Up to 400,000 lower-income households to receive vouchers under S$20m CDC scheme

Singapore

UP to 400,000 lower-income Singaporean households will be able to collect S$50 in vouchers later this month, as part of a S$20 million scheme launched on Friday.

The Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers Scheme was launched by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, together with Singapore's five mayors - Low Yen Ling, Maliki Osman, Teo Ho Pin, Denise Phua and Desmond Choo.

Aimed at helping Singaporean households with their daily expenses while supporting local merchants and hawkers, the vouchers are redeemable for food, essential goods and services at participating hawkers and local merchants island-wide from June 25.

Mr Heng, who first announced the grant for the CDCs during the first Budget speech in February, said this comes under a larger suite of support measures to help Singaporeans.

"I am confident that with agencies such as the CDCs working closely with the community and helping the vulnerable groups, we can weather this storm together," he said.

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The vouchers are redeemable at shops and hawker stalls that display the CDC Voucher decal.

To date, 2,500 merchants and hawkers have signed up.

Ms Low, the mayor of South West District, said she hoped that the initiative would draw the local community closer.

"Besides helping lower-income families defray the cost of living, the scheme is designed to revitalise local heartland businesses when families use their vouchers in the neighbourhood, like at hawker stalls, coffeeshops, provision stores and mom-and-pop shops."

Ms Low, who also chairs the Mayors' Committee, added: "In addition, we hope this initiative will draw the local community closer together and build a fresh sense of resilience, solidarity and mutual support among Singaporeans, as we pull our efforts together to get through this crisis."

Eligible households will receive their notification letters between June 15 and the end of July.

The vouchers, which come in S$2 denominations, need to be used by Dec 31 this year.