Improving Safe Management Measures in KTV Bars and Nightlife Establishments

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Government will be implementing changes to improve safe management measures in KTV bars and similar nightlife establishments; (b) if so, what are these; and (c) whether the Government will ensure that such measures will not unfairly affect other nightlife establishments whose businesses are substantially different from bars with hostesses.

Operators of pivoted nightlife establishments who wish to reopen after the two-week suspension period will be required to implement additional Safe Management Measures (SMMs), on top of existing ones, to further reduce public health risks and facilitate enforcement checks. They must then pass inspections and receive a conditional permit from MTI before they can resume operations.

We have announced the requirements recently and MTI, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and other relevant enforcement agencies will be engaging operators on the follow-ups. The additional SMMs include installing CCTVs to monitor operations, removing public entertainment equipment like karaoke machines and pool tables from sight, and ensuring that the business activities are visible from outside the business premises. These SMMs will be included in MTI’s conditional permits to reopen. Operators with queries may email the MTI helpdesk at covid_gobusiness@mti.gov.sg to find out more.

While these SMMs may be onerous for some operators, they have been designed such that genuine F&B operators are not overly affected. A tightening is necessary so as to prevent another cluster in pivoted nightlife establishments. MTI and Enterprise Singapore will continue to work closely with the Singapore Nightlife Business Association and the various regulatory agencies to provide support to the nightlife industry.