Committee of Supply 2025 debate, Day 4: Sim Ann on shaping enduring vibrant communities and neighbourhoods
The government will expand the budget meals programme to more locations to benefit more people. It is on track to get all HDB rental coffee shops to provide budget meals by 2026. From May this year, it will require private coffee shops seeking to renew their leases for outdoor refreshment areas to provide budget meals. While ensuring that Singaporeans have access to budget meals, the government does not want to overburden local food and beverage operators, especially small stallholders. Firstly, it is reviewing the Price-Quality Method framework to increase the weightage of quality and to take into account stall-level charges that prospective coffee shop operators will impose on stallholders. Secondly, it is reviewing HDB’s rental renewal policy to deter overly high rental bids for HDB rental shops and coffee shops. More details will be announced once the initiatives are finalised. Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann outlined these key moves in parliament on Wednesday (Mar 5). She also addressed the query from Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh on the funds granted to each town by the Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC). These are determined by the number of HDB flats in the town, number and value of projects submitted and the eligibility criteria, she said. Based on the funding approved to date between FY2021 and FY2024, the top five towns are Ang Mo Kio, Pasir Ris-Punggol, Jurong-Clementi, West Coast and Sembawang. The bottom five are Aljunied-Hougang, Marsiling-Yew Tee, East Coast, Holland-Bukit Panjang and Bishan-Toa Payoh. Most of these are smaller towns, except for Aljunied-Hougang, which is a mid-sized town. Ms Sim said it has consistently submitted fewer projects than the rest. Sengkang submitted the most projects but the CIPC could only support its higher-ranked projects due to funding constraints, she added.
The government will expand the budget meals programme to more locations to benefit more people. It is on track to get all HDB rental coffee shops to provide budget meals by 2026. From May this year, it will require private coffee shops seeking to renew their leases for outdoor refreshment areas to provide budget meals. While ensuring that Singaporeans have access to budget meals, the government does not want to overburden local food and beverage operators, especially small stallholders. Firstly, it is reviewing the Price-Quality Method framework to increase the weightage of quality and to take into account stall-level charges that prospective coffee shop operators will impose on stallholders. Secondly, it is reviewing HDB’s rental renewal policy to deter overly high rental bids for HDB rental shops and coffee shops. More details will be announced once the initiatives are finalised. Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann outlined these key moves in parliament on Wednesday (Mar 5). She also addressed the query from Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh on the funds granted to each town by the Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC). These are determined by the number of HDB flats in the town, number and value of projects submitted and the eligibility criteria, she said. Based on the funding approved to date between FY2021 and FY2024, the top five towns are Ang Mo Kio, Pasir Ris-Punggol, Jurong-Clementi, West Coast and Sembawang. The bottom five are Aljunied-Hougang, Marsiling-Yew Tee, East Coast, Holland-Bukit Panjang and Bishan-Toa Payoh. Most of these are smaller towns, except for Aljunied-Hougang, which is a mid-sized town. Ms Sim said it has consistently submitted fewer projects than the rest. Sengkang submitted the most projects but the CIPC could only support its higher-ranked projects due to funding constraints, she added.
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