S$500 CDC vouchers launched with more supermarkets and heartland shops participating
S$250 of the vouchers can be used at participating heartland merchants and hawkers, while the other half can be used at participating supermarkets.
A sticker on an optical shop's storefront, showing that it accepts Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers. (Photo: CNA/Louisa Tang)
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SINGAPORE: Singaporean households can use their S$500 (US$376) of Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers from Wednesday (Jan 3), at double the number of merchants from 2021.
Similar to previous rounds, the vouchers can be claimed digitally at go.gov.sg/cdcv. One member of each household can log in with their Singpass account to claim the CDC vouchers on behalf of their household.
A voucher link will be sent to the registered mobile phone number of the applicant, who can then share it with other household members using the link, said CDC in a press release on Wednesday.
The vouchers will be valid until Dec 31, 2024.
Like in 2023, the vouchers have been split into two halves – S$250 can be used at participating heartland merchants and hawkers, while the other half can be used at participating supermarkets, said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the launch event on Wednesday.
About 23,000 merchants are participating in the scheme in 2024, double that of 2021, said Mr Wong.
Eight supermarkets with 415 outlets islandwide are also part of the 2024 scheme, including Ang Mo Supermarket, Giant Singapore, HAO Mart, NTUC FairPrice, Prime Supermarket, Sheng Siong and U-Stars Supermarket. Cold Storage joined the scheme this year, said CDC.
“Quite a number of merchants, shops and supermarkets are going beyond just participating in the scheme. They are also extending their own discounts and rebates, so if you use the CDC vouchers there, you get additional rebates,” said Mr Wong, who is also Finance Minister.
The CDC vouchers have been “well received” each year, he added.
SUPERMARKETS OFFER VOUCHERS, RICE
FairPrice Group announced on Wednesday that it will give shoppers an S$8 FairPrice return voucher for every S$80 worth of CDC vouchers spent in a single transaction until Jan 17.
The S$8 voucher has no minimum spend requirement. They can be used from the next day after they are issued, until Feb 29.
Cold Storage said on its website that it will give out a S$5 cash voucher to every customer who spends S$100 worth of CDC vouchers in its Cold Storage, CS Fresh and Jason Deli stores. The cash voucher can only be redeemed at these stores from Jan 4 to Jan 8.
Giant is giving out free 2.5kg bags of rice to customers who spend S$100 worth of CDC vouchers in its supermarkets from Wednesday.
The promotions for Cold Storage and Giant are limited to the first 50 customers per store, per day until Jan 7.
Amid possible challenges in the year ahead, the government is studying extra measures to help Singaporeans as part of the upcoming Budget. Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong says this includes ideas surfaced during the Forward Singapore exercise. He was speaking at the launch of the latest tranche of Community Development Council vouchers. Alif Amsyar reports.
In 2023, “virtually all” Singaporean households claimed their vouchers, and nearly 97 per cent of the vouchers that were claimed have been spent, said the Deputy Prime Minister.
The CDC vouchers website will also continue to accept donations of the vouchers until the end of January, he added. “For any of you out here, if you know of friends or family members who have not fully used their CDC vouchers, please encourage them to donate the vouchers to a good cause.”
The vouchers are part of a package implemented by the government to cushion the effects of inflation, said Mr Wong.
The government is providing assistance in other ways – all Singaporeans above 21 years old would have received up to S$800 in cash in December 2023 from the Assurance Package, with lower-income individuals getting more, he noted.
In February, eligible seniors will receive cash payouts, and seniors and children will see MediSave top-ups.
There is an “entire schedule” of assistance and payouts planned for the year, including additional U-Save Rebates to help HDB households with their utility bills, said Mr Wong.
2023 was a challenging year, with geopolitical tensions weighing heavily on the global economy, said the Deputy Prime Minister.
“The difficult external environment has resulted in lower growth in Singapore over the past year. We avoided a recession. But real income growth was weak, and many households are feeling the pressure of the higher cost of living,” he continued.
There are some signs that 2024 will be better, and Singapore expects gradual improvements in the economy, especially for the manufacturing sector, said Mr Wong.
Inflation should also continue on a broad moderating trend, he added.
“But there are downside risks and there are dark clouds ahead of us,” said Mr Wong, noting the armed conflict around the world, as well as geopolitical tensions.
All this can impact the global economy, which remains vulnerable and fragile, he said, adding that the government is monitoring the situation closely.
“In the end, the government schemes are not just about financial support. They reflect our priorities and our values in Singapore. Our values that those who are better off ... should do their part to contribute and give back to society, and the government can use the revenues it collects to help those with greater needs,” said Mr Wong.
“That is how we support one another, and help each other through difficult times.”
