Statute Details
- Title: COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Extension of Prescribed Period) (No. 2) Order 2020
- Act Code: COVID19TMA2020-S953-2020
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 (Act 14 of 2020), section 3(2)
- Enacting Date / Made On: 17 November 2020
- Commencement Date: Not stated in the extract (Order applies by reference to “prescribed period” dates)
- Legislative Instrument Number: SL 953/2020
- Status (as provided): Current version as at 27 March 2026
- Key Provisions:
- Section 1: Citation
- Section 2: Extension of prescribed period for Part 1 of the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020
- Section 3: Extension of prescribed period for specified categories of scheduled contracts in Part 2
What Is This Legislation About?
The COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Extension of Prescribed Period) (No. 2) Order 2020 (“the Order”) is a targeted legislative instrument that extends the “prescribed period” used in the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 (“the Act”). In practical terms, it determines the time window during which certain temporary contractual and related relief measures apply to specified categories of contracts.
Because COVID‑19 disruptions evolved over time, the Act’s relief mechanisms were not meant to be permanent. Instead, they were tied to a defined period. When the government needed to continue the protective measures for another stretch of time, it used the power in section 3(2) of the Act to extend the prescribed period. This Order is the “No. 2” extension, made on 17 November 2020, and it extends different parts of the Act to different end dates.
For lawyers, the key takeaway is that the Order does not create entirely new relief rules. Rather, it adjusts the temporal scope of existing statutory protections under the Act—meaning that whether a contract is covered (and what consequences follow) can depend on the contract’s classification and the relevant dates in the Order.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation) is straightforward: it identifies the instrument as the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Extension of Prescribed Period) (No. 2) Order 2020. This matters for proper legal referencing in pleadings, correspondence, and submissions.
Section 2 (Extension of prescribed period for Part 1 of the Act) extends the prescribed period as it applies to Part 1 of the Act. The extension runs from 20 November 2020 to 31 March 2021. In other words, the statutory measures in Part 1 continue to apply for that additional period.
Section 3 (Extension of prescribed period for Part 2 of the Act) is the heart of the Order. Part 2 of the Act applies to “scheduled contracts” of particular types. Section 3 extends the prescribed period for those scheduled contracts, but not uniformly: different contract categories receive different end dates.
Under Section 3(1), the prescribed period for the following scheduled contracts is extended from 20 November 2020 to 31 December 2020:
- Event contracts
- Tourism‑related contracts
This means that for these contract types, the statutory relief window closes at the end of December 2020.
Under Section 3(2), the prescribed period for two further categories of scheduled contracts is extended from 20 November 2020 to 31 January 2021:
- Hire‑purchase agreements or conditional sale agreements (as defined under the Hire‑Purchase Act (Cap. 125)) where the goods are:Important exclusion: this category does not include agreements entered into with a bank licensed under the Banking Act (Cap. 19) or a finance company licensed under the Finance Companies Act (Cap. 108).
- plant, machinery or fixed assets located in Singapore used for manufacturing, production or other business purposes; or
- a commercial vehicle
- Leases of:Important exclusions: the lease category excludes:
- plant, machinery or fixed assets located in Singapore used for manufacturing, production or other business purposes; or
- a commercial vehicle
- a private hire car described in the Second Schedule to the Road Traffic Act (Cap. 276); and
- a taxi described in the Second Schedule to the Road Traffic Act.
This structure is significant for practitioners: it shows that the relief is aimed at certain business-critical financing and leasing arrangements, while carving out specific regulated or consumer-facing segments.
Under Section 3(3), the prescribed period for a broader set of construction and property-related scheduled contracts is extended from 20 November 2020 to 31 March 2021. The covered categories are:
- Construction contracts or supply contracts
- Performance bonds or equivalent granted pursuant to a construction contract or supply contract
- Housing developer arrangements:
- an option given by a housing developer to an intending purchaser; and
- an agreement between a housing developer and a purchaser for the sale and purchase of one or more units of housing accommodation
- Commercial developer arrangements:
- an option given by a commercial developer to an intending purchaser; and
- an agreement between a commercial developer and a purchaser for the sale and purchase of one or more units of commercial property
This extension to March 2021 aligns with the longer disruption period affecting construction and real estate transactions.
Section 3(4) provides interpretive guidance: it states that terms such as “commercial developer”, “commercial property”, “commercial vehicle”, “housing accommodation”, “housing developer” and “unit” have the meanings given by paragraph 2 of the Schedule to the Act. This is a crucial drafting point: it prevents disputes about definitions and ensures that the Order’s categories track the Act’s defined terms.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is compact and consists of an enacting formula and three operative provisions:
Section 1 sets out the citation. Section 2 extends the prescribed period for Part 1 of the Act. Section 3 extends the prescribed period for Part 2 by reference to specific categories of “scheduled contracts,” with different end dates depending on the contract type.
In effect, the structure mirrors the Act’s architecture: Part 1 and Part 2 operate differently, and the Order calibrates the duration of relief accordingly.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies to parties whose contractual relationships fall within the Act’s scope—specifically, parties to scheduled contracts covered by Part 2, and parties affected by the measures in Part 1. While the extract does not reproduce the substantive relief provisions, the Order’s function is to extend the time window during which those provisions apply.
Practically, this means that contracting parties (including businesses and developers) may benefit from statutory relief if their contract type is within the enumerated categories and the relevant dates fall within the extended prescribed period. The Order also indicates that certain contracts are excluded (e.g., hire‑purchase/conditional sale agreements with licensed banks or finance companies; leases of private hire cars and taxis), so eligibility is not automatic even if the transaction resembles a covered category.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Order is important because it directly affects contract risk allocation during the pandemic. In many COVID‑19 related disputes, the threshold question is whether the statutory regime applies at all. By extending the prescribed period, the Order potentially changes the legal consequences of non-performance, delay, or other contractual issues that arise during the extended window.
For practitioners, the most significant practical impact is that the Order can influence:
- Whether statutory relief is available for a given contract dispute;
- Timing-based arguments (e.g., whether events occurred within the prescribed period);
- Classification disputes (e.g., whether a contract is an “event contract,” “tourism-related contract,” “construction contract,” or falls within the defined “housing” or “commercial” categories); and
- Exclusion analysis (e.g., whether a hire‑purchase/conditional sale agreement is with a bank or finance company, or whether a lease concerns a private hire car or taxi).
From an enforcement and compliance perspective, the Order also signals that the government was actively managing the duration of relief measures. Parties negotiating amendments, seeking extensions, or preparing litigation strategy would need to track these time-bound legislative changes closely—especially where contracts span multiple months and where performance obligations are tied to milestones.
Finally, because the Order is “current version as at 27 March 2026” (per the metadata provided), practitioners should ensure they rely on the correct consolidated version and confirm whether any later extensions or amendments affect the prescribed period for the relevant contract type.
Related Legislation
- COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 (Act 14 of 2020)
- Banking Act (Cap. 19)
- Finance Companies Act (Cap. 108)
- Hire‑Purchase Act (Cap. 125)
- Road Traffic Act (Cap. 276)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Extension of Prescribed Period) (No. 2) Order 2020 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.