SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Every Singaporean household can now claim S$300 worth of Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers, of which half, or $150, is for use at participating supermarkets.
The five supermarket chains that accept the CDC vouchers are FairPrice, Sheng Siong, Prime, Hao Mart and U Stars, which together have more than 300 outlets across Singapore. More supermarkets, such as Giant and Cold Storage, may get on board later.
The other $150 worth of vouchers can be used at about 20,300 hawker stalls and heartland merchants’ stores.
The vouchers are part of a comprehensive package to cushion the effects of elevated inflation and the goods and services tax (GST) rate increase, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Tuesday (Jan 3) at a CDC Vouchers Scheme 2023 launch event at Kampung Admiralty.
Wong said that following the first two tranches of CDC vouchers, the Government had received feedback from many Singaporeans asking for flexibility to spend them on groceries at supermarkets.
At the same time, there were concerns from some participating heartland shop owners and hawkers about the potential impact if the vouchers were extended to supermarkets, as the scheme was originally intended to help heartland businesses, he added.
That is why, after careful consideration, the Government decided that the vouchers would be split into two parts: half to still be set aside for heartland shops and hawkers, and the other half for supermarkets.
The vouchers are colour-coded – teal for heartland merchants and yellow for supermarkets.
“I hope all of you enjoy the added convenience of this set of vouchers,” said Wong. “They will expire on Dec 31, 2023, or the end of this year, so do remember to use your vouchers before then and encourage your family and neighbours to do the same.”
Wong said that besides the vouchers, the Government is providing many different forms of assistance to Singaporeans. It gave cash payouts of up to $700 in December 2022, and there will be another round of U-save rebates later in January to help households offset their utility bills.
There will also be cash payouts and MediSave top-ups for eligible seniors and children in February, Wong added.
Wong, who is also Finance Minister, said his ministry is now working on Budget 2023, which he will deliver on Feb 14.
“We recognise concerns over cost of living, and hence are looking at additional measures in the Budget to support Singaporeans over the coming year, especially those in the more vulnerable and lower-income groups,” he said.
The latest tranche of CDC vouchers comprises $200 in vouchers announced in Budget 2022 under the Assurance Package to offset the GST increase, and an additional $100 in vouchers under the $1.5 billion Support Package announced in October 2022.
About 1.2 million Singaporean households will receive notification letters in their letter boxes from Tuesday with details on how to claim and spend the $300 in CDC vouchers.
Residents can claim their vouchers in a similar way to previous tranches. One member of each household will need to visit go.gov.sg/cdcv and log in with his Singpass account to claim the vouchers. A CDC voucher link will be sent to the registered mobile phone number of the claimant, who can then share it with other household members.
The CDC voucher scheme will continue to be digital in 2023. SG Digital Office digital ambassadors will be deployed at SG Digital Community Hubs to provide assistance to residents, and more than 50 Silver Infocomm Wellness Ambassadors will also be providing support at selected community clubs.
South West District Mayor Low Yen Ling, who was also at the launch, said that the total possible spending amount of the vouchers for use at heartland shops and hawkers is $186 million, which is more than the previous tranche of the scheme.
As at Dec 31, 2022, more than $115 million had been spent using the 2021 CDC vouchers, while about $113 million had been spent using the 2022 CDC vouchers, said Low.
“We trust that in 2023, Singaporeans will continue to support our local businesses with their patronage,” she said.
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