The Singapore Cocktail Bar Association (SCBA) is supporting the industry by raising $ 120,000 to support bar workers who have been unemployed or have suffered wage cuts due to the pandemic.

The Singapore Cocktail Bar Association, which features Gan Guoyi, co-owner of Jigger & Pony, which selected as Asia’s Best Bar by the World’s 50 Best, as president and Vivian Pei, academy chair for Asia’s 50 Best Bars, as vice-president, has raised $ 120,000 to help bar staff affected by the pandemic. In a statement released on Tuesday, August 18th, SCBA said $60,000 of the funds were raised from corporate sponsors. The rest of the fund was completed through the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) Foundation via its $2 million Compassion Fund to help businesses tide over Covid-19 challenges. People who have lost their jobs, those who have 30% or more wage cuts between April 1st and June 30th, or those who transiting between employers in the cocktail industry will be able to apply for the charity fund collected by the SCBA.

The SCBA is also raising funds for two more rounds of reliefs by the end this month, to support member bars through the New Bar Support Fund – which aims to offer a month of rental relief to bars less than a year old – as well as the Industry Recovery Fund. However, eligible bar employees whose monthly pay is $3,400 or less can each get up to $500 in relief.

The SCBA, formed in April, is led by founding president Gan Guoyi (co-owner of Jigger & Pony Group), vice-president Vivian Pei (academy chair for Asia’s 50 Best Bars) and treasurer Andrew Yap (co-owner of The Old Man Singapore), alongside founding board members Paul Gabie (chief executive officer of Proof & Company and director of 28 HongKong Street) and Ivy Woo (owner of Food News Integrated Marketing and co-founder of the Singapore Cocktail Festival). Other members include representatives from spirits brands and cocktail bars.