Mosques Facing Financial Difficulties Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Ministry of Social and Family DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the financial stability of mosques during the pandemic as raised by Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap, who inquired about mosques facing deficits and the support provided by MUIS. Minister Masagos Zulkifli B M M responded that mosque finances remain stable despite lower physical donations, aided by the OurMasjid.SG portal which raised $5.2 million for the institutions. MUIS has provided additional operational grants to cover costs for safe-management equipment and personal protective gear, while the government provided approximately $11 million in wage support through the Jobs Support Scheme. The mosque cluster system also facilitates mutual support between mosques to ensure they remain adequately resourced and financially viable during the tough economic environment. Minister Masagos Zulkifli B M M emphasized that MUIS will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with mosques to ensure they receive the necessary assistance to remain stable.
Transcript
100 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) how many mosques currently face financial difficulties; (b) as at 31 December 2020, how many mosques are in the red due to the COVID-19 situation; and (c) how does MUIS help mosques to remain afloat and financially viable in this tough economic environment.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: I provided a response to a similar question raised on 5 April 2021.
Currently, the financial situation of our mosques is stable. While there has been a drop in physical donations last year due to the temporary closure of mosques during the circuit breaker, MUIS and our mosques turned to digital means to facilitate donations online. MUIS and the Muslim.SG platform also launched OurMasjid.SG portal in April 2020, which raised about $5.2 million for our mosques as at March this year.
The gradual resumption of congregational prayers and other religious activities at our mosques in the last few months have led to an increase in physical donations, though not to pre-COVID-19 levels. MUIS will work with our mosques to ensure that they continue to be adequately resourced during these challenging times.
MUIS has provided additional funding to support mosques’ operations. This includes grants to offset the necessary expenses to ensure the safe resumption of religious activities. These include the purchase of equipment for temperature screening, SafeEntry check-ins, as well as masks and other personal protective gear.
Like other employers, mosques also receive wage support through the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS), which totalled about $9.9 million in 2020. Our mosques received the final JSS disbursement of $1.1 million in March 2021.
The support from MUIS and the Government, together with the increase in online donations, have offset the reduction in income and donations for mosques during the pandemic. The mosque cluster system has also helped to facilitate the collective efforts of mutual support amongst the mosques.
MUIS will continue to work closely with our mosques to ensure they remain financially stable and receive the necessary assistance during these challenging times.
I thank the community for their support and encourage them to continue donating through the various online platforms. Their support and generosity will enable our mosques to continue serving our community in a safe and sustainable manner.