provision of a venue, accommodation, amenities, transport, entertainment, catering or other goods or services for —(a)a business meeting, incentive travel, conference, exhibition, sales event, concert, show, wedding, party or other social gathering, or sporting event; or(b)the participants, attendees, guests, patrons or spectators of any of the events mentioned in paragraph (a);
Open s 2
notification for relief
Defined · s 2
“notification for relief” means a notification mentioned in section 9(1);
Open s 2
party
Defined · s 41
“party” means a party to a contract, and “parties” is construed accordingly;
Open s 41
prescribed period
Defined · s 2
“prescribed period” —(a)in relation to Part 1 or 3 — means the period prescribed under section 3 as extended or shortened under that section for Part 1 or 3; and(b)in relation to any scheduled contract in Part 2 — means the period prescribed under section 3 as extended or shortened under that section for that Part or for a description of contracts to which that contract belongs, as the case may be;
Open s 2
scheduled contract
Defined · s 2
“scheduled contract” means a contract within a description of contracts set out in the First Schedule, but not one that falls within such description of contracts as may be prescribed;
Open s 2
tourism-related contract
Defined · s 2
“tourism-related contract” means —(a)a contract for the international carriage of passengers by sea or land;(b)a contract for the provision of transport, short‑term accommodation, entertainment, dining, catering, tours or other tourism‑related goods or services for visitors to Singapore, domestic tourists or outbound tourists; or(c)a contract for the promotion of tourism in Singapore or the distribution for the purposes of trade or retail of products related to such tourism.
Open s 2